Chapter 2713
STEP STEP STEP
"Master!" Meng Bai called out.
He had witnessed the battle from the start and couldnāt help but be stunned, especially by the final attack that looked like a volcanic eruption. Even though Meng Bai had never seen one before, he could only imagine that this must be what it looked likeāan explosion of overwhelming power, consuming everything in its wake.
The sheer force of the attack was staggering, and it was easily the most powerful technique he had ever seen Lin Mu unleash.
He had thought the battle with Elder Nui had been terrifying, but in comparison, that was nothing. The previous battle had been one of agility and precision, while this was a contest of pure, unrestrained might.
Now, as he looked upon Lin Mu, who stood completely unharmed, his respect and awe for him soared even higher.
"Are you okay, Master?" he still asked.
After all, he knew that injuries werenāt always just physical for a cultivator. Given that he had no knowledge of the High Elderās techniques, he had no way to gauge if Lin Mu had suffered any hidden wounds.
"Iām fine," Lin Mu replied. "Things got intense for a bit, but I ended it before it could get worse."
"I see. Itās good that youāre unharmed." Meng Bai then turned his gaze toward the side, where Little Shrubby stood. "The same cannot be said for them."
He gestured toward the limbless bodies of the River Bending Axe Sect disciples.
They lay in a heap, their groans of pain the only sign of life. Beside them, the burnt husk of the High Elder barely clung to life.
His condition was the worst of them all. He was barely breathing, his body charred beyond recognition. Lin Mu knew that if he wanted answers, he had little time left.
While he hoped to find useful information in the High Elderās storage treasures, he couldnāt afford to rely solely on that. There were things only the man himself could reveal.
And while the disciples were in far better condition, he doubted they had the knowledge he needed.
Thus, Lin Mu strode toward the High Elder and stopped before him.
SHUA
Using his Immortal Sense, he examined the elderās condition.
āTch, this is worse than I thought.ā Lin Mu frowned. āDid I go overboard?ā
The High Elderās organs were in complete disarray. His liver was crushed from Lin Muās earlier punch, one of his lungs had ruptured, and his kidneys had been boiled alive from the heat. The lower half of his intestines had been reduced to ash.
But these were just his bodily injuries. His meridiansāthose were far worse.
Nearly half of them were ruptured, something Lin Mu hadnāt expected.
āDid this happen because I interrupted his technique midway?ā Lin Mu mused.
From what he had observed, the High Elderās technique was clearly a high-grade skill that required vast amounts of Qi. A technique like that, if forcibly interrupted, could lead to severe backlash.
On top of that, the elder had desperately tried to defend himself with water barriers mid-battle, likely further aggravating the damage.
Lin Mu exhaled, shaking his head.
āAt least his dantian survived.ā
Though cracked and unstable, it remained intact. With the right healing, the elder could be stabilizedāat least long enough to speak.
SIGH
"Not sure if heāll be able to talk⦠That last stomp may have been unnecessary," Lin Mu muttered to himself.
Still, he had to at least try to extract whatever information he could.
āI need a strong healing pill.ā
Lin Mu reached into his storage space, searching for a suitable remedy. He couldnāt use just any pill. With the elderās meridians so heavily damaged, most potent healing pills would only cause his body to rupture further. He needed something focused on fleshly injuries rather than Qi recovery.
After a moment, he found the right oneāthe Organ Flesh Revitalization Pill.
A rare and highly valuable healing pill, worth tens of thousands of high-grade immortal stones. It was a waste to use it on someone like the High Elder, but Lin Mu was willing to make that sacrifice for answers.
He stuffed the pill into the old manās burned mouth.
The High Elderās lower lip had been burned off, leaving his teeth permanently exposed. Lin Mu forced his mouth shut and used a precise burst of Qi to stimulate his throat, making him swallow.
Then, he waited.
His Immortal Sense remained locked onto the elder, monitoring the effects.
One hour passed.
The elderās condition began to stabilize. His organs stopped bleeding, and the burned sections of his body were sealed off. His cells fought desperately to repair the damage.
While full recovery was impossible without extensive treatment, he was no longer on the brink of death.
Another hour later, his breathing improved.
Lin Mu narrowed his eyes.
āTime to wake him up.ā
He channeled a burst of vital energy, stimulating the elderās brain and heart. The reaction was immediate.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A bloodcurdling scream ripped from the High Elderās throat.
Even with the healing pill, the pain of having his body rebuilt while still conscious was unbearable. It felt as if his very bones were being set aflame from within.
"Silence." Lin Mu uttered the word with chilling calm, his gaze piercing through the old manās remaining eye.
The scream stopped instantly.
A shiver ran down the elderās spine as terror gripped him once more.
For a moment, even his pain was drowned out by the sheer presence of the man before him.
Lin Mu leaned down, his voice ice-cold.
"Where did you keep the hostages?" he demanded.
The High Elder trembled, his battered body frozen with fear. He had faced countless enemies in his long life, but never had he felt so utterly powerless.
He opened his mouth, lips quivering, but no words came out.
Lin Muās patience ran thin.
"Speak." His voice dropped lower, a quiet promise of suffering should the man hesitate any further.
A pitiful, raspy breath escaped the High Elderās charred throat.
"T-they are⦠atā¦" he gasped, his remaining eye filled with dread.
Lin Mu leaned closer, eyes locked onto his prey.
"Where?"