Chapter 450: Break Through Realm: Ascend the Soul Altar!

Mo Laozhang's corpse lay not far away; after searching it thoroughly, apart from the tools inside the metal box being mostly damaged, he also found several advanced jade slips on arrays and mechanisms, along with a few high-quality spare instruments.

Thus, the battlefield was completely cleared, all valuable spoils now secured.

Finally, Chen Mu's gaze settled on the pond's edge, upon the dark golden inheritance crystal lying still, its luster dull, resembling an ordinary blue ice crystal.

Shua!

He summoned it across space with a gesture.

Cold to the touch, heavy in his palm, its internal energy lay dormant, as if lifeless.

Yet when Chen Mu cautiously extended a thread of divine awareness into it, while silently activating the Star Transformation contemplation method, a sudden transformation occurred!

Within the once-dormant crystal, the faint patterns seemed awakened by stellar power, faintly flickering to life.

A cool, refreshing spiritual force—like the starry sky reflected in the deep sea—flowed back along his divine awareness, slowly yet steadily nourishing and strengthening his soul.

"This artifact can assist Star Transformation cultivation, enhancing spiritual power?!"

Chen Mu was overjoyed.

What he most lacked right now was spiritual energy accumulation, preparing for his Break Through Realm to the Ascendant Soul Altar.

Though the inheritance crystal had lost most of its transmitted knowledge, the residual resonance—its faint harmony with Star Transformation between stars and deep sea—became the perfect aid for nurturing his soul.

This was an unexpected blessing!

Without hesitation, Chen Mu secured the inheritance crystal.

Immediately, he flipped his palm, and the Star Token appeared in his grasp.

He focused his intent, attuning to the spatial coordinates within the Star Token.

Shua!

The Star Token emitted a soft silver-white glow, enveloping Chen Mu's entire body.

The next instant, the surrounding space rippled like water, his figure rapidly blurring, turning transparent, until with a soft "pop," he vanished completely from his spot, leaving not even a ripple of spatial disturbance—as if he had never been there.

…

Starlight glittered; white clouds drifted lazily.

Within the "Star Palace," floating isles stood scattered.

Chen Mu's figure appeared at the center of his own "Wu Quxing Palace."

Inside the hall, starlight cascaded like a waterfall, spiritual energy misted thickly, saturated with majestic martial truth.

Chen Mu shifted his intent, using the Star Token to sense the spatial marker left in the courtyard of Wulong Fucheng.

His form flickered, once again wrapped in starlight, vanishing into the void.

The next moment, Chen Mu quietly returned to the unassuming quiet chamber in the Wulong Fucheng courtyard.

Everything remained unchanged, undisturbed.

He checked the twin bamboo tablet used to contact Tang Bin—no new messages had been sent, indicating the outside world remained stable for now.

Without lingering, Chen Mu reactivated the Star Token and returned to the "Wu Quxing Palace."

This was the safest, most ideal place for cultivation.

Sitting cross-legged on the central mat, he retrieved the dark golden inheritance crystal and suspended it before him.

He calmed his mind, slowly activating the Star Transformation contemplation method, while linking his divine awareness to the crystal.

Hum…

The crystal trembled slightly; its dim star and deep-sea patterns reactivated, emitting a cool, vast spiritual nourishment—like a steady stream, endlessly flowing into Chen Mu's mind sea, strengthening his soul's foundation.

The sensation was like rain falling on parched earth—exquisitely soothing.

…

In the days that followed, Chen Mu's life became extremely regular.

Most of his time was spent within the "Wu Quxing Palace," using the inheritance crystal's aid to fully concentrate on cultivating Star Transformation, contemplating the myriad stars, refining and expanding his spiritual power.

Occasionally, he returned to Wulong Fucheng, appearing publicly as the "Inspector," listening to Tang Bin's routine reports, or visiting the "Hero Hall" to learn of the latest external developments.

The righteous-evil war continued, but Wulong Fucheng had grown quieter after severely crippling the Long Life Cult.

As for the aftermath of Duan Tianhe Valley, no major upheaval had emerged; the Heavenly Artifact Gate and Seven Fiend Valleys both maintained a silent understanding, perhaps secretly investigating, but all leads had gone cold.

…

Time slipped by; spring passed, autumn came, and before he knew it, half a year had elapsed.

On this day, within the "Wu Quxing Palace."

As usual, Chen Mu sat cross-legged on the star-patterned mat, the inheritance crystal hovering silently, emitting a steady spiritual nourishment pulse.

Within his mind sea, spiritual power was fully saturated—like a lake brimming to its brim, calm yet unfathomably deep.

His understanding of Star Transformation deepened daily, its harmony with Wu Quxing's legacy and the Great Luo Martial Scripture becoming ever more perfect.

Suddenly, Chen Mu felt it—a sudden, effortless clarity, a perfect realization blossoming in his heart.

His spiritual power had reached the absolute limit of his current realm; the blueprint for constructing the Soul Altar and connecting to the Heavenly Bridge was now utterly clear and fully grasped.

The time had come!

Chen Mu slowly opened his eyes; his gaze gleamed brilliantly, as if reflecting countless stars.

He reached out and retrieved the Break Through Realm card.

Without hesitation, he crushed the card.

Boom!

A pure, vast, yet gentle force surged into his body—not directly boosting his cultivation, but acting like the most precise key and strongest push, striking the unknowable yet real "Ming Gong" gate deep within his mind sea.

Simultaneously, Chen Mu activated Star Transformation, Great Luo Martial Scripture, and Duan Tianhe Technique—the three methods complementing each other.

Spiritual power surged like a dam broken, roaring through his mind sea, rushing along the channel opened by the Break Through Realm force, toward the ethereal yet immensely heavy "Ming Gong."

Within his mind sea, Chen Mu's spiritual miniature figure, clad in starlight, blazed with radiant glory, standing atop a river of condensed spiritual power—the Duan Tianhe.

One step, another step, like a ladder to heaven, walking toward the "Minggong" radiating hazy light and infinite majesty!

With each step, the spiritual form grew more solid, its light more brilliant, resonating more profoundly with the surrounding spiritual force river, the star power from the unseen heavens, and the Great Luo Martial Dao.

The remaining power of the Break Through Realm card, the spiritual force accumulated to its peak, the profound insights into the Star Transformation and the Great Luo Martial Scripture…

All of it merged at this moment into an unstoppable flood.

Finally, the tiny spiritual form arrived before a door that was faintly visible, barely there.

A thin, barely perceptible membrane blocked the final "path."

Yet, from behind the sealed door, threads of mysterious power seeped out, wrapping and merging with the spiritual form.

Instantly.

An invisible yet substantial fluctuation of soul power erupted from Chen Mu's body, surging outward and sweeping through the entire Wu Quxing Palace.

The palace's starlight trembled; its energy churned and roiled.

Outside the palace, qi swirled; white clouds surged.

Chen Mu's physical body remained seated in meditation, yet his aura underwent a cataclysmic transformation.

Earth Altar Realm, "Ascend Heaven Soul Altar"—Break Through Realm achieved!