502: The real protagonist

Not long after, the second forbidden cave, the "Starry Sea," appeared, and a pillar of light descended ten thousand meters beneath the East Sea.

As the news spread, the top Immortal Cultivation Sects of the Eternal Continent mobilized one after another. The Qingyun Sect, Jingang Temple, Vandu Valley, and other forces gathered on the shore of the East Sea. Swords were drawn and a great battle was on the verge of breaking out for control over the entrance to the cave.

Shu Xiaohong learned the news, a calculating smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

She did not go directly. Instead, through the Disciples of the Xiaohong Pavilion, she secretly spread rumors: "Sect Head Lingxuzi of the Qingyun Sect wants to monopolize the opportunities in the secret cave and has secretly colluded with the Nether Hall to strike at other sects," and "Great Master Xuankong of Jingang Temple covets the Spirit-Devouring Gu of Vandu Valley and plans to launch a sneak attack in the secret cave."

The rumors spread like wildfire. The major sects, already wary of each other, were instantly filled with suspicion, and friction continued to arise.

She then ordered her core Disciples lurking within the major sects to act and create "accidents": the spirit ship of the Qingyun Sect was secretly sabotaged and attacked by sea yao during its voyage;

Disciples of the Jingang Temple accidentally ingested Medicinal Pills laced with knockout drugs, causing their spiritual energy to become disordered;

The Gu insects of Vandu Valley were quietly swapped, triggering internal strife.

The major sects blamed each other, and a great battle finally broke out at the entrance of the secret cave. The Qingyun Sect and Vandu Valley fought incessantly, and Jingang Temple was dragged into the fray while trying to mediate. The three top sects suffered heavy casualties, and two Soul Transformation Cultivators even perished.

Just as the major sects were both exhausted and wounded, Shu Xiaohong, carrying the Burning Heaven Sword and leading a hundred elite female Disciples, quietly slipped into the depths of the East Sea.

Relying on the concealment ability of the "Great Method of the Secluded Divine Soul," they bypassed the exhausted Yao Beasts and easily broke the "Starry Maze," stepping into the core of the secret cave.

Inside the Starry Sea secret cave, the phantom images of countless stars flickered, and the ground was paved with jade condensed from starlight. On the stone platform in the center, the "Star Evolution Soul Control Art" and the Divine Artifact "Star-Grabbing Hairpin" lay quietly.

The "Star Evolution Soul Control Art" tempers the Divine Soul with the power of the stars. It can increase the soul-controlling ability of the "Great Method of the Secluded Divine Soul" by hundreds of times. It can not only control Mortal Cultivators but even influence the movement of stars and manipulate the Law of heaven and earth;

The "Star-Grabbing Hairpin" is a Divine Soul-type Divine Artifact. The tip of the hairpin can release the power of the stars to directly attack or control the Divine Souls of others. Furthermore, it can use the power of the stars to heal wounds and achieve a Breakthrough, offering infinite wonderful uses.

Shu Xiaohong was overjoyed and immediately left the secret cave with the treasures, leaving the major sects to continue their chaotic battle at the entrance.

She returned to the main headquarters of the Xiaohong Pavilion and announced a secluded meditation. Combining the energy gathered by hundreds of thousands of Disciples with the opportunities from the secret cave, she Cultivated diligently for several hundred years.

On the day her secluded meditation ended, above the main headquarters of the Xiaohong Pavilion, the power of the stars and the Burning Heaven Divine Fire intertwined, forming a pillar of light that pierced through heaven and earth. The pressure of the Soul Transformation Peak suddenly spread, sweeping across the entire Eternal Continent.

Shu Xiaohong wore a long dress woven from stars and the Star-Grabbing Hairpin on her head. The Burning Heaven Sword hung behind her, and her aura was as vast as the sea. Wherever her gaze passed, no one dared to meet her eyes.

She became the universally recognized number one female Cultivator of the Eternal Continent. The influence of the Xiaohong Pavilion also reached its Peak, with tens of thousands of branch pavilions covering the world like a spider web, and hundreds of thousands of female Disciples controlling the lifelines of countless sects and aristocratic families.

She had long since abandoned her former ideals of equal rights. Now, she used men as cauldrons and the Xiaohong Pavilion as her Foundation. Holding the soul control technique and the equal rights Law, she became the most feared existence in the Eternal Continent.

Standing at the highest point of the Soul Control Hall, Shu Xiaohong looked down upon the vast landscape, her eyes devoid of any warmth.

She gently flicked the Star-Grabbing Hairpin, and countless soul threads trembled slightly. The fates of all the men in the world seemed to be within her grasp.

"Liu Yan, sooner or later I will find you and kill you with my own hands!!" she murmured to herself, the red light of the equal rights sword surging.

As for Lu Xiaohu's Child of Destiny, Han Fei, he broke away from Confucianism and became the founder of Legalism.

After the disappearance of the state system, knowing that "without Laws, there is chaos," he traveled among the major sects, lobbying various forces to establish order.

After a thousand years of integrating dozens of small and medium-sized sects in the Central Continent, he founded the "Legalist Sect," with "Clarifying Law, Valuing Art, and Emphasizing Power" as its doctrine. He formulated codes of conduct for the cultivation world, regulated sect disputes, and prohibited the indiscriminate killing of innocents.

Although the Legalist Sect did not advocate force, with its rigorous Laws and strong appeal, it became an influential force in the Eternal World.

Han Fei combined Legalist thought with the way of cultivation to create the "Law and Dao of the Same Origin Art." His cultivation reached the Tribulation Crossing Realm Middle Stage, making him one of the top ten strongest people in the cultivation world.

Today, the Legalist Sect manages the registration and reward and punishment system for Cultivators in the Eternal World. Any sect or individual that violates the rules will be severely punished by the Legalist Sect's enforcement team. Han Fei himself is also revered as the "Saint of Law," and his work "Han Feizi" is regarded as the "Code of Law" for the cultivation world.

The Child of Destiny chosen by Lu Xiaoyu, Mo Jiantong, is the founder of Mohism.

He loathed conflict and led his Disciples into seclusion in Mount Mo in the southwest, where he devoted himself to the study of mechanics and Artifact Refining.

Over five thousand years, he combined Mohist mechanics with the way of cultivation, creating countless powerful mechanical Puppets and Magic Treasures. His mechanical arts were exquisite, capable of creating mechanical beasts that could fight independently and even refining Divine Artifacts containing the power of Laws.

The "Mohist School" he founded does not participate in worldly disputes, but its status is highly respected. All major sects need to order Magic Treasures and mechanical devices from it, and thus Disciples of the Mohist School are found all over the world.

Although Mo Jiantong's own cultivation only reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage, his mechanical arts could threaten Spirit Transformation Realm Cultivators. Even Tribulation Crossing Realm experts did not dare to easily provoke Mo Jiantong.

Countless sects and powerhouses had tried to win him over many times, but he refused them all.

He always adhered to the concepts of "Universal Love and Non-Aggression," protecting the peace of the Eternal World in his own way. The blueprint for the "Non-Aggression Barrier" refined by the Mohists became a life-saving talisman for countless sects to resist foreign enemies.

In addition to these Children of Destiny, many Geniuses were also born on the Eternal Continent.

The "Sword Madman" Dugu Jian belonged to no sect. He cultivated the way of the sword alone in the deep mountains. With his extraordinary talent and tenacious will, he created the "Nine Swords of Dugu." His sword techniques were elegant, agile, and infinitely powerful.

He reached Foundation Establishment at eighteen, Golden Core at thirty, Nascent Soul at sixty, and Nascent Soul Initial Stage at one hundred and fifty. His talent in the way of the sword shocked the entire Eternal World. He once challenged the Qingyun Sect alone with a single sword, fighting Sect Head Jiang Qingyun for three days and three nights without a victor. From then on, his fame rose, and he became a legend among Loose Cultivators.

There was also the pill-refining Genius Ye Ningshuang, who founded the "Ningshuang Pill Scripture" through self-study. The effects of the Medicinal Pills she refined were unique; they could not only improve cultivation but also treat various difficult and complicated diseases, and even bring people back from the dead.

The "Ningshuang Jade Dew Pill" she refined is the top healing Medicinal Pill in the Eternal World. A single pill can restore a dying Nascent Soul Cultivator to their original state.

Although Su Ningshuang's cultivation only reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage, all the major sects treated her with great respect and vied to hire her to refine Medicinal Pills with generous gifts. The "Ningshuang Pill Pavilion" she founded became a Holy Land for Cultivators in the Eternal World to heal and extend their lives.

There was also Wu Youxi's card cultivation method, which used all things in heaven and earth as a basis to Seal Spiritual Qi, Cultivation Techniques, Yao Beast power, and even Law fragments into specially made cards. This allowed ordinary people to step onto the path of cultivation simply by holding a deck of cards and channeling spiritual energy.

This system was simple and direct. Cards were divided into one to nine stars according to their power, and above that were the legendary semi-god cards and god cards.

A one-star card could only gather a weak amount of Spiritual Qi for Mortals to begin their enlightenment. Three-star cards could Seal basic spells, such as the "Fireball Card" and "Wind-Riding Card," which could be activated with a flick of the hand.

Cards above seven stars could carry Nascent Soul-level combat power. The "Thunder Dragon Card" could summon thunder from the nine heavens, and the "Vajra Card" could condense an invincible defense.

The combinations of card decks were even more ever-changing.

The most popular general-purpose deck focused on balance. The combination of "Spirit-Gathering Card + Defense Card + Attack Card" was the standard entry-level setup for countless Mortal Cultivators.

Exclusive decks, on the other hand, showcased individuality. Some Cultivators specialized in "Summoning Decks," using dozens of Yao Beast cards to form a summoning formation, summoning a hundred beasts to battle with a wave of their hand.

There were also Cultivators who studied "Law Decks," gathering the "Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth" five-star elemental cards to trigger the power of the Five Elements to crush their opponents.

The threshold for the card cultivation method was extremely low, and the Materials for making cards could be found everywhere—plants, Ore, and Yao Beast scales could all be utilized. In just a hundred years, it became popular throughout the entire cultivation world. Whether it was a street beggar or a farm child, anyone could carry a few cards and try to Cultivate. Geniuses who were once buried were now everywhere.

Even top forces like the Xiaohong Pavilion, Starry Pavilion, and Qingyun Sect were secretly collecting high-star cards and integrating them into their own combat systems.

Lu Chen saw five thousand years in a single glance and finally finished watching the entire five thousand years of development.

Overall, he was disappointed. He didn't see any Heaven-Defying protagonists. Even the few Children of Destiny were just ordinary Geniuses compared to those in previous civilizations.

What Lu Chen wanted to Cultivate was the kind of protagonist who could overturn the entire world, act against heaven, break the Heavenly Dao, and create their own rules.

Only this kind of person could truly elevate the status of the entire world.

Could it be that he really couldn't Cultivate controllers who overturned the rule of the Heavenly Dao and created their own Universes and orders, like Wang Lin from "Renegade Immortal," Han Li from "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality," Luo Feng from "Swallowed Star," Chu Feng from "The Sacred Ruins," or Ye Fan from "Shrouding the Heavens"?

Of course, Lu Chen was just thinking. If one day such a protagonist really appeared and overturned him, he would probably regret it too late.

Lu Chen's Divine Sense covered the entire Small World, observing everywhere, hoping to find the birth of a true protagonist.