Chapter 357: Each Has Their Own Fate

Chapter 357: Each Has Their Own Fate

Pfft.

Yu Shouxuan coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward dozens of zhang before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Elder Yu!"

"This can't be!"

Several Grandmasters, including Tan Jingguang, watched in disbelief as Yu Shouxuan's Supreme Yin Sword was effortlessly caught by Chen Mu with just two fingers, and with a swift counterattack, Chen Mu nearly inflicted severe damage on Yu Shouxuan.

Liu Wanzheng's usually indifferent expression finally changed, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at Chen Mu.

"No, that's not right. Who are you? You're not Chen Mu!"

Who was Yu Shouxuan?

He was a top-ranked Grandmaster, ranked 31st on the Grandmaster Rankings.

His ranking was even higher than Liu Wanzheng's during his younger years, and in the Eleven Provinces of the Cold Northern Region, even figures like Immortal Sword Jiang Changsheng and Absolute Blade Tuoba Xi might not necessarily be able to defeat him. Only those who had reached the Blood Transformation Ultimate Realm could confidently do so.

If it weren't for the Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew's extraordinary value and its significant importance to the Liang Prince, he wouldn't have sent Yu Shouxuan, a loyal and powerful close aide, to the Cold Northern Region. Unless they encountered a Blood Transformation expert, there was almost no danger in this mission.

But.

Even such a top-tier Grandmaster couldn't last a single round against Chen Mu. With a mere snap of his fingers, Chen Mu effortlessly defeated Yu Shouxuan, revealing a level of strength that a junior like Chen Mu shouldn't possess.

This was clearly the strength of an eighth-stage Blood Transformation realm expert, surpassing the Grandmaster level!

"I've always been Chen Mu," Chen Mu replied calmly after severely injuring Yu Shouxuan with two fingers. With a casual gesture, he vanished from his original spot.

Not far behind Chen Mu, Tan Jingguang, who had been secretly trailing him with the intention of blocking his escape route, was horrified by Yu Shouxuan's tragic state. When he saw Chen Mu disappear in an instant, a sense of dread surged within him.

However.

Just as Tan Jingguang raised his spirit armament, a yellow-brown Mountain Splitting Mace, Chen Mu reappeared in front of him, less than three chi away. With an indifferent gaze, Chen Mu unleashed a palm strike towards him.

This palm strike, executed with perfect form, carried an overwhelming force that seemed to shatter the heavens and earth. The condensed Primordial Essence True Force within his palm generated gusts of wind, giving off a sense of unstoppable power akin to a natural disaster.

"Break!" Tan Jingguang cried out, unable to dodge at this point. He channeled all his cultivated power into the Mountain Splitting Mace, causing it to emit a deep brown aura and become heavier and more powerful. With a swing, it felt like a collapsing mountain, ready to counter the might of the heavens.

But how could the collapse of a mountain compare to the destruction of the heavens and earth?

Boom!!!

Chen Mu's palm collided head-on with the Mountain Splitting Mace, his bare hand against a spirit armament. However, the unleashed Primordial Essence True Force was so powerful that with just one strike, the deep brown aura surrounding the mace shattered like a mirror, and the unstoppable force broke through, causing the mace to recoil backward.

A bell-like sound rang out.

Dong!

Tan Jingguang, despite using all his strength, couldn't control the mace as it was forced backward by the overwhelming force. He could only watch helplessly as the mace struck his forehead, caving in his iron-like skull and shattering his brain matter. He was sent flying backward and met his end on the spot!

The entire scene was filled with shock.

If Chen Mu's previous strike against Yu Shouxuan was too fast for many to comprehend, this palm strike was witnessed by all.

The overwhelming power emanating from his palm was undoubtedly the might of Heaven and Earth, a true display of the Heaven and Earth Body.

In other words.

The young man before them was indeed Chen Mu, the true disciple of Qin Mengjun, who had made astonishing progress in his cultivation, mastering the Heaven and Earth Body and becoming the tenth Heaven and Earth Grandmaster in the Great Xuan Kingdom's history.

"Run! Quick, run!"

Among the three Grandmasters who accompanied Yu Shouxuan from the Central State, only two remained. Despite being from the most prosperous Central State, where they had witnessed countless grand events, they couldn't maintain their composure. Their hearts were filled with shock.

They had merely followed Yu Shouxuan to the Cold Northern Region to search for the Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew in the Earth Abyss, and now they had encountered a once-in-a-century Heaven and Earth Grandmaster. Moreover, according to intelligence, Chen Mu was not even thirty-three years old!

What kind of monster had the Cold Northern Region produced?

"It's too late to think about running now, don't you think?" Chen Mu said coldly, seeing the two Grandmasters attempting to flee in different directions. With a single step, he covered a distance of over a hundred zhang, catching up to one of them in just two strides. When he was only fifty zhang away, he unleashed a fist imprint.

This fist imprint was powerful and majestic, a true manifestation of the Heaven-Earth Seal!

"Seventh layer..."

The Central State Grandmaster, locked onto by Chen Mu's attack, widened his eyes in shock and disbelief. Many in the Central State practiced the Heaven and Earth Path, and he had seen the Heaven-Earth Seal technique numerous times, even sparring with those who had mastered the sixth layer. But Chen Mu's strike was clearly beyond the sixth layer, reaching the seventh layer's level of concentration and focus!

The seventh layer of the Heaven-Earth Seal!

This meant that Chen Mu had already mastered the Heaven-Earth Domain!

Not only had he cultivated the Heaven and Earth Body, becoming the youngest Heaven and Earth Grandmaster, but he had also grasped the Heaven-Earth Domain at an age of less than thirty-three. What kind of monster was he?

The Central State Grandmaster was terrified, but when faced with Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Seal, he had no choice but to take the blow head-on. The seventh layer's concentrated power left no room for evasion.

Bang!

A loud explosion reverberated.

The Central State Grandmaster, known for his reputation, couldn't withstand Chen Mu's attack. His body shattered into pieces, and even his spirit armament, a short sword, broke in half from the center!

Chen Mu didn't even spare a glance at his opponent's fate. After executing the Heaven-Earth Seal, he immediately turned to the other Grandmaster, catching up in just a few steps and unleashing another fist imprint.

"Spare me!"

The man's face was filled with shock, knowing he couldn't possibly withstand the attack. He couldn't help but beg for mercy from Chen Mu.

However, Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged, and his fist imprint descended without any sign of retreat. The boundless Heaven-Earth Seal light shone in all directions, illuminating the area around the Earth Abyss for several miles, making everything transparent. With a mighty crash, he crushed the man into the ground.

Bang!

A deep pit appeared on the ground, accompanied by a splash of blood and flesh in the vicinity. The Grand Master from the Central State had completely vanished without a trace!

This series of events seemed complex, but from the moment Chen Mu crushed Yu Shouxuan with his fingers, to his swift actions in consecutively killing three Grand Masters from the Central State, including Tan Jingguang, it all happened in the blink of an eye. An ordinary person might not even have the chance to react!

In the span of a finger snap.

Three Grand Masters from the Central State perished!

"Cough, cough..."

Yu Shouxuan lay in a pit, coughing up blood incessantly. He struggled to prop himself up, his chest pierced front to back by a clear blood hole, yet he hadn't died.

Chen Mu took a glance and understood the reason. The man was not only a eunuch but also cultivated the Extreme Yin technique, and his body structure was different from ordinary people. His heart was on the right instead of the left, so Chen Mu's strike hadn't pierced his Heart Mansion.

However, even so.

Enduring Chen Mu's attack was still a near-fatal injury. Even though Yu Shouxuan was a Grand Master, his internal energy was rapidly dissipating, and he could barely stand. Half-kneeling on the ground, he struggled to support his body.

He looked up at Chen Mu with lingering disbelief in his eyes.

"Heaven-Earth Domain, Heaven-Earth Body... You..."

"It's a pity that my master couldn't personally kill you all to avenge the ambush. But with my master's status, she probably wouldn't even bother with you petty people. Killing you myself is just dirtying her hands, so I'll do it on her behalf."

Chen Mu spoke coldly, his gaze fixed on Yu Shouxuan.

Then, taking a step forward, he approached Yu Shouxuan, grabbed his collar, and lifted him up. "I only have one question. Who was the Blood Replacement Realm cultivator who plotted with you to ambush my master from within the Cosmic Dragon Lock Array?"

Now that Qin Mengjun had broken through and reached the Blood Replacement Ultimate Realm, he wouldn't care about Yu Shouxuan and the others. The same went for Liu Wanzheng; he probably wouldn't pay attention to them either. The only one who might still be concerned was the Blood Replacement Realm cultivator from the Central State who had disturbed the earth meridian from outside the array.

"Cough, cough..."

Yu Shouxuan struggled to look at Chen Mu, still immersed in shock. However, the growing coldness of his body gradually brought him back to his senses. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he spoke, "I underestimated you, Frost North... I underestimated you, and so did the world... But even with your strength, it won't be so easy to create chaos and rise against the world..."

Bang!

Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Mu, with a nonchalant expression, stretched out his hand and threw him.

Yu Shouxuan's body flew backward, surrounded by a mighty force of Primordial Essence, and exploded into a cloud of blood mist in mid-air. Only a few personal belongings fell to the ground.

"Too much chatter."

Chen Mu's expression was indifferent. He had lost interest in extracting any more information from Yu Shouxuan.

After all, he had already learned the general situation. It was just that the person behind Prince Liang from the Central State, one of the eight princes of the Great Xuan Court, had a deep background and was likely backed by more than one Blood Replacement Realm cultivator. But even so, Qin Mengjun, now one of the top Blood Replacement Realm experts in the world, wouldn't be afraid of any retaliation. He could roam the world without fear.

After thoroughly killing Yu Shouxuan.

Chen Mu finally turned his attention to Liu Wanzheng, who stood not far away.

Ever since Chen Mu had struck down Yu Shouxuan and crushed Tan Jingguang and the others, Liu Wanzheng had been in a state of shock. Witnessing Chen Mu's seventh layer of the Heaven-Earth Seal and the power of the Heaven-Earth Body, he had become completely silent.

It wasn't that he didn't want to escape, but he couldn't. There was no point in trying.

Chen Mu's terrifying strength matched the rumors about the 'Heaven-Earth Grandmaster', known as 'When Heaven-Earth Grandmaster appears, none can rival'. Only the Heaven-Earth lineage dared to claim invincibility.

Chen Mu, having mastered the Heaven-Earth Body and grasped the Heaven-Earth Domain, could be said to have reached the pinnacle of the Marrow Washing Realm and the limit of the Grandmaster Realm. Even the top ten Grandmasters in the world, including the first-ranked 'Duke Xuan', would likely not be Chen Mu's match.

Facing a Heaven-Earth Grandmaster who had entered the realm of invincibility, Liu Wanzheng, despite being a Grandmaster himself, had no confidence in escaping. The most critical factor was his advanced age. He had reached the end of his lifespan and even dared not take action or mobilize his Primordial Essence. He hadn't intervened when dealing with the viper snake earlier.

If he tried to escape now, even if he managed to flee from Chen Mu, he couldn't evade the limit of his lifespan.

Moreover, the seven drops of Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew were still with Yu Shouxuan.

Fleeing in panic before Chen Mu would be too humiliating.

At his age, having once been a top Grandmaster in Frost North and a legendary figure, he was no longer as attached to life and death. He wanted a drop of Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew to extend his life, just to live a little longer and help his granddaughter, Wan Qingxuan, and see Prince Liang ascend to the throne.

"Not running?"

Chen Mu looked at Liu Wanzheng and took a step towards him. But soon, he spoke calmly, "It's understandable. Even if you had a slim chance of escaping from me, your essence energy is too weak to sustain you past your lifespan."

Liu Wanzheng's gaze remained fixed on Chen Mu. Hearing his words, he finally sighed, "Entering the Grandmaster Realm through the Heaven-Earth Path is indeed the pinnacle of martial arts... When you joined the Qiuan Sect, I heard about it, and I've been paying attention since then. After you were ambushed by the Mystic Mechanism Tower, I never thought you'd reach this level in such a short time.

"It seems that the so-called secret scheme of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion didn't quite work out as planned. You were able to achieve the grandmaster level at such a young age; perhaps you were truly born with a heavenly mandate. They claim to control the mysteries and pursue the heavenly mandate, but they ended up opposing me, which is somewhat ironic."

Liu Wanzheng spoke with a hint of ridicule, mocking not only the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion but also containing a touch of self-mockery.

Who could have imagined Chen Mu's sudden rise?

Initially, it was believed that Qin Mengjun might disrupt the situation in the Central States, and if he reached the Blood Transformation Realm, he would side with the Jin Prince. With the support of the Qiuan Sect, the already influential Jin Prince would become even more difficult to suppress.

So, he meticulously plotted and planned, and although it worked to some extent, he didn't truly bring Qin Mengjun down. Instead, it only delayed him for over a decade, after which Qin Mengjun rose again and surpassed his previous peak.

Moreover, who could have imagined that one of Qin Mengjun's disciples would have such an incredible and unbelievable progress in cultivation? His martial arts journey seemed divinely aided, ascending step by step. From mastering the Heaven and Earth Intent to cultivating the Heaven and Earth Body and the Heaven-Earth Domain, all of it was beyond expectations.

As things stand now, even though Qin Mengjun has reached the Blood Transformation Realm, it seems that the one who will truly change the situation in the Central States is not him but, most likely, the man before me, Chen Mu, who is only in his thirties!

"Who is behind the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion? Is it Yuan Hong or one of the eight princes?"

Chen Mu walked up to Liu Wanzheng and looked at him.

Liu Wanzheng replied calmly, "Prince Han."

"What about the Blood Concealment Tower?" Chen Mu continued his inquiry.

Liu Wanzheng shook his head slightly and said, "I don't know about the Blood Concealment Tower, but it's possible that it's also arranged by Prince Han."

Hearing Liu Wanzheng's words, Chen Mu nodded slightly, knowing that Liu Wanzheng was likely not deceiving him.

In reality, there was no point in deceiving him, as even if this information was unknown to the Qiuan Sect, it would eventually come to light if Chen Mu went to the Central States in the future. Moreover, Liu Wanzheng, Yu Shouxuan, and others were not on the same side as the Qiuan Sect.

Chen Mu's gaze moved past Liu Wanzheng, and he looked up at the Earth Abyss above, gazing at the mountains and rivers of the Great Xuan: "It seems that behind every sect and faction in the Frosty North, there is, to a greater or lesser extent, a shadow of the Central States. Perhaps Yuan Hong is on my side?"

"No one knows about Prince Zhenbei's situation," Liu Wanzheng said calmly. "At least, there is currently no other intelligence about Yuan Hong. If Yuan Hong were to side with one of the eight princes, he wouldn't have had such a smooth journey in the Frosty North. The other princes would not allow him to conquer other provinces and reveal his ambition to unify the Frosty North."

"Is that so...?" Chen Mu said, contemplating.

Indeed.

If Yuan Hong were to support one of the eight princes, it would be far more powerful than the support of a sect like the Qiuan Sect or the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. Not to mention the strength of Prince Zhenbei's forces, but Yuan Hong himself is one of the top powerhouses of this generation, having reached the Unity of Heaven and Man in the Blood Transformation Realm.

If such a situation were to occur, none of the other eight princes would stand idly by and allow Yuan Hong to unify the Frosty North. They would undoubtedly form alliances in secret, leading to a scenario where the Qiuan Sect, the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, and various other sects in the Frosty North would join forces to oppose Yuan Hong. This would be different from the current situation, where everything is scattered.

However, no one can be certain about such matters.

Take Liu Wanzheng, for example. He is a grandmaster nearing the end of his lifespan, born and raised in Jade State, and has always been a member of the Qiuan Sect. Yet, he changed his stance and sided with the Liang Prince of the Central States.

At least for now, as long as Yuan Hong doesn't personally get involved in the struggle among the eight princes, none of them are willing to pay the price to stop him. They would rather let Yuan Hong conquer the Frosty North, as they all seem to have the confidence that even if Yuan Hong unifies the Frosty North, it won't overthrow the Great Xuan's rule or change the power dynamics of the empire.

Chen Mu looked at Liu Wanzheng and asked a few more questions.

Liu Wanzheng answered every question without holding anything back.

Finally, Chen Mu asked the last question:

"Is there anything else?"

"The affairs of the world are filled with disputes, and the winner takes all. The cause of this matter lies with me, and it will end with me. It has nothing to do with Qingxuan. If, in the future, she stands against you, I won't ask you to spare her. But if, in the future, she doesn't stand against you, then let it end with me."

Liu Wanzheng looked at Chen Mu and replied calmly.

"Alright." Chen Mu responded indifferently, "But what you wish for is likely to be difficult."

Although Liu Wanzheng was the one who plotted against Qin Mengjun and took action against him, at most, it could be traced back to a Blood Transformation Realm expert behind the Liang Prince. However, the Liang Prince was ultimately involved, and Liu Wanzheng's granddaughter, Wan Qingxuan, was a concubine of the Liang Prince. In the future, if she stands against Chen Mu and Qin Mengjun, he couldn't ask Chen Mu to spare her.

When that time comes, he won't hold back. Those who oppose him will eventually become graves and dry bones.

"Everyone has their fate," Liu Wanzheng sighed lightly.

He had only answered some of Chen Mu's questions, and it wasn't enough for Chen Mu to spare Wan Qingxuan in the future when he opposes the Liang Prince and others. He could only sever the past grudges here and now. If, in the future, Wan Qingxuan stands with the Liang Prince and creates enmity with Chen Mu, Qin Mengjun, and others, leading to her death at Chen Mu's hands, it would be her fate.

Having a granddaughter late in life, he has done his best for her, even damaging some of the Qiuan Sect's interests and secretly doing many things for the Liang Prince. As a result, he has attracted the attention of figures like Chen Mu.

Perhaps this is fate.

If given another chance, he would still do things for her, standing by her side.

With the last sentence, the tightly locked aura around Liu Wanzheng's body gradually relaxed. His grandmaster martial body, which was originally without any flaws or dispersions, now had countless pores that seemed to quietly open, connecting with the external world.

His entire body slowly knelt down, and his aged appearance visibly deteriorated at a speed perceivable to the naked eye. His body rapidly withered and shriveled until all his vital energy dissipated, turning him into a skeleton of dry bones and disappearing.

Thus, the four grandmasters from the Central States, along with the eldest elder of the Qiuan Sect, Liu Wanzheng, all met their end.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end