Da Xuan Martial Saint

After feeling the profound mysteries contained in the sect's entrance stele for a while,

Chen Mu finally stepped forward, passing by the stele and entering the Seven Profound Sect. He walked deeper along the path and soon arrived directly at the main peak.

This was not his first time coming to the main peak of the Seven Profound Sect. The mansion treasury of the Seven Profound Sect was located within the belly of the main peak, one of the most important places in the Sect, but he had never been to the main hall on the main peak before.

Continuing upwards along the way.

Along the way, he saw groups of young disciples from the Great Profound Peak practicing martial arts, many of whom appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, full of youthful vigor. Some of the newer disciples stopped their movements and curiously looked at Chen Mu, who was quietly walking up the mountain path in his plain clothes.

Meanwhile, some of the older and more experienced Inner Sect Disciples recognized Chen Mu's identity. After the initial shock, they quickly paid their respects to Chen Mu with a deferential bow, making way for him and watching as he ascended the peak.

Noticing the actions of the older brothers.

A young and naïve little girl, after Chen Mu's figure had disappeared, couldn't help asking curiously, "Brother Zhang, who is that brother? Is he also a disciple of our Great Profound Peak?"

Martial artists of higher realms age very slowly, and although Chen Mu was only about thirty years old, he had vigorous Qi-Blood. His appearance was even younger now, looking to be in his early twenties, not much older than her.

"Him?"

Brother Zhang turned back and glanced at the several junior brothers and sisters behind him, saying, "He's not a disciple of the Great Profound Peak, but you should all know his name. He is Brother Chen from the Spirit Profound Peak."

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately caused a burst of exclamations.

The curious little sister from the Great Profound Peak, with a surprised face looking towards the direction Chen Mu had gone, said:

"Is he Brother Chen?"

Chen Mu's experiences were now considered legendary within the Seven Profound Sect, and in Yu State, anyone acquainted with the Martial World knew him as the third-ranked martial artist on the Wind Cloud List at only thirty years of age. However, in her mind, she had imagined Chen Mu as a towering figure with an inherently commanding presence and a solemn demeanor, not expecting his appearance to be not much different or his stature that imposing.

He was only noticeably more handsome, with no other distinctions; his presence did not stand out, and as he walked past the mountain path, he even resembled an ordinary person who knew no martial arts.

A return to simplicity and truth, with the bearing of a Grandmaster.

This phrase came to her mind.

...

Chen Mu continued his ascent towards the peak, and after reaching the upper part of the Great Profound Peak, the atmosphere finally got a bit more solemn. However, there were still no hindrances along the way until he arrived at the summit, where finally a protector of the Great Profound Peak appeared.

But upon seeing Chen Mu, he gave a start, then immediately clasped his hands in greeting."

"I have seen Brother Chen. May I ask what brings Brother Chen here?"

"I have something to report to Elder Qi."

Chen Mu responded to him.

Qi Zhiyuan was now acting as the Master of the Seven Profound Sect, but in truth, there was no difference from being the Sect Master. The current Sect Master was also a Grandmaster, but he had reached his twilight years and spent most of his time in seclusion within the Sect, rarely making an appearance for many years. It was known that the old Sect Master had not yet died of old age, and once he passed away, Qi Zhiyuan would assume the role of Sect Master.

In actuality, this position originally belonged to Qin Mengjun, and even after she failed to advance through the Blood Exchange Realm, as a top Grandmaster, she should have been the new Sect Master. But unfortunately, with Qin Mengjun sometimes lost in confusion and at other times lucid, unable to manage the Sect's affairs, the position of Acting Sect Master ultimately fell to Qi Zhiyuan.

"Hmm, Elder Qi is just behind here. Brother Chen, please follow me."

The protector nodded slightly and, without asking about the business at hand, led the way in an orderly fashion, guiding Chen Mu around the central grand hall of the Seven Profound Sect and reaching a tranquil courtyard located behind the grand hall.

In the courtyard, Chen Mu finally met Qi Zhiyuan. Although he had been in the Sect for many years, this was the first time he had seen this Acting Sect Master. In terms of strength, Qi Zhiyuan might not be as powerful as Qin Mengjun, not ranking among the top Grandmasters, but was a bit stronger than Shi Zhenyong, Feng Hongsheng, and others. Within the Seven Profound Sect, aside from the Supreme Elders, the old Sect Master, and Qin Mengjun, he was the most prominent.

"I have seen Elder Qi."

Chen Mu greeted Qi Zhiyuan with a clasped hand.

Even though by strength, he could now easily take on three to five Qi Zhiyuans single-handedly, as the Acting Sect Master and someone who had devoted himself to the martial way on behalf of the Sect, he naturally deserved Chen Mu's respect.

"Protector Chen, there's no need for excessive formality."

Qi Zhiyuan, wearing a simple gray robe, was standing under a locust tree in the courtyard. He smiled at Chen Mu without any pretense of being the Sect Master.

Chen Mu, now ranked third on the Wind Cloud List, was a figure able to converse with Grandmasters on equal terms, even if not a Grandmaster himself. Despite being much younger than Qi Zhiyuan, he did not put on any airs. In the world of Martial Arts, precedence is given to those who achieve greatness.

To reach this level was enough to qualify as an Elder of the Seven Profound Sect, to sit at the same table as him.

"Protector Chen, after this battle in Frost County, your name has certainly shaken the Cold North. I originally thought it would take a few more years for you to reach this level, yet here you are, achieving such heights in just a short two years since stepping into the Six Viscera Realm."

Qi Zhiyuan looked at Chen Mu, his tone carrying a hint of astonishment.

As the Acting Sect Master of Seven Profound Sect, he had been paying attention to Chen Mu from the moment he joined the sect. Chen Mu's meteoric rise had surprised him, but even so, he had not anticipated Chen Mu would reach such a level in just a few short years, with a strength now comparable to that of Feng Hongsheng and others.

Furthermore, as Chen Mu stood before him today, Qi Zhiyuan, with his unique Perception Technique, could no longer clearly sense Chen Mu's aura. It felt ethereal like clouds, a definite sign of one whose martial skills and power had reached their pinnacle.

One must know.

Just a few short years ago, Chen Mu was simply a new True Disciple at the Five Viscera Realm.

"Reporting back to Elder Qi, on my trip to Han Prefecture, I discovered two locations,"

Seeing that the Protector of Great Profound Peak had left and only he and Qi Zhiyuan remained in the courtyard, Chen Mu didn't beat around the bush and reported the intelligence he had gathered from Tuguhou: "Secluded Silent Valley and Snow Maiden Mountain. Both locations are related to the Sky Demon Sect and Heavenly Corpse Sect. They are either their main altar locations or important branches."

Upon hearing Chen Mu's intelligence report, Qi Zhiyuan's expression immediately turned grave as he asked, "Is this reliable?"

"Not certain, but it should be without deceit..."

Chen Mu then briefly recounted the death of Tuguhou and the specific circumstances of the questioning before his death.

After listening,

a trace of astonishment appeared in Qi Zhiyuan's eyes.

"You killed Tuguhou?"

Chen Mu, naturally, would not exaggerate such a matter without cause. Since he stated it so, it left no room for error. This revelation once again brought a sense of amazement to Qi Zhiyuan who had thought Chen Mu's ranking at third place on the Wind Cloud List was already worthy of admiration. He had not expected Chen Mu to be capable of defeating and even slaying Tuguhou of the Uma Tribe!

Many factors influence a martial artist's confrontation, including timing and geographical advantages. Defeating Tuguhou was not too difficult. People like Feng Hongsheng and Shi Zhenyong, given the right circumstances, could quite comfortably defeat Tuguhou. Defeating is one thing, but slaying is much harder.

"He was too careless,"

Chen Mu said calmly.

If Tuguhou had solely focused on escape, not coming near him and immediately fleeing a thousand miles upon even a slight approach, then, although Chen Mu's movement technique was also quite good, a chase would become troublesome. Even if he could ultimately deal with Tuguhou, it would require some effort since, at Tuguhou's level, it was rare to find a master who was not proficient in movement techniques without any weaknesses.
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However, if Tuguhou dared to come near him, that was tantamount to seeking death, especially if he dared to make a move against Chen Mu, thereby forfeiting any chance of survival he might have had. To directly confront him was no different from courting death.

"For someone like Tuguhou to have been killed by you, even if he underestimated you, your strength must have far exceeded his expectations. Your power goes beyond just being third on the Wind Cloud List."

Qi Zhiyuan exclaimed.

If a Grandmaster like Tuguhou were determined to flee, even Qi Zhiyuan himself was not absolutely sure he could stop him.

For such a figure to die at Chen Mu's hands, even if there was carelessness and misjudgment involved, Chen Mu's strength was undoubtedly formidable. With this feat, he was enough to rise to the first position of the Wind Cloud List, probably not far behind Qi Zhiyuan himself!

Chen Mu,

indeed, was an unparalleled prodigy in the Cold North Path for a century... no, even for a millennium. Looking across the entire Da Xuan Dynasty, in the history since its establishment, there have been only a handful who could compare to Chen Mu.

Nonetheless, Qi Zhiyuan was ultimately the Acting Sect Master of Seven Profound Sect, a renowned Grandmaster in his own right. He quickly composed himself and pondered, "If it's as you say, then the credibility of this intelligence is indeed high, and it is certainly something we can use to make arrangements. However, if it's truly the main altars of those two sects, we cannot act rashly; this requires meticulous planning."

The main altars of Sky Demon Sect and Heavenly Corpse Sect.

If they could launch a surprise attack and forcefully break through their main altars, then the wealth of resources accumulated over hundreds of years could fall substantially into Seven Profound Sect's hands, a matter of great significance!

But indeed, such a matter requires meticulous planning, whether Seven Profound Sect acts alone or includes Ice Extreme Palace and Heavenly Sword Sect and needs to be carefully considered. After all, both Sky Demon Sect and Heavenly Corpse Sect are not pushovers. Even if they've been suppressed by the Da Xuan Dynasty Court for hundreds of years and have only re-emerged in this time of chaos, they indeed have the heritage of a sect.

Furthermore, we must also consider the Foreign Races outside our borders and their potential support and alliances.

"Hmm,"

Chen Mu nodded slightly.

He was not overly concerned about what decision Seven Profound Sect would make. By reporting the intelligence, he had completed his task. Although his strength was indeed formidable, he could not single-handedly destroy the main altar of the Sky Demon Sect. If Seven Profound Sect decided to act, then he would follow and act together, waiting to see how Qi Zhiyuan... no, how the Supreme Elder would decide.

In matters like dealing with the main altars of Sky Demon Sect or Heavenly Corpse Sect, it was obvious that Qi Zhiyuan was not the final decision-maker. If the sect really decided to act, then likely all high-ranking officials of Seven Profound Sect would be mobilized, and not even Qi Zhiyuan could command so many people. Only the Blood Exchange Realm's Supreme Elder of Seven Profound Sect had that authority.