Chương 218: Chapter 107: Suspicion Takes Root, First Meeting with the Mu Family Ancestor

Reyn stepped out of the Azure Jade Palace, a radiance of joyful surprise crafted across his face. He passed by several Mu Family cultivators, their gazes filled with deep reverence as they bowed their heads, watching him walk rapidly outward. But the instant he rounded a stone corridor and cleared the line of sight of every single Mu Family guard, the joyous mask vanished entirely. His expression darkened to a grim, icy shade, and his brow furrowed tightly into a heavy crease.

"The moment I set foot inside the Azure Jade Palace, Mu Yunshen showed up right on my heels," Reyn thought, his mind racing with intense suspicion.

"There is something deeply wrong with this timing. There must be an underlying motive here!"

"Mu Yunshen couldn't possibly know that I succeeded in securing the Artifact Spirit of the Azure Jade Palace. Calculating logically, for him to rush over with such desperate haste leaves only one viable explanation—he is watching me!" Arriving at this unsettling conclusion, Reyn's complexion grew even more menacing. A cold, lethal spark flared deep within his pupils, shimmering with sharp murder intent before gradually subsiding into suppressed calm.

"I don't know what grand scheme they're running yet, but the Mu Family's actions are thoroughly tainted with hidden peril. Once I solidify my Foundation Establishment cultivation, I must leave this place immediately. Staying any longer will invite disaster!" Reyn took several long, measured breaths, forcibly quelling the rising tide of unease inside his chest.

With a subtle flick of his Primordial Soul, he dispatched a silent divine sense message down into the deep recesses of his consciousness, reaching out toward the Little Divine Hall.

"Now that you are back inside your primary body, how do you feel?" A brief pause ensued before the wild, boisterous laughter of the Little Divine Hall erupted within his mind.

"Bwahaha! It feels absolutely fantastic! Though I was gone for so long, nothing beats being back inside my own body! Ah, total bliss!" Reyn remained silent for a breath before asking in a flat tone, "How long will it take for you to fully restore your true power?"

"Two months at the fastest, six months at the longest. Why do you ask?" The Little Divine Hall seemed slightly bewildered by the urgency.

"Aren't you planning on staying with the Mu Family for three whole years? You have more than enough time! Heh heh, once this divine spirit regains its peak splendor, you will finally understand what the grandest treasure under heaven truly is. Leaving Xiao Gu aside for a second, even at its current level, I could easily flatten that kid, Little Brick!"

Ever since this arrogant spirit laid eyes upon the Heaven-Turning Seal, it had shamelessly taken to calling it 'Little Brick'—no doubt a desperate attempt to satisfy its own delicate ego. The poor Heaven-Turning Seal had only recently birthed a consciousness, and in its hazy, nascent state, it had unwittingly been slapped with this utterly thuggish moniker. Hearing its jovial tone, Reyn didn't display the slightest amusement. His voice turned gravity-heavy as he warned, "My instincts are screaming right now.

Something terrible is brewing here. Waste no time—you must fully recover within two months. Only then will I have enough capital to protect myself if everything goes to hell." The Little Divine Hall fell silent for a short moment before grumbling back, "Dammit! I just reconnected with my body and wanted to take a nice nap, but you won't even give me a break! Is this any way to treat a divine artifact spirit?! Fine, fine! I'll push myself to the limit.

Even if I don't sleep or rest a single second, I will definitely restore my power to full strength within two months!" With those final words, its ethereal voice faded away completely. Reyn exhaled softly, feeling a slight reduction in the tension clutching his heart. Having managed to return the Little Divine Hall to its primary form just moments before Mu Yunshen's sudden appearance, he had successfully secured an extra life-saving trump card.

So long as he could navigate through the next two months without triggering an open confrontation, he would possess sufficient strength to retreat safely from any lethal trap the Mu Family might lay.... The Hall of Ten Thousand Longevities—the private secluded cultivation retreat of the Mu Family Ancestor, Mu Daguang—stood as the absolute forbidden zone of the entire Mu territory.

Without explicit permission directly from the Ancestor himself, no person, regardless of status, dared to step foot inside its precincts.

"Disciple Reyn, acting upon your summons, has arrived to pay respects to Master!" Reyn stood tall outside the towering gates of the Hall of Ten Thousand Longevities. Sensing the suffocating, oppressive aura quietly radiating from deep within the grand structure, he took a slow, deep breath, bent his waist, and bowed with flawless formal respect. Moments later, the ethereal, echoing voice of the Manifest Saint reverberated out from all directions.

It sounded as though he was whispering right beside one's ear, yet simultaneously felt separated by ten thousand mountains and endless rivers.

"Disciple Reyn, your Master has been waiting for you. Step inside at once." Entwined within that spoken phrase was a profound, mysterious cadence of the Great Dao. The sheer weight of the aura naturally induced an instinctive urge inside any listener to bow down and offer absolute submission. Reyn's eyes flickered imperceptibly, suppressing the unnatural urge. Maintaining a calm exterior, he lifted his boots and began ascending the sweeping stone stairs, striding forward into the palace entrance. Creak!

The grand double doors of the hall swung wide open without human touch. Standing just inside was a young cultivator around seventeen or eighteen years of age. His face possessed the flawless purity of polished jade, his frame slender and remarkably tall. A gentle smile played on his lips as his gaze fixed upon Reyn.

"I am Mu Nianxing of the Mu Family. Greetings, Senior Brother Reyn." The young man clasped his hands together in a polite, graceful greeting. The warm, serene smile lingering around his lips was so disarmingly pleasant that anyone meeting him would involuntarily hold him in high regard.

Yet, for reasons he could not immediately grasp, despite this young man projecting an air of refined, humble friendliness, the moment Reyn's gaze fell upon him, a deep-seated instinctual aversion surged within his soul, bordering on faint disgust. Reyn secretly frowned inside, uncertain why his instincts reacted with such revulsion. On the surface, however, he gave away nothing, returning a casual smile and clasping his hands in reply.

"Junior Brother Mu's grand reputation precedes you; I have heard of your talents for quite some time. Seeing you today, you truly live up to the name—a dragon among men, extraordinarily gifted." As he spoke, Reyn's eyes swept over Mu Nianxing, evaluating him with practiced scrutiny. Deep down, he couldn't help but acknowledge the youth's remarkable bearing—what an extraordinarily handsome and commanding figure!

Setting aside the mysterious gut revulsion that clung to his heart, objectively speaking, Reyn could not spot a single flaw or weakness in the youth's physical presence. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Mu Nianxing was the undisputed pinnacle genius of the Mu Family's current generation. At the tender age of nineteen, his cultivation had already reached Late Foundation Establishment. He was truly a supreme prodigy bestowed by the heavens.

Training directly under the Mu Family Ancestor himself, he carried the grand hopes and expectations of every single cultivator within the entire Mu Family!

"Senior Brother Reyn, you flatter me far too much. I was merely fortunate enough to be born into the Mu Family, which is the sole reason I possess my current level of cultivation today. Had I been born in a backwater region like the North Yue State as Senior Brother was, I would undoubtedly lag far behind you." Mu Nianxing smiled faintly, speaking candidly without the slightest reservation.

"Furthermore, Senior Brother Reyn, you entered the grand Dao of cultivation a mere two years ago, yet you have already attained such terrifying prowess. Your latent talent far surpasses my own. In truth, I hold deep admiration for you in my heart." After the grand congratulations from a thousand sects, Reyn's past background and life history were thoroughly investigated by the various sects across all provinces!

In particular, the revelation that Reyn had achieved his current terrifying cultivation level in a mere two short years left every cultivator who learned of it completely shocked and awestruck! Those who harbored secret grudges or ill intentions in the dark no longer dared to make a single move against him. After all, with such a monstrous speed of cultivation, barring any fatal accidents, reaching the Golden Core stage would be child's play, and even forming a Nascent Soul was highly probable!

Under such circumstances, no one was foolish enough to forge an enemy out of a future powerhouse. Hearing these words, Reyn felt a subtle flicker of surprise in his heart. He silently mused that Mu Nianxing possessed quite a candid and free-spirited demeanor. Consequently, the slight aversion Reyn had previously held toward him dissipated by a few degrees.

"Our Ancestor is currently waiting. Senior Brother Reyn, please follow me." Mu Nianxing extended a hand in a welcoming gesture, turning to lead the way into the deeper recesses of the grand hall. Yet, in the exact instant his body turned away, his brows twitched upward into a subtle frown, a trace of gloom flashing deep within his eyes. With a faint smile playing on the corner of his lips, Reyn followed close behind him.

Although the interior lighting within the Hall of Ten Thousand Longevities was naturally dim and shadowy, a deep-sea luminous pearl the size of an adult fist was embedded into the walls every few zhang. Their bright yet soft, non-glaring radiance illuminated the entire sanctuary so clearly that even the finest dust particles were rendered visible. The two walked forward through the hall for a brief moment before arriving in front of a massive stone door.

Mu Nianxing halted his steps, a heavy and solemn expression covering his face as he turned back to remind Reyn, "This place is the secluded chamber where our Ancestor cultivates. Once we step inside, Senior Brother Reyn, please ensure you do not breach proper etiquette." Upon hearing this, Reyn adopted a disciplined and earnest expression, nodding slowly in understanding. Yet at that exact moment, a gentle voice infused with a light touch of playful banter suddenly echoed from behind the stone door.

"Back in the Trial Realm, you dared to bargain with this This Seat and even pressed me step-by-step. What, little fellow, are you telling me you actually know how to feel fear now?" Hearing these words, a flash of awkwardness crossed Reyn's face. He let out two dry chuckles, wisely refraining from giving a direct reply. Mu Nianxing offered a subtle smile and pushed open the stone door, allowing the two of them to enter one after the other.

The moment Reyn stepped inside, his eyes were instantly drawn toward a man seated cross-legged upon a meditation cushion. The man appeared to be in his early forties, with subtle threads of white hair showing at his temples. His visage looked remarkably youthful—if not for those white streaks at his temples, one might mistake him for a young cultivator in his twenties.

Yet, the waves of ancient, weathered aura radiating continuously from his body made him resemble a twilight elder who had witnessed countless millennia pass. This man was none other than the Mu Family Ancestor, the formidable Nascent Soul cultivator with vast divine abilities—Mu Daguang! After a swift glance over the man, Reyn immediately lowered his gaze, dropping respectfully to his knees on the ground.

"Disciple Reyn pays respects to Master!" Their master-disciple relationship had already been established, a fact known to everyone across the cultivation world of the Zhao Kingdom, yet this was the very first time the two of them had met face-to-face. Mu Daguang's eyes settled on Reyn as a faint smile touched the corners of his mouth. He nodded lightly and spoke, "Get up."

"Yes!" Reyn stood up and stepped to the side with hands lowered by his sides, his demeanor impeccably reverent. Mu Daguang's every word and movement appeared gentle, without the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy emanating from his frame. However, an invisible, omnipresent aura radiated silently from deep within his body. Gentle though it seemed, it was more than enough to instill absolute awe and veneration in any cultivator, driving away even the faint thought of disrespect.

"There is no need for such constraint. Since you have entered my lineage, so long as you cultivate diligently in the future, the day will surely come when you transform into a soaring dragon rising into the heavens," Mu Daguang stated calmly, his words carrying a profound weight.

"To be accepted under Master's tutelage is a blessing accumulated from my past lives. I will certainly devote all my strength to cultivation and will never bring dishonor to Master's name," Reyn replied respectfully. Mu Daguang nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with Reyn's response. But as his eyes swept over Reyn once more, his pupils constricted sharply, suddenly unleashing a terrifying beam of divine light! Reyn's heart jolted in shock.

In an instant, he felt as if every layer of his being were being laid bare under that piercing gaze, and a layer of cold sweat instantly drenched his back. He harbored far too many secrets within his body—the mysterious Golden Seal, Yu Meiren's dormant Primordial Soul, and the mark of ownership for Little Divine Hall. If any single one of these secrets were exposed, it would invite unimaginable peril and unending trouble. Fortunately, after a brief moment, Mu Daguang retracted his terrifying gaze.

Though his brows knit together slightly, his expression revealed no peculiar change. Only then did Reyn secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

"Disciple Reyn, I have a question for you. Answer truthfully without a single lie, or you shall face severe punishment," Mu Daguang said, giving Reyn a deep, searching look before demanding in a grave voice, "Tell this This Seat—why is it that you have yet to achieve Foundation Establishment, yet your spiritual power rivals that of a peak Late Foundation Establishment cultivator, and your Primordial Soul strength is not the least bit inferior even when compared to a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator?"

He has not achieved Foundation Establishment! Upon hearing those words, Mu Nianxing snapped his head up abruptly, his gaze locking onto Reyn in utter disbelief! This man... had actually not yet established his foundation! Which meant that right now, he was still merely a Qi Condensation cultivator!

Yet, his divine abilities and raw combat power were already sufficient to suppress the top talents across all eight provinces, cementing his position as the undisputed number one young cultivator in the entire North Yue State! Had he not heard this directly from his Ancestor's lips, he would never have believed such an absurdity in a million years! Hearing the question, Reyn actually felt a wave of relief wash over his heart.

A trace of bitterness surfaced on his face as he replied slowly, "In truth, Master, even if you had not asked, your disciple intended to lay bare the full truth before you. My primary purpose in coming to the Mu Family in the first place was precisely to seek a method for Foundation Establishment." Reyn had no intention of hiding this matter to begin with, and now that Mu Daguang was inquiring, he seized the opportunity to address his plight.

He laid out his entire predicament—how he had been trapped in Qi Condensation despite accumulating vast energy and could never breach the bottleneck—omitting only the secret that he possessed no natural Spirit Root and relied entirely on medicinal pills to boost his cultivation. Everything else he disclosed was completely genuine and unreserved. Having spoken his piece, Reyn could not help but look up, a tinge of eager anticipation flashing deep within his eyes.