Chapter 146: Deification of the Heart, Gathering of the Three Sequences

In the heart of a mountain range.

Ancient trees towered all around, lush and verdant. Massive vines stretched continuously, rugged and steeped in antiquity.

This place resembled an untamed, primeval region, brimming with potent vitality.

At this moment, four or five figures had gathered, each exuding a formidable aura. Every single one of them was at least in the third stage of evolution.

The strongest among them was a white-haired man with a pair of wings. He was encircled by crackling lightning, his body harboring boundless energy. Just a trace of the pressure leaking from him shattered a nearby boulder, scarring it with deep fissures.

At his feet lay a massive creature, drawing its final, ragged breaths. This beast did not belong to Earth; it hailed from beyond the realm, standing at the King Realm. Yet, it had been effortlessly crushed.

"Go back and tell your kinsmen that while we are in a chaotic era of great contention, some things remain beyond your reach."

The man, known as Lei Xuan, spoke with a piercing gaze, slowly lifting his foot.

Recently, as he made his way toward Mount Kongtong, he had also taken action against several other entities originating from beyond the stars. The Milky Way galaxy had been unsealed. Nearly the entirety of the three thousand starry realms of the universe had descended, eager to seize a share of the spoils in this great age.

Naturally, as a member of the Celestial Clan—one of the top hundred starry realms—Lei Xuan was dissatisfied. He believed those minor clans lacked the qualifications to participate and were merely trying to disrupt the order.

Thus, he had chosen to intervene as a deterrent. In his eyes, the only ones qualified to compete with the Celestial Clan were the powers from the top hundred starry realms. Anyone else joining the fray was just creating disorder, and he could seize this opportunity to further elevate the reputation of the Celestial Clan.

The extraterrestrial creature beneath his feet, filled with terror upon hearing Lei Xuan's words, repeatedly nodded in compliance and chose to flee the area immediately.

"Lord Lei Xuan, we have received word that Lu Yuan departed for Mount Kongtong some time ago," a member of the Zhou family stepped forward, speaking with utmost reverence.

Although the Zhou family's influence had currently retreated into secrecy, they still possessed their own intelligence networks. Furthermore, Lu Yuan had not bothered to conceal his departure from Mount Tai; almost everyone knew where his destination lay.

"Oh? He has finally come out?"

Hearing this, Lei Xuan narrowed his eyes, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. The aura surrounding him began to recede, and his wind-and-lightning wings retracted, quickly making him indistinguishable from a normal human.

At that moment, he turned his head to look in the direction of Mount Kongtong. "It seems our plan can now be set into motion."

Ever since leaving the Zhou family's secret stronghold, he had been making various preparations. The Three-Headed Ghost Clan and the Primeval Demon Clan had both agreed to take action when the time came, pledging their full effort. After all, the interests of the major extraterrestrial clans were aligned on this matter: none of them wished to see a truly supreme powerhouse emerge from the Milky Way galaxy, as it would spell great trouble.

With these thoughts in mind, Lei Xuan spoke once more: "All members of the Celestial Clan who have descended, head to Mount Kongtong as well!"

If he was going to strike, it had to be earth-shattering and result in a kill with a single blow—that was his mindset. Naturally, he was not the only member of the Celestial Clan to descend into this world; there were several other existences at the King Realm. Of course, the only one who could be granted the title of Hegemon was himself.

"Understood, Lord Lei Xuan," the Zhou family member nodded and immediately went to issue the commands.

After a brief rest, Lei Xuan resumed his journey to the destination at full speed.

Currently, the anomalies at Mount Kongtong were growing more pronounced by the day, shrouded in glowing mists day and night. A great fortune was undoubtedly hidden within.

Extraterrestrial entities were the most proactive, having traveled from afar specifically for this purpose. In contrast, they cared little for spiritual fruits or exotic herbs; what truly mattered to them were the powerful inheritances.

However, should a divine object-class treasure appear, it would be a different story.

At the same time, awakened beings from Earth were also flocking to the location. Some sought the inheritances, while many others simply wanted to see what would happen when the extraterrestrial prodigies crossed paths with King Lu.

Meanwhile, aboard a military aircraft soaring high in the clouds, Lu渊 sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. He was channeling the power within his body to refine his internal organs anew.

This process was actually extremely intricate and had to be performed step by step; it could not all be done at once. First came the heart. The heart was the foremost of the five vital organs, and the vast majority of the conditions the human body relied upon for survival originated here.

Lu Yuan had previously fused with two different life forms, making his visceral organs already quite formidable. Refining them further naturally required even greater power, but for him, this was no issue—his foundation was already profound enough.

As the refinement continued, the beating of his heart grew louder and louder, resounding like a war drum. Inside his body, golden blood surged relentlessly, radiating an overwhelmingly fierce aura.

Even though he was not doing this intentionally, the figures outside, such as Zhu Qingyu and the Ice Fairy, could not help but feel a chill in their hearts when they sensed the power emanating from Lu Yuan.

"He hasn't even made a move yet—this is just ordinary cultivation and evolution, and it's already this terrifying?"

The Ice Fairy spoke, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. She had thought that upon reaching the Shackles Realm, coupled with the fortunes of Mount Tai and the Dragon Palace, her abilities had improved immensely on all fronts, and that she could finally look up to this King Lu.

Yet, looking at him now? The further one progressed in evolution, the more one could perceive his boundless strength.

"After all, he is King Lu, always walking at the absolute forefront of everyone," Gu Sang sighed. Once, he too had believed he belonged to the same tier as Lu Yuan. But now, that notion had long since been crushed, leaving behind nothing but awe.

Recalling the title of the so-called 'Northern Emperor' from the past, he was momentarily speechless. But it was understandable; in the early days of the mutations, who had ever witnessed transcendent power? Meddling busybodies had tossed around rankings and titles, but no one dared mention those anymore.

Although the Pure Sun Little Celestial Master and Monk Huikong remained silent, their thoughts were essentially the same. Back at the Ancient Shu Sword Mountain, they had prided themselves on their innate talent and comprehension, believing no one could surpass them in a short time.

Yet now, it seemed the gap between them and Lu Yuan remained insurmountable. In recent times, people had occasionally traveled to the Ancient Shu Sword Mountain, but the outcome was always the same: no one had ever been able to walk before the ninety-nine sword steles again. It seemed likely that no one ever would.

Lu Yuan was naturally unaware of their thoughts; he remained entirely focused on circulating his internal power to refine his heart.

Though called a "refinement," there was actually little left to improve; it was merely a process of deifying the organ. This meant using the newly opened genetic shackles to resonate with it.

As time ticked away, Lu Yuan could feel the power erupting from his heart growing increasingly formidable. It felt as though it was on the verge of breaking through the genetic shackles once more, yet it was distinctly different—the sensation was far more pronounced, unlocking a deeper well of potential.

Finally, after an unknown passage of time, accompanied by a single powerful thud of his heart within his chest, a surging torrent of energy flooded every corner of his body. Lu Yuan intentionally kept it under control; had he released it completely, the destructive force would have been catastrophic, and the military aircraft would not have survived.

"The heart has been successfully deified. Next is the liver." He opened his eyes, speaking softly to himself with a calm expression.

It sounded simple, but it was actually extremely time-consuming, having begun the moment he set off. As he went deeper, the subsequent organs would only become more troublesome. After all, the next step would be stepping into the Sanctuary Realm.

Without dwelling on it, he glanced out the window at the scenery below. Towering peaks crisscrossed the landscape, and ancient trees merged into an endless sea of green.

"We must be close to Kongtong, right?" With that thought, Lu Yuan turned back.

"Yes, King Lu, in about three days at most," Zhu Qingyu replied. Being meticulous, she had been keeping track of the timeline. "I've checked, and not just us—many others are arriving as well. News has also come from the Mount Tai cultivation academy."

"They say the activity at Mount Kongtong is intensifying and should fully open in the next few days."

Official intelligence remained swift and comprehensive, always delivering updates at the earliest possible moment.

"Mhm."

Lu Yuan nodded and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, a majestic and colossal mountain stood between heaven and earth, piercing the clouds. Streams of radiant light surged from its peak, illuminating the firmament. The glow was so brilliant that even in the dead of night, it lit up a radius of a hundred miles.

Upon closer inspection, one could discern a vast, boundless space faintly visible within the radiance. However, it was too hazy, seeming entirely disjointed from the physical realm and temporarily inaccessible.

This was Kongtong, one of the legendary Taoist domains of Guangchengzi.

At the foot of Mount Kongtong, a large crowd had already gathered, comprising both humans and extraterrestrial entities.

These extraterrestrial beings varied wildly in appearance. Some resembled humans but stood far taller; others possessed bovine horns and tails, radiating a ferocious aura akin to exotic beasts; while still others were the size of small hills, generating violent gusts of wind with every breath they took.

Humanity and the extraterrestrials stood at the base of the mountain with a clear boundary between them, neither side encroaching upon the other. The humans felt a sense of dread and wished to avoid unnecessary conflict, while the extraterrestrial presences, knowing a formidable human powerhouse resided on Earth, kept their behavior in check and waited quietly.

Of course, there were exceptions; a few humans stood alongside extraterrestrial beings, having secretly formed alliances.

*Hum—*

Just as everyone was waiting, a powerful aura surged from behind them.

The crowd turned their heads to see a towering figure shrouded in mist emerge. Its features were entirely obscured, yet its imposing pressure was immense. As it drew closer, its form gradually shrank to human size, its eyes gleaming with a demonic light.

Simultaneously, a three-headed entity descended from the firmament, wielding a heavenly halberd. A chilling, murderous intent radiated from it, forcing the nearby creatures to retreat.

Yet no one dared voice any objection; they all lowered their heads and proactively cleared a path.

Behind these two entities, dozens of tribesmen sharing the same likeness marched out.

*Rumble—*

The next moment, a bolt of lightning cleaved the sky.

Everyone looked up to see half a dozen figures descending from above, each bearing a striking resemblance to the winged deity Tian Shen.

The one at the center was the most powerful, standing with arms folded, crackling arcs of electricity dancing across his entire body.

Seeing this spectacle, the human camp could not help but swallow hard in apprehension.

The Hegemon prodigies of the three major extraterrestrial clans had all arrived!