Thirty-Three Heads! The Shock Caused by Dao Twelve!

Unlike the varying thoughts running through the minds of the Qingxuan Squad's members, Lu Changsheng had very few. He had only a single thought: annihilate the squad before him. In fact, not just this squad before him. As long as it was a squad of northern barbarians, if he encountered them, he would wipe them all out! *Clang.* Lu Changsheng drew his saber. He had not drawn his saber for an entire year. Yet this time, as he drew it, there was no sense of unfamiliarity; instead, it felt completely smooth and natural. A beam of blood-red saber light cut across heaven and earth. The Three Transformations of the Divine Dragon within his body had become almost second nature. A full seven hundred tripods of physical power, boosted by the Three Transformations of the Divine Dragon and his martial technique, now surpassed four thousand tripods! This was a truly terrifying figure. A full four thousand tripods of force descended upon one member of the Qingxuan Squad. *Squelch!* The man's body was instantly cleaved in two. A Divine Strength Realm martial artist from the Qingxuan Squad, ranked ninety-third on the Divine Strength Ranking, was cleaved clean in two by a single slash from Lu Changsheng. From a distance, it looked as if he had possessed no ability to resist at all. "How is that possible?!" Though the remaining four martial artists moved at incredible speed, they were still too late to save their comrade. Moreover, after slaying one Divine Strength Realm martial artist with that single slash, Lu Changsheng's saber light instantly split into four. Furthermore, in the surrounding void, besides a faint waterfall, a vast, surging wave seemed to sweep toward the four of them. The Ocean Wave Conception! "Die!" In this moment, Lu Changsheng held nothing back. Unleashing the Ocean Wave Conception meant that every one of Lu Changsheng's slashes was relentless and continuous, each stronger than the last. Even split into four blades of light, their might was earth-shattering. If these were combatants in the top fifty of the Divine Strength Ranking—all martial artists in the Thousand Tripods Realm—they might have been able to put up a defense. Yet these members of the Qingxuan Squad were only ranked in the eighties and nineties of the Divine Strength Ranking. They stood no chance of blocking it. *Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!* As Lu Changsheng's four blades of saber light cut down, the four Divine Strength Realm martial artists had only managed to raise basic defensive measures before their qi and blood were instantly sliced open, their bodies pierced through by the saber light. Dead! Just a single strike. Not even half a breath of time had elapsed. In the span of an instant, the entire Qingxuan Squad was wiped out. The Qingxuan Squad was not weak; in fact, they were quite formidable. Nor had Lu Changsheng grown drastically stronger than before. Over the course of this past year, his physical body had only gained forty tripods of strength, and his martial conceptions had barely progressed. However, Lu Changsheng's mind and spirit had transformed. That was the greatest metamorphosis. Now, he possessed the confidence to fear no one. By wiping out the Qingxuan Squad, Lu Changsheng obtained an astonishing five thousand minor merits. He needed only five thousand more minor merits to accumulate ten thousand, enough to exchange for a Divine Strength Realm medicinal pill. "Next." Lu Changsheng selected another target. Stuffing the five heads directly into the massive cloth sack he had prepared in advance, Lu Changsheng blurred into motion and rushed toward his next prey. For an entire day, Lu Changsheng rampaged through the Northern Region Battlefield, hunting down squads of northern barbarians with utter abandon. Moreover, each encounter was settled in the blink of an eye. Aside from the Qingxuan Squad at the beginning, however, Lu Changsheng did not encounter any other squads from the top one hundred of the Divine Strength Ranking throughout the rest of the day. Not that it mattered. In a single day, Lu Changsheng hunted seven full squads, slaying thirty-three Divine Strength Realm martial artists! This was a shocking, unprecedented number. After all, this was the work of just one day. "That should be enough for ten thousand minor merits." Lu Changsheng looked up as the sky gradually darkened. He did not continue. Nor was he in a hurry. He believed that within a few days, Tianxin would surely learn of his presence on the Northern Region Battlefield. Before that happened, Lu Changsheng would collect some "interest" from the northern barbarians. *Whoosh.* Carrying the massive sack, Lu Changsheng returned directly to Beiling City. As he walked down the streets of Beiling City, many martial artists noticed him. In particular, the colossal sack slung over his back drew everyone's gaze. "Is that Dao Twelve?" "He headed out to the Northern Region Battlefield this morning and is only returning now. He stayed out there for a full day. Looks like he had quite a harvest." "The sack is dyed blood-red, and blood is even dripping from it... Could that sack be full of heads of northern barbarians?" "Such a massive sack stuffed to the brim—how many heads could be inside?" "At least twenty or thirty, maybe even more." Many martial artists were astonished. Several dozen heads? How could that be possible? After all, many of them had only recently arrived at the Northern Region Battlefield and knew nothing of the renown Dao Twelve had once commanded. Driven by curiosity, a large crowd followed behind Lu Changsheng toward the Martial Demonstration Tower. They wanted to see what kind of battle spoils Dao Twelve had secured upon returning to the Northern Region Battlefield after a year away. Lu Changsheng ignored the chatter of the martial artists. He simply carried the sack, walking step by step toward the Martial Demonstration Tower. A great crowd of martial artists had gathered outside the tower. Seeing Dao Twelve approach carrying such an enormous sack dripping with blood, everyone instantly guessed what lay inside. Promptly, they parted to make a path. Lu Changsheng strode directly into the Martial Demonstration Tower. Inside were martial artists stationed as attendants. Upon seeing Dao Twelve, the attendant's eyes lit up slightly. In truth, only these workers at the Martial Demonstration Tower truly understood just how terrifying Dao Twelve had been in the past. The number of Divine Strength Realm martial artists Dao Twelve had slain in a month or two was more than many martial artists could kill in a decade. Consequently, the staff of the Martial Demonstration Tower had always treated Dao Twelve with utmost respect. "Mister Dao." The attendant stepped forward briskly and took the sack from Lu Changsheng's hand. Yet the moment he lifted it slightly, he was taken aback by its immense weight. Lu Changsheng handed the sack over to the tower attendant. "Tally it quickly." "Please wait a moment, Mister Dao." The attendant carefully untied the sack. *Whoosh!* Upon seeing the severed heads piled inside, an uproar immediately swept through the martial artists gathered in the hall. Many had followed Dao Twelve all the way here to see for themselves. "So many heads?!" "Some of those faces look familiar... That's Jiang Wu, ranked ninety-third on the Divine Strength Ranking!" "Didn't Jiang Wu form a squad called the Qingxuan Squad?" "Good heavens, all five members of the Qingxuan Squad are in that sack! Dao Twelve wiped them out completely!" "What? Even the Qingxuan Squad was exterminated by Dao Twelve? That was a team composed of top one hundred martial artists on the Divine Strength Ranking! Dao Twelve could kill them all?" "Didn't rumors say Dao Twelve was only good at detecting squads? Within the Barbarian Slaying Squad, he barely fought and was considered the weakest. How could he wipe out the Qingxuan Squad entirely on his own now?!" For a time, waves of shock rippled across the entire hall of the Martial Demonstration Tower. Many martial artists were stunned. Since when did the Great Fish Dynasty have such a formidable Divine Strength Realm martial artist who wasn't even listed on the Divine Strength Ranking? To accomplish such a feat single-handedly, there had previously been only one person in the Great Fish Dynasty capable of doing so: Song Wuqing! Yet even Song Wuqing had never wiped out a squad comparable to the Qingxuan Squad. By now, the attendant had finished tallying the heads inside Dao Twelve's sack. "A total of thirty-three heads, yielding ten thousand three hundred minor merits!" The attendant took a deep breath and spoke in a solemn voice, a trace of excitement trembling beneath his words. In just one day, slaying thirty-three northern barbarian Divine Strength Realm martial artists and earning over ten thousand minor merits—this sounded like an impossible fantasy! Even Song Wuqing had never achieved such a magnificent feat. Yet Dao Twelve had done it! "He's back! Dao Twelve is truly back!" "Hahaha, do you newcomers not know what Dao Twelve accomplished before? Long before the Barbarian Slaying Squad existed, Dao Twelve killed several Divine Strength Realm martial artists every single day! Have you all forgotten?" "You only remember Song Wuqing, but in terms of the number of northern barbarian Divine Strength Realm martial artists slain, even Song Wuqing couldn't compare to Dao Twelve!" "Earning ten thousand minor merits in a single outing... absolutely unbelievable." "Just how did Dao Twelve pull this off?" Shock, bewilderment, and envy flickered across the faces of the onlookers. Yet above all, most felt exhilaration! This meant Dao Twelve had returned! The figure who had once struck terror into the hearts of the northern barbarians was back. In fact, on the northern barbarian side, the bounty on Dao Twelve remained the absolute highest! "Exchange this for a Divine Strength Realm great pill!" Lu Changsheng said, glancing over the list. He could not consume pills he had previously taken. Thus, he chose a Divine Blood Great Pill. This type of pill had very high requirements for the physical body. One needed at least five hundred tripods of physical strength to endure it. Naturally, Lu Changsheng met this condition. With ten thousand minor merits deducted, a Divine Blood Great Pill appeared in Lu Changsheng's hand. Taking the pill, Lu Changsheng returned to his small courtyard. He paid no heed to the commotion in the outside world. "Let's begin." Lu Changsheng swallowed the Divine Blood Great Pill in a single gulp. Once he refined this pill, his physical strength would surge to eight hundred tripods. He would draw ever closer to the Thousand Tripods Realm! *** In Northern Barbaria, a black-clothed man walked into Tianxin's residence. "Tianxin, Dao Twelve has reappeared, and he wiped out the Qingxuan Squad single-handedly!" the black-clothed martial artist said in a deep voice. Yet Tianxin acted as though he had heard nothing, showing no reaction whatsoever. The black-clothed martial artist's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "Tianxin, Dao Twelve is not dead. You failed to complete your previous mission!" Tianxin slowly opened his eyes. "Indeed, I did not complete the mission, and therefore I did not receive the Dao Comprehension Pill." "However, whether I have the Dao Comprehension Pill no longer matters. I can feel that my Slaughter Conception is nearing perfection." "Thus, whether Dao Twelve lives or dies is of no concern to me." Tianxin's words caused the black-clothed martial artist's expression to change drastically. In truth, the black-clothed martial artist could not fully represent Northern Barbaria. Furthermore, Tianxin held a very special status. Tianxin had already been selected by the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. Though he had not yet formally joined the sect, he was already considered a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. The Northern Region Heavenly Sect stood high above the mortal realm, aloof and detached. Never mind this black-clothed martial artist; even the imperial family of Northern Barbaria would not dare make things difficult for a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. If Tianxin did not wish to act, no one could force his hand. "Humph." The black-clothed martial artist snorted coldly. "Fine, Tianxin. If you won't act, so be it." "With Sheng Yuanyi stepping in, Dao Twelve can be slain all the same!" Clearly displeased, the black-clothed martial artist turned and walked out. He was going to find Sheng Yuanyi. The imperial family of Northern Barbaria could not order Tianxin around, but Sheng Yuanyi was not a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect; he still had to obey the orders of Northern Barbaria. While Dao Twelve was strong, he was certainly no match for Sheng Yuanyi. The only slight complication was that Immortal Master Lingji had departed long ago. Enlisting Immortal Master Lingji again would require an immense price. However, Dao Twelve seemed brazen now. He made no deliberate effort to hide from anyone. Perhaps this time, Sheng Yuanyi could find Dao Twelve without needing Immortal Master Lingji to lock onto him. After the black-clothed martial artist left, scenes flashed through Tianxin's mind. They were images of You Shifei, Yang Zhen, Tong Xuan, and Tie Yuan. Finally, his thoughts came to rest on Dao Twelve. Back then, however, Dao Twelve had not left much of an impression on Tianxin. "I came to the Northern Region Battlefield not for Northern Barbaria's sake." "I only wanted to find worthy opponents to perfect my Slaughter Conception. Unfortunately, I was unable to fulfill that wish." "Ah, well. In a short while, once my Slaughter Conception reaches perfection, I will leave the Northern Region Battlefield and head to the Northern Region Heavenly Sect..." Tianxin shook his head and closed his eyes once more. *** "Success! Eight hundred tripods of physical strength!" Lu Changsheng sensed the rapid surge of power within his body. A single Divine Blood Great Pill had raised his physical strength to eight hundred tripods. He was getting closer and closer to the Thousand Tripods Realm. Lu Changsheng stood up. It was now the second day, time to return to the Northern Region Battlefield to hunt once more. *Creak.* Lu Changsheng pushed open the door and stepped outside. A familiar figure was standing right outside. "Dao Twelve, Northern Barbaria's Sheng Yuanyi is looking for you." "Though Sheng Yuanyi is not Tianxin and isn't as strong as Tianxin, if Sheng Yuanyi finds you, you will likely die!" "However, if you team up with me, even if we run into Sheng Yuanyi, he won't be able to do anything to you!" The speaker was Song Wuqing. He still wished to form a team with Dao Twelve. "Sheng Yuanyi is looking for me?" Lu Changsheng pondered. Had something unexpected kept Tianxin from appearing? Or was he beneath Tianxin's notice, such that Tianxin didn't even care to act and merely sent Sheng Yuanyi instead? "Song Wuqing, thank you for the information." "However, I will not team up with you." Having said that, Lu Changsheng set off directly toward the Northern Region Battlefield. Song Wuqing's brow remained tightly furrowed. Dao Twelve refused to team up with him—could he actually be confident in dealing with Sheng Yuanyi? But that was Sheng Yuanyi! Even if Dao Twelve could wipe out the Qingxuan Squad, how could he be a match for Sheng Yuanyi? Like Song Wuqing, though Sheng Yuanyi had not reached the terrifying height of ten thousand tripods of force, he could still unleash over six thousand tripods of power. That placed him among the very pinnacle of Thousand Tripods Realm martial artists. As for Tianxin? Tianxin was an anomaly, a genius who appeared only once a century, entirely beyond comparison. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng arrived at the Northern Region Battlefield. It was still that vast, boundless grassland. Yet in his mind, Lu Changsheng reflected on Song Wuqing's words. Sheng Yuanyi was looking for him! Currently, Sheng Yuanyi was ranked second on the Divine Strength Ranking, though Song Wuqing might dethrone him in the future. Regardless of whether he was second or third, his strength was undeniably formidable. According to Lu Changsheng's estimates, Sheng Yuanyi could unleash a terrifying force of roughly six to seven thousand tripods. At present, unleashing his full power, Lu Changsheng could only muster over five thousand tripods. There was still a definite gap between him and Sheng Yuanyi. *Secret methods and martial techniques of the Divine Strength Realm have essentially been pushed to their limits.* *Having the Three Transformations of the Divine Dragon combined with the Triple Waves technique allows me to erupt with several times my baseline strength. That is already remarkable. If I want to improve further, I can only look to martial conceptions.* *Tianxin relied on his nearly perfected Slaughter Conception to even erupt with ten thousand tripods of power, firmly holding the number one spot on the Divine Strength Ranking!* Lu Changsheng's understanding of the Divine Strength Realm was already very thorough. Secret methods, martial techniques, and martial conceptions all influenced actual combat prowess. Between top martial artists, the difference in secret methods and martial techniques was not that great. Elite fighters could master both. What truly created a divide were martial conceptions. Even for Lu Changsheng, the martial conception in which he had made the most progress was the Ocean Wave Conception, sitting at 25%—far below Tianxin. Of course, Tianxin was much older. Lu Changsheng believed that once he reached Tianxin's age, he could also push the Ocean Wave Conception past 90% or even to perfection. Right now, however, his martial conceptions were clearly lagging. Moreover, the Northern Region Battlefield was not an ocean; there was no way to advance the Ocean Wave Conception here. Even with Lu Changsheng's extraordinary comprehension, he could not simply close his eyes and advance a martial conception out of pure imagination. In the end, learning from nature remained the fastest way to elevate a martial conception. *Learning from nature...* *I have the Wind of Perception Conception. I can learn from nature on the Northern Region Battlefield to improve it rapidly. But the focus of the Wind of Perception Conception is sensory perception; it cannot enhance my saber techniques or combat power.* Lu Changsheng knew very well that even if he pushed the Wind of Perception Conception to perfection, it would not bolster his battle prowess. The Wind of Perception Conception was a conception oriented purely toward sensory range. *Yet the power of the wind is not inferior to that of ocean waves, nor is it inferior to a starry sky waterfall.* *Once a storm forms between heaven and earth, it can sweep across the world and obliterate everything.* *Since I possess the Wind of Perception Conception, comprehending a Storm Conception shouldn't be difficult...* Lu Changsheng considered comprehending a Storm Conception. Yet if one had to learn from nature, how could he comprehend it when there was no storm upon the grassland? Lu Changsheng closed his eyes. He activated the Wind of Perception Conception. This time, however, he was not using it to perceive the conditions of the grassland. Instead, using the Wind of Perception Conception as a medium, he merged his consciousness into the wind, drifting along with it as it blew across every corner of the land. He even felt the wind "buffeting" all things. Yes—buffeting all things. A gentle breeze brushed past, and all things swayed and danced along with it. What kind of mighty force was that? Even without fierce gales or violent storms, even a mere breeze held the majestic power to buffet all creation! *The essence of storms and fierce winds is, at its root, just ordinary wind.* *Wind originates from heaven and earth. No matter how faint, the wind of heaven and earth can brush against all things. That is a mighty power belonging to the world itself...* Vaguely, Lu Changsheng felt as if he had grasped something. Flits of inspiration burst forth in his mind. One spark after another collided, rapidly taking form within his thoughts. It was a wonderful feeling. In fact, Lu Changsheng had not experienced this marvelous sensation in a very long time. Yet he knew exactly what this feeling signified. A martial conception—a brand-new martial conception.