Chapter 536: Water Immortal

That night, after seeing Qing Nü home, Chen Mobai returned to the Bumpy Courtyard.

Activating his Void-Piercing Spiritual Eye, he soon discerned the anomaly.

Traces of void power remained here.

A Golden Core Domain? Or some other void technique?

As Chen Mobai sensed this, he raised his right hand. A faint silver glow appeared in his palm, which was his Golden Core Domain.

For a newly formed Golden Core cultivator, it was merely used as a storage pouch.

However, after reaching the third layer of the Golden Core realm, one could control the void energy within it, forming blade-like attacks. With more Golden Core True Persons in the Immortal Sect, there was even a detailed cultivation manual for the "Void Blade" published.

At the seventh layer of the Golden Core realm, the void energy had matured, becoming capable of both offense and defense, and could even expand, forming a domain similar to a magic sphere.

This domain was a personal void constructed by the cultivator, the most suitable place for them to unleash their power. Within it, a cultivator could exert several times their usual strength, and it was also the ultimate trump card of all Golden Core True Persons in the Immortal Sect.

However, what Chen Mobai most desired was the "teleportation" ability after mastering the void.

The Immortal Sect officially named it "Void Walking."

Once this was mastered, even if he encountered the most dangerous situations, he would be able to escape in the simplest manner.

Previously, Reverend Cheng Xuan had used teleportation to directly take Chen Mobai from Building No. 1 to the deepest part of the Myriad Treasures Cave, leaving a deep impression on him.

Void Walking was generally a hallmark of Nascent Soul Reverends, but throughout the history of the Immortal Sect, a very small number of extraordinary Golden Core True Persons had also achieved it.

Chen Mobai felt that with his outstanding conditions, he could definitely attempt to challenge this feat.

Once he finished his current tasks, in addition to cultivating the Pure Yang Scripture, he could try to comprehend the Grand Formation of the Underworld and the Vacuum Dharma Body. With an entire empty netherstone mine as support, he believed he could achieve Void Walking while still in the Golden Core realm.

As the Immortal Sect's stratification of Golden Core Domains flashed through his mind, Chen Mobai used his spiritual sense to push his own domain towards the residual void energy in the Bumpy Courtyard.

Since he had successfully opened his domain during the Foundation Establishment stage, his current void energy far surpassed that of ordinary Golden Core cultivators. However, due to his weaker spiritual sense, he could not yet fully control it to form a Void Blade.

But it was still sufficient for exploration.

Before long, two streams of silver light flickered in the night.

Chen Mobai's void energy, continuously supported by him, quickly broke open a hidden small space.

A palm-sized puppet with closed eyes appeared before him.

The puppet was remarkably lifelike, its face identical to the middle-aged man he had seen there during the day.

A shimmering green light glowed across the puppet's entire body. It opened its eyes, and within those hollow eyes, the moment it saw Chen Mobai, a glimmer of surprise appeared.

“In the Immortal Sect, those with such puppetry skills are few and far between. Who are you?”

As Chen Mobai spoke, he reached out to grab the puppet.

A faint chuckle sounded. The puppet suddenly expanded, becoming life-sized. Then its right hand transformed into a drill, spinning into a spiral, and surged towards Chen Mobai's palm.

The Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror appeared, colliding with the spiral.

The golden light shield subtly warped, but supported by the Pure Yang spiritual power, it held firm.

“My patience is limited. I'll give you one last chance to confess.”

Frowning, Chen Mobai retracted the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror. He raised his right hand, and clenched it in mid-air.

Just as a mocking expression appeared on the puppet's lips, the void suddenly opened, and a long-handled sword radiating purple light was grasped and pulled out by Chen Mobai. The surging lightning currents caused the puppet to tremble violently, appearing to malfunction.

“The Purple Lightning Sword!”

The puppet emitted a synthesized electronic voice, gazing in surprise at the outstanding and refined youth standing before it, holding the sword.

“If I use this sword, it will soon attract other nearby Golden Core True Persons. Once they arrive, you'll have no chance.”

If possible, Chen Mobai didn't want to alert Lan Haitien and Gongsun Jielü, as he already had a faint guess about the puppet's origin.

If this matter were to be uncovered, it would likely cause another huge stir among the Immortal Sect's upper echelons.

“The Purple Lightning Sword is indeed powerful, but you've only just formed your Golden Core. You can't be in perfect sync with the treasure sword, achieving 'man-sword unity'. You still can't be my opponent…”

Before the puppet could finish speaking, it saw the Purple Lightning Sword emit a brilliant purple glow, spreading from Chen Mobai's sword-holding right hand to cover his entire body.

This was precisely the realm of 'man-sword unity' and perfect sword comprehension.

“Young friend, what is your esteemed name?”

The puppet's demeanor suddenly changed, and it asked Chen Mobai in a friendly tone.

“You don't know me?”

This was truly odd. As a cultivator who had only recently formed his Golden Core, Chen Mobai, despite his efforts to keep a low profile, was still the most renowned figure of the past decade.

“This puppet of mine has been here for several decades, and was only activated yesterday. I'm not very familiar with the recent situation in the Immortal Sect.”

The puppet's words further solidified Chen Mobai's judgment.

“Is it because of Qing Nü? You are Xin Ji.”

The moment Chen Mobai's words fell, the puppet opposite him paused, then asked in a very strange tone, “How did you know?”

“In the Immortal Sect, I'm considered an expert in puppetry. For someone of your realm, besides my teacher Che Yucheng, I can only think of Xin Ji. Furthermore, I heard people from the Jumang Daoist Academy say that Qing Nü looks exactly like your daughter.”

After hearing this, the puppet paused for several seconds in surprise.

“So you're Yucheng's disciple. What is your relationship with Qing Nü?”

“Friends, I suppose.”

“There are many kinds of friends. You can be specific. I won't mind.”

Chen Mobai felt a surge of annoyance at the puppet's words.

“What is my relationship with Qing Nü? What does it matter if you mind!?”

As he spoke, the Purple Lightning Sword in Chen Mobai's palm released faint currents of electricity. The spiritual energy within the Bumpy Courtyard began to be controlled by him, transforming into specks of electric light, gradually spreading, and forming an electromagnetic field.

“You…”

Just as the puppet was about to say something more, it suddenly found that its electronic voice could no longer be synthesized.

“These currents actually specifically restrain puppets!?”

Chen Mobai himself was a third-tier puppeteer of the Immortal Sect, and after comprehending all the technical aspects of the Formless Puppet using enlightenment tea, his understanding was no longer inferior to Che Yucheng's.

He had once envisioned the fastest way to counter a puppet should he ever encounter one.

The critical parts of the Immortal Sect's high-end puppets basically used biomimetic materials, utilizing neural currents to transmit information and commands.

And after achieving 'man-sword unity' with the Purple Lightning Sword, the extremely precise current manipulation it enabled could achieve this effect.

After the puppet realized its movements were becoming rigid, shimmering green light flickered across its body. Under Chen Mobai's surprised gaze, it suddenly disintegrated, turning into pieces.

“It… self-destructed?”

Chen Mobai frowned, took out a yellow gourd, and began examining the puppet fragments using his Primordial Yang Sword Qi.

Soon, he discovered a core object resembling a Heaven Calculation Bead.

However, this core was bluish-black and emanated a chilling aura.

"You must protect Qing Nü. Be careful not to go to Danxia City. There's an evil person there, a reincarnated Ascendant Sect member who shed their mortal coil."

As Chen Mobai picked up this core, a message, intentionally left behind, was transmitted to him.

After learning this news, Chen Mobai's eyes suddenly narrowed.

Those from the Ascendant Sect who could shed their mortal coil and reincarnate were generally considered equivalent to Nascent Soul Reverends in the Immortal Sect.

If there truly was such an existence hidden in Danxia City, then their current lineup was perhaps insufficient?

Did he need to report this to higher authorities in the Immortal Sect?

The only Nascent Soul Reverend Chen Mobai could contact was Reverend Cheng Xuan of the Dancing Weapon Daoist Academy.

But if he reported it, it would inevitably involve Qing Nü and Xin Ji.

Moreover, this could also be Xin Ji's ruse of war.

Chen Mobai was not certain his words were true.

Should he tell the Kaiyuan Hall or Lan Haitien and the others?

Chen Mobai pondered extensively, deciding that for safety's sake, he still needed to report this matter, but he could not appear personally.

He thought long and hard, and finally devised a method.

As the chief of Yumuo City, Chen Mobai could easily find where Gu Changfeng was imprisoned if he wanted to.

He split a portion of his spiritual sense, controlling a Formless Puppet to appear outside the prison.

After waiting for a long time, he finally saw a familiar person.

Lin Yin walked out of the prison holding some documents, and beside her was Qing Nü.

The two had clearly just finished talking with Gu Changfeng. It was unknown what new information the latter had revealed, but excitement gleamed in Lin Yin's eyes.

“I never expected that this Soul-Devouring Art would actually…”

As Lin Yin sighed, she suddenly noticed something amiss. She abruptly turned to look at a large tree beside the road.

A strange spiritual energy, no weaker than her own, caught her attention. But the other party seemed to have realized they had been exposed, and suddenly began to move away and retreat.

“Go back to the prison. If I don't return in ten minutes, notify the Deputy Chief Group Leader.”

Lin Yin said to Qing Nü with a solemn expression, then performed her movement technique, disappearing from her spot, and surged towards the strange spiritual energy fluctuation.

As expected, the members of the Heaven-Mending Group were fearless.

Chen Mobai's Formless Puppet sensed Lin Yin's following biomagnetic field, nodded slightly, then stopped. It waved its hand, severing a spiritual tree, and after leaving a note made of newspaper clippings, it vanished from its spot.

Once high-grade spirit stones were placed inside the Formless Puppet, it could unleash Golden Core level power.

Lin Yin immediately felt the strange spiritual energy's speed surge, and then suddenly disappear from her spiritual sense's perception range.

Frowning, she chased for two more steps, and quickly arrived at the last location where the spiritual energy had suddenly surged and disappeared, according to her perception.

She immediately saw the severed spiritual tree, and the crookedly pieced-together note on it.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yin's expression instantly changed drastically.

After Lan Haitien and Gongsun Jielü finished reading the note Lin Yin brought, they exchanged surprised glances.

Lan Haitien: “Besides you, who else saw this note?”

Lin Yin: “No one else. I didn't let Qing Nü accompany me.”

Lan Haitien: “Understood. I will report this to the Chief Group Leader. Remember, you must not reveal it to anyone else.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yin nodded solemnly, then retreated and closed the door.

“Guess who is warning us?”

Gongsun Jielü looked at the note again, asking with some surprise.

Lan Haitien: “Someone who can trick Lin Yin is at least a cultivator of the same rank as us.”

Gongsun Jielü: “Then it's quite obvious. Besides us, there's only one Golden Core True Person in Yumuo City.”

After hearing this, Lan Haitien picked up his phone and called some informants of the Heaven-Mending Group.

Soon, he put down his phone and shook his head.

Lan Haitien: “Chen Mobai taught a class at Qing Sang Academy today. The academy's vice principal and many teachers and students were in his class, and they haven't left yet. He has a perfect alibi.”

Gongsun Jielü: “If I remember correctly, he's Che Yucheng's disciple. His graduation masterpiece was the Formless Puppet.”

Lan Haitien: “But you must know, for a Formless Puppet to reach the Golden Core level, it requires high-grade spirit stones. The entire Immortal Sect meticulously tracks every high-grade spirit stone. He doesn't have any.”

Hearing this, Gongsun Jielü said nothing more. She pointed to the note, raised an eyebrow slightly, and asked Lan Haitien how to proceed.

“Report it to the Reverend.”

Soon after, the void in the office where they were opened, and a young girl with long white hair, white eyebrows, and skin as fair as jade stepped out.

“Greetings, Reverend Shuixian!”

“Mmm, rise.”

Although this operation was nominally led by Lan Haitien and Gongsun Jielü, it was actually overseen by the head of the Enforcement Department herself.

Originally, Reverend Cheng Xuan had intended to come and clear the sect's name, but to avoid any conflict of interest, the Immortal Sect still dispatched Reverend Shuixian, who was more suited for the position.

“This is how the matter stands.”

After listening to Lan Haitien's report, Reverend Shuixian also finished reading the note, and suddenly chuckled.

“I originally thought this would just be a relaxing trip, but now it's becoming interesting.”

The members of the Heaven-Mending Group and the Enforcement Department had prepared extensively for this operation.

So on the third day after arriving in Yumuo City, Chen Mobai was already notified to depart for Danxia City.

As they were going to arrest a Golden Core True Person, they traveled lightly. After leaving Yumuo City by car, they immediately activated a specially made flying talisman. Everyone's figures were concealed, and they moved through the sky like invisible currents towards Danxia City.

Upon entering Danxia City's vicinity, they all descended.

After landing, Chen Mobai stood at the very edge of the group.

Qing Nü immediately walked over and handed him a bottle of water.

“Thank you.”

Chen Mobai smiled at her and looked up at the colossal Jadeite Parasol Tree already visible in the distance.