C8 He Realized the Danger

The wild fruit porridge Qing Shu had prepared was ready, its sweet aroma tantalizing Qin Mu's appetite and stirring his hunger.

Qing Shu retrieved two bowls from her storage ring, dishing out some porridge into each before passing one to Qin Mu. He eagerly took a taste.

"Mmm! This has a unique flavor."

The porridge offered a distinct taste compared to Qian Lai's savory seasonings, each delightful in its own right.

Seeing Qin Mu relish the meal brought a gentle smile to Qing Shu's face.

Qin Mu gazed at Qing Shu, struck by a sudden realization. How had he never noticed how beautiful she was?

When Qing Shu caught Qin Mu's persistent stare, she asked, confused, "Is there something on my face? Why do you keep looking at me?"

"You're beautiful," Qin Mu blurted out, his internal thoughts slipping out.

Qing Shu's cheeks flushed a deep red, resembling a perfectly ripe apple, as if she was tempted to take a bite out of Qin Mu.

In that instant, Qing Shu's fingers twitched slightly—a subtle sign that danger was imminent, a gift she'd possessed since childhood.

"We need to hurry, there's danger!" she exclaimed.

Qin Mu took her warning seriously, trusting her instincts without questioning her identity.

"Let's go!" he declared, taking Qing Shu's hand and leading her out the door.

They were barely out the door when they encountered a group of men in black lurking with suspicious intent. Qin Mu was certain they weren't there for petty theft, unlike Qing Shu's previous escapades.

"I believe those men in black are after you. You'll be safe with me," Qin Mu assured Qing Shu, who simply nodded in agreement.

Despite the apparent calm, Qin Mu's twitching eyelids and restless heart betrayed his anxiety. But he shrugged it off; every man has his off days each month.

Deep in the heart of the Mistmantle Mountain Range, a figure clad in black launched a powerful strike at a shimmering bird's nest, then fled as if his life depended on it.

With a resounding cry, a fiery red bird emerged, its body erupting with flames so intense they seemed capable of piercing the heavens. Yet, the tree it called home remained completely unscathed.

The fiery bird, enraged, took to the sky in pursuit of the man in black.

Meanwhile, another man in black waited silently in the distance. They appeared to be flirting with disaster, daring to provoke a fire phoenix of the Immortal Emperor realm.

Qin Mu was oblivious to these events, his attention captured by Qing Shu's astonishing rate of cultivation.

Qing Shu closed her eyes to begin her practice, and the Ember Orb within her stirred, releasing streams of pure Ignis Spirit. She absorbed the energy effortlessly, like a bottomless pit welcoming all that approached.

Qin Mu watched, his mouth agape in astonishment.

Had Qing Shu deliberately concealed her true power during their previous encounter? Was this the combined might of the Ember Orb and the Weak Water Vein? Such prowess seemed almost otherworldly.

As Qin Mu grappled with his amazement, Qing Shu's strength surged without hindrance, achieving a seamless breakthrough.

If ordinary cultivators were to witness this, they would likely be overwhelmed by a sense of inadequacy, knowing that years of their diligent practice paled in comparison to Qing Shu's brief enhancement.

Lost in thought, Qin Mu's reverie was shattered by a powerful surge of Ignis Spirit emanating from the depths of the Mistmantle Mountain Range.

He rose to his feet, his eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation. Something was definitely amiss.

"Qing Shu, there seems to be some trouble in the Mistmantle Mountain Range. I'm going to check it out. Stay here and don't wander off," he instructed.

Qing Shu looked up, a trace of bewilderment in her eyes. "What's going on? What's happening at Mistmantle Mountain? Maybe I should come with you?"

"I'm not sure what's unfolding, but it seems like a battle is underway, and the combatants are formidable. There's no need for you to come; I'll handle this myself," Qin Mu assured her before turning on his heel and departing.

As he made his way through the terrain, Qin Mu spotted the black-clothed man stealthily perched in a tree. Without a moment's hesitation, he unleashed the Ghost Reaver. The black-clothed man, at the pinnacle of the Ascension realm, was swiftly and decisively executed by Qin Mu.

In the midst of the collision, a faint yellow shield surprisingly materialized, shielding the man in black from a deadly strike.

The black-clad man's pupils shrank dramatically. Using the force from Qin Mu's Ghost Reaver strike, he somersaulted on the ground and dashed toward the depths of Mistmantle Mountain.

Executing the Starfall Stride to perfection, Qin Mu quickly overtook the man at the Great Perfection of Ascension. A full-powered blow brought the black-clothed man down instantly.

Qin Mu then soared further into the mountain range. The closer he got, the more his heart raced with the immense energy pulsating within Mistmantle Mountain, a force so strong it sent chills down his spine.

Continuing on, Qin Mu came upon four black-clad figures battling a large bird. Outmatched, the men struggled against the avian adversary. Qin Mu, in no rush to intervene, concealed himself in the foliage of a large tree.

Suddenly, one of the men in black bellowed, "We can't draw out Old Fifth, activate the Spacetime Shuttle now!"

A small, dark object materialized in midair, expanding rapidly into a flying vessel. The four men in black zipped aboard, and the shuttle took off at a staggering speed.

It dawned on Qin Mu that these men in black had intended to use the large bird to target him.

With narrowed eyes, Qin Mu was unyielding in his resolve; he never spared his foes.

As the Spacetime Shuttle zoomed over Qin Mu, he unleashed the Ghost Reaver with full force, followed by a Draconic Inferno and a cascade of Ruptured Abyss.

All three of Qin Mu's devastating attacks were executed with unrelenting power.

Despite the shuttle's velocity, it couldn't evade Qin Mu's strategically placed assaults. The shuttle quaked under the impact, and the four men in black were flung out.

The fire phoenix, noticing the sudden appearance of the men, expelled a massive fireball at them.

It then lobbed a smaller fireball at Qin Mu, who sidestepped with ease. The four men in black, however, weren't as fortunate. Even with a protective barrier conjured by the Quietus-level men, it proved futile; the shield shattered instantly upon impact.

Two men in black perished instantly, leaving only an early-stage Quietus and a Quietus-level survivor.

Qin Mu fell silent at the sight of the fire phoenix's assault, taken aback by the creature's formidable power.

The Quietus-level man in black glared at Qin Mu with malice, yet proposed, "Kid, let's team up! Otherwise, neither of us will make it out!"

Qin Mu smirked. He could easily teleport away if he chose to, but he agreed for two reasons: first, if the fire phoenix wasn't sated after killing the two men in black and continued to rampage, his disciples would be in danger; second, he was intent on taking down these two adversaries himself.

"Fine! I'm in. We take on the big bird first!"

With that, they launched their attack on the fire phoenix from three separate directions.