Chapter 661: Flower Blooming in an Instant

Through a subtle spiritual connection, Chen Mobai sensed the inner joy of the Jade Green Parasol Tree. It was a pure, innocent happiness, much like his own when encountering an old friend.

However, this struck Chen Mobai as very odd. Did the Jade Green Parasol Tree have friends? For thousands of years, it had been regulating the fire veins and suppressing spiritual energy on Mount Danxia. Only cultivators residing on the mountain peak could interact with it. Chen Mobai didn't even need to check his phone to know who had occupied the mountain peak.

Before him, there was Shi Qing, and before Shi Qing was Xiao Boxiu, the former headmaster of Scarlet Cloud Academy, who had already retired and was peacefully living out his remaining years. Moreover, as a Golden Core True Person, Xiao Boxiu would certainly have informed Chen Mobai if he were to visit Danxia City. Kaiyuan Hall would also have been notified. As for the cultivators who occupied Mount Danxia before Xiao Boxiu, there was no need to consider them, as they had all passed away naturally.

After much deliberation, Chen Mobai quickly narrowed down the suspect. It was the Blossom Court Master, whom he had once slain. After all, Lan Haitain had mentioned that she had undergone 'body dissolution' and could potentially return. However, with Chen Mobai occupying Mount Danxia, it would be impossible for the Blossom Court Master, even if she had fully recovered, to infiltrate silently and communicate with the Jade Green Parasol Tree.

Only two people had visited recently: Luan Jingsheng and Chansi!

As Chen Mobai pondered, he thought of the Soul Devouring Art. Since both of them were born before Shi Qing was slain, they couldn't be reincarnations from body dissolution. Instead, they must have been the 'divine seeds' planted earlier using the Soul Devouring Art. So, which of them was the one possessed by the Blossom Court Master?

With that thought, Chen Mobai pulled out his phone, intending to call Lan Haitain to handle the matter. But he quickly reconsidered: Chansi was currently working at his Flying Sky Talisman Factory, and her parents and relatives were, in a way, under her watch. Although he wasn't certain if Chansi was possessed by Shi Qing, it was better to restrain her first, just to be safe. However, he couldn't alert her. It would be better to find an excuse to lure her up the mountain to her demise. As for Luan Jingsheng, he had received notification of being hired by a major factory a few days ago and had already left Danxia City. Chen Mobai planned to deal with Chansi first, then inform Lan Haitain to use the Immortal Sect's power to resolve the situation with Luan Jingsheng. Having spent so long in the Eastern Barrens, Chen Mobai's first thought in such matters was always 'better safe than sorry' – to rather err on the side of eliminating a potential threat than letting one slip away.

At the Flying Sky Talisman Factory!

Chansi, who had only been employed for half a month, had already demonstrated exceptional professional competence. Under her guidance, the process for producing Tier 2 talisman paper was improved, boosting efficiency by thirty percent. The supervisor, Tang Pancui, was full of praise for her. Knowing Chansi was alone, Tang Pancui even frequently invited her to dine at her home.

One day, while Chansi was in the workshop overseeing production, she suddenly received a call from Chen Mobai. Chen Mobai said he had some free time recently and planned to try drawing the Heavenly Heart Sword Talisman. He asked Chansi to bring the Jade Cloud Talisman Paper and Flying Rainbow Talisman Ink from the Flying Sky Talisman Factory's inventory up the mountain.

"This should have been my task," Wang Xinying grumbled, seeing Chansi leave with the items. Previously, whenever Chen Mobai needed talisman paper or ink, he would always have her deliver it to the mountain. But she didn't know that this trip was for more than just a delivery.

"Councilor Chen, here is the talisman paper and ink you requested."

Chen Mobai looked at the charmingly smiling Chansi before him, still unsure if she was truly Shi Qing. However, having spent decades operating in the Eastern Barrens, his decisive and ruthless nature had long been honed.

"Thank you for making the trip yourself," Chen Mobai said with a smile, taking the items. Just as Chansi was about to say it was no trouble, a five-colored light flew out from the young man's sleeve. Like a spiritual serpent, it instantly coiled around her, trapping her completely.

"Councilor Chen, what is the meaning of this? Even if you are a Kaiyuan Hall councilor, illegally imprisoning an Immortal Sect citizen is against the law! I can report you to the Enforcement Department." Chansi's eyes flashed with a sharp glint, but then her face contorted with shock and anger. She struggled, trying to get up, all while continuously reprimanding him.

At that moment, Chen Mobai remembered that this was the Immortal Sect. Without evidence, even cultivators from the Enforcement Department were only permitted to monitor, not to act. Having destroyed so many sects and clans in the Eastern Barrens, he had become somewhat lawless. This was a bad habit, and he needed to curb it. As he thought this, Chen Mobai's expression remained calm. He began to bluff Chansi: "Imprisoning an Immortal Sect citizen is indeed illegal, but imprisoning a remnant of the Ascension Cult is a great service."

"What are you talking about!" Chansi retorted, her face angry. "I am a retired cultivator from the military. Without evidence, the Righteous Law Hall will not let you get away with this slander!" Chansi showed no fear of Chen Mobai, the Kaiyuan Hall councilor. In the Immortal Sect, at least on the surface, the principle of equality for all was upheld.

"Whether it's true or not, you can explain it to Lan Haitain yourself when I've notified him to come and take you." The Heaven Mending Group had a certain degree of privilege within the Immortal Sect when dealing with matters related to the Ascension Cult. Lan Haitain would certainly have methods to determine whether Chansi had been possessed by Shi Qing or had a divine seed planted within her.

As he spoke, Chen Mobai took out his phone, ready to dial.

"Wait!" Chansi suddenly spoke, stopping him. The look of shock and anger vanished from her face. She frowned, coldly staring at the clear-spirited and elegant young man before her.

"Oh? Not pretending anymore?" Chen Mobai remarked, somewhat surprised by this turn of events. He had expected Chansi to stubbornly resist until Lan Haitain arrived. Still, this was better; at least it would save him from adding a blemish to his record. After all, he had illegally detained an Immortal Sect citizen without proper authority. Even if it were proven later that Chansi was indeed possessed by Shi Qing, it would still violate procedural justice and be considered a serious error. But now that Chansi had admitted it preemptively, he could claim he had discovered her possession by a remnant of the Ascension Cult and acted to control her urgently, to prevent harm to ordinary citizens before the relevant authorities arrived. This way, not only would he be blameless, but he would also have rendered a meritorious service.

"This Jade Green Parasol Tree is connected to an opportunity for Spirit Transformation. Do you want it?"

Just as Chen Mobai was considering how to deal with Chansi and solidify the charges against her, she uttered words that sent a jolt through him. An opportunity for Spirit Transformation! If it were true, he definitely wanted it! However, this person before him was a titan of the unorthodox path; her words couldn't be fully trusted. He needed to probe further. With this in mind, a look of arrogance appeared on Chen Mobai's face, and he uttered words that left Chansi speechless: "With my talent, I can achieve Spirit Transformation on my own. Why would I need some so-called opportunity?"

Chen Mobai's aptitude for Spirit Transformation was well-known, even within the Ascension Cult. The Blossom Court Master had initially considered it an exaggeration, but after being slain by him, she knew it was true. Still, that statement was a bit too arrogant!

"I admit your talent is exceptional," Chansi conceded, "but the chasm of Spirit Transformation cannot be crossed by talent alone. In the history of the Immortal Sect, there have been over a dozen individuals hailed as having the aptitude for Spirit Transformation, yet only Old Ancestor Yuanyang ultimately achieved it. Surely, you wouldn't want to see your extraordinary talent confined to the Nascent Soul stage, ultimately passing away in obscurity." Many of the Immortal Sect's Spirit Transformation Ancestors were inconspicuous at first, some even only achieving it after two lifetimes. The most renowned one, stunning from beginning to end, was Old Ancestor Yuanyang.

After listening to Chansi's words, Chen Mobai feigned a thoughtful expression, pondered for a moment, then spoke again. "Go on."

"Our Blossom Court lineage has a secret art called 'Instant Blooming'," Chansi revealed. "It can condense all the essence, energy, and spirit of a spiritual plant, causing it to bloom and bear fruit. After consumption, a cultivator can comprehend the Dao essence and vitality imprinted by the spiritual plant over thousands of years, gaining endless profound insights. This is precisely why I chose this Jade Green Parasol Tree."

Chansi was very clear that this was her last chance at possession. If she fell into the hands of the Heaven Mending Group, she would certainly have no further chance to escape via body dissolution. So, she directly stated her true purpose for hiding in Danxia City, hoping to entice the young man before her and prevent him from handing her over.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai recalled Lan Haitain mentioning that Daoist Master Taohua had examined the Jade Green Parasol Tree and found signs of it having advanced in grade, yet without evidence of extensive absorption of spiritual energy from heaven and earth. At this point, he believed about thirty percent of what Chansi said. However, what he was truly thinking was whether this secret art could be used in the Eastern Barrens. After all, every spiritual plant in the Immortal Sect was registered and accounted for, leaving virtually no opportunity to use the technique here. But the Eastern Barrens was different; the Divine Wood Sect alone had numerous Tier 4 spiritual plants under its dominion. Chen Mobai felt that the Grand Dao Tree, a legacy of the Longevity Cult within the Divine Tree Secret Realm, was no less impressive than the Jade Green Parasol Tree. He considered that when his cultivation reached the peak Nascent Soul stage, it would not be unacceptable to transform this Grand Dao Tree into a fruit for his own advancement towards Spirit Transformation.

"Tell me the incantation for Instant Blooming." Thus, Chen Mobai directly inquired about the contents of the secret art.

"This is a forbidden art among forbidden arts. Are you sure you want to hear it?" Chansi countered. Chen Mobai nodded; after all, he wouldn't be using Instant Blooming within the Immortal Sect.

"Then, shouldn't we discuss terms properly?" At this point, Chansi suddenly smiled, then wriggled her body, pointing to the five-colored misty light that bound her.

Chen Mobai hesitated. In the Immortal Sect, dealing with a remnant of the Ascension Cult was a grave crime. But this concerned an opportunity for Spirit Transformation. After weighing his options, he decided the potential gain far outweighed the risk. He then extended his hand and retrieved the Scarlet Cloud Misty Silk that bound Chansi. However, Chen Mobai still cast a restriction spell, sealing her Dantian and Qi Sea to prevent any strange techniques from this ancient evil lineage. Chansi said nothing further. After being unbound, she stretched her body, her mind already pondering how to converse with the impressive young man before her.

Although she had managed to turn her almost certain death sentence around by offering an opportunity for Spirit Transformation, she had also played her biggest card and had little room left to negotiate.

"May I ask how I was exposed?"

Upon hearing Chansi's question, Chen Mobai turned his head to glance at the Jade Green Parasol Tree nearby, then remained silent, letting her guess.

"You cast a surveillance spell at your residence? Did you see me touch it?" Chansi looked at Chen Mobai with disbelief. At that moment, she regretted her impatience, having endured for fifteen years already.

"You give me Instant Blooming, and we swear a Dao Heart Vow not to harm each other. Then you leave Earth Origin Star and return to the Ascension Cult. How about that?" Chen Mobai proposed his terms first, but Chansi immediately shook her head upon hearing them.

"The Ascension Cult isn't necessarily safer than the Immortal Sect," Chansi countered. "Furthermore, the forbidden art of Instant Blooming requires the Blossom Court's cultivation method to be performed. You would, at the very least, need to protect and support me until I reach the Golden Core stage."

"Just give me all the Blossom Court's cultivation methods and secret arts. Whether I can cultivate them is my business." Although Chen Mobai himself had the foundation of the Pure Yang Scroll, as the sect master of the Divine Wood Sect, he had many talented individuals under his command. He didn't believe he couldn't find someone capable of cultivating it.

Chansi: "I need more assurances."

Chen Mobai: "Speak."

Chansi: "Protecting me until I reach the Golden Core stage is my bottom line. Without the Golden Core realm, I won't feel secure."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai shook his head again and informed her that the Immortal Sect already knew she hadn't completely died. "Your trick didn't fool Daoist Master Yuanxu. From now on, all cultivators in the Immortal Sect who reach the Golden Core stage will undergo the most rigorous scrutiny. Even with my protection, you have too many vulnerabilities. If you form a Golden Core, the Heaven Mending Group will immediately detect something unusual." As a graduate from Danxia City, Chansi's future exchange for Golden Core spiritual medicine would be subject to intense scrutiny. And if she successfully formed a Golden Core, she would become even more conspicuous, and the Righteous Law Hall would certainly employ various methods to verify her identity. Under investigation by the Immortal Sect's most powerful law enforcement agency, Chansi, bearing traces of the Soul Devouring Art, would be utterly unable to hide.

"I need you to provide me with a sense of security before I can give you Instant Blooming and all the Blossom Court's cultivation methods. Otherwise, I would rather die." Chansi spoke with a resolute expression. She had already died twice; this was her last chance to return to her peak. This was also her last bargaining chip.

"Alright then, let's both take a step back," Chen Mobai proposed. "You first give me Instant Blooming, and then we both swear Dao Heart Vows to ensure we won't harm each other. In about sixty years, the Pioneering Wars will begin. At that time, I'll find a way to arrange for you to go to another realm to form your Golden Core. How does that sound?"

Chen Mobai's words made Chansi nod slightly, indicating acceptance.

"Once I've perfected my Golden Core," Chansi continued, "with your talent, you should probably have formed a Nascent Soul by then. At that time, transplant this Jade Green Parasol Tree into your domain and bring it. I will then perform Instant Blooming, and we will share half of the resulting fruit."

Chansi's words made Chen Mobai frown slightly. What right do you have to half?