Chapter 240: Quintessence Lotus Platform

Chapter 240: Quintessence Lotus Platform

The battles across the region were brief, lasting only a few dozen exchanges.

After testing each other, they would gauge their opponent's strength and then withdraw.

The combatants were evenly matched, and with the disturbance in the Horizon Sea still a few days away, none wanted to risk injury before ascending the Cloud Veil Heavenly Ladder. Even if they won, they might still suffer wounds.

Chen Mu observed the sparring and probing, then quietly left.

"Where is Chen Mu?"

But just after Chen Mu's departure, someone sought him out.

Accompanied by a surging sword intent, a figure appeared atop the courtyard wall, dressed in Sky Sword Sect attire. It was none other than Gu Hong, the True Transmission disciple who had previously lost to Chen Mu!

Wearing a simple blue robe and without a sword in hand, he stood there, exuding a sharp aura as if surrounded by invisible blades. It seemed that a single move would cause him to be torn apart by unseen sword qi, intimidating everyone in the courtyard.

At that moment, gazes from various directions fixed upon him.

"It's Gu Hong from the Sky Sword Sect."

"I heard he lost to Chen Mu, but after that defeat, he re-established himself. Within two years, he re-condensed his Heart Sword, and not long ago, he directly defeated the 23rd-ranked True Transmission disciple of the Green Lotus Sect on the Rising Talent List. It's said that his current strength can now compete for a spot in the top twenty."

For a moment, many showed surprise.

Gu Hong wanted to challenge Chen Mu again, and this was worth paying attention to. Putting Gu Hong aside, Chen Mu was indeed a rising talent who had emerged in recent years. After joining the Seven Mysteries Sect, he remained low-key for less than two years before revealing his cultivation of the Skyward Primal Concept. His strength was at least close to Zhou Hao's level, and he was expected to enter the top twenty, with potential for the top ten.

Moreover, no one had sparred with Chen Mu yet, so his true strength remained unclear. While the Skyward Primal Concept was powerful, the extent to which he could utilize it was also crucial.

Gu Hong's current strength was not weak, and the outcome of his rematch with Chen Mu was intriguing.

However, under the pressure of Gu Hong's surging Heart Sword's sword intent, no response came from the courtyard where the Seven Mysteries Sect disciples gathered. After a while, a voice finally said, "Senior Brother Chen isn't here."

"Oh?"

Gu Hong's sword intent subsided, and he calmly replied, "But I heard he had arrived."

There was no response from the courtyard.

Gu Hong extended his Heart Sword's perception, sensing that Chen Mu was indeed not there. He then said indifferently, "He's truly not here... During these days, the various geniuses are sparring and verifying their martial arts. He came and left without fighting. Why is that?"

"Maybe he's afraid of losing."

Someone in the distance added, "Not everyone can be like you, able to break through after a major defeat. Some people might find it difficult to break through the Mystic Gateway if they suffer a big loss."

Since the news from Cloudy Peak Pass spread, many had been paying close attention to Chen Mu. With various forces gathering in Jade Province Bi City, and the Cloud Veil Heavenly Ladder about to open for martial arts discussions, Chen Mu, the top talent on the Rising Talent List, had barely shown his face. If it weren't for the events at Cloudy Peak Pass, perhaps Chen Mu's reputation wouldn't be so high. But now, it was evident that he wouldn't go unnoticed.

"Nonsense!"

Finally, someone in the courtyard couldn't help but speak up. Shen Lin's voice sank as she said, "Senior Brother Chen just isn't interested in sparring before the Cloud Veil Heavenly Ladder opens. If you want to challenge Senior Brother Chen, go find him yourselves. You didn't seek him out when he was here, and now you come here spouting nonsense."

Although there hadn't been any news of Chen Mu sparring with others in the past few days, Shen Lin was well aware that Chen Mu wasn't afraid of fighting. Chen Mu's attitude earlier showed that he wasn't interested in such sparring.

Moreover, who was Chen Mu?

He had comprehended the Skyward Primal Concept within a year and a half of joining the sect. How could he back down from Gu Hong, a mere defeated opponent? If it were Zuo Qianqiu or Yuan Yingsong speaking, it would be understandable. But in Shen Lin's eyes, even with his breakthrough, Gu Hong didn't have the qualifications.

"Hmph!"

Gu Hong coldly snorted.

Shen Lin felt an invisible sword intent slicing through her vision, freezing her in place. In that instant, she felt as if her entire body was split in two from the center, and cold sweat soaked her clothes.

But just then, Zhou Hao's voice came from inside the courtyard.

"If you want to find Senior Brother Chen for a rematch, then go find him. Threatening my Seven Mysteries Sect's disciples, Gu Hong, is this the extent of your character? I think you're still no match for Senior Brother Chen."

"Is that so?"

Gu Hong's gaze shifted to the inner courtyard, and his sword intent surged once more. But within a breath, it calmed again, and he said indifferently, "You fought with Jiang Yifei and were injured. I have no interest in taking advantage of your weakness. You could only receive four of Senior Brother Zuo's swords back then. I wonder how many of his swords you can take now?"

As his words fell, he turned and disappeared along the wall.

Inner Courtyard.

Zhou Hao sat beneath a tall mountain willow, sipping a cup of tea while adjusting his inner qi. His expression was calm, but beside him, the True Transmission disciple of Minor Profound Peak, Liu Chan, had a gloomy face. "This Gu Hong is too arrogant. If you hadn't been injured, Zhou Senior Brother, suppressing him would be a matter of moments."

"Breaking through after a defeat is indeed a bit extraordinary. Not only does the Heart Sword's sword intent need to be re-established, but the martial arts will also need to be re-condensed. Few can achieve such a clean and decisive breakthrough in decades."

At this moment, Zhou Hao remained calm, seemingly unperturbed by Gu Hong's last words. "This person aims to enter the top ten and indeed has some skills. He's a formidable opponent for Senior Brother Chen."

After speaking, he slowly set down his teacup and looked up at the distant 'Cloud Veil Peak', towering between heaven and earth.

In the past, this place was just a training ground for Seven Mysteries Sect disciples. Now, since the Rising Talent List's emergence, it had become a gathering place for young talents from the eleven states of Cold Northern Road, a battleground for the rising generation.

The Horizon Sea Pavilion's creation of the Rising Talent List has indeed intensified the competition among the younger generation of Cold Northern Road, adding fuel to the chaotic situation in the eleven states of Youzhou. However, the intentions behind this move remain unclear.

But Chen Mu couldn't concern himself with such matters.

Currently, he is one of the top talents on the list, and being in the midst of the chaos, he can only gain insights into his martial arts by challenging various Celestial Talents. Step by step, he will ascend to the heavens, reaching the Mystic Gateway, and only then will he be qualified to glimpse the full picture of the situation in Cold Northern Road.

...

Chen Mu was unaware of the events occurring in the courtyard occupied by the Seven Mysteries Sect.

At this moment, he had quietly left the county seat of Amethyst Province and was heading towards the direction of the Cloud Veil Heavenly Ladder. He strolled across the vast plateau, breathing in the essence of heaven and earth, feeling the natural essence of all things, and gazing up at the towering peak that stood between the clouds.

Ever since he entered Amethyst Province, his experience with the Heaven-Earth Intention had been steadily increasing. Now, as he gradually approached the Cloud Veil Heavenly Ladder, even though he had not yet reached the peak, he could only gaze upon the upper half of the towering peak, hidden within the sea of clouds. Nonetheless, he constantly gained insights, as if observing a painting of the Sky Heaven Earth, Earthly Firmament, Mountain of Tranquility, and other concepts intertwining in perfect harmony.

[Martial Arts: Heaven-Earth Intention (Second Step)]



[Experience: 3712 points]



[Available Simulations: 0 times]



On the system panel, his accumulated experience points had already exceeded three thousand, and he had only been in Amethyst Province for half a month!

In his judgment, even without ascending the Cloud Veil Heavenly Ladder, merely walking around this towering peak for a month or two would be enough to advance the Heaven-Earth Intention once more. For him, this was a solid step forward in his martial arts journey.

Now, he had not yet cultivated the fifth layer of the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal.

It wasn't that he couldn't cultivate it, but his comprehension of the Heaven-Earth Intention was not deep enough. The experience points gained from practicing the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal were insufficient, requiring a significant amount of time. It was far more efficient to comprehend the Heaven-Earth Intention first and then return to cultivate the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal.

In his judgment, after completing the third simulation of the Heaven-Earth Intention, cultivating the layers of the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal would likely be much faster. Perhaps, in two or three months, he could master it, and if he completed the fourth simulation, it would be even quicker.

"Cultivating to the sixth layer is the limit of the second step of Heaven-Earth Intention."

Chen Mu spoke to himself.

On the Gale Wind Rankings, aside from those who had mastered the realm of intentions, there were only a few who had completely cultivated the Heaven-Earth Intention and other intentions like Yin-Yang. Among them, the Heaven-Earth Intention was undoubtedly the strongest.

Currently, there were only two people on the Gale Wind Rankings who had ascended using the Heaven-Earth Intention. One was at the bottom, and the other was ranked seventeenth. The one at the bottom had only cultivated the fourth layer of the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal, while the seventeenth-ranked had cultivated the fifth layer.

"If I encounter a Marrow-Washing Grandmaster now, I can only flee, no matter how weak they are. But if I cultivate the fifth layer, I can even fight and possibly defeat them! If I cultivate the sixth layer, I might even have a chance against some ordinary Grandmasters!"

Chen Mu knew that advancing from the second step's limit to mastering the realm and then entering the third step would be an immense challenge. But at least before that, the obstacles he faced were minimal. In a few years, he could cultivate the Heaven-Earth Intention to its second-step limit. By then, even if he hadn't reached the Grandmaster realm, he would still possess the true ability to roam freely in the martial arts world.

As for Zuo Qianqiu, Yuan Yingsong, and other Celestial Talents on the Rising Talent List, it would likely take them several years to even start climbing the Gale Wind Rankings. Compared to him, they were worlds apart, and he naturally had little interest in paying attention to them or seeking sparring matches.

Chen Mu walked a few more steps.

He arrived at the edge of the plateau.

Ahead was a cliff, and only after passing through it could he reach the foot of the Cloud Veil Heavenly Peak.

As Chen Mu stood tall at the edge of the cliff, continuing to examine the towering peak and gaining insights into heaven and earth, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly reached his ears from behind him.

"Hehe, you're quite hard to find. You came to Amethyst Province but didn't show your face once. Still, I managed to find you."

In a 6, 9, 1, and 8, a book bar with no mistakes!

The voice was pleasant and melodious, like the crisp ringing of a silver bell.

Chen Mu turned his head calmly and saw a figure approaching from behind on the plateau. She walked with graceful steps, wearing a light yellow skirt that revealed inch by inch of her ice-like skin in the gentle breeze. Her slender waist was slender enough to grasp, and her exposed skin would surely invite whispers and criticism if seen in a city.

However, for Chen Mu, this was nothing out of the ordinary. In his distant memories, he had seen even bolder and more revealing female attire, common and widespread.

"What's the matter?"

Chen Mu looked at the approaching woman and asked calmly.

The woman walked closer, slightly surprised, and glanced at Chen Mu with a hint of astonishment. She smiled and said, "It seems that after two years apart, Chen has missed me a lot. His tone is even gentler than usual. I've been carefully nurturing this body, waiting for Chen to enjoy it."

As she spoke the last sentence, her tone became flirtatious and bold, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, like a young child, both anticipating and shy, her desires almost materialized into tangible silk threads, coiled around him.

Chen Mu glanced casually at the approaching Flower Shadow. "Speak honestly."

In the past, he had been cautious and wary of Flower Shadow, a true transmission disciple of the Harmony Pleasure Sect, fearing that a moment of desire would trap him in her net, and a single misstep would lead to irreversible consequences.

But now, with his Heaven-Earth Intention mastery, he remained calm and unbothered, whether it was Flower Shadow, Yuan Yingsong, Zuo Qianqiu, or any other young talent. He regarded them with a relaxed and unhurried attitude.

As someone who could ascend the Gale Wind Rankings and approach the Marrow-Washing Grandmaster realm, it would be a shame to remain cautious and guarded against Flower Shadow, Jiang Yifei, and other young talents.

(End of Chapter)

"Haha, when have I ever not been honest?"

Flower Shadow blinked at Chen Mu and said, "Do you still remember the agreement we made two years ago?"

Chen Mu calmly replied, "Is that so? I don't recall any agreement between us."

Flower Shadow gracefully stepped forward, moving closer, and said, "I mentioned back then that I would temporarily leave the Earthly Origin Lotus Seed in your care, and I would come to retrieve it later. You surely haven't used it all up, right? I'm in great need of this item."

"Indeed, there's still some left."

Chen Mu observed Flower Shadow's expression, which remained unchanged, and said, "If you want it, then come and take it."

At this moment, Flower Shadow was already within a zhang of Chen Mu, carefully examining him from head to toe. After a while, she smiled and said, "If I wanted to take it by force, I wouldn't have the confidence to do so. Moreover, with the good relationship I have with you, how could I ruin it over a spirit item?"

As she spoke, she lifted her small hand, and a delicate and exquisite lotus platform appeared in her palm, exuding the five elements and constantly fluctuating with their energies.

"This is the Quintessence Lotus Platform, containing abundant Five Elements Essence Energy. If you've tempered your organs nine times, refining this lotus platform will allow you to undergo the tenth tempering, making it a spirit item not far inferior to the Earthly Origin Lotus Seed."

Flower Shadow held the lotus platform in her palm, her charming figure swaying in the wind as she giggled, "I said I would bring other spirit items to exchange with you, and now I'm keeping my promise, right?"

The Quintessence Lotus Platform.

Chen Mu's gaze shifted to the lotus platform in Flower Shadow's hand, and he was indeed familiar with this item. It was among the rarest spirit refining materials for organs, as it contained all five elements and was extremely abundant. It was a top-grade spirit item, sufficient to assist a martial artist in completing the ninth or even tenth organ tempering.

In terms of value, it was indeed comparable to the Earthly Origin Lotus Seed.

However, Chen Mu paused slightly, as he wasn't sure about the exact amount of Five Elements Essence Energy contained within the lotus platform. If it merely gathered the five elements and was easier to absorb, then its value would be similar to five or six 'Quintessence Spirit Beads'. But if it contained the essence of ten or more, it would indeed be worth exchanging for an Earthly Origin Lotus Seed.

The key was that he, too, genuinely needed this type of organ refining material to complete the thirteenth organ tempering.

"The value of this item is indeed comparable to the Earthly Origin Lotus Seed, but my organs have already undergone the tenth tempering."

Flower Shadow blinked and said, "As expected of someone who has reached the pinnacle of the first four realms, with a foundation of Jade Bone entering the organs. It's no wonder you've already completed the tenth tempering. However, you're keeping the Earthly Origin Lotus Seed to either exchange for other useful spirit items or give to your wife, right? This Quintessence Lotus Platform can also help her strengthen her foundation and advance further in the organ realms."

After a brief pause, Chen Mu didn't waste any more words, "Give me a copy of your sect's dual cultivation technique, and I'll exchange it with you."

Flower Shadow seemed surprised and laughed, "I always thought you were a rigid and serious person, but I never expected you to be interested in our dual cultivation technique. Since that's the case, why don't you leave the Seven Mysteries Sect and join our Harmony Pleasure Sect? Even if you can't officially join our sect, our senior sisters and junior sisters are all at your disposal."

Chen Mu's expression remained calm as he said, "The method of replenishing is a human path, taking from the excess to make up for the deficiency. It's a lower-tier method. What I seek is not the replenishing method, but the genuine dual cultivation technique derived from the Yin-Yang realm, which aligns with the heavenly path."

The request for the dual cultivation technique was not solely for Xu Yu, but compared to the replenishing method, the proper dual cultivation technique derived from the Yin-Yang realm was also in accordance with the heavenly path. Now that he had mastered the Heaven-Earth realm, he could comprehend the profound mysteries of Yin and Yang from it.

At this point, having mastered the Heaven-Earth realm, he had become like a vast ocean, capable of perceiving profound truths from the Heaven-Earth firmament and learning from various sources to trace back to the fundamental principles of the Dao.

Flower Shadow laughed, her body trembling, and said, "Your words are indeed sincere. Could it be that you plan to cultivate the Yin-Yang dual cultivation technique yourself? Hmm... Your wife's cultivation seems weaker, and she hasn't entered the organ realms yet, right? I can accompany you in practicing this dual cultivation technique."

At this point, her entire body seemed to be enveloped in a layer of mist, her translucent skin glowing as she stared at Chen Mu with sparkling eyes, as if truly feeling a deep affection.

Naturally, Chen Mu wouldn't lose his judgment because of this. He calmly observed the woman before him, and suddenly, a flash of realization crossed his eyes, and he said, "Your aura seems different from Flower Shadow... So that's why. No wonder you dared to approach me so boldly, knowing I've cultivated the Heavenly Firmament realm, and you're not afraid I might forcefully take what I want. Although I don't have such intentions, you're indeed fearless.

So it turns out, you're not the younger sister, but the older sister.

Flower Shadow.

The true disciple and leader of the Harmony Pleasure Sect, ranked fourth on the Rising Talent List.

(End)

Chapter end