Su Chen entered seclusion to break through to the Profound Connection Realm. The surrounding dynasties could no longer sit still.

  A Profound Connection Realm powerhouse enjoyed eight hundred years of lifespan. Su Chen was only one hundred and fifty years old. If he succeeded in becoming a king, they would never sleep soundly again. Would a young king be content to remain confined to a single territory?

  Even among dynasties, not every one possessed a Profound Connection Realm guardian—only the truly powerful ones did. After a heated discussion, they decided to bribe the inspectors from the Profound Origin Sacred Land, enlisting another inspector to block Lin Wu.

  At first, the inspector was unwilling. But when more than a dozen dynasties joined in and offered an astronomical sum, the other inspector—Wang Zhiyuan—finally agreed to hinder Lin Wu.

  Before the Inspection Hall, Wang Zhiyuan fondled the storage ring in his hand and smiled. With this haul, he would not need to worry about cultivation resources for the next several decades.

  The following day, turmoil erupted across thirteen dynasties.

  When Lin Wu received the news, rage surged through him. He knew Su Chen was at the most critical moment of his breakthrough to the Profound Connection Realm. Any disturbance could lead to catastrophic consequences!

  Just as Lin Wu prepared to rush to the Heavenly Origin Dynasty's aid, Wang Zhiyuan stepped into his path.

  "Junior Brother Lin, as an inspector, you must fulfill your duties faithfully. Do not abuse your position for personal gain."

  Lin Wu's expression turned ugly. Wang Zhiyuan stood at the third layer of the Profound Connection Realm. Lin Wu himself was only at the first layer.

  "Wang Zhiyuan—if anything happens to Brother Li, I swear I will kill you!"

  Lin Wu made the vow in his heart. Both were inspectors. With Wang Zhiyuan barring the way, Lin Wu had no means of reaching the Heavenly Origin Dynasty.

  …

  Within the Heavenly Origin Dynasty, the allied armies of thirteen dynasties pressed forward. No matter how many geniuses the Heavenly Origin Dynasty had nurtured over the years, it could not withstand the combined might of thirteen nations.

  "Fight to the death!"

  Corpses stretched for a thousand li. Blood stained the rivers red. Countless soldiers of the Heavenly Origin Dynasty threw themselves forward, dying to slow the advance of the thirteen-nation coalition.

  This war claimed many lives. Entire sects were wiped out, their inheritances scattered into the river of history. Noble houses rose in desperate last stands, filling the final pages of their genealogies with blood. Others, overwhelmed by despair, chose to surrender.

  The great building was collapsing. Many people Su Chen had once known perished in the fighting.

  "It seems this old man's bones must also be offered to the nation."

  Li Hongwen gave a faint smile. The Li Clan's reserves had nearly been exhausted in this war. Only he and the Great Ancestor in his coffin remained among the Spirit Soul Realm cultivators.

  The coffin lid opened. The Great Ancestor said nothing. Clad once more in the Imperial Apex War Armor, his aura steadily rose. This would be his final battle.

  "Two old bags of bones think they can stop our army?"

  The coalition forces roared with laughter. One after another, Spirit Soul Realm powerhouses rose into the sky like stars ascending.

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  "Two old bags of bones? Then add me to the count!"

  A streak of golden light arrived. Li Jiangqun appeared. After abdicating the throne, he had wandered among the various kingdoms and reached the seventh layer of the Spirit Soul Realm.

  Upon learning that Su Chen was in seclusion breaking through to the Profound Connection Realm—and that thirteen dynasties had invaded—he did not hesitate for a moment. He returned to the Heavenly Origin Dynasty at once.

  'No matter what, I am still a man of the Li Clan.'

  Li Jiangqun cast one last glance toward the direction of the capital, a contented smile touching his lips.

  "Courting death!"

  The coalition army surged forward. Against them stood the Great Ancestor—a half-step Profound Connection powerhouse.

  Li Hongwen—at the eighth layer of the Spirit Soul Realm. And Li Jiangqun—at the seventh layer of the Spirit Soul Realm.

  Reinforcements arrived from every direction. Song Wuxia led the powerhouses of the Spirit Absolute Hall in a final, all-or-nothing gamble.

  Inside the palace, five years had passed since Su Chen entered seclusion to break through to the Profound Connection Realm. Fragments of unfamiliar memories began surfacing in his mind. They flashed past like scenes from a lantern show.

  "This Spirit Communion Art is absolutely not the inheritance of a mere Profound Connection Realm powerhouse!"

  Su Chen's expression darkened. He could feel those memories taking root in his consciousness, like a young sapling slowly drawing away his vitality. One day, when that sapling grew strong enough, those foreign memories might completely overwrite his own. When that moment came, would he still be Su Chen… or would he become that "Spirit Communion King"?

  The method was chilling beyond words. If countless people cultivated the Spirit Communion Art to the Profound Connection Realm over generations, wouldn't the Spirit Communion King be able to live on through one life after another—achieving a twisted form of immortality?

  Su Chen estimated that, at the current rate of encroachment, the memories would need at least another three hundred years to fully replace him.

  "Three hundred years… that's more than enough."

  His resolve hardened. The aura within him could no longer be contained. A massive ice phoenix, hundreds of zhang long, materialized above the capital. Hail rained down across the entire city.

  Mountains and rivers trembled. A Profound Connection Realm powerhouse had been born!

  Less than half an hour later, Su Chen arrived at the battlefield. The scene was devastating. The Great Ancestor of the Li Clan had fallen in battle. Li Hongwen had donned the Imperial Apex War Armor and now stood alone against seven late-stage Spirit Soul Realm experts.

  Li Jiangqun lay dying. When he saw Su Chen arrive—his aura blazing like a great sun that outshone everyone present, like a god wreathed in eternal flame—he smiled with genuine relief and gently closed his eyes.

  In this life, he had always lived in Su Chen's shadow. As head of the Li faction, he had never once surpassed this son of his own blood. He had envied Su Chen—envied his own flesh and blood.

  He, Li Jiangqun, had fought and killed his way to the position of clan head among generations of Li Clan prodigies! He was no puppet! Yet the blood of the Li Clan still flowed through his veins.

  Song Wuxia watched Su Chen's arrival with a long breath of relief. He knew the gamble was over—the Spirit Martial Hall had won.

  "We… have arrived."

  Su Chen stared expressionlessly at the coalition powerhouses. Sixty-eight Spirit Soul Realm cultivators stood before him.

  "Attack together! He has only just broken through to the Profound Connection Realm—his foundation is still unstable! Otherwise, the consequences of attracting the inspectors should be clear to all!"

  One after another, the Spirit Soul Realm experts struck at Su Chen in unison.

  The heavens were drowned in the radiance of divine abilities. White and crimson light clashed brilliantly.

  Behind Su Chen appeared an enormous halo of light, as though he had become a deity. From within the halo, he drew forth a long spear. The spear split into a thousand, flooding the sky and swallowing everything.

  The might of the Profound Connection Realm was no longer human. In a single strike, fewer than ten Spirit Soul Realm cultivators remained alive. The surviving coalition forces stared in horror. A Profound Connection Realm powerhouse was truly beyond their ability to contend with.

  They tried to flee. How could Su Chen possibly allow it?

  Tens of millions perished on the soil of the Heavenly Origin Dynasty.

  Su Chen had successfully broken through to the Profound Connection Realm. The surrounding nations were shaken to their core.

  Half a month after his breakthrough, Lin Wu finally broke free of his restraints and hurried to the Heavenly Origin Dynasty to find Su Chen.

  From Lin Wu, Su Chen learned that he had not been unwilling to come—he had been deliberately held back. Su Chen merely smiled and said nothing more, leaving Lin Wu filled with deep guilt.

  After reaching the Profound Connection Realm, Su Chen did not immediately seek revenge. The war had claimed far too many lives in the newly opened dynasty. He established the Heavenly Origin Martial Mansion, recruiting talent from across the land and promoting martial cultivation for all citizens.

  The hundreds of fallen Spirit Soul Realm powerhouses left behind lingering soul remnants that nourished the Heavenly Origin Dynasty, giving birth to a new generation of countless geniuses.