Chapter 316: Approaching
Chapter 316: Approaching
"Chen... Chen Shixiong?" Jin Ling'er noticed Chen Mu's gaze and suddenly stared at her in a daze. For a moment, she was slightly startled, and her cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment. She couldn't help but avert her eyes, unsure of why she felt hesitant to meet Chen Mu's gaze.
Why had Chen Mu been staring at her like that?
If Shixiong Chen had feelings for her... What should she do?
Although she was a girl from the Bi Jun mountains, after joining the Qiuan Sect, she had devoted herself to the pursuit of the Martial Dao. However, girls of her age were still girls, naive and sensitive, and her thoughts were in disarray. She even recalled the first time she met Chen Mu long ago and how he had saved her. She felt shy and grateful, thinking of repaying his kindness, and her face turned even redder.
Chen Mu didn't pay attention to the young girl's chaotic thoughts. His brief daze and distraction were signs of a subtle transformation in his mental state. When he regained his composure, he felt a sense of tranquility, as if all his worries and troubles had vanished.
"Work hard." Chen Mu smiled warmly at Jin Ling'er.
Then, he shifted his gaze and continued walking up the mountain.
As Jin Ling'er watched Chen Mu turn and leave, the tension in her heart eased slightly. However, she soon felt a sense of loss. She stared at Chen Mu's departing figure, lost in thought, until his silhouette disappeared into the distance. Only then did she snap out of her daze, clenching her small fist. She silently repeated Chen Mu's words of encouragement, and with renewed determination, she returned to her cultivation.
"Benefactor."
Just as Chen Mu had left Jin Ling'er and walked a short distance up the mountain, something unexpected happened. Another young girl, even younger than Jin Ling'er, looking around fourteen or fifteen years old, approached him on the mountain path. She stood there for a moment, looking slightly dazed, before kneeling down and respectfully offering a deep bow.
Among fellow disciples, kneeling was not necessary, even for inner sect disciples when facing Chen Mu. They only needed to bow their heads in respect, unless Chen Mu officially held the position of a sect elder or peak master, which would elevate his status and seniority, requiring them to address him as Shishu and perform a kneeling bow.
Chen Mu was slightly surprised by the girl's kneeling gesture, but he didn't stop her from paying her respects. As he observed her facial features, he felt a faint sense of familiarity. His mind, now incredibly perceptive, instantly traced the source of this familiarity.
"Are you Zhao Xiaohong?" Chen Mu asked.
"Does the benefactor still remember me?" Zhao Xiaohong replied, a hint of surprise in her voice as she looked up at Chen Mu, her eyes filled with reverence and admiration.
"It is indeed you. I do remember," Chen Mu confirmed, his expression gentle as he responded to her. "Since you've joined the Lingxuan Peak, from now on, you can call me Shixiong."
As he spoke, Chen Mu reached out and with a subtle lift of his hand, an invisible surge of energy helped Zhao Xiaohong to her feet.
Zhao Xiaohong.
She was the little girl he had saved from the floodwaters in Yu County years ago.
Time had passed, and circumstances had changed. It was unexpected that the little girl he had rescued also possessed martial talent and had been selected by the Qiuan Sect to join as an inner sect disciple, as indicated by her attire. Her talent must have been exceptional for her to be accepted directly into the inner sect.
"Yes, Shixiong," Zhao Xiaohong replied with a polite bow, her eyes shining with anticipation as she looked at Chen Mu.
Although Zhao Xiaohong's talent had passed the Qiuan Sect's assessment, allowing her to join as a disciple, the most crucial factor was Chen Mu's intervention on that fateful day years ago. If not for him, she would have drowned in the river.
Most importantly, she had grown up hearing about Chen Mu's accomplishments, and after joining the Qiuan Sect, she learned even more astonishing facts about him from within the sect. Her admiration for Chen Mu was immeasurable.
"How is your grandfather doing?" Chen Mu asked, his voice carrying a hint of sentiment as he recalled the past.
At his question, Zhao Xiaohong's eyes lowered slightly, and she replied softly, "Grandfather passed away last year."
"I see," Chen Mu nodded lightly.
Zhao Xiaohong's grandfather had already passed fifty years old many years ago, and for commoners who didn't practice martial arts, living beyond fifty was considered a fortunate lifespan. If he had passed away last year, he might have lived to sixty, an age that would be considered long-lived among the common folk.
Even in times of peace and prosperity, reaching sixty years old was rare for ordinary people. After all, a common illness like wind-chill could easily claim their lives. When Chen Mu first arrived in this world, he was on the brink of death, suffering from a severe wind-chill illness and lacking proper medical care. If not for the mysterious force that quickly alleviated his condition, dying on his sickbed would not have been unusual.
Without that intervention, Chen Mu might not have survived.
"Everyone's life eventually comes to an end," Chen Mu comforted Zhao Xiaohong.
Then, Chen Mu examined Zhao Xiaohong closely and asked, "With your direct entry into the inner sect, your talent must be exceptional, right?"
"In response to Shixiong, when I joined, my talent was assessed as 'Jia Shang,'" Zhao Xiaohong replied respectfully.
Chen Mu nodded slightly upon hearing this. "That's very good. Now that you've embarked on the path of martial cultivation, persevere and don't let this talent go to waste."
"Jin Ling'er possesses exceptional innate talent, ranking at the top in terms of her foundational constitution, while Zhao Xiaohong excels in comprehension, also placing her at the top. Both of them have directly entered the Inner Sect of the Qiuan Sect, and their talents surpass those of most people. In the future, they are likely to become True Disciples."
"Unfortunately, these two talents cannot be combined. If they were, it would be akin to having talent on par with Zhou Hao, a once-in-a-decade genius in the entire province. With diligent cultivation, they would have a high chance of ranking within the top ten on the New Talent List and becoming renowned figures among the younger generation."
"Of course, even without that, both of them are still exceptional. In the future, they might stand shoulder to shoulder with Meng Danyu. They still have the opportunity to become grandmasters and even break through the Life-and-Death Barrier, questioning Blood Transformation."
Speaking of which...
"The two young girls he saved both possess extraordinary talent, allowing them to be accepted into the Inner Sect of the Qiuan Sect. It's somewhat coincidental, but upon closer thought, it's not that surprising. Along his journey, he has saved countless people, and it's normal for one or two of them to have exceptional talent."
"Yes, Hong'er will heed your teachings, Senior Brother, and will not slack in her cultivation."
Zhao Xiaohong bowed once more to Chen Mu.
Like Chen Mu, she also came from humble beginnings, and her experiences were even more challenging than Jin Ling'er's. Being accepted into the Qiuan Sect, she naturally understood the magnitude of this opportunity and would never neglect such a chance.
Chen Mu nodded slightly to Zhao Xiaohong and offered some words of encouragement before continuing up the mountain path. This time, he didn't encounter any more acquaintances and finally reached the summit, arriving at the rear cliff behind the main hall of Lingxuan Peak.
However, the rear cliff was empty. The boulder where Qin Mengjun usually sat in meditation was empty.
"Is Master still in seclusion...?"
Chen Mu carefully sensed the rear cliff, and the environment showed no fluctuations, indicating that Qin Mengjun hadn't been there for a long time. He remembered that after Qin Mengjun's long slumber and awakening, her condition had improved significantly. This time, her seclusion had lasted even longer, and perhaps upon emerging, she would fully recover.
If Qin Mengjun could return to normal, Chen Mu would be genuinely happy for her. After all, if she were sometimes lucid and sometimes dazed, she would forever be confined to the small area of the Qiuan Sect's mountain gate, unable to venture far in this lifetime.
Not seeing Qin Mengjun, Chen Mu didn't wait any longer.
He quietly descended the peak and returned to his residence on Lingxuan Peak, the simple bamboo house. Although he hadn't lived there for a long time, someone had clearly been maintaining it, and it remained clean and tidy.
Chen Mu sat down on the familiar bamboo bed and moved his will, summoning the system interface.
[Martial Dao: Cosmic Domain (Second Step)]
[Experience: 677 points]
[Available Simulations: 1]
The previously accumulated experience had been converted into available simulations. It was only now, after returning to the sect and settling matters, that he finally had the leisure to enhance his cultivation by one level.
After his mental state quietly transformed, Chen Mu's Martial Dao Will reached the ultimate state of being one with nature. With the changes in experience on the system panel, he easily determined that his current efficiency in comprehending the heavens had directly increased to two or three times that of before! With the eighth simulation, he would reach the limit of the second step.
This was something Chen Mu had confirmed earlier.
In his current state, gathering the eighth simulation would be much faster than before, and it might only take a few months to succeed. After success, taking the next step would lead to the Cosmic Domain! Once he cultivated the Cosmic Domain and controlled it with his Cosmic Martial Body, his strength would undergo another transformation.
At that time, looking across the world, even the most powerful grandmasters would pale in comparison. As for whether he could reach the height of the Blood Transformation Realm and contend with those at the highest level of Martial Dao, it would depend on the true strength of that realm.
Humm.
Without further hesitation, Chen Mu closed his eyes, consumed a simulation attempt, and initiated the seventh simulation of the Cosmic Domain.
After the previous six simulations, this seventh simulation was like a well-trodden path. Having cultivated his Martial Body and become a grandmaster, his comprehension of the heavens had already transformed. Now, with the system's simulation, he once again felt as if he had returned to that state of mind where his spirit merged with the heavens, directly perceiving the essence of all things.
Time passed, and when he regained his senses, he was still sitting in the bamboo house. The seventh simulation of the Cosmic Domain had quietly concluded, and he was now on the cusp of reaching the limit of the second step.
A subtle change occurred, and Chen Mu, sensing the heavens around him, exhaled softly. It was as if he had discovered something, and he slowly stood up, walking to the door.
After several moments.
A figure appeared at the door—a guardian of the Qiuan Sect. He bowed to Chen Mu and handed him a deep purple stone with intertwining threads of lightning, saying, "Guardian Chen, this is the Azure Sky Stone that Elder Qi asked me to deliver."
"Thank you."
Chen Mu nodded slightly and took the Azure Sky Stone.
(End of Chapter)
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