Chapter 506: Having Mu Xuan Hun

Chapter 506: Is There... Mysterious Chaos

Riding on Chen Kangbao, the two headed toward Kunling Ferry.

The mountain path was rugged, climbing upward, with ferns often seen by the rocky edges.

But Kunling Ferry was too remote and dangerous for any farmwife to come gathering wild vegetables.

Soon, under the "blessed" state, Chen Kangbao moved swiftly, carrying Qi Yuan to Kunling Ferry.

Kunling Ferry was eerily silent, only the chirping of grass insects could be heard.

"Master, it looks like someone fought here—was that the commotion earlier?" Chen Kangbao pondered, his face fearful as he gazed at the ruins before them.

The entire Kunling Ferry seemed as if split open by a giant's sword.

Mud, swamps, and shrubs were severely damaged; from afar, a foul, rancid smell wafted over.

"Put on my gas mask, and our gear, then carry me inside!" Qi Yuan said.

He was still very weak now.

He couldn't even defeat an ordinary adult.

Crossing such a Kunling Ferry would be like seeking death.

"Alright." Chen Kangbao put on the gas mask.

Qi Yuan also put one on himself; suddenly, he glanced at Chen Kangbao with a strange expression.

"Why do I feel like we're heading to an orgy?"

"Or going up the mountain for one?"

Well, on Blue Star, some people from certain groups often went up the mountain for orgies—whether they wore masks or not, he didn't know.

"What does 'orgy' mean?" Chen Kangbao couldn't help asking.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't. Let's go, we'll enter Kunling Ferry and take a look."

Before coming here, Qi Yuan had prepared many tools and magical artifacts.

All made by himself.

These artifacts and tools were fully equipped and worn; Chen Kangbao carried Qi Yuan as they trudged into Kunling Ferry.

Soon, the two stopped before a puddle.

Yes, a puddle—a trace left behind.

This trace was left by Elder Black Crow; his body had been melted by that light sword, leaving almost nothing behind.

A perfectly fine person, suddenly gone, leaving almost no trace in this world.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan was moved by the scene, his heart filled with grief: "You died so miserably! I can't even properly take care of your legacy, wuwu!"

The legacy was gone, and Qi Yuan was deeply sorrowful.

He had always been eager to help others.

Even if the white moonlight died, he was willing to be the old ox and take care of their legacy.

He wouldn't let their legacy suffer the slightest grievance.

But alas, the bad news came—the enemy was too ruthless, leaving not a single coin behind.

"Master, don't be sad—there's something good over there!" Chen Kangbao pointed to where the Winged Serpent had died.

The Winged Serpent was ultimately much stronger, with plenty of good things on it.

Even dead, it left some legacy.

"What good thing? Am I that kind of person? I'm just worried their belongings aren't being properly taken care of!" Qi Yuan couldn't help saying.

Some people, after killing someone, covet the widow.

Qi Yuan was different—he coveted the widow's belongings.

"Hurry and take me to see; it's so hot, I don't want them to get overheated."

"Alright!"

Chen Kangbao hoisted Qi Yuan onto his back and ran toward the remains of the Winged Serpent.

Compared to the Black Crow, the Winged Serpent left more things behind.

A smooth bone.

A fragment of an Earth-grade magical artifact.

A broken storage artifact.

A wooden box.

The bone was the rebellious bone beneath the Winged Serpent's reverse scales—the hardest part of its body.

When the giant light sword struck, its entire body melted, leaving only this fist-sized bone.

The fragment of the Earth-grade artifact was useless; Qi Yuan picked it up, only good as material.

He was quite hopeful about the storage artifact.

"Hoping for something good."

As a result, when Qi Yuan opened the storage artifact, his face fell with disappointment.

"Empty? Nothing at all?"

Qi Yuan was speechless.

"Such a big storage artifact, and it holds nothing?"

The storage artifact was huge, enough to hold several large trucks.

Yet inside, it was completely empty.

He had no idea what the Winged Serpent used this storage pouch for.

"Ah, not a total loss—a storage artifact like this is worth as much as an Earth-grade artifact, tens of thousands of taels, maybe even over a hundred thousand."

"Don't worry down there; I'll take care of your belongings."

Qi Yuan picked up the storage artifact, his gaze falling on the last wooden box.

The box was made of some unknown material, only the size of a palm.

Under that powerful sword strike, it remained completely intact.

This made Qi Yuan quite expectant.

"This must be a treasure—I've struck gold."

[Strange box, given to you by Guan Zhu, then tricked away by the Black Crow.]

"Wait... this is my box?"

Qi Yuan blinked, his face full of astonishment.

Countless thoughts instantly flooded his mind.

The Radiant Society's Fang Shisan schemed to harm the son-in-law Qi Yuan, all because Qi Yuan had given something to someone else.

Now it seemed, the son-in-law Qi Yuan had indeed given it—given it to the Black Crow.

"My possession..."

Qi Yuan felt no joy in recovering what was lost; instead, he sensed a loss.

"The Winged Serpent traveled a thousand miles, likely to escort this wooden box. The contents must be no ordinary thing."

As if a god descending, Qi Yuan had already gleaned some understanding of the identities of the Winged Serpent and the Black Crow.

Holding the wooden box, Qi Yuan opened it with ease, which surprised him greatly.

After all, this box had withstood a powerful blow without breaking; by all logic, it should not have been so easy to open.

Inside the box lay a wooden token, still as a bookmark.

On the front of the token were carved special patterns, faintly revealing the two characters "You Mu," while the back bore the words "Xuan Hun."

It looked utterly ordinary.

"You Mu... Xuan Hun... What does it mean?" Qi Yuan pondered, but could not decipher it.

[Divine Wood Token, taken from the Divine Wood. Gather three pieces to open the Abyss of Divine Wood.]

"A special game item? Collect them to unlock a dungeon?"

Qi Yuan guessed as much.

This must be a rare item.

He held the Divine Wood Token and examined it closely.

Suddenly, a woman's voice, urgent and sorrowful, came from within the token.

"Flee!"

Just that single word, appearing and vanishing.

Qi Yuan blinked. "Who spoke?"

He used his supernatural ability to converse with the voice he had heard.

But alas, that voice seemed like an auditory hallucination, as if it never existed.

"Was it my imagination?"

"Hey, what did you say? Can you say it again? Flee from what?"

Qi Yuan muttered to himself, but received no answer.

His attention returned to the Divine Wood Token.

His consciousness delved into the token once more.

Suddenly, a string of words caught his eye.

"Who are you? Flee quickly! The Blood of Thorns is hunting down the holders of the Divine Wood Token!"

A chat group?

QQ?

Seeing this, Qi Yuan felt a sense of familiarity.

This Divine Wood Token also had a communication function.

"I am a kitchen knife. Was it you who told me to flee?

What exactly is this Divine Wood Token? Do you know where the Abyss of Divine Wood is?

Do you also have a Divine Wood Token?"

Qi Yuan fired off four questions in a row.

The other side paused for a moment, as if wary.

"You're not from the Blood of Thorns?" The other seemed hesitant.

If it were someone from the Blood of Thorns, they wouldn't need to ask such things.

"No."

"You need to escape immediately. The Blood of Thorns is hunting down the holders of the Divine Wood Token everywhere. In the Azure Mountain Realm, only a few holders are still alive, hiding and fleeing.

Leave the Azure Mountain Realm at once! The Blood of Thorns has too many tendrils there; it's not safe at all!"

The other sounded both urgent and irritated.

"Flee where? I'm still playing the game right now!

I just got this token by killing two old men from the Blood of Thorns. What's it for? Tell me." Qi Yuan began questioning the NPC.

The other fell silent, as if in disbelief.

"You killed someone from the Blood of Thorns and took the Divine Wood Token?"

"Yes."

"..."

"In the Azure Mountain Realm, there is a forbidden place called the Abyss of Divine Wood. It is the only sacred ground for all artifact masters.

Within the Abyss of Divine Wood stands a Divine Wood. Its branches and leaves are the most precious materials for artifact forging in all the world.

Many legendary divine artifacts in the world were forged from the Divine Wood.

The materials of the Divine Wood can even forge existences that surpass divine artifacts!"

The other spoke with fervor, filled with anticipation for the Divine Wood.

"Oh, so it's a treasure vault," Qi Yuan said flatly.

"You are powerful. Leave the Azure Mountain Realm quickly. Do not let the Blood of Thorns get this token of yours. Otherwise... once they gather three tokens, they can enter the Abyss of Divine Wood.

The Blood of Thorns has ambitions. They don't seek to take the Divine Wood's materials; they want to turn the Divine Wood into a spirit!

Once the Divine Wood becomes a spirit, a terrifying spirit beyond divine rank will be born, and the entire Azure Mountain Realm will be destroyed!"

"Oh..." Qi Yuan was very calm.

To the other, this might be a world-ending event.

To Qi Yuan, he had heard too many such things to be moved.

"Does the Blood of Thorns also have a Divine Wood Token?" Qi Yuan asked.

"Yes."

"Then doesn't that mean they can see our conversation?" Qi Yuan asked.

At that moment, a new message appeared before Qi Yuan's eyes.

"Yes, I have been watching you... plotting how to oppose me," spoke the Blood of Thorns operative.

"..." Ji Wuyun.

Qi Yuan was slightly stunned.

It felt like gossiping about someone behind their back in a group, only to find the person right there in the group.

Yet, his skin was thick, a shield of sheer audacity: "What say you we cooperate and venture into the Divine Wood Abyss together?"

Qi Yuan extended the invitation with blunt directness.

The words struck Ji Wuyun dumb, freezing him in his tracks.

Even the operative from the Blood of Thorns displayed an expression of utter disbelief.

"Do not do it! The Blood of Thorns possesses terrifying strength, rumored to even have legendary god-level weapon-wielding masters in their ranks. If we join hands and enter the Divine Wood Abyss, the moment they turn on us, we are as good as dead!" Ji Wuyun pleaded in frantic, anxious haste.

"Brother Kitchen Knife, you are an interesting soul. This cooperation... I assent to it," the operative from the Blood of Thorns spoke up.

"Minority yields to the majority. Shall we go together?" Qi Yuan pressed the invitation.

Ji Wuyun fell silent, offering no further word.

Evidently, he suspected Qi Yuan was also a member of the Blood of Thorns, casting a baited hook.

"Brother Kitchen Knife, if he is unwilling, we two can still make our way to the Divine Wood Abyss first. Who is to say that when the time comes, other bearers of the Divine Wood Token will not appear, granting us entry regardless?" The Blood of Thorns operative extended his own invitation. "By estimation, there are less than two years left until the next opening of the Divine Wood Abyss."

"Splendid. That... I wish to go, but I lack the coin for the journey. Could you spare me some silver for travel expenses?" Qi Yuan sought a free ride without shame.

The Blood of Thorns operative paused slightly before asking, "Where do you reside at present?"

"Do you not already know?" Qi Yuan smiled faintly.

Elder Winged Snake had perished here; it would not be long before the Blood of Thorns received word of this place.

"Very well, Brother Kitchen Knife, wait a brief moment while I consult the register of our Blood of Thorns members.

When the time comes, take the secret token and seek them out.

Once the secret token is spoken, they shall surrender all their savings and silver to you," the Blood of Thorns operative stated with casual indifference.

Clearly, the lives and deaths of those ordinary members meant absolutely nothing to him.

Or perhaps, he was merely far more intrigued by the Divine Wood Token in Qi Yuan's possession.

"Marvelous, my travel expenses are secured," Qi Yuan murmured in delight. "One final inquiry: does your Blood of Thorns possess many elderly men and women who harbor an aversion to bathing?"

"For what reason does Brother Kitchen Knife inquire about such matters?"

"I find myself in short supply of some high-quality, tragic white moonlight figures, alas," Qi Yuan sighed with profound emotion.

"Brother Kitchen Knife surely jests."

The other party spoke no more.

An absolute stillness settled over the communication array; no one rose to answer Qi Yuan's words.

Qi Yuan found himself utterly speechless.

"He who stays silent is a puppy!"

Back within the Heavenly Kun Miraculous Land, he had traded curses with that member of the Holy Light Clan for an age. By now, Qi Yuan's mastery of vitriol was formidable enough to shatter anyone's mental defenses.

"Cease your lurking! I know an old fellow whose urine runs so dark and yellow it could scald the earth; the torrent is about to unleash!"

Having spoken his piece, Qi Yuan turned his gaze upon Chen Kangbao.

Right at that moment, a sudden, strangled cry rang out.

"Wuu... this old servant..."

There stood the elderly Chen Kangbao, his spine hunched over, sinking his teeth into the bone left behind by the Winged Snake with a vicious bite.

Crack!

It was not the sound of bone splintering, but the sound of teeth snapping apart.

Qi Yuan looked over, only to see Chen Kangbao's lips tightly sealed, stained a bruised, dark violet as though he had devoured hundreds of mulberries all at once.

"Young Master... I have been poisoned!" Chen Kangbao's jaws were locked fast, forcing him to squeeze sound from his throat like a croaking toad, his face a mask of absolute, mortal terror.

"You truly will ingest anything. Do you fancy yourself the Desolate Heavenly Emperor?" Qi Yuan stared at Chen Kangbao in exasperation. "Fret not, this toxin is not lethal. It is merely that your mouth... shall remain paralyzed for seven or eight days, unable to open, close, or utter a word."

"Spare me!" Chen Kangbao wailed, a picture of misery.

If that were the case, how was he to partake of sustenance?

Grandfather's belly was starved!

"Quickly, hoist me onto your back and let us depart. If the cohorts of the Blood of Thorns descend upon us, we shall not escape!" Qi Yuan could not be bothered to waste further breath on Chen Kangbao.

Flight was the paramount concern of the hour.

With his current strength yet to recover, he needed to lie low within the Shen Manor. Only when his powers returned would he dare to roam the world at whim.

...

A day passed.

Qi Yuan sat before a mountain of smithing materials, his gaze heavy with complex emotions.

"My body is depleted; even my craftsmanship falls far short of my former days. Old man, come hither and assist me in tempering these materials," Qi Yuan called out to Chen Kangbao.

"Young Master, grant me a moment. This old servant is dining; I shall be there shortly!"

At this juncture, several bowls of porridge and a few plump meat buns rested upon Chen Kangbao's table.

Two straws were thrust into his nostrils, and at this moment, his nose was inhaling with frantic, desperate power.

The cold porridge and the filling of the buns traveled up the straws, entering his nasal passages, descending the esophagus, and slipping into his throat.

Indeed, his mouth being poisoned and locked shut, he was taking his meals through his nose.

(Purely fictional, do not emulate!)

Yet the efficiency of nasal dining was dreadfully poor, and Chen Kangbao was a gluttonous old soul, spending the better part of his day engaged in the act of eating.

"Shall I chisel two more holes into your face?" Qi Yuan muttered, thoroughly exasperated.

Just then, a message flickered into the long-dormant communication array.

"Brother Kitchen Knife, within the State of Ning, our Blood of Thorns counts few members—three hundred and seventy-two in total.

Herein lie their personal details and secret tokens. Guided by this information, find them and speak the cipher; they shall yield all the silver upon their persons to you," the Blood of Thorns operative transmitted.

"My thanks," Qi Yuan replied with a grin.

At this, the lurking Ji Wuyun finally manifested, sending forth a string of question marks.

"???"

"Are you not afraid he will slaughter your Blood of Thorns brethren to seize the silver?"

"Death is merely another form of homecoming. Decades or centuries hence, their corpses shall transfigure into eerie spirits," the Blood of Thorns operative answered smoothly.

Beholding this, Ji Wuyun felt only that both individuals were madmen, possessing minds whose logic defied all human comprehension.

"Many thanks. I shall peruse the list now to see who abides closest to my path, and set forth to borrow some silver at once," Qi Yuan remarked casually.