Chen Mouguang’s gaze remained fixed on the direction of Mist Mystic Temple.
At this moment, the pale green beam of light slowly dissipated.
This was good news—after the light faded, there were no longer the terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations as before, nor were there any incomprehensible ultimate techniques being unleashed recklessly.
This battle had likely reached its conclusion.
By now, Mist Mystic Temple had been reduced to sheer cliffs, and the surrounding forests were utterly devastated.
But for Chen Mouguang, this could also be bad news—had their own Chu Xingchen managed to hold his ground?
"Stay here and wait for Elder Bai. I’ll go ahead to assess the situation."
After instructing his two disciples, Chen Mouguang set off toward Mist Mystic Temple, simultaneously extending his divine sense in that direction.
Ye Antao watched Chen Mouguang’s actions with surprise.
Though the battle seemed to be over, no one truly knew the reality. That last move—who had unleashed it?
If it was some backup plan from the Path of Divine Worship, charging in now would be no different from courting death.
Still, it was understandable. Several cultivators who appeared to be disciples of Taidao Sect were also rushing toward Mist Mystic Temple.
A prodigy-level cultivator like that was a treasure among treasures to any sect.
Hadn’t even Bai Xuanling of Tianyan Sect, despite the distance, chosen to come personally upon hearing the news?
How many years had it been since anyone in the Central Plains witnessed Bai Xuanling take action?
As for Taidao Sect, which was closer, there was no doubt—upon sensing a beam of light surpassing even the Nascent Soul realm, their elders must have already raced here.
They would likely arrive soon.
"Tsk…" Wang Ling rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. What kind of mess was this? How was he supposed to write his report?
With the battle escalating to this degree, and Taidao Sect’s reinforcements arriving—at least at the elder level—there was no more room for opportunistic gains.
This time, they’d probably just end up being the early bird catching no worm.
Though they’d agreed on sharing intelligence beforehand, and Tianyan Sect had a powerhouse involved, the inevitable disputes would still arise.
And it was just a verbal agreement—utterly unreliable.
The most frustrating part was that, judging from the current situation, the Path of Divine Worship truly had some unique research depth… and the one who’d been most involved here likely wouldn’t escape responsibility.
At Mist Mystic Temple—
Chu Xingchen calmly observed the pure white crystalline fragment before him.
A surge of pure Dao essence radiated from it.
[Submit mission target?]
This thing was downright eerie. The assimilation it induced—and the authority it held—was likely a fragment of the Heavenly Dao that had fallen due to some circumstance.
Resisting this assimilation would probably require clashing with the Heavenly Dao itself in a battle of divine sense.
Not to mention the excessive negative effects of using it.
More importantly, through two additional missions, Chu Xingchen had vaguely sensed something amiss.
Most of the tasks issued by his system seemed to involve cleaning up the Heavenly Dao’s esoteric messes—whether it was fate or scattered fragments of authority.
Did this mean the Heavenly Dao was already in a rather dire state?
After all, judging by the current situation, the Heavenly Dao seemed far too careless—the frequency of encountering its fragments was unusually high.
Chu Xingchen pondered briefly before sighing. "Submit."
In the end, he might not even have a use for this thing. Better to exchange it for a reliable system weapon.
As soon as he spoke, the white crystalline fragment vanished before his eyes.
[Mission complete.]
[Reward issued: Myriad Forms.]
[Reward has been placed in the system inventory.]
Myriad Forms? What kind of weapon was this?
Chu Xingchen opened his system inventory and retrieved [Myriad Forms].
A translucent, brick-like object appeared in his hand. At its core was a tiny speck resembling the earlier crystalline fragment, emitting a faint white glow—though it was far smaller, barely the size of a fingernail.
Yet the moment he held it, Chu Xingchen understood its function.
Myriad Forms—capable of taking on countless shapes.
His third disciple’s Azure Sky Treasure Ring could be manipulated to transform and slash enemies, but that was only because the ring itself was indestructible. Even when taking the form of a sword, it wouldn’t enhance sword-based techniques.
The ring’s attitude was more like—"I’ll humor you by turning into a sword, but don’t expect me to actually function as one!"
However, the moment Myriad Forms appeared, the Azure Sky Treasure Ring reacted the most.
It subtly pressed closer to Chu Xingchen’s arm, as if trying to avoid the Myriad Forms in his hand.
Without hesitation, Chu Xingchen stored Myriad Forms away and gently patted the Azure Sky Treasure Ring in reassurance.
The ring had arrived just in time and with the right attitude—docile, like Bai Qing herself. Since it was Bai Qing’s spirit treasure, he’d naturally favor it first.
As for Myriad Forms, he could study it later.
The ring responded by nuzzling against him affectionately.
Satisfied, Chu Xingchen nodded before turning his gaze to Daoist Yuyang nearby.
The Daoist was frowning deeply, staring at empty space on the ground with a hint of resignation.
"Cool? What’s so cool about it… You weren’t this bold at the start."
Chu Xingchen nodded again, pleased. The Bai Qing-style persuasion technique, enhanced by the Azure Sky Treasure Ring, was indeed effective.
Daoist Yuyang was effortlessly handled.
The Daoist rose, supporting himself against the air, before surveying the wreckage of Mist Mystic Temple’s main hall.
"This Path of Divine Worship… something’s seriously off. How could they be this strong?"
Chu Xingchen strolled leisurely to his side.
"Who knows? Mist Mystic Temple did send you intel. Now it’s reduced to ruins, Zhang Daotan turned to ashes—nothing left."
Daoist Yuyang shot him a sidelong glance. "You didn’t do this on purpose, did you?"
Chu Xingchen frowned, feigning offense. "Are you joking? With that thing? Nothing’s more important than my life."
Daoist Yuyang said nothing more, instead scanning the area with his divine sense for any remnants.
Not to be outdone, Chu Xingchen did the same—though he knew nothing remained.
Moments later, both turned westward simultaneously.
Streaks of light shot across the sky, covering vast distances in an instant before landing beside them.
The fastest among them rushed straight to Daoist Yuyang, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"My dear disciple, are you unharmed?!"
A middle-aged Daoist—wearing traditional robes, his eyes slightly clouded with age—fretted over Daoist Yuyang, patting his back and examining him anxiously.
The other figures landed as well, men and women alike, immediately casting protective barriers.
One woman, her voice cool, remarked,
"I told you not to panic. What could possibly happen to Yuyang? He’s perfectly fine."
The Taidao Sect’s leader whirled around, glaring.
"Easy for you to say—he’s not your disciple! There are countless trials in this world. Did it have to be this one?"
The woman snorted coldly and turned her gaze toward Chu Xingchen:
"And which faction do you belong to? Don’t you know this is Taidao Sect’s territory?"
Before Chu Xingchen could respond,
Chen Mouguang’s urgent voice cut in:
"We’re from the Tianyan Sect! Elder Bai is on his way!"
"Bai Xuanling?!"
The woman seemed taken aback, her eyes scrutinizing Chu Xingchen more carefully.
Yet no matter how she looked, Chu Xingchen didn’t strike her as the kind of cultivator who killed without blinking.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
