Chapter 319: One Man Suppresses a Province!

"This guy…"

Yun Tianyi drew a deep breath of cold air, then exhaled slowly, his face darkening as he muttered under his breath, voice tinged with lingering dread.

"He actually… actually cultivated such a powerful and bizarre mental attack technique!"

That final exchange, seemingly calm, was in truth an extremely perilous clash on the spiritual plane!

Outsiders saw only their qi confronting each other, unaware that silently and invisibly, their spiritual senses had already clashed like two invisible swords in a far more terrifying duel.

…

On the other side, Chen Mu flew through the air, weaving between the clouds; a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Just now, he and Yun Tianyi had openly exchanged three blows—fists and palms, weapons, and realm clashes—appearing evenly matched, even with Chen Mu slightly gaining the upper hand.

But the true decisive move lay in that final silent, invisible spiritual collision!

The result? Despite his higher cultivation, Yun Tianyi lost the mental strength contest.

What does this indicate?

Chen Mu's mind was clear.

It means Yun Tianyi's physical refinement is far inferior to his own!

His foundation is too weak; he has only realm, his true qi may be slightly more abundant due to higher level, but in quality and control, he falls far behind.

If the body is inferior, the spirit naturally is too.

If they continued fighting, Yun Tianyi's defeat would be even more humiliating.

Chen Mu had achieved his goal; no need to prolong the conflict.

…

…

Though the details of Chen Mu's clash with Yun Tianyi were not leaked, the news that the two had fought fiercely in the high skies, followed by Jiuxuan Sect and Shenying Gate both halting their battle under Chen Mu's forceful intervention, spread like wings across Weizhou at astonishing speed.

These two pieces of news combined, like a thunderclap, exploded through the Wu Lin of Weizhou, triggering unprecedented uproar!

"Did you hear? That Chen Xuncha Shi from Zhenwu Si single-handedly forced Jiuxuan Sect and Shenying Gate to stop their deadly fight!"

"Not just that! He also fought fiercely with Yun Tianyi, the Shenying Gate master, right above their base. They say the battle shook the heavens and earth, even triggering avalanches!"

"Incredible! He shattered mountains—it's unbelievable!"

"He's suppressing the two dominant powers of an entire province with just one man!"

"Unthinkable… even Jiuxuan Sect bowed? Isn't their sect master already at the Earth Altar realm's 'See the Divine, Unbreakable' level? How could he swallow this humiliation?"

"Powerful! Truly a model for our generation! Such youth, such authority, such strength."

"Do you think Chen Da Ren's record is enough to land him directly on the 'Master List'?"

"…"

In teahouses, taverns, alleyways, every gathering place of martial artists, everyone was passionately discussing this.

Chen Mu's name, accompanied by the glorious title "One Man Suppresses a Province," imprinted itself upon every Weizhou martial artist's heart with unprecedented force.

His prestige was unmatched at this moment.

…

…

Inside a private mansion in Weizhoucheng.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed to solidify.

Tang Ji, Du Yuansheng, and He Xiaoming sat on three sides, their tea long cold, none of them bothering to touch it.

"What do we do?"

Tang Ji broke the silence first, voice tinged with barely concealed fatigue and irritation: "The plan has failed again. Jiuxuan Sect and Shenying Gate won't fight."

"Yun Tianyi is nothing but a worthless fool with a gilded exterior!"

Du Yuansheng slammed his fist onto the nearby tea table; the fine purple sandalwood instantly cracked with fine fissures, his face dark, fury flickering in his eyes: "A Fifth Qi Convergence Earth Altar cultivator, and he can't even suppress a mere beginner in the Earth Altar realm! Useless trash!"

"It's not necessarily useless."

He Xiaoming spoke slowly, voice like a venomous snake's hiss, cold and sharp: "He's clever—he knows how to read the situation. If they kept fighting, both sides would be crippled. Now that Chen Mu has intervened forcefully, both sects can conveniently use this as an excuse to stand down. For Shenying Gate and Jiuxuan Sect, stopping is more beneficial."

He shifted his gaze to Tang Ji and Du Yuansheng, tone solemn: "But Tang Brother is right—Chen Mu's strength… truly exceeds our estimates. Earth Altar Spirit Bridge, directly holding his own against Fifth Qi Convergence, even gaining slight advantage… the Dragon of the Hidden Dragon List lives up to its name."

At these words, Du Yuansheng and He Xiaoming sank into deeper silence.

Though they too were Earth Altar Spirit Bridge cultivators, they knew they had no chance against Yun Tianyi, let alone fight above their level and seize the initiative like Chen Mu.

Even if they've fallen off the Hidden Dragon List, the foundation and combat power of those prodigies are far beyond what we, who climbed through years and grinding effort, can match.

"With Chen Mu's eyes fixed firmly on us."

Tang Ji spoke again, voice low and grave: "We can't act rashly anymore. We must make it clear to them—if anyone doesn't want to ruin this, doesn't want to draw Chen Mu's full investigation, every move we make must stop immediately."

Hearing this,

He Xiaoming's eyes flickered as he looked at Tang Ji: "You mean… have Cao Cao Liangxing act?"

Mentioning the name, his tone carried a hint of wariness and probing.

"Exactly!"

Tang Ji snapped, eyes flashing with sharpness: "Why should we be the ones charging ahead, drawing Chen Mu's attention, while Cao Cao Liangxing sits back, watching the outcome? Don't forget—he's taken just as much benefit as we have! It's time he pulled his weight!"

He Xiaoming paused, then slowly nodded: "Fine, I'll go negotiate with him."

"Make sure your tone is firm!"

Du Yuansheng added coldly: "That old fox Cao Cao Liangxing won't bow easily—he's slippery as an eel."

"This concerns the entire operation's success—and all our lives!"

Tang Ji's voice was ironclad, absolute: "He must bow—even if he refuses, he has no choice! This time, he doesn't get to decide!"

…

……

The great hall of the Zhenwu Division.

Chen Mu sat upright in the main seat as before, holding a Juan Sect ledger in his hands, appearing to review it carefully, but in fact he was checking the cards he had picked up one by one.

Among them were two memory cards; Chen Mu used them to read the memories.

Images flowed by, information jumbled together, mostly trivial daily life and cultivation fragments.

After a moment, he furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly, and his consciousness withdrew.

"It's all useless information…"

Chen Mu thought to himself, "Du Yuansheng has been plotting to provoke a fight between the Jiuxuan Sect and the Divine Eagle Gate. By now, I can roughly guess his purpose. It's nothing more than wanting to use this to tie me down, drag me into the quagmire of these two local powers, wear me out mediating, with no time to attend to other matters."

It's just a pity that the other side miscalculated on one point.

Chen Mu had used his absolute strength to forcefully subdue the Jiuxuan Sect and the Divine Eagle Gate!

"The plan failed. What will Du Yuansheng and the people behind him do next?"

Chen Mu smiled lightly, continuing to keep his remote surveillance on Du Yuansheng…