Chapter 689: Mixed Origin Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder

Han Zhiling, a third-generation disciple, possessed excellent spiritual root talent and was both hardworking and resilient, making her a perfect fit for the style of their Little Southern Mountain lineage. Chen Mobai, after some consideration, felt she had been sufficiently trained and could now be entrusted with significant responsibilities.

Little Southern Mountain had long been deserted and somewhat neglected. Therefore, after consulting with Zhuo Ming, he arranged for Han Zhiling to come there to establish her foundation.

"Thank you, Ancestral Master," Han Zhiling said.

Han Zhiling, having just returned from the Eastern Desolate Plateau, stood on the peak of Little Southern Mountain and respectfully bowed deeply to Chen Mobai.

"Your foundation is solid and your talent exceptional," Chen Mobai stated. "With the fourth-tier spiritual vein here, you will have no problem establishing your foundation." He used the Formless Puppet to simulate Han Zhiling's foundation establishment process, which indicated a very smooth success. He then guided her through the uncertainties she had accumulated during her daily practice, helping her to build confidence.

Upon hearing this, Han Zhiling's expression visibly relaxed. She knew that this Ancestral Master was revered as the Great Sage Teacher in the Eastern Desolate, and that no cultivator he had predicted would successfully establish their foundation had ever failed.

As Chen Mobai departed, he handed her a talisman to control the Cloud Mist Grand Array of Little Southern Mountain. However, with her current cultivation, she could only operate a portion of its functions.

"If you need anything, you can find Gu Yan." Chen Mobai also considered that he might be in prolonged seclusion or away in Beiyuan City rather than Giant Wood Ridge, so he had Han Zhiling add Gu Yan's All-Reach Device contact information.

After making arrangements for Han Zhiling, his third-generation disciple, Chen Mobai returned to his Evergreen Wood Dojo. He replaced the Formless Puppet's spirit stone with a high-grade one and set it aside for automatic deduction. Once Han Zhiling established her foundation, she was to cultivate the Scarlet Flame Sword Art.

Chen Mobai naturally had no objection; it was indeed the best choice. As an Ancestral Master who had reached the pinnacle of the Scarlet Flame Sword Art, he could provide Han Zhiling with the most accurate answers to any difficulties she might encounter in her cultivation. The only remaining task was to deduce a cultivation method that would seamlessly transition from the Melting Fire Art to the Scarlet Flame Sword Art. While this would be an extremely difficult feat for others, for Chen Mobai, it was simply a matter of sufficient spirit stones. As Han Zhiling's relevant data had already been input into the Formless Puppet, all he had to do was wait for the deduction to complete.

Half a month quickly passed.

One day, Zhou Shengqing and Mo Douguang returned, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh? Senior brothers, what happened...?" Chen Mobai asked, puzzled. Zhou Shengqing had departed full of grand ambitions, yet now he was silent upon his return.

"Alas, I never expected that before Master passed away, he condensed a 'Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder' for Zhou Ye. No wonder that fellow rarely leaves Primordial Immortal City..." Zhou Shengqing said with a sigh of helplessness. At this moment, Fu Zongjue also arrived, looking puzzled by the unfamiliar term.

"The Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder is the most potent thunder art secretly passed down in the One Yuan Dao Palace," Zhou Shengqing explained. "Zhou Ye's particular one is even refined with the fourth-tier spiritual vein of Primordial Immortal City, bound to his life. Once activated, it draws upon the spiritual energies of the five elements across heaven and earth, causing the spiritual vein to explode, mountains to crumble, and the earth to crack. It's estimated that more than half of the Ming Kingdom would be submerged, all life extinguished, and all things rendered desolate!"

Upon hearing Zhou Shengqing's explanation, both Chen Mobai and Fu Zongjue gasped in shock. They had never imagined that the Primordial Ancestor possessed such terrifying capabilities!

At this point, Zhou Shengqing recounted the details of their operation. The four of them smoothly entered Primordial Immortal City via the medium-sized teleportation array at Wind Rain Dock and then moved to disable the Profound Mechanism Five Elements Array. Zhou Shengqing then confidently led Mo Douguang to confront Zhou Ye, intent on proving himself to be the Primordial Ancestor's most exceptional disciple. Zhou Ye, surprisingly straightforward, immediately revealed the Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder upon realizing he was no match for them. If the divine thunder were to detonate, Zhou Shengqing might barely survive with his fourth-tier magical artifact, but Mo Douguang, Nujiang, and Sheng Zhaoxi would undoubtedly be obliterated without a trace. After weighing the consequences, Zhou Shengqing was naturally unwilling to let his companions perish with Zhou Ye, so he reluctantly conceded defeat.

"Did Senior Brother not try to negotiate with Zhou Ye?" Chen Mobai asked, surprised.

"Negotiate what? I only wanted to slay him!" Zhou Shengqing retorted.

Zhou Shengqing's response was perfectly in line with the character of the Eastern Desolate natives, prompting Chen Mobai to give him a thumbs-up.

"Since Zhou Ye possesses the Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder, it means we cannot resolve this issue through violence," Chen Mobai stated. "We need to settle the dispute peacefully through negotiation, to ascertain what conditions Zhou Ye requires to relinquish control of the Five Elements Sect and Primordial Immortal City."

"He'd negotiate on that?" Zhou Shengqing asked, his face a picture of shock after hearing Chen Mobai's words. Not only him, but Mo Douguang and Fu Zongjue wore similar expressions of disbelief. In their view, the Five Elements Sect and Primordial Immortal City were Zhou Ye's lifeblood. Given that the Primordial Ancestor had entrusted these to him, they believed he would die before relinquishing them. Negotiating these matters with Zhou Ye, they felt, would be nothing short of a public humiliation.

"How can you know it won't work if you don't talk? Perhaps Zhou Ye is waiting for you senior brothers to negotiate," Chen Mobai reasoned. "If he truly possessed such a fierce temperament, why didn't he activate the Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder the moment he saw you?"

Chen Mobai's words plunged Zhou Shengqing and Mo Douguang into deep thought. After their return from Primordial Immortal City, both had been too agitated to consider that particular question.

"So, should I... go again?" Zhou Shengqing asked hesitantly.

"Absolutely not." Chen Mobai immediately shook his head. "Zhou Ye's willingness to negotiate is merely a possible hypothesis. He possesses the Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder; what if he truly becomes unhinged and decides to take you, Senior Brother, down with him?" Chen Mobai always acted with prudence. If they had been in a direct confrontation with Zhou Ye earlier, and found no other options, attempting negotiation might have been a viable approach. However, now that they were back and fully aware of the Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder's devastating power, it was absolutely impossible to allow high-level cultivators from the Divine Wood Sect to re-enter Ming Kingdom's territory. Even if there were only a one percent chance, Chen Mobai would not permit Zhou Shengqing, a strategic-level Dharma Body Nascent Soul, to be put in peril.

"Then, Junior Brother, in your opinion, how should we proceed with reclaiming the Five Elements Sect?" Zhou Shengqing humbly inquired. "Or should we postpone it for now and first conquer Huiguan Valley and Blowing Snow Palace?"

"The power of that Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder, if I understand Senior Brother correctly, is centered around Primordial Immortal City," Chen Mobai pondered. "Once activated, it shouldn't extend beyond the borders of Ming Kingdom, correct?" Chen Mobai pressed for more details, and Zhou Shengqing immediately nodded, confirming that as the disciple who had followed the Primordial Ancestor the longest, he was most familiar with this thunder art.

"It's actually the area that the fourth-tier spiritual vein of Primordial Immortal City can affect, which spans over half of the Ming Kingdom," Zhou Shengqing clarified. "The divine thunder's power is greatest at its center, likely even difficult for me to withstand, but at the fringes, I should be able to block it with the Golden Mist Pearl."

Hearing this, Chen Mobai was relieved. However, he then posed another question to Zhou Shengqing: "Does Senior Brother insist on Zhou Ye's death?"

Zhou Shengqing listened with some confusion. "What do you mean, Junior Brother?" he asked.

Chen Mobai presented a hypothetical scenario: "If Zhou Ye were willing to surrender, relinquish the Primordial Dao Fruit, acknowledge the Wood Vein as the orthodox lineage of the Five Elements Sect, and simply beg for his life, would Senior Brother be willing to spare him?"

Zhou Shengqing could scarcely believe such an opportunity, immediately nodding. "As long as he acknowledges that Master bequeathed the Five Elements Sect to me before his passing, I wouldn't just spare his life; I could even allow him to remain my good junior brother and oversee the Earth Vein."

With that assurance, Chen Mobai felt relieved. He produced a sandbox map of the Eastern Desolate, circling the Ming Kingdom, where Primordial Immortal City was located. He then pointed to the other territories under the Five Elements Sect: Fog Kingdom, Flame Kingdom, Rainbow Kingdom, Bright Kingdom, Spring Kingdom, and Clear Kingdom.

"The primary limitation of Zhou Ye's divine thunder is its immobility," Chen Mobai explained. "We'll first seize the Five Elements Sect territories surrounding Ming Kingdom to show him that the tide has turned. Then, I will use my puppet body to enter Primordial Immortal City and negotiate with him. If he is willing to disarm the divine thunder, surrender the Primordial Dao Fruit, and yield the Five Elements Sect, we will grant him an opportunity to repent and return to the righteous path."

Zhou Shengqing and the others looked bewildered after hearing Chen Mobai's explanation. "Can the fall of a mere six mortal kingdoms truly shake Zhou Ye's Dao heart?" they wondered. Cultivators in the Eastern Desolate generally regarded mortals as insignificant. Especially those pinnacle Gold Core cultivators like themselves, who had witnessed countless battles and bloodshed, possessed incredibly resolute Dao hearts.

"Just wait and see, Senior Brothers," Chen Mobai said with a smile. "Furthermore, by conquering each country one by one, we can also provide Senior Brother Nujiang and Senior Sister Sheng with a legitimate reason to surrender to us." Upon hearing this, Zhou Shengqing immediately sought clarification.

Nujiang and Sheng Zhaoxi held no strong opinions regarding the true lineage of the Five Elements Sect; they were amenable to either Zhou Ye remaining in control of Primordial Immortal City or Zhou Shengqing, the Dragon King, returning. Their original refusal to join the breakaway faction, besides adhering to the Primordial Ancestor's command, also stemmed from their unwillingness to bear the stigma of splitting the sect. Knowing how much they valued their reputation, Chen Mobai had devised an elaborate surrender scenario for them, should Zhou Shengqing's initial plan falter.

During the confrontation, Nujiang and Sheng Zhaoxi would personally lead their forces to battle the Divine Wood Sect's Gold Core cultivators on behalf of the Five Elements Sect. They would ultimately suffer a crushing defeat, overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Afterward, either Zhou Shengqing or Mo Douguang, as senior brothers, would step forward on the battlefield to persuade them to surrender. Nujiang and Sheng Zhaoxi would initially refuse resolutely. However, with Zhou Ye of the Earth Vein's support being conspicuously absent, they would struggle to hold on. Eventually, their nation would fall, their formations would shatter, and while covering the retreat of disciples from the Water and Fire Veins, they would be captured by the cultivators of the Divine Wood Sect. Under such circumstances, Nujiang and Sheng Zhaoxi's decision to surrender to the Divine Wood Sect would be beyond reproach, both in terms of sectarian righteousness and personal integrity. The world, upon hearing of it, would only commend their unwavering loyalty and steadfast resolve!

"Junior Brother, this plan is excellent. I'll go discuss it with them immediately." Zhou Shengqing said, his face beaming with delight at the proposed surrender plan for Nujiang and Sheng. When the Profound Mechanism Five Elements Array in Primordial Immortal City was deactivated, Nujiang and Sheng Zhaoxi did not appear, but Zhou Ye must have been aware of their actions. Consequently, when he sheepishly led them away from Primordial Immortal City under the threat of the Primordial Five Elements Extinction Divine Thunder, Zhou Shengqing had felt a considerable loss of face. After all, he had confidently declared before the operation that there would be absolutely no issues. Although Nujiang and Sheng Zhaoxi said nothing when they departed, Zhou Shengqing felt profoundly ashamed. Now that Chen Mobai had crafted a narrative of loyal and valiant surrender for the two, Zhou Shengqing believed it would perfectly atone for their recent failure. He was so excited upon hearing it that he couldn't sit still.

After Zhou Shengqing departed, Mo Douguang also left Giant Wood Ridge. Before stepping into the teleportation array, the usually silent Mo Douguang turned to Chen Mobai and said, "I'll leave the remaining matters to you, Junior Brother." Chen Mobai was slightly surprised but nodded with a smile in response to Mo Douguang.

In the 6525th year of the First Yuan Era, the Second Prince of Jianguo led an army of 200,000 onto the Eastern Desolate Plateau, directing their forces straight towards Yan Kingdom. King Zhao personally led 100,000 troops to array themselves in Baiyan Valley, confronting the Jianguo army. The decisive battle on the battlefield was unparalleled in its brutality. Yet, fueled by fierce courage, Yan Kingdom's 100,000-strong army stubbornly held their defensive line. King Zhao, himself a formidable presence, single-handedly blocked the enemy, demonstrating his profound and overbearing martial prowess. The two armies clashed for half a year, suffering innumerable casualties. Even with superior military strength, the Jianguo forces found themselves unable to advance a single step, much like their earlier campaign against Lei Kingdom.

However, Jianguo resorted to its old tactics once more: the Third Prince led naval forces to land in Xiao Kingdom. There, however, they encountered Duan Shuyu, who had pledged allegiance to King Zhao. Duan Shuyu, leading the Yan Kingdom army, had already been lying in wait in Xiao Kingdom. After the Jianguo naval forces landed and advanced for a hundred miles, they were ambushed and encircled by the well-rested troops. Naval forces, operating on land against a peerless general like Duan Shuyu, naturally suffered a devastating defeat. The Third Prince and his naval forces fled frantically, desperate to reach their ships. Yet, after barely breaking through multiple layers of encirclement and reaching the shore, the Third Prince found only the charred remains of their ships and Duan Shuyu himself awaiting him. In this battle, the Jianguo's 60,000 naval troops, along with the Third Prince, were completely annihilated. Duan Shuyu thus avenged King Sheng, whose clan had been wiped out by the Third Prince. Morale soared throughout Yan Kingdom!

When news of this reached Jianguo, King Han, an elderly man who had lost his son, fainted directly from the shock. Jiang Zongheng, who had been observing the overall situation, began to feel his judgment was flawed, even thinking that King Zhao might be the rightful ruler of the realm. Just then, King Han regained consciousness. Leaving the First Prince to oversee the kingdom, King Han mobilized all able-bodied young men from Jianguo and the Yun and Yu Kingdoms, which he had ruled for five years. He assembled a formidable army of 300,000 and personally led them to the front lines. Faced with the overwhelming might of a 500,000-strong army, even King Zhao, possessing innate martial arts, was powerless to reverse the tide. Baiyan Valley fell, and Yan Kingdom's 100,000-strong army was routed! Had it not been for Duan Shuyu leading his elite troops to provide cover, King Zhao would likely have perished on the battlefield.

After this battle, the Jianguo army advanced with irresistible force! Within just one month, they breached twelve cities in Yan Kingdom, with their army directly reaching the walls of King Zhao's capital. Yet, even in this desperate plight, King Zhao refused to surrender. He lit beacon fires to summon various feudal lords to his aid, while also placing his complete trust in Duan Shuyu, handing over all military authority to him and entrusting this peerless general of the Eastern Desolate with the city's defense. For three months, the Jianguo's 500,000-strong army furiously assaulted the city, yet they could not breach its defenses.