Da Xuan Martial Saint

Chapter 610: Chapter 361: Repel_2

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But when he swung his sword to annihilate it, or when he used the power of Qiankun to grind it away, it would naturally collapse, turning directly from substance to nothingness, instantly becoming an illusion, intangible and elusive.

“Reality and illusion…”

Chen Mu looked into the distance.

The array of techniques deployed by the Heavenly Demon, especially the method of dematerialization into reality, was the only kind he had encountered that was completely beyond the scope of the Qiankun Eight Phases techniques, as if it were a parallel line to the Qiankun Path.

And most crucially, even with his current level of realm, he still found it difficult to comprehend the mysteries within, as the transformation between reality and illusion was too ethereal, seemingly a path only a Heavenly Demon could train in.

“Perhaps even this technique of Qiankun has its limits.”

A thought suddenly rose in Chen Mu’s mind.

Indeed, the Qiankun Path was the strongest and most inclusive martial path of the current age, capable of evolving all martial arts under heaven, but despite appearing to touch the pinnacle of all things, there were still many areas it could not reach.

Such as time, nothingness, reality and illusion… these were all beyond the carrying capacity of the Qiankun Path.

Martial arts, born in the Primordial Era, has evolved to this day, converging into Qiankun, uniting all the martial arts into Major Achievement, but Qiankun might just be the current endpoint of the martial path, rather than the true pinnacle, with its incapability to encompass everything.

However,

these thoughts merely flickered through Chen Mu’s mind.

The Qiankun Path was also created by man, and what was created by humans inevitably had its limitations. Although it presented such a situation before the Heavenly Demon’s ‘reality and illusion’, at least he wasn’t struggling against the Heavenly Demon, and he hadn’t even practiced the Qiankun Path to its end yet. To speak of breaking through the concept of ‘Qiankun’ and extending the martial path even further was still beyond his ability.

At least he would have to practice the Qiankun Path to its end and glimpse the more genuine essence of the world. Only then could he understand more clearly whether the Heavenly Demon’s ‘illusory transformation’ was truly within the scope of Qiankun.

Swiftly,

Chen Mu cast aside the various thoughts in his mind.

He turned his gaze to the Weak Water nearby and saw a figure reaching the edge within the Weak Water, who quickly emerged from the water. It was Feng Hongsheng.

At this time, Feng Hongsheng was holding a Dark Soul Lotus, yet his face appeared somewhat pale.

The screech that the Heavenly Demon had unleashed just now, a technique that attacked the soul heart, was mostly aimed at Chen Mu. But Feng was close by, and even though he was at the bottom of the Weak Water, he still endured a bit of the impact.

Fortunately, he was, after all, a Grandmaster who had been prominent in the Cold North for many years, with a solidified martial will. Moreover, being at the bottom of the Weak Water, the spreading impact was not intense, and after being weakened layer by layer, he ultimately resisted it.

“Peak Master Chen, that Heavenly Demon…”

As soon as Feng Hongsheng reached the shore, he immediately looked around with extreme vigilance, but he did not see the Heavenly Demon. He only saw Chen Mu standing with his hands behind his back near the edge of the Weak Water and thus approached him.

“I let it escape.”

Chen Mu shook his head slightly and said, “Its strength isn’t much, but its ability to flee is truly exceptional.”

Escaped?

Despite Chen Mu’s casual description, Feng Hongsheng couldn’t help but take a deep breath, and his mind once again surged like raging waves. The look he gave Chen Mu also revealed many complex emotions.

A Heavenly Demon, a Ninth Rank Heavenly Demon, even if it had just broken through recently and its realm was not yet stable, was still a Heavenly Demon, often considered a legendary existence in many records. Chen Mu was actually able to repel a Heavenly Demon!

Even though he found it hard to believe, Feng Hongsheng still couldn’t resist asking:

“Peak Master Chen, could it be that you have… stepped into the Eighth Realm already?”

For someone of Chen Mu’s age, to step into the Marrow Cleansing Realm and become a Qiankun Grandmaster was already astonishing. If he had also reached Blood Exchange, it would be inconceivable. But if Chen Mu wasn’t at the level of Blood Exchange and had repelled a Heavenly Demon merely with the power of a Grandmaster, that would be equally unbelievable.

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“Still a long way to go.”

Chen Mu gave a brief response and asked Feng Hongsheng, “Have you secured the Soul Lotus?”

“It’s all here.”

Feng Hongsheng immediately handed over the Dark Soul Lotus he was holding to Chen Mu. Although there was some reluctance in the transfer, he still passed on the intact Soul Lotus and the fragmentary Lotus that had only about a third of its petals left to Chen Mu.

When Chen Mu received the intact Soul Lotus and the fragmentary Lotus, they felt ice-cold to the touch, even colder than the millennium-old profound ice of the Extreme North in Ice State, possessing a bone-chilling coldness.

After examining them attentively for a moment,

Chen Mu returned the fragmentary Lotus that had only about a third of its petals to Feng Hongsheng.

“This…”

Feng Hongsheng caught the fragmentary lotus, his heart fraught with unease. Although he had discovered this place, the conditions at the bottom of the Weak Water were different from what he had expected. If it wasn’t Chen Mu he’d brought here but another Grandmaster from the Seven Profound Sect, once they disturbed the Ninth Rank Heavenly Demon at the bottom, they would probably all lose their lives to it, even with two or three additional helpers.

Moreover, since he had brought Chen Mu here, aside from fetching the lotus underwater, he practically hadn’t been of any help. He had no designs on the intact Soul Lotus. Even holding onto the fragmentary one made him somewhat apprehensive.

“Elder Feng has taken great pains; it’s only fair you receive some reward.”

Chen Mu responded calmly. Having one intact Dark Soul Lotus was enough for his use, and since Feng Hongsheng had helped him back in Yu County years ago, Chen Mu naturally wasn’t going to keep it all to himself.

Upon hearing Chen Mu’s words, Feng Hongsheng’s expression softened as he carefully stowed away the fragmentary lotus. Then, looking at Chen Mu, numerous thoughts flashed through his mind, and he suddenly understood many things.

Back then, in Yu County, when Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion plotted against Chen Mu, it probably never had any effect. Chen Mu had only pretended to be ensnared to avoid drawing too much attention, resulting in his covert breakthrough to become a Qiankun Grandmaster.

He was unclear when exactly Chen Mu had stepped into the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

But thinking it over carefully, Chen Mu must have already possessed that realm after entering Han Prefecture, for he was able to effortlessly slay the likes of the Tuguhou Marquis, a Grandmaster. Afterward, in the battle at the Main Altar of the Sky Demon Sect, it seemed Qin Mengjun had advanced into the Blood Exchange Realm, annihilating the Wu Gu Marquis and capturing the Heavenly Demon Black Tortoise, but most likely, Chen Mu had also exerted considerable effort.

A Qiankun Grandmaster is heralded as invincible among grandmasters. Chen Mu, now the tenth Qiankun Grandmaster since the founding of Da Xuan, was also among the strongest in terms of power, capable of repelling a Heavenly Demon. This indicated he was indeed nearing the threshold of the Eighth Realm in Martial Arts!

In the Body Tempering Martial Arts, Blood Exchange signifies the ultimate limit.

Any being that can step into the Blood Exchange Realm is an exceptional individual in Martial Arts, the outstanding hero of their generation—like Qin Mengjun, like Yin Heng, like the Pavilion Master of Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion… To possess the power of Blood Exchange while still in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, like Chen Mu, was something not even the previous nine Qiankun Grandmasters could easily achieve.

Undoubtedly, if word of Chen Mu’s current power and realm were to spread, not to mention the harsh, cold lands of Ice State, even the entire Cold North Eleven States would be shaken, and all sects would be astounded!

“I had thought, Peak Master Chen, that your ascent to the third place on the Wind Cloud List within a few short years, with extraordinary Martial Arts progression, was remarkable enough. But I hadn’t imagined you had already reached this level. Compared with you, even the peerless geniuses I have encountered throughout my life are as different as heaven and earth.”

Eventually, Feng Hongsheng couldn’t hold back, expressing his shock and awe with a mixture of emotion.

Back in Yu County, though Chen Mu was already a prominent figure on the Wind Cloud List, he still had quite a gap compared to Feng Hongsheng’s own level. For example, it wouldn’t take much effort for Fu Jingyuan, an Elder of Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, to deal with Chen Mu at that time. But just a few years have passed, and now, if Chen Mu wanted to slay Fu Jingyuan, it would probably take him but the flick of a finger.

“In this turbulent world, I merely proceed with caution.”

Chen Mu put away the intact Dark Soul Lotus and responded to Feng Hongsheng with an even tone, adding, “If Elder Feng has no further intelligence to share, I shall take my leave first.”

“Mm, now that I’ve got this Soul Lotus, I also need to return for a bit.”

Feng Hongsheng brushed aside his distractions and responded. The Dark Soul Lotus was far too precious for him; even a fragmentary one was not something he could afford to carry around on further adventures in the Earthly Abyss. He would have to go back and secure it first.

“Alright, then we shall part ways for now.”

Chen Mu nodded slightly at Feng Hongsheng, then cast his gaze into the distance. After a few steps, his figure disappeared from view.

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