Chapter 846: Handling the Great Sun Purple Rice

Upon arriving at Mount Liujia, Yin Qingmei, having received the news, immediately flew out to greet them.

Seeing his god-daughter, Chen Mobai remembered the Vast Sky Mirror, which he had just promoted. As it required some time to integrate the fourth-tier spiritual materials, he decided to entrust it to her for nurturing.

"Thank you, Sect Master!"

Yin Qingmei took the Vast Sky Mirror into her hands, her expression filled with excitement. This was a fourth-tier magical artifact! Moreover, in her hands, it could cast the Universal Divine Light, helping to accelerate the growth of her innate spiritual plant.

At that moment, Yin Qingmei was immensely grateful for having called him "Godfather"; otherwise, even with her Celestial Spiritual Root, she might not have been treated with such special regard by a Nascent Soul Grandmaster.

After entering Mount Liujia, Chen Mobai went to inspect the hundred acres of Great Sun Purple Rice planted there. This was part of an initial cooperation with the Star Heaven Dao Sect. According to their contract, upon maturation, the harvest was to be split 30/70, with the Five Elements Sect receiving 30% and the Star Heaven Dao Sect 70%.

Over the past few years, these hundred acres of Great Sun Purple Rice had begun to ripen acre by acre, following the order in which they were sown.

Under the warm spring sun, large swathes of golden rice ears shimmered with a faint purple glow, like pearls scattered amidst green waves, swaying gently in the breeze. The rice ears hung low, plump with grains—a clear sign of an abundant harvest.

"Why hasn't the Star Heaven Dao Sect sent anyone to harvest yet?" Chen Mobai couldn't help but ask Zhuo Ming upon seeing this.

According to the contract, both the Five Elements Sect and the Star Heaven Dao Sect needed to have representatives present during the harvest to count and distribute the yield on site.

"I've already notified the person in charge of the Star Heaven Grand Chamber of Commerce in Beiyuan City," Zhuo Ming replied, "He said that the inspection personnel need to travel from Dongyue, so it would take some time."

At this point, Yin Qingmei added more details about the Great Sun Purple Rice. "Sect Master, when the first acre matured the year before last, Lou Xuelong from the Star Heaven Grand Chamber of Commerce came to inspect it. He expressed an interest in continuing cooperation with our Five Elements Sect to grow Great Sun Purple Rice, even expanding the scale by developing more third-tier spiritual fields from Mount Liujia's spiritual pulse. However, I rejected him outright, as per your instructions. It's possible this is why the Star Heaven Dao Sect has been delaying sending people over." Previously, Zhuo Ming was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, so Yin Qingmei had been the one dealing with the Star Heaven Dao Sect's representatives.

The Star Heaven Dao Sect would certainly show more respect to a Core Formation cultivator.

The initial cooperation for the Great Sun Purple Rice was initiated by Lou Xuelong approaching Chen Mobai. Chen Mobai agreed because he detected trace amounts of Pure Yang Violet Qi within this spiritual rice. This decision later proved to be very wise; after learning from it, Zhuo Ming successfully crossbred a new third-tier Violet Jade Spiritual Rice. This new spiritual rice then enabled Fu Zongjue, Sheng Zhaoxi, and Nujiang to smoothly break through to the late Core Formation stage.

For the current Five Elements Sect, the Great Sun Purple Rice was no longer useful. Although its effects might be better than Violet Jade Spiritual Rice, the cultivation time was too long, making it far less cost-effective than the Violet Jade Spiritual Rice.

Therefore, Chen Mobai's intention was to complete the harvest of all hundred acres of ripe Great Sun Purple Rice, thereby fulfilling the contract with the Star Heaven Dao Sect and effectively concluding this particular engagement.

It was precisely because of this that Chen Mobai was quite displeased with the Star Heaven Dao Sect's failure to send anyone for inspection, despite the spiritual rice being clearly ripe.

He took out the communication talisman that Yu Shuji had left for him, wrote down the matter, and activated it.

Half a month later, Yu Shuji personally arrived at Mount Liujia with Lou Xuelong and other representatives from the Star Heaven Grand Chamber of Commerce to explain the situation.

Above the hundred acres of Great Sun Purple Rice at Mount Liujia, Yu Shuji's voice trailed off. "Sect Master Chen, please forgive us. My disciple was busy with his final preparations before forming his Core and neglected his duties. I have already stripped him of his position as the Eastern Wilderness supervisor for the Star Heaven Grand Chamber of Commerce..." As soon as he finished speaking, Lou Xuelong immediately stepped forward from behind him to apologize to Chen Mobai.

In truth, Lou Xuelong's original intention was for the Great Sun Purple Rice to absorb more Pure Yang Violet Qi in Mount Liujia's spiritual fields, believing that the mature and harvested spiritual rice would then be more effective in breaking through bottlenecks. He also wanted to use this delay to pressure the Five Elements Sect, hoping to negotiate another Great Sun Purple Rice cooperation.

At that time, Chen Mobai was precisely in seclusion cultivating to form his Nascent Soul. After Chen Mobai successfully formed his Nascent Soul, Lou Xuelong received permission from the Star Heaven Dao Sect to officially return to the sect after forming his Core. He then became preoccupied with collecting various spiritual items that could aid his Core Formation, truly forgetting about this matter altogether.

"Since it was an unintentional oversight, let's just let it go," Chen Mobai said calmly, indicating he would not pursue the matter further.

The group brought by Yu Shuji consisted of skilled spiritual rice harvesters from the Star Heaven Grand Chamber of Commerce, and they quickly completed the harvest of the hundred acres of Great Sun Purple Rice.

"Master Yu, what is the meaning of this?" Chen Mobai asked in surprise, seeing that Yu Shuji had only taken fifty percent of the Great Sun Purple Rice.

"Consider it an apology for my disciple's negligence, Sect Master Chen, please accept it." For the Star Heaven Dao Sect, even giving all hundred acres of spiritual rice to Chen Mobai would not be a significant loss. However, since they had similar cooperative spiritual fields across Eastern Continent, they couldn't set such a precedent. Nevertheless, Yu Shuji made every effort within his authority to satisfy Chen Mobai.

"Let's stick to what the contract stipulates," Chen Mobai shook his head and refused, fearing that not adhering to the contract might prevent the complete severance of their ties. Besides, these hundred acres of Great Sun Purple Rice were of no great significance to him.

Hearing this, Yu Shuji showed a hesitant expression, but seeing Chen Mobai's insistence, he could only take seventy percent according to the originally agreed-upon contract.

"Sect Master Chen, my junior disciple will be returning to Dongyue to prepare for Core Formation. From now on, this area will be overseen by my other disciple, Qu Xiuxian." Yu Shuji had brought both of his direct disciples with him this time.

Chen Mobai had some impression of Qu Xiuxian. When he was still with the Divine Wood Sect, she had helped deliver many items from the Eastern Yi region, so he nodded kindly at her.

"Then I'll trouble Fairy Qu with this in the future." Qu Xiuxian seemed to have just formed her Core, her aura still a bit unstable. Hearing such polite words from Chen Mobai, a Nascent Soul cultivator, she hurriedly bowed in respectful reply. "I wouldn't dare!"

After dealing with the hundred acres of Great Sun Purple Rice, Chen Mobai returned to Beiyuan City. Zhuo Ming, on the other hand, remained at Mount Liujia to manage the newly vacated hundred acres of spiritual fields. Instead of planting new crops, she would re-nourish them and integrate them back into the spiritual pulse.

After all, previously only Yin Qingmei cultivated at Mount Liujia, but now with Zhuo Ming added, a low-grade fourth-tier spiritual pulse would be a bit crowded for two Core Formation cultivators.

It was also Chen Mobai's intention for Mount Liujia's spiritual pulse to no longer supply spiritual fields. After all, both Yin Qingmei and Zhuo Ming had the potential to form Nascent Souls. Chen Mobai was even considering relocating one of them back to Giant Wood Ridge, where the spiritual energy was sufficient. The various large-scale transformation projects initiated forty years ago had all been completed, and it would be a waste for anyone to remain there.

Yu Shuji and the other representatives from the Star Heaven Grand Chamber of Commerce returned to Beiyuan City with Chen Mobai. Along the way, Yu Shuji brought up the matter of cooperating with the Five Elements Sect again, as the Great Sun Purple Rice could aid in breaking through bottlenecks, and all cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage within the Star Heaven Dao Sect greatly desired it.

"I apologize, Master Yu, but my disciple has also formed her Core and will be cultivating at Mount Liujia from now on..." After Chen Mobai gave his reason, Yu Shuji could only look on with regret.

"Sect Master Chen's beloved disciple has already successfully formed her Core at such a young age; her future achievements will surely be extraordinary," Yu Shuji remarked, glancing at his two disciples. Both Lou Xuelong and Qu Xiuxian were carefully selected by him within the sect, excelling in both aptitude and conduct. Yet, to his surprise, Zhuo Ming, who was decades younger than them, had caught up so quickly. It was said that when Zhuo Ming was young, her talent was ordinary, and it was only after guidance from the great benevolent master, Chen Mobai, that her latent brilliance truly shone.

Seeing Yu Shuji following him, Chen Mobai could only invite him for tea in Beiyuan City.

After sending his two disciples away, Yu Shuji immediately asked, "Sect Master Chen, what have you decided regarding our last discussion?"

"There's nothing I can do," Chen Mobai simply replied.

"Our sect's Grand Elder, Venerable Star Extremity, has returned to the sect and wishes to meet with Sect Master Chen. Would you grant us this honor?" Yu Shuji's words caused Chen Mobai to pause slightly. He wondered if this was an internal decision by the Star Heaven Dao Sect, as he remembered it being Venerable Star Cloud who was mentioned last time, not Star Extremity.

"My sect's affairs are numerous, and I cannot extricate myself. Please forgive me," Chen Mobai thought for a moment, deciding not to get involved, and refused again.

"Sect Master Chen may not be aware that a hundred years ago, the only Grand Elder of the One Yuan Dao Palace, who was at the perfected Nascent Soul stage, failed in his attempt to reach the Soul Transformation realm and passed away..." Yu Shuji considered for a moment, then added another persuasive remark.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but frown slightly, emphasizing again, "I am truly not the Dao Child of the One Yuan Dao Palace. If your esteemed sect truly desires the Spirit-Reaching True Spirit Pill, it would be more time-efficient to directly discuss cooperation with Five Emperors Mountain than to have me intervene." Chen Mobai understood Yu Shuji's implication: that after the One Yuan Dao Palace lost its perfected Nascent Soul cultivator, even if they acquired the Spirit-Reaching True Spirit Pill, there would be no one to consume it. However, as he was a fake Dao Child, they had truly come to the wrong person for this matter.

"Alas, after Grand Elder Star Extremity returned, his first act was to meet with the Sect Master of the Dao Virtue Sect, and his second was to visit Five Emperors Mountain. Unfortunately, the One Yuan Dao Palace has sealed its mountain, and he couldn't gain entry." Hearing this, Chen Mobai was even less inclined to get involved. If even Star Extremity couldn't find the entrance, there was no point in him, a fake Dao Child, trying.

"After the One Yuan Dao Palace sealed its mountain, only cultivators who have mastered the Primordial Chaos True Qi can freely enter and exit the grand formation of Five Emperors Mountain," Yu Shuji added at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai's mind clicked, realizing why they were so insistent on finding him.

"As long as Sect Master Chen can help knock on their door, Grand Elder Star Extremity said that the ten thousand acres of Coiled Dragon Spiritual Rice from the Flower Kingdom can be given to your esteemed sect as a stepping stone!"

I'm a bit exhausted and can only manage a basic update today. Also, I'd like to recommend a comedic Xianxia novel to everyone!