Chapter 131: We Are All Potential Dragon Prodigies!

'Yes!'

The cards were obtained, checked in sequence.

Two Qi cards, two skill cards, seven Neili cards.

One Soul-Enhancing card, one Aptitude card!

New card: Aptitude card.

As the name suggests, using an Aptitude card allows one to attain sudden enlightenment anytime, anywhere.

This is a valuable item, truly rare!

Sudden enlightenment is exceedingly hard to achieve.

Countless people spend their entire lives without ever achieving it once.

But once one enters the state of sudden enlightenment, the gains are immense.

Difficulties in cultivation techniques, bottlenecks in martial arts, obscurities in skills...

All can be resolved!

But even so, creating something from nothing is still impossible.

For example, the 'Two Yin-Yang Sword Qi'—Chen Mu has long wanted to deduce and complete it, but it involves Yin-Yang forces, and the original content is too scant; four or five Combat Simulation cards are insufficient.

To achieve full enlightenment and obtain the complete text is virtually unrealistic.

Only after using multiple Combat Simulation cards to deduce and fill in most of the gaps, then entering sudden enlightenment on that existing foundation, might one succeed and obtain the complete 'Two Yin-Yang Sword Qi'.

For this reason, this Aptitude card and the previously acquired Combat Simulation cards were both stored away for now.

As for the Soul-Enhancing card, it was used immediately; the spirit soul grew stronger again, and spiritual power increased.

'Indeed, it is an incomplete technique.'

In the Zhenwu Office's main hall, Master Sikong Lei held a specially crafted skin scroll, observed it for a moment, then handed it to Chen Mu and said loudly, 'The true 'Devour Heaven Demon Art' has long been lost; what survives are fragments of fragments. The version Pei Renguang cultivated is one, and the one cultivated by the 'Devouring Heart Demon' thirty years ago was also one.'

'Such incomplete techniques, once cultivated, cannot be stopped, nor can they ever be perfected; the end result is invariably self-explosion and death!'

'... Self-explosion and death?' Chen Mu held the skin scroll, staring at the tiny script and several illustrations upon it, and paused in surprise, 'My lord means the 'Devouring Heart Demon' from thirty years ago died by self-explosion?'

'Correct. I just reviewed the records from thirty years ago last night—the 'Devouring Heart Demon' ultimately perished alongside the 'Flying Sky Hero'; in fact, during battle he lost control of himself and exploded on the spot. The 'Flying Sky Hero' couldn't escape in time and died with him.'

Master Sikong Lei explained.

Chen Mu listened, filled with emotion.

The skin scroll in his hand was obtained through interrogation of Pei Renguang.

According to Pei Renguang's confession, this skin scroll was found by him in a hidden cave.

The content recorded on it appeared powerful, but was in fact incomplete; Pei Renguang, however, was drawn in and could not stop.

In the end, tragedy ensued.

Of course, precisely because it involved the 'Devour Heaven Demon Art', Master Sikong Lei, the Judge of the Shannan Dao Zhenwu Office headquarters, came personally to Tai'an Prefecture.

The outcome? Neither unexpected nor surprising.

Although it was a fragment of a fragment, Master Sikong Lei still took away the skin scroll in the end.

Chen Mu also left temporarily, went to the Zhou City Zhenwu Office, and exchanged his newly acquired merit points for ten 'Five Elements Stones' and one hundred arrows to match the Wolhu Bow.

The remaining merit points were saved.

This time, capturing Pei Renguang earned Chen Mu nearly enough merit points to be promoted to Ding Zi Patrol Inspector.

Ding Zi compared to Cai Zi grants greater authority; when exchanging resources, fewer merit points are required.

It is said there are other hidden benefits, but Chen Mu does not yet know them.

Returning to Tai'an Prefecture, Chen Mu did not go back to the Zhenwu Office; he stayed at his residence and practiced the 'Five Elements Spirit Transformation Scripture' using the 'Five Elements Stones'.

He remained indoors, practicing continuously for four days and four nights; nine 'Five Elements Stones' were consumed, and the 'Five Elements Spirit Transformation Scripture' successfully reached Great Completion, achieving perfect imitation.

As a result, it became extremely difficult to discern the Duan Tianhe Qi cultivated from the 'Duan Tianhe Scripture'.

Even when Chen Mu unleashed the 'Strive for Heaven Sword', the sword qi emitted was flame-based.

Under these circumstances, only if the 'Duan Tianhe Sword Sovereign' himself arrived could the original nature be detected.

'Dong dong~'

A knock came at the door.

Inside, Chen Mu halted his cultivation, walking as he said, 'Coming.'

He stepped out quickly and opened the courtyard gate.

'May I ask... Brother Shen!?'

Two men stood outside: one noble and handsome, the other round and gentle.

The former was none other than Shen Ge, the prodigy disciple of the Yaoyuewu Sect, ranked seventy-eighth on the Potential Dragon List, known as the 'Flying Rainbow Young Master,' whom Chen Mu had not seen in a long time!

'Hahaha, Brother Chen, long time no see!'

Shen Ge bowed, laughing loudly.

'Indeed, it's been a long while. Please come in.' Chen Mu stepped back, making way.

'Your quarters are quite nice, Brother Chen.' Shen Ge said as he walked in.

'By the way.'

He clapped his hands, turned, and pointed to the round man following him, introducing, 'This is Pang Yunrui, Brother Pang.'

"Greetings, Brother Pang!" Chen Mu looked at the round-faced man and cupped his fists in salute.

This Pang Yunrui was a little over five foot seven, but his body was round, his head was round, his face was round, and his arms were round.

Although everything about him looked round, he didn't actually appear all that fat.

If one had to describe it, he was perfectly rounded, and the aura he exuded was at least Sixth Stage Innate.

"Brother Chen!"

Pang Yunrui smiled, likewise cupping his fists in greeting, and said, "I've been hearing Brother Shen Ge go on and on about Brother Chen, so today I finally get to meet you. Sure enough, you live up to your reputation as the fastest-rising Hidden Dragon prodigy in recent years."

"That's just Brother Shen exaggerating… wait!"

Suddenly, Chen Mu recalled something. Staring at Pang Yunrui, he said in astonishment, "Could Brother Pang be the 'Gluttonous Wanderer,' ranked ninety-third on the Hidden Dragon list?"

Chen Mu had read the New Issue/Phase of the Hidden Dragon list from start to finish, memorizing everyone's information.

The one ranked ninety-third, nicknamed "Gluttonous Wanderer," age twenty-five, name: Pang Yunrui!

"Haha, that's him."

Shen Ge laughed and said, "No need for flattery — all three of us are Hidden Dragon prodigies!"

"Haha~"

Pang Yunrui and Chen Mu burst out laughing together.

Indeed.

Although their rankings differed, they were all prodigies on the list.

However, compared to Pang Yunrui, Shen Ge felt a deeper surge of emotion in his heart.

The last time he had seen Chen Mu, Chen Mu hadn't even reached the Innate Realm.

And how long had it been since then?

Not only had Chen Mu broken through to the Innate Realm, he had also made it onto the Hidden Dragon list.

If they hadn't known each other, it wouldn't have struck him as such a big deal.

Precisely because they were familiar, the sheer scale of Chen Mu's transformation stirred profound emotion.

……

They went inside, exchanged introductions, and after a round of catching up.

Chen Mu asked curiously, "Brother Shen, how did you know I was here?"

"It's all because of your great name, Brother Chen — it's spread throughout Tai'an Prefecture and the surrounding prefectures."

Pang Yunrui chimed in with a smile, "An Inspector of the Martial Suppression Bureau, a newly risen Hidden Dragon prodigy — the moment you arrived in Tai'an Prefecture, you uncovered the Bureau's top officer, that Pei Renguang, for cultivating the 'Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art.' It wasn't just Tai'an Prefecture that was shaken — the surrounding prefectures were all stunned too."

"We happened to be passing through and heard Brother Chen's name, so we came looking for you."

Shen Ge explained, "At first we went to the Martial Suppression Bureau, and it was thanks to a Bureau guard named Lu Tang pointing us in the right direction that we found our way here."

"We've come today for two reasons: first, to catch up; second, we'd like to invite Brother Chen to join us in exploring an ancient site!"