Chapter 119: Rumors of the Secret Realm

After the recent demonstration and the blatant elimination of those insignificant factions, the forces that had been severely battered were no longer capable of provoking Chen Mu’s wrath. With their own Yuandan-level leaders wiped out, it was clear these once-top-tier powers had been so relentlessly struck that they no longer even qualified as second-tier factions, and had no hope of resurgence in the future.

At present, two factions sought to make contact with Chen Mu. One was naturally the ruling authority of the Sand Empire and the Nascent Soul cultivators behind it; the other was a Nascent Soul faction unaffiliated with the empire.

Due to the deep-seated enmity between the Sand Empire and the Great Xia Empire, the Sand Empire’s leaders feared angering Chen Mu and thus refrained from rashly approaching him. They had been thoroughly intimidated by Chen Mu’s infamous deeds—after all, which of the three great empires hadn’t declined because of him? Chen Mu was like a walking disaster; wherever he went, trouble followed.

Conversely, the Nascent Soul faction outside the empire was the only one that had not participated in the war against the Great Xia. Theoretically, this faction should find it easy to seek favor with Chen Mu, as their abstention from the war earned them considerable goodwill in his eyes.

This faction was known as the Dust Bewilderment Sect, reputed for their mastery of illusion techniques. Originally, they were not the strongest sect within the Sand Empire. However, during the war with Great Xia, the leader of the strongest sect, the Flowing Sand Blade Sect—Abielxi—and many of his disciples perished, allowing Dust Bewilderment Sect to seize the position of the most powerful sect in the empire.

Driven by ambition and a desire to control the entire Sand Empire, the Dust Bewilderment Sect’s Nascent Soul cultivator, Gu Erdos, intended to approach Chen Mu and seek alliance. If successful, the Sand Empire would be theirs to command.

Soon, Gu Erdos personally appeared before Chen Mu, hoping to win him over and collaborate to overthrow the Sand Empire and seize power.

Yet, all of this was merely Gu Erdos’s wishful thinking, for Chen Mu couldn’t be bothered with the petty affairs of the Sand Empire.

Moreover, Gu Erdos had misunderstood Chen Mu’s purpose for coming to the Sand Empire. He assumed Chen Mu had come to confront the current ruler of the Sand Empire, Emperor Kou Jue, who had dispatched troops to attack Great Xia.

In truth, Chen Mu’s true objective was to seek the Immortal-Mortal Path in the Eastern Wilderness. His presence in the Sand Empire was merely a passage, and thus Gu Erdos’s overtures were rebuffed outright upon their first meeting.

Gu Erdos had gravely miscalculated. Chen Mu was no one any faction could easily sway. Though Chen Mu’s backing faction was not even as influential as himself, he now stood at the pinnacle of the Yu Yao Continent. How could one at the summit be wooed by mere flattery?

Chen Mu could easily control the fate of an empire. Should he choose to lead, his myriad demon clans would follow him and trample any force on the continent.

Though Gu Erdos overestimated Chen Mu’s capabilities, he severely underestimated Chen Mu’s true standing on Yu Yao Continent. He only had reports from informants. While aware that Chen Mu was now invincible at his zenith, the colossal power surrounding Chen Mu remained a mystery to Gu Erdos.

The negotiations collapsed, and the plan to recruit Chen Mu fell apart. Gu Erdos’s expression soured repeatedly before forcing a smile, fearful of provoking Chen Mu’s displeasure.

After all, he knew Chen Mu was not to be trifled with; even the combined might of Gu Erdos and the entire Dust Bewilderment Sect could not match him.

In Gu Erdos’s estimation, Chen Mu’s strength was roughly at the late Nascent Soul stage, nothing more.

Had he known that Chen Mu could unleash a strike almost infinitely close to the Nascent Spirit realm at full power, and that he was accompanied by several demon clans whose power rivaled Nascent Soul perfection, Gu Erdos would never have been so reckless as to attempt to recruit him.

Such an existence was beyond the reach of a mere sect leader within the Sand Empire. To foster good relations with such a being required humility and reverence.

Yet Chen Mu was indifferent to such matters, so Gu Erdos’s rash visit was dismissed lightly and left unpursued.

Still unwilling to give up, Gu Erdos tried to subtly probe Chen Mu’s true purpose for coming to the Sand Empire by cheerfully asking, “Fellow Daoist Chen, surely your visit to our Sand Empire is not mere sightseeing? If you require assistance, please do not hesitate to ask. After all, I was born here and should at least fulfill the duties of a host.”

Chen Mu fell silent briefly, for indeed, the vastness of the Eastern Wilderness made finding the Immortal-Mortal Path challenging. Gathering information beforehand would ease his journey.

He thus replied without reserve, “Then I thank you, Sect Leader Gu. My purpose here is primarily to seek the Immortal-Mortal Path in the Eastern Wilderness, far to the east of your Sand Empire. Have you heard of this Immortal-Mortal Path?”

Gu Erdos was taken aback. He had assumed Chen Mu’s arrival was to deal with the Sand Empire, and his inquiry was merely a formality to steer the conversation toward recruiting Chen Mu.

Now he learned Chen Mu’s true purpose lay elsewhere—in the Eastern Wilderness, a place feared throughout the Sand Empire.

Frowning, Gu Erdos pondered before answering, “To be frank, the Eastern Wilderness is well-known throughout the Sand Empire, but we have never heard of this so-called Immortal-Mortal Path. Immortal-Mortal Path? May I ask from whom you heard there is such a path in the Eastern Wilderness?”

Chen Mu’s expression darkened. Clearly, few had dared intrude upon the Immortal-Mortal Path, so it was unsurprising that no one knew of its existence.

Chen Mu had learned of it only because his biological father, Chen Haoran, had informed him, so he knew he must rely on himself to locate it.

Knowing this was no secret, Chen Mu recounted the story, selectively omitting details about his father, merely stating that Chen Haoran had once ventured into the Eastern Wilderness and had, by fortune, entered this secret realm known as the Immortal-Mortal Path.

Gu Erdos listened with amazement. He had never realized a secret realm existed within the Eastern Wilderness. The scent of treasure and opportunity was unmistakable. Clearly, Chen Mu was after the riches within this secret realm, and forging a connection with Chen Mu now seemed a wise move.

Chen Mu was oblivious to Gu Erdos’s ulterior motives; his mind was entirely fixed on the Immortal-Mortal Path. Reaching it might reveal clues about his father, stirring a complex mix of emotions within him.

During this time, Gu Erdos accompanied Chen Mu eastward, having long since forgotten ambitions to control the Sand Empire. After all, with such an opportunity at hand, any fool would seize it.

The very name “Immortal-Mortal Path” sounded extraordinary; any secret realm associated with immortality could hardly be ordinary. Gu Erdos grew increasingly eager to explore it.

He summoned most of the elders and perfected disciples within the Dust Bewilderment Sect’s Yuandan and foundational stages, ordering them to obey Chen Mu unconditionally and join the expedition east to investigate this Immortal-Mortal Path.

Though the prospect of venturing into the Eastern Wilderness daunted them, the revelation of a secret realm ignited brilliant gleams in their eyes.

The Sand Empire was resource-poor; only the core factions had access to cultivation resources. To imagine the untold riches a secret realm might offer stirred dreams of waking from sleep with smiles.

Throughout the journey, Gu Erdos trailed Chen Mu like a shadow, constantly monitored by the empire’s spies. The empire’s leadership found the situation puzzling.

They had expected Gu Erdos to ally with Chen Mu to overthrow their rule, yet Chen Mu did not act thus. Instead, he pressed steadily eastward, with Gu Erdos and many elites following closely.

Though uncertain of Chen Mu’s intent, Emperor Kou Jue and his Nascent Soul cultivators sensed that ignoring this matter might cause them to miss something vital.

Consequently, Kou Jue deployed spies embedded within Dust Bewilderment Sect, who unearthed rough intelligence regarding Chen Mu’s eastward journey—a secret realm lay within the Eastern Wilderness.

Upon learning this, Kou Jue and his Nascent Soul advisor were astounded. The Eastern Wilderness was considered a forbidden zone where humans could scarcely survive; to think a secret realm existed there was shocking.

Kou Jue urgently questioned the veracity of the information.

They learned that Chen Mu’s father had come to the Sand Empire over a decade ago, and, pursued by enemies, had fled into the Eastern Wilderness, discovering this unknown secret realm.

The empire’s leaders marveled at Chen Mu’s father’s fortune—few who ventured deep into the Eastern Wilderness survived to return, so it was plausible that no one else knew of this secret realm.

Kou Jue believed the information was credible. After all, Chen Mu needed no subterfuge to destroy the Sand Empire; a direct assault would overwhelm them.

This did not seem to be a falsehood spread by Gu Erdos and Chen Mu, so their empire had to intervene. However, since Chen Mu was leading the venture, unilateral imperial involvement risked angering him, posing a dilemma.

It seemed inevitable they must personally intervene, at least to mend fences with Chen Mu and perhaps hope he might take them along when exploring the secret realm.

Everyone in the know assumed Chen Mu had come to the Sand Empire seeking treasure, but the truth awaiting them was far beyond mere riches.