Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3488: The Companions’ Shock At Lin Mu’s Progress

Lin Mu stood there for a moment after completing his assessment, letting the sensation of power settle fully into his awareness.

It was not the explosive, intoxicating surge that accompanied sudden breakthroughs. This was deeper. Heavier. Like a vast sea that had quietly risen beneath his feet without him noticing, until he realized he was standing atop an ocean instead of a pond.

He closed his eyes and focused inward.

Immortal essence flowed through him in staggering quantities. It coursed not just through his apertures but through the newly formed Essence Meridian Casting network that now spanned his entire body.

The flow was constant, smooth, and inexhaustible. Even when he deliberately accelerated the circulation, the system responded effortlessly, as if it had always been meant to operate at this level.

Quantitatively, his immortal Qi was still greater. His Dantian was an abyss without a known bottom, ever expanding, ever deepening. Immortal essence could not compare to that in raw volume.

But the gap had narrowed to a terrifying degree.

Sixty percent. Perhaps seventy.

For any other body cultivator, such a ratio would be laughable. Immortal essence was usually a scarce resource, something to be carefully rationed and conserved. Even peak Immortal Realm body cultivators often ran dry after unleashing just a handful of high level techniques.

Lin Mu was not in that category anymore.

He opened his eyes, flexed his fingers, and felt the power ripple outward from his hand.

With his current reserves, the Tyrant Bull Marrow Secrets had changed fundamentally.

Previously, even with his monstrous physique and reserves, prolonged use required caution. He could fight for a long time, yes, but the strongest techniques demanded planning. Tyrant Slam alone had consumed nearly a quarter of his immortal essence each time it was used at full power.

Now?

Lin Mu let out a quiet breath, half a laugh.

At most, ten percent.

And that was being generous.

He could use Tyrant Slam repeatedly. Not twice. Not five times. Tens of times. Possibly hundreds, depending on how much restraint he exercised. And the lesser techniques of the Tyrant Bull Marrow Secrets had become almost trivial expenses.

Sustained combat was no longer just possible.

It was his domain.

"This changes everything," Lin Mu muttered to himself.

With his immortal essence no longer a limiting factor, his body cultivation techniques could finally be used with the same freedom as his Qi techniques. The imbalance that had once existed between his two paths had diminished significantly.

Satisfied, Lin Mu turned his gaze toward the distant horizon.

The White Bubble Inn lay far away now, a faint speck on the ocean’s surface. Even from this distance, he could sense the presence of his companions clearly. Their auras were calm, familiar, steady.

He smiled faintly.

They were waiting.

Without further delay, Lin Mu stepped onto the surface of the water and began walking back. Each step carried him hundreds of meters forward, the ocean parting gently beneath his feet. He did not rush. There was no need.

Within minutes, the scattered islands near the inn came into view. The air carried a familiar scent, rich and mouthwatering.

’Food.’

Lin Mu’s lips curved upward.

As he approached the White Bubble Inn, his perception expanded naturally. He sensed everyone gathered in one of the remaining courtyards. Little Shrubby’s presence was unmistakable, bright and lively, flames flickering rhythmically as he cooked.

Several servants moved about nearby, pretending to clean while clearly lingering longer than necessary. The aroma drifting from Little Shrubby’s cooking was too tempting to ignore. Lin Mu could even sense their saliva thickening as they inhaled deeply, eyes lingering on the simmering pots.

He stepped into the courtyard.

The moment his foot crossed the boundary, every conversation stopped.

Daoist Chu was the first to react. His eyes sharpened as he looked at Lin Mu, his expression shifting from casual to serious in an instant.

"Your aura," Daoist Chu said slowly. "It has changed."

Cattaleya did not bother with subtlety. Her head snapped toward Lin Mu, her senses flaring openly.

She sucked in a breath.

"Hah," she said with a sharp grin. "You broke through."

Lin Mu nodded calmly. "Yes."

Elyon narrowed his eyes, his gaze flicking over Lin Mu from head to toe. "Your immortal essence," he said. "It is much denser."

Meng Bai stepped forward, eyes wide. Even without fully understanding what he was sensing, his natural water affinity resonated strongly with Lin Mu now. It was like standing beside a deep ocean instead of a river.

"Master," Meng Bai asked carefully. "Did you... take the Martial King Ascension Pill?"

Lin Mu inclined his head. "I did."

Meng Bai’s eyes lit up. "Then how many stages did you rise? One? Or two?"

Lin Mu paused, considering how to answer.

"It is complicated," he said honestly. "The pill helped, but what happened was not a straightforward increase."

Daoist Chu frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lin Mu walked over and sat down near the low table, accepting a bowl fresh stew from Little Shrubby with a nod of thanks. He did not eat immediately. Instead, he looked at the group and began to explain.

He spoke of the pill’s overwhelming energy. Of the saturation of his apertures. Of the danger he had faced when the immortal essence had nowhere to go.

As he described the crisis, Meng Bai’s face gradually paled. Daoist Chu’s brows knitted tighter with each sentence. Even Elyon listened intently, his usual detached demeanor replaced by focused attention. Only Catt seemed to be unworried.

Then Lin Mu explained the solution.

The additional links.

The expansion beyond the traditional framework.

The Essence Meridian Casting Stage.

When he finished, silence fell over the courtyard.

It was not the stunned silence of disbelief, but the heavy silence of people trying to process something far beyond their expectations.

Daoist Chu was the first to speak, his voice low.

"To think," he muttered, "that a well established top tier technique could be modified in such a way."

He shook his head slowly. "No. Modified is the wrong word. You rebuilt it."