Chapter 136: The Hide Map

After those Nascent Soul stage cultivators placed tracking marks on him, Chen Mu’s heart sank into an abyss of gloom. Did they really think he couldn't perceive them? While an ordinary Origin Pellet stage cultivator might have remained oblivious—especially considering he was only at the peak of the Origin Foundation stage—the quality of his soul was already on par with the Nascent Soul level, making detection effortless.

Those Nascent Soul cultivators had left the marks so brazenly because they looked down upon Chen Mu’s low cultivation, acting without any restraint. Firstly, they assumed he lacked the capacity to detect the marks; secondly, they figured that even if he did, what could a weakling like him possibly do about it? Without strength, those marks would remain, and he would be nothing more than fish on their chopping block. They left the marks with the clear intention of tracking him down once they left the ruins, presumably coveting the Wind-Striding Boots he had obtained, along with his other spoils.

Though Chen Mu’s heart was dark, he kept his expression calm. After a moment of contemplation, he sneered inwardly. While he lacked the ability to remove the marks himself, the two great beings, Rou’er and Xue Tian, certainly could. His first priority after leaving this place would be to flee as far as possible and then have them cleanse these persistent, bone-gnawing marks.

Once the six of them had finished selecting their items, the remaining miscellaneous goods were divided equally. Because Chen Mu had chosen the unique Origin Spirit stage Wind-Striding Boots, he received nothing else of value. By now, the cave dwelling was effectively stripped bare. It wasn't that the Daoist Fuchen was poor; it was simply that his most valuable possessions had been on his person. When his tribulation failed, those items, along with his storage ring, were reduced to ash in the sea of lightning. Thus, the boots and the herbs in the garden were the only treasures left.

Chen Mu had immediately equipped the boots and began attempting to refine them, hoping to claim ownership so he could escape the Nascent Soul cultivators stalking him the moment he stepped outside.

As the group emerged from the maze-like tunnels back onto the surface, they were met with a scene of carnage. The cultivators who hadn't found the dwelling’s living quarters had been ruthlessly slaughtered. Hovering in the sky were three figures radiating a terrifying aura—the perpetrators. Their power was immense, clearly surpassing the Nascent Soul stage. Chen Mu’s expression grew grave; this pressure exceeded even that of Zhong Tianyao from the Bi Luo Dao Sect of the Yuan Yao Continent. These were no mere "imperfect" Origin Spirit stage cultivators; they were the real deal. Their presence left the entire group trembling and drenched in cold sweat.

Someone in the crowd recognized them, their teeth chattering as they whispered, "It... it's the Ghost Mountain Trio. They are three rogue cultivators at the Origin Spirit stage who always move together: Lu Zhigui, Feng Moyi, and Hai Tianlu. I never expected them to come for Daoist Fuchen’s cave."

"Are they mad with greed?" another whispered. "Everyone knows Fuchen’s storage ring was obliterated by lightning. Why would they bother with a dwelling that has no real treasures left?"

Lu Zhigui and his companions looked down at the crowd like ants. "It seems you lot have had quite a harvest," Lu Zhigui said with disdain. "Hand everything over, and I may leave your corpses intact."

Despair washed over the group; the trio clearly intended to silence them all. Chen Mu, trembling, looked at the frowning Xue Tian and whispered, "Do not resist. I am going to bring you into the Resting Immortal Abode. I will push the Wind-Striding Boots to their limit and run."

Xue Tian nodded immediately, and Chen Mu summoned the Resting Immortal Abode, pulling him inside. The trio in the sky noticed the movement. Hai Tianlu sneered, "A little bug trying to pull tricks under our noses? Wait, someone is missing. What did you do? Do you have a spatial artifact?"

As the man grew alert, Chen Mu activated the boots, which he had already refined, and sprinted away in a frantic blur. Hai Tianlu unleashed several spells, but Chen Mu narrowly evaded them all.

"He dodged it? You want to run?" Hai Tianlu mocked. "Brother Lu, Brother Feng, I’ll hunt the boy down. You two handle these ants."

Lu Zhigui and Feng Moyi nodded. "Remember to check what he has. Don't forget our goal; if that item is in his hands and you let him slip away through carelessness, we will have labored for nothing."

"Don't worry, I'll be back shortly," Hai Tianlu replied before vanishing in pursuit.

Seeing Chen Mu flee, the rest of the group scattered in terror, but without the speed of the Wind-Striding Boots, dozens were cut down instantly by Lu Zhigui and Feng Moyi. The survivors froze in gray-faced despair.

After looting the bodies, Lu Zhigui turned his gaze to the remaining cultivators. "Hand over your belongings. We don't care for your Nascent Soul-grade trash, but Fuchen likely had a spirit herb garden. However, that is not what I seek. Did any of you find a beast-skin map in the dwelling? That is our true objective."

The crowd was bewildered; they had never seen such a map. Seeing their ignorance, Lu Zhigui lost patience and began soul-searching them one by one. Panic ensued until a Nascent Soul cultivator shrieked, "Senior! Don't kill me! I think I saw it!"

Lu Zhigui’s face broke into a warm, terrifying smile. "Oh? Where?"

"It’s with the companion of the boy who fled!" the cultivator stammered. "I saw it in the bedroom, though most didn't notice. You cannot kill me—that boy has refined the Wind-Striding Boots; you won't catch him on your own! But I left a tracking mark on him. If we find him, we find the map!"

Lu Zhigui narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare, Senior. I only wish to survive."

"I admire you," Lu Zhigui said, his tone mocking. "I won't kill you. It seems Brother Hai won't catch him alone. If you lead me to him, I will grant you a fortune."

The man thanked him profusely, though he knew it was a ruse. Seeing this, other Nascent Soul cultivators who had also placed marks begged for the same chance. Lu Zhigui’s face hardened. "One guide is enough. The rest of you can serve as fertilizer."

With a wave of his hand, he placed restrictions on the first cultivator, while Feng Moyi slaughtered the rest, looting their rings to ensure no possibility was overlooked.

Meanwhile, Chen Mu was pushing the boots to their limit, his face deathly pale. The energy consumption of an Origin Spirit stage artifact was astronomical. Fortunately, he possessed three energy sources, allowing him to sustain the speed, though he would exhaust himself within a quarter of an hour.

He had long since shaken off Hai Tianlu, and using a concealment technique, he suppressed his aura, leaving Hai Tianlu to hunt only by sensing energy fluctuations. Hai Tianlu was furious, humiliated by a mere "ant" playing so many tricks.

Guided by Rou’er’s divine sense, Chen Mu chose a terrain with complex energy flows. Once his energy was spent, he dug a pit, buried the now-miniscule Resting Immortal Abode, and crawled inside, concealing his presence entirely. As his energy ripples vanished into the earth, Hai Tianlu lost his target completely.