Chapter 100: Two Talents
Chapter 100: Two Talents
"It is said that the words on this stele of the Demon Slayer Bureau were written with the blood of a Rank Six Demonic Beast. The writing was done by the previous generation's Supreme Commander of the Demon Slayer Bureau, and it contains a trace of the power from the second step of the Fire Departure Concept. Ordinary people who glance at it will have their hearts shaken and cannot bear to look at it for long."
Chen Mu's thoughts were interrupted by Xiao He's voice from the side.
He quickly composed himself and averted his gaze slightly.
The second step of the Fire Departure Concept.
No wonder it felt like his body was being scorched.
However, the difference between the first and second steps of the concept was indeed significant. Even if he combined the Wind and Thunder concepts, he couldn't possibly write such powerful strokes that could awe people with just a glance.
Of course.
The blood of a Rank Six Demonic Beast was probably the key. After all, the black dragon blood was essential for the Sinew Transformation Pill, and even though the blood of a Rank Six beast was slightly inferior, it was still far from ordinary and held great value.
"What kind of height does the second step of the Fire Departure Concept reach?"
Chen Mu turned to Xiao He.
Xiao He whispered, "I'm not sure either, but it is said that the power of the second step of the concept is equivalent to the qualitative change of cultivating the Inner Essence Aura in the Five Viscera Realm. If a Bone Forging Realm cultivator can master the second step of the concept, they will possess a portion of the power of the Five Viscera Realm."
Listening to Xiao He's description, Chen Mu secretly felt that even a single simulation on the system panel might not be enough to directly reach the second step. The gap between the first and second steps seemed even larger than he had previously thought.
The Five Viscera Realm, which was above Bone Forging, involved accumulating Qi and blood, and cultivating the Inner Essence Aura. It was a qualitative change, rumored to transform the intangible Qi and blood into a tangible aura, which, although lacking an attribute, could evolve with the concept.
This was also the reason why, according to rumors, one could only unleash the true power of the concept upon reaching the Five Viscera Realm.
With such a significant gap, the second step of the concept could directly unleash power comparable to that of a Five Viscera Realm expert using their 'Inner Essence Aura' to activate the concept. No wonder only a handful of people in Yu City had reached the second step.
"Five Viscera and Six Bowels, Seven Marrows and Eight Bloods."
Chen Mu turned to look at the stele of the Demon Slayer Bureau once more and muttered under his breath.
When martial artists reached the Five Viscera Realm, they not only gained a tremendous boost in strength but also achieved a balance in the circulation of their internal organs. Various hidden injuries would gradually heal, and they could retain their Qi and blood, maintaining their strength even at the age of seventy or eighty. Their lifespan would also increase, allowing them to live up to a hundred years old.
In the Six Bowels Realm, there weren't many changes; it was still about cultivating the Inner Essence Aura. However, if one could gradually cultivate it to perfection, crossing that boundary and reaching the seventh step of the Body Tempering Art, known as the Bone Washing Realm, they would enter a whole new world.
During the heyday of the Great Xuan Dynasty, such cultivators were qualified to serve as inspectors of an entire province! Only at this level could one truly have the ambition to conquer the world.
Of course.
For him and even for Yu City at present, such a level of existence was still far-fetched.
Just as Chen Mu was deep in thought.
In the solemn and silent Demon Slayer Bureau, a group of footsteps echoed, and a young man in a brocade robe emerged, followed by several attendants.
He stepped out into the courtyard of the Demon Slayer Bureau and immediately spotted Xiao He and Chen Mu standing in front of the stele. He casually glanced at Xiao He and, as he walked by, said indifferently, "Is Xu Hongyu back?"
"The young miss is currently with the Commissioner..." Xiao He replied cautiously, feeling a bit tense.
The person she least wanted to meet at the Demon Slayer Bureau was this man—Xue Lin, the Deputy Supreme Commander.
"Oh."
Xue Lin didn't stop walking. He glanced at Chen Mu as he passed by but quickly averted his gaze, showing no interest, and continued on his way, disappearing at the end of the path.
Chen Mu watched Xue Lin walk away and then turned to Xiao He, noticing a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. He spoke softly, "Who is that?"
"Xue Lin, the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Demon Slayer Bureau," Xiao He whispered in relief, seeing that Xue Lin had already left.
So, it was him.
Chen Mu nodded slightly.
He had, of course, heard of Xue Lin, the direct descendant of the Xue family and the top young talent among the four major families of the Inner City. Xue Lin had already entered the Bone Forging Realm and was quite famous.
The strongest among the younger generation of the other families had only reached the perfection of Sinew Transformation.
Xu Hongyu was even further behind, still some distance away from perfecting Sinew Transformation.
Moreover, it seemed that Xue Lin was somehow involved in the incident where Xiao He had almost been surrounded and killed by He Ming Xuan's men. Xiao He hadn't gone into detail about the situation, but judging by her current uneasiness, there might still be some conflict between them. Otherwise, given Xiao He's personality, she wouldn't be so tense just from seeing him.
However, since Xiao He didn't elaborate, Chen Mu didn't inquire further. He didn't have much interest in Xue Lin, and there wasn't any direct connection or conflict between them.
He had even less interest in competing for titles like 'the top young talent.'
A while later, Xu Hongyu appeared in the courtyard of the Demon Slayer Bureau and approached Chen Mu and Xiao He, intending to say something, but she suddenly noticed Xiao He's unusual expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xiao He shook her head. "I just met Deputy Supreme Commander Xue."
"Xue Lin..." Xu Hongyu murmured.
Indeed, Xue Lin was formidable. Only slightly older than her, he had already entered the Bone Forging Realm. Although he hadn't comprehended a concept yet, he was still one of the top young talents. Currently, no one could rival him, and if he were to comprehend a concept in the future, he would far surpass the others and become one of the core figures of the Xue family.
"It's best to avoid any conflicts with this person and give them a wide berth."
Xu Hongyu didn't dwell on the matter of Xue Lin for long. She quickly turned to Chen Mu and, with a gentle flip of her jade hand, produced a light-colored silk pouch from her person and passed it to Chen Mu.
Chen Mu was momentarily stunned. He reached out and took the light-colored silk pouch embroidered with a lotus pattern, still faintly warm to the touch. He opened it and found a pill the size of an infant's fist, pitch-black in color.
Chen Mu was very familiar with this item.
It was a Sinew Transformation Pill.
He took a whiff and recognized the familiar medicinal scent, knowing it was the same as the Black Jade Sinew Transformation Pill he had completely used up. They were identical in every way.
He had read the right version in the book, and there was no mistake!
"This is..."
Chen Mu looked at Xu Hongyu in surprise.
Xu Hongyu nodded slightly towards him and said, "I mentioned last year that I would give you a Sinew Transformation Pill. Although you obtained one from the Zheng family by chance, having an extra one will increase your chances of entering the Sinew Transformation Realm."
Xiao He had regained her composure by now. She blinked at Chen Mu and said, "This pill was exchanged for the young miss's demon-slaying merits. If it were you, you'd definitely be able to enter the Sinew Transformation Realm, right?"
She had found it extremely challenging to enter the Sinew Transformation Realm. The first Sinew Transformation Pill hadn't helped her cross that boundary, so she had been searching for ways to accumulate Qi and blood, strengthen her foundation, and improve her cultivation. Last year, she obtained a second pill and finally broke through. The first pill was obtained through her own efforts, while the second was given by Xu Hongyu. Without Xu Hongyu's help, she likely wouldn't have had the chance to obtain the second pill.
Chen Mu now also had two pills in his possession.
Given Chen Mu's exceptional physique and natural talent, entering the Sinew Transformation Realm would undoubtedly be much easier for him than for Xiao He. Regardless, two Sinew Transformation Pills should be more than enough to surpass that boundary.
Feeling the slight warmth of the silk pouch in his hand, Chen Mu considered telling Xu Hongyu that he had already entered the Sinew Transformation Realm. However, he ultimately decided against it. After all, the effects and potency of the Sinew Transformation Pill were far superior to ordinary medications, and it would help him advance more quickly from the Great Sinew Transformation to the Perfect Sinew Transformation. It was indeed the assistance he needed at the moment.
Although Chen Mu had been working for Xu Hongyu, she had also been nurturing him wholeheartedly.
This expectation would be rewarded...
Chen Mu accepted the second Black Jade Sinew Transformation Pill.
"Alright, I still need to go to the City Guard General Office to resign from my position as Chief Magistrate. I'll also inform Yan Commissioner of your resignation from the Willow Grove Patrol Commander position. Pack your bags and, for the next few months, stay in the inner city to focus on your cultivation, striving to enter the Sinew Transformation Realm as soon as possible."
Xu Hongyu nodded at Chen Mu and then instructed Xiao He, "Xiao He, take him to the Yu Clan's headquarters and find a suitable courtyard. Ideally, we can move there today or tomorrow."
Without waiting for Xiao He's response, Xu Hongyu strode forward and soon disappeared between the towering walls of green stone.
"Let's go."
Xiao He watched Xu Hongyu leave before turning to Chen Mu. In a soft voice, she said, "I'll take you to find a suitable courtyard first. It's already late today, so you can stay here for the night and return to pack your belongings tomorrow."
"Okay..."
Chen Mu's gaze remained fixed on the direction where Xu Hongyu had left. He then averted his eyes to look at Xiao He and nodded slightly, following her away from the Demon Slayer Bureau towards the Yu Clan's residence.
...
The Yu Clan's residence was vast.
Chen Mu had only walked along the outer perimeter to the Martial Academy in the past. In reality, the Yu Clan's residence, though not as large as the Xue Clan's, encompassed a significant area with numerous estate courtyards. Each section could be considered a small town on its own.
As Xiao He led Chen Mu along the way, she explained the layout of the Yu Clan's residence. She had never provided such a detailed explanation to Chen Mu before, but since he would be staying there for a while, it was only natural to do so.
"The western area is where the older generation of the Yu Clan resides. They are mostly the first generation, who were the backbone of the Yu Clan in their youth. Now, in their old age, their Qi and blood have declined, and they mostly spend their days relaxing, flying birds, and occasionally offering guidance to the younger generation at the Martial Academy."
Xiao He pointed to the streets and alleys near the western side of the Yu Clan's residence.
In fact, the Yu Clan already had a fifth generation, but the oldest among them was not yet ten years old. Therefore, the focus remained on the first four generations.
This situation was somewhat different from what Chen Mu had expected. He had assumed that the first generation of the Yu Clan were all elders, including the existing fifth-generation Yu Clan member who had reached the Five Viscera Realm. However, apart from that individual, the current first generation of the Yu Clan had mostly declined in Qi and blood, no longer participating in worldly affairs. Moreover, their statuses varied, with some being direct descendants of the current generation's main lineage and others being distant relatives with fewer surviving descendants.
"The eastern area is the Yu Clan's main residence, where the current high-ranking members, including the main lineage and the clan leader's lineage, reside. Try to avoid going to the eastern area as much as possible, although that section is the smallest."
Xiao He continued leading the way while providing further explanations.
(End of Chapter)
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