Xu Mu lifted his wrist, gazing at the glowing ring, then turned to the two middle-aged men nearby.
"Can you see anything on my hand?"
"Nope." One of them shook his head.
Xu Mu nodded to himself. That's right.
He crouched down, pressing a palm against the grass and closing his eyes to concentrate.
The illusion array here was powerful—too strong to destroy—but it could be unlocked.
It lay at the heart of the black palace, clearly designed long ago to keep intruders out while still allowing insiders to pass through.
So this array was like a lock, and only the one holding the key could open it. Everyone else would be trapped outside.
And Xu Mu now possessed that key—the remnant of the formation from his fake self.
"What are you doing?" one of the men asked curiously.
From where he stood, Xu Mu looked half-squatting, one hand on the ground—like he was about to transform or something.
"Don't mind me," Xu Mu said casually. "Just a little dizzy—low blood sugar acting up."
Eyes still closed, he felt the faint energy currents, then strode in a new direction.
He couldn't break the formation, but he could trace its lines to locate the array core—the spot where the formation was strongest.
Mid-stride, his eyes suddenly snapped open. He turned sharply toward the trees on the right slope.
His senses were fully active—nothing, not even the rustle of wind through grass, escaped him.
Swish!
Drawing his dagger, he dashed into the trees—only to spot a familiar face.
Fang Chu.
Still in a suit, hair slicked back, wandering aimlessly.
"Well, what a coincidence," Xu Mu sneered. "Meeting you here of all places."
But Fang Chu didn't even glance at him. Instead, he hugged a tree—and began repeatedly smashing his head against it.
Xu Mu frowned and strode closer. When he approached, Fang Chu suddenly lashed out wildly—slashing and swinging in chaos, no rhythm at all.
Xu Mu didn't bother to check for a pulse. He already knew: this Fang Chu was fake.
Whoosh!
One clean stab to the throat. The fake Fang Chu dissolved into mist, and—no visible formation marks.
As expected—only he himself could see the runes.
Xu Mu pressed on toward the array core. That meant Fang Chu really was somewhere in here.
"I'd better hurry," he muttered. "Can't let that guy get the treasure first."
No more dawdling—he quickened his pace.
Crossing a slope, he finally spotted the array's heart.
Xu Mu now stood in a forest midway up the mountain, not at the summit.
As soon as he arrived, the formation on his wrist began to glow.
He crouched again, pressed his hand to the earth, and whispered, "Found it."
At a boulder ahead, his hand passed straight through the stone—it wasn't real.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
On the other side, the illusion vanished, and he returned to the black tunnel from before.
The mark on his wrist faded away.
After a moment's thought, he decided not to go back for the others yet. First, he'd secure the treasure—he could always find them later.
The tunnel twisted and turned. After several hundred meters, he finally emerged into a vast cavern.
The ceiling rose nearly a hundred meters high, and beneath his feet stretched a narrow path—barely three meters wide.
On both sides, molten lava bubbled and hissed, its glow lighting the cavern in a dim orange glare.
The path wound deeper ahead. After walking nearly a kilometer, Xu Mu spotted figures up ahead—people.
Most of them wore cleaner uniforms.
"Well, well, another one made it in. Lucky guy," said a buzz-cut middle-aged man in a black cleaner's outfit with two white stripes.
Xu Mu counted: four cleaners in total—two intermediate, two junior.
The intermediate ones were the buzz-cut man and a woman—around two or three years older than Xu Mu, with neat shoulder-length hair parted at the side, a white swan-like neck, and sharp eyes that gave her a commanding aura.
The two juniors were about Xu Mu's age; one of them was seriously overweight—basically two men in one body.
Aside from the cleaners, there were two others present: a bald elder in a black robe and a young man carrying a longsword, plain-faced and utterly forgettable.
"As per tradition, let's introduce ourselves," said the buzz-cut man, grinning. "Name's Sun Ziqiang, intermediate cleaner—as you can see. And you?"
"Hello everyone, I'm Xu Mu. No sect, no affiliation." Xu Mu smiled politely as he approached.
"No sect?" the female cleaner said coldly. "You expect me to believe you made it this far with no sect backing?"
Xu Mu activated the Divine Eye, scanning her.
Name: Ren Sangsang
Identity: Cleaner from the Dragon Nation, female lead of The Strongest Son-in-Law
Favorability: −1
Fate Level: 7 (max 10)
Xu Mu was stunned. Thinking it over, maybe this ancient ruin was tailored for Fang Chu.
Miao He was here, and now Ren Sangsang—the two heroines of his harem—both present. Clearly this was where the protagonist's encounters awaited him.
No doubt Fang Chu would soon find both love and treasure here.
Still, with a Fate Level of 7, Ren Sangsang clearly wasn't the final heroine in the plot.
"Hiding it any longer's pointless," Xu Mu said lightly. "Fine. I'm from the Righteous Demon Sect."
He had reached the group's side now—and saw why they weren't moving forward: the path ahead broke off completely, giving way to a sea of magma.
"Righteous Demon Sect? Never heard of it."
Ren Sangsang arched a brow. "You dare lie to me?"
"Elder Sister, what are you, an encyclopedia?" Xu Mu said, hands clasped behind his back, calm and aloof. "Our sect has existed for thousands of years, avoiding worldly affairs. Of course you wouldn't know it."
The buzz-cut man chuckled. "Then who's your sect leader?"
"We call him the Ancestor. I don't know his real name," Xu Mu said, eyes still scanning the winding path ahead. Maybe there was another way across. If not, he could always test and retreat halfway.
"Kid, stop spouting nonsense," Ren Sangsang said coldly. "You must be a wanted man—that's why you won't give your real identity, isn't it?"
"I have something to say, actually."
Xu Mu's tone dropped low, calm yet intense.
"Sister, I've walked on thin ice my whole life. Tell me… can I make it across to the other side?"
"Oh, so you're Brother Thin Ice, huh? Go ahead! Take two steps—if you make it, I'll call you Dad!" Ren Sangsang shot back, pointing to the blazing lava ahead.
Xu Mu didn't hesitate—he stepped forward at once.