Chapter 359: Wood Spirit Talisman, Earth Vein Pill, Tianyi Spiritual Water

With a bang.

Lu Qiulong and the Great Fierce Tiger separated. Both man and beast suffered severe injuries to their hands and paws, with not a single intact limb between them.

“Woo!” A low groan emanated from the Great Fierce Tiger's mouth. Though injured, it still had the strength to fight, standing protectively in front of Lu Qiulong like a cub-guarding parent, glaring ferociously at Chen Mobai, who was approaching step by step across the lake.

“Alright, I won’t come closer then. Can someone from the Grand Medical Academy come down and help treat his injuries?” Although Chen Mobai had held back, he had still severed Lu Qiulong's hands. If the nerves weren't reattached quickly, recovery could take a long time. However, seeing the Great Fierce Tiger's posture, it was clear it wouldn't let him approach. Helpless, he could only shout towards the Grand Medical Academy's platform.

But the first to descend were people from the Kunpeng Daoist Academy. Taishi Shu dragged the somewhat timid and cowering Nangong Xiu and threw him in front of the Great Fierce Tiger. “Quick, treat it!” Taishi Shu shouted at Nangong Xiu, who immediately nodded, moved away from Chen Mobai, and rushed to the Great Fierce Tiger. After taking its paw, which had been severed by sword light, and joining the wound, a hazy, pale blue mist glowed in Nangong Xiu's palm as he began to treat the spirit beast.

“In the academy, his major is veterinary medicine. The Rain Division of the Six Emperors Scripture was something he suddenly comprehended while treating spirit beasts; he’s a true genius.” Taishi Shu, seeing the confusion on Chen Mobai’s face, explained Nangong Xiu’s specialization.

“A promising junior. The future belongs to him and Tianyu.” Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai looked at Nangong Xiu with an expression of approval.

At that moment, two individuals in white coats also flew down from the Grand Medical Academy. After examining Lu Qiulong’s hand wounds, one of them spoke to Chen Mobai. “Chief Chen, the spiritual fire at Senior Lu’s wound needs your attention.” The latter nodded, extended his hand, and made a grasping motion. A tiny, clear flame was drawn out by him from the severed wrist of Lu Qiulong. With the Azure Sun Fire no longer an obstruction, one of the Grand Medical Academy practitioners helped reattach Lu Qiulong’s hands, while the other took out a needle-shaped artifact. Spiritual energy condensed into a thread as fine as hair, and the wound was quickly stitched. Then, a bottle of light green ointment was applied to the joint, and finally, a careful bandage was wrapped around it for stabilization.

“Senior Brother Lu, don’t engage in combat for ten days. After ten days, remove the bandages and you can appropriately stimulate your meridians. With your powerful physique, you should fully recover in about a month.” After providing treatment, the two from the Grand Medical Academy also advised him on dietary restrictions during his recovery.

“Thank you both for your hard work.” Chen Mobai said this. The two from the Grand Medical Academy quickly waved their hands, indicating it was their duty, as there were always instances where hands couldn't be held back during offline sparring and exchanges. As long as the injuries weren't severe, the Grand Medical Academy could usually treat them on the spot. It was for this reason that even though the Grand Medical Academy ranked lower among the ten great academies, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators present held them in high regard.

Chen Mobai was no exception.

“I lost.” At this moment, Lu Qiulong suddenly spoke. Chen Mobai turned to look at him, a strange expression on his face. Wasn't that already obvious? “This time, I concede defeat wholeheartedly.” After saying this, Lu Qiulong lay down. The Great Fierce Tiger, whose paws had just been bandaged by Nangong Xiu, immediately ran over and carried him out of the water.

“May I ask you a question?” As Lu Qiulong was about to be carried away by the Great Fierce Tiger, Chen Mobai suddenly called out to his retreating back. “What is it?” Lu Qiulong’s voice sounded, and the Great Fierce Tiger also stopped. Man and beast stood still on the surface of the lake.

“Between Lan Haitian and me, who is stronger?” Among the Foundation Establishment cultivators Chen Mobai had encountered while traveling between two worlds, Lan Haitian was the strongest. Moreover, the latter's strength seemed bottomless, making him an undisputed champion in the Foundation Establishment realm. Previously, Chen Mobai could only marvel at Lan Haitian, but now, he felt he could contend with him. Unfortunately, Chen Mobai had achieved perfect Foundation Establishment too late. Lan Haitian was already forming his Golden Core. If he succeeded, the two would never have the chance to contend in the Foundation Establishment realm. Therefore, he could only ask Lu Qiulong, a neutral party, to compare the strengths of the only two opponents he truly respected.

“Do you want the honest truth?” Lu Qiulong turned his head, his eyes calm, and asked in return. Chen Mobai nodded.

“Lan Haitian is stronger than you.” After saying this, Lu Qiulong gently nudged the Great Fierce Tiger beneath him with his foot, and slowly departed from the island in the lake.

Chen Mobai stood rooted to the spot, silent for a moment. Then he let out a wry smile, shook his head gently, and returned to the Weapons Daoist Academy platform.

“President, I think Lan Haitian is not as strong as you.” Zhuang Jialan said softly. The students of the Weapons Daoist Academy on the platform also nodded, showing their unconditional trust in Chen Mobai. Only Bian Jingchun and the other two remained silent.

As Foundation Establishment Stage Nine cultivators, part of the circle with hopes of forming a Golden Core, they were most aware of the weight of the name Lan Haitian. What Chen Mobai was doing now, Lan Haitian had already accomplished long ago. Moreover, since achieving perfect Foundation Establishment, he had suppressed the Foundation Establishment realm for a full sixty years, becoming truly unrivaled, whether within the Immortal Sect or against ancient orthodoxies like the Ascension Cult in hidden places.

“It's a pity. It seems I won't be able to fight Lan Haitian in the Foundation Establishment realm. I suppose I'll just have to compete with him in the next realm.” Chen Mobai was quite confident about Lan Haitian forming his Golden Core. If even he failed to form it, Chen Mobai wondered who else in the Immortal Sect could succeed.

Upon hearing his words, everyone looked at him with admiration. If anyone else had said that, many would probably have scoffed at them. Was forming a Golden Core that easy? How many prodigies were stuck at perfect Foundation Establishment, exhausting two or three opportunities, only to eventually suffer qi and blood depletion and run out of spiritual energy without success? But if it was this person, it would be against all reason for him not to form a Golden Core. This chief of the Weapons Daoist Academy could essentially be seen as the second Lan Haitian.

“If you want to contend with Lan Haitian, there is a second way.” Wenren Xuewei's voice suddenly carried over. Chen Mobai turned around curiously and met her gaze.

“After I mastered the Evergreen Art, I had a spar with him once.” Wenren Xuewei’s words made everyone present’s eyes light up. If she hadn't mentioned it, no one would have known about it.

“What was the outcome?” Chen Mobai asked. Qi Huanzhi and others from the Kunpeng Daoist Academy also looked over, clearly concerned about the question.

“He used both the Yin and Yang Divisions of the Six Emperors Scripture, unifying the two polar primordial magnets, and attacked with full force. We fought to a draw.” Wenren Xuewei said with a hint of modesty.

Everyone was astonished upon hearing this.

“So, if I defeat you, it's equivalent to defeating Lan Haitian.” That was Chen Mobai’s interpretation, and Wenren Xuewei meant the same thing. She nodded gently.

“Interesting. It seems I’ll need to go all out in tomorrow’s spar.” As soon as he said this, Bian Jingchun and the others on the Weapons Daoist Academy platform trembled slightly. They naturally knew how terrifying Chen Mobai would be when he went all out. The power of his Sword Fiend was simply beyond the ability of Foundation Establishment cultivators to withstand.

“That is also what I anticipate.” Wenren Xuewei smiled and bowed slightly to Chen Mobai.

“The Evergreen Art?” In the alchemy room, Qing Nu heard Chen Mobai ask this question. She lifted her fair chin, her small face slightly tilted upwards, organizing her thoughts.

“Since I possess a Celestial Spirit Root and it's possible for me to cultivate the Evergreen Art, my mentor taught me relevant knowledge when I first enrolled.” “However, as one of the Immortal Sect’s seven great Soul Transformation arts, with the highest entry barrier, the Evergreen Art isn't simply something that can be cultivated by possessing the three major Celestial Spirit Roots of Earth, Water, and Wood. Even meeting that condition merely means one is capable of practicing it.” “Those who master this art are geniuses among geniuses. As long as they cultivate diligently in the future, they can basically advance steadily to the Nascent Soul realm.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but look envious. He felt as though he was already exhausting all the resources accumulated from both worlds just to form his Golden Core, and success wasn't even guaranteed. Yet, Wenren Xuewei, having mastered the Evergreen Art, was already assured of reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

“Three Celestial Spirit Roots, how did she manage that?” “Senior Sister Wenren herself possesses a Celestial Water Spirit Root. The academy has a fifth-tier Wood Spirit Talisman made from the heart of the Great Chun Divine Tree, which allows the wearer to project a virtual Celestial Wood Spirit Root. She only needed to cultivate techniques to enhance her Earth-attribute spirit root.”

Chen Mobai’s eyes widened at this. “A Wood Spirit Talisman? Is it the one that grants the wearer the cultivation speed of a Celestial Wood Spirit Root for a short period?”

“Precisely. This talisman was originally created by our Gou Mang Daoist Academy for cultivating the Evergreen Art. Besides the Wood Spirit Talisman, there’s also a medicinal pill called ‘Earth Vein Pill,’ refined by condensing the two primordial spiritual energies of the earth and dragon veins, which can enhance an Earth Spirit Root after consumption. And for enhancing the Water Spirit Root, there’s ‘Heavenly One Spiritual Water.’ Thousands of years ago, our Gou Mang Daoist Academy relied on these three items to continuously produce true Dao seeds capable of cultivating the Evergreen Art.” Qing Nu’s words left Chen Mobai marveling. Although he had long known that methods for enhancing spirit roots had reached their pinnacle in the Immortal Sect, hearing about the true heritage of the Gou Mang Daoist Academy still astonished him.

“You also have a Celestial Water Spirit Root, so why wasn't that fifth-tier Wood Spirit Talisman used on you?” As Chen Mobai thought about it, he recalled Qing Nu’s spirit root aptitude. If Wenren Xuewei could use it to cultivate the Evergreen Art, there was no reason why Qing Nu, with the same conditions, couldn’t.

“Perhaps Senior Sister Wenren used it until its charges were depleted, or maybe it needs to be recharged after each use, or perhaps there's something about me that makes the Gou Mang Daoist Academy hesitant.” Qing Nu said nonchalantly, as she continued refining pills.

Chen Mobai heard this, and remembering Kong Feichen, who had defected to the Ascension Cult, he instantly understood what was happening. Her political vetting must have failed!

“That Kong Feichen, always causing you trouble. Next time I see him, I'm definitely going to give him a good beating.” Chen Mobai had no qualms scolding Kong Feichen. Qing Nu, hearing this, shook her head helplessly and could only pretend not to hear.

“If the fifth-tier Wood Spirit Talisman isn’t an option, what about ordinary Wood Spirit Talismans? We can compensate for quality with quantity. I happen to know how to draw this talisman. I’ll draw you a few dozen; you can activate one every time you cultivate the Evergreen Art. How about that?” “The spiritual energy produced by cultivating the Evergreen Art requires all three Celestial Spirit Roots to be present in the body to be sustained. Once you start cultivating, you cannot stop using the Wood Spirit Talisman.”

Qing Nu definitely wanted to cultivate the Evergreen Art as well, as only powerful strength could protect her loved ones. She knew very well that if she could steadily reach the Nascent Soul stage, then even if Kong Feichen were to be arrested by the Immortal Sect in the future, she could intervene and plead for his life.

“What about the ‘Earth Vein Pill’?” Chen Mobai asked again. At worst, he would first find a way to integrate the two Celestial Spirit Roots of Earth and Water, and then figure out how to cultivate the Celestial Wood Spirit Root himself. “The Immortal Sect banned the refinement of the ‘Earth Vein Pill’ three thousand years ago.” Qing Nu said. The reason, of course, was obvious: insufficient resources. The spiritual energy for cultivation in the Immortal Sect was distributed on a need-to-know basis. How could they allow you to extract earth and dragon veins to refine pills? That would be killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!

“During our academy’s last pioneering war, we extracted earth and dragon veins from another world and refined some ‘Earth Vein Pills.’ One pill could be exchanged for 100 academic credits. Senior Sister Wenren was able to gather the three Celestial Spirit Roots of Earth, Water, and Wood within just forty years thanks to the power of the ‘Earth Vein Pill’ combined with spirit root enhancement techniques.” “However, she also possesses outstanding aptitude and talent, which allowed her to comprehend the Evergreen Art. In the history of our Gou Mang Daoist Academy, there's no shortage of negative examples: individuals who spent a century mastering the three Celestial Spirit Roots but could never even begin to cultivate the Evergreen Art in their entire lives.” “So, if you were to spar with her, I'm afraid you truly wouldn't be able to win.”

As a student of the Gou Mang Daoist Academy and a congenital Celestial Spirit Root specially admitted as an Evergreen Dao Seed, Qing Nu had also been guided to experience the Evergreen Art and understood its terrifying power as a Soul Transformation grand art better than anyone. Once mastered, it truly grants an unassailable position.

“Do you have the formulas for the ‘Earth Vein Pill’ and ‘Heavenly One Spiritual Water’?” Chen Mobai, however, asked another question. Qing Nu paused for a moment, then nodded. “I studied them for a while, but both of these pill formulas have been banned by the Immortal Sect; they waste too much earth and water resources.”

“Send me the digital versions. I’ll look at them when I have time; perhaps I can find a flaw in the Evergreen Art from them.” Chen Mobai was starting to talk nonsense, but he couldn’t very well say he had another world where he might be able to refine the ‘Earth Vein Pill’ and ‘Heavenly One Spiritual Water.’

Other things didn’t matter, but he had always coveted the Five Elements Sect’s supreme art, the Primordial Dao Fruit. However, this grand art could only be cultivated by those with a Celestial Earth Spirit Root and who were in the late Golden Core stage. If he could one day take charge of the Divine Wood Sect and counterattack the Five Elements Sect, truly obtain the Primordial Dao Fruit, and with the Earth Vein Pill, he might genuinely be able to attempt cultivating this supreme profound art said to have been left behind by the ascended immortal True Monarch Yiyuan.