Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

Back at the dormitory, Mu Chen didn’t go straight to his room. Instead, he entered the training room. The others behind him exchanged glances, but ultimately, inspired by his example, none of them returned to their rooms either. They each entered a training room and began their own Cultivation.

Mu Chen closed the training room door, stripped off his shirt, and began to furiously swing the Profound Jade Fan in his hand. That’s right. Mu Chen had not for a moment forgotten his promise to Lingyun. Even during his busiest times, he would set aside time to swing the Profound Jade Fan—ten thousand times a day.

"SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!"

The sound of the Profound Jade Fan slicing through the air was exceptionally loud in the training room, possessing a perfect rhythm. A strike accompanied every second—still a strike. After several days of practice, although Mu Chen didn’t feel a noticeable increase in speed, the precision of his strikes had improved by several levels. One swing after another, the trajectory of nearly every strike landed on a fixed point, with almost no visible deviation.

"Three thousand... Three thousand and one... Three thousand and two..."

As Mu Chen counted under his breath, beads of sweat flew off him with every swing of the Profound Jade Fan, and he became immersed in comprehending the art of the strike...

「Extreme Martial Continent, Central State」

From a Lake Heart Cottage, an idyllic retreat, came the soothing, leisurely sound of a qin. The music was not passionate or high-pitched, nor was it full of twists and turns. It was like a gentle stream flowing slowly through one’s heart. But a moment later, the tune suddenly changed, becoming mournful and desolate. Though still beautiful, it was now laced with too much anguish, anxiety, and a deep, thick longing—a hundred emotions intermingled.

Through the beaded curtain of the Lake Heart Cottage, the graceful silhouette of a young woman was faintly visible. Her figure was exquisite, yet she appeared somewhat gaunt.

"Miss, are you thinking about that country bumpkin again?"

"TWANG..."

A dull thud altered the note... The qin string had snapped. The music stopped abruptly. The graceful young woman lifted her smooth, slender, jade-like fingers and caressed them gently. A thin red line appeared on one finger, and a drop of crimson blood trickled from its tip.

"Ah! Miss, Miss, your hand is bleeding! Gauze, gauze!"

The maid’s voice suddenly grew anxious. Immediately after, the sound of rummaging through chests and cabinets came from within the cottage. After a while, the maid finally found a medicine bottle and gauze. She gently bandaged the young woman’s finger before letting out a slow sigh of relief. Then she chided, "Miss, how could you be so careless? Even if you’re thinking about that country bumpkin, you shouldn’t torture your own body."

As she spoke, the maid’s tears began to fall, pitter-patter. The graceful young woman slowly turned her head and said softly, "Xiaoyu, why are you crying?"

Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then burrowed into the young woman’s embrace and mumbled, "Miss, you have to pull yourself together. If this goes on, your body won’t be able to take it one day."

The graceful young woman lowered her bright eyes. By the candlelight, her face became clear. This was none other than Qin Wu, whom Mu Chen had met while searching for the Extreme Ice Attribute Spirit. But the Qin Wu of this moment, though still beautiful, was nothing like the dignified and elegant woman she once was. Her gaunt, pale cheeks revealed an infinite melancholy. Her frail body was like a candle in the wind, as if a single gust could topple her, inspiring a desire to protect her in anyone who saw her.

"Silly girl, as a political tool for the clan, what is the meaning of my life? It would be better to die. But I can’t let go of him—the one who saved me without a second thought."

’Yes,’ she thought, ’more than once, I had fantasized that he would be the one before me when I opened my eyes. But every time I woke from the dream, I would laugh at my own foolishness. Never mind that my family is a Hidden Clan; just reaching this place, the Central State, is something people from Remote Empires might never achieve in their entire lives. It’s doubtful he even knows of my one-sided love.’

"But... but Miss, it’s impossible between you and him! In terms of status, strength, or background, you can never be together. Why be so persistent... It’s not worth it..." Xiaoyu was already a mess of tears, her emotions spiraling out of control.

Qin Wu just sighed and wiped away Xiaoyu’s tears. She gently stroked Xiaoyu’s hair and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "The moment he saved me, I made up my mind. My name is Qin Wu. For this life, I will dance for him alone. The matter of love... Xiaoyu... you don’t understand... you just don’t understand..."

On the opposite shore of the Lake Heart Cottage, a man so handsome it was infuriating sighed and shook his head. ’Silly sister, what are you still clinging to? Even if the Young Master of the Turtle Spirit Sect is lacking, could he possibly be worse than some country boy? Did we really make a mistake? Aih...’

"WHOOSH..."

A black shadow materialized beside the man. The handsome man’s expression hardened. He said in a low voice, "You’re back?"

The shadow nodded. "Young Master, I have completed the investigation on the person you asked me to look into."

"Oh? Let’s hear it." The handsome man sounded uninterested, clearly not expecting much from the report.

The shadow said respectfully, "This person is the young master of a small family in a remote town within the lower-class Xuanling Empire. From a young age, he was a cripple, a waste who was unable to practice Cultivation. His name is Mu Chen."

The handsome man’s brows furrowed. "Continue," he said flatly.

Seeing the handsome man’s grim expression, the shadow spoke much more cautiously. In a low voice, he said, "However, something unknown happened to this Mu Chen three years ago. His condition suddenly improved, and in just three years, he went from a waste to his current level of an Eighth-Ring Martial Master. What happened during those three years, only he seems to know. I was unable to find out anything. However, I can confirm that the young miss met him within this three-year period."

’Interesting,’ the handsome man thought. ’To go from a waste who wasn’t even a Martial Disciple to an Eighth-Ring Martial Master in three years... that level of talent is considered top-tier in those Empires. It seems he must have had some great opportunity in these past three years. But here in the Central State, such talent is hardly worth showing off. Anything else?’ His furrowed brow finally relaxed a bit, but a trace of disdain appeared in his eyes.

The shadow said, "Also, this young man’s strength cannot be measured by the normal Martial Artist Realm. According to my investigation these past few days, he seems to possess the ability for Tier Jumping... and I mean, jumping Great Tiers."

"Hm?" Hearing this, a sharp light flashed in the handsome man’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. ’Jumping Great Tiers... now that’s a piece of information worth discussing. How many tiers can he jump to challenge a High-tier Martial Artist?’

"His full potential is still unknown. However, we do know that as a Sixth-Ring Martial Master, he performed Tier Jumping to defeat a Three-Ring Martial Spirit who was capable of Walking on Air. The way he won might sound fantastical, but it’s true. It seems this young man could already Walk on Air as a Sixth-Ring Martial Master. Moreover, his method of Walking on Air is extremely similar to my own, consuming almost no Primordial Power. Additionally, he can somehow use Primordial Power Materialization, an ability only Martial Emperors should possess."

The handsome man fell silent after hearing the report. ’Based on this information, the young man has undergone an earth-shattering transformation. This is simply impossible. Tier Jumping... it’s not that people like that don’t exist on the Extreme Martial Continent. I myself can jump a single minor tier to challenge a Martial Artist stronger than me, but that’s it. On the Extreme Martial Continent, Tier Jumping is no simple matter. The higher the realm, the greater the gap between each minor tier. How on earth did he do it?’

"By the way, how old is Mu Chen?" the handsome man suddenly asked.

The shadow was taken aback for a second, then said with certainty, "Not yet fifteen."

"What?! Not yet fifteen! Since when did a Border Empire produce someone like that?"

The handsome man couldn’t help but be shocked. His own Martial Artist Realm was formidable. He had already broken through to the Martial Emperor Realm two years ago, and now, he was a powerful Third-Ring Martial Emperor. But he was already twenty years old. A twenty-year-old Third-Ring Martial Emperor was a genius among geniuses, even in the Central State. However, as the Young Master of a Hidden Clan and the next in line to be its leader, he had been nurtured with all sorts of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures since he was in the womb. After birth, he consumed various Top Grade Elixirs. With such Cultivation Resources, he would be nothing but a waste if he hadn’t reached this level.

But what about Mu Chen? He had been a cripple for eleven years, yet in only three years, and without any Cultivation Resources, he had rapidly broken through three Great Tiers and gained the strength to perform Tier Jumping against a Three-Ring Martial Spirit. In comparison, it seemed he himself had no advantage at all. If he and Mu Chen were placed on a level playing field, perhaps even he wouldn’t be able to perform Tier Jumping.

Taking a deep breath, the handsome man waved his hand. "I understand. Go back immediately and keep a close watch on this person for me. If anything major happens, return at once and inform me. This is a Spatial Transmission Order that leads to the clan. It will save you a lot of time on your travels."

With a flick of his arm, the handsome man tossed out a turquoise Jade Pendant. A shimmer flowed across its surface, and within the pendant, a faint, ethereal blue cyclone could be seen spinning endlessly. The shadow hurriedly caught the Jade Pendant, cradling it carefully in his hand. He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Young Master. This subordinate will definitely keep a close watch on him."

The handsome man waved his hand, dismissing him. The shadow took two steps back, and with a flash, his figure vanished from sight. The handsome man turned his head toward the Lake Heart Cottage, a slight smile playing on his lips as he murmured, "Mu Chen... I’m really looking forward to this..."

After speaking, the handsome man tapped his foot lightly, and his figure dissolved from solid to ethereal, dissipating completely like a mist without a trace...

「Imperial Academy, High Level Dormitory Training Room」

Having completed his ten thousand swings, Mu Chen gently closed his Profound Jade Fan. After several days of continuous, high-intensity strikes, he no longer collapsed from exhaustion like he had the first time.

"HUFF... HUFF..."

Letting out two deep breaths, Mu Chen closed his Profound Jade Fan and sighed. ’My Martial Artist Realm is still too low. Although I can strengthen my body through exercise, no amount of training can compare to the enhancement that comes with breaking through a Martial Artist Realm.’

Back in his room, Mu Chen stripped off his sweat-soaked pants and quickly jumped into the bathroom. The feeling of being covered in sweat was far from pleasant. When they had returned to the dorm, Mu Chen had placed the Snow Qilin on his bed, where it was now sound asleep. Mu Chen was a little curious. Ever since it had devoured the Demon Core of the Iron Armor Steel Fang, the Snow Qilin had been sleeping more and more often, and for longer and longer periods.