Slaying Tianxin, Reaching the Pinnacle of the Divine Strength Ranking, Overawing the Northern Region Battlefield!

Beiling City, the Martial Demonstration Tower. When Lu Changsheng arrived at the Martial Demonstration Tower, dense crowds followed closely behind and flanked him on both sides. "Congratulations to Mister Dao on slaying Tianxin, taking first place on the Divine Strength Ranking, and overawing the Northern Region Battlefield!" Suddenly, a voice rang out from within the crowd. Immediately following that, the martial artists seemed to snap to their senses and began shouting in unison at the top of their lungs. Slaying Tianxin and seizing the top spot on the Divine Strength Ranking! What boundless glory this was! Even though the Divine Strength Ranking had not yet been updated, once the next update arrived, Dao Twelve was certain to reach the pinnacle! The martial artists inside Beiling City were beyond excited. Some even had flushed faces, reddened purely by exhilaration. Who could have imagined that one day, a martial artist from the Great Fish Dynasty could slay Tianxin and claim first place on the Divine Strength Ranking? They had never even dared to dream of such a thing. Yet now, it was reality. Lu Changsheng walked into the Martial Demonstration Tower. "I don't have Tianxin's severed head. Does it still count as having slain Tianxin?" Lu Changsheng asked slowly. "It counts!" "Mister Dao, your slaying of Tianxin took place under the watchful eyes of all. Of course it counts!" "For slaying Tianxin, you receive fifty thousand minor merits!" Fifty thousand minor merits. Added to the thirty thousand from slaying Sheng Yuanyi before, that brought the total to eighty thousand minor merits. He still needed at least twenty thousand minor merits to exchange for the lowest grade of Divine Gang Realm martial arts. Of course, twenty thousand minor merits were nothing to Lu Changsheng. At most, it would just take a few more hunts on the Northern Region Battlefield. "By the way, do you recognize this medallion?" Lu Changsheng asked. He produced the medallion he had retrieved from Tianxin. "The Northern Region Heavenly Sect?" The tower's martial artist took one look, his pupils instantly constricting. "This is a token belonging to a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. If it was found on Tianxin, it means Tianxin had already been accepted as a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect," the tower's martial artist said respectfully. "A disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?" Lu Changsheng glanced at him. The man seemed extremely tense when speaking of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. "Tianxin is dead. Will the Northern Region Heavenly Sect intervene in the Northern Region Battlefield?" Lu Changsheng asked. "No, it won't go that far." "The Northern Region Heavenly Sect stands aloof from the world and has never intervened in disputes between dynasties or nations." "It's just that becoming a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect is extraordinarily difficult. Previously, some had speculated that Tianxin might have become a disciple, but it was merely speculation." "Now, with this token, it seems to be true. Tianxin indeed joined the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. Had he not died, Northern Barbaria would likely have given rise to a terrifying powerhouse in the future." Hearing this, Lu Changsheng nodded. In truth, even without joining the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, Tianxin's talent and aptitude would have made him terrifying in the future. The Divine Gang Realm was definitely not Tianxin's limit. Unfortunately, no matter how remarkably brilliant, Tianxin was dead. Lu Changsheng returned to his courtyard. He was still twenty thousand minor merits short of accumulating one hundred thousand, which he needed to exchange for a Divine Gang Realm martial art. Therefore, on the following day, Lu Changsheng ventured deep into the Northern Region Battlefield once again. However, his harvest was meager. The number of northern barbarians seemed to have dropped dramatically all of a sudden. It appeared they were no longer entering the Northern Region Battlefield. It remained like this for several days in a row. As time passed, there were fewer and fewer northern barbarians on the Northern Region Battlefield. It took Lu Changsheng more than ten full days just to gather the remaining twenty thousand minor merits. "What's going on? Are the northern barbarians planning to abandon the Northern Region Battlefield?" Lu Changsheng had a faint inkling. Tianxin's death left the northern barbarians unable to find anyone capable of contending with Dao Twelve. Moreover, with his Wind of Perception Conception, Lu Changsheng could roam the Northern Region Battlefield unhindered. To the northern barbarians, going into the Northern Region Battlefield was courting death. Who would still go there? Most likely, the northern barbarians were going to concede defeat. Conceding defeat on the Northern Region Battlefield meant they would no longer choose to march south. The battle of the Northern Region Battlefield would be won by the Great Fish Dynasty! Of course, this was only Lu Changsheng's conjecture. As long as the northern barbarians did not withdraw their army, victory could not be declared. "One hundred thousand minor merits. I can finally go to the Martial Demonstration Tower to exchange for a Divine Gang Realm martial art." Lu Changsheng had finally accumulated one hundred thousand minor merits. So, he rose and walked toward the Martial Demonstration Tower. "Mister Dao." "Greetings, Mister Dao." Along the way, many people took the initiative to greet Lu Changsheng. From their eyes, Lu Changsheng could feel their heartfelt respect. The foremost figure on the Divine Strength Ranking! Almost everyone thought so now. All that remained was for the Divine Strength Ranking to update. In another half-month, the ranking would be updated. By then, Lu Changsheng would be the undisputed number one on the Divine Strength Ranking, overawing the entire Northern Region Battlefield! The name Dao Twelve would spread far and wide. Lu Changsheng arrived at the Martial Demonstration Tower. "I have one hundred thousand minor merits. Can I exchange for a Divine Gang Realm martial art now?" Lu Changsheng asked. The tower's martial artist answered respectfully, "Of course you may exchange for a Divine Gang Realm martial art." "However, you are the very first martial artist in the Martial Demonstration Tower to reach one hundred thousand minor merits. Our Vice Tower Master would like to meet with you." "After you have met the Vice Tower Master, if you still wish to exchange for a Divine Gang Realm martial art, we will naturally fulfill the exchange." Lu Changsheng's brows rose slightly. Vice Tower Master? He knew that the Martial Demonstration Tower in Beiling City was actually overseen by a Vice Tower Master, who was said to be a Divine Gang Realm powerhouse. "Very well, take me to see your Vice Tower Master." Lu Changsheng nodded, then followed behind the tower's martial artist up to the second floor of the Martial Demonstration Tower. The second floor was much quieter, populated almost entirely by people from the Martial Demonstration Tower. Lu Changsheng was led into a secluded room to wait. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a figure walked in from outside. It was a middle-aged man with a smile on his face. "I am Xiao Tianhuan, Vice Tower Master of the Martial Demonstration Tower." Xiao Tianhuan appeared very courteous. "May I ask why Tower Master Xiao wishes to see me?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Mister Dao is too polite." "In fact, I invited Mister Dao here for a wonderful opportunity." "Take a look, Mister Dao." Xiao Tianhuan handed over a sheet of paper densely covered with information. "Hmm?" Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted slightly. The information on the paper was entirely about him. Zhuang Thirteen! Lu Changsheng! And even Dao Twelve! Every event, every detail was recorded with crystal clarity. Clearly, the Martial Demonstration Tower already knew Lu Changsheng's true identity. Dao Twelve, Zhuang Thirteen, or even Lu Thirteen—they were all the same person! Whoosh. Lu Changsheng looked up, his gaze calm as he looked at Xiao Tianhuan. He was not particularly surprised. Others might not be able to investigate his background, but the Martial Demonstration Tower certainly could! After all, behind the Martial Demonstration Tower stood, in all likelihood, the Great Fish Dynasty. "Tower Master Xiao, I am Dao Twelve, I am Lu Changsheng, and I am also Zhuang Thirteen. But so what?" Lu Changsheng spoke slowly, his tone calm and composed. With his current strength, there was no longer any need to hide these identities. It was simply unnecessary. "Mister Dao... no, it should be Mister Lu." "Please do not take offense, Mister Lu. The Martial Demonstration Tower's investigation into you bears no malice whatsoever. On the contrary, we wish to present Mister Lu with an immense opportunity!" "With Mister Lu's natural gifts and talents, are you truly content with merely exchanging for an ordinary Divine Gang Realm martial art? You must understand that martial arts form the very foundation. A superior or even top-tier martial art can forge an unrivaled foundation. The deeper and firmer the foundation, the further one can go!" "If Mister Lu agrees, we can send you to the Northern Region Heavenly Sect to become a disciple of the Heavenly Sect!" "When that time comes, whether divine arts or secret methods, Mister Lu will want for nothing." Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed sharply. "The Northern Region Heavenly Sect..." In fact, Lu Changsheng had already looked into the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. He had practiced martial arts for only a short time and roamed the Jianghu for an equally brief period, so he had little knowledge of top-tier factions. After obtaining the Northern Region Heavenly Sect token from Tianxin, he had inquired extensively about the sect. It was the paramount sect of the entire Northern Region—bar none. It was practically a holy ground for countless martial artists! The Northern Region Heavenly Sect recruited disciples only once every ten years, and the last recruitment had taken place three years ago. Tianxin had likely been accepted as a disciple back then. Yet for some unknown reason, Tianxin had never formally entered the sect, coming instead to the Northern Region Battlefield. Presumably, it was to hone his Slaughter Conception. Lu Changsheng had once asked Song Wuqing about it. Song Wuqing had also taken part in the Northern Region Heavenly Sect's assessment, and even Sheng Yuanyi had participated. Without exception, however, they had failed. For one, they were slightly older. For another, they simply were not exceptional enough. Only the most peerless geniuses stood a chance of entering the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. "Tower Master Xiao, as far as I know, the Northern Region Heavenly Sect only accepts disciples once every ten years. It has only been three years since the last intake, far from the ten-year mark." "Could it be that the Martial Demonstration Tower wants me to wait another seven years?" Waiting another seven years was utterly out of the question. Even if Lu Changsheng had to exhaust every possible avenue to obtain a Divine Gang Realm martial art, he would never wait seven more years. Of course, if he broke through to the Divine Gang Realm, he would lose the opportunity to enter the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. The Northern Region Heavenly Sect only accepted disciples below the Divine Gang Realm. There were also age requirements; if one was too old, the sect would not accept them either. Xiao Tianhuan gave a mysterious smile. "That is precisely why our Martial Demonstration Tower is offering Mister Lu an immense opportunity." "Behind the Martial Demonstration Tower stands the imperial family of the Great Fish Dynasty. Under the banner of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, the imperial families of several major dynasties hold quota spots that bypass the assessment and grant direct entry into the sect." "Our Great Fish Dynasty's imperial family is willing to bestow this quota upon Mister Lu." "Aside from the one hundred thousand minor merits, all we ask is a single promise from Mister Lu." "What promise?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Should Mister Lu ascend to become a true disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect in the future, you must become a royal consecrated elder of the Great Fish Dynasty!" "A consecrated elder?" "Yes. A royal consecrated elder is an exalted position. Ordinary matters will never trouble a consecrated elder; only if the dynasty is on the brink of collapse and the imperial family faces an existential crisis would we beseech the consecrated elder to act." Lu Changsheng understood. The Great Fish Dynasty valued his potential. His background was clean; born a mere beggar, he was unentangled with any faction. Giving away a quota spot was certainly giving away something precious, but with Lu Changsheng's talent, he truly had a chance of becoming a true disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. When that day arrived, Lu Changsheng would serve as a royal consecrated elder of the Great Fish Dynasty in his capacity as a true disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. That status alone would be enough to guarantee the safety of the imperial family. In truth, this was an "investment." However, the imperial family was showing immense sincerity. Even with conditions attached, they were terms Lu Changsheng would only have to fulfill once he had achieved success in his cultivation. Under such conditions, what reason did Lu Changsheng have to refuse? "I agree! If I become a true disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect one day, I shall naturally become a royal consecrated elder of the Great Fish Dynasty!" Lu Changsheng stated steadily. Seeing Lu Changsheng agree, Xiao Tianhuan's expression grew even more relaxed. "Hahaha, Mister Lu, you have made the right choice." "The Northern Region Heavenly Sect is a sacred land dreamed of by countless martial artists." "However, we will likely need Mister Lu to remain in Beiling City for a while longer, serving to oversee the Northern Region Battlefield. In two to three months at most, the northern barbarians will withdraw their troops. When that happens, the Martial Demonstration Tower will naturally dispatch someone to escort you to the Northern Region Heavenly Sect." "Before then, Mister Lu must under no circumstances attempt to break through to the Divine Gang Realm. This touches upon your future martial path and demands utmost caution. Go to the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, determine your martial path, and only then choose to break through," Xiao Tianhuan cautioned. "Martial path..." Lu Changsheng nodded. "What about martial conceptions?" "Conceptions, of course, can be comprehended. In fact, if you can bring a conception to perfection before the Divine Gang Realm and evolve a martial conception domain, that would be even better." Lu Changsheng thought of Tianxin. Hadn't Tianxin evolved the Slaughter Domain? Lu Changsheng even suspected that Tianxin's stay on the Northern Region Battlefield had been specifically to manifest the Slaughter Domain. In the end, Tianxin had indeed succeeded. Unfortunately for him, he had encountered Lu Changsheng and been slain by him, falling short at the final hurdle. Having reached an agreement with Xiao Tianhuan, Lu Changsheng departed the Martial Demonstration Tower. He would have to remain in Beiling City for another two to three months. During this time, there would basically be no more northern barbarians on the Northern Region Battlefield. However, it was well-suited for Lu Changsheng to comprehend martial conceptions, especially the Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception and the Wind of Perception Conception. "I should take advantage of these two to three months to bring the Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception to perfection, or near perfection." "Otherwise, if I encounter another martial artist like Tianxin who has brought a martial conception to perfection, my three conceptions will be completely useless." Lu Changsheng planned his cultivation. Since he could not break through to Divine Gang, he could only comprehend martial conceptions. And his martial conceptions were indeed his relatively weaker area. Right now, what he needed was time to thoroughly elevate them. Thus, Lu Changsheng went to the Northern Region Battlefield every day to comprehend the Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception. With the support of his transcendent comprehension, even without falling into sudden enlightenment, learning from nature every day and personally experiencing the "wind" on the vast grassland allowed his Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception and Wind of Perception Conception to advance by leaps and bounds. In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. It had been roughly a full month since the last update to the Divine Strength Ranking. Today was the day the Divine Strength Ranking would be updated once more. Countless martial artists swarmed to the Martial Demonstration Tower. They were all waiting in anticipation for this historic moment. The Divine Strength Ranking! "Tianxin is dead. First place on the Divine Strength Ranking will definitely not fall to anyone else—it belongs to Mister Dao." "Indeed. Lately, even the northern barbarians rarely enter the Northern Region Battlefield; there are only sporadic skirmishes. The barbarians are terrified of Mister Dao." "Mister Dao as number one on the Divine Strength Ranking is thoroughly well-deserved!" Many people spoke with absolute certainty, convinced that the top spot on the Divine Strength Ranking would go to Dao Twelve. Yet until the Divine Strength Ranking was officially updated, many still felt a lingering restlessness in their hearts. In the minds of the many martial artists in Beiling City, it was almost as if Dao Twelve had, by his strength alone, crushed the northern barbarians across the entire Northern Region Battlefield. How staggering was that? Song Wuqing could not do it. The tens of thousands of martial artists in Beiling City could not do it. Yet Dao Twelve had done it! On the Northern Region Battlefield now, which northern barbarian dared to go and throw their life away? As long as Dao Twelve remained on the Northern Region Battlefield for a single day, the northern barbarians would never dare set foot on it. This had already become a form of deterrence. Back when Tianxin dominated first place on the Divine Strength Ranking, he had wielded a similar deterrent effect. Whoosh! At long last, the Divine Strength Ranking was updated. As the black cloth covering the ranking board was pulled away, everyone immediately directed their gazes toward the topmost position on the Divine Strength Ranking. Dao Twelve! Sure enough, the name in first place on the Divine Strength Ranking was Dao Twelve! Boom! In an instant, an impassioned wave of congratulations erupted throughout the entire Martial Demonstration Tower. "Congratulations to Mister Dao on reaching the pinnacle of the Divine Strength Ranking!" The roaring voices surged in a magnificent wave, echoing across all of Beiling City. Starting today, Dao Twelve had officially reached the top of the Divine Strength Ranking, overawing countless Divine Strength Realm martial artists! The martial artists of the Great Fish Dynasty cheered in jubilation. Yet among them, some people wore expressions as though mourning their parents. Those people were scouts of the northern barbarians. "It's over..." "Perhaps the Northern Region Battlefield will soon come to an end." "We lost... Who could have thought we would lose to a single Divine Strength Realm martial artist, Dao Twelve..." "With his strength alone, he has terrified countless martial artists of Northern Barbaria so thoroughly that none dare set foot onto the Northern Region Battlefield. Even Tianxin back then couldn't achieve this. This is true dominance over the realm!" The northern barbarian scouts looked utterly despondent. Today belonged solely to Dao Twelve. Across the nearly two years of warfare on the Northern Region Battlefield and among countless martial artists, only a single name would be remembered. And that name was Dao Twelve!