Chapter 298: Burning Lamp Transforms Spirit

Chen Mobai, who was originally supposed to return to Xiaonanshan, stayed in Shenmu City for two more days because he had accepted Luo Yixuan as his disciple.

On this day, a Qi Condensation Level 9 elder from the Luo family brought the Luo siblings to pay their respects.

The elder, named Luo Yuanxian, was the most influential figure in the Luo family after their Foundation Establishment cultivator. He presented a third-grade camel grass and two thousand spirit stones as Luo Yixuan's apprenticeship gift. Chen Mobai accepted them without formality.

However, Luo Yuanxian, having lived a long life, was also a bit thick-skinned. After Chen Mobai accepted the gifts, he proposed whether Luo Yixiu could also be accepted into Xiaonanshan.

The reason Luo Yuanxian gave made Chen Mobai laugh.

He claimed that the siblings had a deep bond since childhood, and it was Luo Yixiu's reluctance to part with his sister that led the family to arrange for both of them to join the Shenmu Sect. Now that Luo Yixuan was fortunate enough to be noticed and accepted by Chen Mobai, he hoped their bond could be fulfilled, allowing them to remain together on their future cultivation path.

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Ming, who was privy to the truth but lacked experience, almost couldn't maintain her composure.

"I am usually busy with my own cultivation, and teaching three disciples already stretches my capabilities. I wouldn't want to hinder Junior Nephew Luo's future."

Although Chen Mobai's words were indirect, Luo Yuanxian, being a shrewd old man, immediately understood the refusal. He could only sigh, not daring to bring it up again.

Luo Yixiu's handsome face flushed beside them, but after a series of setbacks, he dared not speak up, only lowering his head and suppressing the humiliation within.

Fortunately, Liu Wenbai had been in seclusion recuperating from his injuries since the Sect Grand Competition and was not present today; otherwise, Luo Yixiu would have been even more embarrassed.

"What is the sect's assessment of my second uncle?" Luo Yuanxian finally asked the most important question for his visit today. Luo Shupin was his second uncle.

The Luo family's current status, aside from their Foundation Establishment patriarch, was largely due to Luo Shupin, a Foundation Establishment elder of the Shenmu Sect. The latter was arguably more important. Without the Shenmu Sect's backing, the Luo family would merely be an ordinary Foundation Establishment family.

"The sect has not yet reached a conclusion on this matter, so it's not appropriate for me to say much. However, the Sect Master and the two Hall Masters are fair individuals. As long as Senior Brother Luo has not betrayed the sect, he will certainly be cleared." The deficit of eight thousand spirit stones was not a major issue; the Luo family could grudgingly make up that amount. The key was that after the sect discovered the matter, they sent a message requesting an explanation from Luo Shupin, but he submitted a vague and nonsensical report. The Sect Master ordered him to return to the sect for a report, which he agreed to in a message, but he remained in Lei Kingdom without moving. This amounted to disrespect for superiors and disregard for sect laws. If the Shenmu Sect hadn't later lost communication with Luo Shupin, leading them to suspect foul play, the inspectors from the Hall of Punishment would have already gone to the Luo family.

Luo Yuanxian was satisfied to receive this much from Chen Mobai. Before he came, the patriarch had even decided that if Luo Shupin truly had a problem, the Luo family would find a way to distance themselves from him.

Finally, Luo Yuanxian left with Luo Yixiu. Luo Yixuan, of course, stayed behind.

After accepting a master, it was akin to a daughter getting married off. Although the Luo family was somewhat reluctant to part with this member, who possessed outstanding beauty and spiritual root talent, establishing a connection with Chen Mobai, a Foundation Establishment genius with great prospects, yielded ten times more benefit for the family than marrying her off for an alliance. It was precisely for this reason that the Luo family had presented two thousand spirit stones in addition to the third-grade medicinal herb as an apprenticeship gift.

"Xuan'er, take these spirit stones." Chen Mobai put the camel grass into his sleeve, then pointed to another storage bag. Luo Yixuan naturally declined, saying it was a gift from her family to her master, so how could she take it?

"Take it. Your master has received the medicinal herb, and these talismans are your welcoming gift." As he spoke, Chen Mobai waved his hand over the table, and three blazing sword talismans appeared in front of Luo Yixuan. She initially thought they were identical, but upon closer inspection, she noticed the difference. They were a first-level, second-level, and third-level sword talisman. This set of talismans alone was worth over a hundred spirit stones. Luo Yixuan's most treasured possessions were only two second-grade talismans, equivalent to third-level sword talismans.

"Thank you, Master."

"Your affairs are settled. If you don't wish to be involved with the Luo family in the future, then return to Xiaonanshan with your master and cultivate diligently. As long as I am here, they will certainly not dare to cause trouble." After Chen Mobai finished speaking, Luo Yixuan's eyes reddened slightly, and she let out a faint sob, but it was tears of joy. She bowed deeply, her voice clearer than ever before.

"I will heed Master's arrangements."

Before leaving Shenmu City, Chen Mobai first reported to his direct superior, Chu Zuoshu. After receiving permission, he took Luo Yixuan to visit his acquaintances, Yue Zutao, Yan Jinye, and even Zeng Woyou. They were all very generous, giving talismans or elixirs as gifts.

"Xuan'er, I believe you are much better at handling people than your senior sister. In the future, you may need to interact more with these friends of your master." As master and disciple flew towards Xiaonanshan on the Red Cloud Misty Brocade, Chen Mobai's words slightly surprised Luo Yixuan.

"Senior Sister Zhuo manages Xiaonanshan Shop very efficiently; I'm afraid I can't compare to her. Besides, isn't there Senior Brother Liu?"

"You don't need to be so cautious around me." Chen Mobai gave her a glare. Luo Yixuan looked down guiltily, clutching the hem of her dress pitifully.

"If Wenbai achieves success in cultivation in the future, I plan for him to travel more outside the sect."

"Zhuo Ming has had a good life in the sect these past few years, and her mind has become simpler. Besides, managing sixty acres of spiritual fields and running Xiaonanshan Shop is already very hard work for her; I won't add more tasks. The main reason is that these Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect are no simple figures. You have many ideas and can understand the hidden meanings in their words, which puts your master at ease."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yixuan could only nod in agreement, though she added in a small voice, "Master, actually, I can be very simple too."

Chen Mobai merely shook his head at this. What he valued was Luo Yixuan's shrewdness, her many schemes. If this newly accepted disciple were simple, she wouldn't have been able to enter his Xiaonanshan.

"We've arrived. The wooden house at the foot of the mountain is Zhuo Ming's. You can live there, or you can build your own. I will be on the mountain, and during my daily closed-door cultivation, the Cloud Mist Grand Formation will seal the mountaintop. If you have anything, you can use a communication talisman." As he spoke, Chen Mobai brought Luo Yixuan down to the summit of Xiaonanshan, then took a stack of communication talismans he had drawn himself from his storage bag and handed them to her. These talismans sold for one spirit stone each in the sect, but as a talisman master himself, he naturally wouldn't let the sect profit from him and his disciples.

"Tell me when you run out. Oh, what cultivation method are you practicing?" After a simple introduction to Xiaonanshan, Chen Mobai inquired about Luo Yixuan's cultivation. After all, she was his disciple now, and he needed to show concern for this matter.

"It's the Changsheng Bulao Jing and Heishui Gong. Thanks to the family's spirit stones and resources, both are already at Qi Condensation Level 9." Hearing this, Chen Mobai was slightly surprised. Luo Yixuan was roughly the same age as him, but her cultivation was even more advanced than Liu Wenbai's. She probably wasn't far behind the top true disciples; if she hadn't needed to conceal her brilliance, she might have become a true disciple two years ago.

"Water-wood cultivation, a two-phase art..." Chen Mobai pondered after listening. This was similar to Liu Wenbai's, but the difference was that if Luo Yixuan cultivated based on her spiritual roots, she might have gone astray.

"Does Master think it's inappropriate? Do I need to change my cultivation method? Your disciple will listen to Master completely." Luo Yixuan, seeing Chen Mobai's expression, immediately guessed a few things with a flicker of her clear, beautiful eyes, proactively speaking before Chen Mobai even had a chance to open his mouth.

"You child, you're just too understanding." Chen Mobai shook his head with a wry smile. Convincing someone to abandon a cultivation method they had painstakingly cultivated to Qi Condensation Level 9 was difficult, even for a master. However, Luo Yixuan's understanding made it easy for him.

"You possess true spiritual roots of Gold, Wood, and Water attributes. Among these, the Gold and Wood attributes are barely acceptable, but your Water spiritual root is excellent. If you focus on cultivating the Heishui Gong, you will achieve twice the results with half the effort, and your chances of Foundation Establishment will be higher."

"I understand. I will dispel the Changsheng Bulao Jing immediately." Luo Yixuan nodded after listening, a docile expression on her face.

"Don't you want to think about it thoroughly? After all, cultivating the Changsheng Bulao Jing to Qi Condensation Level 9 must have cost you a lot of effort and resources. Moreover, a two-phase art is very helpful for Core Formation. If you focus on Heishui Gong, you will have to rely on yourself to break through the Core Formation bottleneck." Chen Mobai was a bit surprised and instead urged his new disciple to reconsider.

"Reporting to Master, I've actually had this feeling for a long time: when cultivating the Heishui Gong, I feel completely refreshed and comfortable, and breaking through realms is effortless."

"Conversely, when cultivating the Changsheng Bulao Jing, while I can feel myself improving every moment, there's always a lack of that deep satisfaction and fluidity, like having the Blackwater spiritual power at my beck and call. And as for Core Formation that Master mentioned, I haven't even considered it. For me, my greatest hope in this life is merely to achieve Foundation Establishment." Luo Yixuan said earnestly. After hearing this, Chen Mobai once again lamented that cultivators in the Tianhe Realm wouldn't even dream of such heights, and he valued this disciple even more. Beneath her obedient and docile demeanor, she possessed her own insights. Her future was promising!

"If you cultivate with Water-Wood rotation in a two-phase art, the Changsheng spiritual power will eventually devour the Blackwater spiritual power. However, your spiritual root is more suited for Blackwater spiritual power, so your master advises you to focus on the Heishui Gong."

"Alternatively, you could dispel the Changsheng spiritual power and cultivate a Gold-attribute method, using Gold to generate Water in a two-phase rotation. But without the sixty years of increased lifespan provided by the Changsheng Bulao Jing, achieving Core Formation with a two-phase art would only be a luxury. Therefore, after considering it, your master believes that focusing on Heishui Gong might lead to greater achievements in the future." Chen Mobai articulated his thoughts thoroughly. Luo Yixuan was deeply moved upon hearing this.

In the Tianhe Realm, master-disciple inheritances had always been a matter of the master commanding and the disciple executing, without any explanation. Because the prevailing rule here was that the master was always right, and the disciple only needed to follow. Chen Mobai's kind words and patient guidance were something she had never experienced in her life.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. Your disciple will dispel the Changsheng spiritual power right away." If her previous docile agreement was merely to please Chen Mobai, then these words now came from her heart.

"Good, having such an obedient disciple makes teaching much easier for your master. Oh, by the way, you must have consumed quite a few elixirs to reach your current realm, correct?" Compared to the students in the Immortal Sect, who each had their unique personalities, the cultivators in the Tianhe Realm were simply too compliant. While Chen Mobai felt at ease, he also asked about his most pressing concern. Cultivators in the Tianhe Realm did not pay enough attention to elixir toxicity, or perhaps their desire for power and realm advancement had become pathological. They believed that as long as elixir toxicity didn't kill them, it would gradually be digested and expelled by the body as their cultivation increased.

"I dare not hide it from Master. My current cultivation is indeed due to the power of elixirs." Luo Yixuan answered honestly. That she could reach dual Qi Condensation Level 9 at her age, besides her own talent, was largely due to the spirit stones and elixirs provided by the Luo family.

"In the future, if you wish to advance further, it's best to avoid consuming elixirs if possible." Chen Mobai reminded her. However, he also knew that under the prevailing culture in the Tianhe Realm, consuming elixirs was inevitable, so he didn't make it a strict requirement. But since she was his disciple, he intended to give her a small helping hand.

Luo Yixuan did not hesitate, immediately extending her right hand. She thoughtfully pulled back the light, long sleeve of her palace gown, revealing half of a smooth, white arm like ice and snow.

Chen Mobai signaled Luo Yixuan to circulate the Changsheng Bulao Jing, then placed two fingers on her snow-white wrist as if taking her pulse, precisely aligning them with the key meridians where the technique flowed. Luo Yixuan felt a warm heat source enter her Changsheng spiritual power from her master's fingertips. Then, like a slowly burning flame, it began to gently dissolve and transform her spiritual power with a warm, soothing sensation.

After one full circulation of the Changsheng Bulao Jing, Luo Yixuan felt an unprecedentedly pure spiritual power flow into her Dantian Qi Sea. As it slowly merged with the Blackwater spiritual power, she felt a sensation of complete clarity throughout her body, like being rid of old ailments.

In the past, when Chen Mobai transformed his Five Elements Art into the Pure Yang Scroll, Reverend Scarlet Robe had infused his own spiritual power, planting the Burning Lamp Art as a fire seed within him. This not only helped Chen Mobai complete the technique transformation but also purified the spiritual power that had become somewhat unstable due to elixir consumption. Although it reduced his spiritual power by a small half, it made the Pure Yang spiritual power he transformed exceptionally pure and solidified his foundation. Ultimately, he even achieved Foundation Establishment through this, gaining a Fire Spirit Body.

Coincidentally, Luo Yixuan's spiritual power had accumulated quite a bit of elixir toxicity, and she also needed to dispel the Changsheng spiritual power. Chen Mobai decided to try the Burning Lamp Art he had diligently cultivated over the years, and indeed, it worked.