Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan

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Shan Hongyi discovered a vast Skyvoid Stone vein, a significant achievement indeed.

 

Upon hearing that he lost a defensive magical artifact at the Lonely Soul Ridge, the old ancestor Zhou rewarded him with two of his personally refined third-tier Spirit Leaf Talismans.

 

Each talisman could be used thrice, capable of blocking any attack from cultivators below the Golden Elixir stage.

 

In terms of value, it was even more precious than some talisman treasures.

 

If auctioned in the market, each would fetch at least three to four thousand Spirit Stones.

 

For Foundation Establishment cultivators, these were life-saving trump cards.

 

When Shan Hongyi received the talismans, Chen Mobai noticed his hands trembling slightly.

 

Though envious, Chen Mobai felt balanced knowing the raw Spirit Stone he received was worth even more.

 

"You two have also contributed. Reward them with some Spirit Stones and sect contributions." before leaving, Zhou Shengqing pointed at Chen Mobai and Yan Jinye, leaving a remark.

 

"Yes, ancestor." as the sect leader, Meng Hong respectfully responded to where Zhou Shengqing had vanished.

 

"Elder Meng, what do you think is an appropriate reward?"

 

After standing up, Meng Hong turned to the Reward Hall's Master Chu Zuoshu, who hesitated.

 

Normally, he would be stingy, but since the ancestor had spoken, he had to be generous.

 

"Six hundred each for Sister Yan. As for Brother Chen, who killed two Silver Armored Corpses, how about three thousand?"

 

"Fair."

 

Meng Hong didn't say much after hearing the number.

 

***

 

 

Chen Mobai and Yan Jinye followed Chu Zuoshu to the Reward Hall, swiped their sect badges, and collected their rewards.

 

Seeing the three thousand Spirit Stones and sect contributions Chen Mobai received, Yan Jinye was full of envy.

 

But she was fortunate just to have returned alive this time.

 

Shan Hongyi also came to the Reward Hall with them, and then the trio headed to the Alchemy Department.

 

They hadn't yet collected their rewards from Zeng Woyou.

 

"Thank you, Master."

 

Yan Jinye expressed her gratitude to Zeng Woyou, who had issued the mission and invited Chen Mobai and the others to rescue her. Without it, she would have been a corpse by now.

 

"It's nothing. The mission's Spirit Stones and expenses are on your account. I just advanced them for you."

 

After speaking, Zeng Woyou took out a bottle of pills and a jade box from his Storage Bag.

 

The pills were "Returning Jade Pills" he helped Shan Hongyi refine, beneficial for mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators to advance their realm. Only Zeng Woyou could ensure an eighty to ninety percent success rate in the entire Shenmu Sect.

 

Of course, since Zeng Woyou had asked for help, the medicinal herbs and spirit plants for this batch of pills were also his own.

 

Shan Hongyi's gains from this trip were substantial.

 

After receiving the pills, he didn't linger and promptly bid farewell, eager to tally his losses and gains.

 

"Brother Chen, this is for you."

 

Zeng Woyou handed over another jade box to Chen Mobai, who opened it to find three Bamboo Fruits, still glistening with dew, obviously freshly picked.

 

"Thank you."

 

Although his main goal was the Immortality Tree Fruit, given the circumstances, it wasn't appropriate to discuss it further with Yan Jinye.

 

Chen Mobai was very satisfied with the three Bamboo Fruits.

 

After all, he would only consume the Immortality Tree Fruits as a complete set, and as long as Yan Jinye had one, there would always be an opportunity in the future.

 

"Brother Chen, I owe you a life-saving debt. Please allow me to visit and express my gratitude once I've fully recovered."

 

As Chen Mobai was leaving, Yan Jinye made a point of seeing him out, her words filled with gratitude.

 

After all, although Shan Hongyi had discovered the Skyvoid Stone vein, a great contribution to the sect, their survival from Lonely Soul Ridge was thanks to Chen Mobai's extraordinary swordsmanship.

 

"By the way, Sister, I have a little disciple…"

 

As he was leaving, Chen Mobai felt it was too direct to bring up the Immortality Tree Fruit, so he used Zhuo Ming as an excuse to invite Yan Jinye to visit Xiao Nanshan when she had time to offer some guidance.

 

"Definitely."

 

Yan Jinye readily agreed, as she had rarely had the chance to connect with Chen Mobai, a brother with a promising future. Now, with a life-and-death bond and his invitation, she expressed her intention to visit in a few days.

 

***

 

Back at Xiao Nanshan, Chen Mobai began to tally his gains.

 

Having enrolled in a Treasure Appraisal course this year, he quickly deduced the usage of the Gold Jade Axe.

 

Although the ritual to wield the artifact was simple, its power was formidable.

 

Chen Mobai tested it and found that without the enhancement of the Pure Yang Fire Seed, his Sparrow Hairpin, purely in terms of attack, was slightly inferior.

 

The Gold Jade Axe could be considered a top-tier second-order magical artifact.

 

In the market, such an artifact could sell for one thousand six to seven hundred Spirit Stones. At an auction with the right demand, it might even break two thousand.

 

After testing its power, Chen Mobai felt it wasn't as suitable for him as the Sparrow Hairpin.

 

The magical artifact Meng Hong gave him was a perfect match for his Pure Yang Fire Seed and Purple Fire Sword Light, surpassing the Gold Jade Axe when combined.

 

After setting aside the axe, he took out the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp. Using his knowledge of Treasure Appraisal, he managed to figure out that infusing it with spiritual energy could release a defensive fire light.

 

However, Chen Mobai felt he could use this mysterious artifact to hone his appraisal skills.

 

When he could fully understand the artifact's functions and ritual, his appraisal skills would truly advance to a higher level.

 

Mainly because he would be staying in the Tianhe Realm for a while, and since Ming Yihua had reached the critical stage of his practice, focusing on seclusion and Foundation Establishment from this year on, he might not have spare time to help with appraisals.

 

After storing the two appraised artifacts in his Storage Bag, Chen Mobai poured out all his Spirit Stones.

 

At Shenmu Sect, Foundation Establishment cultivators received eight hundred Spirit Stones each year for cultivation.

 

Chen Mobai was also part of the Spirit Plant Department, but since all three main positions were filled, he could only receive the departmental benefit of six hundred Spirit Stones as an elder.

 

In total, he had collected one thousand four hundred Spirit Stones last year.

 

Adding Meng Hong's gift and subtracting the cost of cultivation and the No-Form Puppet, Chen Mobai previously had ninety-three medium-grade Spirit Stones.

 

Today, he received another thirty from the Reward Hall, equivalent to over two years of sect benefits.

 

But all these combined were still less valuable than the raw Spirit Stone from the White Jade Sacrificial Altar.

 

That was roughly equivalent to three to four hundred medium-grade Spirit Stones, enough to buy ten third-tier Spirit Leaf Talismans.

 

However, what excited Chen Mobai the most was the silver-gray Formation Disk in his hand.

 

The books he looted from that cave recorded the Underworld Great Formation.

 

Twelve volumes detailed everything from selecting the right terrain, refining formation flags and disks, to setting up, maintaining, activating, and using the formation.

 

But what shocked Chen Mobai was the content of the last three volumes.

 

Even as a cultivator of the Immortal Gate, he found it unbelievable.

 

The Underworld Great Formation could even merge with the cultivator's body. If the formation was refined into the body, one could teleport within a certain range.

 

The teleportation distance depended on the cultivator's realm and the amount of Skyvoid Stones absorbed by the Formation Disk.

 

Chen Mobai felt this formation was perfect for him.

 

After all, he traveled between two realms daily and was naturally attuned to such spatial techniques.

 

Unfortunately, to refine the formation into the body, one must first nurture the formation.

 

At least the Formation Disk had to be complete.

 

Looking at the silver-gray Formation Disk, now three-quarters complete thanks to the efforts of Fei Ming Daoist, Chen Mobai nodded.

 

He was only missing one piece, which he might spot someday at a street stall in the Tianhe Realm market.

 

Once the Formation Disk was complete, the cultivator's body needed to be strong, as only those with a powerful physical body could freely traverse the void.

 

That was a bit challenging.

 

After all, Chen Mobai was a sword cultivator, known for high offense and low defense.

 

Moreover, the Longevity Scripture he practiced was famous for its variety of spells and wide applicability.

 

There were many body-refining techniques in Shenmu Sect, with the most famous being the "Longevity Dao Body," but Chen Mobai felt he probably couldn't achieve it since it required the sap of the Immortality Tree for completion.

 

Bi Yi Yuan's "Mixed Gold Copper Body" was also good, but that technique was most suitable for cultivators with a metal spiritual root.

 

Other techniques like the "Wood Spirit Body," "Water Yuan Body," and so on, had their strongest effects in assisting the corresponding attribute's spiritual energy refinement and improvement, and it was uncertain if their physical strength could meet the requirements of the Underworld Great Formation.

 

His Pure Yang Body only improved the spiritual root and the innate Pure Yang energy.

 

However, he could look for body-refining techniques in the Immortal Gate.

 

After all, Chen Mobai still felt that the Immortal Gate had a more mature system of techniques.

 

Although body-refining techniques required a lot of resources and were rarely practiced in the Immortal Gate, at least the system of techniques there was much more complete than in the Tianhe Realm.

 

After pondering, Chen Mobai solemnly stored the Formation Disk.

 

This trip to Lonely Soul Ridge, obtaining this and the Underworld Great Formation, was even more valuable than the Immortality Tree Fruit.

 

Indeed, there was a reason why cultivators in the Tianhe Realm were keen on exploring the caves of their predecessors.

 

If one stayed in their own sect all the time, it would be safe, but there would be no such great gains.

 

Feeling exhilarated, even the usually cautious Chen Mobai was somewhat shaken.

 

He had to use two drops of Clear Vision Bamboo Spirit Dew to calm his mind.

 

***

 

Xiao Nanshan.

 

Chen Mobai and Yan Jinye chatted happily, with Zhuo Ming attending to them.

 

There were also a male and a female disciple from the Alchemy Department, both Qi Refining disciples, standing respectfully to the side.

 

"The general idea is there, but to turn the Hundred Grass Pill and Spirit Nourishing Soup recipes into medicinal wines requires continuous experimentation."

 

After hearing Zhuo Ming's idea, Yan Jinye, with her second-order alchemist level, quickly proposed a solution.

 

However, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she couldn't spend too much time on such trivial matters.

 

"These two are my disciples from the Alchemy Department, also under my wing. You three can exchange ideas in the future."

 

The two disciples Yan Jinye brought over immediately stepped forward to greet them, excited about the matter since they would receive two first-order pill recipes for free.

 

In the Tianhe Realm, pill recipes were among the most precious inheritances in the world of cultivation.

 

Zhuo Ming, prompted by Chen Mobai, took the two Alchemy Department disciples to the wine cellar to experiment.

 

"Did I hear that Sister has obtained an Immortality Tree Fruit in the Shenmu Secret Realm?"

 

Once the two were alone, Chen Mobai thought it best to ask directly.

 

"Did Zhou Brother tell you?"

 

Yan Jinye's gains from the Shenmu Secret Realm were only known to her master Zeng Woyou and Zhou Wangshen, with the latter being more likely to have disclosed it.

 

"Sort of, Sister Yan, don't misunderstand, I was just curious."

 

"Brother Chen has seen through me. Indeed, I have an Immortality Tree Fruit that I dare not consume. Since Brother has brought it up, could it be that you're interested in this fruit?"

 

Yan Jinye, one of the few Foundation Establishment prodigies of her generation, understood Chen Mobai's hint after just one sentence.

 

"Without hiding it from Sister, before I joined the sect, I received an alchemy inheritance. Besides practicing swordsmanship, I've been trying to refine some pills. The Immortality Tree Fruit is undoubtedly extremely precious, and I was wondering if I could use alchemy to remove its side effects, so I took the liberty of asking when I heard Sister had one."

 

"Oh, does Brother Chen's alchemy inheritance include pill recipes?"

 

Yan Jinye's eyes lit up after hearing this.

 

An alchemist's growth hinges on how many pill recipes they possess.

 

Why is Zeng Woyou the number one alchemist in Shenmu Sect? It's because he's the disciple of the old ancestor Zhou and received the sect's twenty-four pill recipe inheritance.

 

Although Yan Jinye is his disciple, before her master passes away, she can only assist with handling medicinal herbs and such on a daily basis.

 

If she wants the sect's pill recipes, she must accumulate contributions to exchange for them one by one.

 

Currently, she has only exchanged for four of the sect's pill recipes.

 

Because previously, she used all her contribution points to buy Foundation Establishment Pills.

 

Besides these two, she has three other pill recipes that she either bought or traded for in the outside market.

 

Embarrassingly, as a second-order alchemist, she can only refine five first-order pills and one second-order pill.

 

Getting the Hundred Grass Pill and Spirit Nourishing Soup recipes for free today made not only the two Qi Refining disciples happy but also her, a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

 

"There are a few."

 

Chen Mobai pretended to hesitate, giving a hint.

 

"If Brother's pill recipes are valuable enough, I'm willing to exchange my Immortality Tree Fruit for them."

 

Yan Jinye, a straightforward woman, directly took out the jade box containing the Immortality Tree Fruit from her Storage Bag.

 

"What kind of pill recipes does Sister need?"

 

"Oh, does Brother's alchemy inheritance have many pill recipes?"

 

Yan Jinye's eyes sparkled with excitement at Chen Mobai's words.

 

"Not many, but not few either."

 

When Chen Mobai said this, he thought of the pill recipes that could be downloaded from the Immortal Gate network.

 

All knowledge in the Immortal Gate is shared, but compared to the scriptures and techniques that require points to read or watch, pill recipes are mostly free.

 

Apart from the Immortal Gate's rule that every type of pill and Spirit Water packaging must include a pill recipe, it's also because even if you have the recipe, ordinary cultivators find it difficult to refine pills that meet the Immortal Gate's standards for being free of pill toxins.

 

"Sister knows the value of pill recipes. The most common second-order low-grade pill recipe sells for two to three thousand Spirit Stones in the market. Although you and I share a life-and-death bond, your Immortality Tree Fruit has too many side effects, so at most, it's worth two or three pill recipes."

 

Chen Mobai looked at the Immortality Tree Fruit with a reluctant face, as if he wasn't too keen on the exchange.

 

Seeing Chen Mobai's demeanor, Yan Jinye became anxious.

 

"Brother, I have three thousand two hundred Spirit Stones on me. Add that to this Immortality Tree Fruit, and please, be generous and give me three pill recipes. If you need any pills refined in the future, as long as I'm available, I won't delay."

 

[Who needs you to refine pills, I've already trained Qing Nv!]

 

Chen Mobai thought this, but he sighed helplessly, still appearing somewhat reluctant on the surface.