Chapter 336: Before the Great Tree

“Sect Leader, while commissioning Huitian Valley to refine Foundation Establishment Pills previously might have genuinely delayed Yan Shaoyin’s cultivation, under current conditions, it would likely be of no great harm to him.”

Chen Mobai knew Chu Zuoshu was open to persuasion, so he spoke his mind directly.

During the time of Patriarch Hunyuan, the Five Elements Sect imposed strict quotas on Huitian Valley for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, forcing Yan Shaoyin to personally undertake the task. However, with no Nascent Soul cultivators present now, the conditions are very flexible. They can even use the materials provided by Huitian Valley to cultivate their own disciples.

“Indeed, since our sect separated from the Five Elements Sect, Huitian Valley has cultivated two more third-tier alchemists in just a few decades. If this continues, they might truly surpass us in the future.” Chu Zuoshu listened to Chen Mobai, then took out Huitian Valley’s records, shaking his head slightly.

“However, suppressing Huitian Valley and agreeing to Zeng Woyou’s request to refine orthodox Foundation Establishment Pills are two different matters,” he continued. “If I yield to him on this, then everyone from the Three Halls and Twelve Departments will try the same trick in the future. Will I be forced to constantly retreat?”

The reason remained the same: rather than suppressing Huitian Valley, Chu Zuoshu’s primary objective was to establish his own authority.

Although he had managed the Hall of Rewards for decades, he wasn’t as influential as Meng Hong, who had many disciples. His appointment as Sect Leader was also due to the lack of other suitable candidates.

At this crucial juncture, Zeng Woyou suddenly challenged Chu Zuoshu, naturally displeasing him.

“Currently, Brother Zeng is the only third-tier alchemist in the sect. Many tasks, even the daily elixirs for the two patriarchs, require his expertise. If this matter drags on and the patriarchs inquire about it, it could potentially be disadvantageous for you, Sect Leader.” Chen Mobai’s words were subtle, but Chu Zuoshu understood, frowning.

The two patriarchs had chosen him as Sect Leader primarily to ensure a smooth transition. If Chu Zuoshu performed well, he could, like Meng Hong, accumulate contributions and, when the time was right, use the sect’s resources to obtain Golden Core spiritual items before abdicating.

However, if internal instability arose from the start, disturbing the two patriarchs, even if the matter were resolved later, his standing within the Divine Wood Sect would likely significantly decline.

“I can’t possibly yield,” Chu Zuoshu stated. “If he’s willing to show deference publicly, refining two batches of orthodox Foundation Establishment Pills for him wouldn’t be out of the question.”

Upon hearing Chu Zuoshu’s words, Chen Mobai knew his subsequent suggestion would likely be well-received.

“To preserve the Sect Leader’s authority, the seven batches of orthodox Foundation Establishment Pills our sect commissioned Huitian Valley to refine should still not be given to Brother Zeng. However, if we can procure additional ingredients for a few batches of Foundation Establishment Pills for him, I believe he would be very willing to defer to the Sect Leader during the meeting of the Three Halls and Twelve Departments.”

Chu Zuoshu didn’t quite understand. He took a sip from his cup, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Do you mean buying ingredients like Jade Marrow Golden Ganoderma from outside in the name of the sect? Wouldn’t that be redundant? If we did that, I’d be even more looked down upon.”

“Sect Leader,” Chen Mobai gently reminded him, “don’t we give three Jade Marrow Golden Ganoderma to Golden Light Cliff with every batch?” Chu Zuoshu paused, then his expression cleared with understanding.

“Would Golden Light Cliff agree to that?”

“Brother Sun Gaochang told me that whenever the Jade Marrow Golden Ganoderma matures, the Spiritual Plant Department prepares auxiliary ingredients for ten batches of Foundation Establishment Pills simultaneously and sends them to Huitian Valley. We’re also the ones who collect the refined pills and then deliver them to Golden Light Cliff. I imagine that as long as the quantity remains consistent, they won’t say anything even if they find out.”

As brother sects, the Divine Wood Sect and Golden Light Cliff are closely connected. Whenever one calls for aid in a conflict, the other almost always arrives.

For instance, in this war with Trembling Mountain Peak, if Mo Douguang hadn’t intervened, the Divine Wood Sect might not have won.

So, although the Divine Wood Sect nominally only needs to give Golden Light Cliff three Jade Marrow Golden Ganoderma every ten years, because Golden Light Cliff’s sword cultivators are only skilled in combat and not in farming or alchemy, the Divine Wood Sect also helps prepare auxiliary ingredients for them.

Of course, Golden Light Cliff also provides spirit stones, but given the good relationship between the two sects, it’s essentially half-sale, half-gift.

Chen Mobai’s suggestion was to let Zeng Woyou refine those three batches of Foundation Establishment Pills meant for Golden Light Cliff. Regardless of the final yield, they would then make up the difference in quantity.

With such a condition, Zeng Woyou would surely be willing to show deference to Chu Zuoshu during the meeting.

“I understand your intention,” Chu Zuoshu said. “However, it would be best to clarify this matter with Golden Light Cliff beforehand. Trust often crumbles from small acts of carelessness. Conveniently, the group of disciples who went to Golden Light Cliff for exchange and study are returning next month. Their escort should be Jia Songyang, one of Golden Light Cliff’s Twelve Sword Holders and a rare capable administrator. I’ll speak with him first.”

Chen Mobai was even more impressed by Chu Zuoshu upon hearing this. It was no wonder the two patriarchs had unanimously chosen him as Sect Leader; his approach to life and interpersonal relations was truly masterful.

Chu Zuoshu, too, held a similar thought, finding Chen Mobai exceptionally insightful in human affairs. The more he considered the plan, the more brilliant he found it, realizing it could both elevate his prestige within the sect and gradually free them from their reliance on Huitian Valley for alchemy.

Suppressing Huitian Valley was, after all, a policy from the time of the Five Elements Sect. After Patriarch Hunyuan’s demise, it became practically impossible to enforce.

The Divine Wood Sect continued to follow this rule simply because, when they first separated, they had no third-tier alchemist and could only rely on Huitian Valley for assistance.

Now, the sect’s development has entered a stable phase. Since they can no longer use alchemy to tie up Yan Shaoyin’s energy and cultivation, they should shift their focus to cultivating their own high-tier alchemists.

“Golden Light Cliff doesn’t have a third-tier alchemist, but compared to Huitian Valley, they would certainly trust our Divine Wood Sect more. If we explain the situation clearly and thoroughly, I believe Brother Jia will agree with the Sect Leader’s proposal.”

“As long as we guarantee Golden Light Cliff receives more than 12 Foundation Establishment Pills, with the relationship between our two sects, this matter is sure to succeed. Leave it to me from now on.”

Having resolved a pressing concern, Chu Zuoshu’s weary expression instantly brightened.

After sharing two cups with him, Chen Mobai also took his leave.

“Junior Brother,” Chu Zuoshu called out, “someone previously proposed you take on the role of Nation Protector for Jianguo. What are your thoughts on that?”

“If the sect requires me, I naturally won’t refuse.” This was, in fact, Chen Mobai’s primary reason for visiting today. Three or four months had passed since Luo Xue’er mentioned it, yet there had been no news about the matter.

The experience as a protector was crucial for his future advancement into the upper echelons, so the sooner it was confirmed, the better.

However, he couldn’t openly seek connections or pull strings himself. After all, his persona in the Divine Wood Sect was that of a genius sword cultivator, maintaining a distant and aloof demeanor.

So, he conveniently used the matter of Zeng Woyou to appear before Chu Zuoshu, subtly reminding him with his presence.

Sure enough, Chu Zuoshu remembered.

“Someone raised that issue before, but since there weren’t many in favor, it was temporarily shelved. I’ll push for it again in a couple of days.”

Although there was no explicit promise, Chen Mobai knew that his appointment as Nation Protector for Jianguo was practically certain.

After all, Chu Zuoshu was now the Sect Leader. If he genuinely wanted to accomplish something, the Three Halls and Twelve Departments would largely not openly obstruct him.

Two days after returning to Mount Xiaonan, Yan Jinye visited again.

“Brother, Inspector Sun came to see Master last night. In today’s assembly, Master personally apologized to the Sect Leader.”

Although the matter of the three batches of Foundation Establishment Pills for Golden Light Cliff hadn’t been confirmed yet, as long as Chu Zuoshu made a promise to Zeng Woyou, it was backed by the sect’s reputation.

Therefore, as soon as Zeng Woyou heard about the condition, he immediately deferred to Chu Zuoshu without hesitation.

However, since the Foundation Establishment Pill ingredients had not yet been acquired, Zeng Woyou hadn’t told Yan Jinye about the arrangement. Chen Mobai, unconcerned, explained the reasons to her but also instructed her to keep it confidential and not to spread the news.

“Not only is Brother’s talent extraordinary, but he’s also proficient in human relations. This shows his mastery of the sword dao is now truly sublime and effortless.”

“If I could, I’d only want to farm,” Chen Mobai said, gesturing towards Mount Xiaonan and the sixty acres of spiritual fields below. “Unfortunately, in this world, if I don’t hold a sword, I can’t protect the peace of this land beneath my feet.”

“Brother’s cultivation realm is far beyond my reach.”

After resolving the issues between Zeng Woyou and Chu Zuoshu, Chen Mobai unreservedly accepted the three bamboo fruits.

As his spiritual consciousness realm grew higher, the effects of the Clear-Eyed Bamboo Spirit Dew began to wane for him. This was partly because he had been using it to nourish his nascent spiritual consciousness through a splitting technique; if applied directly to his main spiritual consciousness, it no longer provided any enhancement.

So recently, he had been using it primarily to enhance his Void-Piercing Spiritual Eyes, rarely cultivating his spiritual consciousness directly.

However, after reaching Foundation Establishment Completion, Chen Mobai perceived another body-tempering method that brought him significant improvement.

He had previously refined 23 drops of Longevity Tree Sap into his skull. Although he had assimilated them using the Precious Flame Body Forging technique, much of the vitality and spiritual energy remained hidden within his bones. This spiritual energy would, once Longevity Tree Sap was refined into all his bones, form a perfect cycle, gradually permeating his entire body, flesh, and meridians.

Now, Chen Mobai could use the Longevity Immortality Scripture to activate the dormant Longevity Tree Sap’s spiritual energy within his bones, thereby enhancing his Void-Piercing Spiritual Eyes and even slowly expanding his Sea of Consciousness in the Purple Mansion.

It could only be said that, as techniques originating from the same source, the Longevity Immortality Scripture possessed a natural control over Longevity Tree Sap.

His Void-Piercing Spiritual Eyes also showed signs of approaching mastery.

After seeing Yan Jinye off, Chen Mobai also received the Sect Leader’s decree from the Divine Wood Hall.

It appointed him to succeed the returning Liu Ruzhong as Nation Protector of Jianguo starting next year.

Chen Mobai naturally accepted the command.

Although a Nation Protector of Jianguo could enjoy leisure in Giant Wood Ridge, he would initially need to inspect the six markets within Jianguo’s territory, as well as the Divine Wood Sect’s nine medicinal field sub-branches and fourteen mining outposts.

However, that was a matter for next year.

After instructing his three disciples in combat techniques, Chen Mobai announced that he had gained new insights requiring secluded cultivation, and he once again sealed off the summit of Mount Xiaonan.

Over at the Immortal Gate, the Daoist Academy’s offline exchange and sparring event was about to begin, and he needed to go there first to confirm the candidates from the Weapon Dance Daoist Academy.

However, Chen Mobai did not return directly to the Immortal Gate. Instead, he “detoured” to the Divine Tree Secret Realm first.

He had now reached Foundation Establishment Completion and felt certain he could reach the end before the Grand Dao Tree.

The divine tree soared skyward.

Its grayish-brown bark bore the marks of time, yet it also exuded an overwhelming, awe-inspiring majesty that pierced the sky and dominated the vast expanse.

Chen Mobai recalled his two previous attempts at walking before the Grand Dao Tree. The first time, he cleverly used the Formless Puppet, reaching the tenth step with the aid of the third-tier puppet’s power. This granted him mastery of the Sword Rainbow Splitting Light technique, establishing his supreme renown in the Two Realms Battle Victory.

The second time, on a whim, he had tested it with his true body’s cultivation realm.

Regrettably, he had stopped at the seventh step. Although it was a decent achievement, he felt somewhat ashamed, having squandered so many resources.

And today, he stood before the Grand Dao Tree once more.

As he stepped onto the seventh path, he felt pressure on his spiritual consciousness and physical body. However, compared to the exhaustive fatigue from before, which felt like his essence, qi, and spirit were depleted, this time it was merely a warm-up, a slight sweat after exercise.

It even felt somewhat comfortable.

And so, he took the eighth step.

A faint buzzing sound resonated in his ears, and a slight ringing caused his vision to blur for a moment. Pressure, three times stronger than before, assailed his Sea of Consciousness in the Purple Mansion, forcing Chen Mobai to pause and assimilate the trial’s impact.

Not only was his spiritual consciousness being assailed, but the spiritual energy in his Dantian and the vital energy in his physical body were also being consumed simultaneously.

Only then did Chen Mobai understand that this Longevity Dao Inquiry Trial was a comprehensive test of a cultivator’s essence, qi, and spirit. It was simply that cultivators in the Sky River Realm, compared to spiritual consciousness, focused more on improving their spiritual energy realm, which was why during the trial, they often succumbed to unconsciousness when their spiritual consciousness couldn’t withstand the pressure.

The capacity of a wooden barrel is determined by its shortest stave.

As the Formless Puppet was a construct, the tests on spiritual energy and physical body had no effect on it. Only Chen Mobai’s spiritual consciousness, which inhabited it, had limits, which was why he could only reach ten steps.

Compared to his previous attempt, although Chen Mobai’s spiritual consciousness realm had improved considerably, it was still a shortcoming when compared to the Longevity Immortality Scripture’s Foundation Establishment Completion stage.

At this eighth step, he even felt a slight ringing in his ears.

But this minor side effect was entirely negligible for him.

He glanced at the Grand Dao Tree, now close before him, and took the ninth step.

The impact on his spiritual consciousness was even more terrifying, and he felt a faint sense of dizziness in his head.

Yet, it was still within his tolerance.

The tenth step.

An instantaneous headache made Chen Mobai involuntarily clench his teeth, and the perfected Longevity spiritual energy in his Dantian began to rapidly deplete.

However, at this moment, the effect of refining Longevity Tree Sap into his skull became apparent: a gentle, warm spiritual energy enveloped his Sea of Consciousness in the Purple Mansion, allowing him to quickly regain clarity.

Then, he took the eleventh step!

“Cough, cough…” Chen Mobai raised a hand to wipe his mouth. The fresh blood on his palm made him frown slightly, and the intense throbbing in his head was almost unbearable.

Had it not been for the continuous warm currents generated within his skull, nourishing his Sea of Consciousness in the Purple Mansion and alleviating the headache, he would likely have fainted by now.

Precisely because of this, he felt he had not yet reached his limit and could take one more step.

Without hesitation, before the Longevity Tree Sap’s spiritual energy was depleted, Chen Mobai stepped forward once more, taking the twelfth step!

“Whoosh!” Suddenly, his vision turned crimson. He knew it was due to bloodshot eyes, or rather, bleeding from all seven orifices.

At this point, even with the protective spiritual energy of the Longevity Tree Sap, he had reached his limit.

“This is enough for now. I’ll try again next time.”

The moment Chen Mobai turned around, a green leaf drifted down, landing on his forehead.

He experienced once more the scene his spiritual consciousness had undergone previously while inhabiting the Formless Puppet.

Twelve steps before the Grand Dao Tree. A top-tier achievement, qualifying him to be a Saint Son of my Longevity Sect.