Chapter 2117 : Breaking Through the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor

At the peak realm, Eldrin did not hesitate in the slightest.

He channeled all his spiritual energy, immediately beginning his assault on the realm of Soul Emperor.

"Boom—"

In an instant, Eldrin’s 9 true spirit apertures blazed with dazzling brilliance. His soul cultivation visibly broke through its bottleneck, beginning a rapid and profound transformation.

A majestic and resplendent aura swept across the 8 directions, shaking the vast and boundless chaotic desolate sea, and awing the ancient spacetime of the endless Blazing Central Domains.

"The Heavenly Emperor Realm of Soul Dao, in the end, he still managed to break through it."

Far beyond the Heavenly Abyss, the Fiendish Sovereign of the Outer Realm opened his eyes, revealing a gaze fraught with profound apprehension.

As an existence who had cultivated to the level of a Soul Path Heavenly Emperor, the Foreign Demon Emperor understood full well what Eldrin's (Person Name) breakthrough signified. Yet, after a mere moment of hesitation, he dismissed the thought of taking action.

With the combat prowess of Eldrin (Person Name) at the peak Half-Step Unity Realm, breaking through the Soul Path Celestial Emperor was utterly unstoppable.

Not to mention, the Southern Abyss also had Ancestor Taihu, a Half-Step Dao Fusion expert, who was more than capable of temporarily fending off a surprise attack from another Half-Step Dao Fusion cultivator.

Moreover, Eldrin (Person Name) had broken through far too quickly, advancing with the speed of thunder through the Great Shattering Extreme Method. Even if the Supreme Lord of Blazing Centrality were to intervene, it would be impossible to halt his breakthrough.

"Damn it!"

Meanwhile, through the Mirror of Heavenly Divination, Supreme Immortal Chiyang witnessed Eldrin's successful breakthrough, his face contorting with boundless fury.

But it was already too late. By the time he decided to intervene, the moment had passed, and he could only watch helplessly as Eldrin successfully forged his Primordial Chaos Spirit.

"Bzzz—"

Just as countless powerhouses sensed Eldrin's breakthrough, he had already completed the final step of his ascension.

He stood serenely poised above the primordial chaos, his Chaos Primordial Spirit intertwining with the boundless Great Dao of Chaos, radiating an eternal and supreme divine power.

"Success."

Eldrin withdrew his divine consciousness and slowly opened his eyes, murmuring to himself before a trace of contentment flickered across his expression.

This breakthrough in his primordial spirit granted Eldrin a tremendous surge in his overall combat prowess.

According to Eldrin's (Person Name) estimation, his current soul cultivation had already reached the pinnacle of Heavenly Emperor realm. With just his soul essence cultivation alone, he should be able to rival 5 ordinary Heavenly Emperors joining forces.

Such combat prowess, while still falling considerably short of Eldrin's current physical cultivation, could nonetheless be considered formidable strength.

If he were to combine the power of his primordial spirit and physical body, it should boost his overall combat prowess by another 20 to 30 percent.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on your breakthrough to the Soul Path Celestial Emperor realm."

"Fellow Daoist, you have set foot upon the path of the Soul Emperor. Our Blaze-Central 100 Domains have gained yet another supreme Half-Step Dao Fusion master."

"Hahaha! If we join forces, the next time we encounter the Supreme Eldrin, we might just stand a chance to face him in battle."

"I am the Master of the 9 Dragon Nest, long have I revered the name of the Void Return Dao Ancestor."

"Fellow Daoist Guixu, I am the Violet Firmament Immortal Sage. Though merely a few 100 cosmic calamities have passed, I never imagined you would have already cultivated to become a Soul Dao Celestial Emperor. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Meanwhile, from the Chaotic Dao Sea came waves of congratulatory voices.

Eldrin lowered his gaze to sense his surroundings, realizing most of those offering congratulations were from the Blazing Central 100 Realms. Among them stood the familiar Undying Elder, alongside numerous unfamiliar Chaos Heavenly Emperors.

Even the 9 Dragons Nest Lord, the Phoenix Empress, and the Myriad Dao Divine Venerable—multiple top-tier Half-Step Harmony Realm experts—conveyed a trace of congratulatory intent.

To this, Eldrin responded to each in turn and, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, departed from the Sea of Chaotic Dao.

After returning to the 7 Domains of Southern Abyss, Eldrin sensed his soul cultivation realm and couldn't help but reveal a faint smile.

If the Eldrin from before had strength that was merely on par with the Outer Realm Demon Emperor, then now he should be able to firmly overpower the Demon Emperor.

From this day forth, Eldrin's strength could be considered second only to the Unity Supremes across the 100 Domains of Blaze Central.

At this thought, Eldrin could not help but feel a surge of joy in his heart.

After the joy in his heart had subsided, Eldrin once again fell into contemplation about his path of cultivation ahead.

After briefly assessing his foundation, Eldrin found that the path ahead would likely not be an easy 1.

First, among the major foundations Eldrin primarily cultivated, his path of physical sanctification had already achieved 5 Chaos Divine Forms. With such a foundation, he should, in theory, rival a Dao Fusion Sovereign.

However, to set foot in the Harmony Dao Realm, 1 must fuse the 3 great Chaos Divine Forms and cultivate a supreme 'Harmony Dao Divine Form'.

However, merging the Chaos God Form was an immensely difficult feat, requiring not only an exceptionally solid foundation but also heaven-defying opportunities and resources to achieve a breakthrough.

Eldrin possessed neither of these, and his physical body had only just stepped into the Emperor of Heaven Realm. It would require an exceedingly long period of time and vast resources to cultivate the Chaos Indestructible Body to the peak of the first Chaos Realm.

To attain the realm of Chaos Celestial Emperor through physical sanctification, 1 must not only possess an exceptionally profound comprehension of the divine forms of the Great Dao, but also cultivate an immensely solid foundation in their physical body.

Eldrin (Person Name) had cultivated 5 Chaos Divine Forms, advancing 2 steps beyond the Half-Step Unity realm. While his cultivation level ranked among the pinnacle of Half-Step Unity practitioners, his physical foundation remained insufficient.

The classification of the First Realm of Chaos remains rather nebulous. Setting aside the number of Chaos Divine Forms, there is no concept of 9 minor stages.

However, the physical foundations of different Heavenly Emperors varied in strength,

按照Eldrin (Person Name)的估计，自己的肉身底蕴目前还是较为薄弱，需要大量资源补足肉身根基。

"The Chaotic Undying Body requires an immense amount of resources to advance further. With insufficient resources at hand, I'm afraid significant progress will be hard to achieve for now."

Eldrin's thoughts drifted as he turned his gaze toward his other great primordial foundation.

His Primordial Chaos Soul was considerably weaker than his physical body. To cultivate the Primordial Chaos Divine Ability, he needed to refine corresponding Primordial Chaos Spiritual Treasures, along with an immense amount of soul cultivation resources.

At present, Eldrin (Person Name) possessed only 1 piece of Chaos Thunder Tribulation Stone, which at most could help him cultivate a single Chaos Divine Ability. Thus, it was unlikely he would make significant progress in the short term.

"It seems gathering the 3 Chaos Soul Trees should be added to the agenda."

On this foundation, gather as many Chaos Spirit Treasures as possible and attempt to cultivate more Chaos Divine Abilities.

Eldrin's thoughts drifted for a moment before his gaze fell upon the other Great Dao foundations.

Compared to physical sanctification and soul cultivation, Eldrin (Person Name) had yet to set foot in the realm of the Heavenly Emperor in his foundational path, leaving far greater potential for growth.

For now, advancing the Path of Sacrificial Dao is not feasible. In the short term, I must focus on furthering the 5 great paths of the Primordial Chaos Infinite Dao.

"My 5 Paths of Limitless Dao each possess immense potential."

"Mastering any 1 of them would allow me to elevate it to the Chaos Realm, thereby enhancing my own power."

"Once I fully master all 5, it may well become the foundation for me to be the first to set foot in the Realm of Unity with the Dao."

Eldrin pondered inwardly, his physical body lacked cultivation resources, and the difficulty of breaking through was immensely formidable.

Unless Eldrin (Person Name) could retrieve the Chaos Cauldron or cultivate a soul capable of merging with the Dao, it would be virtually impossible to achieve the second realm of Chaos through this method.

The path of the Soul Dao Heavenly Emperor is cursed, with the precedent of the 9 Soul Heavenly Emperor's fall. Eldrin dared not rashly attempt to break through to the Unity Realm using this method.

Thus, the 1 most likely to break through to the Unity Realm is actually Eldrin, who cultivates the Great Dao of Primordial Chaos and Limitlessness.

"My Great Dao of Primordial Chaos, each and every strand possesses boundless potential."

"If I could gather 5 Great Daos and use them to break through to the Supreme Unity Realm, I might leap directly to the pinnacle of Supreme Unity."

Eldrin's thoughts drifted, and he found himself contemplating his own Path of the Infinite.

Having attained the realm of Soul Dao Celestial Emperor this time, he now possessed considerable confidence to seize control over the 5 paths of Primordial Chaos.

Even for the weakest of all—the Primordial Earth Great Dao—Eldrin now held some certainty in contending for its authority.

After all, the 2 greatest fragments of authority over the Primordial Earth Dao were held by 2 Chaos Heavenly Emperors, and neither of them seemed to have cultivated a Chaos Yuan Shen.

"However, to directly project 1's primordial spirit into the Great Dao and initiate a battle for the Authority of the Great Dao, 1 must possess sufficient Authority of the Great Dao to begin with."

"My current authority over the primordial chaos, in the end, still falls just a little short."

Eldrin’s thoughts wavered, but in the end, he murmured thoughtfully, “Let us accumulate strength for a few more years and refine our soul cultivation further before we seek to claim the authority over the Source Earth Dao.”

Eldrin's thoughts flickered briefly, then he leisurely departed from the seclusion chamber.

Exiting the seclusion chamber, Eldrin (Person Name) discovered that the Primordial Dao Ancestor and the others had been waiting for quite some time.

Seeing him emerge from seclusion, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor couldn't refrain from speaking, "With this breakthrough of yours, you shall henceforth reign as the foremost cultivator across the 7 domains of the Southern Abyss."

Eldrin (Person Name) smiled faintly and replied, "I've merely gained some modest insights. You flatter me, Dao-brother."

Seeing this, the Primordial Dao Ancestor exchanged a glance with the Taiyuan Immortal Sage before speaking, “Since you and Fellow Daoist Heiyuan achieved your breakthroughs, over 1 100 kalpas have passed. Your cultivation bases have now been fully consolidated.”

"I believe it is time to hold a Celestial Emperor's Grand Ceremony next."

Eldrin also gave a slight nod, for even across the entire 100 Domains of Blazeheart, the ascension of a new Celestial Emperor was no trivial matter.

Not to mention that Eldrin (Person Name) had cultivated the 5 great Chaos Divine Forms, and his breakthrough alone had already placed him at the pinnacle of the Half-Step Unity realm.

Such a grand occasion could be overlooked by Eldrin and the Black Abyss Emperor themselves, but if the Emperor's Ascension Ceremony were not held, the entire human race would become the subject of scornful whispers among all major powers.

Moreover, this presented a rare opportunity for Eldrin to acquaint himself with the renowned heroes across the Emberfire 100 Realms, while simultaneously intimidating those with ill intentions.

Understanding this, Eldrin smiled faintly and said, "This matter shall be settled 1 100 kalpas from now. I must trouble you, fellow Daoists, to make the journey."

"Very well."

The 2 Dao Ancestor Immortal Sages smiled upon hearing this and agreed to the matter.

This Celestial Emperor's Ceremony was unlike any before. To fully integrate the Southern Abyss regions into the stage of the 100 Domains of Blazing Capital, the human race planned to invite all major powers from the 100 Domains of Blazing Capital to participate.

Thus, the 2 Dao Ancestor Immortal Saints had no choice but to make the journey personally, traveling to the various Chaos Domains to notify the other Dao Ancestor Immortal Saints.

After seeing off the 2 Dao Ancestors, Eldrin resumed his secluded cultivation, aiming to swiftly quantify the Chaos Thunder Tribulation Stone and master the Chaos Divine Power.

And just at that moment, a Daoist in purple robes tore through the primordial chaos, arriving within the realms of the Southern Abyss.

This purple-robed Daoist possessed profound cultivation, and his mere presence stirred the entire 7 Domains of the Southern Abyss.

The various Heavenly Emperors of the Southern Abyss all went to investigate, yet each of them revealed expressions of apprehension.

Only Eldrin remained composed as he stepped before the purple-robed Daoist. With a trace of surprise in his tone, he remarked, “So it’s Fellow Daoist Zixiao. May I ask what brings you here today?”

This purple-robed Daoist turned out to be none other than the Half-Step Dao Fusion expert whose prestige shook the 100 Domains of Blaze Central, and also the number 1 alchemist within these domains—the Violet Firmament Immortal Sage.

The Amethyst Firmament Immortal Sage beheld Eldrin, immediately flicked his whisk, and spoke with a gentle smile, “Greetings, Dao Ancestor of the Returning Abyss.”

"To think that in just over a 1000 kalpas, Fellow Daoist has already surpassed this old man and become 1 of the strongest Heavenly Emperors across the Blazing Central 100 Domains."

"You flatter me, it's but an empty reputation undeserved."

Eldrin smiled faintly, yet understood that the Purple Empyrean Celestial Sage likely had matters to discuss. Without delay, he guided them into a celestial pavilion grotto-heaven.

Within the Immortal Sanctuary Grotto-Heaven, Eldrin sat facing the Violet Firmament Celestial Sage, personally brewing a pot of tea for him.

"Fine tea."

The Violet Firmament Immortal Saint took a sip, then let out a sigh of admiration.

After exchanging pleasantries with Eldrin for a moment, he suddenly adopted a solemn expression and said, "To be frank, the reason for my visit is to invite you, fellow cultivator, to join the 100 Domains Unity Alliance."

100 Domains Dao-Union?

Eldrin (Person Name) froze momentarily, a trace of astonishment flickering across his expression.

Witnessing this, the Violet Firmament Immortal Sage spoke, "The 100 Domains Dao Alliance is a loosely-knit organization established through the joint efforts of this venerable 1, Dao Ancestor Tianke, the Myriad Dao Divine Lord, the 9 Dragons Nest Master, the Phoenix Empress, and the Otherworldly Demon Emperor."

"Aside from the 6 of us, the 30-7 Half-Step Eldrin Integration cultivators from the Emberfire 100 Domains are all members of our 100 Domains Eldrin Integration Alliance."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) felt a faint tremor in his heart.

A single 100 Realms Unity Alliance actually boasted 30-7 Half-Step Unity Realm experts. With such profound foundations joining forces, they would likely be capable of withstanding even a true Unity Supreme.

Witnessing this, the Violet Firmament Immortal Sage spoke, "Our 100 Domains Unity Alliance was established precisely to attain the breakthrough into the Unity Supreme Realm."

The goal of the 100 Domains Unity Alliance is to foster mutual assistance, enabling us to join forces against the Blazeheart Supreme and seize the hope of breaking through to the Unity Supreme realm.

"In the days when the foreign Demon Emperor breached the heavens, the reason the Supreme Flame Sovereign's lineage was thwarted was due to the concerted efforts of our 100 Domains Unity Alliance."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin felt a sudden tremor in his heart.

No wonder when the Infernal Abyss Demon Emperor sought to unify the 7 Domains of the Southern Abyss, neither the Blaze Zenith Sovereign nor his 5 Half-Step Unity Realm subordinates made the slightest move.

He had originally assumed that those individuals had intervened out of respect for the reputation of the Otherworldly Demon Emperor, having reached certain agreements.

It now appeared that the Foreign Devil Emperor had leveraged the pact to compel the 100 Domains Unity Alliance to intercept that very Foreign Devil Emperor.

After realizing this, Eldrin inquired, "Was the incident involving the Otherworldly Demon Emperor also orchestrated by your 100 Realms Unity Alliance back then?"

"Indeed."

The Purple Firmament Immortal Sage spoke, then said with a bitter smile, "Originally, in our plan, after the Otherworldly Demon Emperor accomplished his goal, we would join forces to gather 30-6 Primordial Domains."

"Then, with this, we shall lay down the Chaos Formation, to be jointly controlled by 30-7 Half-Step Unity Realm cultivators. This will grant each of us an opportunity to break through to the Unity Realm."

"Alas, our hearts were not united. Each had their own schemes, and coupled with the exposure of the Foreign Demon Emperor's plot by your esteemed self, this entire endeavor has now come to naught."

Eldrin (Person Name) nodded upon hearing this. The plan of the 100 Domains Unity Alliance was indeed flawless.

Once their plan succeeded, they would be able to directly confront the Supreme Eldrin, and everyone would have the chance to break through to the Unity Supreme Realm.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem with this plan was whether others could truly be trusted.

Once someone has first broken through to become a Unity Sovereign, aspiring to be the second Chi Yang Supreme, or even joining forces with the Chi Yang lineage, how should the others respond?

Originally, they could still rely on their alliance pact and the coercive pressure of the Supreme Zhiyang to barely maintain internal unity.

However, the sudden exposure of the Otherworldly Demon Emperor sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Before the Foreign Demon Emperor even broke through to the Celestial Emperor realm, he was capable of devouring the nascent Sun God Emperor. Once he ascends to the realm of Unity Dao Supreme, would he be able to consume a Half-Step Unity Dao expert?

If the Alien Demon Emperor could achieve this, and after devouring all the Celestial Emperors and Half-Step Unity Realm experts, he could evolve the Devouring Great Dao into the Chaos Primordial Dao, seizing this opportunity to ascend to the Primordial Sovereign Realm.

Would the Otherworldly Demon Emperor actually do this?

After some soul-searching, the half-step Eldrin cultivators of the 100 Domains Unity Alliance arrived at a terrifying conclusion.

Clearly, the Otherworldly Demon Emperor would certainly act this way—had they been in his position, they would most likely have done the same.

The Devouring Dao is far too terrifying. Once it breaks through into a certain realm, it could very well turn other Chaos Daos into nourishment for its own advancement.

Even if the possibility was merely 1 percent, not a single soul within the 100 Domains Unity Alliance dared to gamble on it.

With the precedent of the Foreign Demon Emperor now established, the powerful figures of the 100 Domains Unity Alliance harbored profound uncertainties about whether their organization should continue to exist.

Due to a lack of sufficient trust, even if someone were to truly break through to the Integration Realm, should they become a second Emperor Chiyang, it would spell disaster for all.

A mere Fiery Zenith Sovereign was enough to prevent all the Quasi-Integration experts across the 100 Domains of Fiery Zenith from achieving their breakthrough. Should another Fiery Zenith Sovereign emerge, we would all likely be reduced to stray dogs with no home to return to.

Within the 100 Realms of Blazing Center, the major powers were intricately intertwined.

"Many of us half-step Unity realm cultivators harbor deep-seated grudges against 1 another. It is only under the pressure from the Chi Yang lineage that we have united."

"Yet given the current circumstances, I fear this favorable situation may prove difficult to sustain."

The Amethyst Firmament Immortal Sage spoke with a measured grace, a faint, bitter smile gracing his lips.

Eldrin furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing this. After a moment of contemplation, he inquired thoughtfully, "Since the 100 Domains Unity Alliance is plagued by internal discord, why bother recruiting me into its ranks?"

"You are different."

The Amethyst Firmament Immortal Sage shook his head and spoke, "I have investigated you and found that you have always maintained noble character, repeatedly aided old acquaintances, and never suppressed juniors."

"Emperor Panghu, the Undying Emperor, Daoist Tai Zhuo, and many others—they all owe their path to enlightenment to your grace."

"Most crucially, in that moment of peril, you did not flee. Instead, you marched forth to meet the Blade of Annihilation head-on, accomplishing what can only be described as the miraculous Great Shattering of Extremes."

At this point, a gleam flashed in the eyes of the Zi Xiao Immortal Saint, and a trace of admiration actually surfaced.

Upon hearing this, Eldrin’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly before he spoke, “I appreciate your regard, fellow cultivator. However, I have no fondness for political intrigue, so I must decline the invitation to join the 100 Domains Unity Alliance.”

The Violet Firmament Immortal Sage immediately grew anxious, grabbing Eldrin’s sleeve as he urged, “Fellow Daoist, there is no need to decline in haste. Once the plan succeeds, I can personally recommend you to be the first to break through to the Integration Stage.”

"Oh?"

Eldrin’s gaze flickered slightly before he spoke, “Is this your intention, fellow Daoist, or the opinion of all members of the 100 Domains Unity Alliance?”

The Violet Firmament Immortal Sage’s expression instantly turned somewhat awkward, before he resolutely declared, “For now, this is but the opinion of this venerable 1 alone.”

"However, rest assured, Fellow Daoist, this old man will surely persuade the other fellow daoists."

Seeing this, Eldrin spoke up, "Fellow Daoist, there's no need to trouble yourself further. Let us drop this matter here."

Compared to the methods of the Violet Firmament Immortal Sage, Eldrin already had a plan for breaking through to the Integration Stage, and was not particularly interested in the affairs of the 100 Domains Integration Alliance.

After all, the 100 Domains Unity Alliance was plagued by internal discord and conflicting agendas. Rather than seeking a collaborative breakthrough, Eldrin feared being betrayed at the most critical moment of his ascension.

Chapter 1 The Azure Cloud Sect's recruitment ceremony had reached its final day. On the vast testing square, over a 1000 youths stood waiting, their faces etched with nervous anticipation. At the center of the square stood a towering Spirit Testing Stone, its surface shimmering with faint, swirling patterns. An elder in blue robes called out names in a booming voice, his expression stern and imposing. "Next, Zhao Yun!" A youth of about 15 or 16 stepped forward, his plain cotton robes fluttering in the breeze. He placed his palm upon the stone. Hum— The Spirit Testing Stone remained dull and lifeless. "No spiritual roots," the elder declared coldly. "Step aside." Disappointment flashed across the youth's face, but he bowed respectfully and retreated into the crowd. Murmurs rippled through the spectators. "What a pity. This is already the third young master from the Zhao family to fail." "Without spiritual roots, 1 cannot tread the path of immortality..." Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the square's entrance. "Make way! The Lin family's young master has arrived!" A young man clad in brocade robes strode forward proudly, a golden-edged invitation gleaming in his hand. The crowd instinctively parted, their eyes filled with envy and awe. "Golden Invitation! He's actually a direct disciple candidate!" "I heard the Lin family donated 100,000 spirit stones to secure this spot..." The blue-robed elder's expression softened slightly. He accepted the invitation and nodded. "Young Master Lin, please proceed to the inner hall." Just as the scene was unfolding with mixed reactions—some envious, some resentful—a slender figure quietly appeared at the edge of the square. It was a young man dressed in faded blue robes, his features delicate yet pale, as if he were recovering from a severe illness. What drew attention, however, were his eyes—deep and calm, like an ancient well, devoid of the anxiety and anticipation typical of his age. He glanced at the bustling crowd, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips. "The Azure Cloud Sect... it's been 3 1000 years." No 1 noticed that in his palm, an ancient bronze mirror emitted a faint glow before vanishing. The youth's name was Lu Xuan. To others, he was merely a seriously ill orphan taken in by a branch family. But only he knew that a 100 years ago, he was the Azure Cloud Sect's most gifted disciple—the 1 who had single-handedly suppressed the entire demonic path, the legendary prodigy who had ascended to the pinnacle of immortality! That is... until a heavenly tribulation struck, reducing his cultivation to nothing and sending him back in time to his youth. "Spiritual roots severed, dantian shattered... but so what?" Lu Xuan murmured to himself, his gaze sweeping over the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings. "This time, I shall rebuild my foundation and tread the path of immortality once more!" Suddenly, a sharp, mocking voice cut through the air. "Look, isn't that the sickly kid from the Lu family? How dare he show up here?" A stout youth blocked his path, hands on his hips, a look of utter contempt on his face. "I heard you've been bedridden for over a month. A worthless mortal like you—do you actually think you can cultivate immortality?" The surrounding crowd burst into laughter. Lu Xuan recognized him—Wang Tianba, the son of a merchant family who had always bullied him in the past. He remained silent, his eyes calm. In his previous life, he had been humiliated by this very person and missed the recruitment ceremony, ultimately becoming an ordinary handyman disciple. It took him 10 full years to regain his footing. But now... "Scram." A single word, spoken softly, yet it carried an inexplicable authority. Wang Tianba was momentarily stunned, then flew into a rage. "You dare talk back to me? Looks like you need a lesson!" He raised his hand, a faint spiritual glow gathering around his palm—the most basic Minor Cloud Hand technique. The onlookers gasped; even the weakest cultivator could easily overpower a mortal. But in the next moment— Whoosh! No 1 saw how Lu Xuan moved. They only saw Wang Tianba suddenly stagger backward, his face pale, the spiritual glow around his palm extinguished. "You... you..." Wang Tianba stared at Lu Xuan in horror, his voice trembling. Lu Xuan didn't even glance at him, striding straight toward the Spirit Testing Stone. The blue-robed elder frowned. "Name?" "Lu Xuan." "Place your hand on the stone." Lu Xuan slowly raised his hand. Just as his palm was about to touch the stone, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from it! Roar—! A dragon's roar seemed to echo through the heavens as 9 golden dragon silhouettes spiraled around the stone, their radiance illuminating the entire square! "Heavenly Spiritual Root! And it's the legendary 9 Dragons Guarding the Body!" The elder trembled, his voice shaking with disbelief. The entire square fell into dead silence. All eyes were fixed on the young man bathed in golden light, their expressions a mix of shock, envy, and reverence. Lu Xuan, however, remained calm, as if this were only natural. He knew that this was merely the beginning. In this life, he would not only reclaim everything he had lost but also uncover the secrets behind that heavenly tribulation... Far away in the clouds, a white-robed elder slowly opened his eyes. "After a 1000 years... the 9 Dragons Guarding the Body has finally appeared again." A faint, meaningful smile graced his lips.