Chapter 185: Flowing Fire
Chapter 185: Flowing Fire
After adapting to the twice-tempered transformation of the Five Viscera, Chen Mu promptly left the courtyard.
By now, it was already deep into the night, and the drizzle had stopped at some unknown time, replaced by a hazy fog that enveloped the entire world, making it almost impossible to see one's fingers even at arm's length.
With the combination of the late hour and the thick fog, even a warrior's visibility was limited. However, in the county government office, there were still many dim lights and shadows, and from time to time, the sounds of people and horses moving about could be heard. Despite the flood, even at this late hour, the government office remained bustling with activity.
Chen Mu didn't pay much attention to this. After discerning the direction, he headed towards the smelting platform.
Since no one had come to report the situation to him, it meant that everything was currently in order, and no unexpected incidents had occurred. There was no need for him to get overly involved or handle matters.
Soon, he arrived at the smelting platform, where the fog was also dense, but the place was brightly lit.
At the massive furnace in the center, the seventy-year-old Zig stood, his eyes showing some bloodshot veins as he stared at the furnace fire. His entire body appeared slightly fatigued, and his aura was somewhat listless.
Sensing someone approaching, Zig immediately looked over and, upon seeing Chen Mu's approaching figure, hurriedly greeted him with a bow:
"Sir."
"How is it going?" Chen Mu asked, glancing at the furnace fire.
Zig hesitated and replied, "During the day, the rain didn't affect us, but I didn't expect the heavy fog at night. The water vapor is too thick, affecting the furnace fire and forging. It should have been forged by now, but there's still a little left to solidify. If we force the quenching, the quality will be slightly compromised. We can only wait for the fog to clear or forge it a few more times, which will take some time. Please forgive me, Sir."
"The heavenly phenomena are unpredictable; it's not your fault," Chen Mu said calmly, then glanced at the furnace fire and asked, "According to what you said, if we can increase the fire and disperse some of the water vapor, can we forge it in one go?"
Zig nodded and said, "Yes, I still have this confidence, Sir."
"Good," Chen Mu said, giving a slight nod. He then approached the furnace fire and waved his sleeve.
In an instant, the charcoal fire in the furnace suddenly blazed, and the intense flames and heat seemed to disperse the nearby water vapor. Even Zig, standing by the side, could slightly feel the increase in heat.
This... the Fire Departure Concept? Zig's heart trembled slightly as he stood beside the furnace, gazing at the fire.
In his youth, he was a renowned artisan in another county, having forged more than one treasure. He had also come into contact with beings above the Five Viscera Realm on more than one occasion. Although due to certain circumstances, he eventually settled in Jingyu County, his discerning eyes remained sharp.
He vaguely remembered his disciple, Fang Yi, mentioning that Chen Mu, the new Inspector General, possessed the Wind Thunder Intent.
However, given Chen Mu's youth and exceptional talent, it wasn't surprising that he had cultivated a new concept.
Zig quickly gathered his thoughts and continued to focus on the furnace fire, his spirit becoming more invigorated. He was somewhat concerned that his advanced age might not allow his physical strength to hold up, but with the assistance of the Fire Departure Concept, he was certain he could finish the task in one go, and the quality would also be improved.
After a while, Zig stepped forward and said, "Sir, the time is almost right."
Chen Mu nodded slightly and then waved his sleeve, releasing the Fire Departure Concept within the confined smelting house. The thick water vapor that filled the heavens and earth was largely dispersed, leaving the house dry.
Zig pulled out the completely red blade from the furnace, placed it on the anvil, and carefully examined it. After dozens of hammer strikes, he focused on the blade's edge and quenched it in water one last time.
A sizzling sound filled the air as the blade, quenched in icy water, regained its shape. It was still in the form of the Flowing Silver Blade that Chen Mu had used before, but the entire blade now had a reddish glow and emitted a subtle heat.
Zig took only a brief look before happily handing the blade to Chen Mu.
"I have not failed your command!" Zig said. Although this blade wasn't the most perfect among the treasures he had forged, it had fully utilized the potential of the Mystic Fire Ore. Among weapons with 'affinity,' it was one of the highest-quality pieces.
Chen Mu took the blade, and as soon as he held it, he felt a surge of heat emanating from the blade. This heat was highly compatible with his Fire Departure Concept, and using this blade would enhance his fire power by threefold!
Chen Mu examined the blade, his expression unreadable.
Zig bowed deeply, saying, "It's my honor to serve you, Sir."
Chen Mu waved his hand, and Zig, understanding his intent, quietly retreated, leaving Chen Mu alone in the house.
Chen Mu carefully examined the blade in his hand and casually waved it twice, causing two fire blades to shoot forth from the blade's edge: "Very good. From now on, let's call this the Flowing Fire Blade."
The Flowing Silver Blade had not been sharpened, or perhaps it was a treasure weapon with a certain 'affinity', a quality that rendered sharpening unnecessary. Its value no longer lay solely in its sharpness, but in the extension of its intent and power into the blade, ensuring smooth and unhindered flow. After all, for a Five Viscera Realm cultivator, the Primordial Energy True Essence could be unleashed with such force that even a dead branch could slice through iron like mud.
Of course.
Such a treasure weapon, in the hands of an ordinary person unversed in martial arts, would be nearly useless, less effective than a sharp mundane blade.
Chen Mu sheathed the Flowing Silver Blade, but his scabbard was not specially made, and a faint heat still radiated from it, though the impact was minimal, and there was no significant visual change.
Stepping out of the smelting house, Chen Mu glanced at the hazy fog and the dark night sky. After a brief moment of contemplation, he summoned an official from the Inspector Bureau and gave him a few instructions before quietly leaving the County Governor's Office, disappearing into the fog.
The blade had been forged.
The disaster situation remained unchanged.
The Five Viscera underwent another round of tempering.
With his immediate tasks completed, Chen Mu decided to conduct a thorough investigation along the Qingping River. On one hand, he could deal with the aquatic demonic creatures and prevent the disaster from spreading further. On the other hand, he could also explore whether there were any other Earth Pulse disturbances.
In reality, his previous encounter with the Earth Pulse eruption was a stroke of good luck. Generally, it was difficult to accurately predict Earth Pulse eruptions, unless one ventured deep underwater, wading through the mud to sense the disturbances. Even then, one would need an intent like Kun Mountain or Dui Lake, closely related to Earth Veins, to do so.
Alternatively, one would need to master the higher-level Kun Earth Intent to more accurately sense Earth Vein movements within a certain range.
Without prior knowledge, Earth Vein eruptions often occurred suddenly and far apart, and by the time one arrived at the scene, the opportunity to explore the Earth Vein leak by entering underground would often be missed.
After all, Earth Veins flowed swiftly, and the leak would seal completely in a short time. Being trapped deep underground, surrounded by Earth Vein power, was dangerous, even for a Five Viscera Realm cultivator, let alone a Six Viscera Realm expert.
Just like before, Chen Mu had immediately entered the underground through the leak and retrieved the three objects at the fastest speed. But by the time he returned, the Earth Vein leak had already started to close, and if he lingered for a moment longer, it would be completely sealed.
Naturally, the speed at which an Earth Vein leak sealed depended on the intensity of the eruption and the size of the opening. The smaller the opening, the faster it sealed, and vice versa. Often, the underground area within the opening was also vast.
Although it was the middle of the night, and the mist was heavy, for a Five Viscera Realm cultivator like Chen Mu, this merely created a confusing visual environment without affecting his sense of direction. With his physical prowess, he quickly covered over a hundred li, soon reaching the riverbank once again.
The river's flow hadn't slowed much since daytime, still raging fiercely, with mud and sand churning in the water.
"Let's start from the uppermost stream..."
Chen Mu followed the riverbank, heading towards the source of the flood.
During the day, he had encountered disciples from the Heavenly Sword Sect, who were moving downstream from the upper reaches. Chen Mu guessed that these sect members were patrolling the riverbanks, starting from the uppermost stream and moving downstream, then repeating the process to thoroughly search the river and its banks for possible Earth Vein eruptions.
With a thought, Chen Mu calmly strode upstream along the riverbank.
His strides were swift, and even without the aid of the Wind Thunder Intent, each step covered several zhang. In just a few steps, he was already a hundred meters away.
As Chen Mu moved upstream, he paid attention to the river's movements, but with the sun yet to rise and the heavy mist, his vision was greatly affected. His Whistling Wind Intent couldn't sense the underwater disturbances either.
Chen Mu's Wind Thunder Intent was somewhat related to Earth Veins, but it was only at the first level, and in the current environment, Kun Mountain Intent would be more suitable than Dui Lake Intent.
"Within five zhang, at most?" Chen Mu muttered to himself.
His Whistling Wind Intent could sense the slightest movements within a range of over ten zhang, but his Kun Mountain Intent could only perceive Earth Vein movements within a radius of four or five zhang. Compared to the vast flooded area, which seemed to stretch endlessly, the range was quite narrow.
Of course, compared to completely unrelated intents like Blood Slaughter or Joyful Desire, the fact that he possessed this level of perception gave him an advantage. At the very least, within a certain range, he could detect an impending Earth Vein eruption in advance.
"If I could obtain more Earth Essence Pearls or similar spiritual objects, my Organ Realms cultivation would progress much faster than ordinary people..."
These thoughts crossed Chen Mu's mind.
He currently had an Earth Essence Pearl in his possession, but it was meant to assist in comprehending the Earth Root Concept and couldn't be consumed. Moreover, his body's meridians needed time to adapt, but naturally, the more of these objects, the better.
The Organ Realms was a foundational realm of great importance, serving as a bridge between realms. Many true disciples of major sects, even after perfecting their Organ Realms cultivation, wouldn't immediately start training in the Six Organs Realm. Instead, they would linger in the Organ Realms to comprehend deeper concepts.
Comprehending advanced concepts in the Organ Realms and then entering the Six Organs Realm was vastly different from comprehending them in the Six Organs Realm. Although the Primordial Energy's essence could still change with deeper comprehension in the Six Organs Realm, it wasn't as effortless as in the Organ Realms. Therefore, comprehending the same concept in the second step of the Organ Realms and the Six Organs Realm would subtly affect the quality of their Primordial Energy in the future.
For ordinary cultivators who struggled to even enter the Six Organs Realm, there was no need to give it much thought.
However, for true disciples who could generally enter the Six Organs Realm, it was a significant concern. They couldn't afford to delay, and the latest they would enter the Six Organs Realm was usually around thirty-two or thirty-three years old, any later would affect their future attempts at Marrow Washing.
Meng Dan Yun was eager to advance in the Gale Wind and Water Hexagram Concepts' second steps because she didn't have much time. If she could advance these concepts to the second step sooner, she might have a chance to cultivate another concept. Otherwise, she would have to enter the Six Organs Realm first and consider other options later.
As for Chen Mu, his requirements for the Organ Realms foundation weren't exceptionally high. As long as he cultivated the complete Eight Trigrams Concept and initially advanced it to the second step, he would be satisfied and could begin training in the Six Organs Realm.
Walking along the riverbank, perhaps due to the late hour, the demonic creatures in the water seemed calmer than during the day. Chen Mu walked for about ten miles without encountering any attacks.
After walking a bit further...
"Hmm?"
Chen Mu paused slightly, gazing into the distance.
A faint aura passed through the mist, but it wasn't enough to identify the person. His perception seemed weak, indicating a Bone Forging Realm cultivator, and vaguely familiar.
Perhaps someone from the Demon Slayer Bureau?
Chen Mu shook his head, not overly concerned. After all, with the heavy mist, it was normal for someone from the Demon Slayer or Inspector Bureaus to be cautious and avoid him without knowing his identity.
He quickly averted his gaze and continued upstream.
In the distance, a figure in official attire emerged from the mist—a Deputy Director of the Demon Slayer Bureau, and quite young. If they had met earlier, Chen Mu would have recognized him instantly—Xue Lin.
Jingyu County was under the control of the Xue Family, who naturally had their eyes on various spiritual objects that could be obtained during the river's turmoil and the Earth Pulse's fluctuations. Xue Lin was exploring this area as well.
Xue Lin's eyes were solemn.
Currently, disciples from various major sects were investigating the river region. The Qingping River was a mix of various factions, and even though Xue Lin had reached Bone Forging Completion and mastered the Blaze Fire Concept, he remained cautious in his actions.
Not to mention those true disciples in the Organ Realms, even the more advanced inner disciples of the sects were beyond his capabilities. He had to retreat and avoid any confrontations while exploring the river region.
"Who was that person just now?"
Xue Lin retreated to a safe distance before looking back, but he quickly shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it. His Blaze Fire Concept wasn't adept at perception, and under the current conditions, he was naturally cautious, giving way to anyone he encountered. He could only hope to find some opportunities or, at the very least, kill some demonic creatures.
Speaking of which, the Inspector Bureau's Director in charge of the Qingping River region was, if he recalled correctly, Chen Mu. Perhaps, at this moment, Chen Mu was also cautiously exploring this area, having improved his strength.
A faint light gleamed in Xue Lin's eyes. He had no intention of competing with the true disciples who had entered the Organ Realms, but Chen Mu, also from Yu Prefecture, remained a target in his eyes. However, Xue Lin was also self-aware; even if he had reached Bone Forging Completion, he likely still fell short of Chen Mu. He needed at least one more advancement to have a chance.
(End of Chapter)
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