118: Tianjitai, the soul of heaven!

Suspended stone platforms, wreathed in clouds and mist. The more than thirty top talents who successfully passed through the Soul Refining Sea of Fire gathered here. Everyone's gaze was focused on the ancient Heavenly Mechanism Altar in the center of the stone platform.

The altar was entirely constructed from a dark green jade, inscribed with countless profound star runes, emitting a vast, boundless, mysterious aura that seemed capable of discerning the past and future. This was the core of Heavenly Secret Ancient City—the Heavenly Secret Platform!

"Heavenly Secret Platform, activate the heavenly mechanism, and peer into destiny!" A grand voice echoed above the stone platform. "Those who ascend the altar must undergo the 'Heavenly Mechanism Baptism,' and their souls must resonate with the altar. The deeper the resonance, the greater the destiny obtained! The final inheritance can only be claimed by the one with the deepest destiny! Now, begin!"

As the voice faded, the star runes on the altar lit up one by one, emitting a soft yet profound light. An invisible pressure enveloped the entire stone platform, inspiring awe in everyone.

"The final inheritance will surely be mine!" Soul Jade snorted coldly and was the first to step onto the altar. He sat cross-legged in the center of the altar, his body surging with death qi, his soul power fully unleashed, attempting to induce resonance with the altar. The altar's light fluctuated slightly, establishing a faint connection with him, but it didn't seem very strong.

Heavenly Nether Sect Saint Son, Hua Jin, Feng Xian, and others also ascended the altar, each employing their own methods, fully comprehending. The light on the altar flickered with the fluctuations of everyone's souls, but no particularly strong reaction ever appeared.

Xiao Chen's gaze was calm as he was the last to step onto the altar. He chose a relatively secluded spot to sit cross-legged, not rushing to release his soul power. Instead, he first adjusted his breathing, allowing his mind to completely calm down. He recalled his experiences since his transmigration, from being the 'waste' young master of Wutan City, to his rise in Jia Nan Academy, and then the life-and-death struggles in the Central Plains... Along the way, his goal had always been clear: to become stronger, to protect, and to uncover mysteries.

"My destiny is not found externally, but within my true heart," Xiao Chen realized in his heart. He slowly closed his eyes, and his Spirit Realm Great Perfection soul power surged out like a tide, but instead of forcefully impacting the altar, it gently touched the vast will deep within the altar with an inclusive, exploratory, and resonant posture.

Initially, the altar's reaction was unremarkable, no different from the other talents. But gradually, as the primordial battle intent from the Xiao Clan bloodline within Xiao Chen's soul, his persistent pursuit of the Heaven Opening Axe Intent, and the transcendent perspective unique to a transmigrator integrated into it, the altar's light began to undergo subtle changes!

"Buzz..."

The altar vibrated slightly, and the star runes on it seemed to come alive, their circulation speeding up! A will far purer and more ancient than before, like a sleeping giant awakening, slowly made contact and merged with Xiao Chen's soul!

"What's happening? The altar's fluctuation has changed!"

"It's Xiao Chen! His soul has activated a deeper level of heavenly mechanism!"

"Such strong resonance! Could the final inheritance be obtained by him?"

The other talents on the stone platform awoke in shock, looking towards Xiao Chen's direction. They saw Xiao Chen's body enveloped in a faint chaotic light, and the starlight from the altar converged towards him like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea! His aura continuously climbed amidst the resonance, and his soul power seemed to have undergone some kind of baptism, becoming more condensed, pure, and profound!

Soul Jade's face turned ashen, and the killing intent in his eyes surged! He would never allow Xiao Chen to obtain the final inheritance! He fiercely bit the tip of his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood, his soul power burning wildly, forcefully activating the altar's power!

"By the blood of my Soul Clan, I summon the ancient mechanism! Soul Sacrifice!"

A more sinister and domineering soul power shot into the sky, attempting to interfere with or even snatch Xiao Chen's resonance with the altar! The altar's light immediately became chaotic, and two powerful soul forces fiercely collided on the altar!

"Soul Jade, you're courting death!" Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes, chaotic light swirling in his pupils! The altar's resonance caused a certain barrier deep within his soul to loosen with a rumble! Under Soul Jade's provocation and the baptism of the Heavenly Secret Platform's power, his Spirit Realm Great Perfection soul power finally broke through the last shackles!

"Crack!"

A sound like glass shattering echoed deep within his soul! Xiao Chen's Sea of Consciousness instantly expanded several times! The essence of his soul power underwent a fundamental transformation! His perception range exploded to ten thousand zhang, his control over energy became incredibly refined, and he could even vaguely capture a trace of the trajectory of destiny! A majesty that transcended all beings naturally emanated from him!

Heavenly Realm Soul! Achieved!

"Heaven... Heavenly Realm Soul?! He broke through to the Heavenly Realm?!"

"A twenty-year-old Heavenly Realm Soul?! How is this possible?!"

"Monster! He's simply a monster!"

The entire audience was aghast! Even Soul Jade showed an expression of unbelievable terror! Heavenly Realm Soul, that was a realm many Dou Zun Peak powerhouses had failed to reach! It meant that the soul level had undergone a qualitative change, gaining the qualification to peer into the laws of heaven and earth!

"Soul Jade, thank you for your 'assistance.'" Xiao Chen slowly stood up, the chaotic light around him receding, but his eyes seemed to pierce through the void, looking at Soul Jade with a hint of indifference. The pressure of a Heavenly Realm Soul caused the death qi around Soul Jade to dim by several points.

"You..." Soul Jade was both shocked and enraged, but more than that was a fear originating from the depths of his soul! A Heavenly Realm Soul had absolute suppression over a Spirit Realm Soul! He felt that all his thoughts were exposed before Xiao Chen!

"The final inheritance is mine." Xiao Chen no longer paid attention to Soul Jade, his gaze fixed on the deepest part of the altar. There, as his Heavenly Realm Soul activated it, a brilliant light cluster, like a star, with what seemed like the birth and death of a universe within, slowly emerged! Within the light cluster, the information flow it contained was indescribably vast, and it also held an artistic conception that pointed directly to the fundamental laws!

This was the ultimate inheritance of Heavenly Secret Ancient City!

Xiao Chen extended his hand, his Heavenly Realm Soul power transforming into an invisible hand, gently supporting the light cluster.

"Don't even think about it!" Soul Jade went completely mad; he would never allow Xiao Chen to obtain the inheritance! He roared, burning his soul origin regardless of the consequences, unleashing the forbidden art of Soul Hall! "Ten Thousand Souls Sacrifice, Netherworld Descent!"

The death qi around him transformed into a huge black vortex, within which countless vengeful spirits seemed to wail, and a terrifying aura far exceeding his own strength descended! A blurry phantom of a Netherworld Ghost Emperor, exuding the pressure of a Dou Zun Peak, slowly condensed, extending its giant claw to grab the inheritance light cluster! He actually intended to forcefully seize it!

"Stubborn fool!" Xiao Chen's eyes turned cold, and his Heavenly Realm Soul power fully erupted! He did not use complex soul techniques, but instead condensed his soul power to the extreme, transforming it into an invisible and intangible soul sword, yet containing the Heaven Opening Axe Intent that severed all karma, and lightly slashed at the phantom of the Netherworld Ghost Emperor!

"Slash!"

There was no sound, no light. But the phantom of the Netherworld Ghost Emperor vanished like foam the moment it came into contact with the soul sword! Soul Jade screamed, his soul suffering a backlash, blood flowing from his seven orifices, his aura instantly withered, and he collapsed to the ground, no longer capable of resistance!

With a mere flick, the enemy was defeated! The might of a Heavenly Realm Soul was truly terrifying!

Xiao Chen no longer delayed, his soul hand steadily receiving the brilliant inheritance light cluster. As the light cluster entered his hand, it transformed into a torrent that surged into his Sea of Consciousness!

"Boom!"

A massive information flow instantly filled his soul! It not only contained a soul cultivation secret method, the Star God Contemplation Method, which reached the high-tier Heaven Rank, but also a vague sensation regarding Origin Qi, and a large amount of fragmented information about ancient secrets and the laws of heaven and earth! Most importantly, within the inheritance, there was an extremely subtle mark, pointing to a potentially existing ancestral ruin of the ancient Xiao Clan!

"Origin Qi... Xiao Clan ancestral land..." Xiao Chen's heart trembled; this information was invaluable to him!

Just as he was digesting the inheritance, the entire Heavenly Secret Platform vibrated violently! The altar's light flared, and a huge pillar of light shot into the sky, enveloping Xiao Chen! A grand voice resounded throughout heaven and earth:

"The inheritance is set! Heavenly Secret Ancient City is about to close! The inheritor shall bear the responsibility of the heavenly mechanism and protect the order of heaven and earth!"

Within the pillar of light, Xiao Chen's figure slowly rose, like a god descending. His gaze swept over the crowd below, whose expressions varied, finally resting on Soul Jade, who was filled with venomous resentment and despair, his eyes calm and unwavering.

"Soul Hall... our accounts, we'll settle them slowly."

The pillar of light dissipated, and Xiao Chen's figure also vanished from the Heavenly Secret Platform. Immediately after, the entire Heavenly Secret Ancient City began to become illusory, finally transforming into specks of starlight and dissipating between heaven and earth.

The people on the stone platform were teleported out by a force, returning to the outside of the Tianji Mountain Range.

The struggle for Heavenly Secret Ancient City came to an end. And the news of Xiao Chen obtaining the ultimate inheritance and breaking through to the Heavenly Realm Soul swept across the Central Plains like a storm! An era belonging to "soul sword" Xiao Chen officially began! Ahead, there were even more challenges and mysteries awaiting him to explore!