Chapter 236: Bimu Lingxin, Qingyang Fire Seed

However, Chen Mobai thought about it again and realized he might indeed be the first. Other disciples of the Shenmu Sect, whose Two-Phase cultivation techniques had already linked the two methods, found that their two streams of spiritual energy had each acquired partial characteristics after transformation. Unlike him, he used the Critical Method to keep his Longevity and Pure Yang spiritual energies separate, essentially cultivating different spiritual energies from two distinct methods. With this realization, Chen Mobai's doubts vanished.

After plucking the purple fruit before him, he once again left the canopy of the artifact tree. If it weren't for the limited time within the Divine Tree Secret Realm, he would have loved to try cultivating other forms of spiritual energy to see if he could ascend again and obtain another fruit.

“I'll visit the other two divine trees first. If there's any time left, I'll return here to experiment.”

Having made up his mind, Chen Mobai then observed the locations of the other two divine trees. After confirming this was the artifact tree, he could now distinguish the remaining two divine trees based on the records left by the sect's predecessors. Without hesitation, Chen Mobai first flew towards the Talent Tree.

The Great Dao Tree's trial was exceptionally difficult; most who attempted it would immediately fall unconscious and awaken back in Giantwood Ridge. The Talent Tree, like the artifact tree, soared into the clouds, its summit out of sight. However, the method for obtaining a boon differed slightly from that of the artifact tree. Chen Mobai not only infused his spiritual energy into it but also added a drop of his blood, and finally, he projected his divine sense, allowing it to sweep through the Talent Tree. After infusing his essence, qi, and spirit into the tree, Chen Mobai sat quietly beneath it, awaiting the outcome.

Approximately an incense stick's time later, a beam of green light descended from the sky, entering the sea of consciousness in his glabella. This was the Talent Tree's evaluation of him and the boon it bestowed.

Cultivating wood spiritual energy: faint pill toxins present, rated 'High Grade'.Four-attribute mixed spiritual root: innate vital energy more abundant than average; fire spiritual root is strongest, recommending a switch to fire-attribute cultivation methods. Overall rating: 'Low Grade'.Divine consciousness: surpasses typical Foundation Establishment early stage; Purple Mansion sea of consciousness is stable, not cultivated through aggressive methods. Rated 'High Grade'.Overall evaluation: Mid-High Grade talent. Awarded one secret art.

After deciphering the message in his mind, Chen Mobai found a secret art, seemingly for opening the Purple Mansion sea of consciousness, spontaneously appearing. It bore no name, as if it were an excerpt from a vast classic, directly imprinted in his heart for his immediate comprehension.

“Cultivating this secret art requires a Green Wood Spiritual Heart…”

After mentally reviewing the secret art, Chen Mobai frowned slightly. He opened his storage bag and revealed the emerald green fruit he had picked from the artifact tree. As expected, inside was a walnut-sized emerald-green gem, which, according to the ancient texts he had read before entering, was precisely what a Green Wood Spiritual Heart looked like.

“I wonder if the senior sister who obtained this spiritual item thirty years ago also acquired this secret art,” Chen Mobai murmured.

Murmuring to himself, Chen Mobai carefully placed the Green Wood Spiritual Heart into a jade bottle, then took out the purple fruit. But upon opening it, his right-hand skin was scorched due to insufficient preparation. A wisp of purple flame ignited in mid-air, radiating astonishing heat. One must remember that Chen Mobai had already established his Foundation, and his physical body had undergone a transformation; ordinary flames could not burn through the spiritual aura surrounding him. For this purple flame to cause him damage, it had to be at least a thousand degrees.

“Could this be…”

Seeing the purple fire seed, Chen Mobai already had a faint suspicion. He then pressed his burned hand onto the Talent Tree and repeated the previous steps. This time, however, he injected Pure Yang spiritual energy. His Longevity spiritual energy, influenced by the Foundation Establishment Pill he had recently taken, still contained pill toxins that hadn't been fully purged due to the limited time. However, his Pure Yang spiritual energy was different; it had been cultivated purely through arduous effort, never enhanced by pills. As expected, the first evaluation regarding his spiritual energy immediately went off the charts.

Cultivating fire spiritual energy: pure, free of pill toxins, deep foundation. Rated 'Immortal Grade'.Four-attribute mixed spiritual root: innate vital energy more abundant than average; fire spiritual root is strongest and perfectly matches the cultivation method. Overall rating: 'Middle Grade'.Divine consciousness: surpasses typical Foundation Establishment early stage; Purple Mansion sea of consciousness is stable, and no aggressive methods were used to stimulate its growth. Rated 'High Grade'.Overall evaluation: High Grade talent. Awarded a set of secret arts.

Another ray of green light descended, infusing into the sea of consciousness in Chen Mobai's glabella. This time, however, the volume of information was immense, and it took him a considerable time to fully recover his senses. The secret art obtained this time finally had a name: the Pure Green Art. It was a technique capable of continuously enhancing the power and grade of a fire seed. It was through this technique that Chen Mobai realized the purple fruit he had obtained from the artifact tree contained the fire seed of the Azure Sun Fire. However, this fire seed had not yet fully matured; only when the purple flame transformed into a green blaze would it truly become the Azure Sun Fire, possessing nearly third-tier power. And the Pure Green Art was precisely the set of secret arts designed to fully elevate the purple fire seed into the Azure Sun Fire.

“This Talent Tree is quite intelligent,” Chen Mobai mused. He withdrew his burned hand from the Talent Tree, then used the Pure Green Art's fire-gathering method to reseal the Azure Sun Fire seed and place it into his storage bag.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, Chen Mobai hesitated. He checked the time, believing he still had enough to visit the Great Dao Tree, so he turned back and sat down again. He pulled out a 'chicken rib' talisman, something he had relegated to the very bottom of his storage bag, never expecting to use it in his lifetime. A Wood Spirit Talisman! Once activated, Chen Mobai could temporarily possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root for an hour.

Just as he was about to try again, he suddenly frowned and looked towards the eastern sky. He sensed a spiritual light approaching, stirring the vital energy fluctuations in the nearby heavens and earth. Chen Mobai didn't want to risk exposure by continuing to use the Wood Spirit Talisman. He put it away and waited for about a quarter of an hour before a familiar spiritual light descended.

“Oh, Senior Brother Chen, you're even faster than I am.”

The newcomer was Yan Jinye. Although she had left the artifact tree earlier than Chen Mobai, her spiritual energy wasn't as profound, and she'd been delayed by a few things along the way, causing her to arrive later.

“Junior Sister, have you met the other two?”

Chen Mobai stood smiling, appearing completely at ease. Since there were only four of them in the secret realm, and each had their own boons, there was no need for competition, and everyone's demeanor remained amiable.

“I didn't encounter them on the way. They must have gone to the Great Dao Tree first.”

Yan Jinye answered truthfully. Noticing Chen Mobai's burned right hand, she couldn't help but show a look of surprise and confusion.

“I obtained the fire seed of the Azure Sun Fire from the artifact tree. I was careless when opening it, and this is what happened.”

This Azure Sun Fire seed, when combined with the Scarlet Flame Sword Art, can double its power, and it will certainly be impossible to conceal in the future. Furthermore, every wisp of fire seed born from the spontaneous combustion of the Azure Sun Spirit Trees in Giantwood Ridge is recorded, and Chen Mobai could never afford to purchase one. He decided he might as well inform the sect directly that he had obtained a wisp of the Azure Sun Fire seed within the Divine Tree Secret Realm.

“Senior Brother, your fortune is profound.”

Yan Jinye looked envious upon hearing this; the Azure Sun Fire seed alone was worth at least ten thousand spirit stones.

“Junior Sister, may I ask what boon you received?”

Chen Mobai asked presumptuously, but Yan Jinye merely smiled faintly without answering. He wisely didn't press further and excused himself.

Yan Jinye finally breathed a sigh of relief after confirming the departure of this sword cultivation genius, renowned as one of the sect's unparalleled twin prodigies alongside Senior Brother Honghe. She had obtained a very troublesome spiritual item. It was precisely because she had opened the fruit midway and seen its contents that she had turned pale with fright and been delayed for so long on her journey.

“Alas, I wonder if it's a blessing or a curse?”

After a sigh, Yan Jinye reached out and touched the Talent Tree. Much later, she rose and flew towards the Great Dao Tree.

Chen Mobai had originally intended to return to the Talent Tree after half a day, use the Wood Spirit Talisman to temporarily gain a Heavenly Spiritual Root, and see if he could exploit a loophole to obtain two more secret arts. However, he later realized that the secret arts granted by the Talent Tree seemed to complement the fruits harvested from the artifact tree. He already possessed matching secret arts for both the Green Wood Spiritual Heart and the Azure Sun Fire seed. Even if he tried again, and his spiritual root underwent a qualitative change, acquiring more secret arts without the corresponding spiritual items would render the Wood Spirit Talisman a complete waste. Furthermore, if he rashly returned and was encountered by Yan Jinye, wouldn't she suspect him of something?

After much deliberation, Chen Mobai decided it was better to visit the Great Dao Tree first. As long as he didn't force a boon from the Great Dao Tree and avoided falling unconscious, he should have time to return to the Talent Tree later and try again. With this clear plan, Chen Mobai no longer hesitated, flying directly toward the last divine tree at his fastest speed.

When Yan Jinye landed, the Great Dao Tree was deserted. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped towards this last, most mysterious divine tree.

One step, two steps, three steps…

Her divine consciousness began to feel an inexplicable pressure, as if a thousand-pound weight had been placed on her head. Her consciousness grew hazy, her eyelids drooped slightly, and an overwhelming, irrepressible fatigue surged through her. Finally, as she took her fifth step towards the Great Dao Tree, she lost all consciousness and collapsed to the ground. Then, a flash of silver light flickered, and she vanished from the spot.

Approximately two days later, Yuan Chizhi and Wu Zeyang also landed. They glanced at the Great Dao Tree, nodded in unison, and walked towards the massive tree trunk. Yuan Chizhi also fainted on his fifth step. Wu Zeyang took a sixth step but collapsed just one step later.

After personally witnessing all three individuals disappear, a puppet jumped down from a nearby tree. It was the Faceless Puppet, controlled by Chen Mobai. Cultivators in the Heavenly River Realm were generally very cautious; if Chen Mobai's true body had been lurking nearby, they would likely have discovered his presence. But a puppet with no life fluctuations, especially a Faceless Puppet made with techniques from the Immortal Sect, remained completely undetected by the three once Chen Mobai's divine consciousness attached to it.

“It likely requires thirteen steps to make contact with the Great Dao Tree's main body,” Chen Mobai mused as his true body flew over, estimating the Great Dao Tree's range of unconsciousness. According to E Yun, he had taken seven steps, King Zhou Shen had taken seven and a half, and before either of them fainted, they had seen Honghe take nine steps. He just didn't know what the Great Dao Tree's evaluation criteria were, or what level of progress was required to obtain the associated boons.

Chen Mobai took out his phone and first measured the spiritual energy levels nearby. He found them not particularly high, only equivalent to a second-tier spiritual vein. However, he suspected this might be because most of the secret realm's spiritual energy was suppressed by the three divine trees.

“I'll try again with the Faceless Puppet,” Chen Mobai murmured. He had already attempted the path with his true body earlier, and by the fourth step, he had felt he couldn't bear it any longer. Knowing that one more step would likely lead to unconsciousness, he immediately instructed the Faceless Puppet, which had remained outside the Great Dao Tree's range, to pull his immobile self out. Then, while recovering in a secluded spot, he noticed Yan Jinye flying over. He used his remaining strength to control the Faceless Puppet for observation. While recovering his depleted essence, qi, and spirit, he also wanted to see if they could obtain boons from the Great Dao Tree. Unfortunately, this divine tree's trial was somewhat rigorous, and no one received its favor.

Splitting his divine consciousness to control the puppet, he had it cross beyond his own position and step into the Great Dao Tree's domain. Instantly, an inexplicable and bizarre sensation emerged within that fragment of his divine consciousness, almost causing it to collapse and lose control.

“Spiritual Shield activated.”

However, this puppet was Che Yucheng's masterpiece and naturally possessed means to resist divine consciousness attacks. Chen Mobai directly activated all of these functions. A transparent membrane materialized around the puppet's head, encasing the fragment of divine consciousness that Chen Mobai had attached to it. Instantly, he felt a lightness in his heart, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, bringing comfort to his body and mind. In his delight, Chen Mobai guided the Faceless Puppet to take another step forward. The transparent Spiritual Shield twisted slightly but remained intact.

Two steps, three steps… all the way to the seventh step, the Spiritual Shield finally began to give way, deforming violently. Chen Mobai had a feeling that one more step would shatter the Spiritual Shield. However, to conserve the spiritual energy within the high-grade spirit stone, he had always operated the Faceless Puppet at its lowest functionality. Now, for the sake of the Great Dao Tree's boon, he disregarded the spirit stone's consumption. He glanced at the spiritual energy progress bar in the upper right corner of the display, which showed 67%. This indicated the amount of spiritual energy remaining in the high-grade spirit stone. Although the progress bar wasn't full, Chen Mobai knew this amount was equivalent to 67 mid-grade spirit stones, a very substantial quantity of spiritual energy for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Hundred percent power, activate Spiritual Shield!”

After giving the command, Chen Mobai saw the spiritual energy bar, originally at 67, instantly drop by two points to 65. The effect, however, was astonishing: the Spiritual Shield, which had been on the verge of shattering, immediately stabilized, allowing him to take another two steps. He then took the tenth step!