A Mortal

Inside the Taixuan Sacred Land's grand hall.

"The Taixuan Sacred Land is stronger than ever, as now we're in your care, Sacred Lord Su." said an old man in Taoist clothing who was seated. It was Zhao Tian, the Sacred Lord of the Yangzu Sacred Land.

"You flatter me." Su Taixuan, the Sacred Lord of the Taixuan Sacred Land, replied with a smile as he sat on the podium that was reached by a staircase. "It was all thanks to Young Master Gu."

"Yes, it's only thanks to the young master's generosity back then that we're here now." Another old man responded, seated next to Zhao Tian. This was Chu Wuji, the Sacred Lord of the Great Sun Empire.

"From now on, the Taixuan Sacred Land will be our leader, and we will do as you command." A middle-age looking man seated next to Chu Wuji added. This was Xiao Huo of the Ancient Xiao Family.

In a nearby room, a young woman was seated. She had long, sleek black hair adorned with an intricate teal and silver hairpiece, complemented by a small jewel on her forehead. Her delicate, pale face featured thin, arched eyebrows and striking aqua-colored eyes, showcasing her refined beauty. She wore a flowing teal and white dress, layered with intricate gold patterns and a keyhole design on the bodice, adorned with a small golden pendant at her neckline. Gold armlets embellished her forearms, and the high-slit dress outlined her curves, revealing long, slender legs covered in teal stockings, paired with matching teal heeled boots.

This was Su Qingge, the daughter of Su Taixuan.

"Hehe." Su Qingge chuckled, placing her hand over her mouth.

"What's wrong?" a voice sounded beside her. A young man in Taoist clothing was seated next to her, with a small table between them. It was Gu Changge.

"Didn't you hear what they said, Young Master?" Su Qingge smiled as she looked at Gu Changge. "They've all lived for over a millennium, yet they still change their hearts as easily as three-year-olds."

Su Qingge was referring to the words of the Sacred Lords in the hall. Back then, they had come to the Taixuan Sacred Land with the intent to take the spiritual veins and other ill intentions. However, it was Gu Changge who stopped and defeated them. With no other options left, they joined under the Taixuan Sacred Land.

"Really?" Gu Changge smirked, side-glancing at Su Qingge as he continued. "If you would like, I'll make them do it a few more times-"

He was about to finish when a huge tremor ran through the entire Sacred Land.

"Hmm." Gu Changge frowned, feeling the shaking, unsure of what was happening.

"What was that?" Su Qingge asked, startled by the sudden tremor.

"I don't know, but let's see." Gu Changge stood up, leaving the room with Su Qingge following behind.

Arriving at the hall, they saw the Sacred Lords standing in place, confusion masking their faces.

"What's going on?" Gu Changge asked.

"Young Master." the Sacred Lords said in unison, suddenly feeling relieved by his arrival.

"What's wrong?" Gu Changge asked, referring to the sudden tremor.

"We don't know." The three Sacred Lords replied, shaking their heads. They were also unaware of what had caused the tremor.

"I suspect it's an enemy attack." Xiao Huo suggested.

'An enemy?'

This was the question on everyone's mind. Who would be foolish enough to invade this place? There were four Sacred Lord realm experts, along with Gu Changge. Who could be reckless enough to attack?

"Let's check it out." Gu Changge said before flying out of the hall, followed by the rest, heading to investigate the cause of the disturbance.

===

Earlier…

Toji was making his way toward the Taixuan Sacred Land. After some time, he arrived.

"So this is the place." Toji remarked, looking at the enormous Sacred Land before him.

The Sacred Land encompassed vast stretches of mountains, with numerous divine islands floating in the air. A spiritual mist enveloped the area, and visions of auspicious beasts soared and dove in the sky above. Behind these visions and veils of mist lay a land of pure holiness.

"This must be the work of the spiritual veins." Toji muttered, observing the mythical scene. A ten-thousand-year-old spiritual vein could transform its surroundings into a natural paradise or a spiritual haven like this. These regions often had abundant flora, divine beasts, and natural defenses. They might also generate phenomena like floating islands, glowing spiritual mist, or even protective spiritual barriers.

Toji dashed forward, his movement a blur, and arrived at the heart of the Sacred Land almost instantly, where the spiritual vein should be located. Without wasting a second, he unleashed a devastating punch. His fist collided with the earth, unleashing tremendous force. The ground cracked and splintered outward in jagged lines, the impact rippling like a wave through the land. In an instant, the center collapsed into a 10-foot crater, the surrounding earth crumbling under the sheer pressure. A massive shockwave erupted, shaking the air and scattering debris in every direction, leaving a deep, jagged scar in the once-pristine land.

This revealed the rocky core, interconnected with veins and roots spreading beneath the land.

"System, if I remove this, won't the spiritual energy start leaking and diluting into the air?" Toji asked, observing how the veins were connected, sealing the spiritual energy inside.

[Yes, Host.]

"If I store it in the ring, will it prevent the energy from leaking?" Toji followed up.

[Yes, Host.]

"Then let's do that. I'll figure out the energy leakage problem later." Toji muttered. With a glow from the storage ring on his right finger, his split-soul katana appeared in his hand. He crouched down, preparing to sever the veins and roots attaching the core to the ground, but before he could do so, six figures appeared in the distance.

"Who dares intrude on my Sacred Land?" A figure said loudly, his aura spreading out and falling onto Toji.

Toji straightened, meeting the speaker's gaze. "Just a nobody, old man." He replied mockingly, seemingly uncaring by the pressure directed at him.

'A kid?' the figures thought in unison as they observed Toji's youthful appearance. They couldn't fathom where this reckless kid had come from, but it was clear he intended to steal the spiritual veins.

After all, they could see the crater where the young man stood, and in front of him lay the spiritual veins. The abundant, powerful energy in the air made it unmistakable.

Yet another thought crossed the Sacred Lords' minds.

'His cultivation base… why can't I sense it?' None of the Sacred Lords could understand why they couldn't discern the young man's cultivation base. This could mean only one thing: the young man's cultivation was far above theirs. However, this seemed absurd. It shouldn't be possible for someone so young to surpass the Sacred Lord realm. While they had encountered Gu Changge, a young man at the Sacred Emperor realm, his strength was explainable due to his origins in the upper realms.

But the young man in front of them seemed to be from the lower realm, like them.

'Why is a kid here?' Su Qingge looked curiously at the kid who was smiling. Though his face showed how young he was, his body was completely different from any normal kid. Even through his clothes, she was able to visualize how it looked.

'Hmm.' Gu Changge frowned, looking at the person in the crater. He could tell this person was young, younger than him, but he was curious as he wasn't able to sense the cultivation base of the young man.

'Is he above the Sacred Emperor realm?' he thought but quickly shook the thought off as it shouldn't be possible. But if it were the case, then this person must be...

'What?' Gu Changge's eyes widened slightly as he looked in front of him, or, more precisely, at the system's interface above the young man's head that indicated his fortune value.

'Is it really possible?' He questioned himself, looking at the indication of the fortune value, which was zero. He was quite surprised, not expecting to see that type of number. After all, even complete mortals have slight fortune value. Even if it was barely there, their fortune value still existed.

Anyone in this world needed fortune value to survive. That was just a small blessing from the heavens.

And even himself, a villain destined to go against the heavens, at the start, had a small fortune value. So how could someone have no fortune value whatsoever? Shouldn't the young man die young, considering he doesn't have any slight blessings to keep him alive? Because mortals having slight fortune value indicates their normal survival in life.

Is the kid abandoned by the heavens?

Gu Changge sighed, losing interest since there was no fortune value to reap, and there was no use dwelling on something like that. But first...

'System, can you tell me his cultivation base?' Gu Changge internally asked, wanting to know if there was someone, younger than him, from this lower realm being stronger.

[No, host.]

'Huh? Why?' Gu Changge asked, startled as to why the system wouldn't tell him, considering it was able to do this much, right?

[Because that person doesn't have a cultivation base, a complete mortal.]

'Huh!?' Hearing the response of the system shocked Gu Changge.

'No cultivation base?' He looked at the young man, a smile plastered on his face. Now he couldn't understand how it was that the person had no cultivation base, being a mortal, coming here, and doing that kind of destruction.

'Interesting.' Gu Changge smiled. This was probably the most interesting thing he had come across in this realm. Even Ye Chen, the son of luck, doesn't seem to be any more interesting than this person in front of him. He was really intrigued by the kid.

But he wasn't the only one who was looking at Toji with interest, as Toji himself was looking at him so.

"So you're the one from the upper realms." Toji spoke, making all the eyes that were in a daze in their own thoughts focus again on him.

"Hmm." Gu Changge, seeing the kid talking to him, frowned. Judging by the words, this kid seemed to have come here for him?

"Hmph." He chuckled to himself as everyone turned their eyes towards him, seeing what his response was going to be.

"Yes, I am. Are you here for my head?" Gu Changge joked, his smile wide. The kid coming all the way here seemed not only for the Taixuan Sacred Land's spiritual veins but also to see him. After all, he noticed the slight killing intent gleaming in the kid's eyes, which was quite laughable. The idea of someone being able to kill him in this mortal realm was far from possible. After all, even if a Sacred Sovereign realm expert came here, he could face him without falling at a disadvantage. And even if a quasi-god realm expert came, he had old Ming by his side, a Divine King realm expert.

"Not at all." Toji shook his head, his smile slightly widened as he looked into Gu Changge's mocking eyes, clearly looking down on him.

"After all, taking your head gives me no benefits. But maybe, someday..." Toji's eyes gleamed fiercely, eyeing Gu Changge, who frowned. "...it will."

What Toji meant by "someday" is when Ye Chen comes by for a request, which he hopes will happen. After all, he doesn't think this guy would want anyone else to help him since he wants to be the one to kill Gu Changge. But it should work, considering Ye Chen has someone with at least a brain by his side.

"Brazen."

"Arrogant."

"A brat who doesn't know how high the sky is."

The three Sacred Lords' curiosity turned into shouts directed at Toji. His reply towards the young master Gu Changge triggered their anger.

Just from the kid's words, it was obvious what he meant. The kid was saying that he'd kill the young master.

"Young master, don't worry. I'll deal with this kid." Xiao Huo said as he started walking forward.

"Let me deal with him. Crippling him would be a fitting punishment for his words towards the young master," Zhao Tian scoffed as he also moved forward.

"No, no, I'll deal with this brat. I'll make him kneel and lick the shoes of the young master." Chu Wuji said with anger as he as well approached Toji, who was standing in the pit.

'These guys...' Su Taixuan looked at the three, stunned. Were these guys that desperate to gain the favor of the young master? Well, maybe he would've done the same to get a favor from him. After all, young master Gu Changge's origin and strength are unfathomable.

"Then go ahead, but I want him alive." Gu Changge agreed with these old guys. He wanted the kid alive. After all, the fortune value being zero really piqued his curiosity. While the son of luck obtains opportunities and mortals live their life with a fifty-fifty survival rate in this world, he wanted to see how this kid would live. Does bad luck always befall him? He wanted to see, and maybe he could gain something from the kid.

"Brat, you heard the young master's words. Today you won't be leaving this place... Huh?" Xiao Huo said as he was approaching, but he stopped at the edge of the pit, as suddenly...

"What?" He widened his eyes as the sound of piercing sounded through the air. He slowly looked down to see a sword was pierced through him from the back.

'A sword?' Xiao Huo looked shocked at the blade that was pierced through him. He couldn't understand what was happening.

"Why so surprised?" A chuckle came into the ears of Xiao Huo from behind, startling him. He slowly yet shakily turned his head to the side, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes widened further as he saw the kid with a huge savage smile.

'How did he...' Xiao Huo couldn't understand how the kid was behind him. 'Wasn't he there... huh?' He looked back to the crater only to see the kid that was supposedly standing there and who seemed to still be there was slowly vanishing from his place.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, right?" Toji mocked, feeling the fear and confusion from Xiao Huo, his split-soul katana firmly plunged into him, piercing right through his heart.

Toji could tell that this guy, along with the other two, was at most in the late stage of the Sacred Lord realm, not even at the peak. But even if they were, the results wouldn't change. Toji acted instantly, catching the man off guard. His speed was blinding, nearly impossible for their eyes to follow. Carefree or not, the results would remain the same, it would be one-sided.

Toji could easily kill a Sacred Lord or a Sacred Emperor, and could face a Sacred Sovereign or Quasi-God without being at a disadvantage. Why? Because if, and only if, they were like this guy, a talentless idiot who had lived for over a millennia yet remained in the Sacred Lord realm, only at the late stage, then they were no challenge. These men were nothing but pathetic old fools whose only advantage was being born in the right place.

If they had been forced to fend for themselves, they wouldn't have survived long. Luck was the only reason they had come this far. Their cultivation? Pathetic at best.

However, if they had been young, perhaps in their twenties, Toji would have been more cautious. Talented cultivators of that age would have combat effectiveness far greater than their realm suggested, making them troublesome opponents. This would be even more so if they hailed from the upper realm, like Gu Changge. But that thought only fueled Toji's desire to face him.

'I-Impossible...' Xiao Huo thought, staring at the sword plunged firmly through his heart. He could feel his life slipping away, his vitality fading with every passing moment. He couldn't comprehend what had happened.

How could that kid's speed be so fast? So fast that he hadn't even seen him move. The figure slowly vanishing before his eyes was nothing but an afterimage. Worse still, he couldn't sense the kid. Not a single trace of spiritual energy.

'D-Damn it.' Xiao Huo cursed internally, blood dripping from his mouth. His vision darkened as his body grew limp. He collapsed to the ground, his life seeping away. Never in his wildest thoughts did he imagine that his end would come at the hands of some random kid.

"Heh." Toji chuckled, staring at Xiao Huo's corpse. "A fitting end for an idiot." He turned around, his split-soul katana resting casually on his shoulder, his gaze locked on Gu Changge, who stood frozen in place, clearly not expecting such an outcome. "You want to capture me alive?" Toji's smile twisted into something crazed, his eyes filled with disdain. "Do you really think you can handle me?" His tone turned mocking. "God from the upper realm?"

Silence followed. Gu Changge, along with the others, was stunned to the core.

'He killed Xiao Huo?'

The Sacred Lords, Zhao Tian, Chu Wuji, and Su Taixuan, stared in disbelief at Xiao Huo's lifeless body. It was him, there was no doubt about it. But how?

The kid had acted so quickly that they hadn't even noticed. They had only heard the sound of flesh being pierced, turning to see the kid standing behind Xiao Huo, his blade plunged through his body. They couldn't believe it.

Xiao Huo, a late-stage Sacred Lord, had been killed just like that. It wasn't just shocking, it was terrifying. If this kid could kill Xiao Huo so effortlessly, what would happen to them if they tried to fight him?

Even more unnerving, they still couldn't sense any spiritual energy from the kid.

Su Qingge covered her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. It was already rare to see a Sacred Lord realm cultivator die like that. But for it to be a kid, someone seemingly younger than her, from the mortal realm, no less, made it incomprehensible. If the kid had been from the upper realm, like Gu Changge, it would've been understandable. But this was someone from the mortal realm which was quite different.

Gu Changge stared silently at the kid. Normally, a scene like this wouldn't even catch his attention, just another grain of dust in the vast universe. But this time was different.

Why?

It wasn't because the kid had killed a late-stage Sacred Lord. It wasn't even because the kid was seemingly younger than him.

It was because the kid had no cultivation base. A mortal defeating a late-stage Sacred Lord without any cultivation was unheard of. This news could shake the upper realm if it spread.

'Was this some kind of anomaly? A loophole in the heavenly laws? Or perhaps, an entirely new variable the heavens themselves couldn't control?' Gu Changge's mind raced as he analyzed the situation.

"You two, kill him. And don't be careless." Gu Changge ordered.

He wanted to test the kid further. Xiao Huo had been caught off guard, but now the two Sacred Lords would attack with killing intent. He wanted to see if the kid could handle it.

"Understood, young master." Zhao Tian and Chu Wuji said, long swords materializing in their hands. Their late-stage Sacred Lord auras filled the air as they charged at Toji, weapons gleaming with spiritual energy.

Toji smiled, his eyes glowing faintly red with unrestrained killing intent.

"Two of you? That's generous. At least you'll die together," Toji said calmly, his tone laced with disdain.

As the two swords descended, Toji's figure flickered, vanishing instantly. Zhao Tian's blade sliced through empty air, and Chu Wuji's sword struck only an afterimage. Shockwaves spread out from the two attacks, shaking the air.

"You're too slow." Toji murmured, reappearing between them. A faint glow came from his storage ring as a thick, black chain materialized in his left hand.

Before Zhao Tian could react, the chain coiled around him like a viper, binding him tightly.

"You think mere chains could... Huh?" Zhao Tian's voice faltered as he struggled. He couldn't break free.

'What is this?' Zhao Tian thought in confusion as he fell to the ground. His cultivation base seemed to leave his body. He felt his realm suppressed yet not fully suppressed, a bizarre sensation. The more Zhao Tian struggled, the tighter the chains constricted, suppressing his cultivation base entirely.

'Just what kind of chains are those?' Zhao Tian continued to struggle, but it was futile. He felt as weak as a mortal, unable to use any spiritual energy at all.

"Die, you brat!" Chu Wuji roared, his eyes flashing with killing intent as spiritual energy enveloped his sword. He slashed toward Toji's chest. Toji didn't flinch. With a fluid motion, he struck out with his fist against the incoming slash.

"Hahaha, you brat, do you think your fist can withstand my-" Chu Wuji laughed mockingly, but his laughter abruptly stopped.

"Huh?" His face froze in disbelief. The expected outcome, his sword cleaving through Toji's arm, didn't happen. Instead, his Earth-Grade artifact shattered like glass upon impact.

"Impossi-" Chu Wuji began to exclaim but was cut short. A sickening crack echoed as Toji's fist slammed into Chu Wuji's chest, collapsing his ribcage completely, shattering it entirely. The force sent Chu Wuji hurtling to the ground, blood spraying from his mouth. The impact shattered the ground beneath him, a shockwave rippling outward. Chu Wuji lay completely immobilized.

"I have to say, you guys are probably the weakest people I've faced." Toji chuckled, glancing at Chu Wuji, who writhed in pain. As Toji had analyzed from the start, these old men were nothing more than false Sacred Lord realm experts if he were to describe them. Their cultivation was meaningless.

Toji stepped over Zhao Tian, who struggled beneath the chains. His green eyes locked onto Gu Changge, a wicked grin curling on his lips.

"This is the best your old men can offer? Disappointing." Toji said mockingly.

"You brat, don't be too arrogant! The young master only needs a thought to end you!" Zhao Tian snarled, still straining against the chains. Toji pressed a foot against Zhao Tian's chest, pinning him in place.

"Why bark so much when you're about to die?" Toji chuckled. The Split Soul Katana vanished from his hand, replaced by a sleek, glowing gun.

"Struggling won't save you." Toji said coldly. "Words won't change the outcome." He aimed the weapon at Zhao Tian's head. "And that is death."

The gun fired. The spiritual energy-infused bullet pierced Zhao Tian's skull, killing him instantly.

Without pausing, Toji turned and approached Chu Wuji, who writhed in agony on the ground. Toji planted his boot on Chu Wuji's neck, leaning slightly as he glanced at Gu Changge.

"Anything to offer for his life? No?" Toji chuckled as Gu Changge remained silent, his expression calm but unreadable. "Figures. You upper realm types are all the same, loyalty ends where convenience begins."

Chu Wuji's eyes widened in terror as Toji applied pressure to his neck. "You should've run." Toji said with disdain. "Now you die like a dog, abandoned by your master."

With a sickening snap, Chu Wuji's neck broke under Toji's boot.

Toji straightened, his gaze fixed on Gu Changge.

"So, it's just you and me now." Toji said, his tone casual, almost bored, as if what had just transpired was inconsequential.

"Interesting." Gu Changge's lips curled into a faint smirk, his initial shock now replaced with intrigue. "You're more interesting than I thought." He said, his tone calm, though his eyes shone with curiosity.

"Interesting?" Toji tilted his head, his mocking smile unwavering. "That's all you've got to say after your lackeys' pathetic performance?"

"Of course, it's interesting." Gu Changge replied, his smile still etched on his face. "How could it not be? Three Sacred Lord realm experts fell with such ease at the hands of a complete mortal with no cultivation base whatsoever." His smile widened.

'A mortal?'

Master Su and Su Qingge gasped in disbelief at Gu Changge's words.

This revelation overshadowed the shock of seeing the three Sacred Lords die. A mortal? A mortal had killed cultivators? Was this some kind of mistake? But the absence of spiritual energy on the kid seems to explain that.

Both were not just shocked by the deaths of the three Sacred Lords, but even more so, by the fact that their deaths were at the hands of a mortal.

A mortal with no cultivation base whatsoever had accomplished this. News of such an event would undoubtedly shake the entire world.

To comprehend the gravity of this situation, one needed to understand the divide between mortals and cultivators. Mortals, no matter how skilled, were limited by their frail bodies and lack of spiritual energy. Cultivators transcended these mortal limitations, their bodies tempered, their blood infused with spiritual essence, and their abilities far beyond human comprehension.

A Sacred Lord realm cultivator could move faster than sound, shatter mountains with a casual strike, and endure attacks that would obliterate armies. For a mortal to contend with such beings, let alone kill them, was not just improbable, it should have been impossible.

"How could this happen?" Su Qingge murmured, her voice trembling. "A mortal… without spiritual energy… killed someone at the Sacred Lord realm?"

"Even the weakest cultivator at the Mortal Body realm would annihilate an ordinary mortal in a single exchange." Su Taixuan analyzed, sweat dripping down his forehead as he looked at Toji. "Yet that boy… no, that monster, killed all three Sacred Lords as if it were nothing."

'That is, of course.' Gu Changge thought, hearing their words. 'The disparity between mortals and cultivators is insurmountable. Even a minor realm difference can mean life or death. But here, we have a mortal, no spiritual foundation, no spiritual energy, erasing that gap entirely. It defies reason.'

'But that's what makes him interesting.' Gu Changge thought, his gaze fixed on Toji, trying to evaluate him.

"So what about it?" Toji chuckled, seeing Gu Changge analyze the situation. "Are you surprised?"

"Of course I am. You don't deny being a mortal, yet your actions speak otherwise." Gu Changge smiled calmly. "Tell me, what's your secret?"

"If you're so curious." Toji said, the gun in his hand replaced by the Split Soul Katana. His smile became manic as he looked at Gu Changge. "Why don't you come here and find out for yourself?"

This was it. This was where Toji would break through his limits. He might die, considering it wasn't only Gu Changge present. He could feel someone glaring at him from the sky, likely Gu Changge's personal guard, but for him to interfere, Toji knew what he needed to do..

Show Gu Changge what a heaven-defying mortal truly was.