Chapter 387: The Master of Mystic Mechanism Pavilion

Chapter 387: The Master of Mystic Mechanism Pavilion

Just as Chen Mu was about to set foot in the outer sea, in a certain building in the Cold North region, a figure in a deep purple robe sat cross-legged, holding a teacup. The tea in the cup was clear, and suddenly, ripples appeared, reflecting various scenes into his eyes.

The aura of the robed figure was profound, far beyond the reach of a Bone Marrow Washing Grandmaster. Undoubtedly, he was a true Blood Exchange Expert, and his identity as the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion was evident from the robe he wore.

Most sect forces, once a martial artist enters the Blood Transformation Realm, would no longer be distracted by managing the sect's affairs. Instead, another Grandmaster would be promoted to the position of Sect Master, handling the daily affairs of the sect, while the original Grandmaster would ascend to the Supreme Elder position. However, the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion and the Shadowblade Tower were different. For hundreds of years, the Blood Transformation Experts born in these sects were the Pavilion Master and the Tower Master, personally managing the sect's affairs.

Inside the pavilion, there was not only the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion but also another person sitting there. This person wore an elegant silk robe, and the quality of the fabric was evident at a glance. His entire aura was equally profound, not inferior to that of the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion.

"This person is indeed the source of disturbance to the Mandate of Heaven. If we want to restore the destiny's proper course, we must erase this person from the world. Prince Han should have made a decision long ago. What do you think, Brother Chu?"

The Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion glanced at the teacup in his hand and suddenly drank it all in one gulp, speaking in a calm tone.

The man in the long robe, whom he addressed as 'Brother Chu', maintained a calm demeanor and said, "My thoughts are the same as Brother Cheng's. Regardless of the situation in the Imperial Court, we must take action against Chen Mu."

A Blood Transformation Expert would naturally have a distinguished background. He was also one of the top experts in the world, known as Chu Changhua, the Supreme Elder of the Diancang Sect in the Central State, and one of the forces supporting Prince Han.

In the Cold North, the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion and the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower shared the same opinion. Their conflict with Chen Mu was irreconcilable and couldn't be resolved. Regardless of the thoughts of the other princes, whether they wanted to watch the tigers fight or fish in troubled waters, they couldn't wait any longer. After all, although the journey from Bone Marrow Washing to Blood Transformation was long, Chen Mu's rise to power had proven that he was not an ordinary person.

Chen Mu had already soared to the heavens. Although he was still far from being invincible, he had become a small dragon, making him an extremely difficult person to deal with. If they were to let him go for another five or six years, even if he didn't enter the Blood Transformation Realm, as long as his strength increased by one or two levels, it would be impossible to deal with him. Therefore, the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion's judgment was to take action early!

Moreover, they had to act swiftly like thunder, aiming for a decisive blow, and never giving Chen Mu a chance to turn the tables.

However, there was still no clear news from Prince Han.

"With Brother Chu's words, I can rest assured."

Master Cheng Zu of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion said.

The Mystic Mechanism Pavilion's support for Prince Han couldn't be considered leaning on him, nor could it be said that Prince Han relied on them. After all, there were at least six or seven other sect forces supporting Prince Han that were on par with the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion.

Prince Han couldn't ignore a Blood Transformation Expert like the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, but the latter also didn't have the qualifications to make decisions for Prince Han. They were more like a mutually beneficial relationship.

The Mystic Mechanism Pavilion wanted to rely on Prince Han to ascend to the throne, becoming the legitimate major sect supported by the Great Xuan Dynasty. Likewise, Prince Han needed the power of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion to compete with the other princes for the position.

There was no direct grudge between Chen Mu and Prince Han.

The Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion guessed that Prince Han might still be hoping to resolve the conflict with Chen Mu peacefully, mediating between Chen Mu and the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion and the Shadowblade Tower. However, in his opinion, this was impossible.

All the other princes might be able to reconcile with Chen Mu, except for Prince Han. Unless Prince Han could draw a clear line between himself and the two sects, giving up their support and apologizing to Chen Mu, there was no way to resolve the conflict.

But who was Prince Han? He was one of the eight princes of the Great Xuan Dynasty, with the qualifications to ascend to the throne. If Chen Mu had already entered the Blood Transformation Realm and was unmatched in the world, the princes would indeed put aside their pride and proactively bow to Chen Mu, as strength was always revered in this world.

However, Chen Mu was not at that level yet.

Currently, despite Chen Mu's extraordinary talent and a thousand-year-old pride, he was still only at the Bone Marrow Washing stage and had not entered the Blood Transformation Realm. With the princes' esteemed status, how could they bow to someone like Chen Mu?

There was no point.

Therefore, the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion wasn't worried. He knew that Prince Han could only make one decision from the start.

"Not long ago, when the Earth Abyss in Ice Prefecture was explored, Prince Liang sent a team to investigate. However, as far as I know, that team was lost in the Earth Abyss, and their whereabouts are unknown. It is suspected that Chen Mu was behind this."

Chu Changhua spoke with a light tone.

A glimmer of light flashed in the eyes of the Master of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, and he said, "The object that team was searching for, as far as I know, should be the 'Heaven-Earth Creation Dew'. But in the Earth Abyss, all sorts of people are mixed together, and anything is possible. It's not surprising for a sect's Supreme Elder to kill and seize treasures for something as rare as the Heaven-Earth Creation Dew..."

Indeed, this incident could be blamed on Chen Mu, or it could incite conflict between Prince Liang and Chen Mu.

The key was that the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion had a secret piece of information. They knew that Liu Wan and Prince Liang's concubine, Wan Qingxuan, were blood-related, and based on this, they were even more convinced that Qin Mengjun's assassination was the work of Liu Wan and Prince Liang.

With the knowledge of this clue, Prince Liang and Qin Mengjun had an irreconcilable conflict, and Chen Mu, being Qin Mengjun's direct disciple, would inevitably be implicated. Prince Han, aware of this, chose not to act immediately against Chen Mu but instead sought to ally with Prince Liang.

In the end, the current Qi Xuanzong was not as easy to deal with as it seemed.

Aside from the fact that Yin Heng, Qin Mengjun, and Chen Mu all possessed the strength of the Blood Replacement Realm, Qi Xuanzong's Heaven and Earth Dragon Lock Array was an exceptional formation that excelled in controlling the earth's veins and was unparalleled in the world.

Even with the support of numerous factions backing Prince Han, it would be challenging to gather more than six or seven Blood Replacement Realm experts within a short time. Forcing an attack on Qi Xuanzong to kill Chen Mu would still be extremely difficult and not achievable in a short period.

Often, when time dragged on, variables would come into play.

Of course, these were just the strengths that belonged to Prince Han on the surface.

The Headmaster of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion was unsure of Prince Han's hidden strengths, but if all his forces were gathered, breaking through the current Qi Xuanzong should not be a problem. However, Prince Han was unlikely to expose so many of his secrets.

The best-case scenario would be to bring Prince Liang on board, uniting the forces of Han and Liang. With over ten Blood Replacement Realm experts, it would not be difficult to assemble an attack, and it would be a simple matter to break through or even destroy the entire Qi Xuanzong without exposing too much and fearing interference from the other kings.

Just as Chu Changhua and the Headmaster of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion were discussing this, a voice devoid of emotion suddenly echoed through the pavilion.

"No need to guess. Prince Liang's group, including Liu Wan Zheng, all met their end at Chen Mu's hands."

Whoosh.

The Headmaster and Chu Changhua looked towards the source of the voice and saw a figure in a black robe silently appearing from the void outside the tower. It was none other than the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower! Upon seeing the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower, both the Headmaster and Chu Changhua's faces paled slightly.

While others were unaware of the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower's actions, they knew that someone needed to keep an eye on Qi Xuanzong, and it had to be done at close range to avoid detection by Yin Heng's Heaven and Earth Creation Dew.

There were only a few people in the world who could avoid the detection of the Heaven and Earth Creation Dew and hide so close to Qi Xuanzong's mountain gate, and the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower was one of them. That's why he had been keeping an eye on Qi Xuanzong for some time.

But now, the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower had suddenly appeared, indicating that something had happened at Qi Xuanzong.

"Brother Shadowblade, have you discovered something?"

The Headmaster asked in a low voice, addressing the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower. Among those present, only the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower's name was unknown, so when the Headmaster usually interacted with him, he simply referred to him as 'Shadowblade.'

The Lord of the Shadowblade Tower stood in place, his tone brief and emotionless. "Chen Mu has left the sect. I made my move, but I couldn't resolve it. His strength and intelligence don't match what was displayed in the Ice Province's Ground Battle. He was able to block my Void Flying Needle."

Upon hearing this, the Headmaster and Chu Changhua exchanged glances, both shocked.

They were well aware of the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower's abilities, especially the 'Void Flying Needle' in his hand, which was one of the rare Void Spirit Armaments in the world, ranking seventy-third on the Great Xuan Spirit Armament Chart. Combined with the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower's Blood Concealment Without Trace ability, it made their task extremely dangerous, as one wrong move could result in a severe injury from the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower.

Chen Mu had managed to withstand the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower's assassination attempt!

Previously, Chen Mu had sent his family members, including Xu Hongyu, from the state capital to Qi Xuanzong. The Headmaster had considered two possible scenarios: Chen Mu could either hide within Qi Xuanzong's mountain gate, relying on the Heaven and Earth Creation Dew to cultivate until he reached Bone Marrow Washing Perfection, and then attempt to break through to the Blood Replacement Realm.

The other scenario was for Chen Mu to quietly leave the sect, conceal his aura, and travel far away, exploring the mortal world. This way, he could avoid pursuit and alleviate the dangerous situation facing Qi Xuanzong.

The Headmaster had considered countermeasures for both scenarios. Firstly, Prince Han could gather his forces to attack Qi Xuanzong, breaking through its mountain gate and eliminating Chen Mu. Alternatively, they could wait for Prince Han to contact Prince Liang, and with their combined forces, success was guaranteed.

Secondly, if Chen Mu attempted to leave the sect alone and in secret, the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower would take action. No matter how well Chen Mu concealed his aura or how stealthily he left the mountain gate, he couldn't escape the watchful eyes of the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower, who was unparalleled in the art of concealment and tracking.

Even if Qin Mengjun or Yin Heng secretly followed and protected Chen Mu, the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower could quietly send them messages along the way, eventually gathering enough forces to trap and eliminate Chen Mu.

If Qin Mengjun or Yin Heng were not tailing Chen Mu, it could be even simpler. The Lord of the Shadowblade Tower could find an opportunity to strike on his own. Although Chen Mu's abilities were extraordinary, and he could repel the Sky Demon Ancestor Yuwen Hao, the information from that battle suggested that Chen Mu's strength was only equivalent to a beginner in the Blood Replacement Realm, like Qin Mengjun. Facing the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower's assassination attempt, he had a mere one in ten chance of resisting.

The Headmaster even hoped that Chen Mu would choose to leave the sect alone and in secret, as it would play right into his trap. With the Lord of the Shadowblade Tower's intervention, Chen Mu would have no chance of survival, eliminating the need for complex plans.

Now, the very situation they had hoped to avoid had come to pass. The Shadowblade Tower Master had failed!

"No matter how powerful his Heaven-Earth Art is, he's only at the Bone Marrow Washing Realm. How could he possibly withstand your Void Flying Needle?" The Headmaster of the Mystic Pavilion spoke in disbelief.

Even when assassinating figures of the same level, there was a chance of severely injuring or even killing them on the spot. How much more so for Chen Mu, who was still at the Bone Marrow Washing Realm? No matter how formidable the Heaven-Earth Art was, it shouldn't be this close to defying the heavens!

"Unknown." The Shadowblade Tower Master's tone remained emotionless, devoid of any fluctuation. "His aura indeed hasn't entered the Blood Exchange Realm, but his strength is already on par with ours."

Upon hearing these words, the Headmaster's expression gradually turned somber.

He knew that the Shadowblade Tower Master's words were not lies. If he said that Chen Mu's strength was almost equal to theirs, then this must be the case.

A brief silence fell over the entire pavilion.

After a moment, Chu Changhua spoke slowly, "All paths in this world have their 'limits'. Ordinary martial artists cultivate step by step, while geniuses strive for these limits... Perhaps he has pushed the Heaven-Earth Art to its very limit."

The Headmaster didn't speak, but his thoughts mirrored those of Chu Changhua.

A thousand years ago, the Great Xuan Martial Emperor Ji Hao, even at the Bone Marrow Washing Realm, couldn't have reached the terrifying level of Chen Mu. Although they didn't know how Chen Mu had achieved this, at least in terms of the Heaven-Earth Art, within the same realm, Chen Mu was closer to the pinnacle of martial arts than Ji Hao.

Perhaps Chen Mu had tempered his Five Viscera more than twelve times, or perhaps he had perfected the tempering of his Six Organs. In any case, not only was Chen Mu exceptionally insightful and naturally gifted, but it was now certain that he also had the mandate of heaven upon him; otherwise, such a feat would be impossible!

The Headmaster's eyes flashed with a hint of bewilderment.

For generations, the Mystic Pavilion had upheld and followed the mandate of heaven. Could it be that this time, they would go against it?

No! The Headmaster, a dignified existence at the Blood Exchange Realm, only felt bewilderment for a fleeting moment. His gaze soon regained its depth, just as the mandate of heaven was unpredictable. Even if Chen Mu truly had the mandate, it didn't represent the mandate itself.

The conflict between him and Chen Mu was irreconcilable, and there was no turning back. The Mystic Pavilion had followed the mandate for centuries. Even if they went against it once, what of it? After following the mandate for so long, wouldn't it favor them at least once?

Moreover, this was still a time when fate was undecided, and everything was subject to change. Countless times, he had divined for Prince Han, and the results always showed the highest probability of Prince Han ascending to the throne. Chen Mu was merely a variable in this chaotic age.

Once his mind calmed, the Headmaster turned to the Shadowblade Tower Master and said, "Blood Concealment Brother, you mentioned earlier that the men sent by Prince Liang, including Liu Wan Zheng, were all killed by Chen Mu?"

"Chen Mu possesses more than one drop of Heaven-Earth Creation Dew." The Shadowblade Tower Master replied concisely.

Prince Liang's men had gone to the Earth Abyss in Ice Province in search of the Heaven-Earth Creation Dew, and now they all lay dead in the abyss. Meanwhile, Chen Mu had obtained not just one but multiple drops of the Creation Dew. Additionally, Chen Mu and Qin Mengjun's lineage had a deep-seated grudge with Prince Liang. The Mystic Pavilion and Prince Han had intentionally left this matter unresolved, intending to use it to guide the Qiuan Sect and Qin Mengjun into a trap to secretly assassinate Prince Liang. But now, it seemed they had become allies with Prince Liang instead.

"If that's the case, Prince Liang will surely make his move, and we won't need to coerce him." The Headmaster's eyes flashed with a hint of light.

If Liu Wan Zheng's involvement remained undisclosed and the source of Qin Mengjun's incident from years ago couldn't be traced back to Prince Liang, then Prince Liang's attitude would mostly be one of watching from the sidelines. He would prefer to see Prince Han and Chen Mu fight it out.

However, if Chen Mu and Qin Mengjun's side already knew the truth about the past incident and were clear that Prince Liang was responsible, this grudge would eventually find its way back to him. In that case, even without their coercion, Prince Liang wouldn't be able to sit still, as this kind of grudge couldn't be resolved. After all, severing someone's path was akin to killing them.

Chu Changhua's brows furrowed, "But there's still a problem. Chen Mu has left the sect, and Blood Concealment Brother has returned empty-handed. How should we proceed now that we have no idea where he is?"

Even if they could join forces with the prince and gather multiple Blood Exchange Realm experts, it would be meaningless if they couldn't find Chen Mu. Moreover, if Chen Mu's strength was already on par with theirs, then even if they found him, they would need to trap him; otherwise, a simple chase wouldn't be effective.

Hearing this, the Headmaster glanced at Chu Changhua, his eyes flashing with depth, "Don't worry, Brother Chu. Chen Mu has left the sect, and the most likely place he'll go is the Outer Sea. Although the Outer Sea is vast and boundless, unless he hides in the deep sea for an extended period, as long as he shows himself, I have my ways of finding him."

For centuries, the Mystic Pavilion had delved deeply into the path of divining the mandate of heaven, and while some variables and unpredictable fates were difficult to discern, there were always ways to navigate around these variables and uncover the mandate.

Furthermore, they had the Shadowblade Tower Master and the entire Shadowblade Tower to assist them.

With the Mystic Pavilion and Shadowblade Tower joining forces, even if Chen Mu hid at the ends of the earth, as long as he remained within this realm, he couldn't possibly disappear without a trace!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end