"Why has the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar awakened at this moment? Is it an omen?"

Chu Chen frowned, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. Across the entirety of Chaos Peak, he was the only one left standing.

Zhao Kongyang had been swatted away by a single slap from Qi Lao'er.

His cheap master, Qi Lao'er, had already departed for the Heavenly Demon Gorge in search of the immortal herb, the Enlightenment Dao Ancient Tea Tree.

The thousands of servants and guards, including the steward Yu Youwei, remained unconscious.

...

Could it be that Qi Lao'er hadn't actually left? Was he still observing him from the shadows?

Or had some other branch palace lord forced their way onto Chaos Peak, lurking within the boundless void?

Neither!

Chu Chen took a deep breath and walked over to where Yu Youwei lay collapsed on the ground.

This awakening of the Imperial Extreme Dao Weapon did not herald the arrival of danger. Instead, it felt more like...

More like it was obscuring the heavenly fate, masking his aura to prevent others from prying.

Although Chu Chen had not fully refined the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar, nor awakened its weapon spirit, even this preliminary refinement forged a blood-linked resonance between him and the Imperial Extreme Dao Weapon.

"Who is trying to divine my location? Could it be..."

"The Ye family?! Forget it, let them try."

The Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar merely shielded Chu Chen's aura before falling into a dormant silence once more.

Chu Chen paid it no further mind. He crouched before the unconscious Yu Youwei, brushed the Storage Ring on his finger, and retrieved a healing Pill. Prying open her vermilion lips, he fed it to her.

A dazzling divine radiance shimmered within Yu Youwei's body, gently supporting her form in an incredibly mysterious display.

The moment the Pill slid down her throat, the divine radiance enveloped it, refining the medicinal efficacy instantly.

Boundless medicinal power surged through her meridians, washing over her limbs and bones to nourish her battered flesh.

"She is clearly a mortal, so how could..."

He watched as the vitality within Yu Youwei surged, the divine radiance enveloping her body growing ever more blinding.

Eventually, several streams of divine light wove together into a luminous cocoon, completely sealing Yu Youwei inside.

Chu Chen frowned, deeply puzzled.

"How could such a phenomenon occur? It seems Yu Youwei's identity is far from simple."

"To manifest such a vision before even stepping onto the path of cultivation... If she were to..."

As the dazzling divine radiance slowly dissipated, not only had Yu Youwei's internal injuries healed in the blink of an eye, but her life force had multiplied dozens of times over!

Aside from the vicious scar cutting across her nose and ear, the whip wounds lashing her body scabbed over and peeled away, revealing flawless new skin beneath.

As the divine light faded completely, Yu Youwei's breathing steadied. Her eyelashes fluttered, signaling her imminent awakening.

"I... Where am I..."

"Master! Master, I..."

Opening her eyes, Yu Youwei realized she was resting in Chu Chen's arms. Her face flushed crimson instantly, and she scrambled up like a startled rabbit.

"Master, this servant deserves death! This servant deserves death!"

Chu Chen waved his hand dismissively, saying nothing.

He then retrieved a bottle of low-grade healing Pills from his Storage Ring and tossed it to her.

"I am entering the secret chamber for Secluded Cultivation. Distribute these healing Pills to the servants and guards of Chaos Peak."

"Those who wish to leave upon waking may do so. Those who stay must fulfill their duties and manage their tasks properly."

With that, Chu Chen took the Locking Heaven Formation and headed toward the secret chamber, leaving behind a slightly flushed Yu Youwei, who nodded fervently in compliance.

As the saying goes, surviving a great calamity guarantees future fortune.

Chaos Peak had only just been established. Without weathering a life-and-death tribulation, how could it ever secure a foothold in the Red King Palace, let alone the Divine Flame Emperor Palace?

Following this battle, not only had Chu Chen solidified his position as the number one figure in the Red King Palace, but he had also acquired the secret treasure, the Locking Heaven Formation.

Under the Pressure of a Saint King, Yu Youwei had also found fortune in disaster. The mysterious power lying dormant within her had been forcibly awakened.

Chu Chen naturally recognized Yu Youwei's extraordinary nature. He was certain that if she stepped onto the path of cultivation, her aptitude would eclipse ninety-nine percent of the Pro-disciples in the Divine Flame Emperor Palace. Even certain Elders would pale in comparison.

However, Chu Chen kept this to himself. He had no intention of guiding her cultivation-at least, not yet.

Having been humiliated and driven to his death by the Ye family in his past life, Chu Chen naturally had to be more guarded in this one.

The old steward, Qian Bao, had been Zhao Kongyang's pawn. What about Yu Youwei?

Her parents had died tragically, and she had been tormented by the steward, nearly whipped to death in public.

And all of this had unfolded right under Chu Chen's nose. He had witnessed the entire spectacle the moment he arrived at Chaos Peak.

It was, frankly, far too coincidental.

So coincidental that Chu Chen couldn't help but suspect she might be another piece on someone else's chessboard.

Who was to say this wasn't a meticulously orchestrated ruse of self-injury?

All designed to earn his trust!

It sounded paranoid, but having already died once, Chu Chen had no choice but to be cautious.

Ultimately, none of it mattered. The only thing that truly mattered was his own strength.

In the face of absolute power, any scheme or conspiracy was pale and laughable.

Whether Yu Youwei was someone's pawn was irrelevant. What mattered was that the moment Chu Chen found her to be a threat to him or Chaos Peak, she would die!

Entering the main hall's secret chamber, Chu Chen sealed the heavy stone door and lit a stick of sandalwood incense.

Taking a deep breath, he retrieved an aura-concealing protective Formation from his Storage Ring, activated it, and shrouded the entire chamber.

This Formation came from the Storage Ring Qi Lao'er had gifted him. Originating from a Saint King, its grade was naturally exceptional. It could easily block the prying senses of Divine Fire Realm and even Great Saint experts.

But in the face of a Saint King...

It was far from enough!

Thus, this protective Formation was merely a decoy. Chu Chen's true trump card was the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar.

Forming a hand seal, he roused the Imperial Extreme Dao Weapon within his body. The Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar-mottled, ancient, and marred by sword scars-materialized out of thin air, hovering silently in the center of the secret chamber.

Gurgle!

Gurgle!

The Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar continuously pulsed with a dense, unyielding black light. Each strand of this light weighed ten thousand jin and carried a terrifying Dao resonance, exuding a profound and dreadful mystery.

With the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar standing guard, let alone a Saint King like Qi Lao'er, even the divine sense of a Quasi-Emperor would be utterly blocked.

Only a Great Emperor, standing at the absolute pinnacle of the mortal path, could possibly pierce the jar's defenses and peer into the chamber.

"First, I need to refine this Locking Heaven Formation to establish a protective barrier over Chaos Peak."

There was much to be done, but Chaos Peak was his Dao field. Naturally, he could not allow outsiders to come and go as they pleased.

The Locking Heaven Formation was the most precious and vital Dharma Treasure of the Pro-disciple Zhao Kongyang. With this Formation standing guard, any cultivator below the Spirit Communication Realm who dared to trespass on Chaos Peak would undoubtedly perish.

Even a Spirit Communication Realm expert would struggle to force their way inside, unless they were at the absolute peak of the realm with heaven-defying combat prowess.

It could even stall a Divine Fire Realm expert for a short time. While the Locking Heaven Formation could not stop a Great Saint, it would serve as an early warning system if one tried to breach it, alerting Chu Chen instantly and buying him precious time.

In other words, despite only being at the Qi Gathering Realm, as long as he refined the Locking Heaven Formation, Chu Chen could battle experts below the Divine Fire Realm within Chaos Peak-without relying on any other Dharma Treasures!

Thus, for the time being, the Locking Heaven Formation was of paramount importance to him.

"Hmph! A mere Spirit Communication Realm Dharma Treasure dares to resist?"

The moment the dozens of formation flags were drawn out, they erupted with fierce resistance. Tearing free from Chu Chen's grasp, they transformed into streaks of arrow-like light, rampaging wildly around the secret chamber.

Although Qi Lao'er had already purged Zhao Kongyang's soul imprint from the Locking Heaven Formation, re-refining and mastering it was no simple task.

Chu Chen was only at the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm; he hadn't even broken through to the Essence Condensation Realm. Logically speaking, with his current cultivation, refining a Spirit Communication Realm Dharma Treasure should have been impossible.

But who was Chu Chen?

He possessed the most heaven-defying cultivation talent on the entire Desolate Ancient Continent, bar none.

With a wave of his hand, the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar pulsed with black light, unleashing an overwhelmingly terrifying Pressure.

The dozens of rampaging formation flags froze like mice spotting a cat. Trembling under the crushing Pressure, they obediently floated back to Chu Chen, stripped of all defiance.

A Spirit Communication Realm Dharma Treasure, though lacking a true weapon spirit, possessed enough innate intelligence to recognize danger and submit to a superior force.

"Refine!"

Spiritual power surged from his body, instantly enveloping the dozens of formation flags. He projected his soul power, carving his imprint into each flag until they were thoroughly refined.

"Go!"

Having fully mastered the Locking Heaven Formation, Chu Chen didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, the dozens of formation flags shot out of the secret chamber like arrows, embedding themselves into specific nodes across the entirety of Chaos Peak.

Boom!!

The moment the final flag locked into place, a profound Dao resonance erupted. The Locking Heaven Formation fully materialized, casting an impenetrable veil over Chaos Peak and severing all external probing.

The terrifying Pressure of the Locking Heaven Formation deterred the petty figures spying from the shadows, serving as a bold declaration: Zhao Kongyang had been utterly defeated by Chu Chen!

"The Qi Gathering Realm is still too weak. I must break through to the Essence Condensation Realm to fully refine the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar and awaken its weapon spirit."

With the Locking Heaven Formation settled, Chu Chen turned his burning gaze back to the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar.

"But before that... the ten-day cooldown has passed. I can finally perform the second Grasping Heavens."

Taking a deep breath, Chu Chen summoned the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar closer. Suppressing his racing heart, he rolled up his sleeve and plunged his entire arm into the dark void of the jar, grasping blindly.

His first Grasping Heavens had yielded the Divine Phoenix Blood Essence, a supreme treasure of immense use to the Empress.

This second time...

What treasure would he pull from the void?!

As the thought crossed his mind, that profound, ethereal sensation flooded his consciousness once more.

Unlike his first Grasping Heavens, this time, he felt an unseen connection-as if a specific object had been waiting in the dark just for him.

It was incredibly mysterious.

It felt less like Chu Chen was scouring the vast starry river for a treasure, and more like a mysterious treasure had chosen him.

...