Chapter 836: Childhood Valley

After Chen Mobai arrived in Beiyuan City, Nu Jiang and Sheng Zhaoxi came to pay their respects.

Upon their arrival, Sheng Zhaoxi wasted no time in asking, "Junior Martial Brother Sect Master, I hear the Spirit Treasure Pavilion will be listing some Core Formation spiritual items this time."

"Indeed. After securing the territory of Xuanao Dao Palace in Dongyi, I acutely realized our sect's lack of high-level cultivators. This significant victory in the war offers a perfect chance to reward our disciples. Therefore, I intend to release some of the Core Formation elixirs refined by Qing Nu, to identify the most promising disciples among the Five Meridians."

Chen Mobai invited the two to sit, while Luo Xue'er, who had accompanied them, thoughtfully brewed tea for the trio.

"Junior Martial Brother Sect Master, my disciple Tan Rong made significant contributions in the recent battle against Xuanao Dao Palace, having slain three Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a hundred Qi Cultivators. I was wondering if it would be possible to reserve a pill for her?"

Sheng Zhaoxi, known for his straightforward nature, immediately stated the purpose of his visit after hearing this.

The last time the Spirit Treasure Pavilion offered the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill, the Five Meridians had not yet fully unified, and all the pills went to cultivators from the Wood Meridian. Although Xie Yuntian, Meng Hong, and others were unsuccessful, the triumphs of Yin Qingmei and Yue Zutao alone were enough to provoke envy among the other four meridians. Even excluding Yin Qingmei, a Heavenly Spirit Root, the one-fourth success rate was still enough to make the remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators across the four meridians envious to this day. This success rate was almost comparable to consuming a Five-Element Spiritual Fruit. Therefore, upon hearing that the Spirit Treasure Pavilion would once again offer the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill, Nu Jiang and Sheng Zhaoxi felt compelled to come, each representing their respective meridians.

"Nephew Tan Rong, you say..."

Chen Mobai had a distinct impression of Sheng Zhaoxi's favored disciple. After all, she had been the one guarding outside the Earth Fiend Yin Cave when he was condensing the Primordial Yang Sword Qi in the Fire True Hall. Later, she also led the Fire Meridian cultivators when they ventured into the Desolate Ruins with Ye Qing and their group. She was, in essence, considered one of their own.

"No problem at all. I will make the arrangements with the Spirit Treasure Pavilion shortly."

Chen Mobai nodded in agreement without hesitation. Given that Sheng Zhaoxi and Nu Jiang had presented Daoist scriptures during the war, their contribution warranted this favor.

"Junior Martial Brother Sect Master, I too have a disciple..."

After Sheng Zhaoxi spoke, Nu Jiang followed, and Chen Mobai readily assented to his request as well. After all, the Five Elements and Five Meridians had united their efforts to crush the Xuanao Dao Palace this time. It was crucial to seize this opportunity to elevate the cohesion of the Five Meridians within the sect to a higher level. Therefore, when listing the Core Formation elixirs this time, he had already intended to share them with the other four meridians. Nevertheless, had he not spoken, Nu Jiang and Sheng Zhaoxi would have worried that the distribution would once again be confined to the Wood Meridian. After all, with Chen Mobai and Zhou Shengqing, two Nascent Soul cultivators, now in the Wood Meridian, and the other four meridians having contributed nothing to the refinement of the Core Formation elixirs, they would be powerless if none were allocated to them.

Hearing Chen Mobai's immediate and unequivocal agreement, Nu Jiang and Sheng Zhaoxi simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, while their admiration and respect for Chen Mobai deepened considerably. The Junior Martial Brother Sect Master was not only sincere but also a fair and just individual.

"Although Senior Martial Brother Mo and Senior Martial Brother Zhou Ye are not here, I plan to allocate two pills to each of their meridians as well. I had already discussed this with them upon my return from Dongyi..."

Since the allocation was meant to be equitable, the Metal and Earth Meridians would naturally receive some as well. From the Metal Meridian, it was Ning Leshan, and from the Earth Meridian, Kong Shanxu. These were all individuals whose names Chen Mobai was familiar with.

"Oh, by the way, Senior Martial Brother Nu Jiang, there will be two types of Core Formation elixirs available at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. One is the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill, effective for cultivators of all cultivation methods and spiritual energy attributes. The other is the Water Element Gold-Binding Pill, refined primarily from spiritual fruits harvested from the Five-Element Spiritual Tree in the One Yuan Secret Realm. As its name implies, it is most effective for Foundation Establishment cultivators practicing water-attribute cultivation methods. The Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill can increase a cultivator's chance of forming a Core by twenty percent, whereas the Water Element Gold-Binding Pill is slightly less potent, offering a ten to twenty percent increase, depending primarily on the cultivator's innate foundation. There aren't many Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills. However, ten Water Element Gold-Binding Pills have just been refined; with one reserved for Nephew Luo Xue'er, nine remain. If there are other perfected Foundation Establishment cultivators in your Water Meridian, I can arrange for them to be listed in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion for exchange."

Upon hearing Chen Mobai's words, Nu Jiang felt as though a great stroke of luck had just landed squarely on him.

"Junior Martial Brother Sect Master, in addition to my disciple Ji Guanhai, I have another cultivator who has reached perfected Foundation Establishment..."

Over the years, with the complete integration and resource sharing among the Five Elements and Five Meridians, cultivators of the Water Meridian have utilized the Spirit Treasure Pavilion to sell demonic beast resources obtained from Yunmeng Marsh, accumulating a significant amount of cultivation materials. One cultivator, in particular, seized this opportunity to advance to the perfected Foundation Establishment realm. At that moment, Nu Jiang's only regret was the scarcity of perfected Foundation Establishment cultivators within his Wind and Rain Dock. An opportunity for significant growth lay before him, yet he could only seize it twice.

"In that case, I will have the Spirit Treasure Pavilion list three Water Element Gold-Binding Pills."

The moment Chen Mobai finished speaking, both Nu Jiang and Luo Xue'er, standing beside him, simultaneously offered their thanks. While Luo Xue'er had heard from Yan Jinye about Qing Nu's successful refinement of the Water Element Gold-Binding Pill back on Tianpeng Mountain, she only truly felt relieved upon hearing Chen Mobai confirm it himself.

After Nu Jiang and Sheng Zhaoxi departed, Chen Mobai instructed Luo Xue'er to summon Zheng Deming, E Yun, Zhou Wangshen, and Jiang Zongheng. If these four wished to form their Cores, their only option would be to acquire the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill. After all, Qing Nu would still need some time to modify the formula for the Wood Element Gold-Binding Pill. Upon being informed that the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill would be available, all four of them became visibly excited.

"Thank you, Sect Master!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Chen Mobai listened, then waved his hand dismissively. "All of you may go and prepare. Zongheng, please stay."

Upon hearing his words, Zheng Deming and the other two looked enviously at Jiang Zongheng. After Chen Mobai achieved the Nascent Soul stage, his direct disciples' status naturally rose. Within the Five Elements Sect, even Nu Jiang and others were obliged to treat them with utmost courtesy.

"Master!"

Though only the two of them remained, Jiang Zongheng maintained his respectful demeanor.

"How is your cultivation progressing? Do you have any lingering doubts about Core Formation?"

"Master, I am just a few drops of liquid spiritual energy away from perfected Foundation Establishment with the Everlasting Sutra. My Everlasting Dao Body has also reached the peak of the second stage, yet I have been unable to cross that critical threshold..."

Jiang Zongheng reported truthfully, then detailed some of the issues he had encountered in his cultivation over the years. Chen Mobai naturally provided answers with ease. Jiang Zongheng's comprehension was undoubtedly the best among his four disciples. Often, a mere hint was enough for him to grasp a concept quickly and even extrapolate from it. Teaching an intelligent student also brought a great sense of accomplishment to a teacher. Chen Mobai grew happier the more he taught. Unbeknownst to them, a day and a night had passed in their question-and-answer exchange.

"Thank you, Master, for imparting this knowledge. I now have no doubts whatsoever about forming my Core with the Everlasting Sutra!"

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered, Jiang Zongheng bowed respectfully to Chen Mobai, expressing his gratitude.

Chen Mobai said, "Rise. Before you attempt Core Formation, I have some advice for you."

Jiang Zongheng listened intently, while Chen Mobai wore a thoughtful expression of reminiscence. He recalled that before he formed his own Core, Fu Zongjue had recounted his Core Formation experience to him, and a particular piece of advice from that story held great relevance for cultivators in the Tianhe Realm.

"When forming your Core, cultivate an unyielding belief that you *must* succeed."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zongheng nodded solemnly, then inferred that one's heart must be free of any burdens or unresolved issues during Core Formation.

"Master, there's something that has weighed on my mind, and I hope to resolve it before attempting Core Formation, so that I may be completely focused during the process."

"Speak!" Chen Mobai nodded with a gentle expression.

"This matter was mentioned when I first became your disciple. It dates back to my childhood..."

When Jiang Zongheng was young, he was frail and often ill. Later, he stumbled upon two loquat trees in a valley near his hometown. After consuming all their fruits, his health not only improved dramatically, but his mind also became remarkably sharp. From that point on, whether in academics or cultivation, he consistently ranked among the best.

"Ah, so that's it!" Chen Mobai nodded upon hearing this. When he accepted Jiang Zongheng as a disciple years ago, he had measured his spiritual roots, finding a total of 108 five-element spiritual roots, and upon inquiry, learned of this experience. Unfortunately, he later took Jiang Zongheng to that same valley in his hometown, but found nothing. As time passed, he had almost forgotten about it. Reflecting on it now, if even his Core Formation-level divine sense couldn't detect anything, then the location of those two loquat spiritual plants must be concealed by a naturally formed grand array. And it must be at least a fourth-tier array!

However, with his current Nascent Soul cultivation and the profound art of "Voice of the Empty Valley," he could discern clues from any natural illusion array, provided it wasn't a fifth-tier one. Therefore, Chen Mobai immediately spoke with confidence, "It so happens that I am free. I'll take you there and help you resolve this hundred-year-old lingering issue."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zongheng immediately bowed deeply, saying, "I'll trouble you, Master!"

Chen Mobai waved his hand dismisslightly, then took Jiang Zongheng directly to Giant Wood Ridge via a medium-sized teleportation array. Jiang Zongheng's hometown was in Jian Commandery. After exiting the teleportation array, Chen Mobai, utilizing his Grand Unity Five Smoke Silk, swiftly flew them to the valley. This time, the concealed valley finally revealed its true nature to him. To his surprise, a mid-grade fourth-tier spiritual vein lay within, seamlessly integrated with the surrounding landscape to form a natural fourth-tier illusion array. This meant even a Core Formation cultivator would be deceived. However, under Chen Mobai's perfected fourth-tier "Voice of the Empty Valley," nothing could remain hidden. He distinctly perceived the powerful, surging fluctuations of the spiritual vein.

"There's an illusion array here. If I were to forcibly break it from the outside, it would harm the spiritual vein's foundation..." Chen Mobai explained to Jiang Zongheng, who, upon hearing this, nodded slightly, a faint look of disappointment crossing his face, assuming they still wouldn't be able to enter the valley. Nevertheless, the confirmation that his childhood experience was not an illusion was, for him, already a partial resolution of a long-standing concern.

"However, for just the two of us, master and disciple, entering is not difficult at all."