Chapter 826: Breaking Through the Mysterious Xaodao Palace

Chen Mobai sent Mo Douguang and Zhou Ye to lead four thousand Five Elements Sect cultivators, while he and Luo Yixuan advanced directly towards Dongyi. The Taiyi Five-Smoke Veil, resembling a streaking beam of five-colored light, carried the master and disciple through the desolate ruins at an incredible speed.

Soon, they caught up with the Five Elements Wood Lineage army, which had set out earlier. Zhou Shengqing, who was leading the procession, suddenly sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching from behind. He immediately halted and turned, preparing for an encounter. Upon seeing the familiar five-colored clouds on the horizon, with Chen Mobai and his disciple atop them, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Senior Brother," Chen Mobai began, "after Zhou Ye and the others eliminated the Golden Core cultivators of the Profound Heaven Dao Palace, they made a significant discovery..."

Chen Mobai and Zhou Shengqing ascended into the sky, and Chen Mobai explained the matter of the Immortal Scripture Jade Slip. Zhou Shengqing was greatly astonished by the news and immediately understood the urgency of Chen Mobai's arrival. After a brief discussion, they swiftly finalized their combat strategy: capture Mingjing Mountain as quickly as possible, ensuring no one escapes.

"However," Chen Mobai mused, "a major sect like Profound Heaven Dao Palace surely possesses items similar to soul lamps. News of Patriarch Jinfeng and the others' deaths must have already reached Mingjing Mountain. It's possible some are already dividing their assets and preparing to flee." Chen Mobai then presented his worst-case scenario. He admitted he had no way to prevent it, so his only hope was that the Profound Heaven Dao Palace personnel left behind at Mingjing Mountain could maintain order and prevent the sect from collapsing before their army arrived.

"I've left Zhou Wangshen and his group there," Zhou Shengqing said. "Junior Brother, when you arrive, you can first inquire about the situation from them." Zhou Shengqing outlined his arrangements, and Chen Mobai nodded in understanding. He then continued his journey towards Dongyi with Luo Yixuan.

Before long, the master and disciple reached Mingjing Mountain. A communication talisman was sent forth, and Zhou Wangshen and his hidden group immediately converged. Upon their arrival, the group looked at Chen Mobai with astonishment. "Greetings, Sect Master!" they exclaimed.

Chen Mobai nodded and then inquired about the current status of Mingjing Mountain. The news he received was positive. Ever since Patriarch Jinfeng departed with the Profound Heaven Dao Palace army, Mingjing Mountain had remained peaceful and uneventful.

"I'll enter first to sabotage the teleportation arrays," Chen Mobai stated. "Xuan'er, you stay here and lead them to seal off all exits from Mingjing Mountain. We must ensure no one from Profound Heaven Dao Palace escapes." After Chen Mobai briefly outlined his plan, Luo Yixuan and Zhou Wangshen immediately nodded in assent.

Given his current cultivation level, performing Void Walk to infiltrate Mingjing Mountain's Tier 4 grand formation would cause some minor fluctuations. However, by concealing himself swiftly, he was confident that no one would detect his presence. The formation master overseeing the grand array, after dispatching personnel to investigate, simply dismissed the disturbances as normal fluctuations within the formation.

Employing the "One Leaf Blinds the Eye" illusion, Chen Mobai brazenly walked through Mingjing Mountain, unseen by anyone. He swiftly traversed the entire area covered by the grand formation, using "Echoes of the Empty Valley" to listen for void fluctuations. He quickly located six teleportation arrays. Three of these were openly accessible, while the other three were concealed. Furthermore, these three hidden teleportation arrays were, surprisingly, also locations where Profound Heaven Dao Palace stored its treasures.

One location was filled with high-grade spirit stones; Chen Mobai roughly estimated their number to be in the tens of thousands, instantly fulfilling his initial objective. It truly showed why they were considered Dongyi's foremost alchemy sect, possessing immense wealth. The only minor disappointment was the absence of supreme-grade spirit stones. Chen Mobai unhesitatingly absorbed all of them into his spatial domain. He then conjured a Void Blade and severed a crucial node of the teleportation array. For such intricate formations, the destruction of even a single node would render them inoperable. This was precisely why the Grand Void Misty Palace offered after-sales service for the teleportation arrays they sold.

The second hidden teleportation array was located in a chamber overflowing with various rare minerals and Five Elements essence gold, many of which were Tier 4 in quality, much to Chen Mobai's delight. With these resources, he could upgrade his Morning Bell and Haotian Mirror to high-grade Tier 4 in the shortest possible time. Even his Azure Frost Sword could benefit, finding suitable minerals to replace some of its inherent flawed materials. Violet Lightning, however, having already been upgraded to Tier 5, found these materials of no further use. Nevertheless, the Tier 5 Profound Gold Chen Mobai acquired from his previous encounter with Patriarch Jinfeng would be extremely beneficial for Violet Lightning. Chen Mobai intended to give a portion to Violet Lightning and distribute the remainder equally among his other magical artifacts. With Tier 5 materials as their core, the Haotian Mirror, Morning Bell, and Azure Frost Sword would be much easier to upgrade to Tier 5 in the future.

The third hidden teleportation array was naturally located where a vast collection of books and jade slips were stored. This was evidently the repository of Profound Heaven Dao Palace's heritage. Chen Mobai smiled faintly, then proceeded to destroy all the teleportation arrays.

Soon after, the Profound Heaven Dao Palace personnel discovered the sabotage. Many disciples began to stir, but an elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator guarding the area proved highly capable. After executing a few defiant disciples, he quickly stabilized the situation. He then dispatched individuals to repair the teleportation arrays. However, the formation master tasked with the repairs was found dead within the array the following day.

An eerie atmosphere permeated Mingjing Mountain. Under the suppression of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, the disciples below dared not speak out. Yet, by nightfall, some had already attempted to secretly flee. However, with Luo Yixuan and her group lying in wait outside, all who attempted to flee were swiftly reduced to corpses. Upon realizing this, dissension began to arise among the remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators of Profound Heaven Dao Palace. They were now aware that the Patriarch's soul lamp had shattered, and most wished to seize the opportunity to divide the sect's assets and escape. However, upon opening the treasury and secret vaults, they discovered them to be completely empty. When they attempted to retrieve legacies from the scripture pavilion, they found the shelves utterly bare.

Witnessing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivators tasked with maintaining order realized that the enemy had already infiltrated Mingjing Mountain. After a brief deliberation, they concluded that the Five Elements Sect army had likely not yet arrived, making this their last opportunity to escape. Nevertheless, a significant number of stubborn loyalists refused to agree. After a heated argument, they eventually did not prevent the others from leaving. Of course, before their departure, and lacking any spirit stones, minerals, or inheritances to divide, they decided to take some valuable medicinal herbs from the sect's fields. Once they started, their greed swelled, and they desired to take even more.

Subsequently, one night, the Five Elements Sect army led by Zhou Shengqing silently encircled Mingjing Mountain. Had the Tier 4 grand formation not been fully activated since Patriarch Jinfeng's departure, Profound Heaven Dao Palace would likely have been instantly overwhelmed by the Five Elements Sect army.

Chen Mobai stood at the highest peak of Mingjing Mountain, having arrived at the stone house where Patriarch Jinfeng had cultivated. This spot was clearly the epicenter of spiritual energy, surprisingly reaching Tier 5. However, this potent energy was concentrated solely within the small stone house. Chen Mobai held a book, reading. It was from the Profound Heaven Dao Palace's library, a historical account of Mingjing Mountain. This region was originally a low-grade Tier 5 spiritual vein, belonging to the Bright Mirror Sword Sect. After Profound Heaven Dao Palace seized control, the Tier 5 spiritual vein was converted into twelve thousand acres of herb fields, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 4, cultivating thousands of different medicinal plants. In addition to the herb fields on Mingjing Mountain, Profound Heaven Dao Palace had also established another eighteen thousand acres of herb fields within its sphere of influence. These combined thirty thousand acres of herb fields, cultivating nearly ten thousand types of medicinal ingredients, were the very foundation of their prominence in Dongyi and their reputation as a leading alchemy sect. Mingjing Mountain, with its abundant spiritual energy, picturesque landscapes, and sprawling herb fields, was indeed a sacred place for cultivation.

"It rightfully belongs to the Five Elements Sect!" This thought surfaced in Chen Mobai's mind after he finished reading.

Just then, sounds of intense fighting echoed from below. At the foot of the mountain, battle raged. Zhou Shengqing was leading the Wood Lineage cultivators in an assault on the Tier 4 grand formation, which was controlled by the remaining Profound Heaven Dao Palace cultivators. Upon hearing the commotion, Chen Mobai moved swiftly, vanishing from the mountaintop.

Guided by "Echoes of the Empty Valley," he swiftly located the spiritual core of the grand formation. A dozen Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators sat there, meticulously controlling the formation plates, flags, and other artifacts. Under the direction of the elderly formation master leading them, they were desperately channeling the power of the Tier 4 Golden Light Grand Formation, striving to impede the advancing Five Elements Sect army as much as possible.

The moment Chen Mobai appeared, he immediately drew their attention. "Who is there?!" Other Profound Heaven Dao Palace Foundation Establishment cultivators were also guarding the area. Seeing the unfamiliar Chen Mobai, they immediately launched an attack with their magical artifacts. Facing these opponents, Chen Mobai simply unsheathed his Primal Yang Sword Intent. A brilliant orange-red aura erupted, like a dazzling rainbow or a soaring dragon. With a single sword strike, he cleaved the twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators—both guards and formation controllers—in two. These cultivators were primarily those who had survived failed attempts at forming Golden Cores. To have reached such a stage in cultivation and still be alive, they must have been the direct descendants of the Profound Heaven Dao Palace, which explained their fierce resistance. It truly spoke to Profound Heaven Dao Palace's status as Dongyi's foremost alchemy sect, to have amassed such a significant number of cultivators who had survived failed Golden Core attempts.

As Chen Mobai retracted his Primal Yang Sword Intent, all the main formation cultivators fell. The once sturdy grand formation instantly crumbled. Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Shengqing immediately led the Five Elements Sect disciples to surge in, systematically subduing the Profound Heaven Dao Palace cultivators who were still resisting at various formation nodes.

Chen Mobai's gaze swept across the surroundings, quickly identifying several areas where lingering resistance remained. Some Profound Heaven Dao Palace disciples were also hidden in the shadows, apparently preparing to launch a final counterattack. But all their efforts were futile. Without any high-tier cultivators, Profound Heaven Dao Palace was nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter before the Five Elements Sect.

"Xuan'er, Qingmei," Chen Mobai's voice resonated in their ears, "lead a group of disciples and secure those high-grade herb fields." Luo Yixuan and Yin Qingmei heard Chen Mobai's directive and immediately accepted the order, each leading a hundred disciples toward the Tier 4 herb fields on Mingjing Mountain. These fields cultivated exclusively Tier 4 medicinal herbs, representing the most invaluable treasure accumulated by Profound Heaven Dao Palace over three millennia. They could not afford to lose them.

However, the battle swiftly concluded. The sky hadn't even begun to lighten. Most of the Profound Heaven Dao Palace disciples who stubbornly resisted were ultimately killed by their own comrades, who then emerged to surrender to the Five Elements Sect. Chen Mobai, not wishing to cause further bloodshed, instructed Fu Zongjue to lead a contingent of men to guard all the surrendered cultivators. Subsequently, Five Elements Sect cultivators surged like a tide across Mingjing Mountain, completely taking control of all Profound Heaven Dao Palace resources. Precious medicinal herbs in the fields were meticulously harvested, while treasures, elixirs, and other items in various departmental storerooms were thoroughly inventoried. Every single book, regardless of its content, was diligently collected by the Five Elements Sect.

Chen Mobai and Zhou Shengqing stood atop the mountain, overlooking the scene, and exchanged smiles. They knew that the Five Elements Sect's victory here would lay a solid foundation for the sect's future.