Ten Thousand Tripods of Power! One Strike Falls, Sheng Yuanyi Dies!

"Kill!" On the Northern Region Battlefield, killing intent hung thick in the air. "Dao Twelve" hardly bothered picking and choosing squads anymore. As long as his Wind of Perception Conception detected them and they were a Divine Strength Realm squad, Lu Changsheng struck without hesitation. He didn't even bother actively seeking out Sheng Yuanyi. After all, it wasn't Lu Changsheng who was in a hurry, but Sheng Yuanyi. One day, two days, three days... Inside Beiling City, countless martial artists were utterly dumbfounded. They could scarcely believe their eyes. During this time, "Dao Twelve" went on a daily killing spree, slaughtering dozens of northern barbarians, every single one of them a Divine Strength Realm martial artist. Moreover, regardless of whether they were ranked on the Divine Strength Ranking, once targeted by Dao Twelve, their deaths were guaranteed! At this moment, the martial artists of Beiling City finally understood the sheer madness of Dao Twelve. They also finally understood why the northern barbarians had raised the bounty on Dao Twelve to the absolute maximum. "Just how powerful is Dao Twelve? On the Northern Region Battlefield, he's sweeping through everything, completely invincible! Whenever he strikes, the northern barbarian squads are wiped out to the last man. Even escaping is an impossible dream." "The northern barbarians are terrified. Sheng Yuanyi is searching frantically for Dao Twelve, yet the two of them just haven't crossed paths. Sheng Yuanyi even issued an open challenge, but Dao Twelve simply refuses to respond." "Respond? Why should he respond? Dao Twelve is slaughtering at will across the Northern Region Battlefield. It's the northern barbarians who are panicked; it's Sheng Yuanyi who's getting anxious. All Dao Twelve needs to do is keep hunting on the Northern Region Battlefield." "True. Sheng Yuanyi is desperate right now, but Dao Twelve isn't." "Still, if Sheng Yuanyi does run into Dao Twelve, what will Dao Twelve do then?" "Since Dao Twelve dares to go onto the Northern Region Battlefield—and even after Sheng Yuanyi publicly challenged him—perhaps Dao Twelve has some means to preserve his life." Many people buzzed with discussion. They were shocked by Dao Twelve's recent actions. At the same time, their spirits were greatly lifted. In the past, hadn't the northern barbarians always been arrogant and domineering, suppressing the martial artists of the Great Fish Dynasty on the Northern Region Battlefield? Now, the tables were completely turned. Dao Twelve alone had battered the northern barbarians into collapse and widespread panic, to the point where they hardly dared to step foot onto the Northern Region Battlefield. As for Sheng Yuanyi... Even though Dao Twelve had displayed immense strength, nobody truly believed he was Sheng Yuanyi's match. At most, he might manage to survive before Sheng Yuanyi. In the blink of an eye, a month passed. For an entire month, Lu Changsheng slaughtered relentlessly on the Northern Region Battlefield, yet he never crossed paths with Sheng Yuanyi. Lu Changsheng brought up his attribute panel to review his progress. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 2,866 (Praised in All Directions) Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method: Sword cast for 14 years and 2 months. Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception: Progress 45% Wind of Perception Conception: Progress 68% Starry Sky Waterfall Conception: Progress 11% Ocean Wave Conception: Progress 25% Lu Changsheng had been casting his sword for over fourteen years now, and his blood qi sword could erupt with a horrifying force of seventeen thousand tripods! No matter who he encountered, Lu Changsheng had nothing to fear. However, his greatest gains were in the Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception and the Wind of Perception Conception. After all, on the Northern Region Battlefield, Lu Changsheng was comprehending the wind at every waking moment. Through learning from nature, his progress in both wind-related martial conceptions was naturally tremendous. He had even figured out that contemplating the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception under the night sky yielded some results. It was just that its rate of improvement lagged far behind the Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception. Still, with the Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception reaching 45% and the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception climbing to 11%... When the two stacked and augmented Lu Changsheng, his attacks smoothly surpassed ten thousand tripods! In fact, it wasn't just ten thousand tripods; it likely reached twelve thousand or even thirteen thousand tripods. "Ten thousand tripods of power!" Lu Changsheng murmured softly to himself. This was power that belonged to him, not a one-off expenditure. Now, whether facing Sheng Yuanyi or Tianxin, Lu Changsheng had immense confidence. Rising to his feet, Lu Changsheng set out once more for the Northern Region Battlefield. Over the past month, Lu Changsheng had ventured onto the battlefield every day, slaying dozens of northern barbarian Divine Strength Realm martial artists each time. He had struck pure terror into their hearts. The northern barbarians now felt universally threatened and panicked. Even though Sheng Yuanyi was also madly slaughtering Great Fish Dynasty martial artists on the Northern Region Battlefield, he lacked the Wind of Perception Conception. He could not sense Great Fish Dynasty squads and had to rely entirely on luck. Their slaughtering efficiency was on completely different levels. Yet Sheng Yuanyi had no better options. He had publicly challenged Dao Twelve, but Dao Twelve gave no response whatsoever. Now Sheng Yuanyi had increased the frequency of his trips to the Northern Region Battlefield, hoping to run into Dao Twelve, cut him down, and resolve the problem once and for all. Unfortunately, whether due to Sheng Yuanyi's luck or Lu Changsheng's, the two never met during the entire month. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng arrived at the Northern Region Battlefield. He closed his eyes. His Wind of Perception Conception could now extend over ten li, covering a noticeably larger area. "Hmm?" Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, a glint of surprise flashing across them. He discovered that within a ten-li radius, there was only one person. Indeed, not a single squad. Only a lone figure with unmistakable characteristics. Practically everyone would recognize that figure. Even someone who had never met him before would immediately identify him. Sheng Yuanyi! That figure was none other than Sheng Yuanyi! "Waiting here specifically for me?" Lu Changsheng guessed Sheng Yuanyi's intention. This location was close to Beiling City. Once Lu Changsheng entered the Northern Region Battlefield, there was a high probability he would encounter Sheng Yuanyi. Sheng Yuanyi had likely deduced that Dao Twelve possessed perception over a certain range. In truth, that was practically an open secret by now. Otherwise, there was no explaining how Dao Twelve could pinpoint squad after squad with such precision. "Since you're waiting for me, I'll grant your wish!" "Before dealing with Tianxin, slaying Sheng Yuanyi can count as collecting a bit of interest." Lu Changsheng's gaze turned frosty. Then, taking a single step, he seemed to blend entirely into the wind, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye. At that moment, Sheng Yuanyi stood quietly in place. In truth, he had been waiting here for a long time. This time, the northern barbarians had suspended the deployment of many squads to the Northern Region Battlefield. Only Sheng Yuanyi remained alone on the battlefield. He was waiting. Waiting for a certain person to appear. In the distance lay Beiling City. Sheng Yuanyi believed that as long as that person entered the Northern Region Battlefield, he would definitely be able to find him. The only uncertainty was whether the man dared to come. Yet, judging from his recent actions, Sheng Yuanyi was confident he would. If he wanted to avoid a fight, he wouldn't have slaughtered so frequently or so frenziedly. It seemed that person had no fear of him, the second-ranked on the Divine Strength Ranking! *Whoosh...* A gentle breeze swept past. *Swish!* Sheng Yuanyi jerked his head up, staring straight ahead. "You've come..." Sheng Yuanyi spoke slowly, though a hint of surprise colored his gaze. Ten paces before him, a figure was walking slowly forward. A figure both unfamiliar and familiar. Unfamiliar, because Sheng Yuanyi had never laid eyes on him before. Familiar, because for the past month, Sheng Yuanyi had heard that name ringing in his ears every day. Dao Twelve! The man who still held the highest bounty placed by Northern Barbaria on the Northern Region Battlefield. The man whom even Tianxin had failed to kill in person. Though Sheng Yuanyi was seeing him for the first time, he recognized him at a single glance. This was the man he had been waiting for: Dao Twelve! "Sheng Yuanyi!" Lu Changsheng advanced step by step, his gaze fixed on the figure before him. The man wore white robes and carried a sword at his waist. Information about Sheng Yuanyi flashed through Lu Changsheng's mind. Sheng Yuanyi was the successor of Northern Barbaria's Mind Sword Sect. The Mind Sword Sect was a secretive sect. Its disciples were extremely few in number because the sect demanded extraordinary natural talent and comprehension. After all, without sufficient talent and comprehension, one could never master the "Mind Sword." "Dao Twelve, I've actually wanted to meet you for quite some time." "Someone whom even Tianxin couldn't kill is truly a rarity." "I originally thought the Great Fish Dynasty had only Song Wuqing, but to think there was someone like you as well. Interesting, truly interesting." Sheng Yuanyi did not appear particularly tense. Instead, he looked relaxed, radiating confidence. His strength had improved by leaps and bounds recently, and he had nearly slain Song Wuqing. What was a mere Dao Twelve to him? From what he knew, Dao Twelve merely possessed exceptional perceptive abilities. "One strike to slay you!" Lu Changsheng couldn't be bothered with idle chatter. *Buzz.* The next instant, the surrounding environment distorted. What had been an open prairie suddenly dimmed, turning into a vast starry sky. "A martial conception..." Sheng Yuanyi recognized it immediately as a martial conception. Yet he was completely unfazed. *Crack!* The next moment, countless fractures seemed to rip across the surrounding starry sky. Like glass, it shattered into piece after piece. From Sheng Yuanyi's body, Lu Changsheng sensed a sharp edge—a keen intent that could actually tear apart his Starry Sky Waterfall Conception. *Clang!* Lu Changsheng drew his saber. A beam of blood-red saber light sliced through the void in an instant. At the same time, though the dark starry sky was fractured, a colossal waterfall still spanned the heavens, plunging downward with a thunderous roar as if flying down three thousand feet. The moment it fell, the sound of crashing ocean waves resounded. *Whoosh...* A gale howled. Wind had risen out of nowhere between heaven and earth. Furthermore, the wind bolstered the waves, raising monstrous, surging breakers that roared deafeningly as they swept toward Sheng Yuanyi in an overwhelming deluge. "Three martial conceptions..." At this moment, Sheng Yuanyi was finally shaken! In the Divine Strength Realm, comprehending even a single martial conception demonstrated remarkable comprehension and granted a chance at achieving Divine Gang. Comprehending two conceptions made one a genius. Yet now, Dao Twelve had grasped three martial conceptions. What was more, the three conceptions seemed mutually reinforcing. If it were merely one conception, Sheng Yuanyi would not have feared it. But three conceptions simultaneously suppressed him. Once suppressed in martial conception, one could barely unleash their true strength. In the past, this was precisely what Sheng Yuanyi and Song Wuqing had faced against Tianxin. Tianxin had suppressed them directly with his martial conception. With both Song Wuqing and Sheng Yuanyi able to muster only a fraction of their power, how could they contend with Tianxin? The Dao Twelve before him walked a completely different path from Tianxin. Tianxin focused solely on a single path, having ventured extraordinarily far in the Slaughter Conception. And Dao Twelve? He overwhelmed Sheng Yuanyi through sheer stacked quantity. "Sever!" Suddenly, Sheng Yuanyi let out a low shout. Yet he did not draw his sword. Lu Changsheng, however, felt his entire body shudder. In his mind, a sword seemed to manifest out of thin air. An invisible sword. "The Mind Sword!" A sudden realization struck Lu Changsheng. The so-called Mind Sword was in truth a sword of the spirit, targeted specifically at the mind. If one's spirit was not strong enough, it would be shredded by the Mind Sword, causing them to lose all combat capability instantly. Even Lu Changsheng felt a piercing pain in his head. Yet he endured it. Setting aside their destructive power, the stacking of three martial conceptions augmented his spirit far beyond that of any other Divine Strength Realm martial artist. Still, as Sheng Yuanyi unleashed the Mind Sword, the stabbing pain in Lu Changsheng's mind grew sharper. The Mind Sword was formless and traceless; there was no way to guard against it, only to endure it head-on. Even Tianxin had to take it head-on. However, Tianxin's spirit was condensed into a single solid entity, so the Mind Sword could not shake it in the slightest. "Hmph, you want to sever my spirit?" "*Lin*!" The next instant, Lu Changsheng unleashed the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method. This time, however, he directed the secret method upon himself. With his thunderous shout, the character *Lin* materialized directly in his mind. Radiating boundless golden light, it instantly shattered the Mind Sword that had pierced into his consciousness. "A spiritual secret method?!" Sheng Yuanyi was utterly shocked. Evidently, he had never expected Dao Twelve to possess a spiritual secret method as well. Yet the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method was far more than a mere spiritual secret method—it encompassed both the spirit and qi and blood. The clash on the spiritual plane seemed lengthy, but in reality, it occurred in a single instant. From the moment Sheng Yuanyi silently deployed the Mind Sword to Lu Changsheng unleashing the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method to crush it, only a heartbeat had passed. Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng's blood-red saber light had not been hindered in the least, continuing to slash toward Sheng Yuanyi with irresistible momentum. With this strike, Lu Changsheng held nothing back. The Three Transformations of the Divine Dragon, Triple Waves, and the combined amplification of three martial conceptions. At this moment, the force behind Lu Changsheng's strike had long shattered the threshold of ten thousand tripods, reaching an astonishing thirteen thousand tripods! Such horrifying might made Sheng Yuanyi's scalp tingle with dread even across several paces. "How is this possible?!" Sheng Yuanyi could scarcely believe his eyes. How could Dao Twelve possess such terrifying strength? Yet the reality was right before him. *Swoosh!* Finally, Sheng Yuanyi drew his sword. Though a successor of the Mind Sword Sect, his physical swordsmanship was still exceptionally formidable. Drawing his sword had once heavily wounded Song Wuqing. Now, as he drew his sword, a brilliant sword light similarly soared into the sky. The air seemed filled with dense, dazzling sword beams. White sword light and blood-red saber light completely engulfed the surrounding area of several paces. Saber and sword, each bearing horrifying martial conceptions, collided violently. *Boom!* A deafening roar erupted. Lu Changsheng could clearly see his blood-red saber light cleaving through Sheng Yuanyi's sword light with the crushing momentum of Mount Tai, sweeping away all resistance. "No..." Sheng Yuanyi's eyes widened, a flicker of terror appearing in them for the first time. He was going to die! Sheng Yuanyi felt the breath of death. This saber light was simply too horrifying; he couldn't block it at all. Yet no matter how terrified Sheng Yuanyi was, the blood-red saber light ultimately descended, slashing across his body. *Squelch.* A crisp sound rang out. Sheng Yuanyi's entire body froze. Immediately afterward, his torso burst apart. Blood sprayed in all directions. Sheng Yuanyi's body was torn into pieces, sliced into several segments by Lu Changsheng's single strike. This was the power of ten thousand tripods! Even Sheng Yuanyi could not withstand a strike carrying ten thousand tripods of force from Lu Changsheng. One strike fell, and Sheng Yuanyi was dead! Silence! A dead silence blanketed the surroundings. Sheng Yuanyi was dead. His head remained intact. Only his eyes were wide open, his expression frozen in sheer terror. Even in death, Sheng Yuanyi seemed unable to believe it. How could he have died at the hands of Dao Twelve? The esteemed rank two of the Divine Strength Ranking had now been severed into pieces by Dao Twelve with a single strike, left without an intact corpse! Lu Changsheng, on the other hand, appeared completely calm. Standing quietly in place, he looked at Sheng Yuanyi's mangled remains and fell into deep thought. It seemed he had underestimated the power of ten thousand tripods! Rumors claimed that ten thousand tripods of power could break through Gang, and it seemed those rumors were by no means exaggerated. The mighty Sheng Yuanyi, ranked second on the Divine Strength Ranking, couldn't even survive a single strike carrying ten thousand tripods of force. Lu Changsheng stepped forward and searched among the pieces of Sheng Yuanyi's body. "Hmm?" He actually fished out a secret manual. "Mind Sword Formula?" The supreme secret art of the Mind Sword Sect, the Mind Sword Formula, had actually been carried on Sheng Yuanyi's person. Stowing away the Mind Sword Formula manual, Lu Changsheng grabbed Sheng Yuanyi's head by the hair and set off back toward Beiling City.