Chapter 549: The City of the Weak Being Devoured by the Strong

Crack!

The stone slab shattered into countless fragments of varying sizes, rustling down to the ground, turning to dust and merging with the dirt.

At the center of the slab, a small jade pendant, no larger than a palm, smooth and warm as jade, with a faint sky-blue hue, lost its support and fell downward.

Chen Mu's mind stirred, and the pendant floated before him, spinning slowly.

The pendant's design was ancient and simple; its front bore a faintly engraved pattern, resembling flowing water or a sword scar, emitting a faint aura that shared the same origin as "Duan Tianhe's True Qi," yet was more ethereal and profound.

Chen Mu slowly extended his spiritual sense into the pendant.

There was no overwhelming flood of information, no complex inheritance imprint, nor any attack or defense seals.

Only twelve characters of information, like a brand, imprinted directly into his consciousness.

"The soul is in Jiuyou, the art is in Jiuyou, the path is in Jiuyou."

Once the message was delivered, the sky-blue jade pendant, as if exhausted of its last spark of spirit, rapidly dimmed in luster, then—crack! —split apart on its own, becoming a pile of ordinary, spiritless jade shards that fell into the dust.

Chen Mu frowned slightly, withdrew his spiritual sense, and fell into thought.

"The soul is in Jiuyou, the art is in Jiuyou, the path is in Jiuyou…"

"Soul" likely refers to the "Sword Soul," the mysterious artifact left behind by Duan Tianhe.

"Art" probably refers to the subsequent cultivation method beyond the Tiangong Realm in the "Duan Tianhe Sword Scripture."

Reflections on the path beyond the Tiangong Realm.

"Path" may refer to the "Way of Martial Dao" that Duan Tianhe once explored—leading toward the Ten Thousand Phenomena Realm and even higher levels—his insights, speculations, and unfinished explorations into higher realms.

And these three crucial things are all in Jiuyou!

"Jiuyou… one of the Qidawu Sect's Jiuyou Sect?"

Chen Mu's eyes flickered.

Jiuyou Sect, neither wholly good nor evil, has its mountain gate deep within the "Yinming Mountains" of southwestern Jiannan Dao. Its sect name derives from the words "Jiuyou." In many texts, "Jiuyou" also refers to the deepest yin, the realm of death and stillness.

Could the Sword Soul be in Jiuyou Sect?

That was unexpected for Chen Mu.

Duan Tianhe's legacy and Jiuyou Sect's cultivation methods are utterly opposite.

Did Duan Tianhe once have some unknown connection with Jiuyou Sect in the past?

Or was the Sword Soul acquired later by Jiuyou Sect and secretly stored?

As for the "art" and "path" also being in Jiuyou, Chen Mu found this unsurprising.

The path beyond the Tiangong Realm varies by individual, yet all roads lead to the same destination.

Once a martial cultivator reaches the Tiangong Realm, they must begin forging their own path, perceiving heaven and earth, attempting to merge their martial Dao with cosmic laws, ultimately crystallizing their unique "Martial Dao Spirit Crystal" and attaining the "Ten Thousand Phenomena Martial Domain."

Thus, before the Tiangong Realm, ancestral cultivation methods guide one, allowing faster progress.

But beyond the Tiangong Realm, if one blindly follows another's cultivation path, they will forever fail to surpass their predecessors, never forge their own "Dao," never crystallize their own "Wu Jing," and remain forever unable to reach the Ten Thousand Phenomena Realm!

This is why, upon discovering that the "Duan Tianhe Sword Scripture" ended at the Tiangong Realm, Chen Mu felt no panic.

Because he had a better choice: the "Dalu Wu Jing!"

This martial Dao compendium, though it contains no specific cultivation techniques or combat arts, encompasses all phenomena and points directly to the essence of martial Dao, helping him organize his accumulated knowledge, clarify his path, and forge the most suitable, infinitely promising martial Dao for himself.

Far superior to blindly following Duan Tianhe's old path.

Thus, Chen Mu had little interest in the subsequent methods of the "Duan Tianhe Sword Scripture," yet they still held value as a reference and for broadening his horizons.

What he truly cared about was the "Sword Soul!"

To date, there is no information whatsoever on what the "Sword Soul" is.

"The Sword Soul is in Jiuyou Sect…"

Chen Mu's eyes hardened with resolve, "Then I'll pay Jiuyou Sect a visit!"

Jiuyou Sect's mountain gate lies in southwestern Jiannan Dao, far from Hannan Dao; one must turn south, cross the southern part of Hannan Dao, then re-enter Jiannan Dao—the journey is long.

But with his current speed, pushing to the limit, it wouldn't take long.

With this in mind,

Chen Mu cast one final glance at the cave, turned, and walked out without hesitation.

His figure blurred, shooting skyward, identifying his direction, becoming a faint green streak that sliced through the heavens, racing southward.

…

The Yinming Mountains were a vast region perpetually shrouded in thick, gray-black mist carrying a faintly sweet, rotting stench.

Within the mountains, no sunlight reached the ground; jagged peaks and treacherous gorges teemed with poisonous insects and miasma, and numerous natural yin-sha energy veins and strange Illusion Realms made it a death trap for ordinary martial cultivators—but the perfect base for a great sect like Jiuyou Sect, which cultivated cold and yin arts.

Chen Mu did not directly storm into the depths of the Yinming Mountains.

Jiuyou Sect had thrived for thousands of years, with deep roots, countless disciples, and even a Ten Thousand Phenomena Realm ancestor residing within.

Forcibly breaching the mountain gate would be unwise.

After entering the southwestern border of Jiannan Dao, he found a secluded spot and changed his appearance.

After disguising himself, Chen Mu became a middle-aged martial artist with an ordinary face, slightly pale skin, piercing eyes, dressed in gray-black fitted attire, and carrying a simple, ancient longsword on his back, his cultivation aura controlled to the peak of the Primordial Realm.

At this level, he was unremarkable within Jiuyou Sect's territory, yet possessed sufficient self-defense capability and greater mobility.

Once prepared, Chen Mu quietly infiltrated the outer reaches of the Yinming Mountains.

The outer reaches of the Yinming Mountains were not entirely deserted.

On the contrary, due to Jiuyou Sect's presence, dozens of small towns and markets had formed within several hundred li, populated by Jiuyou Sect disciples, vassal factions, lone cultivators, black-market merchants, and outlaws.

The largest and closest to Jiuyou Sect's core mountain gate was Heimeng City, located at the northeastern entrance of the mountains, controlling a vital transportation route.

Heimeng City, rather than a city, was a massive fortress built within a rugged valley, constructed from countless black rocks and gloomy wood.

Its walls towered high, entirely black, inscribed with eerie, sinister runes emitting faint suppression waves.

The buildings within were mostly low, sturdy, and crudely styled; the streets narrow and winding, dimly lit, the air perpetually thick with cold, dampness, and a strange mixture of blood, herbs, and metal odors.

This place is a mix of good and bad, an important transit hub for entering the depths of the Youming Mountains and trading with the Jiuyou Sect, as well as a forward outpost for the Jiuyou Sect to monitor its periphery, screen talent, and obtain supplies.

Although Jiuyou Sect disciples patrol the city to maintain order, clandestine killings, raids, and black-market trades are common; as long as there is no major disturbance or threat to the Jiuyou Sect's core interests, no one typically intervenes.

It upholds the naked rule of the strong preying on the weak!

Chen Mu paid the head tax to enter the city and blended into the crowd, entering Wulong Fucheng.

The scene inside the city was utterly unlike any Zhou Fu he had ever visited.

Along both sides of the streets, shops were plentiful.

There was the "Baihai Pavilion," which bought and sold various demonic beast materials, poisonous herbs, and yin-type minerals.

There was the "Wuying Tower," specializing in intelligence, assassinations, kidnappings, and other special services.

There was the "Qiqing Workshop," which refined and sold various poisons, stupefying drugs, and even substances that controlled the mind and spirit.

There was even the "Xuenu Arena," openly trading in human beings, treating warriors and commoners as "merchandise."

……

Not a single one was normal!