Dao Twelve Surrounded: Four Thousand Tripods Realm Experts!

"Hmm? Eight li to the northeast, there's a squad of northern barbarians. Four in total, three at the Divine Strength Realm. Wait, the other one is only at the Refining Organs Realm?" "No, given the northern barbarians' habits, why would they bring along a burden in the Refining Organs Realm? It has to be a disguise concealing their aura. That Refining Organs martial artist is very likely a formidable fighter from the Divine Strength Ranking. I can't touch this squad." "There's also a barbarian squad to the southwest. One of them is ranked ninety-ninth on the Divine Strength Ranking. Ninety-ninth—such a coincidence? Compared to my sixty-first rank, that's far too low. But who knows if there are concealed fighters lying in wait? Trying to use a low-ranking martial artist to lower my guard?" Lu Changsheng shook his head. He stood where he was, his Wind of Perception Conception continually sensing everything within a radius of several li. Those northern barbarians were growing more cunning by the day. They truly stooped to any means. They had even begun disguising themselves and hiding their cultivation, all to lure "Dao Twelve" into revealing himself. Yet Lu Changsheng refused to take the bait. Perhaps whoever walks by the river often will eventually get their shoes wet. One day, Lu Changsheng was bound to run into a concealed powerhouse among the northern barbarians. However, delaying that encounter as long as possible was a victory in itself. "Now, this squad... let me see. None of them look familiar. They're definitely Divine Strength Realm martial artists, and likely none are on the Divine Strength Ranking." "Still, let's observe a bit longer. I can shadow them from afar and see how things play out." Lu Changsheng had devised a few tactics of his own. For instance, once he set his sights on a squad, he would trail them persistently. Since he could probe distances of several li, he could follow from far away without them having the slightest clue. As long as he shadowed them long enough, no matter how they concealed themselves or disguised their strength, they would inevitably show their slip somewhere. If he shadowed them for a few shichen without finding any flaws, Lu Changsheng would judge that the targets were clean and make his move. Although this could not guarantee absolute safety, it eliminated the vast majority of risks. "Mm, I've trailed them for four hours now, and they've fought three times. There shouldn't be any issue—they truly are ordinary Divine Strength Realm martial artists. Time to strike!" The next instant, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer. *Whoosh.* As Lu Changsheng charged toward the squad at full speed, someone in the group sensed him, and their face fell instantly. "It's Dao Twelve, ranked sixty-first on the Divine Strength Ranking! He preys exclusively on weaker squads, and now he's coming for us! Run!" "Damn that Dao Twelve! He's like a lingering ghost, popping up out of nowhere. Whenever he appears, some squad is doomed, and this time it's our turn!" "We've been so cautious, only striking once every three days! How could we still run into Dao Twelve?" Yet swift as they were, Lu Changsheng was swifter. The sky seemed to plunge into darkness in an instant. The boundless grassland all around faintly transformed into a vast, unending starry expanse. The Divine Strength Realm martial artists in the squad recognized this as their opponent's martial conception. "The Starry Sky Waterfall Conception... We can't escape." "Dao Twelve, you shameless bastard, picking exclusively on us weaklings! If you have the guts, why don't you hunt other squads? We have so many teams searching for you!" "That's right! Dao Twelve is a coward! You don't dare face the strong, only picking on the weak!" Knowing escape was impossible, the three burst into furious curses. Lu Changsheng, however, did not care in the slightest. A coward? Once he had slain hundreds or thousands of Divine Strength Realm martial artists, would it matter whether he was called a coward? As for not daring to target the strong, Lu Changsheng would have to be insane to seek out top powerhouses. Was he supposed to challenge Tianxin directly? That would be sheer stupidity! It would be marching straight to his death. Lu Changsheng was not stupid, nor would he throw his life away. He was a hunter; all he needed to do was keep harvesting prey. *Clang.* Lu Changsheng drew his blade. A blood-red flash slashed through the void in an instant. The crimson gleam split into three, landing upon the three northern barbarian martial artists. *Squelch.* With miserable shrieks, the three northern barbarians were cleaved clean in two. *Thud, thud, thud.* Their bodies tumbled to the turf. Lu Changsheng stepped forward and expertly severed the three heads. "Hmm? Someone noticed..." Lu Changsheng sensed his surroundings. A squad of northern barbarians several li away seemed to have detected something and was rushing toward this location at full speed. Lu Changsheng did not know what method they had used to detect the commotion. With so many martial artists out there, there would always be individuals possessing uncanny techniques capable of sensing distant disturbances. Their squad contained powerhouses from the Divine Strength Ranking, and Lu Changsheng certainly was not foolish enough to wait around and trade blows with them. "My quota for today is filled." "Time to go!" Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng grabbed the heads and swiftly retreated toward Beiling City. Not long after Lu Changsheng departed, the northern barbarian squad arrived. They inspected the three corpses on the ground, examining the cause of death. "All killed in a single strike—fast, precise, and ruthless!" "These wounds, this blade technique, and the aura we sensed earlier... Without a doubt, it's Dao Twelve of the Great Fish Dynasty." "Dao Twelve again. We're too late." "Dao Twelve appears and vanishes like a phantom. Every time, he manages to narrowly evade all our squads. Just how does he pull it off?" "We were just a step behind. With the bounty placed on Dao Twelve right now, killing him would mean we wouldn't need to fight on the Northern Region Battlefield for years..." The squad felt bitter regret. By now, "Dao Twelve" had aroused widespread fury among their people. His bounty among the northern barbarians had been raised to the absolute highest tier, unmatched by anyone else. Yes, the very highest. Even Song Wuqing's bounty was far lower than Dao Twelve's. Countless barbarian powerhouses hoped to cross paths with Dao Twelve and slay him; the payout would exempt them from fighting on the Northern Region Battlefield for years. This showed just how unimaginably high Dao Twelve's bounty had grown. Unfortunately, up until now, many had claimed they were just a step away from catching Dao Twelve. Yet every single time, they fell short by that same step. "Dao Twelve won't be caught so easily. He must possess some unique sensory technique that lets him detect us in advance." "Forget it. Since we didn't find Dao Twelve, let's stick to hunting other martial artists." With that, the squad swiftly departed. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng had already arrived outside Beiling City. "That squad didn't follow." Lu Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief. Carrying the three severed heads, he walked straight into Beiling City. "Mister Dao." "It's Dao Twelve." "Mister Dao, you've slain three more northern barbarians!" "Is this the hundred and thirtieth, or the hundred and fortieth?" "I hear the northern barbarians are furious. They've tried every trick in the book, yet they can't do a thing to Mister Dao." "Indeed. Mister Dao's bounty among the barbarians is higher than Song Wuqing's now." "I'm so envious. Mister Dao just bagged another several hundred minor merits..." Upon entering Beiling City, nearly everyone recognized Dao Twelve, and many called out greetings. After all, anyone who returned day after day carrying several severed heads of Divine Strength Realm northern barbarians was bound to draw attention. What was more, this had been going on for over a month. Lu Changsheng, a martial artist ranked sixty-first on the Divine Strength Ranking, drew far more attention than the top three on the list. Before long, Lu Changsheng successfully turned in the heads and collected several hundred minor merits. "News! Big news!" "The Fat Manslayer, ranked seventy-fifth on the barbarian Divine Strength Ranking, has publicly challenged Dao Twelve to a duel!" "The Fat Manslayer is willing to put up a Marrow Augmenting Great Pill as a wager. If Dao Twelve wins, the pill is his!" "Both sides can even dispatch experts to oversee the duel and guarantee their safety!" Someone had received word from the barbarian side. In an instant, an uproar swept through the crowd! *Whoosh.* Every pair of eyes turned toward "Dao Twelve." A Marrow Augmenting Great Pill! This was a pill on par with the Divine Strength Great Pill and the Hundred Tripods Great Pill. In fact, it was even more precious. Once consumed, it could enhance one's bone marrow. Bone marrow was the root of blood production, the foundation of qi and blood, and the core of the physical body. For the Fat Manslayer to offer such a precious pill as a wager—Lu Changsheng was the first to scoff. If the Fat Manslayer truly possessed such a pill, wouldn't he have taken it himself? Offering it as a prize meant the Fat Manslayer had lost his mind. Since the Fat Manslayer was not insane, only one possibility remained. A trap! This was a trap designed specifically for "Dao Twelve." Or rather, an attempt to exploit Dao Twelve's greed and tempt him into taking the bait. The moment Dao Twelve agreed, the northern barbarians would surely have means in place to butcher him. *The northern barbarians truly went all out to deal with me, even putting forward a Marrow Augmenting Great Pill.* *They also took great pains to select the Fat Manslayer—someone who holds a grudge against me, yet ranks below me—to lower my guard, making me believe I can defeat him and accept the duel.* *Unfortunately, they underestimate me. If I want a Marrow Augmenting Great Pill, I can simply redeem it with merit. It only costs ten thousand minor merits. A single Divine Strength Realm martial artist is worth at least a hundred minor merits. By slaying several dozen, at most a hundred northern barbarian Divine Strength Realm martial artists, I can earn ten thousand minor merits. Why would I ever need to take such a risk?* "So, I decline!" Lu Changsheng swept his gaze over the crowd. He knew that among these people, there were bound to be some secretly colluding with the northern barbarians. Still, it didn't matter. He was merely stating his stance. He wanted the northern barbarians to stop their pointless antics, wash their necks clean, and wait for him to harvest them day by day. With that, Lu Changsheng turned and left. Only a crowd of dumbfounded martial artists remained in his wake. "Dao Twelve refused?" "That's Mister Dao's style through and through! Keeping the northern barbarians hopping mad, hahahaha!" "The northern barbarians are utterly helpless against Mister Dao. Threats, bribes, disguises, ambushes—nothing works on him." "The northern barbarians are truly getting desperate this time." "Isn't Mister Dao being a little too cautious? The Fat Manslayer ranks below him, and a Marrow Augmenting Great Pill would save years of bitter cultivation..." Some martial artists still could not quite wrap their heads around it. A pill like the Marrow Augmenting Great Pill was not something easily obtained. How could Dao Twelve reject it so cleanly and decisively? He had not seemed tempted in the slightest. "Idiots..." Many scoffed as they glanced at those who questioned the choice. There would always be fools who succumbed to temptation. Unfortunately for the barbarians, "Dao Twelve" was no fool. Days passed, one after another. Lu Changsheng remained cautious as ever, continuing his harvest across the Northern Region Battlefield. The northern barbarians seemed to have given up hope as well. They no longer expected "Dao Twelve" to accept the challenge. As a result, they abandoned the search for Dao Twelve and shifted their focus toward other martial artists of the Great Fish Dynasty. Their offensive grew fiercer still. It was as though they intended to recoup the losses inflicted by "Dao Twelve" from everyone else. Starting from the middle of the month, the intensity of combat across the Northern Region Battlefield spiked dramatically. Daily casualties surged by several tens of percent. Lu Changsheng remained as vigilant as ever. He had been observing a squad of northern barbarians for over four hours. It was a four-man squad. There seemed to be nothing remarkable about them; they appeared to be ordinary Divine Strength Realm martial artists. They might possess Hundred Tripods Realm strength, but definitely lacked the power to enter the Divine Strength Ranking. "Very well, you'll do!" Lu Changsheng selected his target. Or rather, chose his prey. Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng rushed toward them at full tilt. The squad of four northern barbarian Divine Strength Realm martial artists wore cautious expressions, scanning their surroundings. Suddenly, the sky seemed to plunge into darkness. The surrounding grassland appeared to transform into a pitch-black starry sky. A three-thousand-foot waterfall crashed down from the cosmos in an instant, cutting across the entire expanse of stars. The four men's hearts jolted. "He's here!" "Dao Twelve! The Starry Sky Waterfall Conception!" "Hahaha! We finally waited long enough for Dao Twelve to show up!" Upon seeing the scene, the four were not terrified; instead, they erupted in joy. They were far too familiar with Dao Twelve. Even if they had never met him in person, the northern barbarians knew every hallmark of Dao Twelve like the backs of their hands. "Hmm?" Lu Changsheng suddenly sensed that something was amiss. These four were behaving abnormally. By all logic, upon seeing him, shouldn't they desperately try to flee? Even if they knew they couldn't escape, they shouldn't be wearing expressions of ecstatic delight. Yet right now, the four seemed wildly thrilled, as though they had been eagerly awaiting Dao Twelve all along. However, things had already progressed this far; Lu Changsheng could not pull back now. "Slash!" Lu Changsheng drew his blade in an instant. A crimson light instantly enveloped the four northern barbarian martial artists. "Hahaha, Dao Twelve, your day has come!" "Strike!" The four northern barbarian experts unleashed their qi and blood violently. *Boom! Boom!* In an instant, their qi and blood surged exponentially. At the same time, four terrifying momentums soared into the sky. This was no ordinary momentum—it was laced with martial conceptions! Yes, martial conceptions! Moreover, the auras were terrifyingly immense, each martial artist's aura far outstripping the Hundred Tripods Realm. This was the Thousand Tripods Realm! Four martial artists—four Thousand Tripods Realm powerhouses! *Four Thousand Tripods Realm experts... and they possess martial conceptions.* *With such strength, any of them could easily rank within the top fifty of the Divine Strength Ranking.* *Yet none of these four are on the Divine Strength Ranking. They must be some of the northern barbarians' hidden experts.* *The northern barbarians truly think highly of me...* At this moment, Lu Changsheng understood. Whoever walks by the river often will eventually get their shoes wet. This time, Lu Changsheng had run into serious trouble. The enemy had hidden themselves exceptionally well. They had barely fought, their names were absent from the Divine Strength Ranking, and there was virtually no intelligence on them. Furthermore, they had consistently revealed only a fraction of their strength. Even with Lu Changsheng being so cautious, he had still fallen into their trap. In truth, Lu Changsheng was not surprised by this outcome. He had been reaping kills continuously on the Northern Region Battlefield. It was impossible to never encounter an unexpected mishap. *Bang! Bang!* Lu Changsheng's blade lights shattered completely. His strike had failed. He had not managed to slay a single barbarian martial artist. Instead, he was now surrounded, his situation precarious. "To have the four of us conceal ourselves for so many days just to kill a mere Hundred Tripods Realm martial artist like you—you can die proud!" "Today, four Thousand Tripods Realm experts have mobilized together. Dao Twelve, no matter what tricks you have, you won't escape!" The four men's qi and blood merged into a single expanse, pressing down upon Lu Changsheng with terrifying pressure. Like four colossal mountains, they bore down on him inch by inch. For the first time, Lu Changsheng faced such tremendous pressure. Even when he had encountered Zhao Kun back then, Zhao Kun had not struck with full force. Now, however, these four Thousand Tripods Realm martial artists were unleashing everything they had, radiating murderous intent that surged to the heavens. "You think you've already won?" A strange glint flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. *Boom! Boom!* The next instant, Lu Changsheng erupted with all his might. Within the pitch-black starry sky, there was not only the three-thousand-foot waterfall; vast, towering waves rolled in wave upon wave with thunderous momentum. The surging waves crashed against the qi and blood in the void. With every crash, they shook the oppressive qi and blood. The Ocean Wave Conception! The Starry Sky Waterfall Conception! Combined with Lu Changsheng unleashing his full power through the Three Transformations of the Divine Dragon! Lu Changsheng struck with his blade. This all-out slash, packing a terrifying force of well over three thousand ding, crashed directly into the blood-red curtain blotting out the sky before him.