Five Domains Finally Revealed, the Technique Transmission Elder Explains the Divine Treasury!

Clatter. Bai Yuansheng threw down the sword in his hand. He was utterly disappointed. He had always harbored immense inner pride and was well known for his unyielding diligence. With great difficulty, he had condensed three layers of Divine Gang and evolved his own domain, believing he was only a hair's breadth behind the seed disciples of the inner sect. Given time, he was certain he could catch up to those seed disciples, and perhaps even ascend to become a true disciple one day! Yet, facing a newly promoted inner sect disciple, he had met complete and crushing defeat—lacking even the courage to draw his blade. The pride he had once held shattered to pieces in an instant. Step by step, Bai Yuansheng walked down from the arena, quickly vanishing into the crowd. Looking at the sword Bai Yuansheng had cast aside on the stage, and then at Lu Changsheng standing motionless above, the disciples—inner and outer sect alike—understood clearly that the inner sect now had another seed disciple among its ranks! "As expected, Lu Changsheng won." "Four domains, four layers of Divine Gang, and a ninetyfold boost to his physical body. What else could Bai Yuansheng do except concede?" "Indeed, Bai Yuansheng's loss was not unjust. In such circumstances, even drawing a sword required courage." "Bai Yuansheng threw his sword away. His spirit must have suffered a devastating blow. Who knows if he can ever pick himself back up." "Bai Yuansheng worked hard enough, but compared to a true genius, he is still leagues behind. It seems like an insurmountable chasm..." The surrounding disciples buzzed with fervent discussion. From this moment forth, the inner sect disciples truly knew the name Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng did not linger on the arena. He stepped down from the stage and returned to the inner sect. The Inner Sect Deacons' Office assigned Lu Changsheng a residence—Courtyard No. 83 of the inner sect. The inner sect was vast, and every disciple enjoyed their own private courtyard, setting them far apart from outer sect disciples. This alone proved that the status of a Northern Region Heavenly Sect inner disciple was far superior to that of an outer disciple. Furthermore, inner sect disciples were permitted to choose an odd-job servant. At that moment, Lu Changsheng stood before the deacon elder. The deacon elder had clearly already heard the news of Lu Changsheng defeating Bai Yuansheng. Lu Changsheng had stacked four layers of Divine Gang and evolved four domains. Such sheer talent truly shocked even the deacon elder. Consequently, the deacon elder treated Lu Changsheng with even greater warmth. "Lu Changsheng, inner sect disciples may select an odd-job servant to attend to their needs, male or female." "You may have the inner sect arrange a servant for you, or you may bring someone up the mountain yourself. Remember, an odd-job servant's life and death rest in the hands of their inner sect disciple; you hold the power of life and death over them." "Yet by the same token, they belong to you. If a servant commits a crime or causes trouble, you will bear responsibility!" the deacon elder cautioned. Lu Changsheng understood. In truth, the servant system was designed to allow inner sect disciples to place their own confidants. For instance, many inner sect disciples hailed from prominent clans or smaller sects. In that case, they could use someone close to them as their servant. Though an odd-job servant did not formally belong to the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and served only the individual disciple, once they entered the sect, their proximity allowed them to enjoy a share of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect's benefits. Therefore, even for a mere servant slot, countless people racked their brains and fought tooth and nail to secure one, even if it meant placing their lives completely in the disciple's hands. "I do not need one for the time being." Lu Changsheng had little desire for a servant. Living alone in his courtyard, he had few chores to attend to. The only real task was sweeping and cleaning, which was a trivial matter. Lu Changsheng did not want a stranger lingering by his side. If he truly wanted an attendant in the future, he would prefer bringing someone he was already familiar with. "Lu Changsheng, you are an inner sect seed disciple," the deacon elder continued. "Once a seed disciple completes a full year without losing their seed disciple status, they are granted a Dao Comprehension Pill." "Inner disciples can remain in the inner sect for ten years. Theoretically, an inner sect seed disciple could obtain ten Dao Comprehension Pills." "Therefore, you must guard your status as a seed disciple well." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. A Dao Comprehension Pill! And one every single year, at that. If converted to contribution points, ten Dao Comprehension Pills would be worth a staggering one hundred thousand contribution points! "By the way, above the Divine Gang Realm lies the Divine Treasury," Lu Changsheng said. "How does one break through to the Divine Treasury?" Though he was already a Divine Gang Realm martial artist and knew that the Divine Treasury lay beyond it, something struck him as very odd. Outside the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, one rarely heard mention of the words "Divine Treasury." At most, people spoke of Divine Gang. Whether in Zhanhai City or on the Northern Region Battlefield, Lu Changsheng had only ever heard of the Divine Gang Realm. He had almost never heard of the Divine Treasury, much less encountered a Divine Treasury martial artist. Only upon arriving at the Northern Region Heavenly Sect did Lu Changsheng learn that the Divine Treasury lay above Divine Gang. And only by breaking through to the Divine Treasury could one become a true disciple! The Northern Region Heavenly Sect was an enormous sect, the overlord of the entire Northern Region. Its outer and inner disciples numbered in the tens of thousands. Yet what about true disciples? There were merely a few hundred. For an inner disciple to advance to a true disciple, the odds were roughly one in a hundred. Out of a hundred inner disciples, perhaps only a single person would ever become a true disciple. The transition from Divine Gang to Divine Treasury seemed shrouded in mystery. Even now, Lu Changsheng had no idea how one was supposed to break through to the Divine Treasury, lacking even a general direction for cultivation. The deacon elder offered an enigmatic smile. "The Divine Treasury is of paramount significance; it can practically be considered a qualitative transformation for us martial artists. Once one attains the Divine Treasury, we martial artists truly possess the strength and confidence to contend with Qi refiners!" "It is precisely because of the Divine Treasury that the martial path does not pale before the immortal path." "As for matters of martial cultivation, you should visit the Technique Transmission Hall and consult the Technique Transmission Elder." "Inner sect seed disciples can inquire with the Technique Transmission Elder about cultivation without spending any contribution points." Lu Changsheng nodded. With the deacon elder's guidance, he headed straight for the Technique Transmission Hall to find the Technique Transmission Elder. The Technique Transmission Elder was no ordinary figure. To hold the post of Technique Transmission Elder, one had to be a martial artist of the Divine Treasury Realm! The very first glance Lu Changsheng cast upon the Technique Transmission Elder gave him a peculiar sensation. The elder seemed distinctly different from any martial artist he had ever encountered. "Greetings, Technique Transmission Elder. I am inner sect seed disciple Lu Changsheng. Here is my identity token." Lu Changsheng handed his token forward. "What brings you here?" Having verified the identity token, the Technique Transmission Elder turned his gaze upon Lu Changsheng. "This disciple has just entered the inner sect and wishes to learn how to break through to the Divine Treasury." "The Divine Treasury..." The Technique Transmission Elder did not seem surprised. Ordinary figures in the martial world generally knew at least a bit about Divine Strength and Divine Gang, perhaps even grasping the broad strokes of the path. But the Divine Treasury was different. Divine Treasury Realm martial artists rarely appeared in the wider martial world; only the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and a handful of other powers possessed them. It seemed entirely shrouded in mystery, with even the direction of cultivation kept hidden. The Technique Transmission Elder spoke slowly, explaining, "The Divine Treasury Realm primarily cultivates the brain domain." "Once the brain domain opens, one gains all manner of miraculous abilities." "You have already condensed Divine Gang, so you likely understand that our physical bodies have an ultimate limit. Generally speaking, the Thousand Tripods Realm represents the physical peak. Even condensing Divine Gang merely augments the physical body, granting a momentary burst of formidable strength, while the body itself remains unable to improve any further." "Since the physical body cannot advance, how is the martial path to proceed? In truth, the answer is opening the brain domain." Lu Changsheng's eyes brightened. The brain domain! So the path beyond the Divine Gang Realm lay in the brain domain. Once the physical body reached its limits, no amount of tempering would yield any further results. Only by carving out a new path and opening the brain domain could boundless possibilities unfold. This provided the true direction of the martial path. Even though it was merely a direction, it made Lu Changsheng feel enlightened, as if the fog obscuring his cultivation had cleared in an instant. "How does one open the brain domain?" Lu Changsheng asked again. "To open the brain domain, one can rely only on mind power." "Have you ever heard the saying: 'As vast as the mind, so vast is the world'?" "Mind power is profoundly wondrous. Though it appears ethereal and elusive, it alone can open the brain domain. Even the subsequent expansion of the brain domain is intimately tied to mind power." "As for how to train mind power? Generally speaking, comprehending the world is the finest method to temper the mind. If one cannot comprehend the world, one can also engage in life-and-death slaughter or intense combat; dancing along the brink of life and death is exceptionally effective at honing the spirit. Alternatively, one can wander the mortal realm, experiencing its joys, sorrows, partings, and reunions; achieving a grand enlightenment through mortal affairs can also elevate the mind." "Though mind power is ethereal, once the brain domain is opened, one can sense it directly. Before opening the brain domain, however, sensing mind power is impossible." Lu Changsheng understood. Comprehending the world! Life-and-death combat! Wandering the mortal world! There were many ways to temper mind power, and each person had to find the method that suited them best. Yet comprehending the world clearly ranked first, naturally offering the greatest effect in tempering mind power. "In that case, comprehending martial conceptions and evolving domains subtly tempers mind power all along?" Lu Changsheng asked, struck by inspiration as he connected the concepts. A slight smile touched the corner of the Technique Transmission Elder's mouth. "Well done, linking it to martial conceptions and domains." "Indeed, comprehending martial conceptions and evolving domains is fundamentally comprehending the world. It was originally a method of cultivation disseminated by Divine Treasury experts to help younger generations temper their minds." Lu Changsheng came to a sudden realization. So that was it. Martial conceptions and domains were methods of comprehending the world. In fact, they were preparations for opening the brain domain. No wonder the Northern Region Heavenly Sect placed such high value on disciples who grasped martial conceptions—and especially those who evolved domains—when recruiting disciples. This was the reason. However, evolving a domain did not guarantee one could open the brain domain. Nor did disciples who evolved domains necessarily possess stronger mind power than ordinary disciples. It was simply that disciples who evolved domains undoubtedly held distinct advantages; their mind power was generally far greater than that of other martial artists. "Seeing as you have comprehended five domains, your mind power is likely formidable." "Hmm?" Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. Five domains! The Technique Transmission Elder before him had blurted out that Lu Changsheng possessed five domains in a single breath. In both the outer and inner sects, Lu Changsheng had only ever displayed four domains. In reality, he truly possessed five—aside from the four he had revealed, he also held the Perception Domain. "Do not look so surprised. To a Divine Treasury Realm martial artist, you hold no secrets." "Still, whether five domains or ten, if your mind power does not improve and you cannot open your brain domain, it all comes to naught." "Upon reaching the Divine Gang Realm, elevating mind power becomes the most vital task. Yet increasing mind power does not directly augment your combat strength. How you balance the two is up to your own discretion." "There is a Mind Stele in the Technique Transmission Hall marked with mind index measurements. Go test yourself before the Mind Stele, and you will naturally know your mind index." With that, the Technique Transmission Elder closed his eyes. The meaning was unmistakable: he was seeing his guest out! Lu Changsheng rose and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Elder!" Turning, Lu Changsheng took his leave. Inquiring about the Mind Stele's location, he learned it was in the southwest corner of the Technique Transmission Hall, exceptionally prominent. Lu Changsheng walked over. Beneath the Mind Stele, he saw a gathering of martial artists—practically all of them inner sect disciples. "The Mind Stele!" Lu Changsheng looked up. The Mind Stele stood roughly ten zhang tall. Crafted from stone, the material appeared far from ordinary, carved with one index mark after another numbered 1 through 100. One of the inner sect disciples stepped forward and placed a hand against the stone. Buzz. A moment later, the number 8 on the Mind Stele began to emit a faint, shimmering white light. This indicated that the disciple's mind index was merely 8. "Sigh, still only an eight. Three whole years I've strived to raise my mind index, but it refuses to budge. A mere three marks gained over three full years." The disciple looked somewhat despondent. With martial arts, secret methods, and even martial conceptions or domains, one could perceive incremental progress. But mind power was different. Mind power was completely ethereal; before opening the brain domain, no one could directly sense it. Thus, training mind power relied entirely on intuition, and improving it was exceedingly difficult. Inner sect disciples were virtually all prodigies—at least outside the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, they were bona fide geniuses. Even so, gaining merely three marks over three years amounted to just one mark per year. How many years would it take to reach one hundred? Most likely, even until death, their mind power would never climb very high. Nearby inner sect disciples echoed his lament. "Indeed. When I first entered the inner sect, full of ambition and feeling great about myself, I believed I was exceptionally diligent and possessed an unshakeable will." "Yet when I came to test before the Mind Stele, my mind power scored a measly five." "So many years have passed, and my mind power still hasn't broken ten. As for raising it to 100 to open the brain domain, I shouldn't even dream of it in this lifetime." "Never mind us; even among the inner sect seed disciples, plenty possess mediocre mind indices. On the other hand, there's Senior Brother Chen Yuan. He hasn't even evolved a domain and isn't particularly strong; he just trains quietly in the inner sect. Yet his mind index reached a staggering thirty-eight, and his improvement rate each year is remarkably fast. Truly incredible." "I heard Senior Brother Chen Yuan weathered countless trials and tribulations in the mortal realm before finally climbing to become a Northern Region Heavenly Sect inner disciple—no easy feat. Perhaps he belongs to that group who achieved grand enlightenment amidst mortal hardships, hence his powerful mind." Standing before the Mind Stele, the inner sect disciples naturally focused their discussions mostly on mind power. Lu Changsheng gained a clearer picture of the situation. Generally, newly promoted inner sect disciples had a mind index around five. The strength of one's mind had nothing to do with combat prowess or age; it depended entirely on personal experiences and insights. Those with rich life experiences and formidable will tended to possess stronger mind power, whereas those whose path to the inner sect had been smooth and easy tended to possess weaker minds. Whether one could raise their mind power to 100 to open the brain domain, break through to the Divine Treasury, and become a true disciple depended on many factors, with little connection to raw martial strength. Within the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, countless inner disciples remained obscure for a decade, only to temper their mind power to 100, open their brain domains, and ascend to the heavens in a single leap! Likewise, peerless geniuses had reigned supreme across the inner sect for ten full years, only to find themselves forever unable to elevate their mind power to 100, ultimately relegated to serving as deacons in melancholy, never reaching the Divine Treasury for the rest of their lives. Beneath the Mind Stele, many inner sect disciples stepped up to test themselves, yet almost everyone left dissatisfied. At last, it was Lu Changsheng's turn. He stepped before the Mind Stele. "Eh? Isn't he Lu Changsheng, the newly promoted inner disciple?" "It's him! Four domains, four layers of Divine Gang—he practically shattered Bai Yuansheng's spirit!" "I hear top prodigies like him usually possess respectable mind power. Having comprehended four domains, he must have gained considerable insight into the world. I wonder what his mind index will be?" "Perhaps it could break ten?" "Breaking ten is too difficult. The more gifted someone is, the fewer tribulations they tend to face, enjoying smooth sailing throughout their cultivation. Without spiritual setbacks, how strong could his mind power truly be?" "Even if he comprehended the world, he probably won't surpass ten." For a time, the disciples murmured among themselves, thoroughly curious about Lu Changsheng's mind index. After all, Lu Changsheng was no longer an unknown figure, but a top-tier genius whose fame had shaken the inner sect! Lu Changsheng paid no heed to the surrounding chatter. No matter where he went, he inevitably became the center of attention. He had long since grown accustomed to it. Given his comprehension, unless he concealed his identity entirely, how could he possibly escape notice? Keeping a low profile was simply impossible; as long as his comprehension continued to soar, remaining low-key was out of the question. Taking a deep breath, Lu Changsheng placed his hand upon the Mind Stele. The stone felt slightly cool to the touch. Lu Changsheng felt as though his entire consciousness sank into the stone, drawn in by some mystical allure. The sensation lasted only an instant. By the time Lu Changsheng regained his clarity, a change had already unfolded across the Mind Stele. Buzz. A number on the Mind Stele radiated a soft, luminous white glow. Yet that faint shimmer sent tremors through the hearts of every observing disciple, painting looks of utter disbelief across their faces. For the glowing number upon the Mind Stele was staggering. Twenty-eight! A mind index of twenty-eight! Just two marks shy of reaching thirty!