"Ding! Host's second disciple, Ye Chen, has achieved enlightenment in the Desolate Heaven Art! Synchronization commencing!"

"Ding! Host's second disciple has broken through to Profound Venerate Stage One! Cultivation synchronization commencing!"

A torrent of incredibly pure spiritual energy surged into Lu Xuan's body. Though he was already a Five-star Profound Saint, the influx felt like a gentle, soothing stream, tracing his meridians with a delicate rhythm. It wasn't the explosive rush of a sudden breakthrough, but this gradual, nurturing flow sent a wave of peace through his spirit. Ah, bliss.

Simultaneously, a flood of comprehension regarding the Desolate Heaven Art poured into Lu Xuan's mind. Instantly, he felt an overwhelming surge of power. The very essence of the Dao and the Invincible Stance circulated around him—a magnificent aura that could swallow mountains and rivers, sweep across the cosmos, and Suppress all enemies in the world. Lu Xuan murmured, "Ye Chen is starting to look more and more like that guy."

Beside him, Ji Fuyao’s eyes shimmered with profound light. She suddenly sensed a supremely domineering aura erupting from Lu Xuan—a pure Martial Will! She froze momentarily. Just how many Great Daos has Master cultivated simultaneously? He was already flourishing in the Dao of Alchemy, the Dao of Martial Arts, and the Path of Spirit Fire—a triple-threat! Yet, she was certain her Master had comprehended far more than just these three.

Just then, the Ancient Jade Slip Ji Fuyao carried began to tremble violently. She sent her divine sense into it. Immediately, the excited voices of Wang Man and Qing Yan, her commanders, rang out. "Your Majesty the Empress! We used the power of the altar to transmit this message because we have wonderful news!"

Ji Fuyao offered a faint smile. "Oh?"

Wang Man declared, "Your Majesty! During our last trip to Cangzhou, we received a massive amount of cultivation resources you bestowed upon us. In this short time, Commander Qing Yan and I have both stepped directly into the Great Emperor Realm!"

Qing Yan chuckled, "Your Majesty, we are both now One-star Great Emperors! Thank you for your guidance!"

Ji Fuyao nodded. "Very good. Well done." Wang Man and Qing Yan achieving the Great Emperor Realm was within her expectations. They had both been at the Great Perfection of Nine-star Quasi-Emperor, lacking only the final opportunity to attain Emperor status. Lu Xuan's actions in Cangzhou—destroying the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and two other Emperor-tier powers—had yielded an immense trove of resources, including the exact opportunities they needed.

Ji Fuyao asked, "What about Ye Beichen?"

Qing Yan replied with a laugh, "The Ye Family Old Ancestor, Ye Beichen, has also stepped into the One-star Great Emperor Realm!"

Hearing this, Ji Fuyao's mood brightened considerably. "Excellent, excellent."

Qing Yan added, "Your Majesty, please also convey our deepest gratitude to Peak Master Lu."

Ji Fuyao promised, "I will tell Master."

A moment later, Ji Fuyao put away the Ancient Jade Slip and relayed the news to Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan simply smiled. "Very good."

Ji Fuyao's starry eyes sparkled with renewed determination. Now that three of her subordinates had become Great Emperors, and she was still only in the Profound Saint Realm, it was clear she needed to redouble her efforts. With this thought, she declared, "Master, I will be cultivating right here on Azure Mystery Peak for the foreseeable future!"

Lu Xuan nodded. "Alright. I'll find some time in the next few days to treat you again. Your injuries aren't affecting your cultivation anymore, but we need to heal them completely to avoid any hidden dangers."

Ji Fuyao's delicate cheeks flushed slightly. "Understood. Thank you, Master."

***

Near the Heavenly Blade Sect.

Only half a day remained until the deadline set by the various Great Emperors. The site of the Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm was already swarming with cultivators. Besides the younger generation from the dominant factions, there were also cultivators below the Profound Saint Realm from neighboring states, along with numerous rogue cultivators. Although the major powers had jointly discovered this Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm, they hadn't restricted access to smaller forces or rogue cultivators. This was because they held absolute confidence in their own prodigies. With the Great Era dawning, the dominant forces actively encouraged the Clash of Prodigies.

In an instant, the tens of thousands of miles surrounding the Heavenly Blade Sect were flooded with people. Cultivators, riding arcs of divine light, descended from every direction. Boom! Boom! Boom! Numerous Spirit Boats traversed the void, landing one after another. Temporary markets had sprung up, organized by various merchant guilds, selling pills, talismans, and spirit artifacts. The place was incredibly lively, a cacophony of voices and energy. The vast area had been neatly divided: the majority was reserved for the major factions, with the rest allocated to trading markets and temporary camps for smaller powers. The only remaining areas were rugged, desolate peaks where a scattering of rogue cultivators sat cross-legged.

On one unremarkable mountain peak, dozens of tall spirit trees shot up toward the sky. Deep within the grove was a spirit beast's cave. Inside, a young man with a completely ordinary face, dressed in a simple gray robe, sat cross-legged. His divine sense stretched out, observing the distance. His name was Chen Changsheng.

His features were utterly plain. His gray robe was simple, and he wore no visible spirit artifacts, projecting an aura of absolute humility. Chen Changsheng muttered, "This peak has no spiritual energy, so no one should come here. And this cave will certainly go unnoticed." He glanced in the direction of the Grand Dao Sect's encampment, beginning his mental calculations.

The Grand Dao Sect had been making waves in the Southern Wilds lately, hogging the spotlight. That disciple named Ye Chen, flourishing in both the Dao of Alchemy and Martial Arts, had become a rising star. But Chen Changsheng believed that the tallest tree catches the most wind. If he were Ye Chen, he wouldn't have joined such a major sect, as the karma was too heavy. Even if he had to join the Grand Dao Sect, he would have found an ordinary spirit peak and remained a simple inner disciple. Seek no merit, commit no error. It was crucial not to draw the attention of sect elders or other geniuses!

Chen Changsheng had secretly investigated Ye Chen's background. Ye Chen possessed heaven-defying Power of Destiny, had his cultivation mysteriously drop, was annulled by Nangong Baixue, and then, upon joining the Grand Dao Sect, soared to the heavens, becoming a Southern Wilds prodigy in mere months... Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng shook his head dismissively. "Ye Chen lacks restraint. He's too aggressive, unwilling to conceal his brilliance. Still too young."

His thoughts drifted to Ye Chen's master, Lu Xuan. Chen Changsheng frowned slightly. "Lu Xuan, a mere Qi Refiner, has such a massive reputation in the Southern Wilds, recently mocked as the 'Strongest Qi Refiner in History.' His situation is dire. A Qi Refiner becoming the master of two peerless geniuses, Ji Fuyao and Ye Chen? That karma is far too heavy!"

"Moreover, Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao are both burdened with immense karma, making them mortal enemies of the Heavenly Net Hall, the Supreme Profound Sect, and the Ancient Qin Family. A paltry Qi Refiner like Lu Xuan simply cannot bear that weight. Add to that the Power of Destiny he's gaining from his two disciples... Lu Xuan's current situation is nothing short of a massive omen of doom!"

Chen Changsheng pulled out an Ancient Jade Slip and recorded his thoughts. Engraved on the slip were four bold characters: "NEGATIVE EXAMPLE!" He mused that he had a ninety-eight percent chance of never intersecting paths with people like Ye Chen and Lu Xuan. Individuals burdened with such heavy karma were targets he would always steer clear of.

Next, Chen Changsheng took out another Ancient Jade Slip and sent his divine sense inside. A wealth of information on various geniuses and prodigies appeared before him. "Qin Xiao, Heir of the Ancient Qin Family, Divine Son candidate for the Supreme Profound Sect. Cultivates the first volume of the Supreme Scripture, practicing the Ancient Qin Family's supreme secret arts..." "Qin Wang, son of the Ancient Qin Family's Grand Elder, constantly suppressed by Qin Xiao..." "Nangong Baixue, Qin Xiao's fiancée, Xuan-tier Alchemist..." "Luo Feng, son of the Heavenly Net Hall's Baizhou Branch Master. Body Tempering technique, the Hegemon Body Art..." After a moment, Chen Changsheng tucked the Ancient Jade Slip away. He had prepared extensively for this trip to the Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm. He had collected intelligence on every major faction's prodigy he could find, studying them as if they were his own sect brothers. He had also gathered information on the rising stars of smaller forces.

Originally, he had planned to remain in seclusion until the Bronze Ancient Palace appeared, then enter it to seek the opportunity for eternal life. However, half a month ago, he had a sudden flash of insight. He performed a divination and discovered that he would gain an immense, heaven-sent opportunity within this Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm—one seemingly related to longevity. After careful consideration, Chen Changsheng decided to act. Still, he hadn't fully committed to entering this specific Martial Dao Great Emperor's inheritance realm.

Chen Changsheng mused, "Logically, this Martial Dao Great Emperor secret realm only holds two major opportunities: the Martial Dao inheritance itself, and the Dao Rhyme left behind by the Bronze Ancient Palace. I don't cultivate the Martial Dao, nor do I seek the Bronze Ancient Palace's Dao Rhyme... So what exactly is my opportunity?" He felt a strange premonition. Could someone have set a trap for him? But he had only just emerged from a century of seclusion, having severed all his past karma. With this doubt, Chen Changsheng decided to perform another divination.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside the cave. Several voices drifted in. "Only half a day until the Martial Dao Great Emperor's inheritance realm opens. Let's use this time to hunt a few more Profound Venerate spirit beasts!" "We've killed quite a few Profound Venerate beasts on the nearby peaks these last few days. Decent haul!" "I wonder if there are any spirit beasts in this cave?"

The voices stopped. A few men arrived at the cave entrance and paused. There was no spirit beast, but they saw Chen Changsheng sitting cross-legged. Chen Changsheng spoke calmly, "Fellow Daoists, please turn back. This is my resting place."

The men exchanged glances, immediately understanding the implication. They were traveling together, all in the Profound Venerate Realm, and the man before them was alone. Killing him and taking his treasures would be effortless! After all, he looked utterly ordinary and seemed to be only a Profound Venerate Stage One cultivator.

At that moment, Chen Changsheng flicked his sleeve. "Fellow Daoists, wait a moment!" But the men ignored him completely, soaring forward to attack.

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng shook his head and sighed. "Alas..."

The next instant. Sizzle! Boom! The men had only taken half a step forward when terrifying, dazzling formation runes erupted around them. The killing intent was palpable. The power of the formation rolled over them like a reversing ocean. One man cried out in terror, "It's a Saint-tier Formation... Run!"

They immediately turned to flee. Damn it! Was it really necessary to set up a Saint-tier Formation just to deal with a few Profound Venerates? Intense resentment welled up in them toward Chen Changsheng. This man had deliberately acted weak, luring them into a trap—a classic 'bait and switch'! They wanted to weep without tears. The most skilled hunters always appear as the prey!

With this realization, the Profound Venerates frantically channeled their spiritual energy, desperate to escape. But the formation's power was majestic and irresistible, like endless mountains pressing down, like a hundred thousand shackles sealing their bodies and souls.

In an instant, a blazing fire erupted within the formation, engulfing the men. They screamed, "Senior, spare us!" "We failed to recognize Mount Tai..."

Chen Changsheng remained impassive. In just a few breaths, the Profound Venerates were incinerated into ash, their bodies and souls utterly destroyed. Then, a brilliant golden light shone from the formation, accompanied by the chanting of profound Buddhist scriptures of reincarnation—the Buddhist Scripture of Salvation. As the Buddhist essence flowed, the piles of ash on the ground were scattered by the wind.

Chen Changsheng's expression was blank, as if this were the most mundane event. He was moderately skilled in the Dao of Formations. The moment he entered the cave, he had casually set up this defensive formation, which was self-contained, providing a "one-stop service" of killing, salvation, and ash scattering.

Chen Changsheng shook his head faintly. He had already warned them, "Fellow Daoists, wait a moment!" But they hadn't listened, insisting on forcing a karmic connection with him! Since the matter had reached this point, he could only resolve the karma! He, Chen Changsheng, never killed people; he only resolved karma!

Chen Changsheng performed a spiritual incantation, looking up at the void, and spoke with practiced ease. "Old Man Heavenly Dao, dust to dust, ashes to ashes. These cultivators harbored killing intent toward me; they were not killed by my hand, but by the power of karma itself! Now their souls return to the Southern Wilds, and their cultivation returns to Heaven and Earth. The karma is hereby resolved!"

Having said this, Chen Changsheng sat down again. As a seeker of the Dao of Longevity, he naturally had to respect the Heavenly Dao. In his view, all his opportunities—his formations, pills, techniques, puppet arts, and divination skills—were gifts from Heaven. Therefore, after resolving any karma, he would always pay respects to Heaven and Earth to show his reverence. Over time, Chen Changsheng felt he had established an excellent relationship with the Heavenly Dao. After all, his divinations always yielded results favorable to him, a clear sign of Heaven's favor!

Soon, Chen Changsheng collected his thoughts, allowing his mind to become perfectly clear and tranquil. He began to divine the outcome of his trip to the Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm. He took out an ancient tortoise shell, and spiritual incantations shifted in his hands. Countless obscure energies flowed over the shell. Simultaneously, profound spiritual energy surged, and divine light emanated from his body. Ring after ring of spiritual runes appeared. "Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, Li, Dui!"

A moment later, Chen Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, looking at the resulting hexagrams. "Kun, Kun!" Two Kun trigrams!

He murmured, "This is the third divination. Heaven has shown me a sign: this secret realm holds a great opportunity for me, one related to longevity. It seems I have no choice but to go."