The news that Chu Shanhe had completed the Gold-Rank Third Awakening was like a spring thunderclap.
The Body Sect exploded—then the shock turned into sweet rain, pouring down into the hearts of every disciple.
After a brief, stunned silence, a carnival erupted like a volcanic blast.
"Success! The Sect Master succeeded!"
"Gold! The legendary Gold-level Third Awakening!"
"Heavens—bless our Body Sect! Hahaha!"
From the plaza before the main hall, cheers, screams, and excited roars surged like a tide, spreading to every corner of the sect.
Whether they were elders who had weathered the sect's rise and fall, or young disciples with strong bloodlines, every face was filled with unrestrained joy and pride—so intense it made their blood pound at their throats.
This breakthrough had been suppressed for too long, awaited for too long. Now, the announcement was like sunlight piercing the clouds, illuminating every member of the Body Sect and igniting endless longing for the sect's future.
In this ocean of celebration, even the usually reclusive elders—those who prided themselves on their cooking—couldn't contain their excitement. They rolled up their sleeves and declared that the whole sect would feast in celebration.
For a time, the fragrance of food rose into the sky from inside and outside the sect's largest dining hall.
Rare beast meat that was never seen on ordinary days was hauled out. Fine wine stored for years was opened without hesitation. Fruits and vegetables infused with spiritual energy were carefully prepared.
Giant bonfires burned day and night without extinguishing. Oil dripped from the grills with a sizzling, seductive sound.
Long wooden tables stretched endlessly from the dining hall all the way out to the plaza. A flowing banquet—unbroken—lasted more than ten days.
For the last ten days, everyone in the Body Sect had enjoyed a true double feast—for their taste buds and their souls.
They ate meat, drank from big bowls, and talked loudly about the sect's brilliant future. Faces flushed with satisfaction, laughter almost never stopped.
It was as if the entire depths of the Yuntian Mountain Range had been wrapped in this bright, warm atmosphere.
Yet at the edge of this nearly boiling sea of joy, there was a place that seemed separated by an invisible barrier—still sunk in unmelted coldness and silence.
It was an independent courtyard at the edge of the Body Sect compound.
The yard was large but not particularly neat. Moss spread in the corners, and a faint medicinal smell lingered in the air, quietly speaking of desolation.
Its owner was a middle-aged woman wearing a washed-white dress of coarse cloth.
She sat quietly on a stone bench in the courtyard, her body so thin it looked like the wind might blow her away.
Her hair was hastily tied back. Several broken strands hung down over her forehead, making her exhaustion even more obvious.
But the most heart-wrenching part was her eyes.
They had once shone like stars. Now, they were covered in thick dust—empty, godless, drained of light—staring blankly at the mottled ground beneath her feet.
From outside, she could faintly hear earth-shaking laughter, the clink of cups, the rattle of dishes—sounds that stabbed her numb nerves like thin needles.
She heard it all.
Young, vigorous voices shouting "Gold Awakening." Elders laughing. The entire sect celebrating this unprecedented event.
She knew it was a great joy—a hope for the sect's rise—something worthy of everyone's cheers.
So she forced the muscles of her face—slowly, with effort, like drawing water from a dry well. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
It was a smile.
But that smile was more suffocating than tears.
It was as if she were praising the sect's strength, and at the same time there was a fathomless trace of relief from the depths of her soul—like the last dregs of a spark trying to respond to the warmth outside.
Yet within that smile was a sorrow that couldn't be spoken.
Those hollow eyes were quietly filled with endless bitterness and self-contempt.
The joy was theirs. The noise was theirs. The hope and the future were theirs as well.
And she—trapped in this small courtyard like a forgotten lonely soul—could only guard her broken body and her half-abandoned martial soul, an existence incompatible with this celebration.
The laughter outside was like a mirror, reflecting her current despair with cruel clarity.
This good news was like a catalyst, making her feel more sharply than ever how far she had fallen from that wonderful world.
She looked like she was crying and laughing at the same time.
Two completely contradictory emotions tangled across her face, finally turning into an expression that was unbearably complex and bitter.
She made no sound—only sat there quietly, placing the joy of the outside world and the dead silence in her heart in the harshest contrast.
…
The Yuntian Mountain Range was vast and perilous.
Within it were not only powerful fallen beasts, but also many forces who walked at the edge of darkness. Big and small, tangled and complex.
On the far side of one mountain, a walled city rose majestically—built atop treacherous peaks.
The walls were made of massive black stone, scattered with marks like cuts from knives and axes, stained with dark red blotches. Pride and the scent of blood seeped from it.
This was one of the strongest powers around the Yuntian Mountains. The strong were many here, their actions ruthless. Ordinary forces and soul masters feared provoking them.
At this very moment, a heavy atmosphere hung inside the city's main hall.
Above the hall, a pelt from a ten-thousand-year soul beast was displayed, carrying a faint smell of fish.
On the pelt-draped seat sat a middle-aged man with a gloomy face.
He looked around fifty. His eye sockets were deep, his nose bridge high, his lips thin like a blade, and his triangular eyes occasionally flickered with a cold, cunning light like a venomous snake.
Below him knelt a spy on one knee, reporting respectfully.
"Village Chief, the golden light that soared up from deep in the mountains a few days ago—our men have confirmed its source."
"The place where the phenomenon erupted is… within that 'mysterious force.'"
At the words mysterious force, the man's gloomy eyes narrowed slightly. The cold light in the slit of his gaze sharpened.
Deep within Yuntian Mountain, a mysterious powerful sect had taken root. To the other major forces in the mountains, this was no secret.
After all, that group occupied a perilous natural territory that was both hard to attack and hard to defend. Its spiritual aura was so abundant it made people jealous—and naturally, it also attracted countless greedy eyes.
The vulture-faced man snorted inwardly.
When he was young, he had been arrogant too. Coveting that treasure land, he had secretly encouraged a band of outlaws, rallying them to test the waters.
What happened?
Whether they entered alone as strong individuals or as teams, in the end they sank like stones into the sea—never to return, vanishing completely.
Over time, that region became a tacit forbidden zone to all forces across the Yuntian Mountains. No one dared approach.
"Hmph. Forbidden zone?"
The vulture-faced man tapped the armrest of his seat with his fingertips, producing a dull thud.
He knew more than ordinary people.
He clearly remembered that around twenty years ago, there had been a mid-level Soul Douluo with strength at Rank Eighty-Six. Relying on that power, the man had forced his way in with a group of experts, trying to seize that treasure land.
And the result?
Before the waves even rose, the Soul Douluo and his elites had disappeared from the world.
Since then, he—and the true peak helmsmen of the mountain region—had completely extinguished any desire to plunder by force. They only observed in secret, branding that mysterious force as something that cannot be provoked lightly.
What kind of treasure… could trigger a heaven-and-earth phenomenon that shocking?
The man slowly stood and walked to the main hall doors. With hawk-sharp eyes, he looked across the mountains toward the deepest part of the range.
His voice was low and indifferent as it echoed in the hall.
"That golden light soared into the sky, visible for dozens of miles…"
"This is absolutely not a normal breakthrough by some soul master, nor is it the movement of ordinary natural treasures."
Greed and jealousy intertwined in his thoughts.
There must be a great treasure there! If I can get it…
Just imagining that earthshaking opportunity made his breathing quicken, desire boiling up from the bottom of his heart.
But the terrifying power that mysterious force had displayed in the past was like a basin of icy water, instantly cooling him.
Breaking in is courting death… Those reckless fools who vanished are the best example.
I'm already a Soul Douluo now, but even so, I'm not stronger than that Soul Douluo was back then.
His eyes darkened as he weighed pros and cons.
To give up—impossible. If he missed such an opportunity, he would never be willing to accept it.
After a long moment, a flash of resolve lit his eyes. He suddenly turned and spoke in a low voice toward the shadows of the empty hall.
"Issue the order. Keep a tight watch on all movement in that area. If anything changes, report immediately!"
"Yes!" A low response came from the darkness.
The vulture-faced man sat back down. His fingers tapped the armrest faster. A sneer of helplessness mixed with gloom surfaced on his face.
"No matter what earthshaking treasure is hidden there… it's worth fighting for."
"I may not be able to bite through this hard bone, but…"
He thought of his father, currently in seclusion. The old man had tried more than once and still carried unwavering confidence. His strength was unfathomable.
"When Father leaves seclusion, I'll ask him to act personally. I'll go with him."
"Then I want to see what methods that mysterious force has… to stop father and son together."
…