Chapter 150: Breakthrough! Primordial Fifth Layer!

A shout rang out.

A Town Martial Office guard, aged twenty-seven or twenty-eight, clad in crimson fire robes, ran hastily toward Chen Mu while waving and calling out.

"Chen my lord!"

The man reached Chen Mu's side, bowing respectfully, "Your servant pays homage, my lord!"

"You are…" Chen Mu frowned in confusion.

"Your servant, Han Bo."

Han Bo replied respectfully, "I was ordered by Master Yang to wait in Lu County for Chen my lord. To express gratitude for your rescue several days ago, Master Yang wishes to host a banquet in your honor. If you have interest, you may also visit Wulong Fucheng to guide us."

"So it's about this."

Chen Mu smiled, "We're colleagues. I was on-site at the time and saw what happened—I naturally lent a hand. So, no need for a banquet. As for offering guidance, I have no qualifications."

"Still, please convey my thanks for Master Yang's invitation. Perhaps another time, we can share a drink."

"This…" Han Bo hesitated.

"That's enough." Chen Mu raised his hand, ending the conversation, "I must return to Tai'an. Farewell."

With that, he clasped his fists in farewell.

Then he turned to Shen Ge, Pang Yunrui, and Qin Liangjing, "Until we meet again!"

"Safe travels!"

Shen Ge, Pang Yunrui, and Qin Liangjing returned the bow.

Yaa!

Chen Mu tugged the reins and rode off on horseback.

Han Bo was from the Town Martial Office of Jing'an Prefecture.

Earlier, when the ancient site's anomaly appeared, over a dozen Town Martial Office guards from Jing'an Prefecture arrived—but half were killed by Nie Renchou, and half wounded.

Chen Mu rescued the injured; Han Bo, representing the head of Jing'an Prefecture's Town Martial Office, had waited specifically in Lu City to thank him.

Chen Mu acknowledged this gesture.

But nothing more.

Though they were both Town Martial Office personnel, colleagues by rank.

Yet Chen Mu was a Patrol Envoy, tasked specifically with monitoring and overseeing Town Martial Office personnel.

To actually go to Wulong Fucheng would only create awkwardness.

…

…

Xu Family Village.

"What did you say? You found traces of that brat Chen Mu?" Xu Congtang leapt to his feet, eyes blazing with excitement as he stared at his subordinate.

"Yes, Lord."

The young man reporting bowed his head respectfully, "Chen Mu appeared in Jing'an Prefecture, Lu County, entering a newly surfaced ancient site."

"Jing'an Prefecture, Lu County?"

Xu Congtang's eyes flashed with light, "He actually came to Shannan Road—and went to Jing'an Prefecture? Good, good, good! Excellent! Hahaha~"

Xu Congtang burst into loud laughter, his expression ecstatic.

"Er…"

The young reporter hesitated, then whispered, "My lord, Chen Mu did not appear alone in Lu County—he was seen alongside three prodigies from the Dragon Latent List: Shen Ge, Pang Yunrui, and Qin Liangjing. All three entered the ancient site together. Qin Liangjing, however, fell off the list last year due to age."

"… " Xu Congtang's laughter abruptly stopped.

Shen Ge? Pang Yunrui? Qin Liangjing?

These were all prodigies!

If Chen Mu is with them, even a Ditian cultivator would struggle to prevail.

Xu Congtang's face darkened instantly.

"And…"

The young man spoke cautiously, "Also, Chen Mu is now a Town Martial Office member. Before arriving in Jing'an Prefecture, he was Patrol Envoy of Tai'an Prefecture's Town Martial Office, where he exposed and eliminated Pei Renguang, the Town Martial Office head who cultivated demonic arts and slaughtered indiscriminately. For this, he was received by Sikong Lei, the Judicial Envoy of Shannan Road's Town Martial Office."

"It is said—said that Master Sikong Lei holds Chen Mu in high regard and has even given him personal guidance."

"… "

Xu Congtang's face turned even more grim!

Master Sikong Lei was no minor figure in Shannan Road.

Though not a Tiangong cultivator, his formidable strength terrified both inside and outside the Town Martial Office.

The position of Judicial Envoy did not merely judge Town Martial Office guards who broke rules—it also judged any faction or group that defied orders or were branded as traitors.

Xu Congtang had heard of Master Sikong Lei's name.

And yet, this towering figure actually favored Chen Mu?

"Damn it, damn it, damn it~!"

Xu Congtang growled, his killing intent fully exposed, eyes bloodshot.

How many days has it been?

Chen Mu, once unknown among the Dragon Latent prodigies, is now a Patrol Envoy, favored by the upper echelons.

Compared to before, he's far harder to deal with.

Yet the vengeance for his son's death—unforgivable!

Xu Yibai merely admired the leader of the Tianxia Hui, joined the organization, and followed Wei Dongliang, the July Altar Master.

Under Wei Dongliang's orders, he tracked a target—and was killed by Chen Mu.

This grudge must be avenged!

"Huu~~"

Taking a deep breath and barely suppressing his killing intent, Xu Congtang said in a low voice, "Anything else?"

"Nothing for now," the young man giving the report said softly.

"Alright, keep tracking his movements."

Xu Congtang raised his hand.

"Yes!" The young man cupped his fist and backed out.

After the man had gone far away.

The aura around Xu Congtang suddenly surged; his qi burst outward, rippling the surrounding air.

The grudge must be avenged, Chen Mu must be killed, but not openly.

The realm and strength of a Hidden Dragon Prodigy cannot even serve as a reference.

Xu Congtang himself was at the Ninth Stage Innate, which under normal circumstances would be more than enough to deal with Chen Mu.

But Chen Mu was an Inspector of the Suppress Martial Bureau, so common sense couldn't be used to judge him.

To be safe, he needed to find a helper!

……

……

Tai'an Prefecture.

The small rented courtyard.

The moment Chen Mu returned, he sat cross-legged on the bed in his room, took out the True Essence Card, and used up the energy gained from it.

The energy born out of thin air within his body was richer and more vast than any time before.

True qi liquefied, condensing into true essence.

The moment it erupted, Chen Mu instantly felt a swelling sensation; he pushed the Duan Tianhe Art to circulate, and the meridians all over his body were instantly stretched taut.

His entire body was stuffed full, and the trend was evolving toward bursting apart.

The true essence energy of a single instant was actually so ferocious.

Fortunately, Chen Mu was no ordinary Innate martial artist—he was also a Body Tempering Second Cauldron!

The strength of his flesh far surpassed martial artists of the same stage; even late-stage Innate martial artists couldn't compare.

When digesting the true essence, apart from the initial feeling of being stuffed, it was quickly absorbed one by one afterward, returning to normal.

Then, the diffused true qi roamed throughout his body, entering and exiting every acupoint.

His realm, already at the perfect stage of the Fourth Stage, at this moment rapidly climbed straight toward the peak.

Once, twice, thrice…

Finally, accompanied by a muffled rumble, true qi coursed through every acupoint.

True qi opened the orifices—Fifth Stage of Heaven!

At this One Stage Realm, the speed of absorbing energy was faster, the circulation of true qi smoother and more perfectly fused, almost without any sense of stagnation.

The rich energy brought by the True Essence Card had not yet been fully absorbed.

Naturally, Chen Mu didn't stop either; he continued converting, pushing the art to circulate, transforming it into his own true qi.

Half an hour later, all the energy was absorbed, and the aura on his body gradually returned to calm.

"Huu~~"

Chen Mu opened his eyes and exhaled a stream of qi like an arrow.

"The efficacy of the True Essence Card is simply powerful."

Borrowing true essence to complete a breakthrough placed greater stimulation on the body, but the benefits were also plainly visible.

He had almost achieved it without any obstruction.

Ten years of internal force is roughly equivalent to one year of true qi.

The same applies to true essence.

One year of true essence is roughly equivalent to ten years of true qi!