Chapter 137: Burning the Mark

Chen Mu's trail had completely vanished, which infuriated Hai Tianlu to no end. For a mere ant to elude his pursuit was an unimaginable disgrace. He was utterly baffled—what method could this insignificant creature have employed to shake off his divine sense detection? Whenever he moved, the vitality around him inevitably fluctuated, did it not? Yet now, all was calm and still; there was no sign of the energy waves that accompany a person’s movement. This meant that Chen Mu had either ceased moving or had utterly vanished from his tracking.

However, the two possibilities held very different implications. After numerous attempts to detect him, Hai Tianlu was convinced it was not the former, which only heightened his fury. He roughly sensed the area where Chen Mu had disappeared and began searching nearby. Yet, after some time without finding any trace, his irritation grew, and he unleashed a barrage of attacks upon the region, hoping to flush Chen Mu out.

Inside the Wo Xian Residence, Chen Mu watched the scene with cold sweat dripping down his brow. Thankfully, he had hidden within the residence; had he been outside, the intense spell attacks might have forced him out. As for the Wo Xian Residence itself, Chen Mu felt rather secure. It had shrunk to the size of a pebble, making it utterly imperceptible to Hai Tianlu. Additionally, the residence’s defenses were formidable; even without activating its protective formation, it was impervious to attacks from Nascent Soul cultivators. After all, it was a spatial treasure forged by a Fusion Stage cultivator, incorporating many precious materials that even Fusion Stage experts could not break. Hai Tianlu was absolutely incapable of destroying it.

Seeing Hai Tianlu at a loss, Chen Mu finally relaxed somewhat. He summoned Rou’er to join him in the main hall, intending to study the tracking mark implanted on his body together with Xue Tian. After all, the presence of such a mark was no small matter. If the trio from Ghost Mountain had not killed those Nascent Soul cultivators and instead used their tracking marks to locate him, the situation would be dire indeed.

In the hall, Xue Tian leisurely chatted with Chen Haoran about Chen Mu’s past, curious about what kind of person Chen Mu had once been. Chen Haoran, aware of Xue Tian’s true identity and origins, was cautious and selectively shared some stories about Chen Mu’s early days after joining the Star-Gazing Valley.

Xue Tian came to understand, in broad strokes, the complex entanglements Chen Mu had with the Bi Luo Tao Sect and the Great Xia Empire. Though he had collaborated with Chen Mu several times, much of Chen Mu’s history still remained mysterious to him.

When Chen Mu saw Xue Tian casually chatting with his father inside the Wo Xian Residence, he was initially annoyed. After greeting his father, he shot a sharp look at Xue Tian and said, “Xue Tian, I was risking my life escaping out there, and you still have the heart to chat with my dad?”

Xue Tian glanced at Chen Mu, slowly raised his teacup, and took a sip. “You’re the one trying to run for your life, not me. Why can’t I chat with your father? Now that I’m safe, there’s no need to be so tense. Besides, if I’m just sitting around idly, what else am I supposed to do? Come now, don’t be angry. It’s just a bit of tea and conversation. Since we’re all unharmed, there’s no need for such anger.”

Chen Mu sighed deeply, then turned serious and asked Rou’er and Xue Tian, “Someone has planted a tracking mark on me. Do either of you know how to remove it? I fear those people might use it to find our location and discover the Wo Xian Residence.”

Xue Tian pondered for a moment before replying, “There is a way, but in my current state, I’m unable to perform it. So I won’t offer my method.”

Finding no hope there, Chen Mu looked to Rou’er, hoping she could provide a solution.

Rou’er combed her fur with her small paw and said, “I do have a method, but it’s painful and could cause you some harm. Are you willing to try?”

Without hesitation, Chen Mu answered, “Of course I want to try. Otherwise, if we drag this out, those people will come looking for me. Let the pain come. I have life energy to heal myself. No matter how severe the injury, as long as I’m not dead, I’ll recover fully.”

Hearing Chen Mu’s resolve, Rou’er leapt onto his shoulder. “Actually, the method is simple: I will use my Dragon-Fox Phantom Flame to enter your body and burn away the mark. This requires great control, but my Dragon-Fox Phantom Flame has been sealed along with my cultivation level, greatly reducing my mastery. In my prime, I could destroy the mark without you feeling a thing, but now you may experience discomfort or even pain. If I lose control or have even the slightest ill intent, you might be burned to ashes.”

Chen Haoran, standing nearby, turned pale at the danger of this method and was about to ask if there were any alternatives.

But Chen Mu was unwavering. “I trust Rou’er. She would never harm me.”

Rou’er was touched by Chen Mu’s faith, happily nuzzling his youthful face, murmuring in her heart, “That wooden block only knows how to say sweet things. I’m not happy about it~ Hmph, he’ll have to wait millions of years before trying to please me~”

Seeing Rou’er suddenly so cheerful, Chen Mu chuckled, running his hand through her soft white fur. “No time to waste. Let’s begin now. If those people find us, it will be trouble.”

Chen Mu and Rou’er found an open space. To prevent Chen Mu from thrashing in pain during the flame’s application, Xue Tian cast a suppression technique, firmly anchoring Chen Mu to the ground.

With preparations complete, Rou’er carefully guided the Dragon-Fox Phantom Flame to seep into Chen Mu’s arm and then into his body. Through spiritual sensing, they immediately located the tracking mark. The phantom flame moved over it, causing Chen Mu unbearable burning pain.

Wherever the flame passed, it seared every fiber of Chen Mu’s being. Though it caused no lasting harm, the torment was intense. His skin faintly shimmered with the flame’s eerie glow, and his internal temperature soared.

Rou’er’s expression grew more serious. Seeing Chen Mu’s pained face, she became even more cautious, meticulously controlling the flame’s progression.

Soon, the phantom flames reached the several tracking marks etched into Chen Mu’s body. The marks trembled violently as the flames approached, then began to burn away.

After several minutes, one mark after another dissolved without a trace under the relentless fire. The tracking method used by Lu Zhigui and Feng Moyu, who had been tailing Chen Mu, was severed.

The Nascent Soul cultivator who had planted the marks, realizing the marks had vanished, broke into a cold sweat, trembling as he nervously relayed the news to Lu Zhigui and Feng Moyu.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhigui’s face darkened with rage. In a fury, he struck the man into a red mist. But on the tracking path, he had sensed Hai Tianlu just ahead. Since the path was correct, the three of them resolved to search together.

Lu Zhigui, Feng Moyu, and Hai Tianlu regrouped and exchanged the intelligence they had gathered.

The three cursed Chen Mu, this crafty little ant, for having slipped past them right under their noses—three Nascent Soul cultivators. If others learned of this, where would they hide their shame?

Nonetheless, Hai Tianlu was certain Chen Mu had disappeared within this area, so the trio stubbornly continued their search nearby, bombarding the terrain with spells to force Chen Mu out.

Meanwhile, Chen Mu had freed himself from the tracking curse. As Rou’er withdrew her phantom flames, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, Chen Mu recalled the beast-hide map that Lu Zhigui and the others had found while searching for Xue Tian. Curious, he asked Xue Tian, “Did you know the map was valuable? Is that why you took it?”

Xue Tian sipped his tea slowly. “I don’t know. I just saw that everything else there was junk, but the map was old and rare, so I took it.”

Chen Mu felt frustrated. Sure enough, that old creature had a keen eye and lofty tastes. He had dismissed all the other items but coveted this beast-hide map—one coveted even by three Nascent Soul cultivators. This map’s origin must be extraordinary, holding some secret.

He urged Xue Tian to produce the map. Under the eager gazes of Chen Mu, Chen Haoran, and Rou’er, Xue Tian leisurely pulled the beast-hide map from his storage ring.

The three—two humans, one demon—spread the map on the table, scrutinizing it for a long while but still unable to make sense of it. None of them were from the Bi Xiao Continent, so they didn’t recognize the locations recorded.

However, the map bore many annotations in ancient script, clearly very old.

Though the map’s content remained a mystery, it clearly depicted a remote mountainous wilderness. One place stood out: a landmark called “Immortal-Slaying Cliff.” Such a striking name left a deep impression on Chen Mu, impossible to ignore.

Though unaware of what the map concealed, Chen Mu made a mental note to visit Immortal-Slaying Cliff someday, to discover the origin of its formidable name.

Xue Tian put the map away again, but Rou’er meticulously copied its contents and handed the duplicate to Chen Mu. He was determined to explore it thoroughly, especially since the map had attracted the desire of three Nascent Soul cultivators.

He was certain the map recorded a place far more valuable than he had imagined. Its great age suggested it might appeal not only to Nascent Soul cultivators but also to those at the Dharma Manifestation Stage, Fusion Stage, and even higher. Fortunately, only those three knew of the map, allowing Chen Mu to narrowly escape disaster.