Chapter 383: Mo Sect Remnants?

This remark clearly startled the four below.

They had not sensed anyone else upstairs.

Though Chen Mu appeared young, his profound, mountain-still aura and the sharpness hidden beneath his calm eyes instantly made the experienced trio realize he was no ordinary man.

The young man holding the sword, rebuked by Long Tuitu and scanned by Chen Mu's gaze, felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart, but the pain of his wound and the pressure from the pursuers behind him spurred him to reckless defiance, his voice harsh yet hollow.

"Who are you? What if we don't leave? Stay out of our business!"

"Shut up!"

The wounded elder's face darkened; he urgently silenced the youth, then, gritting his teeth against the pain, bowed toward Chen Mu and Long Tuitu, his tone more pleading, "This… Young Master, Young Lady, we sincerely apologize. My companion is young and impetuous, and in his pain, he spoke without thought. We mean no offense—it's just that…"

Before he could finish—

"Here! Quickly! Surround this place!"

"The Mo Sect remnants are inside! Don't let them escape!"

"…."

Outside the restaurant, a sudden flurry of hurried, chaotic footsteps and harsh shouts erupted.

The flickering light of torches seeped through gaps in the broken door, casting the room's shadows into elongated, shrinking, violently trembling shapes.

The four intruders below turned pale; the young man's grip on his sword trembled, his eyes filled with despair.

Cheng Yong's face also paled; he instinctively glanced at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu's brow twitched, barely perceptibly.

"Mo Sect remnants"?

"We are not Mo Sect remnants!"

With the pursuers now at the door, the atmosphere inside the restaurant tightened sharply; the wounded elder, no longer able to hold back, cried out in a hoarse, bitter voice.

"Young Master, Young Lady, and Shopkeeper—we are disciples of the Seven Yang Sect! Those outside are men of the Liu family!"

"The Liu family has long been at odds with our Seven Yang Sect. A few days ago, they secretly allied with the Shou Cang Sect, using the excuse of Mo Sect spies to launch a surprise attack on our mountain gate! Most of our disciples and elders were killed or wounded; our gate was seized."

"We barely fought our way out, fled into the city, and ended up here. The Liu family, to eliminate all traces and conceal their opportunistic annexation of our sect, has loudly proclaimed us 'Mo Sect remnants' and hunted us relentlessly."

"We apologize for disturbing you at night and damaging your door, but we are not evil men—we are not Mo Sect at all!"

The elder spoke rapidly, his words earnest, his eyes brimming with humiliation and despair.

The other two men nodded frantically; the young woman lowered her head, weeping softly.

Only the young man, though his face remained grim, clenched his teeth tightly, his fingers white from gripping the sword hilt.

Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged; he calmly scanned the four, offering no immediate reply.

He had just arrived in Dao City and knew nothing of its factions; he would not believe a single side's words so easily.

Seeing this, Long Tuitu turned to Cheng Yong beside her, her gaze inquiring.

As a long-standing covert agent of the Long family in Dao City, Cheng Yong naturally knew the power structures of the city and its surroundings inside out.

After a brief pause, he stepped forward half a pace and whispered beside Chen Mu, "Elder Chen, Fifth Young Lady. The Liu family is indeed a powerful martial clan here; they are said to harbor a peak Earth Altar cultivator of the 'Ascended Soul Altar' level."

"As for the Seven Yang Sect and the Shou Cang Sect, they are two sects located on Seven Yang Mountain and Shou Cang Peak, a hundred li outside the city; each also has a peak Earth Altar cultivator, their strength roughly equal to the Liu family's."

"These three factions' territories border each other; for decades they've clashed over mines, herb fields, trade routes—open rivalry and covert scheming are routine."

"From what this old servant knows, they sometimes act ruthlessly, but at least publicly, they've had no ties to the Mo Sect. The elder's account, though one-sided, aligns with the Liu family's usual conduct—it's plausible."

Cheng Yong's explanation naturally lent credibility to the elder's words.

After all, under the backdrop of the Great Holy-Demon War, using the guise of eradicating the Mo Sect to eliminate rivals and swallow weaker sects was not unheard of.

Upon hearing this, the four elders' eyes immediately filled with gratitude.

Yet, just then—

"Boom!!!"

A louder explosion suddenly erupted.

The broken door, barely held shut to block the view, was shattered by a tremendous force from outside.

The two door panels, along with splinters from the shattered frame, shot into the restaurant like cannonballs—wind howling, the spectacle terrifying.

"Watch out!"

The elder cried out, instinctively trying to shield his companions, but his injuries slowed him.

Chen Mu, who had been silently standing at the stairway, didn't even lift his eyelids; he simply raised his right hand and lightly clenched his five fingers toward the empty air.

Instantly, an invisible yet supple, immense force filled the space from the restaurant's entrance to the stairway.

All the flying splinters, wood chips, and even the rushing wind seemed to strike a thick, viscous amber—slowing abruptly, then mysteriously freezing midair.

Then, Chen Mu's wrist turned slightly.

"Whoosh—!"

All the suspended fragments, as if seized by an invisible hand, spun around and shot back toward the door at even greater speed, piercing the air with sharp whistles.

"Ah!"

"My eyes!"

"Thud!" "Thud~"

…

Outside, several agonized screams and the muffled thuds of blades piercing flesh rang out—clearly, someone had been struck by the returning debris.

The previously noisy, arrogant shouts fell silent.

"A Xiantian expert!"

"Quick! Go report to the Third Young Master!"

…

Outside, panicked shouts and chaotic footsteps rose—apparently retreating some distance; the flickering torchlight grew even more agitated.

Inside the restaurant, the old man, the middle-aged man, the young woman, and even the originally defiant young man all stared in stunned shock, their faces filled with awe and terror as they looked at Chen Mu.

Releasing Qi externally and manipulating objects from afar is not unusual—any Fourth Stage Innate cultivator can do it.

But to do as Chen Mu did—casually freezing in place all those rapidly flying shards, each with differing force, then precisely reversing their motion, each fragment carrying a powerful counter-force…

What level of mastery over one's Qi is required for such precision?

His perception and control of force had reached the realm of perfection!

"Mid Innate Stage? No… at least Late Innate Stage! Perhaps even… Earth Altar Realm?!"

A wave of shock surged through the old man's heart; his gaze toward Chen Mu brimmed with reverence.

Though he had not reached the Innate Realm, his vision was broad—Chen Mu's effortless display was far beyond what an ordinary Innate Realm cultivator could achieve.

The young man's face turned as white as paper; his body trembled uncontrollably as he recalled his earlier threat with drawn sword, now regretting it down to his gut.

Someone of this caliber could crush them as easily as crushing ants!