Chapter 915: Wanling Sect

Main Body

The Central Continent!

As the heart of the Tianhe Realm, it boasts nine Great Sacred Lands. The reason there are only nine Great Sacred Lands is not because merely nine factions in the Central Continent possess Soul Transformation (Huāshén) cultivators. Rather, it's due to a long-standing convention that considers nine to be the ultimate number, thus limiting the number of factions that can be called Sacred Lands to nine. Any sect outside the nine Great Sacred Lands that possesses Soul Transformation cultivators, if it wishes to be promoted to a Sacred Land, must first defeat one of the existing Sacred Lands.

Under these circumstances, the Myriad Spirit Sect, which has steadily held its place among the Sacred Lands for tens of thousands of years, governs the southern part of the Central Continent. Its foremost cultivator, True Monarch Tianling, is even reputed to be someone with the potential to ascend.

And today, within the Myriad Truth Hall of the Myriad Spirit Sect, one of the wooden tokens suddenly shattered. A Nascent Soul Elder, who was guarding the hall, immediately picked up the broken token. A moment later, the Myriad Spirit Sect Master, gazing at the shattered token in his hand, looked towards the East with a hint of surprise.

“The Eastern Continent?”

The Myriad Spirit Sect's doctrine involves incorporating the spirits of all creation into Dharma bodies to manifest True Spirit Forms. It is also the foremost spirit-controlling sect in the Tianhe Realm. The Way of Beast Taming is the pinnacle of spirit control. If one can incorporate a True Spirit into a Dharma body, then the Great Dao is within reach, and ascension becomes a possibility. The sect's most powerful True Monarch Tianling, who incorporated a Kui Beast as his Dharma body and mastered the Great Dao True Thunder, is so mighty that he is ranked among the top fifteen cultivators in the Tianhe Realm.

However, after the great changes in the world, innate True Spirits became almost extinct. Therefore, the Myriad Spirit Sect could only dispatch disciples to the five continents and four seas to find and guide demonic beasts with the potential to transform into True Spirits. The Myriad Truth Hall, for instance, records ten thousand demonic beasts identified by the Myriad Spirit Sect as having the potential to transform into True Spirits. If these demonic beasts successfully pass their transformation tribulations, their soul tokens will light up, signaling to the Myriad Spirit Sect that they can be guided and claimed. If they die, their soul tokens will shatter. Notably, due to a past incident, the Myriad Spirit Sect rarely involved itself with the Eastern Continent. Thus, the Sect Master was quite surprised to see a soul token from the Eastern Continent shatter.

“Reporting to the Sect Master, it has been confirmed,” the Myriad Spirit Sect Elder, who had brought the shattered soul token, reported the information he had gathered. “Fifteen hundred years ago, a Venomous Serpent was enlightened by Yu Shengyan, a Nascent Soul Elder from our Eastern Continent branch, the Beast Taming Sect. It possessed a trace of the Rainbow Viper bloodline, which is why the Great Transformation Art was imparted to it.”

Since the Myriad Spirit Sect enlightens myriad spirits across the entire Tianhe Realm, it naturally has branch sects and separate courtyards operating throughout the five continents and four seas. In the Eastern Continent, that branch is the Beast Taming Sect! In his later years, Yu Shengyan returned to the Myriad Spirit Sect in the Central Continent to attempt a breakthrough to Soul Transformation, but he failed and passed away. However, seven of the soul tokens he left behind remained in the Myriad Truth Hall. The one belonging to the Venomous Serpent with the Rainbow Viper bloodline was among them.

The Myriad Spirit Sect Master said, “The Heavenly Emperor's legacy in the Eastern Continent was extinguished at the hands of the Nine-Headed Saint Child. Although our Myriad Spirit Sect promptly distanced itself from the matter, to avoid suspicion, no True Monarch of our sect at the Soul Transformation stage has set foot in the Eastern Continent since then. Notify the Beast Taming Sect over there about this, and have them investigate thoroughly and report back.”

According to the sect's rules, whenever any of the ten thousand soul tokens in the Myriad Truth Hall light up or shatter, disciples must be dispatched to investigate. However, it was the Myriad Spirit Sect that secretly guided and taught the Nine-Headed Great Saint of the Eastern Continent, enabling him to reach the Void Refinement stage. While their wish to see the Eastern Imperial Court, inheritor of the Eastern Continent's Heavenly Emperor legacy, crumble was fulfilled, this incident also enraged the Heavenly Emperor of the Spirit Void Immortal Realm. If the Myriad Spirit Sect hadn't had some connections in the Upper Realm, it would likely have been eradicated by the Heavenly Emperor long ago. Even so, there are still factions in the Tianhe Realm who wish to curry favor with the Heavenly Emperor and have always viewed the Myriad Spirit Sect with disdain. Therefore, to avoid suspicion, the Myriad Spirit Sect's presence in the Eastern Continent is considered its weakest. Besides the overt Beast Taming Sect, there is also... the Gathering Beast Demonic Sect!

“Should we inform Shang Zhonggan?” the Nascent Soul Elder of the Myriad Spirit Sect asked. Shang Zhonggan was currently the Sect Master of the Gathering Beast Demonic Sect in the Eastern Continent.

“Have the Beast Taming Sect contact him. Our Myriad Spirit Sect is a Sacred Land; how can we associate ourselves with demonic paths!” The Myriad Spirit Sect Master cast a displeased glance at the Nascent Soul Elder. He had already stated the need to avoid suspicion and not expose the Myriad Spirit Sect's connection to the Nine-Headed Great Saint who had killed the Human Emperor of the Eastern Continent, even if it was just for appearances.

“Yes, yes, yes…” The Nascent Soul Elder nodded repeatedly, then immediately withdrew to make arrangements.

Chen Mobai, feeling the warning from the Heavenly Heart, gazed solemnly at the void portal. Given his cautious nature, he naturally wouldn't enter in his true form without understanding the situation. An Incorporeal Puppet appeared before him. After giving a few instructions to Qing Nü, Chen Mobai manipulated the puppet, which transformed into a streak of light, and entered the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode in his stead.

To his surprise, the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode was not a watery realm but a vast, boundless grotto-heaven. Mountains rose from the ground, surrounded by streams, and enveloped in dense, pure spiritual energy, it resembled a paradise. Chen Mobai activated the Incorporeal Puppet's detection function, and it quickly picked up various heat signatures of differing brightness. These were all demonic beasts: brighter indicated stronger, dimmer indicated weaker. However, some areas seemed to be covered by formations or restrictions, preventing them from being scanned.

Chen Mobai soon sensed a third-tier demonic beast leading numerous second-tier demonic beasts flying towards his location. He considered it for a moment and then concealed the puppet. Although he wasn't afraid, there was no need to alert the enemy when he didn't fully understand the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode. Before long, Chen Mobai chose the path with the fewest demonic beasts and headed towards the very center of the spiritual leyline. The Incorporeal Puppet couldn't scan that area, which likely meant it was the core of the cave abode.

Along the way, Chen Mobai discovered that there were indeed formations here, but they were similar to the naturally formed ones in Loquat Valley, perfectly integrated with the fifth-tier spiritual leyline within the cave abode. Their power was almost equivalent to peak fifth-tier. No wonder when the Old Ancestor Poison Dragon fled here, the three Old Ancestors of Hunyuan dared not pursue him. It possessed power equivalent to a peak Nascent Soul cultivator. Though relying only on brute strength, thick hide, and raw force without understanding spells, if it were in such a strategically advantageous location, even double the number of Nascent Soul cultivators would likely be unable to subdue it. If it hadn't been for Old Ancestor Poison Dragon attempting to pass the True Spirit Transformation tribulation this time, Chen Mobai probably wouldn't have had the chance to kill it, because even for him, breaking such natural formations would be troublesome, as it would require disturbing the fifth-tier spiritual leyline.

As Chen Mobai observed the cave abode and recorded the scanned demonic beasts, he suddenly stopped at the foot of a mountain. There, dozens of spirit-glowing medicinal herbs were rooted in a clearly cultivated spiritual field. A lizard-shaped demonic beast lay beside the spiritual field, seemingly acting as a guard, occasionally flicking its bright red tongue to snatch flying spirit insects. Chen Mobai recognized them: all were medicinal herbs over a thousand years old, at least third-tier. Among them, two plants with crystal-clear leaves, resembling snowflakes or ice flakes, were fourth-tier Profound Ice Spirit Grass, one of the main ingredients for the Infant Transformation Pill. This area was already close to the core of the fifth-tier spiritual leyline. Chen Mobai didn't act; he merely noted the location and continued forward.

Soon, he stopped again on a mountaintop, looking at a half-excavated cliff face. Within the cliff, pale purple ore could be seen. This was Purple Origin Stone, used to refine high-grade magical artifacts, enhancing their resilience and imbuing them with spirituality. The entire mountain was a Purple Origin Stone vein, and its grade was not low; the core was estimated to yield fourth-tier ore. Beyond this point, it was clearly the core of the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode's spiritual leyline. It appeared to be a valley encircled by high mountains. Chen Mobai saw strange and varied demonic beasts guarding the peaks of the mountains surrounding the valley, but their discipline was very lax, with many just lounging idly.

“Seven third-tier, eighty-nine second-tier…” The Incorporeal Puppet quickly scanned the demonic beasts here; there were no first-tier ones, suggesting that such weak demonic beasts were not qualified to be in this place. Upon discovering this, Chen Mobai breathed a sigh of relief. If it were just these demonic beasts, he could eliminate them all by himself. However, the key was what lay within the valley! The Incorporeal Puppet, now concealed by Chen Mobai, openly walked past two drinking demonic beasts. These beasts, unversed in spells and cultivating purely by instinct to this level, simply couldn't perceive him.

However, the valley was enveloped by the entire natural formation. If Chen Mobai were to break it, the resulting commotion would certainly be discovered by these demonic beasts. He looked up, found the highest mountain, and flew there, beginning to observe the valley from above. Unfortunately, the mist created by the natural formation enveloped the entire valley, making it impossible to see anything. While observing the valley, Chen Mobai dispatched many small data-gathering puppets to record a map of the entire Yellow Dragon Cave Abode, including the mineral veins and spiritual herbs distributed throughout, as well as the demonic beasts. These were all assets of the Five Elements Sect.

After three days and three nights, Chen Mobai, who was categorizing the various resources, suddenly noticed a catfish demonic beast from one of the mountaintops. It was carrying a basin of food and holding up a golden-yellow scale, passing through the natural formation and entering the valley. This discovery invigorated him. Soon after, the catfish demonic beast emerged from the valley. Seizing the moment it passed through, Chen Mobai, having cast the 'One Leaf Obscuring the Eye' concealment spell, slipped into the opened formation.

Within the formation, there was another world entirely. There was actually a magnificent, resplendent palace here. Droplets of pure, almost liquid spiritual energy floated in the air, a sign of the spiritual leyline's immense vitality. These pale golden droplets, known as 'Spirit Dew' in the Tianhe Realm, could be directly refined by cultivators and demonic beasts alike, and were even more valuable than spirit stones for cultivators. After entering, Chen Mobai looked at these droplets but remained still. Because he realized that the natural formation was still active here. He had no passage token, and if he took a single wrong step, he would likely immediately trigger the formation's disturbance.

Fortunately, although he had entered with the Incorporeal Puppet, his own realms as a geomancer and formation master remained the same. So, a moment later, Chen Mobai confidently took his first step. Natural formations, following the profound mysteries of heaven and earth, were easily deciphered by him under the guidance of his 'Heavenly Altar' and 'Earth Spirit' abilities, and he quickly discerned the path forward. After a winding, indirect path, he arrived before the palace.

Just as he planned to continue exploring, a surge of spiritual energy suddenly appeared, causing Chen Mobai's heart to clench. A giant stone statue at the entrance of the cave abode suddenly came to life. Although it sensed something had approached it, it couldn't see the puppet concealed by the 'One Leaf Obscuring the Eye' spell. After a long while, the stone statue became still again, squatting at the entrance. Chen Mobai observed it carefully for a long time and found that the stone statue showed no signs of being a puppet. It seemed as if a stone had developed sentience, becoming a living being. Or perhaps, a powerful being had directly imbued a stone with life. Upon realizing this, Chen Mobai became even more interested in what lay within the palace. He cautiously guided the Incorporeal Puppet, bypassing the stone statue, and stepped into the palace.

What met his eyes was a spring exuding cold mist. Chen Mobai sensed it briefly and knew immediately that it was a fifth-tier spiritual spring. It was the core essence of the fifth-tier spiritual leyline. Centered around the spring was a pond built of white jade, perfectly occupying the center of the palace hall. The pond was filled with Spirit Dew. The ice-blue spring water gushing from the spring eye dripped into a bamboo tube, and once the tube was full, it would tilt, pouring into the pond and mixing with the Spirit Dew. By the edge of the pond, Chen Mobai saw several shed, pitch-black scales, realizing that these were certainly the treasures that allowed Old Ancestor Poison Dragon to cultivate his fifth-tier scales. He examined it and found that a full bamboo tube of the ice-blue spring water contained an amount of spiritual energy equivalent to a top-grade water-attributed spirit stone. And here, in about ten days, enough spiritual liquid would gush from the spring to fill one tube. In other words, one Water Origin Profound Stone could be harvested every ten days. Upon discovering this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but sigh with emotion. If he were Old Ancestor Poison Dragon, possessing such cultivation conditions, he would never step out of the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode in his entire life.

Within the palace hall, besides the pond, there were also many pieces of furniture crafted from precious ores and spiritual wood. After a quick look, Chen Mobai directly entered the back hall. This was likely Old Ancestor Poison Dragon's bedroom, featuring a massive bed. On one of the walls, there was a shelf displaying various mature millennium-old medicinal herbs, including the Profound Ice Grass that Chen Mobai had just found so tempting. Most of these were fourth-tier medicinal herbs, and Chen Mobai noticed some signs of them having been gnawed on. Evidently, Old Ancestor Poison Dragon, who lacked knowledge of alchemy, could only consume and refine these mature medicinal herbs in this manner. Chen Mobai wore a look of regret and entered a side hall.

One area appeared to be Old Ancestor Poison Dragon's martial practice ground. Chen Mobai found blades, spears, swords, and staves here, all of which were fourth-tier magical artifacts. They were forged from fourth-tier minerals like Purple Origin Stone, mixed with fifth-tier Profound Nether Cold Iron. One could only say it was incredibly wasteful. As an artifact refiner from the Immortal Sect, Chen Mobai shook his head in condemnation of Old Ancestor Poison Dragon's squandering of natural resources after inspecting them, then proceeded to the last side hall. This was surprisingly a study. On the bookshelves, he saw many cultivation methods and Daoist scriptures from the Five Elements Sect, the Sun-Bathing Sea, and even Dongwu, clearly Old Ancestor Poison Dragon's spoils. These were likely obtained from the storage bags of the cultivators from three factions whom it had killed when they tried to ambush it. However, these were all very rudimentary, capable of supporting cultivation only up to the Core Formation realm at most. The strict attitude towards teaching cultivation techniques in the Tianhe Realm had proven effective in this instance.

Chen Mobai performed a quick scan using the Incorporeal Puppet. He didn't have high expectations for Old Ancestor Poison Dragon's collection. After all, what he least lacked was knowledge. From the Immortal Sect, he could download anything he needed now. The reason for scanning was simply to avoid missing any information, perhaps Old Ancestor Poison Dragon had left behind a diary or something similar…

“Eh!” After completing the scan, Chen Mobai casually set some filtering conditions and genuinely discovered a very interesting booklet: *The Great True Spirit Transformation Art!* He opened it and knew immediately that this must be the reason Old Ancestor Poison Dragon was able to cultivate the True Spirit bloodline of the Rainbow Viper. This cultivation method allowed demonic beasts with True Spirit bloodlines to return to their original form through acquired cultivation methods. It was somewhat similar to the Dragon Transformation Scripture. However, the Dragon Transformation Scripture was only effective for True Spirit dragons, while this *Great True Spirit Transformation Art* could be used by any demonic beast possessing a True Spirit bloodline. Based on Chen Mobai's understanding of the Tianhe Realm, the origin of this cultivation method was certainly extraordinary. After reading it, he immediately flipped to the end and found the signature: Yu Shengyan of the Beast Taming Sect!

The Beast Taming Sect! Chen Mobai naturally knew it was a major Nascent Soul sect in the Eastern Land, a force second only to the three Great Sacred Lands. It had four Nascent Soul cultivators and numerous fourth-tier contract spirit beasts. Even compared to the Star Heaven Dao Sect, its strength was only slightly inferior. At this point, Chen Mobai also roughly realized why the Heavenly Heart warning from the Heavenly Altar hadn't disappeared. He estimated that this Old Ancestor Poison Dragon was cultivated by the Beast Taming Sect. However, after learning the reason, Chen Mobai actually felt relieved. What he feared most were unknown enemies lurking in the dark. Although the Beast Taming Sect was powerful, he wasn't truly afraid if they came to the Eastern Barren Lands to cause trouble.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai took the original copy of the *Great True Spirit Transformation Art* and left the side hall. After exploring the entire palace, he felt at ease. Although there were many third- and second-tier demonic beasts within the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode, none of them were a match for him and Zhou Shengqing. Once all these demonic beasts were suppressed or subdued, this fifth-tier cave abode would be brought under the jurisdiction of their Five Elements Sect. If Qing Nü were to come here to cultivate, with the aid of the fifth-tier spiritual spring in that pond, she would likely be able to complete her Core Formation realm in the shortest amount of time.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai no longer wasted any time. He walked out of the palace, intending to exit the same way he came in when the catfish demonic beast returned with food, then gather the Five Elements Sect members to clear out all the demonic beasts within the cave abode. Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly realized something was amiss. Since there were demonic beasts bringing in food, it meant there should be living creatures within the cave abode. But he had explored every inch of the palace and found no living demonic beasts. What exactly was going on? Chen Mobai turned his head to look at the squatting, seemingly solidified stone statue. Was it that? However, the Incorporeal Puppet's scan found no signs of eating around the stone statue. Thinking this, Chen Mobai waited patiently.

As expected, the catfish demonic beast entered again. Chen Mobai, now concealed, silently followed behind it and watched as it entered Old Ancestor Poison Dragon's bedroom, then activated a mechanism. Soon, the ground began to sink. Chen Mobai followed it down. After about a quarter of an hour, the descent finally stopped.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of rattling chains echoed, and Chen Mobai, seeing the scene before him, couldn't help but feel shocked. A long, slender, golden-yellow dragon-like creature emerged from the darkness. Its scales gleamed with dazzling light, its four limbs were strong and powerful, and its claws were as sharp as knives. Each time it struck the ground, it caused tremors in the cavern. Its back rose like a golden peak, and its tail, thick and powerful, swayed like a golden steel whip, creating a “swish” sound that shook the heart. The dragon's eyes resembled two fiery orbs, its head was massive, and its horns curved backward like golden crescent moons, adding an aura of mystery and majesty. Its mouth gaped open, revealing rows of sharp teeth. Long dragon whiskers swayed in the air like sharp blades, exuding a ferocious and terrifying aura of malevolence, as it lunged its open maw towards the catfish demonic beast.

However, the catfish demonic beast showed no fear whatsoever, even displaying a hint of disdain. The sound of chains rang out again, and the Yellow Dragon's powerful body suddenly became taut, unable to advance further. Chen Mobai saw it: pitch-black chains bound the Yellow Dragon's neck, waist, tail, and limbs.

“The Old Ancestor went out to pass his tribulation and eat some humans; he'll be back soon. I've been sent to deliver your meals these past few days,” the catfish demonic beast said. “Your good days are over. Once the Old Ancestor passes his transformation tribulation, he'll have the same True Spirit bloodline as you, and then he can use a secret art to devour your bloodline.” It continued, “At that time, the Old Ancestor will possess two True Spirit bloodlines, both of them draconic. Perhaps in his lifetime, he might truly cross the Dragon Gate and become a true dragon!”

The catfish demonic beast was likely a trusted subordinate of Old Ancestor Poison Dragon, even privy to the matter of True Spirit bloodlines. Chen Mobai watched as it spoke, setting down the large basin of food it carried. It was all fresh red fish meat, meticulously soaked in a broth cooked with medicinal herbs.

After getting his answers, Chen Mobai prepared to leave. However, just as he was about to turn, he saw the Yellow Dragon's two dragon eyes looking in his direction.

“Eh, you can see me!” Since he was discovered, Chen Mobai no longer bothered with the disguise and dispelled the 'One Leaf Obscuring the Eye' spell.

“Who are you... how dare you...” The catfish demonic beast was greatly startled to see Chen Mobai appear out of thin air beside it. Then, a ferocious glint appeared in its eyes as it drew a large saber from its waist, instantly unleashing its peak third-tier demonic qi. Amidst the whistling saber light, an inaudible informational wave emanated from the catfish's mouth, seemingly intended to notify the other demonic beasts outside. However, Chen Mobai, using the 'Sound of Empty Valley' ability, was monitoring everything and effortlessly suppressed this wave. He then raised two fingers of the Incorporeal Puppet and easily pinched the large saber, crafted from fourth-tier materials, rendering it immobile. Seeing this, the ferocity in the catfish demonic beast's eyes vanished, replaced by fear. It had only ever seen Old Ancestor Poison Dragon accomplish such a feat. Its intelligence was clearly not low; it immediately released the large saber that the Incorporeal Puppet was pinching and turned to run upwards.

But a faint white light flashed past, and its leaping body was instantly sliced in two. Accompanied by a scorching smell, the fiery energy of the Extreme Yang Slash remained in the catfish's wounds, beginning to burn. Chen Mobai employed means to control the airflow, preventing the scent from spreading outside and being discovered by the other demonic beasts.

At this moment, the Yellow Dragon, bound by the pitch-black chains, roared at Chen Mobai. With a hint of wariness in its eyes, it slowly retreated. “I guess you must be a descendant of the True Spirit Yellow Dragon. Although I don't know why Old Ancestor Poison Dragon bound you here, you must have been deceived. Conveniently, I've slain the Poison Dragon and come to take over this cave abode, so you're quite lucky. If you're willing to form a contract, I can release you and let you breathe free air.” Chen Mobai stated his conditions, his gaze fixed on the bound Yellow Dragon. But in response to Chen Mobai's conditions, the Yellow Dragon merely roared again, making it unclear whether it agreed or not.

“It seems the Yellow Dragon ascended in a hurry and didn't teach you basic survival skills…” Chen Mobai spoke again, but the Yellow Dragon, still bound by the fifth-tier Profound Nether Cold Iron chains, could only roar. He then understood it couldn't speak. However, this was normal. After all, the Yellow Dragon didn't ascend by choice back then; it was subdued by True Monarch Yiyuan and forcibly carried him away from the Tianhe Realm. At that time, it seemed likely that the Yellow Dragon before him was still an egg, only hatching much later. But then, Old Ancestor Poison Dragon discovered this place and, somehow, gained the trust of this Yellow Dragon to enter the cave abode.

After picturing the scene of the cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest, Chen Mobai looked at the bound Yellow Dragon with pity. As a bloodline of an ascended True Spirit, it was still only at the third-tier level and couldn't even transform. However, Chen Mobai quickly discovered the reason. There was a pitch-black, sealed tube inserted into the Yellow Dragon's back, near its heart. Strands of golden blood were being extracted by this black tube. This must be Old Ancestor Poison Dragon's method, constantly extracting the Yellow Dragon's primordial essence blood. In this way, even a bloodline of an ascended True Spirit would not be able to endure it. Perhaps Old Ancestor Poison Dragon was able to cultivate the True Spirit bloodline of the Rainbow Viper precisely by using the Yellow Dragon's heart essence blood.

After realizing this, Chen Mobai did not help the Yellow Dragon remove the black tube. He left the place directly. After retrieving the golden scale that allowed entry and exit from the cave abode from the catfish's corpse, Chen Mobai directly stepped out of the natural grand formation.

Three days later, Chen Mobai, in his true form, led Zhou Shengqing and others into the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode. All the demonic beasts here were either killed or suppressed by him. From then on, the fifth-tier Yellow Dragon Cave Abode belonged to their Five Elements Sect!

(End of Chapter)