Chapter 144: Heart Barrier
At the same time, outside the Hong family's ancestral grounds—
Chen Chang'an's clone stood still in the void, his brows furrowed.
Before him, the entire ancestral land of the Hong family was shrouded in a strange gray-white mist.
The mist was thick, writhing in the air like a living thing. At times it surged into crashing waves, at others it scattered into countless threads.
More terrifying still, this mist could devour divine sense. Even with his Saint Realm peak clone, the moment his divine sense probed within, it vanished instantly like mud sinking into the sea.
"Troublesome…"
Chen Chang'an muttered under his breath. This clone's cultivation had been too low at the start; he could not possibly keep up with Ji Hongli's terrifying speed. By the time he arrived, the Hong ancestral grounds had already been sealed off by the strange fog. What was happening inside—he had no way of knowing.
Just as he was considering whether to forcibly break through the mist, a wisp of gray-white fog silently drifted before him.
It coiled around his fingertips as if sentient, even trying to seep into his flesh.
And at that moment—
[ Ding! ]
[ Detection: Host has contacted an unknown existence. Choose whether to enter the mist (Yes/No). ]
[ System notice: Choosing Yes will activate the Legendary Achievement—Exploring the Mystery of the Void. ]
[ Exploring the Mystery of the Void: The void conceals great secrets, unseen and formless. Suddenly the abyss opens its eyes, and stars tumble down like rain. ]
[ System notice: Completing the Legendary Achievement—Exploring the Mystery of the Void, reward—1 wisp of Innate Primordial Qi, granting a glimpse of realms above the Saint Realm. ]
…
[ System notice: Choosing No will activate the Epic Achievement—Keeper of Secrets. ]
[ Keeper of Secrets: The void hides what cannot be spoken. A half-glimpse drives one mad. Now that It has opened Its eye, remain silent, hide deep, do not provoke. ]
[ System notice: Completing the Epic Achievement—Keeper of Secrets, reward—1 random Supreme Immortal Art. ]
…
"Damn it, a Legendary Achievement!!"
Chen Chang'an's pupils shrank, his fingertip trembling above the system's light screen.
He knew exactly the weight of this level. The last time he triggered a Legendary Achievement was 10 years ago—"Restoring the Great Zhou."
After so many years, and with Immortal Spirit City never truly isolated from the outside world, he had come to understand what the Great Zhou was—an incomparably vast and terrifying power.
That was the force that had devoured all 13 provinces of the Xuanying Continent, forcing every aristocratic family and sect to bow!
And now, the glowing golden prompt box before him was of the same level!
Click No… he had to click No…
Instinct drove him to refuse, but his finger froze in midair.
Through the gray mist he could faintly glimpse the twisted outline of the Hong ancestral grounds. His daughter was within that mind-devouring fog.
All the way here, his heart had been calm—not because he thought his Saint Realm peak cultivation could crush everything, but because he trusted Ji Hongli could handle it better. Though over the years he and his daughter's master had exchanged little more than nods, her strength surpassed his by half a step.
And that was only in terms of cultivation realm.
So he had followed with the mindset of a bystander.
But now, cold fear coiled around his spine like a venomous serpent. He suddenly realized—that mist could swallow Saint Realm divine sense whole, and the system had raised a Legendary warning at this very moment…
What he felt first—was fear.
A self-mocking smile slowly curved at his lips.
Now, Chen Chang'an knew better than anyone that his gap with the true strong had never been in cultivation.
He was gradually beginning to understand what it meant to stand in the Saint Realm on the Xuanying Continent.
Even though this body possessed the power to move mountains and fill seas, at his core he was still that ordinary man who, when faced with danger, only wanted to cling to survival.
The lofty teachings he gave his disciples, all those great principles of life and Dao, were in truth drawn from the "success studies" of his past life—teachings he had never truly practiced himself.
Because with his cultivation, he did not even need to shout, "Deep Blue, add points for me!" The system's daily sign-in would automatically deliver everything.
If Han Yu were here… if Xiao Chen were here…
Even though their current cultivation was only at the Return to Origin Realm, they would still charge in without hesitation.
Those children he had personally raised all carried a heart of the strong that he himself lacked.
If he were in their place, starting from the same beginning as Han Yu, by now the Daoist of Ink would probably already be wearing his skin and roaming the streets.
Amid the surging gray mist, a bead of cold sweat slid down his temple.
"Damn it, I really am a coward!"
Chen Chang'an suddenly slapped himself hard across the face.
At such a time, how could he still be thinking so much?
He forced himself to calm, eyes fixed once more on the gray mist. Through those eerie veils, he seemed to see Xingcai's childhood cup shattering, the jar of plum wine she had secretly brewed for him, and countless moments of youth. He saw layer upon layer of ice orchids cradling that small life before him…
His mind, strangely, grew calm.
But it was not that his heart had gone cold.
Chen Chang'an pressed a palm tightly to his chest, feeling the violent pounding of his heart.
"Mm…"
He suddenly realized this fear was utterly different from the past.
It was not timidity, not cowardice—it was something deeper, sharper, like a blade pressed to his heart, making even his breathing sting.
"So that's how it is…"
He gave a low laugh, but in his eyes a fierce light began to burn.
This time, what he feared was never stepping into danger—it was the despair of "loss" that might await beyond that gray mist.
"Damn this trash system!"
The thought clicked into place, and a wild smile tugged at his lips. Choose? What was there to choose? His little girl was inside! Who said only mothers could be strong?
As a father—so could he!
"Boom—!!!"
The instant his fingertip pressed on [ Yes ], heaven and earth changed color!
Chen Chang'an stepped forward, robes whipping violently. With one hand forming a seal, ten thousand bolts of thunder burst forth from his body. The clouds of the Ninth Heaven were torn apart by invisible hands, and countless violet-gold thunders roared down like raging dragons!
"Nine Heavens Thunder-Moving Sword Art—!"
With an angry shout, his sword fingers pointed to the heavens, summoning a mighty heavenly tribulation!
"Heavenly Tribulation!!"
"Crack—!!!"
A colossal sword of lightning spanned heaven and earth, cleaving down with the power to shatter mountains and rend peaks, striking fiercely at the gray mist that devoured all!
Wherever the thunder swept, space itself shattered inch by inch!
No more hesitation—this strike, he would deliver first!
…
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