Chapter Forty-Seven: The Great Battle Approaches

After several days of treatment, the wounds on Chen Mu’s body had almost healed, though his broken bones had yet to mend. Thanks to the effects of the Nether Spring Pool, all the impurities and stagnant blood within him had been expelled, which would greatly benefit his future cultivation.

Seven days passed in this manner, and still, Chen Mu did not awaken. The disciples of the various sects, feeling as though they had been granted a pardon, finally sensed a response from the jade tokens they had received upon entering—by activating these, they could now leave this accursed place.

Rou’er forcibly opened Chen Mu’s storage pouch and activated his token. One man and one fox thus left the secret realm together.

Outside the secret realm, the sect leaders had grown impatient from waiting. Seeing someone finally emerge, they all breathed a sigh of relief. But soon, they sensed that something was amiss. Most of the disciples who came out looked utterly devastated, as though they had suffered some great shock. Upon seeing the light of day, many broke down in tears.

A sect leader, sensing that things had gone wrong, immediately questioned the disciples who had emerged from his sect. “What happened? Why are only a few of you here? Where are the others?”

“They’re all dead! All dead! Turned to ash and vanished!” the disciple sobbed, unable to compose himself.

“What? All dead? How? What on earth happened?”

“The devil! It was Chen Mu, that devil! He killed our brothers!” the disciple answered, trembling with terror.

“Chen Mu? Chen Mu from Stargazer Valley? How could someone at the Yuanmai stage kill so many of you? Explain what happened!”

The other sect leaders quickly questioned their own disciples about what had transpired in the Nether Spring secret realm. From their disjointed and deranged accounts, it became clear that more than half the disciples who entered had died—and that Chen Mu was directly involved in their deaths.

The sect leaders then turned their fury on Gu Xingyuan, demanding, “Old Gu, what’s the story with this Chen Mu of your Stargazer Valley? How could so many of our disciples have fallen to him? You owe us an explanation—don’t think you’ll leave here unscathed.”

“Patience, old friends,” Gu Xingyuan tried to appease them, though he was visibly ill at ease himself. “I am sure there must be some misunderstanding. Let’s wait until the rest of the disciples come out and hear what they have to say before jumping to conclusions.”

At that moment, disciples from Azurefall Dao Gate, Seven Stars Pavilion, Bright Moon Blade Sect, and the former Stargazer Valley emerged as well—no more than twenty or so in total. Gu Qingtai and the others fell trembling to their knees before their vice-sect master. “Uncle! Our three sects have suffered terrible losses inside. You must avenge us!”

Gu Daoyan’s face darkened. “What happened? Was it also that Chen Mu who did this?”

“Yes. At the time, Chen Mu released a black mist from within his body. Anyone touched by it turned to ash and vanished. He also had a beast at his side more powerful than the Yuan Dan stage. We could do nothing against him.”

Gu Daoyan erupted in fury. “Outrageous! Gu Xingyuan, did you hear that? Your precious disciple killed so many of ours! You must answer for this!”

Gu Xingyuan frowned, his head aching. He had not anticipated such events, but steeled himself and replied, “Once everything is clear, I will give you all an explanation.”

He turned to the former Stargazer Valley disciples and rebuked them. “Why are you standing with Azurefall Dao Gate? Come here and tell us what happened inside!”

Gu Feng and his companions, legs trembling, did not move toward Gu Xingyuan, but instead edged closer to Azurefall’s group.

Gu Xingyuan sensed something was wrong and barked, “Gu Feng! I told you to come here!”

Gu Daoyan stepped between them. “Old Gu, they’re not your disciples anymore. They’ve pledged allegiance to Azurefall Dao Gate. You can’t order about disciples of my sect.”

Gu Xingyuan was incensed. “You’ve defected to Azurefall? Do you not realize that betraying your sect is a grave sin? What did they offer you to make you turn traitor?”

Gu Feng, forced to answer, said, “The Bright Moon Blade Sect hunted our lone disciples inside. Do you know how many of us died? Azurefall put an end to this feud; otherwise, we’d all be dead. Besides, Stargazer Valley has already been destroyed. This isn’t betrayal—it’s just finding another way forward.”

Gu Xingyuan’s expression turned grim. “What do you mean, Stargazer Valley has been destroyed?”

The three sects’ disciples looked at Gu Xingyuan with mocking smiles but said nothing. Gu Xingyuan glanced at the disciples from the three sects and then, a dreadful suspicion dawning, his face changed drastically. “The three of you joined forces to destroy Stargazer Valley? Hmph, the grand formation of my sect is not so easily breached. Even if it can’t withstand your combined attack, we could have at least evacuated.”

Gu Daoyan laughed heartily. “Didn’t you consider we’d have someone on the inside? I just received word: apart from a few who escaped, everyone in your valley is either dead or has surrendered.”

The words struck Gu Xingyuan like a hammer. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his voice trembling, “Stargazer Valley, my life’s work… Who? Who was the traitor?”

“You can’t guess? Let me tell you—your own Punishment Elder, Xiao Jueqing! He’s long been dissatisfied with your leadership. The Punishment Hall is now loyal to Azurefall. Surprised? Shocked? Hahaha!”

Gu Xingyuan seemed to age ten years in an instant. He stood there speechless, while some sect leaders pitied him, and others snickered. Who would have thought the old man would lose everything in one fell swoop?

“Why did you do this? We may have had our differences, but it never had to come to this,” Gu Xingyuan asked in anguish.

“Old Gu, stop pretending. Don’t you know the reason? Let me remind you—your Daoist Mu.”

“Daoist Mu? What…” Gu Xingyuan’s words faltered. Now he understood—it was all because of Chen Mu. That son of an old friend had brought disaster upon him.

He sank wearily to the ground. His sect was gone; everything was gone. Now he was nothing but a solitary outcast.

Disciples from the various sects emerged one after another. When the imperial disciples appeared, only the Third Prince, Xiahou Chong, had survived. The imperial elders were enraged, declaring that Chen Mu was to be executed on sight.

Gu Xingyuan’s expression was complicated. He had never expected Chen Mu to cause such calamity, but at this point, he could no longer concern himself with it; he was struggling to survive.

At last, Chen Mu and Rou’er—one man, one fox—were transmitted out. At first, the assembled crowd intended to kill Chen Mu on the spot, but when they saw the little fox by his side, they froze. What kind of beast was this? A fox with dragon horns? Its origins must be extraordinary—capturing it would be a great fortune.

But before anyone could make a move, Rou’er’s terrifying aura swept over them. Though she only appeared to be a third-rank demon beast at the peak of the Yuan Dan stage, the pressure she exerted was clearly on par with the late Nascent Soul stage. No wonder—the cultivators of this humble land were weak in foundation, no match for those of the Immortal Domain. And Rou’er herself was not truly of third rank, but a genuine powerhouse of the second tier, merely sealed at the Yuan Dan stage; her true strength was far greater.

Looking at the unconscious Chen Mu and the petite fox, no one dared to underestimate the pair. Rou’er’s oppressive presence was simply too overwhelming; none dared approach Chen Mu.

Just then, a cultured voice rang out, “Fellow Daoist, please hand this boy over to us. He has killed so many of our disciples—surely you owe us an explanation.”

The sect leaders turned and saw an old man in hemp robes, hunched over—an elder of Azurefall Dao Gate. The old man shed his disguise, straightening his bent back and transforming from an old peasant into a middle-aged scholar.

“Azurefall Dao Gate’s Sect Master, Gu Daozhen!”

“I thought the Sect Master wasn’t here—turns out he was disguised among the elders. It seems they truly intend to destroy Gu Xingyuan.”

Rou’er snorted coldly. “You schemed against Stargazer Valley, tormented my Chen Mu to this state—what’s a few deaths among you? Were it up to me, I’d have killed every last one. Gu Xingyuan, do you know what a blow it was to Chen Mu when he learned Stargazer Valley was destroyed? He feels he’s failed you; in the secret realm, his only thought was to seek vengeance, and it nearly destroyed him. I don’t care what becomes of your sect—you have only yourself to blame. You didn’t even know you had a traitor in your midst, and just look at the kind of disciples you raised. Can’t you see their true nature? My poor Chen Mu suffered so much in your sect… He killed all those people not for his own sake, but for Stargazer Valley, for the companions he once lived alongside. In spirit, he is more of a Stargazer Valley disciple than any of your inner sect students!”

Gu Xingyuan’s expression was complex. He hadn’t expected that Chen Mu’s killings had been to avenge Stargazer Valley. He could not bring himself to blame Chen Mu, despite their relationship being neither particularly close nor distant; this nominally direct disciple was beyond reproach in his eyes.

He approached Chen Mu and Rou’er. “Senior, I have lost everything and stand alone. Please, guide me.”

“After being so thoroughly schemed against, do you not wish for revenge?”

“I do, but the enemy is too strong. I have reached the early Nascent Soul stage—this is my limit. Today I am surely doomed. How could I take revenge?”

“Protect Chen Mu, and I will cover your escape. A gentleman’s revenge may wait ten years. If you cannot kill the elders, kill their disciples. Besides, I believe in Chen Mu’s potential; one day he will destroy the three sects and reclaim justice from the imperial family.”

Those present shuddered at her words. Chen Mu’s combat power was terrifying; so young, yet already capable of challenging those above his stage—if allowed to grow, he would spell their doom.

Gu Daozhen’s eyes narrowed. “You all heard her—this little fiend will become our bane. Today, we must eliminate him.”

With that, five of the six Nascent Soul experts present stepped forward. One, from Qingyun Mountain Sect, abstained—he had learned from his disciples that his sect was the only one untouched by the events, and so did not wish to get involved.

The Yuan Dan stage sect leaders wasted no time, hastening to leave with their surviving disciples.