Chapter 693: Two Rivers Converge

Chen Mobai simply wanted to convey how difficult it was to gather the ingredients for a batch of Infant Nurturing Pills, hoping to strengthen Yan Shaoyin's resolve. He never expected an unexpected bonus. In fact, even if the Golden Jade Restorative Pills hadn't been offered, he would have eventually agreed. But since they were delivered right to his doorstep, there was no reason not to accept them. With these five Golden Jade Restorative Pills, he could somewhat appease the sect's cultivators who had reached the Foundation Establishment Completion stage.

Thinking this, Chen Mobai found Ye Bo'gui increasingly pleasing to the eye. He even considered that when Yan Shaoyin eventually passed away, Ye Bo'gui could take charge of the Valley of Rebirth if he pledged allegiance to them.

After having E Yun escort Ye Bo'gui away, Chen Mobai began instructing Yue Zutao, who was in Giantwood Ridge, to start collecting the medicinal ingredients for the Infant Nurturing Pills. The auxiliary ingredients were relatively straightforward, but the twelve main ingredients were all rare treasures of heaven and earth. According to the contract, the Divine Wood Sect was responsible for six of these. Because Chen Mobai had given instructions in advance, Yue Zutao had essentially prepared everything and was just waiting for his command to harvest them.

However, only three were available within the sect, still lacking fourth-tier Tai Sui meat, fourth-tier Ice Heart Divine Lotus, and fourth-tier Sky-Blue Silverglow Grass. Among these, the Ice Heart Divine Lotus was a supreme treasure of the Blizzardsky Palace. Chen Mobai had sent Yue Zutao to negotiate for it in advance. Initially, Zhu Jinyu was unwilling, but her attitude abruptly changed after the Divine Wood Sect secured control of the Water and Fire factions of the Five Elements Sect. A contract was established last year, allowing them to collect it whenever needed without paying spirit stones, provided that Chen Mobai, as the Sect Master of Divine Wood Sect, made a single promise. That promise was that Divine Wood Sect cultivators would not attack Blizzardsky Palace. Chen Mobai naturally agreed without hesitation, stating that as long as Blizzardsky Palace upheld the ways of righteousness and refrained from committing heinous acts, no member of the Divine Wood Sect would ever proactively invade them.

The Sky-Blue Silverglow Grass was not found in the Eastern Desolate region, but the Sun family in Eastern Wu possessed it. Chen Mobai wrote a letter, asking Yu Lian to deliver it to Nujiang at Stormy Dock, hoping he would help negotiate with Eastern Wu. The remaining ingredient was the fourth-tier Tai Sui meat, which Chen Mobai would have to acquire himself. However, the six main ingredients they were responsible for collecting were relatively easy to obtain.

It's important to note that in the immortal sects, the most crucial ingredient for the Infant Nurturing Pill was the fifth-tier Cinnabar Fruit, which wasn't available here. Therefore, after discussing it, Chen Mobai and Yan Shaoyin decided to use the fifth-tier Solar Sacred Fruit from the Sun-Bathing Sea as a substitute. This was also the most valuable and most difficult to acquire of the twelve main ingredients. Chen Mobai was quite direct, stating that the Divine Wood Sect had an ordinary relationship with the Sun-Bathing Sea and certainly couldn't obtain it. If Grandmaster Yan wanted to refine the Infant Nurturing Pills, he would have to find a way to acquire the Solar Sacred Fruit himself.

Yan Shaoyin initially disagreed, but later realized that he needed the Infant Nurturing Pills more, so he reluctantly consented. Now that Yan Shaoyin intended to refine the Infant Nurturing Pills, he must have found a way to obtain the Solar Sacred Fruit from the Sun-Bathing Sea, or perhaps he already had it. It was unclear whether it was due to Yan Shaoyin's personal connections or the influence of the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association.

However, Chen Mobai quickly put this matter out of his mind because the Tai Sui meat he possessed still needed to be upgraded. The Tai Sui was with Zhuo Ming, but she was currently hosting people from the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association and had no time to bring it over. Chen Mobai had originally intended to go to Rainbow Nation himself, but recalling that he had just told Lou Xuelong he was busy, going now would be somewhat embarrassing. So, he decided to wait until after they had finished observing the Great Sun Purple Rice heading and left.

Chen Mobai had no concerns whatsoever about Zhuo Ming's spiritual plant cultivation skills. He recalled that Gu Zhiqin, the Core Formation cultivator from the Starry Sky Dao Sect who initially came to guide the planting of the Great Sun Purple Rice, was extremely arrogant, believing that small sects in the rural Eastern Desolate region could not possibly cultivate such precious spiritual rice without their full-process supervision and assistance. However, Zhuo Ming easily astonished Gu Zhiqin later. After watching the Great Sun Purple Rice planting process once, she had already learned it, and after practicing two or three times, she could perform it even better than the Starry Sky Dao Sect disciples Gu Zhiqin brought with him. When Gu Zhiqin departed after two years of guidance, he even asked Zhuo Ming if she wanted to switch allegiances. Zhuo Ming, of course, flatly refused. Zhuo Ming later told Chen Mobai about this herself. The latter felt proud upon hearing it and also made a note of Gu Zhiqin's name. This was the first time he had encountered someone bold enough to try to poach his talent. He couldn't afford to provoke the Starry Sky Dao Sect now, but he would settle the score later. Precisely because of this, Chen Mobai did not want to have too close a relationship with anyone from the Starry Sky Dao Sect, so as to avoid difficulty when they eventually turned hostile.

In any case, they also had to wait for news from Nujiang's side, and it would take some time for Yue Zutao to collect the remaining auxiliary ingredients. So, the matter of upgrading the Tai Sui meat could wait.

Just at this moment, another cause for great celebration arose. The two great rivers had finally been completed and converged. This super-project, originally planned to take twenty to thirty years, was completed nearly half the time sooner than anticipated. Exactly sixteen years had passed since the commencement of the two rivers' excavation.

During the initial five years, Zhuo Ming and others lacked experience and had to explore on their own. Although E Yun hired rogue cultivators from North Abyss City to assist, progress was slow. In the following five years, as spiritual rice began to yield abundant harvests, Divine Wood Sect disciples and various cultivation families joined the effort, and progress accelerated, flourishing according to plan. In yet another five years, Chen Mobai personally oversaw and intervened forcefully, keeping the Divine Wood Sect's Foundation Establishment and elite Qi Condensation disciples in the Eastern Desolate Plateau. With Luo Xue'er refining an unorthodox Golden Core and Luo Yixuan no longer needing to conceal her Core Formation strength, their full efforts tripled the excavation speed of the two great rivers. The final year was spent preparing for the confluence of the two rivers. And today, it was finally complete!

As the Sect Master and principal in charge of the project, Chen Mobai naturally rushed to the site immediately. The completed confluence of the two rivers was precisely at the border of Xiaoguo, Yanguo, and Rainbow Nation. This was the most fulfilling project the sect had undertaken in a century, aside from warfare. Moreover, since Chen Mobai, as the Sect Master, had personally spearheaded it, all the border guardians from the three nations brought their subordinates to witness the event that day.

The day was beautiful, with gentle breezes and clear skies. Chen Mobai stood on the bank where the two rivers met, looking down at the continuously surging and turbulent waters, nodding with satisfaction. To his left and right stood Luo Yixuan and Luo Xue'er, the two female Core Formation cultivators of the sect. Because Luo Yixuan had formed a Ghost Core, Chen Mobai, to prevent Gu Zhiqin—who was sent by the Starry Sky Dao Sect for guidance—from noticing anything amiss, used the excuse of insufficient manpower and called this disciple to replace Zhuo Ming in excavating the White River. The original plan was for her to temporarily stay for two years, returning after Gu Zhiqin left. However, Chen Mobai later realized that with this disciple present, he could save himself a lot of trouble, so he kept her in charge of the river excavation project.

Following the two women were E Yun, Zhou Wangshen, and Yan Yuanhao, the three border guardians. Beyond them were forty-six Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Divine Wood Sect who had dedicated significant effort to this super-project. Initially, they merely wanted to curry favor with the Sect Master's lineage and earn some spirit stones. Over the years, however, they had forgotten their initial intentions, and as they witnessed the rushing currents of the two converging rivers, a subtle sense of pride flickered in their eyes. On the outermost periphery were the contractors from various families and sects. They too had made indelible and immense contributions to this super-project, and thus were invited to attend the ceremony.

Chen Mobai delivered a passionate speech, which was met with rounds of enthusiastic applause. Then, Zhou Wangshen enthusiastically presented a massive stone, erected it on the bank, and requested the Sect Master to name the river that would flow towards Rainbow Nation after the confluence.

Chen Mobai pondered for a moment. He had previously considered "Xuan River," but now he felt it lacked grandeur. He picked up the Sun-Chasing Brush that Zhou Shengqing had once given him and paced back and forth in front of the stone. No one dared to disturb him; all waited for the Sect Master to make his inscription. Before long, Chen Mobai stopped, stood before the massive stone, and with brush in hand, wrote two characters: "Black Water!" Everyone present was puzzled by the meaning. However, they hadn't understood the previous names, Mo River and White River, either. In any case, whatever the Sect Master wanted to name it, that's what it would be called! From that day forward, this great river, flowing towards Rainbow Nation after the confluence of the two rivers, was named "Black Water."

Only Luo Yixuan, standing nearby, felt a mix of excitement and disbelief upon seeing the words "Black Water": *Could Master have named it after me?*

On the way back, Luo Yixuan rode Chen Mobai's Scarlet Cloud Mist Silk, returning together.

"Master, why is it called Black Water?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of anticipation and the fear of disappointment.

Chen Mobai looked at his disciple's expression, and with a moment's thought, understood her feelings. He smiled faintly and then continued, playing into her expectations. "Ming'er came to the Eastern Desolate Plateau to excavate the two rivers, and I was at ease only because you escorted and protected her. Many of the dangerous and crucial sections of the White River were only navigable thanks to your efforts in the beginning. Later, when Ming'er went to Rainbow Nation to reclaim land from sand and plant spiritual rice, and I was often in secluded cultivation unable to oversee things, it was entirely due to your diligent efforts, leading the sect disciples and various contractors, that this project could be successfully completed. One could say, in the confluence of these two rivers, your contribution is even greater than Ming'er's and even Junior Niece Luo's. Therefore, I hope that future generations will remember you, this great unsung hero, by the name Black Water!"

As soon as Chen Mobai finished speaking, Luo Yixuan's expression grew agitated. Her pale, oval face lifted slightly, wanting to show pride but then remembering to maintain her composure, which caused her cheeks to flush. The years of hard work excavating the rivers were instantly swept away from her mind, and she couldn't help but volunteer eagerly!

"Master, please leave the development of Black Water to me. I guarantee that when Senior Sister Zhuo is reclaiming land from sand, she will not lack water."

Hearing this, Chen Mobai was also greatly pleased. "Excellent, excellent, Xuan'er, you truly are my most considerate disciple. Only with you handling this important matter can I be at ease!"