Chapter 293 - 272: Destroy Them, Root and Stem

Chapter 293: Chapter 272: Destroy Them, Root and Stem

「Jingmen County.」

The mundane prosperity of the past had long since vanished without a trace, replaced by a city shrouded in a Grand Array, its atmosphere grim and militaristic.

The city had been almost completely razed and rebuilt. Towering, pitch-black walls, hundreds of feet high, were densely engraved with countless Array Prohibition Patterns.

Layers upon layers of shimmering Arrays enveloped the city walls.

A pale blue barrier of light arched high above, completely enclosing the entire city.

Beyond the city walls lay a scorched, barren earth, pocked with craters and stained with blood. Cultivators zipped past, and streaks of light flashed across the sky before vanishing.

As he flew through the sky, the ground below unfolded before him. In the distance, the towering, giant city was now clearly visible.

When he was still dozens of miles from the city, his presence, marked by his Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivation, was detected. Two streaks of light, one from the left and one from the right, flashed into existence.

Their auras clearly marked them as Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators as well.

"Halt!"

The voice, permitting no argument, boomed from afar.

The light dissipated, revealing two middle-aged men in the Magic Robes of the Righteous Alliance, hovering before Chu Mu.

"Where have you come from, Fellow Daoist?"

The man’s gaze was fixed on Chu Mu, and his heavy tone implied he was ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

"Water Heaven Workshop."

Chu Mu presented his Employment Contract Order.

The man in the lead took the Token. Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Chu Mu in astonishment. "You’re... Chu Mu?"

Chu Mu nodded.

"So it’s you, Fellow Daoist Chu! I’ve heard so much about you. Seeing you today, I can tell your reputation is well-deserved!"

The man’s gloomy expression instantly brightened. He handed the Token back, beaming. "My name is Xie Ming, and this is my brother, Xie Xin. Our cousin is Xie Nan. He’s told us brothers countless times how incredible your Artifact Refining Skill is."

"That Top Grade Spiritual Artifact Robe really made a name for you!"

"It’s a minor skill, hardly worth mentioning."

Chu Mu managed a faint smile.

"You’re just as my cousin described—far too humble!"

Xie Ming laughed heartily, then his expression turned serious. "Fellow Daoist, you must be here about your young friend, right?"

"My brother and I received our cousin’s voice transmission. We’ve been keeping an eye on things and have found a few leads..."

As they spoke, the Xie Family Brothers led him toward the massive city, which those in the rear referred to as the main forward encampment.

Up close, the city was even more vast and imposing than it had appeared from a distance.

The walls, hundreds of feet tall, stood like great mountains. Even from afar, the Spiritual Pressure radiating from the shimmering Array Prohibitions was terrifyingly immense, almost suffocating him despite his Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivation.

Atop the walls, in addition to the patrolling Cultivators, rows of menacing Spiritual Energy Giant Cannons were neatly arranged.

Inside the city, the clamor was even greater.

The streets teemed with all kinds of Cultivators. Some strode about in armored Puppets, others rode on the backs of tamed beasts, and some had strange physical forms, suggesting they practiced bloodline Cultivation. The majority, however, were grim-faced individuals who reeked of blood, their auras sharp with the Intent of Slaughter.

The streets clearly lacked the usual rules of a typical Marketplace. All along the roadside, Cultivators could be seen sitting on the ground, spreading out a ragged cloth to start a makeshift stall.

At a glance, the street scene was a mix of chaos and order, with the governance being obviously quite lax.

After weaving through the city and taking many twists and turns, the Xie Family Brothers eventually led him into a large hall.

The hall was not particularly large. A plaque high overhead, bearing the two words "Memory Vault," indicated it was a repository. The interior was shrouded in Array Prohibitions and under heavy guard.

As soon as they entered, a young, long-bearded man approached. He clearly knew Xie Ming, and after a brief chat, Xie Ming introduced Chu Mu as well.

"This is Fellow Daoist Chu, a renowned Artifact Refining Master in our Alliance."

After Xie Ming’s introduction, the man led them into a side hall where they took their seats.

"Please understand, Fellow Daoist, the Alliance is extremely strict about managing these surveillance recordings. We’re bending the rules a bit for you."

"I am in your debt for this trouble, Fellow Daoist. If you ever need my help in the future, I will not refuse."

Chu Mu knowingly accepted the social debt.

On their way into the city, Xie Ming had made it clear that he’d discovered some clues by reviewing the surviving surveillance recordings from the breached encampment.

Judging by the elaborate setup for preserving these recordings, it was obvious Chu Mu would never have been able to view them without Xie Ming’s help.

"Fellow Daoist Xie, Fellow Daoist Chu, this is the archived surveillance recording from the ambush on Spirit Field Camp No. A3."

A moment later, the man returned holding a Jade Scroll. With a wave of his hand, a projection materialized in the middle of the room.

The projection showed a vast, orderly Spirit Field, lush and green. Many Cultivators could be seen busying themselves among the crops.

No one present seemed surprised by the sight.

A massive city like this, teeming with countless Cultivators, consumed a terrifying amount of resources daily.

With such a protracted war, it was impossible for all those supplies to come from the rear.

Thus, numerous subsidiary logistics camps, large and small, had been established around East Lake, behind the main forward encampment.

Spirit Fields were the most common among them. After all, both Spirit Grain and other common Spiritual Plants were the most fundamental resources in the Cultivation Immortal Realm, and they were also consumed in the greatest quantities.

Furthermore, it was unthinkable that the Cultivators who risked life and limb on the front lines couldn’t even afford basic Spirit Grain and Spiritual Plants.

These subsidiary camps near the front were a central focus of the war. In fact, aside from the main front, the battles waged over each side’s supply lines were no less brutal than the head-on clashes.

The scene continued for a moment before the projection suddenly shook violently—the camp’s Array was clearly under Attack. What followed was a storm of fire. The sprawling Spirit Fields, the lush green Spirit Grain and Spiritual Plants, were all incinerated by the flames raining down from the sky.

A vision of Purgatory on earth unfolded before them.

Amidst the inferno, some Cultivators were burned to death, others fled for their lives, while a few desperately used Magic and Magical Artifacts to resist the heavenly flames.

At that moment, the man explained, "After our Alliance recaptured Spirit Field Camp No. A3, we found that most of the surveillance recordings had been destroyed. This recording Artifact is from the residence of Elder Niu, who was stationed at Camp No. A3, so what it recorded may not be comprehensive."

"However, between this recording and the residual Divine Soul Auras left at the scene, we’ve more or less identified the culprits behind the attack on Camp No. A3."

"It seems to have been a surprise attack on Spirit Field Camp No. A3 led by Li Gui, an Outer Elder of the Longevity Sect, along with several other Foundation Establishment Cultivators from their sect."

"There must have been a Longevity Sect spy hidden within the Spirit Field camp. They prepared an Interference Device beforehand, which prevented Camp No. A3 from sending a timely voice transmission to the main encampment when the attack began. The Alliance didn’t realize something was wrong until Elder Niu’s Life Soul Lamp was extinguished..."

"Then, they used a Tier Two Upper Grade artifact, the Fire Cloud City, to break through the camp’s Guardian Array..."

The man’s explanation continued as the projection flickered on.

A sky full of fire clouds rained down like a meteor shower. Amidst the blaze, Cultivators could be seen locked in combat in mid-air.

It was a group assault—several against one. The besieged Cultivator was clearly the Elder Niu the man had just mentioned.

As for the Cultivators surrounding Elder Niu...

Chu Mu’s gaze narrowed. When he got a clear look at one of their faces, his already uneasy heart sank into an abyss.

One of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators was none other than Zhao Hong, the former Vice Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Outer Hall of Jade Emperor Valley—the father of Zhao Tang, the man he had killed!

BOOM!

In that instant, his previously restrained Cultivation aura erupted from him with explosive force!

Chu Mu’s expression turned glacial, and an indescribable killing intent flooded his being.

This sudden change put everyone on guard. Seeing Chu Mu radiating such murderous intent, Xie Ming grew wary and hesitated before asking, "Fellow Daoist, what is it...?"

"It’s nothing..."

Chu Mu’s face was like ice. After a long moment, he slowly forced out the two words.

The projection flickered on. Xu Yuan’s figure flashed across the screen for a brief moment—he seemed to be fleeing, with someone in hot pursuit...

Then, the projection dissipated, revealing no other useful information.

Now that the truth he had refused to consider was confirmed, Chu Mu became eerily calm, his expression turning to one of sheer indifference.

Only the profound coldness hidden deep within his eyes betrayed his true state of mind.

He began to take inventory of his possessions and abilities, one by one, as if counting family heirlooms.

’Right now, I have no other thought.’

’I just want to send Zhao Hong to meet his precious son.’

’No... that would be letting him off too easily...’

Chu Mu stood up, and the Xie Family Brothers followed suit.

"This Zhao Hong... Fellow Daoist, could you help me find him?"

Chu Mu paused at the door, asking the question as if it were an afterthought.

Xie Ming smiled and patted his chest in assurance. "Don’t worry, Fellow Daoist. It’s no problem at all. I’ll make the arrangements right away."

Chu Mu added, "I have one more thing I must trouble you with, Fellow Daoist."

Xie Ming was surprised, but he certainly wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to get on the good side of an Artifact Refining Master.

"Fellow Daoist, could you help me gather some allies?"

Chu Mu paused for a moment before adding, "The reward will be one Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact per person. I can even take custom orders."

At such a generous offer, Xie Ming’s eyes lit up, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. "How many people do you need, Fellow Daoist?"

Chu Mu smiled, and it was an utterly brilliant smile. "I’ll leave that to your discretion, Fellow Daoist. As for Zhao Hong... I am going to kill him."

Xie Ming’s pupils contracted. As he looked at Chu Mu, his expression was now tinged with a palpable sense of dread.

With those words, how could he not understand? The newly renowned Artifact Refining Master before him intended to kill someone to establish his dominance!

’And with such an extravagant display of power, who could possibly stand in his way?’

He had no doubt that if such a lavish offer were posted as a bounty, Zhao Hong would be hunted to the ends of the earth, with no escape possible.

It was even possible that his own sect brothers from the Longevity Sect might secretly assassinate him to claim the reward!

Xie Ming suppressed his trembling heart and agreed to the request.

Chu Mu said no more. He glanced down at the flickering Life Soul Lamp, then departed with an air of indifference.

’I remember...’ he thought. ’Zhao Tang didn’t just have a father. Zhao Hong’s generation had siblings as well, it seemed. All told, it’s quite a large Clan...’

’When you cut the grass, you must pull out the roots...’

...