Chapter 973: Cultivating Swordsmanship and Accepting Disciples

Ye Qing’s visit to the Eastern Barrens truly broadened his horizons.

Whether it was Beiyuan City, with its unimaginably high housing prices, Huozhen Immortal City, dedicated solely to artifact refinement, or Wanhua Immortal City, specializing in alchemy, all were planned very differently from the cities in the Eastern Lands.

Even the Daoist Sect’s Immortal City, renowned for alchemy in the Tianhe Realm, did not configure its city so singularly focused on alchemy. This was because, according to the experience of the major holy lands, a city with a single function would be easily breached if it needed to activate its protective grand array during wartime.

For this reason, Immortal Cities in the Eastern Lands ensured they hosted a variety of professions, even if it meant operating at a loss.

"Mainly, it's because my Eastern Barrens is remote, and the threat of war has long been eliminated by me, allowing us to experiment with specializing different industries and planning these professionalized immortal cities..." Chen Mobai gave a brief introduction, and with Ye Qing's intelligence, he quickly understood.

Such a system could only be implemented in a unified region.

As they spoke, the two, guided by Xueting, passed through bustling markets and arrived at a spacious courtyard within the city. Inside, there was a pool of shimmering turquoise water.

This was the Sword-Washing Pond.

Previously, when Zi Dian and Qing Shuang were being nurtured in the Sword-Washing Pond, they would fly up to the Ninefold Heavenly Gang during the day to condense Doushuai Fire, and then descend at night to be cleansed in the pond.

"This is a secret technique passed down by the Longevity Sect, but each activation requires many precious spirit herbs..." Chen Mobai pointed to the Sword-Washing Pond, which was wreathed in medicinal mist and shimmering with spiritual light, and briefly explained its function. He then asked Ye Qing to take out his life-bound flying sword.

"Such an astonishing method for nurturing swords exists?" Ye Qing was greatly surprised to hear that a flying sword, after prolonged immersion in the Sword-Washing Pond, would not only become purer and more refined but could also develop sentience.

Chen Mobai took the flying sword, which had been shattered and then painstakingly pieced back together. He felt the faint sword intent lingering on it and ran his hand over each crack, sensing the sword intent while also assessing the sword's repair status.

"Elder Shang Congyan of my sect helped me repair this. However, due to the severe damage, this is the best it can be in the short term..." Shang Congyan was the fifth-tier artifact refiner from the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect. During the righteous-demonic war, he was brought to the front lines by Yuan Qingque to oversee the supply and repair of various magical artifacts, making him extremely busy.

Only because of Ye Qing's special status did Shang Congyan rush back from the front to help him repair his life-bound flying sword.

Nevertheless, according to Shang Congyan, a complete repair of the sword would require an overhaul, replacing the entire blade's material. However, this would cause the nurtured sentience to vanish, and Ye Qing, as the sword's master, would suffer a significant loss of vitality for some time.

If it were merely patched up without a thorough repair, the sword's sentience, though damaged, would be partially retained. In the future, as Ye Qing's cultivation improved, it might still advance, but the effort would yield half the results.

Based on the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect's long-standing experience, for a more promising future, such a situation necessitated a painful but complete repair.

However, since it was the critical period of the righteous-demonic war and Ye Qing, as a Daozi, needed to go to the battlefield as soon as possible, it was only temporarily repaired in this manner.

"It can be repaired!" After Chen Mobai's inspection, he delivered a conclusion that brought a look of relief to Ye Qing's face.

"Brother Chen, how long will it take?" Ye Qing could wait at most one or two years; if it took longer, he would have to wait until after the war to seek Chen Mobai's help for the repair.

"If I exert myself fully and expend some mental energy, it should be repaired within a year." This was a longer period than when Chen Mobai helped Zhou refine the Five-Directional Shield, but repairs were inherently more troublesome and difficult than crafting something new. Ye Qing understood this and was greatly surprised and delighted upon hearing it.

"Then I'll trouble you, Brother Chen. Please accept these. If it's not enough, I'll provide more when I visit next time." As he spoke, Ye Qing produced ten top-grade spirit stones.

When Chen Mobai had just introduced the Sword-Washing Pond, he mentioned that many spirit herbs needed to be melted into liquid to achieve the best sword-nurturing effect. Given Ye Qing's status, he naturally wanted the very best effect.

Upon seeing the ten top-grade spirit stones, Xueting, who had been standing nearby, couldn't help but gasp, shocked by Ye Qing's extravagance.

Even Chen Mobai, though his expression remained normal, felt a slight twitch in his eyelid.

"No problem at all, Brother Ye. I'll certainly give it my all." Chen Mobai quickly responded, then immediately wrote out a list of additional ingredients and handed it to Xueting, instructing her to retrieve the herbs needed to fully activate the Sword-Washing Pond's power.

"Brother Chen, to be honest, although I faced a life-and-death crisis this time, I also turned misfortune into a blessing. Not only did I comprehend the 'One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Spells' technique, but I also sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough. As soon as my life-bound flying sword recovers, I can achieve sword-human unity and advance to the late Nascent Soul stage." With only the two of them present, Ye Qing spoke frankly to Chen Mobai, explaining the immense importance of this matter to him.

His physical injuries had practically recovered with Yuan Qingque's help, and his comprehension of sword arts had advanced significantly. However, due to the damage to his life-bound flying sword, his spiritual state had a flaw, preventing him from achieving complete essence, qi, and spirit.

If his life-bound flying sword could not be repaired, he would have to wait until after the righteous-demonic war to resolve this issue.

This was also the drawback of life-bound magical artifacts.

By this time, Chen Mobai had meticulously inspected the sword using the *Cantong Qi* technique and discovered that the internal structure of the blade had sustained severe damage, with a vast and overwhelming sword intent lingering within.

This sword intent was different from the one lingering on the outside of the blade; it was clearly the sword intent of a Dao Fruit.

"Please, Brother Chen, ensure that my own sword intent remains dominant..." Ye Qing clearly wished to retain a glimmer of hope for transcending in his future Dao path, and Chen Mobai certainly respected his client's wishes.

As Chen Mobai spoke, he gently placed the flying sword into the Sword-Washing Pond. The water immediately rippled, and streams of spiritual energy surged from the bottom of the pond, slowly enveloping the flying sword.

"Sect Master, here are the herbs you requested!" At this moment, Xueting returned and handed a storage bag to Chen Mobai. He took it, extracted thousands of herbs from within, refined their essence with Doushuai Fire, and then, in sequence, added them to the Sword-Washing Pond.

Witnessing this scene further broadened Ye Qing's horizons. Using precious herbs to cleanse flying swords and enhance their sentience was considered a secret technique among sword cultivators. However, even the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect had only identified a few hundred types of herbs for this purpose.

This was Ye Qing's first time seeing such a vast quantity, like Chen Mobai's.

However, Ye Qing did not know that, in reality, only about a hundred types of herbs were sufficient. But Chen Mobai didn't want Ye Qing to feel that the ten top-grade spirit stones were wasted, so he had Xueting procure ten times the amount of herbs.

Furthermore, if this technique were to spread, many sword cultivators would undoubtedly seek him out. Chen Mobai intended to set a high barrier first, to avoid having every impoverished sword cultivator come knocking.

As various herbs were integrated, Chen Mobai also performed his artifact refinement techniques, imprinting delicate seals into the pond water, guiding the spiritual liquid within the Sword-Washing Pond to merge with the damaged parts of the flying sword.

Ye Qing, however, self-consciously turned his head away, choosing not to watch, regrettably missing Chen Mobai's fluid and effortless operation.

Time passed little by little, and the flying sword in the pond water gradually began to emit a brighter glow. Tiny cracks, discernible only by divine sense, were gradually healing, and the previously scattered sword intent began to continuously condense.

Three hours later, Chen Mobai let out a long breath. Reaching out to touch the sword's body, he felt the faint, dormant sentience within showing signs of awakening. This indicated that his efforts had not been in vain; with continued nurturing, this flying sword would eventually be fully restored, perhaps even sharper and purer than before.

Ye Qing took the flying sword, and with sword-human unity, he immediately felt the flaw in his spiritual state showing signs of mending. Overjoyed, he repeatedly thanked Chen Mobai.

"Brother Chen, I owe you a great favor again!" Ye Qing said sincerely.

"Between us, there's no need for such formality."

As Ye Qing was leaving, he asked Chen Mobai if he needed any precious herbs, such as the Golden Light Grass from the Big Dipper Grand Assembly.

There were still over a dozen fifth-tier Golden Light Grass plants in the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect's herb gardens. Ye Qing had previously used this to help Yuan Zhen exchange for a bottle of Three-Light Divine Water.

Given his status, acquiring one or two more plants would not be an issue.

The faint sentience in Ye Qing's life-bound flying sword had been nurtured with this very herb.

Chen Mobai naturally wouldn't refuse. After this pool of medicinal liquid finished repairing Ye Qing's life-bound flying sword, he could use it to soak Mo Douguang's Longevity Sword, which might even upgrade it.

After placing the flying sword back into the Sword-Washing Pond, Ye Qing bade farewell.

As a Daozi of the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect, he had many matters to attend to.

Chen Mobai personally escorted him to Beiyuan City.

Wanhua Immortal City!

After instructing Qing Nu to enter seclusion to refine her sword, Chen Mobai retrieved Ye Qing's life-bound flying sword from the Sword-Washing Pond. This flying sword, named "Floating Cloud," was of quasi-fifth-tier quality.

The extent of the Floating Cloud Sword's damage meant that only Chen Mobai could repair it.

To ensure perfection, Chen Mobai naturally needed to thoroughly assess all aspects of the sword.

As the *Heaven-Severing One-Line Longevity Sword Intent* circulated, an invisible force surged from his fingertips and entered the Floating Cloud Sword suspended in his palm.

Gradually, the sword body began to tremble slightly, emitting a faint glow—the damaged, weak sentience being awakened.

Under Chen Mobai's skillful touch, he quickly resonated with this wisp of sentience. Images appeared in his mind: the process of Ye Qing, starting from nothing, cultivating his sword intent with this very sword.

Ye Qing cultivated the "Unprepared Sword Art," and his sword intent, naturally evolved from it, was also named "Floating Cloud."

It was a sharp yet pure sword intent, like the first ray of sunlight in the morning mountains, bright but not dazzling.

Chen Mobai began to slowly intercept this sword intent. As he already possessed a considerable level of swordsmanship, he understood it very quickly.

After understanding everything about this flying sword, he began the repair process. The Floating Cloud Sword's glow intensified, and its faint sentience began to recover in the most suitable environment. The medicinal liquid in the Sword-Washing Pond transformed into strands of rich, colorful essence, integrating into the blade's cracks to aid in healing.

Gradually, the sentience within the Floating Cloud Sword shifted from dormancy to activity, like a dust-covered gem slowly being polished to reveal its brilliance.

During this process, the surface cracks on the Floating Cloud Sword disappeared, but those inside remained unaffected, due to another powerful sword intent entrenched within.

This was the sword intent of the Taihe Dao Fruit. Although filtered by Ye Qing's body to only a fifth-tier level, it was still beyond what the Floating Cloud Sword could withstand.

Chen Mobai knew this was why other artifact refiners in Eastern Continent had been unable to repair the sword.

And he happened to possess the means to counteract it.

The *Heaven-Severing One-Line Longevity Sword Intent* circulated, preparing to extract this sword intent.

Chen Mobai was extremely cautious during this process. Even if it meant being slower, extracting it bit by bit, he had to ensure safety.

After all, if this Taihe Sword Intent were to explode, his Longevity Sword Intent might only be damaged, but the Floating Cloud Sword would definitely be beyond repair.

He closed his eyes slightly, his mind focused. The *Heaven-Severing One-Line Longevity Sword Intent*, like an invisible thread, slowly penetrated the sword body, making contact with the Taihe Sword Intent.

However, Chen Mobai discovered that his perfected fourth-tier Longevity Sword Intent was slowly weakening and diminishing during the extraction process.

This situation was very similar to when he extracted "Dao Annihilation" from the Profound Finger Sword, indicating the immense power of the Taihe Sword Intent.

With the Grand Dao Tree present, Chen Mobai didn't worry about damage to his Longevity Sword Intent, so he paid no mind to it and continued to attempt contact.

After a considerable period of probing, he finally succeeded in extracting the first wisp of Taihe Sword Intent.

Compared to Ye Qing's Floating Cloud Sword Intent, the Taihe Sword Intent carried a greater sense of freedom and detachment, along with an awe-inspiring power that could cut through all obstacles.

After comprehending the reflection, Chen Mobai's Myriad Sword Dharma Body manifested behind him. He integrated the extracted sword intent into it, transforming it into a seed of sword intent.

With the first success achieved, Chen Mobai fully grasped the subtle process.

Subsequently, each of his extractions was perfectly executed, neither too much nor too little.

As time passed, the Taihe Sword Intent was peeled away little by little, and the internal damage to the Floating Cloud Sword slowly began to show signs of healing.

During this process, the Floating Cloud Sword's sentience also recognized this and actively assisted Chen Mobai in extracting the Taihe Sword Intent.

Twenty days later, Chen Mobai had extracted all the Taihe Sword Intent into his Myriad Sword Dharma Body. He let out a soft breath, knowing that the most difficult hurdle had passed.

Next, he began meticulously repairing the Floating Cloud Sword's damage using the essence of the medicinal liquid from the Sword-Washing Pond. Under his exquisite artifact refinement techniques, the medicinal liquid gradually nourished the sword body, healing every crack.

When the last crack was perfectly repaired, the Floating Cloud Sword emitted a crisp hum, a sign of gratitude from its sword spirit.

Chen Mobai gently stroked the sword body. There were no longer any gaps or nicks on the blade; it was smooth as new, and the sword intent had become even more condensed.

Confirming that the main repair work was complete, he nodded and placed the Floating Cloud Sword back into the Sword-Washing Pond.

Streams of spiritual liquid surged from the pond, surrounding the flying sword, beginning its nourishment.

This process was also crucial, akin to the recovery and recuperation steps after a major surgery on a human body.

If the recuperation was not thorough, all previous repair efforts would be wasted.

As the essence of the herbs continuously merged into the sword body through the Sword-Washing Pond, the Floating Cloud Sword's glow became increasingly brighter. Chen Mobai turned around, re-adjusted a list of herbs, and handed it to Xueting, who had been observing nearby.

"You'll be busy from now on. Remember the order on this list, extract the herbs, and add them one by one to maintain the efficacy of the medicinal liquid in the pond..." Chen Mobai had too many pressing matters to attend to; supervising sword nourishment, a minor task, was certainly not something he could do himself.

Xueting was meticulous in her work and had previous experience caring for the Azure Frost Sword, so he felt completely at ease.

"Yes, Sect Master!"

After exiting seclusion, Chen Mobai went to find Qing Nu.

At the Big Dipper Grand Assembly this time, she acquired many precious herbs through the Daoist Sect's channels. While Chen Mobai was repairing the sword, she multitasked, simultaneously refining two batches of pills: one batch of Pure Yang Condensing True Pills, and the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills were for the Xingtiandao Sect. When he left Stone City, Xingji had already sent someone to deliver the herbs from Chen Mobai's list to him.

With both batches of pills, Qing Nu could flawlessly refine ten supreme-grade, toxin-free pills even with her eyes closed. They were currently being nurtured, awaiting the right moment to be taken out.

"This Purple Spirit Pill might require quite a few attempts before a fourth-tier version can be refined." When Chen Mobai arrived, Qing Nu was processing the ingredients for another batch of pills.

The Purple Spirit Pill was specifically for enhancing divine sense in the Immortal Gate, with the main ingredient being the essence blood of the Dark Purple Heavenly Scorpion, which Chen Mobai had slain in the Barren Ruins. However, the Immortal Gate's version only went up to the second-tier, so after Qing Nu improved the pill recipe, practical experimentation was still needed.

Fortunately, resources were abundant in Eastern Continent. After Qing Nu posted a mission at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, many people quickly brought second-tier Dark Purple Heavenly Scorpion essence blood.

Furthermore, when the Five Elements Sect heard it was her mission, Yue Zutao specifically made a trip to the Eastern Lands and used the Five Elements Chamber of Commerce's channels to purchase a third-tier Dark Purple Heavenly Scorpion corpse.

When Chen Mobai arrived, it was precisely Qing Nu's first attempt. Their combined efforts naturally led to an easy success, but not only was the pill toxicity excessive, they also found that the scorpion venom in the pills had not been completely processed.

"It seems there's an issue with these three herbs; they need to be replaced with alternatives..." Chen Mobai, who personally ingested the experimental pill and then used the *Phoenix Facing the Sun Chart* to expel all toxins from his body, shared his findings.

Qing Nu noted it down, then re-derived the pill recipe and instructed her subordinates to prepare the ingredients for the second batch.

"Oh, right, I was at Golden Light Cliff earlier..." At this moment, Chen Mobai remembered Jin Ling'er. As a Heavenly Golden Spiritual Root, she was nearing the crucial moment of Foundation Establishment, and it was time to take her in as a disciple for careful cultivation.

"Time truly flies; twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye." Upon hearing this, Qing Nu's face also showed a hint of emotion.

Back then, when she and Chen Mobai first saw Shi Yukes at Golden Light Cliff, she was still an infant.

"Since Senior Brother Mo isn't taking her, then I'll accept her as my disciple. However, I'm not very knowledgeable about Metal-attribute cultivation methods..." Qing Nu was naturally very willing to take in a disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, but she also expressed her concerns to Chen Mobai.

"Let's call her over for a meeting first; she's right next door."

Xue County, where Wanhua Immortal City was located, bordered Feng County, home to Golden Light Cliff. With a single decree from Chen Mobai, Ning Leshan soon personally brought Shi Yukes here.

"Greetings, Sect Master! Greetings, Sect Master's Wife!" After Ning Leshan and Shi Yukes bowed, he retreated to the side.

"The last time I gave you two paths, have you made a choice?" Chen Mobai asked first. Shi Yukes nodded lightly, then replied, "This disciple wants both!"

Hearing this, Chen Mobai was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter.

"Excellent, excellent! Ambitious!"

The White Emperor Military Dharma Scroll of the Longevity Sect was a combat technique that could condense the aura of solemn austerity between heaven and earth, transforming it into a Military God Dharma Aspect. When applied to a war formation, its power could be doubled.

Conversely, with the augmentation of a war formation, the power of the Military God Dharma Aspect could also surge dramatically.

It was for this reason that when Duan Shuyu first joined the sect, Chen Mobai imparted the White Emperor Military Dharma Scroll to him. Duan Shuyu, worthy of being a Metal Spirit Body and having achieved a hundred victories in a hundred battles in the mortal world, had long cultivated an invincible battlefield aura. Although he was already advanced in age when he began cultivating, he was exceptionally compatible with this cultivation method, making Foundation Establishment easy.

"The path of immortality is boundless. Even with the highest talent, those with Heavenly Spiritual Roots find it difficult to reach the end. If you try to balance both the White Emperor Military Dharma Scroll and the path of sword cultivation, it could delay you for a very long time, possibly even stopping you before the Nascent Soul stage." At this moment, Qing Nu spoke.

As a cultivator from the Immortal Gate, she naturally understood that specializing in one area was the way to reach the pinnacle, especially in the path of sword cultivation.

"This disciple wishes to try!" After hearing this, Shi Yukes hesitated for a moment but ultimately spoke with a determined expression.

[With her talent, a delay of a decade or two wouldn't be a big problem. And if her talent is too outstanding, some tempering might even be good for her!] Qing Nu looked at Chen Mobai, who transmitted this message to her.

For sword cultivation to progress, besides anomalies like Chen Mobai with his Grand Dao Tree, most practitioners require pure intent. Chen Mobai believed that after Shi Yukes achieved Foundation Establishment, she would quickly realize that cultivating two paths simultaneously, even with her talent, would be impossible.

"Are you willing to take me as your master?" Hearing Chen Mobai's suggestion, Qing Nu no longer tried to dissuade her. She smiled and asked Shi Yukes.

"This disciple greets Master!" Shi Yukes did not hesitate. On the way here, Ning Leshan had already explained the circumstances of her birth, so she knew that the one she was to apprentice under was the gentle and refined wife of the Sect Master.

"The White Emperor Military Dharma Scroll requires condensing an aura of solemn austerity. I will first impart the cultivation method to you..." As Qing Nu, she had long since reviewed the Five Elements Immortal Scripture. After accepting Shi Yukes as a disciple, she rarely felt the sensation of being a mentor.

Chen Mobai, meanwhile, took this opportunity to return to the Immortal Gate.

The righteous-demonic war had already begun on the Eastern Lands' border. According to Ye Qing's information, Eastern Wu was about to face attacks from the demonic path and the myriad demons of the Barren Sea. He had already notified the major families of Eastern Wu to establish defensive lines along the coast, and if necessary, the Five Elements Sect would provide support.

The most formidable opponent this time was the old demon from the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect.

This individual had already reached the perfected Nascent Soul stage centuries ago and could even unleash the power of a Spirit Transformation cultivator using secret techniques. Although Chen Mobai's Pure Yang Scroll restrained him, Chen Mobai still hoped to enhance his own strength.

His own cultivation realm certainly couldn't be improved in a short period. He could only see if he could use the Innate Turbid Yin Qi to elevate his Myriad Sword Dharma Body to the next level.

If his Myriad Sword Dharma Body reached perfected fourth-tier, Chen Mobai felt he could consider using this Dharma Body to attempt absorbing and refining the Heavenly Venerate Dao Fruit within the Grand Dao Tree.

"Hall Master, here is the list of the top ten Baleful Qi Energy companies in the Immortal Gate!" Inside the Hall of Righteous Law, Zhuang Jialan handed a thick stack of documents to Chen Mobai as instructed.

Chen Mobai's idea was to downgrade the Innate Turbid Yin Qi, combine it with acquired Five Elements essence qi, and condense it into the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Qi.

However, this process would definitely require continuous experimentation.

Venerable Yuanxu was the best candidate, but Chen Mobai was not yet at the Spirit Transformation stage, so he dared not entrust the Innate Turbid Yin Qi to him.

Besides Venerable Yuanxu, there were these Baleful Qi Energy companies. For greater profits, they were constantly experimenting with the proportions of Five Elements essence qi, hoping to save on raw materials for artificially synthesizing Earthly Fiend Qi.

Among them, the top two of the ten Baleful Qi Energy companies, "Xian Ling Hua" and "Xian Ling You," had the Immortal Gate and Butian Dao Academy as their major shareholders, dominating 95% of the Immortal Gate's energy market. The remaining eight companies competed for the other 5%. Moreover, the list of these eight companies frequently changed, with new companies potentially replacing them at any time.

For example, Yan Bingxuan's Xuanshuang Company was a rising star in recent years.

Chen Mobai's goal was to select a few of these companies and have them experiment with new formulas for the seventy-two types of Earthly Fiend Qi.

Among these, the two giants, "Xian Ling Hua" and "Xian Ling You," were certainly excluded first, followed by those with backgrounds from other Dao Academies. The remaining ones would be easy for someone of Chen Mobai's status to control.

"These few will do." Soon, Chen Mobai selected five companies. To avoid any unforeseen complications, he did not choose Xuanshuang Company.

"Understood, Hall Master. Shall I personally negotiate with the representatives of these companies then?" Zhuang Jialan asked after taking the documents.

"Let my cousin establish a company to handle the liaison. If there's anything she can't manage, then you can step in." Chen Mobai thought of Wang Xinying. After successfully forming her Golden Core, she was somewhat idle.