After successfully opening the realm, Chen Mobai couldn't help but swallow, sensing the seemingly endless void power surging in the dark emptiness around him. He was tempted to absorb this power into his Myriad Dharma Body to complete the refinement of his remaining spinal bones, but he remembered that Reverend Qingping was just outside the door, and his actions would surely be detected. As a cautious person, Chen Mobai ultimately abandoned the tempting idea.
He decided it would be better to gather more Void Spirit Stones from the Celestial River Realm. After all, his Divine Wood Sect still owned a mine in Lonely Soul Ridge, and once he formed his Golden Core, he would be able to acquire as many as he wished.
"Come out when you're ready; I'm almost at my limit," Reverend Qingping's voice came from outside. Chen Mobai dared not delay and immediately withdrew his Golden Core realm, then exited.
"Thank you, Reverend." As Chen Mobai stepped out of the realm gate, he saw Reverend Qingping looking pale and utterly exhausted, sitting on the steps. He immediately approached to express his gratitude.
"If I'd known you were such a prodigy, I would have waited until the next realm gate opening to come," Reverend Qingping grumbled. He had initially expected the task to be simple, but he hadn't anticipated Chen Mobai, whose true depth he hadn't grasped, would demand the channeling of a hundred streams of void power, pushing him to his limit. If he hadn't possessed a deep foundation, he might truly have disgraced himself. Nevertheless, by the end, Reverend Qingping felt his spiritual energy dwindling. If he had continued, the realm gate would have begun drawing on his vital essence as fuel, which prompted him to signal for Chen Mobai to stop. Fortunately, Chen Mobai was perceptive and exited immediately upon hearing the signal.
"Reverend, may I have your contact information?"
"Yes," Reverend Qingping nodded readily. Having personally witnessed the extraordinary talent of this young genius, he believed it highly probable that Chen Mobai would reach the same cultivation realm as himself, even if deity transformation remained elusive.
"The others have already been escorted down the mountain by Xue Yuzhu and her group. When you two leave, just inform the property management; I've already made the arrangements."
After exchanging contact information with Reverend Qingping, Chen Mobai and Wenren Xuewei thanked him once more and began their descent.
"Behind that realm gate lies the secluded cultivation place of Ancestor Qianxing. I wonder if I'll ever live to witness the Deity Transformation realm myself," Wenren Xuewei remarked, glancing back at the gate as they left. However, considering the unique properties of her Evergreen Cultivation Method, he realized she was indeed qualified to utter such a statement. She was almost guaranteed to reach the Nascent Soul stage, but achieving Deity Transformation would ultimately depend on serendipitous opportunities. Sometimes, a bottleneck simply cannot be overcome, irrespective of lifespan; it is purely a matter of innate talent determining a cultivator's upper limit.
Wenren Xuewei was considered among the Immortal Sect's most elite cultivators of her generation. While not as renowned as Chen Mobai, she was widely regarded as the most probable candidate for Deity Transformation after the Immortal Sect's Twin Sages. Yet, even with all her potential, she only felt confident about reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
"You'll definitely make it," Chen Mobai replied as they walked down the mountain.
"Oh, why do you say that?"
"You are the only person in the Immortal Sect who can contend with me at the same cultivation level. If I have the potential for Deity Transformation, then so do you. When I reach the peak in the future, don't fall behind. I don't want to find myself without a single peer when I eventually pass away from old age."
Chen Mobai's words made Wenren Xuewei purse her lips and smile, her slightly melancholic mood instantly brightening.
"No wonder Qing Nü likes you; you certainly know how to talk."
"Qing Nü and I are good friends..." Speaking of Qing Nü, Chen Mobai realized they hadn't been in touch for some time. Though their meetings became less frequent after graduation, they still called each other annually, and their genuine friendship had only grown more sincere and precious with the passage of time.
"She's been investigating highly confidential matters within the Heaven-Mending Group. Someone from the Immortal Sect's upper echelons hinted to our Daoist Academy that she should back off. After I spoke with her, she did rein it in somewhat. If you see her, you might also subtly remind her that some things are simply not meant to be investigated." Wenren Xuewei seemed to intentionally steer the conversation towards Qing Nü.
Chen Mobai remembered her indirect warning when the Formless Puppet was completed and couldn't help but sigh.
"I understand. Thank you, I'll talk to her." If it had been anyone else, Chen Mobai would have flatly refused, or even cut off contact to avoid entanglement. But this was Qing Nü, one of his closest friends.
"By the way, what direction do you plan to develop your Golden Core realm in?" After discussing Qing Nü, Wenren Xuewei smiled and steered the conversation back. She extended her right hand, and silver light shimmered at her delicate, pale fingertips as a green orb of light, roughly the diameter of her neck, materialized.
"I intend to develop it into a tea garden. First, I'll transplant a grafted Enlightenment White Tea plant. Once the realm stabilizes, it will slowly evolve into something akin to a tranquil minor realm…" A realm, as it's called, is essentially the embryonic form of a small world. It can be used for storage and to sustain living things, but its internal rules and resources must be slowly added by the owner. Given the Immortal Sect's limited resources, realms are typically used as personal, portable cave dwellings.
Wenren Xuewei's ambition to develop hers into a tea garden was already quite notable. After all, expanding a realm consumes significant time and energy, potentially hindering one's personal cultivation. Furthermore, void power is regulated by the Immortal Sect; cultivators are not permitted to casually shatter the void. However, forming a Golden Core realm grants one the qualification to purchase it, allowing orders to be placed directly on the Immortal Sect Network. The Immortal Sect would then dispatch sealed void fragments via express delivery, which cultivators would slowly refine into pure void power using their spiritual sense, integrating it into their realm for expansion.
"I'll probably just create a personal cave dwelling within mine, planting two spirit trees to stabilize the spiritual energy. Then, if I live out my natural lifespan, I can leave it to my descendants as a family heirloom."
Although realms, these small worlds, are established within the Immortal Sect, they are permitted to be passed down for three generations. After three generations, these realms are reclaimed by the Immortal Sect. Those that have fallen into disrepair due to a lack of Golden Core spiritual energy for maintenance are shattered, their essence repurposed as fuel for the invaluable realm gates. However, if the Immortal Sect deems a realm exceptionally well-managed, it can continue to be passed down indefinitely with the payment of a renewal fee. This is how the Medicine Realms of the Four Great Daoist Academies came into being. Passed down for millennia, they have cultivated nearly half of the Immortal Sect's thousand-year spirit herbs. Beyond the Daoist Academies, Deity Transformation families like the Zhongli Clan also possess realms that have been continuously inherited. This is also an unspoken rule within the Immortal Sect: as long as a continuous line of Golden Core True Persons exists within three generations, the realm will not be reclaimed. Consequently, many valuable artifacts on Earth Star remain in the hands of private individuals. However, these matters typically concern only Golden Core cultivators and above. Now that Chen Mobai possessed his own realm, he too was considered part of this exclusive circle.
"That sounds good too. Oh, by the way, two 'void blind boxes' will be listed on the Immortal Sect Network this month. If you're interested, you could try to acquire one," Wenren Xuewei said, her words introducing a surprising term to Chen Mobai.
"What exactly is a void blind box?"
"They are realms that have been sealed after their Golden Core True Person owners ceased maintaining them with spiritual power. Only those truly beyond salvage are shattered by the Realm Gate Administration; most are simply preserved. If you wish to enhance your own realm, you can shatter these sealed realms to absorb their void power. The reason they're called 'void blind boxes' is that these sealed realms occasionally contain valuable items like thousand-year spirit herbs, spirit stones, or magical artifacts."
Upon hearing Wenren Xuewei's explanation, Chen Mobai's eyes immediately lit up. This was an excellent way to legitimize resources from the Celestial River Realm! In the future, he could simply claim any items were found within a void blind box. Regardless of whether people believed him, it would provide a plausible origin. Once Chen Mobai formed his Golden Core, he figured cultivators at his level within the Immortal Sect wouldn't scrutinize such origins.
"What's the price of a void blind box?"
"They're a bit pricey: one hundred million merit points each!"
Chen Mobai's eyes widened in disbelief after hearing Wenren Xuewei's words. That wasn't just "a bit pricey"; it was astronomically expensive.
Wenren Xuewei explained, "After all, you might unearth the entire estate of a Golden Core True Person. Sometimes, if you're lucky, it's a huge profit."
Chen Mobai countered, "But that's a hundred million."
Wenren Xuewei replied, "It's a lot for Foundation Establishment cultivators, yes. But for a Golden Core True Person who also practices a third-tier profession, annual income is at least several million merit points, so a hundred million really isn't that much. Besides, the number of these void blind boxes is limited, and they're often snatched up quickly."
Hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but marvel at the ingenuity of the person who devised such a revenue-generating scheme. It not only spared the Realm Gate Administration the laborious task of shattering realms but also allowed them to earn immense merit points. Truly a stroke of genius.
Despite the price, Chen Mobai decided he would try to acquire a void blind box in the future. "I'm a bit low on funds right now; I'll consider it in a few years." Based on the performance of his two talisman factories, he estimated he could accumulate one hundred million merit points in about seven or eight years. However, it would be best to undertake this endeavor after he had formed his Golden Core. By then, even if the items he produced were a bit extravagant, his status as a Golden Core True Person would allow him to account for them.
Next, Chen Mobai and Wenren Xuewei discussed tea trees. Wenren Xuewei, a true expert, became animated, her eyes sparkling as if he had touched on her passion. She spoke enthusiastically, covering everything from the habits of various tea trees to the tools for brewing and drinking tea, without repeating herself once throughout their conversation.
"How about I gift you a grafted Enlightenment White Tea sapling? As long as you follow my instructions and plant it in your realm, you can be assured of producing third-tier tea leaves in thirty years."
This Enlightenment Tea was a variant created by Wenren Xuewei, grafted from the Great Toon Tree. It held some renown within the Immortal Sect, as prolonged consumption was known to benefit spiritual sense and comprehension.
"Really? That would be absolutely wonderful, thank you so much!" Chen Mobai had tasted Snow Needle Immortal Buds and understood the benefits of third-tier tea leaves. As he was preparing to expand his tea garden on Xiaonanshan, acquiring Enlightenment White Tea would ensure he would never lack high-quality tea in the future.
"Thirty years is the ideal scenario," Wenren Xuewei cautioned, "but you'll need to transplant third-tier spirit soil into your realm and continuously irrigate it with specially refined spirit water. Cultivating a tea tree is like raising a child—very delicate at first."
"No problem," Chen Mobai replied confidently, "I love farming." Chen Mobai had no concerns whatsoever; with Zhuo Ming at his side, nothing was impossible to cultivate. As for resources like spirit soil and spirit water, they were even less of a concern in the Celestial River Realm.
"Alright then, I'll pack one up for you when I get back. Just give me your address." As they spoke, the two had already reached the foot of the mountain. After Wenren Xuewei noted Chen Mobai's delivery details, she smiled, waved goodbye, and departed.
Meanwhile, Chen Mobai was stopped by Zhongli Tianyu, who had been waiting at the foot of the mountain. Zhongli Tianyu informed him that Zhongli Yue had prepared a meal and wished for him to stay for dinner. Such an invitation, a Golden Core True Person personally preparing a meal, was an honor Chen Mobai dared not refuse. After dinner, he was persuaded to stay for the night. Chen Mobai finally left Five Peaks Immortal Mountain the following day.
He had originally intended to go straight home, but Meng Huang'er called out to him. Furthermore, his recent success in opening the Golden Core realm had kept him at the top of trending topics for an entire month, making him the subject of intense, scrutinizing gazes whenever he ventured out. Left with no choice, Chen Mobai decided to head to the Wuqi Daoist Academy office to lie low for a while.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen, you certainly didn't disappoint me," Sun Daoji exclaimed with a hearty laugh upon seeing him enter. Bian Jingchun, Zuo Qiu Shi, and the others had already departed. As Immortal Sect civil servants who had taken leave to attend, they naturally had to return to work now that their attempt was unsuccessful.
"I told you... he was bound to succeed..." Before Chen Mobai arrived, Sun Daoji had been watching television. On a variety show, Nie Wenzhan, with a flushed face, was effusively praising Chen Mobai, seemingly against his own inclination. The other guests mostly chimed in with genuine agreement, making Nie Wenzhan's face even redder. Unable to reveal his true feelings, he could only grit his teeth and maintain his persona as a fervent admirer. Nie Wenzhan was praising him to the heavens, nearly declaring Chen Mobai the most talented individual in the Immortal Sect's entire history.
"It's just a pity that even he must wait another sixty years to acquire the Golden Liquid Jade Restoration Pill. I believe this Immortal Sect regulation is somewhat outdated. Perhaps an exception should be made for him just this once..." However, by the end, Nie Wenzhan inadvertently exposed his true nature as an anti-fan, uttering a statement that caused a considerable stir.
"That fellow is quite skilled at the art of 'damning with faint praise'," Sun Daoji mused. Sun Daoji understood Nie Wenzhan's intention: the Immortal Sect would never alter its regulations for a single individual. However, making such a statement could turn many Foundation Establishment cultivators against Chen Mobai. This was because people resent inequality more than scarcity. Not everyone possessed independent judgment, and they might easily be swayed, genuinely fearing that the Immortal Sect would indeed make an exception for Chen Mobai. If everyone had to wait, there would be no complaints. But if someone suddenly cut the line, everyone would be displeased. As expected, this issue ignited a heated debate online. Some cultivators, believing themselves exceptionally talented, saw Chen Mobai as an opportunity to challenge the sixty-year rule and began to fan the flames. For a time, Chen Mobai's name became more popular than any celebrity's.
"You're the big star now," Meng Huang'er teased, entering the hotel private room and taking off her sunglasses and hat.
"So, did you get your Barrier-Breaking Pill?"
Chen Mobai smiled, pulling her into his embrace as she sat beside him. Feeling her exquisite, graceful body and her long, shapely legs resting against his, he couldn't help but recall their intimate attempts before he established his Golden Core realm. Back then, time had been tight, preventing them from fully savoring the moment. Now, it was different. He had all the time in the world.
"Yes, I got it," Meng Huang'er replied, her face flushed. "I was just about to ask for your guidance on how to take it to achieve a breakthrough." With a strange, fumbling movement, she retrieved a cardboard box from her bag. Inside was a Great Barrier-Breaking Pill.
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