Chapter 60: Ren Water Thunder Method

The Eastern Wilderness is comprised of nineteen nations.

There are seven major immortal cultivation sects: Huigutian Valley, Five Elements Sect, Golden Light Cliff, Divine Wood Sect, Six Jia Mountain, Shaking Peak, and Blowing Snow Palace.

Among these, the Five Elements Sect was originally the dominant power in the entire Eastern Wilderness. However, fifty years ago, after its only Nascent Soul stage patriarch passed away, the five lineages split, leading to the formation of Golden Light Cliff and Divine Wood Sect. Despite this, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse; the Five Elements Sect remains the foremost power in the Eastern Wilderness.

Throughout the Eastern Wilderness, these seven major sects monopolize the supply of Foundation Establishment Pills. Other rogue cultivators, cultivation families, or even disciples of smaller sects must seek these pills from the seven major sects. Typically, rogue cultivators try to directly join one of these seven sects. Once they accumulate enough internal contributions, they can exchange them for a Foundation Establishment Pill. Successors of cultivation families and smaller sects, on the other hand, can exchange precious resources like spirit stones and elixirs for the pills.

Periodically, the seven major sects release batches of Foundation Establishment Pills to supply the subordinate cultivation forces. Additionally, markets established by major foreign trade guilds occasionally release Foundation Establishment Pills as well, aiming to open up the Eastern Wilderness market.

Yun Nation, where Nanxi Market is located, was previously a subsidiary of the Five Elements Sect. After the Divine Wood Sect split off, it became a border area between the two factions. After several conflicts, both factions supported two cultivation families each, gradually harvesting Yun Nation's cultivation resources while controlling mortal forces.

To maintain their absolute status, these two major sects visit Yun Nation every decade to recruit promising cultivators with spiritual roots. As the former supreme ruler of Yun Nation, the Five Elements Sect has deep roots among mortals. Whenever a child with spiritual roots is identified, their parents almost always send them to the Five Elements Sect rather than the Divine Wood Sect.

The leaders of the Divine Wood Sect are also very shrewd. Realizing they couldn't compete with the Five Elements Sect in the mortal world, they shifted their focus to rogue cultivators. Disciples recruited this way often already have some cultivation foundation, saving spirit stones in their training. Moreover, it eliminates the need to send people into the mortal world to search for talents, which is time-consuming. The only drawback is that rogue cultivators have varying moral qualities and are not as dependable as disciples cultivated by the Five Elements Sect from a young age.

Of course, this doesn't mean the Five Elements Sect doesn't recruit rogue cultivators; they just have very strict requirements. It is said that rogue cultivators entering the sect must undergo a 'heart-questioning and spirit-examining' procedure to ensure they harbor no ulterior motives.

After reading the brief introduction to the Divine Wood Sect, Chen Mobai reviewed that of the Five Elements Sect. Comparing them with the account books found in the Water Mansion, he vaguely understood why Liu Zengpei never returned fifty years ago.

Fifty years ago, the Eastern Wilderness's sole Nascent Soul Venerable, Patriarch Hunyuan of the Five Elements Sect, passed away. Subsequently, the Golden and Wood lineage factions split from the sect, undoubtedly leading to a period of bloodshed. Liu Zengpei was likely recalled to the Five Elements Sect under those circumstances and might have fallen victim to internal strife. The following twenty years saw fierce conflicts between the Five Elements Sect and the splintered Golden Light Cliff and Divine Wood Sect. During this war, the Water Mansion, located on a second-tier spiritual vein, held no strategic value and was naturally forgotten.

"This explanation makes perfect sense," Chen Mobai mused. Sitting in the Water Mansion, Chen Mobai synthesized all the information he had gathered over the past few days – introductions to the major Eastern Wilderness sects, the distribution map of cultivation forces in Yun Nation, historical records of cultivation in the Eastern Wilderness, and more. He formed a timeline in his mind, analyzing and deducing the reasons for the Water Mansion's current vacant state.

"But in the last twenty years, the Five Elements Sect has tacitly accepted the split of Golden Light Cliff and Divine Wood Sect, and the structure of the seven major sects in the Eastern Wilderness has solidified," he thought. "This Water Mansion must surely be recorded in the Five Elements Sect's internal archives. Will they come looking for it and reclaim it?"

Chen Mobai then realized a potential flaw in his reasoning: Liu Zengpei came here to raise fish and grow bamboo primarily to satisfy the culinary desires of a Golden Core stage patriarch higher up in the sect. The Five Elements Sect might not care about this small second-tier spiritual land, but what if that Golden Core patriarch suddenly craved something and remembered this place?

Now, Chen Mobai could only hope that this Golden Core patriarch either died in the Five Elements Sect's internal strife fifty years ago or was severely injured, requiring prolonged recovery, and had forgotten about this Water Mansion dedicated to raising fish and growing bamboo.

However, once this thought took root, Chen Mobai, who had previously felt safe in the Water Mansion, suddenly became restless.

"This is, after all, a spiritual vein of the Five Elements Sect. If they find an outsider like me occupying it, they certainly won't be pleased. Perhaps I should try to join the Five Elements Sect?"

Chen Mobai had grown somewhat attached to the Water Mansion as his secret base; leaving it would truly be difficult. However, joining the Five Elements Sect was no easy feat. If he were truly subjected to the 'heart-questioning' procedure and the existence of the Terrestrial Star were revealed, it could potentially trigger a war between the two realms. Recalling the significant casualties from past expansion wars recorded in the immortal sect histories, Chen Mobai decided it was better to be cautious. To avoid widespread suffering and rivers of blood in both realms, he decided it would be better to try to join the Divine Wood Sect, which was known for its broad recruitment of rogue cultivators.

"Before I leave, though, I still need to find a way to open these two side halls. I wonder what's inside?"

Having clarified his short-term goal in the Heavenly River Realm (joining the Divine Wood Sect) and his long-term goal (acquiring a Foundation Establishment Pill), Chen Mobai stood up and turned to face the two side halls sealed by lightning spell restrictions.

The power of both these restrictions had reached the peak of what Liu Zengpei, a ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, could achieve. They were known as "Ren Water Thunder Spells."

This was also a complementary spell for the Black Water Art, as Chen Mobai learned from Liu Zengpei's cultivation notes left in the study's side hall.

The old man who died in the Water Mansion might indeed have been Liu Zengpei's disciple, as the complete Black Water Art he possessed largely matched the descriptions in Liu Zengpei's cultivation notes. The only exception was the most powerful "Ren Water Thunder Spell," which required a ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivation to perform and had not been taught to him.

Liu Zengpei's Black Water Art cultivation notes, also found in the study, recorded that he once rescued a young man who had fallen into the water nearby. Discovering the youth had spiritual roots, Liu Zengpei took him as a registered disciple and taught him the Black Water Art to help alleviate the arduous task of raising fish and growing bamboo.

The "Ren Water Thunder Spell" was a restriction formed by drawing spiritual energy from a water vein. However, it wasn't connected to the main array. Its power could be gradually eroded and eventually dispelled by persistently attacking it with spirit talismans.

Originally, Chen Mobai had thought that everything in the Water Mansion would eventually be his, so he wasn't in a hurry. He planned to wait until he reached the late Qi Refinement stage, cultivate a powerful spell, and then slowly break the restrictions. But now, it seemed he would have to spend some money to buy powerful spirit talismans or magical artifacts.

Chen Mobai knew that one of these side halls definitely contained jade bamboo. He just didn't know if it had withered and died or grown even more luxuriantly after fifty years of neglect.