Chapter 450: Planning the Pill for Core Formation

One day, I will slaughter these two.

Chen Mobai frowned, thinking to himself as he watched Zhao Xuankang and his companion depart. After experiencing two consecutive wars with Shake Mountain Peak, a murderous intent, born of a disregard for life, had imperceptibly grown within him.

“Junior Nephew Chen,” Zhou Shengqing said, walking over to Chen Mobai’s side. His face was now devoid of the anger he had shown towards Zhao Xuankang and his companion earlier; it seemed his previous expressions had all been an act. “There’s no need to be angry. This has been the law of the Heavenly River Realm since ancient times. From the time the Jellyfish Ancestor opened this world until now, the big fish eating the small fish has been the rule of the Dao.”

“Is ‘since ancient times’ always right?” Chen Mobai countered. Having grown up in the Immortal Sect and receiving its values education, he was still very unaccustomed to the law of the jungle prevalent in the Heavenly River Realm.

This question stunned both Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue. The two Core Formation cultivators fell silent, unsure how to answer.

“Reporting to the two Ancestors,” Ma Gang said, walking over after sensing the awkward atmosphere. “Actually, giving the Ethereal Stone Mine to Xuanxiao Dao Palace isn’t a significant loss.”

“Oh, how so?” Zhou Shengqing asked curiously.

“The Ethereal Stone Mine at Shake Mountain Peak is a micro-vein that has already been almost completely depleted,” Ma Gang explained. “If Xuanxiao Dao Palace takes control, it will likely be exhausted within three to five years at most.” As the head of the Spirit Vein Department, Ma Gang had recently been investigating the reserves of various ore veins at Shake Mountain Peak within Yan Nation. Although he hadn't finished surveying all of them, the most important ones had already been thoroughly assessed.

He had originally planned to delay reporting this less-than-favorable news to Fu Zongjue for a while, but unexpectedly, delaying it led to an unforeseen situation.

“No wonder Ji Zhensheng hasn’t been so generous with his resources in the Eastern Yi region these past years,” Fu Zongjue exclaimed, realizing. “He even had to mortgage his mines to Xuanxiao Dao Palace to exchange for spirit stones. So, they were already empty.” Upon hearing this, the gloom on his face dissipated considerably.

If the Ethereal Stone Mine had still been in the Divine Wood Sect’s hands, this would naturally be bad news, but now, for them, it was actually rather good news.

“The disciples of Xuanxiao Dao Palace are all in the Eastern Yi region,” Zhou Shengqing immediately instructed Ma Gang. “If they want to send people here to mine, it will probably take some time. We can first mobilize the disciples from the Spirit Vein Department to extract as much as possible from the three mine veins that will be handed over to them during this period.” Ma Gang nodded and promptly went to carry out the task.

“We must also be wary of them mobilizing local cultivation families for help,” Fu Zongjue added. Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai immediately took out his phone and informed Zhou Wangshen, asking him to send people to monitor the various families still residing in Five Willows Mountain. If anyone associated with Xuanxiao Dao Palace appeared, they could step in to caution them.

Even if they couldn’t prevent their cooperation with Xuanxiao Dao Palace, they should at least deter them during this period, allowing the Spirit Vein Department more time to mine.

After Ma Gang left, only the three of them remained. “Xuanxiao Dao Palace coming to the Eastern Barrens to establish a branch sect,” Zhou Shengqing mused, “it seems the rumor about their Grand Elder’s lifespan nearing its end is true.”

Through this war, Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue had already come to view Chen Mobai as the future of the Divine Wood Sect, and they spoke openly in front of him.

“Oh, Brother,” Fu Zongjue said, “you mean that Xuanxiao Dao Palace fears that after their Grand Elder’s demise, they will be suppressed and absorbed by the other two factions in the Eastern Yi region? So they’re setting up a retreat here in the Eastern Barrens in advance.” Fu Zongjue had also visited the Eastern Yi territories many times and had heard a lot about the struggles between the three major factions.

The struggles between Nascent Soul cultivators were indeed tumultuous. In the past, Patriarch Hunyuan had fought against the Nascent Soul cultivators of the other two Eastern Yi factions as an external aid to the Bathing Sun Sea. As for Xuanxiao Dao Palace’s Grand Elder, although outsiders didn’t know his exact lifespan, based on the duration of his cultivation, it was estimated that he was at least over seven hundred years old.

Although Nascent Soul cultivators were said to have a lifespan of a thousand years, battles were frequent in the Heavenly River Realm. Every Nascent Soul cultivator had grown up amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and most had suffered damage to their vitality. This Grand Elder of Xuanxiao Dao Palace had rarely engaged in combat in the past two hundred years but had been continuously collecting various longevity-extending elixirs. The declining aura revealed by these various signs could not be hidden. Among the Core Formation cultivators under Xuanxiao Dao Palace, although many had attempted to form a Nascent Soul, they had always failed. Therefore, based on these inferences, Xuanxiao Dao Palace might have sent Nan Xuanjing to establish a branch academy in the Eastern Barrens to prepare a retreat.

“This is just my speculation,” Zhou Shengqing continued. “If it is true, that Grand Elder of Xuanxiao might use his last essence to cleanse the Eastern Barrens with blood before his demise, ensuring his sect’s inheritance faces no powerful external threats for the next few centuries.” Upon hearing this, Fu Zongjue’s face grew even more worried.

“Given Xuanxiao Dao Palace’s usual conduct, this is highly possible,” Fu Zongjue said. “To break this situation, I’m afraid only your successful formation of a Nascent Soul will suffice, Senior Brother.” Chen Mobai’s expression also grew very solemn after hearing Fu Zongjue’s words.

He was most aware of the power of Nascent Soul cultivators; after all, people of this realm were often portrayed as final villains in Immortal Sect TV dramas. If it were right before their death, they would definitely be even more insane.

“I’ll do my best,” Zhou Shengqing said calmly. “If it truly comes to that, we’ll take our families and seek refuge with the One-Origin Dao Palace in the Eastern Lands. They should at least offer some help out of shared heritage.” Despite his calm tone, he was already prepared to fight with all his might. After all, he was not young anymore; were it not for the Eternal Life Scripture, his body would have long since decayed, and he would have no hope of breaking through to Nascent Soul.

It was precisely for this reason that this was undoubtedly his only chance in a lifetime; even if it meant death, he had to take this step.

“If Xuanxiao Dao Palace intends to establish a retreat here in the Eastern Barrens, then they won’t go too far before that Nascent Soul cultivator’s lifespan ends,” Zhou Shengqing warned. “However, covert maneuvers will certainly be unavoidable, and this is what Zhao Xuankang excels at. After I enter seclusion, you two must be careful and vigilant.” Zhou Shengqing said this to both Fu Zongjue and Chen Mobai. The latter was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting to hold such a position in the Divine Wood Sect now.

“Yes, I’ll do my best,” Fu Zongjue replied. “Junior Nephew Chen is decisive in combat and exceptionally talented. Once the situation in Yan Nation and Xiao Nation stabilizes, you can focus on cultivating and improving your realm within the sect. If we have a few more Core Formation cultivators, our Divine Wood Sect will be more at ease even if we face Xuanxiao Dao Palace or even other major sects in the future.”

In just a few words, the Divine Wood Sect’s plan for the next few decades was laid out.

Zhou Shengqing would enter seclusion to attempt forming a Nascent Soul, Fu Zongjue would oversee the overall situation, and geniuses like Chen Mobai, Hong He, and Yin Qingmei would focus primarily on improving their cultivation realms. When they were close to reaching the Peak Foundation Establishment stage, the sect would find ways to gather Core Formation spiritual materials and send them to the Bathing Sun Sea for their Core Formation attempts.

“As for the other major sects in the Eastern Barrens, I will also make a trip before I enter seclusion to remind Yan Shaoyin and others about this matter,” Zhou Shengqing added. “Those old foxes all know Zhao Xuankang’s character. As long as they are vigilant, even if they don’t resist Xuanxiao Dao Palace, they won’t stand against our Divine Wood Sect at the very least.”

After destroying Shake Mountain Peak, the Divine Wood Sect had already established itself as the most prominent sect in the Eastern Barrens. With Xuanxiao Dao Palace now approaching aggressively, friction between their two major forces was bound to occur in the territory of Yan Nation.

If the other major sects in the Eastern Barrens understood the principle of mutual dependence, they would certainly stand with the Divine Wood Sect.

Zhou Shengqing intended to plant this seed in the minds of the other Core Formation cultivators in the Eastern Barrens.

After listening to the two Ancestors finalize their plans, Chen Mobai suddenly felt this was an excellent opportunity. After much deliberation, he finally spoke as Zhou Shengqing was preparing to leave. “Reporting to the two Ancestors, there’s actually one more thing I haven’t had a chance to mention.”

“Oh, what is it?” Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue both looked over curiously.

“Actually, before the great battle with Shake Mountain Peak began, I was so eager for the decisive battle with Ji Dingjin that I entered a state of profound enlightenment during my seclusion,” Chen Mobai explained. “When I awoke, I found that I had already broken through to the Late Foundation Establishment stage.”

As soon as Chen Mobai spoke these words, Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue both widened their eyes simultaneously, their faces filled with disbelief! But then, Chen Mobai activated his Scarlet Flame Sword Art, revealing the strong spiritual power fluctuations of a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Genius… no, you are a genius among geniuses!” Zhou Shengqing exclaimed, his voice trembling. “Are you perhaps a legendary peerless spiritual body, or a reincarnated Celestial from the Upper Realm?!” Both Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue were extremely agitated, almost incoherent.

They remembered clearly that the person before them had only just entered his tenth year since joining the Divine Wood Sect. When he joined, he was merely a Qi Condensation cultivator.

Successfully establishing his foundation within ten years was already considered a super genius seen only once every hundred years in the Divine Wood Sect. But this young man before them had not only successfully established his foundation but had also broken through to the Late Foundation Establishment stage with irresistible momentum. Such terrifying speed of progress was unheard of in the history of the Divine Wood Sect, or even the Five Elements Sect.

Even if Patriarch Hunyuan were still alive, encountering a genius with such rapid progress as Chen Mobai would probably make his eyes pop out.

After their initial euphoria, Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue gradually calmed down. “Junior Nephew Chen,” Zhou Shengqing instructed, “from now on, you will cultivate in Giant Wood Ridge. Don’t worry about anything else. When you feel you are close to reaching Peak Foundation Establishment, secretly leave the Eastern Barrens through the sect’s teleportation array, and I will arrange for you to go to the Bathing Sun Sea to form your Core.”

They discussed it and decided to publicly pretend to be collecting Core Formation spiritual medicines for Chu Zuochu under the Divine Wood Sect’s name, but in reality, they would be preparing for Chen Mobai.

“There are only two pieces of the Void-Breaker Immortal Ganoderma left,” Zhou Shengqing continued. “We’ll keep one as a seed. When the time comes, I’ll harvest the other myself and personally go to Yan Shaoyin. This item, when combined with the Purple Extreme Ginseng from Reverting Heaven Valley, can be refined into a furnace of Dragon Ganoderma Pills. This pill can protect the body from collapsing during Core Formation and also increase the chances of successful Core Formation somewhat.”

“I’m just afraid Yan Shaoyin won’t be willing to part with the Purple Extreme Ginseng from his medicine garden,” Fu Zongjue said, shaking his head slightly. Yan Shaoyin was the foremost alchemy grandmaster in the Eastern Barrens, and Reverting Heaven Valley’s medicinal fields were also the largest in the Eastern Barrens. After the death of Patriarch Hunyuan, no one could force him to refine elixirs anymore.

Last time Zhou Shengqing tried to get him to refine a furnace of Dragon Ganoderma Pills for Meng Hong, wasn’t he flatly refused by Yan Shaoyin?

“This time it’s different,” Zhou Shengqing countered. “His junior apprentice recently broke through to the Late Foundation Establishment stage as well. The Tier 4 elixir Yan Shaoyin wants to refine is for Core Formation. He would definitely want to refine Dragon Ganoderma Pills too. If I bring it to him, exchanging one piece of Void-Breaker Immortal Ganoderma for one pill, plus some other medicinal herbs, he might be quite willing.”

Upon hearing Zhou Shengqing’s words, the thoughts in Chen Mobai’s mind became increasingly clear. He carefully chose his words and spoke something that would shock, even terrify, the two elders even more.

“Reporting to the two Ancestors,” Chen Mobai began, “after I broke through to the Late Foundation Establishment stage, I was once again teleported into the Divine Tree Secret Realm. This time, what I obtained was a pill formula called the Golden Elixir Returning Pill. This is a Tier 4 elixir that the ancient Longevity Sect used to help their disciples form cores. After cultivators take it, it can increase the probability of Core Formation by twenty percent.”

After Chen Mobai finished speaking, Zhou Shengqing was so overwhelmed by this enormous surprise that he nearly choked. Fu Zongjue, although a puppet, seemed to have malfunctioned at that moment, standing still in a daze for over ten seconds.

“Is this pill formula true!?” Zhou Shengqing asked excitedly after recovering, immediately pulling out a vibrant green spiritual talisman and setting up a barrier that enveloped the three of them.

“When I was a rogue cultivator, I once obtained an alchemy scripture from a stall and gained a slight understanding of alchemy,” Chen Mobai replied. “After reviewing it, I felt there were no issues, but I would still like the two Ancestors to appraise it so I can be at ease.” Chen Mobai took out the Golden Elixir Returning Pill formula, which he had already prepared, from his storage bag and handed it to Zhou Shengqing. Fu Zongjue immediately leaned in to look as well.

Cultivators in the Eastern Barrens were generally versatile; Zhou Shengqing had once successfully refined Tier 3 elixirs, making him a Tier 3 alchemist by their standards. After reading the Golden Elixir Returning Pill formula from beginning to end three times, his eyes shone, and his voice trembled.

“This is the heavens willing our Divine Wood Sect to prosper greatly!” Zhou Shengqing exclaimed. After saying this, he looked intently at Chen Mobai and spoke.

“Junior Nephew Chen,” Zhou Shengqing said, “this pill formula is extremely valuable. Although sect rules state that anything obtained in the Divine Tree Secret Realm belongs to the individual, I must take this formula on behalf of the sect.”

“Since I brought it out, I naturally intend to offer it to the sect,” Chen Mobai replied generously, then waited to see how the two Ancestors would reward him.

“Hahaha, you brat…” Zhou Shengqing laughed, understanding Chen Mobai’s expression and his intent, and couldn’t help but shake his head.

“Senior Brother,” Fu Zongjue said, speaking up to support Chen Mobai, for whom he was very satisfied, “Junior Nephew Chen rendered great service in the war to destroy Shake Mountain Peak, and now he has presented a Tier 4 pill formula from the Longevity Sect. I believe he deserves a generous reward.”

“Then, Junior Brother, what reward do you think would be appropriate?”

“A Tier 4 pill formula is too precious, and it’s a Core Formation spiritual medicine from the Longevity Sect,” Fu Zongjue proposed. “If released to the outside, it would be worth at least ten million spirit stones. I think it would be best for the sect to take the lead in refining this Golden Elixir Returning Pill, and then give the finished pill to Junior Nephew Chen as a reward. This would also be worthy of the great contributions he made in the war.”

Fu Zongjue’s words went straight to Chen Mobai’s heart. If he had to collect the ingredients for this Golden Elixir Returning Pill on his own, he didn’t know how long it would take. Moreover, the eight most crucial thousand-year-old spiritual medicines were simply unobtainable, even with spirit stones. To refine a furnace of Golden Elixir Returning Pills, it was best for the sect to take the initiative.

Furthermore, relying solely on the Divine Wood Sect might not be enough; they would also need to involve Reverting Heaven Valley and Yan Shaoyin, the foremost alchemy grandmaster in the Eastern Barrens.

Most importantly, Chen Mobai wasn’t very confident in the alchemy standards of the Eastern Barrens. Even if Yan Shaoyin was exceptionally capable, it was highly unlikely that he would succeed in refining this Golden Elixir Returning Pill on the first attempt. And the cost in spirit stones for one attempt at refining the Golden Elixir Returning Pill would likely be over a million, which Chen Mobai truly couldn’t afford.

Only with the combined efforts of the Divine Wood Sect and Reverting Heaven Valley could this Tier 4 elixir be successfully refined in the Eastern Barrens.

Chen Mobai gave the pill formula to Zhou Shengqing. The latter, old and wise, didn’t immediately react but soon understood Chen Mobai’s intention. Fu Zongjue then echoed the sentiment, clearly indicating his extreme satisfaction with Chen Mobai as a sect disciple.

“This pill formula will not be recorded as a sect contribution, to prevent others from finding out,” Zhou Shengqing stated. “For the merits you accumulated in this war, I will credit you with 200,000 contribution points. However, the sect will not transfer them to you directly; I will tell Chu Zuochu that I have personally transferred these contribution points to you.”

As soon as Zhou Shengqing spoke, Chen Mobai’s face lit up with joy, and he immediately thanked the Ancestor. This combined his two great achievements—destroying Shake Mountain Peak and presenting the pill formula—into one reward: the sect would personally undertake the refining of the Golden Elixir Returning Pill for him.

“Rest assured, with this pill formula, I will make Yan Shaoyin kneel and beg me to let him refine elixirs,” Zhou Shengqing promised. “You just focus wholeheartedly on cultivating and improving your realm. No matter how much the sect spends, we will at least ensure one Golden Elixir Returning Pill is successfully refined for you.”

“Many thanks to the two Ancestors!” Chen Mobai exclaimed. After hearing this, he felt greatly relieved.

Compared to the Golden Elixir Returning Pill, everything else—whether it was the Pure Yang Scroll reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection, opening a Golden Core domain, or the breakthrough and transformation of his spiritual sense—were minor matters.

From then on, his path to Core Formation was completely clear of any obstacles!