Chapter 866 - 854: Unexpected Change
That day, Chen Mu instructed Xu Gui to search for the Invisible Flying Snake.
Within a few days, the number of Soul Nourishing Lamps doubled to six hundred.
Rich Netherworld Jade Dew hung around the Moonlight Tree like clouds and mist. The lanterns' glow scattered through the mist, appearing increasingly magnificent and mysterious.
The trend of the Tree King Barrier shrinking stopped, even expanding outward by several hundred meters.
Under the Moonlight Tree, Chen Mu looked at the Soul Nourishing Lamps surrounding the tree and began operating the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture for calculations.
Deciding to use the Soul Nourishing Lamps to nurture the Moonlight Tree, he was always worried about attracting Lan Zhang. Each time the number of Soul Nourishing Lamps increased, he would perform calculations multiple times.
A while later, feeling a slight sense of danger from the feedback of the Calculation Scripture, Chen Mu instead breathed a sigh of relief.
With the Grotto Heaven shattered and Nether Demon Heaven invading, it would be strange if there were no dangers.
But Lan Zhang, practicing the Blood God Scripture, had swallowed an incalculable number of Ghost Soldiers and Demons. His strength was mysteriously powerful, and the current unease was too small, not matching his strength.
"Lan Zhang robbing the Soul Nourishing Lamps is likely to steal the Heavenly Mechanism of Mist Ridge and attack Yama Cave Heaven."
"But now that Yama Cave Heaven is broken, the Soul Nourishing Lamps are of no use to Lan Zhang."
"It's highly probable he won't come again."
Chen Mu thought silently.
"However, it's never wrong to be cautious."
"To gather offerings and ensure safety, the refinement of Soul Nourishing Lamps must continue."
"The Calculation Scripture should also be operated regularly; only carefulness can secure the ship of ten thousand years."
...
In the depths of Mist Ridge, the Mist of Confusion was almost non-existent.
In a small valley somewhere, the Mo Nuo General appeared silently.
His left face, left arm, and most of the left side of his chest had disappeared. The wounds were sprouting fleshy buds, constantly growing in an attempt to heal.
But a peculiar force at the wound site caused the newly grown buds to instantly turn to ashes and disappear.
Between life and death, the Mo Nuo General's face twitched with pain.
He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and opened his right hand.
In front of him, a giant stone eyeball, as tall as several floors, emerged, flickering with light.
Mo Nuo snorted disdainfully at Wei Wubing within the stone eyeball.
"Yama's remnant!"
At this moment, Wei Wubing was only left with a head; his body below the neck was completely embedded in the stone eyeball, seemingly growing with it.
His eyes were closed, breathing weakly, with a breath like a flickering candle in the wind.
"If you obediently submit, I might spare you."
"If you want to destroy the True Treasure of the Grotto Heaven and die with me, I'll send you to meet the Great Nether Venerable!"
He glanced coldly at Wei Wubing, then turned away, focusing on the giant stone eyeball.
At the moment, the large eyeball's surface was pitted and full of numerous incomplete holes, with dense cracks throughout the whole.
The Mo Nuo, however, did not mind, with excitement brimming in his remaining right eye.
"Spirit Mechanism, Spirit Mechanism!"
"The Yama Spirit Mechanism that fell into Nether Demon Heaven hundreds of years ago must be hidden within this True Treasure of the Grotto Heaven."
"A hundred years of plotting finally paid off."
"As long as it is offered to the Great Nether Venerable, it will undoubtedly push my Divine General imprint deeper into the Blood Sea."
"Then, I can call upon more power of the Blood Sea, securing my position as a Divine General once and for all!"
In his excitement, blood beads unconsciously trickled down the corner of Mo Nuo's eyes.
"I must first find a hidden place to heal."
"If those Rebels find me, there will inevitably be a battle."
Thinking of the Rebels under his command, each eager to kill him for promotion, Mo Nuo gnashed his teeth in hatred.
"Just wait, once my transformation is complete, I'll deal with you scumbags properly."
He wiped the blood from his cheek, suppressed his turbulent emotions, flashed, and disappeared without a trace.
...
At the edge of Mist Ridge.
Pan Luo lay atop the One-eyed Giant, watching with interest the towering tree in the distance.
"The range of the Barrier has expanded?"
"There must be a capable person inside the Barrier," he said with a smile.
Just about to make some comments, the air before him rippled like water, and a butterfly with a black base and red pattern emerged out of nowhere.
Nether River Butterfly?
A message from the Divine General?
Pan Luo raised his eyebrow.
"Did the Divine General discover our deliberate stalling?"
The One-eyed Giant was somewhat nervous.
"What are you afraid of?"
Pan Luo was unconcerned.
"You saw it too."
"It's not that we are deliberately stalling, but that we are at a loss with this Guardian Giant Spirit, leaving me quite helpless indeed." He spread his hands, feigning regret, the smile blatantly lingering on his face.
The expansion of this barrier is perfect timing!
Haha!
The One-Eyed General rolled his eye upwards, seeing Pan Luo almost laugh out loud, wisely said nothing.
Pan Luo amused himself for a while before lazily reaching for the black and red butterfly.
Poof!
The black and red butterfly burst like fireworks, turning into sparks and disappearing, with messages immediately transmitted into Pan Luo's mind.
At first, he was all smiles, but as he read, his face turned ashen.
The Master of Yama Cave Heaven is dead?
Most of the True Treasure of the Grotto Heaven has been taken by Mo Nuo General, with only a small portion scattered in all directions?
The Divine General's decree has changed; seeking True Treasure fragments has become the top priority?
"What kind of useless trash is that damn Grotto Heaven Master?!" Pan Luo shouted furiously.
"I'm still buying you time here, how could you die so easily?"
"If you're going to die, why didn't you go down with Mo Nuo?"
"I gave you a chance, but you're useless!" Pan Luo grumbled for a while before slowly regaining his composure.
"Pass down the orders, let's move out." He sighed.
"To cut trees?" the One-eyed Giant asked in confusion.
"Cut what trees?"
"The Cave Treasure is already shattered, the Guardian Giant Spirit will crumble on its own sooner or later."
"We're going to find the Cave Treasure," Pan Luo said irritably.
"Really going to help the Divine General find the True Treasure?" the One-eyed Giant looked at Pan Luo oddly.
When did our master become so obedient?
"Heh! We'll surely look for it, but whether we hand it over is a different matter." Pan Luo sneered.
"Can't kill Mo Nuo, gotta have some other gains." He said with a face full of reluctance.
...
Days passed by.
Chen Mu brought in Cheng Hu and the other three generals from the City Defense Camp to help with forging Soul Nourishing Lamps.
The work was the same as when they first created the Soul Nourishing Lamps, mainly responsible for embedding the Yama True Ghost Pattern into the lamps.
Being experienced hands, they worked together seamlessly, and Soul Nourishing Lamps were continuously forged.
With the increases in Soul Nourishing Lamps came the increasingly thick fog of Netherworld Jade Dew. The vibrant tree and the stabilizing Invisible Barrier gave Chen Mu a sense of peace.
On this morning, Chen Mu awoke early, ready to continue crafting the Exquisite Jade Plate. As he stepped out of the Snail Shell, he was drawn to a large stone the size of a human head.
"A Divine Soldier Fragment?"
"At this hour, there's still such a thing?"
Chen Mu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Since the sky split, this was the first time he saw a Divine Soldier Fragment.
But it also indicated fierce fighting in the depths of Mist Forest, with another City Lord fallen.
Chen Mu reached out to absorb, curiously probing into it with the Life and Death Seal.
Dragon Taming Scripture?
Emperor Dragon City?
This stone is a Divine Soldier Fragment from Emperor Dragon City?!
Feeling the scriptures surfacing in his mind, Chen Mu was filled with astonishment.
Before the sky split, Wei Wubing was attacking Emperor Dragon City, and White Bird City had accepted many refugees because of it.
"Did it die at Wei Wubing's hands, or was it killed by Nether Demon Heaven Demon?"
Chen Mu was unsure.
"Forget it, knowing too much doesn't help, the urgent task is to leave Mist Ridge, this place of trouble, quickly." He shook his head and stopped pondering, waving his hand to store the stone into Thousand Lanterns City.
In the past, he was apprehensive, fearing a visit from the Commander or other City Lords.
But now that Yama Cave Heaven has cracked, what else is there to worry about.
It's just a large Divine Soldier Fragment; it's not like Thousand Lanterns City has never swallowed one.
...
Not many days of peace passed before another incident occurred.
This evening, Xu Gui, responsible for gathering offerings with the City Defense Camp, came anxiously looking for him.
"Exotic Beasts and Monsters outside the barrier have decreased?"
Chen Mu couldn't help but frown.
Are powerful demons nearby, scaring off ordinary Exotic Beasts?
Feeling tense, Chen Mu instinctively activated the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture.
But found that the previous vague unease was suddenly gone without a trace.
"Thankfully, it's not a powerful demon coming." Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief, but something still felt off.
The presence of fewer Exotic Beasts and Monsters doesn't mean they've vanished.
The calculation results shouldn't change so dramatically.
So... was the previous danger not from those hordes of Exotic Beasts?
Chen Mu's heart skipped.
Upon careful thought, those mindless demons and Exotic Beasts charging at the barrier, aside from sheer numbers, do not pose a significant threat.
Was there another source for the previous unease?
Could it be that a powerful demon was watching this place all along?!
Chen Mu felt his scalp tighten.
What a close call!
Thanks to the protection of the Moonwort Tree King, and luckily he didn't roam around recklessly, or he might have collided with them.
Chen Mu was secretly relieved.
The demons and Exotic Beasts attacking the barrier were likely driven by a powerful force, perhaps to test and weaken the Tree King Barrier.
And by crafting many Soul Nourishing Lamps, the barrier became more stable. The demon might have felt there was no gain, so it withdrew voluntarily.
Chen Mu speculated.
"Tsk, the hidden strong enemy has left, making the situation safer."
"But now, they took away a large number of Exotic Beasts and Monsters, which will surely slow down the offering gathering pace."
"I don't know whether to feel disappointed or happy." He shook his head in resignation.