Chapter 182: Xiantian Sixth Layer, Another Transformation

Chen Mo sat cross-legged within the Tian Di Ling Chi, as the Heaven and Earth Spirit Liquid, transformed from Heaven and Earth Essence, continuously surged into his body through his myriad pores.

The Transformation Pearl operated continuously, drawing the Heavenly Law and the power of Qi and Blood within it into his own body.

Within his Purple Mansion, countless Innate Breath were nurtured, increasing at a speed almost visible to the naked eye.

The power surging into him was truly too vast; even with the Heaven and Earth Furnace and the Purple Mansion Qi Sea absorbing it constantly, there was not the slightest sign of this power waning.

Chen Mo's current physical cultivation was very strong, and his aptitude was the absolute pinnacle of the pinnacle.

This meant that it was relatively easier for his Inner Qi cultivation to progress as well.

Aside from the barriers between major realms, breaking through these minor realms now was almost like walking on flat ground.

As the Innate Breath within the Purple Mansion increased strand by strand, Chen Mo broke through to the Xiantian Sixth Layer as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

The power of Qi and Blood and the power of Heavenly Law within the Transformation Pearl had also accumulated to fullness.

Chen Mo pondered briefly and decided to undergo the Mortal Transformation now; although this rebirth might not necessarily lead to another breakthrough in cultivation level.

Yet, being scoured by the Heavenly Law would at least increase his strength by a fraction.

With a battle approaching, the stronger his own strength, the better.

Moreover, if he were blessed with opportunity and Heavenly Luck, he might just seize this chance to break through.

Chen Mo moved his mind; unlike every previous Mortal Transformation, what flowed out from the Transformation Pearl included not only boundless Blood Qi but also the power of Heavenly Law.

These powers of Heavenly Law had been condensed by the Transformation Pearl, and now, being released once more, they began to scour his physical body.

As Chen Mo's body was scoured by the power of the Law, it began to condense further; Chen Mo took this opportunity to attempt to link his Body Dao Marks, for once the Body Dao Marks were condensed into one, he could enter the Creation Second Layer realm.

This was by no means an easy task; a single failure would result in injury to his body.

The reason Chen Mo chose to start at this moment was precisely because the boundless Blood Qi would heal his own injuries.

He had countless opportunities to test and correct, without leaving any hidden dangers for himself.

Although this might waste some of his own Blood Qi, he could not worry about such things now.

Once the Dao Marks were linked together, a Martial Artist could unleash the full power of their Divine Store in a single strike.

It was like a hundred catties of water originally scattered throughout the body; to pour it out, one could only pour it out slowly.

After the Dao Marks were linked together, one could pour out all one hundred catties of water in an instant.

Although the total power did not increase by much, the combat strength increased significantly.

With every additional Dao Mark linked, Chen Mo could feel his body bearing even greater pressure.

At this moment, he could not help but feel fortunate that he had not fully pushed his body to its limits before, otherwise, wanting to link the Dao Marks to break through to the next level now would certainly not have been easy.

It was unknown how much time had passed when the transformation slowly came to an end.

Chen Mo's breakthrough this time was not entirely successful, but it was not a failure either.

He had linked a total of four thousand three hundred Dao Marks; if this were any other Creation Martial Artist, this would have been enough for them to complete the breakthrough.

But because he had previously pushed his body to its limits, the number of his own Dao Marks far exceeded that of ordinary Creation Martial Artists.

Therefore, his breakthrough had not yet fully ended at this stage.

However, in terms of the combat strength he could unleash, it already far exceeded that of an ordinary Creation Second Layer Martial Artist.

He did not continue to attempt cultivation; a great battle might be coming soon, and in the current situation, avoiding injury and maintaining his state was the best choice.

He carefully observed his body after being scoured by the Law; unlike the Divine Store Dao Marks, the body, after being scoured by the power of the Law, had strands of the power of rules interwoven within it.

This sign was very faint, but it was the initial manifestation of the body becoming holy.

When the body becomes holy, it transforms into a separate world, with myriad laws flowing within, undisturbed by the outside world.

With this holy body as a foundation, one could practice the Buddhist method of the Buddhist Palm World, or the Daoist wonder of the Daoist Dao Transformation of All Things.

Furthermore, this transformation increased his physical strength by more than twenty thousand catties, taking his own strength a step further.

Chen Mo ended his closed-door cultivation and stood up to stretch his muscles and bones; more than half of the Heaven and Earth Spirit Liquid in the pool had been absorbed by him.

There was no help for it; this first Heaven and Earth Profound Gate was often opened, and the resources taken away were far more than what was replenished.

Coupled with the passage of time and the changing of ages, these cultivation resources were slowly worn away by time; that there was still this much left could already be considered quite good.

If Chen Mo had the ability to push open the second or even the third Heaven and Earth Profound Gate, only then would there be even more abundant cultivation resources.

"Your closed-door cultivation this time was not long, only thirteen days." The Ancestral Spirit had been guarding by Chen Mo's side and spoke only when it saw him wake up.

"Also, during this time, an Innate Expert came looking for you, but since you were in closed-door cultivation, I did not rashly disturb you." As it spoke, it took out a letter.

Chen Mo took the letter and browsed through it quickly; there was not much information.

The first point was that if he finished his closed-door cultivation, he could return to Gandu first to discuss matters.

If the time of finishing was too late, he could go directly west from the Ancestral Temple, cross the Xinzhou frontier, and travel another six thousand-plus li, where there was a temporarily constructed Bian City used for observing and guarding against the other world.

"Senior, this junior must leave for a while first; if you can truly contact the Ancestral Spirit of the other world, then please do so as soon as possible."

Chen Mo said with a smile, and after finishing, he cupped his hands and left.

He understood that if the Ancestral Spirits of the two worlds could successfully negotiate peace, it would certainly be based on the premise of equal strength between both sides.

"Good, I will do my best." The Ancestral Spirit nodded in agreement.

Chen Mo immediately left this space and departed the Ancestral Realm, heading toward the Capital City of Great Gan.

Opening the Divine Store of the feet to travel a thousand li in an instant was something Chen Mo could not yet do.

But traveling a dozen li in an instant was no problem at all, and even a distance of ten thousand li was only a matter of a moment.

With the two worlds intersecting, the common people in the Capital City had not been affected in any way.

Unless the Demonic Path villains from the other world invaded, only then would the people suffer.

Furthermore, during this time, the lives of the common people in various places were better than before.

The areas submerged by the Mirage Sea had emerged once again, and the Imperial Courts of both countries were arranging for the migration of people.

Within the territory of Great Gan, there was still Qingzhou, which currently had no inhabitants.

As long as the common people were willing to migrate there, men were given thirty mu of land, women were given ten mu of land and one hundred mulberry saplings, and the government also provided various types of farming tools.

Therefore, many commoners were willing to accept the government's organization and moved there one after another.

With more land, many conflicts were naturally eased, and the lives of the commoners could be a bit better.

Not to mention being wealthy or noble, they could at least maintain enough food and clothing.

Chen Mo arrived at the Inner City, and as his gaze swept across, he could discover that eighty percent of the Innate Experts in the world were scattered throughout the Capital City.

Moving first to the top of Wanfa Tower, he did not conceal his own power fluctuations; Chu Tianxiu, the Dao Lord of Daoxuan Mountain, the Abbot of Kucha Temple, and others were all here.

"Duke Chen, you have finally returned! We were all worried to death waiting for you!" The Dao Lord of Daoxuan Mountain could not help but heave a sigh of relief upon seeing Chen Mo return.

"I sent people ahead to inspect the area where the two worlds border. We had a border pass there in the past; although it is now dilapidated, the main city walls constructed of bluestone can still be used.

Zhao, along with several Imperial Clan Innate Experts and numerous cultivators, went there first to temporarily set up some Arrays. If the other world attacks, we can use that as a first line of defense."

Chu Tianxiu spoke in a calm tone, carefully explaining to Chen Mo.

"In addition, the Imperial Court's Border Army has also been mobilized. Great Gan and Great Li are coordinating their defense, both gathering within the Xinzhou border pass to form a second line of defense to prevent any Alien Races scoundrels from trying to sneak in secretly.

Furthermore, the Imperial Courts of both countries have organized personnel; as soon as the two worlds merge, they will immediately send the Patrol Heaven Guard and the Heavenly Net to sneak into the other world to gather intelligence."

The Heavenly Net can actually be seen as Great Li's Patrol Heaven Guard; both are organizations used for gathering intelligence.

Chen Mo and the others were completely in the dark regarding the situation in the New World.

Under these circumstances, it was obviously necessary to send as many secret agents as possible to scout the situation.

"The agents sent out must be well taken care of. Do not be stingy; the money and rewards that should be given must be given," Chen Mo nodded lightly and added.

Although the other world is also the Human Race and shares the same origin as them, and their appearance and writing are likely not much different, there must be differences in accents and living habits.

Just take the term for 'kitchen' for example; in Great Gan alone, there are over a dozen different names such as 'stove room', 'hall front', 'fire house', 'pot house', and 'culinary room'.

These subtle colloquialisms and slang are the easiest things to expose one's identity.

Moreover, sneaking into the other world secretly is by no means an easy task. The reason the two countries' Border Armies are stationing troops at the Xinzhou Bian City is precisely to prevent people from secretly spying.

Among the agents sent this time, if five out of a hundred can return alive, it would already be considered a stroke of extreme luck.

Naturally, before they go, all their worries must be resolved to ensure that even if they cannot return, their families and relatives can still live in peace.

"Very well, we will arrange for people to do this immediately," Chu Tianxiu nodded and agreed.

With Chen Mo's current status, although he holds no official position in Great Li, the Emperor of Dali must also listen honestly to what he says.

"Tomorrow, summon the many Innate Experts to discuss matters. Except for a small number of Innate Experts remaining to guard, all other Martial Artists will follow me to the border to hold the fort."

Chen Mo continued to instruct; there were many things other Innate Martial Artists were not incapable of doing, but without him, there was no one to act as the backbone.

Everyone could offer ideas, but when it came to making real decisions, only Chen Mo could convince the masses.

"Understood, I will arrange for people to notify the other Innate Experts to discuss matters at the Xuanzheng Hall tomorrow." Chu Tianxiu agreed immediately; among the few Innate Martial Artists present, he was the only one who belonged to the Imperial Court's Innate Martial Artists, so these matters naturally fell to him.

After arranging these matters, Chen Mo did not stay here long and set off to return to his own door.

He left in the spring, and by the time he returned, it was already the height of summer.

Ice chests were placed everywhere in the house to offset the summer heat.

"Master!" The servants in the house hurriedly bowed and saluted when they saw him return.

Zhao Yu had been hiding in the room to escape the heat, and upon hearing this, she also hurriedly ran out.

"You're back!" Her tone was very complex, containing both the surprise of a long-awaited reunion and the peace of mind from letting go of her worries.

"Yes," Chen Mo smiled and hurried forward.

"It's good that you're back!" Zhao Yu gripped Chen Mo's hands tightly. With her status and position, even if she didn't know the full picture of many things, she understood a little.

Knowing that what Chen Mo was doing was by no means simple, and even very dangerous, how could she not be worried in her heart?

"Alright, nothing happened to me, no need to worry," Chen Mo smiled and brushed her hair, walking into the house with her.

"While you were away, someone sent you a few letters. I have received them all; you should take a look at them."

She walked back into the house and hurried to the bedroom, returning shortly after with two letters.

Chen Mo took them and examined them carefully; the first letter was from He Luoyun.

The letter said that thanks to him, his business had been doing very well.

Officials throughout Xingyuan Prefecture knew that he still had correspondence with Chen Mo, so they naturally dared not criticize or make things difficult for him in many matters.

In addition, he also roughly mentioned the situation of Wei Xia's family, saying everything was as usual and improving steadily.

Enclosed with the letter was a gift of five thousand taels of silver banknotes, as a token of his appreciation, hoping Chen Mo would accept it.

The other letter was from Wang Xiaowei; when Chen Mo first joined the army, he had served as a horse groom under his command.

It was just that this Wang Xiaowei had previously leveraged his foster father's connections, transforming from a Ninth Rank Xiaowei into an Eighth Rank County Lieutenant.

Being a County Lieutenant and living in a prosperous part of the city was much better than being a Xiaowei.

When Chen Mo was previously the head of the Salt Transport Department, he had once sent someone to ask him for help, using his own name to purchase fifty mu of high-quality paddy fields for He Maguan to retire on.

One should remember a kindness received for a thousand years; Chen Mo had always believed that one should repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring.

When he was feeding horses, He Maguan had treated him well, so since he had the ability, he naturally should repay him.

Fifty mu of paddy fields with two harvests a year yielded nearly ten thousand catties of grain in rent alone, which was absolutely enough for He Maguan to spend his remaining years in comfort.

Moreover, since it was purchased in his own name, no one would dare to covet this land.

This letter should have been sent to Zhu Niu Ji, but by the time the letter finally arrived, Chen Mo was already in the Capital City.

County Lieutenant Wang had to find another way to entrust someone to send this letter all the way to the Capital.

This letter was a private one, and he couldn't use the Post Station, so he could only entrust it to merchant caravans to send it to the Capital bit by bit.

Therefore, the speed of this letter was extremely slow, and it was already good that it could be delivered safely.

Chen Mo opened the letter and read it carefully; the letter stated that the land had already been bought for He Maguan before the spring plowing last year.

And County Lieutenant Wang had also had someone remove the military registration for both He Maguan and Ding Bao, still letting Ding Bao serve He Maguan.

This arrangement was quite good; although Ding Bao was a bit foolish, he was not a bad person.

With him by He Maguan's side to take careful care of him, these fifty mu of paddy fields would naturally belong to him after a hundred years.

After Chen Mo finished reading these two letters, Zhao Yu had already spread out the rice paper, her fair hands grinding ink for him.

Chen Mo immediately wrote two letters, let the ink dry, and prepared to have them sent out on an auspicious day.

Naturally, he sent the letters via the Post Station; as long as officials of the fifth rank or higher in the Imperial Court were willing to spend silver, they could have the Post Station deliver letters on their behalf.

"I had someone boil water for you and ordered a table of dishes from the restaurant; they will be delivered shortly. Since you have returned home, you should rest well."

Zhao Yu wore a gentle smile as she sat beside Chen Mo, helping him seal the letters.

"I have made progress in my cultivation during this time; can you guess what realm I am in?" After sealing the letters, a trace of smug satisfaction appeared at the corners of Zhao Yu's mouth.

"Could it be that you have broken through to the Tongmai Realm?" Chen Mo had actually seen it early on, but he still pretended to be puzzled and asked.

"Correct!" Her tone was joyful and she was very happy.

"Empress Dowager also chose a cultivation technique for me called the Chaoyuan One Qi Art, telling me to practice it diligently. The reason I have been able to cultivate so quickly during this time is entirely thanks to her guidance."

Zhao Yu spoke carefully, explaining to Chen Mo why her own cultivation had been able to break through so quickly.

For some time now, Xu Taihou had treated her very affectionately, and the two had almost become intimate friends who talked about everything.

With the Empress overseeing her cultivation, she had never lacked techniques or various types of cultivation resources, which was why she could break through so quickly.

"Truly impressive!" Chen Mo praised her without reservation, then immediately took out a Jade Bottle and handed it to her.

"Inside this is Heaven and Earth Spirit Liquid, a rare secret medicine for cultivation. Since you have now entered the Tongmai Realm, you can consume one drop every three days for your practice."

Chen Mo had not used up all the Heaven and Earth Spirit Liquid in the Jade Bottle; there was still about a basin's worth left, enough for Zhao Yu to use for a very long time.

"Okay." This time she did not refuse at all; she understood that her own strength was too weak and was already becoming a burden to Chen Mo.

She had to cultivate faster; even if she could not catch up to Chen Mo, she absolutely could not become his dead weight.

After handing the Heaven and Earth Spirit Liquid to Zhao Yu to put away, Chen Mo held her and they went to wash up together.

The husband and wife had not seen each other for a long time, so naturally, their reunion was sweeter than a new marriage.

…………

The next day, Chen Mo summoned many Innate Experts to Xuanzheng Hall to discuss matters.

The only thing announced was that, except for a small number of Innate Martial Artists remaining to guard the post, the remaining Innate Martial Artists would accompany him to Bian City to stand guard.

(End of this chapter)