Chapter 959: World-Ending Great Mill

After breaking through to the sixth layer of the Nascent Soul stage, Chen Mobai temporarily stopped taking cultivation pills, instead refining his True Qi with the Burning Lamp Art to ensure a stable foundation.

Besides the Burning Lamp Art, he also focused on refining the Pure Yang Pearl and the Myriad Sword Dharma Body.

The second Nascent Soul, formed from the Pure Yang Pearl, grew stronger each day. Chen Mobai estimated it would reach the peak of the Nascent Soul stage in about one to two decades. However, whether it could break through to possess the power of a fifth-rank Spirit Transformation depended on the strength of his Primordial Spirit.

Apart from the second Nascent Soul, the progress of the Myriad Sword Dharma Body was slow.

The concept for this ultimate Dharma Body, intended to be based on the Immortal Gate's sword techniques and evolve twenty-four sword intents, was ambitious, but it somewhat exceeded his current cultivation realm. After all, he was only at the Nascent Soul stage. Despite possessing the Heavens and Sentient Beings Crown and the Inch-Square Book, transforming his external avatar into the Myriad Sword Dharma Body required mastering an immense amount of knowledge. Even Qianxing would shake her head and declare it impossible if she saw his concept for the Myriad Sword Dharma Body.

The only reason he could even attempt this was his Cutting Heaven's Thread Long-Life Sword Intent, which allowed him to utilize the sword intents of past sword masters from the Immortal Gate, rather than having to cultivate every single one himself. Even then, it was no simple task. Nevertheless, Chen Mobai did not give up. For him, the Myriad Sword Dharma Body was merely difficult, not impossible. Furthermore, once he comprehended the realm of 'Rhythm of the Five Tones', this would no longer be an issue.

After the Myriad Sword Dharma Body reached the perfection of the Heavenly Aperture realm, it required the seventy-two Earth Fiend Qis to refine its various acupoints. He had already instructed the Five Elements Sect to collect these materials before his secluded cultivation. Since these were cultivation resources, the Benevolence Hall had a stock of them. Although not all were available, they possessed forty-seven types. Many of these were found by Zhuo Ming, the foremost Earth Master of the Eastern Wilderness, while others were acquired through trade by the Five Elements Merchant Guild from the Eastern Continent using sect resources.

However, the Earth Fiend Qis stored in the Benevolence Hall were not high-grade. Although Chen Mobai used them to refine some acupoints, he would need to find higher-grade Earth Fiend Qis in the future to elevate the Myriad Sword Dharma Body to its imagined powerful state. This was precisely what he had instructed them to do.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai's Primordial Spirit entered his Sky Calculation Bead and thoroughly read the newly downloaded and updated papers on the Immortal Gate's artificial synthesis of Earth Fiend Qi. Yuan Xu had long led the Mending Heaven Daoist Academy's team to deduce and complete the artificial synthesis methods for all seventy-two types of Earth Fiend Qi, using the Immortal Gate's existing stock as a source. However, the researchers at the Immortal Gate pursued continuous improvement, so over the years, companies and teams had been researching ways to streamline the synthesis of each type of Earth Fiend Qi.

As Earth Fiend Qi was a component of energy, mastering more efficient and material-saving synthesis methods would not only earn rewards from the Immortal Gate's Three Great Halls but also attract investments from energy giants. Even starting one's own company would result in significant profits. For example, Yan Bingxuan's Profound Frost Company, under his overt and covert patronage over the years, had become one of the Immortal Gate's top ten energy companies, with annual transaction flows reaching billions of merit points.

Chen Mobai compiled a list of the twenty-five types of Earth Fiend Qi that the Five Elements Sect lacked. He then focused on studying the papers related to these Fiend Qis: Azure Light Fiend Qi, Azure Cloud Fiend Qi, Nether Fire Fiend Qi, Ling Xi Fiend Qi, Jade Bloom Fiend Qi, Meteor Shadow Fiend Qi...

After noting down the latest and most material-efficient synthesis ratios, Chen Mobai took out his Taibai Five Smokes Robe, manipulating the magical artifact into the shape of a furnace. He then took out one hundred bottles of Five Elements Essence Qi. Following the material list for Azure Light Fiend Qi, he precisely extracted the required amounts with his Primordial Spirit: 3 parts Jia Wood Essence Qi, 2 parts Bing Fire Essence Qi, 0.5 parts Ding Fire Essence Qi, 1.5 parts Wu Earth Essence Qi, 2 parts Geng Metal Essence Qi, and 1 part Ren Water Essence Qi.

After Chen Mobai entered the 'Responding to Earthly Spirits' realm of the Divine Phoenix Facing the Sun Diagram, he could rightfully be called the Immortal Gate's foremost Earth Master. With his personal involvement, refining Earth Fiend Qi should have been an effortless task. However, everything still required practical experience. His first attempt to synthesize Azure Light Fiend Qi failed. In his Inch-Square Book state, he cross-referenced the papers and experimental tutorials, then took another portion of Five Elements Essence Qi to try again. This time he corrected the previous errors, but the refined Azure Light Fiend Qi still didn't meet the requirements.

Chen Mobai didn't mind, nor did he call Yuan Xu for advice. He continued with his third attempt. He had an abundance of Five Elements Essence Qi anyway, so he could use materials to accumulate proficiency. By his seventh attempt, a wisp of greenish-blue, faint glowing Earth Fiend Qi had formed within the furnace-shaped Taibai Five Smokes Robe. Judging by color, fiend light, and quantitative grade, it was slightly short of the Immortal Gate's standard, but it was sufficient for Chen Mobai.

With the Inch-Square Book and auspicious blessings, Chen Mobai experienced no more failures. The quality of the synthesized Azure Light Fiend Qi also improved with each attempt. Once he had a complete strand, he took out a spirit-sealing tube and affixed a spirit-condensing talisman to it. Next, he continued using Five Elements Essence Qi to artificially synthesize Azure Cloud Fiend Qi.

Since Chen Mobai was only refining first-grade Earth Fiend Qi, the process was very fast. In less than a month, he had completed the twenty-five types he lacked. Chen Mobai nodded slightly as he observed the twenty-five spirit-sealing tubes, shimmering with various colors, floating before him, captured by his Primordial Spirit.

The Heavenly Star realm of an external avatar only required first-grade Fiend Qi to lay its foundation and refine acupoints. Once completed, it would naturally absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth, continuously improving itself. However, this method of improvement was very slow. If higher-grade Fiend Qi were directly refined into the acupoints, it could shorten the time by several, or even more than ten, times. It was precisely for this reason that, even in ancient times, very few practitioners in the Long-Life Sect were able to cultivate this great art of external avatar to perfection.

After all, second and third-grade Fiend Qis were relatively easy to find, but fourth and fifth-grade ones were essentially sect-protecting treasures, or even the foundation of certain sacred land's great refining techniques. They were barely enough for their own use and certainly not for sale. For instance, Azure Wood Fiend Qi became a rare commodity because Chen Mobai openly dominated the Eastern Wilderness with his Crimson Flame Sword Art, leading many disciples to cultivate this technique, which required Azure Wood Fiend Qi for the Azure Flame Sword Fiend. All high-grade Azure Wood Fiend Qi in the Eastern Wilderness had long been controlled by the Five Elements Sect. Following the principle of sustainability, once matured, it was either put on shelves in the Spiritual Treasure Pavilion or rewarded to meritorious disciples. Cultivation powers in Eastern Wu and Eastern Yi that possessed Azure Wood Fiend Qi also profited immensely from it. Even Azure Wood Fiend Qi from Eastern Mountain and Eastern Land was acquired by some high-ranking merchant guilds who saw business opportunities, then resold to the Eastern Wilderness at several times the price. Even so, supply continued to fall short of demand, especially for third-grade and higher Azure Wood Fiend Qi.

However, Chen Mobai possessed the knowledge of artificially synthesizing Earth Fiend Qi. As long as he worked hard and had sufficient Five Elements Essence Qi, he could continuously refine high-grade Fiend Qi. Unfortunately, Zhuo Ming had too many responsibilities. Furthermore, this knowledge was far too advanced for the Tianhe Realm, and he was reluctant to leave any traces of it there. Otherwise, he could have entrusted the arduous task to his disciple. It was better to proceed step by step and first achieve the Heavenly Star realm.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai's Primordial Spirit surged. The twenty-five bottles of artificially synthesized first-grade Earth Fiend Qi in front of him all flew out, transforming into multicolored beams of light that ascended into the opened domain above his head. He placed his external avatar within the domain for cultivation. It was simply too massive, and while he intended it to be the final chapter of the Void Scripture, revealing it now would be too rapid a development.

The Myriad Sword Dharma Body, wearing the Heavens and Sentient Beings Crown, sat within the domain, overlooking the vastness. As the twenty-five strands of Earth Fiend Qi integrated and refined, acupoints throughout its body lit up, radiating various colors, like stars or the spiritual pivots within the earth, stabilizing all changes in qi and locking down the five elements of the void. After the seventy-two acupoints were refined, the Heavenly Star realm was achieved. Next would be to gradually absorb higher-grade Fiend Qi, making these acupoints shine brighter, ultimately transforming them into an immeasurable source of magical power for the external avatar. Chen Mobai had long since received these realms through the Great Dao Tree's empowerment, so he easily cultivated them.

After achieving all four realms, he had a sudden idea: he wanted to try the higher Heavenly Garment realm. This was also the final realm of the external avatar. Once achieved, it would be seamless perfection, allowing for cosmic manifestation. Chen Mobai suspected that the avatar left by True Lord Yiyuan in the One Yuan Daoist Palace was an external avatar at the Heavenly Garment realm. The Heavenly Garment realm required condensing the Nine Heavens Pure Qi, and Five Elements spiritual energy was one type of it.

As Chen Mobai's Primordial Spirit willed it, the Heavenly Essence Pearl at the center of the domain immediately released a large amount of fifth-grade spiritual energy. The avatar's acupoints were now integrated with the heavenly pulses, interweaving into a net that covered the entire avatar. The surging fifth-grade spiritual energy was instantly refined by the avatar, flowing into the gaps of this net and forming a membrane. Chen Mobai sat on the meditation cushion in the cultivation chamber, forming hand seals. Unbeknownst to him, his Nascent Soul had already emerged from his body and hovered above his head, while the seventy-two lit-up acupoints within the avatar continuously transformed during cultivation. Other cultivators would naturally not comprehend these changes. But as Chen Mobai cultivated, empowered by all realms of the Divine Phoenix Facing the Sun Diagram, under the 'Connecting to Heaven's Blessings and Responding to Earthly Spirits', he realized that these were innate transformations of the vast earth, a natural formation of heaven and earth.

At this moment, he suddenly felt a subtle connection with the vast earth of the Dire Realm Star beneath him. He felt every breath he took was synchronized with the pulse of the great earth. Chen Mobai probably realized the reason. He closed his eyes, savoring this rare opportunity for enlightenment. Under 'Connecting to Heaven's Blessings and Responding to Earthly Spirits', his perception of the earth became increasingly keen. His consciousness seemed to spread with the earth to every inch of the planet. Every minute tremor of the earth's mountains, the direction of every mineral vein, and even the flow of spiritual veins deep underground, all appeared and passed through his mind. For Chen Mobai, this was an experience beyond 'Responding to Earthly Spirits'.

The seventy-two acupoints within his avatar began to transform more complexly and mysteriously. Before his consciousness could thoroughly observe the great Earth Veins formation covering the Dire Realm Star's surface, it was greeted by an invisible calling force, descending towards the deepest part of the planet.

"Is this the stellar core?" Under the enlightenment state, Chen Mobai's consciousness finally reached the innermost point of the Dire Realm Star. He gazed at the silver-white stellar core, which pulsed like a heart, a hint of solemnity in his eyes. Patriarch Yun Ya's notes recorded that the Dire Realm Star's stellar core had long been imbued with a wisp of the Demonic Lord's demonic thought. With a promising future ahead, there was no need for him to take risks.

Just as Chen Mobai intended to end his enlightenment state and withdraw, a wisp of silver-black light suddenly emanated from the stellar core, instantly enveloping him. Chen Mobai was greatly startled and, too late to leave, found himself entering a mysterious, illusory space.

It was a silver-black cosmic void. A white-gray millstone floated at the very center of the universe, slowly rotating. Each time the millstone rotated, a galaxy was annihilated, turning into cosmic dust. "The World-Ending Millstone!" The name of this millstone immediately appeared in Chen Mobai's mind. It was the Innate Supreme Treasure representing the universe's ultimate fate and the destruction of all sentient beings! It was also the true form of the Demonic Lord. Chen Mobai's gaze fell upon the millstone, and somehow this information suddenly appeared, as if anyone who saw it would instinctively know.

The World-Ending Millstone seemed to rotate with extreme difficulty; even slight movements caused the cosmic void to tremble. *Creak!* Chen Mobai quickly saw the reason: dark chains extended from various parts of the cosmic void, restraining and binding the World-Ending Millstone, preventing it from turning freely. Yet, even so, this Innate Supreme Treasure, representing destruction, did not cease its movement. One day, when the World-Ending Millstone completed a full rotation, it would be the time of the universe's destruction.

"Is this the truth behind the Demonic Lord's suppression?" A glimmer of understanding appeared in Chen Mobai's mind upon seeing this. However, the conflicts of such beings were still too far beyond him. Chen Mobai only thought about how to leave this place. Why would his Celestial Earth Spirit Root's enlightenment lead him here? Could it be that Lin Daoming also saw this back then? It seemed better to find a way to purify all the demonic thoughts within the Dire Realm Star's stellar core beforehand.

Chen Mobai felt that the Immortal Gate, at its current level, was not fit to participate in such matters. He thought it would be better to completely end the Pioneering War after he ascended to Spirit Transformation and gained authority. As time passed, he had remained in this illusory space for a long time. He had also explored around but found no way to leave. Left with no choice, he could only gaze at the World-Ending Millstone and the dark chains at the center of the universe.

The great millstone quietly floated before him, exuding a heart-pounding pressure. The vast and destructive fluctuations made the pressure on Chen Mobai's wisp of consciousness increasingly immense. As time passed, he also discerned the appearance of the World-Ending Millstone. It seemed perfectly round, but in reality, it was an approximation of a circle formed by a method of "circle cutting." There were three thousand facets in total, each seemingly containing a supreme demonic path. Some had strange characters and patterns that were clear, while others were blurred. Chen Mobai counted seventy-two discernible facets on the World-Ending Millstone. He tried to memorize these incomprehensible characters and patterns, but found that even with the Inch-Square Book, they left no impression on his mind, like water flowing onto sand, vanishing instantly.

He didn't know how long had passed when a faint bell chime suddenly rang in Chen Mobai's ears. He awoke from the destructive great dao of the World-Ending Millstone. A portal lit up, and he instantly vanished from the illusory space.

In the cultivation chamber of Wangwu Grotto-heaven, Chen Mobai's Nascent Soul above his head opened its eyes. Beside it, the second Nascent Soul, clutching a bronze bell, was striking it with all its might! It was precisely this natal magical artifact, the Morning Bell, that allowed him to awaken from this strange enlightenment state.

"Thank you!" Chen Mobai nodded to his second Nascent Soul. The latter, looking slightly tired, shook its head and then reverted to the form of the Pure Yang Pearl. He checked the time; this enlightenment had surprisingly lasted three months. No wonder the second Nascent Soul, despite its profound foundation, couldn't endure it. After all, even one's natal magical artifact would be greatly depleted of its vitality after continuously ringing the bell for three months.

Chen Mobai reached out, absorbing the Pure Yang Pearl and the Morning Bell back into his body, then his Nascent Soul returned to its acupoint. He took out a spirit-testing device and checked his spirit root. As expected, his Earth Spirit Root had reached 100. This was indeed an enlightenment through the Celestial Spirit Root. Thinking of this, a hint of worry appeared between Chen Mobai's brows.

If the scene he witnessed during his enlightenment was real, then the emergence of the Demonic Lord in this universe would signify a world-ending catastrophe. Once the world was destroyed, even if he hid on the Dire Realm Star, he would still be affected and turn to dust. The last time the Demonic Lord appeared, it was suppressed by the Purple Heavens Star River. He wondered if there would be a next time. Before Daoist Venerable Zixiao ascended to the other shore, why didn't he find a way to completely resolve the Demonic Lord issue?

As a cultivator raised under the Immortal Gate's education, Chen Mobai still leaned towards the lawful good alignment. After learning about the World-Ending Millstone, he felt extremely worried. He only regretted his shallow cultivation. If he possessed the creative power of Daoist Venerable Zixiao, he certainly wouldn't leave such a mess for future generations. As he thought this, Chen Mobai began to worry about Bai Guang, who had left the Immortal Gate. Once the Demonic Lord emerged, the Central Daoist Sanctuary would undoubtedly be the first to suffer. He feared that Yu Baiguang and Spirit Venerable, after finally reaching there with the help of the Dragon God Star, would coincidentally encounter the demonic calamity. Although he didn't acknowledge Yu Baiguang as Xiao Hei's mother or his wife, she was, after all, the progenitor of their 'Weapon Dancing' lineage. Chen Mobai still hoped she could safely reach the Central Daoist Sanctuary and advance her cultivation.

However, thinking about these things now was useless. All Chen Mobai could do was cultivate step by step, striving to reach a realm capable of altering the great calamity before the Demonic Lord's emergence. With this thought, Chen Mobai closed his eyes and sensed his external avatar. Although his consciousness was drawn to the deepest part of the Dire Realm Star during his enlightenment, the cultivation of this Myriad Sword Dharma Body had not stopped. Under the fifth-grade spiritual energy within the domain, a complete membrane had formed, no longer revealing internal organs and marrow as it did before. Of course, these membranes were merely superficial; to truly complete it, he would still need to ascend to the Nine Heavens and condense endless pure qi.

If he refined the Heaven and Earth Placenta, could the Heavenly Garment realm be completed directly? This thought suddenly appeared in Chen Mobai's mind. The Heaven and Earth Placenta was the most refined Heavenly Gang Qi of a planet. He believed it should be possible! It was a pity that the Dragon God Star's had been refined by Qi Yuheng. He wondered when the next Pioneering War would be. After feeling regret, Chen Mobai looked at the bare Myriad Sword Dharma Body in the domain and felt that fighting opponents in such a state would be indecent! He thought for a moment, then transformed the Taibai Five Smokes Robe into a set of multicolored immortal robes, draping them over the Myriad Sword Dharma Body. After experimenting with various Immortal Gate styles and determining suitable attire for different opponents, Chen Mobai contentedly put away both the Taibai Five Smokes Robe and the Myriad Sword Dharma Body. He calculated the time; the Northern Dipper Assembly was approaching. His luck was good; this Celestial Spirit Root enlightenment hadn't delayed the event.

As Chen Mobai thought this and was about to emerge from seclusion, he suddenly felt something was amiss. What benefit did he gain from his Celestial Spirit Root enlightenment? Lin Daoming gained the Myriad Forms of the Spirit Axis, but what about him? Surely, he didn't just get a close look at the World-Ending Millstone, did he? If so, wouldn't that be a massive loss?! Chen Mobai instantly felt that the fragmented time he had spent cultivating the Earth Gathering Art over the past century was somewhat wasted.

However, he was unwilling to accept it. He sat upright in the cultivation chamber, his Nascent Soul circulating, and began to inspect his entire body, thinking he might have overlooked something. A quarter of an hour later, Chen Mobai opened his eyes, his expression slightly better. It wasn't entirely without gain. During this Celestial Earth Spirit Root enlightenment, besides his consciousness entering the depths of the Dire Realm Star and seeing the World-Ending Millstone, he also obtained a wisp of Innate Earth Essence Qi. This should be the baseline gain, at least allowing him to cultivate the orthodox Primordial Chaos Dao Fruit. But for him, it was merely better than nothing.

Furthermore, there was something else that worried him. That was, when he closed his eyes and meditated just now, recalling his Celestial Earth Spirit Root enlightenment, the image of the World-Ending Millstone that he wanted to forget suddenly became clear in his mind. Although the supreme demonic paths on the three thousand facets remained unclear and impossible to memorize, this experience seemed to have been deeply carved into the depths of his consciousness, waiting for the right moment to materialize. This put immense pressure on Chen Mobai, who was only at the Nascent Soul stage.

He also considered whether to tell Qianxing about this. After all, on the Dire Realm Star, Qianxing had the highest cultivation and the broadest knowledge; perhaps she had a solution. However, Chen Mobai also feared that after Qianxing learned of this, she might eliminate him to prevent future calamities. After all, Yu Baiguang was no longer there, and if Qianxing were to act, no one could stop her. Thinking of this, Chen Mobai decided to bear the burden himself for now. He would only confess if there was absolutely no other way. After making up his decision, Chen Mobai struck the Morning Bell a few times in the cultivation chamber, completely calming his mind.

After emerging from seclusion and spending a few days with Shi Wanyu and Chen Xiaohei, Chen Mobai also went to work at the Hall of Rectification, clearing up the accumulated official duties. Afterward, he chose to enter secluded cultivation again, citing a breakthrough in his sword path as the reason. The Immortal Gate was accustomed to this. Among the Three Great Halls, only the Head of the Immortal Affairs Hall needed to be diligent due to her unique position. It was normal for the Heads of the Hall of Rectification and the Hall of Creation to be out of sight for long periods.

After returning to the Eastern Wilderness, Chen Mobai met Qing Nü, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. The couple sat in the courtyard of the Hidden Dragon Cave Mansion, drinking tea and discussing the past years. Beside them, the young yellow dragon girl, who had been well-trained, began brewing tea with fourth-grade spiritual water. "Our luck is good this time; otherwise, we might have missed the Northern Dipper Assembly," Qing Nü commented. Her seclusion this time had been quite long. After consuming the pills refined from Patriarch Poison Dragon's Inner Core, her cultivation had also advanced to the peak of the middle stage of Core Formation. If she hadn't wanted to stabilize her foundation, she could have actually broken through directly using the pills.

"The time is just about right," Chen Mobai said. "Tomorrow, we'll pack up the good things in the cave mansion and head to Northern Abyss City to meet up with Senior Brother Mo and the others." Chen Mobai did not tell Qing Nü about his Celestial Earth Spirit Root enlightenment or seeing the World-Ending Millstone, so as not to worry her. "Mm, I've also refined some precious pills over the years. By their standards here, they are top-grade, and I hope to exchange them for a portion of Three Light Divine Water," Qing Nü said. When Qing Nü spoke of "precious pills," they were certainly of fourth-grade quality. These were experimental products where she improved Immortal Gate pill formulas using Tianhe Realm herbs. They had some negligible pill impurities, so she didn't put them on shelves in the Pill Glow Pavilion or Spiritual Treasure Pavilion. However, if these were brought to the Northern Dipper Assembly, they would likely be fiercely contested by the Nascent Soul cultivators.

After examining the several pills Qing Nü presented, Chen Mobai couldn't help but nod. With these, plus the precious spiritual plant materials prepared by Xiaonanshan and the Five Elements Sect, a portion of Three Light Divine Water would certainly be worth it. However, Three Light Divine Water wasn't always obtainable merely by offering an equivalent value; it also depended on the intentions of the Star Heaven Dao Sect. Chen Mobai only hoped that the Five Elements Sect had enough standing.

After the couple organized all the good items they had, they departed from the Hidden Dragon Cave Mansion the next day via a medium-sized teleportation array. They first made a trip to Giant Wood Ridge. While Qing Nü and Zhuo Ming collected precious spiritual objects, Chen Mobai, as usual, visited the Divine Tree Secret Realm to absorb the Great Dao Tree's scattered spiritual consciousness using the Spirit Devouring Art. Up to this point in his cultivation, he had never slackened for even a moment if it meant improving himself.

"Junior Brother Chen, this is the first Eternity Wood Dragon I've crafted," Fu Zongjue said when he learned Chen Mobai had arrived, handing over the fruits of his years of labor. "You might encounter rogue cultivators on your trip, and having this can save some spiritual power." This Eternity Wood Dragon, as a fourth-grade puppet, could even contend with weaker Nascent Soul cultivators in Chen Mobai's hands. However, Chen Mobai had too many methods already, so after refining and testing the puppet, he gave it to Qing Nü for self-protection.

After the three arrived at Northern Abyss City, Mo Douguang and Zhou Ye were already waiting there. "Greetings, Junior Brother Sect Master!" Seeing Chen Mobai, both greeted him very politely. Zhou Ye also wanted to attend the Northern Dipper Assembly this time, which didn't surprise Chen Mobai. Mo Douguang was accompanied by Ning Leshan and Ban Zhaodan. Zhou Ye's companions were Luzhu and Zhou Wangshen.