Chapter 2938: Catching Up With The Saintess
"I suppose I should tell you, then. About what happened there."
And so Lin Mu did.
He told her of his arrival at the Great Burden Monastery. Of the relic he discoveredâthe Heart of Gravityâand how it had been fractured, spilling chaos into the templeâs grounds. He spoke of the monks, the trials, and the strange harmony between burden and release. And finally, how he had restored the Heart... and closed it.
The Saintess listened without interrupting, her attention unwavering.
When he finished, she offered a rare, gentle smile.
"So thatâs how you obtained the Gravity Dao Embryo," she said. "It makes sense now. That power you used... it could only have been birthed from the influence of the Heart itself."
Lin Mu nodded. "It wasnât the only thing I gained."
"Oh?"
Without another word, Lin Mu exhaled slowly. His stance widened a little, and the air around him began to hum.
Golden light surged across his skin.
First in threads, then in flowing patternsâancient, shifting motifs danced over his body. Mountains, valleys, cloudy peaks, and cavernsâentire landscapes etched themselves across his flesh in radiant arcs. His hair lifted slightly in the rising force, and a subtle gravity pressed outward in waves of calm dominance.
The Burdenless Dominator Physique revealed itself in full glory.
The Saintess inhaled softly.
For a long moment, she said nothing, merely observingâsensing. She took a single step closer, her veil fluttering as her aura extended ever so slightly to brush against the golden light.
She nodded, slowly, deliberately.
"...Impressive."
Lin Mu let the glow subside, the golden sheen fading from his skin like sunlight retreating behind clouds.
The Saintessâs voice carried an unfeigned trace of awe. "That is not a physique Iâve ever heard of before. And Iâve studied thousands."
"Itâs... new, I suppose," Lin Mu replied. "Born from the Immortal strengthening Scripture and the True Gold Body, and refined through my trials and the power of the Dominating Gravity Dao Embryo."
"Anacquiredinnate physique," she murmured. "And one that holds immense potential. The energy it gives off... it is not lesser than the physiques of the Upper Realms."
She folded her arms, her voice shifting to a tone of assessment.
"Many chase after bloodline legacies, trying to force their bodies into divine molds. But what you have createdâthis is unique. It is yours, not inherited. A physique forged through effort, suffering, and transcendence."
Lin Mu gave a small smile, pride flickering behind his eyes. "It... wasnât easy."
"I can tell," she said. "This is not a power that comes without cost."
There was something solemn in her voice now. As if she understood the weight such transformations demanded. The burdens one must carry to become... burdenless.
Lin Mu looked at her. "Then, you think this physique can match the best in the Immortal Realm?"
She nodded. "Absolutely. It may very well surpass many."
Her words were simple, but they carried weight.
"I see," Lin Mu said, exhaling.
The Saintessâs gaze returned to the Marshes of the Silent Skies in the distance. "And yet... even with such strength, you must be cautious. That place is not merely dangerous. It is cursed."
Lin Muâs brow furrowed. "The baleful energy?"
She nodded. "A dense mass of it. A distortion of karma, hatred, and regret. Even Transcendents would perish if they entered unprepared."
"...Then Iâll prepare," Lin Mu said, eyes sharpening once again.
Lin Mu gazed across the desolate valley, the collapsed cavern behind him now nothing more than a scar in the landscape. The echoes of the gravity storm had long faded, but its impression lingeredâetched into the terrain and seared into the surrounding qi.
He turned to the Saintess.
"We should head back," he said. "Daoist Chu and Meng Bai will be worried. Thereâs no way they didnât notice the collapse."
The Saintess inclined her head slightly. "Youâre right. The destruction wouldâve shaken half the valley."
Lin Mu narrowed his eyes, surveying the unfamiliar ridges and terrain. "Strange... This isnât the same area I entered from."
"Indeed," the Saintess replied. "The teleportation array inside the Eye led you quite far underground. And when you used Phase to escape, you surfaced through the shortest path. That placed you in a completely different location."
Lin Mu nodded, already beginning to walk. "Figures. Itâs going to be a bit of a hike back."
They set off, the wind curling around them as they moved through the drifting mists. As they walked, the tension of battle faded, replaced by something warmerâsomething closer to old familiarity.
"Itâs been a while since we walked like this," Lin Mu said, half-smiling.
"It has," the Saintess agreed. "I had nearly forgotten how prone you are to trouble."
"Thatâs a bit unfair," Lin Mu replied with a light chuckle. "Most of the trouble finds me."
"True," she mused. "But you have an unfortunate habit of punching it directly in the face."
He snorted.
As they moved, they spoke of the years that had passedâcatching up in fragments, trading pieces of their journeys like travelers laying down stories by a fire. Eventually, the topic shifted again.
"So... youâve grown a great deal," the Saintess said. "That physique, your Dao Embryo... even your control of Space."
Lin Mu smiled faintly. "It wasnât easy. And some of it... I had help."
The Saintess looked over, curious.
"My MasterâXukong."
She gave a small nod. "The Void Weaver Spider of legend. One doesnât forget a being like that."
"Well, he personally taught me one of his signature techniques," Lin Mu said.
At that, the Saintess actually stopped walking.
She turned toward him, the mist parting gently around her like respectful attendants.
"Hetaughtyou one of his techniques?" she asked, her voice lower now, touched with gravity.
"Yes. Directly. He passed it on to me before we parted," Lin Mu confirmed.
The Saintessâs brow furrowed under her veil. "I donât know which skill it was, but... if it was one of his core techniquesâthen itâs no small matter."
"Itâs the one I used to seal the Heart of Gravity," Lin Mu said. "The Knot Of The Weaver."