Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

"Phew!"

Mu Chen’s expression relaxed, and he plopped down onto the steps, panting heavily. His right hand reached for the ceramic vessel beside him. After a glance, he saw that another one-thirtieth of its contents was gone and let out a breath of relief. Just as he was about to put it into his Storage Ring, a fair hand suddenly reached out from behind and snatched the Flame Dragon Blood away.

"Ah!"

Mu Chen was startled and moved to snatch it back, but he heard a cry of pain. The next moment, the ceramic vessel flew past his eyes. Alarmed, he hastily released his Spiritual Power to restrain it, preventing the precious Flame Dragon Blood from spilling. He slowly guided the vessel back to him, and after securing it, he looked up. The newcomers were none other than Chu Aoqing and Mu Junwu, who had been in the middle of their Cultivation just moments ago.

Mu Chen froze for a moment, then rubbed his nose. "What are you two doing here?"

Chu Aoqing frowned, her eyes fixed on the Flame Dragon Blood. "You screamed so loudly, of course we’d come to check. What is that? It’s incredibly hot."

’Since they arrived when I cried out in pain, they must have seen everything.’ Mu Chen didn’t bother hiding it and said directly, "This is Flame Dragon Blood."

"Flame Dragon Blood? Isn’t that the blood of a High-level Dragon Clan? What are you using it for?" Chu Aoqing was a Fire Attribute Martial Artist, so she naturally had a deep understanding of Flame Dragons. The blood was even hotter than molten lava. This made her think of Mu Chen’s state just now. ’Could the scorching heat from before have come from this stuff?’

Smiling faintly, Mu Chen explained, "I’m using it for Body Forging. I took an elixir that requires external heat to fully activate its effects and improve my physical strength."

"You’re talking about the Dragon Soul Pill?"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Mu Junwu directly named the elixir. This genuinely surprised Mu Chen, because a rare, High Grade Elixir like the Dragon Soul Pill was something even a Sixth-grade Platinum Cauldron Master couldn’t get their hands on.

Mu Junwu seemed to notice Mu Chen’s surprise and smiled. "Don’t look at me like that. I’ve seen this elixir in my family’s possession before, but our family members can only digest it slowly. After all, Wood Attribute Martial Artists are naturally weak against the Fire Attribute. I’m just curious how you got your hands on such a High Grade Elixir. You know, the Dragon Soul Pill is the kind of thing money can’t buy."

"I see." Mu Chen nodded. Just from her demeanor, he could tell Mu Junwu’s background was anything but ordinary. Now that he knew she was from a prominent family, it all made sense. He then answered, "The Dragon Soul Pill was a gift from Teacher Dilaka."

"I knew it." Mu Junwu rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Lord Dilaka must have robbed Elder Ling again. But it’s only right that he gave it to you. Every mentor at Holy Tomb Mountain is supposed to give their disciples a welcoming gift, especially since you’re Lord Dilaka’s final disciple."

Mu Chen grinned. He didn’t care where it came from. He reminded them, "I left some roasted meat upstairs for you. You should eat it soon before it gets tough and doesn’t taste good anymore."

This was a clear attempt to get them to leave, but Mu Chen had no choice. With the two women here, he was too embarrassed to continue while shirtless.

Chu Aoqing was about to say something else, but Mu Junwu pulled her back. Though confused, she took the hint and said, "Alright, we’ll head up then."

Seeing Mu Junwu and Chu Aoqing turn and leave, Mu Chen finally let out a sigh of relief. He watched them until they had left the Dazzling Stars, then resumed what he had been doing the day before: practicing his most basic Body Techniques under the immense pressure.

"Confused about why I stopped you?" As soon as they walked out of the Dazzling Stars, Mu Junwu spoke before Chu Aoqing could.

"Yes." Chu Aoqing nodded.

Mu Junwu said, "You wanted to ask him about that terrifying transformation just now, right?"

Chu Aoqing looked at Mu Junwu in surprise, but quickly understood. She knew that Mu Junwu was not only breathtakingly beautiful but also incredibly intelligent—so intelligent that Chu Aoqing felt completely exposed standing before her, as if those jade-green eyes could peer right into her soul.

Mu Junwu sighed. "This is the reason he’s so strong."

Seeing Chu Aoqing’s persistent confusion, Mu Junwu explained, "If it were you, would you subject yourself to such an extreme method of Cultivation? The intensity of that burning... just watching was beyond our threshold for pain. If he didn’t have a desperate reason to increase his strength, why would he use such a method to temper himself?"

"Using his life to cultivate..." Chu Aoqing murmured. Recalling the sight of his stark white bones, the huge gashes, and his blurry, shriveled flesh and blood, she felt a chill run down her spine.

’How can someone like this exist in the world? What is it, what on earth makes him crave power so desperately! Is power really that important?’ Chu Aoqing’s heart ached, and she found it difficult to breathe.

Mu Junwu felt it even more deeply. ’Just how many painful experiences has he had? How many times has he teetered on the brink of life and death to be able to smile and talk with them right after enduring such deathly agony?’

Recalling Mu Chen’s usual smile and his focused expression, it was hard to imagine the repressed, exhausted true self hidden beneath that relaxed facade. Regardless, she now knew one thing for certain: this man she couldn’t figure out, couldn’t see through, was her destined one.

’Watching my man suffer such immense pain... how could my heart not ache for him?’

With a sigh, Mu Junwu glanced at the golden-brown roasted meat within the Spirit Barrier and slowly sat down. She picked up a piece. Thankfully, it was still warm. Tearing off a slice, she placed it in her mouth and chewed slowly. The tenderness of the meat hadn’t changed, but the taste was unbearably bitter and hard to swallow.

People often say that one’s mood governs everything. When you’re in a good mood, the world you see is full of vibrant colors, and even simple radishes and greens taste like rare delicacies. When you’re in a bad mood, your world is gray, and even the most exotic treasures of the land and sea taste like wax.

Soon, night fell. Mu Chen’s exhausted figure once again emerged from the Dazzling Stars. He gave the two a simple greeting before stepping onto the Ten-Colored Lotus Platform and entering a state of meditative Cultivation.

This scene was deeply seared into both of their hearts...

Time flew by like a fleeting trace. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Mu Chen’s life was like a video on rewind and repeat: during the day, he would make breakfast for the two women, then head to the Dazzling Stars to bathe in Flame Dragon Blood for his Body Forging. At night, he would enter the Ten-Colored Lotus Platform in the Eternal Holy Domain for meditative Cultivation.

At first, he would still roar in agony while bathing in the Flame Dragon Blood, but over time, he learned to endure it completely, not even letting out a single grunt. Mu Junwu knew he had grown accustomed to yet another limit of pain.

Seeing Mu Chen grow more and more exhausted, Mu Junwu’s eyes filled with unbearable pity. She wanted to stop him several times but couldn’t find a reasonable excuse. ’After all, I know he is mine, but he doesn’t know about our relationship.’ In the end, all she could do was exchange gazes with him, meeting his strained, forced smile.

Another month passed. In the evening, Mu Junwu and Chu Aoqing waited in silence beside the Dazzling Stars, watching as a figure struggled to slowly come into view from below.

"Aoqing... Junwu... you’re... you’re here. Huh?"

With a gasp, just after calling out to them, Mu Chen felt his legs give way. He tripped on the very last step and tilted forward, falling stiffly.

Seeing this, Chu Aoqing’s expression hardened. Her figure flickered, and in an instant, she was in front of Mu Chen. She extended her arms and caught his body, which was about the same height as hers, in her embrace.

Mu Chen’s face rested on Chu Aoqing’s shoulder, and a faint fragrance drifted into his nostrils. Just like that, he fell into a deep sleep, his clear, rhythmic breathing audible in Chu Aoqing’s ear.

But just as Chu Aoqing was about to help Mu Chen to Mu Junwu’s room, he somehow stood up from her embrace. His body swaying, he started walking toward the Ten-Color Lotus...

"You...?"

She wanted to ask something, but when Chu Aoqing’s gaze fell on Mu Chen’s face, she froze. Tears streamed down her cheeks like a gentle spring. She pressed her hand tightly against her mouth, refusing to let herself cry out. Even Mu Junwu, standing a short distance away, felt her eyes mist over. An unfamiliar wetness streaked down her face, which she quickly wiped away, leaving only the faintest trace of a tear.

As Mu Chen’s face was exposed to the light, she saw a pair of dull, vacant eyes, half-open, half-closed. The sounds of deep sleep could still be heard in his breathing.

He... had already lost consciousness. But even completely unconscious, his subconscious was still habitually controlling his body, directing it toward the Ten-Colored Lotus Platform in the Eternal Holy Domain. Step by step, the tranquility of the entire Eternal Saint Peak seemed to be conquered by his steady footsteps, becoming unusually quiet at this moment...

Finally, Chu Aoqing could no longer hold back the emotions surging within her. She stepped forward and hugged Mu Chen’s body tightly, crying out in pain, "I know you’re a person with secrets! And I know you have more than one! But..."

"But, please don’t push yourself so hard! Don’t carry it all alone, okay?!"

At this moment, Chu Aoqing held nothing back. Her slender fingers gently stroked Mu Chen’s long, violet-blue hair. Her tear-filled eyes were soft, as if she were a mother providing Mu Chen a gentle harbor.

"Don’t... carry it all alone..."

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. Mu Chen’s dim, vacant eyes slowly closed, and his entire body went limp, collapsing into Chu Aoqing’s arms. This time, he was truly asleep. In his dreams, he was calm. As if influenced by Chu Aoqing’s words, his perpetually furrowed brow finally smoothed out. He was tired, so very tired...

This was one of the few peaceful nights Mu Chen had experienced since he began his Cultivation. Originally, he had intended to enter the Eternal Holy Domain and use Meditation to recover his stamina, but the toll of the past two months was too great. His energy and stamina had been pushed far beyond their limits. After all... Meditation couldn’t completely restore mental exhaustion.