Sand-Grass Hidden Domain

Mu gazed toward the Mountain of the End hidden beyond the horizon, his expression flickering with a hint of complexity before he continued speaking to Ye Chen:

"I don't know what the fragment world you came from was like, but the fragment world you are in now is called the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain."

Mu introduced the transit point of his current journey to Ye Chen in a friendly tone.

"The landscape here is mostly composed of grasslands, forests, and lakes. The plants are incredibly lush, but animals are pitifully scarce, and no indigenous civilization has ever developed here, so I am essentially the master of this small world."

"Beyond that, this world is governed by specific temporal laws. A twenty-four-hour day is fixed at eighteen hours of daylight and six hours of darkness. All plants only emerge from the ground to conduct life activities during the daylight hours; once night falls, they are suppressed by the power of the darkness. If they remain exposed to the air for too long, they will wither and die, so they are forced to burrow into the soil to hide and hibernate."

"When that time comes, the entire world will no longer look as it does before your eyes. All the grasslands and forests will turn into a desert of barren hills. That is precisely why I gave it the name Sand-Grass Hidden Domain—it's quite descriptive, isn't it?"

Ye Chen silently observed the grassland scenery in every direction and nodded his head stiffly, clearly in no mood to joke around with Mu.

"We are currently on our way to the Sun-Moon Mountain Range. If nothing goes wrong, it should take about half a month to arrive."

Mu continued to add further explanation for Ye Chen.

"I will be carrying you forward during this period, so you don't need to worry; just get some good rest."

Hearing these reliable words from Mu, a look of gratitude appeared in Ye Chen's eyes, though he couldn't help but ask a question filled with concern:

"Grandpa Mu, that Abyss Monster from earlier—you definitely killed it and destroyed its core, right?"

Upon hearing this, Mu nodded at Ye Chen with a calm expression.

"Mm, you don't need to worry. I am naturally well aware of the regenerative properties and vital weak points of these abyssal creatures."

"Although this monster from the abyss was already mangled beyond recognition when I struck, in my estimation, it should be a native abyssal creature known as an Abyss Walker."

"This type of species doesn't possess strong individual combat power, but it has an exceptionally keen perception of spatial fluctuations. Furthermore, it can freely split and recombine its own body."

Ye Chen paused for a moment, then asked again in a serious tone:

"Then, Grandpa Mu, what level must I reach to be qualified to deal with one?"

Mu scanned Ye Chen from head to toe, then answered calmly:

"You are currently at the First Nightmare Realm, right? Once you have experienced three more dream realms, you will be fully capable of handling them."

Hearing this, Ye Chen lowered his head in silence, lost in thought.

(To think I still have to experience three more nightmares.)

(The gap between it and me is actually this vast.)

(In the end, I am still far too weak.)

Thinking of this, Ye Chen let out a sigh of helplessness.

Across the vast grassland, a towering wave of green surged toward the distant mountains at a steady pace.

At the crest of this wave, which was woven from countless vines, stood two figures.

One was an old man whose body was covered in colorful plants, and the other was a youth draped in a gold-and-black cloak.

The temperature in the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain during the day was far higher than in the Eternal Winter Hidden Domain, so Ye Chen did not need to continue wearing his heavy wolf-skin coat, which provided such powerful insulation.

However, according to Mu, once night fell, the local temperature would plummet, so Ye Chen would still need to take measures to stay warm when the time came.

"Hey."

Mu stood at Ye Chen's side and used his Space Storage technique to retrieve a large pot, several ingredients, and a pile of dry firewood from a wooden shard. He then busied himself in a flurry of activity before humming an unknown tune with a joyful expression.

"Mm-hmm-hmm-hmm~"

Following that, the old man actually began to cook over a fire on the surface of the vine cluster. The vines beneath the firewood remained completely unaffected by the high heat and sparks, their surface remaining as smooth and level as ever from start to finish.

The sight was so bizarre and incongruous that Ye Chen was left stunned. He couldn't help but guess that the massive cluster of vines beneath him might be a product of Mu's Innate Spirit Art, which was why it remained undisturbed by ordinary flames.

Mu busied himself on the vines for a long while before finally scooping a bowl of thick mushroom and vegetable soup from the large pot and walking toward Ye Chen with overflowing enthusiasm.

"Come! Ye Chen, this is my specialty dish. Eat it while it's hot! You're still growing, and vitamins are absolutely essential!"

Mu laughed heartily as he handed the steaming bowl of soup to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen looked at the greenish soup and the large, plump mushrooms, then glanced at the cluster of mushrooms atop Mu's head.

Even though he knew full well that these weren't ingredients Mu had plucked directly from his own head, the corner of his eye still couldn't help but twitch a few times.

Although Ye Chen had already taken some emergency rations prepared by Lyle from his handkerchief to fill his stomach a short while ago, seeing the old man go through all this trouble just to make him a meal, he couldn't bring himself to refuse such kindness. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept it.

"Tha-thank you."

Ye Chen held the wooden bowl and forced a stiff smile at Mu. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at the mushrooms in the soup and downed the liquid along with the ingredients in several large gulps.

The soup was rich and savory, the vegetables were crisp, and the mushrooms were bouncy; with a gentle bite, the unique, fragrant juices of the fungi seeped out. Paired with the moderate amount of salt blended into the broth, it was completely different from the terrifying flavor the youth had imagined, possessing a unique, distinct taste that didn't belong to the Eternal Winter Hidden Domain.

After tasting it, Ye Chen's eyes brightened slightly, and his appetite was completely opened up.

"Hehehe, no need to rush, little one, there's plenty more!"

Seeing Ye Chen's eating pace become more enthusiastic, Mu's expression grew even more joyful and high-spirited, and he immediately scooped several more bowls of mushroom and vegetable soup for Ye Chen.

Happy New Year to all my readers! Don't go out much, stay home! Let's get through this flu together!