Chapter 60: Blossoming Youth

“Mother, who exactly is my father, and you… what is your identity?” Mu Feng asked his mother in front of him.

The murderous Jianning Commandant quickly left, and a storm just subsided like that. But in his heart, there was no trace of excitement, only bigger doubts, and he couldn’t wait to know what was really going on.

“I said, wait until the day you break through to the Elite Realm, then come find me. At that time, everything will be told to you clearly.”

Situ Qing’s face remained calm. Seeing that several sticks of incense in front of the memorial tablet had already burned out completely, he spoke while slowly standing up, then turned and left. He walked lightly past, not taking away a wisp of smoke, just like a fairy lost in the mortal world—calm, lonely, yet more resolute than anyone else.

“E…lite…Realm…”

Mu Feng clenched his fist tightly, looking through the curling smoke at his father’s memorial tablet not far away, as if feeling an invisible force spurring him on.

This time, he got through a crisis thanks to his mother’s status, but what about next time?

Mu Feng felt the heavy pressure.

He was sure that fellow Mu Qingyuan wouldn’t give up, not until he saw the coffin; if he could lead the Jianning Commandant here, he could think of other ways to deal with him. Even the Jianning Commandant, although he turned and left decisively this time, who could guarantee that he was really giving up and wouldn’t secretly pull some tricks?

Taking a step back, even if Mu Qingyuan and the Jianning Commandant completely ceased their activities, what about later? As his cultivation grew, he would inevitably encounter more powerful opponents. Then, would he wait for his mother to step in for him again?

“Power…”

Mu Feng suddenly raised his head. The Ancestral Sorcerer’s Essence Blood inside him surged in hot, rolling waves. His desire for power had never felt so intense as it did at this moment. Just as the blood mist inside him was about to uncontrollably seep out, he quickly returned to the side room where he lived.

Calm, calm, calm…

He poured water, ground ink, and holding the brush, wrote seven large characters for ‘calm’ in a row before slowly settling down.

The path of cultivation was getting harder and harder. It was even like rowing a boat against the current—if you didn’t advance, you would retreat, leaving no room for the slightest slack. After putting down the brush, just as he was about to head to the Back Mountain for quiet cultivation, suddenly, there came a rustling sound of footsteps from outside the door. Soon, a quirky and spirited young girl bounced in quickly.

“What, now that you’ve been awarded the title of Jianning First Scholar, you don’t recognize me anymore?” Mu Qingzhu gave a mischievous smile, walked up to Mu Feng, and said in a sweet, coquettish tone, “Oh, the peerlessly elegant Jianning First Scholar, Brother Mu Feng, you tell me, how will you thank me?”

Looking at the playful Mu Qingzhu, Mu Feng shook his head and smiled. “Qingzhu, I was awarded as Jianning First Scholar, so why should I thank you?”

“Of course! If I hadn’t always asked you to help me write characters and compose poems, how would you have such great literary talent?” Mu Qingzhu grabbed a piece of white paper from the desk, looked at the seven bold and powerful large characters on it, and pretended to be a great calligrapher, nodding seriously.

“Alright, my Lady Qingzhu, tell me yourself, how should I thank you? This time, is it a landscape painting or a piece of calligraphy?” Mu Feng smiled.

Being with this quirky and playful girl, he inadvertently forgot all his worries.

“No, no calligraphy, no landscape painting.” Mu Qingzhu leaned on Mu Feng’s back, clenched her two pink fists, and gently pounded his back. “Brother Mu Feng, I want you to come with me to a place, quickly.”

“Alright!”

Mu Feng couldn’t resist the playful Mu Qingzhu. After tidying up the desk a bit, he quickly followed her away. They passed through layers of guards and arrived at an arched gate deep within Mu Manor. This circular arched gate was built from blue-flowered stone. Apart from being ancient and mottled, it didn’t look much different from an ordinary arched gate, but in front of it stood two imposing Green Armor Guards, strictly forbidding ordinary people from approaching. Behind the gate, mist swirled, and it was unclear what place it was.

“White Mountain, Black Water!”

Seeing their figures, the Green Armor Guards in front of the gate shouted coldly and uniformly raised their sharp long swords, blocking the way.

“Noble Spirit Endures!”

Mu Qingzhu replied with the passphrase. As soon as the two Green Armor Guards stepped aside, she immediately pulled Mu Feng through.

With one step inside, the view suddenly opened up, and an endless world appeared before their eyes. Green mountains and clear waters, steep and elegant peaks stretched one after another. The calls of apes echoed, and from time to time, lines of white egrets and cranes could be seen flying across the sky. Not far away, a towering mountain that pierced the clouds stood before them. The concentration of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy in the air was at least ten times denser than outside!

Outside the gate, it was plain and unremarkable; behind the gate, it was a hidden world of its own.

Mu Manor’s Hidden Realm!

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air and the pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, Mu Feng couldn’t suppress the excitement in his heart. He understood that he had finally arrived at the legendary forbidden ground of Mu Manor. This was the true depths of Mu Manor, hidden within the mists by powerful formations and a Seal, never revealed to the outside world.

“Brother Mu Feng, follow me!”

Before Mu Feng could carefully observe the surroundings, Mu Qingzhu grabbed his large hand and directly climbed the highest mountain.

The two moved faster and faster, stirring the Spiritual Power within them as they swept along the mountain path. Soon, they reached the cloud-piercing mountaintop, where a mist-shrouded, towering platform appeared before them. Compared to the foot of the mountain, the concentration of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy on the high platform was several times stronger. Taking a deep breath, they felt refreshed and invigorated, as if their bodies were about to float up, ascending to heaven in one step.

Looking down from the high platform, all mountains seemed small below, and a heroic feeling of competing with the heavens spontaneously arose!

“Brother Mu Feng, this is our Mu Manor’s Heavenward Platform. Worship the heavens, ascend in one step! From now on, you can come here to cultivate!”

Seeing Mu Feng’s high spirits, two sweet dimples appeared on Mu Qingzhu’s face, as if she was even happier than him. She continued, “Cultivating here not only doubles the results with half the effort, greatly boosting your cultivation speed, but you might even one day encounter a Grand Elder and become their closed-door disciple!”

Heavenward Platform?

Mu Feng’s eyes lit up. He took a step forward, standing calmly and confidently at the edge of the cliff, his toes aligned with the steep rock wall. He spread his arms wide, fully sensing the pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy here. Excited and stirred, he saw hope of quickly breaking through to the Middle Mortal Realm. Suddenly turning around, he bowed. “Qingzhu, thank you!”

The Mu Manor’s Hidden Realm and the Heavenward Platform had always been just elusive legends to ordinary clan disciples. Mu Feng understood that with his status and strength, he absolutely had no right to come here. Everything was entirely because of Mu Qingzhu, this playful little girl. Perhaps she wanted to give him a surprise, or perhaps she was worried that his proud nature wouldn’t allow him to accept such a great favor from her without giving anything in return. That’s why she found an excuse to bring him here—her intentions were thoughtful and well-meant.

“Brother Mu Feng, you know, since I was little, I’ve believed that you are definitely no ordinary scholar. In the future, you will surely be the most outstanding disciple of our Mu Manor, the most powerful figure in our Mu Manor!” Mu Qingzhu said seriously, looking up at Mu Feng as she spoke. Her eyes were bright and clear, just at the age of blossoming youth, without a trace of worldly impurity in them.

“It will happen, there will be that day!”

In front of his closest person, Mu Feng wasn’t the least bit hypocritical; he was in high spirits. Suddenly raising his head and opening his mouth wide to inhale, an energy vortex appeared in the air. Vast and pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy immediately descended from the sky, seeping in through every pore of his body.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…

As his abdomen rose and fell dramatically, the blood and energy inside him churned, and his body felt light. He felt as if he were floating, about to soar into the sky. The signs of breaking through to the Middle Mortal Realm grew stronger and stronger.