Chapter 702: One Yuan Secret Realm Opens

"Sect Master Chen truly lives up to his reputation as the greatest genius of the Eastern Barrens in a millennium. It seems he will soon break through to the late Core Formation stage," Yan Shaoyin managed a smile, cupping his hands in congratulations to Chen Mobai.

"Not at all, not at all. Breaking through bottlenecks is difficult; it might take me another ten or eight years. Master Yan, on the other hand, is still vigorous, seemingly having already perfected the Core Formation stage."

Chen Mobai waved his hand with a touch of reserve. Since Yan Shaoyin was still a partner, he didn't directly use his spiritual eye technique to probe him. However, his verbal probes and eagerness for the Infant Nurturing Pill allowed him to guess as much.

"Sect Master Chen thinks too highly of this old man."

Yan Shaoyin was, after all, an old fox. Though initially shocked by the rapid improvement in Chen Mobai's cultivation, showing a hint of surprise, he quickly recovered, his expression returning to normal. Yan Shaoyin's face was respectfully bowed to Sect Master Chen, who had descended from the sky, as he replied.

"Master Yan, in the Eastern Barrens, my Five Elemental Lineages have reunited. Among the remaining Core Formation cultivators, only you and True Lord Kong are left." Chen Mobai pondered, deciding to offer Yan Shaoyin a chance to join. He extended an invitation: "Unity benefits both. Since the Primordial Ancestor, our Eastern Barrens has lacked a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator to oversee it, causing us to live long under the shadow of the major Dongyi sects and the demonic beasts of Yunmeng Marsh. If Master Yan is willing to join us, integrating all the resources of the Eastern Barrens, refining Infant Nurturing Pills and other tasks won't be as difficult as they are now. What do you say?"

After Chen Mobai finished speaking, Yan Shaoyin's expression shifted slightly, and he asked, "If I join you, would I be allowed to view your sect's treasured insights on forming a Nascent Soul?"

"Naturally, you can, but only after you've formed your Nascent Soul."

"This old man is too old; I can't wait that long."

"Then I can only wish Master Yan success in forming his Nascent Soul soon."

Yan Shaoyin had actually already obtained some insights on forming a Nascent Soul through the Star Heaven Small Merchant Guild's channels, but he considered those far from enough. What he was thinking was that if Sect Master Chen (referring to the leader of the Five Elemental Lineages) was willing to offer them, even if he had to swear a Heart Demon Oath to join, if he successfully formed his Nascent Soul in the future, he would still have various means to annex the Five Elemental Lineages and re-establish the name of Rebirth Valley. The intent to suppress was unconcealed. Anyway, as long as the Star Heaven Dao Sect still needed Rebirth Valley to help oversee the ten thousand mu of Coiling Dragon Spirit Rice, their lineage would not be annihilated.

Duan Shuyu was unaware of the intense emotional fluctuations in Jiang Zongheng's heart after he left.

After the master and disciple returned to the Ming Kingdom, they immediately ended their campaign and returned to the capital to rest and recuperate. In the spring of next year, troops would be dispatched from the Yan Kingdom's home territory, aiming to conquer the three kingdoms of Frost, Snow, and Wind in a single decisive battle. "Master, there are still seven countries left. When shall we mobilize our army?"

"The next targets are the Frost Kingdom and the Snow Kingdom. After taking those two, the Wind Kingdom's resistance won't be significant. Then comes the Xia Kingdom, but the Hua Kingdom should be left for last." Zhu Xiangrou already explained the strategic objective. Zhu Xiangrou, though he didn't understand the intricate details, as a commanding general, only needed the objective.

After Zhou Ye submitted, there were still some local forces stubbornly resisting within the Ming Kingdom. These past days, Yan Shaoyin had led troops to pacify them one by one. And this general was naturally Yan Shaoyin. It was just that he had started his cultivation path late. However, Duan Shuyu could tell from his firm and profound facial features that he had also been a handsome and distinguished youth in his younger years. Therefore, when Duan Shuyu was just guiding Yan Shaoyin in his cultivation, he also communicated telepathically with Immortal Venerable Chen. They decided to first unify the mortal territories under Snowfall Palace, and then put pressure on the Xia Kingdom and Hua Kingdom. He had already taken seven Golden Liquid Jade Reversion Pills and arrived at a small mountain on the border of the Yan Kingdom.

"He has only been cultivating for seven years, and to achieve this much is already very good."

Thinking of the clear-minded and handsome youth before him, the foremost person in the Eastern Barrens cultivation world, he couldn't help but feel reverence. He had just entered the cultivation world and didn't know much, but the immortal masters serving Grand Tutor Jiang, his master, spoke of Chen Mobai of the Divine Wood Immortal Sect with unprecedented respect.

Zhu Xiangrou's expression showed sudden realization. Although Zhu Xiangrou felt regret that such a talented individual was discovered at such an advanced age, his words were mostly encouraging. After all, with an innate Gold Spirit Body, along with Foundation Establishment Pills and the resource support from their Small Southern Mountain Lineage, establishing his foundation was almost a certainty.

Duan Shuyu, however, smiled and asked Yan Shaoyin to bring up any problems he encountered in cultivation. With his current realm, guiding Qi Condensation cultivators was naturally effortless. Three days later, he broke through the bottleneck that had troubled him for three months, reaching the seventh layer of the Qi Condensation stage. It was not obtained from Xuan Shu's storage bag, but from the earlier killing of Xuan Qiao.

After bestowing two great techniques, Duan Shuyu also took out a golden halberd. "These two great techniques are profound and complex; Qi Condensation cultivators normally cannot master them. However, you have a special physique, so you might succeed. Try practicing them when you have time." Zhu Xiangrou's hands trembled as he accepted the golden halberd. Feeling the formidable aura contained within it, he couldn't help but bow deeply to Duan Shuyu once more in gratitude. "This item suits him. Take it and use it for now. I will prepare a better magic artifact for you after you officially join the sect."

"Good, good cultivation. Once the mortal realm is unified, your mission will be complete. At that time, come with Zongheng to Beiyuan City and formally join the sect."

**The Primordial Immortal City**

Golden were the mining mountains, green were the forests, blue were the oceans, red were the erupting volcanoes, and yellow were the boundless fields.

Duan Shuyu's puppet body, having just received the water-element jade pendant from Immortal Venerable Chen, arrived at Zhou Ye's courtyard. Seeing the aquamarine jade pendant in Duan Shuyu's hand, Zhou Ye felt a sense of relief. "Thank you for your guidance, Grandmaster!"

Zhu Xiangrou followed Zhou Ye and arrived directly at this place. Zhou Ye, by that time, his forehead was already glistening with sweat, but he gritted his teeth and activated his Primordial True Qi.

"Junior Brother Chen, I can't hold on much longer. Do you go first, or do I?" Seven jade pendants were taken out and placed on the table! "That would be a waste of time. You go in first and wait for Senior Brother." At this moment, Zhou Ye also entered through the void portal.

"The Five Element spiritual energy here has achieved perfect equilibrium. If you can cultivate here for a long time, sooner or later, you will be able to refine the Primordial Dao Fruit." "You may rise." Duan Shuyu already had a humanoid puppet here and wasn't afraid of encountering danger. Seeing Zhou Ye's difficulty, he left that statement and immediately stepped into the void portal.

Looking down from mid-air, the One-Origin Secret Realm appeared as a giant circle, seemingly pieced together from seven colored segments. That was the center of the circle, also the convergence point of all corners!

A gentle breeze swept through, rustling the leaves and making the flowers sway, like a colorful sea of blossoms undulating, appearing dreamlike and illusory. Zhu Xiangrou looked at the seven-colored spiritual light in Zhou Ye's palm, his curiosity piqued. "Brother Zhou, will all these flowers eventually bear Seven Element Spirit Fruits?"

Gradually, the Primordial True Qi and the jade pendant spiritual light merged into a single point at the very center. The point gradually expanded, transforming into a half-human-sized entity in an instant. "Finally, it's complete!" These jade pendant spiritual lights, combined with the Primordial True Qi, as if passing some verification, suddenly flew up from the table. They automatically arranged themselves into a seven-pointed array in mid-air, then began to spin.

After three more breaths, the void melted open, forming a rectangular portal wide enough for a person to pass through. "Is this Primordial True Qi?"

Within these seven colorful regions, there was a seven-colored tree, seventy to eighty meters tall. The trunk of this spiritual tree was not particularly thick, yet it resembled jade, gleaming with a crystalline luster under the seven-colored light. Its leaves, like silver hooks, outlined the branches, lush and verdant, with dense foliage. Duan Shuyu's attention, however, was drawn to the dull-colored, delicate, and tender Linlang flowers blooming beneath the branches, as well as the seven fist-sized colorful fruits nestled among the blossoms. "Indeed, it has matured for a cycle." "This is already a Five Element Spiritual Tree!"

In other spiritual veins, the seven elemental spiritual energies were mixed, some abundant, some scarce. However, within this secret realm, the seven elemental spiritual energies were equally abundant. Then, Zhu Xiang swept his hand, and energy shimmering with seven-colored radiance emerged from his palm, covering all seven jade pendants like ripples. The sky was filled with drifting seven-colored clouds, a condensation of extremely pure seven elemental spiritual energy.

Watching Duan Shuyu disappear into the horizon in the blink of an eye, Jiang Zongheng, who had originally intended to further consolidate his perfected Core Formation stage, made up his mind. He immediately took a Nirvana Pill and then proceeded to refine an Infant Nurturing Pill. "Until I form my Nascent Soul, I shall never return!"

Feeling the even stronger White Emperor Spiritual Energy after his breakthrough, Yan Shaoyin's face lit up with joy, and he bowed deeply to Duan Shuyu.

Duan Shuyu put away the two jade slips he had prepared earlier, which contained the great techniques he had obtained from the Divine Tree Secret Realm and the Gold Escape technique acquired previously. Duan Shuyu delivered the jade pendant. After meeting Zhu Xiangrou, he directly flew away on his seven-colored rosy clouds, leaving a parting word and disappearing into the sky.