Chapter 205: I Intend to Become Famous!

On the other side, Ma Jiantong sheathed his sword and stood still, suppressing his aura and returning to calmness.

Then, he glanced casually in the direction of Chen Mu and the others, his gaze serene and unruffled, before saying nothing and turning away, vanishing into the deep forest with a few leaps.

"Tsk, this guy's kinda arrogant." Huang Yuanhe clicked his tongue.

"Let's go." Chen Mu called out, not caring.

"Should we get some rabbit meat?" Xue Xue Ranran said shyly.

"No need," Chen Mu explained, "If there are these muscle rabbits, there must be plenty. Rabbits breed no slower than rats."

"Exactly!"

Huang Yuanhe nodded, "We'll carve out the meat when we run into them."

"Fine." Xue Xue Ranran stuck out her tongue.

The three continued on their way.

About half an hour later.

They indeed encountered a group of similar muscle rabbits—seven or eight in number, their strengths uneven; some matched Postnatal Eighth or Ninth Stage, others reached the Primordial Stage.

These rabbits moved at incredible speed; Huang Yuanhe and Xue Xue Ranran could no longer overpower them as they had with the giant rats, so each chose an opponent and engaged in one-on-one combat with full focus.

Chen Mu didn't need to go through such trouble.

His speed was even faster than these muscle rabbits, renowned for their velocity!

As his figure darted, the Lone Star Sword required no infusion of true qi—its innate sharpness and exquisitely precise sword technique alone sent flashes of cold lightning slicing through the air, effortlessly slaying each giant rabbit with astonishing efficiency.

This round, Chen Mu collected three "Earth Dash" fragments.

……

At dusk, the sky gradually darkened.

Chen Mu and the others were searching for a suitable camping spot at the foot of a mountain when, from a nearby open field, a series of deep, thunderous booms erupted, accompanied by a shrill, piercing screech.

"Over there!" Huang Yuanhe pointed southeast.

"Go take a look?" Xue Xue Ranran looked hopefully at Chen Mu.

"Let's go!"

Chen Mu gave a low command, and the three immediately sped toward the source.

At the edge of the field, they saw a man nearly one meter ninety tall, immensely broad and muscular, wielding a silver spear, its shaft wrapped in blinding strands of silver lightning that continuously slammed into the ground.

"Boom!"

"Boom—rumble~!"

Each strike landed like a thunderclap, blasting deep craters into the solid yellow earth.

Beneath the exploded soil, grotesque giant worms were revealed.

These worms were one to two meters long, as thick as water barrels, dark brown in color, covered in slime, and exuding a pungent stench.

They had no distinct head or tail—both ends bore grotesque, tooth-filled mouthparts, writhing wildly, resembling monstrous earthworms magnified countless times.

"What the hell are these things?" Huang Yuanhe felt his scalp crawl.

Xue Xue Ranran's face turned pale as she fought back nausea.

Chen Mu's Solemn Look fixed on the muscular man.

Though his face appeared mature and stern, a trace of youthful inexperience still lingered in his brows.

"This guy… is he Ye Jiuzhong of the Tianlei Sect?"

Huang Yuanhe, forcing himself to look away from the worms, studied the muscular man closely and confirmed, "Yes, it's Ye Jiuzhong. According to reports, he's seventeen this year."

"Seventeen?"

Xue Xue Ranran couldn't help exclaiming, eyes wide as she stared at the towering figure, "He looks at least twenty-seven!"

"Keep your voice down."

Chen Mu whispered a warning; his perception was far sharper than Huang Yuanhe's and Xue Xue Ranran's—he clearly sensed a vast, concealed, yet potent aura radiating from Ye Jiuzhong, likely surpassing his own cultivation realm.

"Ninth Stage of Heaven?" Chen Mu murmured inwardly.

Another hidden genius, unassuming and unremarkable!

This Dragon-Tiger Wind Gathering truly teems with hidden dragons and lurking tigers.

……

Because the giant earthworms burrowed underground and moved swiftly, with thick, tough hides that resisted damage.

Ye Jiuzhong swung his lightning spear wildly, sending streams of silver serpents into the earth, blasting vast stretches of yellow soil into shattered craters, dirt flying everywhere, the thunderous roars never ceasing.

After considerable effort, he finally eradicated the two dozen grotesque giant worms in the area; the air grew thick with the mingled stench of burnt flesh and rot.

He sheathed his spear and stood firm, the silver lightning coils around him slowly fading.

He exhaled a breath of stale air, turned his gaze toward the tree line where Chen Mu and the others hid—and showed no surprise, instead grinning broadly as he strode forward with steady steps.

His massive frame loomed even more imposing up close, yet his smile was hearty as he clasped his fists, "Friends, I'm Ye Jiuzhong of the Tianlei Sect. Sorry for the mess with these stinking worms—I hope I didn't embarrass you."

Chen Mu and the others stepped out from the woods.

"Zhengwu Office, Chen Mu." Chen Mu returned the bow.

Huang Yuanhe quickly followed, "Hanbei Province, Shanyin Prefecture, Huang Clan, Huang Yuanhe."

"Yaoyuewu Sect, Xue Xue Ranran." Xue Xue Ranran also studied the unnaturally mature boy curiously, speaking softly.

"Chen Mu?"

Ye Jiuzhong's tiger-like eyes lit up, fixing on Chen Mu with intense gaze, "The Chen Xuncha who ranked seventy-seventh on the Potential Dragon List?"

"That's me." Chen Mu nodded calmly.

"Hah! It really is you!"

Ye Jiuzhong seemed genuinely delighted, his tone filled with sincere admiration, "I've heard of you. I heard you joined the Zhengwu Office mid-path, not raised from childhood—your achievements are truly admirable! Unlike me, I've been bowing to masters in the Tianlei Sect since I could remember."

He spoke frankly, openly expressing his admiration for Chen Mu's rags-to-riches journey.

When the topic turned to his master, Huang Yuanhe couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother Ye, forgive my bluntness—your sect's name, 'Tianlei Sect,' has been silent in the martial world for nearly a hundred years, with almost no news of it. Why has it suddenly sent you to attend this 'Dragon Tiger Gathering of Winds and Clouds'?"

If someone else had asked, it might have seemed tactless, but Ye Jiuzhong's nature seemed unusually open—he took no offense, even straightened his chest, and declared in a voice like a bronze bell, "I won't hide it from you: I came down the mountain on my master's orders!"

"My master said: if we don't come, then don't come at all; but if we do come, we must make a name for ourselves at this Dragon Tiger Gathering of Winds and Clouds, establish our prestige, and let the whole world know that the Tianlei Sect's lineage has not been broken—that we are rising again, restoring our former glory!"

His words rang out clearly, with no concealment, openly revealing his sect's intentions.

Such candid honesty, utterly without pretense, left Chen Mu, Huang Yuanhe, and Xue Xue Ranran momentarily stunned, then each felt a flicker of admiration.

With this kind of character, paired with his Ninth Stage Innate cultivation and his fierce, unmatched thunder arts, he truly had the grounds to say such things.

Chen Mu's lips curled slightly into a faint smile.

"Brother Ye, your bold spirit—I wish you swift success and glory for the Tianlei Sect!"