A cool breeze stirred the night air.
Without realizing it, Lu Changsheng found the street deserted.
He could hear only his own footsteps echoing clearly in his ears.
Gradually, Lu Changsheng came to a halt.
Without even turning his head, he spoke calmly into the dark: "You have followed me for long enough. Come out."
His voice reverberated through the surroundings, yet not a figure was in sight.
Lu Changsheng's fingers closed around the hilt of his blade.
"Brother Dao."
Just as he was about to draw his weapon, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Hmm? Miss Yun?"
Lu Changsheng turned sharply to find a woman clad in black.
Though masked, he recognized her at a glance: it was Yun Haitang.
"Brother Dao, I searched for you for a long time, but you had vanished without a trace. With the Yunying ore mother appearing recently, I guessed you would want to witness the commotion, so I waited outside the Ocean Commerce Guild,"
Yun Haitang said slowly, "I never expected you would truly show yourself."
To think she had been looking for him all this time.
Naturally, Lu Changsheng had left Zhanhai City back then, so she had been unable to find him.
"Why has Miss Yun sought this Dao?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"This is no place to speak. Please follow me, Brother Dao."
Yun Haitang turned, executed her movement technique, and swiftly vanished into the night.
Lu Changsheng and Yun Haitang were old acquaintances; though they were not intimately close, a certain level of mutual trust existed between them.
Furthermore, Yun Haitang was evidently still a Refining Organs martial artist, presenting no threat to Lu Changsheng.
He trailed closely behind her, melting into the darkness.
Before long, the two vaulted over a high wall and slipped into a secluded courtyard.
Yun Haitang stepped inside the house and removed her black veil.
"Miss Yun, you surely didn't track me down just to reminisce. Could it be that you have news regarding the Yunying ore mother?"
Lu Changsheng could not help but think of the ore.
At present, the biggest event in Zhanhai City was the appearance of the Yunying ore mother.
Yun Haitang shook her head. "The Yunying ore mother is an object of contention among Divine Strength Realm experts. I lack the strength to fight for it. My purpose in seeking you out is to ask for your assistance, Brother Dao."
"Brother Dao, do you know my true identity?"
"I do not."
Lu Changsheng had never investigated her background.
A mere Refining Organs martial artist had not warranted his attention.
"I am a disciple of the Heavenly Maiden Sect."
"Lately, the previous Heavenly Maiden has neared her retirement. As a result, numerous disciples within the sect are vying for the chance to become the new Heavenly Maiden."
"Last time, I risked my life to steal the fire seed from the Sacred Fire Palace solely to reach the limit of Refining Organs, as only those at the limit qualify to be candidates for the position."
"However, to become the contemporary Heavenly Maiden, the candidates must battle and clash among themselves. According to the Heavenly Maiden Sect's rules, candidates are permitted to recruit outside aid as Dao Protectors, relying on them to compete for the seat."
"I wish to invite Brother Dao to become my Dao Protector and help me seize the position of Heavenly Maiden!"
It turned out Yun Haitang was a candidate for the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
Lu Changsheng had only learned a little about the sect after recently joining the Four Seas Gang.
When he had evaluated the various factions in Zhanhai City, he had looked into its major sects, among which was the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
The Heavenly Maiden Sect was quite peculiar, accepting only women as disciples.
Moreover, it did not forbid its disciples from marrying. While this seemed to dilute the sect's internal power over time, it had instead allowed them to cultivate an intricate, far-reaching web of connections.
On the surface, the sect's direct strength did not appear overwhelmingly formidable.
Yet anyone wishing to cross the Heavenly Maiden Sect faced a far greater headache than dealing with the Four Seas Gang.
One never knew which hidden expert might appear from nowhere, bound to the sect by some deep-rooted tie.
"A Dao Protector..."
Lu Changsheng gave a faint, knowing smile.
Serving as a so-called "Dao Protector" was bound to be fraught with peril.
After all, if Yun Haitang could recruit one, the other candidates could do the same.
Furthermore, the protectors chosen by the other candidates would inevitably be Divine Strength Realm experts.
Sensing what Dao Twelve was thinking, Yun Haitang spoke up: "The Heavenly Maiden Sect prepares numerous treasures for the Heavenly Maiden. Among them is a drop of Heavenly Water."
"A single drop of Heavenly Water allows a Divine Strength Realm martial artist to undergo marrow transformation and blood exchange once directly."
"If Brother Dao can help me become the Heavenly Maiden, I will bestow that drop of Heavenly Water upon you."
Lu Changsheng's heart stirred.
A single drop of Heavenly Water that could directly trigger marrow transformation and blood exchange. Given his current strength of eighty tripods, one transformation would propel him to ninety tripods.
That would bring him even closer to the Hundred Tripods Realm.
"Not enough," Lu Changsheng replied placidly.
Risking life and limb in a brutal struggle for merely one drop of Heavenly Water and a single transformation was out of the question.
Yun Haitang seemed to have anticipated that the Heavenly Water alone would not suffice. She continued, "Once I become the Heavenly Maiden, I will hand over all the remaining fire seeds to Brother Dao. How does that sound?"
The fire seeds of the Sacred Fire Palace were indeed extraordinary.
Though they could not directly initiate marrow transformation and blood exchange, using them over a prolonged period purified the blood and cleansed stray thoughts—an effect that might well surpass gaining the strength of ten tripods.
Yet after weighing the offer, Lu Changsheng still shook his head. "Still not enough!"
Yun Haitang's face paled slightly.
In truth, these were already the most valuable things she could offer.
She differed from the other candidates.
Born from humble beginnings, she lacked the backing of an influential clan and had to rely entirely on herself.
Stealing the fire seed from the Sacred Fire Palace had already entailed immense peril.
Now, facing the contest for the contemporary Heavenly Maiden, the only powerful expert she could turn to was Dao Twelve.
Observing Dao Twelve's impassive gaze, a realization seemed to dawn on Yun Haitang.
She took a deep breath and said, "It seems Brother Dao desires my primal yin."
"Indeed, the primal yin of a Heavenly Maiden Sect disciple—especially one in the Divine Strength Realm—can aid other Divine Strength Realm martial artists in breaking through bottlenecks."
"I can offer my primal yin to Brother Dao, but I ask that you agree to one condition: you must wait until I advance to the Hundred Tripods Realm before taking it. The higher my realm, the greater the benefit to you when striving for the Divine Gang Realm."
"Furthermore, only by reaching the Hundred Tripods Realm will I be able to command the sect and secure the seat of Heavenly Maiden, without suffering a drop in cultivation from the loss of my primal yin."
Gritting her teeth, Yun Haitang presented her final and most sincere term.
"Your primal yin?"
Lu Changsheng was momentarily taken aback, but understanding swiftly followed.
"When did I ever say I wanted your primal yin?"
Yun Haitang froze, her face instantly flushing crimson.
Evidently, she had misjudged his intentions entirely; Dao Twelve had known nothing of the matter.
"However, since you have offered such a condition, your sincerity is plain to see. This Dao agrees to become your Dao Protector and help you become the Heavenly Maiden Sect's new Heavenly Maiden!"
"The contest takes place three months from now, does it not? Three months hence, this Dao will personally visit the Heavenly Maiden Sect."
With those words, Lu Changsheng had already exited the house.
Only his voice remained, echoing in Yun Haitang's ears.
Lu Changsheng returned to his courtyard in the Four Seas Gang.
"Heavenly Maiden, primal yin..."
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Lu Changsheng's mouth.
In truth, he cared nothing for primal yin.
His true requirement was to have Yun Haitang, once she became the Heavenly Maiden, mobilize the resources and influence of the Heavenly Maiden Sect to help him locate the rare treasures required for the Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method.
Waiting until Yun Haitang reached the Hundred Tripods Realm would take who knew how long.
With Lu Changsheng's comprehension, he would likely have broken through to the Divine Gang Realm or even higher realms long before then; why would he ever need her primal yin?
Nonetheless, offering it showed her attitude.
Whether to take it remained entirely Lu Changsheng's choice.
In the martial world, if one wished to gain something, one had to pay a price first.
Over the following days, Zhanhai City fell into utter chaos.
Every day brought fresh news regarding the Yunying ore mother.
Either a Divine Strength Realm expert who seized the ore had been beaten to death, or another martial artist had reaped the benefits while others clashed.
Lu Changsheng had no desire to join the fray.
Furthermore, he had a three-month pact with Yun Haitang.
Since he intended to help her seize the position of Heavenly Maiden, he needed to make the most of those three months to elevate his own strength.
For his cultivation, he chose to venture out to sea, comprehending the Ocean Wave Conception amidst the ocean waters.
Although the progression of the Ocean Wave Conception had become extremely slow after reaching 10%, steady gains could still be made.
One day, Lu Changsheng leapt from the ocean, landing lightly upon the deck.
"Ocean Wave Conception: 12%."
He had just made another breakthrough in the conception.
"Another month has passed. My foundations have reached their peak; I can attempt the fourth leap through the Dragon Gate!"
Lu Changsheng hoped this fourth leap would push his strength to ninety tripods.
To ensure nothing went awry, he used the fire seed once more to cleanse his stray thoughts.
Soon, the chaotic notions in his mind vanished without a trace.
Only then did his condition reach its absolute zenith.
"Leap the Dragon Gate!"
Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng felt as though he had transformed into a colossal dragon-fish!
Yes, a dragon-fish, no longer a mere carp.
The creature was massive and imbued with formidable power.
With a mighty leap, it cleared the first three gates in an instant, surging straight toward the fourth Dragon Gate.
Boom!
Lu Changsheng cleared the fourth Dragon Gate smoothly, encountering almost no resistance.
Such was the importance of accumulated foundation.
Without the Ocean Wave Conception and the cleansing of his thoughts by the fire seed, leaping the Dragon Gate could never have gone so effortlessly.
Having cleared the fourth Dragon Gate, marrow transformation and blood exchange began anew within his body, granting him the strength of ninety tripods!
He was now just a single transformation away from the Hundred Tripods Realm!
Lu Changsheng immediately called up his attribute panel to inspect his status.
Host: Lu Changsheng
Comprehension: 933 (Hidden Dragon in the Depths)
Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method: Sword casting: 7 months, 22 days.
Ocean Wave Conception: Progress 12%
Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method: Second Layer
Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art: Fourth Layer
Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method: Minor Accomplishment
During this month of dedicated cultivation, his progress in mastering martial techniques had also been exceptionally swift, bringing a full thirty martial skills to perfection.
His comprehension drew ever closer to the 1,000-point threshold.
As for martial skills, Lu Changsheng was unconcerned.
At worst, he could simply redeem more from the Four Seas Gang's martial repository.
However, the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method remained stuck at minor accomplishment, seemingly stalled at a bottleneck.
Even with comprehension exceeding 900 points, he could not fully grasp the secret method.
Naturally, his greatest surge in strength came from the Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method.
With two months remaining, Lu Changsheng estimated the sword casting would easily surpass ten months, yielding the strength of over a thousand tripods!
That was his true trump card.
With the Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method in hand, he feared no unexpected developments.
Lu Changsheng now treated patients for only half the day.
He went out to sea in the afternoon to train, returning only by nightfall.
Even so, he was never short of merits.
The volume of patients arriving by reputation was simply overwhelming.
This morning, when Lu Changsheng arrived at the clinic, Zhang Xuan approached with an anxious expression. "Physician, Chen Shan, the vice hall master of Blade Hall, broke through to the Divine Strength Realm a few days ago! The news was only released today."
"Oh? Chen Shan broke through?"
Lu Changsheng was slightly surprised.
He had been immersed in cultivation throughout this period and had paid no heed to Chen Shan.
Lu Changsheng fell silent.
Chen Shan had done nothing to him; breaking through was of no concern to him.
A short while later, Xu Ling arrived.
Beaming with joy, Xu Ling said, "Physician Lu, I have also advanced to the Divine Strength Realm!"
"However, you should avoid leaving the Four Seas Gang as much as possible for now. Zhanhai City is in turmoil, and if you step outside the gang, Chen Shan might make a move."
"Even though I gave him a warning, Chen Shan has always been a trusted confidant of the gang master; he might not fear me."
Xu Ling offered her warning in a low voice.
On the surface, the Four Seas Gang enforced strict rules forbidding members from killing one another.
Yet amid the chaos currently gripping Zhanhai City, any murder could easily be blamed on outside Divine Strength Realm martial artists. One had to remain vigilant.
"Thank you, Hall Master Xu. I will be careful."
After Xu Ling departed, Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes.
He had not expected Chen Shan to truly come into his own.
"Physician, lately Chen Yan has been sending people to make discreet inquiries about the Scarless Ointment in your hands,"
Zhang Xuan said indignantly, "I fear Chen Yan has set his sights on it."
Chen Shan had only just advanced to the Divine Strength Realm, yet Chen Yan already dared to pry into the Scarless Ointment.
He clearly intended to claim the ointment for himself!
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
In truth, he could set a trap—for instance, leaving the Four Seas Gang alone, waiting for Chen Shan to strike, and slaying him in retaliation.
However, Chen Shan might not fall for it; the man was rather cautious.
"Enough. Why live on guard against a thief every single day?"
"Regardless of whether Chen Shan truly intends to act against me, I will go tonight and sever his head."
"When Dao Twelve acts, why should he care what others think?"
At this thought, Lu Changsheng's mind felt instantly clear and untroubled.
"Next..."
Lu Changsheng continued attending to his patients.
As night descended, Chen Yan arrived at Blade Hall early.
"Eldest Brother, lately Lu Changsheng only holds consultations for half the day, and no one knows where he goes in the afternoon."
"The Scarless Ointment in his possession holds immense value. If we can ramp up production and distribute it across the realm, imagine how vast a fortune that would be!" Chen Yan could not resist saying.
Chen Shan glanced at Chen Yan and replied impassively, "The gang master is focused entirely on the Yunying ore mother and has no mind for such trivialities."
"Lu Changsheng is a mere nobody. What does it matter even if he is a renowned physician rather than an ordinary doctor?"
"Crushing him would be as easy as turning my palm. But not now. Wait a little longer."
"Understood, Eldest Brother."
Chen Yan nodded and turned to leave.
Just as he stepped out of the hall—
Bang!
In the next instant, Chen Yan's head exploded.
Red and white matter splattered across the ground.
"Who is it?"
Chen Shan's expression changed abruptly, his eyes locking onto the doorway.
Who dared commit murder in the Blade Hall of the Four Seas Gang?
From the darkness of the night, a shadowed figure strode forward step by step, fixing his gaze upon Chen Shan.
Danger!
Extreme danger!
Chen Shan had no recollection of this figure; he did not recognize the bladesman before him.
Yet as the man walked forward, the lethal menace radiating from him set off screaming alarm bells in his mind.
"Retreat!"
Chen Shan made a split-second decision and leapt backward.
A cold smile flickered across the black-clad figure's impassive face.
"Slash!"
The black-clad figure gripped the hilt of his blade.
Clang!
A flash of blood-red blade light erupted.
It tore through the empty air, reaching Chen Shan in the blink of an eye.
Chen Shan roared, "I am also a Divine Strength Realm expert! Thinking you can fell me with a single strike is mere fantasy—"
Chen Shan unleashed some unknown secret method, his qi and blood surging violently.
Yet as the blade light descended—even across a distance of ten zhang—a faint sound of crashing waves echoed within the arc.
It surged forward like a sweeping oceanic wave.
Chen Shan never learned why the roaring of ocean waves accompanied the blade light.
For the moment the blade struck his body, he was cleaved clean in two.
"I... refuse to accept this..."
A look of utter shock remained frozen on Chen Shan's face.
He seemed unable to comprehend how, having just advanced to the Divine Strength Realm and stepped onto the most glorious path of martial cultivation, he had been slain by a single strike.
Thud!
The two halves of Chen Shan's corpse collapsed to the floor.
The shadowed figure sheathed his blade, cast a lingering glance toward the inner chambers of Blade Hall, and then flickered, vanishing swiftly into the night.
Chapter 101