Chapter 741: 一路交谈

Pure Nine-Lantern: 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9

Chen Mobai suppressed the indescribable emotions surging within him. As he looked at the lively girl who was smiling with narrowed eyes and chatting with him, a profound sense of contentment suddenly welled up.

"Uncle Chen, it's almost time. I need to catch my train, so I'll be leaving now."

About half an hour later, the girl checked the time on her phone and stood up to say goodbye.

Chen Mobai opened his mouth, wanting to ask her to stay, but couldn't think of an excuse.

"Stay for breakfast before you go."

At that moment, Tang Pancui, hearing the movement, came out of the kitchen. She had just finished preparing breakfast and immediately invited the girl to sit down.

"This..."

The girl looked a bit hesitant, about to politely decline, when Chen Mobai spoke.

"Have breakfast before you leave. It won't take much time, and I'll personally take you to the station."

Although it felt a bit abrupt, since Chen Mobai, a prominent leader, had said so, Shi Xiaohei could only nod and express her gratitude to Tang Pancui.

"Son, here are the car keys. But you haven't driven in decades. How about I drive you later?" Chen Xinglan said as the family of four sat down for breakfast.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai initially wanted to shake his head and refuse, but quickly remembered something and nodded. Although his driver's license had been dormant for decades, with his current learning ability, especially with his mastery of the Square Inch Manual, he could perfect any skill in the blink of an eye.

However, he then remembered that he also had business in Yumu City. He might as well take the same train as Shi Xiaohei later, which would give them time to get to know each other on the way. It would also be convenient to have Chen Xinglan drop them both off.

"Grandma, we'll be leaving now. Goodbye, Uncle Chen, and thank you, Grandpa Chen!"

After finishing breakfast, Shi Xiaohei politely bid farewell and greeted each of the three in turn.

"Cough, I actually have some matters to attend to at Qing Sang Academy. What's your train number?"

Upon hearing Chen Mobai's words, the three people present looked at him with surprise. Especially Chen Xinglan and Tang Pancui; over the years, they had never seen Chen Mobai actively involve himself in Qing Sang Academy's affairs. Any issues were usually resolved quickly with a few words over the phone.

"What matters require your personal presence as the principal?" Tang Pancui asked with some concern, thinking something major had happened.

"Recently, Xuan Shuang Company's development has hit a bottleneck. I plan to expand the enrollment of the Yuan Qi Department again. I'm worried that the people below might not be diligent, so I'll go personally to oversee it." Chen Mobai concocted an excuse. The last time he interfered with Qing Sang Academy's operations was to train reserves for Yan Bingxuan's company by adding the Yuan Qi Department. Now, he could only use this excuse. He was mainly ignorant about Yumu City's government affairs and feared that Shi Xiaohei, being a public official, might later discover something amiss if he used an official excuse.

"It's train XXXX, but when I booked the ticket earlier, it seemed there were no compartments left." As she spoke, Chen Xinglan drove the car out of the garage. Shi Xiaohei at the door was about to lift her large suitcase to open the trunk, but Chen Mobai had already stepped in ahead of her.

"Thank you, Uncle Chen!" Shi Xiaohei sat in the back seat and immediately thanked Chen Mobai after he placed her luggage in the front passenger seat.

"As expected, there are no compartments left." Chen Mobai prepared to book a ticket on his phone and found it was as Shi Xiaohei had said.

"The train should have spare compartments. With your status, Uncle Chen, the attendants will likely prepare one for you." Shi Xiaohei thought of this, but Chen Mobai immediately shook his head, starting to build his humble persona in front of her.

"I've always disliked indulgence. I won't trouble the attendants. I'll just buy a standing ticket and stand in the aisle for a while." Chen Mobai expressed his character as a benevolent and people-loving Golden Core cultivator of the Immortal Sect, and an Open Source Hall councilor.

"Then, how about I give my compartment seat to you, Uncle? I can go sit in the dining car, it's not a long journey anyway." How could Chen Mobai accept this? He shook his head again, indicating that he was not that kind of person.

"If you don't mind, Uncle, would you like to join me in my compartment?" Chen Mobai, who had been waiting for this very line, strongly resisted the urge to immediately nod. He pretended to ponder for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.

"I hope you don't mind sharing the journey with an old man like me."

"Oh, Uncle, you are very young! By your cultivation realm, you're just a graceful young man of seventeen or eighteen."

Hearing this, Chen Mobai looked at his overly youthful face in the rearview mirror. Even a mature hairstyle and clothing couldn't completely obscure his vibrant, youthful aura.

"Hahahaha!" He couldn't help but burst into laughter. If anyone else had said that, he wouldn't have been so happy.

Soon, they arrived at the station. After Chen Mobai helped Shi Xiaohei take down her huge suitcase, he pondered how to legitimately give her a storage artifact.

"What's your current cultivation realm? Have you tried opening a realm yet?" After bidding farewell to Chen Xinglan, Chen Mobai, with the demeanor of a gentleman, pushed the suitcase and entered the station with Shi Xiaohei, passing through security and ticket checks. As they walked, he asked.

"I've just broken through to Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer. Because I still need to cultivate and improve my spiritual root technique, my cultivation progress has been delayed for a while. As for realms, the last time one opened was seven years ago. I estimate it might take another ten or twenty years before one might open again." Shi Xiaohei's Pure Yin Physique talent was among the top-tier spirit bodies in the Immortal Sect. However, due to clashing spiritual roots, her main focus was on improving her Water spiritual root. Therefore, despite having top-tier resources at the Weapon Crafting Dao Academy and in the sea regions, her cultivation progress had been significantly slowed down.

"Once you reach Foundation Establishment Completion, if you want to try opening a Golden Core Realm, I can try contacting a few Nascent Soul Venerables. They might be willing to give me face." Chen Mobai thought for a moment and said. Opening a realm gate requires waiting for a Nascent Soul Venerable's time, so usually, a large group of Foundation Establishment cultivators at completion, or new Golden Core cultivators, would accumulate before arrangements were made.

However, Shi Xiaohei shook her head repeatedly after hearing this. "Let's just let nature take its course. Besides, I don't feel I have much talent for the Dao of Space." As someone from Wangxian Peak, her various cultivation talents had been assessed since childhood. She knew clearly that her affinity for void power was not high, and the possibility of opening a realm in the Foundation Establishment stage was minuscule.

"Talent is something that can also be achieved through diligent effort later on," Chen Mobai said proudly upon hearing this.

"Only you, Uncle, could say something like that," Shi Xiaohei replied playfully.

At this point, they had both passed through the ticket gate and boarded the train car. Since Chen Mobai had a standing ticket, the attendant beside them noticed him when he entered Shi Xiaohei's compartment. The attendant even came over to check his ticket. When he saw Chen Mobai's name on the ticket, his pupils constricted. He then scrutinized the face, which, despite a changed hairstyle, was familiar, and his expression became nervous.

"Councilor Chen, I'll arrange something for you right away..." Chen Mobai immediately reached out to stop the attendant, stating that he had suddenly remembered some business in Yumu City and did not require special treatment.

"Yes, yes, yes. Just call me if you need anything." The attendant respectfully escorted Chen Mobai and Shi Xiaohei into the compartment, even offering to help with the large suitcase, but Chen Mobai declined.

Once inside the compartment, Chen Mobai, very familiar with its layout, put away his luggage and sat on the window-side sofa.

"Uncle Chen, let me make you some tea." Shi Xiaohei picked up the tea set placed on the table, preparing to fetch water. Chen Mobai immediately waved his hand, stopping her and saying he would do it himself. He waved his hand over the table, and with a flash of silver light, his usual tea set dropped from his realm. Seeing this, Shi Xiaohei looked on with yearning. Opening a Golden Core Realm while still in the Foundation Establishment stage was one of the legends verifying Chen Mobai's potential for Apotheosis.

The water Chen Mobai usually drank for tea was sourced by cultivators of the Five Elements Sect from the Heavenly Lake atop a snow mountain, naturally carrying a refreshing coolness. Brewing the Snow Needle Immortal Bud with it was simply exquisite. Soon, the two were sitting opposite each other on the window-side sofa. Shi Xiaohei inhaled the fresh and elegant aroma of the brewed spiritual tea, causing her to instinctively close her eyes in enjoyment.

"This tea is truly delicious!" After taking a small sip, Shi Xiaohei's eyes lit up. She felt as if her Purple Mansion and Sea of Consciousness had been cleansed, becoming clear and ethereal.

"This is a wild tea called Snow Needle Immortal Bud. I discovered it by chance deep within the Taixu Mountain Range, my hometown. Drinking it regularly can enhance spiritual sense and purify the Purple Mansion. If you like it, you can take this can with you when we get off the train." Chen Mobai handed Shi Xiaohei a can of tea given to him by the Bai clan of Snow Peak. However, she repeatedly refused.

"This wild tea isn't worth much, consider it a thank you for letting me sit in the compartment..." Chen Mobai tried to persuade her. After he unified the five branches of the Five Elements Sect, the Bai clan of Snow Peak somehow learned that he was collecting various tea trees in the Eastern Barrens. They immediately came to offer a millennium-old ancient tea tree, a Tier 3 Snow Needle Immortal Bud, from their family's collection.

Naturally, Chen Mobai didn't want it; he wasn't that kind of person! But Bai Dingxian, the Old Ancestor of the Bai family, said he wanted to exchange the ancient Snow Needle Immortal Bud tea tree for some Foundation Establishment Pills. Since he used this excuse, Chen Mobai found it hard to refuse and agreed on the spot. It just so happened that Zhuo Ming had perfected her Earth Mother technique and could cultivate cold, snowy soil suitable for transplanting Snow Needle Immortal Buds in Xiaonan Mountain.

When the Snow Needle Immortal Bud was actually transplanted, Bai Dingxian deeply regretted it. He had offered the Snow Needle Immortal Bud to Chen Mobai primarily to express his attitude, especially when the Five Elements Sect was collecting tea trees throughout the land. Because the Snow Needle Immortal Bud grew in harsh conditions, even if it nominally belonged to the Five Elements Sect, he thought it wouldn't be transplanted and that they would still be asked to help care for it. Who knew that Zhuo Ming's Earth Mother technique was so powerful? But by then, it was too late for regret.

However, the Bai clan of Snow Peak was not without gains. Chen Mobai specially gave him ten talismans he had personally drawn. Each talisman could be unconditionally exchanged for one Foundation Establishment Pill at the Five Elements Sect. For the next hundred years, the Bai clan of Snow Peak would not have to worry about Foundation Establishment Pills. In his regret, Bai Dingxian immediately redeemed five Foundation Establishment Pills on the spot to appease the elders in his family who were dissatisfied with him over this matter. It is said that these five Foundation Establishment Pills helped a young elder successfully achieve Foundation Establishment.

Chen Mobai did not pay attention to the subsequent events. Even the matter of the Enlightenment Tea Tree absorbing the essence of the Snow Needle Immortal Bud was personally handled by Zhuo Ming, who came from Hong County.

"Then thank you, Uncle Chen." Shi Xiaohei declined twice, but seeing Chen Mobai's persistence, she finally accepted. Primarily, she truly felt that the tea was beneficial for her cultivation. After all, although her spiritual power advancement was slow due to her spiritual roots, she had no such issues with her spiritual sense.

"You cultivate the Five Elements Cultivation Method. A friend and I opened a company called Xuan Shuang, which can refine Five Elements Essence using formless puppets. They are extremely pure and easy to refine. Would you like me to get some for you so you can reach Foundation Establishment Completion in the shortest time possible?" After giving her the tea, Chen Mobai thought about how he was already preparing for Golden Core resources at her age. He couldn't help but offer, wanting to help her complete the Foundation Establishment realm first.

However, Shi Xiaohei shook her head repeatedly, not overly concerned about it. After all, in the Immortal Sect, significant gaps only existed between major realms. Even if she could quickly reach Foundation Establishment Completion, she would still have to wait for the Golden Elixir and Jade Reversion Pill based on seniority. So, she took a natural approach to realm advancement, dedicating most of her energy to improving her spiritual roots.

"Actually, advancing your realm quickly is good. That way, you can devote your energy to other things you're interested in," Chen Mobai, a proponent of realm advancement, began to instill his philosophy in the girl.

"No need, Uncle Chen. Grandma said I'm a late bloomer. In the early stages, my cultivation will definitely be slower due to my spiritual roots. But once my spiritual roots are fully enhanced and purified, I might not surpass Old Ancestor Yuanyang in the future, but I can at least reach Nascent Soul!" To his surprise, Shi Xiaohei held completely different views from him; she was a proponent of foundation-building!

Chen Mobai completely disagreed with Yu Huiping's statement. As a Pure Yin Physique, once her spiritual roots matched, the girl would be a female version of Old Ancestor Yuanyang. Although there were no Apotheosis cultivation methods with Pure Yin attributes in the Immortal Sect, if the girl could reach Nascent Soul in the future, she could walk the path of either the Six Imperial Sutras or the Jade Purity Sutra.

"As a cultivator, one must have an unyielding spirit. From the very first day I began cultivating Qi, my only goal has been to achieve Apotheosis!" Chen Mobai's words were incredibly convincing.

"Uncle is truly destined for Apotheosis. I can't compare," Shi Xiaohei said with admiration in her eyes. Chen Mobai felt a greater sense of vanity, but he was not very satisfied with the latter part of her statement.

"To what extent have your spiritual roots improved now?" Chen Mobai then asked about the key factor limiting her cultivation speed. Theoretically, she had been studying in the sea regions for so many years, and with the background of the Five Peaks Immortal Mountains, resources wouldn't be scarce. Her Water spiritual root should at least be over 60 by now.

"When I graduated from my research two years ago, the Spirit Venerable bestowed Heavenly Realm Purified Water upon me. With Grandma as my protector, I refined half a bottle of Heavenly Realm Purified Water at Wangxian Peak. My Water spiritual root is now exactly 80 points." Hearing this, Chen Mobai's mouth slightly dropped open. He had been thinking about what excuse to use to ask her to eat fish every day, and then explain why eating fish would improve her Water spiritual root. He hadn't expected that he wouldn't be needed after all. One could only say that it truly was the background of Wangxian Peak; even the Sea Region Spirit Venerable had to give face to Old Ancestor Baiguang. The last time someone from the Immortal Sect went to the sea regions to study and was bestowed Heavenly Realm Purified Water was the current master of the Righteous Law Hall. It was precisely for this reason that Immortal Master Shuixian joined the Righteous Law Hall after graduating and had now even taken over the military. She was just waiting for the Immortal Sect's leadership change to formally assume the role of the new Righteous Law Hall Master.

"So, you already have a Heavenly Water Spiritual Root. Are you preparing to switch cultivation methods? Which one are you planning to cultivate? I can offer some advice." Chen Mobai spoke again, wanting to show his usefulness.

"Uncle Chen, I'm a late bloomer. Both the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms need to build a strong foundation, so according to Grandma's wishes, I'll continue cultivating the Five Elements Cultivation Method."

Chen Mobai was slightly shocked and displeased, "Why would you still waste time cultivating that?" Although many in the Immortal Sect would cultivate spiritual root techniques to pass the time and improve themselves, as the spirit medicines for breaking through major realms often required a very long wait, Shi Xiaohei, as someone from Wangxian Peak, could easily obtain breakthrough spirit medicines in the shortest time by cultivating step-by-step, especially with his help. There was absolutely no need to linger on the Five Elements Cultivation Method when she already had a Heavenly Water Spiritual Root. If worse came to worst, he could open a blind box and get her a Golden Core spirit medicine. A "late bloomer" shouldn't be *that* late!

"It's like this, Uncle Chen. Although my Water spiritual root is already over 80, I plan to continue converting it into an Ice spiritual root. If both my Ice and Water spiritual roots are over 80 before I switch to cultivating the Six Imperial Sutras, it will allow my Pure Yin Physique's unique traits to achieve eighty to ninety percent of their effect. If I can successfully cultivate the Six Imperial Sutras, I'll have a twenty to thirty percent chance of reaching Nascent Soul, and even a sliver of hope for Apotheosis." Facing Chen Mobai, Shi Xiaohei had an instinctive sense of trust, so when she saw him frown, she couldn't help but reveal her most important secret to him.

"So that's how it is. My perspective was too narrow," Chen Mobai said, feeling a bit ashamed. Wangxian Peak, after all, was where Old Ancestor Baiguang resided, and his realm was far beyond Chen Mobai's. Shi Xiaohei had been educated there since childhood, and the cultivation path arranged for her was undoubtedly the most suitable and best one. He had, on the contrary, been so concerned that it clouded his judgment, only seeing the immediate future. However, this was also the biggest conflict between the "realm-focused" and "foundation-focused" approaches. Those with profound backgrounds like Shi Xiaohei could pursue foundation-building because they didn't need to worry about anything before reaching Nascent Soul. But he was different; being from a humble background, all his cultivation resources were painstakingly acquired through arduous efforts from the Tianhe Realm. Naturally, he prioritized realm advancement.

Speaking of Ice spiritual roots, Chen Mobai thought of his good friend Yan Bingxuan again and suddenly realized something was amiss. When it came to spiritual root enhancement, he was considered an expert in the Immortal Sect. His total Five Elements spiritual roots combined would certainly be among the best. Perhaps only someone with a three-element Heavenly Spiritual Root like Wenren Xuewei could momentarily rival him. And he was confident that in the future, he would reach an unprecedented level. With the vast resources of the Tianhe Realm, he even wondered if cultivating the Primal Chaos Dao Fruit would be incredibly smooth if he ever reached a five-element Heavenly Spiritual Root.

"Isn't the Ice spiritual root formed by the fusion of Metal and Water spiritual roots? Wouldn't that damage your Water spiritual root?" His Pure Yang Dharmakaya could only enhance his Fire spiritual root by damaging his Water and Wood spiritual roots. If Shi Xiaohei damaged her hard-won 80-point Heavenly Water spiritual root just to fuse an Ice spiritual root, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?

"It's fine, Uncle. I still have half a bottle of Heavenly Realm Purified Water. Grandma has already calculated that once my Water spiritual root drops to 40 points, I can take it again and it will return to a Heavenly Water spiritual root. However, this means my Ice spiritual root will only be able to reach around 40 points in a short time, but I'm still young, so I can cultivate it up later." Shi Xiaohei truly didn't treat Chen Mobai as an outsider, revealing even her most intimate cultivation secrets.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai immediately felt it was his time to shine. He began to ponder in his mind how to legitimately "whiten" the Azure Blood Carps from the Tianhe Realm here and then give them to Shi Xiaohei. Also, the Ice Marrow Clear Jade and Water Mist Ice Crystal obtained from Kong Lingling's storage bag were both precious heavenly treasures with great benefits for Water and Ice spiritual roots. When Shi Xiaohei was ready to form her Golden Core, he would simply claim they were obtained from a void "blind box." And there were still dozens of Water Spirit Pearls left after he gave some to the Grand Unity Five Mist Net. He would find an excuse to string them into a necklace or bracelet and give it to her as a birthday gift.

Chen Mobai thought through all the spiritual items he possessed related to ice and water attributes, and began planning how to legitimately integrate them into the Immortal Sect. "Wasn't there also a Water Element Spiritual Fruit?" Chen Mobai recalled another cherished heavenly treasure. However, after some thought, he restrained himself. Luo Yixuan wouldn't really need this item for her Golden Core formation; he should save it for Qing Nu. She was ostracized in the Immortal Sect, so she might not be able to acquire the highest-grade Golden Core spirit medicine, the Golden Elixir and Jade Reversion Pill. However, with his connections, arranging a Water Element Golden Core Elixir should be no problem. With the addition of the Water Element Spiritual Fruit, Qing Nu wouldn't need to tap into her Heavenly Spiritual Root reserves. After all, among his close friends, besides Wenren Xuewei, who might live longer than him, Qing Nu was the most likely to keep up with his cultivation progress. He still couldn't show too much favoritism. Besides, he still needed to verify. Once they arrived in Yumu City, he would find Shi Wanyu and ask more precisely if this girl was indeed his daughter.

Chen Mobai had also considered secretly taking a drop of Shi Xiaohei's blood and his own to the hospital for a check. But in the Immortal Sect, even for a Golden Core cultivator like him, doing a paternity test required real-name registration and the simultaneous presence of both parties. With Chen Mobai's status, he might be able to find people and use his connections to do it secretly. However, if he did that, the matter would become known to a third party. Any secret, if known by anyone other than oneself, ceases to be a secret. Therefore, after careful consideration, Chen Mobai first abandoned this idea. If he truly couldn't get a result from Shi Wanyu, he would then find Wenren Xuewei. Even if it meant shattering her 'pure image,' he would ask her to help with a paternity test at the Grand Medical Academy.

Was she really his daughter? With this uneasy feeling, Chen Mobai chatted with the cheerful and lively girl opposite him. He had a mind to ask her about her thoughts on her father, but feared hearing words that would disturb his Dao heart, so he ultimately did not ask about it.

The two talked about everything under the sun in the compartment. Chen Mobai wanted to showcase his abilities, but Shi Xiaohei had had everything arranged for her by Wangxian Peak since childhood. The only slight rebellion was choosing the Weapon Crafting Dao Academy for university, and then, after finishing her studies in the sea regions, deciding to return home to serve her mother – these two choices were her own. All the other things Chen Mobai was good at, like guiding cultivation, had no real use for Shi Xiaohei, who already had a clear path to the heavens laid out for her.

Moreover, as they chatted, Chen Mobai realized that he seemed to be a bit out of touch with the girl. He had no idea about the trending gossip, celebrity hot searches, and other topics she mentioned. This was because, in the Immortal Sect, he genuinely maintained the persona of a diligent cultivator! He would gather information and pay attention to various matters concerning his two academies, two city administrations, and even the Immortal Sect's three major halls and four great Dao academies every time he came out of seclusion. But regarding the trivial matters the girl discussed, he truly knew nothing. He was a bit out of touch! Chen Mobai secretly told himself, deciding to look at news and hot searches in the future when he had time.

"Empress Meng is reportedly returning to her alma mater, the Weapon Crafting Dao Academy, soon! They say she'll perform three songs, and she might even hold a concert in the Scarlet City Cave Heaven!" Finally, Shi Xiaohei mentioned someone Chen Mobai knew.

"Meng Huang'er? I'm very familiar with her. We were students at the Dao Academy, a year apart, and coincidentally..." Chen Mobai immediately began to recount the story of how he and Meng Huang'er met, got to know each other, resolved misunderstandings, and became good friends. Of course, he omitted details that were unnecessary to tell a child.

"After reaching the Golden Core stage, I don't have many friends I keep in touch with, but Senior Sister Meng is one of them. Every time I go to Wangwu Cave Heaven for a report, or when she happens to pass by Danxia City or Yumu City, we always arrange to meet. We are perhaps the closest friends and understand each other the most." Hearing Chen Mobai's words, Shi Xiaohei looked envious. Although she had a few friends at the Weapon Crafting Dao Academy, she had mostly lost contact with them during her years of study.

"I truly envy Uncle Chen and Empress Meng's decades of steadfast friendship."

Chen Mobai chuckled awkwardly upon hearing that. Fortunately, the train had arrived at the station at that moment.