"Is this a domain?"
"Wait, something seems different."
"This domain... it's off, completely off. Could it be a perfected domain?"
Someone reached out a hand.
*Hiss.*
The person drew in a sharp breath.
This domain felt almost like a genuine starry sky.
Of course, it was naturally not a real starry sky. After all, Lu Changsheng had not mobilized any mind power—and even if he had, he would not be able to sustain it for long.
Even so, this was more than enough.
Someone secretly unleashed their own domain as well.
The result was suppression!
Total, absolute suppression.
Unless one unleashed a domain nurtured to perfection within the brain domain—a domain that had materialized from illusion into physical reality—there was simply no contending against this Starry Sky Domain.
Mo Tu smiled, a flicker of delight appearing in his eyes. "A perfected domain... It seems the Northern Region Heavenly Sect has sent us an extraordinary, top-tier genius. At merely the Divine Gang Realm, without the aid of a brain domain, to actually comprehend a domain to perfection...
"Remarkable. Truly remarkable!"
Mo Tu was thoroughly satisfied.
He did not breathe a single word about how he had just suspected Lu Changsheng of pulling strings.
"Liu Yuan, I leave Lu Changsheng to your squad. Take good care of him."
"Understood, Elder Mo," Liu Yuan stepped forward and responded respectfully.
"Lu Changsheng, go with Liu Yuan first to get a grasp of the situation in the Ancient Region. Liu Yuan is a good man, and the members of his squad are all the absolute cream of the crop among the Divine Gang Realm. With them guiding you, you'll adapt quickly to the Ancient Region," Elder Mo said warmly.
"Thank you, Elder Mo." Lu Changsheng cupped his hands in salute, then walked over to Liu Yuan.
"Follow me."
Liu Yuan led Lu Changsheng into the compound of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
Though called a compound, the entire sect headquarters in the Ancient Region was constructed on a grand, magnificent scale.
Lu Changsheng cast a glance around.
There appeared to be numerous traces of the Immortal Dao.
For instance, spell arrays.
And cultivation palaces that actually floated in midair.
Those, too, were likely sustained by some sort of formation array.
The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect was supposed to be a martial sect, yet at a glance, it looked barely distinguishable from an Immortal Dao sect.
Noticing Lu Changsheng's expression, Liu Yuan chuckled and asked, "Find it wondrous? Or perhaps bizarre and incongruous?
"Hahaha! I felt the exact same way when I first arrived. How could a perfectly good martial arts sect be filled everywhere with the methods and hallmarks of the Immortal Dao?
"Heh, only after staying in the Ancient Region for a while did I realize just how useful Immortal Dao methods are. Look at our sect's vast grounds—it doesn't look any worse than the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, does it? In fact, it's even more grand.
"Without Immortal Dao methods, that would have been utterly impossible.
"Besides, the Ancient Region is a place of rich spiritual energy, where the heavens and earth are permeated with abundant spiritual power. Setting up arrays here doesn't even require spirit stones; the arrays naturally draw on the ambient spiritual power to sustain themselves, so the maintenance cost is very low."
Lu Changsheng understood.
The Ancient Region possessed abundant spiritual power, and Immortal Dao methods were sufficiently miraculous, so there was no reason not to make use of them.
Otherwise, relying purely on manual labor to construct such colossal, magnificent palaces would consume an unimaginable amount of manpower.
Back then, the main mountain gate of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect had not been built in a day either; it had taken a century of continuous construction to reach its present scale.
Before long, Liu Yuan brought Lu Changsheng to a pavilion.
Inside the pavilion was a martial arts field.
At the moment, four martial artists—two men and two women, all looking quite young—were on the field.
"Boss Liu, you brought a newcomer?"
"Elder Mo didn't force someone on you again, did he?"
"Boss Liu, you really need to learn how to say no. You're just too soft-hearted. Elder Mo shoves someone into our squad every single year, but have any of them ever been what we needed?"
"That's right, Boss Liu. You truly need to talk to Elder Mo about this. Our squad is plenty strong, but we can't keep babysitting newcomers all the time..."
The moment they saw Liu Yuan arrive with an unfamiliar face like Lu Changsheng, the group flared up in irritation.
Evidently, none of them were pleased.
Lu Changsheng could tell right away that this was not the first time this had happened.
It seemed Mo Tu genuinely liked dumping newcomers onto Liu Yuan.
Only, none of those instances had ever turned out well.
Liu Yuan felt somewhat embarrassed, but he still explained, "It's different this time. This is Lu Changsheng, a true disciple seed from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. He isn't like the other newcomers Elder Mo usually assigns us."
"A true disciple seed from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?"
The eyes of the four lit up, though suspicion soon followed.
The last time the Northern Region Heavenly Sect had sent someone over was more than a decade ago.
"A genius from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?"
"Those fellows really are formidable. The true disciple seed sent over from the Northern Region more than ten years ago broke through to the Divine Treasury Realm years back, and I hear he's among the standouts even in that realm today."
"The Northern Region Heavenly Sect has been in steady decline. In recent years, their count of true disciple seeds kept dwindling, and it's been over a decade since they last sent one. This is the first in all that time!"
"To think another true disciple seed from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect has actually arrived."
All four seemed deeply curious about Lu Changsheng.
However, hearing their words, Lu Changsheng found something odd about the conversation.
What did they mean by "the people sent from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect are formidable"?
Were these people not disciples of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?
"Wait, you aren't true disciple seeds from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?" Lu Changsheng asked.
Liu Yuan shook his head. "Every true disciple seed of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect is treasured like gold. How could there be so many?
"We are disciples of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, born and raised right here in the Ancient Region. We've never set foot in the Northern Region.
"We only know from our elders that the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and our Ancient Region Heavenly Sect share the same origins and stem from the same branch."
Lu Changsheng's heart gave a slight jolt.
He finally understood what felt off.
The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect!
It was not merely a matter of prefixing the name with "Ancient Region."
It was very likely an entirely distinct sect now.
Between it and the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, there was effectively no hierarchy of command.
The two were drifting apart, and as time marched on, that estrangement would only grow deeper.
After all, the disciples of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect were all native to the Ancient Region and had never once visited the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. How could they possibly feel any sense of belonging toward it?
Still, the Northern Region Heavenly Sect had probably anticipated this problem long ago.
Allowing nature to take its course likely served their own calculations.
Regardless, that was a matter for the sect's upper echelons, having nothing to do with Lu Changsheng.
"Lu Changsheng, let me introduce you to our squad members," Liu Yuan said. "Our squad is codenamed Tianlin, founded by our former squad leader, Tianlin. After Captain Tianlin advanced to the Divine Treasury Realm, the captain's mantle fell to me.
"With you included, the Tianlin Squad has six members in total: Chen Gang, Zhao Yufeng, Xia Bao, and Shen Ningxiang."
Lu Changsheng cupped his hands to each of them in greeting, formalizing their acquaintance.
Xia Bao's eyes darted about. She walked up to Lu Changsheng, looked him up and down, and then asked suspiciously, "Can you tell us what your mind power index is? Our Tianlin Squad doesn't carry dead weight. You're a true disciple seed from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, and every past seed was an astonishing talent, so you shouldn't be too shabby, right?
"In our squad, the lowest mind power index is eighty."
Xia Bao's question voiced the concern on everyone's mind.
"Mind power..."
Lu Changsheng smiled. Seeing that Liu Yuan offered no explanation, he realized the captain wanted him to win over these teammates on his own merit.
That way, it would be much easier for him, as a newcomer, to integrate into the Tianlin Squad.
"I didn't become a true disciple seed because of mind power."
"I relied on domain..."
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Lu Changsheng unleashed his Starry Sky Domain once more.
A vast, surging domain instantly enveloped the entire martial arts field.
Everyone present, including Liu Yuan, felt a heavy, oppressive weight crash down on them.
Even so, they were by no means weaklings.
Their mental fortitude was exceptionally tough, and faint ripples of domains flickered around their bodies as well.
Yet none of their domains could fully deploy. Under the suppression of a perfected Starry Sky Domain, every domain that had not materialized from illusion into physical reality was utterly subdued.
In an instant, the expressions of the four disciples shifted dramatically.
"How is this possible? My domain is suppressed to the point where I can't even deploy it!"
"This domain clearly hasn't materialized into physical reality—how can it be so terrifying?"
"How can a purely illusory domain reach this level of strength?"
They cried out in shock.
They had originally intended to give Lu Changsheng a bit of a reality check and take his measure in the process.
After all, they had heard that every true disciple seed from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect was an elite genius, and they wanted to see his capabilities for themselves.
Yet his domain alone had completely overwhelmed them.
Of course, if a real fight broke out, they could still fight.
Though suppressed, they were not entirely immobilized.
Reaching a mind power index of seventy or above brought a qualitative difference.
Even a domain that had turned into physical reality could not completely incapacitate them; it would have to rely on offensive techniques manifested within the materialized domain to finish them off.
With their condensed Divine Gang and other techniques, putting up a fight against Lu Changsheng would certainly pose no issue.
After all, they were a top-tier squad!
Even so, having their domains suppressed to where they could not even deploy them—without any other abilities being used—was utterly humiliating.
Before long, Lu Changsheng withdrew the Starry Sky Domain.
The group looked at him with thoroughly bizarre expressions.
"Captain, why is Lu Changsheng's domain so strong?" Xia Bao was the first to ask.
"Lu Changsheng's domain has already reached perfection. How could it not be strong?" Liu Yuan said with a smile.
"What? A perfected domain?"
"Without nurturing it through a brain domain, someone actually brought a domain to perfection?"
"Incredible... He's practically a monster!"
"The true disciple seeds from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect really are all monsters... but Lu Changsheng might just be a monster among monsters."
Xia Bao and the others stared wide-eyed in sheer disbelief.
While their mind power was indeed formidable, that was largely due to the environment of the Ancient Region.
Comprehending a domain, on the other hand, depended entirely on one's own comprehension.
They had never even dared to imagine bringing a domain to perfection through comprehension alone.
To achieve a perfected domain, one always relied on unlocking the brain domain and then using the brain domain to nurture it.
As for reaching perfection through pure insight?
That sounded like an outright myth.
Yet a figure of myth was standing right before their very eyes.
Lu Changsheng had relied solely on his comprehension to force a domain all the way to perfection.
If that was not a living legend, what was?
Something considered an utter fairy tale had actually been accomplished by him.
At this moment, Chen Gang, a burly man with a fierce countenance, spoke up: "In our Tianlin Squad, mind power is certainly important, but strength matters even more!
"Your domain is perfected, making you exceedingly strong in that aspect. However, since you poured all your energy into a single domain, you can't have condensed many layers of Divine Gang, right?
"If your actual combat prowess falls short, surviving in the Ancient Region won't be easy."
Chen Gang was speaking the plain truth.
The Ancient Region was not a place for peaceful, quiet cultivation.
It was a crucible gathering the top geniuses of the Five Regions, where the Immortal Dao flourished.
It was more brutal here than anywhere else.
Even disciples of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect were routinely killed, and no one batted an eye.
Talent alone was not enough.
In the Ancient Region, combat strength was of paramount importance.
Liu Yuan nodded as well, sighing, "Chen Gang's words may be blunt, but they are the truth. Though our Tianlin Squad is one of the top squads in the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, we still run into danger regularly.
"Once peril strikes, we might not be able to protect you properly, so you must find ways to raise your strength.
"One layer of Divine Gang isn't enough; you must find a way to condense two or even three layers. As a baseline, each of us has at least two layers of superior Divine Gang, plus one or two layers of ordinary Divine Gang."
Lu Changsheng's interest was piqued.
Every member of the Tianlin Squad had at least two layers of superior Divine Gang?
That meant every one of them had evolved at least two domains.
They truly lived up to their reputation as one of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's premier squads.
Such collective strength was indeed formidable.
Yet why were they all so convinced that he had only one layer of Divine Gang?
Lu Changsheng could not help but ask, "Who told you that I only have one layer of Divine Gang?
"I don't recall mentioning how many layers I possess."
Lu Changsheng's words caused Liu Yuan's eyes to narrow slightly, a look of astonishment surfacing on his face. "You brought a domain all the way to perfection; you must have invested almost all your energy into it.
"One domain corresponds to one layer of Divine Gang. Could it be that you also grasped some martial conceptions and possess two layers?"
Lu Changsheng knew that further words were useless.
Seeing was believing.
With a mere thought, *hum*—
The next instant, a layer of Boundless Starry Sky Divine Gang draped over the surface of his body!
"That's the Boundless Starry Sky Divine Gang! One of the very top Divine Gang arts, capable of amplifying physical power thirtyfold!"
Seeing the Divine Gang on Lu Changsheng's body, the group marveled.
As a premier Divine Gang Realm martial art of the sect, Liu Yuan and the others were intimately familiar with it.
Yet that was merely the beginning.
Another layer of Divine Gang coalesced over Lu Changsheng's body.
"Tempest Divine Gang, one of the superior Divine Gangs."
"Giant Wave Divine Gang, likewise a superior Divine Gang."
"And the Hundred-Zhang Waterfall Divine Gang—yet another superior Divine Gang!"
Liu Yuan and the others stared with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded.
Watching layer upon layer of Divine Gang manifest across Lu Changsheng's form, they were overwhelmed with shock.
Those were superior Divine Gangs!
Four layers of Divine Gang—a ninetyfold amplification of physical strength.
It was simple arithmetic, and the members of the Tianlin Squad calculated it in an instant.
A ninetyfold boost to physical power!
Combined with a perfected Starry Sky Domain...
Just how terrifyingly strong was he?
"Wait, if you can condense four layers of superior Divine Gang, does that mean you have four domains as well?" Liu Yuan seemed to realize something and immediately asked.
"Correct," Lu Changsheng nodded. Hiding nothing further, he released all four domains at once, sweeping outward in a magnificent tide that blanketed the pavilion.
This time, the members of the Tianlin Squad went entirely numb.
Four layers of Divine Gang, a ninetyfold amplification of physical power, four domains, and one of them brought to perfection...
What kind of monster was this?
For a moment, the members of the squad were left utterly speechless.
In truth, they were all proud individuals.
After all, they were one of the foremost squads in the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
Yet faced with Lu Changsheng, even if they wanted to find fault, they could not find a single flaw.
Combat strength?
Lu Changsheng was probably stronger than any one of them.
Mind power?
That was indeed his current shortcoming, but could increasing mind power really be difficult for someone capable of comprehending a domain to perfection?
"Good!"
"Senior Brother Lu, from now on, you are an official member of our Tianlin Squad."
"I can't speak for other things, but our Tianlin Squad is united to the core and absolutely fair, free of petty squabbles and backstabbing. When life is on the line, we can trust each other with our backs."
Chen Gang took a step forward, his expression solemn.
These words marked his genuine acceptance of Lu Changsheng.
"Hehe, this is wonderful! With Senior Brother Lu joining us, our Tianlin Squad might finally be able to rival the Five Peaks Squad of the Ancient Region Yellow Heaven Sect," Xia Bao chimed in with a grin, walking over.
"The Five Peaks Squad? They've always held an edge over our Tianlin Squad. Last time, they even snatched a treasure right out from under us—infuriating!"
"With Senior Brother Lu here, though, it'll probably be our turn to suppress them from now on!" Zhao Yufeng said coldly.
The members stepped forward one by one to speak.
Only Shen Ningxiang seemed reserved and of few words, appearing somewhat quiet, though the look she directed at Lu Changsheng was equally amicable.
Over the next few days, Lu Changsheng spent his time learning about the Tianlin Squad and the Ancient Region as a whole.
He naturally integrated into the squad.
Sometimes, fitting into an unfamiliar environment among strangers was just that simple.
With sufficient strength, everyone welcomed you.
"The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect has Dao Comprehension Pills as well?" Lu Changsheng received some welcome news.
"Of course we have Dao Comprehension Pills," Liu Yuan explained. "Our Ancient Region Heavenly Sect has dedicated alchemists, and one of them is even a Dao Lord!
"Therefore, our sect enjoys a steady, uninterrupted supply of pills. In fact, many of the pills used by the Northern Region Heavenly Sect are shipped over from our side."
Lu Changsheng fell into thought.
The Ancient Region was rich in spiritual energy, and all manner of heavenly materials and earthly treasures were readily available.
Pill refinement seemed to pose little difficulty here.
As for Dao Lords...
Lu Changsheng had also gained some understanding of the Immortal Dao cultivation system.
Immortal Masters, Dao Lords, and True Persons.
These were the three most common tiers of Immortal Dao cultivators.
They could also be referred to as Qi Refining Immortal Masters, Foundation Establishment Dao Lords, and Golden Core True Persons.
It meant the exact same thing.
In the Ancient Region, it was utterly commonplace for a martial arts sect to possess Immortal Masters and Dao Lords.
Not every Immortal Master or Dao Lord inherited their teachings from a sect.
Sometimes, to make their cultivation more convenient and comfortable, they chose to join martial arts sects.
They refined pills, laid down arrays, and performed other tasks in exchange for merit, which they then used to redeem resources secured by the martial sect to aid their own cultivation.
Martial arts sects were actually quite formidable forces in the Ancient Region, far from pushovers.
It was only when compared to the grand Immortal Dao sects that they appeared somewhat lesser overall.
After all, the Ancient Region was the sacred ground of the Immortal Dao sects.
"Exchanging for Dao Comprehension Pills is cheaper in the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. A single pill costs merely five thousand contribution points."
A sharp gleam flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes.
Although taking too many Dao Comprehension Pills would eventually diminish their efficacy, he was still far from reaching that threshold.
If he could obtain several Dao Comprehension Pills, his progress in his other domains would surely surge.
However, the Ancient Region was fraught with danger.
Even though Lu Changsheng was among the foremost experts of the Divine Gang Realm, he did not dare wander about recklessly.
After all, if he encountered a Qi Refining Immortal Master, a top-tier Divine Gang squad, or even a Divine Treasury Realm martial artist, he would be in grave danger.
Thus, moving out as a squad remained the best course of action.
"We've rested for several days now. Everyone should be refreshed, right?"
"Time to head out and stretch our legs. Lu Changsheng has probably been itching to accumulate a heap of contribution points to redeem resources, hasn't he?"
"Hahaha, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect has far more good things than your Northern Region Heavenly Sect!" Liu Yuan said, clearly seeing through Lu Changsheng's intentions.
"Captain, is the squad heading out?" Lu Changsheng's spirits rose.
He had wanted to go out for quite some time.
"Indeed. This time, we're going to Maple Leaf Valley.
"Around this time of year, the Cold Ice Grass in the valley should be ripening.
"A single stalk of Cold Ice Grass is worth one thousand contribution points.
"Furthermore, Maple Leaf Valley lies on the outermost periphery of the Ancient Region. Under normal circumstances, Divine Treasury Realm martial artists and Qi Refining Immortal Masters rarely operate there—they look down on the resources of the outer edge.
"However, squads from other sects might be prowling about. We may very well end up in a bloody fight in a moment, so prepare yourselves first."
Liu Yuan organized everything in an orderly fashion.
It was no wonder that he commanded everyone's trust as squad leader.
Lu Changsheng had nothing special to prepare.
He sat quietly, closing his eyes to rest his mind.
Roughly an hour later, Liu Yuan said, "Everyone looks ready. Let's move out."
With that, the group departed the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
This was Lu Changsheng's first time venturing into other parts of the Ancient Region.
He observed the surrounding flora growing with lush vitality.
The flowers seemed more vibrant, the grass lusher, and the trees taller.
Perhaps this was the effect of spiritual power.
Just then, Chen Gang approached Lu Changsheng and murmured, "Senior Brother Lu, you're new here and don't quite understand the Ancient Region yet.
"Never hold back in the Ancient Region. If a fight truly starts, fight to kill."
Liu Yuan overheard Chen Gang and nodded in agreement, adding, "Lu Changsheng, Chen Gang is right. In the Ancient Region, you don't need to hold any reservations. Everyone here has backing behind them. In conflicts, it all comes down to ability; if you die, you die in vain."
Lu Changsheng understood.
Backing and connections were meaningless here.
In the Ancient Region, who didn't have backing?
They were either the overlord martial sects of the Five Regions or sects of the Immortal Dao.
Fighting and killing over resources was an everyday occurrence.
When striking, one had to strike ruthlessly.
Otherwise, the only one to suffer would be oneself.
"I understand."
Lu Changsheng was certainly no stranger to slaughter.
On the Northern Region Battlefield, he had reaped countless lives.
A mere skirmish held no dread for him.
Yet the others knew nothing of his past and assumed he was merely a secluded genius nurtured inside a sect, lacking actual combat experience.
"We've arrived."
Suddenly, Liu Yuan halted, staring straight ahead with a grim expression.
Not just Liu Yuan, but the other members of the Tianlin Squad stiffened as well, their gazes fixed tightly on the path ahead.
A hint of fury even simmered in their eyes.
Lu Changsheng followed their gaze.
Ahead in the valley, a group of people had already gathered, seemingly another squad.
"Five Peaks Squad... Xu Haoran!"
Liu Yuan ground out each word through clenched teeth.
At that moment, the Five Peaks Squad appeared to notice Lu Changsheng and the others as well.
"Liu Yuan? What a coincidence. To think we'd run into you again.
"What, looking for Cold Ice Grass?
"My apologies, but the Cold Ice Grass in Maple Leaf Valley belongs to our Five Peaks Squad.
"I'll give your Tianlin Squad three breaths of time to get the hell out of Maple Leaf Valley!"
The speaker's voice started faint.
Yet, carried by some unknown secret method, the sound rolled across the distance, roaring into the ears of the Tianlin Squad like a clap of thunder.
Chapter 152