Lu Changsheng Slays Long Yun, Ranking Among the Top Divine Treasuries!

*Buzz.* The next instant, darkness fell on all sides. Above stretched a sky of countless stars, as though one were cast into the vast expanse of the cosmos. "The Starry Sky Domain..." Long Yun murmured with a faint smile. He snapped his fingers. *Snap.* Amidst the pitch-black starry sky, a blazing sun seemed to rise. The radiant sun shone across the void, illuminating the dark expanse until it was as bright as day. The sun and the starry sky clashed fiercely, the blazing sun faintly gaining the upper hand. *Whoosh...* Suddenly, within the dark cosmos, a tempest began to rage. Long Yun snapped his fingers once more. A towering mountain descended from the sky, blocking the tempest. No matter how wildly the gale battered against it, the towering mountain remained immovable. A tremor ran through Lu Changsheng's brain domain. Hundred-zhang-high ocean waves surged forward in a roaring torrent. Yet this posed no obstacle to Long Yun. With a flick of his finger, the surrounding air turned freezing cold, the temperature plunging as an aura of extreme frost permeated the void. The surging ocean waves were frozen solid on the spot, unable to move an inch. This clash left the watching Divine Treasuries and Immortal Masters utterly spellbound. Even an Immortal Master could not help but exclaim in astonishment, "What incredible domains! What a magnificent duel! This is a pure collision of domain against domain." "Indeed. With so many domains colliding, Long Yun manages to counter Lu Changsheng's domains perfectly every single time. That level of confidence and foundation isn't something an ordinary Divine Treasury martial artist could ever possess." "Long Yun truly deserves his reputation as one of the top Divine Treasuries, a true disciple of the Huangtian Sect who made his name long ago. Compared to a newly ascended Divine Treasury like Lu Changsheng, he is indeed somewhat stronger." "Yes, Long Yun is meeting every move with a counter, completely at ease. Still, Lu Changsheng is not to be underestimated either. To possess such power right after advancing to the Divine Treasury Realm and fight Long Yun to this degree is truly impressive!" "This is what a duel between Divine Treasury masters should look like! The gap between ordinary Divine Treasuries and these two is simply too vast..." The battle between Lu Changsheng and Long Yun did not appear particularly bloody or brutal. It was merely the collision of domains. Yet this was the hallmark of true experts! A battle between Divine Treasuries was meant to be fought like this. Martial artists, too, could fight with grace and poise. It was no longer about trading punches or striking lethal blows with blades. Upon reaching the Divine Treasury Realm, combat primarily revolved around the contest of domains and secret methods. Lu Changsheng had indeed met his match. For nearly every domain he deployed, Long Yun found a way to counter it. Consequently, after unleashing several domains, Lu Changsheng found himself consistently at a disadvantage. *Buzz.* The next moment, Lu Changsheng unleashed two more domains: the Saber Domain and the Sword Domain. These two were his most offensive domains. "Oh?" "You actually have both a Saber Domain and a Sword Domain?" "What a coincidence—so do I!" Long Yun smiled faintly, unleashing a Saber Domain and a Sword Domain of his own. This was the advantage of having cultivated for many years. Long Yun had cultivated for far too long. Even through slow, grinding effort, he had accumulated a vast array of domains over time. Naturally, his overall combat strength rose accordingly. *Five domains already...* Lu Changsheng had unleashed five domains, yet none could overcome Long Yun. Meanwhile, Long Yun possessed more than a dozen domains. And those were only the ones Long Yun had revealed so far; who knew if he had even more in reserve? At this moment, Lu Changsheng held back no longer. *Buzz.* Lu Changsheng manifested his sixth domain: the Waterfall Domain! A colossal waterfall cascaded from the heavens amidst the starry sky. The instant the Waterfall Domain appeared, Lu Changsheng commanded in his mind, *Fuse!* *Rumble!* The Starry Sky Domain and the Waterfall Domain merged in an instant, forming the terrifying Starry Sky Waterfall Domain! All at once, the waterfall in the void expanded a hundredfold. What had appeared to be a hundred-zhang waterfall suddenly transformed into a ten-thousand-zhang cataract. It filled the entire starry sky. Plunging downward, the waterfall instantly tore through the layers of domains Long Yun had deployed. "Not good—this is... a fusion domain!" Long Yun's expression, previously calm and composed as if everything were under his control, changed drastically the moment Lu Changsheng fused his domains. A fusion domain! This was not a simple matter of one plus one equalling two. It was one plus one equalling ten! Almost in the blink of an eye, the falling cataract pierced through layer after layer of domains. One layer, two layers, three layers, four layers, five layers... A full five layers of domains deployed by Long Yun were pierced through by the cataract. However, with a wave of his hand, Long Yun brought forth ten more domains. Fifteen layers of domains in total! *Rumble!* The Starry Sky Waterfall continued to churn and shake. Six layers, eight layers, ten layers... Finally, after piercing through ten of Long Yun's domains, the Waterfall Domain exhausted its momentum and completely dispersed. Seeing this, Long Yun breathed a faint sigh of relief. "What a terrifying fusion domain!" "Too bad for you, I have fifteen layers of domains. Even with a fusion domain, you cannot pierce through all fifteen!" "Suppress!" The next instant, Long Yun mobilized all fifteen layers of domains, using their stacked might to bear down directly upon Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng's Starry Sky Waterfall Domain shattered in an instant. The same was true of his other domains. *Fifteen layers of domains?* Lu Changsheng was in no hurry. If one fusion domain could not pierce through fifteen layers, then what about two? "Slash!" Lu Changsheng's Mind Sword flew out in a flash, plunging into Long Yun's body. "A spiritual secret method?" "Spiritual Boundary!" Long Yun was remarkably well-rounded. Aside from fifteen layers of domains, he actually possessed a defensive spiritual secret method. Although this defensive secret method seemingly could not be moved into the brain domain to be nurtured, it still provided protection on the spiritual plane. Yet Lu Changsheng's Mind Sword had, after all, undergone a transformation. The jade Mind Sword could even shift from illusory to corporeal, wielding truly terrifying might. Thus, the Mind Sword struck the Spiritual Boundary with brutal force. *Crack!* The Spiritual Boundary shattered in an instant. *Boom!* Long Yun's spirit shuddered violently. A searing agony ripped through his mind. Even so, the Spiritual Boundary had absorbed a significant portion of the Mind Sword's force. Though the remaining power was still potent, it failed to severely shake Long Yun's spirit, leaving him with only intense pain. However, that was enough! The severe agony caused Long Yun's control over his fifteen domains to slip for a fraction of a second. In that fleeting instant, Lu Changsheng struck back! "Domain fusion—Waterspout Domain!" "Domain fusion—Starry Sky Waterfall Domain!" Four of Lu Changsheng's domains instantly fused into two. First came the Waterspout Domain, vast and majestic, sweeping away everything in its path. In an instant, it crushed nearly ten layers of Long Yun's domains. Then, the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain descended once more. Eleven layers, twelve layers, thirteen layers, fourteen layers, fifteen layers... Finally, all fifteen layers of domains were pierced through by the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain. At this moment, Long Yun sensed the chill of death. It felt as though he could perish at any second. "Impossible..." Long Yun could scarcely believe his eyes. Two fusion domains! Lu Changsheng actually possessed two fusion domains? On top of that, his spiritual secret method was exceptionally formidable—so strong that even Long Yun's defensive secret method could not withstand it. Fusion domains were not something one could simply form at will. Still, Long Yun had cultivated for a very long time. With enough time, one could deliberately develop specific domains to achieve a fusion. And Long Yun indeed possessed a fusion domain of his own! However, that was his trump card, one he had almost never revealed before others. Long Yun understood very well that in the Ancient Region, one always had to hold something back. Even Xu Haotian did not know he possessed a fusion domain. Under the current circumstances, however, Long Yun could hide it no longer. If he kept it hidden any further, he would die! "Domain fusion! Ice and Snow Domain!" The next instant, heavy snow began to fall across the void. This was his sixteenth domain: the Snowflake Domain. Long Yun had almost never used this domain out of fear that others might connect it to a fusion domain. Now, he had no choice. As the Snowflake Domain was unleashed, it rapidly fused with his Ice Domain to form a fusion domain—the Ice and Snow Domain! The fusion of domains was not one plus one equalling two, but one plus one equalling ten. Even for slightly weaker domain fusions that did not grant a tenfold increase, there would still be an amplification of seven or eight times. Consequently, once the Ice and Snow Domain was unleashed alongside his other dozen domains, even Lu Changsheng's two fusion domains could not completely crush it. For a moment, Lu Changsheng and Long Yun reached a stalemate. *Hiss...* Many martial artists drew in sharp breaths of cold air. Today had been an eye-opening spectacle. Fusion domains! Both Lu Changsheng and Long Yun possessed a fusion domain? In fact, Lu Changsheng possessed two! This was simply... unbelievable. For many Divine Treasury martial artists, merely comprehending a single domain—let alone multiple domains—was already extraordinarily difficult. As for fusion domains? They dared not even hope for one. Even if they knew which domains could fuse together, what difference would it make? Consciously trying to comprehend specific domains would consume vast amounts of time and energy without any guarantee of success. Before comprehending a domain, one had to comprehend its martial conception, which required moments of inspiration. With their level of comprehension, they were nowhere near being able to comprehend any martial conception at will. It relied entirely on luck. Lu Changsheng took a deep breath. This was a pure contest of domains. Even with two fusion domains, Lu Changsheng could not gain a clear advantage. "Mind Sword, strike!" The next instant, Lu Changsheng unleashed his Mind Sword. *Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!* Mind Swords shot forth in rapid succession. The Mind Sword vibrated continuously within his brain domain. With every vibration, another jade Mind Sword struck. This jade Mind Sword had undergone a transformation and could shift from illusory to corporeal. A single strike might not be fatal, but a continuous barrage of ten, then dozens of jade Mind Swords was truly terrifying. That was precisely what Long Yun was facing now. Watching sword after sword fly toward him, his heart skipped a beat. Normally, a spiritual secret method of this caliber would not be an absolute crisis; he could endure it, and even if he couldn't deflect it completely, the impact wouldn't be decisive. Right now, however, his domains were locked in an even match against Lu Changsheng's. Under such circumstances, any additional factor could trigger a total defeat. "It hurts!" "It hurts so much!" "Spiritual Boundary, hold!" Long Yun could not bear the agony. Distracted by the pain, the power of his domains waned. *Rumble!* Lu Changsheng, on the other hand, grew fiercer as the battle wore on. His domains rolled forward like an unstoppable tide, crushing toward Long Yun. "No..." Long Yun cried out. His earlier calm and composure vanished completely, his graceful demeanor wiped away. Regret now gnawed at his heart. All for the Heart Clearing Pearl, he had come to deal with Lu Changsheng. With strength like this, how could Lu Changsheng possibly be a newly ascended Divine Treasury? Now, however, even escaping was a hopeless dream. Though he possessed a Shift Talisman, the unending barrage of Lu Changsheng's Mind Swords left him without a single opening to activate it. *Crack!* Finally, as the Ice and Snow Domain was shattered by Lu Changsheng's domains, the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain instantly engulfed Long Yun. The ten-thousand-zhang cataract plunging from the heavens washed over everything. *Sizzle.* With a faint hiss, Long Yun's body was swept by the waterfall and instantly reduced to fine dust. Only a few durable items on his person remained intact. Everything else was pulverized. Silence! A deathly stillness fell over the surroundings. Long Yun was dead! A seasoned true disciple of the Huangtian Sect had died just like that, turned to dust without even leaving a corpse behind. "Lu Changsheng killed Long Yun?" "This... this is unbelievable! Long Yun was a renowned Divine Treasury expert of the Huangtian Sect, and the strength he displayed just now was on par with the top Divine Treasuries. Lu Changsheng actually managed to slay a top Divine Treasury?" "Lu Changsheng has six domains, including two fusion domains, plus a terrifying spiritual secret method that even Long Yun's Spiritual Boundary couldn't withstand. That alone shows how horrifying that secret method is." "In the first layer of the Ancient Region, Lu Changsheng was already able to fight above his realm to slay Divine Treasuries, earning the title of the number one Divine Gang! Across the vast Ancient Region, with so many Divine Gang martial artists, who else dared claim that title? Even after opening his brain domain and newly ascending to the Divine Treasury Realm, a top prodigy like him is still among the very best..." "Truly unbelievable... The Huangtian Sect is in for trouble now. The death of a true disciple is no small matter; it will surely cause a massive uproar." For a time, everyone looked toward Lu Changsheng with eyes filled with awe and dread. He was too terrifying! Even Long Yun had been slain. And Long Yun had just effortlessly dispatched Immortal Master Qiu Yi moments ago; he was certainly no weakling. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng took a step forward, arriving at the spot where Long Yun had stood. He looked down. A few items lay scattered on the ground. Among them, a single pearl was particularly eye-catching. Lu Changsheng knew very well that anything capable of remaining intact under the scouring force of his Waterfall Domain had to be an extraordinary treasure. He picked up the pearl. "Hmm?" "This pearl..." The moment Lu Changsheng held the pearl, the agitation in his mind instantly settled into complete tranquility. Even the lingering traces of negative emotions from earlier seemed to vanish without a trace. In this state, though he had not entered a sudden enlightenment, that serene condition offered immense benefits for comprehending martial conceptions, evolving domains, and studying martial arts and secret methods. "This is a remarkably fine auxiliary treasure." Lu Changsheng examined the pearl closely and noticed tiny characters carved upon its surface. *Heart Clearing Pearl, Xu Haotian.* "Wait, this Heart Clearing Pearl belongs to Xu Haotian?" Lu Changsheng's heart stirred. It was normal to carve a name onto a treasure. Treasures commissioned from an Immortal Master or a Dao Lord often bore the original owner's name. Lu Changsheng did not know that Xu Haotian had paid an enormous price to commission a Dao Lord to craft this Heart Clearing Pearl. It was a top-tier auxiliary treasure for the Divine Treasury Realm. After all, Divine Treasury practitioners needed to comprehend martial conceptions and evolve domains; maintaining an empty, calm state of mind at all times was undeniably of the utmost importance. *Xu Haotian again...* Lu Changsheng's expression turned cold. Over the matter of Xu Haoran, Xu Haotian had already sent Wu Qingyi to intercept and kill him. He had not expected that shortly after his breakthrough to the Divine Treasury Realm, Xu Haotian would send Long Yun as well. However, Xu Haotian was someone on the verge of establishing a Dao Foundation. His strength was bound to be even more terrifying than Long Yun's. *I've already captured around sixty-eight Five Elements spirit beasts. There might still be a few left on Boundary Stele Mountain, but they are likely few in number and hidden very deep. Tracking them down would probably take several months.* *Remaining on Boundary Stele Mountain carries a certain degree of risk. If word of Long Yun's death reaches Xu Haotian's ears, he might drop whatever he is doing and come straight to Boundary Stele Mountain to deal with me.* *With my current strength, facing Xu Haotian would still be pushing it.* *Still, it doesn't matter. My brain domain is approaching ten li. Once it reaches ten li, I can refine a Boundary Suppressing Stone. At that point, my brain domain will become even sturdier, the efficiency of nurturing domains will rise, and my strength will continue to grow.* Numerous thoughts flashed through Lu Changsheng's mind. "Time to go." Lu Changsheng collected the Heart Clearing Pearl and the other treasures that had survived the waterfall's torrent. Then, with a stride, he vanished from everyone's sight in a few leaps. Lu Changsheng knew the news from Boundary Stele Mountain would spread. However, he did not care, as he had already returned to the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. Furthermore, he had no plans to leave the sect for the time being. He needed to settle down and consolidate his gains. After all, sixty-eight Five Elements spirit beasts would yield an astronomical number of contribution points. For the near future, it would be more than enough to support his exchange for Dao Comprehension Pills. Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged in his courtyard. The Heart Clearing Pearl hung around his neck. Wearing it every day kept his mind ethereal and calm at all times, while leaving his thoughts highly active, with sparks of inspiration bursting forth constantly. Lu Changsheng began to reflect on his future cultivation path. *At the Divine Treasury Realm, advancing one's martial path and raising combat strength mostly comes down to secret methods and domains.* *For secret methods, I have the Mind Sword Mantra Formula, which can continue to transform. It is an exceptionally practical and powerful spiritual secret method.* *As for domains... I was actually taking things a bit too lightly before. One shouldn't simply evolve any domain at random; the optimal approach is to comprehend domains with a clear purpose.* *For ordinary Divine Treasuries, just evolving any domain is an achievement. They then nurture it within the brain domain to perfection, transforming it from illusory to corporeal, causing their combat strength to soar.* *Yet that is the path of ordinary Divine Treasuries. For top geniuses, merely comprehending domains is no longer difficult; they tend to target specific domains for comprehension. Especially fusion domains.* Lu Changsheng's thoughts grew clearer. Fusion domains! Seeing Long Yun unleash a fusion domain this time had shown him how truly terrifying they were. Once domains fused, their power increased tenfold. That was only a fusion of two domains. If three domains fused, the increase would likely be twentyfold; four domains would mean thirtyfold; five domains would mean fortyfold, and so on. If one could fuse five domains together, a fortyfold increase would be equivalent to the power of forty ordinary domains. Lu Changsheng suddenly reached an epiphany. So this was the path pursued by the very best martial artists among the Divine Treasuries. It was no longer about the quantity of domains. It was about quality. Or rather, it was about specifically comprehending domains that could fuse with one another. That way, even with only a few domains, one's combat power would be extraordinarily formidable. Conversely, a Divine Treasury who comprehended a wide array of ordinary domains could be recognized at a glance as someone lacking the backing of a major sect. This was where the heritage of great sects and clans made the difference. A sect was bound to possess records of specific fusion domains. One simply needed to follow the established steps to comprehend the martial conceptions and evolve the domains one by one. Then, a fusion domain could be formed. Of course, ordinary domains were not useless. On the contrary, they served an important purpose. Domains expanded the brain domain, which was the very foundation of cultivation! *Ordinary domains cannot be neglected. The more I comprehend, the better, as this directly affects the rate at which my brain domain expands.* *At the same time, I must also comprehend fusion domains.* Lu Changsheng thought of his Starry Sky Waterfall Domain and Waterspout Domain. Both were fusion domains. Yet that was all they were. They only fused two domains together. Attempting to fuse three domains would be nearly impossible. After all, those two fusion domains had only come about through sheer coincidence. Even with Lu Changsheng's current comprehension, creating a new fusion domain out of thin air was extraordinarily difficult. For this, he still had to draw upon the experience and wisdom of his predecessors. *In terms of heritage, I have the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect behind me.* *The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect is an overlord-tier force whose foundation is second to no martial sect.* *There must be plenty of fusion domain records within the sect.* With that thought, Lu Changsheng immediately headed for the Technique Transmission Hall. Upon arriving, his status as a true disciple granted him access to browse any martial arts or secret methods. Sure enough, among the numerous texts in the hall, there were indeed records of fusion domains. However, they were not recorded as martial arts or secret methods, but preserved as predecessors' experiences. These fusion domains represented the accumulated insights of past generations. Gathered and refined across successive eras, they naturally documented numerous domain combinations. All of these combinations had successfully fused in practice. For example, Lu Changsheng saw a fusion domain called the Wind and Sand Domain. It was formed by fusing the Wind Domain with the Gravel Domain. However, the Wind Domain was evolved through an individual's comprehension of wind. Not every domain related to wind was the Wind Domain. Each bore a unique personal imprint. Unless two domains were completely identical, the comprehended domains could still fail to fuse. In fact, even if one followed a predecessor's notes to the letter without a single error—comprehending the martial conception, evolving the domain, and nurturing it to perfection—fusion might still prove impossible. Precisely because of this, books on domain fusion existed merely as historical records of experience rather than standardized martial arts or secret methods. The reason was simple: they could not be widely replicated. *So that's how it is...* *A predecessor's domains could form a fusion domain. But even if their experience is recorded, later generations might not necessarily comprehend the exact same domain.* *Take the Wind Domain, for instance. There are countless variations of such domains. After all, everyone has their own unique perception when facing the wind.* *Just as no two leaves in the world are completely identical, the same holds true for domains; no two domains can be entirely the same.* *Predecessors' experiences can only serve as references. To make domains fuse, one still has to experiment on one's own...* Lu Changsheng came to a sudden realization. He finally understood why fusion domains were not commonplace. Even a top Divine Treasury martial artist like Long Yun was considered a top prodigy. Yet after cultivating for so many years, what was the result? He possessed only a single Ice and Snow Domain formed from fusing two domains. This showed just how difficult domain fusion truly was. Sometimes, it really came down to luck. *Still, there must be underlying patterns to domain fusion.* *As long as I find the pattern, it should work.* Lu Changsheng pondered. Actually, he did have a method. Whether it counted as a universal rule or not, he wasn't sure. But he had succeeded with it once. The method Lu Changsheng thought of was dismantling domains! For instance, the Starry Sky Waterfall Domain had originally been a special domain he had comprehended by accident. Yet because he needed to cultivate Divine Gang, he had dismantled it into the Starry Sky Domain and the Waterfall Domain. Who would have guessed that after evolving them separately, they could ultimately fuse back together? This was a novel line of thinking. Lu Changsheng had only stumbled upon this approach purely by chance. *If this really works, it might just be a shortcut to fusion domains!* A sharp light glinted in Lu Changsheng's eyes. If he truly succeeded, he would once again be blazing a new trail. Of course, Lu Changsheng already had experience with trailblazing. Back in the Divine Gang Realm, he had been hailed as a pioneer. He had opened a brand-new path for martial arts. That was in the Divine Gang Realm. Now, in the Divine Treasury Realm, he could blaze a trail once more! Naturally, this was only an idea; whether it would work still required testing. *To dismantle a domain, I must first evolve it. And to evolve a domain, I must first comprehend its martial conception. I can start from the conception.* *Moreover, it has to be a relatively complex martial conception. The more complex it is, the more individual conceptions can be dismantled from it. Once evolved into domains, multiple domains could then be fused together, causing their power to skyrocket!* Inspiration surged through Lu Changsheng's mind. He had to admit, the Heart Clearing Pearl was remarkably useful. It was of tremendous help to him. His comprehension was already monstrous to begin with. Yet comprehending martial conceptions required flashes of insight. With the Heart Clearing Pearl keeping his mind entirely serene and unburdened, inspiration gushed forth almost like a geyser. It felt as though fresh insights were ready to emerge at any time. "A complex domain..." "And ideally, one that can be combined." Lu Changsheng murmured softly. Countless ideas collided within his mind. Under the influence of the Heart Clearing Pearl, inspirations poured in like a surging tide. All manner of wondrous thoughts arose one after another. Yet inspiration was just inspiration. Could an idea conceived in a moment of excitement actually be put into practice? It was difficult! Lu Changsheng wondered whether he should take another Dao Comprehension Pill. Entering a state of sudden enlightenment might allow him to seize upon a truly viable insight. In any case, he now had sixty-eight Five Elements spirit beasts. Converting them into contribution points would give him enough to exchange for countless Dao Comprehension Pills. He was now wealthy and had no shortage of pills. Yet the moment he thought of the Five Elements spirit beasts, a bolt of inspiration flashed through his mind, and an epiphany struck. "The Five Elements..." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. He thought of the Five Elements. The Five Elements generated and countered one another. Yet there was another saying: the Five Elements complemented and reinforced one another. What if he directly comprehended a Five Elements Domain and then dismantled it into individual martial conceptions? *Let's give it a try.* *I can observe the power of the Five Elements from the spirit beasts; perhaps that will spark the right inspiration.* No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Lu Changsheng acted upon it, releasing several Five Elements spirit beasts.