Da Xuan Martial Saint

Chen Mu pondered deeply.

Each peak of the Seven Profound Peak operates independently, each having its own accumulation of resources. Usually, the main sect distributes some, and as a true disciple of the Spirit Profound Peak, he naturally had the qualifications to access and utilize a portion of them. This was one of the perks of being a true disciple.

Spiritual Objects like the Earth Element Pearl, although rare, were only found in such small quantities within the vast He Family... Of course, it was also possible that some were consumed by the He Family, leaving only one. However, this also illustrates that these types of Spiritual Objects are not something that can be accumulated easily, even within the Seven Profound Sect.

After all,

some disciples who could barely temper the Five Viscera four or five times would have a chance to further temper one or two more times and step into the Six Viscera Realm, transforming from a steward into a protector.

Every Sect Protector, even the weakest, represents a core strength of a Great Sect.

Therefore, Spiritual Objects like the Earth Element Pearl are considered strategic assets in every Great Sect... Meng Danyun had even reminded Chen Mu before, advising him not to use these to hasten the tempering of the Five Viscera because for a true disciple who can independently temper eight or nine times, using them merely speeds up the process. The practical significance is too small; it's a waste and it's better to hand them over to the sect and exchange them for other more needed items.

For this reason, since becoming a true disciple of the Spirit Profound Peak, Chen Mu had never used his share of resources to draw from this type of Spiritual Objects to speed up the Five Viscera Tempering. His share was still accumulating there.

If he calculated,

he could potentially draw seven to eight 'Earth Element Pearls' of these types of Spiritual Objects.

If this trip to the desert yields some more, he might even meet the requirements for the eleventh or even twelfth tempering. Given his judgment of the Five Viscera Realm, perhaps twelve is the limit.

"Whew..."

Chen Mu slowly exhaled, organized his thoughts, and then gathered himself back together before stepping out of his small room once more, returning to the Yunlu City Pass. He continued to stroll along the pass, absorbing the essence of the wind-blown sand and the earth.

Just like that, nearly three days passed.

Finally, when the wind-blown sand in the distant desert had almost subsided, a messenger officer came to find Chen Mu.

"True Disciple Chen, the Garrison Prefecture Lord has asked for you."

The messenger officer leapt out from the pass, jumped down from the Yunlu Wall, walked a bit into the desert, bowed respectfully to Chen Mu who was standing amongst a patch of yellow sand while looking out over the desert, and said to him.

"Alright."

Chen Mu nodded slightly and then turned around, heading back to the pass. He soon arrived inside the headquarters of the Garrison Prefecture.

When he arrived, he saw that the Garrison Prefecture, including Xiahou Yan, Chu Jingsui, Meng Danyun, and Zhao Zhenchuan, were all present.

"Junior Brother Chen is here."

Xiahou Yan, seeing Chen Mu coming over, greeted him with a smile: "Come, come, Junior Brother Chen, in this sand disaster, Junior Brother Chen's contributions were exceptional. Try this desert wine from Yunlu Pass."

Speaking thus, he handed a ox horn cup to Chen Mu. The cup contained a milky-white, viscous liquid that emitted a slight fragrance of alcohol.

As soon as Chen Mu took the ox horn cup,

Xiahou Yan suddenly stepped back two paces, also raising a cup of wine, and said earnestly towards Chen Mu: "On behalf of Yunlu Pass and the many soldiers guarding the border, I toast Junior Brother Chen!"

Chen Mu looked at the cup of mare's milk wine, fell silent for a moment, and then said, "I just did what was expected of me. Brother Xiahou and the many soldiers have been stationed in this desolate place for ten years as if it were a day, truly they are the ones who deserve such honor."

With Xiahou Yan's strength, if he were to go to another Prefectural Government or even stay in the State Government Office, he could enjoy pleasures day and night, yet he has guarded this border at Yunlu for decades. From being a protector of the Spirit Profound Peak to now a Garrison Prefect, he spent most of his years here.

Even more so,

those soldiers and colonels who died in the sand disaster or fighting against demonic creatures had forever remained upon the city pass.

Such sacrificed officers and soldiers deserved respect, as did Xiahou Yan who had defended the border for decades, the Da Xuan Martial Emperor who had established the grand Yunlu Pass, and the thick Earth's Veins that still supported Yunlu Pass.

Yet he was nothing special.

He merely happened to come here, to Yunlu Pass, and had dealt with a somewhat perilous sand disaster, that was all.

The hall fell briefly silent, before the voice of Zhao Zhenchuan broke the silence.

"Brother Xiahou indeed deserves our respect."

"All the soldiers and brothers who resisted this sand disaster deserve our respect."

"Right, let's drink, drink!"

Xiahou Yan laughed heartily and was the first to raise his glass and drink.

Chen Mu, along with Chu Jingsui, Zhao Zhenchuan, and others also raised their glasses, and even Meng Danyun took a small sip, seemingly finding the creamy liquor quite tasty, thus she took two more sips before finishing it off.

As the alcohol hit, a faint red flushed across their cheeks, but it quickly disappeared with the circulation of their Inner Breath.

The banquet did not last long.

After three rounds of drinks, Xiahou Yan took the initiative and said, "Now that the sand disaster is concluded and the Earth's Veins in the desert have loosened, it's an opportune moment for exploration. Some stewards and Inner Sect disciples have already gone to the outskirts of the desert, and it's about time for us to take action as well."

Chu Jingsui spoke evenly, "In nature, calamity and fortune are intertwined; the disaster has passed, and now is indeed the time to seek opportunities."

Meng Danyun also added, "Mm, I have just stepped into the Six Viscera Realm, and indeed need some resources."

"I would like to go as well, but unfortunately, I have other important matters to attend to and cannot venture into the desert to seek opportunities, so I must take my leave for now."

At this, Zhao Zhenchuan shook his head.

Everyone was slightly startled.

"Brother Zhao seems urgent, may I know what the matter is and if we can lend a hand?"

Chu Jingsui looked at Zhao Zhenchuan and asked.

This time, Zhao Zhenchuan just laughed and said, "Brother Chu, you can't help with this... well, my wife is nearing her due date, my calculations say it's in about half a month. I dealt with the sand disaster and am hurrying back just in time."

Hearing this, Chu Jingsui also laughed and said, "Ah, that's the case, then congratulations to you first, brother."

Xiahou Yan and Meng Danyun both smiled and congratulated Zhao Zhenchuan while Meng Danyun seemed to recall something and suddenly glanced over at Chen Mu, displaying a peculiar look.

Chen Mu was also congratulating Zhao Zhenchuan with a bow, but upon noticing Meng Danyun's look, he glanced back at her annoyed, and not to mention that reproduction was already more difficult for martial artists, he had no plans for offspring at that time, as Xu Hongyu could potentially break through to the Five Viscera Realm. If she were to bear a child for him, it would delay her progress by a year, and he naturally wanted Xu Hongyu to prioritize Martial Arts first.

Even now,

he still had no urgent desire for offspring, especially since there was no need yet for a successor to carry on his martial spirit. Not to mention, his descendants would unlikely possess his talent and perceptiveness, so delaying such matters by another couple of years was not too late.