Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3144: Preparations For The Mission To Come

The conversation stretched on until the night slowly faded away.

They talked of possibilities and futures, with Cattaleya more animated than usual, her eyes shining not just from the wine but from genuine anticipation of what lay ahead. For once, she allowed herself to look forward with something close to excitement.

Before either of them realized it, morning crept in. The light of dawn spilled through the windows, chasing away the shadows of the night. The lamps had burned low, their faint glow barely visible against the growing brightness.

Catt stretched, groaning softly as she rolled her shoulders. "Well, I should get going," she finally said.

Lin Mu tilted his head. "Going where?"

"There are things I have left unattended for too long," she replied. "The bounty for the Sirens, for one. I never collected payment for it. I was waiting for the merchants to send the reward to the Smoldering Rock Merchant Union. I may as well go now and collect it." She brushed the hair from her face, her voice returning to its usual brisk tone. "I also need to finish a few preparations before we begin the mission against the Hidden Cave Sect."

Lin Mu nodded. "That mission should not take longer than a week or two to begin. It is good to be ready."

With that, they parted ways. Cattaleya strode out confidently, her steps lighter than they had been the night before. Lin Mu returned to his courtyard, the silence there greeting him like an old friend.

He sat down, folding his legs beneath him, and closed his eyes.

The stillness of meditation enveloped him, his breath drawing into a calm rhythm. He had recently broken through and gained valuable insights from sparring. He could feel it in his marrow: his understanding of combat had deepened, his ability to face strong foes sharpened.

But satisfaction was not enough. He turned his mind back to the battle against the Grand Elder, replaying every strike, every clash, every decision. He searched for flaws, mistakes, or areas where his choices could have been stronger.

His Sutras came to mind first. He had used the Severing Heart Sutra during the battle to still his mind and sharpen his focus, but beyond that, the others had been left untouched. The Calming Heart Sutra offered no use in such a direct fight. The Burning Heart Sutra, while powerful, was unsuited for the nature of the duel.

The Murdering Heart Sutra had the power to tip the scales, but its price was steep. It demanded souls, and he would not resort to such a cost against the Grand Elder. Its might was not worth the weight of its consequences.

The Healing Heart Sutra too remained unused.

His qi reserves had already been low, and invoking it would have been like drinking one’s own blood to quench thirst. The consumption of qi it demanded was the highest among his Sutras, and in that battle, it would have been not only ineffective but detrimental.

It was also why he had not used it to heal himself after the battle, as he barely had any qi left in the first place.

Each Sutra was a blade with its own edge, but also its own condition. They could not be wielded carelessly, nor could they solve every battle. Lin Mu understood this more clearly now. He needed to refine his instincts, to know exactly when each Sutra could shine, and when to rely instead on other methods.

He meditated on these insights for days as the city settled into a new calm.

The chaos of recent events faded into quiet routine, and even the massive project of the Huo Lin Transcendent Valley began to take shape, its foundational formations being laid one by one. It would take months, perhaps even a year, to complete, but progress was steady.

And in the quiet of his courtyard, Lin Mu continued to sharpen himself. Every thought, every flaw dissected, every choice weighed. He knew battles far greater awaited, and he intended to be ready when they came.

The courtyard was utterly still, broken only by the faint hum of spiritual energy as Lin Mu sat with his legs folded and his eyes half-lidded in meditation.

His breaths were long and steady, his mind weaving between the Sutras, Dao insights, and the echoes of battles past. Each thought was like a stone dropped into a vast pond, sending ripples of clarity outward. Yet while he sat in stillness, the world around him was far from idle.

Elsewhere in the city, his companions moved with the same sense of purpose.

Daoist Chu and the Grand Elder were knee-deep in preparations for the coming mission against the Hidden Cave Sect. Reports were being exchanged, formations were tested, and contingencies were being drawn.

Lin Mu occasionally sensed the fluctuations of the great elder’s qi in the distance, sharp as a blade one moment, grounded as a mountain the next. Daoist Chu’s presence carried with it a constant heat, like a fire patiently stoked until the moment it would be unleashed.

Both men bore the weight of leadership in their own ways, and Lin Mu trusted that when the time came, their preparations would hold firm.

Meng Bai, meanwhile, was walking his own path of struggle.

Just a few days earlier, the boy had come to Lin Mu’s courtyard, bowing respectfully before stating his request. He had borrowed a number of jade slips; copies Lin Mu had painstakingly etched with knowledge gathered throughout his long journey. Millions of books’ worth of content now rested in the boy’s hands, knowledge spanning countless sects, kingdoms, and hundreds of worlds.

Meng Bai had explained that he had reached the very cusp of the Dao Treading realm.

His Dao Shell was perfected, his foundation solid. The call of the Formation Dao already tugged at his soul, beckoning him to step across that threshold. Yet he had not chosen his Dao Embryo.

The choices spread before him like a vast ocean of stars, each path shining with its own brilliance.