Chapter 358: An Invitation
Chapter 358: An Invitation
"Is this what natural death looks like?"
Chen Mu fixed his gaze on Liu Wanzheng, who had passed away while sitting in meditation, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.
Since Liu Wanzheng wasn't resisting or fighting, Chen Mu didn't mind giving him a dignified death. This kind of passing was essentially the same as natural death.
Speaking of which...
Although Chen Mu had witnessed natural death before, on the one hand, his past self hadn't reached his current realm, and on the other hand, those he had seen before were not wash marrow grandmasters like Liu Wanzheng.
"He gave up on locking his vital energy, so it's no different from natural death. But this seems different from what I thought before."
Chen Mu muttered to himself.
He had initially believed that the limit of life and death in this world was the limit of human cells, and if one could continuously maintain vitality, they could achieve longevity. But now it seemed that his initial understanding was somewhat superficial.
Although Liu Wanzheng's death was a sitting meditation, it was obviously different from the natural death of ordinary people; in a very short time, his body withered and decayed, which was not only a loss of vital energy but also seemed to have other traces.
"Is it time?"
Chen Mu muttered.
Or was it just his illusion?
At his current level, he shouldn't have any illusions. Perhaps time, this intangible substance, can truly leave scars on a person until a certain moment when it erupts."
But if time is truly a state, he couldn't see its true passing, and the previous thought was just a fleeting moment due to Liu Wanzheng's sitting meditation.
The master of Xuanji Pavilion cultivated the Four Seasons Realm, seemingly following the flow of time, but in reality, he only cultivated the superficial aspects of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, without touching the true concept of time.
Even with Chen Mu's current level, cultivating the Heaven-Earth, which encompasses all changes in the world, he couldn't grasp time.
Putting aside the intangible concepts of time and seasons.
Even the essence of space, he couldn't see clearly, as if he were in a cloud, unable to truly perceive or comprehend it.
However, logically speaking, since this world has space-nature divine artifacts like the Heaven-Earth Flask, space should also be a path that can be understood. Perhaps it's just too profound and hidden, leaving no one able to truly grasp it.
"Even if there truly are paths as intangible as space and time, ordinary people can't touch them. Even I can't. Maybe when I reach the third stage of insight and enter the Heaven-Man Unity realm, I'll have a chance to glimpse their true nature."
Chen Mu looked up at the void.
At least in this world, no martial arts truly encompass the concepts of space and time. Only those at the peak of martial arts, in the Heaven-Man Unity realm, can tear space in their battles.
Perhaps this is something mortals can never touch, or maybe it's just that the martial arts in this world haven't reached that height yet.
In any case, he couldn't comprehend it out of thin air, so after a brief contemplation, Chen Mu decided not to think about it further. He took a step forward, erasing Liu Wanzheng's remains, and quickly cleaned up the battlefield.
Yu Shouxuan and the others didn't have any other belongings aside from their divine armaments, which Chen Mu didn't pay much attention to. However, he specifically held the thousand-year-old mystic jade vessel containing the Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew, examining it for a moment before gently lifting the lid.
"Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew, a longevity treasure..."
Chen Mu's gaze fell to the bottom of the bottle, where a small amount of crystal-clear spirit liquid rested, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
The Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew was indeed an extremely rare longevity treasure, with a value that was extraordinarily high. However, for him, it wouldn't have much effect, as he didn't even know how long he could live. After cultivating the Heaven-Earth Body, his vital energy was so abundant that it wouldn't decline for hundreds of years.
In the future, after entering the Blood Replacement Realm, having a thousand-year lifespan wouldn't be unusual, comparable to the Sky Demons.
However...
Although he couldn't use this Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew himself, he could still exchange it for what he needed. Moreover, it was easy to obtain, as it was a rare treasure that everyone in the Blood Replacement Realm would scramble for.
Additionally, he was thinking that he might bring it back and give a drop to Xu Hongyu and Chen Yue to see the effects.
Xu Hongyu's future path to becoming a wash marrow grandmaster was difficult. Her talent was slightly inferior to Meng Danyun, a true disciple, and her cultivation was also a step behind. In martial arts cultivation, being a step behind often meant a world of difference.
Even Meng Danyun's chances of becoming a grandmaster didn't exceed two or three out of ten, so Xu Hongyu's chances were even slimmer.
But if she had the Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew, she could heal the scars of time and replenish lost vital energy... Even if it didn't make her ten years younger, it would still greatly increase her chances of becoming a grandmaster, including Chen Yue.
If others were to witness this, they would consider it a waste to give the Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew, a longevity treasure, to a mere mortal who couldn't even cultivate to the Grandmaster level. But in Chen Mu's eyes, the well-being of his loved ones far outweighed any other considerations.
"Let's head back for now."
After packing up, Chen Mu, despite his abilities, found it slightly inconvenient to carry everything. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to return to the surface first.
Since he was already familiar with the route, the journey back from the Earth Abyss was swift, and he didn't need to travel too far.
With this in mind, Chen Mu waved his hand, erasing any remaining traces in the area. He then glanced at the Dragon Seeks Water terrain not far away.
"The Dragon Seeks Water is still here, but the Earth Surges Lotus has disappeared. This place might produce some Spirit Elixir in a hundred years, but it's unlikely to regenerate the Heaven-Earth Nourishing Dew."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly as he looked at the shattered lotus, understanding that this was a natural transformation that couldn't be replicated.
According to Liu Wanzheng, this place had probably existed for two to three hundred years, which was already considered a long time. Even with the most favorable conditions, a place couldn't remain immortal forever.
This was one of the reasons why opportunities like this were so rare.
Swish! Chen Mu briefly memorized the location and then turned to leave, soon disappearing from sight.
...
On his way back to the surface, Chen Mu encountered no further surprises.
Upon reaching the surface, he quickly secured his previous gains and also noticed the situation above ground.
The demonic catastrophe caused by the Double Sun Convergence had intensified, and demonic creatures could be seen almost everywhere on the ground.
However, the Seven Mysteries Sect was prepared. Numerous disciples and overseers, along with troops from various parts of Frost County, were dispatched to suppress the demonic turmoil.
During his brief journey, Chen Mu encountered two or three battles between humans and demons, but the Seven Mysteries Sect troops held an absolute advantage, so he didn't intervene and merely passed by.
Just as he returned to the Frosty Mountain Range—
In the distance, a streak of crimson light suddenly soared into the sky, signaling a rescue request from the Seven Mysteries Sect.
After a moment's thought, Chen Mu changed his direction and headed towards the source of the signal. In no time, he arrived at the location.
There, a group of about ten people, accompanied by several dozen guards, were defending against a large number of demonic creatures attacking from the distant mountain range. Each demon was extremely ferocious, and among them were even Sixth Rank Great Demons.
Within this group from the Seven Mysteries Sect, there was only one overseer, and he seemed to be struggling.
"Overseer Yu, the situation is unfavorable. It's best to retreat for now."
An overseer, covered in blood, spoke to Overseer Yu Chengkai after fiercely slaying a Fifth Rank demon.
Overseer Yu was currently dealing with the siege of two Sixth Rank Great Demons. Although he could hold them off, he couldn't defeat them in a short time. He furrowed his brows, his gaze fixed on the distant Frosty Mountain Range.
In the past few days, countless demons had emerged from the mountain range, climbing out from the Earth Abyss. The Frosty Mountain Range spanned a hundred li in all directions, making it challenging to block all exits. However, the other experts of the Seven Mysteries Sect were not far away, and they could quickly arrive after receiving the signal.
"The signal has been sent. We just need to hold on for a little longer."
Overseer Yu gritted his teeth.
However—
Just as he finished speaking, the entire battlefield suddenly froze.
In a 6, 1, 9, 1, and 9, there is no mistake in this version!
The hundreds of demons scattered across the mountains abruptly stopped as if frozen in place. Their ferocious and cruel eyes now showed a hint of human-like terror.
Swish!
A figure descended from the sky in complete silence and, with a mere wave of his sleeve, caused the demons in front to collapse and fall in pieces, their heads exploding and blood splattering everywhere.
"Chief Peak Master... Chen...?"
Overseer Yu and the other overseers were startled, then turned to look at Chen Mu's back. Soon, they realized what was happening, and their excitement turned to awe.
They remembered that Chen Mu had accompanied the elders and peak masters into the Earth Abyss for exploration, and they wondered why he had appeared here. But Chen Mu's presence was undoubtedly a good thing; with a peak master here, these numerous demons couldn't stir up any trouble.
Swish! Swish!
Chen Mu strolled casually through the battlefield, and with a few waves of his sleeve, dozens of demons collapsed and fell to the ground. The demons still emerging in the distance also stopped, as if they had sensed Chen Mu's terror. One by one, they snapped out of their frenzy and retreated in fear.
(End of Chapter)
Gazing at Chen Mu effortlessly dispersing the demons that covered the mountains, Yu Cheng's heart was filled with a mix of respect and awe. He couldn't help but recall his past doubts about Chen Mu's excessive use of sect resources, and he felt ashamed. Even if those resources were multiplied several times, how could they cultivate a peak master like Chen Mu, a figure of elder-level prowess?
"Are you responsible for guarding this area?" Chen Mu asked casually after dispersing the demons and taking a few steps towards Yu Cheng and the others.
With the Double Sun and Heaven, the Earth Abyss had opened, and the land was also enduring the demon turmoil. If he hadn't encountered this, he would have let it be, but since he did, he decided to pay slight attention. Based on his observations, the situation seemed to be under control.
"Yes," Yu Cheng respectfully replied and then quickly explained the general arrangements for the Frosty Mountain Range.
Since most of the elders and peak masters of the Seven Mysteries Sect were exploring the Earth Abyss, the one currently in charge of managing the demon disaster in Frost County was the main peak guardian, Murong Yan. Her strength was close to that of a typical grandmaster, and she could maintain some control over the situation.
After listening to Yu Cheng's response, Chen Mu inquired about the situation in Ice Province and the Ice Annihilation Palace. This time, Yu Cheng's answer was a bit uncertain, and he hesitated slightly before replying, "It's said that the foreign races beyond the border have joined forces with the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Heavenly Corpse Sect to breach the mountain gate of the Ice Annihilation Palace, but I'm not sure if it's true or not."
Chen Mu's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he glanced in the direction of central Ice Province.
With the Double Sun and Heaven, the disaster had descended, causing the earth's meridians to tremble. If the Ice Annihilation Palace's grand formation relied on the earth's meridians to establish it, there was indeed a possibility of a major issue," he said. "It's also possible that they couldn't withstand the foreign races and the joint forces of the Heavenly Demon and Heavenly Corpse Sects."
Currently, the experts of the Seven Mysteries Sect, including the other major sects in Frost North, were all exploring the Earth Abyss, leaving little attention for the affairs of Ice Province. This was why the foreign races and the two demon sects dared to make their move.
However, just as Chen Mu was pondering, a slightly heavy voice interrupted.
"It's true, but it's not that the foreign races breached the mountain gate of the Ice Annihilation Palace. Instead, the Ice Annihilation Palace chose to abandon its defense."
This voice was very familiar.
Chen Mu's eyes moved slightly as he looked in the direction of the voice, saying, "Elder Feng, you've also emerged from the Earth Abyss?"
In the distance, a figure walked a few steps and then arrived nearby. It was Elder Feng Hongsheng of the Seven Mysteries Sect.
Upon seeing Elder Feng, Yu Cheng and the others immediately bowed respectfully.
Elder Feng didn't pay attention to them but instead looked at Chen Mu and smiled, "I encountered a tricky situation and couldn't handle it alone. I was looking for some help. Chen Peak Master, if you're not busy, your strength combined with mine could deal with it."
"Okay." Chen Mu's expression was calm as he followed Elder Feng towards the Earth Abyss within the Frosty Mountain Range. They soon disappeared from Yu Cheng's sight.
Along the way, Elder Feng briefly narrated the situation of the Ice Annihilation Palace to Chen Mu. The turmoil in the Earth Abyss had not yet reached Ice Province, but it would eventually sweep through the region. With all the sects focused on exploring the Earth Abyss, it was difficult to find help for the Ice Annihilation Palace. Thus, the Ice Annihilation Palace decided to temporarily abandon its sect and avoid the chaotic center.
"I see," Chen Mu nodded after listening to Elder Feng's explanation. Although Elder Feng spoke simply, the relocation of a major sect like the Ice Annihilation Palace was certainly not an easy task. However, there was no need to go into the specifics.
"Elder Feng, what's this tricky situation you mentioned?" Chen Mu asked.
"Yes, while exploring the Earth Abyss, I found a place with extraordinary Heaven-Earth treasures. But there's an eighth-stage ancient demon guarding it, and I can't get past it alone. I need help to deal with this demon," Elder Feng explained as he led Chen Mu towards the Earth Abyss within the Frosty Mountain Range. "If you're not busy, your strength combined with mine could handle this demon."
(Chapter End)
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