I am grinding experience in another world
Chapter 704 - 692: Shrinking Earth

Evening.

Chen Mu returned to Jiwei Courtyard in Yangdu Square. As he rounded the screen wall at the gate, he saw a group of people gossiping around Zhong Qing.

What's this about...

"Thousand Mechanisms Sect voluntarily dissolved Zhong Qing's Daoist Soldier Contract and is sending him back to Hai Province." Someone in the crowd, seemingly aware of Chen Mu's curiosity, explained.

"This is the treatment for disabled Daoist Soldiers from Border Shelter Star."

Isn't this a fortunate event!

Chen Mu was filled with envy.

Back when he came to Outer Heaven to become a Daoist Soldier, it was for the Daoist Foundation Atlas.

Now, by coincidence, he obtained the Jade Cicada Dao Foundation Map, achieving his initial goal long ago.

If he could return to Hai Province to cultivate, it would undoubtedly be more stable than staying on this Heavenly Star.

If I pretend to have a relapse of the demon poison now…

Chen Mu felt a stirring impulse in his heart.

"With his Spiritual Deity damaged and no hope for the Dao path, returning to Hai Province seems to be a good ending." Someone in the crowd sighed.

"For the past few months, with no movements, I thought they were going to let these people fend for themselves. Now it seems that Thousand Mechanisms Sect still has some conscience."

"Conscience? Nonsense! Thousand Mechanisms Sect is merely cleaning up the mess for Master Lv Shenjun!" A young man in black within the crowd retorted.

"How dare you say that out loud!"

"If they can do it, why can't I say it..."

Chen Mu glanced at the young man arguing with his neck stiff, and quietly distanced himself from the crowd.

This is something to think about but indeed not to be talked about.

Lv Yue is a Primordial Spirit God, a few words of criticism won't affect him at all. But if he's in a bad mood, a slight breeze from him would leave few of these Daoist Soldiers in the courtyard.

On the second-floor veranda of the west wing, Chen Mu looked at Zhong Qing, who was laughing foolishly among the crowd, and shook his head slightly.

Being able to safely return to Hai Province, far from the world of Qi Cultivators, Zhong Qing might have a stable latter half of his life.

But coming to Outer Heaven as a Daoist Soldier, he was surely after the longevity of Qi Refinement. Now that his Dao path has been abruptly severed, it clearly does not align with Zhong Qing's original intentions.

Sadly, the world is unpredictable, and one must accept it.

"Pretending to be sick now is definitely too late."

"Without the Star Lord's permission, it's useless whether I force my way or sneak through the Heavenly Gate."

"Heavenly Pass Star is fairly stable, I may as well honestly cultivate."

Chen Mu glanced at Zhong Qing again, silently wished his neighbor well, then turned and returned to his own room.

...

Late at night.

Chen Mu sat on one side of a low divan by the window.

Performing the Large and Small Like Intent, the Giant Spirit Divine, which had become as large as himself, sat across from him at a four-sided table.

A small jade gourd, about the size of a forearm, was placed at the center of the table, filled with a mixture of Replenishing Origin Soup and Nourishing Spirit Wine.

The next moment.

The black and red vortex on Giant Spirit Divine's face flickered with scarlet light, producing an invisible suction out of nowhere.

Streams of brilliance flew out of the White Jade Gourd, resembling countless silver and red swimming fish, wandering in the air for a moment before entering the black and red vortex.

A warm current suddenly emerged from Chen Mu's body. The slight deficiency caused by continuously draining his mana was immediately replenished by this warm current.

"Using the Giant Spirit Divine to perform the Soul Capturing Return to Origin Technique indeed has its wonders!" Feeling the comfort of his recovering body, Chen Mu's eyes were full of excitement.

The Soul Capturing Return to Origin Technique forcefully absorbs the vitality of living beings to repair oneself, but the absorbed vitality is mixed and impure, and the repair method is quite crude and violent, potentially hiding dangers.

It is precisely because of this that Chen Mu, although having used the Soul Capturing Return to Origin Technique to assist his Heavenly Demon body, had never applied this technique to his true self.

This time, the casting was no different. The Soul Capturing Return to Origin Technique still wasn't applied to himself; it only worked on the Giant Spirit Divine.

The one truly nourishing him was the Giant Spirit Divine.

The energy returned from Giant Spirit Divine was not only pure and gentle, but the method was also more meticulous and rapid.

"Using the Giant Spirit Divine as a conduit is like having an extra digestive system, recovering my vitality way faster than by myself. If I combine both methods..." Chen Mu's eyes gleamed.

"Previously, practicing Reversed Primordial Qi, I could do a maximum of twelve times a day. Any more and my body would suffer."

"But now, with the assistance of the Giant Spirit Divine, the speed of cultivating my Daoist Foundation might very well double!"

Chen Mu instantly grinned, unable to resist laughing.

...

With ample vitality, a complete Dao Foundation Map, along with the Giant Spirit Divine and the accelerated Soul Capturing Return to Origin Technique.

In the following days, Chen Mu's speed at restructuring his Jade Seed indeed greatly increased.

The outer wall of the Jade Seed grew more intricate markings visible to the naked eye. The experience points of the Jade Cicada Secret Scripture surged daily.

One morning, more than twenty days later, after dealing with the Green Jade Snail, Chen Mu habitually practiced Reversed Primordial Qi to build his foundation.

In no time at all, his body suddenly shuddered, a slight tingling sensation spread throughout his body, and the Body Protection Aura concealed around him abruptly appeared.

On the originally white jade-like spiritual light, a large number of golden patterns emerged.

Chen Mu felt elated, a flash of understanding in his eyes. With a slight thought, a grey wall surfaced before his eyes.

Jade Cicada Secret Scripture: 5/10000/Seventh Rank;

"It is indeed the Jade Cicada Secret Scripture."

While he no longer had the Inheriting Heaven Gourd, Chen Mu had the Rejuvenation Pill. Although the cost was high, it ensured the steady pace of his cultivation. Later, resolving the demon poison, with no lack of vitality, the Jade Cicada Secret Scripture steadily advanced.

Now, with the acceleration from Giant Spirit Divine and the Soul Capturing Return to Origin Technique, the Jade Cicada Secret Scripture had stepped into a whole new stage.

"The perfection of the Sixth Rank seems to have passed another hurdle." Chen Mu looked at the golden patterns on his Body Protection Aura, quite intrigued.

Previously, upon reaching the perfection of the third stage of the Jade Cicada Secret Scripture, he gained the Jade Cicada Qi. Now entering the seventh stage had brought another significant change.

...

The next afternoon, three hundred miles south of Heavenly Pass City.

In an endless stretch of green forest, a golden escape light appeared.

Next, the light abruptly disappeared, reappearing a hundred meters farther.

The escape light flickered continuously, like a stuttering image, swiftly advancing in bursts.

After a long while, the golden light landed on top of a towering tree several dozen meters high; the glow receded, revealing Chen Mu.

"Shrinking Earth into Inches! I didn't expect the Jade Cicada Qi to grant Shrinking Earth into Inches!" Chen Mu had a radiant smile.

With the enhancement of Jade Cicada Qi, not only did the defense of his Body Protection Aura greatly improve, but the Vertical Earth Rainbow Light Escape Technique also underwent qualitative change. His escape speed increased by thirty percent, surpassing his previous fastest Yin Wind Escape, and it also acquired the ability of Shrinking Earth into Inches.

"Now I can teleport as far as a hundred meters at once."

"If I perfect my Dao Foundation, if I achieve Primordial Spirit, the Vertical Earth Rainbow Light teleport distance will surely increase dramatically. By then..."

"Vertical Earth Golden Light? Shrinking Earth into Inches?"

"Haha!"

"What remarkable divine skills!"

Chen Mu laughed heartily.

Soon, the golden light reappeared in the sky above the boundless sea of trees, flickering continuously.

...

By evening, with his mana depleted multiple times by the Vertical Earth Rainbow Light, Chen Mu finally dragged his exhausted body, returning to Heavenly Pass City with excitement.

He didn't rush back to Yangdu Square but headed to Heavenly Market Street instead.

With considerable progress in his cultivation, he naturally had to celebrate. Although he couldn't go to Yulan Rampart, he could still buy some exotic demon beast meat to satisfy his palate.

However, he had only walked a short distance into the street when he noticed that the White Jade Heavenly Gate at the end of the street was open.

Numerous Qi Cultivators of varying ages, male and female, were walking out of the gate.

They cautiously or boldly observed their surroundings, their expressions quite similar to when Chen Mu first arrived at Heavenly Pass City.

New Daoist Soldiers?

Chen Mu realized.

With Lu Shenjun poisoning, the Daoist Soldier losses in Outer Heaven were severe. To better guard Heavenly Nature, more Daoist Soldiers naturally needed to be summoned for reinforcement.