Chapter 301: Separation

After successfully breaking through to Foundation Establishment Layer 2, Chen Mobai was eager to share the good news with his friends. However, a thorough search of the entire Weapon Arts Academy revealed he had no one to contact.

Ming Yihua had joined a major project this year. He was collaborating with top students from the Artifact Forging Department, under the director's guidance, to craft a Rank 4 large-scale equipment artifact. This was an official Immortal Sect mission commissioned by Gongye Zhixu. Ming Yihua had left the academy mid-year and had not yet returned.

Wang Xingyu, having received two more Vermillion Fruits from Chen Mobai, had already begun alchemy in a medicine pond when Chen Mobai was in seclusion for his breakthrough. It would likely take some more time for him to finish. The other students in the Spirit Transformation class, spurred on by a few intensely driven peers, had also chosen to enter secluded cultivation during the holiday period.

Only Yun Yangbing was still reachable, but Chen Mobai felt awkward showing off in front of him, given that Yun Yangbing's Spirit Gathering Array had contributed significantly to his breakthrough.

After returning the array disk and flags, Chen Mobai walked through the campus. Seeing himself alone on the mountain path, which was usually teeming with energetic students, he couldn't help but feel a profound sense of loneliness. Posting on social media was something Chen Mobai simply couldn't bring himself to do unless he had been drinking.

He took out his phone, scrolled through his contact list, and paused when he saw several avatars he hadn't contacted in a long time. He remembered that he still owed Shi Wanyu a tube of lipstick. He immediately messaged her, asking if she was at school during the holidays. Shi Wanyu replied instantly, full of pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, she had returned to her hometown this year and was not currently in Chicheng Grotto-Heaven. Chen Mobai could only shake his head regretfully but politely replied, promising to invite her out when they both had time.

On the other end of the phone, at home, Shi Wanyu, lying on her bed with her long, beautiful legs propped up while playing on her phone, raised a small fist and angrily thumped her forehead. "Darn it, why did I have to go home this year?!" she muttered.

Unaware of her frustration, Chen Mobai contacted a few other friends. Before he knew it, he had walked to the small wooden house he rented outside the academy. He looked up, and the villa on the mountaintop was still empty. Meng Huang'er hadn't returned for half a year either. He didn't know what had motivated her this semester, but she had forcefully attempted Foundation Establishment without comprehending the Critical Law. Unfortunately, she wasn't Lu Zixuan; she hadn't experienced the profound emotional shock of a breakup, and ultimately, she failed. Chen Mobai only learned about this afterward from student union members.

During that period, he had returned to Danxia City because the six-month agreement with Wu Shangru had expired, and the Skybound Talisman Factory was to be officially transferred to him. After completing this, Wu Shangru could formally relocate and leave Danxia City, so he was very eager and kept urging Chen Mobai to return. Under Qin Baipeng's witness, Chen Mobai officially took over the Skybound Talisman Factory. This event was even publicized in local media for several days. Naturally, all the news was positive, depicting his glorious return home and the honor he brought to his ancestors. In short, Chen Mobai was the most talked-about person in Danxia City during that time. However, since he had achieved Foundation Establishment, no media dared to bother him, allowing him to stay quietly at home and at the factory for a while.

After Wu Shangru's graceful departure, Chen Mobai had to stay and oversee operations for a month. Fortunately, in the preceding six months, his trusted people, including Chen Xinglan, Tang Pancui, and even Luan Jingsheng, had become proficient in various tasks. After the change of ownership, all suppliers and distribution channels also showed respect to Chen Mobai, the Chief of Weapon Arts Academy, even willing to concede one or two percentage points of profit in hopes of securing longer-term contracts. Considering a smooth transition and his own vitality—with over two hundred years to manage the talisman factory—Chen Mobai renewed all contracts for four years, planning to make adjustments after he officially graduated from the academy. He also fulfilled his promise by adding Shen Juanxiu's family to the Skybound Talisman Factory's list of spirit sand suppliers, as a return for her previous financial support. For this, Shen Juanxiu and her newlywed husband specifically invited him for a meal.

After finishing his affairs in Danxia City, he returned to Chicheng Grotto-Heaven. However, on his very first day back, Chen Mobai heard the news of Meng Huang'er's failed Foundation Establishment attempt. He went to visit her, intending to offer comfort as a friend, only to find the mountaintop villa deserted. His phone calls to her also went unanswered. After inquiring with Bian Yiqing, he learned that Meng Huang'er had been taken by Bian Yiqing on a national tour. She was healing her injuries while also training her mind, hoping to find her own path amidst the mortal world. This time, however, the Jade Phoenix Troupe was not with them, as Jiang Yuyuan had already achieved Foundation Establishment and had been taken away by a significant figure in the Immortal Sect. Chen Mobai speculated that Jiang Yuyuan's cultivation progress should not be slower than his own, especially since the "Astonishing God Melody," one of the hopes for those Nascent Soul cultivators to reach Spirit Transformation, depended on Jiang Yuyuan's cultivation level. Jiang Yuyuan would certainly not lack resources like Qi Replenishing Spirit Water or Barrier-Breaking Pills.

At times, Chen Mobai even wondered if Meng Huang'er's failure to achieve Foundation Establishment was precisely because she didn't want to live a life of being "reared" by the upper echelons. However, this was just a fleeting thought. After all, he and Meng Huang'er had maintained quite a passionate conversation for a while, and from their texts and voice messages, her strong desire for Foundation Establishment was evident, as well as her distress and frustration over her inability to comprehend the Critical Law. Meng Huang'er's failure once again made the usually optimistic Chen Mobai feel the ruthlessness of cultivation. The last time he felt this was when his father failed to achieve Foundation Establishment. He wondered how many friends would be forced to join the military service and participate in expansion wars because they couldn't achieve Foundation Establishment upon graduation.

With an unspeakable sense of melancholy, Chen Mobai returned to the Sky River Realm. Two communication talismans were blocked outside the Cloud Mist Array. He picked them up and saw they were from Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan. Zhuo Ming had returned. Although the Jade Bud Spirit Wine from Xiaonan Mountain Shop hadn't sold out, a portion of the spirit fields needed harvesting by year-end, so she left her work there and came back first. Luo Yixuan, on the other hand, had written a lengthy account of her experiences and physical changes while using the Lantern Lighting Technique to spiritualize, seeking to know if her condition was normal. Chen Mobai genuinely had experience with this, as he had undergone the process of having the Lantern Lighting Technique implanted by True Person Scarlet Robe, transforming his Five Elements Cultivation into the Pure Yang Scroll.

After reading the communication talismans, Chen Mobai opened the Cloud Mist Array. The dispersal of the cloud mist on the mountaintop signaled his emergence from seclusion. Soon, Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan came up. "Greetings, Master," they said.

"Yes, Master had some insights during seclusion, and my cultivation has advanced. Today, I shall explain the Dharma to you," Chen Mobai replied. Since taking on disciples, Chen Mobai had rarely given formal lectures because he was still a student himself and felt unqualified. However, today, his emotions were stirred, and he suddenly felt like giving a lecture.

"Congratulations, Master, on your significant cultivation breakthrough. For the lecture, should we call Senior Brother as well?" Zhuo Ming looked delighted, while Luo Yixuan, in her congratulations, shrewdly added a comprehensive suggestion.

"He is still in seclusion recovering from his injuries. When he's fully recovered and comes to Xiaonan Mountain, I will give him a separate lecture," Chen Mobai said. At his words, Luo Yixuan nodded in understanding. Zhuo Ming, beside her, scratched her head sheepishly; she genuinely hadn't thought of Liu Wenbai and felt a little embarrassed.

Although Zhuo Ming cultivated the Earth Mother Scripture and Luo Yixuan cultivated the Black Water Art, which were different from Chen Mobai's Wood-Fire dual phase, once one reached Foundation Establishment, viewing Qi Cultivation techniques felt as easy as solving elementary math problems. This lecture lasted until sunset. The two disciples listened with both surprise and joy. Those who didn't fully understand even took out paper and pens to record notes, planning to reflect and comprehend them slowly afterward. Chen Mobai spoke with lingering enthusiasm, which also helped solidify his newly broken-through realm.

After the lecture, he extended his hand again and implanted the Lantern Lighting Technique into Luo Yixuan. However, Chen Mobai discovered this time that due to his cultivation breakthrough, the effectiveness of the Lantern Lighting Technique could now last for nine days. This was also good news.

After his two disciples descended the mountain, Chen Mobai used a communication talisman to contact Yue Zutao, inquiring about the investigation into the losses at the Lei Kingdom Spirit Stone Mine. Yue Zutao replied that there was no news yet, but the Hall of Rewards had taken the lead in gathering the materials for refining the Foundation Establishment Pills. Zeng Woyou would begin refining them after a month of calming his mind, which was also good news. He hoped that Mu Yuan and Yu Lian would succeed in their Foundation Establishment attempts. Originally, Chen Mobai had been quite confident in them, as he hadn't felt much difficulty when he achieved Foundation Establishment himself. His first attempt was not meant to succeed, but the second time, after taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, it just happened instantly. However, after Meng Huang'er's failure, he felt a bit of a shadow cast over him.

After making his presence known at the Divine Wood Sect, Chen Mobai returned to the Immortal Sect. "President, congratulations on your breakthrough. Happy New Year in advance!" his subordinates greeted him.

"Thank you, you too," Chen Mobai replied.

At the Myriad Treasures Cave, in the student union's villa, Chen Mobai greeted several departing cadres. They were heading back to their hometowns after finishing their tasks in Chicheng Grotto-Heaven. Fortunately, Hua Zijing had stayed behind. This meant the student union could continue operating even without Chen Mobai.

"You'll have a tough time ahead," Chen Mobai said. Hua Zijing, who was petting a cat, suddenly heard his words and turned around, puzzled. She then saw that Chen Mobai, who had been sitting in the president's chair, had vanished, and the rest of his sentence drifted in from the open window: "It's boring at school, so I'm going back to my hometown for a while."

Hua Zijing was speechless, but as the student union secretary-general, she was used to it. Previously, Zuo Qiushi had largely done the same, dumping tasks on her. "I'll be graduating next year. Let's see who you'll find to do these things then," Hua Zijing muttered, looking at the window Chen Mobai had left through, a hint of indignation in her voice. She was a ninth-grader this year, and next semester she would be a tenth-grader, graduating at the end of the year. She had no intention of wasting time at the academy, planning to join the Immortal Sect like Zuo Qiushi to obtain the Golden Elixir Jade Return Pill. Chen Mobai was well aware of this and was already looking for a new secretary.

In Danxia City, many classmates hadn't returned this year, including Qing Nü, Yan Bingxuan, Song Zheng, Shi Yuanqing, Mo Simin, and others. Only Shi Jingjing and Cao Yaling returned almost every year. After visiting Shi Qujin, Chen Mobai invited them to dinner. During the meal, he received some good news: Cao Yaling had comprehended the Critical Law and had attempted to consume the Three Treasures for Foundation Establishment this year. Although she failed, she had essentially stepped halfway into the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

However, at the same time, he also heard some very regrettable news: Chansi had not succeeded in Foundation Establishment. She and Shen Juanxiu were the same age and graduated simultaneously this year. To avoid military service, Chansi had to attempt Foundation Establishment, but ultimately, she failed.

"I didn't expect that before I left, the Chief of Weapon Arts Academy would come to see me off," Chansi said with a slight smile as Chen Mobai saw her emerge from the Danzhu Academy gate, pulling a small suitcase. She seemed very happy to see him. Her choice after failing Foundation Establishment impressed Chen Mobai greatly. Chansi did not choose to marry like Shen Juanxiu but bravely faced military service, opting to enlist.

Besides Chen Mobai, Shen Juanxiu also came. The group left the academy gate and walked onto a wide road. Shen Juanxiu cried uncontrollably, which made the usually composed Chansi's eyes well up with tears too.

"Take care," Chen Mobai said, handing Chansi a set of Scarlet Flame Sword Talismans and a rabbit puppet he had made himself, which was not only cute but could also be used for chatting and relieving boredom. She accepted them with a smile.

"Thank you. We'll meet again," she replied.

Watching Chansi's graceful departing figure, Chen Mobai recalled their first meeting at Immortal Sect Fifth High School. That beautiful teacher had also walked in with a smile, the sunlight from outside streaming onto her dark long hair, as if plating it with a faint golden sheen. Her grace and the tenderness in her eyes at that time were a beautiful image Chen Mobai would never forget. He wanted to reach out and stop her but didn't know what reason to use. Moreover, military service was Chansi's own decision, and she still held a spark of desire to reach higher realms. Ultimately, Chen Mobai could only watch her figure recede until she disappeared beneath the gray sky.

Before, Chen Mobai had no real concept of the emotion of separation. Now, he understood. It was truly so bitter. Foundation Establishment was already so difficult; he wondered if any of his friends would be able to accompany him beyond the Foundation Establishment realm.

For the next few days, Chen Mobai began dreaming constantly. He dreamt of waking from a long seclusion, opening the door to find that thousands of years had passed, and the world had changed beyond recognition. All his friends had turned to ash and dissipated into the world. He had these dreams for several consecutive days, making him wonder if he had fallen into a cultivation deviation. He immediately called Che Yucheng for advice. The latter, however, stated that this was a manifestation of enlightenment and a sign of spiritual realm elevation. People who cultivate mind-controlling techniques often experience this. Of course, if one couldn't overcome this hurdle on their own, it would indeed lead to a cultivation deviation. However, Che Yucheng also told Chen Mobai not to worry, as the Immortal Sect had plenty of medicine to treat such conditions. But it was best to overcome it oneself, as that would bring greater gains. Taking medicine to "cure" it would mean missing out on a rare opportunity to elevate one's mental state.

"You can choose to do something to make yourself focus," Che Yucheng offered some advice over the phone. He had experienced this himself, and eventually, he became so engrossed in creating a puppet model of an aircraft carrier that he forgot to eat or sleep. When he completed it, he successfully crossed that hurdle.

"What should I do then?" Chen Mobai pondered after hanging up the phone.