Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan
Admiration aside, Chen Mobai was soon struck by a grave concern.
Where on earth would he find three Lifespan Tree Fruits, and not just any, but a complete set of small, medium, and large?
The most recent record of someone obtaining a Lifespan Tree Fruit within the Divine Wood Sect was Yue Zutao.
Which size fruit Yue Zutao had acquired—small, medium, or large—remained a mystery.
In other words, the only certain way to obtain a Lifespan Tree Fruit now was the Treasure Tree.
But Chen Mobai himself no longer had a way to enter this divine tree and harvest its fruits.
His only hope lay with the junior brothers and sisters who would succeed in their Foundation Establishment and enter this secret realm later on.
Then, another problem arose.
The type of fruit one could obtain from the Treasure Tree was a matter of luck; no one could guarantee a Lifespan Tree Fruit.
And even if one did acquire a Lifespan Tree Fruit, why would they give it to you?
Pacing in front of the Talent Tree, Chen Mobai mulled over how to solve this conundrum.
Suddenly, he clapped his hands, thinking of his two disciples.
If he supported them fully in their Foundation Establishment, and in the event they obtained a Lifespan Tree Fruit, he could trade it for a sufficient amount of spirit stones or cultivation techniques.
However, even if both disciples were lucky enough to obtain the two Lifespan Tree Fruits he needed from the Treasure Tree, he would still be one short.
The upper volume of the Dual Phase Rotation Technique required a complete set of small, medium, and large Lifespan Tree Fruits. After breaking through with the fruit, one must consume the entire set to achieve a perfect Foundation Establishment and transform it into the nourishment needed for the Golden Elixir technique.
No, it wasn't strictly necessary to have the complete set.
He could cultivate and break through to the mid-phase of Foundation Establishment, then consume the medium and large fruits.
But that would still be a waste of time.
Before learning about the Dual Phase Rotation Technique, he could patiently cultivate Lifespan Spiritual Power to break through his limits.
Now, knowing there was a shortcut, the thought of slowly gathering liquid spiritual power and spending twenty years to break through was less appealing.
But for now, there wasn't a better solution, so he had to stick to the plan.
The next priority was to assist his two disciples in their Foundation Establishment.
At the very least, he needed to ensure their success on the first try, so they would have the opportunity to enter the secret realm of the divine tree… Wait, could he help them sneak in?
Or perhaps, smuggle Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Immortal Gate to pick the fruits?
However, as soon as this thought emerged, Chen Mobai immediately quashed it.
He would rather cultivate slowly and steadily than risk exposing the secret of the Turtle Treasure.
What's time, anyway?
He was only 24 years old, and with the added lifespan from the Longevity Technique, he had at least 150 years to reach the Golden Elixir phase.
Next, he could consider recruiting more disciples who were honest and trustworthy, then gather information about Divine Wood Sect and even Five Elements Sect disciples who had entered the divine tree's secret realm, to see if anyone besides Yue Zutao had obtained a Lifespan Tree Fruit.
Chen Mobai felt there must be others.
In the Tianhe Realm, due to different customs, many cultivators preferred to keep their trump cards hidden, not revealing their gains.
At the same time, he needed to start collecting elixirs that could extend lifespan.
After all, consuming a Lifespan Tree Fruit had the side effect of consuming lifespan to break through.
After planning out what needed to be done, Chen Mobai's mind once again settled.
It was then that he remembered he still had one opportunity to pluck from the Talent Tree after using the Wood Spirit Talisman.
After infusing Pure Yang Spiritual Power, another secret technique entered his brow.
Bing Fire Divine Thunder Technique!
It was a powerful offensive spell that, once mastered, could also be made into talismans, with the highest grade reaching the third order.
Moreover, its power was extremely yang and rigid, making it the bane of evil spirits and ghosts.
But with the huge surprise of the Dual Phase Rotation Technique, Chen Mobai felt indifferent to this spell.
While the effect of the Wood Spirit Talisman was still active, he contemplated wood attribute spells as he flew towards the Great Dao Tree.
Last time, he had taken ten steps using a clever trick, but this time he intended to rely on himself to see how many steps he could take.
***
The next day, at Xiao Nanshan.
Chen Mobai, taking advantage of his disciples' absence, pondered over the method to refine the Wood Spirit Talisman.
This talisman required 5000 Good Deeds to purchase, and he planned to give one to each disciple when they entered the divine tree's secret realm, instructing them to use it before the Treasure Tree.
Since it was so expensive, he felt it would be more cost-effective to draw it himself.
Before long, his senior disciple Liu Wenbo arrived.
This surprised Chen Mobai a bit.
Zhuo Ming should be down the mountain tending to the spiritual fields; logically, she should have arrived first.
"Junior Sister Zhuo went to deliver goods to the shop in Divine Wood City yesterday. If she received a transmission talisman, she would probably be late."
Knowing his master's mind was occupied with the supreme sword path and not these trivial matters, Liu Wenbo immediately spoke up to explain on behalf of his junior sister.
"I had forgotten I entrusted her with that task."
Chen Mobai showed a look of realization; as a Foundation Establishment elder of the sect, he had a courtyard and a shop in Divine Wood City, which he had previously handed over to Zhuo Ming to manage.
According to his instructions, they were to sell spiritual rice and spiritual wine, but he wondered how the business was doing?
"Let's not wait for her. Tell me about the confusions you've encountered in your cultivation…"
Chen Mobai shook his head, pushing aside the memory of managing only seven steps in front of the Great Dao Tree the day before.
After listening, Liu Wenbo respectfully voiced his doubts about breaking through the ninth layer.
Chen Mobai, with the formless puppet at his side, had rehearsed Liu Wenbo's entire process to Foundation Establishment using a mid-grade spirit stone the night before, understanding all the potential problems he might face.
After answering several of Liu Wenbo's questions, Chen Mobai turned the tables and asked about some issues that clearly existed in his senior disciple's cultivation but had gone unnoticed by himself.
By the time Zhuo Ming arrived at Xiao Nanshan, she found Liu Wenbo drenched in sweat but sitting in an epiphany in front of their master's wooden hut, meditating with closed eyes.
"You're here. Under the guidance of our master, Wenbo has had an epiphany. He'll probably break through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining once he wakes up."
Hearing Chen Mobai's words, Zhuo Ming's face lit up with envy.
In the past six months, she had only managed to re-cultivate to the fourth layer of Qi Refining; she had no idea when she would be able to complete it.
However, Zhuo Ming, accustomed to hardship from a young age, while envious of Liu Wenbo's progress, knew she had to be steady and not rush her breakthroughs.
She was well aware that as long as she clung to her current master, she would at least be guaranteed a Foundation Establishment pill in the future.
"Master, here are the accounts from the Xiao Nanshan shop for your review."
Chen Mobai glanced at the ledger Zhuo Ming handed over, noting that the spiritual rice was selling very well.
In just half a year, all the harvest from the thirty acres at Little Yang Ridge, minus what the Spirit Plant Department took, had been sold.
The total income was 150 lower-grade spirit stones.
Then he looked at the spiritual wine; only eighteen jars had been sold in half a year.
"Did I set the price too high?"
After putting down the ledger, Chen Mobai asked Zhuo Ming with a hint of doubt.
He had priced the Jade Sprout Spiritual Wine at five lower-grade spirit stones per small jar.
Compared to the market average of one spirit stone, this was five times higher, but his spiritual wine was more than ten times better in taste and flavor.
This was also certified by Sun Gaochang and others; it was indeed overwhelmingly delicious.
Logically, the price wasn't high.
"Master, most of the disciples in the Divine Wood Sect are like me, barely scraping together spirit stones for cultivation."
"Even those with substantial wealth prefer to save their spirit stones for buying magical artifacts or cultivation techniques, rather than spending them on indulgences."
"With these five spirit stones, wouldn't it be better to buy a pill that enhances spiritual power?"
Over the years, Zhuo Ming had learned that Chen Mobai, though slow in some respects, was easygoing and lacked the airs of a teacher, so she spoke more freely than at the beginning.
"I see, it seems my wine can only target the high-end market."
After listening, Chen Mobai fully understood.
He took another look at the ledger and noticed that most of the eighteen jars of wine were bought by his friends, and they were mostly Foundation Establishment elders.
Only such figures had the financial means to buy two jars of spiritual wine for their pleasure.
"Although drinking the master's spiritual wine can also promote cultivation, it can't compare with real elixirs. If you can improve in this aspect, maybe it can become popular in the lower market."
Zhuo Ming had a different opinion and disagreed with Chen Mobai's intention to target the high-end market.
What do Qi Refining cultivators value most? Isn't it the advancement of their cultivation realm?
Therefore, elixirs are the hottest selling and in greatest demand.
"Disciple, do you mean…"
"Master, I was wondering if we could combine Bai Cao Dan or Yang Shen Soup with spiritual wine to create a new wine that is delicious, aids in cultivation, and can even help break through realms."
The two elixir recipes from the Hundred Grass Scripture that Zhuo Ming had brought when she became a disciple were well remembered by Chen Mobai.
He did not oppose her idea.
"Do you have a way?"
"A little. We need a trustworthy alchemist to help, otherwise your wine brewing secrets might be leaked."
Zhuo Ming made a small request.
Before she became his disciple, Chen Mobai had already taken her to help with brewing.
After becoming his disciple, their relationship deepened, so there was no need to say more. To save trouble, he directly passed on the wine yeast to her.
Now, Zhuo Ming could handle the brewing of Jade Sprout Spiritual Wine without Chen Mobai's intervention, and in a few years, the taste might even surpass his own.
"A trustworthy alchemist? I really don't have one on my side."
There is one in the Immortal Gate. But there's no way to bring Qing Nv over.
Thinking this, Chen Mobai, under his disciple's expectant gaze, shook his head.
"Didn't you have a good relationship with Uncle Yan?"
Zhuo Ming reminded Chen Mobai.
Yan Jin Ye, as the former chief of the Alchemy Department and a disciple of Zhan You, was indeed an outstanding alchemist in the Tianhe Realm.
"We've met a few times, but it's worth reaching out. However, she's a Foundation Establishment cultivator and definitely won't come over to help you."
By the end, Chen Mobai remembered this point and felt it was still unreliable.
"We can ask Uncle Yan to recommend reliable senior brothers and sisters from the Alchemy Department. If you speak up, master, it will surely carry more weight than if I ran around."
Chen Mobai nodded; after all, it was just a matter of mentioning it.
It had been a long time since he had gathered with E Yun, Yuan Chiyi, and others, so he could invite Yan Jin Ye along. She should be willing to do this favor.
"All these are minor matters. Although I've entrusted you with managing the spiritual fields and the shop, all of this must come second to your own cultivation. After all, for us cultivators, seeking the path to longevity is of utmost importance."
By saying this, Chen Mobai indicated that he didn't take Zhuo Ming's proposal to heart.
He was running the shop not to waste it, selling spiritual rice and wine, and the few hundred spirit stones he earned each year were a mere trifle to him now.
Hearing this, Zhuo Ming showed a look of being taught and assured that she would prioritize cultivation in the future.
Next, Chen Mobai fulfilled his duty as a teacher.
Compared to Liu Wenbo, there was much more to shape in Zhuo Ming, who was still unformed and had never encountered a teacher during her time as a loose cultivator, accumulating many questions.
Chen Mobai rarely left seclusion, so she could only select the most important questions to ask.
But today, Chen Mobai was uncharacteristically willing to guide them thoroughly, saying he had encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation and planned to answer any questions they had.
Zhuo Ming, hearing this, brightened up and pulled out a thick notebook from her storage bag, filled with all the questions she had accumulated since entering the world of cultivation.
There were questions about cultivation, talisman making, and various other topics related to elixirs and magical artifacts.
Every once in a while, she would review the notebook, and if she could answer a question herself, she would cross it out.
However, to this day, she still had such a thick book full of doubts.
Chen Mobai's face turned bitter, but having spoken, he couldn't go back on his word.
So, from sunrise to sunset, and from sunset to sunrise, it took three full days and nights to go through all the questions in Zhuo Ming's notebook.
With Chen Mobai's realm and the knowledge of a top student from the Dance of Weapons Academy, he provided almost all the answers.
Occasionally, there were a few questions he really couldn't answer, such as how strong a Golden Elixir ancestor was, how many Golden Elixir realms an Elemental Infant sage could defeat, and whether a cultivator who ascended could return.
These were beyond Chen Mobai's ability to answer.
He thought to himself that although his disciple seemed dull, she actually had many thoughts in her head.
Just then, the two spirit stones in Liu Wenbo's palm suddenly shattered, and his eyes opened with joy.
Feeling the stronger spiritual power within and the breakthrough barrier, he wanted to roar in excitement.
But seeing Chen Mobai and his junior sister in front of him, he held back.
"Thank you, master, for your guidance."
"Ha, I just hope you can succeed in Foundation Establishment on your first try and not waste the opportunity to enter the secret realm of the divine tree."
Chen Mobai spoke sincerely, but his two disciples took it as a blessing.
"By the way, are Uncle E and Uncle Yuan in the sect?"
"Uncle E has gone to oversee the situation in Dream Swamp, and Uncle Yuan just returned from a mission last month."
"Arrange a meeting for me with him."
After listening, Liu Wenbo immediately went to make arrangements.
***
That evening, the two long-unseen friends enjoyed their drinks.
"You rarely come down from the mountain top. The last time we drank together was half a year ago, right?"
Yuan Chiyi accepted the spiritual wine Chen Mobai brought and poured himself a satisfying drink after taking a whiff.
"Is the spirit stone mine issue in the Thunder Nation resolved?"
"With Uncle Zhou and Thunder Nation's guardian, Uncle Luo, applying pressure, and me chiming in from the side, we managed to suppress the six major cultivating families of Thunder Nation and took forty percent of the spirit stone mine."
Yuan Chiyi briefly mentioned the outcome, but Chen Mobai sensed the cutthroat undercurrents.
Snatching food from the tiger's mouth and biting off nearly half of the profits, even though they represented the Divine Wood Sect, it surely wouldn't have been easy.
The alliances, threats, and inducements involved, as Yuan Chiyi narrated while drinking, started calmly but grew more excited, especially when talking about Zhou Wangshen's night meeting with two major families, defeating Thunder Nation's number one Foundation Establishment cultivator, and verbally repelling the neighboring country's attempt to shake the foundation…
"Uncle Zhou is truly a divine being."
Although he was E Yun's man, after cooperating in Thunder Nation, Yuan Chiyi couldn't stop praising Zhou Wangshen.
He believed that if such a person became the sect leader, the Divine Wood Sect might even surpass the Five Elements Sect and unify the Eastern Wasteland within their lifetime.
Chen Mobai just listened quietly, and only after Yuan Chiyi finished speaking did he subtly change the subject.
"Is Sister Yan in the sect recently? My junior disciple wants to research two types of medicinal wines and needs a trustworthy alchemist to help. As the former chief of the Alchemy Department, she should have someone in mind, right?"
Having promised, Chen Mobai naturally asked casually.
"Sister Yan went to that Foundation Establishment cave dwelling last time and hasn't returned since. She might be trapped by the cave's formation and restrictions. Later, you can go to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and see if there's a rescue mission posted by the Alchemy Department."
Hearing this, Chen Mobai nodded.
Indeed, he was right not to join the treasure hunt. After all, in the Tianhe Realm, the legacies left by predecessors were almost always full of traps, with some loose cultivators even specializing in setting them up.
"That's really unfortunate. I hope Sister Yan is safe and sound."
After saying this, Chen Mobai put Yan Jin Ye out of his mind.
He felt that she was somewhat unlucky and decided it would be best to avoid her if she returned to the sect in the future.
As for Zhuo Ming's medicinal wine, she could take her time researching it.
"By the way, Uncle Yuan, I don't know what opportunity you gained in the secret realm of the divine tree? I was lucky and got the seed of Qingyang Fire."
Chen Mobai began to discuss the real reason he invited Yuan Chiyi for drinks.
He was upfront about his own gains from the fruit.
"If it's you, I won't hide it."
"I got a gourd of Lifespan Tree Sap. It's not very useful for me to keep it, so I sold it to Uncle Zhou in Thunder Nation."
"I won't tell you the price, but it was enough to pay off all my debts and buy all the elixirs I need to cultivate to the mid-phase of Foundation Establishment."
Yuan Chiyi trusted Chen Mobai and revealed his opportunity from the Treasure Tree in the secret realm.
"Oh, congratulations then. Do you know what the other senior brothers and sisters gained in the secret realm?"
Chen Mobai probed, not expecting much, but Yuan Chiyi gave him a surprise.
"I'll tell you, but you mustn't tell anyone else."
Yuan Chiyi hesitated for a moment but eventually spilled the beans under the influence of a full cup of spiritual wine poured by Chen Mobai.
"Uncle Zhou traded with Brother Wu and Sister Yan before entering the secret realm, as they could help him cultivate the Longevity Body. They made a heart oath and agreed that if they obtained Lifespan Tree Sap, it had to be sold to Uncle Zhou."
"So Uncle Zhou knows their gains in the secret realm. When he traded for the Lifespan Tree Sap with me, he revealed it."
"Brother Wu, like me, got a gourd of Lifespan Tree Sap and sold it directly to Uncle Zhou."
"As for Sister Yan, she was incredibly unlucky and actually obtained a Lifespan Tree Fruit."
At this point, Yuan Chiyi's face showed regret.
Everyone in the Divine Wood Sect knew the massive side effects of the Lifespan Tree Fruit.
Those true disciples who succeeded in Foundation Establishment on their first try all believed they had a sliver of hope for forming a Golden Elixir and naturally wouldn't consume the fruit, cutting their lifespan and severing their future prospects.
Thus, the Lifespan Tree Fruit in Yan Jin Ye's possession was something she didn't want to use, and no one in the Divine Wood Sect wanted to buy it.
If it were put on the market, there might be some ignorant people eager to buy it.
But those people didn't have much wealth.
If it were to be auctioned at a large trading house, one would have to clearly state all the positive and negative effects of the Lifespan Tree Fruit and swear a heart oath not to deceive.
In that case, it certainly wouldn't sell for a good price.
That's why Yuan Chiyi, who made a fortune of ten thousand spirit stones from Uncle Zhou, felt so sorry for Yan Jin Ye's gain in the secret realm.
"This is really, such bad luck…"
Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai clenched his teeth and managed to utter the last four words.
His expression was slightly odd, but Yuan Chiyi assumed he was just drunk and seeing things.
"Come on, let's have another drink. I'll be going into seclusion in a few days, and I probably won't come out until the end of the year. Let's drink to our heart's content today."
Yuan Chiyi had bought enough elixirs for a year's cultivation, and Chen Mobai's visit today was timely; a couple of days later, and they might have missed each other.
After drinking, before leaving, Chen Mobai inquired about the location of the Alchemy Department.
"Why do you ask?"
"Sigh, after I came out of the secret realm, I fell into a coma, and Sister Yan took care of me for a while. She's been gone for half a year now, and I'm very worried. I was thinking of asking her master, Chief Zeng, to see if I could offer any help."
Hearing this, Yuan Chiyi found it strange.
When I mentioned it earlier, I didn't see any reaction from you.
Why are you suddenly so concerned after drinking?
—— End of Chapter ——