Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2939: Regrouping With Daoist Chu And Meng Bai

The Saintess’ breath caught ever so slightly.

She didn’t know the skill, but she knew very well of the Void Weaver Spider—a Great being of terrible power, who wove space and fate like thread. Among the cosmic factions, his skills inspired awe and dread alike.

”Then you must be cautious,” she said at last. ”If word of this gets out... no one can predict the level of attention it would attract.”

Lin Mu nodded. ”I know. That’s why I don’t show it openly unless I have no choice. Plus its not a skill that I can use for most things.”

She gave a faint smile. ”Wise. You’re learning.”

”From the best,” Lin Mu replied.

They continued in silence for a while, their pace swift but relaxed. Soon, the familiar shape of a rocky ridge appeared in the distance—its edges sharp, its surface cracked from recent devastation.

At the edge of the cliff stood two figures.

Daoist Chu’s flowing sleeves danced in the wind, his face furrowed in concern. Beside him, Meng Bai stood slightly off the ground on a rock, his normally playful expression gone—replaced by tense focus.

They stared down into the vast pit where the Eye had once pulsed with power.

Now, it was a ruin.

”Where is he...?” Meng Bai whispered, his voice taut. ”He said he’d be back...”

”He’s alive,” Daoist Chu said, though he did not sound entirely convinced. ”I believe in him.”

”I’m back,” Lin Mu called out.

Both turned sharply.

Relief flooded their faces instantly, as if a tidal wave of worry had been held back only by hope.

”master!” Meng Bai cried, flying toward him at once.

Daoist Chu’s shoulders relaxed, and a rare smile crossed his lips.

Meng Bai stopped in front of Lin Mu, eyes scanning him from head to toe. ”You’re okay? Nothing broken? You vanished right when everything went crazy!”

”I’m fine,” Lin Mu reassured him. ”A bit of a detour, that’s all.”

Daoist Chu joined them, giving Lin Mu a long look. ”The Eye is gone?”

”It is,” Lin Mu said. ”The tree has been denied its vessel.”

The man nodded solemnly. ”Then we have taken a great step forward.”

As they spoke, Lin Mu felt the lightest brush of qi near his side. A flicker in the air.

The Saintess.

She had already turned invisible, her presence vanishing like morning dew in sunlight. Her final words came through a mental whisper.

”I’ll be watching. Check in from time to time.”

Lin Mu didn’t reply with words—just a soft nod, more felt than seen.

The others didn’t notice.

Meng Bai gave him a suspicious look. ”You were gone for hours and came back like nothing happened. You better have a story.”

Lin Mu chuckled. ”Oh, I do. But let’s find a place to sit down first. You’re going to want tea for this one.”

The trio made camp at a relatively stable outcrop some distance from the ruins of the Eye. The cliffs offered shelter, and the natural formation of the rocks helped break the wind and scatter lingering yin energy.

Daoist quickly drew formations into the ground with an array brush, while Meng Bai reinforced them with talismans infused with warmth and spiritual light. Lin Mu, familiar with the restless ghosts of the Shadow Whisper Valley, added a layer of soul repulsion seals for good measure.

Once they were done, the air within the barrier lightened noticeably.

Ghosts might whisper, but they would not cross this line.

The three sat around a gently glowing spiritual fire, its light colored a soft blue-green due to the herbs Lin Mu had tossed in. It wasn’t for warmth—it was for peace. The scent helped relax the mind and banish intrusive spiritual murmurs.

With the quiet established, Lin Mu began to speak.

He told them everything.

From the moment he had fought the Ephemerach and descended into the hidden root chamber of the Ephemera Tree, to Elder Mingshi’s offer of a ”Celestial path,” and the strange illusions spun by the Tree itself. He described the Saintess’s arrival, her declaration about the Ephemera Sect being remnants of the Taowu Order, and the destruction of the chamber via his Heaven Crushing Descent.

He held nothing back.

By the time he finished, the fire had died down to embers, and silence stretched across the camp.

Meng Bai looked completely stupefied.

”Wait... wait... What do you mean the tree was a Celestial Treasure?” He asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

Lin Mu nodded. ”The Saintess confirmed it. The Ephemera Tree is one of those rare existences that can grant the opportunity to become a Nurtured Celestial.”

Daoist Chu’s expression was equally grim. ”That would explain its allure. And the Ephemera Sect’s obsession with vessels and sacrifice.”

”It also explains their power,” Lin Mu added. ”Those ghosts we fought weren’t just ordinary spirits. They were augmented—twisted by the Tree’s will.”

Meng Bai frowned. ”That’s... terrifying. If even a fragment of that Tree was capable of such manipulation...”

”It’s worse than that,” Lin Mu said. ”The Saintess said the real body of the Tree still exists—likely in the Marshes of the Silent Skies. This was just a remnant root.”

Silence again.

Then, slowly, Daoist Chu let out a breath and looked toward the horizon.

”The Marshes...” he murmured. ”A place of heavy baleful energy. Few dare tread there.”

Lin Mu nodded. ”Even the Saintess can’t see through it. She said it would kill even Transcendents.”

Meng Bai looked deeply uneasy now, her arms wrapped around her knees. ”How many more of these things are still hiding under our noses?”

Lin Mu didn’t have an answer for that.

He shifted the conversation.

”There’s more. The Ephemera Sect—they’re not just some rogue group. They’re connected to the Taowu Order.”

Meng Bai blinked. ”What’s the Taowu Order?”

He looked between the two men.

Daoist Chu’s brow furrowed. He stared at the embers, thoughts distant.

”I... I’ve seen that name before,” he said at last. ”A long time ago. Back when I was still studying under Elder Qingyan at the Immortal Court. I was sorting through ancient records, looking for techniques to help a sect archivist. I came across a fragmentary entry.”