Chapter 519: Family Separation Past

Chen Mobai spoke, saying that without his Violet Lightning Sword, it would be impossible for Mo Douguang and Fu Zongjue alone to kill Xuan Shu.

As they spoke, the three had already flown down from the sky.

Chen Mobai landed first over Shenmu City and spoke a few words to the Core Formation cultivators from the major Eastern Desolation forces who had come to congratulate him, thus concluding the Core Formation Ceremony.

As the sect master, Chu Zuochu was responsible for the concluding work.

Chen Mobai went to have tea with Mo Douguang.

He had originally brought two jars of fine wine, but Mo Douguang, in true sword cultivator style, abstained from alcohol. Fortunately, the Bai family from Snow Peak had sent Snow Needle Immortal Sprouts, so the three of them drank tea and discussed their views on the situation in the Eastern Desolation.

Primarily, Chen Mobai and Fu Zongjue did most of the talking; Mo Douguang only gave brief replies when directly asked.

Fu Zongjue said, "The Xuanxiao Dao Palace is still a major enemy, but the person in charge has changed from Nan Xuanjing to Xuan Shu."

Chen Mobai replied, "As long as Nascent Soul cultivators don't intervene, the entire Eastern Desolation remains under the control of our two sects. A mere Xuan Shu can't turn the world upside down."

Fu Zongjue stated, "Now it just depends on whether Senior Brother Zhou can form his Nascent Soul. I hope nothing goes wrong during this time."

As they spoke, all three looked up at the Evergreen Wood where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was boiling and converging. Zhou Shengqing had already taken that step; his life or death now depended entirely on his fortune.

Chen Mobai commented, "If Xuanxiao Dao Palace wants to confront our two sects in the Eastern Desolation, they can only do so by dragging the Five Elements Sect into the conflict. We need to prevent this."

As for Yan Shaoyin and Kong Lingling, since they had both sent representatives to Chen Mobai's Core Formation Ceremony, it was clear they wished to avoid involvement in the confrontation between the two major powers. They could be disregarded for now.

Fu Zongjue suggested, "Isn't Kong Shanxu here? Let's call him over for a chat."

After hearing this, Chen Mobai nodded and called Chu Zuochu via the Spirit Communication Device.

***

In Shenmu City, after Chen Mobai's departure, the high-ranking officials of the Three Halls and Twelve Divisions, led by Chu Zuochu, each engaged in their own activities, forming circles based on their connections, either discussing cultivation philosophies or exchanging pills and spiritual materials.

For the family cultivators who had formed their cores, this was a rare and grand occasion.

After all, they lacked the backing of a major sect. Although they possessed some valuable resources, it was difficult to trade them due to their specific usage restrictions.

For example, the Liu family of Yun Nation specialized in raising Jade Blood Carp. Liu Jingxian was also a second-tier artifact refiner, but normally, only a few Core Formation cultivators from major families within Yun Nation would commission him to refine magical artifacts, and he might not get a single commission in ten years.

Now, because Liu Jingxian had been personally mentioned by Chen Mobai, many Core Formation cultivators from families outside Yun Nation, upon learning of Liu Wenbai's existence, came forward to socialize.

Not only were the spirit fish raised by the family completely ordered, but commissions for refining magical artifacts were also booked several years in advance.

Among them, the one most envious of Liu Jingxian was none other than Patriarch Luo Sancai of the Luo family, also from Yun Nation.

The fact that Patriarch Chen had three direct disciples had spread among everyone present as Liu Jingxian became famous.

The master and his three disciples all originated from the Yun Nation cultivation world and were part of the same group of disciples who joined the Shenmu Sect over twenty years ago.

Among them, Patriarch Chen was regarded as exceptionally talented upon entering the sect. He lived up to expectations, suppressing three thousand Qi Refinement cultivators with a single sword four years after joining, successfully forming his core as the top true disciple. He then advanced rapidly and has now formed his Golden Core, becoming one of the Eastern Desolation's most powerful cultivators.

Besides his outstanding cultivation talent, Patriarch Chen's ability to impart knowledge, teach, and resolve doubts was also recognized as the best within the Shenmu Sect.

Qi Refinement cultivators who had received his guidance had almost all successfully formed their cores.

Among his disciples, Luo Yixuan, known as the "Nanshan Immortaless," was considered the most similar to Patriarch Chen.

After entering Xiaonanshan, her exceptional talent began to flourish under Patriarch Chen's guidance. She consistently ranked among the top three true disciples and, after easily forming her core, was considered the Shenmu Sect's top immortaless. With her ethereal beauty and outstanding looks, she was the "white moonlight" in the hearts of countless cultivators.

Logically, this youngest disciple should have been Patriarch Chen's favorite.

No one knew why Patriarch Chen had chosen Liu Jingxian over Luo Sancai during his previous sermon, but from this action, they gleaned one thing: compared to the Liu family, the Luo family held little standing in Patriarch Chen's mind.

Consequently, Liu Jingxian was surrounded by circle after circle of people, while Luo Sancai stood alone with only Luo Yixiu by his side.

Only Core Formation cultivators from each family were allowed to attend the Core Formation Ceremony, and Luo Yixiu, being a disciple of the Shenmu Sect, was able to accompany him.

Luo Sancai glanced at Luo Yixiu, who was standing beside him, head bowed and timid, and couldn't help but frown.

How had he ever thought this fellow could inherit his legacy?

He must have been blind!

He had mistaken dog feces for treasure.

For over twenty years, the Luo family had spent considerable spirit stones and resources to support Luo Yixiu's cultivation, but unfortunately, Luo Yixiu failed to form his core after taking the Shenmu Sect's Core Formation Pill.

In contrast, Luo Yixuan, who had originally been sent to the Shenmu Sect merely to accompany Luo Yixiu, surprised everyone in the Luo family. Not only did she manage to attach herself to the towering figure of Patriarch Chen, but she also displayed exceptional talent far surpassing Luo Yixiu's.

If only he had treated Luo Yixuan better when she was young, the one being flattered by the crowd now wouldn't be Liu Jingxian, but himself, Luo Sancai!

With this thought, Luo Sancai looked at Liu Jingxian, who seemed to be floating on air from all the praise, his lips curling into a constant smile, and he found Luo Yixiu beside him even more displeasing.

"Your brother's son and daughter have good spiritual root aptitude. I will arrange for them to join the sect during the next Shenmu Sect disciple recruitment," Luo Sancai said.

Luo Yixiu's face instantly turned pale upon hearing Luo Sancai's words.

His younger brother had only a mixed spiritual root and had long ago been arranged by the family to practice kidney-strengthening techniques, then to mate and procreate with female cultivators with spiritual roots acquired through various family trades.

Over these past twenty years, Luo Yixiu couldn't even remember how many nieces and nephews he had, but he knew of one pair whose talent was no less than his own and Luo Yixuan's.

If the Luo family arranged for them to enter the sect, the resources originally used to support Luo Yixiu's cultivation would be transferred to them.

"Patriarch, please give me another chance. When the sect refines the next batch of Core Formation Pills, I will definitely succeed!" Luo Yixiu pleaded.

As his cultivation path was at stake, Luo Yixiu could only brace himself and argue for himself.

"Since you have such aspirations, then work hard on your own," Luo Sancai said indifferently. This implied that from then on, the family would no longer provide Luo Yixiu with cultivation resources, and he would have to find his own way.

"Patriarch, Xuan'er and I have a very good relationship. Aren't you afraid she'll be unhappy when she returns if you do this?" Luo Yixiu said, now leveraging Luo Yixuan's reputation.

Luo Sancai scoffed coldly upon hearing this. He hadn't forgotten Luo Yixuan's attitude when she returned to the family after forming her core. Besides her birth mother, with whom she still had some affection, the rest of the Luo family, including her own father, were treated with cold indifference by Luo Yixuan. She was particularly disdainful and sarcastic towards Luo Yixiu, as if she wanted everyone in the Luo family to know that she was the most outstanding and that they had all been blind.

It was precisely for this reason that Luo Sancai had, in the past decade, begun to adjust the family's strategy. Female cultivators with spiritual roots from the family were no longer traded with other families for procreation as before. Instead, they were nurtured within the family, in hopes of producing a "Luo Yixuan" who would have genuine affection for the family.

"You don't need to follow me anymore. I'm going to get close to Patriarch Chen's disciples and see if I can send your niece to serve him as a maid," Luo Sancai declared.

"Patriarch, Patriarch Chen is an ascetic cultivator. He's often in secluded cultivation and doesn't like to have people serving him," Luo Yixiu immediately tried to dissuade Luo Sancai, as this was common knowledge in the Shenmu Sect.

"Your niece resembles Xuan'er quite a bit. We must arrange for her to meet Patriarch Chen. Perhaps when he sees her, he'll be reminded of the missing Xuan'er and, in his longing, take her by his side," Luo Sancai mused.

Luo Sancai was older than Liu Jingxian and likely had only twenty to thirty years left to live. The family's previous Core Formation cultivator in the Shenmu Sect, Luo Shupin, had died in the Lei Nation. The highly anticipated Luo Yixiu proved to be of little use, and their only hope, Luo Yixuan, had gone missing. However, this was perhaps for the better, as Luo Yixuan had little affection for the Luo family. With her not by Patriarch Chen's side, they could potentially use a loyal female cultivator raised by the family to replace her, perhaps even inheriting Luo Yixuan's standing in Patriarch Chen's eyes.

Thinking this, Luo Sancai immediately changed his demeanor and walked towards Zhuo Ming, who was surrounded by even more people.

He had already inquired and learned that Luo Yixuan had the best relationship with this second senior sister, Zhuo Ming. They often tilled fields and served Chen Mobai together while in Xiaonanshan.

Just then, Chu Zuochu, who was eloquently speaking in the center of Shenmu City, suddenly stopped. He respectfully took out a long, rectangular box and, after some unknown manipulation, Chen Mobai's voice emanated from within, astonishing everyone.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'll come over with him right away," Chu Zuochu said.

After hanging up the call, Chu Zuochu looked up at Kong Shanxu, who was standing to his immediate left. Kong Shanxu had also heard the conversation, straightened his attire, and after confirming everything was in order, nodded at Chu Zuochu.

"Everyone, Junior Brother Kong and I are going to pay our respects to the three patriarchs. Later, there will be second-tier spirit rice and spirit wine personally cultivated and brewed by Patriarch Chen. Senior Brother Meng, please help me entertain our guests," Chu Zuochu announced.

Meng Hong was also present today. As the former sect master, he was exceptionally happy to see Chen Mobai form his Core, his face flushed with joy.

He had good relationships with the Core Formation cultivators from several founding families of the nation, and he laughed heartily nearby, boasting that Chen Mobai had joined the Shenmu Sect during his tenure, claiming the credit for himself.

After Chu Zuochu left, Meng Hong smilingly took the main seat and continued to boast.

As he watched Kong Shanxu fly away, Ye Bogui of Huitian Valley frowned slightly.

He was worried.

Now that the Shenmu Sect and Jinguang Cliff combined had four Core Formation cultivators, would they reintegrate into the Five Elements Sect?

If Zhou Shengqing formed his Nascent Soul, then the Shenmu Sect, after absorbing the Five Elements Sect, would wield power even greater than when Patriarch Hunyuan was alive.

If that truly happened, what would become of their Huitian Valley?

Amidst his worries, Ye Bogui glanced at Xue Ting, who wore a veil beside him, and wondered if he should first speak with this Core Formation cultivator from the Blowing Snow Palace. If their two families advanced and retreated together, it might gain them more consideration from the Shenmu Sect.

***

Chen Mobai and the other two, who were currently drinking tea, naturally had no idea that their summoning of Kong Shanxu had caused apprehension among Huitian Valley and other forces in the Eastern Desolation.

"Greetings, Senior Uncle Mo, Senior Uncle Fu, Senior Uncle Chen!" Kong Shanxu said. Upon his arrival, he bowed respectfully to Chen Mobai and the other two, adopting the posture of a junior.

"The split of the family back then was a last resort, but we are, after all, of the same lineage. Go back and tell Senior Brother Zhou Ye not to be misled by the Xuanxiao Dao Palace again," Fu Zongjue said.

Fu Zongjue's words made Kong Shanxu smile bitterly. Although he held a high position in the Five Elements Sect, he dared not answer such a question when facing Core Formation cultivators.

"I will certainly report this to my master upon my return," Kong Shanxu replied.

"The Five Elements' five lineages are connected like limbs. This Eastern Desolation was established by Patriarch Hunyuan. Even if it decays in our hands, we cannot let outsiders seize it, don't you agree?" Fu Zongjue continued.

"Yes, Senior Uncle, you are right. However, it would be best for you, Senior Uncles, to discuss this directly with my master. I can only relay the message on his behalf," Kong Shanxu replied.

Kong Shanxu was cautious and handled the pressure from the three Core Formation cultivators flawlessly.

"We are just giving you a heads-up. If he wants to talk, tell Zhou Ye to come to the Shenmu Sect," Fu Zongjue said.

Fu Zongjue seemed to have a poor impression of the Core Formation Patriarch of the Five Elements Sect; his tone had become quite impolite by this point.

"This..." Kong Shanxu stammered. Upon hearing this, he dared not agree to the statement and could only stand there awkwardly, repeatedly wiping away sweat.

"Coincidentally, I have something to attend to in Ming Nation. Junior Nephew Kong, please pass on the word. We can arrange a time to talk with Senior Brother Zhou face-to-face then," Chen Mobai interjected. The last known location of his youngest disciple's disappearance was the Guiyuan Sect in Ming Nation. Previously, he hadn't dared to go there due to the covetous gaze of Zhao Xuankang and others outside. Now, with the Violet Lightning Sword in hand, he could traverse the Eastern Desolation without fear and could finally go look for Luo Yixuan.

"Yes, yes, yes. This is my communication talisman. When you come to Hunyuan Immortal City, Senior Uncle Chen, just call for me directly," Kong Shanxu said, greatly relieved. He then handed a talisman to Chen Mobai and was led away by Chu Zuochu.

"Does Senior Brother Fu have a grudge with Senior Brother Zhou Ye?" Chen Mobai asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Do you know why our Five Elements Sect's five lineages split apart back then?" Mo Douguang asked.

"It's said that Senior Brother Zhou Shengqing believed he would inherit the Five Elements Sect and Hunyuan Immortal City, but before the Patriarch passed away, he designated Senior Brother Zhou Ye. Zhou Shengqing, being dissatisfied, proposed the split," Chen Mobai replied.

"That's the official story," Mo Douguang clarified. He squinted his eyes, seemingly recalling the scene from back then, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Before Master passed away, he instructed us to expend sixty years of our primordial spiritual energy to help Junior Brother Zhou Ye achieve the Hunyuan Dao Fruit. Although Senior Brother Nujiang and Senior Sister Sheng were also reluctant, they didn't wish to defy Master's dying wish. Only Senior Brother Zhou Shengqing and I, being somewhat more straightforward, refused to agree even as Master took his last breath."