Da Xuan Martial Saint

Once born,

it would attract many grandmasters and even those in the Blood Exchange Realm to make a move.

The Human Race's control over the mountains and rivers is not just talk. It's a world where many powerful demons have been ground into dust throughout rolling history.

"That's about it."

Chen Mu patted his hands, and along the vicinity of the city gate within a few dozen yards, he checked the area back and forth for a while, eventually no longer finding traces of demon beasts of Fifth or Sixth Rank.

By then, the raging sandstorm, as time passed, was no longer as fierce as at the start and slowly began to weaken, although it was still stronger than a few mini sandstorms he had experienced previously, but it had reached the end of its strength.

"Time to clean up."

Chen Mu took a deep breath and looked down.

Previously, to conceal his aura and tracks, he continuously slew those demons, having no time to deal with the corpses, allowing the bodies of Fifth and Sixth Rank Great Demons to fall below the city gate.

Now, as the sandstorm gradually subsided and there was no more pressure everywhere in the city gate, he could finally relax slightly and go down to search for those demon corpses, not knowing if they could still be found. Although the bodies of Fifth and Sixth Rank demons couldn't meet the standards required to make Spirit Weapons, their flesh and leather were still valuable materials. As of now, he might not need them immediately, but once he advanced to the Six Viscera Realm, consuming more high-quality demon meat could also improve the nourishment and tempering of the Six Viscera.

With this thought,

Chen Mu no longer gathered sand and wind under his feet, his entire body swiftly descending towards the bottom of Yunlu Pass, and soon fell into the dusty sand while many demons wandered nearby, which he casually killed a few, scattering the rest.

Having no interest in chasing these scattered low-rank demons, Chen Mu walked along the base of the hundred-zhang Yunlu Pass, advancing steadily forward while also looking back over his shoulder at the hundred-zhang city gate.

"The area before and behind the pass, indeed feels completely different..."

While the Mysterious Primordial Earth Formation concentrated all the Earth Pulse's Power to maintain Yunlu Pass and couldn't mobilize the Earth's Veins' power to suppress the four directions like the Qiankun Dragon Lock of the Seven Profound Sect, it was for this reason that the fortification of Yunlu Pass was exceptionally strong.

Behind the pass, no pressure could be felt, including atop the city gate as well; however, once at the very front of it, walking directly beneath the city gate, one could distinctly feel the pressure from the Earth's Veins!

This kind of oppression,

during normal times was enough to deter various demons, keeping them from approaching.

Even during the sand disaster, it was equally effective, causing many demons attempting to climb the Yunlu Wall to feel heavily oppressed, experiencing some level of suppression.

However, this pressure from the Earth's Veins was limited to when one made contact with the ground; once one rose into the air or reached the top of the hundred-zhang city gate, it immediately lost its effect.

"This hundred-zhang city gate has existed for thousands of years, withstood countless sand disasters, and has never been submerged, all thanks to this formation... Human efforts against the Power of Heaven and Earth are ultimately limited."

Chen Mu sensed the pressure coming from beneath the ground and murmured to himself.

Mere human effort was not enough to guard such an expanse of a hundred-li city gate, which would have likely been buried by sandstorms long ago. After all, even when a martial artist cultivates Artistic Conception to the level of Domain, it only deepens the manipulation of the Power of Heaven and Earth.

In Artistic Conception, the first step is to see,

the second step is to touch,

the third step is Body-Mind Union.

Perhaps only by reaching the third step will one be able to face Heaven and Earth without any feeling of awe anymore.

...

Atop the city gate,

Xiahou Yan and Chu Jingsui, among others, were busy dealing with the aftermath.

With no more attacks from the various Great Demons in the sand, these practitioners in the Viscera Realm on the city gate had full reign, sweeping through ordinary demons in droves.

It didn't take long for the entire city gate to be thoroughly cleared.

Feeling that the force of the sand in the air was weakening, Xiahou Yan halted and said, "It's finally over... Have any of you seen apprentice brother Chen?"

He asked a group of people including Cui Sheng.

All shook their heads.

Xiahou Yan frowned slightly and continued to stare into the depths of the sandstorm, then saw Chu Jingsui coming from another direction and said, "What about your side, did you not find apprentice brother Chen either?"

"No."

Chu Jingsui shook his head.

The Great Demons outside the city gate had stopped their assaults for some time now, but Chen Mu had not returned, which inevitably caused Xiahou Yan and others, who had relaxed a little, to become somewhat worried, wondering where Chen Mu had gone.

Actually, after actively striking deeper into the yellow sands, Chen Mu had not taken long to significantly relieve the pressure everywhere. To them, it was all a surprise. Although they hardly noticed much activity, clearly Chen Mu's performance in the sands was excellent. Even if he hadn't killed those demons, he must have repelled them one by one; otherwise, the effect wouldn't have been as it was.

"Brother Chen couldn't possibly..."

Although Xiahou Yan didn't finish his sentence, Chu Jingsui understood his meaning. He was worried that Chen Mu, in his pursuit of slaying demons, had gotten carried away and ventured too deep into the desert.

Compared to this city gate locale, the desert was far more dangerous. There it was possible to encounter a Seventh Rank Demon King. Although, given the swiftness of Chen Mu's movement techniques, he should have been able to escape, going into the desert alone was very unsafe.

"He shouldn't have?"

Chu Jingsui stated with some hesitation.

Just as their voices fell, both men suddenly froze, turning their heads in unison.

Atop the city gate, along both sides of the path, many officers, the Commander-in-chief, and even disciples of Spirit Profound Peak, were now staring wide-eyed at a colossal figure approaching through the gradually weakening sandstorm.

As the figure became clearer.

They saw that it was actually numerous, differently shaped Demon Corpses piled up together, forming a mound resembling a small hill, including Fifth Rank and even Sixth Rank demons. Even in death, the residual demonic aura was still palpable and frightening.

Beneath the small hill was a hand lifting the entire "hill."

This hand belonged to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu, carrying this massive mound of flesh, walked a few more steps forward, arriving close to the city gate. Then, with an outstretched hand, he dropped the colossal pile of Demon Corpses with a thud next to him.

"That's about it. I didn't have time to deal with each demon while killing them. There might still be High Rank Demon Corpses buried under the sands near the city gate. After the sandstorm passes, we can send teams to carefully search the area," he said.

After putting down the mound-like pile of Demon Corpses, Chen Mu also took a slight breath.

Xiahou Yan, looking at the chaotic pile of Demon Corpses and seeing at least a dozen of the Sixth Rank among them, couldn't help but widen his eyes like bronze bells.

He had thought that Chen Mu's best accomplishment was to drive away the Great Demons in the sandstorm, or even slay one or two. But what was this if not slaying one or two? Almost all the Great Demons of this sandstorm were piled up here by Chen Mu!

"This..."

Even Chu Jingsui was utterly astonished.

With his own strength, naturally, he could easily handle any of these creatures, and dealing with two or three wasn't an issue; if pushed, he could forcefully manage four or five. But the accumulated Sixth Rank Demon Corpses here far exceeded four or five!

As if seeing the astonishment in Xiahou Yan and the others' hearts, Chen Mu explained, "These demons were all fighting independently in the sandstorm. I practice a Cultivation Technique that obscures my presence, and dealing with them one by one was not difficult."

Hearing this,

Chu Jingsui finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "If you were able to kill so many demons at once, it would be at the level of the Wind Cloud List. I would have been scared to death by you... But even picking them off one by one is truly impressive."

"Impressive, truly impressive."

Xiahou Yan also scrutinized the pile of Demon Corpses and nodded as he spoke.

If it weren't for the sandstorm, breaking them one by one would be something he could also achieve. Moreover, over the years of guarding the border, the number of demons he had slain far exceeded these, but the main point was that Chen Mu, in just one sandstorm, had slain so many Great Demons, especially during the fiercest moments of the storm. One could almost say he single-handedly subdued this sandstorm!

Obviously, after a year and a half of secluded cultivation, Chen Mu had not only mastered the Second Step of Qian Heaven Artistic Conception but had also practiced the expression of Artistic Conception, combat, various techniques, and secret techniques to a degree not just recently after a breakthrough, but also far beyond just mastering his own power.

Not far away,

Meng Danyun also arrived at the scene, looked at the pile of Demon Corpses, then at Chen Mu, but was not too shocked.

This was the strength Brother Chen should have.

...

Da Xuan Calendar, year 1429.

November 21.

At the border of Yu State during the sandstorm, Chen Mu of Spirit Profound Peak, displaying the Second Step of Qian Heaven Artistic Conception, slew thirteen Sixth Rank Great Demons and countless demons below Fifth Rank.

The news spread, shaking all quarters.