Chapter 789: Leaving

"Azure Emperor" was Chen Mobai's online alias in the Immortal World. When Ye Qing asked him to use an alias, he immediately thought of this well-known handle. He wondered if he would ever get to use this name again after this occasion. Lost in thought, Chen Mobai took the storage bag from Ye Qing and sincerely thanked him. Without the help of this Daozi from the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect, he would never have dared to trade the Three Foundation Establishment Treasures with the Star Sky Dao Sect for the Three-Light Divine Water. After all, even though the Star Sky Dao Sect had a decent reputation for doing business over the years, Chen Mobai felt that, given the local customs, they might secretly resort to force when faced with such a tempting offer.

"Sect Master Chen, the future of the righteous path in Eastern Continent depends on you," Ye Qing merely stated in response to the thanks. He acknowledged Chen Mobai's talent; after all, to cultivate to his current realm in the resource-scarce Eastern Wilderness, even mastering the Primordial Chaos Qi and being a quasi-fifth-tier artifact refiner—if he were in the One Yuan Dao Palace, the position of Daozi would undoubtedly be his. Now, with the Three-Light Divine Water, even without a Nascent Soul Condensing Pill, Chen Mobai had a very high chance of successfully forming a Nascent Soul, especially combined with the mysteries of his Primordial Chaos Qi. By then, the One Yuan Dao Palace might even beg him to return and reclaim his heritage. After all, since being sealed off by Ming Zun, the One Yuan Dao Palace had lacked a background at the Soul Transformation stage. Chen Mobai, with his talent, had the potential to achieve Soul Transformation. A newly ascended Soul Transformation True Monarch could at least ensure the One Yuan Dao Palace remained a Sacred Land for another two millennia. For the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect, while it meant an additional competitor, under the threat of the Eastern Li Demonic Path and the Demon Clan's Royal Court, this was actually good news. Ye Qing, at least, hoped that when he eventually took charge of the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect, there would be one or two more Soul Transformation cultivators on the side of the human righteous path.

"If either of you ever have time in the future, you are welcome to visit me in the Eastern Wilderness." Chen Mobai once again thanked Yuan Zhen and Ye Qing. "We hope that by the time we come to the Eastern Wilderness to see Sect Master Chen, both of us will have successfully formed our Nascent Souls," Yuan Zhen said with a smile, a blessing that made Chen Mobai laugh heartily before he bid farewell and departed.

To avoid being discovered leaving the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect, Chen Mobai directly activated the Underworld Great Array. Of course, since he had improved it, he told Ye Qing and the others that it was the Vacuum Dharma Body. In the Sky River Realm, the Underworld Great Array was immobile. Therefore, both of them believed what Chen Mobai said.

"It seems Sect Master Chen has a profound understanding of void power. If the Grand Void Misty Palace knew, they would probably be eager to recruit him," Yuan Zhen remarked, watching Chen Mobai vanish in a flash of silver light. Among the Four Great Sacred Lands, the Grand Void Misty Palace had the fewest disciples. This was not only because their main sect was not located here, but also due to the extremely high entry requirements for their cultivation techniques. It was precisely for this reason that the Vacuum Dharma Body became widely disseminated. This was a deliberate strategy by the Grand Void Misty Palace to screen disciples: anyone who could master this body-tempering technique to an introductory level could attempt to join the Sacred Land. The Grand Void Misty Palace would then conduct a test; if one had forcibly cultivated it using rare materials like Void Stones, they would at most be accepted as outer disciples, becoming laborers for creating teleportation arrays. However, if they were truly a prodigy who achieved it through their own talent, they would become a direct lineage disciple of the Sacred Land. The current generation's Grand Void Daozi was admitted through this very method. He was originally said to be merely a rogue cultivator, but after mastering the Vacuum Dharma Body, he traveled extensively to join the Grand Void Misty Palace, where he inherited the Great Soul Transformation Law and peerless profound arts.

Upon returning to his cave abode, Chen Mobai felt an urge to leave immediately. After all, his current gains far exceeded his initial expectations. He had originally only intended to use the Big Dipper Grand Assembly to gather main and auxiliary ingredients for Immortal World elixirs. While he had considered the Three-Light Divine Water, it was merely a thought; he never imagined he would actually acquire it. This trip to the Big Dipper Grand Assembly had been incredibly fruitful. At the very least, he had essentially gathered most of the resources needed for forming a Nascent Soul. By his estimation, with a Nascent Nourishing Pill, the Tushita Fire, and his Primordial Chaos Qi, he should have at least a 50-60% chance of success. Without the Three-Light Divine Water, he would definitely have waited for Qing Nü to refine the Immortal World's Three Nascent Soul Elixirs before attempting to form his Nascent Soul. But with the Three-Light Divine Water as a foundation, once his Golden Core cultivation was complete and his True Qi was sufficiently nourished, he could try. After all, not using a chance to test his luck would be a bit of a waste. Of course, immediate success would be even better. As he pondered this, Chen Mobai found his state of mind becoming unprecedentedly relaxed and composed. It was only then that he truly understood how comfortable Wenren Xuewei must feel after mastering the Everlasting Spring Technique.

Having achieved his major goal, Chen Mobai lost interest in his minor ones. However, after careful consideration, he realized that leaving at this moment would surely attract the attention of the Star Sky Dao Sect. They might even guess that he was "Chen Qingdi" and that he had departed after obtaining the Three-Light Divine Water and achieving his objective. "Forget it," he decided. "It's better not to draw attention. I'll wait another half a month until the end of the Big Dipper Grand Assembly and leave with the main group."

However, this presented another problem. When it was time to leave, should he still hitch a ride on Old Ancestor Muqin's flying artifact? If Chen Mobai hadn't possessed precious items like the Three-Light Divine Water, he would certainly have left with them. But now, he was a little concerned. After all, he knew the local people's character best. Although Old Ancestor Muqin couldn't possibly know he had these treasures, with such valuable items on him, Chen Mobai felt it would be better to travel alone. However, this would mean he would have to use the Star Sky Dao Sect's large teleportation array to reach Jinwu Immortal City in Eastern Yi. Given Chen Mobai's cultivation level, even with several fourth-tier artifacts, he wouldn't dare traverse the barren ruins between Dongyue and Eastern Yi. The only concern then was that Jinwu Immortal City was territory held by a hostile force. But Chen Mobai then considered that Nascent Soul cultivator Old Ancestor Baiwu was on the Kosang Valley battlefield, and even if the remaining Bathing Sun Sea cultivators wanted to harm him, with his cultivation, he had nothing to fear. Furthermore, even if he were truly surrounded, he could use the Turtle Treasure to return to the Immortal World. At worst, he could lay low in the Immortal World for several years or a decade or two. And if he successfully formed his Nascent Soul, all the better. After considering all the worst-case scenarios, Chen Mobai decided to part ways with Old Ancestor Muqin and her disciples when it was time to return. He had already prepared an excuse: he would say he wanted to explore the vast world beyond the Eastern Wilderness and visit the Eastern Lands.

For the remainder of the Big Dipper Grand Assembly, Chen Mobai mostly kept to himself. However, to fit in, every seven days when the Star Sky Dao Sect released a finale spiritual item, he would still call He Sui and join him to observe the spectacle. The third finale item was a large teleportation array. According to what He Sui had learned, the Palace Master of the Azure Nether Palace had requested an additional portion of Three-Light Divine Water during her visit, and in compensation, had given the Star Sky Dao Sect two large teleportation arrays. The original finale item was inferior, so it was directly replaced. Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai also sighed, reflecting on his own strength and the low status of the Five Elements Sect. If he were truly the One Yuan Daozi, he could have sold the Three Foundation Establishment Treasures to the Grand Void Misty Palace and exchanged them for this teleportation array. He didn't even need a large one; a medium-sized one would suffice.

"If Senior wishes for a teleportation array, the Grand Void Misty Palace, at our sect's invitation, will also open a shop in the Array Domain in a few days, where they will sell various models of teleportation arrays..." As soon as He Sui learned that Chen Mobai wanted a medium-sized teleportation array, he immediately shared the news he had recently gathered. "Oh, that's good news," Chen Mobai's eyes lit up upon hearing this. The teleportation array business was monopolized by the Grand Void Misty Palace, and no one dared to defy them. Previously, when he tried to order a medium-sized teleportation array from Lou Xuelong, he was told there was a waiting list. This time, he wondered how many sets of teleportation arrays the Grand Void Misty Palace would put up for sale. As he thought this, Chen Mobai began to worry about being too poor, uncertain if his current fortune would be enough to purchase the medium-sized teleportation array needed by the Five Elements Sect.

Three days later, in the Array Domain, the Star Sky Dao Sect specially allocated its best shop to the Grand Void Misty Palace. Upon receiving He Sui's notification, Chen Mobai immediately rushed over. He found the place already overflowing with people. Teleportation arrays were life-saving items in critical moments. Therefore, many cultivators, provided their conditions allowed, would purchase some and place them in their cave abodes or other secret locations, so they could escape if cornered by enemies. However, this time the Grand Void Misty Palace was not selling small teleportation arrays. The smallest available were medium-sized teleportation arrays, a total of one hundred sets. There were also three sets of large teleportation arrays. And seemingly adopting local customs, they did not directly list prices but opted for an auction-like sales event. The Grand Void Misty Palace would sell five sets of medium-sized teleportation arrays daily. Cultivators would submit their bids the day before, and if successful, the Grand Void Misty Palace would notify them the following day. The three large teleportation arrays, on the other hand, would be sold every ten days. Golden Core cultivators could bid for medium-sized teleportation arrays, while large ones were restricted to Nascent Soul cultivators.

Chen Mobai was very curious about this. "Reporting to Senior, the subsequent installation and activation of large teleportation arrays require cultivators from the Grand Void Misty Palace to perform. Moreover, without a Nascent Soul cultivator to guard it, if it were to be breached and occupied by demonic cultivators, they could then use the teleportation array to directly enter the heartland of the Eastern Lands." "Such an incident occurred a millennium ago, causing numerous civilian casualties, which greatly enraged a Soul Transformation expert from the Daoist Sect." "Therefore, after that, the Grand Void Misty Palace mandated that any force possessing a large teleportation array must at least have a Nascent Soul cultivator stationed there." Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai nodded in understanding. Although he also quite desired a large teleportation array, the Five Elements Sect was still nominally a major Golden Core sect, so a medium-sized one would suffice. Furthermore, it wouldn't attract undue attention.

"Sect Master Chen, generally, the cost price for a medium-sized teleportation array sold by our Star Sky Dao Sect is a million spirit stones. Its installation and activation also cost a million spirit stones, and if you want our Star Sky Dao Sect to send people for maintenance, it's two thousand spirit stones annually..." Chen Mobai wasn't very familiar with these prices, so he asked He Sui, who could only quote the prices of the Star Sky Grand Merchant Association. After hearing it, Chen Mobai could only conclude that the local people were too greedy. A million spirit stones for installation fees was exorbitant. However, considering it was a monopoly, he understood.

Chen Mobai wasn't in a hurry regarding this. After all, the Grand Void Misty Palace was selling a hundred sets of medium-sized teleportation arrays this time. Moreover, these medium-sized teleportation arrays came with an all-inclusive price that covered installation, though they only guaranteed a usage period of twenty years. After twenty years, if problems arose and they could no longer teleport, they would not be held responsible. However, compared to the Star Sky Grand Merchant Association offering no warranty, the Grand Void Misty Palace at least provided a warranty period. On the first day, he tentatively bid two million spirit stones, but received no notification the next day. On the second day, he bid 2.1 million, and on the third day, 2.2 million... Finally, when he increased his bid to 2.5 million spirit stones, he successfully acquired one. Upon receiving the news, Chen Mobai immediately rushed to the Grand Void Misty Palace's shop and encountered another Golden Core cultivator who had also successfully bid. While waiting, the two compared prices. Chen Mobai found his bid was slightly lower; the other party had bid 2.55 million spirit stones. However, the other party had only purchased two arrays, while Chen Mobai had acquired three.

Just as the two were conversing, a gentle-faced young man in a silver robe emerged. "I am Gong Yanqing..." He briefly introduced himself, then presented five packaged medium-sized teleportation arrays. Chen Mobai immediately took out the high-grade spirit stones he had prepared. The transaction proceeded smoothly. After receiving the three medium-sized teleportation arrays, he also received a communication talisman from Gong Yanqing. "Sirs, after the Big Dipper Grand Assembly concludes, I will personally come to help you install the medium-sized teleportation arrays. Please provide me with an address; I'll also need to check if the spiritual vein meets the requirements..." Gong Yanqing explained the general requirements for installing the medium-sized teleportation arrays, which both Chen Mobai and the other cultivator diligently noted down before handing over their own communication talismans. The other Golden Core cultivator, named Long Ziyong, hailed from a cultivation family in the Eastern Lands.

"The Eastern Wilderness?" However, upon hearing the installation address Chen Mobai provided, Gong Yanqing looked slightly troubled. "What's the matter, Daoist Brother?" "It's a bit far; it might not be very convenient to travel there." "Please lend a hand, Daoist Brother. The Eastern Wilderness is vast, but resources are scarce, and these medium-sized teleportation arrays are urgently needed to connect it..." Chen Mobai immediately understood, then handed over a small storage bag containing ten high-grade spirit stones. Gong Yanqing subtly accepted it, feigned a sigh, and nodded. "Then Sect Master Chen, just await my news. I will come as soon as possible." Long Ziyong, who had witnessed the entire exchange, hesitated briefly. Then, after Chen Mobai bid farewell and departed, he lingered for a moment and also took out a small storage bag, handing it to Gong Yanqing. "Brother Long, rest assured, I will arrange for your two medium-sized teleportation arrays to be installed as quickly as possible," Gong Yanqing said with a laugh after taking the bag and weighing its contents.

After purchasing three medium-sized teleportation arrays, Chen Mobai's desire to leave grew even stronger. However, he then heard another piece of news from He Sui. "This time, the Daoist Sect has also been invited, and in the last few days of the Big Dipper Grand Assembly, they will put up for sale a batch of precious elixirs needed by Nascent Soul cultivators. I even heard there might be Nascent Soul Condensing Pills." Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai could only suppress his urge to depart. After all, no Golden Core cultivator could hear about a Nascent Soul Condensing Pill and then simply leave. At the very least, he would reluctantly stay until the fate of the Nascent Soul Condensing Pill was decided.

Soon, the fourth finale spiritual item of the Big Dipper Grand Assembly appeared: it was a Nascent Soul Condensing Pill! Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai didn't even need He Sui to call him; he went over immediately on his own. When he arrived, hundreds of Golden Core cultivators were in the hall, their eyes burning with desire as they surrounded the single Nascent Soul Condensing Pill. "Senior, this time the Daoist Sect exchanged some elixirs for the Three-Light Divine Water, and among them was this Nascent Soul Condensing Pill..." He Sui shared the information he had gathered, which was likely intentionally released by the Star Sky Dao Sect for them to know, as the Nascent Soul Condensing Pills produced by the Daoist Sect were arguably the best quality in the entire Eastern Wilderness. As expected, after the news spread, some Golden Core cultivators who had originally been waiting for the Three-Light Divine Water began to submit bids with various resources, minerals, medicinal herbs, and other items they had prepared. The Three-Light Divine Water's purpose was to ensure a cultivator remained unharmed after a failed attempt at forming a Nascent Soul. However, it didn't significantly increase the success rate; at most, it only made the cultivator feel more at ease. The Nascent Soul Condensing Pill, on the other hand, was genuinely effective at improving the efficiency of Nascent Soul formation. Therefore, after weighing their options, most Golden Core cultivators firmly decided to place their heavy bets on the Nascent Soul Condensing Pill. After all, for most Golden Core cultivators, financial resources were limited, allowing them to acquire at most one of these items. Moreover, the Three-Light Divine Water, as a life-saving item, had always been the target of Sacred Lands and major sects. The higher a cultivator's status, the more they valued this item. However, rogue cultivators or Golden Core cultivators from small sects and families typically had only one chance to form a Nascent Soul in their lifetime, so they preferred to stake all their hopes on the Nascent Soul Condensing Pill.

Chen Mobai considered it and also wanted to compete, so he listed the spirit stones he still had and his Reversion Pills. Unfortunately, facing competitors from across the entire Eastern Continent, his offerings were simply not enough. By the time the fifth finale item, the Three-Light Divine Water, was presented, Chen Mobai learned from He Sui that the Nascent Soul Condensing Pill had already been purchased. He Sui had not managed to find out who the buyer was. However, this touched upon the fundamental integrity of the Star Sky Dao Sect in hosting the Big Dipper Grand Assembly; if He Sui could even uncover that, Chen Mobai felt he could leave right away. For the fifth Three-Light Divine Water, Chen Mobai also symbolically submitted a bid.

Soon, forty-two days had passed since the start of the Big Dipper Grand Assembly. Chen Mobai had been in Stone City with Old Ancestor Muqin for fifty-seven days, almost two months. When the sixth finale item, a five-tier flood dragon's horn, was unveiled, Chen Mobai had already notified Yan Shaoyin that he was preparing to leave. Of course, before departing, he would definitely bid farewell to Old Ancestor Muqin and her disciple. "Now that the Nascent Soul Condensing Pill and the Three-Light Divine Water have been sold, I certainly have no hope for the remaining precious items. I might as well seize this rare opportunity to travel around the Eastern Lands and broaden my horizons." Upon hearing Chen Mobai's words, Old Ancestor Muqin nodded in understanding. "In that case, Sect Master Chen, please feel free. I was actually just about to tell you that my disciple and I are also preparing to leave." Chen Mobai did not know the exact purpose of Old Ancestor Muqin's visit to the Big Dipper Grand Assembly, but he could roughly guess it was either for longevity or to purchase elixirs to help Kuzhu recover her vitality. "I must thank Senior again for the opportunity to witness the Big Dipper Grand Assembly this time." After thanking her once more, Chen Mobai parted ways with Old Ancestor Muqin.

Afterward, he went to the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect's cave abode, intending to bid farewell to Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen. However, it seemed to be a bit inconvenient; Ye Qing was not there. Yuan Zhen was present, but she had another guest. "True Person Zhu, long time no see." Chen Mobai recognized Yuan Zhen's guest: it was Zhu Jun from the Bathing Sun Sea. As the foremost Golden Core cultivator under Old Ancestor Baiwu in the Bathing Sun Sea, she must have come for the Three-Light Divine Water this time. He wondered if she had managed to acquire it. "Sect Master Chen," Zhu Jun said, also surprised to see him, but she nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "Saintess, I came here to bid farewell..." After greeting her, Chen Mobai immediately explained his purpose to Yuan Zhen, who nodded, understanding his current mood. "When my senior brother returns, I will tell him. He will certainly regret not being able to say goodbye to you in person." Yuan Zhen's words slightly surprised Zhu Jun. Who was Ye Qing? He was the Daozi of the Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Sect. Would he actually bid farewell to a mere Golden Core cultivator from the rural Eastern Wilderness? Zhu Jun thought Yuan Zhen was merely being polite. After Chen Mobai finished speaking, he did not linger, immediately bidding farewell and departing. Zhu Jun, meanwhile, continued to stay and drink tea.

"Oh, has Sect Master Chen left? That's truly a pity..." A short while later, Ye Qing returned. Hearing what Yuan Zhen said, he expressed a hint of regret, then subtly nodded to Zhu Jun before returning to his own room. Witnessing this, Zhu Jun suppressed the shock in her heart. This Sect Master Chen of the Five Elements Sect from the Eastern Wilderness was truly on such good terms with Ye Qing. Zhu Jun then recalled the origins of the Five Elements Sect and a widely discussed piece of news from earlier, and suddenly, a bold conjecture surfaced in her mind. "Saintess, it's getting late today..." Thinking of this, Zhu Jun could no longer sit still and bid farewell. "Leaving already?" Yuan Zhen was a bit surprised; she hadn't yet mentioned that she had just obtained a Face-Fixing Pearl that could grant eternal youth and beauty. However, since Zhu Jun was departing, she could only suppress her desire to show off and escorted her to the door.

After Zhu Jun left, she wanted to look for Chen Mobai, but he had long since activated the Underworld Great Array and vanished. She could only frown slightly before returning to her own cave abode. "Help me find someone." Zhu Jun summoned the Star Sky Dao Sect disciple she had hired during the Big Dipper Grand Assembly and used fire to project Chen Mobai's appearance. "Revealing a guest's privacy is not our sect's custom," the Star Sky Dao Sect disciple said, looking troubled. "Here are ten high-grade spirit stones. Get me accurate information, and I'll give you ten more," Zhu Jun said, directly pouring crystal-clear spirit stones onto the table. Seeing this, the Star Sky Dao Sect disciple's eyes lit up, and his demeanor immediately changed. "This guest seems to be handled by Senior Brother He Sui. I'll go ask. Please wait, Senior..." After the Star Sky Dao Sect disciple left, Zhu Jun immediately called over the two junior brothers who had accompanied her and instructed them to go to the hall containing the large teleportation arrays leading out of Stone City. "Junior Brother Liu, return to Jinwu Immortal City first. If he intends to go back to the Eastern Wilderness, our large teleportation array there will be his only path. Junior Brother Zhou, stay there and keep an eye out for any sign of his departure." The two Golden Core cultivators hesitated, unsure why Zhu Jun was doing this. However, Zhu Jun's authority in the Bathing Sun Sea was second only to Nascent Soul cultivators, so they nodded and agreed. But they were still a step too late. After greeting Yuan Zhen, Chen Mobai had already gone to the Star Sky Dao Sect's teleportation array, spent one high-grade spirit stone, and teleported to Jinwu Immortal City. He had originally intended to take Yan Shaoyin with him, but because some agreed-upon auxiliary medicines had not yet been delivered, he could only leave Yan Shaoyin behind to finalize matters. With a flash of silver light, Chen Mobai had already left Dongyue.