I Have A Cultivation World Chapter 2516 - 1129: Ku Zhu Returns (Part 2)

"Sit down."

He led the way by seating himself in the pavilion of the courtyard, as Gu Yan deftly lifted the teaware from the table to begin heating water for the tea.

Hosting a True Person such as Ming Wen didn't call for Enlightenment Tea, so he opted for the Rank-4 Purple Mist Spirit Tea instead.

"Please excuse us, True Monarch. The Sect Master Brother has just gotten word and is heading to Northern Abyss City right now..."

Ming Wen True Person offered the explanation with clear regret.

As soon as Chen Mobai finished his seclusion, he teleported straight to this place, leaving Kong Sang Valley caught off guard.

"No problem, we can sip tea as we await his arrival. I'm rather curious about what you've been up to during those years you vanished after the righteous and demonic battle."

Chen Mobai took the teacup from Gu Yan's hand and directed his question to the Ming Wen True Person sitting across from him.

"As True Monarch is aware, our ancestor from the Kong Sang Valley line once studied under Pure Palace and drew a map to the West Continent before his death..."

Ming Wen True Person held nothing back, sharing the events of more than fifty years in detail.

At that time, the formation of Kong Sang Valley got shattered by the endless demonic beasts surging from the Ruins. With no other option, Ku Zhu had to forsake the fifth rank spirit vein inherited for over a thousand years, fleeing with the most valuable treasures and key disciples.

Guided by the ancestor's map, they braved harsh winds and rains, traversing the Mysterious Sea until they reached the West Continent.

Yet, the West Continent turned out to be extremely desolate, its spirit veins far inferior to those in the Three Domains of the Eastern Continent Frontier.

Even though he used his Nascent Soul cultivation to claim a Rank-4 spirit vein, Ku Zhu drew powerful foes.

That Rank-4 spirit vein's owner had a sibling who served as a Nascent Soul Elder in the Thunder Zen Temple, a holy land of the West Continent. Though Ku Zhu held his own against him thanks to his mighty Sword Cultivator prowess, the Thunder Zen Temple boasted multiple Nascent Souls and even Divinity Transformation experts.

A single sword from Ku Zhu couldn't stand against so many foes; numerous members of Kong Sang Valley lost their lives on the West Continent, including Yi Chenghan, whom Chen Mobai knew well.

Upon hearing this news, Chen Mobai let out a soft sigh.

Yet another known face had passed away.

"In the end, we leaned on the ancestor's ties, offering rare spiritual treasures to ask Pure Palace for intervention, which stopped Thunder Zen Temple from delivering a deadly strike. However, they demanded we depart from the West Continent, leaving us with no alternative but to come back..."

Chen Mobai felt a touch of astonishment after Ming Wen True Person finished speaking.

By the customs of that land, Thunder Zen Temple shouldn't have allowed their escape?

But maybe Pure Palace wielded sufficient influence.

After all, Pure Wind True Monarch ranked among the Four True Monarchs.

And while the Divinity Transformation True Monarch of Thunder Zen Temple styled himself as the Small Thunder Immortal, he paled in comparison to their founder, the Great Thunder Immortal.

In terms of standing, the two Divinity Transformations of the West Continent resembled the gap between Dustless True Monarch and Yuan Qingque; Dustless True Monarch would undoubtedly defer to Yuan Qingque.

"Coming back is for the best; roots returning to their origin beat drifting far away." Chen Mobai remarked, then thought of another familiar figure from Kong Sang Valley, "I'm wondering if Nephew Xiao has survived?"

When Chen Mobai first reached Core Formation and came back to the Eastern Continent, he encountered Xiao Lingri pursued by hunters in the Ruins. They crossed paths a few times later, her exceptional beauty etching a deep mark in his memory.

"We appreciate your worry, True Monarch. My disciple lives on, though sadly, over these fifty years in the West Continent, our sect spent most of its time in magical combats and fights; she had a shot at Core Formation before, but right at the crucial point, enemy forces launched an assault, and her attempt failed..."

Ming Wen True Person answered without delay, his voice laced with sorrow. During their meeting at the Beidou Conference, Xiao Lingri had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. Ku Zhu brought her to gather Golden Elixir Spiritual Medicine, securing a vial of Mystical Ice Spirit Liquid.

But as they readied for Core Formation, the righteous and demonic battle erupted; the hard-won lands they held in the West Continent provoked fiercer opponents. To this day, she lingers at Foundation Establishment Completion.

"That's a shame, but if my memory serves, Nephew Xiao isn't that advanced in age, so hope remains."

As he conversed, Chen Mobai noticed a shift; he detected a Nascent Soul presence from outside the Five Elements Sect appearing at the grand transmission array site.

He had crossed paths with Ku Zhu once before, identifying it at once.

Still, a hint of surprise gripped him.

Because Ku Zhu had advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage.

It made sense now how he could hold off the Nascent Soul Elder of Thunder Zen Temple in the West Continent, even holding out until Pure Palace arrived to help.

Considering the timeline of Ku Zhu's cultivation, Chen Mobai couldn't help but admire it.

It nearly rivaled the pace of those Holy Land Taoist Children and Saintesses.

Soon enough, two Nascent Soul auras sped toward North Abyss Mountain.

The other belonged to Zhou Ye. Whenever possible, he dashed to the Eastern Wilderness, frequently delivering Chen Mobai unique goods from the East Barbarians or odd trinkets.

Joining Ku Zhu on this trip, he seized the chance to visit Chen Mobai openly, and naturally, he wouldn't pass it up.

"Greetings, Sect Master!"

"Greetings, True Monarch!"

Zhou Ye and Ku Zhu stepped inside and paid their respects to Chen Mobai right away.

"Take a seat; the tea's all ready."

Chen Mobai pointed to the two spots next to him. Zhou Ye promptly settled down with Ku Zhu, though he felt a twinge of regret inside when Gu Yan passed him the Purple Mist Spirit Tea.

"Many thanks, True Monarch, for safeguarding Kong Sang Valley's spirit vein all these years; here's a modest token of our thanks."

Ku Zhu, ever direct, offered the gift he had readied as soon as he sat.

It came in a box; even without opening it, Chen Mobai perceived a vibration from a treasure of heaven and earth that had been purified once, thanks to the Rank-5 Echoes in the Void technique.

It was Pure Bamboo.

And of a superior quality to what he had refined previously, which meant it had to be Rank-5!

This qualified as a worthwhile spiritual item even for a Divinity Transformation True Monarch.

"As fellow neighbors, helping each other is only natural. Now that Daoist friend Ku Zhu has returned with your disciples, do you intend to restore Kong Sang Valley in the East Barbarians?"

Chen Mobai kept the Rank-5 Pure Bamboo on the table, pondering the matter before asking.

"All I desire is a safe haven where the disciples of Kong Sang Valley can dwell free from more harassment."

As Ku Zhu said this, a shadow of gloom crossed his face, clearly showing how the ordeal in the West Continent had dented his Dao Heart a bit.

"Here's how to unseal it."

Chen Mobai passed a jade slip he had prepared earlier to Ku Zhu.

"Thank you, True Monarch."

Chen Mobai's warmth touched Ku Zhu, who had faced both kindness and cruelty in the West Continent, reminding him of the comforts of home.

Ku Zhu received the jade slip respectfully with both hands, scanned its contents, and saw the steps Chen Mobai had used to seal the spirit vein outlined there.

Kong Sang Valley excelled in formations; although Ku Zhu focused on the sword path as a Cultivator, he also practiced the Array Dao. After studying it, he grasped the way to release the spirit vein.

"Daoist friend, I must clarify one thing beforehand."

"Once the righteous and demonic battle concluded, to block future demonic beast assaults, I placed array plates and array flags within every spirit vein controlled by the Five Elements Sect. This way, if peril arises, a massive formation can activate to protect all under the sect's banner."

"The spirit vein of Kong Sang Valley follows the same rule; even after unsealing, those array plates and flags stay in place. If not, I won't hold back from acting sternly."

Chen Mobai sought to envelop the entire Five Elements Sect domain with the Sky Curtain Ground Network Formation; naturally, Kong Sang Valley's spirit vein fell under this plan. On top of that, he had also inserted the Primordial Five Elements Extinguishing Divine Thunder, though he chose not to mention it to Ku Zhu, sparing him any distraction in his cultivation.

"Understood, True Monarch."

Ku Zhu had no grounds to negotiate with a Divinity Transformation True Monarch; the mere return of Kong Sang Valley filled him with joy.

Upon their arrival, aware of this situation, he had planned at first to guide Ming Wen True Person and the rest in finding a fresh spirit vein within the Ruins.

But Ming Wen True Person trusted in Chen Mobai's upright nature, convinced he wouldn't seize their land unjustly, and even offered to test the waters herself.

As expected, her judgment proved spot on.

This Blue Emperor of the Five Elements Sect stood as a true rarity among Sages in the Eastern Continent.