Chapter 426: Meng Huang'er Establishes Foundation

Chen Mobai's choice of the Formless Puppet was a last resort. His only proficient third-tier techniques, besides Sword Fiend, were these puppets, which he had comprehended using Enlightenment Tea. Talismans were still out of reach.

The good news, however, was that although the Formless Puppet was hailed as the pinnacle of Immortal Sect puppetry, its technical challenges had already been overcome by Che Yucheng. After Chen Mobai's comprehension, he was confident in assembling it, provided he had sufficient materials.

What others found most difficult—understanding the blueprints and technical interfaces—Chen Mobai had already mastered.

The Formless Puppet consisted of 36,728 parts, many of which were non-standard and required manual filing or 3D printing.

At this point, Chen Mobai recalled the Five Metals Primordial Stone he had given his sister, Wang Xinying. This item could universally change its shape, making it suitable for many non-standard parts.

Similar items also existed within the Way of Puppetry.

Fortunately, most parts could be procured within the Immortal Sect's large industrial system.

After deciding to refine the Formless Puppet, Chen Mobai immediately called Chai Lun. Chai Lun had been involved in the puppet business for a long time and was more familiar than him with the procurement and customization of various parts.

Upon hearing about it, Chai Lun was even more excited than Chen Mobai, offering to help voluntarily, asking only to observe the assembly of the Formless Puppet.

The highest rank for puppeteers in the Immortal Sect was third-tier, requiring the ability to refine a Formless Puppet.

When Chen Mobai first enrolled, Chai Lun had personally guided him into puppetry; now, their roles were reversed.

"No problem," Chen Mobai readily agreed. "Once all the parts are ready, we'll get to work."

Chen Mobai agreed without hesitation. He was someone who appreciated kindness and repaid it; since Chai Lun had helped him greatly, he was happy to assist him with the Formless Puppet.

"You could also call Senior Zhou Tiangong," Chai Lun suggested. "He has a lot of equipment, and many crucial parts can only be made by Tiangong Artifact Factory."

Chai Lun began strategizing. The integrated machines for Chen Mobai's puppet factory had initially been custom-ordered from Tiangong Artifact Factory.

Zhou Tiangong was also a second-tier puppeteer, but his primary profession was a third-tier artifact refiner. If he could participate in the Formless Puppet project, he would be able to upgrade to a third-tier puppeteer. Hearing this, he was very happy to join.

Projects like the Formless Puppet, which required multi-person collaboration in the Immortal Sect, allowed for four individuals to be credited.

After recruiting Chai Lun and Zhou Tiangong, Chen Mobai still had one spot left.

"Do you have any connections at Jumang Dao Academy?" Chai Lun asked. "The Formless Puppet requires many bionic materials, and only they have them."

Chai Lun offered another suggestion, and Chen Mobai immediately called Qing Nü to ask if she knew anyone.

"I'm an alchemist, not very familiar with biology," Qing Nü replied. "You could ask Senior Wenren Xuewei; she has extensive connections."

Only after hearing Qing Nü's words did Chen Mobai realize he still had Wenren Xuewei's number.

However, they weren't very close. Since he and Pei Qingshuang were now friends, he decided to ask her to relay the message and see if Wenren Xuewei could help.

"Alright, I'll ask for you."

Shortly after Pei Qingshuang hung up, Wenren Xuewei actually called Chen Mobai herself.

She explained that she was one of the biology teachers and, having cultivated the Evergreen Technique, could conduct many extraordinary experiments.

She could provide the bionic materials for the Formless Puppet.

Chen Mobai was naturally delighted. They discussed further cooperation details and agreed to give the last credited spot to Wenren Xuewei.

With just a few phone calls, Chen Mobai had assembled a small team for refining the Formless Puppet.

However, he was probably the only one in the entire Immortal Sect with such influence.

Finally, Chen Mobai visited the Tiangong Artifact Factory again to speak with Zhou Tiangong in person.

"Leave these parts to me," Zhou Tiangong said, "but the crucial third-tier chips will need to be custom-ordered from Butian Dao Academy in advance."

For the non-standard parts, as long as the blueprints were provided, Zhou Tiangong could arrange for Tiangong Artifact Factory to manufacture them gradually. However, there was no way to handle the core chips.

Chen Mobai called Lou Fengcheng again, but even Lou Fengcheng couldn't make decisions regarding third-tier chips. He provided Chen Mobai with the contact information of a Golden Core True Person named Fu Borong, asking him to communicate directly.

Chen Mobai considered this. Although he was currently the most popular cultivator in the Immortal Sect, his status wasn't equivalent to a Golden Core True Person. Calling rashly, he figured, might not even get an answer.

Therefore, he sought help from his teacher.

When Che Yucheng heard that Chen Mobai planned to refine a Formless Puppet for his graduation project, he, who was usually calm and composed, lost his composure slightly.

"Really? Won't that be too difficult? I still have some spare parts; do you need them? Tell me if you encounter any difficulties..."

Seeing Che Yucheng's reaction, Chen Mobai felt his choice was correct.

He explained that he had already assembled a team and only lacked a source for the chips, perhaps needing his teacher to step in and help with communication.

"Don't worry," Che Yucheng assured him. "Fu Borong still owes me a favor. Their Formless Puppet at Butian Dao Academy was only successfully refined after my guidance. Leave this matter to me."

True to his extensive connections, Che Yucheng made a phone call and declared the matter resolved.

However, these chips also needed to be custom-made, and even if arrangements began immediately, it would take half a year.

But Chen Mobai wouldn't graduate until next year, so there was plenty of time.

After completing all preparations for the Formless Puppet, Chen Mobai confidently headed to Building Nine.

Tomorrow was the day Meng Huang'er would attempt Foundation Establishment again.

Following their previous arrangement, Chen Mobai checked into a room for himself, and when night fell, he secretly slipped into Meng Huang'er's luxury suite upstairs.

"Are you confident?"

"Mhm."

Compared to her previous nervousness, Meng Huang'er was brimming with confidence this time. After all, with the Critical Method as a fallback, she could still stabilize even if Foundation Establishment failed.

Chen Mobai once again checked her preparations for Foundation Establishment.

They were quite simple: only the Qi Condensing Fluid and Spirit Elevating Powder, two of the Three Treasures of Foundation Establishment.

Also, there was the Spirit Gathering Array Chen Mobai borrowed from his good friend Yun Yangbing. Although Yun Yangbing was not at the academy, Chen Mobai made a call, and the item was immediately sent over.

"It's almost time. Let's begin."

Seeing that it was already past midnight, Chen Mobai signaled to Meng Huang'er that she could begin the Foundation Establishment process.

"If I'm about to fail, remember to remind me."

Since this was her first attempt at Foundation Establishment after mastering the Critical Method, Meng Huang'er didn't have a clear understanding of the 'stuck' threshold. She still needed Chen Mobai, an experienced hand, to guide her.

"Don't worry, I've got everything covered."

Hearing this, Meng Huang'er nodded in reassurance, then removed her shoes, closed her eyes, sat cross-legged on the futon, and began Foundation Establishment.

Meng Huang'er had perfectly completed the first stage of Foundation Establishment in her previous two attempts.

In the Immortal Sect, as long as one consumed spirit rice and spirit meals from a young age, their bodies were generally very healthy, with ample vitality and well-functioning bones, muscles, and organs, making the process of 'Yi Jin Xi Sui' (muscle and marrow cleansing) much easier.

As a big star, Meng Huang'er's diet was even more refined, ensuring flawless skin and a graceful figure—details Chen Mobai had personally verified.

Therefore, she effortlessly completed the first stage this time as well. A relaxed smile appeared on Meng Huang'er's jade-like face. After another round of Yi Jin Xi Sui, her delicate, lustrous skin glowed, appearing like a radiant piece of white jade in the dimly lit room.

She opened her eyes, smiled sweetly at Chen Mobai, then took the Qi Condensing Fluid and began to tackle the difficult stage that had stopped her twice before.

Seeing this, Chen Mobai immediately activated the Spirit Gathering Array and even crushed two spirit stones to assist.

Their relationship was now quite close, and they had seen what needed to be seen. So, at this moment, Chen Mobai didn't hesitate; he directly activated his Void-Piercing Spirit Eye, fully monitoring the changes in spirit energy within Meng Huang'er's Dantian and Qi Sea.

Perhaps emboldened by the Critical Method, Meng Huang'er, with a calm mindset this time, surprisingly managed to condense seven drops of liquid spiritual energy in one go.

During this process, Chen Mobai once again felt the Profound Sound of the Heart's Resonance unconsciously emanating from Meng Huang'er's being.

While enjoying the ease of full-body resonance and feeling the rapid growth of the branching phoenix tree sprouts within his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness, he kept half his attention on Meng Huang'er, who was absorbing pure spiritual energy for her Foundation Establishment.

After the seven drops of liquid spiritual energy, Chen Mobai saw Meng Huang'er, with the aid of the Qi Condensing Fluid, gather another four drops.

The Profound Sound Marvelous Method required twelve drops of liquid spiritual energy for Foundation Establishment, meaning she was just one drop away from overcoming this difficult hurdle.

Chen Mobai saw a hesitant look appear on Meng Huang'er's face; she seemed to be considering stopping, using the Critical Method to stabilize here, and then completing the final drop of liquid spiritual energy later.

"Believe in yourself," he urged. "You haven't exhausted your full potential; there's still immense capacity to tap into."

But Chen Mobai saw clearly with his Void-Piercing Spirit Eye that Meng Huang'er still held some untapped potential within her body that she herself was unaware of. While condensing three or four more drops would certainly be impossible, he believed that a mere single drop was achievable if she just gritted her teeth.

Meng Huang'er regarded Chen Mobai's words as gospel. After all, it was under his guidance that she had managed to master the Critical Method, and as the Immortal Sect's top genius in a thousand years, he undoubtedly had a clearer insight than her.

And so, Meng Huang'er nodded, took a deep breath, and began to push her spiritual sense and vitality, resuming the absorption of external spiritual energy to condense liquid spiritual energy.

Chen Mobai nodded at this sight, then crushed another spirit stone and placed it into the Spirit Gathering Array.

With a swirl of mist, dense spiritual energy was precisely delivered by him to Meng Huang'er's front, where she absorbed it into her body with each breath.

Time passed minute by minute. Fine beads of sweat seeped from Meng Huang'er's smooth forehead, trickling down to her small, delicate, snow-white chin, and falling.

After an unknown period, Chen Mobai saw the final drop of liquid spiritual energy condense in the center of Meng Huang'er's Dantian and Qi Sea, forming a perfect spiral circulation with the previous eleven drops, like an illusory musical note.

A soft chime!

Meng Huang'er's Profound Sound Marvelous Method broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm, and the Profound Sound of the Heart's Resonance, which had previously only been in its nascent form, fully resonated.

At that instant, Chen Mobai saw the illusory musical note within her body glow brightly, then fill his entire field of vision, forcing him to close his Void-Piercing Spirit Eye.

"Is this the Divine Sound of the Great Dao?"

As this thought flashed through his mind, Chen Mobai felt his branching phoenix tree sprouts within his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness simultaneously blossom and bear fruit at that very moment.

Subsequently, the most challenging part of the Spirit Control Technique, the 'Spirit Fusion and Unification,' was effortlessly perfected under the resonance of the Profound Sound of the Heart's Resonance, which was triggered during Meng Huang'er's Foundation Establishment.

Yet, even under these circumstances, Chen Mobai did not fully immerse himself; instead, he reserved half his attention to observe Meng Huang'er's final step in Foundation Establishment.

However, it seemed his attention was no longer needed.

After the Divine Sound of the Great Dao resonated, Meng Huang'er's Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness was rapidly opened. Her spiritual sense also greatly strengthened at that instant, not only helping her smoothly complete the Qi Condensation to Liquid transformation but also allowing her spiritual sense to leave her body almost instantly while she was immersed in the divine sound.

Indeed, anyone chosen by Bian Yiqing as a successor, even if their spiritual root was slightly inferior, still possessed top-tier talent in the aspect of Immortal Sound Master within the Immortal Sect.

Many in the Immortal Sect practiced the Profound Sound Marvelous Method, but few could grasp the Divine Sound of the Great Dao during a breakthrough.

Many cultivators, upon encountering the Divine Sound of the Great Dao, became immediately engrossed and unable to extricate themselves, ultimately missing the opportunity to use it to enhance their spiritual sense and achieve a breakthrough.

Although Meng Huang'er was briefly entranced, she quickly reawakened and even used the experience to break through her spiritual sense bottleneck, directly entering Foundation Establishment.

However, in Chen Mobai's mind, Meng Huang'er already had a fixed impression of needing constant guidance, so he kept watching until her essence, qi, and spirit completely ascended and her transformation was complete. Only then did he nod in satisfaction and close his eyes, immersing himself in the pleasure of his own spiritual sense enhancement.

After an unknown period, Chen Mobai felt his spiritual sense strength had increased to the level of an early eighth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This was also thanks to him having previously leveraged Meng Huang'er's Profound Sound Marvelous Method to expand his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness to the extreme limits of the Foundation Establishment realm, allowing for maximal enhancement.

Feeling his newfound strength, Chen Mobai opened his eyes with satisfaction.

On the futon in the center of the room, Meng Huang'er was still sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, seemingly immersed in the sublime state of her essence, qi, and spirit transforming after Foundation Establishment.

Chen Mobai saw her already fair skin glowing even more luminously at this moment. Due to the exertion of forcibly condensing the last drop of liquid spiritual energy, she was covered in a delicate sheen of sweat, which caused her light white dress to cling to her body, outlining her even more graceful and lithe curves.

Witnessing Meng Huang'er's sweat-soaked state, Chen Mobai, who had previously felt nothing due to the tension of her Foundation Establishment, suddenly found her to be incredibly beautiful and captivating.

Approximately half an hour later, Meng Huang'er finally awoke from the joy of her successful Foundation Establishment.

She opened her eyes with a look of pleasant surprise and gazed gratefully at Chen Mobai, who was sitting in the corner. If not for his timely reminder, she likely would have needed another attempt to successfully establish her Foundation.

"Thank you."

Meng Huang'er sincerely thanked Chen Mobai, who merely gave a slight nod.

"It's what I should do."

As he spoke, Chen Mobai watched Meng Huang'er rise from the futon. Her long, bare legs, which had been crossed beneath her dress, moved with a faint, snowy jade-like glow as she straightened them.

This brought some pleasant images to his mind.

He glanced out the window; it was still dark. The room fee shouldn't go to waste.

Thinking this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but ask Meng Huang'er a question.

"Shall we celebrate?"