At Qingxuan Sect, five Nascent Soul True Lords attacked with hateful and ruthless moves.
The five Nascent Soul True Lords were the top combat strength of the Qingxuan Sect, having just returned from a rotation in the pioneering war. They had honed their combat skills for countless years on the pioneering front against high-level Yao Beasts, and with the assistance of the Golden Core Disciples, they struck fear into the hearts of the five Nascent Soul Demon Lords.
The five Demon Lords either fled using secret techniques or resisted desperately. Already heavily wounded by the sword formation, their Spiritual Artifacts and Magic Treasures were damaged, and their bodies were covered in sword wounds, making them utterly unable to withstand the encirclement of the Qingxuan Sect members.
Before long, the five Demon Lords successively met their tragic ends.
"Thank you, benefactor, for your timely aid. May I ask your name? For this life-saving grace, we are willing to repay you with our lives," Qingyang True Lord said gratefully, leading his group to Li Mu.
"Indeed! If not for the benefactor risking his life to save us, we would have long perished at the hands of the Demonic Cultivators!" Zhou Hong True Lord said gratefully.
"Benefactor, these are the spoils of war from the several Demon Lords. Please accept them. There is no way to repay this life-saving grace. Whatever your needs, please speak them, and we will certainly lend our full support," Qing Chen True Monarch said gratefully, presenting six storage rings to Li Mu.
Under the leadership of the five Nascent Soul True Lords, the Disciples of the Qingxuan Sect gathered around, looking at Li Mu with gratitude and profound emotion.
This Golden Core cultivator before them was simply a Prodigy. With his single effort, he heavily injured several Nascent Soul Demon Lords and a group of Demonic Cultivators, rescuing them from the trapped formation. Such a feat could not be overstated as risking one's life to save others.
Fortunately, he succeeded! Those who were saved successfully survived.
Who was he?
Where did he come from?
Why did he possess such prodigious Aptitude? How could they repay this benefactor's life-saving grace?...
Numerous questions instantly became doubts that troubled the hearts of the Qingxuan Sect members.
Meeting the grateful gazes of the five Nascent Soul True Lords, the Golden Core True Disciples, and the Foundation Establishment Disciples of the Qingxuan Sect, Li Mu smiled slightly, lowered his head to look at the six storage rings floating before him, and with a sweep of his hand, unceremoniously accepted them.
"There's no need to repay me with your lives. It was merely a convenient act upon seeing injustice on the road; there's no need to dwell on it. As for my name, you can just call me Jian Chen. I am from the Central Continent Spirit Domain. We can address each other as Fellow Daoists; there's no need to call me benefactor or gracious sir," Li Mu casually fabricated an identity and replied with a smile.
Currently, Li Mu had removed his Linglong Mask and appeared in his original form. From Foundation Establishment to advancing to Golden Core, he had successively gained the blessings of the Five Elements Spirit Body and the Five Elements Saint Body. His appearance and temperament had undergone immense changes. Even Zhang Lao, who had known him before, would likely find it difficult to recognize him, let alone the Qingxuan Sect members who had never seen Li Mu.
"So it is a hero from the Central Continent Spirit Domain. This place is not far from our Sect, Fellow Daoist Jian. Please stay at our Sect for a period of time, and allow us to fulfill our duties as hosts and express our gratitude," Qingyang True Lord said with a hint of relief in his eyes, inviting him gratefully.
"Exactly, exactly, please, Fellow Daoist Jian, do not refuse."
"Please, Fellow Daoist Jian, you must honor us with your presence!"
The five Nascent Soul True Lords enthusiastically surrounded Li Mu, extending their sincere invitations.
He had just left the Qingxuan Sect! Why go back! Li Mu laughed wryly, quickly waving his hand to refuse: "Thank you for your kindness, but I, Jian, have other important matters to attend to and truly cannot be delayed. Perhaps another day, if fate allows, I will visit!"
"This, may I ask what important matters Fellow Daoist Jian has? If you don't mind, we can lend a hand."
"That's right! There's no way to repay this life-saving grace, and we are willing to serve as your humble servants."
Qingyang True Lord and Zhou Hong True Lord looked at Li Mu, asking with concern.
The Golden Core True Disciples and Foundation Establishment Disciples of the Qingxuan Sect watched this scene with envy. If it were anyone else being treated with such courtesy by five Nascent Soul True Lords, their faces would probably be beaming with joy.
As expected of a hero from the Central Continent Spirit Domain, not only did he not feel joy, but he looked calm, as if he was even bothered.
"There's no need for humble service. I, Jian, am going to deal with some private matters. If you truly feel indebted, I am currently looking for a few Five Elements Yao Beast cubs with good Aptitude to cultivate. Do any of you Fellow Daoists know the whereabouts of high-level water, fire, and wood elemental Yao Beasts?" Li Mu thought for a moment, then quickly asked the five True Lords about a troublesome matter he was currently facing.
"Five Elements Spirit Beast cubs, water, fire, and wood elements? I happen to have a fifth-order water-element Crocodile Dragon Turtle cub here, Fellow Daoist Jian, please be sure to accept it." Qingyang True Lord remembered something and quickly took out a Crocodile Dragon Turtle cub from his Spirit Beast Pouch, handing it to Li Mu.
Li Mu glanced at the Crocodile Dragon Turtle cub, obtained its attributes, and wryly declined: "Thank you, thank you, Fellow Daoist for your generous gift, but this beast is not fated with me."
Qingyang True Lord nodded regretfully, quickly put away the Crocodile Dragon Turtle cub, and showed no displeasure on his face.
This Fellow Daoist Jian came from the Central Continent Spirit Domain and was well-traveled. His own Crocodile Dragon Turtle cub would certainly not catch his eye. Forcibly giving it away would only cause displeasure in the end.
"Fellow Daoist Jian, I do know the whereabouts of a high-level fire-element Yao Beast, located in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range - Tianfeng Mountain. In the depths of this mountain, in a fissure magma abyss, a Spiritual Void Earth Fire is nurtured, and a scarlet paulownia wood grows, where a sixth-order Spiritual Void Yao Bird resides, seemingly incubating young birds," Zhou Hong True Lord said, looking at Li Mu and introducing.
"Tianfeng Mountain is located deep within the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, and the Spiritual Void Yao Bird even possesses a trace of the Scarlet Fire Phoenix Bloodline, making it very troublesome. It would require a Soul Transformation Old Ancestor to have a fifty to sixty percent chance of success. Fellow Daoist Jian, if you intend to target this Phoenix, you must be cautious!" Qingyang True Lord said, looking at Li Mu and indicating.
"Fellow Daoist Jian, besides the Spiritual Void Yao Bird, I also know the whereabouts of a water-element high-level Yao Beast. It's in the Tianxin Lake, deep within the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, where two sixth-order Jade Dragon Flood Dragons reside and reproduce. They should have already hatched young flood dragons," Qing Chen True Monarch said, looking at Li Mu and indicating.
"As for the remaining high-level wood-element Yao Beast, high-level wood-element cubs are very difficult to find, Fellow Daoist Jian. If you can use a mature one, I suggest going to Yinlai Ridge, deep within the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, to capture that Yin Wood Old Yao." After a pause, Qing Chen True Monarch continued to introduce, looking at Li Mu.
"Fellow Daoist Jian, this Jade Slip records a map of the high-level Yao Beast distribution in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range. If you plan to explore the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, be sure to take this item with you." Qingyang True Lord took out a purple Jade Slip from his storage ring and placed it into Li Mu's hand.
"Fellow Daoist Jian, I have a dozen bottles of Spirit Pills here, specifically: Heaven Reversal Pill, Toxin Cleansing Pill, Spirit Expelling Pill,... Please accept them."
"Fellow Daoist Jian, this is an Invisibility and Concealment Pagoda that I refined. If you are going deep into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, this artifact will be perfect for self-defense."
...
The five True Lords successively introduced their knowledge of Five Elements high-level Spirit Beasts to Li Mu. Before they even finished speaking, they began to take out spiritual items as gifts: maps, various Spirit Pills, defensive Spiritual Artifacts, Formation Flags,... all kinds of things, to repay the life-saving grace.
"Thank you, thank you. I've accepted the map and the Spirit Pills. I have everything else, please take them back!" Li Mu wryly waved his hands repeatedly, declining.
After a series of polite refusals, Li Mu resolutely rejected their enthusiastic invitations and, after bidding them farewell, quickly left on his sword.
They watched as 'Jian Chen''s figure rapidly disappeared from their sight.
"Master, you've been to the Central Continent Spirit Domain. Is that 'Senior Jian' from the Central Continent Spirit Domain?"
Ling Hongyu flew to Qingyang True Lord's side and asked curiously.
Upon hearing this, the Golden Core True Disciples and Foundation Establishment Disciples all looked over, equally curious about the identity of their savior.
"This person's temperament is similar yet not, it doesn't seem like it!" Qingyang True Lord frowned, speaking with a strange expression.
According to Qingyang True Lord's intuition, this 'Jian Chen' seemed more like someone from the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain. His attire, speech, Cultivation Technique, and various aspects seemed to have a close relationship with the Qingxuan Sect.
After a pause, Qingyang True Lord changed the subject and self-deprecatingly said: "However, this person's Divine Sense, cultivation, sword Dao, and art Dao are all exquisite. Only the immortal Sects of the Central Continent Spirit Domain could cultivate such a figure!"
...
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent.
The moment they were rescued from the formation, 'Jian Chen' alone controlled hundreds of high-level spiritual swords, trapping the five Nascent Soul Demon Lords in a sword formation to battle. That spectacular and magnificent scene would probably be etched in their hearts for the rest of their lives.
---
Li Mu controlled the Celestial Shuttle Spirit Ship, flying a thousand li away before slowly reducing his speed.
Li Mu focused his mind on the storage rings of the several Nascent Soul Demon Lords, beginning to tally the gains from this battle.
"One cannot get rich without ill-gotten gains, just as a horse cannot get fat without wild grass."
This saying was still very true. The wealth accumulated by nine Nascent Soul Demon Lords throughout their lives was all stored within their storage rings. When Li Mu's Divine Sense entered them, he was immediately stunned by such a vast windfall.
"I'm rich! I'm incredibly rich!"
'Looking' at the piles of fifth-order Artifact Refining Materials, such as Ruyi Stone, Glazed Fine Gold, Grand Yin True Water, etc., Li Mu was ecstatic.
Indeed, good deeds are rewarded with good. This 'rescue' operation was truly worth it.
Li Mu's eyes lit up as he discovered a highly valuable high-level spiritual item in one of the storage rings, and his heart pounded fiercely.