Chapter 898: Wan Hua Immortal City

Chen Mobai spent ten days in Giantwood Ridge. With the efficiency of *Fangcun Book*, he easily completed the blueprints for the Myriad Trees Array's modification. He unbound the three core Longevity Trees originally fixed to the Myriad Trees Array, allowing the array to designate any one or more Longevity Trees as its core when activated.

He did this not only to enable Zhou Shengqing to refine Longevity Trees into tree seeds but also because Chen Mobai, after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, had unlocked all the fruits of the Dharma Treasure Tree in the Divine Tree Secret Realm and brought out all the Longevity Soil. Consequently, under the great art of "Primordial Marsh Fertility," three more Golden Sun Spirit Trees in Giantwood Ridge have been selected, and it is expected that there will be even more Tier 4 Longevity Trees in Giantwood Ridge in the near future.

After modifying the Myriad Trees Array, only one Longevity Tree would be used daily to regulate the earth veins and distribute spiritual energy to the various cave dwellings within the Immortal City. However, if a powerful enemy were to attack, the Longevity Trees previously outside the array could also be linked to it, increasing its power.

Chen Mobai's approach to modification and his solutions astonished Yi Shaoqing and Song Huangda, who considered them divine. Anyone can have brilliant ideas, but transforming those conceptual thoughts into reality requires overcoming numerous obstacles. At least Yi Shaoqing and Song Huangda alone could not even manage the first step of unbinding the three core Longevity Trees of the Myriad Trees Array.

While Chen Mobai single-handedly completed the entire set of array blueprints, Yi Shaoqing and Song Huangda felt as if they were witnessing the creation of a divine text. Fortunately, both of them were talented in array formations, and during this process, Chen Mobai meticulously guided them. Although they still didn't fully comprehend all the underlying knowledge, they at least learned how to follow the diagrams for the Myriad Trees Array's reconstruction.

After completing the blueprints and explanations, Chen Mobai allowed Yi Shaoqing and Song Huangda time to process and understand, while he himself made a trip to the Divine Tree Secret Realm. He once again performed the Devouring Spirit Art on the Great Dao Tree. After the "Phoenix Facing the Sun Diagram" broke through to the Earth Spirit Manifestation realm, according to the Heavenly River Realm's standards, his spiritual sense had reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Therefore, his efficiency in devouring the Great Dao Tree's free-floating spiritual sense was even greater than before.

After the bell chimed in his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness, Chen Mobai stopped the Devouring Spirit Art. He felt his spiritual sense strength had increased by another one percent. Considering the time needed for subsequent purification and refinement with the Lantern Lighting Art, he estimated that in about thirty years, he would be able to cultivate the Earth Spirit Manifestation realm to its peak and begin attempting to break through to the sixth layer of the "Phoenix Facing the Sun Diagram," "Harmony of Five Tones." One could only say it lived up to its name as a forbidden art; the cultivation efficiency was simply too rapid. Chen Mobai was also fortunate; leveraging the profound Dao sounds from Meng Huang'er's core formation breakthrough, he effortlessly broke through the bottleneck of his Sea of Consciousness. Coupled with the profoundness of the Lantern Lighting Art and his deep accumulation, he achieved such success.

However, during this session of cultivating the Devouring Spirit Art, Chen Mobai also felt the limits of this Great Dao Tree, because the Great Dao Tree was only at the peak of Tier 4. He felt that once his spiritual sense reached the late Nascent Soul stage, using the Great Dao Tree as an object for Devouring Spirit Art cultivation would yield negligible results. At that point, if he wished to maintain such rapid progress, he would likely need to find higher-tier spirit plants, or perhaps find a way to filter and attempt to absorb the Dao Fruit of a Celestial Venerable!

However, Chen Mobai knew that the core of the Great Dao Tree was the Dao Fruit of a Celestial Venerable, so during the execution of the Devouring Spirit Art, he was extremely cautious to avoid accidental contamination. Fortunately, the Celestial Venerable's Dao Fruit was clearly in a dormant state; as long as Chen Mobai did not actively engage with it, it would not actively emit Dao essence. Thinking of this, Chen Mobai stood up, bowed, and saluted the Great Dao Tree. This spirit plant played an indispensable role in his achievements today.

After leaving the Divine Tree Secret Realm, Chen Mobai took Yi Shaoqing and Song Huangda to inspect the remaining Immortal Cities one by one. Currently, there were a total of six Immortal Cities in the nineteen commanderies of the Eastern Barrens: Beiyuan, Shenmu, Jinguang, Yunmeng, Huozhen, and Hunyuan. They visited them one by one according to their proximity. Among these, Jinguang, Yunmeng, and Huozhen were newly built Immortal Cities, making them the simplest to deal with; they only needed to set up a Tier 4 array formation adapted to local conditions.

After Chen Mobai's on-site inspection, he found that the array formations here were typically "cutting the feet to fit the shoes," forcibly altering the surrounding environment to establish five core spiritual hubs of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, then connecting them with earth veins to activate the grand array. According to the Immortal Sect's array formation theory, such a rigid application was uneconomical and not encouraged.

For this reason, he readjusted the array formation blueprints of the five Immortal Cities—Shenmu, Jinguang, Yunmeng, Huozhen, and Hunyuan—converting them into five Tier 4 grand arrays with Five Elements attributes. Simultaneously, he transformed these five Immortal Cities into Five Elements spiritual hubs. The Tier 6 spiritual veins of Five Peaks Immortal Mountain were formed by gathering the spiritual energy of the entire Terrestrial Star and the essence of the sun and moon from the void, using the Heaven-Earth Network method. In the Immortal Sect, knowledge acquisition was quite simple once one reached a certain level. Of course, if other cultivators practiced like him, they would likely quickly lose themselves due to the drastic increase in spiritual sense, or even have their Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness explode. But here, if Chen Mobai gave the order, flattening and rebuilding Hunyuan Immortal City would not elicit a single objection, highlighting the idea of man conquering nature. Chen Mobai could also emulate this; it would be both a spiritual vein and a core.

Once these five Immortal City grand arrays were deployed, they could serve as cores for setting up a profound Five Elements Array covering the entire Eastern Barrens Plain. Furthermore, with this grand array, the Five Elements Sect could control all the spiritual veins and energy of the entire Eastern Barrens Plain. Then, any cultivator needing spiritual energy for cultivation in their cave dwelling would first have to pay the Five Elements Sect. Only then could it truly be called a "Minor Immortal Sect"!

However, to upgrade the array to Tier 5, it would inevitably require a Tier 5 spiritual vein and a Tier 5 core. This was not difficult for Chen Mobai, as he happened to have something suitable: a Tier 5 Heavenly Yuan Bead! However, this Heavenly Yuan Bead was for his personal cultivation and travel; he could not abandon his own cultivation progress for the sake of setting up the Profound Five Elements Array. Therefore, Chen Mobai decided to use the ultimate profound art of the Immortal Sect's array formations, namely, the Heaven-Earth Network method.

The five Tier 4 spiritual veins of the five great Immortal Cities, combined with several other Tier 4 spiritual vein branch estates, dozens of Tier 3 spiritual veins, and countless Tier 1 and Tier 2 spiritual veins within the thirteen Eastern Barrens commanderies covered by the Profound Five Elements Array—all these, when unified and integrated, would be sufficient to create a powerful Tier 5 spiritual vein. As for the Profound Five Elements Array, he envisioned a grander stage, planning to recreate it across the Eastern Barrens Plain, thereby living up to his mastery as a Tier 5 Array Master!

However, at his final stop, Hunyuan Immortal City, he gained an unexpected discovery. To his surprise, there were blueprints for a Profound Five Elements Array left by Ancestor Hunyuan here. It was unclear whether they came from the One Yuan Dao Palace or were obtained through the inheritance of True Monarch One Yuan, but in any case, they now greatly benefited Chen Mobai, because this Profound Five Elements Array was actually a Tier 5 formation. However, because Ancestor Hunyuan's own array formation mastery was only Tier 4, and there was no Tier 5 spiritual vein available, the Profound Five Elements Array in Hunyuan Immortal City was merely Tier 4. Its activation, however, required numerous cultivators to wield array flags and transmit Five Elements spiritual energy, consuming a lot of spirit stones.

After being enlightened by Yi Shaoqing, Chen Mobai successfully transformed his Immortal Sect mindset. After reviewing the Tier 5 Profound Five Elements Array blueprints, he dismantled the existing city protection array in Hunyuan Immortal City, adapting to its terrain conditions, and replaced it with a Tier 4 Loess Dragon Entrapment Array.

The more Chen Mobai thought about it, the better it seemed. There was just one issue: in the Eastern Barrens, many spiritual veins were controlled by cultivation families and minor sects, and according to local customs, these belonged to them. This meant he couldn't charge these people, which was quite regrettable. However, Chen Mobai believed that with the passage of time, these families and minor sects would decline one by one. At that point, the Five Elements Sect could send people to acquire them. Given the local inhabitants' "risk-it-all" character, they would likely be willing to exchange these for Foundation Establishment Pills, Core Formation elixirs, and similar resources.

Moreover, if Chen Mobai's plan truly led to the urbanization of the Eastern Barrens, the high-ranking members of these families and minor sects would not want to remain in the countryside. It might even be possible to exchange their properties for cave dwellings with high-tier spiritual energy in the major Immortal Cities, which these people would likely be eager to accept. Upon this thought, Chen Mobai no longer felt regretful about this particular issue.

After completing the overall blueprints for the five great Immortal Cities and the Profound Five Elements Array, he took Yi Shaoqing and Song Huangda to the final destination, which was Snow Commandery. After the Surging Snow Palace surrendered, a new immortal city-like district was established here according to Chen Mobai's wishes, planned to be the seventh Immortal City in the Eastern Barrens in the future. The planning of this Immortal City was primarily for the Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool.

The Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool project had been on Chen Mobai's mind for a long time, but he lacked personnel, and a suitable location was hard to find. In the Eastern Barrens, suitable locations were Gale Harbor and Surging Snow Palace, but the former was unsafe due to constant monster attacks over the years. Therefore, Snow Commandery, where Surging Snow Palace was located, was the most suitable. And most crucially, Qing Nü had arrived.

Although Song Huangda had also worked hard over the years, he could at most set up Tier 1 or Tier 2 Myriad Transformations Lightning Pools. At Chen Mobai's level, only Tier 4 was worth considering. However, the setup of the Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool, in addition to expertise in alchemy and medicinal herbs, also required corresponding knowledge in artifact refining and array formations. Chen Mobai and Qing Nü, working together, could perfectly set up a Tier 4 Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool. Since Chen Mobai frequently traveled between the two realms, he entrusted this matter to Qing Nü's care. Thus, after his arrival, Qing Nü also came via a teleportation array.

Currently, the Myriad Transformations Immortal City in Snow Commandery was undergoing these preliminary preparations, which were largely complete. Working together, they meticulously inspected all the preparations for the Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool. After confirming everything was in order, they began to set up the array formations and restrictions one by one, following the blueprints Chen Mobai had acquired from the Immortal Sect. Qing Nü also sequentially placed various pre-prepared medicinal packets and coagulants into large, steaming pools.

In this Myriad Transformations Immortal City, besides the Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool, Chen Mobai also constructed hundreds of other medicinal pools with various functions. Qing Nü had been discussing this issue ever since she arrived. In the Heavenly River Realm, most alchemy used fire methods, while most of her skills were in water-based alchemy, and the precious pill formulas from the Water Mother Palace were also for water-based alchemy. With various excellent medicinal pools, Qing Nü could refine many low-tier pills from the Immortal Sect. These could at least improve the quality of the Five Elements Sect's lower-level disciples by twenty percent, which could translate to one or two more Foundation Establishment cultivators every ten years.

Chen Mobai also kept this in mind, and simply planned a Myriad Transformations Immortal City specifically for developing and constructing various medicinal pools, serving as a model for an industrialized alchemy Immortal City. However, his main concern was still the most precious Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool. As for the other lightning pools, Qing Nü didn't have much immediate need for them, and she could complete the requirements herself with the Five Elements Sect's artifact refiners and array masters.

Chen Mobai had originally entrusted Myriad Transformations Immortal City to Luo Xue'er's care, but due to a shortage of personnel in the Eastern Yi region, she was sent there after the Core Formation Ceremony. So, for now, Qing Nü assigned Gu Yan to manage it. Chen Mobai also asked Xueting for help. With her cooperation, Gu Yan managed Myriad Transformations Immortal City in an orderly manner. After the Surging Snow Palace disbanded, those who remained and were allocated housing in the Immortal City primarily looked to Xueting as their leader. After all, they knew that Xueting had studied for a period in Xiaonan Mountain and could speak with Chen Mobai.

The construction of the Tier 4 Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool proved a bit more difficult than Chen Mobai had imagined. He and Qing Nü spent a full month here to complete all the work. Chen Mobai injected the last wisp of lightning into the pool. Beside him, Qing Nü used old equipment he had salvaged from the Immortal Sect to detect the proportion of various elements within the medicinal pool. After confirming it met the Tier 4 lightning pool standard, she conveyed the good news to him, lamenting, "There's still a shortage of usable people here."

After completing the setup of the Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool, the pool would need a period of nurturing. Since only Chen Mobai understood the Myriad Illusion Azure Lightning, he would personally have to refine the Myriad Transformations Lightning Water when the time came. "Didn't your young disciple master the Tier 3 perfected Yi Wood Divine Lightning?" Qing Nü asked, "See if you can guide and cultivate him; perhaps he'll break through and comprehend the Myriad Illusion Azure Lightning." As Qing Nü spoke, she entered numerous commands into the equipment, sealing the newly constructed medicinal pool and activating its nurturing mode.

"Zongheng's Yi Wood Divine Lightning was cultivated through the gourd, so his foundation isn't stable. It might not be easy for him to upgrade it to Myriad Illusion Azure Lightning," Chen Mobai shook his head, not that he doubted Jiang Zongheng's talent, but because he had only just formed his core. Perhaps by the late or even perfected Core Formation stage, Jiang Zongheng might have the foundation to comprehend Myriad Illusion Azure Lightning. "Then it seems you'll have to work hard yourself for now," Qing Nü said. As she spoke, Qing Nü walked over and naturally took Chen Mobai's hand.

"It won't be too much trouble; after all, Myriad Transformations Lightning Water isn't used in many places." When he didn't have it, Chen Mobai considered Myriad Transformations Lightning Water extremely precious, but once he could produce it himself, he no longer found it as important. After all, for him now, cultivating the Five Elements Spirit Tree within the realm was the most important. Everything else—whether Tier 4 Immortal Peach fruits, upgrading Golden Sun Spirit Trees to Longevity Trees, or even Yin Qingmei's Jade Phoenix Tree—was largely dispensable.

After completing the Myriad Transformations Lightning Pool, Chen Mobai and Qing Nü did not return to Beiyuan City but instead immediately began refining Wood Element Core Formation Pills here. From now on, this Myriad Transformations Immortal City would be the pharmaceutical factory behind Qing Nü's alchemy shop, Danxia Pavilion. All the medicinal herbs from her tens of thousands of acres of medicinal fields in the Eastern Barrens would be continuously transported here, then refined into various elixirs suitable for cultivators in this region through the numerous medicinal pools.

Danxia Pavilion's reputation had long been established in the Eastern Barrens through the "Three Treasures for Foundation Establishment," and it was now deservedly the top alchemy shop in the Eastern Barrens. Even in the Eastern Wu and Eastern Yi regions, many forces specifically paid high prices to purchase property in Beiyuan City just for the lottery qualification for the Three Treasures for Foundation Establishment. As for the other rogue cultivators in the Eastern Barrens, it went without saying: they now viewed buying property in Beiyuan City as a lifelong goal to strive for. Even if they could only afford a down payment, they would secure a house first. If they couldn't finish paying it off, they would have children and pass the house on to them to repay the debt. Through generations, the debt would eventually be settled. Moreover, if they happened to win the lottery for the Three Treasures for Foundation Establishment during this process and a Foundation Establishment cultivator emerged in their family, they could easily earn more spirit stones and repay their loan faster.

With this mindset, Beiyuan City's housing prices continued to rise daily, remaining consistently high. Therefore, when it came to demolition, upon hearing that a resettlement house with lottery qualification would also be provided, all cultivators readily agreed. Because their cave dwellings were demolished at market value, the enormous sum of spirit stones they received from the Five Elements Sect was more than they could earn in several lifetimes of labor.

Once the five great Immortal Cities were fully constructed, Chen Mobai also planned to have Qing Nü open Danxia Pavilion branches there, using the Three Treasures for Foundation Establishment and the lottery qualification to attract neighboring cultivation families and minor sect forces to buy property and settle down. According to the Immortal Sect's experience, urbanization was an indispensable step.

While contemplating the future plan of establishing a Minor Immortal Sect in the Eastern Barrens, Chen Mobai simultaneously cast the "Dou Shuai Fire" to assist Qing Nü in refining the Wood Element Core Formation Pills. This pill formula involved both water and fire refinement: medicinal pools were needed for extracting medicinal properties, while "Dou Shuai Fire" was required for the process of fusion, condensation, and removal of pill toxins. Their cooperation in alchemy had long been perfectly synchronized. Under Qing Nü's guidance, Chen Mobai worked in perfect harmony with her, and they quickly sealed the furnace. This indicated the successful completion of the pill refinement.

"Ten pills formed," Qing Nü said after inspecting each of the ten pills within the Pure Yang Cauldron with a unique technique, "Two of them have slightly excessive pill toxins. Should they be destroyed?" She was, after all, a cultivator of water-attribute cultivation methods, so when she previously refined Water Element Core Formation Pills, all ten pills formed were of perfect quality. However, in the case of Wood Element Core Formation Pills, she was slightly less proficient.

Chen Mobai asked, "What's the pill toxin content?" Qing Nü replied, "0.3!" Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai waved his hand dismissively. In the Eastern Barrens, this was already considered top-grade quality. "Just nurture them for now," Chen Mobai suggested. "Perhaps when they're finally taken out, the pill toxins will be gone." Qing Nü had previously discussed local alchemy techniques with Yan Shaoyin, Wo You, and others, and knew that the locals here didn't care about such minor pill toxins. However, she was from the Immortal Sect, and in the past, if she refined pills with even trace amounts of toxins, they would have to be destroyed.

After completing this batch of Wood Element Core Formation Pills, Chen Mobai and Qing Nü returned to Beiyuan City together. Yi Shaoqing and Song Huangda naturally followed. Upon arriving in Beiyuan City, the two immediately began posting tasks in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, preparing to recruit personnel to commence the deployment of array formations in the various Immortal Cities of the Eastern Barrens. Meanwhile, Chen Mobai made a trip to Dongyi to discuss with Zhou Shengqing the refinement of Tier 4 tree seeds and the distribution of Wood Element Core Formation Pills.