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Chapter 456: Chen Mu's Return
Chapter 456: Chen Mu's Return
"You speak the truth."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Prince Hanzhao eventually nodded slightly.
In terms of power and influence, he was the current Emperor Xuan, ruling over the entire realm. Although the empire was divided into nine parts, even the territories controlled by Prince Jin and Prince Chu still nominally belonged to the Great Xuan court. After all, for them, no matter how they might clash with Prince Hanzhao, they would still support the legitimacy of the Great Xuan and the royal family. This was the foundation of their authority.
As for personal strength, Chen Mu might not be invincible, but he was not far from it.
Throughout history, the Great Xuan court had rarely deliberately made things difficult for individuals who had reached the pinnacle of personal strength, as long as they did not commit treason. They would leave room for each other, knowing that if a conflict arose, the court would indeed find it difficult to deal with the most powerful peerless experts. And it would be equally impossible for anyone to shake the thousand-year foundation of the royal family with their own strength.
If a struggle were to occur, it would be the common people who would suffer.
At this point, Prince Hanzhao had already ascended the throne as the new emperor, and Chen Mu had also stepped into the Blood Transformation Realm. There was indeed no need to continue being an enemy to Chen Mu. Giving some face to such a peerless expert would not diminish his own status.
In fact, what he was most concerned about was not Chen Mu being his enemy, but rather Chen Mu being lured by Prince Jin or Prince Chu. That would mean having both legitimacy and strength, which would be the greatest threat to him as the new ruler.
After all, he had only just entered the Blood Transformation Realm and had not yet fully grasped the thousand-year foundation of the Great Xuan royal family.
What he needed was time. If he could stabilize Chen Mu for now and not be his enemy, he could gradually take over the royal family's heritage and gather various powers. As the Great Xuan emperor, his authority would also increase day by day, and he would no longer fear Chen Mu in the future.
...
Prince Hanzhao discussed strategies with the master of Mystic Pavilion and others, but Chen Mu was unaware of this and never cared about it from the beginning.
Even Ji Yongzhao had died at his hands, and Prince Hanzhao was even less likely to catch his attention. Although, according to the intelligence from Flower Play Moon and others, Prince Hanzhao had entered the Blood Transformation Realm and solidified his position as the new emperor of Great Xuan, it still didn't amount to much.
On his journey back from the Outer Sea to Great Xuan, Chen Mu did not stop at all. After returning to Great Xuan, he headed west along the northern border of Cold North, toward the direction of Jade State.
From Flower Play Moon's intelligence, he learned that the Seven Mysteries Sect was currently safe and sound.
With Mystic Pavilion and Blood Concealment Tower going to Central Region, and the six kings dividing and ruling their territories, the Cold North underwent drastic changes. Northern Defense King Zhenbei Yuanhong took action, and Sky Blade Gongshe Yu tacitly approved, stabilizing the Cold North overnight. No other force could rival the Northern Defense Prefecture.
The Seven Mysteries Sect had maintained a closed-door policy since Chen Mu's departure, and Northern Defense King Yuanhong had also not taken any action against the sect. He merely took over the prefecture's administration and subordinate counties, leaving everything else untouched.
Although Chen Mu was aware of these developments, he still wanted to return and take a look. After all, for him, Spirit Mystic Peak of the Seven Mysteries Sect was like a hometown. The nearly three years he spent in the Outer Sea felt like a fleeting moment, but for Xu Hongyu and Chen Yue, it was neither long nor short.
Jade State.
Seven Mysteries Sect.
Chen Mu, clad in a long robe, silently appeared in front of the Spirit Mystic Mountains.
He gazed up at the familiar mountain scenery, his heart stirring with emotions. Taking steady steps forward, he followed the mountain path, entering the sect's premises.
Along the way, he encountered no obstacles. The disciples guarding the entrance, upon seeing Chen Mu's figure, seemed oblivious to his presence. In their sight and perception, Chen Mu was as if invisible, blending into the surroundings like a gentle breeze.
Chen Mu continued up the mountain, returning to the foot of Spirit Mystic Peak.
Looking up at the towering peak, he saw it as serene as when he had left. A hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes, and he proceeded up the mountain, passing the lower peak and heading straight for the upper peak.
Soon, he reached the familiar upper peak and arrived at a purple bamboo grove. On one side of the grove was the small house where he had once lived. Since entering the Five Viscera Realm and becoming a disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect, he had resided there for nearly a decade.
Under the guidance of his master, Qin Mengjun, and as a member of the Spirit Mystic Sect, Chen Mu had diligently cultivated for ten years without slacking.
Now, returning to this place, he had already reached the eighth stage of Body Tempering Martial Art, stepping into the Blood Transformation Realm. Both his strength and martial arts realm were at the pinnacle of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Looking back, he felt that time had flown by in an instant.
Chen Mu stood in front of the bamboo house, gazing at the familiar scene, and a sense of nostalgia overwhelmed him. Memories from the past decade flashed before his eyes, like the flow of time, cascading down the river of his life.
In the depths of his subconscious, Chen Mu felt as though he had caught a glimpse of a thread.
It seemed like a thread, but it was also like a river, formed by the collapse of countless scenes.
"Time Path?"
In his dazed state, this thought suddenly emerged in his mind.
As soon as this thought appeared, all the scenes shattered into fragments, and the surging river and the faint thread all dissipated, revealing once again the scenery of the bamboo grove cottage. He tried to find that feeling again, but it had already slipped away, like a fleeting glimmer in his mind, leaving no trace behind.
Chen Mu had a sudden realization.
With his Soul Realm at such a high level, he even had the qualifications to comprehend and master the Void Path. As one of the Primordial Paths, the Time Path was also within his capacity to comprehend. That fleeting moment earlier was a moment of enlightenment, but the brief glimmer of insight was too short-lived for him to grasp.
He glanced at the system panel, which did not show any experience points for the Time Path, indicating that a mere glimmer of insight was not enough.
However, since this glimpse of the Time Path had appeared before him, it was only a matter of time before he fully grasped it. After all, he had the system panel on his side. For now, the Time Path remained distant, and if he wanted to comprehend the Primordial Path, he should focus on the Void Path first. Moreover, he had made a promise with Xun Mu, and his heart was bound by his commitment, not allowing him to break it.
Just as Chen Mu felt a tinge of regret for the fleeting glimpse of the Time Path's insight, a crisp, childish voice suddenly rang out.
"Whose disciple are you? How dare you come here so boldly?"
Without turning around, Chen Mu sensed a little girl, not yet two years old, standing not far behind him. Despite her young age, her words were clear, and her large, clear eyes sparkled with intelligence.
"Why can't I come here?" Chen Mu's heart stirred as he already knew who the girl was. He smiled and asked in response.
The little girl pouted, her small hands clasped behind her back as she strolled over like a miniature adult. With a carefree tone, she said, "This is the restricted area of Spirit Mystic Peak. Even true disciples aren't allowed to enter freely. If I tell Master Meng, you'll be in big trouble."
"What do you want?" Chen Mu slightly turned his head, his peripheral vision catching the approaching girl. He spoke with a hint of amusement.
The girl reached Chen Mu and stood behind him, blinking her big eyes. "Unless you take me down the mountain to play, I'll tattle on you."
"Who are you going to tell?"
Chen Mu turned around, crouching down to face the girl, who was as pretty as a picture with eyebrows resembling his own. He smiled as he spoke.
The little girl looked at Chen Mu, her clear eyes blinking, and said in a coy voice, "I'll tell Mommy that Daddy came back but didn't look for Mommy."
"Hahahaha!"
Chen Mu laughed, extending his hand, and the girl willingly jumped into his embrace. He gently picked her up and asked, "When did you recognize me, Yao'er?"
Due to the Seven Mysteries Sect's seclusion, even Hua Nongyue was unaware of Xu Hongyu's pregnancy. When Chen Mu left the sect, he himself wasn't sure if Xu Hongyu could conceive, but they had agreed that if it was a girl, her surname would be Chen, and her given name would be Yao. If it was a boy, his given name would be Yu.
With his Soul Realm at such an advanced level, he could clearly sense the connection of blood even at such a close distance. Moreover, even without this heightened perception, the little girl before him was incredibly charming and intelligent, showing signs of inheriting his bloodline at such a young age.
"I felt something was off when I got close, but as soon as I saw Daddy, I recognized him right away."
Chen Yao's large eyes were filled with joy and delight.
She had been able to recognize people since she was less than a year old, and the first person she remembered was Xu Hongyu, followed by Chen Mu, as Xu Hongyu often held her while looking at Chen Mu's portrait, teaching her to recognize him.
Having lived on Spirit Mystic Peak since birth, she had limited exposure to the outside world. Most of what she knew about Chen Mu came from Xu Hongyu, Chen Yue, and Xiao He, who spoke of him as a renowned hero who shook the world.
"Let's go find your mother."
(End of Chapter)
Chen Mu had returned.
For nearly three years, Chen Mu's departure from the Seven Mysteries Sect and his journey to the outer seas had been a source of great suppression for the entire sect. On one hand, the unfriendly gazes from various parties forced the Seven Mysteries Sect to temporarily seal their mountain and close their doors.
Secondly, Chen Mu and the Seven Mysteries Sect were intertwined in their fate—their glory and decline were shared. In the past two years, the entire Great Xuan realm had undergone a dramatic upheaval, with the world in a state of turmoil. These storms, however, did not affect the Seven Mysteries Sect, all thanks to Chen Mu.
Due to Chen Mu's existence, various forces did not question the Seven Mysteries Sect's decision to seal their mountain and close their doors.
Even the Northern Defense Prefecture, which currently dominating the entire Cold North, ruling over numerous counties and prefectures, and the Northern Defense King Yuan Hong, respected the Seven Mysteries Sect's boundaries and did not provoke any conflicts.
But all of this ultimately depended on Chen Mu alone.
Although Chen Mu had defeated the joint assassination attempt by the Mystic Pavilion Master and six others two years ago, breaking through that shocking kill, the Jade State was too far from the outer seas, and the Seven Mysteries Sect rarely ventured outside, resulting in limited and imprecise intelligence. Who could know what price Chen Mu had paid to resolve that kill and whether he could still attempt the Blood Transformation?
And would his journey to attempt the Blood Transformation was of great concern. Would his path be smooth, or would he encounter calamities?
But now, all worries dissipated.
Chen Mu had returned.
That fleeting aura, a slight touch upon the Heaven-Earth Dragon Array, though only for an instant, allowed Qin Mu, who controlled the array, to sense in that moment the surging aura on Chen Mu's body, so powerful it was almost like a heavy mountain.
Undoubtedly, Chen Mu had reached the Blood Transformation Realm, and the strength of his body had reached an unimaginable level, even giving Qin Mu a sense that even with the entire Heaven-Earth Dragon Array's earth vein power, suppressing Chen Mu might not be possible.
The world was divided into nine parts, and people were uncertain about their future.
Including the Seven Mysteries Sect, there was currently no clear direction.
But with Chen Mu's return from the outer seas, there was no need for concern. Chen Mu alone could shake the world's order, and his will alone could cause the Great Xuan's rivers and mountains to turn upside down.
...
In just one day,
The news of Chen Mu's return to Spirit Mystic Peak spread throughout the entire Seven Mysteries Sect, lifting the veil of silence and suppression that had enveloped the sect for nearly three years.
As Chen Mu had not concealed his tracks in the outer seas, the news quickly swept across the entire Cold North in a short time, causing a stir and attracting countless gazes!
Among them,
Were the Northern Defense King Yuan Hong and the Sky Blade Gongshe Yu. However, neither Yuan Hong nor Gongshe Yu made further moves. Within the Seven Mysteries Sect, whether it was Qin Mu, who oversaw the forbidden grounds, the Sect Master Qi Ziyuan, or the other elders, during these brief two days, all tacitly refrained from disturbing Chen Mu. The Spirit Mystic Peak remained peaceful.
In a bamboo grove, within an elegant bamboo hut, Chen Mu listened to Xu Hongyu, Chen Yao, and Xiao He's continuous narration for two days, finally learning about the events that had occurred in the past three years.
"You've worked hard."
Chen Mu gently caressed Xu Hongyu's cheek.
In these three years, raising Chen Yao while staying on Spirit Mystic Peak, waiting for news from Chen Mu, fearing bad news, and experiencing the turmoil in the Cold North, had indeed been challenging.
Fortunately, Xu Hongyu's martial arts cultivation had reached the Six Organs Realm, and the numerous Heaven-Earth Spirit Artifacts left by Chen Mu nourished her Qi, preventing her appearance from showing signs of aging, and instead, adding a mature motherly charm.
As for the others,
Chen Yue had officially entered the Six Organs Realm, and her foundation was stable. In the future, she would have the opportunity to break through to the Bone Marrow Washing Realm. Ning He, who had slightly inferior talents compared to Chen Yue and Xu Hongyu, had also broken through to the Five Viscera Realm with the help of the many Heaven-Earth Spirit Artifacts left by Chen Mu. Her inner Qi was restrained and youthful.
"With my husband's return, there should be no more difficulties in the world."
Xu Hongyu, holding Chen Yao in her arms, looked at Chen Mu with clear eyes, just like in the past.
"Yes, there are not many difficulties left. It's time to settle the old grudges one by one. I heard that the Mystic Pavilion and Blood Concealment Tower have relocated to the Central Region. I will be heading to the Central Region soon."
Chen Mu spoke calmly.
...
(End)
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