Chapter 787: 法器开灵

"What's the origin of this shop?" Chen Mobai asked He Sui as they left. He Sui paused briefly, saying he would need to ask a senior disciple responsible for that area.

"Go inquire about it. I happen to have some personal matters to attend to as well," Chen Mobai said. He Sui nodded immediately and left.

Inside Yan Shaoyin's courtyard."Sect Master, all the auxiliary ingredients for the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill and the Spirit Essence Pill have been collected. We're still short a few for the Infant Nurturing Pill, but it shouldn't be an issue by the time the Big Dipper Assembly concludes."

Chen Mobai was very pleased to hear this good news. Among these, the Spirit Essence Pill was his greatest concern, as it was crucial for him to achieve complete Core Formation as quickly as possible.

He had already acquired two of the three main ingredients for the Spirit Essence Pill using his True Essence Pills, only lacking the final Wind Spirit Vine. This herb grows by attaching itself to high-grade spiritual plants. For example, the Sun God Tree in the Sun-Drenched Sea specifically cultivates this vine, which helps high-grade spiritual plants regulate their immense internal energy, forming a symbiotic relationship.

Unfortunately, during this Big Dipper Assembly, the Sun-Drenched Sea was preoccupied with suppressing the Empty Mulberry Valley alongside the Profound Hao Dao Palace, so Patriarch White Crow didn't come, nor did anyone from their sect. Regretfully, Chen Mobai could only hope that upon his return, Chu Zuoshu, who was still in Golden Crow Immortal City, could try to purchase some Wind Spirit Vine.

Moreover, ninety percent of the auxiliary ingredients for the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill were the same as those for the Five Elements Core Formation Pill. Collecting these also meant having the auxiliary ingredients for refining the Water Element Core Formation Pill. This was one of Chen Mobai's main reasons for coming.

"Well done. Continue collecting," Chen Mobai said. After putting the auxiliary ingredients into his storage bag, he left.

By the time he returned to his cave abode, He Sui was already waiting."Senior, that shop belongs to a sect from the Eastern Barbarians called Cloud River Valley. They have three Core Formation cultivators, one of whom is in charge of running the Cloud River Chamber of Commerce, primarily operating between our Eastern Peaks and the Eastern Barbarians. They rented that shop here in Stone City two years before this Big Dipper Assembly..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai's face showed surprise. It was a sect from the Eastern Barbarians. He recalled that the last time the remnants of the Ocean-Overturning Sect were discovered, it was in Hesitation Mountain in the Eastern Barbarians. He wondered if they had acquired the fragments of the Profound Light Sooty Eagle Flag from there.

With that thought, Chen Mobai nodded and told He Sui that he would explore the Big Dipper Assembly on his own for the next few days and would call him if anything came up.

After seeing He Sui off, Chen Mobai, shimmering with silver light, activated the Netherworld Grand Array and left his cave abode.

After several flashes, he arrived at a spirit-rich courtyard."Sect Master Chen, over here..." Yuan Zhen waved to Chen Mobai from a distance. She and Ye Qing were seated together at a stone table in the courtyard, clearly waiting for him.

"Greetings, Daozi, Saintess," Chen Mobai said politely as he approached.

"Sect Master Chen, do you have a solution for the problem I mentioned?" Ye Qing asked directly.

Chen Mobai nodded, then took out his Red Cloud Silk Robe and began to explain. "...I am confident I can successfully imbue this magic item with a spirit. I wonder if this achievement can help you both corroborate my identity as the Daozi of the One Origin Dao Palace."

Hearing Chen Mobai's words, Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen exchanged surprised glances."Naturally, it can."

A quasi-fifth-tier artifact refiner, even in the entire Eastern Continent, is a rare sight, with only a handful of such individuals, all of whom are Nascent Soul cultivators. If Chen Mobai could achieve this at the Core Formation stage, they might not even need to corroborate his identity; the Star Heaven Dao Sect would likely immediately acknowledge him as the Daozi of the One Origin Dao Palace.

"When will Sect Master Chen begin? My junior sister and I will be ready to assist you then." Ye Qing, who had initially been indifferent to the matter, now showed a slight enthusiasm. After all, if Chen Mobai could truly succeed in imbuing the item with a spirit, their Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect would undoubtedly need his help in the future. Moreover, he knew that this Sect Master of the Five Elements Sect from the Eastern Wilderness was indeed a member of the One Origin Dao Palace.

If he were to make a name for himself in the Eastern Continent in the future, the One Origin Dao Palace might even actively seek him out to acknowledge his lineage.

"No time like the present; let's do it today," Chen Mobai said. His words made Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen regard him with even greater admiration. What immense confidence!

"Very well. Once Sect Master Chen successfully imbues the magic item with a spirit, I will accompany you to meet Venerable Xingyun to reserve your One Origin Dao Palace's Three Lights Divine Water." Ye Qing, finding Chen Mobai a worthy associate, made a commitment at this moment.

"I have one small request. I wonder if you two could help?" Chen Mobai asked with a wry smile.

"Sect Master Chen, please speak freely." Ye Qing didn't agree immediately, choosing to listen first.

"As you both know, the One Origin Dao Palace is currently in seclusion. If I, as their Daozi, were to be exposed at the Big Dipper Assembly, it would inevitably attract the attention of demonic cultivators from the Eastern Dawn.""And my Five Elements Sect is merely an ordinary Golden Core sect. If they knew I possessed the Three Lights Divine Water, they would certainly try to seize it.""Therefore, could you please keep my identity a secret? We could say that you invited me here to refine and imbue a fourth-tier magic item with a spirit, and then privately arrange with the Star Heaven Dao Sect for the Three Lights Divine Water, ensuring outsiders remain unaware of this matter."

Chen Mobai understood the character of the local cultivators. If he possessed the Three Lights Divine Water, it wasn't just demonic cultivators who would covet it; even powerful Nascent Soul sects from the Eastern Barbarians or even the Eastern Lands might contend for it. At that point, even with Zhou Shengqing's protection, the Five Elements Sect might not be able to withstand such pressure.

"Sect Master Chen has considered this thoroughly. Let's proceed as you suggested." Ye Qing found this very reasonable. Although he was a Daozi of a Sacred Land, he was well aware of the prevailing atmosphere in the Heaven River Realm. For a cultivator who had achieved complete Core Formation, seizing the Three Lights Divine Water from a Golden Core sect, even one affiliated with a Sacred Land, would be done without hesitation. They might even use it to successfully form a Nascent Soul and ascend to greatness, becoming a superior being if they were to leave the Eastern Continent and travel to other continents and seas.

"However, even if we keep this secret, the Star Heaven Dao Sect might not be willing to cooperate," Yuan Zhen interjected at this point, expressing her view. She didn't have a good impression of the Star Heaven Dao Sect, likely due to the vivid examples in her sect's ancient texts describing how these merchants behaved one way to your face and another behind your back.

Chen Mobai and Ye Qing considered this and agreed. Furthermore, the Star Heaven Dao Sect had always aspired to become a new Sacred Land. While they wouldn't openly oppose the One Origin Dao Palace, they had always paid close attention to it. For Chen Mobai, the Daozi of the One Origin Dao Palace, to suddenly appear and wish to reserve a portion of the Three Lights Divine Water, they would certainly investigate thoroughly from their perspective.

"Meeting Venerable Xingyun will be unavoidable. Sect Master Chen, you should prepare for that." Given Ye Qing's standing, the Star Heaven Dao Sect would certainly trust his endorsement, but they would also have reason to meet the principal himself.

"However, I believe that if the item offered in exchange for the Three Lights Divine Water is precious enough, Venerable Xingyun can be persuaded," Chen Mobai said, surprising both Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen.

"What kind of rare treasure has Sect Master Chen prepared?"In the Heaven River Realm, there was a general consensus regarding elixirs: finished elixirs were more valuable than raw herbs. This was why Chen Mobai's third-tier, high-grade True Essence Pills could be exchanged for fourth-tier medicinal or spiritual ingredients. The same principle applied to magic artifacts and formations. This was also why the legacy of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation was closed off in the Heaven River Realm.

High-tier alchemists, artifact refiners, and similar practitioners could only be cultivated by major sects. The vast multitude of rogue cultivators and minor sects, even if they cultivated thousand-year-old herbs or discovered precious fiendish qi, lacked the complete methods to utilize them for refining. Under the dynamics of supply and demand, exchanging these raw materials for finished elixirs or artifacts produced by prominent sects naturally meant accepting the latter's pricing.

Under this social structure, major sects and Sacred Lands would grow ever stronger, enduring for thousands of years. Even if they lacked a peak Soul Transformation cultivator for a period, they could rely on their profound heritage to sustain themselves while awaiting the growth of their Daozi and Saintess. As for other sects and families, even if a super genius emerged and propelled their power to a higher tier, without deep roots in the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, they would soon slowly decline back to their former state after their top cultivators vanished or passed away. The One Origin Dao Palace was no exception; in the eyes of some cultivators, it had even been excluded from the ranks of Sacred Lands.

The Three Lights Divine Water was a top-tier fourth-grade elixir, but it was the most precious among fourth-grade items because major sects from across the entire Eastern Continent, and even other continents and seas, would come to seek it. Under such supply and demand, if the Star Heaven Dao Sect could produce a Soul Transformation cultivator, they could ascend to the status of a Sacred Land in the shortest possible time. After all, their heritage was already barely sufficient for a Sacred Land. The Star Heaven Dao Sect had seen countless ordinary fifth-tier spiritual materials and resources; sometimes, even the Dao Sect would ask the Star Heaven Dao Sect for help in refining a furnace of fifth-tier elixirs.

Therefore, Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen couldn't imagine what Chen Mobai, the sect master of a rural minor sect, could possess that would make the Star Heaven Dao Sect compromise.

"This is an elixir recipe I obtained after passing the Eternal Life Trial and becoming the Holy Son of the Eternal Life Sect, named the Three Foundation Treasures. Please take a look." Chen Mobai handed a prepared jade slip to Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen. Ye Qing took it first and scanned it with his divine sense.

"This..." Then, Yuan Zhen saw an expression of shock, one she had never witnessed before, on the face of her genius senior brother, who was usually calm and composed in all matters. Her curiosity was immediately piqued, and she too extended her divine sense to examine the Three Foundation Treasures recipe within the jade slip.

"The Celestial Venerable of the Eternal Life Sect truly lives up to his name as a great divine ability user who controls life and death..." After reading, Yuan Zhen was also filled with awe and then recalled a phrase recorded in the sect's ancient texts. In the ancient times of the Heaven River Realm, during the primordial era when powerful divine ability users born of the cosmos dominated the heavens and vast oceans, the Celestial Venerable was one of the most powerful divine ability users, second only to the Mother of Waters, known as the Eastern Extreme Azure Splendor Eternal Life Celestial Venerable! He was a powerful being on the same level as the patriarch worshipped by their Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect.

"Sect Master Chen, do you truly intend to exchange such a precious elixir recipe for the Three Lights Divine Water?" Ye Qing asked with a solemn expression. It was important to note that the moment he saw the recipe, he had almost harbored murderous intentions.

Indeed, if the Star Heaven Dao Sect were to obtain this Three Foundation Treasures recipe, they could likely use it, along with the Three Lights Divine Water, to rapidly increase the number of their cultivators. If Venerable Xingji truly succeeded in Soul Transformation, the Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect's position as the foremost sect in the Eastern Continent might even be shaken in the future.

"Though I'm reluctant, for the sake of the Three Lights Divine Water and the future of the righteous path in the entire Eastern Continent, I believe I cannot keep it hidden," Chen Mobai said, uttering words that left Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen somewhat perplexed.

What did he mean by "the future of the righteous path in the Eastern Continent"? At this point, Chen Mobai began to explain:

"Although the combined effect of these Three Foundation Treasures isn't as potent as a Foundation Establishment Pill, their advantage lies in their cheap and common ingredients, and a third-tier alchemist can attempt to refine them with some training. If widely promoted, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators in our Eastern Continent could surge dramatically in a short period.""This way, whether it's for pioneering new lands, or in wars against the Eastern Dawn demonic cultivators, or even the Demon Clan's Royal Court, our human race will have a greater chance of victory.""After all, high-tier cultivators rise step by step from lower tiers. These Three Foundation Treasures can offer hope to many rogue cultivators buried by lack of resources; who knows, another True Monarch One Origin might emerge among them."

Chen Mobai's words made Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen feel a sense of shame. Compared to Sect Master Chen from the Eastern Wilderness, their perspectives as heirs of Sacred Lands were far too narrow.

"Sect Master Chen's ideals are truly noble. However, given the Star Heaven Dao Sect's usual conduct, once they acquire this Three Foundation Treasures recipe, they will undoubtedly, like with the Three Lights Divine Water, only refine and sell it themselves, without considering enhancing the overall strength of righteous cultivators in the Eastern Continent." As Yuan Zhen spoke, her gaze towards Chen Mobai carried a hint of longing she herself hadn't noticed.

"I have considered that problem, which is why I gave you two this Three Foundation Treasures recipe first," Chen Mobai said with a smile.

"Sect Master Chen means..." Ye Qing then realized that the jade slip Chen Mobai had given them had no restrictions, allowing them to see the entire Three Foundation Treasures recipe.

"You two have been deeply dedicated to helping me with the Three Lights Divine Water. Consider this recipe a token of my gratitude. Furthermore, as long as your Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect can also refine and sell the Three Foundation Treasures, the Star Heaven Dao Sect won't be able to monopolize it. This way, the problem the Saintess is concerned about won't arise."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen exchanged glances, feeling that Sect Master Chen was incredibly sincere. He had given them the Three Foundation Treasures recipe directly, even before their arrangement was finalized. What if they were hypocrites who prioritized profit over righteousness?

"Sect Master Chen treats me with sincerity, and I will not let him down. Leave this matter to me." It was at this moment that Ye Qing regarded Chen Mobai as a true friend.

Anyone, even a scoundrel, prefers to befriend an open and sincere person. Ye Qing had also investigated Chen Mobai's actions in the Eastern Wilderness before his last visit. Although Chen Mobai was known as a ruthless "God of Slaughter" against his enemies, all the major Eastern Wilderness sects he had annihilated had initiated attacks on the Five Elements Sect first; Chen Mobai had always acted in defensive counterattacks.

To this day, the Five Elements Sect could have long unified the Eastern Wilderness by eliminating the remaining Blowing Snow Palace and Reversal Valley. Yet, Chen Mobai continued to abide by the rules. If Ye Qing were in Chen Mobai's position, after the Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect confirmed Kong Lingling was practicing demonic arts, he would certainly not miss the opportunity to eradicate the root of the problem, using the noble cause of eliminating demons and defending the righteous path to completely destroy his opponents.

"This person must be what the mundane world calls a 'gentleman'," Ye Qing thought, unaware that Chen Mobai was merely adhering to the moral principles he had learned from a young age in the immortal sect.

"Then I shall begin. If any unusual phenomena occur and draw attention, I ask for your help in concealing them," Chen Mobai said to Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen, taking out his Red Cloud Silk Robe, a fourth-tier Water Mist Ice Crystal, and a fourth-tier Pure Wind Fiend Crystal.

"Sect Master Chen, rest assured. With my sword present, no one will dare to pry," Ye Qing said calmly yet grandly.

Chen Mobai smiled and nodded. Guided by Yuan Zhen, he entered a prepared quiet room and began elevating the Red Cloud Silk Robe using the Can Tong Qi.

That day, another highlight item of the Big Dipper Assembly was unveiled. It was a top-tier fourth-grade "Feathered Star Robe," woven from 360 fourth-tier Rainbow Kite tail feathers. Each feather was inscribed with a restriction, and when spiritual energy was infused, it could generate a starlight aura covering the wearer's entire body, defending against countless spells.

When fully activated, 360 streams of starlight would overlap, forming the Star Heaven Dao Sect's renowned great art, Star Cloak. Under the protection of this great art, techniques below the fifth tier were essentially incapable of breaking through its defense.

This "Feathered Star Robe" was also Starfire, the artifact refiner's, highest-level work. He stood nearby, proudly introducing his proud creation.

While its high grade was partly due to his skill, it was mostly attributed to the exceptional materials. Nevertheless, it was a top-tier fourth-grade defensive magic robe. Therefore, most of the Nascent Soul Venerables who hadn't appeared before now gathered here.

As they gathered around the "Feathered Star Robe," they all greeted Starfire, praising him as a young prodigy, a future fifth-tier artifact refiner, and so on. Patriarch Muqin of Empty Mulberry Valley was also present.

Her main reason for coming this time, however, was for longevity elixirs. She had essentially taken all the longevity spiritual items circulating openly in the Eastern Continent, and she had consumed the three types of elixirs from the Dao Sect's Herb Hall multiple times. By now, ordinary elixirs were useless to her.

She came this time because an old Nascent Soul friend from the Eastern Lands claimed to have found a bottle of ancient medicine, verified to be for prolonging life. The two had agreed to trade here.

"Long time no see." A slightly cold voice sounded as a female cultivator, dressed in a black gauze dress, with a slender figure and an aloof demeanor, walked over.

Her countenance was as clear as autumn water, her eyes like cold, deep springs in a mountain valley. As she stepped forward, she was like a winter plum blossom suddenly blooming in a painting, exuding an air of transcendence and solitude.

"It must have been over a hundred years," Patriarch Muqin sighed upon seeing the female cultivator before her. When they first met, she was still the radiant Saintess of the Dao Palace. The next news she heard about her was already terrible.

Muqin had been somewhat skeptical upon receiving her letter, but with only a few years of lifespan left, she had still traveled personally, holding onto a slim hope.

"This is the Azure Nether Longevity Pill. Its effect is similar to the Profound Sky Dark Gold Pill, and there are three pills inside." The female cultivator handed a jade bottle to Muqin. Muqin took it, opened it, examined it, and then took out a jade box from her own storage bag.

"Inside here is the section of fifth-tier Pure Bamboo you requested." The female cultivator took it without examining it and placed it directly into her sheer long sleeve.

"There are some things you should know, so don't speak carelessly." After saying this final remark, the female cultivator opened her oiled paper umbrella and turned to leave.

"Understood." Patriarch Muqin knew well that it was better to be a little ignorant about matters concerning this female cultivator.

Just then, a powerful tremor emanated from a nearby cave abode. Subsequently, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth above Stone City seemed to receive a summons, surging towards that direction and transforming into streaks of dense spiritual light.

Simultaneously, a five-colored cloud rose into the sky, instantly expanding to cover the entire cave abode. It then continuously surged and danced as if alive, completely absorbing all the surging spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

The multicolored light grew deeper and deeper, evolving into five forms—mist, wind, fog, dew, and smoke—in a very short time. With each transformation, its spirituality increased by a fraction.

Rumble! At this moment, lightning and thunder suddenly began to flash and boom above Stone City.

"A magic item imbuing with a spirit!" Seeing this scene, everyone was greatly astonished. Only a magic item with extremely powerful spirituality from its inception could trigger such a phenomenon, akin to a heavenly tribulation, after an influx of spiritual energy.

The Nascent Soul cultivators, who had been queuing to bid on the "Feathered Star Robe," saw this and, without a moment's hesitation, all rushed towards the Red Cloud Silk Robe, which was undergoing its spiritual awakening in mid-air.

In an instant, Venerable Starfire, who had been surrounded by the crowd, was left alone. His face alternated between green and pale. Some Star Heaven Dao Sect disciples helping nearby quickly lowered their heads, fearing to incur the patriarch's displeasure at this moment.

Under these circumstances, Muqin and the female cultivator standing on the street outside suddenly became conspicuous. Venerable Starfire's gaze shifted towards them, but Muqin wore a Pure Bamboo hat, and the female cultivator held an oiled paper umbrella, which seemed to be a magic item, concealing her face.

"Fellow Daoists, please wait a moment. I'll just go over there and be right back." Although Venerable Starfire couldn't clearly see the two women's faces, he could sense that they were both Nascent Soul cultivators. He assumed they were Daoists at the back of the line, also wishing to bid on the "Feathered Star Robe," as the magic robe he refined was very suitable for female cultivators.

However, he was now also eager to observe the process of a fourth-tier magic item imbuing with a spirit. He had just failed once and desperately needed successful experience; even just watching might allow him to gain insights and comprehend something himself!

With that thought, after speaking to the two women, Venerable Starfire casually pointed to a Star Heaven Dao Sect disciple to attend to them, then directly rushed towards the Red Cloud Silk Robe, which was absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to imbue with a spirit in mid-air.

Flight was prohibited within this Stone City. However, the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Star Heaven Dao Sect were exempt from this rule.

Although Venerable Starfire was late to react, he relied on this privilege to be the first to fly close to the Red Cloud Silk Robe.

However, just as he was about to get closer! Clang!

A resonant, clear sword hum rang out, and a cold sword light instantly shot up from the ground, blocking his path.

Venerable Starfire then remembered that this cave abode had been assigned to the Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect. However, he was also a proud individual, a genius who had once conversed with the Daozi and Saintess of Sacred Lands, and had long wanted to test Ye Qing's prowess. With a slight frown, he unleashed his proud Stellar True Fire to clash with the sword light, then his expression subtly changed, and he immediately retreated three steps in mid-air.

"During the Big Dipper Assembly, this place is the territory of my Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect. All who approach, halt!" Ye Qing's calm voice echoed in mid-air, causing the hurrying Nascent Soul cultivators to stop abruptly and exchange glances. However, some experienced ones had already activated their spiritual sight techniques, closely observing the process of the Red Cloud Silk Robe ascending and imbuing with a spirit.

At this moment, it was the final spiritual transformation. The five-colored mist that had originally enveloped the sky above the cave abode, after absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, seemed to become a spiritual life form, continuously changing and contracting. Finally, the five forms merged into one, transforming into a palm-sized, thin wisp of smoke and cloud!

The smoke and cloud displayed five colors, yet upon closer inspection, it seemed like a wisp of wind, a drop of rain, or a patch of mist...

It was at this very moment that everyone realized the magic item had completed its spiritual awakening. Although it had only just entered the fourth tier, it contained the potential to transcend material limitations, evolve to the fifth tier, and truly undergo a continuous spiritual sublimation and transformation.

"I never expected to witness the birth of a quasi-fifth-tier artifact refiner today. I wonder which hero of the Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect this could be?" Muqin exclaimed with emotion upon seeing this scene.

Compared to other major Nascent Soul sects, her Empty Mulberry Valley was already very fortunate to have Kuzhu as a successor. However, when contrasted with these Sacred Lands, there was a sense of despair, like an ant trying to shake a tree, an insurmountable gap.

"A decent artifact refiner, but likely just a stroke of temporary luck. The most formidable artifact refining legacy in the Eastern Continent is in my hands," the black-robed female cultivator suddenly declared.

Patriarch Muqin didn't refute her words, as what she said was true.

Just then, a brilliant five-colored true qi rose from within the Nine Heavens Demon Slayer Sect's cave abode, like a streaking sword of colored light, directly plunging into the Red Cloud Silk Robe that had just completed its spiritual awakening in mid-air.

Subsequently, this fourth-tier magic item, which had been freely emanating its spirituality, obediently allowed the five-colored true qi to refine it, then descended into the courtyard.

Seeing this scene, the black-robed female cultivator suddenly closed her oiled paper umbrella, her eyes wide with shock. Primordial True Qi!