Chapter 860 - 848: Refugees
Mist Ridge is shrouded in the Mist of Confusion all year round, the sky always gray and hazy.
The temperature is suitable, like spring all year, making it hard to feel the changes of seasons or the passage of time.
For the past six months, no outsiders have disturbed the peace. Chen Mu has been refining Qi daily according to routine, seeing progress in both his Daoist Foundation and Yin Spirit Divine Fetus.
The Divine Soldier Fragments have also come twice automatically, all swallowed and refined by Chen Mu within Thousand Lanterns City.
When he has free time, he would go to White Bird City to join in the bustle, living quite a peaceful life.
This day, by White Bird Lake.
A long unseen Xu Gui found Chen Mu.
"Refugees?"
"Yes!"
"Where did the refugees come from?" Chen Mu asked in confusion.
"According to those refugees, Wuxiang City and Emperor Dragon City are constantly attacking and fighting, turning the center of Mist Ridge into a mess."
"To survive, they had no choice but to flee," Xu Gui explained the news he had gathered.
"How did they end up here?" Chen Mu frowned slightly.
Mist Ridge is vast, yet the refugees ended up at the very edges in White Bird City.
If ordinary refugees can find their way here, wouldn't those who covet the Divine Soldier Fragments be able to find their way too?!
Chen Mu felt a tightness in his heart.
"I asked them earlier," Xu Gui said, his words hard to express.
"They don't know why either."
"They were wandering in Mist Ridge and unknowingly ended up here."
"Mere coincidence?" Chen Mu shook his head, skeptical.
Mist Ridge is too vast; he himself only managed to get out thanks to the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture, by sheer coincidence. He didn't believe these refugees had such luck.
"What to do, just drive them away?" Xu Gui scratched his head.
Driving them away wasn't an option.
Driving away the refugees would just reveal White Bird City's location.
"Alright, I'll first arrange for them to recite the Rootless Scripture," Xu Gui nodded.
Reciting the Scripture will allow the Demon Seed to enter their bodies; spies and agents will become insiders.
Chen Mu nodded first, then shook his head.
The Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds needed to be planted, but the method of reciting the Rootless Scripture was too slow.
Smart ones might pretend to play along, then figure out a way to escape.
If even one escapes, revealing White Bird City's location, that would be troublesome.
...
In the afternoon.
In the western part of White Bird City, within an abandoned street market district, thousands of refugees gathered. Men, women, old and young alike, most were in tattered clothes, looking terrified.
With a flash of golden light, Chen Mu's figure appeared on the highest rooftop.
Before these people could notice him, the Enchanting God Qi Mechanism had already covered everyone below.
The previously chaotic crowd, one by one, rolled their eyes back and fainted to the ground, plunging the entire street into silence.
Chen Mu raised his hand, a handful of luminescent dust floating in his palm, faint golden light speckled within. It was the enhanced version of the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds, refined with Jade Cicada Qi and the Plague Immortal Technique.
With a casual wave.
It was as if he scattered a spray of gold dust, each Spiritual Seed entering the refugees' bodies, quickly implanting.
With a slight perception, Chen Mu nodded in satisfaction.
"This is much faster."
Previously, the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds were fragile and required the host to recite the Heavenly Demon Curse to automatically attract them.
But after being refined with Jade Cicada Qi and the Plague Immortal Technique, the life force of the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds increased significantly, able to forcibly parasitize the Black Wind Demon.
Now, first using the Enchanting God Qi Mechanism to stun them into unconsciousness, then manipulating with the Plague Immortal Technique, allowed Chen Mu to easily implant the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds into thousands of refugees.
...
"I found out that indeed, no one guided them."
"They just inexplicably found White Bird City."
The next day, Xu Gui came again to White Bird Lake to report the investigation results to Chen Mu.
With the influence of the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds, Chen Mu trusted the accuracy of this result.
But because of this, he became even more puzzled.
None of the Commanders could find him, yet a group of ordinary Yin Spirits, who had no Divine Skills, were able to unknowingly reach White Bird City, which was odd indeed.
"It should be related to the Divine Weapon." Former General Cheng Hu maintained a calm face.
"Previously, White Bird City often received some outsiders as well."
"Many got lost while picking Longevity Rice and then, by coincidence, found White Bird City."
"Someone speculated it might be due to human Spiritual Sense, subconsciously seeking fortune and avoiding misfortune, automatically sensing and searching for the Divine Weapon in a safe city," he explained.
Divine Weapon?
The Divine Weapons had been completely devoured by Thousand Lanterns City; there's no Divine Weapon for them to sense.
Chen Mu remained silent, shaking his head inwardly.
He subtly used hand motions, activating the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture. Not detecting any danger, he felt slightly relieved.
Let it be, since they have arrived, they certainly can't be sent away.
Although they have no Divine Skills, they're not entirely useless either.
They can provide Seven Emotions of Desire, and can be aggregated with the Mountain-Carrying Scripture to enhance the Divine Demon Strength.
With the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds as a foundation, Chen Mu wasn't afraid these people would cause trouble.
...
It was as if a switch had been flipped. Since the first batch of refugees arrived at White Bird City.
Every ten days to half a month, a new group of refugees would arrive. As few as dozens, as many as tens of thousands.
The arrival of these people also allowed Chen Mu to gradually understand the situation within Mist Ridge.
"They are really mindless, can't they just stay put? Fighting every day, what's the point?"
At the edge of White Bird City, in the cloudy sky, Chen Mu stood atop the Black Dragon's Head, looking at the new group of refugees below, complaining aloud.
With the conflict between Wuxiang City and Emperor Dragon City spreading, the entire Mist Ridge was dragged into it.
Lucky for him, he had come to the edge of Mist Ridge early; otherwise, he might have been caught up and turned into a refugee.
"These Mist Ridge Yin Spirits really are something mysterious."
"With no guidance, yet able to find White Bird City through the Mist of Confusion, it's quite curious."
Over the past few months, Chen Mu even relocated White Bird City once, but still, fleeing refugees could find White Bird City.
"Just take it one step at a time."
...
One day, by White Bird Lake.
After finishing his daily Qi refinement, Chen Mu began contemplating the Great Power Divine Ability.
"Having great strength is useless if it can't hit the target."
"I need to find a way to break the opponent's Innate Protective Qi Mechanism."
Using the power of a million Yin Spirits to hack through a Protective Qi Mechanism is possible, but inefficient.
If I could directly break the Innate Protective Qi Mechanism and concentrate all the power to attack the body...
Chen Mu summoned a gray Stone Gate, gazing at a Secret Technique long since perfected.
Triple Yin Slaying Demon Technique.
This Secret Technique, also from the Thousand Mountains Sutra, can unleash an ink-green Qi Blade, changing a thousandfold, able to break Demon Protective Qi Mechanisms.
Previously, at Hundred Intentions Heaven Outer Heaven Star, he'd tested it. It's effective against ordinary Demon Protective Qi Mechanisms, like a hot knife through butter.
But against Qi Refiners with solid Daoist Foundations or demons of the same level, its effectiveness is reduced, being merely a Secret Technique after all.
"Better to have it than not."
Thinking so, Chen Mu gathered a hundred thousand Ghosts within the Five Ghosts Bag, deploying the Great Power Divine Ability.
His eyes slowly emitted a crimson glow, overwhelming power filling his body.
His right hand turned over, revealing the pitch-black Yin Mistaken Moon Blade in his palm.
The Yin Mistaken Yang had been with him for over twenty years; its essence was some kind of special Demon Root Device.
After absorbing Dragon Ball Spirit Essence, it gradually transformed into an Outer Cultivation Treasure, its power greatly increasing.
Not only could it unleash Yin Yang Qi Divine Light, but it also became increasingly robust and sharp, many times protecting and breaking enemies for him.
Now, with the Moon Blade in hand, at a thought, a tinge of ink-green bizarre Vigorous Qi appeared on the pitch-black edge.
The already sharp Yin Mistaken Moon Blade, now exuded an eerie corrosive aura.
It was precisely the Three Yin Demon Slaying Qi.
With Chen Mu's right hand waving, he silently and seamlessly cut through the air, leaving behind a few black-green afterimages.
"The Great Power Divine Ability provides the force, Yin Mistaken Moon Blade brings armor-breaking sharpness, Three Yin Demon Slaying Qi corrodes the Protective Qi Mechanism."
"The combination of the three significantly enhances power."
"I really want to find some demon or monster to test it out on."
But thinking of the trouble it might attract, his enthusiasm quickly waned.
"With the continuous arrival of refugees, I might get dragged into disputes any moment."
"Better to keep things low-key."
"I still want to enjoy a few more peaceful days."