Da Xuan Martial Saint

"...Chen, Brother Chen?"

Jin Ling'er noticed Chen Mu's gaze, suddenly staring at her fixedly, causing her to be slightly stunned for a moment. Then, her cheeks involuntarily blushed, and she couldn't help but avert her eyes, not daring to meet Chen Mu's gaze.

Why was Chen Mu staring at her like that?

If Brother Chen had feelings for her... what should she do?

Although she was a girl from the mountains of Bi Prefecture, who, after coming to the Seven Profound Sect, was wholeheartedly pursuing Martial Arts, she was still a girl of her age, naive and sensitive. Her thoughts flew into disarray, even wandering back to the first time she met Chen Mu, when he had saved her, and she thought about repaying him with her body. The more she thought about it, the more bashful she became, even her head began to shrink down.

Chen Mu, however, didn't notice the girl's jumbled thoughts. His brief trance and absent-mindedness were due to a quiet metamorphosis of his state of mind. Once he regained his senses, he felt his state of mind peaceful and calm, like a still water in a clear mirror, as if all worries and anxieties had drifted far away.

"Work hard."

Chen Mu gave Jin Ling'er a warm smile.

Then, he shifted his gaze away and continued walking up the mountain.

Jin Ling'er watched as Chen Mu turned and left, her tension in her heart easing slightly, but then she felt somewhat wistful. She stared blankly at Chen Mu's retreating figure until it had long disappeared, before she finally snapped back to reality. Clenching her little fists, she repeated the words of encouragement from Chen Mu, firmed up her resolve, and turned to continue her cultivation.

"Benefactor."

Just as Chen Mu had turned away from Jin Ling'er and walked a short distance up the mountain, another unexpected event took place. Another little girl, younger than Jin Ling'er and appearing to be about fourteen or fifteen, ran into him on the mountain steps. She was slightly stunned and then knelt down reverently, offering a grand salute.

It is not necessary for fellow disciples, brothers and sisters, to kneel to each other. Even Inner Sect Disciples, when facing Chen Mu, only need to give a nod of the head as a sign of respect. Only if Chen Mu were to truly assume the position of an Elder or Peak Master in the Sect, elevating his status, would it be necessary for them to call him Uncle Master and kneel.

The girl's act of kneeling took Chen Mu by surprise, but he didn't prevent her from continuing her salute. Looking at her eyes, he felt a slight sense of familiarity. With his current keen state of mind, it took mere moments to recall who she was.

"Are you Zhao Xiaohong?"

"Benefactor still remembers me?"

The girl remained kneeling, looking up at Chen Mu with eyes full of admiration and respect.

"Indeed it's you. I do remember you. You're a new disciple of Spirit Profound Peak, right? Stand up, now that you're under Spirit Profound Peak, you should just call me Brother in the future."

Chen Mu looked at the girl before him, not surprised by her reaction, and responded with a gentle expression. He then gently lifted a hand, and a wisp of invisible Qi Force helped the girl to her feet.

Zhao Xiaohong.

She was the young girl 'Hong'er,' whom he had saved on the river during the floods in Yu County many years ago.

Years had passed, times had changed, and unexpectedly the girl had also shown talent in Martial Arts. Now she too had been chosen by the Seven Profound Sect, and she became one of their disciples. Judging by her attire, an Inner Sect Disciple, she must have possessed enough innate talent to be admitted directly into the Inner Sect.

"Yes, Brother."

Zhao Xiaohong offered an obedient bow, looking at Chen Mu with eyes full of longing.

Her opportunity to join the Seven Profound Sect, although partly due to the Sect's recruitment of disciples and her passing the talent assessment, could not have been possible without Chen Mu's help many years before. Otherwise, she would have drowned in the river that day.

What's more, she had grown up listening to Chen Mu's exploits. Especially after joining the Seven Profound Sect, she became more aware of the incredible stories surrounding Chen Mu, and her admiration for him needn't be mentioned. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

"How is your grandfather doing?"

Chen Mu, recalling the past, felt a bit of nostalgia and asked Zhao Xiaohong.

Upon hearing the question, Zhao Xiaohong's gaze finally fell, and in a low voice, she said:

"Grandfather passed away last year."

"Hmm."

Chen Mu nodded gently.

Old Man Zhao was already over fifty many years ago. For commoners who knew no Martial Arts, living past fifty was generally considered to die a good death. If he had passed away last year, he might have lived past sixty, which amongst the common folk would be considered a long life.

Even in times of peace, not many could live to sixty unscathed. For ordinary people, even a common cold could be deadly. When Chen Mu first arrived in this world, he had barely clung to life, suffering from a severe cold and lack of medical treatment. If not for some force that made his condition improve quickly, it wouldn't have been surprising if he had died on his sickbed.

Then, there would not be a Chen Mu as he was now.

"Everyone has their time. Being accepted into the Inner Sect of the Seven Profound Sect, your grandfather would be consoled in the afterlife."

Chen Mu consoled Zhao Xiaohong, then gave her a careful look and asked, "To be directly accepted into the Inner Sect, you must have a good comprehension, right?"

Zhao Xiaohong replied softly, "Answering Brother, my comprehension was rated 'Upper A' when I entered."

Chen Mu listened and nodded slightly, saying, "That is indeed very good. Now that you have started practicing martial arts, you must persevere and not waste your talent."

Jin Ling'er has an A-grade constitution, and Zhao Xiaohong has an A-grade comprehension. Both have the talent to be directly admitted to the Seven Profound Sect's Inner Sect, a level of talent that surpasses the vast majority of people. In the future, both have the potential to rise to the level of true disciples.

It's a pity that these two talents cannot be combined. If they were combined, with A-grade both in comprehension and constitution, that would equal Zhou Hao's talent. Such a gift would be a rarity in a state once every decade, and as long as one diligently cultivates, there's a high probability of entering the top ten of the promising newcomers list, becoming a notable figure among the younger generation.

Of course, even so, both are not lacking in any way. In the future, they might stand shoulder to shoulder with Meng Danyun. Later on, it's not without chance for them to cultivate to the Grandmaster level, or even break through the Life and Death Pass and seek enlightenment in the Blood Exchange Realm.

Speaking of which.

The two girls he saved were both remarkably talented, capable of being admitted into the Inner Sect of the Seven Profound Sect. This seemed a bit coincidental, but upon reflection, it was not so strange. Throughout his journey, he had saved countless people, and it was normal for one or two among them to be exceptionally gifted.

"Yes, Hong'er will heed Senior Brother's teachings and will not neglect my cultivation," Zhao Xiaohong said, bowing to Chen Mu once again.

Like Chen Mu, she came from humble beginnings, and her experiences were even more arduous than Jin Ling'er's. Naturally, she understood the significance of being admitted to the Sect and had no intention of squandering such an opportunity.

Chen Mu gave Zhao Xiaohong a slight nod and after offering another word of encouragement, continued along the mountain path. This time he encountered no more familiar faces, eventually reaching the summit and arriving at the rear cliff behind the main hall of Spirit Profound Peak.

However,

the rear cliff was empty, and the rock where Qin Mengjun typically sat in quiet meditation was vacant without a trace.

"Is Master still in seclusion..."

After sensing the environment around the rear cliff, Chen Mu felt no fluctuations, indicating that Qin Mengjun had not been there for quite some time. He recalled that Qin Mengjun's condition had improved significantly since awakening from that prolonged sleep, and this seclusion had already been very lengthy. Perhaps after emerging, she would be fully recovered?

If Qin Mengjun could return to normal, Chen Mu would naturally be happy for her, as intermittent clarity and confusion meant she could only ever remain within the confines of the Seven Profound Sect's mountain gate, her life restricted from traveling afar.

Without seeing Qin Mengjun, Chen Mu didn't linger.

He quietly descended from the peak and returned to his residence on Spirit Profound Peak, to that simple bamboo house. Even though it had been a long time since he lived in the bamboo house, it was clear someone regularly cleaned it, keeping it spotless and tidy.

Chen Mu sat on the familiar bamboo bed and with a thought, summoned the system interface.

[Martial Arts: Qiankun Artistic Conception (Step Two)]

[Experience: 677 points]

[Available Predictions: 1 time]

The experience accumulated earlier had been transformed into prediction opportunities. However, he hadn't had the chance to improve due to his busy journey. Now that he was back at the Sect with all his affairs in order, he finally had the opportunity to advance one level.

After subtle changes in his mentality, Chen Mu's martial will entered the final phase of 'Nature as the Heart', and with the system's experience panel, he easily deduced that his current efficiency in comprehending the world had increased two to three times more than before!

Completing the eighth prediction of the artistic conception would reach the limit of the second step.

This was something Chen Mu had already determined.

With his current state, gathering enough experience for the eighth prediction would be much quicker than before, and in just a few months, he could achieve success. After that, advancing further would take him to the Qiankun Domain!

Once he mastered the Qiankun Domain, with the Qiankun Martial Body guiding it, his power would transform once again.

By then, facing the grandmasters of the world, they would surely fall before him like chaff before the wind. As for whether he could reach the heights of the Blood Exchange Realm and compete with that highest echelon of martial prowess, it would depend on the true power of that realm.

Hum.

Without hesitation, Chen Mu closed his eyes, consumed the prediction, and began the seventh prediction of the Qiankun Artistic Conception.

Having gone through six predictions already, this prediction was smooth sailing. After cultivating his martial body and becoming a Grandmaster, his perception of the world had already transformed. Now, with the system's predictions, he once again entered the realm where his soul heart merged with nature and he directly scrutinized the essence of all things.

Time passed unknowingly, and when he came to his senses, he was still seated in the bamboo house. The seventh prediction of the Qiankun Artistic Conception had quietly been completed, and his Qiankun Artistic Conception was a mere step away from the limit of the second step.

Feeling the subtle changes emerge within him, Chen Mu sensed the world around him, exhaled lightly, and as if realizing something, slowly stood up and walked to the door.

After a few breaths,

a figure appeared at the door. It was a protector of the Seven Profound Sect, who gave Chen Mu a bow and handed him a deep purple exotic stone with intertwining traces of thunder arc, saying "Protector Chen, this Divine Soaring Stone has been sent by Elder Qi."

"Thank you for your troubles," replied Chen Mu, slightly nodding and taking the Divine Soaring Stone into his hand.