An Invitation from the Body Sect, a Journey to Heaven Dou

The Seven Luminaries Team's first gathering came to an end in a somewhat awkward manner.

Outside the training room, the setting sun cast the Spirit Pagoda headquarters' shadow long across the ground. The seven of them went their separate ways, each wearing a different expression—some deep in thought, some indignant, and some completely indifferent.

Xiao Cheng walked out of the building alongside the Leng sisters, while Leng Yaozhu chattered nonstop about what had happened that day.

"Tell me, what was that supposed to be? It was clearly a captain selection, yet in the end nobody became captain. That Pagoda Master's face—I didn't see it relax once the whole time. He looked constipated." Leng Yaozhu gestured as she spoke, her tone full of gloating. "And I seriously don't understand why he gave Qiangu Dongfeng that Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. Wasn't that practically announcing to everyone that he was playing favorites? Qiangu Qingfeng would be a miracle if he could accept that calmly!"

Leng Yulai followed beside her sister and said softly, "Sis, don't talk about Pagoda Master Qiangu like that... What if someone hears you...?"

"Let them hear! It's not like I'm lying!" Leng Yaozhu waved dismissively. "Besides, anyone with eyes could see what happened today. Pagoda Master Qiangu wanted Qiangu Dongfeng to become captain, but what happened? Qiangu Qingfeng refused to accept it, and Xiao Cheng fought him to a draw, leaving the captain's position vacant. Wasn't that trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead?"

Listening to Leng Yaozhu's complaints, Xiao Cheng could not help but smile. "All right, Sister Yaozhu, say a little less. He is still the Pagoda Master. It wouldn't be good if those words reached his ears."

"Tch, if he did it, why should he be afraid of people talking?" Leng Yaozhu said, though she did restrain herself somewhat before asking, "By the way, Xiao Cheng, how do you think this will end?"

Xiao Cheng pondered for a moment before slowly answering, "The matter of the captain probably won't be brought up again anytime soon. The results of today's matches are right there—Qiangu Dongfeng may be the strongest, but he failed to win everyone over; Qiangu Qingfeng wanted to compete for the position, but lost to his younger brother; and the rest of us all have our own thoughts. Forcing a captain into place under these circumstances would only divide the team further."

He paused, then continued, "But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. There are still seven years until the All-Federation Youth Soul Master Competition. We have enough time to work together and grow. Once everyone's strength undergoes a qualitative leap, the captaincy will naturally fall into place."

"That makes sense." Leng Yaozhu nodded, then gave a sly laugh. "But honestly, seeing you fight Qiangu Dongfeng to a draw today was really satisfying. You didn't see his face. He'd clearly beaten Qiangu Qingfeng, only for you to drag him into a tie afterward. He'll probably be brooding over it for days when he gets back."

Xiao Cheng shook his head helplessly. "I was just lucky. If he hadn't fought two battles in a row and used up so much Soul Power, I probably couldn't have lasted that long."

"That still means you're impressive!" Leng Yaozhu patted his shoulder. "I don't care, if you become captain someday, I'll definitely support you!"

"I never said I wanted to be captain..." Xiao Cheng hurriedly waved his hands.

"You haven't said it now, but that doesn't mean you won't want it later!" Leng Yaozhu winked, wearing an expression that said she understood everything.

Xiao Cheng did not know whether to laugh or cry, so he changed the subject. "All right, all right, let's head back first. I fought several matches today too. I'm tired."

Yet Xiao Cheng privately marveled at Leng Yaozhu's perceptiveness. He had not wanted to be captain before because his strength and background were insufficient. Now that he had an opportunity, naturally he needed to fight for it properly.

There was nothing wrong with being an ordinary team member, but becoming captain would open up a far wider world for him.

After returning home, Xiao Cheng found Mu Wan had prepared a table full of sumptuous dishes. The dining table was covered with his favorite foods, their fragrance filling the room and whetting his appetite.

Not long afterward, Xiao Ran returned as well. He looked somewhat tired, but his spirits were good. The family sat around the dining table together, enjoying this rare time of reunion.

During dinner, Mu Wan set down her chopsticks and said solemnly, "Ran, Cheng'er, I have something to discuss with you."

Xiao Ran raised his head and asked curiously, "What is it? Why so serious?"

Mu Wan glanced at Xiao Cheng and slowly said, "My father sent word today."

"Oh?" Xiao Ran raised an eyebrow. "Does Father-in-law have something to say?"

"He hopes that I'll take Cheng'er back to the Body Sect." Mu Wan said, "First, Cheng'er can receive the Body Sect's more complete inheritance. Second, he wants to meet his own grandson. After all, since Cheng'er was born, he has only seen him in person a few times."

Xiao Ran fell silent for a moment upon hearing that, then nodded. "That's a good thing. Cheng'er's Body Martial Soul has never received systematic development and guidance. If he can obtain the Body Sect's complete inheritance, it will be tremendously beneficial to his future growth."

Although the Seven Luminaries Team had already been formed, they were merely gathered every so often to build rapport. When it came to training methods and resources, the families behind most of the team members knew far better than they did how to nurture their own geniuses. The Spirit Pagoda merely provided the team with certain conveniences and rare treasures it had managed to acquire.

Although Xiao Ran and his father-in-law had had some unpleasantness when he first went to the Body Sect to ask for Mu Wan's hand, Xiao Ran had ultimately moved his father-in-law with his ability and sincerity, successfully marrying Mu Wan.

Xiao Ran paused, looking at Mu Wan apologetically. "It's just... I have an extremely important project lately. It concerns whether, if Cheng'er's secret is exposed in the future, I'll have the power to deter outsiders and protect him. The project has reached its most crucial stage, and I truly can't leave..."

Mu Wan held his hand understandingly. "I understand. Focus on your work. I can take Cheng'er there myself. Heaven Dou City isn't too far from Shrek City anyway. With a Black-Grade Mecha for transportation, we'll be there in a few hours."

Xiao Ran looked gratefully at his wife. "I'll have to trouble you, Wan'er."

"Why are you talking about trouble? Cheng'er is my son too." Mu Wan smiled, then looked at Xiao Cheng. "Cheng'er, we'll leave early tomorrow morning. Get some rest tonight."

"Okay, Mom." Xiao Cheng nodded obediently, though anticipation stirred in his heart.

The Body Sect... That colossal force which had once stood alongside Shrek Academy and Mingde Hall ten thousand years ago. Though it had now declined, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. It surely still had quite a few good things.

Moreover, his Body Martial Soul had indeed never received systematic development. If he could use this opportunity to obtain the Body Sect's complete inheritance, it would certainly be greatly beneficial to improving his strength.

Early the next morning, Xiao Cheng followed Mu Wan to the mecha parking grounds in Shrek City.

When the "means of transportation" Mu Wan had mentioned appeared before him, he could not help but suck in a sharp breath.

It was a pitch-black, streamlined mecha standing roughly eight meters tall. Its overall form resembled a cheetah poised to pounce, brimming with both power and speed. Faint soul-guided light flowed across its armored surface, giving off an intimidating pressure that made one's heart tremble.

A Black-Grade Mecha!

On the Douluo Continent, mechas were divided into five grades: white, yellow, purple, black, and red. A Black-Grade Mecha was already a top-tier existence second only to a Red-Grade Mecha, and normally only experts at the Title Douluo level were qualified to pilot one. Mu Wan was a ninth-rank mecha maker. Though she had not devoted much effort to mecha combat, making herself a Black-Grade Mecha as transportation was still easy enough.

"Mom, this mecha of yours... is way too cool, isn't it?" Xiao Cheng could not help but exclaim.

Mu Wan smiled faintly and rubbed her son's head. "When you grow up, Mom will make one for you too."

"It's a deal!" Xiao Cheng's eyes lit up as he quickly replied.

The two boarded the mecha, and Mu Wan skillfully activated its piloting system. Accompanied by a faint hum, the Black-Grade Mecha slowly rose into the air before turning into a streak of black light and speeding toward Heaven Dou City.

The Black-Grade Mecha was incredibly fast. In just over two hours, the outline of Heaven Dou City appeared in their field of view.

Heaven Dou City, once the capital of both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Heaven Soul Empire, was now one of the Sun Moon Federation's important cities. The city possessed a long history and deep cultural heritage. Though it was not as prosperous as Shrek City in terms of economy or military might, it was still a major city with a population of several million.

The mecha landed on a private landing pad outside Heaven Dou City. Mu Wan led Xiao Cheng out of the mecha, and the moment they had steadied themselves, they saw a broad, handsome young man approaching them.

The young man appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He stood nearly one meter ninety tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with thick brows and large eyes. A hearty smile filled his face. Dressed in simple fitted clothes, he gave off the unrestrained air of a heroic man.

"Sis! You finally made it!" The young man laughed as he stepped forward and gave Mu Wan a huge hug. "I've been waiting for you for nearly an hour!"

Mu Wan smiled and patted his back. "We got delayed on the road. Sorry to keep you waiting so long. A'Man, it's been so many years, and you've gotten even sturdier."

"Of course!" The young man proudly puffed out his chest. "I'm the number one expert of the Body Sect's younger generation now! In a few more years, I might even catch up to Dad!"

This young man was Mu Wan's younger brother and Xiao Cheng's maternal uncle—Mu Man.

Hearing that name, Xiao Cheng's heart stirred slightly.

Mu Man... Mu Ye... With names like that, could the Body Sect Master Mu Ye from the beginning of the original story be my uncle's son? Then wouldn't I be the future Body Sect Master's older cousin? This family tree is really complicated...

Mu Man also noticed Xiao Cheng standing beside Mu Wan. His eyes lit up as he crouched down and warmly patted Xiao Cheng's shoulder. "You must be Cheng'er, right? I'm your uncle, Mu Man! Just call me Uncle!"

His palm was broad and powerful. When it landed on Xiao Cheng's shoulder, Xiao Cheng felt as though he had been struck by a bear's paw and nearly lost his footing.

"Un... Uncle, hello." Xiao Cheng said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. His uncle's enthusiasm was really a little overwhelming.

"Good, good, good! What a good nephew!" Mu Man laughed heartily, scooping Xiao Cheng up and lifting him over his head. "Just as expected of the Mu Family's bloodline! This frame, this vigor—one look tells me you're fine material!"

Held in the air, Xiao Cheng looked helplessly at his mother, only to find Mu Wan covering her mouth as she laughed. Clearly, she was already used to her younger brother's enthusiasm.

"All right, A'Man, don't scare Cheng'er." Mu Wan said with a smile. "Take us back to the sect first. Father must be getting anxious."

"Right, right, right, let's go back first!" Only then did Mu Man set Xiao Cheng down and wave a large hand. "Come on, Uncle will show you the Body Sect's mountain gate!"

As they walked, he endlessly told Xiao Cheng about the Body Sect's history.

"Cheng'er, did you know? Ten thousand years ago, our Body Sect was one of the continent's most powerful forces! Back then, the Body Sect, Shrek Academy, and Mingde Hall stood as three pillars. None was inferior to the others! The Body Sect Master was someone who could stand on equal footing with the master of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion!"

"Unfortunately..." As he spoke of this, Mu Man's tone became somewhat subdued. "Later, the Sun Moon Empire invaded the Heaven Soul Empire, and the Body Sect suffered devastating losses in the war. Nearly half of its inheritance was cut off. From then on, the Body Sect declined. Though a starving camel is still bigger than a horse and it remains a powerful force, it can no longer compare to its former glory."

Xiao Cheng listened quietly, feeling somewhat emotional as well.

The Body Sect's decline had been inevitable. In an era where soul-guided technology was developing at breakneck speed, the traditional Martial Soul cultivation system had suffered a tremendous impact. On top of that, the Body Sect had failed to embrace the changing times in time, instead going against the tide and resisting the era itself. Combined with the devastation of war, its survival until now was already a blessing amid misfortune.

"But!" Mu Man's tone suddenly rose again. "Our Body Sect is slowly recovering now! Especially after Dad broke through to Rank 98, the sect's prestige rose considerably. And with a nephew like you, possessing Twin Martial Souls, perhaps our Body Sect can restore its former glory in the future!"

Xiao Cheng smiled but did not respond. He could hardly tell him that in the original story, the future Body Sect had already fractured into pieces, with only a handful of people left, and its sect master was not even a Super Douluo.

The group proceeded along the mountain path, passing through a dense forest before the view suddenly opened up—

A towering mountain gate stood amid the encircling peaks.

The gate was roughly ten zhang tall, built entirely from enormous bluestone blocks. Weathered by wind and rain, it exuded an ancient, timeworn aura. On the plaque above the gate, three large characters had been carved in vigorous strokes—

Body Sect!

Though the writing had become somewhat faded, the majestic aura contained within those three words still inspired awe.

"We're here!" Mu Man swept out a hand and declared grandly, "Cheng'er, welcome to the Body Sect!"

Standing before the mountain gate, Xiao Cheng looked up at the three bold, powerful characters, and an inexplicable anticipation rose within his heart.