Chapter 344: Initial Battle of Blood Exchange

Chapter 344: Initial Battle of Blood Exchange

Qin Mengjun observed Chen Mu, seemingly understanding something vaguely, and a faint light flashed in her eyes. Suddenly, a serene smile appeared on her face as she said, "It's probably not just a slight accomplishment. Now, you must want to test your own strength, right?"

"Disciple's boldness cannot escape Master's insight."

Chen Mu smiled.

In truth, after Qin Mengjun entered the Blood Exchange Realm, she seemed reborn, looking even younger than him, but her eyes were still filled with intelligence, and she instantly guessed his thoughts.

Qin Mengjun surveyed Chen Mu up and down, and her gentle gaze said, "I didn't expect you to be so quick... Well, let me see how far your martial arts have progressed and what realm you've reached."

Ever since she learned that Chen Mu had entered the Bone Washing Grandmaster realm, she knew that with Chen Mu's extraordinary talent, he would undoubtedly reach the pinnacle of martial arts in the future. Even though she had already entered the Blood Exchange Realm, it was only a matter of time before Chen Mu surpassed her.

Looking at Chen Mu now, he seemed to have made significant progress. The previous Chen Mu was already formidable, and now he wanted to seek her guidance to test his strength. She also wanted to see how much Chen Mu had achieved in these two months.

"Let's go."

Qin Mengjun quickly retracted her gaze, and her figure lightly flickered, disappearing into thin air like a wisp of clear energy. When her aura reappeared, she was already far above the sky.

Chen Mu, seeing this, calmly took a step forward, also disappearing from his original position and ascending into the sky, following Qin Mengjun's footsteps. He continued to trail behind her as they ventured further away.

The last time Chen Mu sought guidance from Qin Mengjun, he couldn't fly through the air, and it was Qin Mengjun who led him in flight. But this time, he was almost able to keep up with Qin Mengjun's pace in the air, with the two of them moving forward one after the other. They quickly left the Seven Mystic Peaks and ventured deep into the clouds, reaching a thousand-zhang height in the sky.

High above in the sky.

The setting sun left only a brilliant golden glow, illuminating the vast clouds like auspicious clouds. Qin Mengjun, dressed in white, stood amidst the mist, her bare feet surrounded by a faint golden cloud aura, giving her an almost divine appearance.

Having entered the Blood Exchange Realm through the Heavenly Firmament Path, she had indeed followed a grand and righteous path. At this level, one's personal martial might could cause cities to crumble and mountains to split, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were like gods.

Step, step, step,

Chen Mu followed behind, clad in a long blue robe, his aura deep and profound. At this moment, without intentionally concealing his power, even at a glance, one could sense the aura of a true extraordinary grandmaster, unperturbed even in the face of collapsing mountains.

Qin Mengjun gazed at Chen Mu, her fourth disciple, and a slight ripple appeared in her eyes. When she took Chen Mu as her disciple, she indeed hadn't expected him to possess such extraordinary talent. Even if she had anticipated it, she couldn't have imagined that Chen Mu would, in just a few short years, progress from the initial Five Viscera Realm to the Bone Washing Grandmaster realm, becoming an unparalleled grandmaster.

But now, looking back, Chen Mu's martial arts journey had indeed been like that of an extraordinary genius. In the thousand years since the establishment of Great Xuan, and even looking back over the past tens of thousands of years, no one in any of the previous dynasties had ever shown such talent.

Hum.

Qin Mengjun stood amidst the swirling mist, and without any visible action, the hundred-zhang area around her in the sky seemed to merge with her aura in an instant. The vast power of heaven and earth flowed and gathered, causing the clouds to churn. After entering the Blood Exchange Realm, her Heavenly Firmament Domain had become more than twice as powerful as before.

However, facing Qin Mengjun's quietly unleashed Heavenly Firmament Domain, this time, Chen Mu did not respond as he had before, mobilizing his Primordial True Force to condense the Heaven-Earth Seal to resist. Instead, he calmly stood in his original position, and a strand of invisible will emanated from his body, instantly causing the heaven and earth's power within a few dozen zhang around him to solidify and become still.

In that instant, the Eight Aspects Radiance flowed, like strands of divine light shining, moving with his heart and mind.

In front of Qin Mengjun, Chen Mu naturally didn't hide anything. Since she was well aware of his Heavenly Firmament Body, there was no need to conceal his Heavenly Firmament Domain. In the past, when Qin Mengjun released the Heavenly Firmament Domain, he could only be suppressed and couldn't withstand it. But now, he had also reached this realm.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The two different domains clashed, colliding in the sky and creating a visible force field, like an invisible light shield. Where they made contact, a continuous cracking sound could be heard, as if ice was shattering.

"Heavenly Firmament Domain..."

Although Qin Mengjun had expected this, seeing Chen Mu standing in the clouds, unmoving yet releasing this power, a trace of admiration flashed in her eyes.

In martial arts, the Heavenly Firmament was the strongest and most challenging. Even the Heavenly Firmament Domain was rare in the Cold Northern Region, and in the past decades, there had only been a few Heavenly Firmament Grandmasters. As for the Heavenly Firmament Domain, she had only seen it once during her time as a top master in the Cold Northern Region.

That was a cultivator from the Central State who practiced the Heavenly Firmament. Although he hadn't reached the grandmaster level, his Heavenly Firmament Domain alone made him stronger than many grandmasters. Still, he was no match for Qin Mengjun at that time.

Now,

Nearly twenty years later, the Heavenly Firmament Domain reappeared! But this time, it was displayed by her disciple, standing amidst the flowing Heavenly Firmament Eight Aspects Power, surrounded by a halo, unmoving and serene in the clouds.

The crisp sounds of clashing reverberated as Qin Mengjun and Chen Mu's respective domains collided in the sky, creating a symphony of crackling and snapping. From a distance, one could see Qin Mengjun's hundred-foot-wide invisible Heavenly Domain, filled with a majestic and vast aura of the sky's might.

On the other side, Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Domain spanned only about thirty feet, significantly smaller than Qin Mengjun's. It was almost entirely enveloped and swallowed by Qin Mengjun's Heavenly Domain.

Despite the vast difference in domain size, Qin Mengjun's Heavenly Domain relentlessly rippled and contracted, pressing inward with a series of cracking sounds, yet it couldn't crush Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Domain!

In the battle of domains, victory always depended on size and quality.

After Qin Mengjun entered the Blood-Exchange Realm, her Heavenly Domain nearly doubled in size, reaching a hundred feet. The power she could command was grand and vast, directly capable of overwhelming ordinary grandmasters and even the top masters.

Chen Mu's domain, spanning only thirty feet, might be weaker against such overwhelming force. If it were any less powerful, it would likely succumb within a few breaths under Qin Mengjun's direct suppression.

However, Chen Mu wielded the Heaven-Earth Domain!

Encompassing all martial arts under heaven, his domain was the pinnacle of martial prowess. Within its range, all forces were harnessed and controlled, requiring no transformation or restraint. In this thirty-foot domain, he was the heavens, and the heavens were him. Thus, the strength of his domain was naturally unimaginable.

Despite its smaller size compared to Qin Mengjun's, Chen Mu navigated it effortlessly, forcefully resisting the pressure and invasions from all directions. He remained unperturbed, advancing and retreating with ease.

Crackling! Crackling!!

Chen Mu and Qin Mengjun stood several dozen feet apart, gazing at each other. Without employing other techniques, they solely relied on their domains to test each other's strength, continuing this stalemate for nearly a quarter of an hour. Finally, Chen Mu nodded slightly.

The power of the Heaven-Earth Domain satisfied him. Even when facing Qin Mengjun's Heavenly Domain after her Blood-Exchange Realm breakthrough, he showed no weakness and could withstand the direct confrontation without faltering. He even thought that if this stalemate continued, it might not be him who would be defeated first; perhaps, Qin Mengjun would be the one unable to maintain her Heavenly Domain, leading to its collapse.

However, this was challenging to measure.

For both of them, maintaining their domains consumed very little energy. If they continued this stalemate without employing other techniques, it might take days or even half a month to determine a clear victor.

Moreover, after this quarter-hour assessment, Chen Mu had already achieved his goal of gauging the power of his Heaven-Earth Domain. He now had a good understanding of his current abilities and was ready to try more intense methods.

"Master, it seems that in a domain contest, I can't surpass you." Chen Mu spoke to Qin Mengjun.

Qin Mengjun nodded slightly, understanding that Chen Mu's purpose was not to seek victory but to measure his own strength. She was helping him gauge his current capabilities, especially since he had cultivated the Heaven-Earth Martial Body, allowing him to truly unleash the power of his domain.

Otherwise, even with her current realm, if the figure from the Capital State who had cultivated the Heaven-Earth Domain faced her in a domain clash, they might not be swiftly defeated, but they would be suppressed and at a disadvantage. The gap between the Blood-Exchange Realm and the Six Viscera Realm was just too vast.

"The Heaven-Earth Domain is unparalleled under heaven. Once you enter the Blood-Exchange Realm, regardless of your other strengths, you might even be able to contend with those who have attained unity with heaven and are revered as saints." Qin Mengjun spoke softly to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu listened and nodded slightly, saying, "My domain power is no less than yours. However, after reaching the Blood-Exchange Realm, strength is not solely determined by the might of heaven and earth but also by the degree of refinement. How are your other aspects of cultivation?"

Qin Mengjun replied, "With your domain power already matching mine, it's not just about the power you can command after entering the Blood-Exchange Realm. It's also about the level of refinement. How are your other cultivation aspects?"

Chen Mu responded with a slight nod, "Disciple will be impolite."

As he spoke, Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Domain suddenly retracted.

At the same time, Qin Mengjun's eyes flashed, and she also restrained her Heavenly Domain, facing Chen Mu with a serious expression.

Chen Mu took a step towards Qin Mengjun, his movements appearing slow and deliberate in the eyes of onlookers, each action clear and distinct. But in that moment, the entire world seemed to freeze, even the distant glow of the setting sun momentarily paused.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Chen Mu's figure had already reached Qin Mengjun's front, his finger pointing towards her heart. The technique looked ordinary, without the use of the Heaven-Earth Seal, but in reality, it had reached the realm of returning to simplicity and truth. With the Heaven-Earth Martial Body controlling the Heaven-Earth Domain, the internal and external forces merged! This seemingly plain finger could easily kill an Eighth-Rank Demon King or any top master!

Qin Mengjun's eyes flashed with a hint of brilliance as she observed Chen Mu's finger. She responded with her own finger, slender and graceful like a white jade hairpin, seemingly fragile and easily breakable. But within this finger, the Heavenly Might was vast and powerful, capable of piercing through a hundred-foot mountain!

Crackling!!!

Their fingers collided, touching each other at the fingertips. In that instant, a ripple silently spread through the void, and a faint, thin white crack appeared.

This seemingly simple strike, appearing to have no ripples or aftermath, was in fact a display of force at its pinnacle, with both individuals harnessing the might of the Heaven Earth Qi through their Martial Bodies, without the slightest leakage.

Their fingers barely touched before retracting.

Each could sense a powerful force colliding between them.

"..."

Chen Mu's sharp gaze captured the subtle white crack, akin to a fracture on ice, appearing in the void when their fingertips clashed. He had seen such cracks before, caused by the tearing of air due to force, but this time, he vaguely sensed a subtle difference.

The collision of these two forces, refined to the extreme, seemed to tear not just the air but also the sky, creating a faint crack, like a curtain, that quickly healed.

"I've heard that those who stand at the apex of Martial Dao, achieving unity with Heaven, the legendary figures of their era, can cause the void to fracture slightly during their clashes. I once read about this in some books, thinking it was an exaggeration, but now it seems it might be true." Chen Mu asked Qin Mengjun.

Qin Mengjun nodded slightly, "Indeed, when one reaches the pinnacle of Martial Dao, comprehends the third step of the Concept, and ascends to the Heaven-Man level, a full-force confrontation might indeed cause the Heaven Earth itself to fracture slightly. However, such fractures are extremely subtle, healing in an instant, and only the most exceptional individuals' clashes can produce them."

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

As Chen Mu and Qin Mengjun exchanged a few words, their actions didn't stop. Their fingers and palms continuously clashed, creating a series of flesh-on-flesh impacts. It sounded like a typical skin-muscle training realm martial artist's physical combat, but in reality, it was a display of force concentrated at a single point, with no outward expansion.

The only anomaly with each strike was the subtle crack, like a shattered ice surface, extending less than a foot and healing in an instant.

"I see."

Chen Mu continued his actions, engaging Qin Mengjun in combat, his expression thoughtful.

The white cracks produced by their clash were also a manifestation of the 'Heaven Earth' fracture. However, the fracture wasn't thorough, as the Heaven Earth wasn't as fragile as an ice surface, shattering completely with a single break. Instead, it was like a highly resilient membrane, with the fracture limited to the surface, healing in an instant.

According to the records in some of the books he was familiar with, the clashes of the top Martial Artists in the world produced more significant fractures. When the Heaven Earth membrane was completely torn, the void cracks were not white but black.

However, the fact that he and Qin Mengjun could create these white cracks indicated something significant. His current strength had indeed reached the level of the Martial Dao apex!

The seemingly one-foot-long white crack, though healing in an instant, symbolized a torn layer of the Heaven Earth membrane, achievable only by those who attained the Blood-Exchange Realm or were exceptional Heavenly Demons!

Although his martial arts journey was much shorter than Qin Mengjun's, his skills were now at their peak. In their close-quarters combat, every move and technique was executed with utmost power, and their clashes were almost evenly matched.

Exhilaration.

A sense of exhilaration rose within Chen Mu's heart.

He faced a seemingly delicate woman, but she was a true Blood-Exchange Realm expert, a contemporary figure who had reached the eighth realm of Body Tempering Martial Dao and stood at the apex. He now possessed the strength to confront such a formidable opponent head-on!

Five Years!

It had been almost five years since he joined the Qiuan Sect and became a disciple of Spirit Profound Peak. These five years of arduous cultivation, diligent and unwavering, had finally led him step by step to this realm, where he could now go anywhere in the world, like a dragon leaping from the depths to soar in the sky, without any more concerns.

Having reached this point, he had truly ascended to the final steps of Martial Dao. Looking up, he could now genuinely glimpse the pinnacle of Martial Dao, the top of the Great Xuan Ninety-Nine Provinces, and the position at the highest peak.

On the other side.

Qin Mengjun and Chen Mu continued their combat, and her starry eyes sparkled with light. She was well aware that Chen Mu's strength had already rivaled the supreme grandmasters of Great Xuan during the pursuit of the Mystic Turtle, and his power had further transformed. Still, the realization that Chen Mu now possessed the strength for a true confrontation stirred ripples within her that couldn't be calmed.

She was currently holding nothing back, employing the Heavenly Body to manipulate the Heavenly Domain, with each finger movement exuding the overwhelming might of the Blood-Exchange Realm. Yet, her clashes with Chen Mu failed to establish dominance, resulting in an almost evenly matched exchange.

To understand.

Even though she has just entered the Blood-Exchange Realm, she has ultimately completed the greatest transformation in the Martial Dao, from Domain to Martial Body, from Essence Aura to Soul Will. After this sublimation, she stands at the pinnacle of Martial Arts, capable of defeating even top-tier Grandmasters with a single flick of her finger.

Compared to Yin Heng, an ancient Supreme Elder who has been immersed in the Blood-Exchange Realm for nearly a century, she might be slightly weaker, but the gap is only a matter of a few points. Even if she can't defeat him, she can still hold her own and put up a fight.

What about Chen Mu?

During their close-quarters combat, she can clearly sense that Chen Mu has not undergone Blood Exchange. The reason is that his every move lacks that feeling of connecting with the heavens and the earth.

After completing Blood Exchange, a Martial Artist's Martial Body reaches its peak, constantly merging with the heavens and the earth. Every action naturally influences the world around them. Chen Mu, on the other hand, remains in a sealed state, which is a characteristic of the Marrow-Washing Realm.

In the Marrow-Washing Realm, a Grandmaster's Martial Body can directly confront her.

Even though it's known that the Heaven-Earth lineage is at the pinnacle of Martial Arts, there's never been a record of the Grand Xuan's past Heaven-Earth Grandmasters being able to match those in the Blood-Exchange Realm. At most, they could only withstand a few moves against Blood-Exchange Realm opponents, managing to escape without being instantly killed and left without any resistance.

It's almost unheard of for someone in the Marrow-Washing Realm, like Chen Mu, to engage in combat with a Blood-Exchange Realm opponent.

If one were to look back through the thousand-year history of Grand Xuan, there's only one person who, a thousand years ago, achieved victory in the Marrow-Washing Realm against a Blood-Exchange Realm opponent without defeat, and subsequently became renowned across the land, eventually entering the realm of Blood Exchange Unmatched Forever.

"Master, be careful."

As Chen Mu and Qin Mengjun engage in consecutive exchanges, a battle intent that he hasn't felt in a long time surges within him. Knowing that Qin Mengjun can withstand his storm of attacks, he suddenly reminds her, then takes a step back.

Qin Mengjun's eyes shine brightly, and upon seeing Chen Mu's action, she instinctively brings her hands together in front of her. In an instant, a vast and mighty force gathers, as if she's tearing down a piece of the sky and condensing it between her two white hands.

It's at this moment that Chen Mu's fist imprint descends, accompanied by a vast heavenly might that presses down. It's as if the entire vast sky is pressing in from all directions, with the eight-aspect radiance flowing on the fist imprint—the ultimate, perfected Heaven-Earth Seal.

"Heaven-Earth Seal."

"Heaven Flipping Seal."

Qin Mengjun gracefully raises her hand to meet his, and the power she unleashes is no less dazzling than Chen Mu's. The brilliant light condenses into a radiant sun breaking through the sea of clouds, and as the two lights collide, they briefly stalemate before finally exploding with a boom.

At the point where the two seals meet, visible white cracks spread in all directions for nearly three feet, and the vast sound that erupts causes the entire sea of clouds to tremble. The rolling waves of clouds surge like a tsunami, erupting in all directions.

Bang!

Chen Mu's figure flies backward from the sea of clouds, landing over ten zhang away, barely managing to stop his momentum.

Across from him, Qin Mengjun also retreats over ten zhang, her figure slamming into the cloud mist before lightly waving her sleeve, instantly coming to a stop. The raging aftermath nearby dissipates with her flick of the sleeve.

Neither of them looks at the turbulent sea of clouds; instead, they exchange a glance from a distance, and Chen Mu, at this moment, is experiencing the impact of their final clash. The battle intent in his eyes gradually fades.

"Now, you and I are almost on par. With this kind of strength, you can go anywhere in the world."

Qin Mengjun approaches Chen Mu, a hint of admiration in her tone: "I originally thought you would need at least a few more years to reach this stage, but never expected that in just two months, you would advance to this level."

Hearing Qin Mengjun's words, Chen Mu snaps out of his contemplation, saying softly, "Master, you flatter me. You haven't even used your Spirit Armament yet. If we were to go all out, I would undoubtedly lose."

Qin Mengjun possesses the 'Heaven Flipping Seal', a Spirit Armament that perfectly matches her, which can enhance her strength by at least one or two points. In contrast, neither the Demon-Thunder Spear nor the Earth Spirit Lance can further enhance Chen Mu's current strength.

Upon reaching the Blood-Exchange Realm, it becomes challenging to assess one's strength solely based on the sheer magnitude of power.

In Chen Mu's current view, if a top-tier Grandmaster's strength is rated as ten, then an absolute Grandmaster would be around thirty, and the weak Mystic Turtle, imprisoned for a hundred years, would be around thirty. As for Qin Mengjun and himself, they are roughly at the level of fifty.

If Qin Mengjun were to utilize the 'Heaven Flipping Seal', she could further enhance her strength, reaching fifty-five or sixty. In a life-or-death battle, she would indeed have the upper hand.

Collecting materials for the Heaven-Earth Spirit Armament is indeed a challenging task.

It's more feasible to bridge this gap by further advancing the Heaven-Earth Martial Body to its peak rather than trying to match the Heaven-Earth Spirit Armament.

This gap isn't actually that significant. At least, Chen Mu can now face Qin Mengjun with ease, which means that even against figures like Yin Heng, there isn't a genuine chasm-like gap. Escaping unscathed wouldn't be too difficult either.

As for those who surpass Yin Heng and reach the 'Heaven-Man Unity' level, there aren't many such figures in the entire Grand Xuan realm. Qin Mengjun's statement, 'the world is yours to conquer', isn't an exaggeration. He has indeed attained such qualifications.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end