Chapter 972: The Six Wonders of the World - Demon Lord

Chapter 971: One of the World's Six Wonders, the Demon Venerable

At the end of the meeting, Chen Mobai announced another benefit: a new batch of Nascent Soul cultivation techniques would soon be available at the Beiyuan City Library. As expected, the Core Formation cultivators of the Five Elements Sect present were all visibly excited.

After the meeting, most people immediately left the hall, planning to use their single free opportunity to acquire a Nascent Soul technique. However, a few core members remained to discuss future strategies with Chen Mobai and the other three Nascent Soul cultivators. The main topic was the allocation of forces across the various commanderies, as the Five Elements Sect's manpower was slightly insufficient for the nineteen commanderies of the Eastern Wilderness, the vast Cloud Dream Lake, and other areas like the Eastern Yi.

"Cloud Dream Lake borders Eastern Wu, and if war breaks out, that area will be the most vulnerable and also the most crucial defensive line for protecting the Eastern Wilderness. I will personally guard it," Chen Mobai stated. As the foremost figure of the Five Elements Sect, he felt it was his responsibility when war approached. Furthermore, his and Qing Nü's Yellow Dragon Cave Abode was located within Cloud Dream Lake, making it their territory, which they would naturally protect if capable.

"Then I will accompany you, Junior Martial Brother Sect Master," Mo Douguang said, showing no hesitation. Chen Mobai considered that he might need to visit the Immortal Sect and couldn't be present all the time, so he nodded, asking Mo Douguang to help oversee Wind and Rain Immortal City.

Zhou Shengqing remained at the Beiyuan City main base, while Zhou Ye had long ago confirmed his assignment to the Eastern Yi region. Besides the four Nascent Soul cultivators, the distribution of the nineteen Eastern Wilderness commanderies was also discussed.

For Chen Mobai and the others, this was a matter of quick decision. Mo Douguang proactively suggested placing two Core Formation sword cultivators from their Metal Meridian in the most dangerous locations, as sword cultivators only truly grow through continuous life-and-death combat.

"Why not have them accompany me to the Eastern Yi region?" Zhou Ye immediately proposed after hearing this. Sword cultivators undoubtedly possessed superior combat power at the same cultivation level, and having such formidable fighters in the Eastern Yi would make his tasks considerably easier.

"Ban Zhaodan will go to Eastern Yi, and Ning Leshan will first be stationed in Feng Commandery to coordinate the even distribution of Metal Meridian sword cultivators among all commanderies," Chen Mobai suggested after some thought. Compared to times of peace when sword cultivators were rarely hired, they would be highly sought after during wartime. To prevent other Core Formation cultivators from scrambling for them, it was better to ensure a balanced allocation of these excellent combat talents.

Naturally, everyone agreed. Zhou Shengqing then assigned Zhou Wangshen to Xiao Commandery, and Chen Mobai also arranged placements for Qing Nü and his four disciples. In the nineteen commanderies of the Eastern Wilderness, a Core Formation cultivator from the Five Elements Sect would be stationed in every border commandery, with only a few inland commanderies left vacant. Due to the unique situation in the Eastern Yi, Chen Mobai assigned Yu Lian and Luo Yixuan to Zhou Ye, in addition to Ban Zhaodan.

"Tomorrow, I will open my furnace to refine a defensive artifact for Senior Martial Brother Zhou," Chen Mobai announced, bringing a look of joy to Zhou Ye's face.

Considering that the market for artifacts would surely skyrocket during future wars, Chen Mobai decided to publicize this refining process to enhance the sect's artifact refiners' skills, allowing all second-tier refiners within the Five Elements Sect to observe. This news instantly filled other cultivators in Beiyuan City with envy, jealousy, and resentment. Why did all the good things happen to the Five Elements Sect?

"Son, you must get into Changsheng Academy in the future..." A rogue cultivator in Beiyuan City, who had struggled for half his life just to afford a down payment on a house in the suburbs, told a seven or eight-year-old child, who nodded solemnly.

However, upon hearing that Chen Mobai was going to publicly refine a fourth-tier artifact, students majoring in artifact refining at Changsheng Academy immediately requested their teachers to take them to the site to witness the event. Over the past few decades, thanks to excellent teaching staff, some top students at the academy were able to master second-tier immortal cultivation arts before even graduating.

However, according to the Five Elements Sect's rules, students were considered reserves, not official disciples. The teachers of the artifact refining major at Changsheng Academy could not directly contact Chen Mobai, so they informed Jiang Zongheng, who then spoke to Chen Mobai on their behalf.

"Then let's postpone it slightly and select a few outstanding student representatives. Please also notify the other academies besides Changsheng Academy," Chen Mobai readily agreed. After all, students were the future of the Five Elements Sect. As the war progressed, he had already decided to organize more artifact refiner conventions in the future, shifting the previous focus on cultivating array masters.

After receiving the order, Jiang Zongheng immediately proceeded with the arrangements. Considering the need to provide a teaching demonstration for the Five Elements Sect's refiners, Chen Mobai chose Fire True Immortal City, where the Fire Meridian was located, as the refining site.

More than half of the sect's artifact refiners were trained at the Fire True Academy there. Moreover, according to the plan personally formulated by Chen Mobai, Yan Commandery would become the center of the Eastern Wilderness's artifact refining industry in the future, with various refining factories and workshops established to develop an immortal city culture centered around artifact refining. However, the development of Fire True Immortal City had not been smooth in recent years, so this opportunity was a natural chance to offer assistance.

As soon as the news broke, Fire True Immortal City, which previously had a relatively small population among the inland immortal cities, immediately experienced being completely overwhelmed. The teleportation arrays operated over capacity daily, with many unable to purchase tickets. They had to travel to neighboring immortal cities first, then use small market teleportation arrays to enter Yan Commandery, and finally trek on foot towards Fire True Immortal City, the location of the teaching session.

"Junior Martial Brother Sect Master, please take a look at these earth fires. The equipment and formations have all been modified according to your specifications..." Sheng Zhaoxi accompanied Chen Mobai and Qing Nü in inspecting the fourth-tier fire meridian of Fire True Immortal City. This immense fortune had kept her constantly smiling recently. She personally led her disciples to exceed all of Chen Mobai's various requirements.

"It's barely adequate!" Chen Mobai remarked after inspecting what was touted as the top artifact refining workshop within the fire meridian. If anyone else had said that, Sheng Zhaoxi would have immediately lost her temper. But knowing Chen Mobai possessed fifth-tier refining skills, she merely smiled and asked if there were any other dissatisfactions, promising to rectify them immediately.

"To have this much in this location is already quite impressive. Thank you for your hard work, Senior Martial Sister," Chen Mobai said, shaking his head. He knew very well that this was not the Immortal Sect.

At that moment, a streak of spiritual light flew over, materializing into the figure of E Yun, whose expression appeared somewhat hurried. "What's wrong?" Chen Mobai immediately went to greet him. As acting sect master, E Yun was second only to the four Nascent Soul cultivators in the Five Elements Sect. What could possibly make him personally rush to Fire True Immortal City? Had the war between the righteous and demonic factions begun?

"Sect Master, Daoist Ye Qing from the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect has arrived," E Yun announced, causing Chen Mobai to pause in surprise. Had Ye Qing's injuries healed in less than a month?

"Where is Brother Ye?" "He's in Beiyuan City. Patriarch Zhou asked me to invite you over, but Daoist Ye Qing heard you were refining artifacts here in Fire True Immortal City and decided to come here personally to avoid distracting you." E Yun had been dispatched by Zhou Shengqing in advance to inform Chen Mobai of this.

"Quickly prepare good tea; I will personally host him," Chen Mobai ordered his disciple Zhuo Ming, who was standing nearby. Although he didn't know the reason for Ye Qing's visit, they were now sworn brothers, so he immediately gave the instruction upon hearing the news.

Soon after, most people were cleared from the previously crowded teleportation array in Fire True Immortal City. Then, a silver light flashed, and Ye Qing and Zhou Shengqing stepped out one after another.

"Brother Ye, what brings you to my humble Eastern Wilderness countryside..." Chen Mobai, who had been waiting, laughed heartily as he welcomed Ye Qing.

"There's some latest information I need to share with you, Brother Chen, and also to thank you again," Ye Qing said with a smile. Chen Mobai could only admire his courage; he had just narrowly escaped death from Ming Zun's ambush yet still dared to travel.

Soon, Chen Mobai and the others sat down in a pavilion on the most scenic mountaintop in Fire True Immortal City. However, because Ye Qing had hinted that the matter to be discussed was quite secretive, there were few people present. Besides the two of them, only Zhou Shengqing and Qing Nü were there, all absolutely trustworthy.

"Brother Chen, this is an imperial decree bearing the Daoist seals of my sect and the Dao De Sect, granted to your Five Elements Sect. During the war between the righteous and demonic factions, your sect can make decisions at your discretion based on the war situation. The bottom line is that you must not allow any sea demons or demonic cultivators to cross the three border regions of Dongzhou and appear in the hinterlands of the Eastern Lands," Ye Qing stated directly after sitting down, handing Chen Mobai a rolled jade slip.

Although Dongzhou had four Holy Lands, the Primordial Dao Palace was sealed, and the Grand Void Misty Palace had always been focused on business, never intervening unless facing a life-and-death crisis. Therefore, the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect and the Dao De Sect were considered the ultimate authorities in Dongzhou. The issuance of this decree signified the official commencement of the war between the righteous and demonic factions. Any righteous force still in Dongzhou was required to obey.

"As long as the Five Elements Sect stands, the Eastern Wilderness stands. We will absolutely not allow any demons or demonic cultivators to cross this line," Chen Mobai solemnly declared as he accepted the jade slip. This was, after all, something he had previously agreed upon with Yuan Qingque for the future Holy Spirit Pill. The addition of the Dao De Sect's seal clearly indicated that Yuan Qingque had successfully negotiated with True Monarch Wuchen, further reassuring Chen Mobai.

"Brother Chen, remember the bottom line. If necessary, abandoning Eastern Wu is also acceptable," Ye Qing added, a rare extra word, likely due to their bond as sworn brothers.

"I understand. However, there are millions of mortals in Eastern Wu. If I have the ability to protect them, I will still act," Chen Mobai replied. Having been educated by the Immortal Sect since childhood, even after a century of influence from the Eastern Wilderness, he still possessed a kind heart.

"That's for the best. According to information received by my sect, the old devil from the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect has already reached an agreement with the Myriad Stars Alliance in the Desolate Sea. Furthermore, with the demonic cultivators from Myriad Immortals Island, the three core parties have each sworn oaths and might join forces to land in Eastern Wu," Ye Qing stated, delivering news that caused Chen Mobai's expression to subtly change.

"Aren't the Myriad Stars Alliance and Myriad Immortals Island sworn enemies? How could they be persuaded by the demonic path to unite?" Zhou Shengqing asked, also looking shocked. This information was entirely different from the situation he knew.

"During the last Big Dipper Assembly, Su Zilu took action and killed Zuo Dongdu, the Sand Master of the Flying Sand Sect. Subsequent investigations by the Flying Sand Sect determined that the Primordial Dao Palace was responsible, and they originally intended to seek an explanation at Five Emperors Mountain but were blocked by my sect and the Dao De Sect."

"Although the Flying Sand Sect no longer has a Transformation God True Monarch, it remains a core component of the Myriad Stars Alliance. Furthermore, after Zuo Dongdu's death, the Five Directions Divine Sands he controlled were taken by Ming Zun, a matter the Flying Sand Sect has always been dissatisfied with."

"The Jade Mirror Demonic Sect has been strategically planning in the Desolate Sea for centuries, with their agents present in both the Myriad Stars Alliance and Myriad Immortals Island. This time, under their persuasion, the Myriad Stars Alliance is willing to stand by and allow the Myriad Demons of the Desolate Sea and the demonic path to join forces in attacking Dongzhou."

Dongzhou bordered the Profound Sea and the Desolate Sea. Within the Profound Sea was one of the most powerful demonic races, the Profound Dragon Royal Court, constantly monitored by several major Holy Lands. In the Desolate Sea, however, there had been no Transformation God existence since the ancestor of the Flying Sand Sect clashed with the Demon Venerable, so the Holy Lands had not established bridgeheads like Golden Crow Immortal City for defense.

"How did the Myriad Demons of the Desolate Sea get involved with the demonic path? Why would they be willing to attack Dongzhou with them? Their strength is enough to resist even the Myriad Stars Alliance, right? If one of your Holy Lands were to free up a hand, wouldn't they be seeking their own destruction?" Chen Mobai, however, noticed another issue from Ye Qing's words. Although the demonic royal courts and the demonic path often allied due to the dominant power of humanity, Chen Mobai couldn't fathom why the Myriad Demons of the Desolate Sea, who had been a scattered force since the disappearance of the Demon Venerable, were suddenly so united this time. Could it be that the Desolate Sea was truly so barren that they wanted to raid Dongzhou?

"The target of the Myriad Demons of the Desolate Sea is our Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect!" Ye Qing stated after a moment of silence. This made Chen Mobai and the other two even more curious.

At that moment, Chen Mobai's right hand, holding his tea, suddenly froze as a telepathic message from Ye Qing reached his ears: *The Demon Venerable, one of the World's Six Wonders, is suppressed in my sect's Sky-Reaching Dao Refining Pagoda. Brother Chen, you alone need to know this; do not inform others!* Chen Mobai quickly nodded as if nothing had happened. However, since the Myriad Demons of the Desolate Sea already knew, the secret probably wouldn't remain hidden for long.

Chen Mobai continued his telepathic conversation with Ye Qing.

Ye Qing's telepathic reply: *The Myriad Demons of the Desolate Sea don't know the full truth; the demonic path merely fabricated this to incite them to act...*

Ye Qing also seemed somewhat helpless; although the story was fabricated, the underlying truth was real. However, upon hearing this, Chen Mobai felt that someone on the demonic side must have known about the Demon Venerable being suppressed by the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect; otherwise, it couldn't be such a coincidence. Moreover, to make the Myriad Demons of the Desolate Sea believe, the demonic side must have provided sufficient evidence. If that were the case, wouldn't the existence of the Demon Venerable also need to be considered during the war between the righteous and demonic factions? Chen Mobai realized that in addition to Ming Zun and the Ghost God, there was also the Demon Venerable, one of the top Transformation God cultivators in the Heavenly River Realm and one of the World's Six Wonders. He suddenly felt that the righteous path might not be as certain of victory as they seemed.

Ye Qing's telepathic reply: *Once he entered the Sky-Reaching Dao Refining Pagoda, there's no need to worry about the Demon Venerable!*

Ye Qing sounded very confident when he said this. Chen Mobai had heard of this sixth-tier supreme treasure, which suppressed the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect's fortunes. In a sense, it was even the foremost supreme treasure in Dongzhou! Although the Patriarch of Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect took the three most powerful layers when he ascended, it remained a mid-grade sixth-tier supreme treasure. If the Demon Venerable could break free, he would have likely ascended to the Void Refinement stage long ago. Thinking of this, Chen Mobai felt a little relieved.

"This is Elder Su of your esteemed sect. My master asked me to return her to you, Brother Chen, after inquiring about the matter." After the two finished their telepathic conversation about the Demon Venerable, Ye Qing took out the Soul Nurturing Wood, which housed Su Zilu's Nascent Soul, and handed it to Chen Mobai.

"Greetings, Daoist Son!" Su Zilu immediately materialized and bowed respectfully to Chen Mobai. Seeing this, Zhou Shengqing was slightly startled. He recalled his own experience within the Soul Nurturing Wood, but if he wasn't mistaken, the person before him didn't seem to be a Dharma Body Nascent Soul.

Chen Mobai saw Su Zilu give a slight nod as a greeting, then immediately sent a telepathic message to Ye Qing: *Brother Ye, what does this mean?* He had handed Su Zilu over to the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect precisely because he didn't want to get involved with such a hot potato, so why had Ye Qing returned her?

Ye Qing's telepathic reply: *This is also my master's instruction. She said that if you want the Holy Spirit Pill in the future, her identity will be needed to help.*

Ye Qing conveyed Yuan Qingque's message to Chen Mobai via telepathy.

It turned out that Su Zilu and Primordial Daoist's movements were intercepted with too much precision by Ming Zun. Yuan Qingque suspected that there might be a demonic spy within the Primordial Dao Palace, but even Su Zilu, after lurking by Ming Zun's side for over a hundred years, hadn't been able to uncover anything. If Chen Mobai wanted to rightfully take charge of the Primordial Dao Palace in the future, this would be an excellent reason. With Yuan Qingque presiding over justice, once it was confirmed that Su Zilu was betrayed by an insider of the Primordial Dao Palace, Yuan Qingque would have a legitimate reason to entrust the Holy Spirit Pill to Chen Mobai, to prevent it from being tainted by demonic traces.

Yuan Qingque had even thought of the justification!Before his death, the previous Grand Elder of the Primordial Dao Palace discovered traces of the demonic path within the sect. To prevent the Holy Land from falling under demonic control, he instructed Grand Ancestor Hunyuan Li Zhongji, who was far away in the Eastern Wilderness, to inherit his mantle and continue the legacy of the Primordial Dao Palace. Subsequently, this mantle fell into Chen Mobai's hands, ensuring an orderly succession!Primordial Daoist Chen Qingdi truly lives up to his name!He rightfully deserves the Holy Spirit Pill to re-establish the Holy Land!

After hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. This was why one should respect seniors; Chen Mobai believed he could never have conceived of Yuan Qingque's plan in his lifetime. "Please convey my thanks to True Monarch Xuantian, Brother Ye!" Chen Mobai couldn't help but rise and bow to Ye Qing, who promptly avoided the gesture. "This is what you deserve, Brother Chen."

After finishing this matter, Ye Qing prepared to take his leave. Chen Mobai naturally tried to persuade him to stay, mentioning that he was about to refine a fourth-tier artifact and asking if Ye Qing was interested. "Can I also observe Brother Chen's artifact refining techniques?" Ye Qing indeed showed interest. During the last Big Dipper Assembly, Chen Mobai had refined the quasi-fifth-tier Grand Unity Five Smokes Robe in their Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect's courtyard. However, at that time, Ye Qing adhered to the rules and did not spy. Since Chen Mobai had now personally invited him, he naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity.

It just so happened that his Natal Flying Sword had shattered during his confrontation with Ming Zun, and he intended to find an excellent artifact refiner to help repair it, so he sought advice from Chen Mobai, a true expert. "If Brother Ye trusts me, leave it to me!" Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai certainly didn't decline. It wasn't that he looked down on Dongzhou's refiners, but simply that, one by one, none of them could compare to him.

"Will it be too much trouble for Brother Chen?" Even the top fifth-tier artifact refiners in Dongzhou required a great deal of mental effort, sometimes even years or more than a decade, to refine a fourth-tier artifact. The defensive artifact Chen Mobai was about to refine for Zhou Ye was even more challenging. Ye Qing wasn't doubting his skill, but rather feared that it would take too long. On the Eastern Lands' border, the righteous and demonic factions had already begun fighting, and Ye Qing would also be heading to the front lines in a year or two. He couldn't possibly use the Taihe Sword against every opponent, so he needed his Natal Flying Sword repaired as quickly as possible.

"When the time comes, I'll carefully inspect your flying sword to see what kind of repair plan it needs..." In the Immortal Sect, repairing flying swords varied in speed. Chen Mobai happened to have a Sword Washing Pool in Wanhua Immortal City, which was most effective for nurturing and repairing flying swords. However, he still needed to thoroughly examine Ye Qing's flying sword with the *Cantong Qi* to determine its exact condition. Since this required full concentration, it would be done after he finished refining the artifact for Zhou Ye.

The day of refining quickly arrived. Nearly eight thousand cultivators, including artifact refiners from the Five Elements Sect, top students from various academies, and other Five Elements Sect elders who came to observe, packed the venue where Chen Mobai was to refine. Due to the Five Elements Sect's positive atmosphere and frequent mutual assistance, almost any refiner could reach the second tier.

Zhou Ye personally led the Earth Meridian disciples to maintain order on site. Chen Mobai reached out and lifted the roof of the originally enclosed refining workshop, allowing everyone to clearly witness his process of quenching, fusing materials, and engraving restrictions and formations using earth fire. The refining techniques Chen Mobai demonstrated were all written in the Five Elements Sect's textbooks. They were new refining techniques he had synthesized, using Dongzhou's local refining methods as the outer skin and the Immortal Sect's refining knowledge as the core.

Each piece of material was refined using the most suitable technique. To ensure reproducibility, Chen Mobai did not use Grand Pure Fire in this step but instead used the most common earth fire. This was also the main purpose of his public refining session. Unfortunately, most of the Five Elements Sect's refiners merely found this step impressive without truly contemplating and comprehending it.

After material processing came the most anticipated refining stage. Chen Mobai saw everyone staring wide-eyed at this step. In reality, ninety percent of the refining process had already been completed during material preparation. It could only be said that cultivating artifact refining talents in the Eastern Wilderness was a long and arduous journey. For this particular step, Chen Mobai used Grand Pure Fire, as the power of this artifact was crucial to Zhou Ye's life.

The people of the Five Elements Sect had never witnessed such a miraculous refining process. Each lick of flame, each strike of the hammer, revealed an indescribable sense of rhythm and beauty. This step lasted the longest, yet it was merely a mechanical reproduction of the pre-designed elements from the blueprints using the materials. The only true difficulty lay in progressively engraving the restrictive spells, which were the source of the artifact's power.

"It's done," Chen Mobai said softly a month later. The Grand Pure Fire in his hand gradually extinguished, and a shield in his grip emitted a dazzling light. The light then receded, revealing a combined pentagon shape. This shield was specifically customized for Zhou Ye's Five Elements True Qi cultivation. After refinement, it could split into five, forming a shield array protecting all four directions, or the five elements could merge, concentrating all defensive power into one point.

The materials used for refining were purchased by Zhou Ye during the Big Dipper Assembly. Due to his limited resources, although most were fourth-tier, a small portion were still peak third-tier. Even so, the shield's quality still reached the middle-grade fourth-tier level. Chen Mobai was still slightly dissatisfied with this. The conditions here ultimately limited the full display of his refining techniques. If it were in the Immortal Sect, it wouldn't just be a barely middle-grade fourth-tier; it might even achieve high-grade fourth-tier. Of course, Chen Mobai's own skill level was also crucial. Compared to grandmasters like Venerable Chengxuan, he was still far from their level; if the latter were present, these materials would have guaranteed high-grade fourth-tier artifacts at minimum.

However, all the Five Elements Sect members who had observed Chen Mobai's entire refining process were wide-eyed with amazement. Even Ye Qing, the Daoist Son of the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect, was utterly shocked. "Brother Chen, your artifact refining skills can probably be called the best in Dongzhou!"

Although the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect's most formidable artifact refiner was also claimed to be fifth-tier, he had achieved that status in Zhongzhou, and his most outstanding work was a high-grade fourth-tier flying sword. However, Ye Qing knew this was due to that elder having refined flying swords his entire life, achieving proficiency through practice. Among all artifacts, defensive artifacts were the most difficult, and Chen Mobai's Five Directions Shield, being a formation-artifact fusion, was even more challenging to refine. Ye Qing pondered over all the artifact refiners he knew in Dongzhou, and he concluded that, apart from the one from the Primordial Dao Palace whom he hadn't met, no one could compare to Chen Mobai.

"Oh, come now. There's always someone better. Venerable Yuanhuo of the Profound Fire Sect, whom I met at the Big Dipper Assembly, also has quite good refining skills," Chen Mobai said with a slight smile. He then infused his Primordial True Qi into the newly refined Five Directions Shield and demonstrated it on the spot.

After deploying the shield as a formation, Chen Mobai asked Zhou Ye to attack. Zhou Ye bowed, then brought his Natal Artifact, a heavy hammer, down upon it. With that one strike, however, Zhou Ye himself was sent flying backward by the recoil, and his heavy hammer was absorbed by the Five Directions Shield. "Thank you, Junior Martial Brother Sect Master!" Zhou Ye exclaimed happily after flying back, ignoring his disheveled appearance as he picked up his heavy hammer and then took the shield.

After informing him of the refining incantation, Chen Mobai left Sheng Zhaoxi to handle the Five Elements Sect's artifact refiners. He then took Ye Qing to Wanhua Immortal City!