Chapter 437: Tongtian Instrument

Jianguo originally had seven major immortal cultivation families, but the Yuan clan of Black Cloud Mountain was removed due to their attempt to assassinate Chen Mobai. However, when Yuan Hongyuan undertook this action, he naturally considered the possibility of failure. Therefore, the core members of the Yuan clan had already fled beyond the sphere of influence of the Divine Wood Sect, leaving behind only cannon fodder.

These cannon fodder, who were previously forced by the Divine Wood Sect to mine, have now been sent to the front lines.

In addition to these major immortal cultivation families, each with a Foundation Establishment cultivator overseeing them, Jianguo also has numerous second and third-rate minor families and sects.

The Divine Wood Sect intends to eliminate Mount Shaking Peak this time, so it has gradually mobilized the full strength of the sect within its sphere of influence. While relatively courteous to the major immortal cultivation families, the Divine Wood Sect showed no mercy to the minor families and sects, directly conscripting one out of every ten members. The lower their status, the less recourse they had.

The Divine Wood Sect's second wave of cultivators was planned to be a thousand-strong reinforcement army. Of these, five hundred disciples were conscripted from within the sect, while the remaining five hundred needed to be drawn from external sources. This portion of the force was composed of rogue cultivators, major and minor families, and small sects. The recruitment target for rogue cultivators had already been met. The minor families and small sects obediently dispatched their outstanding disciples, hoping to earn merit in this war between the two sects, exchange it for Divine Wood Sect resources, or even obtain Foundation Establishment Pills.

Only the six major families, due to their sufficient connections within the sect and their ability to acquire Foundation Establishment Pills from large merchant guilds, were somewhat reluctant regarding this matter. Each of them only sent ten people as a symbolic gesture, demonstrating their compliance with the Divine Wood Sect's decree.

After receiving the sect leader's orders, Chen Mobai did not hesitate. He took Luo Yixuan to various markets to discuss the matter with each family head. Among them, the Guo family, whose patron was the Five Elements Sect, had already relocated some of its cultivators. However, after Chen Mobai's visit, lacking sufficient confidence, they gritted their teeth and dispatched another ten individuals. A Guo family elder at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, with not much time left, personally led this group, which was considered a significant show of respect to Chen Mobai and the Divine Wood Sect. Chen Mobai was very grateful for this.

The remaining families — the Fu family of Jade Pot, the Wang family of Heavenly Kui, the Liang family of Azure Flood, the Bai clan of Snow Peak, and the Luo family of Illusory Waves — seemed to have communicated in advance. After Chen Mobai's visit, they all agreed to dispatch an additional five people.

Chen Mobai gathered the leaders of Jianguo's six major families and calmly stated his request: "The sect's intention is for your six families to collectively contribute a hundred cultivators. The Guo family's second elder personally led twenty cultivators. If your five families each provide fifteen individuals, you'll still be short five from a hundred. How about each of you providing one more?"

Although Chu Zuoshu had not made it a mandatory requirement and wouldn't have said anything if they were a few people short, Chen Mobai still wanted to achieve the best possible outcome.

"Five Qi Cultivation cultivators cannot decide the outcome on the front lines, can they?" Luo Jushan, the head of the Luo family of Illusory Waves, spoke subtly, implying that Chen Mobai should turn a blind eye and that the current contribution was sufficient.

"Indeed," Wang Gongdao of the Wang family added, "Guardian Chen's reputation precedes him. With him leading the expedition, the opponents are sure to retreat at the mere sight of him. The people we send are merely a symbolic gesture; one more or one less makes no difference." Others like Fu Xiuzuo echoed his sentiments. They were polite to Chen Mobai, but reluctant to contribute even one more person.

"In that case," Chen Mobai replied, "have your family members gather at Giant Wood Ridge in half a month. Your respective family representatives can then coordinate with Xuan'er." After listening, Chen Mobai said nothing further, nodded calmly, and then left with Luo Yixuan.

"Master, those people are truly unreasonable. They won't even agree to send one more person..." Luo Yixuan complained on their way back. But Chen Mobai smiled and shook his head.

"Xuan'er, it's not that they're unwilling. Look, when I arrived, didn't they immediately send five more cultivators? As they said, the number of low-level Qi Cultivation cultivators doesn't determine the outcome of a battle. They acted this way merely to show that they have some bargaining power in this matter, using that one cultivator as a margin for negotiation."

The Divine Wood Sect suppressed the four nations. Although Jianguo's six major families also had Foundation Establishment cultivators, they certainly wouldn't dare to resist. Thus, after the decree was issued, they obediently dispatched their family cultivators. However, they also wanted to demonstrate their distinctiveness from the smaller families and sects below them, so they intentionally contributed one less person. This served both to show their influence to the other cultivation forces in Jianguo and to demonstrate to their own family members that they possessed the ability to negotiate even with the Divine Wood Sect, thereby fostering a sense of pride among their cultivators.

It was only after Chen Mobai's explanation that Luo Yixuan understood the subtleties involved.

"But they still didn't give you face, Master." Despite understanding, Luo Yixuan remained somewhat resentful.

"Wenbai's Little South Mountain shops have spread throughout Jianguo, and they've contributed to that, so I can't say too much. Besides, they at least gave me enough 'face' to report back to the sect leader, and they did send more people." Since childhood, Chen Mobai had heard his maternal grandfather say that the world isn't always clear-cut and that some situations require leaving room for maneuver.

"I understand, Master." Luo Yixuan was already a very quick-witted person; she understood as soon as Chen Mobai explained. However, inwardly, she resolved that if she ever got the chance, she would certainly "discipline" these five families on her master's behalf.

Upon returning to Giant Wood Ridge, Chen Mobai naturally first went to the Divine Wood Hall to report back to the sect leader.

"Well, you've worked hard. The second wave of cultivators should be assembled in about a month. All these elders in the sect can be dispatched. Which ones do you need?" As expected, Chu Zuoshu didn't mind how many people Jianguo's six major immortal cultivation families had sent. He took out a list for Chen Mobai to review.

The cultivator army would certainly not rely solely on Chen Mobai, a Foundation Establishment elder, to hold the line. The Divine Wood Sect's resolve this time was immense; nearly one-third of the sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators would be deployed to the front lines. This was Chen Mobai's first time commanding a large army as the principal general, and he felt a surge of excitement. However, his understanding of commanding cultivator armies in battle far surpassed anyone else in the Eastern Barrens. This was because the Immortal Sect possessed a mature tactical system in this regard. Countless experiences from wars of expansion, coupled with various modernized magical artifact communication methods, allowed the Immortal Sect to overwhelm opponents with collective strength and achieve victory, even when their high-tier combat power was at a disadvantage.

"Are there any Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Artifact Refining Department, Talisman Creation Department, Formation Department, or Puppet Department?" Chen Mobai was not very familiar with the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect. Although the list included acquaintances like Mu Yuan, Yan Jinye, and Yu Lian, he was reluctant to bring his good friends to the battlefield, so he asked Chu Zuoshu to recommend those he needed.

Although he hadn't systematically studied warfare in the Dao Academy, he knew that in Immortal Sect wars, communication was paramount. Only by ensuring smooth communication between all levels could he command the entire army with precision, allowing them to form various battle formations that created forbidden zones even Core Formation cultivators wouldn't dare trespass. Therefore, Chen Mobai's first thought was to create a simple communication device, a "telephone," to ensure he could contact his cultivator generals at any time. This would require the assistance of masters from the Puppet, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Creation departments to do the heavy lifting.

"These few should meet your requirements." The departments Chen Mobai chose, particularly the Puppet Department, seemed a bit unusual, but Chu Zuoshu paid no mind. He pointed out four individuals on the list as Chen Mobai requested. Then Chu Zuoshu selected another four, bringing the total to nine Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Chen Mobai.

Among these, Mu Yuan and Yu Lian were chosen by Chu Zuoshu. Meng Hong's injuries from his failed Core Formation attempt had mostly healed. Not wanting his disciple to stay by his side indefinitely, he sent him out. Having nothing to do, Mu Yuan himself applied to go to the front lines for tempering. After consulting with Meng Hong, Chu Zuoshu nodded in agreement.

As for Yu Lian, it was because he had left a deep impression on Chu Zuoshu. When Chen Mobai first arrived at the Hall of Merits and Rewards, Chu Zuoshu was not yet the sect leader. Through the matter involving Yu Lian, Chen Mobai gained Chu Zuoshu's appreciation and was regarded as a trusted protégé. After Yu Lian reached Foundation Establishment, he was sent to guard a mine at Lonely Soul Ridge for three years. Chu Zuoshu wanted to fully integrate him into the Divine Wood Sect. Therefore, he had Chen Mobai take Yu Lian to the front lines to gain combat experience, ideally by slaying several Mount Shaking Peak cultivators. With sufficient merit, Yu Lian could then be promoted without any gossip within the sect.

Besides these two, there were also Chen Zhenwu and Liang Lingzhen, both inspectors from the Hall of Merits and Rewards. Chen Zhenwu was one of the rotating elders of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion; he had assisted Chen Mobai with his last exchange for Azure Wood Fiend. Liang Lingzhen, on the other hand, hailed from the Azure Flood Liang family of Jianguo. Both of them were colleagues who had previously fought alongside Chen Mobai and Chu Zuoshu on the front lines. They had some tacit understanding and belonged to the same faction. By sending these individuals, Chu Zuoshu ensured that Chen Mobai could at least command them effectively. In any team, if half the members are obedient, the rest will follow suit.

"How is Grand Ancestor Fu's puppet refining progressing?" After the discussion about the cultivator army was mostly concluded, Chen Mobai asked Chu Zuoshu about the Purple Sun puppet. If Fu Zongjue could successfully refine it, the Divine Wood Sect would possess a decisive advantage in high-tier combat power.

"I don't know the exact status of that," Chu Zuoshu replied. "However, An Jinghui has been traveling extensively over the past year to collect various materials, so he must be in the midst of intensive production." An Jinghui, the head of the Puppet Department, was also a disciple of Fu Zongjue and had received the old ancestor's true teachings in puppetry. Chu Zuoshu, as sect leader, made this deduction based on An Jinghui's whereabouts.

The two conversed for a while longer, and then the chosen Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect arrived one by one. First to arrive was Mu Yuan, followed by Chen Zhenwu and Liang Lingzhen. Yu Lian was still guarding a mine at Lonely Soul Ridge and would likely need several more days to return to Giant Wood Ridge after the decree was issued. The remaining four were Yuan Feihu from the Artifact Refining Department, Hong Lingqin from the Talisman Creation Department, Zuo Hongqiu from the Formation Department, and Su Wanshi from the Puppet Department—all chosen according to Chen Mobai's specific requests.

"This is the situation. Although Junior Brother Chen is young, in the Eastern Barrens, status has always been determined by cultivation level. He will lead this expedition." As sect leader, Chu Zuoshu spoke first, lending his full support to Chen Mobai. Most of those present were genuinely impressed with Chen Mobai. They knew he had broken through to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment two years prior and was an unparalleled genius who had mastered the Sword Fiend, making him superior to them in both cultivation and combat prowess. In the Eastern Barrens, strength dictated authority. Except for Yuan Feihu and Hong Lingqin, who were solely dedicated to arduous cultivation and usually practiced on their respective spiritual mountains, unaccustomed to socializing, they eyed the excessively young Chen Mobai with suspicion.

"Junior Brother Chen, you may also say a few words." After Chu Zuoshu finished speaking, he ceded the floor to Chen Mobai, who nodded and pulled a blueprint from his storage bag. This was his改良 version of the Immortal Sect's oldest model of communication device, functioning with a spherical magical artifact as its central relay satellite, capable of supporting around fifty "phones" for real-time communication.

"This magical artifact is called the Heavenly Communicator," Chen Mobai explained. "It's one of the discoveries I recently made in the Divine Tree Secret Realm. Its function allows for instant communication within a certain range, anytime, anywhere. Large-scale wars between sects are clashes of battle formations. The more cultivators involved, the greater the power of the formation. However, with more people, communication becomes increasingly complex. When commands are relayed from top to bottom, there will inevitably be some misunderstandings, hindering the formation's operation and preventing its full power from being utilized. In ancient times, the Longevity Sect was renowned as the foremost sect precisely because of this artifact called the Heavenly Communicator.

"The principle behind this device is very simple, but its refinement requires the collaborative effort of masters from the artifact refining, talisman creation, and puppet arts. The sect leader's choice of you, senior brothers and sisters, demonstrates his trust in you. I hope it can be produced in the shortest possible time."

After Chen Mobai finished speaking, everyone present looked somewhat bewildered. In the Sky River Realm, they naturally understood that battle formations formed by cultivators possessed immense power. However, such formations usually reached their peak effectiveness only through long periods of training and by cultivating the same techniques. Communication, in their view, was a secondary concern. After all, battlefields weren't that vast, and Foundation Establishment cultivators' divine sense communication was already quite fast. Forging a powerful battle formation, they believed, hinged on intensifying the training of rogue cultivators and family disciples to unite them from their scattered state.

"Junior Brother Chen, what is the effective range of this Heavenly Communicator?" It was Chu Zuoshu, the sect leader, who saw the vast potential of this magical artifact. After hearing Chen Mobai's introduction, his eyes lit up.

"If the Heavenly Communicator is fully refined and functioning, it should provide signal coverage within a hundred-li radius." This was equivalent to the range of Divine Wood City, more than enough to cover the entire battlefield.

"What a pity," Chu Zuoshu shook his head wistfully. "It would be perfect if it could cover the entire Giant Wood Ridge." Giant Wood Ridge was vast, and the sect's disciples were scattered across various spiritual veins. If he needed to summon a Foundation Establishment elder, by the time a message talisman reached them and they traveled back, half a day would typically have passed. Occasionally, if an elder was in seclusion, the message talisman would get stuck at their door and wouldn't return, wasting an unknown amount of time. With the Heavenly Communicator, if every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the sect was given a "phone," instantaneous communication would at least be possible. If there was no reply, it would indicate they were in seclusion, and Chu Zuoshu wouldn't have to wait.

"Why not just make more Heavenly Communicators?" Chen Mobai's suggestion made Chu Zuoshu's eyes light up, but the sect leader didn't know that Chen Mobai also envisioned launching a satellite above the Eastern Barrens in the future to connect the entire Divine Wood Sect's sphere of influence for real-time communication. Unfortunately, satellite blueprints in the Immortal Sect were at least Fourth-tier, and even if downloadable, Chen Mobai wouldn't be able to comprehend them.

"Junior Brother Chen, please guide them in creating one first so I can see its effect." Chu Zuoshu's interest was piqued. He personally summoned Luo Xue'er, the head of the Hall of Merits and Rewards, and arranged for two sets of all necessary materials for refining the Heavenly Communicator in the sect's name.

The Heavenly Communicator was a relatively simple Second-tier magical artifact in the Immortal Sect. Although Chen Mobai wasn't an artifact refiner, he understood its principles. While the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Divine Wood Sect didn't understand the principles, they were skilled in their crafts. Under Chen Mobai's guidance, Yuan Feihu of the Artifact Refining Department refined metal pieces into rectangular casings. Chen Mobai also took out his talisman brush and paper, personally drawing two sets of Message Talismans, Replication Talismans, and Text-to-Sound Conversion Talismans.

The "Message Talisman" was the most commonly used communication talisman in the Divine Wood Sect and throughout the Eastern Barrens, used for recording text. The "Replication Talisman" was a talisman used to copy patterns and imprints, originally for transcribing books. The "Text-to-Sound Conversion Talisman" was an obscure talisman capable of converting text into speech and speech into text, originally created by a deaf and blind talisman master couple for their own communication. These three talismans could perfectly form the most basic functions of a "phone."

Chen Mobai then took out several hand-sized rectangular pieces of Azure Yang Spirit Wood, crafting them into a simple sound-vibration writing puppet. He then encased it in a metal shell, inserting the three types of talismans he had drawn. A rudimentary "phone" was thus complete.

"Sect Leader, take this." Chen Mobai handed one of the Azure Yang Spirit Wood phones to Chu Zuoshu. The sect leader took it, looking at its three buttons with a puzzled expression.

"I'll go outside the hall," Chen Mobai instructed. "When the green button lights up, Sect Leader, just press it to connect..." After briefly explaining the phone's call-receiving function, Chen Mobai went outside the Divine Wood Hall, even moving a considerable distance away to ensure his voice wouldn't be heard inside. He then initiated the call.

The three talismans inside were instantly activated. His words were converted into text by the Text-to-Sound Conversion Talisman. The writing puppet then began inscribing this text onto the Message Talisman, which was then synchronized to Chu Zuoshu's phone by the Replication Talisman. On the receiving end, the reverse process converted the text into speech on Chu Zuoshu's device. Consequently, Chen Mobai's voice rang out from the Azure Yang Spirit Wood phone. Witnessing this miraculous scene, everyone inside the Divine Wood Hall looked utterly astonished. With just three First-tier talismans and a small puppet, they had actually produced an effect similar to a Third-tier Image Transmission Talisman!

The Image Transmission Talisman was the one Chu Zuoshu had used to report to the two old ancestors, allowing their illusory images to manifest. It contained a wisp of a Core Formation cultivator's divine sense and was only possessed by direct disciples.

After Chen Mobai returned, Chu Zuoshu was still playing with the phone, unwilling to put it down. Unfortunately, after one call, the three talismans inside had turned to ash, requiring three new ones to be inserted for another conversation. For Chen Mobai, crafting First-tier talismans was as simple as writing. His effortless and fluid strokes and technique left Hong Lingqin of the Talisman Creation Department utterly amazed.

"I never expected Junior Brother Chen's mastery in talisman creation to be so exquisite." Talisman masters could generally discern one another's skill level by observing their technique. Hong Lingqin felt she was inferior and finally understood why the sect leader had chosen this young man as the principal general.

"The direct connection distance between these phones cannot exceed one kilometer," Chen Mobai explained. "However, with the Heavenly Communicator acting as a relay, it can extend to a hundred-li radius." After Chen Mobai's explanation, Chu Zuoshu finally understood why he wanted to refine the Heavenly Communicator.

"Cooperate fully and strive to produce a Heavenly Communicator before the second wave of cultivators departs for the expedition." Chu Zuoshu issued the order to Luo Xue'er, who immediately nodded in affirmation. Yuan Feihu and Hong Lingqin, who had initially harbored some doubts about Chen Mobai, now showed expressions of profound respect after this incident.

The operating principle of the Heavenly Communicator itself was very simple. Once clearly explained, even without Chen Mobai's direct presence, the three Foundation Establishment cultivators could easily complete its refinement. With the full power of the sect mobilized, even moving mountains would be effortless. Soon, three days later, the first Heavenly Communicator was produced. After inspecting it, Chen Mobai offered several suggestions for modification.

While the Artifact Refining Department was fervently forging the second Heavenly Communicator, Yu Lian also returned to Giant Wood Ridge.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Chen." Upon his return, Yu Lian first came to Chen Mobai.

"The sect is about to engage in a decisive battle with Mount Shaking Peak," Chen Mobai said. "You and I will be part of the second wave of reinforcements heading to the border battlefield. Prepare yourself well."

"Yes, Senior Brother!" Yu Lian was also a man of few words. After listening, he nodded, asked for the departure time, and then disappeared from the courtyard.

Half a month passed quickly. At the foot of Little South Mountain, after Chen Mobai and his two disciples finished planting the last acre of land, he patted Zhuo Ming's straw hat-covered head and spoke: "Ming'er, please take care of things at home. Your master and Xuan'er are going out to achieve great deeds."

"Master, next time I want to go with you." Zhuo Ming, uncharacteristically, volunteered for battle.

"Everyone has their strengths," Chen Mobai replied. "It would be a waste if you went to the battlefield." Chen Mobai shook his head. He knew that since Zhuo Ming became his disciple, she had never been to battle due to his protection, leading to some malicious gossip about her within the sect. However, he believed that Zhuo Ming, cultivating crops in the rear, was far more valuable than any core disciple on the battlefield.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister," Luo Yixuan interjected, "I'll kill a few extra cultivators, including your share." Luo Yixuan's remark left Chen Mobai speechless.

"Let's go." The Crimson Cloud Smoke Robe carried the master and disciple into the sky. Zhuo Ming watched their departing figures, secretly resolving to cultivate diligently so that one day she, too, could follow her master to the battlefield.