Chapter 315: When one must act, do not hesitate

After Chen Mobai finished reading the Earth Master's inheritance book, he couldn't help but nod in approval. The Mount Shaking Peak lineage, renowned in the Eastern Wasteland for its body tempering and Earth Master techniques, certainly possessed unique insights. Though not on par with the Immortal Sect, under their limited conditions, they had managed to clarify various geological formations and their ley lines. They had even theorized about the mysteries behind the creation of spiritual treasures and earthly malevolent energy, complete with illustrations depicting mountain and river topography and the flow of water elemental currents.

Unfortunately, these three Earth Master inheritance books only covered techniques from the first to second tiers. For subsequent advancements, they merely offered speculative ideas, such as: "Imprinting the Earth Kun Dao within one's Violet Palace, with the essence of mountains and rivers integrated into one's being, allows one to stand upon the vast earth as a ley line hub, possessing boundless and inexhaustible spiritual power."

This sounds somewhat similar to integrating formations into the body. As Chen Mobai read the final section, he was reminded of the Underworld Grand Formation he had acquired at Lone Soul Ridge. However, Earth Masters and Formation Masters inherently share similar specializations. There's a saying within the Immortal Sect that the pinnacle of an Earth Master's path leads to becoming a Formation Master.

After finishing the three Earth Master inheritance books, Chen Mobai found a small inscription in the corner: "Your disciple, Song Xishun, respectfully thanks his esteemed master for imparting the teachings."

"Who was Song Xishun?" Chen Mobai didn't recognize the name. Still, he finally had a clue. If the opportunity arose in the future, he could investigate this name. After reading the last page, Chen Mobai closed the book.

"Master, your disciples request an audience."

Coincidentally, at that very moment, Liu Wenbai and Luo Yixuan arrived with the main army of the Divine Wood Sect. As soon as they landed, they naturally came to pay their respects to Chen Mobai, their master.

"Come in," Chen Mobai replied, a smile appearing on his face upon seeing his two disciples.

"Master, your display of divine might, severing the three Foundation Establishment cultivators of Mount Shaking Peak with your sword, and earning the title of the Divine Wood Sect's foremost sword cultivator — we heard all about it on our way here and were absolutely thrilled!" Luo Yixuan exclaimed. As she entered, her delicate, pale face was filled with reverence and admiration. Her bright eyes, in particular, shone with worship and pride, causing a subtle swell of vanity in Chen Mobai.

"Alright, alright, it's just an empty title," Chen Mobai said modestly. "Senior Brother Xie from the Sword Cultivation Department has also mastered sword light and is reportedly attempting to condense sword qi. I wouldn't dare claim the title of the Divine Wood Sect's foremost sword cultivator." Despite his youth, Chen Mobai maintained a steady mindset, refusing to be swayed by his disciples' flattery. His words remained humble.

"Master, this is a letter from Martial Uncle E," Liu Wenbai said, handing a letter to Chen Mobai, who took it and nodded slightly as he read.

With the Divine Wood Sect at war with Mount Shaking Peak, it was natural for them to consolidate their forces to prevent ambushes from other hidden hostile powers. Most of the sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators, including E Yun, who had been establishing markets in Cloud Dream Lake, had been recalled to Giant Wood Ridge. E Yun's letter outlined the general situation within the sect, subtly mentioning one detail at the end: "Old Ancestor Fu has also left Cloud Dream Lake." As for whether he had returned to Giant Wood Ridge to oversee affairs or had gone with Old Ancestor Zhou to confront Ji Zhenshi, no one knew. After reading it, Chen Mobai immediately burned the letter. Information about a Core Formation True Monarch, who possessed the power to alter the course of battle, was best kept secret.

"The battlefield is fraught with peril," Chen Mobai began. "Although you are my disciples, it would be difficult for me to look after you once actual fighting commences. Take these two magical artifacts for now. My only requirement for you is to prioritize your own safety, and then consider how you can contribute to the sect."

Chen Mobai took out the Divine Wood Sword from his storage pouch and removed the Azure Scale Vambrace from his right arm. These two magical artifacts were no longer of much use to him. Furthermore, after he revealed his Tier 3 magical artifact, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from Mount Shaking Peak had begun avoiding him. This was precisely why, during the last pursuit, he had only assisted the sect's cultivators in eliminating a single opponent.

"Master, these are too precious," Liu Wenbai and Luo Yixuan both said. Both hesitated to accept, knowing that both the Divine Wood Sword and the Azure Scale Vambrace were Tier 2 magical artifacts.

"They're for your safety," Chen Mobai insisted. "Take them for now, and return them to me after the war ends." Although he said this, Chen Mobai had already decided in his heart to gift these two magical artifacts to his disciples. He had become completely famous in this war, and the Divine Wood Sword could no longer serve as a convincing decoy. As for the Azure Scale Vambrace, though he was quite fond of this defensive artifact, frankly, it was no longer keeping up with his current cultivation level. During the Battle of Rolling Thunder Mountain, this artifact had been shattered by Mu Hanxiong. Moreover, he possessed the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror, a Tier 3 artifact he no longer needed to hide. Although primarily an offensive Tier 3 artifact, it also came with a defensive Profound Yang Divine Light Shield. Chen Mobai also had the Crimson Cloud Smoke Silk. For defensive purposes, the Azure Scale Vambrace truly offered little utility to him now.

"Your disciple dreams of becoming a sword cultivator like Master. Perhaps this Divine Wood Sword could be given to me?" Luo Yixuan ventured. Luo Yixuan was the first to speak, choosing the Divine Wood Sword. Her quick mind understood that the Azure Scale Vambrace was a gift from Liu Wenbai's family to Chen Mobai as part of his apprenticeship ceremony, and it would only be proper for her senior brother to reclaim it. Furthermore, among artifacts of the same tier, defensive ones were typically more valuable than offensive ones. As the senior disciple, Liu Wenbai would surely want to display generosity in front of their master, perhaps even reluctantly yielding the Azure Scale Vambrace to his newly admitted junior sister. Thus, Luo Yixuan directly chose the Divine Wood Sword first, sparing Liu Wenbai any awkwardness. Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai indeed nodded approvingly at his clever and beautiful young disciple.

"Some scales on the Azure Scale Vambrace were shattered during my confrontation with Mu Hanxiong, Wenbai, so be a bit careful when using it. You should have the cultivation technique for it, shouldn't you?"

"Please enlighten us, Master," Liu Wenbai replied. Liu Wenbai actually didn't possess the incantation for cultivating the Azure Scale Vambrace. Chen Mobai couldn't help but shake his head at the insular nature of knowledge within the Tianhe Realm. After all, Liu Wenbai was a direct descendant of the Liu family.

"Your disciple will excuse herself for now," Luo Yixuan said, as was customary. Just as Chen Mobai was about to impart the cultivation incantation, Luo Yixuan, following custom, dutifully announced her departure. In the Tianhe Realm, when a master imparted teachings to one disciple, other disciples were not permitted to be present, as it would be considered unauthorized learning.

"Stay, Xuan'er," Chen Mobai said. "I also need to impart the cultivation method for the Divine Wood Sword to you." Luo Yixuan, startled, raised her delicate face, then quickly and happily nodded. This indicated that her master truly regarded her as one of his own, affording her the same treatment as Liu Wenbai and Zhuo Ming.

Liu Wenbai quickly grasped the cultivation technique for the Azure Scale Vambrace, as it was an artifact refined by his own family. Chen Mobai also shared some of his personal insights on its use. The Divine Wood Sword was even simpler, being a standard Tier 2 artifact for the Divine Wood Sect. For disciples in the Artifact Forging Department, the simplest way to become a Tier 2 artifact forger was to refine a Divine Wood Sword. It was both straightforward and used abundant raw materials. However, as the Divine Wood Sect's most renowned sword cultivator, Chen Mobai possessed unique insights into the use of the Divine Wood Sword. While imparting the cultivation methods, he also provided a broader lesson to his two disciples. Both Luo Yixuan and Liu Wenbai were greatly enlightened after listening.

"Master, are you studying the Earth Master's inheritance?" Luo Yixuan asked curiously.

"I'm mildly interested," Chen Mobai replied. "Ming'er has a good Earth Spirit Root; if she has time in the future, she might delve into it." As Chen Mobai spoke, he noticed his young disciple's apparent interest. Without further thought, he handed her the three Earth Master inheritance books. "You can look through them first. Once you return to Little South Mountain, give them directly to Ming'er. If she's interested, she can study them. Otherwise, she should continue focusing on cultivation through farming and practicing the Earth Mother Art."

"Thank you, Master!" Luo Yixuan exclaimed. Hearing this, Luo Yixuan immediately took the three Earth Master inheritance books into her hands. After a quick flip through them, her expression became joyous, her eyes revealing an unprecedented level of happiness. For cultivators in the Tianhe Realm, the thirst for knowledge often surpassed even the desire for magical artifacts. Luo Yixuan's Luo family was considered a prominent cultivation clan, but their Tier 2 inheritances were limited to Spirit Beast Masters and Spirit Plant Masters. These two were also considered the family's highest secret arts, accessible only to a few elders and core male family members. From the perspective of cultivation clans, women were expected to marry out, and thus, were strictly forbidden from learning the family's hundred arts of cultivation, which were vital for its survival. Within the Divine Wood Sect, to obtain a Tier 2 inheritance of the hundred arts of cultivation, one first had to join one of the twelve departments, accumulate sect contributions, pass relevant assessments, and then receive approval and a signature from a senior Foundation Establishment cultivator before being allowed to access the Scripture Pavilion. Now, Luo Yixuan had directly received a Tier 2 Earth Master inheritance, as if in a dream. She deeply felt that becoming a disciple of Little South Mountain was truly the most correct decision she had ever made in her life.

"Oh, and by the way, this Earth Master inheritance book is war spoils. Could you help me look into this 'Song Xishun'? See if such a person exists at Mount Shaking Peak and ascertain his background and master." "A disciple's duty is to serve," and since Luo Yixuan had accepted the Earth Master's inheritance book, it was only natural to task her with this small matter. She, of course, nodded quickly. Liu Wenbai, standing nearby, also indicated he would pay attention to the matter. Chen Mobai then informed them that there were many good items available in the market, suggesting they acquire anything they might need, depending on their situation.

After his two disciples departed, Chen Mobai also left to attend the mobilization meeting following the arrival of the Divine Wood Sect army. Chu Zuoshu naturally occupied the highest seat, flanked on his left and right by Quan Shanlin of the Hall of Punishing Evil and Xie Yuntian, the head of the Sword Cultivation Department. As Chen Mobai entered, he noticed Xie Yuntian's gaze appraising him. When Chen Mobai looked over, Xie Yuntian gave a slight nod. Xie Yuntian was neither tall nor short, neither stout nor thin. His face was ordinary, but his eyes were sharp, and his posture was upright, exuding the profound and unshakeable aura of a grandmaster. As the only Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Divine Wood Sect to have mastered sword light before Chen Mobai, Xie Yuntian was hailed as the Divine Wood Sect's "Third Person." This "Third Person" could refer to the third Foundation Establishment cultivator after Meng Hong and Chu Zuoshu, or it could signify the Divine Wood Sect's third strongest combatant after the two Old Ancestors.

During the mobilization meeting, Chu Zuoshu outlined the upcoming combat plan: to invade the territory of Rock Kingdom and seize their spirit stone mines. Although Rock Kingdom had scarce forest vegetation, it was rich in various mineral deposits and spiritual resources. In addition to precious Empty Nether Stone mines, there were five spirit stone mines of varying sizes. Likely due to the ley lines, two of these mines were located not far from the border of Thunder Kingdom, within Rock Kingdom's territory. This was precisely why, even after the discovery of a spirit stone mine at Rolling Thunder Mountain, Mount Shaking Peak, though initially covetous, had not lost its reason and launched a direct assault. This was because they were already mining a small spirit stone mine of their own, ten times larger in scale, located merely a hundred *li* away. This particular spirit stone mine provided Mount Shaking Peak with an annual revenue of over a million spirit stones. It was also one of Mount Shaking Peak's lifelines; if captured, it would signify a decisive victory for the Divine Wood Sect.

Inside one of the crude dwellings at Rolling Thunder Mountain, Weng Chuanyou, the Vice Head of the Divine Wood Sect's Spirit Vein Department, used his artifact to project the surrounding mountain terrain. He pointed to the spiritual land where Ji Dingjin and other Rock Kingdom cultivators had retreated, and explained, "Ji Dingjin and his group have retreated to that micro-spirit stone mine. If we want to attack the larger spirit stone mine behind them, we must first dislodge those cultivators."

"Their number of cultivators is comparable to ours," Quan Shanlin calmly analyzed. "If we were to launch a frontal assault on their Tier 3 grand formation without a Pulse-Breaking Orb, we wouldn't succeed."

"I recall the sect possesses a Tier 3 Pulse-Breaking Orb," said Fu Huakun, whose Hall of Rewarding Good was responsible for safeguarding the sect's treasury, clearly aware of their reserves.

"A Pulse-Breaking Orb is too valuable; there's no need to use it in a place like this," Chu Zuoshu stated. While the decisive victory over Mount Shaking Peak was a significant achievement, deploying a Pulse-Breaking Orb would essentially ruin the spirit stone mine. Even with an Earth Master to regulate the ley lines, it would take decades for it to recover.

"If we were to grind them down, it would likely take months to break through their formation," Xie Yuntian remarked, his brow furrowed. Prolonged warfare would also be an extreme test for the sect's logistics. This time, he led 1,200 Qi Refining disciples commanding fifty airships. While fifteen of these were laden with consumables such as spirit stones, talismans, pills, and spirit rice, their supplies would last for, at most, half a year. If they could capture the two spirit stone mines, the profits would naturally offset the costs. However, if they failed, it would not only result in a wasteful expenditure of sect resources but likely also lead to significant casualties among the cultivators.

"Don't worry," Chu Zuoshu said with an air of composure. "The sect had already made preparations for this. Junior Brother Weng is here precisely for this reason." He then revealed the decision already discussed by the higher-ups before the war started: "We'll dispatch a small team to infiltrate deep into Rock Kingdom territory. Then, Junior Brother Weng will set up a small teleportation array, allowing our main army to bypass Ji Dingjin's defenses and directly seize the spirit stone mine."

After Chu Zuoshu finished speaking, everyone present expressed their admiration for the plan. "Setting up a teleportation array requires a Tier 3 Formation Master, a significant amount of Empty Nether Stone, and time to connect with the ley lines. Therefore, Junior Brother Weng is crucial. The escort team cannot be large; it must consist of elites." As this was said, everyone's gaze turned towards Chen Mobai. Although the Divine Wood Sect cultivators present were reluctant to admit it, their youngest junior brother, who possessed a Tier 3 magical artifact and had mastered sword light, was undeniably the most elite Foundation Establishment cultivator among them.

"Junior Brother Chen, are you willing to undertake this?" Chu Zuoshu asked politely. Chen Mobai looked up at the sand table depicting the terrain, estimating that the small spirit stone mine where the teleportation array was to be set up was no more than a hundred *li* in a straight line from Rolling Thunder Mountain, well within the range of a Minor Teleportation Talisman. With his escape route secured, he uttered four decisive words: "It is my duty!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present was filled with admiration. They thought, *As expected of a sword cultivator—bold, unyielding, and utterly fearless.*