However, Chen Mu had clearly underestimated the Thunder Gate Sword Cultivation technique.
He had underestimated the power of Max-Level Comprehension even more.
He truly hadn't expected an action taken on a whim to trigger the Heaven-and-Earth Phenomenon.
Thunderclouds covered everything within sight!
The atmosphere was oppressive.
At those words, before anyone had time to doubt him, they clearly saw the heavenly lightning condense into a sword just as it was about to reach Chen Mu, then hover before him.
Chen Mu pressed his ring finger and little finger down with his thumb, holding his index and middle fingers straight together like a sword.
His fingertips traced through the air, and the longsword, brimming with vast thunderous might, obediently followed.
His gaze flicked toward a barren mountain in the distance.
Chen Mu gave his fingers a gentle sweep.
Whoosh!
The lightning sword sliced through the long night, leaving a trail that seemed to rend the sky as it shot straight toward the barren mountain.
It moved so fast that the naked eye could barely follow it.
Rumble!
With a deafening crash, tremors surged up through the ground beneath their feet, so powerful that everyone could feel them clearly.
Their gazes hurried after it, and they clearly saw that the thousand-meter barren mountain that should have stood there had now been razed to the ground!
It shattered, its fragments turning to dust as they flew in every direction!
The particles were too fine to see.
"Which of you is confident you could block that sword strike?"
"Are you joking? The strongest among us is only an Innate Martial Master. How could we possibly block it?"
"That's outrageous! By my estimate, you'd have to be at least a peak Martial Saint, or even in the Human Immortal Realm, to withstand the young master's strike!"
"Is this the terrifying power of talent and hard work?"
Talent? Hard work?
Hearing people use those two terms to describe him, Chen Mu could only think, If you say so, then sure...
Look at it from another angle.
Wasn't being willing to pick up a cultivation manual and give it a few extra glances a kind of hard work, too?
At least Chen Mu himself felt that he worked quite hard.
What others thought was their business. He didn't care, and it mattered even less.
"Still, that sword strike consumed far too much spiritual energy." Chen Mu felt as though... he had been drained dry, his entire body limp and powerless.
[Signing in...] [Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host! You have obtained an Infinite Dantian!]
An Infinite Dantian?
After checking the details, Chen Mu learned what it did.
This Infinite Dantian could store limitless spiritual energy from heaven and earth. He would no longer need to worry about a storage limit or having to gather spiritual energy all over again once he exhausted his reserves.
Moreover, the Infinite Dantian absorbed spiritual energy more than a hundred times faster than an ordinary person!
That meant Chen Mu would never again have to worry about consuming spiritual energy.
He felt spiritual energy pouring ceaselessly into his dantian, as though a voracious taotie lived within it. As it steadily filled, the weakness in his limbs swiftly vanished.
"Nicely done."
System: [Hehe, thank you for the praise, host. This system is only doing its duty~]
Hehe?
So the system could laugh, too?
Chen Mu found that rather interesting.
"Fear not, young master! Your old servant is here!"
Hearing the voice, Chen Mu closed the virtual panel before him and looked over.
The speaker was a Human Immortal Realm expert from the Tianyuan Holy Land.
Seeing that Chen Mu was unharmed, the elder immediately let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! Thank goodness you're all right, young master. You nearly scared this old servant to death."
Then his expression changed, and he flew into a rage. "What blind fool dared cause trouble in the Tianyuan Holy Land? If you hurt the young master, how many lives would you have to pay for it?!"
They watched him plant both hands on his hips, raise his head, and curse at the heavens.
Everyone exchanged glances before finally bursting into laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" the elder asked, looking at one of them.
"Elder, the person who caused the Heaven-and-Earth Phenomenon was actually the young master," the disciple explained.
"What? The young master caused the Heaven-and-Earth Phenomenon?" The elder was utterly astonished and seriously suspected the disciple was joking with him.
"Elder Mo, I can testify that everything he said is true." Chen Yu stepped forward.
"..." At those words, Elder Mo fell silent. He had known Chen Mu possessed peerless talent, but he had never imagined that Chen Mu could become this terrifyingly powerful.
How many days had it been since the rumors that he had awakened a worthless talent?
If he had achieved this in just a few days, how staggering would he become after a year, ten years, a hundred years...?
By then, even the Tianyuan Ancestor himself would likely have to admit his inferiority!
"Cousin, I only just gave you this Thunder Gate Sword Cultivation technique. How did you...?"
Faced with Chen Yu's question as he approached, Chen Mu looked embarrassed, unsure how to explain.
His mind raced before he came up with an excuse. "Comprehension was part of it, but a remnant of the Thunder Gate Ancestor's soul was actually hidden inside this Thunder Gate Sword Cultivation manual. He passed his cultivation on to me. That's why I progressed so quickly."
He spun the excuse effortlessly, delivering it without blushing or his heart skipping a beat—a performance worthy of a best actor award.
"I see. Heaven truly does favor you, cousin." Chen Yu was sincerely happy for Chen Mu.
Chen Mu chuckled without saying anything.
He was worried they would keep breaking the pot to get to the bottom of it.
"The Thunder Gate Ancestor! This is the Thunder Gate Sword Cultivation technique?" Elder Mo, who had been lost in thought for quite some time, abruptly came back to his senses at that name.
"Yes." Chen Mu nodded in confirmation.
"To think the young master has mastered such a legendary cultivation technique! Heaven truly favors the young master and our Tianyuan Holy Land! Congratulations, young master!" The elder cupped his hands.
"Heaven favors the young master! Heaven favors our Tianyuan Holy Land!"
"Heaven favors the young master! Heaven favors our Tianyuan Holy Land!"
The disciples followed his example, shouting in unison.
Chen Mu recalled how these people, despite the misunderstanding, had stepped forward without hesitation, resolutely risking being smashed to pieces to shield him from the heavenly lightning.
He felt it would be inexcusable not to do something.
This was a perfect chance to win their hearts!
There were 534 people present. Chen Mu took out 534 Ninth-Grade Dragon Blood Pills and, with a sweep of his hand, sent one into each person's hands.
"Th-these are ninth-grade pills?"
"What a powerful medicinal aura!"
"Heavens! Just smelling it, I can feel the spiritual energy inside me increasing! It's boiling!"
"Wait! Unless I'm mistaken, these pills seem to contain dragon blood!"
"Dragon Blood Pills! Ninth-grade? Good heavens!"
"He's simply giving us extraordinary pills that people can only stumble upon, never seek out? I have to repay the young master!"
Once they realized just what kind of pill they held, quite a few felt their legs go weak.
"These pills are a reward for your resolve to brave boiling water and raging fire for me," Chen Mu said.
"Thank you for your reward, young master! This disciple would gladly spill his blood and brains for you!"
"Thank you for your reward, young master! This disciple would gladly spill his blood and brains for you!"
Thanking me?
No, I should be thanking you.
[Ninth-Grade Dragon Blood Pills successfully bestowed! Hundredfold rebate triggered. Congratulations, host! You have obtained Ninth-Grade Dragon Blood Pills × 53,400!]
Whatever else might be said, getting a hundred times back on everything he gave away felt absolutely fantastic!
"Young master, this old servant has a favor to ask."
After some hesitation, Elder Mo still approached Chen Mu and spoke.
Before you continue