Chapter 178 A Gathering of Heroes

Mu Changge stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, and activated a shielding Formation.

He then flicked his sleeve to clear the dust from the couch and sat cross-legged.

He did not immediately attempt to break through the Bottleneck but instead turned his attention inward.

Within his Dantian and Qi Sea, the tiny Nascent Soul sat with a solemn and dignified expression at the center of a Chaos vortex (formed by Righteous and Demonic Qi), its body shimmering with brilliant light, natural Dao rhymes flowing around it.

After the continuous fierce battles and insights of these past few days, especially the subtle contests and counterattacks against Jian Wushuang, his state of mind had been tempered, becoming perfectly rounded and clear.

His Spiritual Power had also reached its Peak, making the Breakthrough to the Late Nascent Soul Stage a natural progression.

"It is time."

With a thought, his Sword Qi and Spiritual Power began to circulate silently within his body.

The dense Spiritual Qi in the room seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, transforming into wisps of pale yellow mist that surged through his acupoints, followed arcane paths, flowed into his limbs and bones, and finally returned to his Dantian.

Within the Qi Sea, the Chaos vortex spun slightly, swallowing and converting all the incoming Spiritual Qi into the purest Spiritual Power and Demonic Power, which then nourished the Nascent Soul.

The tiny Nascent Soul grew increasingly radiant, resembling a small sphere of light (half black, half gold) bobbing within the Qi Sea.

Its features became increasingly distinct, its brows and eyes identical to Mu Changge's, though with an added touch of transcendence and sharpness.

As the Spiritual Qi continued to pour in, a certain barrier within the tiny Nascent Soul seemed to loosen, emitting a faint "crack" that only Mu Changge could perceive.

He did not rush but instead used his soul sense as a guide, directing the increasingly vast Spiritual Power to wash over that invisible barrier again and again.

With each wash, the barrier grew thinner, the Nascent Soul's radiance increased, and his connection to the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became clearer.

The Spiritual Qi of Yunmiao Holy Trace was incredibly pure, serving as the best aid for his Breakthrough and saving him countless efforts in refining Impurities.

Time passed quietly until the moon hung high in the sky, its clear radiance spilling through the window lattice into the room, illuminating his calm and unruffled face.

Suddenly, a clear, resonant sound emanated from within his body—not a physical sound, but a resonance caused by the extreme condensation of the Nascent Soul and Spiritual Qi.

"Break."

He whispered in his heart, and the final torrent of Spiritual Power, carrying a wisp of refined Righteous and Demonic Qi, slammed into the already cracked barrier.

"Pop—"

With a soft sound, the barrier shattered upon impact.

In an instant, Mu Changge's aura surged violently, only to be retracted in the next moment, like the ebb and flow of the tide, returning to calm.

Yet, the feeling he gave off was entirely different; as his eyes opened and closed, a divine light seemed to be contained within, his demeanor became more profound and reserved, and his every movement blended even more naturally and harmoniously with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Within his Dantian, the tiny Nascent Soul had become a bit more solid, its size seemingly increased slightly, and the Luck vortex it sat upon had expanded, inhaling and exhaling even more vast Spiritual Power with each rotation.

Late Nascent Soul Stage—achieved!

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his respiration long and steady, creating a gentle breeze in the quiet room.

The Breakthrough was smooth and natural, everything under control, as calm as if he had merely done something insignificant—which it was, after all, he could have broken through long ago if he had wanted to!

Mu Changge felt the nearly doubled volume of pure Spiritual Power within him, as well as his keener perception of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and nodded slightly.

In his current state, he had even more confidence to handle the upcoming Secret Realm journey.

As long as he wasn't unlucky enough to be ganged up on by a group of "Children of Fortune," he was confident he could handle the vast majority of situations.

In fact, when they gathered at the reception platform today, he had already opened the System to check everyone's panels, giving those present a quick "scan."

The result made his heart sink slightly.

Although it was just a fleeting glance, among the hundreds of "Lights of Luck"—some strong, some weak, and of various colors—he clearly "saw" two exceptionally striking "markers" that were almost blinding—those were the massive, dense Luck belonging to "Children of Fortune," so thick it had almost materialized!

One of them was prominently at the front of the Xuantian Sect's group, standing beside that Void Refining stage expert, Xuan Lingzi.

It was a youth with a calm demeanor and eyes as lively as a galaxy, wearing a Daoist robe embroidered with star charts and holding a jade ruler; he was looking down slightly, seemingly divining something.

Within the purple Luck above his head, which had almost condensed into a canopy, the trajectories of stars faintly swirled, mysterious and unfathomable.

"The Xuantian Sect Saint, huh... That's normal."

Mu Changge didn't feel much surprise.

The Xuantian Sect was skilled in heavenly secrets and divination, so it was reasonable for them to Cultivate a Saint blessed with great Luck.

Such "Children of Fortune" were often related to heavenly secrets and divination, so he needed to be extra careful not to be plotted against by him in the Secret Realm.

But what truly made him feel a trace of strangeness and even vigilance was the location of the other "Child of Fortune"—the Mount Sumeru team!

He was not standing at the very front of the Mount Sumeru team but was positioned slightly behind and to the side of Liao Chen.

This was a younger-looking little novice monk, his face still bearing a trace of youthful innocence, his skin fair as if bathed in Buddha light all year round, his brows and eyes gentle, his head lowered and eyes submissive, hands pressed together in prayer, looking entirely honest, dutiful, and focused on chanting scriptures.

He wore the most ordinary gray monk's robe and stood among a group of Buddhist Disciples with powerful or sharp auras, appearing completely unremarkable.

If not for the System's glaringly bright purple Luck (the levels of Luck from low to high being: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple), Mu Changge would have almost thought he had seen wrong.

"It's actually... not that Buddhist Son Liao Chen?"

Mu Changge was surprised, and then a thick sense of doubt and vigilance arose, "The one favored by Luck in this generation of the Buddhist Sect is not the apparent Saint, but an unassuming little novice monk?"

This was too abnormal!

By conventional logic, a Sect's Luck—especially in a place like the Buddhist Sect that emphasized predestined affinity and past-life wisdom—the person with the strongest Luck was usually the established Buddhist Son (Saint), gathering all the Sect's resources and expectations upon themselves.

Yet right now, the one with obviously heaven-soaring Luck, far exceeding everyone else, was this unknown little novice monk?

"If the little novice monk's Luck wasn't shining so brightly, and the System couldn't be wrong, I would have suspected that the Saint monk had some peerless treasure on him that concealed his Luck..."

Mu Changge pondered inwardly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the little novice monk again.

The other party seemed to notice something, slightly lifting his eyes, and his gaze crossed with Mu Changge's for a fleeting moment.

Those eyes were clear to the bottom, carrying a peace unique to Buddhist Disciples and... a hint of perfectly measured curiosity and shyness?

He then quickly lowered his head again, continuing to silently chant the Buddha's name, as if that had just been an unintentional glance.

"Interesting..."

Mu Changge sneered in his heart.

Seeing the clarity in the little novice monk's eyes, especially combined with the ridiculously terrifying Luck he possessed, this "low profile" appeared particularly strange and suspicious.

"Come to think of it, this guy... he wouldn't be a 'lurker,' would he?"

An absurd yet reasonable thought intruded into Mu Changge's mind.

A so-called "lurker" was the type who usually hid very deeply, kept a low profile, and hid in the shadows to specialize in sneak attacks, backstabbing, and such behavior (like himself).

Such people could exist anywhere, but... a Buddhist Disciple? A Child of Fortune? A lurker?

"It shouldn't... be, right?"

Mu Changge thought, feeling a bit uncertain, "The Buddhist Sect is, after all, a righteous and respectable Sect, emphasizing compassion and integrity... Even if there is internal competition, they wouldn't Cultivate a 'lurker' Child of Fortune, would they? This style is just too bizarre..."

But he then thought of certain things he had seen before his Transmigration, as well as the complexity of this world, and felt that anything was possible.

The varieties of "Children of Fortune" were inherently strange and varied: there were Dragon Aotian types, Trash-flow starters, those with their own old grandpas, those with Systems attached... so, a "Buddhist lurker" who liked to play the pig to eat the tiger and cause trouble at critical moments... it didn't seem entirely impossible, did it?

"Regardless of whether he's a lurker or not, in any case, this 'little novice monk' from Mount Sumeru is definitely a big leek and worth paying attention to!"

Mu Changge slowly withdrew his thoughts and buried this concern deep in his heart.

In the Secret Realm, besides the known opponents (like Jian Wushuang), there were now two more clear Children of Fortune, one of whom was a person with Heaven-Defying Luck... This trip to the Yunmiao Secret Realm was truly becoming more and more interesting.

However, risks and opportunities coexisted.

Clashing with Children of Fortune, while dangerous, could yield rich rewards through plundering their Opportunities and even completing System tasks.

"Soldiers come, generals block; water comes, earth covers.

I want to see just whose hunting ground this Yunxu Secret Realm really is!"

A sharp light flashed in Mu Changge's eyes, then he closed them, continuing to consolidate his cultivation and waiting quietly for dawn.

The next day, at the first light of dawn, the unique, dense Spiritual Qi of Yunmiao Holy Trace, like thin gauze and mist, permeated the continuous floating immortal mountains.

All Disciples from the four major Sects who had obtained a spot, led by their respective leading Elders, gathered in a strange place deep within the Holy Trace.

This place was not an ordinary mountain platform but a vast expanse of void located between several huge floating mountains.

The ground was not made of soil or rock but paved with some kind of translucent, strange material resembling glazed jade, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the flowing rosy clouds above and the surrounding immortal mountains and seas of clouds.

In the center of the void, a huge pale silver vortex with a diameter of over a hundred zhang floated quietly, spinning slowly.

The center of the vortex was deep and dark, as if connecting to another world, and at its edges, countless tiny fragments of silver spatial light flickered, emitting ancient, vast, and extremely unstable spatial fluctuations.

On the ground around the vortex were engraved giant Formation markings so complex they were dizzying, which were currently flowing with faint Spiritual Light, clearly stabilizing this spatial passage.

This was the entrance to the "Yunxu Secret Realm."

The four major Sects and one Holy Trace, nearly five hundred young Prodigies, stood solemnly in designated areas on the periphery of the vortex, arranged according to their respective Sect Formations.

The Wandao Sword Sect, Mount Sumeru, Yaochi Holy Land, and Xuantian Sect (including another Sect allied with them) were clearly distinct, yet their auras were faintly connected, forming a subtle balance and confrontation.

The air was permeated with solemnity and a faint excitement, but more than that, there was an invisible competitive pressure.

Not long after, in front of the Yunmiao Holy Trace team, a hazy, beautiful figure approached gracefully.

The moment she appeared, almost everyone's gaze, whether openly or covertly, was cast toward that stunning figure shrouded in hazy white mist.

The figure stood quietly not far in front of the vortex, as if she were the guardian of the entire Secret Realm entrance, or perhaps the Fairy guide about to lead everyone into the unknown.

She was surrounded by faint white mist, and that mist was not dead; it flowed slowly as if it had a life of its own, enveloping her from head to toe, allowing only a glimpse of a tall, graceful, and breathtakingly curvaceous silhouette.

The mist not only obscured her face but also made the specific style of her clothing unclear; one could only feel that within that haziness, immortal light seemed to appear, and Dao rhymes were born naturally.

Yet even so, that fleeting glimpse of her silhouette was enough to make anyone's heart sway.

Her perfectly rounded, jade-like legs flashed for a moment through a gap in the mist before being quickly obscured by the flowing vapor, inviting endless reverie.

Merely standing there, she naturally exuded an ethereal charm, as if she were isolated from the world and untouched by dust; though she was close at hand, she seemed as distant as the clouds, visible yet unreachable.

"Hiss... Is that the current Saintess of the Yunmiao Holy Trace? Truly, as the rumors say, she does not reveal her true face to the world!"

"Although I cannot see her face, judging by her figure and temperament, she must be peerless in grace! This aura of Immortal Qi about her—she is simply not like someone from the mortal world!"

"What a pity. If I could catch a glimpse of her true face, I would die content!"

"Silence! Do you have a death wish? How dare you be so disrespectful to the Saintess of the Yunmiao Holy Trace!"

"It is said that this Saintess lives in seclusion and rarely appears in the outside world; even the Disciples within the Yunmiao Holy Trace rarely get to see her true face. I never expected her to come in person for the opening of this Secret Realm."

"She is beautiful, yes, but this aura... it is unfathomably deep. Her strength likely far exceeds our imagination."

Within the crowd, whispers of awe and discussion were endless. Regardless of gender, the gazes of almost all the Disciples were firmly drawn to that hazy, Fairy-like figure.

Even the Saint of the Xuantian Sect, who usually kept his thoughts hidden, had a flash of astonishment in his eyes at this moment.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi stood quietly with bare feet, her beautiful and refined face as calm as an ancient well. Yet, her clear eyes swept over the figure in the white mist, carrying a faint sense of scrutiny shared between peerless Fairies, along with an unknown, complex glimmer.

Buddhist Son Liao Chen pressed his palms together and softly chanted a Buddhist name. The hazy, Fairy-like figure was reflected in his clear eyes, yet there was not a single ripple, only the natural tranquility of Buddhist Dharma.

Mu Changge was also in the crowd, looking calmly at that figure. With his keen eyes and state of mind, even he was momentarily distracted for an instant.

The mist shrouding her body was clearly no ordinary object; it was an extremely sophisticated Magic Treasure that not only blocked detection but also seemed to possess the effect of distorting perception and confusing the heavenly secrets.

Yet even so, that fleeting, perfect silhouette and the supreme ethereal charm that flowed naturally, as if she were one with the world, still left a deep impression on him.

He prided himself on having seen many beauties.

His Junior Sister Mo Qingzhu appeared reserved and cold as a plum blossom in the snow in public, but only in front of him would she quietly reveal her fiery, alluring inner self, like magma surging beneath an ice shell;

The female ghost attendant You Li was ethereal and stunning, no less than a Fairy of the mortal world; in those purple eyes, which always reflected only his figure, were filled with unconditional devotion and faith, as well as deep ripples hidden in the depths of her eyes, yearning to be completely possessed by him;

And his two Revered Masters—Luo Li, who was as cold as ice but turned into a gentle lover in private, showing complete reliance only on him; and Luo Hongyi, who hid a charming allure beneath her majestic and noble Phoenix-like demeanor, and although not yet fully plucked, had already secretly tied her heartstrings to him and begun to care for him—were all peerless beauties rarely found in this world.

However, regarding this Saintess of the Yunmiao Holy Trace before him, although he could not see her true face, based solely on that breathtaking silhouette within the hazy mist and the ethereal charm that seemed to originate from the very source of life, he dared to assert that her grace and bearing were likely not inferior to any beauty he had ever known. Moreover, because of this mystery and transcendence, she added a unique charm that was mesmerizing and made one want to get to the bottom of it.

Mu Changge quickly collected his thoughts, smoothing out that trace of ripples. Beauty was certainly pleasing to the eye, but with the Great Dao before him, Opportunity was paramount. Moreover, this woman's status was transcendent and her strength unfathomable; she was definitely not someone to be easily provoked.

Amidst the whispers and gazes of the crowd, the hazy, Fairy-like figure seemed to sense something and turned slightly to face everyone.

Although they could not see her face, everyone felt a clear, peaceful, yet seemingly insightful gaze sweep across the entire area. The clamor immediately fell silent.

Meanwhile, the Void Refining experts leading the four major Sects were each giving final instructions to their elite Disciples who were about to enter the Secret Realm.

In the Mount Sumeru camp, the Saint Monk Dunan still wore a compassionate smile, but his voice, transmitted via secret sound, rang seriously in the ears of a young monk with a handsome, gentle face and clear, wise eyes (Buddhist Son Liao Chen) and a Core Disciple behind him with a steady aura and pure gaze: "Amitabha, Liao Chen, Wu Xin, in the Secret Realm, Opportunity and danger coexist. You two must remember..."

"The Disciples will remember." Liao Chen and Wu Xin behind him simultaneously pressed their palms together and bowed.

The Saint Monk Dunan continued to transmit: "There are people from several forces that you need to pay extra attention to. The people of the Xuantian Sect specialize in heavenly secret divination, and their ability to seek good fortune and avoid disaster is unrivaled in the world. I observe their trip this time, and I faintly feel a disturbance in the heavenly secrets. I fear they are plotting something significant or have special plans. If you encounter them, keep your distance and observe more, and do not easily get involved in their schemes."

"Yes." Liao Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping unintentionally over the youth (Saint of the Xuantian Sect) at the front of the Xuantian Sect team, whose temperament was calm and seemed to subtly harmonize with the rhythm of the surrounding aura.

"Secondly, Yaochi and the Wandao Sword Sect." The gaze of the Saint Monk Dunan seemed to penetrate the crowd, lingering for a moment on the Holy Maiden of Yaochi and a certain spot in the Wandao Sword Sect's team. "That Saintess of Yaochi has lived in seclusion since four years ago, cultivating in closed-door meditation, and has not made a move for a long time. The outside world knows very little about her methods. I observe her aura; although it appears to be at the Mid Spirit Severing stage, her foundation is so deep that her true combat strength likely far exceeds appearances. If the two of you encounter her, you must remain vigilant."

"The Disciples understand." Liao Chen and Wu Xin replied again, their gazes sweeping over the figure of the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, who stood barefooted and was stunningly refined.

The Saint Monk Dunan paused, his voice becoming more solid, carrying a trace of imperceptible confusion and solemnity: "As for the Wandao Sword Sect... you two must pay extra attention to one person." He did not point him out clearly, but Liao Chen and Wu Xin, following his subtle mental guidance, cast their gazes onto a Disciple in the Wandao Sword Sect's team who was dressed in a black robe, had a handsome face, and a calm aura—it was precisely Mu Changge.

"Him?" Liao Chen frowned imperceptibly, a trace of confusion and doubt appearing on his face as he transmitted back: "Grand Junior Martial Uncle, this child... judging by his bone age, he is only in his early twenties, and his cultivation seems to have just entered the Late Nascent Soul Stage. Furthermore, he is not the Saint of the Wandao Sword Sect, nor is he a renowned top Prodigy. Shouldn't the one we need to pay attention to be their Sect's Saint, Jian Wushuang? After all, he is the top figure cultivated by the entire Sect."

Although Wu Xin did not speak, a trace of inquiry flashed in his clear eyes.

Hearing this, the Saint Monk Dunan softly chanted a Buddhist name: "Amitabha." A wise and profound light flashed in his eyes as he slowly transmitted: "The Buddha says, it cannot be spoken, it cannot be described. Beneath the appearance, there is often another world. You two must not be attached to appearances. This child is definitely not as simple as he appears on the surface."

His gaze seemed to be able to penetrate Mu Changge's calm exterior and see something deeper, his tone carrying a rare solemnity and a trace of confusion: "I used a secret Buddhist technique to sense him slightly. From this child, I see a magnificent, majestic, and forward-moving 'Righteous Path Qi', and I also faintly feel a trace of 'Fate' that subtly aligns with our Buddhist compassion for saving the world. But the most peculiar thing... is that in the deepest part of his aura, it seems to be entangled with a trace of extremely faint, yet extremely high-quality... 'Demonic' flavor. However, I have checked repeatedly, and this child's spiritual power is pure and upright, his Dao foundation is solid, and there is no trace of Devilish Qi contamination, nor are there any signs of practicing Demonic Technique."

The Saint Monk Dunan frowned slightly: "This sense of contradiction makes me quite unable to fathom him. But one thing is certain: this child has a peculiar fate, with Luck entwined around him yet obscure and difficult to understand. He is likely the biggest variable in this Secret Realm. He... has a connection with my Buddha. If there is an Opportunity, you two can try to make contact and use our supreme Buddhist Dharma to enlighten him."

Upon hearing this, both Wu Xin and Liao Chen felt a chill in their hearts. A person who could make their Grand Junior Martial Uncle (Saint Monk Dunan) feel "unable to fathom" and "contradictory," and who was specifically warned about—how could he be ordinary? The gazes of the two, looking at Mu Changge again, now carried an unprecedented solemnity and inquiry.

On the other side, the Xuantian Sect camp.

The Grand Elder of the Xuantian Sect, Xuan Lingzi, holding a whisk, called the youth (Saint of the Xuantian Sect) from his Sect, whose temperament was calm as if he were constantly deducing something, to his side. His expression was unprecedentedly solemn, even carrying a trace of very faint worry.

"Disciple, in the Secret Realm, good and bad Luck are hard to predict, and variables are endless. You bear the Sect's Legacy of deduction, so you should know how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and act according to the trend." Xuan Lingzi's voice was low, directly entering the youth's ears, "There are several forces you need to pay attention to. The people of the Yunmiao Holy Trace, especially that Saintess," he swept his gaze over the figure shrouded in white mist in the distance, "Her background is mysterious, her strength is unfathomable, and it concerns the Holy Trace. Unless necessary, you must never come into conflict with her. Remember this."

The youth nodded steadily: "The Disciple understands and will definitely remember."

Xuan Lingzi changed the subject, his tone becoming even more solemn, even carrying a trace of rare murderous intent: "In addition, there is one person you need to be extra vigilant about. If there is an Opportunity... you must do your best to eliminate him!"

The youth was slightly stunned upon hearing this; he had never seen his Revered Master have such clear murderous intent toward a Junior Disciple. He looked in the direction of Xuan Lingzi's subtle mental guidance, and his gaze ultimately landed on Mu Changge in the Wandao Sword Sect's team.

"Him?" A flicker of spiritual light flashed in the youth's eyes, as if he were instinctively beginning to deduce, but his brows soon furrowed, and a trace of confusion and suspicion appeared on his face, "Revered Master, this child... I observe his Qi, and it is like looking at flowers in the mist, difficult to distinguish. His trajectory of fate seems to be obscured and interfered with by some force, making it difficult to calculate clearly..."

Xuan Lingzi sighed, a trace of fatigue and deep fear flashing in his eyes: "Correct. Last night, I spared no cost in consuming my Lifespan to forcibly divine the good and bad Luck of this Secret Realm and the variables of all parties. The divination showed that this child... is the greatest anomaly! His fate is not determined by Heaven, his trajectory is Chaos, and he is the biggest obstacle and variable in all heavenly secret deductions within this Secret Realm! With him here, many established trajectories may be broken, and the attribution of Opportunity may also undergo unpredictable deviations. My Xuantian Sect has important matters to plan for this entry into the Secret Realm, and we absolutely cannot afford to fail. This child is the biggest threat! If you meet him, there is no need for hesitation; you can use all means, and you must... completely eliminate him!"

The last four words were sent by Xuan Lingzi using a secret method close to sound transmission, carrying a decisive and iron-clad determination.

The Saint took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. When he looked at Mu Changge again, his gaze had become incomparably sharp and cold, as if he were looking at an obstacle that must be removed. He nodded slowly, silently responding to his Revered Master's instructions.