Chapter 728: Mysterious Underground Cave

Pure Nine Lotus Lantern

After the unification of the Eastern Wilderness, there were many trivial matters to attend to.

Chen Mobai directly handed all these tasks over to E Yun, instructing him to consult with Jiang Zongheng. Except for issues that absolutely required the sect master's decision, the two of them could decide on the rest.

It was also during this time that Chen Mobai began to consider stepping down and letting a more capable person take his place.

However, considering that the Eastern Wilderness had just been unified, if he were not the sect master of the Five Elements Sect, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Wood Meridian would simply not be able to maintain control. So, he decided to endure a bit more hardship for the time being.

At least until this group of cultivators who had reached the Foundation Establishment Completion realm had each attempted to form their Golden Cores.

After the establishment of the Great Zhao Dynasty, the Five Elements Sect's primary focus was on recuperation and using the resources of the entire Eastern Wilderness to enhance its own strength.

Therefore, Chen Mobai prepared to make the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills available for exchange.

Before that, however, there was still one matter to resolve.

That was the disappearance of Yu Lian.

Previously, near the ruins of the Silver Sky Sect, Zheng Deming and others had discovered traces of demonic beasts. They believed Yu Lian might have encountered a third-order demonic beast, so they dared not act rashly.

Only after Fu Zongjue arrived did they dare to track the demonic energy.

They eventually found a mysterious cave system within a snow-capped mountain range at the border of Xue County and Shuang County.

Inside this cave system were some ancient and mysterious restrictions.

Fu Zongjue used his puppet body to test it twice, but both times the puppet became trapped within.

Zheng Deming, meanwhile, was certain that the traces of demonic energy had led into this cave system.

At that time, Chen Mobai had gone to the Desolate Ruins, and Yu Lian's identity was not yet important enough for the Five Elements Sect to dispatch all its forces. Therefore, being unable to enter and explore, they could only temporarily put the matter aside.

Fortunately, Jiang Zongheng's great task of unifying the Eastern Wilderness met no significant resistance after the Snowfall Palace and Reverting Heaven Valley retreated. Thus, they remained guarding the entrance to the cave system.

Subsequently, Meng Hong even brought other Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect.

Because if a third-order demonic beast truly existed there, then as the rulers of the Eastern Wilderness, they had an obligation to resolve the problem.

Xue County bordered Jian County, so the Spiritual Vein Department and Formation Department from Giant Wood Ridge were quickly dispatched. They began setting up a third-order formation around the cave system.

This way, even if they didn't dare to enter, they could prevent any potential third-order demonic beasts from bursting out of the cave system.

Upon learning of this, Chen Mobai was greatly astonished.

He had never imagined that a third-order demonic beast could still be lurking within the Eastern Wilderness.

Fortunately, Yu Lian's soul lamp was still lit, which was a blessing in disguise.

After returning from the Desolate Ruins and learning of the situation, he immediately asked Zhou Shengqing to intervene, who readily agreed.

With Zhou Shengqing's Nascent Soul cultivation and Fu Zongjue's puppet body acting as cannon fodder for reconnaissance, they carefully advanced step by step, finally traversing all the remaining ancient restrictions within the cave system.

However, upon reaching the end of the cave system, their path was blocked by a snow-white wall.

Even with Zhou Shengqing's power, it could not be opened.

Upon learning of this, Chen Mobai immediately decided to go there himself.

"Greetings, Sect Master!"

At the cave system's entrance, Meng Hong and the others guarding it respectfully saluted Chen Mobai, who was descending on a five-colored cloud.

"You've worked hard. I'll go in and take a look."

Chen Mobai nodded and slowly stepped into the cave system. His domain then unfurled, quickly extending along the path Zhou Shengqing had opened, reaching the deepest parts.

With the Underworld Grand Formation activated, Chen Mobai, who was at the cave system's entrance, transformed into a silver streak and instantly teleported next to Zhou Shengqing.

"Oh, Junior Brother, have you mastered the Void Dharma Body?"

Zhou Shengqing was slightly surprised to see Chen Mobai suddenly appear before him, having transcended the void.

"I stumbled upon some enlightenment during meditation one day and managed to cultivate it."

Looking at the snow-white, ice-crystal-like wall before him, Chen Mobai said casually, knowing that the Underworld Grand Formation was not to be revealed in the Heaven River Realm.

"Junior Brother truly possesses extraordinary talent."

Zhou Shengqing praised him. After the destruction of Shake Mountain Peak, he and Fu Zongjue had both reviewed this paramount body-refining technique of the Eastern Wilderness. Although they felt it was possible to get started by expending enough Void-Nether Stones, they both deemed it unnecessary.

They felt that using that time to improve their own cultivation realms would be more worthwhile.

They never imagined that Chen Mobai would quietly master the Void Dharma Body.

At this moment, Chen Mobai tried out his Extreme Sun Slash, only to find that it could merely leave a shallow mark on the ice wall, which greatly surprised him.

Furthermore, perhaps due to elemental counteraction, a chilling white mist surged from within the ice wall, completely freezing and dissolving the Extreme Sun Slash.

This caused a pang in Chen Mobai's heart. Although he had retained the "seed" of this sword art, it would still take at least one to two years of diligent effort to re-condense this fourth-order technique.

The fact that his Extreme Sun Slash could be so easily nullified made Chen Mobai quickly realize a terrifying truth.

"Could this ice wall be a fifth-order technique?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shengqing also nodded with a solemn expression.

"I had some doubts before, but after your attempt, it's essentially confirmed."

Zhou Shengqing had also used his Heavenly Wood Divine Needles against the ice wall, but they only left tiny pinpricks that vanished instantly.

He had initially thought it was due to his own offensive spells not being powerful enough, but now, with the Extreme Sun Slash also being easily dissolved, it confirmed his worst suspicions.

"Is there any way to bypass this ice wall?"

Chen Mobai proposed a plan.

"This entire cave system has been refined by a dense, chilling spiritual energy. Not only is it incredibly tough, but it can also block Five Elements Escape Techniques. Ironically, this ice wall might be the most likely point of breakthrough."

Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue shook their heads, recounting their findings from exploring the cave system.

Chen Mobai then struck the cold stone wall with his Primordial Yang Sword Qi, but unfortunately, it couldn't even leave a single mark.

"Those capable of wielding fifth-order divine abilities are either God Transformation True Monarchs or Grand Cultivators at the perfected Nascent Soul stage. Given this is in the Eastern Wilderness, it should be easy to trace their origins, right?"

Chen Mobai thought of another point and couldn't help but ask.

"Our Five Elements Sect hasn't been established in the Eastern Wilderness for very long. For such matters, Snowfall Palace might have ancient records."

Zhou Shengqing shook his head. After all, nearly seven millennia had passed since True Monarch Yiyuan opened up the Eastern Wilderness. How could their Five Elements Sect possibly know which Grand Cultivators had visited this place?

"Then I'll go ask Kong Lingling."

Fu Zongjue interjected from the side. He had just completed a new puppet and needed someone to test its moves on.

"How about I go instead? After asking, I can conveniently take care of her."

Zhou Shengqing, however, spoke with a remark that showed a very local attitude.

"Let me try again."

Chen Mobai thought of a method and extended his right hand.

As space subtly warped, his domain quietly unfurled, unseen by Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue, extending to cover the ice wall before him.

Under Chen Mobai's spiritual consciousness, the domain transformed into a single finger and lightly touched the ice wall.

However, it was clear that the Grand Cultivator who had set up the restriction had also considered the possibility of someone breaking through with teleportation techniques, as the power of the void could not penetrate the ice wall.

Chen Mobai was about to withdraw his hand, his face showing disappointment, when he suddenly thought of something else.

He began to permeate the surrounding cave walls with the power of the void, and something surprising happened.

Although these stone walls had been refined by dense power, making them incredibly tough, they did not have restrictions to block the power of the void.

Chen Mobai immediately manipulated his domain to extend around the ice wall, attempting to bypass it.

The extent of the ice wall was somewhat unexpected, stretching for a full three thousand meters.

Fortunately, Chen Mobai's domain was more expansive. He created a portal two meters high and one meter wide—large enough for him to teleport through—and then continuously stretched his domain.

After bypassing the ice wall, he continued to permeate deeper, and after trying several directions, he finally explored an internal cavity.

After setting up the starting and transfer points for the Underworld Grand Formation, Chen Mobai gave a brief instruction to Zhou Shengqing, then shimmered with silver light and vanished from the spot.

In an instant, he arrived inside a vast underground cavern.

The scene that met his eyes caused his pupils to contract.

Inside the hollowed-out shell of a colossal locust, an extraordinarily beautiful female cultivator with skin like ice and bones like jade sat cross-legged, eyes closed, seemingly in cultivation.

Below, within a shattered white jade egg, a gaunt young man in black robes was bound.

Chen Mobai recognized him at a glance: it was Yu Lian.

"True Monarch Kong, by presumptuously harming a disciple of my sect, do you intend to provoke a war with my Five Elements Sect?"

In the Eastern Wilderness, Golden Core cultivators were few and far between. Chen Mobai recognized the beautiful female cultivator at once: it was Kong Lingling of the Snowfall Palace, with whom he had previously crossed paths.

However, after he spoke these enraged words, Kong Lingling showed no reaction, appearing to be at a critical point in her cultivation.

Although Chen Mobai disliked taking advantage of others' vulnerability, in this situation, he acted very decisively.

An orange-red ray of light burst forth, about to circle Kong Lingling's neck.

Suddenly, a strange and inexplicable gust of wind came from behind Chen Mobai. Its terrifying sharpness touched his scalp almost at the moment it erupted.

Flames flashed, and Chen Mobai dissipated into sparks.

Although the Underworld Grand Formation was very useful, in the instantaneous clashes of combat, the Ground-Leaving Flame Light Escape was still faster.

Chen Mobai flickered into Kong Lingling's presence, grasping the void with his right hand, and his Violet Lightning Sword was already drawn.

*Clang!*

The Violet Lightning Sword, which had always been invincible, was gripped by a greenish-yellow hand.

Amidst the flashing violet lightning, Chen Mobai finally clearly saw who was fighting him.

It was a short, greenish-yellow monster with two wings on its back, eyes like red pearls, and teeth growing haphazardly.

Amidst the roar, Chen Mobai unleashed the Violet Lightning Sword's power to its absolute limit.

The monster, blocking Kong Lingling, had a gash open in its palm and was forced to retreat step by step by the Violet Lightning Sword's radiance.

Seizing this opportunity, Chen Mobai split his concentration and thought, an orange-red ray of light circled in the air and struck towards Kong Lingling.

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(End of this chapter)

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