A glint of sharp light flashed through Chen Kuang's eyes.
He let out a long breath, the exhalation was so steady and forceful that it seemed to condense into a thin line of white mist in the air.
A faint lotus-shaped mark shimmered on his forehead.
At the same time, all the muscles and skin across his body began to ripple and writhe, as if countless gnarled branches were pushing their way out from beneath his flesh,it was an unsettling sight.
But this wasn't a bad sign. On the contrary, it was something every cultivator dreamed of:
A full-body transformation, a phenomenon that only occurred when breaking through to the Innate Realm.
The reason it was called "Innate" was because, by refining a breath of "Innate Qi," the practitioner made up for the innate deficiencies of a postnatal body and returned to a state of pristine perfection.
This so-called "Innate Qi" referred to the first stage of the three sub-realms within the Innate Realm, Origin Force.
The common interpretation of "Origin Force" was that once a cultivator reached this level, their internal force would become self-replenishing, every strike would feed back a thread of energy, endless and inexhaustible.
But in truth, the name originated from the idea of returning to the "original beginning."
Only upon stepping into the Innate Realm could one truly be considered to have crossed the first real threshold of cultivation, distancing themselves from ordinary people.
As Chen Kuang's flesh and meridians writhed, the rough skin layered with calluses and scars began to shed and was replaced by smooth, pale and new skin.
That was just the external change. Internally, the transformation was even more profound.
From this moment on, his physical body had essentially been entirely rebuilt from the ground up.
Thus, among cultivators, there was an old saying: stepping into the Innate Realm meant being reborn by the heavens and earth.
From that moment forward, one's ties to worldly relatives were cut, the new body had no relation to the old one.
But... Chen Kuang's passive skill [Wind Leans on the Tree] remained unchanged.
Which proved that the saying was, in the end, nothing more than an excuse some cultivators had, made up to cut ties with their mundane relatives.
Soon, a thick layer of grime accumulated around Chen Kuang as a faint golden glow began to radiate from his skin.
From a distance, he looked like a golden statue, majestic and solemn.
The white lotus mark on his brow grew solid for an instant. A phantom lotus bloomed, its petals spreading wide, and all the filth and impurities around him were instantly blown away into dust.
His sleeves flared.
Then, the anomalies around the young man slowly subsided as the golden radiance withdrew, and the white lotus gradually faded from view.
"Phew..."
Chen Kuang lowered his eyes and stood up. His long black hair fell loosely behind his back, and his facial features, now slightly softened, had become even more striking.
His whole posture was completely at ease.
But no matter what angle someone looked at him from, they would feel as though he were a solid, impenetrable wall of iron, without even the slightest flaw.
His spirit and body were perfectly united. His eyes moved freely, as though he could sense the gaze of anyone nearby and react at any moment.
Of course, this was merely an illusion brought about by a mind sharpened to the extreme. To someone of equal cultivation, it simply felt that way.
But if a more powerful cultivator looked at him, they would see he still had openings.
It was just that his overwhelming presence created the illusion that he had none.
His divine sense radiated outward. His essence was full and vibrant, marking the peak condition for a cultivator.
Chen Kuang moved his body slightly and could immediately feel the vibrant Spiritual Energy surging through his meridians, causing a faint heat to radiate throughout his flesh.
This mild state of tension was the most effective for triggering an adrenaline response.
He silently stretched out his hand and noticed that his palm was trembling slightly. Slowly, he clenched it into a fist.
The muscles of his arm were well-defined and taut, his veins were bulging with a subtle sense of power.
Yet the trembling didn't stop, in fact, it became even more pronounced.
Like a spring compressed to the absolute limit.
It was tension but also... exhilaration.
From the moment just before, his passive skill [Blood Premonition] had been firing off increasingly intense warnings.
Like a blaring alarm ringing in his mind, growing louder and louder, until even his head started to hurt and his temples were throbbing.
"One... two... three..."
Chen Kuang murmured, "More than that. It's more than when I had to evade the Three Calamities Sect's search. This time, they've sent a small army."
He curled his lips, but his gaze was ice-cold.
"The Martial Saint Pavilion sure isn't shy about using resources, huh? To root out someone as insignificant as me, they've gone all in."
Chen Kuang turned his head. The little princess still lay quietly on the bed, seemingly in peaceful slumber.
But only he knew what was really happening inside the Great Void Illusion Realm, they were both experiencing death and rewinding the loop, again and again.
Though he did his best to trigger the deaths himself and avoid putting that pressure on her, it was impossible not to share the burden.
The deaths were nearly indistinguishable from reality.
They were no different than the lethal intent that had radiated from Huo Hengxuan back then when he was truly still in that cell.
Which meant the psychological toll was just as real.
Still, after enduring that pain, the returns were equally bountiful.
In the bottom corner of his field of vision, the status bar continued scrolling, new passive abilities were popping up one after another at a dizzying pace.
However, most of the ones he was receiving now were "daily-use" passives.
That is, passives that were helpful in his daily life or that had some long-term effects.
These were not especially useful in combat.
For example:
[Seal of Rising Fortune]
[Virtue of Mercy]
And even older ones such as [Like a Fish in Water], [Golden Brocade and Jade Cuisine]...
But with enough volume, with enough stacked up, the odds of getting more combat-use passives were still decent.
Passives like [You Can't See Me] were for example, perfect for escape and stealth situations.
Or [Last-Second Reversal], which when paired with [Invincible Before the Divine], formed a true integrated defense and offense, it allowed him to fight even stronger enemies instead of just running away.
And beyond that, a few others were exceptionally potent as well:
[Bullet Time: When receiving lethal damage, the world around you freezes for one moment.]
[Mirror Flower: When your speed exceeds 500 meters per second, you will leave behind a decoy phantom.]
[Quiet Night Thoughts: After remaining completely still for one hour at night, you will be able to sense the thoughts of the first person you see. The effect disappears if you move.]
[Switch and Displace: Any damage dealt to you has a 10% chance to be reflected. The reflected damage is randomized, between 10% and 200%.]
Chen Kuang mentally sorted through them all, then finally muttered:
"This 'Mirror Flower' passive... What the hell? Five hundred meters per second? Is this a reference to my home world, to an anime again?"
Sometimes, the status bar really did seem like it was annoying him.
Still, there was no denying it, these passives were terrifyingly powerful.
But the two that excited him most were undoubtedly [Bullet Time] and [Switch and Displace].
[Bullet Time] was already broken by any standard.
But [Switch and Displace] was the most suitable for him as it solved his greatest current problem, that being his low cultivation.
This ability didn't scale off his own power but instead, it scaled off how hard he got hit!
"As long as I can take the hit, then every enemy is just punching themselves!"
"A 10% chance? Fine. If I get hit enough, that's basically 100%!"
Given his existing Passives such as [Flesh Reishi] and [Invincible Before the Divine], this one was practically tailor-made for him.
Of course, there was a downside as well.
It was going to hurt. A lot.
But pain? Suffering?
That was never what Chen Kuang feared.
He rubbed at his throbbing temples and grinned.
His status bar continued to scroll wildly at the bottom of his vision.
He took a deep breath, gently tucked the covers over the little princess, and picked up the Dragon Gums Zither resting on the table.
Then he opened the door and stepped out.
The door creaked open with a crash and the cold wind and heavy rain rushed into the room, slamming the door against the wall with a loud thud!
Right outside the door, Chu Wenruo, who had been shivering under an umbrella, staggered as the door was suddenly pulled open.
Chen Kuang quickly reached out to steady her arm.
She blinked in surprise, then her face lit up with joy. Dropping her umbrella, she clutched his sleeve and stammered in panic:
"Mr. Chen, th-there's someone! Someone's here! Please, please save Miss Shen!"
"It's fine. Go back inside. No matter what you hear, do not come out."
Chen Kuang coaxed her gently, urging her into the room and closing the door behind her.
Only then did he look across the courtyard.
The situation wasn't quite as urgent as Chu Wenruo had made it sound.
A young woman in a pale yellow robe, Shen Meinan, stood not far away, her arms outstretched like a hen shielding her chicks, guarding the door behind her.
"I'm warning you! As long as I'm here, you won't lay a finger on Chen Kuang!"
She glared with all the fierceness of a bristling puppy, her eyes wide and her expression fierce. Even the small bell on her head had been soaked through by the rain, muffling its sound.
Across from her, a man in black robes stood silently. His face was stone-cold, his features like carved granite, and his eyes black as lead, utterly lifeless and chilling to behold.
He stepped into the courtyard and came to a halt.
He didn't even seem to see Shen Meinan.
From the moment Chen Kuang had appeared, the man's gaze had been locked onto him, unwavering.
And it was not a gaze of affection.
It was, calm, yet filled with murderous intent.
"Bai Fen, Sect Master of the Firebrand Sect."
The man drew his sword and coolly introduced himself.
Then pointed his blade straight at Chen Kuang.
"I'm here to kill you."
Anyone familiar with the name would have turned and fled the instant they heard those words.
Why? Because Bai Fen was infamous.
A madman. A battle maniac. A sword-obsessed lunatic.
Ever since emerging into the world, he had made a name for himself by challenging the strongest names on the Canglang Evaluation, a prestigious ranking of martial talents.
And Bai Fen's "challenges" were never friendly bouts. They were always pursuit and slaughter.
He didn't care about status or background, only two things mattered to him:
Life or death.
Fifteen years ago, he climbed from rank 53 to rank 9 on the Canglang Evaluation, before finally being defeated, barely surviving and landing at rank 8.
In the process, of all the challengers not in hiding or under protection, he killed thirty-four of them.
He terrified an entire generation of young elites. Some even publicly begged to have their names removed from the list.
The only reason the rampage stopped was because Bai Fen aged out of eligibility.
But even after becoming the sect master of the Firebrand Sect, his ferocity never lessened.
All who stood against his sect ended up beneath his sword.
For someone with so many enemies to remain alive this long was itself proof of his monstrous strength.
In that regard, he and Chen Kuang were not so different.
Chen Kuang didn't respond to Bai Fen's "formal greeting." He merely sighed and turned to Shen Meinan, speaking in a low, firm voice:
"Back off. This has nothing to do with you. Go guard the room."
Shen Meinan raised her arms to shield her head from the rain and jogged to his side, brows furrowed.
"What do you mean 'nothing to do with me'? Your business is my business!"
She paused, then added proudly:
"I, Shen Meinan, have always been loyal to my friends, even if it means taking a knife to the ribs!"
"Then guard yourself, and the people in that room. That's the best help you can give me."
Chen Kuang smiled, ruffling her wet hair.
"Even if I lose, don't do anything rash. Remember, this matter was never yours to begin with."
Shen Meinan's heart clenched and she shook her head.
"No..."
She always hated that in every storybook, just when things got critical, there was always some tearful, drawn-out farewell.
But now that it was her turn, she finally understood how helpless that moment felt.
Still, she believed this wasn't the same as those stories.
If she revealed her identity...
Surely the enemy wouldn't dare harm her.
Surely they'd respect the name of Mysterious Divine Path Sect and her senior sister Shen Xingzhu.
Even if it only bought time, it would be worth it.
What she didn't realize was that she was still too naive.
She lacked the experience to recognize danger.
She couldn't see that Bai Fen didn't care who you were.
If you stood in his way, he would strike, without mercy.
She couldn't see it but Chen Kuang could..
And besides... the name Mysterious Divine Path Sect wasn't something to be thrown around lightly.
Chen Kuang stepped back a few paces, raised the jade token in his hand, and called out loudly:
"This young lady is a core disciple of the Mysterious Divine Path Sect. She has nothing to do with this matter. She'll be leaving soon. Your target is me, and the mother and daughter. Do not drag innocents into this."
Shen Meinan blinked, reaching to her robes, only then realizing that her jade token had been swiped by Chen Kuang!
But how? His cultivation wasn't even higher than hers.
Then she suddenly realized, Chen Kuang had broken through to the Innate Realm!
When they first met, he had only opened his eighth meridian.
But now, he was already at the Innate Realm?
That cultivation speed... it was absolutely terrifying!
In that instant, Shen Meinan realized her understanding of Chen Kuang may have been completely wrong. Maybe he wasn't untalented at all.
More likely, he simply started training very late. With talent like that, it was the only explanation.
While she was still reeling from this, Bai Fen glanced at the token in Chen Kuang's hand.
"You want me to spare her?"
"I'm just giving you a friendly reminder."
Chen Kuang smiled faintly. "The Mysterious Divine Path Sect isn't to be trifled with. If a core disciple traveling alone is killed for no reason, it might just stir some of the elders into a rage, don't you think?"
Bai Fen fell silent for a moment.
"...She'd better really stay out of it."
An implied agreement.
With that, Chen Kuang's aim had been achieved.
Had Shen Meinan revealed her own identity, she might have tried to use it as leverage, to try and threaten Bai Fen.
But that would have made her an active enemy.
The Mysterious Divine Path Sect was neutral and Chen Kuang and the Martial Saint Pavilion were locked in a private vendetta.
If she then declared hostility, it would become personal, and her sect's neutrality would be meaningless.
But now, with Chen Kuang claiming she was uninvolved, Bai Fen couldn't just outright strike her down.
Bai Fen wasn't afraid of enemies, but he wasn't stupid enough to make new ones needlessly.
Shen Meinan opened her mouth to speak, but Chen Kuang returned the jade token to her hand and said with a smile:
"Sorry for borrowing this. I trust Lady Meinan is gracious enough not to mind..."
He smiled again.
"...And won't waste the opportunity I just bought, right?"
Shen Meinan couldn't say a word.
Of course she wouldn't argue, to insist otherwise would be idiotic.
She shook her head silently, clutching the token tightly as her eyes brimmed with tears that grew hazy in the rain.
She couldn't imagine how Chen Kuang could possibly fight a half-step Grandmaster...
Chen Kuang stepped past her, cradling his zither in his arms, and faced Bai Fen.
"No sect, no affiliation, Chen Kuang."
He took a deep breath. The white lotus mark appeared slowly on his brow.
"I'd like to see for myself whether you, Senior Bai, can kill me today."
Where he walked, lotus-shaped imprints formed in the dirt beneath his feet, five petals in full bloom.
Just during their brief exchange, he had quietly stacked five layers of internal force through Descent from Tusita Heaven.
Now that he had entered the Innate Realm, five layers was no longer a challenge for him.
The puring rain fell like a curtain between them.
"You'll find out soon enough," Bai Fen said.
"Remember this sword's name. It's called Fentian, Heaven-Searing. It is the blade that will end your life."
"And remember this number: 20,061."
"You are the twenty-thousand-and-sixty-first soul to die beneath it."
As he finished speaking, the sword in his hand ignited with dark red flames, unquenchable and intense.
Then came a towering inferno.
Heaven-Searing's flames vaporized the rain in an instant, sending torrents of white mist churning through the air.
Flames erupted in a blaze of wind and pressure, sweeping outward with a devastating force.
BOOOOM!
The entire Chen estate collapsed in an instant, consumed by the blazing fire, nothing but scorched earth remained.
Only the east wing, protected by Shen Meinan's delicate spiritual treasure formation had remained untouched.
Far away, the Chen family, escorted by Qi Sibai, turned at the sound, completely stunned by what they saw.
Chen An drew in a sharp breath.
Gantang shrieked in horror, instinctively trying to rush back.
"Kuang'er!"
Chen Rong grabbed her arm. She struggled briefly, then turned to Qi Sibai with pleading eyes:
"Immortal master! I beg you, please save Kuang'er!"
"No need, madam."
Qi Sibai inhaled slowly and supported her gently. "Even if I went now, I wouldn't stand a chance. Only Brother Chen can resolve this."
Gantang's face turned ashen.
Nearby, Chen Ning still clutched a bag of silver and gold which she hadn't yet handed over. She bit her lip, recalling how Chen Kuang had tucked her old hairpin back into her hair before they left.
It had been the same pin she once gave to the mysterious swordsman in the Envious Fish Hermitage.
She had found his music familiar even back then. Now, though Chen Kuang had said nothing, his silence was confirmation enough.
"Mother... maybe... maybe big brother will make it," Chen Ning whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
Qi Sibai, feeling pity, added, "Let us keep moving. I have a technique to glimpse at fate. Brother Chen... has a destiny unlike any other. He'll be fine."
He said it merely to calm their hearts. He'd planned to speak further when they were safely away.
But mid-sentence, Qi Sibai's expression changed.
He was truly seeing fate.
And not just the fate tied to the Demon Sword, which he alone could usually perceive.
This time... it was actually Chen Kuang's fate..
And it was unbelievable to the point of absurdity!
Qi Sibai paused, then said softly:
"Brother Chen won't just be fine. In fact... he might ascend to even greater heights."
He looked up.
The sky was heavy with dark clouds and falling rain.
"To the very heavens."
...
Up in those clouds, others were locked in confrontation.
Elder Shi Youguang of Rotten Branch Mountain and guest elder Lou Lan of the One Heart Academy were facing off against Shen Xingzhu's spiritual avatar, and Lin Eryou.
Shi Youguang wore a grim expression.
He wasn't facing Shen Xingzhu's physical form, only a single ray of sword-light.
And yet... that single stroke of sword-light kept him completely contained.
Terrifying!
That was the only word he could think of.
None of his techniques, no matter how refined or special, could break through.
That stroke of sword-light merely needed one motion to invalidate everything that he attempted.
Every calculation, every scenario, all of them ended in his death.
All he could do was sit and wait, see how the rest played out.
Elsewhere, Lou Lan's expression shifted the moment she saw the flamboyant youth across from her.
"You?! Lin Eryou? Why are you here?"
Her face turned dark.
Lin Eryou, still smiling, replied, "Ah, Sister Lou! I remember when One Heart Academy tried to challenge Liberty Mountain, aiming to steal our title as the first-ranked institution in Cangyuan. I wonder how those senior 'madmen' of yours are doing now? Still howling at the moon?"
...
Clatter.
Shen Meinan's silver locket slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground with a soft sound.
She stared, stunned, at the charred humanoid figure that had just crashed down in front of her.
It didn't even look human anymore, just a blackened husk, limbs twisted and barely hanging together.
With featherlight steps, Shen Meinan approached and knelt beside the figure, trembling.
She reached out cautiously to touch its surface.
Crack.
The scorched outer layer fell away like brittle bark, revealing beneath it, smooth, pale flesh.
She blinked, stunned, only to meet a pair of familiar eyes filled with warmth and humor.
Crack crack crack...
Chen Kuang stood, shaking off the charred shell completely. Beneath it, his limbs were whole and his body unscathed.
Thankfully, the clothes his senior brother gave him had held up. Otherwise, he might've had to streak on the spot right now.
He looked toward the scorched ruins up ahead and flashed a brilliant smile.
"Seems you were wrong, Senior Bai."
"I'm not the twenty-thousand-and-sixty-first."
Right then, a new passive refreshed before his eyes:
[You have taken heavy risks and survived several times, coming back from near death and gained the passive "Destruction and Rebirth": Each time you survive a mortal peril, your cultivation rises higher.]