Chapter 351: Farewell Ye Jiuchong

"Hah! Brother Chen, long time no see! I never expected to meet you here!"

Just as all eyes focused on Chen Mu, amid the murmurs stirred by Chu Xiaotian's startled cry, a loud, hearty, and booming laugh suddenly rose from the crowd's edge, instantly drowning out much of the surrounding chatter.

Everyone turned to look, seeing a tall young man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, striding forward with the confident gait of a dragon and a tiger.

His features were heroic, his skin a healthy bronze, dressed in a simple gray martial suit; most striking of all, he casually slung over his shoulder a terrifying spear nearly ten feet long, its entire body dark purple, faintly wreathed in thunderous patterns.

The spear's shaft was heavy, its tip's brilliance restrained, yet it radiated a faint, heart-stopping aura of wild fury.

As he walked, his steps were steady as a mountain, his breath vast and domineering, subtly stirring the ambient Qi around him into faint vibrations that emitted tiny crackling sounds, as if lightning followed in his wake.

"It's Ye Jiuchong of Tianlei Sect!"

"The Ye Jiuchong ranked eighteenth in the latest New Issue/Phase Dragon Pool List?"

"Geez… this guy's been on fire for the past half-year! He's challenged and defeated several veteran Fully-Nascent Soul experts; reportedly even Nascent Soul Bridge cultivators couldn't stand against him—his record is brutal!"

"Tianlei Sect lay dormant for over a century, said to have been biding its time—this generation produced only Ye Jiuchong, a prodigy. He doesn't speak, but when he does, the world trembles!"

"How does he know Chen Mu? Wait… I remember! Ye Jiuchong also competed in the Wudicheng Dragon-Tiger Gathering! Did they meet back then?"

…

The crowd erupted again into hushed exclamations.

Ye Jiuchong's reputation and recent victories carried immense weight; combined with his unique, thunder-charged domineering aura, he instantly drew countless gazes, even diverting some attention away from Chen Mu.

Xu Zhen, Qin Nan, and others who had merely been observing Chen Mu now turned their eyes toward Ye Jiuchong as he strode forward, their expressions sharpening with scrutiny and Solemnity.

Chu Xiaotian frowned slightly—he'd certainly heard of Ye Jiuchong's name.

The one whose expression changed most visibly was Lin Lin Tuotian of Xuanjian Mountain.

The instant Ye Jiuchong appeared and greeted Chen Mu, Lin Lin Tuotian's face darkened sharply, a flicker of gloom and resentment flashing in his eyes.

Many present who knew the truth understood that during the Wudicheng Dragon-Tiger Gathering, Lin Lin Tuotian—the outstanding prodigy of Xuanjian Mountain—had been crushed by Ye Jiuchong, who was then equally brilliant, in a near-total domination.

That battle marked the true beginning of Ye Jiuchong's rise to fame.

…

Facing Ye Jiuchong's enthusiastic greeting, Chen Mu rose to his feet.

A faint smile touched his face as he bowed respectfully to Ye Jiuchong, who had now approached, his tone calm.

"Brother Ye, long time no see. Your cultivation has grown even more profound and mighty—looks like you're not far from crossing that threshold."

Ye Jiuchong laughed heartily and slammed his spear onto the ground with a "thump," causing the rocks beneath his feet to tremble slightly.

He waved his hand dismissively, cheerfully saying, "Brother Chen, you flatter me. I'm just leveraging my sect's technique's traits—bluffing, nothing more. How could I compare to you?"

His eyes gleamed as he studied Chen Mu, his tone filled with genuine admiration, "Brother Chen, you quietly stepped into the Nascent Soul Bridge realm—that's truly worthy of admiration!"

"I heard you were once hunted by a Heavenly Palace cultivator? Wow—surviving that and breaking through? No wonder you're someone I, Ye Jiuchong, recognize!"

Chen Mu smiled faintly, his gaze lingering on Ye Jiuchong for a moment—he could sense the vast, dormant-volcano-like surge of bloodline and thunderous True Qi within him, already reaching its peak, ready to erupt at any moment.

He said, "I observe your aura—you've reached the peak of Fully-Nascent Soul. Your essence, energy, and spirit are perfectly harmonized. Breaking into the Nascent Soul Bridge realm is surely imminent."

Upon hearing the words "Nascent Soul Bridge," Ye Jiuchong, who had just been so bold and confident, wore a rare, bitter smile, shaking his head with a sigh, "It's hard, Brother Chen. You don't know—our Tianlei Sect's ancestral technique, the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison True Scripture, is immensely powerful, but the breakthrough to a major realm is far more perilous and difficult than ordinary techniques!"

His tone turned Solemn, even tinged with lingering fear, "The sect's records state that seven or eight out of ten predecessors who trained this technique failed when attempting to break into the Nascent Soul Bridge realm. And once they failed, the retaliatory heavenly lightning was brutally destructive—minor cases ruined their cultivation and severed their meridians; major cases… they vanished entirely, not even leaving a corpse!"

"Even though I feel my accumulation is sufficient, without absolute certainty, I dare not take that step lightly."

Chen Mu nodded slightly, showing understanding.

He had heard rumors before—Tianlei Sect's techniques were famed for summoning thunder and refining the body, their power extreme and unmatched among peers.

But correspondingly, the cultivation process was perilous, especially during major breakthroughs, requiring the intake of stronger heavenly lightning to fuse completely with one's True Qi, essence, and spirit—any misstep meant total annihilation of body and soul.

This is why Tianlei Sect disciples, though individually formidable, have always been few in number.

Yet once they succeed, the power increase far surpasses that of ordinary techniques.

Like Ye Jiuchong before them—he's still at Fully-Nascent Soul, yet his actual combat strength already rivals some Nascent Soul Bridge cultivators with unstable foundations.

…

Ye Jiuchong's arrival finally gave Chen Mu, who had been the center of attention yet with no one stepping forward to chat, a natural companion to converse with.

Standing together, away from the watching, curious, or wary gazes of others, the atmosphere grew much more relaxed.

Seeing them chat so amiably, no one dared intrude.

Xu Zhen, Qin Nan, and others, though curious about Chen Mu, held their status and had no ties with him, so naturally didn't approach.

Chu Xiaotian, due to his past defeat, wouldn't dare come forward.

Lin Lin Tuotian's face remained gloomy, standing at a distance, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the laughing Ye Jiuchong and Chen Mu, his eyes complex.

Chen Mu welcomed the quiet, chatting leisurely with Ye Jiuchong, patiently waiting.

Two more days passed.

One after another, representatives from various factions bearing the "Qilin Martial Token" arrived at the clearing.

Those who held the Martial Token were either top-tier forces like the Six Sword Sects or the Qidawu Sect, or ancient martial clans, or individuals like Chen Mu who earned their slots through special achievements or fortune.

The clearing gradually grew bustling, with martial artists of all kinds gathering—strengths varied, but even the weakest here were elite Fully-Nascent Soul cultivators; Nascent Soul Bridge experts were not limited to Chen Mu alone.

Among them, some exchanged greetings with acquaintances, others sized each other up warily, maintaining a delicate balance.

Finally, the day arrived—the once-in-a-century opening of the Qilin Martial Vault.