Chapter 237: Human and Sword as One!

Shhh~

Qi surged; Chen Mu used the shared bamboo sliver to transmit his questions outward.

Not long after, light shimmered across the sliver, revealing Zhao Fuzhou's reply.

【Investigation confirmed: over the past half-year, dozens of minor factions and hundreds of lone cultivators in Zhenzhou have seemingly died in clan feuds or accidental clashes, but all bear the hidden hand of Jing'an Wang Fu.】

【All these dead were subtly linked to Jing'an Wang's three sons. Jing'an Wang, using the position of "Heir Apparent" as bait, constantly provoked and incited his sons to fight each other, thereby generating massive killings.】

【Afterward, the essence-blood of every deceased individual mysteriously vanished.】

All their essence-blood vanished?

After reading the message, Chen Mu's mind instantly conjured the image of Zhang Tieli's corpse—pale as paper, all blood-qi drained—and all prior doubts snapped into clarity.

Zhang Tieli's death was not a simple feud—it was a draining of his entire essence-blood!

This explained why a Foundation Establishment cultivator died so "cleanly."

But new doubts arose.

【What purpose does Jing'an Wang serve by expending such effort to harvest so much essence-blood?】

【Could it be… he has cultivated some demonic art requiring vast quantities of cultivator essence-blood?】

Chen Mu transmitted his speculation to Zhao Fuzhou.

Shhh~

Light flickered.

Zhao Fuzhou replied.

【Based on current clues, Jing'an Wang Wu Jianqing himself shows no signs of cultivating demonic arts; his daily routines and cultivation aura remain entirely normal.】

【But the purpose behind his collection of such vast amounts of essence-blood remains a mystery—I am still investigating deeper.】

【You are in the open; be extremely cautious.】

【Understood!】

Chen Mu sent his reply, set down the shared bamboo sliver, and fell into thought.

If Jing'an Wang sought essence-blood to cultivate demonic arts, it would make sense.

After all, constrained by his martial talent, Jing'an Wang has been stuck in the Innate Realm for years; if he wished to break through his lifespan or power limits, pursuing a heretical path was a plausible choice.

But Zhao Fuzhou had ruled out this possibility…

"This pool of water is indeed deep."

Chen Mu murmured softly, tucked away the bamboo sliver.

Jing'an Wang Wu Jianqing's goal remains unknown, but one thing was certain.

He would never rebel!

The Zhou imperial court shows no signs of decay; the emperor on the dragon throne is not the patriarch of the Wu clan—the strongest being alive.

The Wu clan's founding emperor, the Great Ancestor who established the Zhou dynasty, still lives—he is the supreme pinnacle of this world!

The current Zhou Huang is merely the Wu clan's chosen steward—the most capable administrator among them.

As long as Zhou Huang sits firmly on the throne, Jing'an Wang Wu Jianqing's gains will be maximized!

"To stir his three sons into competing for the 'Heir Apparent' title just to harvest essence-blood… he truly thought of everything."

Chen Mu mused inwardly.

Chen Mu was curious about Jing'an Wang Wu Jianqing's purpose, but he had no intention of personally delving deeper.

With Zhao Fuzhou, a Ditan Realm expert, secretly investigating, it was far more convenient and effective than Chen Mu acting openly.

Chen Mu's task remained to draw attention—to play his role well.

…

In the following half-month, Zhenzhouzhoucheng unexpectedly fell into calm.

The Liyang Gang's outpost in the city was destroyed; its vice-chief, Zhang Tieli, was killed; and its boss, Yang Qin, after weighing pros and cons, abandoned all affairs in the city entirely, focusing solely on the headquarters.

He sent no one to investigate, nor came himself—as if accepting the outcome.

Chen Mu welcomed the peace: each day he either pored over past Juan Sect records in the Zhenwu Bureau, learning the web of factions and complex relationships in Zhenzhou, or occasionally attended banquets, maintaining his persona of "flashy, flamboyant, fond of grandeur," and weaving deceitful alliances with all factions.

That evening, Chen Mu, as usual, sat in his quiet chamber, slowly nurturing and cleansing the "Xian Long Jian" with his pure Duan Tianhe Qi.

When his spirit fully immersed and merged with the sword's hot, restrained aura, Chen Mu suddenly sensed an extremely faint yet lively, resonant vibration—

It was the very spark of sentience within the "Xian Long Jian"!

Chen Mu's heart stirred—he knew this was the opportunity brought by prolonged nurturing.

Instantly, he focused all his spirit, like the most patient hunter, gently approaching, guiding, and finally forging a stable link between his own will and that elusive, flickering sentience!

Wum~!

A soft, metallic hum echoed through the quiet chamber.

In that instant, Chen Mu felt the "Xian Long Jian" in his hand was no longer a cold weapon—it had become an extension of his arm, a part of himself!

Where his mind went, the sword's motion followed.

Human and sword as one!

At the very moment he achieved the miraculous state of "human and sword as one," leveraging the "Xian Long Jian"'s innate fire-element nature, Chen Mu seized the opportunity, clearly perceiving and drawing forth a thread of scorching, explosive, life-giving, and destructive energy—

The Fire Realm!

Though he had only barely glimpsed the threshold of this realm, his understanding still crude, it was more than enough for Chen Mu.

A sudden epiphany struck.

Chen Mu activated the cultivation method of the "Zhenwu Dangmo Sword Art"; previously obscure, elusive subtleties now grew clear under the illumination and momentum of the scorching sword intent and the Fire Realm!

Wum wum~

The body of the Xian Long Jian trembled slightly.

Chen Mu closed his eyes and sensed, sinking into a mysterious state of Dao comprehension, his spirit following the flow of the Sword Art, continuously perceiving its supreme yang and rigid essence that purged evil, and aligning it with the nascent Fire Intent.

During this process, the Xian Long Sword trembled, emitting a soft yet scorching red glow that enveloped Chen Mu's form.

The energy around Chen Mu rose and fell unpredictably, yet carried an odd harmony and upward momentum.

Time passed, and a sliver of pale dawn appeared beyond the window.

When the morning light emerged—

Chen Mu's aura surged violently, then instantly retracted.

He suddenly opened his eyes; within them, two tiny flames flickered and vanished, and his entire spirit, energy, and essence seemed refined, becoming more condensed.

"Achieved."

Chen Mu exhaled, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

True Martial Purifying Sword Art, Level Four!

Leveraging the opportunity of Sword and Man as One and his initial comprehension of the Fire Intent, Chen Mu further mastered this supreme sword technique, advancing his strength once more.

With his initial awakening of the Fire Intent, the Red Water Dragon Slaying Path could now be elevated.

Compared to the True Martial Purifying Sword Art's understanding of fire, the Red Water Dragon Slaying Path demanded more: it required not only comprehension of the Fire and Water Intent, but also their fusion.

Thus.

After resting a while, Chen Mu switched to practicing the Red Water Dragon Slaying Path, using the Fire Intent to drive the technique's flow, then merging it with the Water Intent, slowly blending them…