Chapter 401: Casual Annihilation

Qin Liangjing rested and healed in the inn, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, Chen Mu never left his side, partly to guard Qin Liangjing and prevent the Yin Kui Sect from tracking them down.

On the other hand, he used this opportunity to familiarize himself with and solidify his newly attained Ditan Realm's Divine Vision Unbreakable cultivation, fully experiencing and enhancing the subtle applications of his spiritual sense, the precise control of his true qi, and the limits of his body's self-healing ability through quiet meditation.

On the fourth morning, Qin Liangjing opened the door, his face still pale but his aura now stable, his internal injuries reduced by seven or eight tenths—only a trace of yin poison lingering in his meridians remained, requiring slow, meticulous removal.

He found Chen Mu, bowed deeply with both fists, "Brother Chen, your great kindness needs no words of thanks. My injury is no longer critical; the rest will heal with time. You have your own duties—do not delay further for my sake. I, Qin Mou, will never forget this life-saving debt!"

Chen Mu saw the determination in Qin Liangjing's eyes—he was eager for revenge, unwilling to burden Chen Mu further, and needed to find solitude to restore his strength.

After a moment's pause, he nodded. "Very well. Brother, take care. The martial world is vast—we shall meet again."

Neither man was one to drag things out; after a brief farewell, Chen Mu packed his things and prepared to leave the inn, continuing his journey.

Just as he reached the inn's main hall, before stepping past the threshold, he sensed something amiss—his spiritual sense instantly spilled out like liquid mercury, silently enveloping every detail within dozens of zhang around the inn.

As he "looked," Chen Mu's step paused slightly, his gaze sharpening instantly.

Within his spiritual perception, dozens of new auras—previously absent—now lurked silently in the ordinary homes, shops, and intersecting alleys surrounding the inn.

These auras were cold and obscure, like venomous snakes hiding in shadows, each at least Third Stage Innate, with several radiating especially dense and formidable power—clearly Ditan Realm.

One aura was sinister, faintly reeking of corpse stench—a Ditan Realm Spirit Bridge.

One was elusive, ghostlike—a Ditan Realm Spirit Bridge.

One was heavy, carrying the weight of earth and stone—a Ditan Realm Spirit Bridge.

And one aura was the most vast and overwhelming, faintly showing the signs of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, qi perfectly unified—it was Ditan Realm Three Flowers Gathering.

Dozens of Third Stage Innate, four Ditan Realm experts, one of them Three Flowers Gathering…

This force was clearly prepared, with a precise target.

"Yin Kui Sect? They found us this fast?"

Chen Mu's thoughts raced.

They had been cautious entering the city, and Qin Liangjing had never left the inn—yet the enemy pinpointed them so accurately. Clearly, the Yin Kui Sect had deep roots in this Wulong Fucheng, or had employed some special tracking method.

Regardless, they had surrounded the inn and clearly meant to finish this.

Chen Mu showed no panic; he continued walking toward the door as if nothing were amiss, while quietly channeling his qi to transmit a silent message directly into Qin Liangjing's ear.

"Brother Qin, the inn is surrounded. Hostile forces—four Ditan Realm, dozens of Third Stage Innate. Prepare to withdraw. I'll handle these pursuers."

In the upstairs room, Qin Liangjing, just seated cross-legged to expel the last trace of poison, froze rigid, his face draining of color.

He hadn't expected them to strike so swiftly, so ruthlessly.

Four Ditan Realm?!

Including a Three Flowers Gathering?!

He instinctively wanted to warn Chen Mu, but Chen Mu's transmission had already ended.

Just as Chen Mu finished speaking, his foot about to cross the inn's threshold—

"Attack!"

A low, sharp, murderous cry erupted from a dark alley opposite the inn.

"Shiiiiim—shiiiiim—shiiiiim—"

Instantly, the air screamed with the sound of a sudden storm of projectiles.

From rooftops, window frames, and shadowed alley mouths, hundreds of needle-thin, deep-blue poison darts shot forth in a blinding barrage.

Dense as a swarm, they covered every inch of space before the inn's entrance and several zhang ahead—blazing fast, reeking of sweet, foul poison, clearly coated to pierce through defensive qi.

Ambush!

A merciless, all-out assassination from the start!

Facing this sudden, overwhelming storm of poison darts, Chen Mu's expression didn't change—not even his eyelids flickered.

He simply raised his right hand, fingers spread, and pressed lightly into the empty air before him.

"Wuuuum—"

An invisible yet surging field of true qi erupted from his palm, instantly filling the space several zhang ahead.

Hundreds of blue poison darts hurtling toward him seemed to slam into a thick, viscous amber—slowing abruptly, then freezing midair in eerie stillness.

Dense and countless, they hung like a frozen swarm of blue bees—a surreal sight.

The next instant, Chen Mu's wrist turned slightly.

Every dart frozen in midair twisted violently, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

"Go!"

"Puh-puh-puh-puh—"

Faster than before! More vicious than before!

All the darts shot back in a thousand directions, striking the very spots they came from and the hidden ambushers with indiscriminate force.

"Aaah!"

"My hand!"

"My eyes—!"

"Ughhh—!"

A chorus of agonized screams erupted instantly.

The Yin Kui Sect's Third Stage Innate assassins, hidden and certain of victory, never imagined their attack could be so easily controlled and turned back—they were caught utterly off guard.

The poison struck flesh and erupted instantly—some rolled on the ground clutching their eyes, others' arms blackened and rotted rapidly, still more were pierced through vital points and dropped dead on the spot.

Around the inn, hidden figures staggered, howling in pain.

"It's a Ditan Realm expert!!"

A voice rang out, filled with shock—clearly, a sharp-eyed commander had recognized the power behind Chen Mu's move.

"Attack together! Kill him!"

Three figures shot out almost simultaneously from three different directions, like three cannonballs fired from barrels, carrying rolling yin winds and deadly aura, straight toward Chen Mu at the inn's entrance.

They were the three Earth Altar Realm Bridge experts.

One had gray-white palms reeking of strong corpse stench.

Another moved erratically, like a ghostly shadow, thrusting a thin sword in silence.

The third was surrounded by earth-yellow light, punching forward with force condensed as solid as Rushan.

Immediately after, a deeper, more profound aura surged into the sky.

The Earth Altar Realm Three Flowers Crowned expert appeared as well.

This man did not rush forward immediately; instead, he hovered midair, rapidly forming hand seals, muttering incantations, as a cold, foul, soul-corroding gray wave radiated outward from him, engulfing Chen Mu!