Chapter 687: Ripe Peaches

Chen Mobai had a complete plan for unifying the Eastern Desolation long ago. Now, only three targets and obstacles remained: the Five Elements Sect, Rejuvenation Valley, and Snowfall Palace.

Directly attacking Rejuvenation Valley and Snowfall Palace would make their Divine Wood Sect seem like a bully, picking on the weaker ones. It wasn't that Chen Mobai was unwilling to face such criticism; rather, reclaiming the Five Elements Sect was currently the most suitable strategy for the Divine Wood Sect. It carried a natural moral righteousness. While attacking the territories of Rejuvenation Valley and Snowfall Palace would be seen as aggression, attacking the Five Elements Sect would be considered unification.

Furthermore, returning to Hunyuan Immortal City was also Zhou Shengqing's deep-seated wish. After returning from the Eastern Desolation Plateau, Zhou Shengqing had been in continuous contact with Nu Jiang and Sheng Zhaoxi, working with them to deduce the variations of the Profound Mechanism Five Elements Array. He had even personally entered Hunyuan Immortal City multiple times for on-site observation and verification. By now, Zhou Shengqing was absolutely confident.

"To capture the enemy, first capture their king. Once Junior Martial Brother Mo arrives, I'll call our junior martial brothers and sisters to enter the Immortal City, halt the operation of the Five Elements Grand Array, and capture Zhou Ye." Even with Zhou Shengqing's usual composure, his expression showed a hint of excitement as he spoke. He vividly recalled the scene from years ago: the moment they broke ties before his master's memorial tablet, and how he furiously left the Immortal City with Mo Douguang. Now, finally, he could return honorably.

"Do you need Senior Martial Brother Fu and me to intervene?" Once the Five Elements Sect was taken, the Divine Wood Sect's unification of the Eastern Desolation would be practically assured. Therefore, Chen Mobai regarded this matter with great importance.

"The sect still needs you two to oversee things. Leave this matter to me," Zhou Shengqing replied confidently. Although Nu Jiang and Sheng Zhaoxi had indicated they would not directly participate in the battle between Zhou Shengqing and Zhou Ye, wishing to maintain their integrity as grand elders of the Five Elements Sect, as long as they assisted Zhou Shengqing in halting the Profound Mechanism Five Elements Array, Zhou Shengqing's Nascent Soul stage power, combined with Mo Douguang's tactical support, would be more than enough to capture Zhou Ye.

"Then we'll await your good news, Senior Martial Brother." Chen Mobai wasn't particularly keen on getting involved in the affairs between the disciples of the Hunyuan Grand Ancestor. So, when Zhou Shengqing made the suggestion, he readily agreed.

After discussing this matter, the three of them turned their conversation to Rejuvenation Valley and Snowfall Palace. "We'll wait until the seven kingdoms under our sect's banner complete their unification. Then, my disciple will descend the mountain to assist the common lord of the world and lead troops to conquer the remaining twelve Eastern Desolation states."

"Those twelve states will certainly be unable to resist the unifying army of the seven kingdoms. If Rejuvenation Valley and Snowfall Palace wish to maintain control over the mortal realms, they will have to dispatch their disciples. As my disciple, Zongheng can then invite cultivators from the various prominent families under the Divine Wood Sect to intervene. I believe they will grant me this favor."

Chen Mobai still wanted to maintain some decorum. When Jiang Zongheng descended the mountain to unify the Eastern Desolation, it would be better for the Divine Wood Sect's cultivators not to openly participate in battles among cultivators on the battlefield. However, if the cultivators from Rejuvenation Valley and Snowfall Palace proved to be exceptionally powerful, he wouldn't be rigid. He would then, under the banner of unification, lead the Divine Wood Sect's cultivator army to crush them.

"With you, Junior Martial Brother, overseeing everything, it is truly our sect's good fortune," Zhou Shengqing exclaimed with emotion after hearing Chen Mobai's plan. As natives of the Eastern Desolation, they had always resolved such matters through direct combat. They could never have imagined starting from the mortal realm, leveraging the righteousness of unification to occupy the moral high ground, and proceeding with dignity. This was because almost all cultivators were born as mortals, and their initial thoughts and education came from the mortal world.

After the Eastern Desolation was unified, they would receive the following information from birth: "Before unification, rituals and music collapsed throughout the Eastern Desolation, and the world was in turmoil. Immortal Venerable Chen of the Divine Wood Immortal Sect, unable to bear the sight of a chaotic world, dispatched his disciples to assist the human lord, ending chaos through war and undertaking the great task of unification. However, unification was obstructed by evil sects of unknown origin, such as the Five Elements, Rejuvenation, and Snowfall. Fortunately, the righteous path found abundant support, while the unrighteous found little. Various righteous immortal masters, obeying heaven's will, joined forces to assist the human lord in sweeping across the land, clearing away obstacles, and ultimately achieving the great work of unification, bringing an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity to the Eastern Desolation!"

After all, although the major sects of the Eastern Desolation had carved out territories for nineteen states, their rule over the mortal realm was aloof, with no clear hierarchical relationship between the two. Therefore, when the Divine Wood Sect brought about mortal unification, it was not, in name, an invasion of the other major sects. After unification, cultivators in the Eastern Desolation who were found to have spiritual roots among mortals and entered the cultivation world would naturally yearn for the Divine Wood Sect. With such an influx of talent and people's hearts turning towards them, the Divine Wood Sect would grow increasingly powerful. Moreover, cultivators who joined the sect after unification, due to the information they received from childhood, would develop a strong sense of belonging and pride towards the Divine Wood Sect, resulting in unwavering loyalty.

After their discussion, Zhou Shengqing sent a message to Mo Douguang, awaiting his arrival. Chen Mobai, meanwhile, summoned Jiang Zongheng and asked him about the progress of the Divine Wood Sect's unification efforts.

"Master, the State of Jian has already conquered the State of Lei, and the State of Yan has taken over the States of Xiao and Hong. Now, we just await the outcome between these two states to determine the common lord of the world," Jiang Zongheng reported.

Chen Mobai was somewhat surprised by Jiang Zongheng's words. "How did the State of Jian manage to conquer the State of Lei?" Previously, under Duan Shuyu's leadership, the State of Lei had firmly held back Jian's army for three years. In Chen Mobai's opinion, even if Jian had an additional hundred thousand troops, they wouldn't have been able to break through Lei's naturally fortified defenses.

"Master, actually, in the first year that Jian's army was stalled by Lei, King Han realized that a land-based assault alone would struggle to breach Duan Shuyu's defenses. So, while he had the second prince lead the attack on the main front, he also instructed the third prince to mobilize all the artisans across the kingdom to build large ships. Having captured the States of Yun and Yu along the shores of Cloud Dream Lake, they leveraged the skilled shipbuilders from these two states to construct enough warships within three years. Last month, the third prince led sixty thousand naval troops from Cloud Dream Lake, bypassing Duan Shuyu's defenses by water. They landed directly in Lei's heartland, quickly advanced into Lei's capital, and exterminated King Sheng's clan."

As he spoke, Jiang Zongheng's face showed regret. King Sheng of Lei was no less virtuous than King Han, but unfortunately, Lei was a weak state. Even with a peerless general like Duan Shuyu, he still met his end with his clan exterminated. With King Sheng's death, Jian's land and naval forces launched a combined attack on Duan Shuyu from inside and out. Coupled with collaborators within Lei, Duan Shuyu had no way to turn the tide. Even so, he held out for two more months until his provisions ran out. Only then did he sigh towards the heavens, draw his sword, and commit suicide.

"He's dead?" Hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but show a look of regret. Even he admired Duan Shuyu, having thought that this person could be left for the common lord of the world, serving as a leading figure in unifying the Eastern Desolation.

"He ostensibly died, but in reality, he was rescued by the Black Dragon Guards of the State of Yan. The one who committed suicide was a substitute." Such a deception might fool mortals, but it couldn't escape Jiang Zongheng, who had been observing the entire situation.

"In your opinion, between King Han and King Zhao, who will ultimately conquer the world?" Based on apparent strength, the State of Yan naturally couldn't be a match for the State of Jian. However, if Duan Shuyu, this renowned general of the Eastern Desolation, were to pledge allegiance to King Zhao, it could introduce a variable.

"King Han is virtuous. With him leading, the State of Jian only needs to advance with overwhelming momentum. Even if the State of Yan has Duan Shuyu, they can at most defend a small corner of land," Jiang Zongheng offered his assessment.

Chen Mobai nodded slightly after hearing this. Just as the master and disciple were discussing the state of the world, Gu Yan returned with Zhuo Ming.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Hahaha, no need for formalities." Seeing Zhuo Ming, Chen Mobai couldn't help but smile, gesturing for her to rise.

"Master, upon hearing you emerged from seclusion, Junior Sister Luo also wanted to come, but Senior Sister Yin's cultivation reached a critical point, so she stayed to guard her..." After rising, Zhuo Ming first mentioned that Yin Qingmei was about to complete her Foundation Establishment stage! She had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage before, and Chen Mobai had even gifted her a third-tier immortal peach fruit. Last year, feeling her cultivation reaching a crucial moment, she used her personal quota to exchange for another one from the Spiritual Treasure Pavilion. As expected, after consuming it, there were signs of a breakthrough in her Azure Emperor Longevity Scripture.

Although Luo Yixuan was somewhat petty, after years of Chen Mobai's teaching and personal example, she could distinguish right from wrong on important matters. Knowing that Yin Qingmei, a Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator, completing her Foundation Establishment would essentially mean another Core Formation cultivator for the Divine Wood Sect, Luo Yixuan had stayed by her side to prevent any mishaps.

"Xuan'er has worked hard." Chen Mobai was indeed delighted to hear this. His disciples' thoughtfulness gave him a great sense of accomplishment as a teacher.

"Master, what matter did you summon me for this time?" Zhuo Ming asked. She was constantly busy in the State of Hong, literally never standing still. Besides desertification control, she was also occupied with the Great Sun Purple Rice, and occasionally had to oversee the progress of the two major rivers' convergence. Since Luo Xue'er refined the Outer Dao Golden Core, her efficiency in developing the Mo River had greatly increased. She personally took charge and not only caught up with the Bai River but was even surpassing it. During Chen Mobai's seclusion, to keep up with the accelerated progress of the Mo River, Zhuo Ming had to deploy more contractors, striving not to delay the crucial convergence of the two rivers. Only because Chen Mobai summoned her, otherwise, Zhuo Ming might not have found the time to come to Giant Wood Ridge.

"I, your master, have obtained a spiritual liquid called 'Myriad Transformation Thunderwater,' which has the effect of activating all spirits and accelerating the growth of all things..." Chen Mobai then explained his desire for Zhuo Ming to help ripen some fourth-tier immortal peach fruits.

Upon hearing about the effects of the Myriad Transformation Thunderwater, everyone present showed expressions of shock. "The Longevity Sect actually possesses such an amazing spiritual liquid!" Zhuo Ming exclaimed after her initial shock. Since Chen Mobai often produced treasures far beyond the Divine Wood Sect's heritage, his disciples naturally assumed they came from the Longevity Sect. Chen Mobai simply smiled and did not refute this.

Zhuo Ming's time was precious. After speaking, Chen Mobai personally piloted the Crimson Cloud Smoke Gauze, taking her, Jiang Zongheng, and Gu Yan to Small South Mountain. This place had already transformed into a fourth-tier spiritual vein. Unfortunately, the cultivators of their lineage were all busy with different matters, so the spiritual energy, besides being absorbed by the immortal peach tree and other spiritual plants, mostly dissipated into the void, to be captured and drawn in by the Myriad Woods Grand Array. However, such waste would not occur in the future.

After landing on the mountaintop, Chen Mobai took out a top-grade spirit stone inscribed with a charging array formation. He walked to the highest point and casually placed it on a large rock. This way, any spiritual energy rising and dissipating from Small South Mountain in the future would be absorbed by this top-grade spirit stone. This was the third such stone. Chen Mobai had already placed the other two in his Longevity Wood Daoist Temple. According to his estimate, if he didn't compete for spiritual energy with the top-grade spirit stone in the Longevity Wood Daoist Temple, one stone could be fully charged in about two years. However, the one on Small South Mountain, needing to prioritize supplying spiritual plants like the immortal peach tree, tea tree, and Pure Bamboo, would only be able to absorb residual spiritual energy and might take five or six years to fully charge.

Of course, a top-grade spirit stone could also be charged within a third-tier spiritual vein. But according to Chen Mobai's estimation, by the time it was fully charged, that third-tier spiritual vein would likely be drained and depleted. Draining the pond to catch all the fish was not an option, so Chen Mobai decided to let it charge here for now. In any case, for him, the primary use of a fully charged top-grade spirit stone at this stage was to suppress fourth-tier spiritual veins. If he became truly urgent in the future, he could use his authority as sect master to infuse all the accumulated spiritual energy from the Myriad Woods Grand Array. However, doing so would affect the cultivation progress of many cultivators within the sect. This was generally only done when someone in the sect was breaking through to the Core Formation or Nascent Soul stage.

After placing the top-grade spirit stone and adjusting its spiritual energy absorption efficiency, Chen Mobai lightly stomped his foot, and the Tai Sui appeared. "Guard this stone well..." The Tai Sui nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. These recent years had been the most comfortable for it. After Zhuo Ming left and Chen Mobai didn't visit, it had no one to command it, spending its days wandering carefree within the fourth-tier spiritual vein. Chen Mobai even noticed a faint dark green glow subtly emerging on the Tai Sui's ink-black body.

Within the Immortal Sect, there was a fourth-tier Tai Sui as green as kingfisher feathers. Every time the three spirit herbs for Nascent Soul formation were refined, a piece of it had to be cut as the main ingredient. Coincidentally, Yan Shaoyin was about to refine a Nascent Nurturing Pill. Seeing the green glow on the Tai Sui's surface, Chen Mobai's heart stirred slightly, wondering if he could use a method of "pulling up seedlings to help them grow" to accelerate its development. However, Chen Mobai wasn't sure if such an artificial acceleration method would work on a unique spiritual creature like the Tai Sui. So, after much hesitation, he decided against it.

"Master, which immortal peaches do you wish to ripen?" At this moment, Zhuo Ming, who had finished communicating with the immortal peach tree, flew to a branch laden with unripe fruits, holding the vial of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater Chen Mobai had given her, and asked him.

Chen Mobai flew over and observed. Thanks to Small South Mountain's spiritual vein and Zhuo Ming's Primordial Qi of All Things, a total of twelve fourth-tier immortal peaches had formed. However, the vial of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater stocked by the Jumang Daoist Academy was not abundant; it could at most be infused into nine peach fruits. Chen Mobai recalled his experience with consuming third-tier immortal peach fruits. For any individual, consuming more than five fruits would yield no further effect. Two fruits offered the best cost-effectiveness, and by the third, it was already somewhat wasteful. Mindful of not wasting the liquid, Chen Mobai chose the five largest unripe peach fruits and instructed Zhuo Ming to infuse them with the Myriad Transformation Thunderwater.