Chapter 308: The Arrival
Chapter 308: The Arrival
With over a hundred border guards led by Xia Hou Yan maintaining order, the entire group instantly fell into a disciplined formation.
Although Chen Mu had previously organized some of the women with martial skills, such as Lu Yun, to temporarily manage the situation, they were no match for this group of experienced border guards led by Xia Hou Yan.
After the thousands of people were organized, the group set off again, and their travel speed even increased slightly.
Lu Yun and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. With the support of Xia Hou Yan and his men, their hearts were more at ease, and they saw greater hope as they drew closer to Sha Prefecture.
As the group continued on their journey, heading directly south instead of southwest, Chen Mu and Xia Hou Yan walked at the rear, discussing border affairs while Chen Mu continued to control the cold wind within a certain range.
"Junior Brother Chen, your understanding of the Xun Wind alone is almost on par with mine." Xia Hou Yan said with a sense of awe as he walked alongside Chen Mu, feeling the latter's control over the cold wind.
Back in Sha Prefecture, although Chen Mu's strength had surpassed his, it was due to his mastery of the complete Heaven and Earth Intention and his grasp of the Heavenly Wheel Seal. It was a qualitative leap, but if they were to compare their understanding of the Xun Wind alone, Chen Mu still fell short.
Xia Hou Yan, despite not having cultivated the Xun Wind Domain, had spent many years comprehending the Xun Wind Intention and had already reached the second step's limit. However, when he met Chen Mu again after a year or two, he found that Chen Mu's control over the Xun Wind was almost equal to his own.
Moreover, Chen Mu had cultivated the Heaven and Earth Intention, which meant that his understanding of the Celestial Octagram was likely comparable to his own. This was an astonishing talent. Xia Hou Yan had cultivated for several decades to reach his current realm, while Chen Mu had only been cultivating for a few years.
"Senior Brother Xia Hou, you flatter me. Compared to your proficiency, I still have much to learn," Chen Mu replied with a calm expression.
This time, he wasn't being falsely modest. Indeed, if they were to discuss only the Xun Wind Intention, his understanding wasn't as deep as Xia Hou Yan's. Chen Mu would need to complete the seventh or even eighth iteration of the Heaven and Earth Intention to reach the second step's limit.
In the nearly half a month that he had been in Ice Province, along with his previous experiences, Chen Mu had already gathered the necessary experience for the seventh iteration. However, he hadn't found a suitable opportunity to attempt it, so he temporarily put it on hold. This minor improvement wasn't something he was in a rush to achieve.
"With your talent, it's likely that within a few years, you'll be able to perfect your Intention. And with your abilities, you've already mastered the Three-Foot Forbidden Domain. Understanding the Domain shouldn't be too difficult either. In less than ten years, you might even be able to challenge Qin Feng." Xia Hou Yan looked at Chen Mu with a bright gaze as he spoke.
Throughout history, there have been many cultivators of the Heaven and Earth Path, but within the same martial path, individuals vary in strength. Undoubtedly, Chen Mu is the strongest cultivator of the Heaven and Earth Path in the entire Northern Martial Path in recent years. Even without comprehending the Heaven and Earth Domain, he has already climbed to the top three of the Gale Wind Rankings, approaching the strength of a powerful grandmaster like Feng Hongsheng.
In Xia Hou Yan's opinion, once Chen Mu comprehends the Heaven and Earth Domain, his strength will increase even further. Surpassing elders like Feng Hongsheng won't be difficult, and he might even be able to rival top grandmasters like Qin Feng with his 'Five Organ Realm' cultivation.
"Ten years?" Chen Mu shook his head slightly, choosing not to continue the conversation on this topic. Instead, he shifted the discussion to the situation on the border of Sha Prefecture, and Xia Hou Yan provided a detailed account of the arrangements and recent developments in the prefecture.
As they walked and talked, an hour passed by unnoticed.
"The main force stationed in Cold Province is primarily from the Umon Tribe, one of the invading tribes in Ice Province. The Umon Tribe is not weak among the invading forces, and they have as many as five grandmasters." Xia Hou Yan shared a small amount of intelligence about Cold Province with Chen Mu.
Chen Mu had learned a lot about Cold Province during this period, and Xia Hou Yan, who was responsible for guarding the border of Sha Prefecture, also had some understanding of the situation there.
"Junior Brother Chen, the force you eliminated earlier was likely the Umon Tribe's soldiers. This tribe is known for its ferocity, and if they discover what happened, they won't let it go. We're still some distance from Sha Prefecture, so we should hurry on our way." Xia Hou Yan's tone became more serious as he spoke.
Being in Cold Province, one could never be too careful about potential threats. The Umon Tribe was exceptionally strong, but they lacked specific intelligence, and it was unclear how many grandmasters from the tribe were currently in Cold Province.
Even if the Umon Tribe discovered the incident, it would take them some time to locate Chen Mu's group. Their infantry and regular forces wouldn't be able to catch up, and only their grandmasters could arrive quickly.
Among the Umon Tribe's five grandmasters, there were two marquises and three clan lords. The three clan lords weren't particularly strong, and even if two of them arrived, Chen Mu, ranked in the top three of the Gale Wind Rankings, wouldn't be intimidated. However, the two marquises were powerful among grandmasters and had renowned reputations.
"The Umon Tribe..." Chen Mu thought carefully.
At present, he held the attitude of completely annihilating the outlying tribes if possible. Based on his understanding of the Umon Tribe's strength, none of them were his match. However, if grandmaster-level experts commanded over ten thousand elite troops in a battle formation, it would be a different story.
In the best-case scenario, the Grandmaster of the Wumong Tribe would leave the battle formation, wander outside, or travel alone. If they encountered him, they could be eliminated, gradually weakening the tribe's defenses. This would make it easier for the Seven Mysteries Sect to invade Cold Province later.
As Chen Mu pondered this, a sudden change occurred.
Amidst the howling cold wind, an unusual presence emerged, catching his attention. He turned to look behind him and saw the sky in the north covered in dark clouds as the last rays of sunlight illuminated the fading sunset.
Chen Mu's actions quickly caught the attention of Xia Hou Yan beside him, who was also startled. Instinctively following Chen Mu's gaze, he couldn't see anything unusual; all he could perceive was the vast grassland, with no signs of disturbance.
Just then, Chen Mu quietly stopped walking and no longer followed the group. Instead, he turned his back, crossed his arms, and gazed towards the gradually darkening grassland in the north, his expression calm and serene.
The cold wind blowing across the grassland was no different from before, but as the sky darkened, or perhaps due to some other change, it seemed to grow colder. Yet, in front of Chen Mu, the wind remained silent and invisible.
"Chen Shidi?" Xia Hou Yan asked, his voice filled with tension. Despite not sensing anything unusual, he had noticed Chen Mu's actions and felt a sense of foreboding. He stopped walking and looked towards the direction Chen Mu was facing.
Chen Mu, however, remained composed, his gaze fixed on the distant grassland. "Someone is coming," he said calmly. "But you don't need to worry, Xia Hou Shixiong. Continue leading them forward, and I'll go meet the newcomer."
With that, Chen Mu took a step back and moved in the opposite direction, stopping about a hundred feet away.
Xia Hou Yan, upon hearing Chen Mu's words, couldn't help but take a breath. His eyes shifted, noticing that some soldiers were also looking in their direction. He spoke in a low voice, "Don't panic, keep moving!"
As he signaled the soldiers and the group to continue, he turned his gaze towards the direction Chen Mu had gone. Finally, he sensed something, and a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes.
He felt an unusual pressure approaching with the biting cold wind. This aura was condensed and persistent, spreading with the wind over an unknown distance, still carrying a formidable pressure that far exceeded the capabilities of the Six Viscera Realm. Moreover, there was no demonic or corpse energy mixed within, making its origin clear.
A Grandmaster!
An Outsider Grandmaster!
As expected, after Chen Mu had killed over a thousand elite soldiers of the Wumong Tribe, they couldn't remain unresponsive. Even if the search took some time, eventually, a Grandmaster would be sent to investigate.
"The Wumong Tribe has five Grandmasters, two Marquises, and three Clan Lords. I wonder who it could be..." Xia Hou Yan couldn't help but take a deep breath. Despite his tense expression and a hint of worry in his eyes, he had no intention of approaching Chen Mu.
After all, the gap between his and Chen Mu's strength was now like heaven and earth. He had no ability to face a Grandmaster and would be easily killed with a flick of their finger.
In this vast grassland, in Cold Province, the only one capable of stopping an Outsider Grandmaster was Chen Mu.
The only good news was that the Outsider main forces were currently in the Prefecture Capital, and it was unlikely that all five Grandmasters of the Wumong Tribe in Cold Province were present. At most, there would be two or three, and only one or two, or perhaps just one, could have arrived here.
If the newcomer was the 'Marquis', then it would be slightly better. The strength of the three Marquises was on par with regular Grandmasters, falling short compared to existences like Feng Hongsheng and Shi Zhenyong. They wouldn't have an advantage against Chen Mu either.
However, if it was one of the two Marquises, the situation would be different.
The Wumong Tribe had two Marquises: the Bonebreaker Marquis and the Boneless Marquis. The Bonebreaker Marquis was extremely powerful, having once fought the Elder Han Yi of the Ice Absolute Palace to a standstill. Han Yi's strength was on par with Feng Hongsheng and Shi Zhenyong, all of them being among the strongest Grandmasters, second only to the Supreme Grandmasters! As for the Boneless Marquis, he was even stronger, rumored to be approaching the level of a Supreme Grandmaster. However, due to limited intelligence and fewer appearances, it was challenging to determine his true strength.
If either of these two Marquises had come, it would undoubtedly be a significant problem. Facing the former, Chen Mu, currently ranked in the top three of the Gale Wind Rankings, would struggle to stop them without ease. As for the latter, it would be even more challenging, and he might not be able to hold them back!
If the Boneless Marquis had indeed come, and Chen Mu couldn't stop him, then even with Chen Mu's ability to retreat unscathed, this group of people entering Cold Province for support might not be able to escape.
However, at this moment, Xia Hou Yan could only hurry on his way, unable to influence a Grandmaster's battle. He could only hope that the newcomer wasn't the Boneless Marquis, so that Chen Mu could at least delay them, preventing the worst-case scenario.
(End of Chapter)
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