Chapter 397: Breakthrough: See the Divine, Unbreakable!

'Yes!'

Got the card, checked it quickly.

Concentration Card!

An enhanced version of the Soul-Boost Card, containing more spiritual energy to aid the spirit's strengthening.

A great item~

Chen Mu, delighted, continued toward the spots where the two bodies had fallen.

【Found corpse, pick up?】

'Yes!'

【Found corpse, pick up?】

'Yes!'

……

Two cards in hand, checked them.

One was a Concentration Card, the other a Skill Card.

Both were good items.

The Skill Card contained a Wu Gong Chen Mu had long desired: Soul-Seeking Technique!

This secret art involving soul memories could only be cultivated and used by experts of the Heavenly Palace Realm.

Relying on this Skill Card, Chen Mu instantly mastered and became proficient in it.

Of course, when using it, he lacked the true conveniences of a Heavenly Palace Realm expert—neither his spiritual power nor his spiritual sense were present.

The former, he couldn't catch up to for now, but his spiritual sense? He'd have it immediately!

……

In the high sky, the decisive Heavenly Palace Realm battle came to an end.

Brilliant light and surging demonic energy gradually dissipated.

Du Wei's figure still stood firm in midair, his robes slightly torn, his aura slightly uneven, but his eyes brighter and sharper than before, like a newly drawn divine sword.

Around him, several figures—some faint, some solid—flickered in and out of view; they were other Heavenly Palace Realm experts, now also suppressing their auras.

On the Mo Sect side, apart from one figure whose aura was withered, burning his primordial blood, wrapped in a strange blood-teleportation demonic light, who barely escaped death by tearing through space and fled far away,

all other participating Heavenly Palace Realm experts—including the 'Commander' and his companions—were utterly exterminated.

'Transmit my order!'

Du Wei's voice was no longer gentle, but filled with iron-blooded ruthlessness, like a freezing winter wind sweeping across the entire city.

'The Mo Sect leaders are dead! From this moment, the city is under martial law—launch a full-scale counterattack!'

'The Garrison Bureau, City Defense Army, and District Constabulary—all units, listen: eradicate all remaining Mo Sect members, capture every traitor and their families who colluded with the Mo Sect!'

'Those who resist—kill on sight! Those who conceal and fail to report—share the same guilt!'

This order was like ice thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the final phase of the city's purge.

The cries of battle, which had begun to subside, erupted again throughout the city.

This time, the roles of attacker and defender were completely reversed.

The Garrison Bureau, City Defense Army, and District government office troops now held complete initiative, like precise combs, beginning a net-like sweep of every corner of the city.

Any suspicious individuals, any families, shops, or bases previously linked to the Mo Sect, suffered the harshest crackdowns.

Especially the Liu residence—the Mo Sect's most important internal nest within the city—was hit first.

Garrison Bureau elites and secret experts who had already surrounded the Liu residence surged into the once-mighty estate the instant they received the order.

Fierce resistance lasted less than half a cup of tea before being utterly crushed.

Inside the residence, whether master or servant, kin or guard, anyone connected to Liu Qihua's inner circle was nearly slaughtered; blood stained the courtyards and corridors, a thick stench of blood rising to the heavens, declaring the complete annihilation of a family.

Chen Mu did not participate in these specific purge operations.

After Du Wei's order, he continued like a silent ghost, moving along the edges of the battlefield, now quieting but littered with corpses, collecting cards.

【Found corpse, pick up?】

'Yes.'

【Found corpse, pick up?】

'Yes.'

……

He was like a diligent farmer, harvesting his own 'harvest' in the final darkness before dawn.

When daylight fully broke, golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, dispelling smoke and blood, and fell upon the gradually restoring order of Dao City, the chaos and slaughter that had lasted all night finally ended completely.

The air still carried the mixed stench of char, blood, and lime disinfectant; streets were littered with battle traces and uncleaned bloodstains; pedestrians were scarce, every household's doors and windows tightly shut, occasionally a fully armed patrol marched past in neat formation, eyes alert.

But that suffocating, oppressive feeling of impending war had vanished.

Chen Mu tidied his slightly disheveled clothes and returned to the Garrison Bureau headquarters.

Inside the great hall, Du Wei had changed into a clean Commander's uniform, seated behind his desk; though fatigue lingered in his brows, his spirit was sharp, his authority greater than ever.

Seeing Chen Mu enter, Du Wei turned his gaze toward him and gave a slight nod.

'Subordinate Chen Mu, pays respects to Commander! Last night, I carried out orders to purge Xiao Xinming and other traitors, and assisted in clearing Mo Sect strongholds throughout the city—mission completed, here to report!'

Chen Mu stepped forward, clasped fists in salute, voice clear and steady.

'Mm, Chen Xuncha, you've worked hard.'

Du Wei spoke, his voice back to its usual calm, 'Last night, you were the first to uncover Xiao Xinming and the traitors' plot, reported it promptly, then personally led your squad to capture and kill the traitor leader Xiao Xinming, and cleared Mo Sect remnants across the city—your contributions are indispensable.'

'I have already ordered your deeds meticulously recorded in the Merit Ledger. Once matters here are settled, the imperial court and Garrison Bureau will grant proper rewards.'

'Thank you, Commander!' Chen Mu bowed again.

He understood that the merit had been recorded; the specific rewards would require formal procedures and could not be granted immediately.

Du Wei urged Chen Mu a few more words, asking if he was injured or needed rest; Chen Mu answered each question respectfully.

After a brief report, Chen Mu took his leave with due discretion.

Without lingering at the Zhenwu Bureau headquarters, he returned directly to Cheng's Restaurant on Huaihua Alley.

The restaurant's doors remained tightly shut; Cheng Yong's family had left with Long Jingyun and his sister, leaving the interior empty, with only new scratches and charred marks from last night's battle remaining on the door panels.

Chen Mu went upstairs to his room, closed and barred the windows and door, then sat cross-legged on the bed.

Then he took out the accumulated Strong Card and Body Strengthening Card and used them all.

Instantly, muscle fibers became denser and tougher under the invisible force's tempering, bone density increased, tendons and fascia stretched, qi and blood surged like the Dahe River, emitting a faint rumble.

A faint metallic sheen flashed across his skin's surface and vanished.

Cross-tempering: "Four Cauldron Body"!

With the accumulation of numerous Strong Cards and a few Body Strengthening Cards, his physical realm ascended effortlessly to a new level.

At this moment, Chen Mu, relying solely on his physical strength, could directly clash with ordinary Earth Altar Realm practitioners who had achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.

He rested briefly.

Chen Mu took out all his Internal Power Cards, True Qi Cards, and True Yuan Cards and used them all.

Pure energy was rapidly refined and transformed into his own true yuan, filling his dantian sea and striking at the final barrier to the Chaoyuan Realm.

His meridians throbbed with faint pain, but were swiftly controlled by his formidable physique and refined cultivation technique.

When the last trace of energy was absorbed and refined, Chen Mu's aura surged violently, then immediately retracted, becoming deeper and heavier.

Earth Altar Realm, Chaoyuan Realm, peak!

He was only one step away from the next major realm: "See the Divine, Unbreakable".

He did not pause.

Chen Mu continued using all his Soul-Enhancing Cards and two Focus Cards, bringing his spiritual strength to the absolute limit of his current realm, solidifying it profoundly, with a faint sensation of breaking free from its shell and illuminating the minutiae of his own being.

Both prerequisites for the Break Through Realm had been fully satisfied!

Chen Mu took out the Break Through Realm Card he had stored and used it immediately.

"Hum—"

An invisible, intangible yet vast and profound force, seemingly containing the very essence of "Break Through", erupted instantly from the card, completely enveloping him—from flesh to soul.

This force did not violently assault; instead, like the most precise chisel and the gentlest spring breeze, it penetrated every inch of Chen Mu's flesh, every meridian, every acupoint, even the core of his consciousness.

Guided and catalyzed by the mysterious power of the Break Through Realm Card, his already maximized physique and spiritual strength began a natural, effortless transformation.

First, his consciousness.

The previously chaotic, mist-like spiritual energy began to churn violently, condense, and collapse!

At its center, a brilliant point of spiritual light grew brighter and clearer.

Finally, all spiritual energy converged like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, fully merging into that single point of light!

"Boom~~"

As if the universe had just opened, the light exploded—yet instantly reassembled and solidified.

A miniature, sharply defined spiritual body, identical in features and expression to Chen Mu, appeared squarely in the center of his consciousness.

This spiritual body radiated a warm, pure light; its faintly opened "eyes" seemed to flicker with sparks of wisdom.

At this moment, spiritual energy transformed and ascended into divine awareness—capable of leaving the body, scanning the external world, perceiving the finest details, and even influencing reality.

Simultaneously, profound changes occurred deep within Chen Mu's physical body.

Within his five organs and six viscera, limbs, bones, and marrow, countless dormant treasures were instantly awakened.

A warm, vital force surged from the deepest marrow and the most fundamental level of his cells, flowing throughout his entire body.

Chen Mu clearly felt his body's self-healing ability had undergone an unimaginable leap.

Minor, nearly negligible injuries and fatigue vanished instantly under this force's cleansing.

Chen Mu even felt that, even if he suffered non-fatal wounds, this body could heal itself at a speed far exceeding normal human limits.

Divine awareness!

Superb self-healing power!

These were the hallmark traits of the Earth Altar Realm, "See the Divine, Unbreakable".

"See the Divine" means perceiving the minutiae of one's own being, projecting spirit outward as divine awareness, illuminating both inner and outer.

"Unbreakable" does not mean truly immortal, but refers to vigorous life force and astonishing self-healing, making the body difficult to destroy.

He had broken through!

Earth Altar Realm, See the Divine, Unbreakable!