I am grinding experience in another world

Chapter 818: Chapter 806: Traces

A few days later, an unknown sea area.

Under the sea, three to four hundred meters deep, in dim and mottled light, a finger-long black iron-colored loach swims leisurely.

Inside the Golden Dragon Hall of the Dragon Bone Boat, Chen Mu sits on a soft couch, operating the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture, confirming that the current direction of movement shows no danger signs before releasing control and allowing the Dragon Bone Boat to move automatically.

He removes his shirt, revealing his back covered in large patches of blood scabs.

The Five Ghosts Paper Dolls float in mid-air, holding a small porcelain bottle, and start applying ointment to his back.

This was prepared using the Pharmaceutical Technique, able to remove decay, generate flesh, reduce swelling, and relieve pain.

Through years of cultivation, his body has undergone multiple refinements and transformations, boasting amazing recovery ability. The back covered in blood and flesh has already crusted over and healed. However, the internal injuries are not as easy to recover from, especially the bone of the shoulder, which is still covered in fine cracks like a broken porcelain.

Moreover, with his vital energy greatly damaged, he is uncontrollably swollen, looking as if he’s gained weight.

"This was just a scratch."

"If I were hit head-on..."

"Tsk, good thing I ran fast enough!" Chen Mu couldn’t help but grin.

These days, the Dragon Bone Boat keeps moving away from Miling Island, now thousands of miles away, allowing him some relief.

"Jiang Men must be busy refining the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Eye of Miling Island, with no time to chase,"

"Otherwise, whether I could get away is still questionable."

"But... the Yellow Springs Gourd is really useful." Chen Mu uses Inner Vision to observe the Dao Foundation Jade Seed and smiles widely at the yellow-skinned little gourd floating in the center of his Dao base.

Judging by Wu Jie’s transformation at that time, it was obviously Jiang Men descending with a secret technique.

The state of space being frozen around him and mana delayed, clearly displays the power of a Daoist Monarch.

Unexpectedly, the Netherworld Qi ignored the divine power lockdown, bypassed Wu Jie’s innate protective qi mechanism, and effortlessly severed Wu Jie’s head!

"What a treasure!" Chen Mu could not hide his delight.

Since refining the Yellow Springs Gourd, apart from daily refining Pure Yang Qi to nourish the Dao base, he has never had the chance to test the power of Netherworld Qi. This time during a critical moment, its potent power gave him quite an unexpected pleasure.

Recalling the earth-shattering cry of pain coming from Miling Island, Chen Mu couldn’t help but smile.

"Jiang Men’s descending incarnation via secret technique must also have been cleanly severed by the Netherworld Qi."

"Listening to that sound, it seems quite painful?"

"Hey! Why didn’t it kill that bastard?" Chen Mu lamented with a pout.

From Wu Jie’s speech at the time, it appeared he was well aware of the Dream Demonization matter and even actively cooperated, hoping to cultivate the True Form of the Silkworm Demon.

Further observing Wu Jie’s pleading when Jiang Men descended using a secret technique, it was clear Jiang Men was also well-aware of the Silkworm Demonization affair.

"He not only knows but might even be pushing it from behind."

"Trapping all the Daoist soldiers in a bizarre dream realm ensures no one can leak the news about the spiritual eye of Miling Island."

"What a clever scheme." Chen Mu sneered coldly.

What about other camp leaders?

Are they like Wu Jie, actively participating or trapped in a dream unable to escape?

In any case, the result is probably not too favorable.

Chen Mu’s heart turned cold.

Thank goodness for breaking through with the Seven Emotions Curse, allowing him to detect the falseness of the dream realm in time.

If delayed, and he was entirely wrapped by that eerie cocoon, it would probably be impossible to escape even if abnormalities were found.

As for Wu Jie’s claim of cultivating the True Form of the Silkworm Demon using dreams, Chen Mu didn’t believe it at all.

"Judging by his changed body and face, he’s clearly being transformed by the Mistaken Dream Realm into that previous Wu Neng’er."

"Once completely transformed, it’s questionable if Wu Jie is still Wu Jie."

"This Mistaken Heaven indeed is dangerous." Chen Mu shook his head and sighed, feeling lingering fear.

This is likely the unique aspect of Miling Island.

It can pull all living beings on the island into the Mistaken Dream Realm, transforming them into those winged beautiful little people. Those gray-skinned, bald-headed Silkworm Monsters are failed transformations.

"Is it common to all islands, or is it due to Miling Island having the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Eye that possesses this strange ability?"

"Tsk, better stay away from those floating islands in the sky as much as possible."

Shaking his head and pondering no further, Chen Mu summoned a grey stone gate, looking at the Seven Emotions Curse that had just entered the Third Rank.

This curse is a secret teaching from the Heavenly Demon Path.

The first encounter with the Heavenly Demon Path was more than a decade ago in Yunzhou Daqian Luan County.

At that time, he had just returned from the Netherworld to the Human World of Hundred Intentions Heaven, trapped in the god statue of the City Divine Temple, acting as the Living God. The temple priest was secretly practicing the Heavenly Demon Secret Teachings "Yan Yue Scripture".

But his connection with the Heavenly Demon actually started much earlier.

Chen Mu’s Cloud Mirage Heavenly Demon Body could produce a Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed, and just from its name, one could tell it was related to the Heavenly Demon.

Knowing the strangeness of the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed and fearing that others’ seven emotions might influence his own temperament, Chen Mu had always been repulsed by the Seven Emotions Curse.

But now...

"One can’t have too many skills."

"This Seven Emotions Curse is good, it must be practiced."

"Relying solely on the passive improvement from Thousand Lanterns City is not enough."

"Once things settle down, I need to find time to gain more experience."

...

The Mistaken Heaven Sea is boundless.

The sea’s environment is not peaceful; it might be clear skies one moment, and then monstrous waves and dark clouds the next.

Thankfully, the Dragon Bone Boat is exceptional; it is like a real dragon, calming the sea and stabilizing the waves, ensuring smooth navigation regardless of the storm.

Every day, Chen Mu used the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture to calculate the voyage, seeking good fortune and avoiding danger while moving as close as possible towards areas with many Qi Cultivators.

He was actually quite conflicted.

Mistaken Heaven is treacherous, and wandering alone is too risky, yet returning to the Qi Cultivator Camp does not guarantee safety.

Just like before when he followed Jiang Men.

It was fine if the Spiritual Eye wasn’t found, but once discovered, it concerned the Primordial Spirit Dao Path. To keep it secret, those leading Daoist Monarchs would likely kill to silence.

"Forget it, it’s best to search first, there’s no guarantee of finding it anyway." Chen Mu looked at the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture on the stone gate.

Nine Cups Calculation Scripture: 5379/10000/Fourth Rank;

"The Fourth Rank Nine Cups Calculation Scripture is quite accurate in predicting the weather, combined with the Vermilion Feather Sword and the Truth Listening Divine Power, it can seek good fortune and avoid danger within a certain distance."

"But to track the traces of Qi Cultivators within the vast Mistaken Heaven..."

Chen Mu raised his head, looking through the Smoke Mirror inside the Dragon Bone Boat at the calm sea outside, shaking his head helplessly.

"This is truly like fishing a needle from the sea."

"Let’s see about the luck..." Chen Mu calculated for a moment, then navigated the Dragon Bone Boat in the direction pointed by his Spiritual Perception, continuing to sail.

...

As time passed, the swelling on Chen Mu’s body gradually subsided.

The large blood scabs on his back fell off, revealing fresh skin. The fine cracks on his shoulder bones also slowly closed and healed.

Two months later, his body was completely healed. It was around this time that a floating island entered the detection range of the Vermilion Feather Sword.

The Magic Sword flew around the island’s edge. With the help of a Mechanical Talisman and the Truth Listening Divine Power, Chen Mu observed from several miles away.

Mist shrouded around the island, thick with demon qi that had become fog.

Trees were fallen, mountains collapsed, and scorched black earth from flames was everywhere. From above, it looked like a green carpet scorched with countless holes.

Clearly, this was a floating island that had been breached and destroyed by Qi Cultivators.

"Tsk, a Fourth Stage Nine Cups Calculation Scripture is indeed quite useful." Chen Mu nodded with satisfaction.

He hadn’t found Qi Cultivators, but he had found a destroyed flying island.

Obviously, his direction of escape was fairly correct. As long as he continued tracking in the current direction, he might soon find a Qi Cultivator team.

After the Vermilion Feather Sword circled around the perimeter of the island, Chen Mu cautiously penetrated deeper, while he remained in the sea several miles away. He did not want to get caught off guard and face another Miling Island incident.

As the Magic Sword delved deeper, the details of the island gradually unfolded.

Decayed monster remains, shattered Qi Refiner’s Magical Artifacts, and... a Cloud Bat Flying Boat almost chopped into shreds.

At the same time, he discovered numerous remains of large birds resembling crows, with wingspans of three to four meters.

Unlike the decayed monster remains, these crows were only severely shattered, with no signs of decay. Upon closer inspection, Chen Mu found that they even lacked internal organs and blood, with intricate silver patterns etched into their skin and flesh.

They didn’t seem like living crow demon beasts, but rather some kind of avian mechanical puppet.

"Is this... the Thousand Mechanisms Sect?"

Chen Mu raised an eyebrow.

Tsk, what a coincidence.

In the vast Mistaken Heaven, he happened upon his old acquaintance.