Tasting Life's Multitude Through Faces of All Beings; A True Disciple Arrives at the Battle Hall!

The moment Lu Changsheng returned to the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, he went straight to submit his mission. He handed the demon essence blood over to the deacon elder in the Mission Hall. "Well done. Completing the mission so quickly, and in under a month at that." "As a seed disciple, your reward is doubled. You receive twenty thousand contribution points." The deacon elder took the demon essence blood. At the same time, Lu Changsheng's contribution points climbed to twenty-eight thousand. He had enough to exchange for another two Dao Comprehension Pills. However, Lu Changsheng did not go to make the exchange right away. Instead, he returned to his courtyard. He took inventory of what he had gained from this trip down the mountain. Three Dao Comprehension Pills, one "Faces of All Beings" dharma artifact, and twenty thousand contribution points. In truth, it should have been four Dao Comprehension Pills. Lu Changsheng had already consumed one pill back in Qing City. Looking at it this way, this venture down the mountain had truly yielded an abundant harvest. Of course, not every mission would be this bountiful. Luck had played a significant part this time. Lu Changsheng needed to carefully plan how to use the three Dao Comprehension Pills. He had three Dao Comprehension Pills left, but four domains. Should he spend all the pills comprehending a single domain in an effort to reach perfection, or divide them evenly among all four? This truly required careful consideration. Lu Changsheng pondered it deeply. Whenever he deployed his domains, they always seemed slightly lacking and were shattered by his opponents' domains. He had always relied on sheer quantity to overwhelm his foes. With that thought, Lu Changsheng made up his mind. "I'll focus entirely on advancing the Starry Sky Domain first and see how far it can go." Lu Changsheng had three Dao Comprehension Pills. He could even exchange his contribution points for two more. That should be more than enough to elevate the Starry Sky Domain to an exceptionally profound level. And so, once night fell, Lu Changsheng sat in his courtyard, swallowed a Dao Comprehension Pill, and began to comprehend the Starry Sky Domain. One day, two days, three days... Three days later, Lu Changsheng had finished consuming the three Dao Comprehension Pills. Throughout those three days, he had devoted his heart and soul entirely to comprehending the Starry Sky Domain. The progress of the Starry Sky Domain had reached roughly 57%. In truth, this was already remarkably impressive. It had crossed the 50% mark. Lu Changsheng's Starry Sky Domain could now be considered relatively formidable. Yet Lu Changsheng was still unsatisfied. He spent twenty thousand contribution points to exchange for two more Dao Comprehension Pills. Swallowing them, he cultivated for another two days. He pushed the progress of the Starry Sky Domain all the way to 75%. Lu Changsheng noticed a very peculiar phenomenon. The speed at which his domain progressed did not seem to slow down in the slightest. It was as if there were no bottlenecks at all. Under normal circumstances, the further a domain advanced, the more difficult it became. Yet Lu Changsheng had not slowed down. Consuming one Dao Comprehension Pill increased the Starry Sky Domain's progress by roughly 8% to 10%. Lu Changsheng also roughly understood the reason. Comprehension! It was because his comprehension was simply too high. Even reaching perfection in a domain was nothing to his level of comprehension. "If my efficiency in comprehending the domain doesn't drop, consuming three more Dao Comprehension Pills should bring the Starry Sky Domain to perfection!" A sharp light flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. He wondered what would happen once a domain reached perfection. However, he was still short three Dao Comprehension Pills. Exchanging for them would require thirty thousand contribution points. Lu Changsheng now had only eight thousand contribution points left. Unless he took on another mission. Still, there was no rush. While advancing his domain was important, as it directly translated to greater strength, Lu Changsheng had not forgotten the foundation of the Divine Gang Realm. Mind power! Only when his mind index reached one hundred could he open his brain domain and step into the Divine Treasury Realm! Previously, Lu Changsheng had always advanced his domains, which was equivalent to comprehending heaven and earth, to increase his mind power. Now, however, he held the wondrous dharma artifact "Faces of All Beings" in his hands. It allowed one to enter an illusion to experience the myriad facets of life, thereby strengthening mind power. Lu Changsheng took out "Faces of All Beings." He slowly unrolled the painting. There was writing on the scroll. It was actually an advisory note: once activated, this dharma artifact would plunge the user into an illusion. At that time, one would lose their memories and live out the entire lifetime of an ordinary person within the illusion. As for what that ordinary person would experience, what insights might be gained, and whether it could actually increase one's mind power, all of it remained unknown. It was essentially a gamble. Overall, however, using Faces of All Beings almost always enhanced mind power. "The illusion lasts roughly three days in reality." "In that case, I need to enter secluded cultivation for at least three days without any disturbance. Otherwise, the effect will be lost." "Faces of All Beings can only be used one last time. I must make the most of it." Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged in his room. Going three days without food or water had no effect on his physical body. He held the Faces of All Beings scroll in his hands. This dharma artifact was likely crafted specifically for martial artists. One simply needed to focus their gaze on the scroll, and it would naturally activate, plunging the viewer into the illusion. "Let us begin." Lu Changsheng placed the Faces of All Beings scroll before him. Then, he stared unblinkingly at the painting. After an unknown length of time, Lu Changsheng felt the painting before his eyes transform into a vortex. The vortex grew larger and larger, finally swallowing him whole. Then, Lu Changsheng lost consciousness, plunging into darkness. Yet the moment he lost consciousness, he had already entered the illusion of Faces of All Beings. At that moment, Lu Changsheng was living through an illusion. He simply did not know it. Within the illusion, Lu Changsheng was born in a remote mountain village in the State of Luo, named Luo Shan. The village made a living by hunting and farming. Luo Shan grew up strong and sturdy, learning many hunting techniques from the village elders. By the age of eleven or twelve, he had already become the finest hunter in the village. When Luo Shan turned sixteen, calamity struck. The realm was plunged into chaos, and war raged everywhere. Luo Shan's village fell victim to the scourge of war. His parents, younger brother, younger sister, and other kin were nearly all butchered by marauding soldiers. The entire village was slaughtered down to the last person. Only Luo Shan and a few other hunters, who had gone into the mountains to hunt, managed to escape the catastrophe. Luo Shan was consumed by fury and swore to avenge his family. He and the surviving hunters tracked the marauders' trail and found the band of rogue soldiers. There were several hundred of them. Luo Shan did not allow hatred and wrath to cloud his judgment. He began setting traps using every means at his disposal. Just as though he were hunting game, he killed the rogue soldiers one by one. At first, the marauders remained oblivious. They merely assumed that some unlucky bastard had stumbled into a hunter's trap. Yet as time passed, men died almost every single day. Now the rogue soldiers realized something was amiss. Upon conducting a thorough search, they discovered Luo Shan and his companions. In the end, Luo Shan's companions were captured and killed by the soldiers, while Luo Shan alone escaped, wounded. Luo Shan was stricken with grief. Yet he still did not give up. Nursing his wounds, he set traps for the rogue soldiers like a phantom. For an entire half-year, Luo Shan trailed that band of rogue soldiers, using traps, assassinations, and every method available to eliminate them one by one. Finally, the last marauding soldier was killed. Luo Shan's great vengeance was fulfilled! Almost entirely by his own strength, he had spent half a year slaughtering several hundred rogue soldiers. Later, Luo Shan joined a rebel army. Charging the front lines, he gradually grew amid the warfare, becoming a fierce general renowned throughout the realm. The State of Luo collapsed, the world descended into turmoil, and rival warlords vied for supremacy. Luo Shan married the rebel leader's daughter, the woman who became the love of his life. When the rebel leader later fell in battle, Luo Shan became the new commander. With no one left to hold him back, Luo Shan gave full rein to his ambitions, leading his army across the land, utterly invincible. He even gathered enough power to contest for the realm itself. Regrettably, warfare was fraught with peril. In the single most pivotal battle, Luo Shan lost. He lost to an opponent who commanded ten times his forces. Luo Shan did not die. His opponent, thirsty for talent, recruited Luo Shan to his side. From then on, Luo Shan campaigned east and west on his lord's behalf, ultimately pacifying the realm. Luo Shan spent half his life in the saddle. Yet just as peace settled upon the land, he was met with a cup of poisoned wine. His deeds were too illustrious, his merits outshining his lord, and the sovereign could not tolerate his presence. However, the lord promised that his son would inherit the noble title. Luo Shan drank the poisoned wine and ultimately died in sorrow. An unknown amount of time passed. As if awakening from a nightmare, Lu Changsheng jerked awake. "I am... Lu Changsheng?" Lu Changsheng's eyes went wide. The memories in his mind were vivid and unmistakably clear. It felt as though he had truly experienced it all firsthand. "Faces of All Beings... So this is Faces of All Beings." "How was that a mere illusion? It was clearly an entirely new lifetime..." Great waves surged in Lu Changsheng's heart. What a formidable illusion! What an incredible dharma artifact! After awakening from the illusion, Lu Changsheng carefully reviewed the memories in his mind. Unbeknownst to him, many of Luo Shan's experiences had subtly influenced him. Still, the impact was minor. Lu Changsheng was a Divine Gang Realm martial artist; his mind and will were already exceptionally resilient. How could the life of an ordinary mortal like Luo Shan truly sway him? Even so, Luo Shan's life had been remarkably eventful. Perhaps Lu Changsheng was simply very lucky. To have experienced such a lifetime within the illusion. In his teens, he endured the agony of having his entire family slaughtered by marauders. Yet he had not despaired. Instead, he pursued the culprits across thousands of li, spending half a year killing several hundred rogue soldiers entirely on his own. Later, he rose step by step from an ordinary foot soldier to a commanding general, and even contested for the realm. Though defeated, he encountered a worthy lord and ultimately pacified the world. Alas, while he could share adversity with his lord, he could not share in prosperity. In the end, he died unwillingly amid the machinations of power. Such a life was undeniably rich in experience. Theoretically, the richer a life's experiences, the greater the aid to the growth of one's mind power. This Faces of All Beings illusion was essentially equivalent to "roaming the mundane world" combined with "life-and-death combat." It was worth every bit of the effort! Regrettably, that had been its final use. Lu Changsheng picked up the Faces of All Beings scroll once more. Yet the moment he touched it— *Chi.* The scroll disintegrated on its own, scattering into fragments. Faces of All Beings was gone. "A pity there was only one use. If one could use Faces of All Beings nine times, experiencing nine lifetimes, the tempering of the mind would be immense," Lu Changsheng murmured softly. In fact, he knew that Faces of All Beings had been refined by someone called "Dao Lord Kongming." Lu Changsheng had noticed that name on the scroll earlier. "If I could find Dao Lord Kongming and have another Faces of All Beings crafted..." Still, that was nothing more than wishful thinking. Lu Changsheng had never even heard of Dao Lord Kongming; where would he even begin to look? Now that Faces of All Beings had been used once, it was completely destroyed. Lu Changsheng felt he had gained a great deal, and his mind power should have grown somewhat. Just how much it had increased, however, Lu Changsheng did not know. With that, Lu Changsheng rose, left his courtyard, and headed toward the Technique Transmission Hall. Before long, Lu Changsheng arrived before the Mind Stele in the Technique Transmission Hall. As usual, many disciples were lined up before the Mind Stele to test their mind power. Lu Changsheng waited quietly. It took roughly an hour before his turn arrived. "Eh? Isn't that Senior Brother Lu Changsheng?" "How long has it been since he last tested his mind power? Barely over a month in total, not even two months. How much could his mind power possibly have grown in less than two months?" "Many people don't see the slightest increase in their mind power for a year or two. Even for a seed disciple, no matter how great their talent, raising mind power is as difficult as ascending the heavens." "Maybe Senior Brother Lu is different? Last time, Senior Brother Lu's mind index was twenty-eight. I wonder if he has a chance of reaching thirty or higher this time?" Lu Changsheng was, after all, a prominent figure in the inner sect. The moment he appeared, people recognized him. Lu Changsheng paid them no heed. He placed his hand upon the Mind Stele, his gaze fixed straight upon it. Gradually, Lu Changsheng felt his consciousness drift. The Mind Stele seemed to possess some magical allure, drawing him into its depths. An unknown amount of time passed. *Hum.* A soft, shimmering glow blossomed from the Mind Stele. Lu Changsheng snapped fully awake from his immersion. He immediately raised his head and looked at the Mind Stele. Thirty-three! Upon the Mind Stele, the number "thirty-three" shone with radiant light. This meant that Lu Changsheng's mind index had now reached thirty-three. Compared to last time, it had increased by five points. Lu Changsheng froze slightly. He had never expected his mind index to be thirty-three. Not because it was too high, but because it was too low! During this trip down the mountain, he had raised the Starry Sky Domain to 75% and had experienced an entirely new lifetime through Faces of All Beings. He had endured untold trials and hardships. Yet his mind index had only grown by five points? Mind power was ethereal and elusive; raising it was truly arduous. No wonder so many brilliant, astonishing geniuses in the inner sect were never able to bring their mind index to one hundred, ultimately dying in dejection, forever trapped in the Divine Gang Realm. However, while Lu Changsheng felt that this increase was far too small, to the other inner sect disciples, raising his mind index to thirty-three in such a short span of time was nothing short of miraculous! Their eyes went wide, one by one. They could hardly believe it. Yet the Mind Stele still emanated a shimmering glow, and the index mark of thirty-three was unmistakable. "Thirty-three! Senior Brother Lu's mind index actually reached thirty-three?" "How long has it been? Not even two months, and his mind index jumped by five points?" "Last time, Senior Brother Lu's mind index was only twenty-eight, and now it's thirty-three. How could he have increased his mind power by so much in under two months?" "Could it be a Dao Comprehension Pill? Or perhaps he had some fortuitous encounter? I heard Senior Brother Lu took a mission and went down the mountain..." A chorus of murmurs broke out among the crowd. Gaining five points of mind power in under two months was a monumental increase. Lu Changsheng returned to his courtyard. He admitted he had been overly optimistic before. He had assumed that comprehending domains and advancing their progress would rapidly increase his mind power. In truth, advancing domains did enhance mind power, but the increase was exceedingly limited. By contrast, Lu Changsheng suspected that Faces of All Beings had contributed the lion's share of those points. Unfortunately, Faces of All Beings was gone. "I still need Dao Comprehension Pills. At least three, which requires thirty thousand contribution points." Lu Changsheng currently had eight thousand contribution points, leaving him more than twenty thousand short. "Do I really have to take another mission?" Having only just returned to the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, Lu Changsheng was rather reluctant to leave the mountain again so soon. "Wait, there's another place where I might earn contribution points without doing missions." Lu Changsheng thought of a place—the Battle Hall! Disciples of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect were generally forbidden from fighting privately. Only by challenging seed disciples could one engage in battle. Yet disciples were martial artists. And how could martial artists refrain from fighting? Thus, the Battle Hall existed. The Battle Hall was quite special; disciples could sign up to participate in battle contests. Each registration required an entry fee of one thousand contribution points. Whenever a hundred disciples signed up, a "battle contest" would commence. At that point, a massive free-for-all would unfold. One merely had to endure until the final ten participants remained. Those ten would then divide the pool of contribution points from the contest. With each person paying one thousand contribution points and one hundred disciples participating, the total pool was one hundred thousand contribution points. The final ten survivors would split those hundred thousand points. First place received thirty-five thousand contribution points. Second place received twenty thousand contribution points. Third place received ten thousand contribution points. The remaining fourth through tenth places each received five thousand contribution points. The rewards were exceptionally generous. Moreover, there was no need to leave the mountain. As for combat, Lu Changsheng truly had nothing to fear. With that, Lu Changsheng got up and headed directly for the Battle Hall. Before long, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Battle Hall. There were many people present. Several disciples had already begun their matches. The battle contests began at a set time every morning, as long as a full hundred participants had registered. Lu Changsheng produced his identity token to register for the contest. "Come to the Battle Hall tomorrow morning," the Battle Hall deacon instructed. "If a hundred participants aren't gathered within the day, you will have to register again." "Understood." Lu Changsheng nodded. He reviewed the rules of the Battle Hall in greater detail. There were no restrictions on cultivation strength for participants. Outer sect disciples, inner sect disciples, and even true disciples could take part. However, each disciple could only participate once per month. This was to prevent disciples from spending all their days immersed in combat contests. While battle contests were beneficial, becoming obsessed with them to the neglect of other areas of cultivation would be putting the cart before the horse. "If a true disciple enters the contest, it will be troublesome." "Still, true disciples rarely participate in battle contests. Even if one does, if I can't take first place, second or third would still suffice." "Besides, if a true disciple joins, it might actually be a good thing. Experiencing the might of a Divine Treasury Realm expert firsthand would be a harvest in itself." Lu Changsheng maintained a healthy mindset. With that, Lu Changsheng returned to prepare. The following morning, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Battle Hall once more, presenting his identity token to the deacon. "Your group has gathered all one hundred participants." "Go on in. The Battle Great Hall is inside," the deacon told Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. Now that the hundred participants were assembled, he walked directly into the Battle Great Hall. Stepping inside, he found that many people were already there. The moment Lu Changsheng entered the hall, he immediately drew numerous gazes. After all, Lu Changsheng was an inner sect seed disciple. He had previously been an outer sect seed disciple as well. Many people knew him. Nearly the majority of the disciples in the hall recognized Lu Changsheng. "It's Senior Brother Lu Changsheng, an inner sect seed disciple!" "It's Lu Changsheng. Now things are troublesome; he's a formidable opponent." "Four domains, four layers of Divine Gang, capable of unleashing a hundred thousand tripods of force... He's a contender for the top three, or even first place!" "That's not certain. What if a true disciple joins the contest?" "True disciples? You rarely ever run into them..." Just as the crowd was murmuring among themselves— *Tap.* A figure strode in from outside. A white-robed man with a longsword at his waist, his face fair as jade, carrying an air of refined elegance. From afar, he looked less like a martial artist and more like a scholar. Yet the moment they caught sight of the white-robed man, the expressions of many disciples in the hall changed drastically. "That's... True Disciple Xiao Jian?" "A true disciple really came to participate in the contest? Now we're in trouble." "Forget about first place. With True Disciple Xiao Jian here, no one else can take the top spot." "We even have to be careful not to get eliminated by True Disciple Xiao Jian. If we don't even make the top ten, that one thousand contribution points will go right down the drain." "What rotten luck, running into a true disciple..." For a moment, disappointment washed across the faces of many disciples. A true disciple's presence wasn't just a matter of claiming first place. If one were unfortunate enough to catch Xiao Jian's eye during the contest and get knocked out early, even someone with the strength for the top ten or top three would suffer a devastating loss. Xiao Jian's arrival injected a huge element of instability into this contest. Aside from Xiao Jian, no one dared claim they were guaranteed a spot in the top ten. It would all come down to luck. Even Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, looking Xiao Jian up and down. "A true disciple..." "Perhaps this time, I can experience firsthand what kind of methods a Divine Treasury Realm expert possesses." Lu Changsheng actually felt a surge of excitement. Losing one thousand contribution points was nothing. Even failing to reach the top ten this time wouldn't matter. Just seeing a true disciple fight would make it all worthwhile! Naturally, Lu Changsheng would not be reckless. He still needed to remain as cautious and prudent as possible, aiming to hold out until the top ten. Xiao Jian appeared quite mild-mannered. Since no one took the initiative to approach and converse with him, Xiao Jian sat cross-legged on the floor, waiting quietly. Although the quota of one hundred participants had been filled, several disciples had yet to arrive at the Battle Hall. After waiting for roughly a quarter of an hour, more disciples trickled in. At last, the heavy doors of the Battle Great Hall slowly shut. "The battle contest begins!" A voice rang out from outside the hall. In an instant, everyone tensed.