"Phew..."
Inside the underground chamber, the swirling dust finally settled.
Lin Mu surveyed the wreckage strewn across the floor, then glanced at his Dust Escape Gu—its luster now dimmed from overexertion. His brow furrowed deeply.
The past few experiments had gone increasingly well. That combination of "Red Mud control + Dust Escape burst + Blood Scent lock-on" was devastatingly lethal in enclosed spaces.
But at the same time, a fatal flaw had revealed itself: the cost.
The cost was ruinous.
Merely maintaining daily practice of this killer move required vast quantities of Crimson Iron Sand and beast blood to feed his Gu worms—to say nothing of the Primeval Stones that flowed away like water, replenishing his constantly depleted Primeval Essence.
"The killer move is excellent, but it's a gold-devouring beast."
Lin Mu sat cross-legged and began taking stock of his assets.
Beyond his three core Gu worms, he held two cards that couldn't be cashed in for now:
First, the Savage Stone Gu he'd taken from the muscle-bound thug—a fine Earth Path defensive Gu.
Second, the Wind-Treading Gu seized from the gray-robed tracker—a Wind Path mobility Gu.
If he brought these two to the black market, he could fetch at least two or three hundred Primeval Stones, enough to solve his immediate crisis.
But for now, they could only rot in his possession.
Because he was currently the clan's poster child for "loyalty and righteousness."
Countless eyes were fixed on this branch-family exemplar who had "risked his life to save his master."
If he disguised himself and went to the black market to fence stolen goods now, and some observant person caught wind of it—a collapsed public image would be the least of his problems.
Being suspected of "colluding with enemies" or "profiting from comrades' corpses" would be far worse.
"This identity is both a talisman and a shackle."
Lin Mu sighed, resealed the two Gu worms, and tucked them deep within his aperture.
"Forget it. What needs to be spent must be spent. I can't lose sight of the bigger picture."
"Converting my Primeval Stones into real combat power—that's the only way to survive in this chaotic world."
Though it pained him, he had no regrets.
Over the following two days, Lin Mu abandoned high-intensity killer move practice. Instead, he spent heavily on Primeval Stones, focusing on nourishing his aperture and adjusting his condition.
Time flew. The break vanished in a blink.
The next morning, frost covered the ground outside the clan's council hall.
The Third Elite Squad had assembled in full.
After seven days of rest, Lin Feng's complexion had completely recovered.
Clad in gleaming new silver armor that shone brilliantly in the morning light, he smiled and acknowledged the reverent gazes of the branch-family disciples around him, clearly enjoying the sensation of being the center of everyone's universe.
Standing beside him, Lin Wan'er had also changed into a sharp, efficient cyan combat outfit.
Her expression was more reserved than before. Though outsiders had turned that brutal battle into a tale of glory, only those who'd been there understood how perilous it truly was. All that empty praise grated on her ears.
"Everyone's here."
The elder responsible for delivering orders approached, his gaze sweeping across the group before handing Lin Feng a mission token.
"The Patriarch should emerge from seclusion in about half a month. The front lines remain in a standoff."
"Considering your squad just achieved a major victory, it wouldn't be appropriate to assign you another high-intensity mission. This time, you're stationed at Copper Stone Gully."
Copper Stone Gully.
At the mention of this location, satisfaction flickered in Lin Feng's eyes.
It was one of the clan's outlying resource points, producing low-grade copper ore. The most trouble it ever saw was the occasional beast incursion—even White Bone Stronghold's scouts couldn't be bothered with it.
This was clearly a "gilding mission."
It would let this "star squad" maintain their public presence and keep the momentum going, without any real risk.
"Many thanks for the Elder's consideration."
Lin Feng cupped his fists in salute, his bearing composed.
Lin Mu stood at the back of the formation, expression blank as he listened. Inwardly, he gave a cold laugh.
"Gilding? At a time like this, there's no such thing as absolute safety."
Beyond the original team members, two new additions had been brought in to fill the previous vacancies.
One was a taciturn middle-aged man who stood there like a withered tree trunk—obviously a death-sworn retainer arranged by Lin Feng's household to replace the slave who'd fallen in battle.
The other was a branch-family youth named Lin Tong.
This one was only Rank 1 Middle Stage in cultivation, with a rat-like face and shrewd, calculating eyes.
He hadn't experienced the previous blood-soaked battle, but that didn't dampen his enthusiasm for this "star squad."
In his view, following Lin Feng meant "eating well," and this mission was the kind of "free merit" opportunity that fell straight from heaven.
"Young Master Feng!"
The moment Lin Tong spotted Lin Feng, he immediately hunched over and sidled up, his face plastered with an obsequious grin.
"Your reputation precedes you! Being assigned to your mission—this little brother must have accumulated virtue for several lifetimes."
"Any dirty work, any hard labor along the way, just give the order. This little brother won't say a word of complaint!"
Lin Feng gave a mild nod. He never turned away bootlickers who came offering themselves.
Seeing Lin Feng's acceptance, Lin Tong's spine straightened noticeably.
He turned, his gaze falling on Lin Mu at the rear of the formation—the one loaded down with bulging packs—and his lips curled into undisguised contempt.
"Well, well. So this is the legendary Brother Lin Mu, the one who 'risked his life to shield others'?"
Lin Tong circled him, his tone dripping with mockery: "I heard that while Captain Feng was bravely slaying enemies at the front, you were trembling in the rear? Truly a disgrace to our Lin family name."
He deliberately drew out his words, his eyes full of provocation.
The intention was obvious: step on this so-called "loyal servant" to elevate himself, proving to Lin Feng that he was more valuable—thereby becoming the number-one lackey at Lin Feng's side.
Faced with such low-grade provocation, Lin Mu didn't even raise an eyelid.
He offered no rebuttal, no face-slapping response. He simply continued silently adjusting the pack on his back, as though the buzzing fly before him didn't exist.
This dismissal made Lin Tong's expression sour. He was about to say more when he noticed Lin Feng watching coldly from the sidelines, making no move to intervene.
Of course Lin Feng wouldn't intervene.
As a superior, competition among subordinates was a good thing. As long as it didn't interfere with the mission, he was happy to watch the show. He wanted to see how this "hidden depths" Lin Mu would react.
Unfortunately, the pack-laden youth remained a pool of dead water. No matter how Lin Tong yapped, not a single ripple disturbed the surface.
"Move out!"
Seeing there was no spectacle to be had, Lin Feng waved his hand in command.
The squad set forth, marching toward Copper Stone Gully in grand procession.
Eager to prove himself, Lin Tong rushed to the front to scout, even shouldering aside the death-sworn retainer originally assigned to reconnaissance.
Lin Feng remained at the center as always, Lin Wan'er at his flank, while Lin Mu continued his role as an invisible pack mule, hauling supplies at the rear.
Once they passed through the stronghold gates, the noise faded behind them.
Though they were heading toward a relatively safe perimeter zone, Lin Mu's keen senses detected something troubling.
From the moment they'd stepped beyond those gates, several faint, lingering gazes had attached themselves to the group—clinging like maggots burrowed into bone.
"The tree may wish for stillness, but the wind will not cease."
As the clan's established "model of resistance against the enemy," the Third Squad had surely caught White Bone Stronghold's attention.
For enemies seeking to crush Black Blood Stronghold's morale, hunting down this "star squad" would be the optimal choice.
Lin Mu's fingers brushed the iron leaves concealed in his sleeve. His gaze swept forward to Lin Tong—still chattering endlessly, scrambling and leaping about in his eagerness to claim credit.
His eyes turned cold as ice, as though he were looking at a dead man.
"This mission, I'm afraid, won't be so easy after all."