Chapter 287

"Hmph, who doesn't know how to play armchair general? At least I know how to read the situation—I won't provoke enemies I can't defeat!" the stern elder argued stubbornly.

"Heh, in plain terms, you're just bullying the weak and cowering before the strong!"

"What did you say?"

The group erupted into heated argument, but Zhao Guangji remained silent, gazing outside the hall, his heart heavy with the pain of lost talent.

…

Yaoyue Sect.

Upon a mist-shrouded peak, Xue Xue Ranran had just finished her cultivation, successfully breaking through a minor realm, her heart brimming with joy, ready to share the good news.

But when she heard from an elder sister that Chen Mu had died, her smile froze instantly, color draining from her face at a visible pace.

"No… impossible! Brother Chen… how could he…?"

She shook her head, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief; the joy of her breakthrough was obliterated by this sudden tragedy, leaving only overwhelming confusion.

Shen Ge, who had just returned to the mountain, received the news as well, clenching his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white—he too could not accept it.

Shen Ge had witnessed Chen Mu's strength and potential with his own eyes.

He believed Chen Mu's talent would inevitably lead him to break through to the Earth Altar realm, and likely even reach the Heavenly Palace realm in the future.

How could such a brilliant, extraordinary person… how could he perish so suddenly?

…

Juling Sect.

In a secluded valley, thunderous roars echoed endlessly.

Huang Feiyang, bare-chested, his bronze skin rippling with knotted muscles, radiated a faint golden aura.

With every punch and kick, he moved like a living beast of prey, shattering massive boulders in the valley into dust, churning up clouds of dirt and spraying shards of rock, showcasing the formidable physical power of Juling Sect disciples.

"Boom—"

Another boulder, over five meters tall and two meters thick, was shattered outright by his fists.

Hoo~

He slowly retracted his fists, regulating his labored breath, preparing for the next round of training.

At that moment, a tall fellow disciple sprinted frantically from the end of the narrow path, shouting as he ran.

"Young Master Huang! Something's wrong! Something terrible has happened!"

Huang Feiyang frowned, stepped slowly out of the swirling dust, and asked casually, "Big Brother Bai, what's the panic? Has the sky fallen?"

The tall disciple reached him, gasping for air, urgently blurting out, "Chen Mu is dead! Chen Mu! Your brother Chen Mu—he—he's dead—"

"What?!"

The golden aura that had just calmed around Huang Feiyang erupted like a volcano.

He lunged forward a step, cracking the ground, seized the tall disciple by the collar, and lifted him clean off the ground, his tiger-like eyes blazing with terrifying intensity, his voice a low, wounded lion's roar.

"What are you talking about?!"

"My brother… Tiger Boy… how could he die? Say it again!"

The tall disciple trembled violently from the terrifying aura radiating from Huang Feiyang, stammering in explanation.

"I-I swear it's true! It's spread everywhere! They say he was killed by a demonic elder named Gao Xingde… by… by him…"

"Gao Xingde…"

Huang Feiyang slowly released his grip; the tall disciple staggered backward several steps.

"Gao Xingde is a traitor from the Crimson Mist Sect—he used to be an elder…" the disciple whispered.

Huang Feiyang said nothing, breathing heavily, slowly turning his head toward the solid mountain wall to his right, his eyes instantly filled with hatred and fury.

"Crash—"

He unleashed a furious punch, his violent power surging like a dragon bursting from the sea, slamming into the mountain wall.

With a deafening roar, the solid rock face was hammered into a massive depression several meters wide, countless shards of stone raining down like hail.

Amid the dust, Huang Feiyang stared fixedly southward, his teeth grinding audibly, a low, vow-like growl emerging from deep in his throat, each syllable drenched in bone-deep killing intent.

"Gao! Xing! De!"

…

Pang Yunrui, Qin Liangjing, Lu Tang, Wang Jianzhong, Yang Xue, Zhang Yaoqi, Ye Jiuzhong, Huang Yuanhe, Lu Ziyi…

Everyone who knew Chen Mu and had forged bonds with him was shaken by the news of his "death."

Even Chu Xiaotian, who had just reappeared on the list at ninth place on the Potential Dragon rankings, having been defeated by Chen Mu, felt hollow inside.

Chu Xiaotian wanted to defeat Chen Mu with his own hands—not to see him die.

…

…

The outside world buzzed with chaos.

Amid drifting white clouds, within the vast "Star Palace," resembling celestial palaces in the heavens.

Chen Mu stood like a stone statue at the center of the formation, enveloped by the golden pillar piercing heaven and earth.

Within his mind-sea, a cataclysmic transformation was unfolding.

A miniature star, seemingly woven from countless golden runes, gradually coalesced and took shape within his mind-sea.

As the star slowly rotated, each turn scattered profound insights into the principles of countless martial arts.

These insights were not specific techniques, but a higher-level "principle"—a master outline governing all martial arts.

Time flowed swiftly within this deep transmission; before he knew it, another half-month had passed.

"Hum—"

One day, a clear, resonant hum, as if rising from the depths of the soul, suddenly sounded.

In Chen Mu's consciousness, the golden star suddenly blazed with light, stabilizing completely and perfectly fusing with his soul's origin.

Transmission complete!

The vast stream of information finally settled, crystallizing into the supreme art known as the Great Luo Wu Jing, deeply imprinted in Chen Mu's memory.

The Great Luo Wu Jing was not a specific Wu Gong, but a general outline of the Martial Dao!

It functioned as an all-encompassing framework capable of governing and integrating countless martial arts, allowing them to coexist without conflict, even complementing one another.

This effectively pointed Chen Mu toward an unprecedented path in the Martial Dao.

He no longer needed to be confined to the path of the sword, the knife, the spear, or any other single discipline—he could draw from all, using the Great Luo Wu Jing as his foundation, synthesizing every Wu Gong to forge his own unique "Martial Dao!"

Simultaneously, a powerful supreme technique emerged—

The Great Luo Turning Heaven Hand

This technique embodied the offensive essence of the Great Luo Wu Jing, its power immense, capable of overturning heaven and earth.

With a thought, a token, neither real nor illusory, suffused with the glow of starlight, clearly manifested in his consciousness.

Chen Mu instinctively raised his hand; true energy gathered in his palm, and the Star Token materialized in his grasp, formed instantly from his true energy and a swift-drawn thread of heavenly power!

The token felt warm to the touch, intimately linked to his spirit; with a single thought, Chen Mu understood every use of the Star Token.

Spatial teleportation, starlight communication, storage and retrieval, identity credential…

Its applications were endless!

"Congratulations, Wu Quxing Jun! Hail, Wu Quxing Jun!"

At that moment, two congratulatory voices, filled with amusement, reached him.

Chen Mu looked up and saw two unfamiliar Star Gods who had arrived unseen, now bowing to him in salute.

Ju Men Star stood beside them.

Chen Mu calmed his spirit, tucked away the Star Token, and returned their bow.

"Greetings, Three Star Jun!"