Chapter 288: Harvest
Chapter 288: Harvest
"Y-Yes, yes..."
The remnants of the Heavenly Corpse Sect lacked the martial spirit to defy, and as he looked at Chen Mu in fear, he whispered, "The treasury is at the very bottom, in the deepest part of the Earth Slaughter Array. But now, with the array collapsed, that place has been buried by the earth vein and the Earth Slaughter Qi. We need to find a way to draw out the Earth Slaughter Qi to get close..."
However, after hearing his description, Chen Mu merely glanced at him indifferently and said,
"Lead the way."
"Y-Yes, yes..."
The Heavenly Corpse Sect disciple dared not disobey. Nodding repeatedly, he led Chen Mu deeper into the underground chamber. Soon, they reached a collapsed area, where he stopped and cautiously observed Chen Mu.
Chen Mu didn't say a word. With a flick of his sleeve, he lifted the disciple and took a step forward, directly entering the collapsed ruins as if squeezing into a muddy swamp. In an instant, he penetrated the ruins and arrived at the next underground chamber.
The Heavenly Corpse Sect disciple stood frozen in shock, glancing back at the collapsed ruins behind him. Only then did he realize how Chen Mu had reached this place, and his heart was filled with disbelief, as his cultivation level couldn't yet comprehend Chen Mu's methods.
"Show me the way."
Chen Mu didn't waste any more words and spoke directly.
In fact, relying on his own perception, he could have followed the traces to find the deepest part of the Heavenly Corpse Sect's stronghold. But having a guide made it easier, and besides, capturing a live one to hand over to Meng Danyun and the others might yield additional intelligence through interrogation.
"This, this way."
The Heavenly Corpse Sect disciple snapped out of his shock and obediently led the way, quickly crossing seven or eight collapsed areas and passages. They descended diagonally, gradually approaching the bottom of the Heavenly Corpse Sect's stronghold.
As they moved through the corridor, the dense gray mist of Earth Slaughter Qi hissed and quickly dissipated. Chen Mu, holding the disciple, entered the underground chamber located at the heart of the Earth Slaughter Array.
Here, numerous boxes were piled up, but most of them were now open. Some were empty, while others contained various minerals, unaffected by the Earth Slaughter Qi.
Swish.
Chen Mu, expressionless, flicked his sleeve, and the Heaven and Earth Eight Phases surged and churned, instantly cleansing the Earth Slaughter Qi from the treasury. Then, he said indifferently, "It's obvious that many of the Heaven and Earth Spirit Materials accumulated by the Heavenly Corpse Sect over the years have been taken away. What's left here aren't particularly valuable, but the battle above ground only lasted less than a tea break. The Heavenly Corpse Sect didn't have time to escape with their treasury. This scene clearly shows that after the Earth Slaughter Array collapsed, someone infiltrated and took away some precious items."
At first glance, the treasury seemed to have no traces, but to Chen Mu's eyes, he immediately noticed a peculiar flow of Heaven and Earth power in a specific area, indicating that someone had tunneled through there.
Located nearly twenty zhang underground, even a Five Viscera Realm cultivator would find it challenging to move freely. After all, not everyone could achieve the true art of 'Earth Penetration' like Chen Mu; they would still need to dig to escape.
Swish.
Chen Mu took a step forward and followed the path where someone had obviously tunneled and escaped. He didn't have to chase far; within a few hundred zhang, he sensed several auras desperately fleeing into the distance.
As Chen Mu's figure vanished and reappeared, he saw several Malevolent Corpses in a narrow passage, frantically digging. Behind them was a Heavenly Corpse Sect clerk, wearing a black cloak and carrying a backpack.
"Chen Mu!"
The clerk, upon noticing Chen Mu's appearance, revealed a look of horror.
He had been underground when the incident occurred and was buried by the collapsed Earth Slaughter Array. However, as a clerk of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, he had also refined several Malevolent Corpses, allowing him to still move underground instead of being trapped to death.
He had initially planned to dig his way to the surface, but upon remembering that Chen Mu was above ground, he doubted he could escape even if he went up. So, he decided to take advantage of the collapsed array and manipulate the Malevolent Corpses to dig their way to the treasury, retrieve the most valuable Spirit Materials, and then escape.
He even worried that Chen Mu might be nearby on the surface, so he dared not directly dig his way up but instead controlled the Malevolent Corpses to dig hundreds of zhang underground, hoping to escape by surfacing farther away. However, he still ran into Chen Mu.
"Malevolent Corpses, perish!"
The clerk of the Heavenly Corpse Sect roared, attempting to resist desperately. He manipulated three Malevolent Corpses to unleash a wave of black Earth Slaughter Qi, instantly clogging the passage and trapping Chen Mu within, relying on the terrain.
Despite Chen Mu's indifference, with a mere casual gesture, the earth vein beneath him suddenly trembled as if it had come to life, contracting and squeezing towards the center. In an instant, the three Malevolent Corpses, along with the black mist and sinister aura, were crushed and buried underground, disappearing without a trace.
Bang!
The Necropolis Sect clerk tried to escape to the ground, but Chen Mu effortlessly struck him, sending him flying. At the same time, the bundle he carried fell off and flew out, only to be caught by Chen Mu.
"Ugh."
Chen Mu briefly weighed the bundle without opening it and immediately sensed several powerful spirit artifact auras inside. It was clear that this Necropolis Sect stronghold had been collecting resources for many years, accumulating a significant amount of valuable items.
He casually opened the bundle and saw that it contained around twenty to thirty items, not all of which were spirit artifacts used for necromancy. There were also items like 'Earth Essence' among the Heaven and Earth Spirit Materials.
After all, the Necropolis Sect had been secretly gathering resources for many years, and even if they didn't need some of the Heaven and Earth Spirit Materials, they would still collect them if they had value. These items could be used for array formations or traded in underground black markets to acquire what they needed.
Despite the lack of powerful individuals at this Necropolis Sect stronghold, the value of these thirty-plus items, as Chen Mu roughly assessed, exceeded the total resources he had previously acquired from the Iron Hand Group and the Jade Rock Manor!
As long as he exchanged these items for nourishing spirit artifacts, based on the current system panel's requirements for refining the Six Viscera, he would have more than enough to refine his Six Viscera to their limit!
"It's a pity there aren't any good things like Mystic Yellow Rock."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly, feeling a bit disappointed.
He was not far from becoming a Bone Marrow Master, and with sufficient resources, he could break through within a few months. However, it was somewhat embarrassing to become a Grandmaster without a single spirit artifact that perfectly suited him. The materials he needed for his Heaven-Earth Concept were indeed hard to find.
Finding four types of materials consecutively was indeed a matter of luck. This Necropolis Sect stronghold didn't have any additional types, not even duplicates. Even obtaining a duplicate like Kunlun Jade would allow him to trade for other necessities.
Chen Mu put the bundle away.
Without further delay, he picked up the Necropolis Sect clerk and made his way back to the underground treasury. There, he brought the clerk and the previous Necropolis Sect disciple to the ground.
At that moment, Meng Danyu was waiting on the ground. Although she had found an entrance to the underground chamber, she hadn't entered, as the area was filled with collapsing debris and malevolent corpse aura. Her abilities weren't as efficient as Chen Mu's, and while she could go down, her exploration wouldn't be very fast.
Chen Mu returned to the ground, throwing the Necropolis Sect clerk and disciple to the ground. He then spoke to Meng Danyu, "I've captured two alive, Meng Shijie. You can see if they have any useful information."
"How's the situation below?"
Meng Danyu glanced at the two Necropolis Sect members, who were weak and had lost their ability to resist, and then asked Chen Mu.
Chen Mu briefly replied, "The Malevolent Corpse Array has collapsed, and the malevolent corpses have merged with the earth vein's power. Even a Five Viscera Realm practitioner would find it difficult to move freely below. However, the earth vein has a suppressing and purifying effect. Within ten days or so, the malevolent corpses will mostly dissipate."
This stronghold covered a vast area, and Chen Mu had only taken the most valuable spirit artifacts from the treasury. He didn't pay much attention to the minor details and had no interest in thoroughly sweeping through the entire place. Instead, he left it for the Seven Mysteries Sect disciples to slowly uncover over time.
Chen Mu didn't hesitate to ask Meng Danyu directly, "I found some valuable items below. Meng Shijie, do you need any of them?"
As he spoke, he opened the bundle.
However, Meng Danyu only gave it a cursory glance and shook her head slightly. "I don't need them urgently. At this level, it's more about accumulation than breakthrough. Before breaking through the Inner Gate or comprehending a realm, it's difficult to achieve any qualitative change. Using some nourishing spirit artifacts will only speed up the refining process of the Six Viscera, without any substantial transformation. And most people are like this."
"Chen Shidi, don't be too hasty in refining your Six Viscera. Overdoing it can easily cause internal damage, which isn't worth it. I know you want to use the Six Viscera refinement to deal with the demonic energy invasion sooner, but it's best to be cautious."
Meng Danyu suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but remind Chen Mu.
(Chapter End)
"Thank you for the reminder, Meng Shijie. I understand the boundaries." Chen Mu nodded slightly at Meng Danyun and put away his belongings.
He had been tempering his Six Viscera all along, following the same path as when he tempered his Five Organs. Each tempering session allowed his Six Viscera to gradually adapt, and if not for this careful approach, he would have reached 90% completion long ago.
It had taken him nearly a year since entering the Six Viscera Realm to reach this level of proficiency. Even so, he was still slightly faster than an average person tempering their Six Viscera.
"Hmm." Meng Danyun nodded slightly.
In reality, Chen Mu now surpassed her in many aspects, including his comprehension of the heavens and earth. Her only concern was that Chen Mu might lose his way due to distractions. As long as Chen Mu could maintain his cultivation, she would be content.
In terms of talent and cultivation, her experiences had given her unwavering faith in Chen Mu. Even though many believed that Chen Mu's path to grandmastery was hopeless, she had a strange feeling after their reunion that Chen Mu would become an exceptional grandmaster, surpassing the Six Viscera Realm.
This thought flashed through her mind, but it was a matter for the distant future. There was no need to consider it now, especially since the current situation had made Chen Mu much safer than before, no longer a target of many in the Cold Northern Path.
...
Frost Province, Prefectural Mansion.
After annihilating a Celestial Corpse Sect stronghold and deploying a group of Seven Mysteries Sect disciples to search the nearby mountain ranges, ensuring they were thoroughly cleared, Chen Mu quietly returned to the Prefectural Mansion.
The Ice State's system was similar to Jade State's, with the Ice Absolute Palace controlling the entire state. From the state officials to the prefectural officials, there were also offices like the Inspection Bureau and Demon Slayer Bureau.
However, after the Ice State fell into chaos, these offices were no longer as clearly defined. All decisions and deployments were made by the Frost Province Governor, Tan Xiwu. Initially, they focused on defending the Prefectural Mansion, but now they were hunting down monsters everywhere.
"Defender Chen?"
At that moment, Tan Xiwu was not in the Prefectural Mansion. The official in charge of the mansion's affairs was a Defender from the Ice Absolute Palace, who was slightly surprised to see Chen Mu but quickly greeted him with a fist salute.
Although both were Defenders, Chen Mu's status as a Gale Wind Rankings expert set him apart.
"We've cleared out a Celestial Corpse Sect stronghold and acquired some resources. I wonder if we can trade for some necessary items here."
Chen Mu stated his purpose directly.
The Ice Absolute Palace Defender, Leng Zhan, listened and wasn't too surprised. He smiled and said, "With Defender Chen's support for the Ice State, we'll certainly accommodate your needs. What do you require?"
"Are there any Nourishing Spirit Artifacts?"
"Yes, there are some, but not many. The Prefectural Mansion currently has only four portions."
Leng Zhan was slightly surprised but replied, "During these chaotic times, most resources are focused on healing and nurturing Spirit Artifacts. These are scarce in Frost Province, especially those suitable for the Six Viscera Realm. I was even considering how to respond if you asked for them. But Nourishing Spirit Artifacts are more readily available."
After all, in times of turmoil, accelerating the Six Viscera cultivation wasn't as crucial as having high-grade Spirit Medicines that could heal rapidly or even turn flesh into bone.
In fact, there were six portions of Nourishing Spirit Artifacts, a 'Six-Petal Snow Lotus', with each petal counting as one portion. These were discovered during the Frost Province earthquake and were meant to be sent to the Ice Absolute Palace, but due to the chaos in the Ice State, they had been left in Frost Province. Two petals had been used, leaving only four.
"Four portions?"
Chen Mu's expression remained calm, but he was slightly surprised. He had thought that even this county town might not have any Nourishing Spirit Artifacts, and he might have to take a risk to visit the Ice Absolute Palace. He hadn't expected to find four portions here.
Leng Zhan was aware that Chen Mu, as a Gale Wind Rankings expert, was a crucial figure assisting the Ice Absolute Palace against the Celestial Demon Sect and Celestial Corpse Sect. He readily agreed, "Those four portions are from a 'Six-Petal Snow Lotus', with only four petals remaining... If you have equivalent Spirit Artifacts, I can personally arrange the trade for you."
(End)
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