Chapter 405: The True Genius

"Sss~ Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown? Chen Mu just broke through to Foundation Establishment's Spirit Bridge—how could he have broken through again so soon?"

"Not just that—he took on five at once and slew five Qi Condensation experts across a rank gap. Too strong."

"Nineteen years old… Nineteen-year-old Rank 60 on the Master List? This… this damn thing is even human?!"

……

The entire Hero Tower instantly erupted.

Screams of shock, cries of doubt, exclamations of awe, and hisses of disbelief mingled together, nearly lifting the roof off.

Every eye locked onto the sixty-first name on the list—

Chen Mu!

For the vast majority of warriors present, the name Chen Mu was far from unfamiliar.

Since climbing the Potential Dragon List, he had advanced every month; the youngest Inspector of the Town Guard; escaped a Heavenly Palace-level demon lord while still in the Innate Realm—these deeds had long been widely known.

But everyone assumed Chen Mu would need years, even decades, of accumulation and refinement before he could even hope to enter the Master List, which symbolized the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment.

Who could have imagined that less than a year later, this name had stormed onto the Master List with overwhelming force, securing the sixtieth rank?

Nineteen years old, Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, Master List Rank 60!

This was no longer merely the description of a genius—it was outright monstrous.

……

"Genius? This is the true genius!"

Xie Antu gazed upward at the golden-glowing list on the third floor, especially the two characters "Chen Mu" on the sixtieth line; his dark face brimmed with awe and wonder as he slammed his palm hard against Chen Mu's shoulder and exclaimed excitedly.

"This Chen Mu has overshadowed every other young warrior of his generation—he is a true prodigy."

"A Master at nineteen? Damn it, now I can say I lived in the same era as a man like this! Brother Qin, isn't that right?"

"You're absolutely right, Brother Xie."

Chen Mu lowered his gaze, nodding calmly in agreement, yet a strange feeling stirred in his heart.

His true cultivation had already, with the aid of the Break Through Card, silently crossed into Foundation Establishment's See the Divine, Unbreakable—reaching the very tier only a select few on the Master List could attain.

Yet the newly released Master List still listed his cultivation as "Foundation Establishment, Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, extraordinary combat power."

"It seems the 'Heavenly Mechanism Sect,' which compiled this list, is also overwhelmed by the Holy-Demon War—their intelligence gathering and updates have fallen far behind."

Chen Mu mused inwardly.

With the Holy-Demon War ignited, flames spread everywhere, smoke rising on all sides—even the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, famed for its information network, had clearly been disrupted, resulting in a significant lag in assessing Chen Mu's true cultivation.

But that was fine.

Chen Mu had never liked drawing attention; he understood the principle: a tall tree invites the wind's destruction.

Being underestimated was sometimes the better camouflage.

Rank 60 on the Master List would deter some petty foes without making him the target of all eyes—perfectly balanced.

……

The commotion from the Master List update festered for three days across the Hero Tower and the entire Wulong Prefecture.

People eagerly discussed every change on the list, especially the sudden rise of Chen Mu's name, which became the hottest topic in streets, alleys, teahouses, and taverns.

A Master at nineteen—no matter the era—was enough to cause a sensation.

Three days later, the frenzy gradually subsided; people's attention shifted once more to the front-line battles, regional oddities, and the various missions posted by the Hero Tower.

Life in Wulong Prefecture seemed to have returned to its former rhythm: calm on the surface, tense beneath.

That afternoon, the sunlight was perfect.

Chen Mu had just taken his usual seat at the Hero Tower, listening as Xie Antu, spitting saliva everywhere, recounted some bizarre tale he'd heard about a fairy from Jiangnan Province and a Mo Sect demon's tragic love affair.

Suddenly—

"Boom!!"

A deep, thunderous roar, as if the earth's depths had unleashed a bellow, or a colossal object had collided with a muffled thunderclap, erupted from the western outskirts of the city.

The sound rippled outward, agitating the air, stirring the wind into stronger gusts that swept over rooftops, surged through the streets, and rushed into the Hero Tower, brushing against everyone's faces.

The tower fell instantly silent.

All conversation and movement ceased; everyone turned, stunned, toward the west.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Thunder? Doesn't sound like it."

"It's outside the city! West of the city!"

……

After a brief, dead silence, the crowd exploded.

The scattered cultivators reacted instantly, tossing down bowls, chopsticks, and wine cups, and sprinting for the exit.

Some smashed through windows to leap onto the streets; others charged for the main doors.

"Come on, Brother Qin, let's go see!"

Xie Antu perked up instantly, grabbing Chen Mu and dashing outside.

Chen Mu made no resistance, flowing with the crowd out of the Hero Tower.

Outside, numerous warriors and commoners had already spilled from their homes, staring westward in alarm.

Many nimble warriors activated their lightness arts, shooting forward like arrows loosed from bows, racing toward the western city wall.

Chen Mu followed Xie Antu, blending into the throng, heading toward the western wall.

He did not reveal any extraordinary speed, merely matching Xie Antu's pace, yet his steps were steady, his breath even, moving effortlessly through the dense crowd.

Soon, the two joined the flood of onlookers climbing the western city wall.

The wall was wide, now crowded with people, all tiptoeing, necks stretched, gazing far beyond the city's edge.

Chen Mu stood behind the battlement, his gaze calmly fixed on the distance.

About several li beyond the city wall lay a rolling hilly region.

Above one of the taller peaks, the scene made eyes widen in shock.

There, the clouds seemed violently torn apart by an invisible giant hand.

A blade aura, a zhang wide, like blazing black flame, slashed through the thick clouds with the might of splitting heaven and earth, forcing open a massive rift.

The blade aura was pitch black as ink, its edges flickering with eerie black flames, radiating a terrifying aura of searing heat and dominance, as if ready to burn all to ashes.

Colliding fiercely with this black blade aura were two other dazzling beams of light—one green, one red—equally formidable in power.

These two beams were not mere sword qi or blade aura; their forms resembled strange biological limbs or weapons, exuding a thick, nauseating stench of blood, decay, and an indescribable putrid meat odor—even from several li away, it made one feel sick.

The edges of the beams writhed continuously, as if countless tiny mouthparts were opening and closing, utterly bizarre.

One black, one green, one red—three beams of terrifying energy clashed, entangled, and annihilated each other in midair.

"Boom! Boom! Crack—!"

Each collision erupted with deafening thunder; visible shockwaves spread like ripples, utterly shredding and vaporizing the surrounding clouds.

Even the peaks below seemed to tremble slightly, trees falling in vast swathes, dust and smoke swirling everywhere.

"It's the 'Black Flame Blade Lord'! Jin Ao, the Jin Clan's Clan Master!"