Chapter 144: Strength
Chapter 144: Strength
Simultaneously holding the positions of Director of the Inspectorate General and the Demon Slayer Bureau, Chen Mu's appointment would undoubtedly cause a stir in Yu Prefecture. However, at this moment, Chen Mu was not concerned about this. After all, without a strong background, it was best to develop quietly. But with the backing of Yan Jingqing and even the Seven Mysteries Sect, revealing a bit of his capabilities wouldn't be a bad thing. It might even spare him some unnecessary trouble.
As various powers in Yu Prefecture turned their attention to Chen Mu, the newly appointed Director of the Inspectorate General, he was not at his residence. Instead, he quietly arrived at the ancient courtyard behind Yu Clan's estate, entering the garden where ordinary people were strictly forbidden.
The garden was a vibrant scene, with a clear pond, birds chirping, and fragrant flowers in full bloom.
Chen Mu walked along the flower-lined path, reaching the pond's edge. There, he saw an elderly man with a simple attire, wearing a fisherman's straw hat, his white hair and youthful face belying his age, sitting in meditation and fishing without taking his eyes off the pond.
Although this was their first meeting, Chen Mu had sensed the aura of Yu Clan's great-grandfather, Yu Jiujiang, on his way to the Prefectural Government. However, at this moment, the old man seemed to have completely restrained his aura, appearing no different from an ordinary elder to Chen Mu's senses.
"Grand Uncle," Chen Mu respectfully greeted, using the honorific as instructed by Xu Hongyu.
The elderly man before him, whether in terms of age, seniority, strength, or his previous help in dealing with the Hao family's troubles, undoubtedly deserved Chen Mu's respectful bow.
Yu Jiujiang, unlike Yan Jingqing, did not immediately react to Chen Mu's arrival. Instead, he casually flicked his fishing rod, reeling it in before turning to Chen Mu with a smile.
"Have you finished your discussion?" Yu Jiujiang asked.
"Yes, Inspector General Yan already knows about He Wuyou's actions. He will deal with the Hao family, and the Yu Clan believes that after this, the Hao family will retract some of their influence. However, the Yu Clan doesn't think it's appropriate to take action against the Hao family at this time," Chen Mu replied.
Chen Mu had rushed here to pay his respects to Yu Jiujiang after attending the Yu Clan's high-level meeting for the first time. Previously, he had never participated in such meetings, partly because he and Xu Hongyu were only engaged and not yet married, and also because he was not a direct descendant of the Yu Clan. His strength and status had not been sufficient, but this time was different. Even in the clan's high-level meeting, most decisions were made based on his opinions.
Yu Jiujiang calmly said, "Yan Jingqing may not be completely incorruptible, but he is indeed someone who doesn't tolerate sand in his eyes. Now that he knows the Hao family is up to no good, taking advantage of the situation to further pressure them wouldn't look good in his eyes. There's no need for the Yu Clan to rush. The decision to maintain a low profile is wise."
"Now that you've gained his favor, holding the positions of Director of both the Inspectorate General and the Demon Slayer Bureau, you'll naturally attract attention in Yu City. Aside from the Four Great Sects, there are one or two others you should be wary of, but the rest you need not worry about."
As Yu Jiujiang spoke, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
Chen Mu's appointment as Director of both the Inspectorate General and the Demon Slayer Bureau was a surprise even to Yu Jiujiang. Given Chen Mu's talent and abilities, he was sure to catch Yan Jingqing's attention. However, being appointed as the Deputy Director would have been more expected.
But not only was Chen Mu directly appointed as Director, but to allow him better access to the Seven Mysteries Sect's resources, he was also given the additional position of Director of the Demon Slayer Bureau. This was a clear sign of favor and trust.
Yu Jiujiang, a former executive of the Seven Mysteries Sect, was much older than Yan Jingqing. He had retired before Yan Jingqing rose to prominence, but he still understood the latter. He knew that Yan Jingqing rarely showed such favor to anyone.
Chen Mu listened quietly, then shook his head and said, "Being the Director of the Inspectorate General does draw attention, and dealing with the Four Great Sects can bring some trouble. I guess it's a double-edged sword. It would be better if I had a peaceful environment to focus on my cultivation for a while."
Yu Jiujiang smiled and said, "No wonder Yan Jingqing values you. As his trusted subordinate, you hold a position that many envy. You can analyze the pros and cons, but in my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. At least, you don't have to worry about the Hao family causing more trouble. Your position also provides a great safeguard in Yu Prefecture. Moreover, martial cultivation is not just about seclusion. It's about both practice and application. You need both stillness and action."
Chen Mu shook his head inwardly but could only respond accordingly. He couldn't very well tell Yu Jiujiang about his System Panel.
Yu Jiujiang continued, "Moreover, the Inspectorate General is newly established, and the Four Great Sects in Yu Prefecture are currently well-behaved, so there might not be too many pressing matters. The Demon Slayer Bureau is also relatively relaxed during non-demon turmoil periods, so the impact on you might not be significant."
This was indeed true.
Currently, the Inspectorate General's actions in Yu Prefecture mainly involved gathering information and overall planning, with no specific operations or conflicts with the Four Great Sects. The Demon Slayer Bureau was even less of a concern.
After some thought, Chen Mu asked the question that had been on his mind: "Grand Uncle, I want to know... who is stronger, a cultivator at the second step of the Intent Realm or a cultivator at the Five Viscera Realm?"
Understanding his current level of strength, Chen Mu would be able to act with more restraint.
Yu Jiujiang paused slightly at Chen Mu's question.
"The second step of the Intent Realm... Actually, the rumors outside say that only those in the Five Viscera Realm can truly unleash the power of the Intent Realm. This statement isn't entirely accurate. It should be said that during the first step, there's a huge gap in power between those in the Five Viscera and Bone Forging Realms. But once you reach the second step, the difference isn't as significant. However, the strength varies from person to person."
Yu Jiujiang gently flicked his fishing rod, causing the hook and line to ripple across the pond, silently stirring up the entire pool. Suddenly, fish formed from the water currents leaped and splashed on the surface, a surprising sight.
"Taking myself as an example, even though I'm in my twilight years, I eventually comprehended the second step of the Kan Water Intent Realm. If I were to face a warrior who hasn't entered the Five Viscera Realm and only mastered a single second step of the Kan Water or Li Fire Intent Realm, I could defeat them within ten moves!"
"As for stronger Intents like Blood Slaughter and Heart Sword, it would be much more difficult, but I could still win within a hundred moves."
Upon hearing Yu Jiujiang's words, Chen Mu's heart trembled.
The existence of the Five Viscera Realm, combined with the second step of the Intent Realm, was indeed not as simple as one plus one. Not only does their inner energy circulate with the heavens and earth, but the power between their moves is also extraordinary.
However, Yu Jiujiang quickly changed the topic, saying, "But not all warriors in the Five Viscera Realm can comprehend the second step of the Intent Realm. In fact, it's a very small minority. He Wuyou, for instance, never mastered the second step of the Intent Realm. Even though I'm in my twilight years, and he knows that fighting me would deplete my vitality and accelerate my decline, he still dares not take action against me."
"It was only after I stepped down from the position of Executor in the Seven Mysteries Sect and returned to sit by this pond for over a decade that I finally took that step."
Yu Jiujiang's words carried a hint of sigh.
In reality, if he hadn't comprehended the second step of the Kan Water Intent Realm, he would probably struggle to maintain his current strength. Although living past a hundred years is relatively easy for warriors in the Five Viscera Realm, longevity and strength are two different matters.
In a book, he found a version without any errors!
Being able to maintain his strength at the age of ninety-two and prevent its decline was partly due to reaching the second step of the Kan Water Intent Realm and partly because the Kan Water Intent Realm was one of the Eight Trigrams that was best for nurturing life.
Even with Intents like Li Fire and Thunderbolt, which have stronger killing power, it's extremely difficult to maintain strength until the age of ninety.
"Then, what about someone like He Wuyou, who hasn't comprehended the second step of the Intent Realm? What level would they be at?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Chen Mu asked again.
According to his current understanding, the second step of the Intent Realm was indeed very challenging. The vast majority of people, like Yu Jiujiang, would only barely comprehend it in their twilight years, and even then, their ability to act was limited. Those who comprehended it in their prime were few and far between.
Even among the true disciples of the Four Great Sects, only the most exceptional could comprehend the second step of the Intent Realm at a young age. For example, Gu Hong, the last of the true disciples of the Sky Sword Harmony Sect, had never taken that second step.
"If he fought me, I could win within a hundred moves."
Yu Jiujiang spoke calmly.
With these words, Chen Mu finally had a rough understanding of the distribution of power within the Five Viscera Realm.
Those who mastered the second step of any of the Eight Trigrams, such as Wind, Thunder, or Fire, were barely above the threshold of the Five Viscera Realm. They would struggle to defeat even the weakest opponent in the Five Viscera Realm, managing at most to hold them off for a while.
Then there were those like He Wuyou, who had entered the Five Viscera Realm but hadn't mastered the second step of the Intent Realm. They were considered 'average' within the Five Viscera Realm, only slightly stronger than Chen Mu's current strength.
Above them were those like Yu Jiujiang, who had mastered the second step of the Intent Realm and were considered stronger within the Five Viscera Realm. However, due to their advanced age, they could only barely maintain their strength, having declined significantly from their prime. They could handle someone like He Wuyou but would likely struggle against a true disciple like Gu Hong.
At the pinnacle of the Five Viscera Realm stood the leaders of the true disciples of the Four Great Sects, such as Zuo Qianqiu.
"In other words, if I master another second step of the Intent Realm, I'll basically be able to handle ordinary Five Viscera Realm warriors like He Wuyou. However, in terms of body tempering, I do have an advantage, but it's hard to categorize accurately."
Chen Mu contemplated in his mind.
The Bone Forging Technique, Tiger Demon Bone Forging Technique, wasn't a joke. Even without entering the Five Viscera Realm and completing the qualitative change of Qi and Blood Returning to the Origin, one's physical body was still exceptionally powerful. According to the Great Xuan Martial Canon, if one trained to the limit of Bone Forging and reached the 'Jade Bone' Realm, they could even withstand the True Primal Energy of the Five Viscera Realm. This was yet another layer of strength.
In summary, having a rough understanding of one's strength was crucial for knowing how to act appropriately. For Chen Mu, the most important task now was to quickly elevate the Li Fire Intent Realm to the second step and push the Bone Forging Technique to its limit.
At that time,
there would be very few who could threaten him.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
