Chapter 234: Long Life Tree Fruit

The second level of the Divine Manipulation Art, Spirit Splitting and Thought Transformation, requires one to cleave their own spiritual consciousness.

Chen Mobai had researched this online, and according to practitioners, the pain was beyond what any ordinary person could endure. It was described as a severe blow to the head, and even with the help of Nianxiang, a month of recovery was necessary to overcome the period of weakness following the spiritual consciousness split.

Although Chen Mobai was confident in himself, he still felt some apprehension about the intense, unknown pain. Therefore, he decided it would be best to conduct a small experiment before attempting the full spiritual consciousness split. Splitting the Aoteng seedling, which had materialized from his spiritual consciousness, would surely be painful. Perhaps picking a flower or fruit from it first would be less painful?

As Chen Mobai thought this, his spiritual consciousness stirred slightly. He felt a faint pricking sensation on his forehead, like a fine needle, and the pain was almost imperceptible. The flower-fruit then detached from the top of the Aoteng seedling and settled on the edge of his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness. As the Divine Manipulation Art operated, the nurturing effect of Nianxiang began to take hold.

Chen Mobai watched as the Aoteng seedling's flower-fruit quickly transformed into a seed, then rooted and sprouted, growing one, two, then three tender shoots. This meant that the spiritual consciousness he had split off had, in a short time, grown to a level equivalent to the eighth stage of Qi Cultivation. His original main spiritual consciousness, however, suffered almost no damage, weakening by only about ten to twenty percent. It remained at the Foundation Establishment level.

Compared to the severe vitality depletion, clouded consciousness, and unbearable pain described by others who had cultivated the Divine Manipulation Art, he felt as if he had merely broken a sweat after a workout. Although he didn't understand the underlying principle, Chen Mobai ceased splitting his spiritual consciousness and continued to observe the sapling that had grown from the original Aoteng seedling's flower-fruit.

Half a month later.

Chen Mobai sat upright in his wooden cabin, facing the Formless Puppet. Their four eyes met, and the sensation of looking at himself was quite novel. The second level of the Divine Manipulation Art, "Spirit Splitting and Thought Transformation," had been mastered. Although he didn't know the reason, Chen Mobai didn't delve deeper into it. The outcome was good, and there was no period of weakness.

He speculated that it might be due to the Jadeite Wutong's flower-fruit, which was originally a spiritual medicine for enhancing spiritual consciousness; for instance, the Pure Fire Pill was primarily refined from it. Therefore, by chance, using the Aoteng seedling's flower-fruit for Spirit Splitting and Thought Transformation, he had inadvertently discovered a secret technique for cultivating the Divine Manipulation Art.

Next, he only needed to nurture this new sapling with his thoughts again. Once it also blossomed and bore fruit, he could then cultivate the third level of the Divine Manipulation Art, "Spirit Fusion and Unification." Since he was already at the Foundation Establishment level and his main spiritual consciousness was not weakened, he only needed to focus his energy on enhancing the spiritual consciousness of the new sapling. He estimated it would take at most two or three years to complete. He might even be able to halve the time if he took medicinal pills to assist.

Just as he was about to practice the tactic of having the Formless Puppet and his main body attack in tandem again, a transmission talisman flew to his door. It was his disciple, Zhuo Ming, knocking. Since he had already stated before his seclusion that he would be cultivating spells, Zhuo Ming would certainly not disturb him without an important reason. So Chen Mobai immediately ceased his cultivation, recalled the spiritual consciousness attached to the Formless Puppet, stood up, and opened the formation.

"I apologize for disturbing you, Master."

"It's alright. Is there something wrong?"

"Senior Brother Yuan... no, Martial Uncle Yuan has successfully established his Foundation. Martial Uncle E Yun sent a message, inviting you to celebrate with them."

This was indeed good news. As someone from the same faction, Chen Mobai certainly had to go.

"Hmm, go to Xiaoyang Ridge and dig up a jar of spiritual wine I buried last year, then come with me."

"Yes, Master."

In the evening, Chen Mobai brought his disciple to Shenmu City. It was still E Yun's courtyard. Under the large tree in the center of the courtyard, the three of them sat around a small square table, drinking and chatting merrily.

"My successful Foundation Establishment this time is largely thanks to your Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf, Senior Brother E. It's just a pity..."

Chen Mobai had arrived late and only understood the reason after Yuan Chizhi explained. It turned out that when Yuan Chizhi reached the Qi Condensation to Liquid Transformation stage of Foundation Establishment, even with thorough preparations, he had only managed to condense six drops of liquid spiritual power before his strength gave out. Just as he was about to fail, the Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf E Yun had given him suddenly flew up on its own, merging into his Dantian. It released a large amount of pure wood spiritual energy, helping him complete the Qi Condensation to Liquid Transformation. It then rushed into his Purple Mansion, protecting Yuan Chizhi's spiritual consciousness as it left his body, completing the leap in essence, qi, and spirit, and advancing him to Foundation Establishment.

"Since this 'Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf' shone brightly in your hands, it's clear it was destined for you," E Yun said. "There's no need to blame yourself; just use it."

Although E Yun had a faint wry smile, he gracefully bestowed the fortuitous encounter he had gained from the Divine Tree Secret Realm upon Yuan Chizhi. There was no other choice but to give it, as after Foundation Establishment, this "Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf" had merged with Yuan Chizhi's essence, qi, and spirit, much like a Natal Artifact. If E Yun were to forcibly reclaim this spiritual item, it would destroy Yuan Chizhi's Dao foundation. No matter how reluctant he was, he could still distinguish between what was important and what was not.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for your kindness. Henceforth, I shall gladly serve you as a loyal servant."

For Yuan Chizhi, E Yun's kindness was truly immense. Without the Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf, he would not have succeeded in Foundation Establishment this time. Although he was old enough to contend for the next batch of Foundation Establishment Pills refined from Jade Marrow Golden Ganoderma, he definitely would not have been able to enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm.

"Is this Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf truly so miraculous?" Chen Mobai mused. "If combined with a Foundation Establishment Pill, wouldn't it ensure successful Foundation Establishment?" Chen Mobai, however, thought of another angle and brought up a key point that neither E Yun nor Yuan Chizhi had noticed.

"I will write a report on this matter for the Sect Master," E Yun said, "and it might later be placed in the library for future generations to consult." E Yun explained that since the fortuitous encounters each person gained in the Divine Tree Secret Realm were generally different, and it seemed only he had ever obtained a Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf, whether this idea was truly feasible still lacked sufficient samples for verification. However, Zhuo Ming, who was pouring wine nearby, had her eyes sparkling and made a mental note of this spiritual item. The Heavenly Cicada Spiritual Leaf!

"It's just a pity that Junior Brother Niu failed to establish his Foundation." The three then spoke of Niu Longyuan, another true disciple from their faction and a member of the Spirit Beast Department. He didn't have Yuan Chizhi's good fortune; although he had also made many preparations, he ultimately failed to cross that hurdle.

"Oh, by the way, Junior Brother Chen," E Yun began, "Junior Sister Ding came to me a few days ago, saying she had a misunderstanding with you previously and wanted me to help clarify things."

This Junior Sister Ding was, of course, Ding Ying. After the sect's grand competition, she had immediately entered seclusion and taken a Foundation Establishment Pill. Unfortunately, her foundation was insufficient and her fortune lacking, so she failed.

"I haven't taken it to heart for a long time," Chen Mobai replied. Those minor matters from back then were like fleeting clouds after Chen Mobai advanced to Foundation Establishment. Besides, Ding Ying and he never really had any serious grievances. To be fair, it was he who had rashly sought her out, and at that time, Chen Mobai's status was indeed not high enough, so it was normal for her to look down on him.

"That's good then," E Yun said. "Junior Sister Ding heard you were looking for materials to make talisman brushes. Coincidentally, she had collected some wolf bristles in her early years and had some left over after making her own. She entrusted me to give them to you." E Yun handed over a box of wolf bristles. Chen Mobai examined them and found the quality to be even slightly better than the Profound Spirit Rabbit fur he possessed. Having been the chief of the Talisman Forging Department for so many years, anything Ding Ying deemed worthy of keeping would naturally not be of poor quality.

"Senior Sister Ding and I truly have no grievances; it's fine now that we've cleared things up," Chen Mobai said, pushing the box back. "I won't accept the item."

After establishing his Foundation, Chen Mobai felt his perspective needed to be broader, so he pushed the box of wolf bristles back.

"Junior Brother Chen, only if you accept it will Junior Sister Ding be at ease," E Yun gently explained, pointing out the core issue. "Her talent is not bad; if she gets another Foundation Establishment Pill in the next round, she's very likely to succeed. I can't bear for her to live in constant fear."

Chen Mobai considered it from the perspective of cultivators in the Tianhe Realm and couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. Indeed, if he didn't accept this box of wolf bristles, Ding Ying would believe he still harbored resentment over her past ridicule. Even as a true disciple, the thought of a promising Foundation Establishment Elder bearing a grudge against her would surely leave her in constant dread. If her mindset was slightly weaker, it might even ruin her cultivation for life.

"Very well," Chen Mobai conceded. "Since Senior Brother says so, I'll accept it." Chen Mobai accepted E Yun's suggestion, thus resolving another karmic entanglement.

Next, the three discussed the results of this batch of true disciples taking the Foundation Establishment Pill. Besides Yuan Chizhi, five others successfully established their Foundation, but three of them were taking the Foundation Establishment Pill for the second time. That meant a total of four people would enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm. Chen Mobai calculated the success rate: excluding himself and Yuan Chizhi as unique cases, and adding Hong He, Zhou Wangshen, and E Yun who had succeeded earlier, a total of eight true disciples in this batch had successfully established their Foundation. This was just over a thirty percent success rate for Foundation Establishment. One could only say that the Foundation Establishment Pill truly lived up to its reputation as a supreme spiritual medicine. It was just a pity that the Immortal Sect lacked enough main ingredients to refine more.

"These are the records of the Divine Tree Secret Realm from the library," E Yun said. "However, many senior brothers and sisters, after gaining their fortuitous encounters, were unwilling to disclose them, so only some well-known spiritual items are recorded."

As Chen Mobai and Yuan Chizhi were leaving, E Yun handed them two prepared scrolls. After thanking him, they each returned to their residences in Shenmu City.

Chen Mobai brought Zhuo Ming to the property he had received after advancing to Foundation Establishment. Although it was in an area populated by mortals, the spiritual energy was still decent; a quick measurement showed it was at the first-tier superior level. This simply showed how abundant the spiritual veins were in the Giant Wood Ridge area.

In his courtyard, Chen Mobai sat on a reclining chair and took out the book containing records of the Divine Tree Secret Realm. The book was quite thick. Upon opening it, he realized that it contained not only records from the Shenmu Sect era but also records of Foundation Establishment disciples entering the Divine Tree Secret Realm from the Five Elements Sect era, before the sect had even split. After flipping through it, Chen Mobai discovered many tempting treasures. These included the Jade Wood Spiritual Heart, which could expand the Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness; defensive spiritual leaves capable of blocking a single third-tier spell attack; tree sap highly beneficial for body refinement secret arts; and many more.

Among these, the most famous was naturally True Monarch Mo from Golden Light Cliff. He obtained a branch in the Divine Tree Secret Realm, refined it into his Natal Flying Sword, and became the foremost sword cultivator currently dominating the Eastern Barrens. Next was the former chief true disciple of the Shenmu Sect twenty years ago. He obtained a "Longevity Tree Fruit," and after consuming it, he directly advanced from the early Foundation Establishment stage to the middle stage, saving decades of effort.

What Chen Mobai coveted most was this "Longevity Tree Fruit." He was a proponent of the realm suppression theory, but he wondered if this "Longevity Tree Fruit" had any side effects when boosting one's realm, as its effect was truly extraordinary. And since it could take one from early Foundation Establishment to the middle stage, could it also raise one from the middle stage to the late stage? Or even, in one go, to Foundation Establishment perfection? The more he thought about it, the more he desired it. Compared to this "Longevity Tree Fruit," any other magic treasures felt insignificant to him.

The next day, he visited E Yun again and inquired about the "Longevity Tree Fruit."

"You're asking about that?" E Yun replied. "I imagine you won't want it after seeing Senior Brother Yue's current state. He happens to be in Shenmu City too; I'll take you to visit him."

E Yun didn't waste words and directly took Chen Mobai to the courtyard next to his. A youth with the face of a child but hair like a crane sat on a bamboo chair, leisurely drinking tea. Throughout his courtyard, Chen Mobai saw various talisman papers, talisman inks, damaged magical artifacts, and even a pill furnace.

"Oh, Junior Brother, what brings you here today?" the youth greeted. Although the youth's tone and demeanor were clearly youthful, Chen Mobai sensed a decaying aura about him.

"This is the current chief disciple of the sect," E Yun introduced. "I brought him to visit you." E Yun introduced Chen Mobai. Then Senior Brother Yue conjured two chairs from inside the house and gestured for them to sit.

"I know him," Senior Brother Yue said, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice. "He's about to enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm, isn't he? So you brought him here to see my fate."

This Senior Brother Yue self-mocked slightly. His name was Yue Zutao. Although his actual age was not yet sixty, his body was already a hundred years old.

"What's going on?" Chen Mobai asked, bewildered. At Yue Zutao's gesture, Chen Mobai checked his bone age and was greatly surprised.

"Although the Longevity Tree Fruit has astonishing effects," Yue Zutao explained, "it actually converts your lifespan into cultivation realm and power. I didn't know this before I took it. I thought I had obtained a heaven-defying fortuitous encounter. But for the past twenty years since then, I've found that not only could I not break through my realm, but my lifespan has also been reduced by a full forty years."

"To warn future disciples, every time new junior brothers and sisters are about to enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm, I make them check my bone age and advise them not to consume the Longevity Tree Fruit unless absolutely necessary."

Only after Yue Zutao's explanation did Chen Mobai finally understand. This tree fruit, besides consuming lifespan, would also fix one's cultivation realm at the level achieved immediately after the breakthrough. For the past twenty years, Yue Zutao had tried every possible method and consumed countless medicinal pills. Yet, despite being able to increase his spiritual power, he found himself unable to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, as if he were permanently stuck at the middle Foundation Establishment stage.

"This matter even alarmed Ancestor Zhou once," Yue Zutao explained. "He took me to the Valley of Reversion to seek medical advice. Master Yan there said that I consumed forty years of lifespan by taking the fruit, which was equivalent to gaining forty years' worth of spiritual power from meditation and cultivation overnight, thus breaking through my realm."

"Moving forward, besides having to pay forty years of lifespan, I also need to remain at the middle Foundation Establishment stage for forty years. Only then will the bottleneck to breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage be opened. No matter what cultivation-enhancing pills I take, for forty years after consuming the fruit, I can at most reach the peak of the middle Foundation Establishment stage, unless I consume a spiritual item of a higher grade than the Longevity Tree Fruit to counteract its effects."

At this point, Yue Zutao's face was full of helplessness. The Longevity Wood was a fourth-tier spiritual tree, so its fruit was naturally also fourth-tier, already among the highest-grade spiritual items in the Eastern Barrens. Not to mention whether there even existed a fifth-tier spiritual item to counteract the fruit's side effects; even if there were, let alone Yue Zutao, the Shenmu Sect might not even be able to afford it. So, in recent years, he no longer focused on cultivation but instead immersed himself in miscellaneous arts such as spiritual plant cultivation, talisman crafting, alchemy, and artifact refining. He had achieved some success and was now the most successful spiritual plant cultivator in the sect at refining second-tier tree seeds.

While the three were chatting, someone else arrived at the door.