Chapter 180: Encountering the True Heir
Chapter 180: Encountering the True Heir
On the vast and boundless waters, waves crashed and rolled.
A large boat sailed from afar, riding the wind and breaking through the waves, carrying a group of villagers. Despite the raging river currents, the boat stood firm like a mountain, sailing majestically.
Splash!
Suddenly, the water's surface erupted, sending up a torrent of waves several feet high.
A creature, neither snake nor fish, leaped out of the river, its massive body spanning over ten feet. Its terrifying demonic aura intimidated all around, and with just a flick of its snake-like tail, the four-winged tail tips stirred up the river, causing a nearly ten-foot-wide torrent to surge towards the giant boat.
But at that moment, Chen Mu, standing tall at the bow of the boat, remained calm, his eyes devoid of emotion. In a swift motion, he leaped into the air, and with a flash of his Flowing Silver Blade, he raised it high above his head, meeting the falling torrent with a powerful slash.
The torrent, like a waterfall, split in two from the center, guided by Chen Mu's blade, and flowed down along both sides of the boat. The force of his strike didn't stop there; it extended through the water, creating an invisible blade that could be seen by the naked eye.
Splash!!!
As the water split in two, a trail of blood appeared on the head of the black river god, followed by a spray of blood.
Chen Mu silently returned to his position at the bow, his blade sheathed, his expression calm.
The black river god, which had leaped high into the air, now had six blood-red eyes that quickly lost their luster. Its massive body fell back into the water, creating a towering wave.
But even this tumultuous wave couldn't shake the boat; it stood firm like Mount Tai, and Chen Mu remained unmoved, standing like a pillar. Not until the splashes subsided did the boat part the waves and continue forward, crossing the blood-stained waters.
"Dead, it's dead..."
The villagers on the boat were all stunned by this sight.
Many of the older villagers knew that the black river god was a monster, but it was just a well-known one. In the past, even county officials and prefecture masters would take detours to avoid it. But now, a black river god had leaped out of the river and was killed by Chen Mu with a single strike, no different from the fish and snake monsters before.
Even as Chen Mu stood at the bow, his entire figure remained unchanged, unaffected by the strong winds. The splashing river water and waves naturally split around him, making him seem less like an official and more like an immortal descending upon the mortal realm.
Behind Chen Mu, seated closest to him, was the little girl, Hong'er, whom he had saved earlier.
At this moment, Hong'er stared at Chen Mu in awe, her eyes filled with admiration. She couldn't help but whisper, "Big brother... Are you an immortal?"
Zhao Laohan, sitting beside her, was also stunned, and upon hearing Hong'er's words, he quickly tried to cover her mouth. How could she be so bold as to speak to Chen Mu without any regard for propriety? His heart raced with nervousness.
However, Chen Mu turned to look at Hong'er, noticing that her clothes were slightly less disheveled than before, and her complexion had improved. Only her face was still smeared with mud, and her hair was in a mess.
This sight reminded him of Chen Yue when she was young, and he replied gently, "Big brother isn't an immortal; I'm just a slightly stronger warrior."
Turning back, Chen Mu gazed at the endless floodwaters, a sense of sentiment rising within him. Although there were no immortals in this world, those who reached the pinnacle of martial arts were indeed like gods in the eyes of ordinary people.
Take, for example, the renowned figure in the eleven states of Da Xuanbei, Gongshe Yu, known as 'Heavenly Sword'. Rumor had it that he once severed a river with a single strike, causing it to dry up for three days! What kind of skill was that? With his current abilities, Chen Mu could only split open a river surface of several feet, and the water would quickly return to normal.
To think that a single strike could cause a hundred-foot river to dry up for three days—what level of martial arts was that? Such an existence was indeed like the 'gods' in the eyes of ordinary people. They were the true overlords of the world, standing at the pinnacle of martial arts, a level that even a great sect like Seven Mysteries might not produce in ten generations.
The floodwaters raged on, and the giant boat continued to forge ahead, breaking through the waves.
After Chen Mu's strike that killed the black river god, the rest of the journey was quiet, except for the sound of the rushing floodwaters. No other monsters emerged from the water, and as they sailed further, they finally saw land on the horizon.
"Land, we've reached land!"
Someone on the boat, seeing the land from afar, couldn't contain their excitement and shouted, but quickly covered their mouth, afraid to make too much noise.
The people on the boat were all filled with emotions as turbulent as the waves. They felt like they were in a dream—first, the raging floodwaters, then the desperate escape to the hilltop, followed by Chen Mu's arrival, the defeat of the local bully, and the slaying of monsters. Now, they had made a boat, sailed through the flood, and once again, they saw land amidst the vast waters.
Looking around, the boat carried not only the elderly and children but also those who seemed abandoned by the world, now given a second chance at life.
It was as if a celestial had come to ferry them to safety.
Unlike the villagers' excitement, Chen Mu's heart was calm. He controlled the boat with his Whistling Wind Intent, moving faster than the single-log boats driven by the other warriors. It took less than half a day to cross the flooded area.
In this way, he could deliver this group of villagers back to safety, fulfilling his duty.
However, as Chen Mu pondered these thoughts, his gaze shifted slightly towards the distance.
Upstream, at the edge of his vision, a black shadow appeared, drifting along with the current. It was a not-too-thick, not-too-thin log, only half a foot wide.
On this log stood several figures, all dressed identically, their auras intertwined with sword intent, slicing through the river.
Heavenly Sword Sect!
As Chen Mu spotted them, the members of the sect also noticed him, and their gazes met across the vast waters.
Chen Mu merely glanced at the scene and then averted his gaze, continuing to stand tall at the bow of the boat, ferrying the villagers across the river.
"It's him!"
A few members of the Heavenly Sword Sect, having spotted Chen Mu from afar, immediately recognized him.
In Yu Prefecture, Chen Mu was no longer an unknown figure. Even disciples from the four major sects could identify him at a glance, knowing that this Inspector Director was not only a trusted subordinate of Yan Jingqing but also possessed exceptional talent, qualifying him to compete for the position of a true disciple within the sect.
However, the group from the Heavenly Sword Sect, who had arrived on a log boat to investigate the Qingping River, were also extraordinary.
The person standing at the front of the log boat was not particularly tall, only about five feet, noticeably shorter than the other Heavenly Sword Sect disciples. Yet, within his eyes, there flickered a faint sword glow, coming and going. The sect's attire he wore had a slight variation at the collar, with an additional layer of golden thread wrapping around the embroidered sword pattern.
It was Gu Hong, a true disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, whom Chen Mu had met once before.
"It's the second step of the Whistling Wind Intent!"
One of the disciples standing behind Gu Hong spoke in a low voice, his gaze fixed on Chen Mu, revealing a hint of astonishment.
In such swift currents, the ability to navigate a boat carrying over a hundred elders and children through the waves was undoubtedly beyond ordinary means. The swirling gusts of energy surrounding the boat were unquestionably not at the first step of the Whistling Wind Intent but had already reached the second step!
"This person is truly formidable."
Lu Yuan, standing behind, couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
In the 1619th chapter, a look at the book, not a single mistake!
He had once encountered Chen Mu while listening to music in the pleasure district, and although both of them had worn head coverings, Chen Mu did not recognize him. However, Lu Yuan later learned that the person must have been Chen Mu. At that time, Chen Mu seemed to have not yet mastered the second step of the Whistling Wind Intent, but now, after only half a year, he had already reached this level!
There was a vast gap between the Iron Muscle Realm and the Organ Realms, and the only way to cross this chasm was through the second step of the concept.
Having comprehended the second step, Chen Mu could be said to have almost no rivals among the inner disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Only true disciples who had entered the Organ Realms could surpass him.
"I heard that he entered the Iron Muscle Realm only within the past year or two. Could it be that he comprehended the second step of the Whistling Wind Intent during that time? His talent is even more exceptional than Meng Danyu."
Another person beside Lu Yuan spoke in a low voice.
Meng Danyu, a true disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect, had mastered the first step of both the Whistling Wind Intent and the Water Hexagram Intent, and his various skills were incredibly refined. Yet, he had not taken the second step. Chen Mu, on the other hand, had taken the lead, demonstrating his exceptional comprehension.
Lu Yuan's heart stirred, and his eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness. Suddenly, he spoke to Gu Hong in a low voice, "Senior Brother Gu, this person's comprehension is not to be underestimated. He may become a formidable rival in the future. It's better to..."
It was a rare opportunity to encounter Chen Mu in this vast region. Once they started fighting, there would be no retreat, and it would be an excellent chance to kill Chen Mu. Although the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Seven Mysteries Sect had no grudges at present, they were still rivals. Moreover, in the martial world, it was common for disciples to engage in friendly competitions, and death due to inferior skills was not uncommon.
As long as senior figures didn't target younger generations, breaking the rules of the martial world, the Seven Mysteries Sect would have no complaints.
However.
As Lu Yuan finished speaking, he was met with a cold snort from Gu Hong.
"Hmph!"
This snort carried not only coldness but also, in an instant, a sword intent emanating from the heart, which immediately entered Lu Yuan's mind, causing him to grunt and almost fall from the log into the river. Blood even trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The other inner disciples all fell silent.
With just a cold snort and a wisp of heart sword power, without even drawing their swords, they had injured Lu Yuan!
Gu Hong looked at Lu Yuan with a cold gaze and said, "You want to take advantage of his weakness and strike him down just because he might become a formidable rival in the future? Such a despicable act will only hinder your path to the ultimate realm. Are you trying to ruin my sword heart?"
Lu Yuan's heart trembled at this moment. Although he had not entered the Organ Realms, he had comprehended the existence of concepts. Just the wisp of heart sword power emanating from Gu Hong had injured his mental state. Such power was truly terrifying.
Could it be that...
Gu Hong had already comprehended the second step of the heart sword?
Lu Yuan's heart trembled at the thought, and he immediately lowered his voice, saying to Gu Hong, "Senior Brother Gu, I spoke out of turn... But I have no intention of harming you."
Gu Hong gave Lu Yuan a cold glance and said indifferently, "My sword heart is clear. If you had any ill intentions, you wouldn't be standing here unharmed."
Then, he glanced at Chen Mu, whose figure was gradually moving away on the river, and said calmly, "Comprehending the second step of the Whistling Wind Intent is not bad, but it's not exceptional. Among the five major sects in Yu Prefecture, besides Left Senior Brother, only the true disciples like Sikou Zhi of the Blood Concealment Tower, Jiang Yifei of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, Hua Nong Yue of the Harmony Sect, and Zhou Hao of the Seven Mysteries Sect, who can be considered outstanding figures."
"You say this person is also a future rival, but is it... underestimating me?"
Gu Hong's gaze returned to Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan fell silent, not daring to speak. The other Heavenly Sword Sect disciples respectfully echoed, "Indeed, besides the true disciples of the various sects, who can be Senior Brother Gu's rival? Brother Lu has spoken too much."
"I don't think Brother Lu is underestimating Senior Brother Gu. He was just startled by the figure from the remote county. He spoke without thinking and forgot that Senior Brother Gu is not an ordinary person."
"Brother Lu, quickly apologize to Senior Brother Gu!"
Amidst the mocking and stern voices of the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples, Lu Yuan bowed his head to Gu Hong again.
Gu Hong stopped him and said, "Enough, there's no need to waste words on such trivial matters. We came to the Qingping River to search for earth pulse treasures, so don't let minor issues distract us from our main task!"
"We will follow Senior Brother Gu's instructions."
Lu Yuan and the other Heavenly Sword Sect disciples respectfully acknowledged.
The group continued their journey on the log boat, riding the rushing river current downstream, soon disappearing at the river's end.
(End of Chapter)
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