Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2949: Settling In

Having shown them everything, the disciple gave a short bow.

”Everything within the Jade Echo Retreat is now at your disposal. If you require anything else, I’ll be stationed just beyond the outer gate in the residence there. I’ve been assigned to take care of you during your stay here.” The disciple stated. ”I will also send word to the Elder Hall regarding your interest in the tournament.” He added.

Lin Mu inclined his head. ”Thank you.”

As the disciple departed, the trio stood quietly in the wind-kissed courtyard, mist swirling gently around their ankles and pine needles rustling softly overhead.

Even here, in a place meant for rest, the Sword Dao was ever-present—sharpening, whispering, watching.

After the Inner Court disciple left, the three cultivators stood for a moment in silence, letting the serenity of the Jade Echo Retreat soak into their senses.

Lin Mu exhaled slowly, then raised his hand.

With a soft hum of energy, four flashes of light emerged from his sleeve. A red darted out first, followed by a whoosh of black feathers and two hisses of excitement.

”Alright, everyone,” Lin Mu said, smiling as Little Shrubby, Ashy, and the twin snakes Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang took form before him.

Little Shrubby yawned, stretching his claws wide, his flame-like red fur shimmering with vitality.

He looked around, nose twitching, before letting out a pleased trill. ”This place smells nice! Like herbs and mist and... very old swords!” His mind was already thinking about what to make with all the fresh ingredients around him.

Ashy flapped her wings in excitement, launching herself into the air with a whoosh, while the twin snakes coiled affectionately around Lin Mu’s arms before slithering onto a nearby railing.

”You three,” Lin Mu said, narrowing his eyes at the trio of mischief-makers. ”No trouble. You hear me? I don’t want to hear about some Immortal Elder chasing you out of their tea pavilion because you stole snacks.”

Ashy tilted her head innocently and let out a kuuu~, pretending not to understand and as if she could not speak, which was the biggest lie ever.

She usually did not stop speaking, being the literal chatter bird she was.

Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang both flicked their tongues guiltily, already inching toward a fruit tree near the herb garden.

”Don’t play dumb. Little Shrubby, you’re in charge of them,” Lin Mu added, giving the beast a meaningful look.

Little Shrubby sat upright and puffed out his chest proudly. ”Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they behave.”

”Explore if you want, but stay within the retreat. Don’t go poking around at the top of the mountain or into other elders’ residences.” He warned.

”We will!” They replied in unison.

The beasts chirped, purred, and hissed in agreement—or something close to it—then scurried off like excited children on their first day of school.

Meng Bai watched them go with visible relief. ”At least they didn’t try to take me with them this time...”

”They’re mellowing out,” Lin Mu offered.

”No, they’re not,” Meng Bai replied flatly, sitting down on the stone bench with a tired expression. ”They just know I’ll make a good decoy if they ever need to escape again.”

Daoist Chu laughed. ”Well, they are lively, but quite well-behaved—relatively speaking.”

With a polite bow, Daoist Chu turned. ”I’ll find a room for myself and meditate for a bit. This Qi density is excellent for eroding my current bottleneck.”

”Good idea,” Lin Mu said.

”And I’ll finish my formation theory review,” Meng Bai added, already pulling out a jade slip and tapping his temple. ”If I don’t get it down today, I’ll never remember the Fifth-layer Qi Compression Weave tomorrow.”

”You’re getting better,” Lin Mu encouraged. ”Stick with it.”

Meng Bai offered a thumbs-up without looking up, already half-immersed in study.

With the others settled, Lin Mu made his way toward the back of the retreat. The towering double doors of the True Edge Training Hall awaited him like silent guardians, glowing faintly in the ambient light.

He approached them with calm steps, then placed his hand on the engraved panel at the center.

The runes pulsed.

A moment later, the doors groaned open, revealing a grand hall of polished stone and shimmering formations.

Inside, it was vast—far larger than it appeared from the outside. Formation runes embedded into the walls and ceiling bent space subtly, creating a domed chamber with at least a hundred meters of clearance. Along the far side of the chamber stood ten humanoid figures, their frames smooth and dark like burnished obsidian, their joints inlaid with fine silver lines.

Immortal-grade puppets.

They stood motionless now, like warriors waiting for a command.

As Lin Mu stepped in, the doors silently closed behind him. An inscription on a nearby pedestal flickered to life, displaying options in glowing golden script.

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Select Difficulty:

Core Condensation

Nascent Soul

Dao Shell

Dao Treading

Immortal Tribulation: First to Sixth Stage

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Custom Engagement

Select Sword Style:

Classic Flowing Water

Blazing Sun Sword

Moonlit Severance

Piercing Thorn Form

Shadow Edge Dance

.

.

.

Randomized Legacy

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Lin Mu read through the options, his brow raised in interest.

”Impressive,” he murmured. ”They even recorded the Moonlit Severance technique...” He had heard about the famous sword style.

He tapped a few glyphs, selecting:

Difficulty: Immortal Tribulation - Third Stage

Sword Style: Randomized Legacy

Engagement Type: Solo Duel, Sword Only, No Qi Techniques

A circle lit up in the center of the chamber. Lin Mu stepped into it calmly, unsheathing his sword. As he did, a soft chime rang out, and one of the obsidian puppets stepped forward.

It drew a sword from the sheath integrated into its arm. The blade shimmered with condensed Sword Intent.

The training hall dimmed slightly as formations activated. The hall expanding on its own growing to around a thousand meters wide.

A pressure filled the air—not unlike facing a true opponent on the battlefield.

Then the puppet moved.

Fast.

Lin Mu smiled faintly as he parried the opening strike. His feet glided across the floor as if dancing, sword flowing like liquid silver.

The duel had begun.