Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1489 - 715: Wuxiang City Lord (2)

Chen Mu stood atop the Heavens Vault with his hands clasped behind him, his gaze sweeping over the familiar sights of Wuxiang City. At that very moment, a powerful presence stirred from the heart of the City Lord’s Mansion, as a sharp gaze rose to meet his in the high heavens.

As Chen Mu looked down, their eyes locked.

Standing tall upon the jade steps of the grand hall within the City Lord’s Mansion was a figure in noble robes. This person stared into the distance, meeting Chen Mu’s eyes across the vast void.

"Greetings, Daoist Chen."

After a brief moment of silent observation, the City Lord of Wuxiang City offered a respectful salute toward Chen Mu from afar.

"Wuxiang City Lord."

Chen Mu responded with a slight nod, returning the gesture of greeting.

A gentle smile touched the City Lord’s lips as he took the initiative to extend an invitation. "A traveler from distant lands is always welcome. Please forgive my delay in greeting you; however, since you have walked the streets of Wuxiang City before, you are hardly an outsider here."

Chen Mu smiled faintly and replied, "Had circumstances been different, Wuxiang City might have served as the site of my Enlightenment. Even with the changes that occurred, the insights I gained during my final steps were found within these walls."

Turning his attention to his companions, Chen Mu spoke to Chen Yue and Chen Yao.

"Let us go. The City Lord of Wuxiang City has invited us; you two shall accompany me."

Chen Yue and Chen Yao shared a silent look and nodded, following closely behind him. This was their first visit to Wuxiang City, but they had heard Chen Mu describe it before. They knew the City Lord possessed a level of power that rivaled a Dao Venerable.

However,

That power was merely a surface reality.

Many believed the City Lord was a manifestation of the realm's rules, capable of wielding the Power of Dao and thus equivalent to a Dao Venerable. Yet, for someone like Chen Mu who had truly stepped into the rank of Venerable, the City Lord’s true nature was transparent.

This was no mere embodiment of the Source Realm’s will, but a genuine living soul. In the ancient past, he might have been a common resident of Wuxiang City who eventually merged his consciousness with the Source Realm's will, becoming the city's eternal master.

Calling him a Venerable was not entirely inaccurate.

In truth, it was more precise to label the City Lord of Wuxiang City as a 'pseudo-Venerable.'

Bound by the fundamental laws of the Source Realm, he was unable to depart from this city or the realm itself. He reigned as the supreme master of Wuxiang City, but his Dao Venerable-level strength existed only within its borders.

"These two must be Daoist Chen’s kin. Born and reaching Enlightenment in this current era, and having family by your side—the Path of the Dao is not a lonely journey for you. It is truly something to be envied."

The City Lord welcomed Chen Mu’s group into the depths of the mansion. His gaze lingered on Chen Yue and Chen Yao, and his voice carried a trace of melancholy as he spoke.

Chen Mu nodded in agreement. "The Dao path is naturally a solitary one. However, I seek the Dao for three reasons: first, to live without regrets; second, to protect what I hold dear; and third, to ensure the world bends to my heart's will. The path is filled with endless vistas and trials, but it eventually bears fruit."

"Hahaha."

The City Lord let out a hearty laugh before sighing deeply. "Alas, I remember nothing of my past lives, nor do I know what I shall become. I was born to govern this city and have fought to transcend, yet I cannot seem to cross that final threshold."

Possessing power equal to a Dao Venerable, the City Lord was omniscient regarding worldly affairs. He understood he was once a mortal soul—perhaps a Divine Monarch who fell within the Source Realm. Yet, those times were so distant that he could no longer trace the threads of causality to reclaim his former identity.

Whenever the Universe Silence arrived,

He would perish alongside the Source Realm.

And with every rebirth of the universe, he would manifest once more with the realm.

But upon his return, his memories were always wiped clean. Though he was born as the City Lord with the authority of a Venerable, he remained a prisoner of his own status.

The City Lord led Chen Mu further into a quiet courtyard and signaled for his servants to provide Spiritual Tea.

Chen Mu took a sip from his teacup, observing the City Lord closely before shaking his head. "Though you have attained the Dao, you are too deeply entwined with the Source Realm. The Path of Creation you have realized is tethered to its rules; therefore, you lack true independence and are doomed to fade and return with the realm itself."

"If you wish to sever these chains, you must do as other beings do—detach yourself from the Source Realm’s influence and rebuild your Great Dao of Creation through your own strength to achieve genuine liberation."

With his current standing as a Venerable, Chen Mu could easily see the tragic reality of the City Lord’s existence.

Like the countless souls within Wuxiang City, the City Lord had the potential for true Dao realization. If one could master the complete Great Dao of Creation, they could escape this sea of suffering, reclaiming their original selves and memories to return to the world.

However, such a feat was as difficult as ascending to the highest heavens. It was a challenge far greater than anything faced by the Ninth Layer Heavenly Divine Monarchs in the outside world. It had taken an eternity just for a figure like the City Lord to appear.

Yet, because the City Lord’s Dao was entangled with the Source Realm—perhaps even relying on its power to reach that state—he was not a true Dao Venerable. He remained a captive of the realm.

Every time the cycle ended in Universe Silence, he would be cast back into the wheel of Reincarnation.

"I understand your words, Daoist, but within this place, every living thing is tethered to the Source Realm. When we are born from the very rules of this realm, how can we possibly break free from its will?" the City Lord of Wuxiang City asked with a heavy sigh.