Two Domains Merge, a Brand-New Domain Crushes Everything!

"Huh?" "You won't lend it?" The expressions of the three men shifted slightly. Their eyes swept over the people on the ship before finally settling on Lu Changsheng. "Perhaps we didn't make ourselves clear. We are disciples of the Youhai Sect, and we need to borrow your large ship for a while." "Is it clear now?" The three Divine Strength Realm martial artists spoke with an unmistakable hint of arrogance. Clearly, the Youhai Sect possessed formidable prestige, and they were confident Lu Changsheng would not dare refuse. After all, one glance showed that this large ship was an ocean vessel belonging to foreign merchants. What foreign merchant would dare go against the will of the Youhai Sect? "No," Lu Changsheng replied, his tone remaining cold, decisive, and without the slightest hesitation. "You..." The faces of the three warped instantly. He had rejected them repeatedly. Even after they invoked the name of the Youhai Sect, he turned a completely deaf ear. Their expressions gradually turned frigid. *Whoosh.* Just then, a man in a long red robe leaped from the small boat. Skimming across the water, he covered the distance in a few bounds and landed upon the large vessel. Upon seeing the red-robed man, the trio immediately bowed in deep respect, calling out deferentially, "Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother!" "Speak. What is going on?" the red-robed man asked coldly. "Eldest Senior Brother, we wanted to requisition this foreign merchant vessel, but they refused," they replied truthfully. "Refused?" "Our Youhai Sect wishes to requisition a vessel from mere foreign merchants, and we cannot?" "Useless trash!" The red-robed man's gaze turned chilling as he swept his eyes across the sailors on board. Then he stated icily, "Leave no one alive on this ship!" "Yes, Eldest Senior Brother!" A chill ran through the hearts of the three. They knew their Eldest Senior Brother was intensely displeased with them. If they botched this matter further, they would certainly face severe punishment upon returning to the Youhai Sect. Even though they were all Divine Strength Realm martial artists, their Eldest Senior Brother held an exalted status; disciplining them would be effortless. With that in mind, the three looked up, their gazes dripping with murderous intent. "Mister Dao..." The sailors' faces turned pale with fright. None of them wanted to die. Moreover, knowing that these individuals belonged to the Youhai Sect, they were even more terrified of offending them. "Noisy." Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. These people reeked of bloodlust, clamoring for slaughter as though he did not exist at all. The Youhai Sect? Lu Changsheng had truly never heard of it. *Buzz.* The next instant, the vast ocean around them seemed to undergo a drastic transformation. Everyone felt as if they were cast into a pitch-black starry sky, where a colossal waterfall could be faintly seen spanning across the cosmos, bridging the void. That immense, awe-inspiring majesty shook everyone to the core. "This is... martial conception!" The red-robed man possessed some worldly knowledge, and his expression instantly warped in horror. *Clang!* Lu Changsheng drew his saber. A streak of blood-red blade light instantly severed the void, accompanied by the faint, distant roar of surging ocean waves. Before the four could even react, they were engulfed by the blade light, freezing stiff on the spot. *Spurt!* Four heads tumbled down, crimson blood splattering across the deck. A dense metallic stench filled the air. Silence fell. The entire vessel was deathly quiet. The captain and sailors seemed utterly stunned, unable to process what had just occurred. Those were four Divine Strength Realm martial artists, one of whom was an Eldest Senior Brother of the Youhai Sect! And yet, they had died just like that? They had not even seen Mister Dao make a move. "Throw the bodies into the sea and wash the deck clean." Having said that, Lu Changsheng closed his eyes once more. They were merely four Divine Strength Realm martial artists. Even that "Eldest Senior Brother" had not comprehended a martial conception. Against Divine Strength martial artists of such caliber, Lu Changsheng did not even need a second strike. A single blade was more than enough! To the current Lu Changsheng, a Divine Strength martial artist who had not grasped a martial conception was no different from a Body Tempering practitioner. No matter how many of them came, it would never be enough to exhaust him. They were mere clay chickens and pottery dogs, far too weak. "Y-Yes, Mister Dao," the captain answered tremulously. At the same time, a flicker of excitement surfaced on his face. Although he had long known that this "Mister Dao" was formidable and shared a close relationship with the Ocean Commerce Guild, he had never possessed a concrete concept of what "formidable" truly meant. Now, both the captain and the sailors finally understood. Even four Divine Strength Realm experts from the Youhai Sect were executed in the blink of an eye with a single strike. Was this not terrifyingly strong beyond measure? With Mister Dao around, nothing would happen to them. Aboard the small boat in the distance, the remaining crew seemed to witness the demise of the four Divine Strength experts. Not daring to linger, they quickly steered the boat away. Lu Changsheng paid them no heed. He remained on the large vessel, quietly contemplating the Ocean Wave Conception. In the blink of an eye, several more days passed. Lu Changsheng's Ocean Wave Conception had already reached 99% progress. It was now only a single opportunity away from consummation. However, such a breakthrough still required an element of serendipity. "Head into the deep sea," Lu Changsheng instructed the captain. "Understood, Mister Dao." Obeying Lu Changsheng's command, the captain steered the great vessel toward the depths of the open ocean. *Rumble!* The ocean's weather changed without warning. In the span of a breath, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled across the sky above. A tempest was clearly on its way. And on the boundless ocean, a storm almost always meant towering waves. "It has arrived!" Suddenly, Lu Changsheng sensed the waves—towering, monstrous waves, churning with boundless momentum as if capable of destroying everything. The majestic might of nature was something no mortal could resist. Lu Changsheng took a deep breath. "Wait here." With a splash, Lu Changsheng plunged straight into the sea. Upon entering the water, Lu Changsheng swiftly swam toward the surging crests. Soon, he was amidst the crashing waves. Within the churning waters, Lu Changsheng felt the world spinning around him. Caught up and hurled high into the air by the swells, he witnessed waves dozens of zhang tall rampaging across the sea's surface. Wave after wave crashed forward in endless succession. Lu Changsheng simply drifted with the tide within the surge. At this moment, he experienced the true essence of ocean waves firsthand. A flash of sudden enlightenment struck him. The Ocean Wave Conception within him naturally radiated outward, undergoing rapid metamorphosis and evolution. The Ocean Wave Conception gradually evolved into an Ocean Wave Domain. *Crash!* A tremendous wave struck the vessel. Unbeknownst to him, Lu Changsheng had been swept back to the vicinity of the ship by the currents. "Hahaha, the Ocean Wave Domain!" Lu Changsheng threw his head back and laughed aloud. Yet, compared to the thunderous roar of the monstrous waves, his laughter seemed utterly minuscule. With a swift leap, Lu Changsheng bounded back onto the deck. "Let us leave. Return to Zhanhai City," Lu Changsheng told the captain. "Right away, Mister Dao!" The captain and sailors immediately bustled about. Faced with such terrifying swells, they had long wished to leave. They were seasoned sailors, and the ship was exceedingly sturdy, so sailing away now posed no great difficulty. Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the deck, focusing his mind on inspecting his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 3,480 (Praised in All Directions) Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method: Cast sword for 5 years and 2 months. Mind Sword Formula: Progress 21% (Mind Sword) Ocean Wave Domain: Progress 1% Tempest Domain: Progress 6% Perception Domain: Progress 16% Starry Sky Waterfall Conception: Progress 42% Sure enough, the Ocean Wave Domain had appeared on the attribute panel. Looking at the Ocean Wave Domain and the Tempest Domain, Lu Changsheng felt a sudden stirring in his heart. He raised his head and gazed out at the sea. At this moment, monstrous waves swept forward one after another across the waters. Fierce winds howled in the sky above. Gazing into the distance, vortexes of wind seemed to churn across the sea, whipping up towering waterspouts in a magnificent display. What was more, the gale-force winds propelled wave after wave to greater fury. "Storms and waves complement each other. In fact, it is precisely because of storms that the waves become so terrifying." "On the ocean, whenever there is a storm, there will inevitably be waves." Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath. A spark of inspiration had just flashed through his mind. Since storms and ocean waves were so closely intertwined, could his Ocean Wave Domain and Tempest Domain be fused together? And if they merged, what form would they take? Driven by this thought, Lu Changsheng could no longer contain his curiosity and immediately unleashed the Tempest Domain. *Buzz.* The Tempest Domain instantly manifested around him. He deliberately avoided the sailors on the ship so that they would not be caught in its effects. Next came the Ocean Wave Domain. When the Ocean Wave Domain was deployed, overlaying the Tempest Domain, there was initially no noticeable change. Between separate domains, so long as they did not intentionally clash, they would not interfere with each other—unless they were pitted against one another, such as when Lu Changsheng clashed with another martial artist who had evolved a domain. Yet what Lu Changsheng sought now was not a clash of domains, but their fusion! This similarly required his conscious guidance to achieve. "Let us begin." Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and began guiding the Tempest Domain and the Ocean Wave Domain toward merging. *Boom!* As Lu Changsheng forcefully fused the Ocean Wave Domain and the Tempest Domain, the two fields collided and entwined. Ripples of shockwaves continuously jarred Lu Changsheng's spirit. After all, a domain relied on spiritual willpower to guide and manifest; a collision between domains naturally consumed spiritual energy. A martial artist could comprehend many martial conceptions and evolve numerous domains. Even with eight or ten domains, as long as one did not actively attempt to fuse them, deploying multiple domains would not cause any interference. However, once a martial artist deliberately sought to merge them, the situation changed entirely. The domains would violently repel each other. At times, the domains might even collapse completely, causing severe damage to the martial artist's spirit. Yet Lu Changsheng's Tempest Domain and Ocean Wave Domain did not seem to clash intensely. Under his forceful integration, the two domains genuinely underwent a transformation. The entangled domains began to gradually blend together. Countless gales raged within the Tempest Domain. When fused with the Ocean Wave Domain, they formed a massive vortex, sweeping up terrifying waves. The towering waves coalesced into an enormous column of water. The water pillar expanded continuously, brimming with the fury of tempest and swell. Churning incessantly, it swept all the winds and waves together, forming a horrifying waterspout that connected heaven and earth. Blotting out the sky, the waterspout bore down with crushing momentum. Within the domain, anything that touched it would be instantly shattered into pieces. Within its boundaries, the power of this waterspout was far more than doubled—it had easily grown twofold, threefold, or perhaps even tenfold! *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, his heart surging with excitement. What had started as a minor experiment had proceeded with astonishing smoothness. "The fusion of these two domains produces an extraordinary effect." "Once the two domains form the Waterspout Domain, it sweeps away everything, crushing all in its path with tenfold power! Even if other formidable domains clash against it, they will likely be battered to pieces by my Waterspout Domain!" Lu Changsheng's eyes gleamed with sharp brilliance. The fusion of the two domains had produced the Waterspout Domain, increasing its might by ten times. Such a result exceeded even his own expectations. Still, this was an immense boon. Among Lu Changsheng's future opponents, many would undoubtedly have evolved domains of their own. When that time came, battles would turn into clashes of domains. Under ordinary circumstances, certain highly offensive domains—such as those born of sword intent or saber intent—did possess greater striking power. Yet with two domains merged to form the Waterspout Domain, it would utterly overpower any single domain. The only exception would be if the opponent could likewise fuse two complementary domains. However, the probability of that was minuscule. Evolving even a single domain was already exceedingly difficult, to say nothing of evolving two. For those two domains to also complement each other made the odds vanishingly small. Even in Lu Changsheng's case, it had not been planned; he had stumbled upon it by chance, happening to have comprehended both the Ocean Wave Conception and the Wind of Heaven and Earth Conception, which allowed him to evolve two complementary domains and fuse them. Afterward, Lu Changsheng withdrew the domain. The fusion was only temporary; in daily use, they could still be deployed individually. When necessary, he could fuse them at a moment's notice, which was exceedingly convenient. "To think that this voyage to sea not only allowed me to evolve the Ocean Wave Domain smoothly, but also yielded the Waterspout Domain through fusion. It is truly an unexpected harvest." "Next, it will be time to evolve the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain..." Lu Changsheng considered the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception. In truth, this martial conception was somewhat troublesome. It contained both the starry sky and a waterfall. While combining the two caused its power to surge, what about Divine Gang? Condensing Divine Gang would prove tricky, as there were no compatible Divine Gang Realm martial arts. After all, Lu Changsheng had comprehended the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception from a line of poetry, an image drawn purely from imagination. Who would bother creating a Divine Gang Realm martial art for a purely imagined martial conception? Conversely, both a Starry Sky Domain and a Waterfall Domain had corresponding Divine Gang Realm martial arts available. "Martial conceptions can be comprehended freely, but if one wishes to evolve a domain, one must consider things carefully. It is best to learn from nature and align with Divine Gang so as to step more smoothly into the next realm of martial arts..." Practicing martial arts was not a matter of following arbitrary whims—unless one's comprehension was monstrous enough to casually create a Divine Gang Realm martial art from scratch. Unfortunately, with Lu Changsheng's current comprehension, he could not accomplish that. Even if his comprehension increased tenfold, he still would not be able to. Divine Gang Realm martial arts were developed by martial powerhouses far beyond the Divine Gang Realm, crafted from an elevated vantage point after expending boundless blood and sweat. What realm was Lu Changsheng in? He had not even reached the Divine Gang Realm. Could he possibly hope to invent a Divine Gang Realm martial art while still in the Divine Strength Realm? That would be nothing short of a fool's dream. Yet asking Lu Changsheng to abandon the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception was something he was reluctant to do. Even with his comprehension, martial conceptions could not be grasped at will; they still required opportunities. Having painstakingly comprehended one, discarding it so readily left him deeply unwilling. "Starry sky, waterfall..." "Since both the Starry Sky Conception and Waterfall Conception have matching Divine Gang martial arts, why don't I split the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception into a Starry Sky Conception and a Waterfall Conception?" "That way, I can separately evolve a Starry Sky Domain and a Waterfall Domain. When the time comes, since I once comprehended the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception, the two will have originally been of one whole. Once their domains are evolved, could I attempt to fuse them again?" "If they truly can be fused, the combined Starry Sky Waterfall Domain might not be any weaker than the Waterspout Domain—it might even be stronger..." A sudden inspiration struck Lu Changsheng as an idea took shape: splitting a martial conception! This was an audacious notion, perhaps even a stroke of genius. Splitting a martial conception sounded somewhat bizarre, but it was not impossible. After all, Lu Changsheng had already mastered the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception; with his comprehension, could he truly fail to grasp the Starry Sky Conception and Waterfall Conception if he dismantled it into its parts? "Whether it is the Starry Sky Conception or the Waterfall Conception, both can be learned from nature." "It would be best to see them with my own eyes." "Zhanhai City has no waterfalls, but the Tianlu Mountain Range does. As for the starry sky, one can simply gaze upon it at night." Lu Changsheng's thoughts cleared completely. Calculating the time, he had been away from the mountain for over a month. Prior to that, he had spent a month at the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. Only about twenty days remained of his seed disciple "newcomer protection period." It was just about time to return. Being at the Northern Region Heavenly Sect would not hinder his comprehension of the Starry Sky Conception and the Waterfall Conception. Before long, the Ocean Commerce Guild's vessel docked smoothly, returning to the harbor. *** Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the Three Dragons Association. The three chieftains of the Three Dragons Association were all present in the hall. Alongside them stood an old man cloaked in black robes. The black-robed elder seemed to be suppressing simmering fury as he spoke icily, "My Youhai Sect has cooperated with your Three Dragons Association for an entire year. Your association has expanded so much that your momentum is on the verge of eclipsing the Four Seas Gang to become the foremost gang in Zhanhai City." "What, when asked to investigate the person who slaughtered four of my disciples, you don't even have the courage?" The black-robed elder was the Sect Master of the Youhai Sect, known as Old Ancestor Youhai, a Divine Gang Realm martial artist. In Zhanhai City, the Divine Gang Realm represented the pinnacle tier of power, equivalent to gang leaders and supreme elders. The Three Dragons Association was one of the three major gangs of Zhanhai City. To surpass the Four Seas Gang, they had allied with the Youhai Sect, rapidly expanding their influence over the span of a single year. Now that Old Ancestor Youhai had come knocking on their door in person, the three chieftains were obligated to show some initiative. However, upon investigating the actual circumstances, they found themselves saddled with a massive headache. This matter was exceedingly troublesome! "Old Ancestor Youhai, this matter is far from ordinary. According to the clues you provided, that vessel belongs to the Ocean Commerce Guild. And within the Ocean Commerce Guild, there is likely only one person capable of severing your four Divine Strength Realm disciples with a single blade." "Who?" At this moment, Old Ancestor Youhai only wanted to know who had killed his four disciples. "Dao Twelve!" "According to our intelligence, Dao Twelve has likely returned to Zhanhai City recently and even met with the Heavenly Maiden. In all probability, it was him." Upon hearing the name "Dao Twelve," Old Ancestor Youhai's pupils shrank slightly. No wonder even the three chieftains of the Three Dragons Association felt a headache. So it was Dao Twelve! Old Ancestor Youhai had never met Dao Twelve, yet he had heard of him; the name was practically thunderous in his ears. In the entirety of Zhanhai City, who did not know of Dao Twelve? "The Dao Twelve from the Northern Region Battlefield, ranked first on the Divine Strength Ranking?" "Who else could it be?" Old Ancestor Youhai fell silent. Dao Twelve was no ordinary figure. He was the number one on the Divine Strength Ranking! Relying on his own strength alone, he had defeated countless Divine Strength martial artists of Northern Barbaria, winning renown throughout the world. Such a person was extraordinarily formidable. "Hmph, he, Dao Twelve, may be renowned under heaven, and his fame is certainly vast. But did my four disciples deserve to die?" "No matter how famous Dao Twelve is throughout the world, it has nothing to do with this old man!" "Number one in the Divine Strength Realm? Even if he is number one, he is still merely in the Divine Strength Realm! This old man will tear him to shreds!" Old Ancestor Youhai's eyes flushed crimson. His four disciples—especially his eldest disciple—were those capable of inheriting his mantle. And yet they were dead? Old Ancestor Youhai was enraged beyond measure! Even knowing it was Dao Twelve, Old Ancestor Youhai remained unmoved. No matter how powerful Dao Twelve was, could he possibly surpass the Divine Gang Realm? In truth, neither the Three Dragons Association nor Old Ancestor Youhai knew that Dao Twelve was already a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. Furthermore, the strength Dao Twelve had displayed was still confined to the Divine Strength tier. It was no surprise that Old Ancestor Youhai's killing intent soared to the heavens. No matter how great Dao Twelve's reputation was, the martial world cared nothing for mere fame. In the martial world, only raw strength mattered! The three chieftains exchanged glances, feeling troubled. They had caught wind of rumors that Dao Twelve shared an extraordinary relationship with the imperial household of the Great Fish Dynasty. Truly killing Dao Twelve would almost certainly invite immense trouble. Yet who told Dao Twelve to provoke Old Ancestor Youhai? This Old Ancestor Youhai possessed a fiery temper and was thoroughly reckless, long accustomed to acting tyrannically on the seas. Now that even four of his disciples had been slain by Dao Twelve, how could he possibly let the matter rest? "Report! Old Ancestor, you instructed us to watch the Ocean Commerce Guild's ships at the harbor." "Just now, a large ship belonging to the Ocean Commerce Guild has returned to the docks!" At that moment, a scout from the Youhai Sect arrived to deliver the report. "Oh?" "It seems Dao Twelve has returned!" "This old man will go slaughter Dao Twelve right now!" Old Ancestor Youhai's eyes were bloodshot, his body radiating soaring murderous aura. At this juncture, even the three chieftains could not hope to dissuade him. "Very well. Since the Old Ancestor is determined to slaughter Dao Twelve, our Three Dragons Association naturally will not stand idly by." "We will not directly aid you in slaying Dao Twelve, but if that madwoman from the Heavenly Maiden Sect tries to intervene, we can help the Old Ancestor hold her off." The three chieftains gave their promise. They knew that the Heavenly Maiden Sect shared deep ties with Dao Twelve, as he served as the Dao Protector to the current Heavenly Maiden. If the Heavenly Maiden Sect was bent on interfering, Old Ancestor Youhai might not truly manage to kill him. But if they stepped in to hold back that Divine Gang Realm powerhouse from the Heavenly Maiden Sect and left Old Ancestor Youhai free to act against Dao Twelve, then Dao Twelve would almost certainly be doomed. This served as the Three Dragons Association's assistance to Old Ancestor Youhai. "Good! Once Dao Twelve is slaughtered, this old man will expand our cooperation with the Three Dragons Association!" Old Ancestor Youhai was well pleased. Without further delay, he left the Three Dragons Association immediately, making his way straight toward the Ocean Commerce Guild. "Come, let us go take a look as well, and keep an eye on that madwoman from the Heavenly Maiden Sect while we're at it!" The three chieftains quickly followed behind.