"What?! You killed a Heavenly Yuan master?" Mu Tao exclaimed.
The girl's words caused a stir of astonishment.
"That's right," Mu Zi nodded.
"How is that possible?" Mu Tao was flustered, as if his world had been shaken.
Li Yan's strength was comparable to his own. If she could defeat him, did that mean...
"Little Zi, are you seeing things?" he asked.
Mu Tian suddenly stared at her with exaggerated surprise and reached for her forehead.
"Maybe you're sick?"
Mu Zi irritably pushed his hand away and casually retorted:
"Li Yan was just too weak. I hadn't even warmed up, and he already collapsed."
"Uh..." Everyone exchanged glances, stunned.
Seeing their disbelief, Mu Zi sighed:
"I'm telling the truth, why don't you believe me?"
Everyone remained silent.
"I believe her!" a voice suddenly broke the silence.
All eyes turned to the speaker.
Mu Lingsha took a deep breath and slowly said:
"Junior Sister is indeed very strong. Her power far surpasses mine."
Mu Tian shook his head:
"So what? Lingsha, niece, what's your own strength?"
Mu Lingsha: "..."
Her fists clenched with admiration!
Suddenly, Mu Tao attacked without warning. Yuan power swirled, and his palm shot towards Mu Zi.
Mu Zi smiled slightly, summoned her Yuan power, and met the blow.
Bang!
After the collision, Mu Zi retreated a few steps, while Mu Tao, to everyone's astonishment, staggered back half a step.
"This..."
She was able to block him? Such strength was beyond even Mu Yun and Mu Tian.
"Mid-stage Earth Yuan!" someone gasped.
Hadn't Mu Zi just entered Earth Yuan two months ago? How had she broken through again?
"Clan Leader, sneak attacks aren't the best habit," Mu Zi chuckled, stabilizing herself.
Her smile made Mu Tao tense, sensing something ominous.
In the next instant, a dazzling seal flared before her, its powerful waves making Mu Tao's blood run cold.
"Little Zi, what are you doing? Cough-cough, put that away!" he said hastily, forcing a sheepish smile to defuse the situation.
Under his shocked gaze, the girl dispersed the Heavy Yuan Seal.
This scene stirred up a storm in the hearts of all present. Mu Zi was indeed capable of threatening a Heavenly Yuan master!
"Little Zi... she started cultivating less than a year ago?" someone whispered.
Everyone gasped, not believing their ears.
What monstrous talent?! Even the legendary genius of the Great Yan Dynasty, Lin Langtian, could hardly compare to her!
"This must not be divulged!" Mu Tao came to his senses, his face serious.
Such incredible talent, if word got out, would bring countless troubles to the Mu estate.
Fortunately, Mu Zi's gift was not yet widely known.
Although she shone brightly in the trial, it was merely a display at the Body Tempering level—a trifle that other powers wouldn't pay attention to.
And her victories over Earth and Heavenly Yuan masters were only witnessed by Mu Lingsha. If the elder sister kept silent, no one outside would know that such an outstanding genius had appeared in the Mu estate.
Mu Zi nodded slightly, agreeing with the leader. She didn't intend to deliberately hide, but reducing trouble for the Mu estate was her duty.
"I'm going on a journey," she suddenly announced.
Mu Yun and the others flinched, but then their faces showed understanding.
With her current strength, there was no point in staying in the Mu estate anymore. It was time to conquer the outside world.
But no one expected this day to come so soon.
Mu Lingsha clenched her fists, staring intently at the girl. Her heart swelled with joy and pride, but within that joy lurked a poignant pain.
The fledgling she had carefully protected all these years was finally ready to spread its wings and fly?
How she didn't want to let her go!
At this thought, Mu Lingsha's eyes welled up.
"Uh..." she managed to utter.
Mu Zi felt the atmosphere in the hall become heavy and was bewildered. Had these people misunderstood something?
"I'm not leaving forever," she gently reassured them. "This time, I'll only be traveling a short distance, just around Qingyang."
Joking aside, was a Heavenly Yuan master really that strong? It was only enough to rule in Qingyang. Would she really travel a thousand miles to join the Taiqing Nine Heavens Palace?
Risk and reward go hand in hand. Some benefits are alluring, but without strength, they're just empty dreams.
Mu Zi wasn't going to put herself in excessive danger—she wasn't a child of destiny, after all.
"During these travels, I will eliminate all the bandits," she declared.
When she finished, the Mu estate would be able to enjoy peace and quiet.
Her words slightly eased the tension.
But deep down, everyone understood: the day of farewell was inevitable.
Mu Zi left behind several scrolls with fourth-rank martial techniques and some Yang Yuan stones, after which she left the Mu estate, setting out on a campaign against the bandit forces.
Two months passed.
During this time, she wiped out all the bandit lairs in the surrounding area, big and small.
In each lair, Mu Zi killed masters of the Earth Yuan level and above. The remaining Body Tempering bandits, deprived of their leaders, disbanded their gangs and sought new paths in life.
Most bandit forces were weak, with only Earth Yuan masters. But within a hundred li radius, there were also several gangs ruled by Heavenly Yuan masters.
During this time, Mu Zi defeated five Heavenly Yuan masters: four at the early stage and one at the mid-stage.
It's worth noting that the mid-stage Heavenly Yuan master was truly strong, and Mu Zi had to work hard to defeat him.
Because she always operated in a black cloak, a legend of the "Hero in the Black Cloak" gradually spread in the vicinity of Qingyang.
Qingyang City, Trade Plaza.
That day, Lin Dong leisurely walked through the bustling streets, idly observing the commotion around the market stalls.
Lin Zhentian had recently gone into seclusion to break through to the Dan Yuan level, and Lin Dong found himself with some free time.
Moreover, he had just reached the mid-stage Heavenly Yuan, and his training had slowed a bit, so he decided to stroll through the market in search of something interesting.
Walking through the crowd, he caught snippets of conversation.
"Heard about it? The Hero in the Black Cloak has appeared!"
"Of course! Who doesn't know about the Hero in the Black Cloak? In two months, he (or she!) annihilated dozens of bandit gangs—that's power!"
"Exactly, the area around Qingyang hasn't been this peaceful in a long time. Now you can even walk around the underground market without a mask."
Lin Dong glanced at the bamboo hat in his hands and chuckled awkwardly.
"Who do you think this Hero in the Black Cloak is?" someone asked.
"I'm sure it's a huge brute, eight chi tall, with a massive sword! Wherever he goes, bandits scatter in fear!"
"And I think it's a refined young man from a noble family, traveling in search of adventure, ready to help the weak."
"What if a beautiful girl is hiding under the cloak? If so, she's my dream!"
"Oh, come on! You've been reading too many fairy tales! To me, the Hero in the Black Cloak is an elder at the Dan Yuan level."
Lin Dong, though surprised, quickly dismissed these thoughts. He was practical and not interested in rumors.
Walking deeper into the underground market, he paused in surprise.
The people around openly showed their faces, not hiding at all.
Was this really an underground market?
Lin Dong hesitated but took off his bamboo hat—hiding his face now would only attract attention.
As he walked through the market, he carefully examined the stalls.
Suddenly, as his gaze swept across one of them, the mental energy in his Nirvana Palace trembled.
He looked closer: an old piece of wood, covered in moss. Vague runes were visible through it. Lin Dong realized—these symbols were what triggered his spiritual power's response.
He walked closer and reached out his hand towards the wood.
But at the moment his fingers almost touched it, a slender white hand appeared in his field of vision and at the same time firmly grasped the same piece.
Lin Dong looked up and met a pair of lively, sparkling eyes.