Chapter 522: New Guidance

"Arrogant!"

The Yin Official, enraged beyond measure, let out a bitter laugh as his chilling Yin energy surged violently; behind him, a faint, icy ghostly shadow began to materialize.

"Let me see what kind of ability you have to speak so boldly!"

The Poison Cultivator no longer wasted words; with a flick of her withered palm, a bizarre, multicolored pouch appeared in her hand. The pouch's opening widened, and a chilling, hair-raising "buzzing" sound erupted as countless tiny, venom-glowing insects surged forth like a dark cloud, sweeping toward Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi!

Simultaneously, her other hand flicked her fingers rapidly, sending several nearly invisible emerald threads silently piercing toward Chen Mu's major acupoints.

From the start, she unleashed her full strength—no mercy!

Chen Mu's eyes grew cold; facing this deadly dual assault, he did not retreat—he advanced, stepping forward one pace.

Boom!

An indescribable, terrifying pressure erupted like a slumbering ancient beast suddenly awakening.

Scorching energy coalesced into a ferocious, snarling dragon with bared fangs, charging straight ahead.

The Crimson Water Dragon Slaying Dao: Fiery Dragon Hidden Kill!

In an instant, the icy ghostly shadow behind the Yin Official let out a silent scream and shattered like a bubble.

The cloud of venomous insects released by the Poison Cultivator stiffened, blackened, and turned to ash before they reached Chen Mu—even at several zhang away.

The emerald venom threads were destroyed and reduced to dust before they could even draw near.

"Puff—"

The Yin Official and the Poison Cultivator were struck as if heavily, their faces instantly turning as pale as paper; they both spat out a gush of blood, staggered backward, their eyes filled with unparalleled shock and terror, as if they had witnessed something inconceivable.

"Y-you... who are you!"

The Yin Official's voice trembled, thick with boundless despair.

He had previously been unable to fathom Chen Mu's depth; now, he was even more lost.

The Poison Cultivator was utterly terrified—her most trusted venomous insects and poison arts were nothing but child's play before the "Fiery Dragon Hidden Kill," enhanced by the realm of Triple Heaven Flame Intent.

She let out a shrill shriek, abandoned all greed at once, and turned to flee, even spitting out a mouthful of her life essence to activate the life-draining Blood Escape Technique, transforming into a twisted crimson-green light that shot away into the distance.

The Yin Official reacted half a beat slower, but without hesitation, he activated the Jiuyou Sect's survival escape technique, "Phantom Soul Escape," his body dissolving into a faint wisp of black smoke as he fled in the opposite direction.

"Too late to run now."

Chen Mu's voice seemed to sound right beside their ears.

He did not pursue; instead, he merely flicked his fingers twice toward the directions they had fled.

The first flick targeted the crimson-green light formed by the Poison Cultivator.

Pop.

A soft sound, like popping a water bubble.

Scorching sword qi pierced through emptiness; the swiftly moving crimson-green light abruptly halted—the Poison Cultivator's third eye split open with a blood hole, and she collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

The second flick targeted the black smoke formed by the Yin Official.

From within the smoke came the Yin Official's desperate scream, then the smoke vanished—his corpse lay with half its neck torn open.

Two ground-altar cultivators, fearsome figures who once ruled their regions and struck terror into countless hearts, were slain by Chen Mu's two casual finger flicks—as if crushing two insignificant insects.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

…

Cards acquired: one Soul-Enhancing Card, one Insight Card.

Not bad.

Chen Mu remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping over the four severely wounded Jiuyou Sect disciples.

Shhh-shhh-shhh-shhh~

Sharp qi projectiles shot out.

The four wounded men tried to flee, but never even screamed—they died on the spot.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

…

Cards acquired.

Chen Mu turned to look at Ning Zhixi, who still seemed dazed.

In her hand, two tokens—one blue, one red—lay quietly, emitting faint light, resonating with each other.

"It seems the 'Season Keys' are indeed connected," Chen Mu said. "The 'Xia Yao' drew out the 'Winter Key.' This place is no longer safe—the pillar of light was too conspicuous. It will draw more attention. Let's leave first, find a secure location, then study these two tokens and our next steps."

Ning Zhixi took a deep breath, suppressing her shock, carefully tucked the two tokens away, and nodded firmly.

Ning Zhixi took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in her heart, carefully put away the two tokens, and nodded firmly.

The two did not linger.

Chen Mu swept up Ning Zhixi, his form turning into a faint, elusive blue-green light that vanished into the horizon in an instant…

Chen Mu wrapped up Ning Zhixi, his figure turning into a faint blue light that vanished into the horizon in an instant…

…

…

Hundreds of li from the core of Yan Zhuo Mountain, Chen Mu landed in a secluded, desolate valley.

This place had no spiritual vein, no special products, not even rare beasts ventured here—it was perfect for temporary concealment.

After setting up several simple barriers to block aura and issue warnings, Chen Mu turned to Ning Zhixi.

"Bring out the two tokens and the stone tablet fragment."

Ning Zhixi obeyed, placing the 'Summer' token, the 'Winter' token, and the dark red stone tablet fragment she had retrieved from the Yan Platform onto a flat piece of blue-green stone.

The three objects aligned, and strange phenomena instantly arose.

The crimson "Summer" token warmed slightly, emitting a warm, non-burning golden-red halo.

The ice-blue "Winter" token shimmered with clear radiance, releasing a crisp, pure coldness.

One hot, one cold—these two energies should have clashed, yet now they did not cancel each other; instead, like yin-yang fish, they slowly rotated, forming a tiny, balanced aura.

The dark red fragment of the stone stele lay quietly in the center; its ancient patterns, illuminated by the tokens' light, faintly glowed as if a spark of spirit had been awakened.

Chen Mu carefully probed the energy interactions and resonances among the three objects with his spiritual sense.

He clearly perceived that the essences of "Summer" and "Winter" intertwined within the tokens, and through the stone fragment—apparently functioning as a recorder or intermediary—pointed faintly toward some deeper law.

It was not a specific map, but more like a rhythm.

"Try channeling your true qi simultaneously into both tokens, using the stone fragment as a bridge," Chen Mu instructed.

Ning Zhixi sat cross-legged, gripping the "Xia Yao" and "Winter Key" in each hand, and carefully, evenly infused them with her pure, tranquil true qi from the Medicine King Valley.

She guided the two streams of qi to circulate within her body, then channeled them through the Laogong points in her palms into the two tokens, finally allowing the two vastly different qi streams to gently touch and merge above the stone fragment.

Hum—

All three objects trembled lightly, their resonance intensifying.

The ancient characters "Summer" and "Winter" on the tokens seemed to come alive, projecting clearer spectral shadows that slowly rotated above the stone fragment.

On the stone fragment, besides the previously known light-and-shadow map and the hint "Southern Li, Bingwu, where Fire Essence converges," new, fainter ancient characters slowly emerged, along with fragmented, unrecognizable lines.

These newly appeared elements were extremely incomplete, the characters dim, as if ready to vanish at any moment. Ning Zhixi concentrated all her spirit, straining to decipher them.

"... Yin-Yang reversed collision... time in... the first month of spring... awakening insects... thunder stirs... in the east... Jia-Yi wood flourishes... Green Emperor... holds dominion..."

"Direction... Zhen... Jia-Yi... wood qi... converges... gate of birth and growth..."

"Key... resonance... self-manifests..."

The phrases were fragmented and obscure, but combining them with context, Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi both grasped their general meaning.

"This is hinting at the time, direction, and conditions for the 'Spring' Key's appearance!"