Chapter 62: The Hidden Dragon Prodigy, the Flying Rainbow Prince!

Is Sun Jindong even worthy of being called a great hero?

Chen Mu, overhearing passersby outside the window talking, instinctively felt revulsion.

But the next instant, he regained his composure, recalling the rumors and information he'd heard and gathered about Sun Jindong over this period, his lips twitching slightly.

On the surface, Sun Jindong truly is a great hero—loyal to bonds, faithful to promises, generous, and eager to help others!

Anyone short on cash can go to the Four Directions Martial Hall and get a decent meal, and when they leave, they're given travel expenses.

The enrollment fee for the Four Directions Martial Hall is the lowest in Nan Yun Prefecture; as long as you pass the minimum bone quality test, you can enter and learn a few techniques.

If he promises something to someone, even if they're a thousand miles away, he'll see it through to the end.

It is precisely because of Sun Jindong's noble character, renowned across multiple prefectures, that the Four Directions Martial Hall—having risen only in the past few years—is listed among Nan Yun Prefecture's top forces.

Every student of the Four Directions Martial Hall who achieves mastery and meets the graduation requirements is welcomed by all kinds of factions.

Every time Chen Mu heard this, he wanted to laugh.

The murderer who wiped out entire families, the butcher, had somehow become a great hero, widely praised.

No wonder the original body's obsession hadn't faded!

Through the window, he looked toward the procession approaching down the street.

The first person Chen Mu saw was He Xianglong, the current patriarch of He Family Fortress.

This forty-something patriarch of the He family had been at the peak of the Postnatal Realm for nearly a decade, his blood and qi as vigorous as a furnace, his aura perfectly unified; walking among people, he was like a blazing torch, immensely captivating.

The man walking shoulder to shoulder with He Xianglong, around fifty years old, was Sun Jindong.

This was Chen Mu's first time seeing Sun Jindong in person; his first impression was: thin!

Sun Jindong, with his broad frame, had a long, lean face and slender limbs—not emaciated from malnutrition, but lean and toned.

His finger bones, arm muscles, and cheek contours all radiated a restrained sharpness, hidden but present.

Only occasionally did flashes of brilliance flicker in his bright eyes.

"Sun Jindong is probably about to reach Fifth Stage Innate."

Shen Ge's voice rang out, and Chen Mu's heart skipped a beat.

About to reach Fifth Stage Innate!?

Ten years ago, Sun Jindong wasn't even Postnatal Ninth Stage—how in ten years did he reach Fullness of Fourth Stage Innate?

Know that advancing each level in the innate realm is much harder than in the post-heaven realm.

Because the Postnatal Realm cultivates internal force, while the Innate Realm cultivates true qi.

The resources required to condense and generate these two are dozens of times different.

Where did Sun Jindong get so many resources?

A single Four Directions Martial Hall isn't enough—not nearly enough.

"Are you also Innate, Brother Shen?"

Chen Mu suppressed his inner agitation, withdrew his gaze, and turned to Shen Ge, asking, "If I've offended, please forgive me."

"What's there to offend?"

Shen Ge smiled, "My Innate Realm is thanks to my sect's favor—without my master and sect's support, I'd be lucky to reach Postnatal Seventh Stage."

"My apologies!"

Chen Mu raised his cup in toast, "Brother Shen, you, an Innate cultivator, sit at the same table as me, a Postnatal—truly admirable."

"Brother Nie flatters me," Shen Ge returned the toast. "I'm also from a common background; I was taken in by my master only by chance. I have no right to pretend I'm a noble scion or superior to others."

"Still, Brother Shen hasn't forgotten his roots," Chen Mu smiled. "So many people, the moment they escape the mud, rush to sever ties with their past, desperate to wrap themselves in golden robes."

"Indeed."

Shen Ge sighed. "Those who maintain their original heart are too few. Brother Nie's phrase 'never forget your roots' cuts straight to the essence of life. Come, let's drink to 'never forget your roots'!"

"Agreed." Chen Mu poured wine to the brim, and they toasted again.

This was why the two got along so well.

One reason was their aligned ideals; Chen Mu's reservoir of modern theories, in this feudal ancient society, made him appear erudite and well-read.

He knew little about martial cultivation, but other miscellaneous topics flowed effortlessly from his lips.

Shen Ge was occasionally stunned, then gave a thumbs-up.

For three days, the conversation never stopped.

Though he didn't press Shen Ge for details about his origins, at twenty-something and already Innate, Shen Ge's sect must be of considerable stature.

Chen Mu seized this opportunity to ask Shen Ge about the state of the Innate Realm.

Shen Ge didn't withhold anything—he shared everything he knew.

One sentence made Chen Mu's heart leap.

"Innate cultivators have heightened senses, their bodies perfectly unified, and the deeper their cultivation, the more flawless they become."

At first glance, this referred to the physical traits of the Innate Realm.

But upon deeper reflection, it carried an implied meaning.

Perfectly unified? Flawless?

Compared to Postnatal cultivators, Innate cultivators naturally have far sharper senses and deeper perception of qi.

Whether it's their own or others'.

Any irregularity on another's person can be detected by those with deep cultivation.

What does this mean?

It means Chen Mu's face, covered by a skin mask, was almost certainly recognized by Shen Ge!

But Shen Ge didn't point it out.

For this, Chen Mu was startled—and even more deeply recognized Shen Ge's noble character.

If it were anyone else, seeing the same person wearing a human-skin mask every day, they would have long grown tired of paying attention.

Over the past three days, Shen Ge had never shown anything out of the ordinary.

That was extremely rare.

Chen Mu guessed that he said this as a subtle reminder.

A human-skin mask was useless in the eyes of an Innate Realm martial artist with deep cultivation!

A few extra glances, and they could recognize you.

This point was very important.

Up to now, every time Chen Mu had worn a human-skin mask to act, he had run into Postnatal Realm martial artists.

But whether it was assassinating a member of the Guo family, or avenging the original body's grudge by killing Sun Jindong, sooner or later he would inevitably run into the Innate Realm!

A human-skin mask was useless against Innate Realm experts, so when the time came to strike, he would have to be faster and more swift!

……

……

The leader of a faction personally coming to the He Family Fortress to offer birthday wishes—Sun Jindong was not the only one.

The Iron Spear Gate, another top faction in the same South Cloud Prefecture, had also come, its gate master Xie Chenglin.

In addition, the Dominant Sword Gate and the Three Absolutes Valley had each dispatched an elder as a representative to offer birthday congratulations.

The Zheng family, the Guo family, the Pan family, the Gao family, the Li family, the Tang family…

And from the neighboring Huaiyang Prefecture's Golden Saber Gate, and Changying Prefecture's Sword Washing Sect, representatives of the Innate Realm had hurried over as well.

For a time, Innate Realm experts gathered in great numbers at the He Family Fortress.

With so many Innate Realm experts assembled in one place, no one inside or outside the He Family Fortress dared to fight privately anymore.

On the fourth day after Chen Mu arrived.

Early in the morning, the inner fortress and outer fortress of the He Family Fortress opened their gates, the shops on the streets all temporarily ceased business, and every street was lined with round tables.

To celebrate the He family patriarch's hundredth birthday, the He family laid out a great open banquet—anyone who entered the fortress could take a seat and eat and drink for free.

After eating in the morning and at noon, Chen Mu went with Shen Ge in the evening to the inner fortress's main gate to present a birthday gift.

Although it was an open banquet, since it was a great birthday after all, the wandering cultivators who came each offered some birthday gift or other.

Ten taels of silver was not much, five taels would also do.

Apart from a small number of thick-skinned ones, most people gave something.

Chen Mu put down one hundred taels of silver, treating it as the meal fee.

When it was Shen Ge's turn…

"Yaoyuewu Sect, Shen Ge, presenting on behalf of my master one 'Divine Origin Pill,' wishing the old patriarch a life as long as the southern mountains and flourishing martial fortune!"

Shen Ge held a delicate, small jade box in both hands and announced his affiliation in a clear, loud voice.

The steward in charge of recording the guest list was stunned.

The people around were also dumbfounded.

At the inner fortress's main gate, in an instant, there was utter silence.

Chen Mu was also a little stunned.

Yaoyuewu Sect?

This was a top faction that had been passed down for over a thousand years, renowned throughout the entire Great Zhou, one of the Qidawu Sect!

"Ya… Yaoyue Sect, Shen Ge? You… you're the 'Flying Rainbow Young Master' ranked seventy-eighth on the Hidden Dragon List, Shen Ge, Hero Shen!?"