My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 168 Return
West of Qingshan County, at the entrance of Tianyi Zhai.

Chen Mu, who had just made those harsh words, knelt on one knee, his face as pale as paper, panting heavily.

He quickly surveyed his surroundings and noticed that the thick fog that had covered the entire city had thinned out somewhat.

The strange force that had confused his sense of direction had disappeared, and he could barely discern directions.

We have to leave immediately!

Just as he was about to get up, a wave of weakness, originating from within, surged through him again, making him wish he could fall asleep immediately.

"The Five Ghosts Moving Mountains have indeed become stronger, but the consumption has also increased exponentially." Chen Mu smiled wryly.

"It's a pity we don't have Bigu Pill 3.0 anymore." Chen Mu immediately took out the old version of Bigu Pill and stuffed three into his mouth to relieve the urge to devour that filled his mind.

"The side effects are even stronger!" Chen Mu shook his head: "Fortunately, there is the Soul-Locking Curse."

"We can't stay here any longer."

At this moment, the vast Qingshan County is still shrouded in fog.

A faint, chilly atmosphere filled the sky.

Screams and sounds of fighting rose and fell.

"The suppression has disappeared, and Qingshan County is once again covered by ghosts."

The paper figure with the character "秋" appeared and quickly transformed into a ghostly form.

Chen Mu was shrouded in black mist and lifted off the ground by a fist's height.

Then he extended his right foot, his strength overwhelming, and stomped hard on the ground.

He moved like a black lightning bolt, heading straight for the east of the city.

"We must get out of Cui Cui's controlled area as soon as possible."

……

The next day, on the Bailang River.

As the sun rose, Zheng Yuan felt a blur of light and shadow before her eyes and groggily opened them.

The blinding sunlight made him squint and raise his hand to block out the light.

It took a long time for his vision to return.

Hearing the sound of rushing water, Zheng Yuan turned her head and realized that she was sleeping on a covered boat.

Isn't this ship going a bit too fast?

The scenery on both sides of the river is rushing past us!
"Come and row if you're awake!" Chen Mu said irritably from the stern.

"Oh, oh, oh..." Zheng Yuan subconsciously agreed, quickly got up, took the oar and started rowing.

The ship's speed immediately decreased by several times.

Only then did Chen Mu have the opportunity to crawl inside the awning to rest.

"We probably won't be able to catch up now."

Last night, after leaving Qingshan County, he arrived at the boat stop on the Bailang River, boarded the boat, and rowed away.

With the support of seven physical training techniques, his explosive power and endurance were off the charts, and he could rock the awning boat as fast as a speedboat!

Even Lin Que, the former head of the White Tiger Hall back then, couldn't row as fast as him.

Before boarding the ship, he unexpectedly discovered Zheng Yuan and the other two, who were fast asleep not far from the dock.

They were so close to getting on the boat last night.

"Running up there probably won't do any good," Chen Mu sighed. He had been targeted by Cui Cui for a long time.

"As expected of a Yin spirit." Chen Mu's expression was solemn.

An ordinary ghost transforming into a long-haired woman, aside from being frightening to look at, cannot bewitch his mind at all.

Cui Cui, however, managed to lead him into the city without him even realizing it.

"And there's that secret technique that restricts qi for a hundred miles."

Recalling yesterday's events, Chen Mu still felt lingering fear: "If it weren't for the Spirit Armor Technique breaking through the Qi Restriction for a hundred miles, even if the Five Ghosts Moving Mountains were activated, the consequences would have been unpredictable."

"I'd better stay away from this kind of old monster from now on."

……

His mind was completely absorbed in the Five Ghosts Bag.

Three emerald green jade gourds lay quietly inside the Five Ghosts Bag compartment.

"It wasn't easy," Chen Mu remarked.

"With the Armor Soul complete and the Thousand Machine Token in hand, it's time to consider setting sail." Chen Mu squinted.

He knew nothing about overseas and had to make some preparations.

"It'll cost a lot of money again." Chen Mu shook his head and pouted.

If he wanted to get information, he could only turn to Jiejia.

Since it involves overseas secrets, the old man will definitely take the opportunity to extort money from us.

“Save where you can, spend where you can.”

"We can't let a few taels of silver cause us to miss crucial information." "I just don't know if we'll be able to find any sincerity." Chen Mu's eyes narrowed involuntarily.

Black smoke billowed from his right palm, and an ancient bronze bell appeared in his hand.

Last night, he launched the Five Ghosts Moving Mountains attack on Chengyi.

Not only did they successfully sever his arm, but they also took the opportunity to move the Heartless Bell.

"How exactly did the original body die?" A question that had troubled Chen Mu for a long time resurfaced in his mind.

Cui Cui, Bai Miaojin, Qingfeng Temple, Feng Ren, Cheng Yi, and artificially cultivated spirits...

Chen Mu murmured to himself, already having a rough idea in his mind.

"Have they become victims of Qingfeng Temple's cultivation of wandering spirits?"

"No wonder Cheng Yi has always been wary of me," Chen Mu thought calmly.

The greatest abnormality is that a person who has been so captivated by a demon should be mentally impaired, yet suddenly returns to normal.

"He probably really thought I was possessed by a ghost. Ha..."

"In a sense, he was right."

"Fortunately, my sincerity back then was too naive, and I had some reservations. If I were as ruthless and heartless as I am now..."

Chen Mu turned his head to look in the direction of Qingshan County.

Qingshan County, which had been bustling for a short time, has once again become a ghost town.

"What an auspicious place..." He didn't want to come back.

……

The wide streets were littered with dead bodies, their faces contorted with terror.

Black bloodstains were scattered all over the street.

"What on earth is going on?" Zhang Ye and the other two looked at everything in bewilderment.

Last night they fled the cellar in panic, only to be frightened back by terrifying screams outside.

I hid in the tunnel all night, trembling with fear. Only when it was broad daylight and all was quiet outside did I dare to crawl out from underground.

"The boss... is dead!" Zhen Fan's face was pale and he was trembling.

Even the brute Kuituo was terrified.

Zhang Ye looked around. The quiet Qingshan County was so familiar, yet now it felt strangely unfamiliar, leaving him bewildered.

In just one night, a large number of living people suddenly died.

Despite the bright sunshine, Zhang Ye felt a chill run through his body.

"Empty city, ghost town, once again..."

"What exactly happened in Qingshan County?" For a moment, besides fear, Zhang Ye felt a strange sense of sorrow.

……

Outside Jian'an Gate, east of Nanyang Prefecture City.

Looking at the familiar city wall, Chen Mu felt as if he had been transported to another world.

"Now that we've arrived, it's time for us to part ways," Chen Mu said, turning back to the three weary travelers.

"You have suffered a great loss of strength during this northward expedition."

"When you get back, take some more tonics."

The Yinming Silk remained inside the three of them.

But it seemed to be asleep, no longer growing wildly as it had in Qingshan County.

“This is probably the normal state.” Having traveled together for more than a month, Chen Mu had observed the group's condition on several occasions.

The dormant Yin-Yang Silk grows slowly and can help the three people improve their physical condition.

"As long as it's not extracted, it can be considered a blessing in disguise." However, the lifespan lost due to the extraction of vital energy is probably irrecoverable.

"Dawang, what are your plans for the future?" Sun Enqi asked cautiously after a long pause.

Chen Mu smiled at his nominal seventh uncle. After spending so much time together, this seventh uncle had probably figured something out. As they traveled south, his attitude became increasingly cautious.

Chen Mu thought for a moment and suggested, "Find a place where no one knows you and live in anonymity."

"After all, so many people went north, but only a few of us came back. The Shangguan family probably won't let this go so easily."

"Are all those people who went to Qingshan County really dead?" Zheng Yuan asked, still shaken.

"I don't know, but I'm afraid not many are still alive," Chen Mu shrugged.

"Take care, everyone." Chen Mu smiled, turned around, and walked into the city gate.

Their face shape and height changed every step of the way, and they disappeared into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

"Am I seeing things?" asked Zheng Liu, a thin cook who was missing his wife, rubbing his eyes in confusion.

Zheng Yuan and Sun Enqi exchanged a smile: "You've misunderstood."

(End of this chapter)