I Have A Cultivation World Chapter 2480 - 1106: Reunion with Meng Huang
Previously on I Have A Cultivation World...
Chen Mobai lingered at the Five Peaks Immortal Mountains for some time. Once he verified that the Immortal Skill of Patching Heaven carried no adverse effects, he departed feeling utterly reassured.
The follow-up investigations were, of course, passed on to Three Extremes and Yuan Xu, experts well-versed in such matters.
At that point, Three Extremes had also discovered the existence of the Primordial Bead, leaving him utterly stunned.
Back at the Dance Tool Dao Academy, Chen Mobai was hit with some unfortunate news.
Hong Mengkui's lifespan had finally run its course.
As the instructor who first guided Chen Mobai into the world of artifact refining, he felt compelled both by sentiment and duty to pay a visit.
Cheng Xuan hurried over upon hearing the news, and the pair headed to the hospital to see him together.
"Seeing the academy nurture two God-Transcending cultivators in my lifetime fills me with contentment; I can pass on peacefully now."
Spotting Chen Mobai and Cheng Xuan, Hong Mengkui, reclining on his hospital bed, offered a faint smile before drawing his final breath.
"Teacher!!"
Bian Jingchun, positioned on the opposite side of the bed, witnessed this and broke down in sobs.
Chen Mobai let out a heavy sigh.
In the journey of cultivation, progress must never halt. Should one pause, even the vast expanse of lifespan will dwindle away, vanishing beneath the relentless flow of time.
Though he had now ascended to God-Transcending cultivation, and refining the Big Tree Immortal Fruit promised over two millennia of life, the day would still arrive when age claimed him.
To attain true immortality and eternal youth, one needed to reach Harmonization and merge lifespan with the vastness of Heaven and Earth.
Yet even Heaven and Earth face decay and ruin; when a True Immortal of Unity's cosmos succumbs to its ultimate calamity, oblivion awaits them as well.
Therefore, transcendence to the far shore was essential, to affirm eternity itself.
In that instant, Chen Mobai grasped the restless hearts of the senior brothers and sisters seated in the front row of Purple Cloud Palace.
With their lofty realms, immortality was already theirs, yet unease lingered, fueling their pursuit of higher transcendence.
Childless and unwed, Hong Mengkui's final arrangements fell to his disciple Bian Jingchun. Noticing her overwhelming grief, Chen Mobai arranged for Zhuang Jialan to remain and provide support.
Per Hong Mengkui's dying wishes, his lifespan-bound magic artifact, the Cloud Thunder Bow, was sealed within the Device Nurturing Sphere and stored in the Treasure Trove.
Cheng Xuan oversaw this process personally.
When Hong Mengkui first joined the Daoist Academy, Cheng Xuan had freshly achieved Nascent Soul and taken up the principal's role, witnessing his journey from vibrant Core Formation days to his later years of silver hair and frailty.
Hong Mengkui poured his whole existence into serving Red City Cave Heaven and the Dance Tool Dao Academy, so following the funeral, a grand memorial ceremony honored his lifelong dedication to the region and the field of artifact refining.
In addition to Chen Mobai and Cheng Xuan's presence, faculty from the Dance Tool Dao Academy, officials from the Artifact Refiner Association, and numerous alumni who rushed over after learning of his passing also attended.
Chen Mobai crossed paths with an unforeseen figure.
Meng Huanger.
She donned a sleek black gown of refined simplicity, a white bloom affixed to her chest, the hem sweeping the floor, topped with a dark hat, her face etched with solemn grace.
As Chen Mobai glanced her way, their gazes locked; he gave a quick nod before turning to Zhuang Jialan at his side with a query.
In this solemn atmosphere, direct conversation between them would be improper, and a voice transmission risked arousing Cheng Xuan's interest.
Zhuang Jialan, tasked with orchestrating much of the memorial, was well aware of Meng Huanger's reason for attending; she and Bian Jingchun had jointly extended the invitation in the name of the Dance Tool Dao Academy.
Meng Huanger now led the Arts Department at Red City Cave Heaven and stood as a prominent alumna, thus receiving notices for all academy occasions.
Learning this eased Chen Mobai's mind somewhat.
After his transcendence, he had intended to seek solace with Yan Bingxuan first, then carve out moments to visit Meng Huanger. Yet pressing duties had delayed him until this point.
But Meng Huanger's finest trait was her lack of grievance.
Visits from Chen Mobai brought her pure joy. In his absence, a touch of sorrow might visit her, but she never imposed on him.
This meeting at Hong Mengkui's memorial was no calculated appearance by Meng Huanger before Chen Mobai; it was sheer chance.
Realizing as much stirred a subtle guilt in Chen Mobai.
He resolved to seek a chance for a private reunion once his immediate affairs settled, to hear her share the longings and tales from the intervening years.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Meng Huanger ascended the platform with poised elegance, directing the day's performers to fill the air with sorrowful melodies.
This impromptu contribution came from Meng Huanger herself; for events at Red City Cave Heaven or the Dance Tool Dao Academy nowadays, she was frequently called upon to lead music and dance preparations.
Since emerging from the Death God’s Tribulation isolation, Meng Huanger, mindful of her advancing years, had stepped away from the entertainment world and now enjoyed acclaim as an artist of impeccable character and skill within the Immortal Gate.
Following his address from the stage, Chen Mobai approached Bian Jingchun, the family spokesperson, whose eyes remained reddened with deep sorrow, and offered gentle words: "Teacher Hong's deepest aspiration was to form his Nascent Soul. As his devoted disciple, you hold the power to realize it in his stead."
Bian Jingchun's grief-stricken gaze sparked with a glimmer of hope at Chen Mobai's encouragement.
"My deepest thanks to you, True Monarch, for these consoling words."
Noting the renewed resolve in Bian Jingchun, Chen Mobai nodded with quiet approval.
He left Zhuang Jialan to oversee the ongoing memorial proceedings, shared a meaningful glance with Meng Huanger, and then departed alongside Cheng Xuan.
As Divine Transformation True Monarchs, they projected serene composure, but their potent auras subdued the crowd, stifling even casual chatter.
Evening fell.
Chen Mobai reached the mountaintop villa close to the Daoist Academy, Meng Huanger's residence—their cherished retreat from academy days.
After a brief wait, Meng Huanger glided in through the second-floor balcony.
Owing to her intimate bond with Chen Mobai, she seldom visited unless summoned, to evade unwanted attention.
"I generally reside in the public-assigned apartment within Red City Cave Heaven..."
Meng Huanger alighted, spotted Chen Mobai on the sofa, and settled naturally at his side, beginning to recount her life's path over recent years.
As a Golden Core Cultivator from the Dance Tool Dao Academy, bolstered by Hua Zijing's aid, her shift from Wangwu Cave Heaven proceeded without a hitch.
She started as the Arts Department head in neighboring Mingyi City. A few years on, when the local head retired, her move to Red City Cave Heaven flowed effortlessly.
"These years, I've been consumed by cultivation and ended up overlooking you somewhat..."
Chen Mobai clasped the hand Meng Huanger offered, voicing his regret, but his words trailed off as her passionate kiss silenced him.
In a blur, she nestled firmly in his arms.
The night deepened into shadow, winds howling beyond the panes. Still, Chen Mobai sensed the earth's awakening vigor surging through the peaks, heralding renewal as mists and showers revived the land.
"I haven't yet offered my personal congratulations on your breakthrough to God Transformation!"
In the aftermath of the storm, Meng Huanger pillowed her rosy face against Chen Mobai, delivering her belated felicitations.
"Your influence played a vital role in my achievement. The Shocking God Sonata you performed at the Five Peaks Immortal Mountains repaired my last imperfection."
Chen Mobai expressed his genuine gratitude to Meng Huanger.
Among his four companions, Meng Huanger possessed the modest talent and realm, yet her contributions proved invaluable.
Her Original Yin had been pivotal in his Core Formation stage.
Her Heartstring Mystical Sound proved essential in grasping the Law of the Five Tones, born from their profound spiritual bond during the Shocking God Sonata. Chen Mobai believed that without their repeated unions, where he drew in the Great Tao’s profound resonances via their shared essence, attaining the Law of the Five Tones might not have unfolded so fluidly.
Upon command of the Saintly Virtue Great Dao, Chen Mobai uncovered fresh understandings of destiny, fate, and kindred concepts.
He pondered that Meng Huanger might be fated to aid in completing the Vermilion Phoenix Facing the Sun diagram.
"With your exceptional gifts, you'd reach God Transformation without my involvement sooner or later."
Meng Huanger demurred, fully cognizant of her limitations, recognizing that her present level stemmed from Chen Mobai's tutelage and an abundance of resources.
"No, you're the one I've selected!"
Chen Mobai affirmed firmly.
Meng Huanger's flushed features lit with an rare depth of feeling.
She had dreaded that Chen Mobai might cast her aside upon attaining God Transformation.
After all, God Transformation marked the zenith of Immortal Gate cultivation.
With such prestige, any woman could be his with a mere gesture.
Thankfully, Chen Mobai stayed true to his core, unswayed by his risen stature to abandon her.
The following dawn, Meng Huanger bid farewell with lingering reluctance.
A meeting demanded her attendance that day.
Yet the Arts Department held few pressing duties, granting her ample leisure, once devoted to honing the Technique of Turning into Gold, and lately often passed in the mountaintop villa.
Chen Mobai prepared a set of one hundred Short Teleportation Talismans for her, linked to her workplace, residence, the villa, his principal's quarters, and beyond, sufficient for years of use.
Blissful moments flee all too quickly.
That day, while Chen Mobai worked on crafting a Rank-5 Fairy Garment from the Golden Flame Manticore's pelt and Immortal Gate refining schematics, a message arrived from Yuan Xu.
The analysis of the Qingping Immortal Technique of Patching Heaven had concluded, with all insights from him and Three Extremes compiled and forwarded to Chen Mobai's email.
Reviewing it, Chen Mobai marveled at their expertise, spotting numerous nuances that could have spared his Second Primeval Spirit considerable Essence if known prior to enacting the technique.
Still, the paramount revelation for him was the technique's complete lack of complications.
Armed with this certainty, he felt ready to wield it upon himself.
Eager to grasp the Tao upon securing the Five Elements Immortal Spirit Root, Chen Mobai notified Qi Yuheng and the rest that fresh cultivation epiphanies called him to secluded retreat for a period.
He had predetermined the Tianhe Realm as the site for this breakthrough.
After briefing the Immortal Gate's leadership, Chen Mobai made sure to inform the closely bonded Meng Huanger as well.
Though their time together brimmed with delight, the demands of cultivation required temporary precedence.