Chapter 753: Flying Ascension Leader's Origin

Pure Nine-Lotus Lantern:Ying Guanghua: According to the surviving records, the so-called 'Immortal Buds' were likely designed to help people configure new physical bodies for Disembodied Reincarnation!

Chen Mobai was startled upon reading this.

The Immortal Sect's technique of Disembodied Reincarnation was akin to a lottery, as one couldn't carry over their cultivation from the previous life. Moreover, even if they overcame the Mystery of the Womb, they might be forced to pursue a different cultivation path due to the spiritual root attributes of their new body differing from their previous one, resulting in a significant waste of their past foundation.

However, if these tailor-made 'Immortal Buds' existed, such issues could be avoided.

If this were true, then whose Immortal Bud was Qing Nü?

Pondering this question, Chen Mobai continued reading.

Ying Guanghua further speculated that these specially prepared Immortal Buds likely also possessed a method allowing those undergoing Disembodied Reincarnation to bypass the Mystery of the Womb directly. Unfortunately, Yan Xinjing, the project leader, received advance warning and defected to the Ascension Cult, escaping capture.

Finally, Ying Guanghua added his own directive: All 'Immortal Buds' were to be properly settled in orphanages. Personnel were to be dispatched regularly to monitor them, ensuring they developed like normal individuals. If any showed non-human signs, they were to be dealt with immediately.

After reading all the content, Qing Nü remained frowning, her expression complex.

Chen Mobai retrieved other documents from the archives. As he expected, these were the personal profiles of all the Immortal Buds, including Qing Nü, Kong Feichen, and Yang Jing.

Chen Mobai hesitated for a moment, then handed Qing Nü her file first. "Take a look. If there's anything you don't want me to know, I won't read it."

But Qing Nü shook her head, stating she would have no reservations with him. She immediately opened her file in front of Chen Mobai.

It detailed Qing Nü's life, her experimental period as an Immortal Bud, her time in an orphanage after the experiments ended, and her subsequent schooling in Danxia City and apprenticeship under Gu Changfeng. These records were quite detailed, suggesting she was highly valued due to her Heavenly Spiritual Root.

However, once she was reserved by Jumang Daoist Academy, the entries became much sparser. Her university life was summarized in just two or three sentences, one of which read: "Has a close relationship with Chen Mobai of the Dancing Weapon Lineage, suspected to be lovers."

Upon seeing this, Qing Nü's fair cheeks flushed crimson, looking somewhat embarrassed. Chen Mobai silently cursed Group Three, noting their intelligence work was riddled with errors and needed rectification.

In shared silence, Qing Nü's file was thoroughly reviewed. Her years at university, specifically when she joined the Mending Heaven Group, were archived separately and not included here. The only thing that caught both their attention was the year Chen Mobai achieved Foundation Establishment. In Danxia City, Kong Feichen and Yang Jing were forcibly taken away by powerful figures from the Ascension Cult. This incident was only briefly mentioned in Qing Nü's file, without any in-depth details.

With Qing Nü's permission, Chen Mobai immediately opened Kong Feichen's and Yang Jing's files. After skimming through their early experiences, which were similar to Qing Nü's, they reached the most crucial year.

A Golden Core Perfected Being intervened, abducting Kong Feichen and Yang Jing despite the Mending Heaven Group's protection. The perpetrator was suspected to be an Ascension Cult mole within the Immortal Sect, later identified as Perfected Being Shi Qing (though this was marked with a question mark).

Chen Mobai paused, thinking, "The Golden Core Perfected Being who acted in Danxia City wasn't Shi Qing?" He noticed the entry was written by Lan Haitain and considered calling him for clarification, but decided to finish reading all related files first.

Lan Haitain's note stated: Kong Feichen, abducted by the Ascension Cult, was not a concern, but Yang Jing, with her Dark Spiritual Root, was suspected to be the Ascension Cult Master's third Disembodied Reincarnation vessel, prepared by Yan Xinjing.

Upon reading this, Qing Nü became visibly agitated, her body trembling uncontrollably, until she could no longer stand steady. Chen Mobai immediately reached out and caught her collapsing form.

"Xiao Jing... she's in danger..." Qing Nü stammered incoherently, frantic and helpless in Chen Mobai's arms.

"Decades have passed. If she were to be possessed, it would have happened long ago. Do you still have contact with Kong Feichen?" Chen Mobai held Qing Nü tightly, comforting her, then asked his question.

"Yes, he occasionally sends me emails with a secret code only I understand."

"Can you write to him?"

"There's a website where I can leave messages. It then provides me with a newly registered email address. Each one I receive is different, but they all reach Xiao Chen."

Hearing this, Chen Mobai recalled the contact method Kong Feichen had given him. He asked Qing Nü for the website, and it was indeed the same. "Tell him about this. Only he is with Yang Jing now, and we can only rely on him."

Though Chen Mobai said this, he had little faith in Kong Feichen, considering him incompetent and unreliable. After all, it was Kong Feichen who had insisted on taking Yang Jing to the Ascension Cult to resolve the side effects of the Two-Part Divine Art. Now, through these secret Mending Heaven Group files, it seemed Kong Feichen might have been tricked by the Ascension Cult, delivering Yang Jing, the Immortal Bud, straight into the lion's den. Chen Mobai only hoped Kong Feichen's mental state wouldn't collapse upon learning the truth.

"Yes... I'll do it right away..." Qing Nü, prompted by Chen Mobai, finally came to her senses and immediately pulled out a spare phone to contact him.

"Don't contact him here at the Mending Heaven Group. Go find another place. I also have a few things I need to ask Lan Haitain."

After memorizing all the archive content using his Square Inch Book, Chen Mobai notified Lin Yin and Mo Huaixian outside to bring over the Ascension Cult's资料 (data).

"Director-General, the Ascension Cult's files fill three archive rooms. Are you sure you want all of them brought over?" Lin Yin asked, looking somewhat troubled by the request.

Chen Mobai considered it, then told Lin Yin to bring only the information on the Dragon-Tiger Patriarch and the Ascension Cult Master first. Shortly after, Lin Yin and Mo Huaixian entered, carrying two stacks of documents as tall as themselves. Qing Nü, now composed, stood beside Chen Mobai.

"Director-General, this is just a portion. After you've finished with these, we'll get more," Lin Yin said, placing the documents on the table. Both the Dragon-Tiger Patriarch and the Ascension Cult Master represented ancient lineages that had been passed down for dozens of generations. They had brought the records of several generations since the founding of the Immortal Sect.

Chen Mobai nodded. While imprinting the data into his mind using the Square Inch Book, he contacted Lan Haitain to arrange a dinner meeting.

"It might have to be after midnight. Hall Master Ying just took office, and as his personal secretary, I have a lot on my plate," Lan Haitain replied, though he still made time for Chen Mobai despite being very busy, showing him respect.

"Thank you. I have some questions about the Ascension Cult. Let's meet at the same place as last time; I'll have Lin Yin arrange it."

Chen Mobai's words made Lin Yin look up at him with a strange expression. Last time, it was Lan Haitain who asked her to arrange the meeting place for Chen Mobai; now it was the other way around. The reversal of roles gave her a sense of dramatic irony.

That evening, in a secluded club in the outskirts of Wangwu Grotto-heaven, Chen Mobai waited with Qing Nü. Her face was clouded with worry. She had already contacted Kong Feichen and received a new email address; she was just waiting to meet Lan Haitain before sending the information she needed to compose.

After half an hour, Lin Yin entered, escorting a travel-worn Lan Haitain. In just half a month, Lan Haitain looked somewhat worn out, seemingly exhausted by his new position as the Immortal Affairs Hall Master's secretary.

"This is Grade Three spiritual tea, capable of dispelling fatigue and clarifying the mind," Chen Mobai said. Since he was asking for a favor, Chen Mobai naturally brought out good things. He handed the brewed Snow Needle Immortal Bud tea to Lan Haitain. The latter took a sip, his eyes lighting up as he felt his exhaustion dissipate with that single taste.

"What excellent tea!" Lan Haitain exclaimed. Chen Mobai, hearing his praise, immediately took out a small, pre-prepared box and offered it to him. "This tea is from the Tea King in my Danxia Mountain tea garden. The yield isn't high. Take it as a taste; I'll prepare more for you when we harvest next year."

Lan Haitain looked at the small, palm-sized box, feeling a bit embarrassed as he tried to refuse. Even in Wangwu Grotto-heaven, Grade Three spiritual tea was exceptionally precious. This Snow Needle Immortal Bud, in particular, seemed to possess abundant vital energy, making it especially invigorating for someone like Lan Haitain, who worked late nights. Lan Haitain, desiring to foster a deeper friendship with Chen Mobai, accepted the small box of tea with a smile after a polite refusal, storing it in his personal spatial domain.

"Is the current Dragon-Tiger Patriarch Yan Xinjing?" Chen Mobai asked his first question. The Mending Heaven Group's archives indicated that the latest Dragon-Tiger Patriarch was highly likely Yan Xinjing, who had defected from the Immortal Sect, but they did not provide a definitive conclusion.

Lan Haitain, hearing this, gave Qing Nü a strange look. However, seeing no reaction from Chen Mobai, he hesitated, then turned to Lin Yin at the door and said, "I have some private matters to discuss with Director-General Chen. Why don't you and Qing Nü have a drink together?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yin looked at Chen Mobai awkwardly. She was "his person" now.

"Listen to Secretary Lan," Chen Mobai instructed. He didn't want to hide things from Qing Nü, but it was clear that what Lan Haitain was about to say might involve her, or he might simply not want her to know. So, Chen Mobai couldn't make things difficult for Lan Haitain, especially since he was the one asking for a favor.

"Understood, Director-General!" Lin Yin said, relieved by Chen Mobai's words. Qing Nü also discreetly rose and exited with her, closing the door behind them. Lan Haitain hadn't expected that in just half a month since his departure, his former subordinate would already be so obedient to Chen Mobai. While he knew this day would come, actually witnessing it still brought a momentary sense of loss. However, having been tempered in the Mending Heaven Group for over a century, this emotion lasted only an instant. His expression remained calm as he continued to answer Chen Mobai's question.

"You must have seen the complete archives of the Immortal Bud cultivation project, right? Actually, there was another Immortal Bud with a Heavenly Earth Spiritual Root, but when Yan Xinjing defected, he took that Immortal Bud with him. I suspect it was cultivated as a reincarnation vessel for Lin Daoming."

"As for whether the current Dragon-Tiger Patriarch is Yan Xinjing, I can't be certain. After all, all the Mending Heaven Group files I could access, you can now see as well."

"However, I can tell you one thing: Venerable Yuanxu once communicated with the current Dragon-Tiger Patriarch. This incident is not recorded in the Mending Heaven Group's archives. So, if you want to confirm whether the Dragon-Tiger Patriarch is Yan Xinjing, you can ask Venerable Yuanxu." Lan Haitain then added, "This comes from my mouth and enters your ear. If you tell a third person, I will deny ever telling you."

No wonder Lan Haitain was only willing to speak to Chen Mobai. Information involving Nascent Soul Venerables of the Immortal Sect indeed required utmost caution.

"Why would Venerable Yuanxu communicate with the Dragon-Tiger Patriarch? Did this happen before or after Yan Xinjing's defection?" Chen Mobai pressed. Lan Haitain answered "after." He then hesitated before revealing another secret.

"I heard about this from Hall Master Ying. It seems Venerable Yuanxu wanted to verify something. I suspect he wanted to confirm whether Lin Daoming had colluded with the Ascension Cult. However, I don't know if Patriarch Qianxing is aware of this matter."

At this point, Chen Mobai realized that Lan Haitain sending Qing Nü and Lin Yin away was absolutely necessary. The content of their current conversation, if leaked, would cause immense upheaval within the Three Great Halls. It was only because Chen Mobai had formally taken charge of the Dancing Weapon Lineage, elevating his status, that Lan Haitain would disclose such information to him.

"What is the connection between Yang Jing's Dark Spiritual Root and the Ascension Cult Master?" Chen Mobai asked his second question of the day.

At this, a look of regret crossed Lan Haitain's face. After much hesitation, he sighed and gave an answer he clearly preferred not to. "The Ascension Cult Master's first Disembodied Reincarnation vessel entered Kunpeng Daoist Academy. Due to his exceptional talent, he inherited the Six Imperial Sutras."

"With astonishing ingenuity, he devised an unconventional method to fully master the Six Imperial Sutras: Disembodied Reincarnation. Each life, he would cultivate one part. Upon reaching grand completion, he would merge all six parts. At that time, he might become the next person after Patriarch Zhongli to master the Six Imperial Sutras, transforming into a Torch Dragon—whose open eyes bring day and closed eyes bring night—possessing boundless divine powers."

Chen Mobai's pupils widened in shock. Although he had long suspected an unusual relationship between the Ascension Cult and the Immortal Sect, he never imagined the leader of this demonic cult had such a background. It was no wonder that the Mending Heaven Group's archives contained so little information about this generation's Ascension Cult Master. The Kunpeng Lineage probably deleted it out of embarrassment.

"The Dark Spiritual Root corresponds to the 'Obscurity Section' of the Six Imperial Sutras, representing eternal night and gloom. Only cultivators with a Dark Spiritual Root can cultivate this section to grand completion." It was precisely for this reason that, after Yang Jing was captured, Lan Haitain combined his knowledge of the Ascension Cult Master to reach this conclusion and record it.

"Kong Feichen has a Wind Spiritual Root. Is he also one of the Ascension Cult Master's backup Immortal Buds?" Chen Mobai wondered, recalling that the Six Imperial Sutras also had a Wind Section.

"No, that wouldn't be the case. The Ascension Cult Master had already cultivated the Wind Section of the Six Imperial Sutras to grand completion during his first Disembodied Reincarnation."

Hearing this, Chen Mobai didn't know whether to be happy or sad. How much better it would be if Yang Jing and Kong Feichen could switch places! Why did Yang Jing have to endure all the suffering?

"Since that's the case, why doesn't your Kunpeng Lineage take action and eliminate the Ascension Cult Master? Keeping him around only spoils your reputation, doesn't it?"

Lan Haitain smiled wryly and then shared another secret. "Three hundred years ago, Hall Master Kaiyuan, with the approval of two Patriarchs, led Immortal Sect experts to leave Diyuan Star and personally suppress the ancient evil lineages."

"That battle yielded tremendous results: the Ascension Cult Master's first Disembodied Reincarnation vessel was destroyed, Abbot Hua Kai's physical body was severed, that generation's Dragon-Tiger Patriarch's soul was annihilated, and others like Abbess Jin Shi and True Yang Daoist also perished under the Immortal Sect's military encirclement."

"The only ancient lineages that remained intact were the Divine Control Pavilion Master and the Life-Death Hall Master. Among them, the Life-Death Hall Master directly avoided involvement, hiding after receiving the news. The Divine Control Pavilion Master, however, self-detonated seventy-two avatars to cover his escape."

"After that battle, all the surviving ancient lineages truly united. The Ascension Cult Master, returning in his second Disembodied Reincarnation after the war, was the quickest to recover his vitality and subdue the others. That is why the united ancient evil lineages are now called the Ascension Cult."

Chen Mobai was aware of this. The Ascension Cult's predecessor was the Ascension Gate, a lineage among the ancient orthodoxies that pursued ascension and immortality. Later, when the ancient evil lineages united, the Ascension Gate Master was the most powerful cultivator and was elected as the alliance's Cult Master.

"Three hundred years ago, the ancient evil lineages suffered such immense losses. It seems our Immortal Sect's Nascent Soul Venerables were considerably stronger than those of the evil lineages!" In the past millennium, two Immortal Sect Nascent Souls had passed away: one was the former Immortal Affairs Hall Master, who had refined rules, and the other was the former headmaster of Kunpeng Daoist Academy. According to their ages, both died of natural causes, meaning the Immortal Sect suffered no losses of Nascent Soul Venerables during the suppression of the ancient evil lineages.

"Brother Chen, that's because Patriarch Baiguang was holding the line during the confrontation," Lan Haitain explained with a smile, revealing why the Immortal Sect suffered minimal losses while the ancient evil lineages were utterly defeated, with most of their elites slain.

"I see," Chen Mobai said, his face showing sudden realization.

"It's said that the Ascension Cult Master was quite confident back then. He wanted to lead the allied ancient evil lineages to confront the Immortal Sect, prove his absolute strength, and even hoped to break through his bottleneck and achieve Primordial Spirit realm during that battle, returning to Diyuan Star."

"Then Patriarch Baiguang unleashed a single sword strike. With that strike, the Ascension Cult Master was decapitated; had it not been for an ancient secret treasure blocking it, his spirit might have been completely annihilated, leaving no possibility of Disembodied Reincarnation."

"With the Ascension Cult Master's death, the ancient evil lineages scattered like a tree falling and monkeys scattering, pursued by Hall Master Kaiyuan and others, ultimately leading to that brilliant victory."

So it was all due to the awe-inspiring power of Patriarch Baiguang of their Dancing Weapon Lineage, leaving them no room to resist! Hearing this, Chen Mobai felt an inexplicable surge of pride. This was probably why Lan Haitain revealed these secrets to him without reservation. After all, Chen Mobai was now the representative of the Dancing Weapon Lineage in the Immortal Sect and could represent Patriarch Baiguang.

"Brother Lan, I have one last question: Is Qing Nü Yan Xinjing's resurrected daughter?" Chen Mobai had checked the Mending Heaven Group's files and confirmed there was no mention of the term 'fetal transformation essence,' so he didn't dare ask Lan Haitain directly about it. He decided to approach it from this angle.

"I asked Venerable San Jue about this. He believes that with the Immortal Sect's technology, it's impossible to fully resurrect someone. While Yan Xinjing was a genius, at most, he could only re-engineer an infant using his daughter's genes."

"Qing Nü's appearance and genes are indeed identical to Yan Xinjing's deceased daughter, but her soul is entirely new. Yan Xinjing created her, so he can be considered Qing Nü's father, but Qing Nü is certainly not his deceased daughter."

"Perhaps Yan Xinjing considers Qing Nü his daughter, but to the Immortal Sect, she is merely an orphan, without parents, who grew up in an orphanage."

Hearing Lan Haitain's explanation, Chen Mobai felt relieved. "Thank you, Brother Lan, for coming so late to enlighten me." Chen Mobai raised his teacup and toasted Lan Haitain.

He then inquired about Shi Qing and Chan Si, but Lan Haitain hesitated to speak further as it involved Patriarch Qianxing, advising him to ask Venerable Yuanxu if he wished to know more.

After discussing these confidential matters, the two also spoke about the recent upheavals within the upper echelons of the Three Great Halls. The Immortal Affairs Hall was particularly complex, overseeing thousands of departments, large and small, covering every industry and aspect of the Immortal Sect. Lan Haitain, being newly transferred, felt somewhat overwhelmed despite the assistance from both the Mending Heaven and Kunpeng lineages. However, he found satisfaction in his work. He knew that if he continued on this path, he would surely receive a share of the Nascent Soul Elixir refined by the Immortal Sect a century later. And regardless of whether he successfully formed a Nascent Soul then, he would logically take over the position of Vice Hall Master of the Immortal Affairs Hall. If he failed to form a Nascent Soul, he could wait another century and receive another elixir. In the Immortal Sect, this was considered a direct path to great success.

At 3 AM, Chen Mobai and Lan Haitain concluded their conversation, both feeling they could have continued longer.

"Brother Lan, take care!" Chen Mobai personally escorted Lan Haitain out. Lin Yin was waiting in a car at the entrance.

"Brother Chen, let's talk again when we have time." Lan Haitain said goodbye, looking invigorated, then departed in the car. After watching him leave, Chen Mobai walked back with Qing Nü.

On the way, he shared some of the details of his conversation with Lan Haitain. Qing Nü was greatly shocked by the revelation that the Ascension Cult Master cultivated the Six Imperial Sutras. "Yang Jing indeed might be in danger. Please tell Kong Feichen about this. Now that the Two-Part Divine Art's repercussions have been resolved, I'll arrange for him to abandon darkness for light when the time is right."

Qing Nü was deeply moved by Chen Mobai's words but also worried that it might implicate him.

"If Yang Jing truly gets body-snatched by the Ascension Cult Master, his chances of mastering the Six Imperial Sutras increase, which would not be good for the Immortal Sect," Chen Mobai reasoned. "If Kong Feichen listens to our advice and brings Yang Jing back to the Immortal Sect, it will be considered a great merit. I will work to get him spared from the death penalty, at most facing life imprisonment. I can arrange a comfortable place for him to be imprisoned, where he can even continue cultivating."

"Furthermore, if he performs well and reveals information about the Ascension Cult that the Immortal Sect doesn't know, he might even get a reduced sentence and be released early to enjoy the wonderful freedom of Diyuan Star."

Chen Mobai's words filled Qing Nü with hope. She was already envisioning a beautiful future, including Kong Feichen and Yang Jing attending her wedding with Chen Mobai.

"Okay, I've already sent him the email. I hope he contacts us immediately after seeing it," Qing Nü said, typing rapidly in her excitement. After Chen Mobai reviewed it and confirmed it was fine, she clicked "send."

The two walked through the night. By the time they arrived at Qing Nü's rented apartment, an hour had passed. This was also Chen Mobai's residence. Fearing that Lin Daoming might abduct Qing Nü, Chen Mobai found an apartment here after confirming his membership in the Righteous Law Hall. This was Immortal Sect public housing, which other public officials would normally have to queue for. But Chen Mobai's status was different. The very next day, the official living on the floor above Qing Nü was promoted from a minor clerk in the Ministry of Mining to the deputy director of the Mining Bureau in an external blessed land city. Although it was a move from a central government official to a local one, the allure of governing a region made him happily accept the appointment, completing the handover as quickly as possible and leaving Wangwu Grotto-heaven for his new post.

"Good night!" At the staircase, Chen Mobai smiled and bid Qing Nü farewell. She watched him ascend the stairs, hesitated for a long time, too shy to invite him in, and then entered her own room, her face flushed red.

Another half-month passed in the blink of an eye. Living in the same place, Chen Mobai and Qing Nü commuted to and from work together every day. To outsiders, it was almost an open secret that they were a couple.

"For the New Year holiday, do you want to go back to Jumang Daoist Academy for a visit? And perhaps do me a favor while you're there?" Chen Mobai suggested to Qing Nü one day. He had another family in Danxia City, so it wasn't convenient to take Qing Nü back with him. However, he also feared that Lin Daoming might abduct Qing Nü if she stayed.

Just as he was pondering this, Wen Ren Xuewei called. She had discussed the Myriad Transformation Thunderwater with Venerable Taohua, who indicated her willingness to exchange it for Water Spirit Pearls. Chen Mobai realized this was a perfect opportunity to have Qing Nü take the pearls back to Jumang Daoist Academy. It would allow her to revisit her alma mater after more than forty years and spend the New Year there comfortably. He doubted Lin Daoming would dare abduct someone from Jumang Daoist Academy.

"Oh... alright! What is it?" Qing Nü asked, a hint of disappointment on her face, but she nodded obediently. She had hoped to spend the New Year with him.

Chen Mobai breathed a sigh of relief and handed her ten pearls.

"Such a valuable item, are you really letting me handle it?" Qing Nü was astonished to hear it was a business worth a billion.

"You're the only one I trust among my close associates. I don't feel at ease with anyone else."

Upon hearing Chen Mobai's words, Qing Nü's disappointment vanished. She nodded solemnly, promising to fulfill the task without fail.