I am grinding experience in another world-Chapter 674 - 662 Qing Chan

On the peak of Qingqiu Mountain, in front of Taoshan Temple.

Through Shadow Pupil, Chen Mu gazed at the grayish Stone Gourd, and his heart quivered uncontrollably.

I clearly buried that thing deep underground—how... how could it still appear here in Thousand Lanterns City?!

This kind of sinister technique...

Outer Heaven Demon!

It must have something to do with the Outer Heaven Demon!

Looking up at Yan Ming, the Elder of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, who was growing nearer, Chen Mu struggled to maintain a calm expression, though a cold sweat had already spread across his back.

"I have to toss this gourd out of the Thousand Lantern City Cave Heaven immediately!" Chen Mu quickly made up his mind.

He scanned the surroundings discreetly.

Directly handing it over would only invite trouble upon himself; he needed to find a blind spot in everyone's sightlines so the gourd could appear without a sound.

As he continued to look, his eyes fell on a corner of the crowd, where a gaunt elder in gray robes entered his view.

Hu Buwei?

The spot where the old man stood was, by some coincidence, the least-noticed area by everyone?!

This...

Should I make Elder Hu suffer a bit, dump the suspicion of secretly possessing the Inheriting Heaven Gourd onto him, and let him shoulder it?

Hu Buwei, who was tightly guarding his Spirit and suppressing the Nine-Head Presence hidden within him, suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

He raised his head cautiously, only to meet Chen Mu's crescent-shaped eyes filled with subtle amusement.

Hu Buwei shivered instantly.

What the hell is this bastard planning?!

Don't tell me he's discovered the Nine Heads lurking inside me?

Is he planning to reveal me in order to secure his own disguise?

Damn it!

Just as Hu Buwei's entire body tensed, ready to flee at any moment, Chen Mu regretfully retracted his gaze from a distance.

Throwing the Inheriting Heaven Gourd out in front of everyone would make it easier for the Thousand Mechanisms Sect Elder to notice and seize control of it immediately, but it would also increase the risk of exposing himself.

The Thousand Mechanisms Sect placed so much importance on the Inheriting Heaven Gourd—Chen Mu had no desire to get involved.

"It's safer and more discreet to toss it into the small courtyard of the Taoshan Temple further away."

With that thought, Chen Mu concentrated his Spirit into the great eye of the Shadow Pupil.

Just as he was about to open a small door in the courtyard wall to teleport the Inheriting Heaven Gourd, he realized the gourd hidden in the corner of the ruins had vanished.

Chen Mu felt his scalp go numb, his hair nearly standing on end.

The gourd—could it be alive? It can even relocate itself!

Creak... creak...

The sound of an old rocking chair swaying and creaking echoed abruptly in the silent Thousand Lanterns City.

Chen Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned toward the sound.

At some point, a mysterious figure had appeared in the rocking chair Chen Mu had placed at the entrance of a three-story building.

The figure wore a long black gown lined with golden threads, styled in the Flying Immortal Bun adorned with a lifelike Flying Cicada Gold Hairpin.

Not far from the figure's feet lay the missing Stone Gourd.

Noticing Chen Mu's gaze, the individual tilted their head toward the great eye of the Shadow Pupil.

With a gentle wave, they seemed to greet him, their face graced with a serene and kind smile: "If you dare throw out the Inheriting Heaven Gourd, I'll kill you immediately—even Pure Yang Dao Ancestor wouldn't be able to save you."

Chen Mu: "..."

...

Late at night, in Thousand Lanterns City.

Despite the isolation caused by the Cave Heaven, the Elder of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect failed to notice anything.

And Chen Mu dared not throw away the Inheriting Heaven Gourd.

The woman who suddenly appeared—he had encountered her once before in Prison Valley.

At the time, she had appeared not far behind him, yet his Truth Listening Divine Power failed to detect anything.

Either she was far more powerful than him, or her methods were sufficiently bizarre and sinister.

Neither possibility was something he could afford to provoke.

"My name is Meng Qingchan, a High Practitioner of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect." Within Thousand Lanterns City, Meng Qingchan's voice echoed lightly as she rocked in the chair.

"Three hundred years ago, I failed to contest for the sect master position and was framed and suppressed in Hai Province by the Ninety-nine Sects."

"This time, I managed to escape thanks to the upheaval. I only wish to head for the Outer Heaven Star and completely sever ties with the Thousand Mechanisms Sect."

"There's no need for you to be anxious—just follow through your plans to head for the Outer Heaven Battlefield."

"I'm only here for the ride; I won't harm you. Once we reach the Outer Heaven Star, I'll depart on my own."

"Helping Senior Meng is an honor for me," Chen Mu said, cupping his hands respectfully, his expression sincere.

"Not willing, are you?" Meng Qingchan chuckled softly.

"If I were in your position, I would also be unwilling to be controlled like this." Before Chen Mu could reply, she spoke again.

"This gourd is the core essence of my being." Meng Qingchan pointed to the Inheriting Heaven Gourd by her feet, smiling.

"Try it—use all your skills and techniques to kill me; maybe you'll succeed."

"I am a Daoist Soldier of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, aiding a sect senior with utmost sincerity. How could you accuse me without justification?" Chen Mu's face was filled with righteous indignation.

"You certainly are an adaptive one," Meng Qingchan said with a soft laugh. "Since you're being so agreeable, I can't show no response..."

Creak!

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden and piercing metallic grinding noise echoed around them.

Meng Qingchan froze, lowering her gaze to see a small black-scaled dragon no thicker than an arm fiercely gnawing on the Stone Gourd. It looked oddly like a large dog chewing on a bone.

"It's a misunderstanding! It's just my pet—its teeth are itchy lately, so it's been desperate to chew on something hard." Chen Mu's face was apologetic and earnest.

Meng Qingchan: "..."

Clang!

Sparks flew.

A palm-sized Moon Blade struck the belly of the gourd, slashing it furiously and hammering it relentlessly.

"Another misunderstanding! This magic treasure hasn't been refined yet; it throws tantrums and won't rest until it hacks away at something durable each day."

Meng Qingchan: "..."

Crackle! Pop!

A dense web of small arcs of lightning fully enveloped the Stone Gourd, with concentrated Kui Water Yin Thunder surging to electrocute it fiercely.

"You're just incorrigible, aren't you?" Meng Qingchan couldn't help but laugh in anger.

"Don't think I won't seize control of this situation!" Her tone darkened. "Don't force my hand to deal with you!"

"Haven't you already made your move?" Chen Mu shot back, his face equally grim.

Fwoosh!

A ball of colorless flame suddenly emerged from Chen Mu's forehead. A vibrant green cicada pattern appeared within the flame, slowly burning into black ash.

"Green Worm Gu Poison."

"So it turns out this poison is connected to the upheaval earlier!"

"Against anyone else, you might have succeeded in manipulating them—but you ran into me," Chen Mu said, narrowing his eyes.

Boom!

A massive fireball flared abruptly, wrapping around the Inheriting Heaven Gourd entirely.

Squeak, squeak, squeak...

A series of sharp, rapid trembling sounds echoed throughout the Thousand Lantern City Cave Heaven.

Sitting in the rocking chair, Meng Qingchan's figure flickered erratically—like a glitching image—but her facial expression reverted back to serene kindness.

"Heavenly Demon Techniques—it's been a while since I've seen such methods," Meng Qingchan said with a soft laugh. "Once, I even trained in them specifically."

Hearing this, Chen Mu suddenly felt a surge of unease in his heart.

"The Thousand Mechanisms Sect added plenty of safeguards against me escaping with Heavenly Demon Techniques on this Inheriting Heaven Gourd," Meng Qingchan said lightly, glancing at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu's expression turned sour.

Boom!

The Seven Emotions Flame erupted into a fireball towering the height of two men.

Meng Qingchan's flickering silhouette persisted, appearing and vanishing repeatedly dozens of times, without ever completely dissipating.

"It's useless." Meng Qingchan shook her head gently. "The Thousand Mechanisms Sect spared no effort in using all the sect's techniques to seal and suppress me within this gourd. You won't break it."

"Everything is very clear now." She looked at Chen Mu with a bright, cheerful smile.

"If I don't wish to leave, you can't make me leave this Cave Heaven—you've already tried."

"Moreover, now that you've become involved with me, even if you seek to surrender to the Thousand Mechanisms Sect willingly, you will inevitably be eradicated—utterly destroyed."

"You can't defeat me, and I can't control you. Cooperation is the best solution." Meng Qingchan grinned brightly.

"I was once a High Practitioner of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect—privy to many of its secret teachings. Aren't you curious?"

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"For example, techniques for constructing magic treasures, or... the Dao Foundation Secret Scripture!"

Chen Mu froze, unconsciously narrowing his eyes.

The Dao Foundation Secret Scripture...