Chapter 121: Ultimate Demonic Art!

Because of their admiration for Qi Mengjun, the people killed were not just Zhou Shaoyou, Wang Zhongyi, and four others.

A few days ago, two young masters from minor families who had argued incessantly over which poetry Qi Mengjun preferred also died.

And young martial artists who fought violently against traveling mercenaries for the sake of Qi Mengjun's beauty also perished!

But these people were all minor figures; their deaths drew no attention.

In contrast, Zhou Shaoyou, Du Gongxian, Wang Zhongyi, and Hu Xiaopeng were either of high status or innate martial cultivators.

When counted properly, more than ten people had been killed because of Qi Mengjun.

Chen Mu had gone to each of their corpses and retrieved cards from a distance.

Yet not a single one was a Qi card, nor even an Internal Force card!

This discovery led Chen Mu to recall the condition of Zhou Shaoyou, Wang Zhongyi, and the others' corpses.

Their half-dried bodies seemed to have had all their essence and blood drained away…

"Could it be… that when Zhou Shaoyou, Wang Zhongyi, and the others died, their essence, internal force, and qi were all absorbed?"

Chen Mu pondered.

Only when a corpse had not a trace of energy left at death could no Internal Force card or Qi card be retrieved.

After all, under normal circumstances, Internal Force cards and Qi cards were the most commonly obtained.

"The killer of Zhou Shaoyou, Wang Zhongyi, and the others must be practicing an extraordinary cultivation art!"

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes.

…

Everyone in the city knew the killer was practicing a demonic cultivation art.

Chen Mu did not make a fuss about it.

As dusk approached, he returned to his lodging.

He hadn't expected that upon entering the alley, he would see someone waiting at the gate of his small courtyard.

"Lu Brother?"

Chen Mu greeted Lu Tang, who waited at the gate, "What are you doing here?"

He stepped forward, opened the courtyard gate, and invited, "Come in, let's talk inside."

"Um…"

Lu Tang entered the house, awkwardly rubbed his nose, and said apologetically, "Um, Chen Brother, could I stay at your place for the next few days?"

"Huh?"

Chen Mu paused, then understood and smiled, "Of course. I have an extra room, always empty. Lu Brother, stay as long as you like."

"…Thank you!"

Lu Tang first bowed deeply in thanks, then explained, "Chen Brother, you know the situation in the city these days—Zhou Shaoyou, Wang Zhongyi, Hu Xiaopeng, they're all dead. All of them openly courted Qi Mengjun, and I… I'm one of them too."

Lu Tang's face flushed slightly, "Now the killer is clearly targeting people like us. Zhou Shaoyou and Hu Xiaopeng are dead; next might be me. Staying here with you is my only hope—I know I stand little chance alone, but with your help, things change. I don't even need to kill the killer—just being able to escape would be enough. Chen Brother, if you…"

"Lu Brother, no need to say more."

Chen Mu raised his hand to interrupt, "I understand the situation. If the killer dares come, so much the better. Together, we'll catch him!"

Lu Tang had spoken openly, making clear that sheltering him might draw the killer's attention.

Chen Mu responded just as directly—unafraid.

First, the killer is almost certainly another admirer of Qi Mengjun!

And not a Ground Altar realm cultivator.

If he were a Ground Altar expert, why bother killing Zhou Shaoyou and Wang Zhongyi?

He could simply go to the Qi household and propose marriage!

A Ground Altar cultivator would have the Qi family scrambling to marry off Qi Mengjun—and even add a massive dowry.

If he's not a Ground Altar cultivator, Chen Mu was confident he could at least escape, even if he couldn't win.

Second, Lu Tang's back is supported by a Ten Thousand Phenomena realm master!

Helping him now, sheltering him, is like picking up a debt of gratitude for free.

Chen Mu knew Zhao Fuzhou admired him, but that was only Zhao Fuzhou's personal opinion.

Lu Tang was different—helping him now meant he owed Chen Mu a major favor.

In the future, if Chen Mu needed anything, Lu Tang himself might repay it—or worse, summon his master!

Taking on a small risk now could yield a great return later.

Chen Mu naturally agreed without hesitation!

…

Lu Tang felt the same.

Though Chen Mu's realm was lower than his own,

Lu Tang knew full well his overall combat power was inferior to Chen Mu's.

Being listed on the "Potential Dragon Rankings" was no joke.

In Lu Tang's view, Chen Mu's combat strength surpassed even ordinary late-stage innate martial cultivators.

Spending the night at Chen Mu's place was absolutely safe.

As for owing a favor…

Deepening ties with a "Potential Dragon" prodigy? Lu Tang welcomed it wholeheartedly!

…

Their words were now fully laid bare.

Lu Tang exhaled in relief, thanked him again, and mused, "The killer's origins must be anything but ordinary."

"So, the Zhenwu Bureau has news about the killer?" Chen Mu asked curiously.

"No solid information, only suspicion."

Lu Tang said solemnly, "Chen brother, you've seen the condition of Zhou Shaoyou and Wang Zhongyi's corpses?"

"I have," Chen Mu nodded. "The semi-desiccated bodies—definitely the work of some demonic cultivation art."

"Correct. If nothing unexpected, this demonic art must be the Devour Heaven Demon Art."

Lu Tang spoke with Grave Demeanor.

"What?" Chen Mu exclaimed. "The Devour Heaven Demon Art? Lu brother, are you certain?"

"Eighty percent certain."

Lu Tang exhaled and explained, "Thirty years ago, the Devour Heaven Demon Art appeared in Tai'an Prefecture. The cultivator who practiced it nearly wiped out every sect and power in Tai'an Prefecture!"

"Back then, just like today, semi-desiccated corpses appeared one after another. The entire Wu Lin of Tai'an Prefecture lived in terror. Neighboring prefectures were equally terrified."

"The cultivator of the Devour Heaven Demon Art was called the 'Devouring Heart Demon.' All sects and powers of Tai'an Prefecture formed the Wu Alliance specifically to hunt him down. The cost was catastrophic."

"Only when the 'Flying Sky Hero' fought the Devouring Heart Demon to the death did Tai'an Prefecture's Wu Lin survive."

"Thirty years have passed. Most people in Tai'an Prefecture have forgotten the Devouring Heart Demon ever existed."

"No one expected the Devour Heaven Demon Art to reappear. If we don't catch the killer soon, a second Devouring Heart Demon will be born!"

"If a second Devouring Heart Demon emerges, everyone in Tai'an Prefecture will face the same horror as before!"

By the end, Lu Tang's voice trembled.

Lu Tang had never experienced the fear brought by the Devouring Heart Demon thirty years ago.

He feared the Devour Heaven Demon Art!

Chen Mu also feared this famed, legendary demonic art.

The Devour Heaven Demon Art was too notorious.

Chen Mu had read records of it in the materials he bought at the Hero Pavilion.

This legendary demonic art was one of the two supreme teachings of the Wudamo Sect known as the Sun-Moon Mo Sect.

But it had been lost five thousand years ago!

The terror of the Devour Heaven Demon Art lies in its ability to devour a cultivator's essence, blood, internal force, true qi, and all forms of energy!

Once targeted and drained, the victim instantly became a desiccated corpse!

If that were all, there would be many demonic arts with similar effects.

But the problem is: when different internal forces and true qis are absorbed into the dantian, the Devour Heaven Demon Art suppresses them—no conflict arises!

Dozens, even hundreds, of different true qis converge into one body without issue—and even accelerate cultivation rapidly.

That is terrifying!