Chapter 289: That Was Just a Joke, Wasn

The instant he landed, Bu Nantian's eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

He dared not linger for even a moment, ignoring his injuries entirely; his body erupted again in crimson light, transforming into a ghastly crimson rainbow that skidded along the bottom of the ravine, fleeing at maximum speed.

This time, Bu Nantian felt true mortal threat!

Huh~

The mountain wind blew.

Chen Mu floated down gracefully, holding the Xian Long Sword still faintly burning with crimson flame, his gaze sweeping over the group of Zhenwu Si guards still reeling in shock and disbelief, and he asked softly in a calm tone.

"Are you all alright?"

As he spoke, he casually pulled out a jade vial and tossed it toward the lead Zhenwu Si guard, whose cultivation was at Foundation Establishment peak.

"This contains healing pills—take them if you're not opposed."

"N-no, we're fine! Of course we're not opposed! Thank you, Great Hero, for saving our lives!" The lead guard caught the vial and bowed deeply, his voice trembling with excitement and lingering fear.

The others struggled to their feet one by one, offering thanks.

Chen Mu shook his head lightly and said coolly, "Don't call me Great Hero. If you wish, address me as 'Chen Xun Cha.'"

With that, he offered no further explanation, his gaze shifting toward the direction Bu Nantian had fled, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"You stay here and heal. I'll deal with Bu Nantian. This time, he won't escape again."

With those words, his form blurred, his cultivation technique activated, leaving behind a lingering afterimage that vanished from the sight of the Zhenwu Si guards in an instant—so fast it was staggering.

Left behind, the group stared at each other, frozen in place.

After a long while, they finally snapped out of the shock of the sudden rescue and the mysterious expert's departure.

"Chen Xun Cha?" A young Zhenwu Si guard scratched his head, his face full of confusion. "Is there a Xun Cha in our Zhenwu Si who's this young and already at Earth Altar Realm?"

"Yeah."

Another chimed in, "Judging by that power, he's definitely Earth Altar Realm! And not an ordinary one! That 'Blood Hand Floating Pagoda' Bu Nantian was once the sixth-ranked beast on the Potential Dragon List—yet he was wounded and forced to flee by a single sword strike…"

"Regardless, we owe our lives to this Great Lord's timely appearance!" The lead Zhenwu Si guard said, still shaken.

At that moment, the female Zhenwu Si guard who had been wounded by Bu Nantian and whose face had turned pale suddenly remembered something, her eyes widening in shock as she screamed.

"Wait! I remember who he is!"

"Who?"

"Little Cai, do you know him?"

The others stared at her in astonishment.

The female guard's cheeks flushed with excitement, her voice trembling, "It's Chen Mu! Chen Mu, Elder Chen! I saw his portrait at headquarters before! Don't you remember? Everyone said Elder Chen had perished, his name removed from the Potential Dragon List, claimed dead at the hands of a Heaven Palace cultivator… but he never died!"

"Not only did he survive—he broke through to Earth Altar Realm! That sword strike just now… was too powerful!"

"What?"

"Chen Mu? Elder Chen?!"

"So it was him!"

"…"

Hearing this, the group froze for a moment, then erupted into louder shouts and excitement.

The prodigy rumored to have perished wasn't just alive—he had returned stronger, descending like a divine weapon at their most desperate hour to save them.

"Quick! We must send word back to headquarters immediately! Elder Chen is alive! He's returned!"

The lead Zhenwu Si guard snapped to attention, his voice hoarse with emotion.

…

On the other side.

Chen Mu's Yan Ling Feather Robe shimmered with flowing light, enhancing his movement technique; his speed surged abruptly, clinging like a persistent parasite, catching up to the fleeing crimson rainbow within a few breaths.

Bu Nantian sensed the rapidly approaching aura behind him, turned his head in shock, and upon recognizing Chen Mu, his face paled further; he roared in fury and alarm.

"Chen Mu! Why are you chasing me? I didn't kill you! Go after Gao Xingde, that old bastard!"

The two raced through the mountains and forests, one ahead, one behind, their forms like ghosts, darting left and right, skimming treetops, leaping across streams, leaving trails of afterimages and howling winds.

Chen Mu clung tightly to Bu Nantian's spiritual aura; hearing his shout, he smirked. "Last time, outside the ancient ruins, you weren't saying that. Didn't you boast about wanting to taste my Potential Dragon essence, see how delicious it was?"

Bu Nantian faltered, pushing his Blood Flight Technique to its limit while forcing a nervous laugh. "T-that was just a joke! Brother Chen, don't take it seriously!"

"Was it?" Chen Mu's tone remained flat, unreadable. "Then my chasing you now is just a joke too."

"Your damn—!"

Bu Nantian cursed inwardly, helpless, and frantically pushed his blood qi, trying once more to widen the distance.

Yet Chen Mu's speed also increased, the Yan Ling Feather Robe glowing brightly, staying glued to his heels.

Realizing he couldn't shake him off, Bu Nantian cursed silently, his eyes scanning the surroundings—then suddenly changed direction, dashing wildly toward a nearby city whose silhouette was faintly visible.

After crossing several mountain ridges, the outline of a city became clear on the horizon.

Bu Nantian's eyes flashed with ruthlessness; he leapt into the air, ignoring the city defenses, soaring over the fifteen-meter-high walls and landing inside.

The instant he landed, his thick aura of blood calamity rapidly receded, like a drop merging into the ocean, blending into the bustling crowd on the streets.

Chen Mu followed closely behind, landing on the city street.

The "Wolf Sniffs the Moon" skill activated silently, his sense of smell amplified a thousandfold; the faint, blood-tinged scent, imperceptible to ordinary people, was precisely detected by him.

The next instant, his form flickered, appearing as if teleported at the entrance of a three-story luxurious tavern.

Without hesitation, Chen Mu stepped inside, his gaze instantly locking onto a window-side table on the second floor.

There, Bu Nantian had changed into the fine brocade robes of a wealthy Young Master, suppressing all his aura, lifting a wine cup as if preparing to drink, pretending to be an ordinary diner.

"You're a persistent ghost!"

Bu Nantian sensed Chen Mu's arrival, his hand freezing mid-cup, teeth grinding.

Instinctively, he wanted to flee again—but his gaze swept over the diners laughing and drinking in the tavern, and a plan suddenly formed in his mind.

He slammed his wine cup down onto the table with a violent thud. A muffled "boom" burst from his body, and a cold, bloodthirsty aura surged forth in an instant, spreading outward like an invisible spiderweb and precisely locking onto the more than ten people inside the tavern—including the Shopkeeper and the waiters!

After finishing, a cruel, cold smile crossed Bu Nantian's face. He turned to Chen Mu and said, "Chen Mu! You're an official of the Town Martial Bureau. If you don't care about these people's lives, then go ahead and make your move!"