The Inner Clan square was louder than usual.
Dozens of young disciples stood in organized groups, each radiating different levels of aura and confidence. Elders floated above them on stone platforms, their expressions serious.
Jiang Chen stood among the selected Inner Clan elites, his expression calm—but his mind alert.
A secret realm expedition.
He had heard fragments of it over the past few days, but only now did the full scale become clear.
Not just the Inner Clan.
Other sects were here too.
Other clans.
Even rival regions beyond their territory.
This was not a simple trial.
It was a convergence.
Elder Zhao stepped forward, his voice echoing across the square.
"This is the **Celestial Spirit Realm Opening**. A once-in-a-decade opportunity. Inside, you will find inheritances, resources, and ancient relics—but also death."
The crowd went silent.
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
*So that's it… a controlled chaos zone.*
Elder Zhao continued.
"Only the elite of each faction will enter. And remember—within the realm, there are no rules."
Murmurs spread immediately.
No rules meant one thing.
Kill or be killed.
---
Jiang Chen's thoughts were interrupted when Zhou Yan stepped beside him.
"Looks like you made the cut," Zhou Yan said calmly.
Han Wei appeared next, grinning. "Of course he did. If he didn't, I'd lose all respect for this clan."
Chen Yu cracked his neck. "Finally something fun."
Lin Xue stood slightly behind them, her gaze steady. "Stay alert. This realm won't be simple."
Jiang Chen nodded slightly. "It never is."
But before the group could continue
A shift in the atmosphere occurred.
The crowd parted.
Even the elders grew silent.
A small group of high-status disciples entered the square, escorted by Inner Clan guards.
And at the center of them
Jiang Chen felt it immediately.
His steps slowed.
His gaze locked.
---
She was beautiful.
Not the gentle type of beauty that faded in a crowd.
But the kind that dominated attention without effort.
Long dark hair flowed like silk over her shoulders, catching the light with a faint purple sheen. Her eyes were calm, intelligent, and slightly distant—like she had seen too much of the world already.
Her face was flawless, not in an artificial way, but in a way that felt naturally perfected by heaven itself.
Her presence alone made the surrounding disciples feel dull.
Even Lin Xue—who was already considered top-tier in beauty and temperament—felt like a different category entirely when compared.
Jiang Chen's expression changed slightly.
*So this is… her.*
His betrothed.
Mu Qinglan.
The engagement was something the previous owner of this body had agreed to long before Jiang Chen arrived in this world.
But strangely
There were no emotional memories attached.
Only fragments.
Incomplete.
As if the original soul of this body had been… unstable.
Mu Qinglan's eyes shifted.
They met Jiang Chen's.
For a brief moment
Something flickered in her gaze.
Recognition.
Then curiosity.
Then faint surprise.
She walked forward calmly, stopping a few steps away.
"…You've changed," she said softly.
Her voice was like flowing water,calm, clear, and controlled.
Jiang Chen studied her carefully.
"…People change," he replied.
A faint pause.
Then Mu Qinglan tilted her head slightly. "Not like this."
The surrounding disciples immediately became silent, watching.
Even Zhou Yan frowned slightly.
"Interesting," Han Wei muttered. "That's his fiancée?"
Lin Xue said nothing, but her gaze subtly sharpened.
Mu Qinglan's eyes remained on Jiang Chen. "You feel different. Like your foundation is no longer the same."
Jiang Chen's mind tightened slightly.
*She can sense something…?*
But he remained calm.
"I had an awakening," he said simply.
Mu Qinglan observed him for a few seconds longer, then nodded slightly.
"…I see."
She turned as if to leave, then paused.
"…Be careful in the realm," she said quietly.
Then she walked away.
Jiang Chen watched her leave, his expression unreadable.
But inside—
He noted it.
*She is not ordinary.*
---
As the assembly continued, Jiang Chen's system flickered faintly.
---
**[System Update: External Energy Signatures Detected]**
**[Unknown Compatibility Sources Nearby]**
---
Jiang Chen frowned slightly.
"…Unknown?"
This was the first time the system flagged something like this.
But before he could analyze it further
Elder Zhao's voice echoed again.
"Prepare. The realm opens shortly."
---
Elsewhere in the crowd
Hidden among other sect elites
A few individuals exchanged silent glances.
Their auras were subtle.
Too controlled.
Too precise.
But Jiang Chen didn't notice them yet.
Not yet.
---
Meanwhile, deep inside his fragmented memories
A flicker appeared.
A name.
A place.
Something the original owner of the body once created but abandoned.
---
**"Shadow Meridian Pavilion."**
A hidden organization.
Built in secrecy.
Not a sect.
Not a clan.
But something between intelligence network and assassination guild.
A structure designed by the former genius of this body… before his cultivation collapse.
And something
Jiang Chen had completely forgotten until now.
---
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…What is this?"
The memory was incomplete.
Fragmented.
But it was real.
And it was connected to this world in ways he didn't yet understand.
---
The system flickered again:
**[Memory Fragment Detected]**
**[Incomplete Identity Residue]**
---
Jiang Chen exhaled slowly.
*So this body still has secrets…*
And worse
He had no idea who might already be using them.
---
The sky above rumbled.
The realm gate began to open.
And as the light descended
Jiang Chen stepped forward.