Chapter 884
Chapter 884: Chapter 492: Belief in Core Formation_2 Chapter 884: Chapter 492: Belief in Core Formation_2 Moreover, it would take nearly a hundred years for the portal to detect the proximity to a different world. If he were to succeed in Core Formation by then, he might even be able to attempt “Nascent Soul Formation”.
Apart from initiating warfare, what concerned him about the Immortal Gate was the matter regarding Qing Nu.
After being warned by Wen Ren Xuewei, during the half-year that Chen Mobai secluded himself in Wangwu Cave Heaven, he also met with Qing Nu a few times.
As the headquarters of the Sky-Mending Group were also situated in Wangwu Cave Heaven, when she came back to report on her duties, the two, being friends, naturally agreed to meet up for meals and chats.
With regard to Chen Mobai’s advice as a friend, Qing Nu naturally listened. She said that she would not investigate that matter again until before her Core Formation.
But according to Chen Mobai, the situation was too complex. It would be best to wait until after “Nascent Soul Formation”.
Even with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, one was not guaranteed a 100% success rate in “Nascent Soul Formation”. Wouldn’t such advice imply persuading Qing Nu to give up the mystery of her origin and the vengeance for her tragic childhood?
He felt that even if he were to speak up, Qing Nu would not agree.
However, at least she had promised to investigate after Core Formation.
Even as a member of the Sky-Mending Group, Qing Nu would have to wait sixty years if she wanted to undergo Core Formation.
Chen Mobai felt that for the sake of his friend, he could try to achieve “Nascent Soul Formation” before Qing Nu underwent Core Formation.
However, first and foremost, he must achieve success in Core Formation.
This was the reason Chen Mobai found for himself to necessitate Core Formation on the side of the Immortal Gate.
It was unavoidable; only the enigmatic cover-up of Qing Nu’s origins inspired a sense of urgency within him while at the Immortal Gate.
On the side of the Tianhe Realm, things were somewhat simpler.
For the sake of his sect, to withstand the oppression of the Xuan Xiao Daoist Palace, and for his own cultivation resources, he absolutely had to succeed in Core Formation.
If unsuccessful, his persona as a peerless genius would crumble–just thinking about such a social death made Chen Mobai extremely motivated.
Apart from the grand belief in his sect and resources, Chen Mobai also had a smaller motivation for himself.
He imagined his little disciple being abducted by an unparalleled master of the Demon Path and if he did not succeed in Core Formation, she would end up being used as a vessel for body-snatching.
With that thought in mind and recalling Luo Yixuan’s sensible and well-behaved demeanor by his side, Chen Mobai’s motivation for Core Formation became even stronger.
Protect Qing Nu, defend the sect, save the disciple, maintain his reputation…
With each belief reinforcing the next, Chen Mobai felt his conviction for Core Formation growing increasingly firm.
He had originally thought that if he failed at Core Formation once, he could try a second time; now, however, his mind was filled with one thought: “I must succeed in Core Formation this time!”
Chen Mobai was now a figure of great authority within his family circle; any decision he made would only garner gentle remarks followed by agreement from his parents.
Upon deciding to undergo Core Formation, the first thing he did was to restructure the organization of his company.
“Xinying, after you’ve established your Foundation and while you prepare for civil service exams, you can also serve as the Chief Talisman Guide at the Flying Talisman Factory and help me look after it for a few years,” he said.
His cousin Wang Xinying nodded upon hearing this. She had always looked up to Chen Mobai as her idol and specialized in talismans at the Primordial Elemental Academy.
This year, she managed to obtain her Rank-2 Talisman Maker certification. Having her in charge of the Flying Talisman Factory meant that at least on the technical side, Chen Mobai no longer had to worry.
“Brother, I’m not as skilled as you are with talismans; will I lead your factory downhill?” she asked, lacking confidence after agreeing.
“No worries, little sister. I don’t care much about the profits from that factory, and it doesn’t matter if it runs at a loss. You can also take advantage of the company’s resources for talisman paper and ink for your practice. If you can grow through it, I would be even happier,” Chen Mobai reassured her.
Chen Mobai’s major annual income came from the fully automated puppet factory. To him, the Flying Talisman Factory was merely a resource warehouse for his talisman cultivation.
Moreover, he was only a Rank-2 Talisman Maker who had once attempted and unfortunately failed the Rank-3 exam while at the Daoist Academy.
Others thought his failure was due to his dedication to Sword Cultivation, as he was seeking to resonate with the Purple Electric Sword Heart, which supposedly distracted him from his talisman practice.
But Chen Mobai knew the truth–it was his hard effort that hadn’t paid off.
To avoid suspicions, he simply hadn’t registered for the exam again since.
According to the strict standards of the Immortal Gate, since Wang Xinying managed to pass the Rank-2 Talisman Maker exam, her theoretical knowledge wasn’t far behind Chen Mobai’s. It was just her practical skills in drawing that were lacking.
A few years of practice at the Flying Talisman Factory could likely narrow the gap between her and Chen Mobai to just those few Rank-3 talismans.
Upon hearing Chen Mobai’s words, Wang Xinying immediately became joyful and hopped over to stand behind him.
Her pale fingers clenched into little fists as she started to massage Chen Mobai’s shoulders.
“Brother, you are so good to me.”
“You’re my sister, who am I good to if not you?”
Chen Mobai laughed heartily, motioning Wang Xinying to switch to the other shoulder, and began to enjoy himself quite naturally.
In the room, besides the siblings, there were also Chen Mobai’s parents, as well as Wang Xinying’s parents.
“Thank goodness for my nephew’s arrangements; otherwise, Xinying might already be meeting potential suitors.”
The speaker was Aunt Chen Yulan, who looked at Chen Mobai affectionately and kindly, with Chen Xinglan and Tang Panchui standing by proudly yet humbly.
Wang Xinying hadn’t planned on going to the Military Department. If her Foundation Establishment had failed, Chen Yulan had already been arranging for Chen Mobai to introduce her to a disciple from the Dance Tool Dao Academy.
Now that she had succeeded in Foundation Establishment, Chen Mobai, through his connections, had pointed her to a course for the civil service exam.
If her results were qualified, it would also be up to Chen Mobai to work out connections and see if he could arrange for her to come to Red Sandstone City.
The next day, Chen Mobai went with his parents to Green Mountain Village, where his grandparents were still in good health.
There, in this rural village nestled in the mountains, he relaxed his mood and drank carefree for a month.
When drunk, he thought back to the time he took the Soul Awakening Dao Pill here, the very elixir that established his reputation as a talent.
Just for this favor alone, he was determined to protect Qing Nu.
While at Green Mountain Village, Chen Mobai naturally didn’t forget to go to the Taixu Temple to offer incense.
He wanted to see if the words Taixu contained any mysteries that he was unaware of.
Unfortunately, he still came away empty-handed.
Before leaving Red Sandstone City, Chen Mobai wanted to visit the Red-robed True Person. If it weren’t for his Flame Lighting Technique, his transfer to the Pure Yang Scroll wouldn’t have been so smooth.
However, the Red-robed True Person had been in retreat for twenty years, and Chen Mobai still couldn’t meet him.
With a sense of regret, Chen Mobai returned to Red City Cave Heaven.
Although he had the option of staying in Meng Huang’s mountainside villa, to keep their relationship from becoming public knowledge, Chen Mobai chose to stay in his own ordinary two-story wooden cabin.
He went to the Daoist Academy to see Che Yucheng, who said he had already made contact with Shaoyang Zhenren Qin Beichen.
“You’re in luck. He has just broken through to the Golden Core Fifth Layer and doesn’t need such a high-ranked Spirit Vein for the time being. Plus, you’re technically his disciple, so after discussing it with him, he agreed,” Che Yucheng said.
Shaoyang Zhenren Qin Beichen!
Chen Mobai nearly forgot his official mentor at the Academy was this person.
If it was his Cultivation Cave Dwelling, then naturally, it was the best, since they practiced the same Cultivation Technique.
“Wouldn’t it hinder his Cultivation of the Pure Yang Daoist Body?”
Chen Mobai knew the biggest obstacle for a cultivator of the Pure Yang Scroll to attain “Nascent Soul Formation” was the progress of the Pure Yang Daoist Body.
“He feels he won’t be able to achieve the Nine Suns Body in his lifetime, so he’s given up on the Pure Yang Scroll and switched to the Scorching Heaven Cultivation instead.”
Che Yucheng’s casually spoken sentence left Chen Mobai stunned on the spot.
That is… to give up!
Centuries of effort came to an end as the last Golden Core Master of the Pure Yang Scroll from the Dance Tool Dao Academy also retreated after the long and monotonous Cultivation practice.
“If you achieve Core Formation, you’ll have to carry the flag for our Academy’s Pure Yang legacy,” Che Yucheng said, adding another reason for Chen Mobai to succeed in Core Formation.
“How much longer before Shaoyang Zhenren emerges from his retreat?”
“Two or three years, I guess. He just had a breakthrough after changing his Cultivation Technique and needs to consolidate his Realm. You’ll have to wait for him,” Che Yucheng responded.
“Of course.”
During his waiting period, Chen Mobai began studying the Core Formation scriptures. After spending half a year to thoroughly understand them, he went to the Academy’s library to examine the related documents about Core Formation with the Pure Yang Scroll, ensuring he was completely familiar with the process.
However, since he was using the “Formless Puppet” for Core Formation, there might be slight differences, so he needed to simulate the process again.
Meanwhile, Chen Mobai didn’t forget to use the Void Stone to expand his Domain to its limit.
After all, if he succeeded in Core Formation, his Domain space could expand tenfold.
In the second and a half year of waiting for the Dao Academy’s Cave Dwelling, Chen Mobai received more good news.
Meng Huang had finally broken through to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment after taking the Small Barrier Breaking Elixir.