Da Xuan Martial Saint

Chapter 602: Chapter 357 Each Has Their Own Fate_3

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to flee, but that he couldn’t escape, nor was there any point in escaping.

Chen Mu had displayed a terrifying strength, identical to the reputation of a “Qiankun Grandmaster” as per the rumors, which stated, “Where Qiankun arises, invincibility ensues in the present world.” Among Grandmasters, only those of the Qiankun lineage dared to claim invincibility.

Chen Mu, having cultivated the Qiankun Martial Body and mastered the Qiankun Domain, could be said to have reached the pinnacle of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, arriving at the very limit of the Grandmaster Realm. Even those exceptional Grandmasters ranked in the top ten of the world’s Grandmasters list were likely no match for Chen Mu, and even the first-ranked “King of Jin,” Ji Xuanchu, would probably not be able to defeat him now.

In front of a Qiankun Grandmaster who had stepped into the domain of the invincible, even though he was a Grandmaster himself, he had no confidence of truly escaping to safety. Moreover, the most crucial point was that he was too old, too aged, already at the end of his life, even afraid to make a move or mobilize his own Yuan Gang Inner Breath. He had not taken action when confronting the viper before.

If he were to flee with all his might now, even if he could escape from Chen Mu’s grasp, he could not avoid the end of his lifespan.

The main thing was.

The seven drops of Heaven and Earth Dew were also still in the possession of Yu Shouxuan.

If he was to flee in panic before Chen Mu and still not manage to escape in the end, that would be too undignified.

At his age, and as a once preeminent Grandmaster who had dominated the Cold North, an older generation figure, he was not so attached to life and death anymore. He wanted a drop of Heaven and Earth Dew to extend his life, simply to live a little longer, to be able to help his granddaughter Wan Qingxuan more, to see King Liang ascend to the great position.

“Not fleeing?”

Chen Mu looked at Liu Wanzheng, approaching him with unhurried steps, but soon spoke calmly, “It’s no wonder, considering your current state, Elder Liu. Even if there’s a slim chance of escaping from me, you can’t preserve your vital energy and overcome the end of your life.”

Liu Wanzheng’s gaze remained fixed on Chen Mu. Hearing Chen Mu’s words, he finally sighed and said, “To enter Grandmaster realm with the path of Qiankun is indeed the pinnacle of Martial Arts… When you joined the Seven Profound Sect back then, I had also heard of it and paid attention afterwards. Later, I heard you were calculated against by the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, but I never thought you would step into this realm in such a short time.”

“It seems the so-called schemes of the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion weren’t effective. You managed to become a Grandmaster at this age; perhaps you were truly born with a Heavenly Mandate. They claim to control the mysteries and follow the Heavenly Mandate in their actions, yet like me, they ended up on your opposing side, which is somewhat ironic.”

Liu Wanzheng said this with a hint of mockery, mocking both the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion and himself somewhat.

Who could have predicted Chen Mu’s meteoric rise?

It was thought that Qin Mengjun could potentially disrupt the situation in Central Prefecture, and once he attained the Blood Exchange Realm and stood with the King of Jin, the King of Jin, who already had the greatest influence among The Eight Princes, with the backing of the Seven Profound Sect, would be even harder to suppress.

So he had meticulously planned and schemed. Although the plan was effective, it did not truly bring Qin Mengjun down; it merely caused him to waste more than ten years, after which he still emerged stronger with his peerless talent, returning to the peak and advancing further.

And even less expectedly.

A disciple taken by Qin Mengjun would achieve such an incredible advancement in cultivation, with a Martial Arts practice that seemed divinely assisted, progressing step by step to heaven, from mastering the Qiankun Artistic Conception to cultivating the Qiankun Martial Body to the Qiankun Domain—all beyond expectation.

Looking at the situation now, even though Qin Mengjun was already in the Blood Exchange Realm, it wasn’t Qin Mengjun who would truly change the state of affairs in Central Prefecture but rather, it was very likely the man before him, Chen Mu, who had just passed his thirties!

“Who is behind the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion? Yuan Hong, or one of The Eight Princes?”

Chen Mu walked up to Liu Wanzheng, looked at him, and asked.

Liu Wanzheng did not hide anything, answering lightly, “King Han, Ji Xuanfei.”

“And the Blood Hidden Pavilion?”

Chen Mu continued to ask.

Liu Wanzheng shook his head slightly and said, “I do not know about the Blood Hidden Pavilion, but there is close cooperation between the Blood Hidden Pavilion and the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, so perhaps King Han also orchestrated this.”

Hearing Liu Wanzheng’s words, Chen Mu nodded slightly, knowing that Liu Wanzheng likely hadn’t deceived him.

Deceiving him, in fact, held no meaning. Although these pieces of intelligence might not be known to the Seven Profound Sect, if one day he went to Central Prefecture in the future, he would eventually find out. Moreover, the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, Liu Wanzheng, and Yu Shouxuan were obviously not allies.

Chen Mu’s gaze passed over Liu Wanzheng, he looked upward toward the top of the Earthly Abyss, toward the mountains and rivers of Da Xuan, “It seems that every sect and every faction in the Cold North Eleven Northern States has, more or less, the shadow of Central Prefecture behind them. Perhaps Yuan Hong is on his own path?”

“Nobody knows about the situation of the King of North Garrison.”

Liu Wanzheng spoke in an even tone, “At least for now, there’s no further intelligence on Yuan Hong. Should Yuan Hong take the side of one of The Eight Princes, it would not be possible for him to have everything go smoothly in the Cold North. The other princes will not simply watch him conquer other State Government Offices and reveal his ambition to unite the Cold North.”

“Is that so…”

Chen Mu muttered to himself.

Indeed.

If Yuan Hong were to support one of The Eight Princes, that would be far more powerful than the backing of sects like the Seven Profound Sect and the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion. Not to mention the power of the North Garrison Government, Yuan Hong alone was one of the top powerhouses of the era, a Celestial Human in the Blood Exchange Realm.

Once such a situation occurred, any of The Eight Princes would be unable to sit by and watch Yuan Hong unify the Cold North. They would surely join forces early on, making stealthy arrangements. It would then present a scenario where many sects of the Cold North, such as the Seven Profound Sect, the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, and the Blood Hidden Pavilion, would band together to oppose Yuan Hong, unlike now, when they have always been fragmented.

Still, these matters are unclear to everyone.

Even someone like Liu Wanzheng, an old Grandmaster approaching the end of his life, born and raised in Yu State, and who had always been a member of the Seven Profound Sect, could change his stance due to certain issues and side with King Liang of Central Prefecture.

For now, as long as Yuan Hong does not join the struggle among The Eight Princes of Central Prefecture, none of the princes are willing to pay the price to stop Yuan Hong. They would rather let him conquer the Cold North. They also seem to have a confidence that, even if Yuan Hong unified the Cold North, he still would not be able to overturn the entire realm of Da Xuan or change the landscape of the empire in their eyes.

Chen Mu looked at Liu Wanzheng and asked several more questions.

Liu Wanzheng, however, freely imparted what he knew, conveying various pieces of information.

Finally.

Chen Mu asked the last question:

“Any last words?”

“The affairs of the world, the strife and changes, have always been about victors and the vanquished. The cause began with me and should end with me; it has nothing to do with Qingxuan. Should she become your enemy in the future, I don’t ask for your mercy when dealing with her. But if she does not become your enemy, I only ask that it ends with me,” Liu Wanzheng said slowly as he looked at Chen Mu.

“Alright,” Chen Mu replied indifferently, “But what you wish for will probably be quite difficult.”

Though the plot against Qin Mengjun, including the attack on him, was orchestrated by Liu Wanzheng alone, it might at most be related to a certain Blood Exchange Realm expert behind King Liang. Ultimately, King Liang was implicated, and with Liu Wanzheng’s granddaughter, Wan Qingxuan, being King Liang’s concubine and part of his lineage, it was difficult for her to avoid conflict with Qin Mengjun in the future.

And when that time came, Chen Mu would not show mercy. Whoever stood against him would end up as mere bones in a grave.

“Each person has their destiny,” sighed Liu Wanzheng softly.

Simply answering some of Chen Mu’s questions was nowhere near sufficient to earn Chen Mu’s leniency in the future when facing adversaries like King Liang. The feud had to be severed there; if Wan Qingxuan chose to side with King Liang and formed enmities with Chen Mu and Qin Mengjun, ultimately perishing at Chen Mu’s hands, it would be her fate, and there was nothing more he could do.

In his old age, he was blessed with a granddaughter who surpassed even himself in talent. He had done his utmost, even at the cost of damaging the interests of the Seven Profound Sect, to operate covertly for King Liang. This had led to an encounter with someone like Chen Mu.

Perhaps it was all predestined.

Given another chance, he would still act on her behalf, siding with King Liang for her sake.

As the last words were spoken, the energy tightly locked within Liu Wanzheng quietly relaxed. His Grandmaster Martial Body, previously without leakage or dissipation, seemed to open countless pores quietly, connecting with the outside world.

Before their eyes, the man slowly sat down cross-legged, his aged face visibly withering at a rapid pace, his body swiftly shriveling until all his vitality had dissipated, leaving behind just a skin-wrapped skeleton, vanishing from this world.

Thus.

The four Grandmasters from Central Prefecture, along with the oldest Elder of the Seven Profound Sect, Liu Wanzheng, all perished!

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