Chapter 413: A Small Test
Chapter 413: A Small Test
"The two Spirit Ancestors are indeed a bit tricky, but there's no need to be too concerned."
Chen Mu didn't delve further into this topic but instead shifted the conversation, asking Fang Yuan, "Elder Fang, did you encounter any large settlements during your journey here?"
Fang Yuan and his group had also explored a vast area, and with Fang Yuan's escape route, they should have some knowledge of the treetops. If he could guide Chen Mu, it would be very helpful.
Moreover, since the two Spirit Ancestors were pursuing Fang Yuan and the others, Chen Mu hoped that one of them would come to him, preferably the newly promoted Spirit Ancestor. That way, he could take the opportunity to eliminate them and avoid future troubles.
After hearing Chen Mu's words, Fang Yuan hesitated for a moment before replying, "There is indeed a large settlement, but it's located on the upper branch of Seekwood. The formation array can summon a powerful Tree-Seeking Power, which even Blood Replacement Realm experts might not be able to break through. It would require the joint effort of multiple teams to ensure success."
With Chen Mu's strength, he believed that joining forces with another team would be much safer. After all, Chen Mu's power was comparable to the Blood Replacement Realm, and it was uncertain if two teams could withstand two Spirit Ancestors. However, if there was an existence comparable to the Blood Replacement Realm leading a team, it would be a different story. They could withstand and repel the attack.
"That's too troublesome."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly and said, "I don't know the location of that settlement."
He wasn't sure how the settlement Fang Yuan mentioned compared to the one he had encountered before, but at least with his current strength, he was no weaker than the combined forces of Jiang Han and Yan Hong's teams. Moreover, being alone made him more adaptable, and if the formation array's Tree-Seeking Power wasn't strong enough, he could even forcibly break through and destroy it in an instant.
Seeing Chen Mu's determination to give it a try, Fang Yuan felt helpless but wasn't surprised. After all, Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Martial Dao was unparalleled in the world, and with his Bone Marrow Washing Realm, he could rival the Blood Replacement Realm. If he didn't have the confidence to overpower everything, that would be strange.
Fang Yuan wasn't worried about other things. With Chen Mu's abilities, even if he couldn't take down the large settlement, he could still retreat safely. The key concern was the two Spirit Ancestors hiding in the shadows, which posed a significant threat. Even though Chen Mu had reached that level, he could still handle it calmly. However, Fang Yuan knew that if he got involved, his chances of survival were slim.
Fang Yuan and Chen Mu didn't have a deep friendship, and if they traveled together and encountered trouble, Chen Mu might help him. But it was impossible for Chen Mu to follow his instructions.
"Since you want to test the waters at that large settlement, I'll lead the way."
Fang Yuan quickly made his decision.
After all, he was a grandmaster who had roamed the four seas, and he wasn't indecisive. In this situation, meeting Chen Mu was his luck, and it was impossible to abandon him and escape alone. Staying with Chen Mu was a safer choice.
Moreover, although the two Spirit Ancestors were powerful, the newly promoted one was relatively weaker. They were comparable to Celestial Demon Ancestor Yuwen Hao. Even if they launched a sudden attack, they might not be able to do much to Chen Mu, unless it was the other Spirit Ancestor who had lived for over a thousand years. If Chen Mu could withstand their attack or entangle them, Fang Yuan would also have a chance to escape.
"Then I'll trouble you, Elder Fang."
Chen Mu bowed slightly to Fang Yuan.
Indeed, they didn't have a deep friendship, but he didn't mind traveling with Fang Yuan. Firstly, they were from the same Seven Mysteries Sect, and secondly, the information Fang Yuan brought did have some value, allowing Chen Mu to prepare in advance.
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Mu's figure flickered, and he disappeared silently in front of Fang Yuan.
"Chen Mu's breath-concealing technique is also unparalleled among his peers. Under the heavens, apart from those in Blood Concealment Tower, few can surpass him in this aspect."
Fang Yuan witnessed Chen Mu's disappearance right before his eyes, and almost immediately, he scanned the surroundings. Despite knowing that Chen Mu was nearby, he couldn't detect Chen Mu's breath or figure out his location, which shocked him.
It was because Chen Mu was only two or three zhang away, and he had been in Fang Yuan's line of sight just a moment ago. Yet, in the next instant, he had completely vanished. Even the grandmasters of Blood Concealment Tower couldn't have hidden themselves so close to Fang Yuan without being noticed.
Clearly, Chen Mu's breath-concealing technique was far superior to his peers in the Bone Marrow Washing Realm, even surpassing those grandmasters from Blood Concealment Tower who specialized in this art. Under the heavens, perhaps only the Blood Replacement Realm experts in Blood Concealment Tower, who excelled in hiding and escaping, could surpass Chen Mu.
Although Chen Mu cultivated the Heaven-Earth Martial Dao, which allowed him to learn all martial arts, including hiding, escaping, attacking, and defending, without any weaknesses, it still required time to master these skills.
Merely cultivating the Heaven-Earth Concept didn't automatically grant him knowledge of all martial arts.
Escaping techniques, hiding techniques, and attacking techniques were all derived from the concept and required time to comprehend and master. Especially to be effective at the Bone Marrow Washing Realm, one had to practice to the point of perfection and even reach the pinnacle. Chen Mu had evidently achieved this.
This left Fang Yuan once again feeling a sense of incomprehension. Despite understanding the vast differences between individuals, he himself had achieved the realm of a Grandmaster, and in his youth, he was a standout talent. Yet now, he only felt the gap between him and Chen Mu in their youth was even greater than the gap between him and the most ordinary outer disciples.
Chen Mu was only in his thirties, and even with his exceptional talent, to have cultivated the Heaven-Earth Domain and refined his body with the Heaven-Earth Martial Body, it should have exhausted all his energy. How could he still have the leisure to cultivate his concealment and agility skills to such an extraordinary level?
Could the gap truly be this immense?
Fang Yuan sighed inwardly, but these thoughts were quickly cast aside. He still had a chance to surpass the Blood Transformation Realm, and with the saying that calamity and fortune go hand in hand, if he could survive this crisis and encounter an opportunity, he might just make it!
Reaching the Bone Marrow Washing Realm and becoming a Grandmaster, who wouldn't yearn to cross that threshold and take that step into Blood Replacement?
But this step was incredibly difficult; it wasn't just a simple matter of replacing the martial blood throughout the body. The process would further stimulate the body, causing all the acupoints to open, allowing the power of heaven and earth to permeate every limb and bone, without missing a single spot.
During this process, the mind and soul would also undergo a thorough cleansing by heaven and earth, a true test with multiple challenges. A single mistake, no matter how minor, could lead to failure in blood replacement, damage to the martial body, regression in cultivation, or even loss of lifespan. More severely, it could result in instant death.
This was the so-called Life and Death Threshold!
As for whether one could succeed in blood replacement, even though the Grandmasters who had reached the Perfect Level of Bone Marrow Washing couldn't accurately judge, they could more or less understand their chances of success. Usually, they would need at least a two or three-fold assurance before daring to attempt it.
Most Grandmasters didn't even have this level of assurance, making it difficult to have the unwavering belief and fearless determination required. As a result, the probability of success in blood replacement was even lower, and they wouldn't easily attempt it.
Take Jiang Sheng, for example.
Up until now, he had been accumulating experience, exchanging moves with top Grandmasters from various factions, honing his sword skills, and trying to take that extra step forward. He had been strengthening the foundation of his martial body, and if not for Chen Mu, he would have defeated the Absolute Blade in the Earth Abyss and polished his sword skills with it, allowing him to surpass the Blood Transformation Threshold by now!
Chen Mu was unaware of the complex thoughts in Fang Yuan's mind. At this moment, he was suppressing his aura and quietly following behind Fang Yuan.
This stealthy movement was only to see if Fang Yuan could lure out the two Spirit Ancestors, Ling Huan and Ling Ji. However, whether it was due to Fang Yuan's luck or the two ancestors holding back, Chen Mu followed Fang Yuan through the intricate treetops for hundreds of miles, all the way to the vicinity of the settlement, without them appearing.
"It's right there."
Fang Yuan led the way, and although he couldn't sense Chen Mu's aura and didn't know his exact location, he was certain Chen Mu was nearby. He stopped behind a wide branch of the Seekwood tree, gesturing forward with his hand.
Looking ahead, one could see a slanted upward slope, or rather, a Seekwood branch several li wide, growing diagonally upwards. After winding its way up, it led to a junction where several branches intersected.
This area was very flat and vast, covering an area of about twenty li in diameter, filled with numerous buildings of various sizes, it was indeed a large settlement of the Spirit Race.
"Not bad."
Chen Mu's figure appeared silently beside Fang Yuan, his gaze fixed on the Spirit Race settlement ahead.
Fang Yuan spoke softly, "Grandmaster Chen, your concealment skills are divine, perhaps you can try infiltrating that settlement and destroying a formation node, which should weaken the formation's power..."
Initially, Fang Yuan didn't believe that Chen Mu could conquer a large settlement on his own. Even with their team, a whole group of people, two or three dozen Grandmasters, might not be able to secure a large settlement safely. And the teams of Grandmasters scattered throughout Seekwood Heavenly Realm, when united, were fearless even against a single Spirit Ancestor, and they had the qualifications to surround and kill the Celestial Demon Ancestor, Yuwen Hao.
But after witnessing Chen Mu's concealment skills, Fang Yuan's thoughts changed.
The formations in these large settlements were connected to the entire Seekwood, possessing unique means of perception and repelling non-Spirit Race entities. However, formation perception was still a form of perception, not absolute discernment.
Chen Mu's concealment skills far surpassed those of ordinary Grandmasters, even surpassing the Blood Concealment Tower Lord. In this situation, it wasn't impossible for him to sneak into the settlement without triggering the formation, quietly infiltrating from within.
Although being discovered inside could result in being trapped by the formation, unable to escape, the same was true for the opposite. If he could directly destroy a critical formation node from within, it would undoubtedly weaken the entire formation, and even if exposed, the weakened formation might not be able to hold Chen Mu!
In this situation, Chen Mu might truly be able to conquer a large settlement!
If he could monopolize a large settlement...
Fang Yuan couldn't contain his excitement at the thought. Although it was Chen Mu, not him, who would monopolize the resources, just witnessing it from the sidelines would still stir emotions within him.
Furthermore, in that situation, he could still play a small part from the outside, at least distracting the Spirit People's attention and giving Chen Mu more room to maneuver. This way, he could contribute and have the face to claim a share of the benefits, even if it was just a tiny portion. It would undoubtedly be more than what he had gained from dividing the spoils equally among the group in the past.
However...
Just as he was contemplating this plan, Chen Mu emerged from behind a cluster of massive Spirit Leaves and strode towards the Spirit People's settlement ahead.
"Elder Chen?" Fang Yuan exclaimed in surprise. In just a few steps, Chen Mu had already traveled several hundred zhang, approaching the settlement.
The settlement's formation array was connected to the Seekwood, and as Chen Mu drew near, the array seemed to be triggered by his presence. Surges of powerful Tree Seeking Power rose and spread, covering a twenty-li area. The Spirit Lights within the settlement soared towards the sky, eventually merging into an emerald curtain that enveloped the entire settlement.
The Seekwood Formation Array was fully awakened!
Chen Mu heard Fang Yuan's words, and he understood that Fang Yuan's suggestion was feasible. Indeed, they could try to conceal their aura and bypass the array, infiltrating the settlement to destroy a node and weaken the Vast Sea Array.
However, Chen Mu had no intention of doing so.
If he sneaked in and was discovered before destroying the node, he would still have to withstand the array's power from the inside, which could be more dangerous. If Spirit Huan, the Spirit People's Ancestor, suddenly appeared, they might be trapped and unable to escape.
Moreover, Chen Mu wanted to test the strength of his current Heaven-Earth Body against the Seekwood Array.
Swish!
In the next instant, Chen Mu's figure transformed into an afterimage, swiftly closing in on the array protecting the settlement. He then raised his right hand and forcefully slammed down a gigantic fist imprint.
This punch was like a falling star, carrying the mighty Heaven-Earth Power. It condensed into a Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal, striking the surface of the array's light curtain. For a moment, it seemed as if the entire space was shaking, and the void formed ripples like waves. The array's light curtain covering the settlement flickered violently, as if bearing an incredibly terrifying force, emitting an unbearable buzzing sound!
Crack! Crack!!!
To Fang Yuan's disbelief, Chen Mu's punch caused the void to shatter, creating an almost one-zhang-wide white crack. It forcefully crushed the light curtain on the array's surface and tore open a gigantic hole!
After shattering the array's light curtain, Chen Mu's fist momentum didn't stop. It continued to spread towards the inner side of the light curtain, reaching above the large settlement. Then, as Chen Mu's will moved, the concentrated energy spread out, transforming into a gigantic fist imprint spanning several dozen zhang. It slammed down with a thunderous impact.
"What?"
"What's happening!"
"The formation array is... This is impossible!"
From the moment the Seekwood Array was awakened to Chen Mu's fierce attack, it was just a matter of moments. Many Spirit People hadn't even reacted yet, and some were just stepping out of the buildings, looking up at the sky.
It was in this moment that they witnessed Chen Mu's punch shattering the light curtain, and his fist energy penetrated the array, transforming into a gigantic fist imprint spanning several dozen zhang. It was like a heavenly collapse, a scene of overwhelming pressure descending.
A moment of shock!
"Not good!"
"Run!"
The closest Spirit People finally reacted as they saw the fist imprint falling, but the overwhelming Heaven-Earth pressure had already descended, making it difficult to breathe. Many of the Spirit People could only watch helplessly as the fist imprint descended.
Boom!!!
The dozens-of-zhang-wide fist imprint finally slammed down, instantly crushing the buildings and some of the Spirit People beneath it into powder. The afterwave from the impact rippled in all directions, spreading over a hundred zhang!
Countless buildings shattered and collapsed, and numerous Spirit People fled in terror. Some didn't react in time, dazed and confused, and were caught in the afterwave, instantly reduced to bloody fragments.
With just one strike...
The light curtain was pierced, and a region spanning several dozen zhang was crushed into ruins. A massive and distinct fist imprint was left on the Seekwood's root system at the bottom, and the shattered pieces spread in all directions for over a hundred zhang, creating a scene of destruction and desolation!
(End of Chapter)
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