Chapter 404: Repelling the Enemy
Chapter 404: Repelling the Enemy
"What a pity."
Chen Mu looked at Ling Huan with a calm gaze and said, "If this world were larger and had a greater carrying capacity, the power you exert would undoubtedly be stronger than it is now. Even I would have no choice but to be defeated, but now..."
Swish!
Chen Mu took a step forward and suddenly appeared in front of Ling Huan, slamming down a palm imprint with overwhelming force.
This palm imprint contained the light of the Eight Trigrams, instantly condensing into a dazzling mark—the seventh layer of the Heaven Earth Wheel Seal, which he had long mastered to perfection.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
Now that he had clearly assessed Ling Huan's strength, and they were almost evenly matched, Chen Mu was determined to take action and see if he could heavily injure or even kill Ling Huan right here.
Although Ling Huan was indeed powerful, and his perception abilities far surpassed Chen Mu's, his weak physique was a flaw, meaning that he was not as agile or swift as Chen Mu. Being entangled by Chen Mu at this moment, he might not be able to escape!
If it were just Chen Mu alone, even trapping Ling Huan might not guarantee success. But Yan Hong and the others were nearby!
Don't be fooled by their apparent weakness; Yan Hong and her companions might seem completely defenseless against Ling Huan, but they were only a few Grandmaster levels away from being able to hold him off. Even if they couldn't stop him, the Earthly Yin power they were currently controlling was not something Ling Huan could completely ignore. This power might not be able to stop Ling Huan, but with Chen Mu restraining him, it was enough to tip the scales!
"Hmph."
Ling Huan sensed the change in Chen Mu's aura and detected a hint of killing intent from his icy palm. He remained unflustered, merely letting out a cold huff.
He acknowledged that Chen Mu was an unprecedented monster, but in the end, he wasn't any stronger than him. He was the ancestor of the Spirit Race, having ruled over the entire Seekwood Heavenly Realm for nearly a thousand years. How could he possibly fear anything?
"Seekwood Pillar Heaven!"
Ling Huan raised the branch of Seekwood in his hand, and the surging power of heaven and earth gathered upon it, causing the slender green branch to transform into a pillar that seemed to support the heavens themselves!
Vibrant light exploded, and the Heaven Earth Wheel Seal collided with the pillar, followed by the sound of ice shattering. The void cracked, and another stretch of white fissures, several zhang long, appeared.
As Chen Mu took the initiative to attack and once again clashed with Ling Huan, their Blood Exchange Realm powers continuously collided, oppressing the nearby void. Not far away, Yan Hong and the others finally snapped out of their awe-struck state.
Yan Zhengyang was the first to regain his composure and exchanged a glance with Yan Hong.
Yan Hong happened to be looking at Yan Zhengyang at that moment, and from their brief eye contact, they understood each other's thoughts. Yan Hong, having recovered from her initial panic, now had sharp determination in her eyes.
Some in the group might have wanted to take advantage of Chen Mu's battle with the Spirit Ancestor to escape, but Yan Hong's mind was clear. In a short time, she had already set her goal and waved the Earthly Stars Banner in her hand.
"Earthly Yin, assemble!"
It was evident that Chen Mu and the Spirit Ancestor were almost evenly matched, which meant that neither side was something they could resist. At this point, retreating would be pointless, as Chen Mu and the Spirit Ancestor were unlikely to stop fighting soon. The Spirit Ancestor would surely come after them again once the battle ended.
Moreover, if they tried to escape now, they might offend Chen Mu, even though he hadn't given them any indication of his intentions. But she knew exactly who to target!
Vibrant light exploded, and following Yan Hong's actions, over ten Grandmaster auras gathered, and the Earthly Yin energy surged and quickly condensed into a massive Fiery Axe in mid-air. It slashed fiercely towards the Spirit Ancestor's back!
Previously, the Spirit Ancestor had fought against them all alone, moving freely among their group and making it nearly impossible for them to defend themselves, let alone launch any counterattacks. But now, with Chen Mu engaging the Spirit Ancestor head-on, the situation was completely different!
At this moment, Yan Hong's move even caught Chen Mu's attention, and he glanced over briefly.
Compared to the hastily summoned Earthly Yin power that could only passively defend against the Spirit Ancestor's attacks, this newly gathered Earthly Yin energy possessed some might. Although it was still no match for Chen Mu and the Spirit Ancestor, it was not something they could completely resist without suffering damage.
This woman knew how to seize the opportunity.
"..."
Ling Huan's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Chen Mu's direct attack put immense pressure on him, forcing him to defend with all his might. Now, facing Yan Hong's surprise attack from behind, he was caught off guard and felt a twinge of annoyance.
The formidable opponent before him was one thing, but for these insignificant ants like Yan Hong to dare to challenge the Heavenly Pole and attack him—they truly didn't know the value of their lives. If it weren't for his desire to capture them all at once, and his decision to hold back earlier, he would have crushed Yan Hong and the others long ago, leaving them with no strength to resist!
"Seekwood Span Heaven!"
A cold glint flashed in Ling Huan's eyes as he blocked Chen Mu's attack head-on. But when faced with the Earthly Yin power unleashed by Yan Hong and the other Grandmasters from behind, he stomped his foot, and in an instant, the entire earth shook violently, as if heaven and earth had turned upside down.
Beneath the ground, layers of rock and soil suddenly collapsed, and thick Seekwood roots emerged, twisting and intertwining like giant pythons, surging with life.
Bang!
The surging, thick roots directly collided with the Earthly Yin Giant Axe wielded by Yan Hong and her companions. Upon impact, they seemed unable to match the resilience of the Earthly Yin Giant Axe and immediately shattered. However, a second and a third root quickly followed, extending upward in a continuous stream.
The frenzied surge of the Seekwood Root System ultimately engulfed the Earthly Yin Giant Axe, crushing it to pieces.
On the other side.
The extending Seekwood roots resembled living dragons, aggressively assaulting Yan Hong and her companions, aiming to crush everyone in their path. This display of power left everyone in shock, as they never expected the Spirit Ancestor to possess such a technique to forcefully control the Seekwood roots for their own use!
However, all present were Grandmasters, far from ordinary individuals. After a brief moment of shock, they remained calm, each channeling their Essence Energy to the utmost, gathering Earthly Yin Power to resist the onslaught of the Seekwood roots from all directions. They knew that while the Spirit Ancestor was terrifying, there was still Chen Mu to face him head-on.
Sure enough.
After a few breaths of intense collision between the surging Seekwood roots and the Earthly Yin Power they had gathered, a deafening explosion erupted from the center of the battlefield, accompanied by a surging, overwhelming force—the power of Heaven and Earth!
All the nearby Seekwood roots froze at that moment, then shattered in waves, disintegrating into fragments that flew in all directions, revealing the central battlefield once more.
Chen Mu still stood firm in his place, one hand supporting the sky and the other covering the earth, as if he were the only one between heaven and earth.
In front of Chen Mu, Ling Huan's complexion had visibly paled, clearly indicating that the move he just used had taken a toll on him. It was his most powerful technique, yet it had failed to achieve its intended effect.
"If these are all the tricks you have, then you shall stay here."
Chen Mu calmly observed Ling Huan.
Ling Huan's strength was limited to this extent. If he were to be restrained and unable to escape, with Yan Hong and others harassing him from the side, the prolonged battle would inevitably lead to his downfall!
Ling Huan's face was slightly pale, but his expression remained unchanged. "You are the only one in a thousand years to pose a genuine threat to this old man. However, relying on a few ants to detain me is a bit too presumptuous."
Swish!
In the next moment, Ling Huan launched another attack at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu's expression remained calm as he waved his hand to block the attack, causing the void to crack once more.
However, after this move, Ling Huan made no further actions. Instead, he suddenly stomped his foot, and the broken Seekwood roots beneath him extended once more, directly from under his feet, enveloping him entirely!
"Hmm?"
A glint of light flashed in Chen Mu's eyes, and he instantly appeared in front of the extending Seekwood roots, striking them with a palm, shattering them into countless wood fragments.
But Ling Huan was nowhere to be found among the wood fragments.
Chen Mu looked down at the scattered wood fragments, lost in thought for a moment.
He hadn't truly expected to detain the Spirit Ancestor, given that the other was a thousand-year-old monster, a Heaven Person. Even with restrictions, his realm was still a level higher than Chen Mu's. At best, their current strengths were on par, and Yan Hong and the others were not much of a match.
What he hadn't anticipated was Ling Huan's method of escape. He had thought Ling Huan might use some other secret technique to burst forth and break through, but instead, he possessed the ability to merge with the Seekwood roots, using them to escape.
This ability was quite troublesome.
After all, this was the Seekwood Heavenly Realm, and the Seekwood tree was vast, almost supporting the entire heaven and earth. Its roots and treetop extended for thousands of miles, covering the entire realm.
If Ling Huan could merge with the Seekwood at any time and use its power to move freely, his mobility would far surpass Chen Mu's. The weakness of limited mobility due to a weaker physique would no longer exist.
But upon reflection, it made sense.
A being who had ruled a realm for over a thousand years, mastered the third step of the Conceptual Realm, and reached the Heaven Person level, would naturally have no significant weaknesses. Even if there were any, they would have found ways to compensate.
Shaking his head, Chen Mu no longer glanced at the scattered wood fragments and turned to look at Yan Hong and the others nearby.
Three Grandmasters who had not been killed by Ling Huan were still present, and another had just arrived, though their situation was unclear. They looked bewildered and tense, observing the scene.
"Thank you, Brother Mu, for saving us. We didn't expect the Spirit Ancestor to have been watching us all along. This time, we were careless, thinking that being in the periphery was safe and that we could gather more Seekwood Spirit Liquid."
Yan Hong had regained her composure and looked at Chen Mu with a complex and somewhat unusual expression.
"This was also unexpected by me. I had planned to find an opportunity to join forces with you all to see if we could detain the Spirit Ancestor, but I didn't expect him to find you first. It seems there have been many casualties."
Chen Mu said to Yan Hong.
He hadn't anticipated that so many people entering the Seekwood Heavenly Realm would be targeted so precisely by the Spirit Ancestor. He had indeed planned to form a loose alliance with Yan Hong and the others to deal with the Spirit Ancestor.
Chen Mu's thoughts were not on the present but on the future. He planned to gather enough Seekwood Spirit Liquid to further refine his martial body, reaching the Perfect Level. Only then would he join forces with Yan Hong's team, which, despite her absence, was still formidable enough to hold off the Spirit Ancestor with the rest of the team unharmed. With his strength increasing by another two to three percent, their combined might would be more than enough to slay the Spirit Ancestor!
At this level, defeating an opponent was one thing, but slaying them was another. This was one of the reasons Chen Mu chose to follow Yan Hong's team.
However, before he could act, the Spirit Ancestor struck first, severely injuring Yan Hong's group. It was unclear how many Grandmasters had perished, but the casualties were evident.
"I wasn't cautious enough..." Yan Hong's expression remained grim as she surveyed the chaotic scene.
If not for Chen Mu, this trip might have ended in complete annihilation or with only her surviving. She had never imagined that the Spirit Ancestor possessed such perception abilities, accurately pinpointing their locations.
After all, the Seekwood Heavenly Realm was a small world spanning tens of thousands of miles, comparable to the Great Proclamation Province. Even a Blood Exchange Realm expert couldn't possibly be familiar with every corner of such an expansive domain, let alone a Heaven Person Realm expert.
But the Spirit Ancestor was indeed a Heaven Person Realm expert! His true strength had been limited, and all who had entered this place before had far inferior abilities to Chen Mu. No one could fathom the depth of the Spirit Ancestor's power, mistaking him for a stronger Blood Exchange Realm expert.
The Spirit Ancestor's control over Heaven and Earth's power was clearly restricted, but his perception abilities seemed unaffected. As a pure Heaven Person Realm expert, his detection range, enhanced by his connection to Seekwood, was likely even broader! Only under these circumstances could he have launched such a precise and sudden attack, nearly burying them all.
"Let's not waste words. I need Seekwood Spirit Liquid. Gather what you have and bring it to me."
Chen Mu glanced at Yan Hong and then swept his gaze over Yan Zhengyang and the others.
The crowd exchanged looks but showed no resistance. Soon, they presented their collected Seekwood Spirit Liquid to Chen Mu.
Aside from Chen Mu's terrifying display of strength, which nearly matched the Spirit Ancestor's and far surpassed their combined might, he had just blocked and repelled the Spirit Ancestor. It was only right that he asked for their Spirit Liquid. Moreover, they had only recently entered the Seekwood Heavenly Realm, and their individual collections were meager.
In no time, approximately two taels of Seekwood Spirit Liquid were gathered in Chen Mu's hands.
The amount wasn't significant, as most had followed Yan Hong and hadn't been in the Seekwood Heavenly Realm for long. Their individual hauls were scant, and only when combined did they amount to something substantial.
"If you need anything, Brother Chen, we will follow your instructions. If not, could you please escort us to meet with other teams... All the gains from this trip to the Seekwood Heavenly Realm are yours."
After handing over the Spirit Liquid, Yan Hong spoke softly to Chen Mu.
With Chen Mu's strength, he could roam the Seekwood Heavenly Realm freely, without needing to team up with them. Furthermore, Yan Hong's team had suffered heavy losses, and although the three survivors had rejoined, it was uncertain if they could withstand the Spirit Ancestor. They had essentially lost their qualification to explore the Seekwood Heavenly Realm.
In the past, without knowing the Spirit Ancestor's abilities, they might have dispersed entirely, turning a united front into individuals. But now, aware that the Spirit Ancestor was a Heaven Person Realm expert with an unpredictable perception range, complete dispersion was akin to a dead end. Their only hope was for Chen Mu to continue leading them or to join other teams.
However, there was no escaping the need for sacrifice.
Yan Hong was well aware of this.
Yan Zhengyang, Wei Shuxian, and the other Grandmasters behind them remained silent, their eyes betraying a hint of tension. If Chen Mu abandoned them, the Spirit Ancestor might strike again before they got far!
"It's not enough."
Chen Mu was straightforward, his tone flat. "I can escort you to meet with other teams, but just saying that all the gains are mine is too vague... Let's make it sixty taels of Seekwood Spirit Liquid. Whether for exploration or trading with others later, four taels per person shouldn't be excessive. If there are more gains, I won't ask for more."
With limited freedom and the need to stick together, gathering four taels in three months wouldn't be easy, especially since Yan Hong's team had lost their advantage. To join forces with other teams, they would have to pay a price.
After hearing Chen Mu's words, Yan Hong turned to look at the crowd, meeting their gazes. Seeing no objections, she turned back to Chen Mu and said, "Alright, we'll trouble you, Brother Chen."
(End of Chapter)
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