Chen Mu contacted Kong Yu using the communication jade token, learned their address, parked the spaceship in front of the city gate of Wilderness Border City, and then they disembarked together.
All cities in the Haotian Empire are off-limits to air travel. Unless you have the power to crush everything, you must enter the city through the city gates.
After entering the Wilderness Border City, Chen Mu and his group quickly found Kong Yu.
Thanks to their demon-hunting achievements in Absolute Sword City and the rewards Chen Mu gave to the members of the Sword Guardian Battalion, almost all the members of the Sword Guardian Demon Hunting Corps have now bought houses in Wilderness Border City. Knowing that Chen Mu was coming, they gathered together at Kong Yu's residence.
The original Sword Guardian Battalion had 359 men. Although many were killed, about 300 survived.
However, among the current Sword Guardian Demon Hunting Corps, only more than 130 people were formerly affiliated with the Sword Guardian Battalion. The other Sword Guardian Battalion members have scattered to different places, each with their own future.
It is said that some of them have quite powerful backgrounds. They returned to their respective Lineage and sects, and occasionally still keep in touch with the members of the Sword Guardian Demon Hunting Corps.
Kong Yu's mansion was very large, and he specially prepared a banquet with more than a dozen tables to welcome Chen Mu.
"Haha, Chen Mu, to be honest, I always thought you were an old monster who had achieved great cultivation, you just looked young."
I didn't expect that you'd grown so much taller in just over two months. Now I believe you really are fifteen years old.
Chen Mu's composure and wisdom often make people forget his age. Only in this relaxed state does Kong Yu dare to joke with him.
"Hey... Brother Kong, what are you saying? My age is definitely real."
Chen Mu remained silent, failing to grasp that Kong Yu was joking.
"No! I can testify, my brother really is an old monster!"
Did you know? My brother started teaching me to write when I was three, when he was six! Don't you think he's a monster?
Chen Duo also joined in the commotion, criticizing Chen Mu for being too strict with her education.
The people around burst into laughter, creating a joyful and harmonious scene.
" Elder Guo, are your injuries all healed?"
Chen Mu met Guo Tao and chatted with him for a while.
Although Guo Tao has lost all his skills, the rewards he received from Absolute Sword City are enough for him to retire if he doesn't squander them.
Moreover, his two sons are also very promising. His eldest son has already reached the Qi Nourishing Realm and joined the Sword Guardian Demon Hunting Corps, where he is currently a core member.
"Good, I'm relieved to see that everything is going well for you, brother."
Chen Mu was also very happy. That night, he drank a lot of wine with Sword Guardian Demon Hunting Corps and others, and chatted until very late before going back to rest.
The next morning, Chen Mu and his three companions got up, had breakfast, and continued their journey back to Chen Village.
Kong Yu escorted Chen Mu to the city gate and discussed many analyses of the current situation in the world with Chen Mu before reluctantly parting ways.
" Chen Mu, I have a premonition that chaos is coming!"
If you aspire to achieve great things in the future, never forget that our Sword Guardian Demon Hunting Corps awaits your call.
Kong Yu's words stirred a myriad of thoughts in Chen Mu.
He wasn't actually an ambitious person. The reason he invented so many war-related inventions was simply to save his parents and protect the people around him.
However, in the war against the Otherworldly Demon, no one in this world can remain unscathed.
Countless experiences from our predecessors tell us that the only way to achieve peace is to possess the power to instill fear in our enemies.
"Okay! I'll come find you when the time is right."
Chen Mu nodded heavily, thanking Kong Yu for his trust.
Then Chen Mu and the other three boarded the spaceship, soared into the sky, and disappeared at the edge of the Wilderness Border City.
After entering the Wilderness, Chen Mu found that their progress was not as smooth as he had imagined. During their flight, they were frequently attacked by monsters.
Chen Mu gained a deeper understanding of the dangers of the Wilderness and realized how lucky he was to have traversed nearly 10,000 kilometers through Wilderness the previous year.
Monsters possess a certain level of intelligence. If they walk on the ground, they won't specifically seek out trouble for you unless you appear right in front of them.
But it's different in the air; even if you're very far away, the monsters can see you from a distance.
To most monsters, humans crossing their territory like this is a provocation.
It was only then that Chen Mu realized that there were actually many seventh and eighth-tier demonic beasts in the Wilderness, but they usually lay in wait and rarely attacked weaker creatures.
He even sensed the aura of the Demon King several times. If it weren't for the spatial runes on Chen Mu's spaceship, which allowed him to teleport away at crucial moments, the journey would have been extremely dangerous.
He flew for two days and two nights straight, without resting at night, until noon on the third day when they finally arrived at Chen Village.
On his way back to the village, Chen Mu kept in touch with Chen Hongjie using a communication jade pendant, so Chen Hongjie roughly knew when he would arrive and greeted him at the village entrance in advance.
Third Uncle, Eldest Uncle, Cousin!
Chen Mu was overjoyed to see his familiar relatives.
" A Mu, Duoduo, A Huo."
Chen Hongjie was also very excited and led them into the village to eat first.
" A Mu, may I ask who this gentleman is...?"
Chen Hongjie looked at Chen Mu with a smile, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
Since Mingye practiced the Seven-Colored Heavenly Art, her temperament has changed drastically. She is no longer the cold and aloof person she used to be. In addition, her clothes have also changed, so no one recognized that she was the female assassin who once chased Chen Mu.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is Mingye, um... a good friend we met on the road, and now he's our companion."
Chen Mu introduced it with a smile.
"Just... just companions?"
Chen Hongjie looked disappointed and confirmed.
"What else could it be?"
Chen Mu retorted without a care in the world.
Chen Hongjie pursed his lips, not wanting to talk to Chen Mu, and went to chat with Duoduo.
As Chen Mu walked along the road, he looked around. It had been almost two years since he had returned, and the village had changed a lot.
Chen Village has expanded more than tenfold, and the village is now divided into an outer circle and an inner circle.
The inner circle is where the old Chen Village was located, where Chen Mu set up a talisman array, and the people of Chen Village still live there.
The outer ring is inhabited by the Weng Mountain Tribe. In addition, Chen Hongjie has also absorbed two or three vassal tribes, so Chen Village now has a population of three or four thousand.
On the outer edge, there were some slaves conquered by Chen Village. They could not be considered part of Chen Village's population, but Chen Hongjie granted them basic human rights, and their living conditions were not bad.
Chen Hongjie often consulted with Chen Mu about the operation of Chen Village, so he was quite clear about the situation there.
" Landuo, did you construct these outer rings of runes?"
Chen Mu discovered that the outer ring of rune arrays was also quite good, but relatively rigid and not as flexible and varied as his own.
"Yes, thanks to the good fortune of the master."
After you left, I would study the Dao of Talismans insights you left behind whenever I had free time, and now I've made some progress."