Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

"You two sure like to zone out, don’t you?" Mu Chen, back to his usual self, teased while Lei Yun’Er and Lei Yue’er were still lost in thought. "You can do it in any situation. Are you the legendary ditzes or something?"

Snapping out of her daze, Lei Yun’Er retorted peevishly, "You’re the ditz! We’re being profound. It’s called being understated, elegant, and full of substance. Only empty-headed people go through the day without a single deep thought."

Mu Chen laughed heartily. He naturally grabbed Lei Yun’Er’s and Lei Yue’er’s hands and pulled them up from the ground. He then glanced at the cracked earth and battle-scarred flowerbeds, shaking his head. "It was a beautiful place, and the fight just ruined it. Still, it should be back to normal soon. Let’s go."

"Where are we going?"

"To keep collecting crystals, of course. We have two left over that can’t be split evenly. It’s triggering my OCD."

"..."

"Isn’t it over yet?"

The day flew by. In the arena lobby in the Outer Realm, Chu Aoqing let out a small yawn. She propped an elbow on the table and tilted her head to watch the flickering screen, her face clouded with drowsiness.

"Ten more minutes," Mu Junwu said with a sigh of resignation. Truth be told, this was the first time she had been away from the Eternal Holy Domain for so long. But because she often became so engrossed in her records that she’d forget to eat or sleep, she wasn’t struggling as much as Chu Aoqing. Still, sitting for twelve hours straight was tiring for anyone.

"Ten minutes?" Dropping all pretense of grace, Chu Aoqing flopped onto the table, her eyes glancing toward the White Camp’s area. It was late at night. Usually, the number of people in the arena lobby would have dwindled by more than half. Today, however, the crowd hadn’t shrunk at all; it had multiplied several times over. The once-spacious lobby was now packed to the brim, with no shortage of Venerable Realm students from the Third Level. Chu Aoqing knew they were all here for one reason: to catch a glimpse of the now-famous Mu Chen.

Ten minutes slipped by in the quiet wait. Suddenly, the image on the screen flickered and changed. The arena’s Teleportation Gate rippled, and a few seconds later, Mu Chen and the Lei Sisters stepped through it together.

"There are so many people!" Lei Yun’Er exclaimed, her eyes scanning the surroundings the moment her vision returned to normal.

"There are quite a few," Mu Chen noted, not looking particularly surprised. It was his first time participating in a Faction Battle, so he didn’t know what the normal attendance was like. But given his personality, he likely wouldn’t have cared even if he did.

Tugging the two girls along, he walked straight toward Chu Aoqing and Mu Junwu. Even though Chu Aoqing and Mu Junwu were now wearing masks, Mu Chen was still able to identify them at a glance.

"You’re finally out." Chu Aoqing sighed and slowly peeled herself off the table, revealing an incredibly alluring and seductive posture as she asked, "So, how did it go?"

"The results..." Mu Chen chuckled softly. "I suppose you could say they were a bit unexpected."

"What’s so unexpected about it?" Lei Yun’Er said peevishly. "Brother Mu Chen loves being dramatic. Sister Aoqing, Sister Jun Wu, he took first place with a completely overwhelming victory! Two hundred and six crystals! That’s over a hundred more than the Faction Battle record that’s stood for almost ten years!"

At her words, Mu Chen rubbed his nose in resignation. "You make it sound as if you two weren’t first place as well."

Lei Yun’Er immediately shot back, "How is that the same thing? We were just riding your coattails, basically just following you around for a cut of the crystals."

"’Riding my coattails?’" Mu Chen broke out in a cold sweat. He had gotten used to Lei Yun’Er’s outrageous statements during their time together, so he simply chose to remain silent.

Mu Junwu and Chu Aoqing were not as shocked as one might imagine upon hearing about the record Mu Chen had set. On the contrary, they both wore expressions that suggested it was only to be expected.

However, just as they were about to say more, Mu Chen glanced around, noticed that all eyes were on them, and said in a low voice, "Let’s get out of here first. The atmosphere is a little strange."

Mu Junwu and Chu Aoqing couldn’t agree more. Chu Aoqing added in an exasperated tone, "You’re just now noticing the atmosphere is strange? Sister Jun Wu and I have been waiting for you in this very atmosphere for a full eight hours!"

One couldn’t blame Chu Aoqing for being upset. Earlier, when there were fewer people, they had taken their masks off and hadn’t put them back on. As time passed, they completely forgot about them. But as the arena lobby filled up, they finally felt the strange shift in the atmosphere. A quick look around revealed that everyone in the hall had their eyes glued on the two of them.

Chu Aoqing was a given; there was hardly a soul in the entire Inner Holy Tomb Mountain who didn’t recognize her, and she was the dream girl of countless male students there. Mu Junwu, however, was a different story. Though she also lived in the Inner Mountain, she never appeared on any of the four main levels. The only people who knew what she looked like were a select few from the Fourth Level.

And now, this face that had no business being here had appeared in the arena lobby. For a moment, even Chu Aoqing’s radiance was eclipsed. While Mu Junwu didn’t pay much mind to the stares, being ogled for no reason would make anyone uncomfortable. That was why they had put their masks back on.

Unbeknownst to them, the moment they donned their masks, an inexplicable emptiness gripped the hearts of everyone present, and an unprecedented wave of disappointment washed over them.

"We’ve been stared at for hours for free. Aren’t you going to compensate us somehow?"

To the utter shock of Lei Yun’Er, Lei Yue’er, Chu Aoqing, and Mu Chen, Mu Junwu—of all people—had actually said something like that. What’s more, her tone even held a hint of flirtatious charm, leaving the four of them in disbelief.

Stunned into silence for a moment, Mu Chen stammered awkwardly, "Er... I’m sorry. About that... compensation..."

Mu Chen could have scratched his head bald and still not have come up with a form of compensation. Seeing his tormented expression, Mu Junwu let out a snort of laughter. It was the first time in many years she had genuinely laughed at the sight of a flustered man.

Waving her hand, Mu Junwu said, "I was just kidding. Didn’t you say we should get going? There are a lot of people targeting you now."

Mu Chen immediately agreed and headed for the exit without a second glance. Just as they were leaving, however, Lei Yun’Er looked at Mu Chen and said with some reluctance, "Brother Mu Chen, you came in from the First Level, didn’t you?"

Mu Chen nodded. "I think so."

"Oh, I see. In that case, I guess we have to part ways here." Lei Yun’Er and Lei Yue’er couldn’t help but look a little crestfallen, though the feeling lasted only a moment before their smiles returned. "We entered from the Second Level, so we’ll be teleported directly back there. It’ll probably be hard to see you in the future, Brother Mu Chen. Thankfully, people from all levels can go to the First Level for meals."

"Uh... well, actually, even though I entered from the First Level, I don’t usually spend my time there. I only came out this time because I was short on Cultivation Resources and needed to earn some at the arena. So... it would be pretty hard for us to meet." Mu Chen obviously understood what Lei Yun’Er and Lei Yue’er were getting at, but he had no choice but to tell the truth. After obtaining the Cultivation Resources, he planned to fully immerse himself in his Cultivation. As for meals, there was no way he would travel such a great distance from the Eternal Holy Domain to the First Level just to eat.

"Oh, I see..." Just as he’d expected, the light in Lei Yun’Er’s and Lei Yue’er’s eyes dimmed after he spoke, their voices tinged with sadness.

Seeing their reaction, Mu Chen sighed softly and gently rubbed both of their heads. "But it’s not like we’ll never see each other. I won’t be in the regular arena fights, but I’m still a student of the Black Camp. I’ll still participate in the monthly Faction Battles. We can meet up then, just like today. How does that sound?"

Lei Yun’Er was taken aback for a second, then a thought struck her. Even if they could meet during meals, it would only be for half an hour. But if they could join the Faction Battle with Mu Chen every month, they could spend the entire day with him. At this realization, their downcast eyes suddenly lit up with joy. They giggled, "You have to promise!"

Mu Chen couldn’t help but smile. He rubbed their heads again and said, "It’s a promise. But now, I really do have to go. I just remembered something important I need to do."

"Mm."

The two girls decisively let go of Mu Chen. They grabbed each other’s hands, waved to him, and then with a single step, dashed into the Teleportation Array. Their abrupt departure left Mu Chen stunned, his eyes fixed on the Teleportation Gate for a long while.

Mu Junwu suddenly felt a strange twinge in her heart. She glanced at Mu Chen and teased, "Still staring? They’re long gone."

Mu Chen started, then rubbed his nose. "I was just thinking about something else."

"Well, look at you. Your charm is growing. You’ve only just met them, and you’ve already enchanted those two little girls from the Lei Family," Chu Aoqing chimed in.

Mu Chen grew even more flustered. Waving his hands, he said, "Don’t mess around. They’re just kids. They only see me as a big brother. It’s not like what you’re saying at all."

Chu Aoqing snorted. "Is that so? You’re only eighteen yourself. In my eyes, you’re just a kid too, but you seem to know plenty, don’t you?"

Mu Chen was left speechless. He had finally learned a valuable lesson from personal experience: when a man bickers with a woman, he is always the one who loses.

Bantering back and forth, the three of them walked through the Teleportation Gate, reappearing outside the arena on the First Level.

"Oh, right. Aoqing, Jun Wu, I’m not heading back to the Eternal Holy Domain just yet. There’s something I need to take care of," Mu Chen said to them after taking a deep breath of the fresh air outside.

Chu Aoqing thought for a moment before asking, "Is this about Elder Feng?"

Mu Chen nodded.

"Alright, then. We’ll stay in the dorms tonight and go back to the Eternal Holy Domain after you’ve finished your business."

Although Mu Junwu didn’t know what this business with Elder Feng was about, she figured if neither of them was going back to the Eternal Holy Domain, there was no point in her returning alone. After all, it wasn’t often she got to leave the Eternal Holy Domain, so she might as well experience more of life in the Inner Mountain.

"In that case, I won’t go back either."