Chapter 055: A Deeply Wounded Old Heart

Not long after Mu Tianhen entered the inner chamber, the Grand Elders, unable to contain their curiosity any longer, hastened toward the room. They, too, were eager to know just how profound the Family Head’s cultivation had become. After all, with the banquet of gratitude only three days away, someone was bound to seize the opportunity to make things difficult. It was highly likely that the patriarchs of all the great families would appear in person.

Seeing the four Grand Elders enter, Mu Qianyuan wasted no time and spoke first, “You’ve come too late. The Family Head is already inside the chamber refining pills; no one is allowed to disturb him.”

“Refining pills?” The four Grand Elders looked at Mu Qianyuan in disbelief, their meaning unmistakable.

Mu Qianyuan understood their thoughts, but as for explaining, he hardly knew where to begin. All he could do was shrug helplessly and say, “I want to know as much as you do.”

“So, we’ll have to wait until the Family Head emerges to learn the truth. But one thing I can tell you now: his cultivation has reached the ninth tier of the Sky-Gazing Realm.”

What? The four Grand Elders were utterly shocked upon hearing this. They could never have imagined that the Family Head had attained such a lofty level.

That meant they had little to worry about at the upcoming banquet.

But before they had time to calm themselves, Mu Tianxiang, eager to add another twist, laughed and said, “Grand Elders, not only is the Family Head so powerful, but our Princess Xue’er is also a ninth-tier Sky-Gazing Realm expert.”

“What?” The four Grand Elders were even more taken aback, turning their gaze to Mu Tianxue, scrutinizing her from every angle.

Yet, there wasn’t the slightest fluctuation of vital energy from her—she seemed utterly ordinary, just like anyone else. How could she possibly be a martial artist, let alone a terrifying ninth-tier master?

Thus, they turned to Mu Qianyuan for confirmation.

Mu Qianyuan stroked his beard and nodded with a smile. “Xiang’er is right. Little Xue’er is also a ninth-tier Sky-Gazing Realm expert, equal to the Family Head in cultivation.”

Now, the four Grand Elders had no choice but to believe. As the family’s patriarch, Mu Qianyuan would never jest so recklessly.

Yet… why could they not sense any vital energy from Mu Tianxue?

Mu Tianxue giggled. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. All thanks to my brother. By the way, Patriarch, may I ask you something?”

Mu Qianyuan nodded without hesitation, signaling her to speak freely.

Mu Tianxue raised her slender finger and tapped her brow before asking, “Patriarch, just now a strange, enormous pit appeared at my brow—huge, really huge!”

“In that pit, there was a vast amount of rainbow-colored water, rippling gently. Patriarch, what is going on? Am I going to be alright?”

Upon hearing this, neither Mu Qianyuan nor the others could remain composed. As cultivators, they understood what Mu Tianxue was describing, but could scarcely believe it.

Yet her eyes betrayed no falsehood; it was clearly the truth.

Mu Qianyuan coughed a few times, then looked at Mu Tianxue and asked, “Little Xue’er, how big is this pit you mentioned? Tell us its width—perhaps fifty li or so?”

He was boldly guessing upward, though he doubted it. In Shun’an City, those with a fifty-li-wide qi sea were exceedingly rare.

Mu Qianyuan himself had only reached thirty li. Only the Patriarch of the Dai Family had such a vast qi sea.

The others watched Mu Tianxue intently, eager to know the true extent of her qi sea.

Mu Tianxue, unfamiliar with such things, did not grasp the significance of the measurements. After hearing Mu Qianyuan’s question, she replied honestly.

“It’s not fifty li, let me estimate.”

With that, Mu Tianxue summoned her spiritual sense to probe the size of her qi sea.

After two breaths, she withdrew her sense and said, her large eyes turning, “I don’t know the exact width, but it should be about as big as Panlong Lake.”

“What?” The others exclaimed in unison, then involuntarily stepped back a few paces, mouths agape, eyes wide, faces filled with disbelief.

Such a qi sea exceeded the limits of their imagination. After all, Mu Tianxue had only just become a martial artist—none of this should have been possible.

Yet reality was otherwise. Not only had Mu Tianxue opened her qi sea, it was already a thousand li wide—astonishing, utterly astonishing!

A qi sea so vast was, in their eyes, already on the scale of a lake.

Many cultivators, even after a lifetime, never managed to transform their dantian into a qi sea, their progress forever stunted.

Even those lucky enough to open a qi sea could never achieve such breadth.

Take Mu Qianyuan, already a fifth-tier Sky-Gazing Realm master—his qi sea was only twenty li wide. Compared to Mu Tianxue, it was nothing.

The others were even further behind.

Seeing everyone’s odd expressions, Mu Tianxue grew nervous and quickly asked, “Patriarch, is something wrong? Is my pit too small, with too little inside?”

“Please don’t worry, Patriarch. I will observe the pit carefully; anyway, it seems to be growing slowly on its own.”

Bang!

Mu Qianyuan lost his footing and fell awkwardly to the ground.

The others nearly followed, staring in disbelief at the little girl.

Child, do you realize how hurtful your words are? Too small? It’s too large, to say the least! And to say it grows on its own—how excessive!

Every cultivator knows that whether dantian or qi sea, both can expand, but only through the martial artist’s own effort and gradual cultivation.

You tell us yours grows on its own—this is beyond comprehension.

Mu Qianyuan scrambled up, dusted himself off, and awkwardly asked, “Little Xue’er, are you telling the truth?”

“Yes!” Mu Tianxue nodded vigorously. “How could I dare to deceive the Patriarch and Grand Elders, or Tianxiang?”

“Very good!” Mu Qianyuan hurriedly replied, “We believe you. Little Xue’er is indeed a genius—the greatest genius our Mu Family has ever seen.”

“No need to say more. Just cultivate well; you and the Family Head are sure to create unimaginable miracles!”

He had to end the topic here—his old heart couldn’t take any more. He hoped to live a few hundred years longer.

So Mu Qianyuan shifted the subject and looked toward the inner chamber. “The Family Head is destined to be extraordinary. This time, his pill refining will certainly surprise us all.”

With that, everyone quickly diverted their attention, lest their hearts suffer further, turning to watch the inner chamber.

Inside, Mu Tianhen had finished his preparations and was about to begin his first true pill refinement. He was still somewhat nervous.