Xiao Mu walked over with a smile, greeting the two separately, "Hello, Tian Xiang. Hello, Mr. Xuan Zhizi."

"Ah, it's Mr. Xiao, hello!"

Tian Xiang politely stood up and greeted Xiao Mu.

"What are you doing here?"

Xuan Zhizi glared at Xiao Mu, not looking too pleased.

"Can't I come? Don't forget, you still owe me two free consultation opportunities."

Xiao Mu jokingly rebutted Xuan Zhizi and then looked towards Tian Xiang. "Miss Tian Xiang, how old are you this year?"

"Eighteen, and you, Mr. Xiao?"

Tian Xiang was exceptionally polite.

"Thirty-eight."

Xiao Mu responded with a smile, "I suspect my age is close to your father's. If you don't mind, you can call me Uncle Xiao."

Without doubting Xiao Mu's words, Tian Xiang quickly addressed him politely as "Uncle Xiao."

"Good girl!"

Xiao Mu complimented Tian Xiang with a smile.

Xuan Zhizi's face instantly darkened.

A strong killing intent suddenly surged from Xuan Zhizi, causing Xiao Mu to shiver. It was as if a razor-sharp treasure sword had swept across his skin, making his body break out in goosebumps.

"Ahem!"

Xiao Mu coughed, and then solemnly said to Tian Xiang, "Just kidding, don't take it seriously, I am actually only in my early twenties."

"Oh!"

Tian Xiang looked at Xiao Mu in confusion.

"Humph!"

A cold humph sounded in Xiao Mu's ear from Xuan Zhizi, and the killing intent he felt receded significantly.

Without looking at Xuan Zhizi, Xiao Mu turned to Tian Xiang. "Miss Tian Xiang, I have a question to ask Mr. Xuan Zhizi. Have you finished asking yours?"

"I'm sorry for delaying you, Mr. Xiao. Please go ahead. Goodbye, Mr. Xiao. Goodbye, Mr. Xuan Zhizi."

As she spoke, Tian Xiang stood up, bowed politely to Xiao Mu and Xuan Zhizi, and walked towards the reading room.

As soon as Tian Xiang left, Xuan Zhizi released his killing intent again, glaring angrily at Xiao Mu.

"Just a joke, no need to take it so seriously."

Xiao Mu chuckled, "Actually, in my heart, I have the same reverence for Miss Tian Xiang as you do."

Xuan Zhizi's expression softened slightly, "What are you here for?"

Xiao Mu smiled, "Of course, to ask you questions. I think you still owe me four free consultations."

Xuan Zhizi corrected him coldly, "Two."

"Alright, it's two. My memory was mistaken."

Xiao Mu took out his cellphone and laughed, "Tell me, who is this person?"

Xuan Zhizi glanced at Xiao Mu unhappily and took the cellphone from him. He studied the picture on the phone and was startled. He exclaimed, "Judge Zhou?"

"You know this person?"

Xiao Mu felt a stir in his heart and quickly asked.

Xuan Zhizi handed the cellphone back to Xiao Mu, complaining, "If you read more information, you would know who this person is."

"Who is he?"

Xiao Mu ignored Xuan Zhizi's sarcasm.

Xuan Zhizi explained, "He's said to be a judge from the Underworld named Zhou, commonly known as Judge Zhou."

So he was a judge from the Underworld, no wonder his power was so formidable.

Xiao Mu continued, "How powerful is this Judge Zhou? What level is he at? What Secret Arts is he proficient in?"

"Secret Arts?"

Xuan Zhizi's expression displayed a hint of disdain, "This Judge Zhou is a Yin God, his strength is at least at the Yin God Peak, and may have even stepped into the Divine Spirit Realm. He can sit on equal terms with deities such as the Netherlord, City God, Lei, and Retribution God."

The Divine Spirit Realm?

Xiao Mu absorbed the information he just acquired. The Divine Spirit Realm mentioned by Xuan Zhizi should refer to the second stage of the True Realm.

He didn't expect Judge Zhou's power to reach such a level.

But then he heard Xuan Zhizi continue, "After reaching the True Stage, Mutated Beings will no longer use Secret Arts. Only Fifth Level Mutated Beings in the Mortal Realm use Secret Arts. Mutated Beings in the True Realm will use Magic Treasures, Divine Powers, and Divine Techniques, all of which are incomparably stronger than Secret Arts."

"Although Judge Zhou is a judge of the Underworld, he should have practiced Secret Arts when he was in the Mortal Realm. The Secret Arts he practiced should be related to the Underworld."

The Underworld?

Xiao Mu nodded inwardly.

No wonder the two secret arts he cultivated, the Life and Death Judge and Sever the Netherworld Art, were all related to the Underworld. It seemed these two secret arts indeed originated from Judge Zhou.

Xiao Mu was still puzzled as to why an illusion of Judge Zhou would appear above his head whenever he performed the Life and Death Judge and Sever the Netherworld Art.

What exactly did this Judge Zhou want to do?

Wasn't he already dead?

Why was he able to affect Xiao Mu after his death?

Xiao Mu, unable to figure it out, decided not to dwell on it.

As for the secrets happening to him, he had no intention of telling Xuan Zhizi.

"Goodbye!"

He waved to Xuan Zhizi, and walked away energetically.

"Inexplicable!"

Xuan Zhizi watched Xiao Mu walk away, and murmured in frustration. He couldn't figure out why Xiao Mu wanted to inquire about matters related to Judge Zhou.

After returning to his abode and closing the door, Xiao Mu started pondering again.

It was undeniable that Judge Zhou was dead.

While practicing the secret arts he had left behind, an illusion of Judge Zhou appeared above his head.

The most direct point was: this illusion enhanced the power of the Life and Death Judge and Sever the Netherworld Art that he performed.

Others who also cultivated these two secret arts couldn't compare to the power he displayed.

As for what goal Judge Zhou might have, Xiao Mu did not know yet.

But the reason for the appearance of this illusion could only be one of two: one was it appeared actively due to a trap left by Judge Zhou in the Divine Thought Bead, leading to an illusion of Judge Zhou appearing above his head after he practiced the Life and Death Judge and the Sever the Netherworld Art.

The other was it appeared passively. Judge Zhou hadn't left any devices in the Divine Thought Bead, and the apparition only appeared because these two secret arts were developed or improved by him.

If it was the second case, he shouldn't worry at all.

Xiao Mu was worried about the first scenario.

Even in the first scenario, there were two possibilities.

One was that the illusion of Judge Zhou appeared with malicious intent, and the trap he left would harm Xiao Mu who was cultivating the secret arts, and the other was that the illusion of Judge Zhou had no malicious intent towards him, and the trap he left would not harm Xiao Mu who was cultivating the secret arts.

No matter what the cause was, Xiao Mu tended to believe the first possibility.

He didn't know Judge Zhou, nor his personality, so he had no choice but be wary of him.

"No matter what Judge Zhou wants to do, whether he has a malicious intent against me or not, I should always be on guard."

"It's not that I'm too suspicious, but if he does have a malicious intent and I don't guard against it, the result could be devastating."

After XYiao Mu thought quietly for a while, he soon made a decision.

Firstly: He should use the Life and Death Judge and Sever the Netherworld Art as little as possible. The more he involved himself with Judge Zhou, the more trouble he was afraid he would get into.

Secondly: he should think of ways to improve his strength.

Judge Zhou's strength was nothing more than being at the peak of the Yin God Realm, or at most in the second stage of the Divine Spirit Realm of the True Stage.

Once he raised his strength to the Divine Spirit Realm of the second stage of True Stage, he shouldn't fear Zhou no matter what plot he had.

At the same realm, he didn't think Zhou could do anything to him.

"Next, I need to think of ways to increase my strength. Strength really is everything. As long as my strength is enough, I don't have to fear anyone's schemes."

Xiao Mu quietly decided on his next plan, determining to go all out to reach the peak of the fifth realm.

He sat cross-legged, consuming the energy fruits, and began to improve his realm with all his might.

After his strength increased to the late stage of the fifth realm, his speed of absorbing energy fruits once again accelerated. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be able to break through to the peak of the fifth realm within a month at most.

Moreover, Xiao Mu found that the effect of using the advanced energy fruits was much stronger than that of the low-level energy fruits.

An advanced energy fruit contained the energy of a hundred ordinary energy fruits, but the absorption speed was greatly increased.

When consuming an advanced energy fruit, the absorption speed was double that of consuming a hundred ordinary energy fruits.

"It would be nice if all of them were advanced energy fruits. My speed of cultivation could be further increased."

Xiao Mu shook his head, knowing it was unlikely, for advanced energy fruits were not so easy to come by.

He devoted himself to cultivation.

A week later, the telecommunication equipment in his room suddenly rang.

The higher-ups of the ruins issued an urgent summon. The situation was extremely urgent.

Xiao Mu knew that something must have happened, so he had to stop cultivating, leave his room, and head to the Conference Hall.

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