Chapter 376: Leaving Earth Flame Light Escape

"Don't worry," Chen Mobai reassured Yan Bingxuan, "quite a few cultivators in the Immortal Sect have successfully established their foundation without relying on the Critical Law." He pointed to Lu Zixuan as an example right beside him. Yan Bingxuan simply hummed and nodded in response.

Her calm expression made it difficult for Chen Mobai to gauge her feelings. Still, he felt he should do something for his old classmate, especially since her guidance had been instrumental in his top performance during the entrance exam.

"Send me your personal template," he offered. "I'll apply to use the Foundation Establishment Treasure to calculate your success probability for you." Hearing this, Yan Bingxuan's eyes flickered. Her usually serene expression showed a hint of hesitation, but she ultimately nodded, took out her phone, and sent her panel data to Chen Mobai.

"Oh, and I have a Formless Puppet," Chen Mobai added. "It can simulate the process of a cultivator's Qi cultivation and foundation establishment. It does require your body model data, though. I can use my Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror to scan you whenever you're free." These words clearly moved Yan Bingxuan; she evidently knew about the Formless Puppet.

"That's far too valuable," Yan Bingxuan couldn't help but interject. While opportunities to use the Foundation Establishment Treasure were in high demand even in the Immortal Sect—she herself, as a student of the Academy of Natural Studies, had secured one three years prior—the results had been disappointing, showing only a 28% success rate.

Compared to the Foundation Establishment Treasure, the Formless Puppet represented the Immortal Sect's most detailed and comprehensive method for simulating foundation establishment at present. Aside from the Critical Law, it was the best opportunity for Qi cultivation cultivators to gain a clear understanding of the various challenges they might face during their own foundation establishment.

However, Formless Puppets were limited in number. Among the Four Great Dao Academies, only Wuqi and Jumang could guarantee each student one use, whereas Kunpeng and Butian required queuing. As for the Ten Great Academies, it was even rarer; only core students with top-tier talent, typically at the chief level, could have their academy request to borrow a Formless Puppet from the Four Great Dao Academies.

"Rather than you serving in the military and us not seeing each other for ten years, I'd much rather see you successfully establish your foundation," Chen Mobai stated. Yan Bingxuan's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, and then she posed a question.

"Are you so certain that if I fail to establish my foundation, I'd join the military instead of marrying and having children?" she challenged.

"You're not that weak," Chen Mobai replied, a remark that brought a subtle smile to Yan Bingxuan's lips.

The two walked to the intersection and waved goodbye.

Upon returning home, Chen Mobai first went to Xiaonan Mountain. He then logged into the Foundation Establishment Treasure using his alternate account, "Turtle Immortal." As he input Yan Bingxuan's personal panel data, he noticed it was unusually detailed—it even included her body measurements! No wonder the beautiful Yan had hesitated earlier.

"I really had no idea she was... that well-endowed," Chen Mobai muttered, his expression one of shock after reviewing the data. If the information was accurate, it was the largest he'd ever seen. How had Yan Bingxuan managed to conceal it so effectively? He hadn't noticed anything unusual before.

The Foundation Establishment Treasure's calculations were quickly displayed. After selecting the Three Foundation Establishment Treasures, Yan Bingxuan showed a 32% success rate. Unfortunately, her ice spirit root conflicted with the Profound Fire Spirit Liquid, a key foundation establishment spiritual item from the Wuqi Dao Academy. Without the Profound Fire Spirit Liquid, the Jade Marrow Pill's effectiveness was also quite mediocre.

Chen Mobai pondered for a moment, then used his alternate account to log into the auxiliary cultivation software. Leveraging his high-level clearance, he searched for posts discussing foundation establishment for ice spirit roots. He found quite a few relevant entries.

The posts indicated that beyond the Three Foundation Establishment Treasures, an additional 10% or so could be added to the success rate if either "Snow Elf Water" or "Water Mist Ice Crystal" were used. Chen Mobai then searched for these two items.

"Snow Elf Water" was a top-grade, second-tier elixir. As ice spirit root cultivators were rare, the Immortal Sect only arranged for its refining once enough reservations were accumulated. This explained why Yan Bingxuan hadn't attempted foundation establishment in recent years; she had been waiting for this very spiritual water.

"Water Mist Ice Crystal" was a natural spiritual material, also usable with the Taiyi Five Smoke Net. Both artificial and naturally occurring versions existed. However, artificial ones were only first-tier, and for ice spirit root foundation establishment, a second-tier crystal was ideal. Higher tiers were unsuitable, as Qi cultivation cultivators couldn't withstand their potency.

This item was typically found only in the extremely cold polar sea regions of Diyuan Star. Reaching those locations required either a Golden Core True Person or transport via the Immortal Sect's treasure ship, which only departed once every twenty years.

After reviewing the post, Chen Mobai shook his head. Given his current capabilities, acquiring either of these items within the Immortal Sect seemed incredibly difficult.

He considered, however, checking the Tianhe Realm to see if "Water Mist Ice Crystal" might be found there. The Blowing Snow Palace, one of the Seven Great Sects of the Eastern Wilderness, was located in a region of vast snow and ice, so it was possible they possessed it. He just wasn't sure if it would be called "Water Mist Ice Crystal" there and would need to research it when he had time.

He also hoped Yan Bingxuan would be able to acquire "Snow Elf Water" before graduation.

As he pondered, Chen Mobai retrieved the Camel's Mane Ointment, refined by Qing Nü. Using his spiritual sense to guide it, he scooped five portions and applied them to the fingers of his right hand.

A subtle, needle-like burning pain radiated from his fingertips, signaling that the ointment was actively working, continuously enhancing the strength of the muscles, bones, and flesh in his five fingers.

Once this entire jar of ointment was depleted, the strength of Chen Mobai's entire right palm would have increased enough to withstand the Five Elements Sword Fiend Array. He had begun tempering and strengthening his right hand immediately after returning from Jumang Dao Academy, and he estimated that the strength of his five fingers would be adequate by the time school reopened.

After completing today's tempering, Chen Mobai observed his reddish fingers, through which his meridians were faintly visible, and a smile spread across his face. This continuous feeling of improvement always filled him with a profound sense of accomplishment.

With his Five Elements Sword Fingers tempered, Chen Mobai then produced a mid-grade spirit stone and commenced his cultivation of the Pure Yang Dharmakaya.

For years, aside from crucial moments like consuming the Evergreen Tree Fruit, he had diligently cultivated the Pure Yang Dharmakaya every single day, without fail, whenever he had sufficient time, day or night.

As it turned out, diligence always paid off.

Today, as Chen Mobai absorbed half of the mid-grade spirit stone in his palm, his body suddenly shimmered with the profound light of his water spirit root and the emerald glow of his wood spirit root. Yet, in the very instant these two spiritual lights emerged, a golden-red flame ignited, swiftly consuming both the water and wood spirit roots in accordance with the Five Elements' mutual generation cycle.

Subsequently, the fire spirit root in his heart region flared even more brilliantly, as if newly fueled.

With a sharp *crack*, the spirit stone in his palm suddenly fractured. Yet, the pure spiritual energy within it surged like a river into Chen Mobai's body, flowing into the internal organs associated with his Five Elements spirit roots.

After several repeated cycles, the light emanating from Chen Mobai's fire spirit root in his chest reached an unprecedented brilliance.

With a long, drawn-out breath, all the spiritual root lights dimmed, and normal illumination returned to the wooden house.

Chen Mobai slowly opened his eyes. Within his normally clear and bright gaze, two red rings now appeared, circling the outermost edge of his pupils like fiery halos.

This transformation resulted from the sudden advancement of his spirit root, though the two red circles quickly faded from his pupils. At his current cultivation level, he could already control such manifestations.

Chen Mobai then took out his spirit root testing device, infused it with spiritual energy, and soon his updated spirit root values appeared before his eyes.

Spirit Roots: Gold 23, Wood 45, Water 16, Fire 72, Earth 10.

Upon seeing the "Fire 72" reading, he couldn't help but burst into laughter inside the empty wooden house atop Xiaonan Mountain.

Now, he could finally claim to be a true genius.

Only he truly knew the immense resources and effort it had taken to reach this point.

It had been a full seven and a half years since the Scarlet-robed True Person in Danxia City had guided him to transform his Five Elements Cultivation into the Pure Yang Scroll. This meant he had dedicated an equal amount of time to cultivating the Pure Yang Dharmakaya.

Thanks to a continuous daily supply of spirit stones, he had finally elevated his Pure Yang Dharmakaya to the realm of the Five Yang Body.

He was now just one step away from achieving the Six Yang Body, which was necessary for Core Formation.

Once he successfully cultivated the Six Yang Body, his fire spirit root would surpass 80, transforming into the Heaven Fire Spirit Root he had always dreamed of.

While a Heaven Spirit Root cultivated later in life couldn't quite compare to an innate one, it still greatly aided Core Formation. More importantly, Chen Mobai now found that cultivating any fire-attribute cultivation method or spell felt significantly more efficient.

So this is what it feels like to be a genius, he thought.

After his initial elation, Chen Mobai felt a slight sense of anticlimax. He calculated the time it had taken him to progress from Four Yang to Five Yang: a full two years, even with the assistance of spirit stones.

At this rate, he estimated it would still take another five or six years to achieve the Heaven Fire Spirit Root. That felt a bit slow.

If other cultivators of the Pure Yang Scroll in the Immortal Sect knew Chen Mobai's current thoughts, many would likely clench their fists and want to punch him.

It was important to remember that Ming Yihua and Yun Yangbing, lacking spirit stones, could only painstakingly improve by absorbing fire spiritual energy on their own. They were both still stuck at the transition from Three Yang to Four Yang and considered achieving the Four Yang Body before graduation to be an overachievement of their goals.

Meanwhile, Chen Mobai was already contemplating the Six Yang Body, and even Core Formation.

With his fire spirit root further enhanced, Chen Mobai, still in high spirits, cultivated the Pure Yang Scroll once more. As expected, his rate of refining spiritual energy was slightly faster than usual.

After a complete cultivation cycle, he teleported to the Divine Tree Secret Realm and practiced the spells from the Pure Yang Scroll. Their power had significantly increased.

However, the primary reason for this boost was his consumption of Enlightenment Tea, which had allowed him to grasp the essence of these spells, rather than merely the improvement of his fire spirit root.

He then retrieved the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror. This third-tier magical artifact, which already possessed a faint sentience, trembled as it sensed his impressive 72-point fire spirit root. It then released its most crucial restriction, allowing Chen Mobai's spiritual sense to flood in and thoroughly refine it.

From this moment on, even if the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror's original creator were to be resurrected and appear before him, the artifact would only ever cooperate with Chen Mobai in battle.

After thoroughly refining this companion artifact, Chen Mobai felt his control and perception of fire spiritual energy had reached a new level. He cultivated the Pure Yang Scroll once more and noticed a slight increase in his cultivation speed.

Finally, Chen Mobai practiced the Scarlet Flame Sword Art again, focusing primarily on the Azure Flame Sword Fiend. Its power had undeniably increased, but the improvement was limited compared to the Pure Yang Scroll spells that perfectly complemented his Pure Yang Dharmakaya.

He touched the yellow gourd at his waist, feeling a slight regret that his Primordial Yang Sword Fiend, which had been destroyed by the Azure Frost Sword, had not yet been re-cultivated. Otherwise, he could have tested its power again.

Before leaving the Divine Tree Secret Realm, Chen Mobai decided to check on the Sky-Swallowing Snake once more, though now he had to actively seek it out.

Having been repeatedly trapped by the Heavenly Wood Spiritual Light, the Sky-Swallowing Snake now hid far away whenever it sensed Chen Mobai's aura.

However, its demonic aura was quite conspicuous within a secret realm permeated with wood energy.

Chen Mobai didn't even need to use his Heaven-Searching, Earth-Tracing technique; simply by activating his Insightful Spiritual Eyes, he immediately spotted a wisp of dark green demonic aura intertwined with the abundant emerald wood energy.

With a flick of his finger, the Heavenly Wood Spiritual Light shot forth, coiling around the Sky-Swallowing Snake, which was hidden beneath a pile of dry leaves, and drawing it gently before him like a silken ribbon.

Upon seeing Chen Mobai, the Sky-Swallowing Snake immediately turned its back. It continued to chew on a fresh, tender leaf, its small tail swaying nonchalantly, offering no resistance. It simply ignored him and kept eating.

"This little fellow..." Chen Mobai murmured. Seeing that the Sky-Swallowing Snake was perfectly fine, he decided not to trouble it further. He released the Heavenly Wood Spiritual Light's hold, let it bounce back into the Profound Mist Talisman, and then returned to the Talent Tree.

"Flame Light Evasion!" Opening his eyes, Chen Mobai recalled the newly acquired fire evasion technique in his mind, and an expression of surprise involuntarily appeared on his face.

The Evergreen Sect truly lived up to its name as an ancient grand sect; it consistently brought him pleasant surprises.

During the sparring matches at Jumang Dao Academy, he had already realized that speed was his weak point. However, he had never found the time to seek out a suitable evasion technique. Unexpectedly, upon achieving the Five Yang Body today, he had acquired one directly from the Talent Tree.

This "Flame Light Evasion" was an evasion technique rooted in Azure Yang Fire, directly inheriting its principles from the Pure Azure Art.

Once mastered, its instantaneous burst speed was incredibly swift, like a flickering spark. For sustained travel, as long as spiritual energy was sufficient and the physical body could withstand the high temperatures of Azure Yang Fire, traversing a thousand miles a day would be effortless.

However, this evasion technique had one drawback: when executed, both feet had to be off the ground. If it came into contact with the earth's energy, the technique would fail. Its name derived from this characteristic.

With Azure Yang Fire at his disposal, Chen Mobai could easily cultivate this evasion technique. Moreover, as a Fire Spirit Body, he didn't need to worry about fire evasion techniques causing him physical harm.

Considering these factors, this Flame Light Evasion technique was exceptionally well-suited for him.

It would be essential to thoroughly study this technique during the coming period. He aimed to rectify his weakness in speed before school resumed.

Lost in thought, Chen Mobai activated his Turtle Treasure and returned to Danxia City. It was just dawn.

He sent the Foundation Establishment Treasure's calculation results to Yan Bingxuan, who promptly replied with a "received" emoji.

Just as Chen Mobai was about to ask Yan Bingxuan when she would be available to help her deduce the detailed foundation establishment process using the Formless Puppet, a call came in.

"Senior Brother Chai, you arrived so quickly!" This call concerned his puppet factory, which was crucial to his future prosperity, so Chen Mobai immediately answered. Upon hearing that Chai Lun had already arrived at Danxia City Airport, he told him to wait a moment and that he would be right there to pick him up.