’Identity confirmed? Divine punishment descending?’

Mu Chen suddenly felt as if he had entered another dimension. He hadn’t understood a single word the child said. However, Mu Chen knew what he should and shouldn’t ask. Since he didn’t understand any of it, he figured he might as well just let it go.

Little did Mu Chen know, the Profound Old Ghost beside him had sunk into deep thought. The child in green glanced at the Profound Old Ghost. Without opening its mouth, its body glowed faintly, and an ethereal voice echoed in Mu Chen’s mind.

"Now that you’re here, isn’t it time for the next step?"

"The next step?" Mu Chen froze. This child’s words were always so cryptic, never revealing the full picture. Mu Chen couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

The Profound Old Ghost sighed and said softly, "Wood Spirit, don’t be so troublesome when speaking to Xiao Chenzi." He then turned to Mu Chen. "This child in green is the Extreme Wood Attribute Spirit you’ve been searching for. It possesses immense life force and power, which allows it to grow faster and possess a higher intellect than other Attribute Spirits. You should have been able to sense this from the Extreme Ice Attribute Spirit as well."

Mu Chen asked, stunned, "This... This child is the Wood Attribute Spirit?"

The child smiled and nodded, stroking Mu Chen’s forehead with its tiny palm. A strange symbol suddenly flashed on his forehead. Mu Chen recognized it—it was the Soul Engraving he had successfully carved by a stroke of luck. On one edge of the Soul Engraving, a diamond-shaped Ice Crystal Mark was embedded, shimmering with a soft light.

"The Soul Engraving? I didn’t expect it to be finished already." The Extreme Wood Attribute Spirit tapped Mu Chen’s Soul Engraving. At the spot it tapped was a small, empty space. This space was framed by the Soul Engraving, making it look like an upright leaf. In six other directions were six more small, empty areas, their intended shapes easy to discern.

"Sharp Gold, Spirit Wood, Profound Water, Blazing Fire, Kui Stone, Flowing Wind, Extreme Ice, Furious Thunder, Chaos... Extreme Ice has already finished fusing. Looks like I wasn’t the first, after all." The Wood Spirit shook its head, a little disappointed.

Seeing the Extreme Ice mark flash dazzlingly, the Wood Spirit shot it a glare. "I know! You just got lucky."

’The weirder something is, the weirder it acts,’ Mu Chen thought with a wry smile, rubbing his nose as he watched the Wood Spirit mutter to itself.

The Profound Old Ghost, however, seemed to have a moment of realization after seeing Mu Chen’s Soul Engraving and hearing what the Wood Spirit said. He seemed to understand something. He sighed and said, "Wood Spirit, although I know you are the most benevolent of the nine Extreme Attributes, I don’t understand why you would take the initiative to summon Xiao Chenzi."

The Wood Attribute Spirit laughed bitterly. "Would you believe me if I said I did it out of boredom? In this world, some beings are born with their own will, their own way of life, and their own freedom. Like you. Like the one in the caves below. Or like the Xiao Chenzi you mentioned. But what about us? In the end, we Extreme Attributes can only put down roots, forever trapped in some godforsaken place, never to see the light of day. We live in fear of being discovered and absorbed, becoming someone else’s power. But his arrival... it changed our destiny."

The Wood Spirit looked at Mu Chen and continued, "If we were absorbed and devoured by anyone else, our will and thoughts would be completely erased, and we would turn into pure power. But he’s an exception. When we fuse with him, our consciousness doesn’t disappear. Not only that, but if he can eventually reach that height, perhaps we’ll even have the chance to live our own lives, just like humans. That being the case, why wouldn’t I summon him?"

The Profound Old Ghost was stunned. "Take that step? What step? One that allows you to live like humans..." At that thought, the Profound Old Ghost’s expression changed drastically, and he said no more.

Mu Chen looked from the Wood Spirit to the Profound Old Ghost, feeling puzzled. ’Why are Master and this Wood Spirit being so weird today? Is this how people talked hundreds of thousands of years ago?’

As if sensing that the Profound Old Ghost understood, the Wood Spirit smiled faintly. "I’ve said my piece. The next thing you need to do is fuse with me. As long as I’m willing, it won’t be difficult for you at all."

"Fuse with you?" Mu Chen started, but before he could react, the Extreme Wood Attribute Spirit transformed into a single green leaf. With a SWOOSH, it shot between his eyebrows, releasing a terrifying surge of life force that flooded his entire body.

"Quickly circulate your Cultivation Technique."

An ethereal voice echoed in Mu Chen’s mind. He quickly settled onto the ground on his side and began to circulate the Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique. Even though he could circulate it just as well while sitting cross-legged now, he fell back on his old habit.

After speaking, the Extreme Wood Attribute Spirit fell completely silent. In his state of meditation, Mu Chen could clearly feel a jade-green leaf deep within his mind shrinking at a rate barely visible to the naked eye. It was indeed hard to see, because the Primordial Power and life force it contained were simply too vast. Even by using every meridian in his body, Mu Chen couldn’t diminish its power one bit.

’What a terrifying amount of Primordial Power!’

Mu Chen exclaimed inwardly, but he didn’t dare stop circulating the Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique for a moment. Days trickled by, and a sense of helplessness grew within him. He’d lost track of how long he’d been trying to fuse with the Extreme Wood Attribute Spirit. All he knew was that the jade-green leaf in his mind had only shrunk by one percent. To completely fuse with the Extreme Wood Attribute, he had to absorb the entire thing first. At this rate, it would take at least six months.

’To get stronger, for power... what’s six months!’

His thoughts no longer strayed. Mu Chen sank into total silence, enjoying the process of his power growing...

Time flew by like a weaver’s shuttle. It is said that millennia can pass in the blink of an eye, and oceans can turn to dust, so what was a mere six months? On this day, all was peaceful in the Netherworld Purgatory. Perhaps because it was an Independent Space, there was no day or night.

ROAR!!

Just then, a terrifying roar echoed through the vast Independent Space. Near a giant tree, a bare-chested young man with blood-red eyes swung a jet-black arm wreathed in black Demonic Flame. The Barbaric Evil Qi from the flame coiled ceaselessly above his right arm.

"Bind it!"

An old voice called out from in front of the bare-chested young man. With a crisp CLANG, a dazzling silver light flashed on his black arm. In the next instant, a silver chain shackle materialized around his arm. The shackle tightened abruptly, and the Demonic Flame on the arm was instantly snuffed out, returning it to its original appearance.

"Hah... hah..." The young man lay prostrate on the ground, gasping for breath. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

"Master, how long did I last this time?"

The Profound Old Ghost smiled faintly and nodded. "Quite good. From the moment you released the Nether Bone Arm until you lost control of your mind, you lasted a full ten minutes. And the Nether Bone Arm’s resistance is clearly a bit weaker than a month ago. At this rate, you’ll probably be able to control it completely in a year at most."

The young man slowly rose. After taking two more deep breaths, he turned to look at his black arm. Just below his shoulder, a silver chain shackle was locked tightly in place. He said softly, "It’s great to have you, Little Spirit."

Hearing this, the chain shackle emitted a series of crisp, pleasant chimes as an ethereal voice spoke in the young man’s mind.

"Hehe, of course. I’m a Nine-Turn Immortal Soldier, after all."

The young man smiled faintly and suddenly erupted with a violent surge of Primordial Power. Seven solid, azure Martial Rings materialized beneath his feet. With a flicker, a wisp of thunder CRACKLED from underfoot. Space rippled slightly, and he vanished from the spot. The effect was similar to Space Transfer, yet fundamentally different.

CRACKLE...

With another faint crackle, the young man’s figure reappeared in the same spot. "Hehe, the third stage of this Furious Thunder Force Body Technique is incredible. Instant Body... it truly lives up to its name. Looks like I have a packed schedule for the next year." With that, he took another light step and vanished once more...

This young man was none other than Mu Chen, who had begun fusing with the Extreme Wood Attribute Spirit six months prior. One month ago, he had finally finished absorbing it, successfully raising his Martial Artist Realm by five minor ranks to become a Seven-Ring Martial King. His power had taken a quantum leap forward.

Now that he had the power, Mu Chen naturally couldn’t neglect the matter of his black arm; it was a crucial source of his strength. So, with the Profound Old Ghost’s guidance, Mu Chen used the binding power of the Shattered Star Lock Chain to help him adapt to the arm’s Demonization. He pushed his limits time and again, all for the sake of gaining complete control. The Mu Chen of today was striving for an even greater realm of power.

...

「Xuanling Empire」

At the Xuanling Imperial Academy, by the edge of a small, tranquil lake, two graceful young women stood silently, gazing at the ripples at the water’s center. One wore a blue silken dress, her figure elegant and her beautiful black hair cascading down her back. Her face, so exquisite it could topple kingdoms, held a touch of coldness, and a trace of irresolvable sorrow seemed to linger between her brows. She extended a pale hand and, with a flick of her finger, sent a small, smooth stone skipping into the heart of the lake, once again sending ripples across the water’s surface. The lake was like her heart, unable to find lasting peace.

"Sister Bingling, are you thinking of him again?" a gentle, mellow voice asked from her side. It was like a spring breeze brushing past a willow, carrying a quality that could soothe the soul.

This woman wore a long, ink-purple dress, her black hair coiled behind her head, leaving only a few tendrils at her temples to dance in the wind. Her face was pure, elegant, and utterly flawless. But as she asked the question, her own gentle, water-like eyes shimmered with a mist that mirrored the ripples on the lake. It was clear she was not as calm as her words implied.

These two women were, of course, none other than Mu Bingling and Xuan Moqing, who had stayed behind in the Xuanling Empire.

"Aren’t you?" Mu Bingling sighed. "Chen’Er has been gone for two years. In three days, the Empire’s tournament begins. He said he’d be back in eighteen months at the earliest, two years at the latest... but there’s still no word from him."

Mo Qing gently took Mu Bingling’s hand, her own nose stinging with unshed tears. "Sister Bingling, don’t worry. Mu Chen will be alright. He said he would come back, so he will. We have to trust him..."

Mu Bingling managed a small smile and squeezed Mo Qing’s hand. "You’re right. We have to trust him..."

With that, the two leaned against each other, gazing into the distance. There, the morning sun was slowly rising, as if bringing with it infinite life and hope... The warm sunlight bathed their faces, lending their exquisite features a sudden, sacred glow. It was a scene that made one truly understand the meaning of "people outshining the scenery."