Chapter 380: Southern Bright Flame

Chapter 380: Southern Bright Flame

Deep within the Seven Mystic Mountains.

In a canyon.

On a rugged mountain peak, Chen Mu sat cross-legged, with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Essence continuously flowing towards him, scouring and refining his body. It seeped through to his very marrow, tempering his spine, gradually making it more robust and substantial, inching closer to the 'Mercurial Marrow' realm.

Time seemed to pass by unnoticeably as the Heaven and Earth Essence surrounding Chen Mu finally began to dissipate.

His eyes slowly opened, revealing a profound gaze, and his entire being exuded a restrained aura. Although no aura could be sensed, facing Chen Mu directly would evoke a sense of awe and pressure as if gazing upon the vastness of Heaven and Earth.

"It's over."

Chen Mu muttered to himself, summoning the system interface for a quick glance.

【Martial Body: Heaven-Earth (Great Accomplishment)】

【Experience: 419 points】

Using up nearly half of his accumulated top-grade Turtle Lotus Powder and the gains from the Earth Abyss, his Martial Body finally advanced from Initial Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment, just one step away from the perfection of 'Mercurial Marrow.'

For an ordinary Grandmaster, even with ample resources and the advantage of a Heaven-Earth Locking Dragon Array, it would still take at least seven to eight years, or even a decade, to cultivate from Initial Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment.

But for Chen Mu, from the moment he entered the Marrow Wash Realm until now, it has been less than a year! Such progress in cultivation was beyond anyone's expectations and imagination. After all, Martial Body cultivation is inherently a long and arduous process. Even with sufficient resources, it is impossible to achieve it overnight. The body's absorption and tempering require time, akin to forging iron; it cannot be done in an instant but demands repeated refinement.

The system's effect was indeed powerful, compressing the process of repeated refinement into a very short time, maximizing the efficacy of every medicinal power and essence of Heaven and Earth.

"My strength has indeed increased significantly."

Chen Mu clenched his fist, feeling the enhancement brought about by the Great Accomplishment of his Martial Body.

Compared to the Initial Accomplishment, advancing to Great Accomplishment further strengthened his physique, inner essence, and the Primordial Energy Essence he could refine. His power had increased by nearly two to three times compared to before! It was worth noting that when he was at the Initial Accomplishment of the Heaven-Earth Martial Body, the Primordial Energy Essence he could mobilize was already close to 150 portions. A two to three times increase on this foundation was no small feat. Even Chu Jing Su, upon breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm and initially refining his Martial Body, could only refine around 20 portions of Primordial Energy Essence.

In other words, this single step of improvement was equivalent to the combined power of two Chu Jing Su's Primordial Energy!

"Now, even without a suitable Spiritual Armament, my strength should be on par with Senior Yin."

Chen Mu had a clear understanding of his own strength.

Before entering the Earth Abyss, his strength was comparable to Qin Mengjun's unarmed combat. If Qin Mengjun used a Spiritual Armament, Chen Mu would be slightly inferior. However, after entering the Earth Abyss and experiencing various opportunities, he obtained a complete Soul Lotus, significantly enhancing his soul power. Now, when he exerted his full strength, he could match Qin Mengjun's control over a Spiritual Armament.

In the Blood Replacement Realm, there were no distinctions like Initial Accomplishment, Great Accomplishment, or Perfection. It merely referred to the process of refining the Martial Blood throughout the body after completing the Blood Replacement Realm, which took around two to three years. This process didn't create a significant gap and wasn't a qualitative leap.

Therefore, for someone like Yin Heng, who had entered the Blood Replacement Realm for nearly a century, the difference between him and Qin Mengjun was only slightly in his favor. In a fight, it would be easier for him to win, but threatening Qin Mengjun's life would be challenging.

Now that Chen Mu had achieved Great Accomplishment in his Martial Body, he had taken another step forward, and his strength had crossed another threshold. He was now comparable to Yin Heng and other elders who had entered the Blood Replacement Realm long ago and roamed the world for many years!

Currently, even among those in the Blood Replacement Realm, there were few who could surpass him, and even fewer who could pose a threat.

"I wonder how great the gap is between those Heaven-Human Union Masters and Senior Yin."

Chen Mu murmured to himself.

He had never witnessed a Heaven-Human Union Master's prowess firsthand, but he had heard countless legends about them.

For instance, in the Cold North, it was said that Gong Yang Yu, the Sky Sword, had once severed a river during the Tide Disaster, causing it to cease flowing for three days! When Chen Mu heard such tales in Yu Prefecture, he dismissed them as exaggerations by ordinary people who didn't understand the Martial Dao. But now, he could discern the essence behind these stories.

Severing a hundred zhang of river water was not impressive; even Chen Mu could do it, and cutting off three hundred zhang wouldn't be difficult either. The real challenge was in stopping the flow for three days, indicating that what he severed wasn't merely river water but the very essence of Heaven and Earth!

With a single strike, he could halt the changes in the river caused by the Tide Disaster within a specific area for three whole days!

This was clearly beyond the capabilities of the Martial Realm or the Blood Replacement Realm, which relied solely on brute force. Only by reaching the third step of the Concept, the Heaven-Human Union, could one achieve such a feat.

Chen Mu was well aware that even though he and Gong Yang Yu had attained the Heaven-Human Union, standing at the pinnacle of the Martial Dao in this era, there was still a considerable gap between them. Such beings posed a significant threat to him.

However, just as there were differences among Grandmasters, the same was true for those in the Heaven-Human Union.

Gong Yang Yu, acknowledged as one of the top five peerless experts in this era, was undoubtedly formidable. But in the current world of ninety-nine provinces, there were also around twenty-odd individuals who had mastered the third step of the Concept and entered the Heaven-Human layer.

Among these, those ranked at the bottom naturally pale in comparison to the likes of Gong Yang Yu and Master Heavenly Tranquility. As far as Chen Mu knew, Yin Heng had once been hunted down by a Heaven-Human Union Master, but he ultimately escaped unscathed and fled back to the Seven Profound Sect.

"Heaven-Human Union..."

Chen Mu shook his head slightly.

With his current strength, he was on par with Yin Heng, and since he cultivated the Eight Aspects of Heaven-Earth, his ability to protect himself was likely superior to Yin Heng's. Unless it was one of the top ten Heaven-Human Union Masters of this era, even if he couldn't handle the rest, he should still have a chance to retreat without being completely defenseless.

However, this level of strength still didn't satisfy him; as long as there were things in the world that could threaten him, he couldn't afford to relax.

"Still two steps away."

Chen Mu looked up at the sky.

Taking one more step forward would be the completion of the Marrow Wash Realm, and the next step should be the limit of the Marrow Wash.

The gap between Heaven-Human Union Masters was impossible to quantify; after all, they were all referred to as 'Heaven-Human Union,' and their deeds were rarely recorded in the world, and there wasn't even a clear ranking of their strengths. No one dared to rank the Heaven-Human Union Masters, either.

Chen Mu didn't know the true extent of the strength of those at the top, like Gong Yang Yu, but as long as he took these two small steps and pushed his Marrow Wash Realm to its limit, the so-called 'Life and Death Barrier' of the Blood Replacement Realm would be a breeze for him, without any bottlenecks!

Chen Mu's thoughts didn't linger for long; he quickly collected himself and took out the Celestial Vortex Flask, beginning to inspect and organize his remaining resources. Among them were some wondrous items for forging Spiritual Armaments and some Body Tempering resources.

"To advance from the Grand Accomplishment to the Perfection of the Martial Body, I need 12,000 experience points. It's doubled again... If I use up all these Body Tempering resources, the experience points I can gather should be around 3,000 to 4,000."

After sorting through his remaining resources, Chen Mu's expression turned contemplative.

He had previously tried it on the system panel and knew that the required experience for the next breakthrough was indeed 12,000 points. Although his harvest from the Earth Abyss trip was worth at least 7,000 to 8,000 experience points, these resources were obtained from within the Earth Abyss.

The Earth Abyss wasn't always open, and the reason they had acquired so much this time was that the Ice State Abyss Channel was the most remote location in Cold North, only opening once every hundred years. The resources brewed underground were extremely abundant.

"The Ice State Abyss Channel has closed, and there's no news of any other state in Great Xuan having an Earth Abyss about to open. If I want to gather enough resources, I'll have to go to the Outer Sea or the Great Wilderness."

Chen Mu pondered in his mind.

If he were to convert all the resources in his hands into experience points, he estimated that he would still be 8,000 points short of the required 12,000. If he stayed in the Seven Profound Sect and relied on the Heaven-Earth Locking Dragon Array for cultivation, it would be extremely slow, taking years of effort. Moreover, he had long planned to leave the Jade Province.

More importantly, even if his Heaven-Earth Martial Body reached perfection, there would still be a 'limit' to the Marrow Wash Realm. To reach that limit using the system panel would require even more resources than what was needed to achieve perfection.

Without abundant resources, it would be insufficient.

The Earth Abyss, the Outer Sea, and the Great Wilderness were all places known for their abundant resources.

Chen Mu had decided on his destination long ago—the Outer Sea.

The Earth Abyss could only be entered at specific times, so he set it aside for now. The Great Wilderness was located in the far west of Great Xuan, and according to Chen Mu's knowledge, it was an extremely bizarre place. While it was rich in resources, it was also incredibly dangerous. Countless Grandmaster figures had vanished in the Great Wilderness, including some from the Blood Replacement Realm.

However, the danger wasn't the main issue. The primary problem was that, like the Earth Abyss, the Great Wilderness could only be entered at specific times, and it was even more peculiar in that it resembled a 'mirage' born from the 'Western Desert' in the far west of Great Xuan, yet it existed as a real region for unknown reasons.

It could only be entered during specific periods, and at other times, it was nothing more than a vast illusion, vanishing like a bubble upon touch.

Therefore, exploring the Great Wilderness required luck; one had to stumble upon a 'Great Wilderness' that could be entered, and they must return before that Great Wilderness faded back into an illusion, or they would disappear within it.

As far as Chen Mu knew, those who vanished in the Great Wilderness, whether they were Grandmaster or Blood Replacement Realm cultivators, never returned. In the past, Chen Mu found this quite bizarre, but now he had a hunch that these Great Wildernesses might be different 'Cavern Worlds,' only accessible during specific periods and disconnected from the Great Xuan world at other times.

Even Heaven-Human Union Masters who could shatter the void didn't have the ability to truly cross over into these Cavern Worlds.

Once a Cavern World closed, those trapped within would naturally be unable to return, as no one knew when these Cavern Worlds would open again—perhaps after thousands or tens of thousands of years.}

Chen Mu had no interest in being trapped in a Cavern World, even though he believed that with his talent and abilities, even if he were sealed inside, he might still have a chance to comprehend the mysteries of the void and forcefully break through it to return. But it would still be a troublesome affair.

In comparison, the Outer Sea is undoubtedly a safer choice.

Moreover, with Hua Nongying and Hua Nongyue gathering intelligence for him there, it seems they've made some progress regarding the 'Sea-Stabilizing Pearl'. His trip to the Outer Sea would also provide a convenient opportunity to check on the situation.

If he could gather all the Spiritual Treasures and forge a Spiritual Armament that resonated with his Heaven and Earth Body, his strength would undoubtedly increase by at least twenty to thirty percent. This improvement couldn't be considered insignificant; instead, it would be a noticeable advancement.

Just as Chen Mu was pondering this, a faint voice suddenly whispered into his ear, a sound transmission from Qin Mengjun.

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing Qin Mengjun's words, Chen Mu's expression turned contemplative, and his figure vanished from its original spot.

...

Moments later, inside the main hall at the summit of Spirit Profound Peak.

A girl, seemingly around sixteen or seventeen years old, stood quietly in the hall. Her youthful appearance contrasted with her revealing attire, as her pale skirt barely covered the essential areas, leaving her arms slender and translucent, and her bare feet untouched by dust. Her slender waist was slender enough to be encircled by one hand, and her overall appearance evoked a sense of delicate charm, making one feel an urge to rush forward and satisfy their desires.

Tap, tap.

The quiet main hall suddenly echoed with footsteps.

Chen Mu's figure appeared outside the main hall, and with a calm demeanor, he strode into the hall, making his way towards the girl. He glanced at her casually but didn't speak, waiting for her to initiate the conversation.

"Junior Su Qianqian, a direct disciple of Joyful Union Sect, pays respect to Peak Master Chen."

The girl, Su Qianqian, bowed politely towards Chen Mu, her manners respectful and without any hint of overstepping. However, her eyes betrayed a hint of youthful curiosity as she cautiously glanced at Chen Mu, a true disciple of the same generation as her senior sister, Hua Nongying.

As the youngest direct disciple of Joyful Union Sect, Su Qianqian had, of course, heard of Chen Mu's exploits. Even seeing him in person, she still found it hard to imagine that he was only one generation apart from her senior sisters, Hua Nongying and Hua Nongyue. Yet, the intangible aura and spirit he exuded were almost on par with their sect leader.

Indeed, Chen Mu's awe-inspiring deeds in the Earth Abyss of Ice Province justified this demeanor. However, in terms of age, Chen Mu had only just passed thirty, making him merely a contemporary of her senior sisters.

"Did Protector Xia send you here?"

Chen Mu glanced at Su Qianqian and asked calmly.

If it were many years ago, when he was still a minor official in Yu Prefecture, facing a direct disciple of Joyful Union Sect like Su Qianqian, even with her deliberate restraint, he might have been affected by her subtle allure. But for the current Chen Mu, whose mental state had reached the level of selflessness and non-attachment, no amount of temptation, no matter how enticing, could sway him.

Nevertheless, this didn't stop Chen Mu from comparing Su Qianqian to Hua Nongying in his mind. In terms of appearance, the girl before him seemed to surpass Hua Nongying, from her slender arms to her delicate waist and translucent bare feet, all of which were nearly flawless, achieving a perfect, youthful beauty.

However, it should be noted that Hua Nongying and Hua Nongyue were twin sisters, and together, they presented a different kind of charm.

It couldn't be denied that Joyful Union Sect lived up to its name with each generation of direct disciples having their unique allure.

At this thought, Chen Mu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Unconsciously, he realized he was no longer part of the younger generation. Compared to the true disciples of the younger generation, he was already a senior figure from the previous generation. Time had quietly slipped by, and thirteen years had passed since he arrived in this world. Reaching this point had been a journey filled with countless hardships.

"Yes," Su Qianqian replied respectfully. "Protector Xia instructed me to deliver some items to Peak Master Chen."

As she spoke, she lifted her slender hand and, from within her thin and narrow garment, produced a white, translucent jade ball. The surface of the jade ball seemed to glisten with droplets of rain, causing a flicker of curiosity in Chen Mu's eyes.

However, he knew that this jade ball had nothing to do with sensual objects. It was a Rain Curtain Jasper, a unique type of spiritual jade typically used to assist the cultivation of Gua Water practitioners. It could also be used to store specific spiritual treasures.

The next moment, Su Qianqian gently tapped the Rain Curtain Jasper with her slender finger, and it split open, revealing a flickering flame within. As soon as the flame appeared, it immediately grew in intensity, unleashing a terrifying wave of heat that seemed to engulf the entire hall.

Even Su Qianqian, a direct disciple of Joyful Union Sect, seemed taken aback by the power of the flame within the Rain Curtain Jasper. She couldn't help but grunt, as even her Primordial Energy struggled to withstand the scorching heat so close by. The thin fabric of her clothes seemed on the verge of catching fire.

Swish.

But in the next instant, Chen Mu calmly waved his sleeve, and a cool breeze swept through the hall, suppressing all the scorching heat. The raging flames were once again subdued, reduced to a faint, flickering flame.

The terrifying heat and power of that flame left no doubt about its nature.

A wonder of the world,

The Southern Bright Flame.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end