Several days later, Li Mu returned to the Xuantian Sword Sect by sword and arrived at the Contribution Hall, unexpectedly, Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen were already waiting in the main hall.
“Hahahaha, Elder Li, you’re finally back!”
Sword Master Feng’s hearty laughter echoed in the spacious hall. He was tall and straight, with anticipation and approval flickering in his eyes.
Sword Master Chen, on the other hand, smiled and nodded beside him, gentle and refined. His gaze revealed concern and inquiry about Li Mu’s return.
“I’ve caused both Sword Masters to worry.” Li Mu put away his long sword, slowly stepped into the main hall, his robes fluttering, and replied with a smile.
“Elder Li, how did you get rid of Xu Wen? That guy is not easy to deal with!” Sword Master Chen looked at Li Mu curiously and asked searchingly.
Xu Wen was a Peak Body Integration Cultivator, only one step away from a Dao Lord. This time, he was determined to get Li Mu, even at the cost of falling out with the Xuantian Sword Sect. Now, Li Mu was able to retreat unscathed, which made Sword Master Chen quite curious.
“It was a stroke of luck!” Li Mu smiled lightly, a flicker of deep thought in his eyes. He then took out a Jade Slip from his nine storage spiritual pearl and handed it to Sword Master Chen, saying, “This Jade Slip contains the intelligence Xu Wen obtained from the Tianji Building. The content is about our Sect’s two Dao Lords being trapped in the Nine Underworlds Beyond the Domains. He secretly used some tricks, but it just so happened that I broke them, so I turned his scheme against him, using multiple Puppet doubles to lure him into a trap and successfully escape.”
Upon hearing this, Sword Master Chen quickly took the Jade Slip and immersed his Divine Sense into it to read.
After reading the contents, Sword Master Chen’s face darkened. He looked up at Sword Master Feng and handed him the Jade Slip.
Sword Master Feng took the Jade Slip, his gaze quickly scanning its contents, and his expression also became solemn. The atmosphere in the main hall instantly grew heavy, as if even the air had solidified.
“Xu Wen dares to be so audacious, prying into our Sect’s secrets and even attempting to use this matter to deal with us!” A hint of killing intent flashed in Sword Master Feng’s eyes as he said furiously.
Seeing this, Qiu Yuanhong suggested in a deep voice, “Sword Master, this matter is no small thing. Since Xu Wen already knows about the two Dao Lords’ predicament, it’s hard to guarantee that he won’t continue to act, and he might even unite with other forces to harm our Sect. We should react as soon as possible.”
“The Nether Sect, Xuanxiao Sect, Extreme Yin Sect, and Taiyi Sect dare to act so brazenly. It seems they have already confirmed this intelligence. Currently, with the two Dao Lords trapped in the Nine Underworlds Beyond the Domains, we need to quickly dispatch reliable people to investigate, confirm whether the situation is true, and find a way to rescue them.” Sword Master Chen frowned, saying in a deep voice.
“Elder Qiu’s words are reasonable.” Sword Master Feng nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze to Li Mu, a glimmer of trust and expectation in his eyes: “Elder Li, you not only successfully escaped danger this time but also brought back such important intelligence. This is truly a blessing for the Sect. However, several Sects harbor ill intentions towards you, so recently you should stay in the Sect and Cultivate well, do not run around, and Breakthrough to the next Realm as soon as possible.”
Upon hearing this, a warm current surged in Li Mu’s heart, and he nodded solemnly, saying, “I will strictly follow the Sword Master’s instructions and diligently Cultivate, living up to the Sect’s high expectations.”
“Then we can rest assured!” Seeing Li Mu agree, Sword Master Feng said happily.
Sword Master Chen supplemented from the side: “Elder Li, during your seclusion, the Sect will strengthen its defenses to ensure your safety. At the same time, we will also closely monitor the movements of various Sects. If there is any disturbance, we will notify you immediately.”
“Thank you, Sword Master and Elders, for your concern and arrangements.” Li Mu bowed again in gratitude.
Afterward, Li Mu took his leave and returned to the Seven Profound Sect by sword.
The Seven Profound Sect is located under the dominion of the Xuantian Sword Sect. Although it is a branch Sect, it also enjoys the Xuantian Sword Sect’s profound Legacy and protection. Unless there is a large-scale invasion by external Sects, safety is not an issue.
Now that the two Dao Lords of the Xuantian Sword Sect are trapped in the Nine Underworlds, and hostile forces have united, the entire Sect is on high alert, with sword guards patrolling even more frequently.
In the Seven Profound Sect, seven main Peaks soared into the clouds, each with a different shape, like seven guardian deities standing in the sky.
Li Mu descended with his sword to Golden Sword Peak - Sect Leader’s Mansion.
Fang Shixin, Qin Wentong, and a group of Elders, sensing the Sect Master’s return, all came out to greet him.
“Sect Master Li, you’re back!” Elder Fang Shixin was the first to speak, his voice carrying a hint of excitement and anticipation. As one of the Elders of the Seven Profound Sect, he deeply understood Li Mu’s importance to the Sect, and he was always particularly worried whenever Li Mu traveled far.
The other Elders also came forward, either cupping their hands in greeting or asking with concern, the atmosphere both solemn and warm.
Li Mu smiled and nodded, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the Elders as he responded, “Thank you all for your concern. This trip was quite smooth.”
“During my absence, has anything major happened within the Sect?” Li Mu changed the subject, looking at Fang Shixin and asking with concern.
“Sect Master, rest assured, everything is fine within the Sect! Nothing major has happened.” Elder Fang Shixin stepped forward and replied respectfully, then he looked at Liu Yalan, who was standing behind everyone, and indicated, “Shopkeeper Liu has returned to the Sect and waited for many days. She should have something important.”
Upon hearing this, Li Mu’s gaze finally noticed Liu Yalan, who had been standing behind the Elders.
Li Mu smiled gently, nodded slightly towards her, and then instructed the Elders: “Elders, I need to rest today after my return. Please temporarily take care of the Sect’s affairs. Especially Elder Fang and Elder Qin, please be sure to strengthen the Sect’s defenses to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. Next, I plan to enter seclusion for a period.”
“Sect Master, please rest assured in your seclusion. We will handle the Sect’s affairs properly.” Fang Shixin stated on behalf of the Elders.
“The Sect’s safety is our top priority. During your seclusion, Sect Master, we will strengthen our defenses to ensure no one can disturb your Cultivation.” Qin Wentong added.
Li Mu nodded, motioning for everyone to retreat, and at the same time, looked at Liu Yalan, indicating that he wished to speak with her privately.
Soon, the Elders bowed and withdrew. In the main hall of the Sect Leader’s Mansion, only Liu Yalan, with an expectant look, and Li Mu, seated in the main position, remained.
“Please sit down, Shopkeeper Liu!” Li Mu smiled slightly at Liu Yalan, motioning to her.
“Thank you, Pavilion Master!” Liu Yalan smiled slightly, still addressing Li Mu as Pavilion Master, then turned serious and said, “Pavilion Master, regarding the business of Li’s Treasure Pavilion, it has been a mix of joy and sorrow recently. The sorrow is that the external situation is turbulent, and the procurement channels for many precious spiritual materials have been affected, causing prices to skyrocket; the joy is that our Li’s Treasure Pavilion, relying on years of accumulated reputation and goodwill, has seen increasingly mature cooperation channels with the Eight Great Families. Now, the total number of branch stores has expanded to 36, distributed across various spiritual cities in Central Continent, maintaining relatively stable profits and attracting many forces seeking protection and cooperation.”
As she spoke, Liu Yalan took out an exquisite storage ring from her sleeve and presented it to Li Mu with both hands: “These are the recent profits of Li’s Treasure Pavilion, as well as the High-Grade spiritual materials collected for you. Each item has been carefully selected and is of superior quality, I believe they will be helpful for your Cultivation and Artifact Refining, Pavilion Master.”
Li Mu took the storage ring, and with a sweep of his Divine Sense, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. He praised happily, “Shopkeeper Liu, you’ve done very well. It’s truly not easy to gather such precious resources.”
After entrusting Li’s Treasure Firm to Liu Yalan, Li Mu hadn’t paid much attention to it, nor had he inquired much about Liu Yalan’s management. He hadn’t expected her to give him such a big surprise today. The storage ring contained nearly five million High-Grade Spirit Stones and thousands of sixth and seventh-tier spiritual materials.
Li Mu even discovered another Sky Puppet Spirit Token in the storage ring. With a casual wave of his hand, he took the Sky Puppet Spirit Token out of the storage ring.
“Not bad, you actually acquired this item!” Li Mu held the Sky Puppet Spirit Token, examining it carefully, his eyes gleaming with pleasant surprise: “Shopkeeper Liu, how did you obtain this Sky Puppet Spirit Token?”
There were a total of eight Sky Puppet Spirit Tokens containing the Sky Puppet Legacy. With this one, he had already gathered five, needing only three more to completely unlock the Legacy of the Sky Puppet Dao.
“Pavilion Master, speaking of how this Sky Puppet Spirit Token was obtained, the process was indeed a bit bizarre!” Liu Yalan saw Li Mu was so interested in the Sky Puppet Spirit Token, so she recalled the scene from that day and explained in detail: “That day, a Puppet Master who called himself ‘Old Man Qianji’ entered the Treasure Firm. He was a Nascent Soul Cultivator whose Lifespan was nearing its end, and he seemed a bit down and out.”
“At first, I didn’t pay much attention, thinking he was just here to sell some worthless old items, so I casually assigned a clerk to receive him and purchase the old items he pawned. Among the dozens of twenty spiritual items, there was this Sky Puppet Spirit Token.”
“That person didn’t mention a word about the origin of this Sky Puppet Spirit Token, only repeatedly emphasizing that it was an item guarded by his Family for generations, and now that his Family was in decline and unable to protect it any longer, he only wished to exchange it for enough Spirit Stones to live out his remaining years. Knowing that the Sky Puppet Spirit Token was what the Pavilion Master was searching for, I took the initiative to buy it at a high price.”
“Afterward, although I was curious about the old man’s background, he had already left without a trace, making it impossible to investigate. I could only regard it as an unexpected gain for the Treasure Firm and secretly pay attention to whether any other related clues appeared.” Liu Yalan looked at Li Mu as she finished her explanation.
Li Mu smiled and nodded, very satisfied with the spiritual materials she had presented this time: “Shopkeeper Liu, you’ve done well. You’ve put a lot of effort into the Treasure Firm and also helped me collect abundant Cultivation resources!”
Li Mu paused slightly, then took out over a dozen jade bottles from his sleeve: “These Spirit Pills are your reward. They are very beneficial for improving Cultivation, especially for Cultivators like you who are diligent in their duties but whose Cultivation has stagnated. They are a rare aid.”
“Thank you for your generosity, Pavilion Master. I will certainly live up to your expectations and continue to manage the Treasure Firm well!” A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Yalan’s eyes as she took the jade bottles and bowed in thanks.
Li Mu nodded gently and said with a smile, “If there’s nothing else, Shopkeeper Liu, you may withdraw. Next, I need to enter seclusion for a period.”
Liu Yalan bowed again and said, “Pavilion Master, rest assured, the Treasure Firm is entirely under my care. I will manage it in an orderly fashion and await your emergence from seclusion.”
With that, Liu Yalan rose and gracefully withdrew from the main hall.
Watching Liu Yalan’s figure disappear outside the door, Li Mu also turned and entered the inner hall, walking towards the Artifact Refining Room.
As the stone door of the Artifact Refining Room slowly closed, Li Mu activated the protective formation, and with a flash, instantly disappeared from his spot, entering the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
With a thought of his Divine Thought, Li Mu took the Shui Jie Shi from his nine storage spiritual pearl.
The next moment, in front of Li Mu, five-colored spiritual light gathered, and a small Five-Colored Flood Dragon materialized out of thin air. It was clearly the Treasure Mansion Spirit. Its pair of agile eyes stared intently at the Shui Jie Shi, filled with eagerness.
The Painting World Treasure Mansion’s promotion to an eighth-tier Grotto-heaven Treasure was incredibly difficult. However, the appearance of the Shui Jie Shi was like sweet dew to a parched land, bringing unprecedented hope to the Treasure Mansion Spirit. It excitedly circled the Shui Jie Shi, its five-colored body appearing even more divine under the spiritual light, filled with longing.
With a thought from Li Mu, he gently pushed the Shui Jie Shi towards the Five-Colored Flood Dragon. The Treasure Mansion Spirit opened its small mouth without hesitation. That seemingly tiny mouth seemed to contain boundless space, instantly swallowing the entire Shui Jie Shi. The moment the Shui Jie Shi disappeared into the Treasure Mansion Spirit’s body, the entire Treasure Mansion Space seemed to tremble slightly, and an indescribable fluctuation erupted from within the Treasure Mansion Spirit, rapidly spreading outwards.
One could only see that the Treasure Mansion Space began to slowly expand at a speed that was imperceptible to the naked eye yet clearly discernible. The ten thousand acres of spiritual fields, medicine gardens, Artifact Refining Room, Five Elements Spirit Mountain, and other places, all seemed to become vaster and taller at this moment.
The Five-Colored Flood Dragon’s body, propelled by this power, became even more solid and massive. It roared to the sky, its voice shaking the nine heavens, seemingly celebrating this historic moment. With each breath it took, a large amount of Spiritual Qi condensed from the void, greedily absorbed by the Treasure Mansion Space, transforming into purer and more concentrated energy, nourishing all things within this heaven and earth.
Under the Heavenly Talent - Identifying Myriad Spirits, Li Mu learned of the Treasure Mansion Spirit - Five-Colored Flood Dragon’s current predicament.
As the Shui Jie Shi was swallowed, the Treasure Mansion Space was rapidly expanding, yet the Spiritual Qi concentration within the space was plummeting.
Li Mu no longer hesitated. His Divine Thought entered the nine storage spiritual pearl, and tens of thousands of High-Grade Spirit Stones erupted like a volcanic eruption, gushing forth.
Li Mu activated his True Essence, and with a wave of his hand, in an instant, a massive amount of High-Grade Spirit Stones liquefied into spiritual liquid, pouring into the Five-Colored Flood Dragon’s mouth.
The Five-Colored Flood Dragon felt this sudden surge of immense spiritual power, and a hint of surprise flashed in its eyes. It opened its giant mouth, allowing the liquefied High-Grade Spirit Stone spiritual liquid to pour in like a waterfall, transforming into dazzling rays of light that circulated and fused within its body.
As the spiritual liquid poured in, the Five-Colored Flood Dragon’s body underwent subtle changes again. Its scales became even more dazzling and brilliant, as if each one contained endless radiance and power, and its eyes became as bright as stars, revealing a light of wisdom.
Soon, under the Five-Colored Flood Dragon’s consumption and transformation, the liquefied High-Grade Spirit Stone spiritual liquid rapidly transformed into even purer spiritual power, not only replenishing the spiritual power consumed by the expansion of the Treasure Mansion Space but also causing the spiritual power concentration within the entire space to begin rising, even surpassing its previous level.
Li Mu released his Divine Sense, clearly feeling every inch of land and numerous High-Grade spiritual plants within the Treasure Mansion Space bathed in this rich spiritual power, full of vitality and growing vigorously.
At the same time, Li Mu also realized that as the Treasure Mansion Space continuously expanded and upgraded, the spiritual power resources required would also become increasingly vast. Therefore, he needed to work harder to collect and accumulate various rare resources to ensure that the Treasure Mansion Space could continue to develop stably. (End of Chapter)
