Chapter 280: The Heavenly Palace Realm Descends!

The once thick, water-like sword intent began to recede like a retreating tide, showing signs of disorder.

This situation clearly no longer suited quiet contemplation; forcing further practice might invite chaos from the disordered sword intent.

Chen Mu keenly sensed this change and acted decisively, slowly gathering his spirit, like a slender stream returning to the sea, drawing back every thread of his outward sword intent into his body.

Moments later, he rose to his full height and left the edge of the Sword Pool.

Hum~

At the very moment Chen Mu stood, a sharp sword intent surged uncontrollably into the sky for an instant—though fleeting, it was unmistakably the powerful sword intent of the Second Heavenly Realm!

The air around the entire Sword Pool seemed sliced by invisible sword qi, emitting faint hissing sounds.

Once Chen Mu fully retracted his aura and returned to stillness, Di Di Chunlei and Zhang Shaochong immediately stepped forward, bowing sincerely in congratulations.

"Congratulations, Brother Chen! Your sword intent has broken through to the Second Heavenly Realm—your strength has risen another level!"

Di Di Chunlei's voice boomed with genuine joy.

"Brother Chen's gains today are truly enviable! Congratulations!" Zhang Shaochong also smiled in praise.

Beside them, Shi Yilan, watching Chen Mu's aura grow ever more profound and unfathomable, felt her own newly stabilized First Heavenly Realm sword intent in comparison—and her eyes turned slightly red with envy as she sighed, "Brother Chen, your enlightenment truly leaves us no room to breathe!"

Her tone carried seven parts admiration and three parts wry mockery.

"You flatter me."

Facing Di Di Chunlei's and Zhang Shaochong's congratulations and Shi Yilan's envious gaze, Chen Mu showed no trace of arrogance—only quiet humility in his few words.

"I was merely fortunate enough to gain some insight; much time is still needed to refine it. Unfortunately, the sword intent within this pool is no longer stable—it will likely vanish entirely soon."

His words carried a faint hint of regret.

Chen Mu could feel the vast sword intent within the pool accelerating its loss, like sand draining through the bottom of an hourglass.

Shi Yilan also clearly sensed the sword intent's decline and sighed along, "Yes, such a pity. If only it could have lasted a little longer."

She had just crossed the threshold into the First Heavenly Realm of sword intent and was precisely at the stage needing vast accumulation and deep comprehension.

Seeing this, Di Di Chunlei spoke to comfort them: "Brother Chen, Yilan, don't be too disheartened. That this sword intent endured for so long is already remarkable. The fact that we had the chance to comprehend it is a great fortune."

"Brother Di is right."

Zhang Shaochong nodded in agreement, "Opportunities in this world cannot be forced. To gain anything at all is cause for gratitude."

Chen Mu naturally understood this truth, yet he couldn't help feeling regret—had he been granted just a little more time, he could have used the sword intent in this pool to push his own to the Third Heavenly Realm.

But Chen Mu's will was firm; he quickly regained his composure and solemnly bowed to Di Di Chunlei, Zhang Shaochong, and Shi Yilan: "Thank you all for guarding me while I meditated—I owe you my gratitude!"

"Brother Chen, you're too formal!"

Di Di Chunlei waved his hand hastily, "Without your superior strength to repel Bu Nantian and intimidate the Liu brothers, we wouldn't have even made it into the depths of this ruin, let alone gained anything here. If anyone should thank you, it's us."

Zhang Shaochong and Shi Yilan also nodded vigorously, saying it was their duty.

Since the Sword Pool could no longer aid them, the four ceased lingering and carefully searched several more times through the central region of the ruin.

Yet aside from the already lifeless, broken weapons and cold forging platforms, they found no other valuable discoveries.

Any scattered treasures that once existed were surely already looted clean by Liu Xianbo and Liu Xiankang, who had left earlier.

Judging by the brothers' earlier behavior, they likely hadn't found anything truly astonishing either.

Confirming there was nothing left, Chen Mu and the others decided to retrace their steps.

As the group passed once more through the rocky area once guarded by mechanical centipedes, they found the airspace restriction had vanished—and the fifteen grotesque mechanical centipedes did not reappear, as if the ruin's protective mechanisms had failed along with the decline of the core region's sword intent.

The four were able to fly effortlessly overhead, saving themselves considerable trouble.

Yet just as the four stepped out of the deep cave and into the valley's daylight, the sight before them darkened their expressions.

The valley was densely packed with countless mechanical wolves and mechanical tigers—far more than before—almost completely blocking the valley's exit!

Their cold metal shells reflected a chilling gleam in the sunlight; their crimson crystal eyes locked in unison upon the four just emerging from the cave, generating immense pressure.

Di Di Chunlei stepped forward, scanning the beast horde, and barked, "Liu Xianbo! Liu Xiankang! What do you two mean by this? What are you planning?"

"Hehehe…"

A smug, eerie laugh emerged from the largest mechanical tiger—Liu Xianbo's voice.

This time, he no longer concealed himself; his tone turned harsh: "Gentlemen, you've finished exploring the ruin, and your gains must have been substantial, yes? Want to leave? Fine!"

"Hand over every fragment of the ground-grade relics you found inside!"

Hearing this, Zhang Shaochong's face turned icy, and he snapped, "And if we refuse?"

"Refuse?"

Liu Xianbo's voice dripped with mockery, "Refusal isn't an option! Do you really think we're made of mud?"

Before he finished speaking, Liu Xiankang shouted at the top of his lungs toward a mountain peak on the valley's side, channeling his true qi:

"Elder Gao! We need your help!"

Elder Gao?

Di Di Chunlei's heart lurched—a dark premonition surged within him.

And the instant Liu Xiankang's cry ended—

Boom!

A terrifying pressure, like the collapse of a ten-thousand-zhang mountain, descended without warning from the heavens!

This pressure was boundless and overwhelming, carrying a will that towered above all living things—as if the very air of heaven and earth had frozen and bowed in submission.

Chen Mu snapped his head upward.

On the peak of a distant mountain, a gaunt figure stepped forward, as if ignoring spatial distance, his feet walking upon empty air like steps.

His form flickered, crossing several miles in an instant, appearing like a phantom above the valley, descending directly above Chen Mu and the others.

The newcomer was an elderly man clad in gray robes, his face thin, hands clasped behind his back, standing midair, his cloudy eyes lowered, gazing down with cold indifference—as if a deity surveyed ants.

Beneath this terrifying pressure, Di Di Chunlei, Zhang Shaochong, and Shi Yilan felt their bones groaning under unbearable strain, their true qi completely frozen, their souls trembling.

A primal fear rooted in the hierarchy of life turned their faces ashen white; their lips quivered, barely able to breathe, forcing out a few desperate words through clenched teeth.

"Heavenly Palace Realm!?"