Elder Mu

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Lord of Black King City

Elder Mu cultivated around Black King City from the time he gained awareness. Five hundred years before the main events involving him, he entered the True Martial Realm and became city lord. Three hundred years before his submission to Zhou Qiong, a passing great demon frightened him with a single glance—an encounter he later recalled when Zhou Qiong threatened his life 41.

Despite being Black King City’s strongest cultivator, Elder Mu rarely involved himself in its affairs. Eight major factions consequently shared practical control of the city, including rotating control of the ascension square every ten years and forcing newly ascended cultivators to work for them 34.

Three-Thousandth Birthday

Elder Mu hosted representatives of the city’s major and minor powers for his three-thousandth birthday. He welcomed Zhou Qiong despite the Demon Sect’s conflict with Long Chang, then allowed him to claim Long Chang’s former seat after dispersing the pressure Zhou Qiong released over the hall 34 35.

Zhou Qiong identified Elder Mu’s true form and cultivation bottleneck, then presented him with half a drop of Immortal Spirit Marrow. Unlike the other birthday gifts, the marrow made Elder Mu rise immediately and offer personal thanks. In return, he arranged a special immortal peach for Zhou Qiong; eating it raised Zhou Qiong’s cultivation by one minor stage and prompted him to covet both the peaches and their source 35 36.

After the qualification competition, Elder Mu led the factions to the waterfall concealing the Kongtong Secret Realm. He announced that the qualifying Profound Understanding cultivators would enter first, followed by Eternal Realm participants six hours later 37.

Submission to the Demon Sect

While the contestants explored the secret realm, Elder Mu consumed the marrow in seclusion. Although he failed to break through, he was satisfied that it had made eventual advancement possible 41.

When Zhou Qiong returned, Elder Mu congratulated him on what he believed was entry into the True Martial Realm. He reluctantly agreed to surrender Black King City, but angrily rejected the additional demand that he become a Demon Sect protector. His attempt to leave ended when Zhou Qiong locked onto him with saber intent. Convinced that moving would mean death, Elder Mu submitted 41.

On Zhou Qiong’s orders, Elder Mu mobilized the city lord’s soldiers against the remaining hostile factions. The estate destroyed the Blue Rain Clan, Ghost Clan, Ox-Headed Clan, One-Eyed Clan, and Great River Gang; the Red Fox Clan escaped beforehand. The following morning, an official notice announced Elder Mu’s appointment as protector and Black King City’s incorporation into the Demon Sect 41 42.

Service as Protector

At the Demon Sect’s rear mountains, Elder Mu supplied Bai Haotian with two successive batches of over a thousand spirit peaches each. He also privately gave Bai an immortal peach, asking him to put in a good word with Zhou Qiong 44.

Elder Mu later joined the campaign against Heavenly Sea City. He interrupted Hong Biao’s attempt to kill Liansheng, but was driven back by Hong Tu’s fist attack. After Zhou Qiong killed Hong Tu, Elder Mu joined the assault and killed Hong Biao, whose secret art enabled him to resist for only half a quarter of an hour 46 47.

At his latest appearance, Elder Mu was cultivating in tree form. When the Demon Tiger King introduced the newly ascended Li Changsheng, Elder Mu gave peaches to Li, Qian Yuqi, and Dao Chi before continuing his seclusion 50.

Appearance

• Human form: An elderly man, first seen tending vegetables like an old farmer. He wears white robes during his marrow-assisted cultivation attempt 34 41.
• True form: An enormous peach tree radiating five-colored light. An aged face can appear on its trunk, and the trunk can bend in a bow 44.
• Cultivation manifestation: A huge, luminous peach tree appears above his head while he attempts to overcome his bottleneck 41.

Personality

Elder Mu initially has a kindly, easygoing reputation. He prefers tending vegetables to discussing the city’s upheavals, teases Miss Rose about her curiosity toward Zhou Qiong, and redirects their conversation toward her cultivation. At his birthday banquet, he remains hospitable despite the hostility between his guests 34 35.

His mild manner does not erase his pride as a True Martial cultivator. He resents Zhou Qiong’s demand for submission and attacks Hong Biao after being insulted. Nevertheless, survival outweighs independence when he recognizes a lethal threat: he submits to Zhou Qiong and later feels relieved by that decision after witnessing Hong Tu’s death 41 46 47.

Abilities & Skills

True Martial Cultivation

Elder Mu’s cultivation made him Black King City’s strongest resident before the Demon Sect’s takeover, though his plant nature leaves him among the weakest combatants of the same realm 34 41.

• Disperses Zhou Qiong’s oppressive presence in the banquet hall with a soft cough 35.
• Retrieves the marrow bottle from Xuan Yi’s hand with a gesture 35.
• Overpowers and ultimately kills the Eternal Realm cultivator Hong Biao 46 47.
• Cannot withstand Hong Tu’s attack without retreating 46.
• Has a longer natural lifespan than ordinary cultivators because of his wood-type nature 41.

Peach Production

Elder Mu produces cultivation resources in both spirit-peach and higher-grade immortal-peach forms 44.

• Can release peaches directly from his tree form and send them toward recipients 44 50.
• Gives Li Changsheng an immortal-light peach, while Qian Yuqi and Dao Chi receive peaches emitting Spiritual Qi 50.

Danger Intuition

Elder Mu possesses an exceptional innate sense for danger, which has helped him avoid numerous threats 41.

• Recognizes Zhou Qiong’s saber intent as an immediate threat to his life 41.
• Feels a chill when Zhou Qiong begins coveting his peaches and tree, but cannot identify the source 36.

Equipment / Items

• Walking stick — His demonstrated combat weapon; used to knock Hong Biao into Heavenly Sea City and block Hong Tu’s incoming attack 46.
• Immortal Spirit Marrow — Receives half a drop from Zhou Qiong and consumes it during his failed breakthrough attempt. A full drop is described as sufficient to overcome an immortal peach tree’s true-form limitations 35 41.

Relationships

• Zhou Qiong — Birthday guest and benefactor who becomes his coercive superior. Elder Mu’s immortal peach draws Zhou Qiong’s interest in acquiring him as a resource for the Demon Sect 35 36 41.
• Bai Haotian — Chief protector, whom Elder Mu acknowledges as his superior. Bai collects peaches on Zhou Qiong’s orders; Elder Mu gives him an additional immortal peach to secure his goodwill 44.
• Miss Rose / Hong Meigui — Familiar companion whom he teases and questions about cultivation. Zhou Qiong later spares her in the secret realm for Elder Mu’s sake 34 37.
• Liansheng — Fellow Demon Sect member whose life Elder Mu protects by interrupting Hong Biao’s follow-up attack 46.
• Hong Biao — Enemy who mocks his submission to the Demon Sect; subsequently killed by Elder Mu during the siege 46 47.
• Li Changsheng — Newly ascended Azure Dragon Hall Master introduced by the Demon Tiger King. Elder Mu welcomes him with a cultivation peach while excusing himself to continue seclusion 50.