Beneath the Golden Fruit Tree, Lu Changsheng stood alone against several hundred martial artists.
Over a hundred domains swept forth in a magnificent tide, layering one upon another.
In fact, there might have been well over a hundred.
Lu Changsheng did not bother counting. Whether there were one hundred domains or two hundred did not matter to him in the slightest.
At this moment, his two perfected domains had already merged.
A semi-real domain had descended!
Under the descent of this semi-real domain, whether there were one hundred domains or two hundred made no difference. The instant they clashed with this extraordinary semi-real domain, they crumbled and melted away like snow before the blazing sun.
Many of those formidable domains had reached ninety-nine percent progress, teetering on the verge of perfection. Yet before Lu Changsheng's semi-real Starry Sky Waterfall Domain, they proved as fragile as paper.
Lu Changsheng stood poised within the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain, towering like an otherworldly deity imbued with an indescribable, awe-inspiring presence.
The sight left several hundred top-tier Divine Gang Realm martial artists thoroughly stunned.
"How can this be? Over a hundred domains—none of them ordinary, each cultivated to an astonishing height—crushed just like that?"
"Can a Divine Gang Realm martial artist truly achieve such a feat?"
"So this is the true limit of a Divine Gang martial artist..."
"What kind of domain is that? The Starry Sky Domain and Waterfall Domain can merge into an entirely new domain?"
"It seems to have undergone a metamorphosis, yet the transformation isn't fully complete. It hasn't turned completely from illusory into tangible like the domains of Divine Treasury Realm experts. Is that... semi-real?"
"Even if it's only semi-real, it has already taken a step toward manifesting tangible form from illusion. Unbelievable... I've never heard of such a thing!"
"Once perfected domains merge, they can actually step into a semi-real domain, hovering between illusion and reality? There has never been a recorded case of this, not even in sect archives..."
"Could Lu Changsheng have blazed an entirely new path for turning a domain from illusory to real?"
Gazing at the semi-real Starry Sky Waterfall Domain suspended in midair, countless elite Divine Gang martial artists were shaken to their core.
Turning illusion into reality had always been a feat exclusive to Divine Treasury Realm martial artists. While in theory a Divine Gang Realm martial artist could do so if their mind power was strong enough, that was merely a theoretical possibility. In practice, no one had ever accomplished it.
Yet what were they witnessing right now?
Someone had actually made his domain semi-real!
What did that signify?
None of them were fools. It meant that by drawing upon mind power, a semi-real domain would likely find it far easier to achieve full manifestation from illusion to reality.
What kind of unprecedented achievement was that?
It was virtually opening a new path in martial cultivation!
While calling it a completely new path might be a slight exaggeration, it undoubtedly gave every martial artist a clear direction. At the very least, they now knew that domain perfection was not the ultimate limit.
Even with that knowledge, however, no one could imitate him.
To make a domain semi-real required fusing two distinct domains, which was already an immense hurdle. Achieving that with two perfected domains made it all the more impossible. No matter how extraordinary a martial artist's talent and comprehension might be, none would dare claim mastery over two perfected domains.
Over a hundred domains shattered in an instant.
Lu Changsheng's Starry Sky Waterfall Domain forcefully suppressed every domain in existence! Before it, all other domains lost every shred of significance, crumbling like paper at the slightest touch.
The members of the Lingshu Squad were equally stunned. The martial artists among them who had previously felt indignant and reluctant to yield now fell dead silent.
Lu Changsheng holding off over a hundred domains through sheer solitary might—what kind of earth-shattering power was that?
"He truly is powerful!" Dong Tianhua said calmly.
Perhaps he had long seen through Lu Changsheng's formidable strength, but he had never imagined it would reach such heights.
"Even so, for the Golden Fruits, I must draw my sword!"
"No matter how powerful you are, if I lack even the courage to draw my blade when facing an opponent, a shadow will be cast over my mind for the rest of my days, and my mind power will never advance another inch."
Dong Tianhua was not speaking to Lu Changsheng; he seemed to be murmuring to himself, steeling his own resolve.
This strike had to be unleashed.
*Whoosh.*
In the next instant, a gleam of sword light flared.
It produced no earth-shattering phenomena, possessing nothing but purity!
It was the purest manifestation of the sword!
Dong Tianhua was a pure swordsman through and through. He had even integrated the Sword Domain directly into his sword art. With this strike, he did not rely on his domain; he relied entirely on the lethal sharpness of the blade!
*Chii.*
The sword light grazed Lu Changsheng's semi-real domain. Then, as if encountering no resistance whatsoever, it flashed right through.
A domain could only suppress the mind. A semi-real domain was not yet truly tangible, incapable of halting physical sword light.
"Hmm?"
The moment the sword light pierced the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain, Lu Changsheng perceived it.
A premonition struck him: his Divine Gang might not be able to withstand this strike!
The power behind it undoubtedly exceeded a hundred thousand tripods of force!
*Such a figure exists among the Divine Gang Realm?*
Lu Changsheng looked up, spotting the swordsman at a glance.
Dong Tianhua!
The Lingshu Squad's Dong Tianhua, the man once tacitly regarded as the number one Divine Gang across the first tier of the Ancient Region!
Earlier, when the Lingshu Squad stepped back, Dong Tianhua had refrained from making a move. But now that he did, he struck with lethal intent!
Everyone could see that beam of sword light. It seemed capable of cleaving through everything in its path, entirely unstoppable.
*Dong Tianhua's sword... cannot be blocked!*
Lu Changsheng instantly sensed the terror of that strike. Meeting it head-on, his four layers of Divine Gang and his body strengthened ninetyfold would still fail to endure it!
*If I can't endure it, then I won't!*
Lu Changsheng's gaze turned cold.
*Clang!*
He drew his saber in a flash.
A blood-red blade light soared toward the heavens.
It, too, carried a force exceeding a hundred thousand tripods. Furthermore, situated within the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain, Lu Changsheng's saber light received an immense amplification, its power surging violently.
Was it a hundred and ten thousand tripods, a hundred and twenty thousand, or perhaps a hundred and fifty thousand?
Lu Changsheng did not know. Nor did he know just how terrifying the amplification of a semi-real domain truly was.
The only thing he knew for certain was that drawing his saber within his semi-real domain enhanced its power to a level beyond even his own estimation.
*Rumble!*
Finally, saber light and sword light collided.
It was an impact of over a hundred thousand tripods of force. The very fabric of the air seemed to ripple with faint distortions.
A muffled boom followed. Boundless arcs of saber light and sword light frayed and annihilated one another. In the end, both vanished into nothingness!
The clash ended in an absolute standstill!
"What?"
"Dong Tianhua's strike was intercepted?"
"Not blocked, but met head-on! Dong Tianhua comprehended the Sword Domain; he is a pure swordsman whose greatest strength lies in his sword art."
"It is said Dong Tianhua possesses a terrifying secret method that can instantly amplify his sword strike past a hundred thousand tripods of force. That strike just now must have been him using his secret method at full power, yet Lu Changsheng's saber still intercepted it completely."
Witnessing Lu Changsheng's saber art, the crowd grew even more astonished. Not only was his domain overwhelming, but his blade was just as formidable.
Only Dong Tianhua stared deeply at Lu Changsheng.
"A pity..." Dong Tianhua murmured softly.
He understood full well that the inherent power of his sword art should have surpassed Lu Changsheng's saber. However, his sword light had struck directly into the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain—a semi-real domain! Inside Lu Changsheng's domain, the saber art enjoyed immense amplification, enabling it to match the height of his own sword strike.
"That strike finally let me witness the true caliber of the Ancient Region's peak Divine Gang!"
"Dong Tianhua, take a strike from me in return!"
Lu Changsheng was never one to take hits passively.
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng slashed outward.
A blood-red saber light instantly split the air, carrying terrifying momentum. At the same time, his Starry Sky Waterfall Domain expanded rapidly alongside the strike.
Lu Changsheng knew that only with the enhancement of the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain could his saber rival Dong Tianhua's sword. Naturally, he intended to exploit his advantage.
Thus, the domain surged outward in a flash, enveloping Dong Tianhua within its boundaries.
Though the semi-real Starry Sky Waterfall Domain could not physically suppress a martial artist's body and could only jolt their spirit, that was more than enough! It was sufficient to suppress a portion of Dong Tianhua's strength. Moreover, inside the domain, Lu Changsheng's saber received amplification. With one side diminished and the other bolstered, Lu Changsheng held a massive advantage.
"Not good, Tianhua is in danger!"
Zhao Lingshu's expression shifted drastically.
He understood clearly that once Lu Changsheng's domain enveloped Dong Tianhua, the shifting tides would leave Dong Tianhua facing grave peril.
Yet it was already too late. How fast was Lu Changsheng's domain? In the blink of an eye, it had already engulfed Dong Tianhua.
Simultaneously, Lu Changsheng's saber light descended upon him.
Dong Tianhua abruptly raised his sword.
*Bang!*
This time, Lu Changsheng had the domain's reinforcement while suppressing Dong Tianhua from within. The strike crashed brutally against Dong Tianhua's blade.
*Crack!*
A crisp snap echoed.
Dong Tianhua froze slightly.
His sword had broken!
"My sword..."
Dong Tianhua was a pure swordsman. He had never once imagined that his sword would shatter one day. And once a swordsman's blade snapped, it almost always meant death!
Lu Changsheng's saber light ripped through the Divine Gang shrouding Dong Tianhua's body.
One layer, two layers, three layers, four layers, five layers...
Dong Tianhua actually possessed five layers of Divine Gang as well!
Unfortunately, against Lu Changsheng's strike, they still failed to hold. All five layers were breached.
*Bang!*
At the critical juncture, Zhao Lingshu slashed outward. His saber strike was swift, precise, and ruthless, crashing hard into Lu Changsheng's descending blade light.
While Zhao Lingshu lacked a hundred thousand tripods of force, he still wielded seventy to eighty thousand tripods. Having already expended most of its power shattering the five layers of Divine Gang, Lu Changsheng's strike saw a portion of its remaining force extinguished by Zhao Lingshu's slash.
Even so, a sliver of the saber light sliced into Dong Tianhua's arm.
*Squelch!*
Blood sprayed in an instant, and a severed arm fell to the ground. Dong Tianhua's right arm, the one holding his sword, had been sheared off by Lu Changsheng.
"Retreat!"
Zhao Lingshu immediately grabbed Dong Tianhua and pulled him back rapidly, breaking free from Lu Changsheng's domain.
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Dong Tianhua was a rare and worthy opponent. If possible, he had no desire to leave him alive. However, as he moved against Dong Tianhua, the other elite martial artists did not give up on the Golden Fruits.
Instead, they unleashed long-range attacks like sword lights and saber arcs one after another. Though their domains could not rival Lu Changsheng's, their flying blades and sword beams were completely unaffected by his domain.
And their targets were none other than the members of the Tianlin Squad!
They knew full well that without the rest of the Tianlin Squad, no matter how powerful Lu Changsheng was alone, how could he monopolize all the Golden Fruits by himself?
It had to be admitted that these top Divine Gang Realm martial artists possessed numerous ways to hinder him. If their domains could not match his, they simply refrained from casting them. They avoided stepping near him altogether, choosing instead to target the Tianlin Squad exclusively.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Chen Gang let out a wretched cry. A beam of sword light had pierced straight through his Divine Gang.
With so many intersecting arcs of blades and swords, who could tell how much terrifying power was concealed within each? Chen Gang was relatively fortunate in that the strike missed his vitals, but it pierced through his abdomen, sending him plummeting from the Golden Fruit Tree to the ground below.
"You are courting death!"
Lu Changsheng's gaze turned chillingly cold.
Originally, he had only intended to protect his squad members and secure the Golden Fruits. Now, however, it seemed that nothing short of a massacre would suffice. He could not possibly shield the Tianlin Squad from such a barrage of sword beams and saber lights indefinitely. If this continued, everyone in the Tianlin Squad except him would perish.
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng's Starry Sky Waterfall Domain expanded explosively.
Ordinary domains rarely covered vast areas; their reach depended directly on their nature, and most domains were ill-suited for broad coverage. But Lu Changsheng possessed the Starry Sky Domain. His Starry Sky Waterfall Domain incorporated the essence of the starry sky.
And what was the defining trait of the starry sky? Vast and boundless!
As Lu Changsheng resolved to slaughter his foes, his Starry Sky Waterfall Domain expanded maniacally.
Ten zhang, a hundred zhang, a thousand zhang...
The domain rapidly surged outward, engulfing several hundred Divine Gang Realm martial artists within its grasp.
Instantly, the crowd felt as though Mount Tai were pressing down upon them, their minds subjected to tremendous strain.
Nor was that all. These elite Divine Gang martial artists possessed decent mind power and could struggle free from the domain's mental suppression. But in the next instant, Lu Changsheng unleashed his Mind Sword!
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!*
Formless, invisible Mind Swords burst forth in every direction. There was no need to aim at specific martial artists; centered on Lu Changsheng, the Mind Sword erupted with full force.
"Ah!"
"What is this?"
"The pain! My head hurts so much, I can't hold on..."
"It's a mental secret method..."
As the Mind Swords slashed through them, countless martial artists shrieked in agony. Having one's spirit jolted and torn by a Mind Sword was an agonizing, excruciating sensation.
*Hum.*
In the next breath, Lu Changsheng slashed with his saber.
In midair, the blade unexpectedly split into dozens, then hundreds of distinct saber lights. Cold and menacing, they radiated a dreadful, piercing sharpness.
Normally, dispersing his power into so many saber lights would drastically dilute their potency. But within the semi-real Starry Sky Waterfall Domain, every single arc of saber light received tremendous amplification. Furthermore, Lu Changsheng had unleashed countless Mind Swords; those struck by them were rendered living targets, helpless before his slaughter.
"Fall!"
Lu Changsheng's eyes were icy.
In the sky, dozens upon hundreds of saber lights rained down simultaneously.
*Pfft! Pfft!*
Lu Changsheng wielded his saber lights as though they were flying sword beams, but the effect remained identical. The razor-sharp arcs plummeted, slicing through layer after layer of the martial artists' Divine Gang.
Even though these dispersed saber lights no longer carried a hundred thousand tripods of force, not every martial artist possessed three, four, or five layers of Divine Gang. Those with three or four layers were a rare minority after all. Most Divine Gang Realm martial artists possessed only one or two layers. Even with superior Divine Gang, augmenting their physical bodies twenty- to thirtyfold was the standard norm.
A force of thirty to forty thousand tripods was enough to pierce through the Divine Gang of most practitioners. Under the domain's enhancement, each of Lu Changsheng's saber lights carried perhaps fifty thousand tripods of force.
Thus, as Lu Changsheng's blade lights fell, a vast swath of bodies collapsed across the ground in an instant.
"Ah... save me!"
"Help!"
"Run, run!"
"Lu Changsheng is a monster! If we stay here, we're dead..."
Countless martial artists wailed in terror. Some were not hit in vital spots and merely sustained injuries rather than dying outright. However, the momentum of the strikes inadvertently swept them into the swamp.
This was the Golden Marsh! Once a Divine Gang Realm martial artist fell into the mire, death was certain without outside assistance! Numerous martial artists found themselves sinking into the muck, crying out desperately for help.
With just a single outburst—a single blanket of saber light—several dozen Divine Gang Realm martial artists had been slain.
At this sight, many martial artists finally broke.
Even if top Divine Gang martial artists could withstand dozens or hundreds of fifty-thousand-tripod strikes, once Lu Changsheng freed his hands to execute a focused slash, it would carry a hundred thousand tripods of force. How could they possibly block that?
"Domain, saber art, mental secret method... every single technique Lu Changsheng possesses is top-tier among the Divine Gang Realm. With so many terrifying abilities combined in one man, who could possibly stand against him?"
"Even Dong Tianhua couldn't withstand a single slash from him. Does Lu Changsheng have any rivals left in the Divine Gang Realm?"
"Invincible! This is true invincibility!"
"Lu Changsheng is the true number one Divine Gang of the Ancient Region!"
Far in the distance, some martial artists had refrained from fighting over the Golden Fruit Tree, merely watching the spectacle from ten li away. Yet they could see everything unfolding within the Golden Marsh with absolute clarity.
What were they witnessing?
Lu Changsheng stood before the Golden Fruit Tree, one man and one blade, facing several hundred top Divine Gang Realm martial artists without a shred of fear. With a wave of his hand, his semi-real domain crushed over a hundred domains. With a single draw of his blade, he severed an arm from the Lingshu Squad's Dong Tianhua. And when he unleashed slaughter, his blade split into hundreds, slaying dozens of elite fighters in a single strike!
What kind of terrifying might was this?
Lu Changsheng stood quietly where he was, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. Even the peak Divine Gang Realm martial artists felt their hearts tremble.
Renown! Through this battle, Lu Changsheng had forged an invincible reputation!
If he was not the Ancient Region's number one Divine Gang, who else could possibly claim the title? If this was not invincible, what was?
"How can this be?"
"How can he be so powerful?"
"Holding off several hundred top-tier martial artists with his own strength alone!"
"No, that isn't holding them off anymore—that's an absolute crushing. Crushing hundreds of elite Divine Gang martial artists by himself! Even a Divine Treasury Realm expert couldn't do much more, could they?"
The members of the Lingshu Squad looked ashen. Dong Tianhua, in particular, had lost an arm.
Of course, even if the arm could not be recovered, it could gradually regrow in the future through the use of rare spirit elixirs. But the heaviest blow to Dong Tianhua was to his state of mind.
His sword was broken.
To a pure swordsman, the sword was life, and a broken sword meant death. Yet now, Dong Tianhua's sword had shattered while he remained alive.
"Captain, we still have that treasure. Should we...?" A member of the Lingshu Squad asked, lingering reluctance in his tone.
To contend for the Golden Fruits this time, the Lingshu Squad had paid a tremendous price to obtain a single-use treasure. That was the source of their confidence! Even when Dong Tianhua had nearly died moments ago, Zhao Lingshu had refrained from using it.
"Tianhua, speak," Zhao Lingshu said in a heavy voice, looking at Dong Tianhua. "If you wish to wash away this humiliation, we will use that treasure. While it cannot guarantee a hundred percent certainty of killing Lu Changsheng, there should be a chance."
Everyone turned their gazes toward Dong Tianhua. He had suffered the heaviest loss in the entire squad.
"Use that treasure?"
Dong Tianhua looked at Lu Changsheng beneath the Golden Fruit Tree, then shook his head. "You cannot kill him! Even if you use that treasure, you will never kill him."
"Hmm?"
"Dong Tianhua, you haven't been frightened out of your wits by him, have you?"
"That treasure poses a lethal threat even to Divine Treasury Realm martial artists. One misstep and even a Divine Treasury expert could perish!"
"No matter how powerful Lu Changsheng is, he can't possibly surpass a Divine Treasury expert, can he?" the squad members questioned, brimming with confidence in their trump card.
Dong Tianhua's tone remained calm as he said faintly, "Who says what Lu Changsheng has shown right now represents the full extent of his abilities?"
"Do you really think someone capable of comprehending two domains to perfection and fusing them into a semi-real domain would exhaust all his hidden cards?"
"In truth, I can sense that Lu Changsheng hasn't gone all out yet. When his domain enveloped me earlier, I faintly perceived something unusual about it."
"A semi-real domain is likely far from as simple as it appears right now."
Although Dong Tianhua's words did not entirely convince the squad, his prestige among them was immense, and no one argued further.
"Tianhua, so you mean we should retreat?"
"Yes, retreat. With Lu Changsheng here, we can no longer contend for the Golden Fruits."
"After today, Lu Changsheng is destined to shake the entire Ancient Region. He will undeniably be the Ancient Region's number one Divine Gang!"
A tremor of emotion finally crept into Dong Tianhua's voice.
The number one Divine Gang!
Once upon a time, people had subtly sought to bestow that title upon Dong Tianhua's head. Unfortunately, Lu Changsheng had appeared. Had Dong Tianhua claimed the title, countless people would have doubted it; but with Lu Changsheng claiming it, none would dare raise a single objection.
"Fine, then we retreat!" Zhao Lingshu made his decision.
Since the matter was beyond reach, he would not force it. Even without the Golden Fruits, they could acquire plenty of resources with a little more toil.
Just as Zhao Lingshu prepared to lead his squad out of the Golden Marsh, his gaze blurred, catching sight of a distant woman with long hair and a cold countenance, clad in azure robes.
At that moment, the woman was walking step by step toward the Golden Fruit Tree.
Her gait seemed utterly ordinary, yet she appeared completely indifferent to the mire, traversing the boggy marshland as if walking on flat ground.
Zhao Lingshu's heart violently jolted!
He had seen that person before!
"That's... Wu Qingyi!"
A look of dread surfaced on Zhao Lingshu's face.
Divine Treasury!
That was a Divine Treasury Realm expert!
Chapter 158