Chapter 726: Counting the Harvest

Pure Nine-Lotus Treasure Lantern:

After finishing his conversation with Shen Shanqing, Chen Mobai called Liu Wenbai over to introduce them to each other. After all, they were both in business, and if Little Nanshan Shop could expand beyond the Eastern Barrens in the future, they would need to seek much advice from Sky Meal Tower, a professional organization in the field.

While the two were conversing, Chen Mobai also ordered the Five Elements Sect cultivators, who had finished resting, to board the flying boat, preparing to leave the Desolate Ruins.

On their way back, they encountered two monster attacks. However, with Chen Mobai, a Core Formation cultivator, holding down the fort, the Five Lineages of the Five Elements, relying on their increasingly proficient Dao soldiers, easily slaughtered both groups of attacking monsters. Without the pressure of a Fourth-tier monster, they even calmly sorted through the monster corpses, taking all the valuable parts back to the Eastern Barrens.

On the way back, Chen Mobai, on the Wood Lineage's flying boat, spoke to all the Qi Condensation cultivators about Foundation Establishment. Although it was common knowledge, for the disciples of the other four lineages, it was the first time they had heard it in a complete and systematic manner. Even the Wood Lineage disciples benefited greatly.

After the Qi Condensation cultivators, the Foundation Establishment cultivators also came one by one to seek his guidance. Chen Mobai held nothing back, answering every question thoroughly.

Among them, he spoke frankly to Chunyu Su and Zhu Xicheng, telling them that forming a core was essentially impossible for them. Both of them were already past the optimal age, and their essence, qi, and spirit were already declining. Even with the Golden Liquid Jade Restoration Pill, their chances were slim. Even if they took heavenly materials and earthly treasures that could restore youth, restoring their essence, qi, and spirit to their peak, the accumulated pill toxins in their bodies would still hinder the final Core Formation breakthrough.

Zhu Xicheng was very disappointed by this, but having already lived for over two hundred years, he was already waiting for death, so he had long anticipated this outcome. Coming here this time was just his final way of telling himself he had done his best.

"Sect Master, I heard there's a pill formula called Nirvana Pill in the Longevity Elixir Scripture, which can thoroughly transform the physical body and eliminate all pill toxins." But Chunyu Su, unwilling to give up, asked a question. Chen Mobai was slightly taken aback by this, wondering where he had heard about it. However, in recent years, the Wood Lineage and Rejuvenation Valley had been cooperating to collect various precious medicinal ingredients across the land. Furthermore, after the information regarding the Golden Liquid Jade Restoration Pill was revealed to the Five Lineages of the Five Elements, it was normal for Chunyu Su, as a Foundation Establishment Completion cultivator second only to Zhou Ye in the Earth Lineage, to have learned about this pill formula.

"If you have the Nirvana Pill, and then combine it with Core Formation spirit medicines, there might indeed be a slim chance." Chen Mobai nodded, giving Chunyu Su and Zhu Xicheng a positive answer.

But this was essentially impossible. First, they couldn't persuade Yan Shaoyin to act. Secondly, the ingredients for the Nirvana Pill were not something these two could fully collect. Even if a batch was successfully refined and they managed to obtain it, their chances of success would still be low due to their limited lifespans. But Chen Mobai didn't say these things; he had to give these two Foundation Establishment Completion cultivators some hope. As expected, upon seeing him nod, a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of Chunyu Su and the other.

Next, Ning Leshan and others came to seek his guidance. Chen Mobai answered their questions regarding their current cultivation stages one by one. Among them, Ban Zhaodan left a very deep impression on him. This sword cultivator from the Metal Lineage was a true genius, no less talented than Zhai Jianbai, who was in the same batch as him. It was just a pity that he hadn't received proper education from the start and had wasted some time due to a failed Foundation Establishment, which significantly reduced his chances of Core Formation. But what Chen Mobai appreciated most was that Ban Zhaodan actually imitated him by genuinely practicing farming to cultivate his sword.

Although he had met his idol, Ban Zhaodan calmly and humbly asked about his confusions in the way of the sword. After Chen Mobai answered his questions one by one, he, in turn, asked about various details concerning farming. Although Ban Zhaodan was puzzled, he answered each question one by one. This made Chen Mobai very satisfied, as it showed that Ban Zhaodan wasn't just putting on a show. Although his talent in farming was very ordinary, when talking about it, Ban Zhaodan didn't notice the light in his own eyes, which was brighter than when he was asking about the way of the sword.

"To cultivate a sword, you need to let it rest properly. After you return, if you encounter a bottleneck, you can try putting down your sword and focusing on farming." Chen Mobai said, and then transmitted parts of the Purple Radiance Sword Canon to Ban Zhaodan via spiritual sound transmission. If Ban Zhaodan could comprehend these teachings, reaching Foundation Establishment Completion would not be an issue, and he might even achieve breakthroughs in his sword Dao realm.

"Thank you, Sect Master, for bestowing this method!" After listening, Ban Zhaodan respectfully bowed to Chen Mobai.

The Purple Radiance Sword Canon was profound and extensive. After Mo Douguang obtained it, he leveraged its strengths and compensated for its weaknesses, causing his cultivation to advance rapidly. This was because the sword Dao system contained within it was like a sacred scripture of the sword Dao for the sword cultivators in the Eastern Barrens who relied solely on their own insights. However, Chen Mobai did not have time to organize it. He only hoped that in the future, after Mo Douguang's sword Dao reached mastery, he would be able to use the Purple Radiance Sword Canon as a foundation to create a complete sword cultivation system for the Five Elements Sect. In this way, if another Ban Zhaodan joined the sect, their talent would not be wasted again.

Finally, those who sought guidance were the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Water Lineage. This was also the lineage that suffered the greatest losses in the Desolate Ruins. When one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators was manifesting a Ren Water Dao soldier, he was attacked by a Third-tier monster, couldn't resist, and died. After his Dao soldier collapsed, many Qi Condensation cultivators from the Water Lineage also spat blood and died. Because of this, when facing monster attacks within the mirage fog, the Water Lineage of the Five Elements also suffered the most casualties. Chen Mobai also felt guilty about this. However, the cultivators of all Five Lineages of the Five Elements had all grown accustomed to this. They even felt that the casualties in this mission were very low, and were very fortunate. Compared to their Five Elements Sect, among the rogue cultivators recruited by Shen Shanqing, only twenty-seven people ultimately returned alive to Beiyuan City. They lost seventy percent of their number, including three Foundation Establishment cultivators. This was the normal casualty rate for exploring the Desolate Ruins.

Beiyuan City.

After Chen Mobai led the Five Lineages of the Five Elements back, he immediately announced their disbandment. According to the customs of the Heavenly River Realm, cultivators returning from life-and-death trials immediately began selling the gains they had acquired from the Desolate Ruins. For a time, the prices of monster meat, furs, and various artifact materials in Beiyuan City all began to fall. Correspondingly, the prices of talismans, spirit rice, cultivation manuals, and so on, all began to rise. This was because this group of cultivators returning from the Desolate Ruins had all obtained a very generous sum of spirit stones.

The cultivators of the Five Lineages of the Five Elements were mostly fine, as their own sect had all the various resources they needed. They would only make a purchase if they encountered something of good quality and a low price. But for rogue cultivators, Beiyuan City was their main channel. They almost spent all the spirit stones they had obtained from this expedition. Little Nanshan Shop was the most frequented establishment. This was because many rogue cultivators came to purchase spirit rice.

On the way back, Chen Mobai, while lecturing the disciples of the Five Lineages of the Five Elements about the three stages of Foundation Establishment, did not shy away from the group of rogue cultivators. Although they had known that long-term consumption of spirit rice was beneficial for cultivation, after hearing Chen Mobai's explanation, they realized just how important it truly was. It was precisely because of this that pills, which were originally the most valued by rogue cultivators for their ability to increase cultivation, saw no price fluctuations during this massive purchasing spree. This greatly puzzled the Rejuvenation Valley branch in Beiyuan City. "Had their pills lost their appeal?" Later, after learning the reason from a rogue cultivator, the Foundation Establishment Elder responsible for Rejuvenation Valley in this area could only curse under his breath.

Meanwhile, Chen Mobai was at this time counting the gains from his trip to the Desolate Ruins: one supreme-grade spirit stone, three Third-tier Yin Void Bamboos, four Third-tier monster corpses, and four Third-tier inner cores.

He would save the spirit stone for now, as it was pristine and unused. He planned to use it when forming his Nascent Soul or at other critical moments. As for the three Yin Void Bamboos, Chen Mobai directly called Zhuo Ming over, instructing her to take them back and cultivate them with the Mother Qi of All Things. As for the Third-tier monster corpses, apart from some beef kept for Zhuo Ming to replenish her body, all the rest were handed over to Qi Rui, who was to send them to Giant Wood Ridge for the Artifact Refining Department to process. The refined parts and valuable materials would then be stored in the Hall of Merit's treasury. When Luo Yixuan returned, Chen Mobai would ask her what kind of magical artifact she needed. He would custom-make a set for her using these materials.

The four most precious monster inner cores had properties of two Earth, one Fire, and one Earth-Wood respectively. If they could be refined into Outer Dao Golden Cores, the Fire-attributed one would definitely belong to Xie Yuntian. Of the two Earth-attributed ones, Zheng Deming would get one, and Chen Mobai planned to reserve the other for Zhuo Ming, just in case. The last one, with Earth-Wood attributes, was a bit tricky. There wasn't a single Foundation Establishment Completion cultivator in the Wood Lineage who fully matched its attributes, but since half of it was Wood-attributed, if one didn't mind, cultivators of the Longevity Scripture could attempt to refine it. However, doing so would essentially mean giving up on forming a core. Because an Outer Dao Golden Core with only a partial attribute match certainly could not help a cultivator successfully form a core. He wondered if Chu Zuoshu would be willing. Chen Mobai was thinking of the former sect master who had opened up the Five Elements Sect's market in Dongyi. Chu Zuoshu had treated him well during his tenure. It was just a pity he was a bit old, but after refining the Outer Dao Golden Core, his Longevity Scripture could break through, granting him an additional sixty years of lifespan. Even if he couldn't form a core, this was Chen Mobai's heartfelt gesture.

Chen Mobai had just finished painstakingly allocating the four monster inner cores, only to quickly realize he was doing it for nothing. Liu Wenbai handed Chen Mobai an urgent letter that had just arrived. It was from Yan Shaoyin. The most crucial requirement for refining Outer Dao Golden Cores was a Fourth-tier alchemist, and there was only one in the entire Eastern Barrens. So after Chen Mobai returned to Beiyuan City, he immediately invited Yan Shaoyin for help. But Yan Shaoyin didn't hesitate at all; he directly replied and refused. The reason was naturally very sufficient: he was refining Infant Nurturing Pills. Chen Mobai put down the letter and thought for a moment, deciding not to pressure him further. After all, he felt that Yan Shaoyin had already been pushed to his limit. If he were to exert more pressure, it would likely result in either a complete fallout or a complete surrender to idleness. And if Yan Shaoyin didn't make a move, there would be no second Fourth-tier alchemist in the entire Eastern Barrens.

Chen Mobai also tried to ask the Star Heaven Grand Merchant Association for help, but Lou Xuelong said that their Fourth-tier alchemists generally had pill refining tasks on hand and couldn't spare anyone or any time. At the main sect of the Star Heaven Dao Sect, there was indeed an elder proficient in both alchemy and artifact refining who was available, but he quoted a fee of a million spirit stones for his services, and did not guarantee success. In other words, if the refinement failed, all losses would be borne by Chen Mobai himself. Chen Mobai was no fool; how could he agree to such a request? However, this was also the norm in the Heavenly River Realm. Faced with this, Chen Mobai could only fret over the four Third-tier monster inner cores. If these weren't refined into Outer Dao Golden Cores, they couldn't cultivate Core Formation combat power.

Just then, Shen Shanqing, who had learned of his troubles from Liu Wenbai, actively came to his door to help Chen Mobai make connections. "Master Zibo, the old ancestor of the Zhang family in Eastern Wu, is also a Fourth-tier alchemist, and he frequently helps the Sun family refine Outer Dao Golden Cores. His techniques are skilled. Sect Master Chen can ask him for help."

Although Eastern Wu, like the Eastern Barrens, was the most remote and weakest among the six realms of the Eastern Domain, due to its perennial wars with the Yunmeng Marsh monsters, it was able to harvest Third-tier monster cores from time to time. It was precisely because of this that Eastern Wu had the most Core Formation combat power. The Sun family alone had a full twelve. Among them, only five were true Core Formation cultivators. Sky Meal Tower also had many branches in Eastern Wu, and Zhang Zibo happened to be one of their honored guests, so they could help make the connection.

"Then I'll trouble Chef Shen." Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai was also very eager. After Shen Shanqing left, he immediately called over the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Water Lineage who were still in Beiyuan City, and asked about Zhang Zibo.

"Reporting to Sect Master, I have heard of this Zhang Zibo, but his ability to become a Fourth-tier alchemist relies entirely on the Sun family's resources. Therefore, he generally does not refine pills for anyone outside the Sun family." Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but nod slightly. Cultivating an alchemist consumes the most resources. And to become a Fourth-tier alchemist, according to the methods of the Heavenly River Realm, one would have to spoil countless batches of precious pills during refinement. He wondered what method Shen Shanqing had to get Zhang Zibo, a Fourth-tier alchemist, to help. However, after learning of this person, most of the worries in Chen Mobai's heart dissipated. At worst, he would send Nu Jiang on another trip to ask the Sun family for assistance. After all, the two families had cooperated for over a hundred years in Yunmeng Marsh to block monsters, and their friendship was deep. Last time, they even sold the Sky Blue Silverlight Grass to the Five Elements Sect. This time, asking Zhang Zibo to refine pills shouldn't be a problem, right?

This trip to the Desolate Ruins lasted a full month. During this period, there were two matters Chen Mobai was particularly concerned about. First, Yu Lian was still missing and had not been found. Second, the Rock Kingdom's army had already defeated the combined forces of Xia and Hua kingdoms. After signing an agreement with Rejuvenation Valley, Jiang Zongheng quickly conquered Xia Kingdom. However, due to the Star Heaven Dao Sect, Hua Kingdom had not yet allowed the army to enter. Negotiations with the Star Heaven Dao Sect were not going smoothly. However, Jiang Zongheng had his own methods; it was unknown what he had promised, but he actually managed to make the Hua Kingdom's royal family open their city and surrender, willingly handing over the entire nation.

Thus, the mortal realm of the Eastern Barrens was completely unified!