Dao Foundation Candidate List Announced: Ranked First, Lu Changsheng of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect!

Dead! The foremost true disciple of the Huangtian Sect, ranked ninth on the Dao Foundation Candidate List, with a hundred-li brain domain and one foot already in the Dao Foundation realm—Lei Tiandu was actually dead. Moreover, right before everyone's eyes, he had been overpowered and slain head-on by Lu Changsheng. This sight caught everyone completely off guard. Silence! The entirety of Tianlong Mountain fell dead silent, to the point where a falling pin could be heard. Boom! Auras! Terrifying auras erupted in an instant. Not one, but three auras blotted out the sky, sending an instinctive shiver through the hearts of every martial artist and Immortal Master on Tianlong Mountain. Dao Foundation! These were unequivocally Dao Foundation experts! Moreover, an overwhelming killing intent spread out, sweeping directly toward Lu Changsheng. "Zhong Yu, you dared to meddle and kill our Huangtian Sect's true disciple! The Huangtian Sect will never let this rest!" "Lu Changsheng, die!" A furious roar rolled in like thunder. At the same time, a brain domain that eclipsed the sky materialized in an instant. The one making a move was none other than Huang Jiufeng. The moment Lei Tiandu was killed by Lu Changsheng, Huang Jiufeng had been astonished, but beneath that astonishment lay wild joy. Thus, Huang Jiufeng struck at the very first moment. Even with Zhong Yu present, he was not afraid. After all, he had not come alone today. Two other Dao Foundation experts from the Huangtian Sect had come along as well. Now, Zhong Yu, the Hall Master of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's Hall of Law Enforcement, had interfered in the battle between Lu Changsheng and Lei Tiandu. With ironclad proof, Huang Jiufeng had nothing left to fear. He had to kill Lu Changsheng! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Huang Jiufeng went all out right from the start. "Huang Jiufeng, on your strength alone?" Zhong Yu took a step forward. His terrifying brain domain shattered Huang Jiufeng's assault in an instant. Although both were Dao Foundation experts, a disparity still existed between one Dao Foundation cultivator and another. Especially between Zhong Yu and Huang Jiufeng. Zhong Yu was the Hall Master of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's Hall of Law Enforcement, holding high status and great authority, and his strength ranked among the most formidable in the entire Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. Huang Jiufeng, on the other hand, was merely an ordinary Dao Foundation elder. The gap between them was immense. Yet Huang Jiufeng showed no fear. With a grim expression, he said to his two companions beside him, "First Elder, you must have seen it. The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect goes too far! As a Dao Foundation expert, Zhong Yu personally took action against our Huangtian Sect's true disciple. This has undoubtedly broken the rules." "If our Huangtian Sect does not respond, how can we maintain our standing in the Ancient Region?" An elderly man beside Huang Jiufeng gazed calmly at Zhong Yu and spoke indifferently, "Zhong Yu, you overstepped!" Zhong Yu's expression grew somewhat grave. The First Elder of the Huangtian Sect was no empty name, but one of the apex experts among Dao Foundation cultivators. Even Zhong Yu had to summon every ounce of his focus. "First Elder, I believe you saw clearly what just happened." "During the battle between Lu Changsheng and Lei Tiandu, I did not intervene directly. I merely projected my brain domain to seal off this area, effectively creating an arena for the two of them." "Could that also be considered breaking the rules?" The First Elder of the Huangtian Sect fell silent. He had indeed seen the preceding exchange clearly. It was true: Zhong Yu had merely confined this area. He had not made a move against Lei Tiandu. His brain domain had not exerted any suppression on Lei Tiandu either. Lei Tiandu could only be blamed for being outmatched. Zhong Yu had simply intended to prevent Lei Tiandu from escaping with a Shift Talisman. However, this had been an agreed duel from the start. Casualties were unavoidable. "Sophistry! First Elder, Zhong Yu is spouting sophistry! Zhong Yu's actions directly led to Lei Tiandu's death! Otherwise, Lei Tiandu could have easily fled..." "Silence!" The First Elder barked sharply. The outburst left Huang Jiufeng momentarily stunned. The First Elder's expression appeared quite angry. Yet he did not look like he was about to make a move against Zhong Yu. "Huang Jiufeng, as an elder, you instigated a true disciple to duel, resulting in that disciple's death! You bear inescapable responsibility!" "I will personally investigate the whole matter from start to finish." "Let us go!" With chilled eyes, the First Elder cast a deep glance at Zhong Yu, then looked one last time at Lu Changsheng. Immediately after, the First Elder departed with Huang Jiufeng and the others, vanishing from sight. Lu Changsheng looked up at Zhong Yu in the sky. He cupped his fists in salute. "My thanks to the Hall Master!" Lu Changsheng understood very well. Without Zhong Yu's intervention today, he could have defeated Lei Tiandu, but he could never have slain him. Moreover, Zhong Yu's intervention had not been simple; he had taken a massive risk. The Huangtian Sect's First Elder had been watching the entire time. Zhong Yu had taken a considerable gamble. He had exploited a technical loophole. Although the First Elder was extremely displeased with Zhong Yu, he could not openly attack him. After all, the First Elder represented the Huangtian Sect. Without absolute justification, directly striking the Hall Master of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's Hall of Law Enforcement would bring terrifying consequences. "No matter. If weeds are not pulled up by the roots, they will grow back with the spring breeze." "Since you agreed to duel Lei Tiandu, you naturally had to do everything possible to slay him and eliminate future troubles." "You did exceedingly well in seizing the only opportunity!" Zhong Yu was indeed thoroughly pleased. He deeply appreciated Lu Changsheng. Had Lu Changsheng not risen so rapidly—already slaying Lei Tiandu and standing on the verge of the Dao Foundation realm—he truly would have wanted to take Lu Changsheng as his personal disciple. "Huang Jiufeng..." Lu Changsheng's brow furrowed slightly. "What, do you still wish to slay Huang Jiufeng?" "The Dao Foundation realm is nothing like the Divine Treasury realm. In the Divine Gang realm, you might have been able to challenge and slay Divine Treasury cultivators, but for a Divine Treasury cultivator to slay a Dao Foundation expert is virtually impossible." "Brain domain materialization is a qualitative leap!" "Still, Huang Jiufeng is merely an ordinary Dao Foundation elder. Once you forge your Dao Foundation, you can easily find an excuse to kill him." "As for now, Huang Jiufeng will have his hands full just protecting himself. He likely won't be able to leave the Huangtian Sect for a long time, so you need not worry about him stirring up trouble again." These words were conveyed through voice transmission between Zhong Yu and Lu Changsheng. Only then was Lu Changsheng set at ease. Zhong Yu did not seem pedantic in the slightest. Those who deserved death were killed. He acted with swift resolve and showed no hesitation, even when facing the Huangtian Sect. "However, you have drawn far too much attention lately. You need to settle down and keep a low profile." "Once you return to the sect, enter seclusion for a while. The Dao Foundation Candidate List will soon be updated. Strive to expand your brain domain to ninety li as early as possible and claim a spot on the candidate list!" Lu Changsheng nodded. "I shall obey the Hall Master's orders!" In truth, Lu Changsheng knew this well. He had indeed stood in the spotlight far too much recently. Now he had even slain the Huangtian Sect's foremost true disciple, Lei Tiandu. Without a doubt, this would cause a sensation throughout the Ancient Region. The more intense the attention, the more necessary it was for him to keep a low profile. "A teachable youth." Zhong Yu nodded inwardly. He was thoroughly satisfied with Lu Changsheng. He believed that before long, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect would gain another Dao Foundation expert—perhaps even an apex one! Zhong Yu departed. Lu Changsheng glanced at the ground where Lei Tiandu had stood. Surprisingly, a few items had survived without being pulverized. With a sweep of his sleeve, he gathered them up, then swiftly took his leave. Yet Tianlong Mountain did not quiet down; rather, it grew even more boisterous. Countless people seemed still immersed in the shock of Lu Changsheng slaying Lei Tiandu. Even now, they had not recovered their senses. "Is Lei Tiandu truly dead?" "This is simply incredible... Counting by time, Lu Changsheng is strictly a newly ascended Divine Treasury cultivator! How could he kill Lei Tiandu? That was the indisputable foremost true disciple of the Huangtian Sect!" "With Lu Changsheng's current strength, isn't he practically the foremost true disciple of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect as well?" "He hasn't even reached a ninety-li brain domain, yet he killed Lei Tiandu, who already had one foot in the Dao Foundation realm. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it." "Eleven fusion domains... just thinking about it is staggering. Lei Tiandu died far too unjustly. He already had one foot in the Dao Foundation realm, and forging his Dao Foundation was practically a certainty. Why did he have to challenge Lu Changsheng? Now he has thrown away his very life." "The Huangtian Sect has suffered a disastrous loss too. With Lei Tiandu dead, they have effectively lost a future Dao Foundation expert." "Lu Changsheng of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect—we must remember this name. If we run into him in the second tier of the Ancient Region later on, we must flee as far as possible. He must never be provoked." "The Dao Foundation Candidate List will be updated soon. Since Lu Changsheng's brain domain hasn't reached ninety li, I wonder if he can make the list?" "Well... there really is no precedent for this. In theory, Lu Changsheng shouldn't be listed, but he is simply too extraordinary. He killed Lei Tiandu. If he isn't ranked on the candidate list, what authority does the list even hold?" "If they truly rank Lu Changsheng on the list, what rank will he hold?" "Will he take Lei Tiandu's place, or directly contest the top three? Or perhaps even first place?" For a time, many martial artists on Tianlong Mountain began debating Lu Changsheng's prospective ranking on the Dao Foundation Candidate List. As for Lei Tiandu? No matter how brilliant Lei Tiandu had been in life, now that he was dead, everything had come to an end! No one cared about a corpse. *** Inside Lu Changsheng's cave dwelling at the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. Lu Changsheng was examining the items retrieved from Lei Tiandu. Among them, the most eye-catching was clearly a peculiar stone. "This is... the Heart Illusion Stone!" Lu Changsheng saw tiny characters carved into the stone. He had never heard of the Heart Illusion Stone before, but that was no great obstacle. He headed straight to the Exchange Hall and presented the stone. The Exchange Hall elder's eyes lit up at once, and he spoke at length about the stone's various functions. After returning to his cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng looked at the Heart Illusion Stone with great satisfaction. This Heart Illusion Stone was a rare mind-assisting secret treasure. In the Ancient Region, any secret treasure concerning the mind was exceptionally precious. The bronze bell Lu Changsheng had obtained earlier was a spiritual secret treasure, already exceedingly valuable. Now he had gained the Heart Illusion Stone as well. From the Exchange Hall elder, Lu Changsheng had learned of its purpose. It could construct a complete illusory realm, allowing one to temper their mind repeatedly within it or make amends for past regrets, thereby bringing the mind to completion. Rumors held that while Lei Tiandu possessed a hundred-li brain domain, his mind was flawed, making it unlikely he could pass the Tribulation of the Mind. With this Heart Illusion Stone, however, Lei Tiandu likely could have mended his mental flaws and overcome the tribulation. Regrettably, Lei Tiandu was dead. Even with a guaranteed path to forging a Dao Foundation, his path had been severed by Lu Changsheng, leaving him reduced to ash. "Next, I must devote everything to comprehending domains!" "I will strive to expand my brain domain to a hundred li as soon as possible." "As for the mind, mine originally had no significant flaws. Moreover, with the Heart Illusion Stone, I can relive everything in the illusory realm to make amends for any lingering regrets." Lu Changsheng now had everything ready; only the final steps remained. The path to the Dao Foundation lay clearly before him, unobstructed by any obstacle. "Fusion domains... Lei Tiandu wielded six fusion domains this time. One four-in-one, two three-in-one, and three two-in-one. The fusion domains alone rivaled a hundred layers of domains." "No wonder Lei Tiandu was so supremely confident. A hundred layers of domains, plus his ordinary domains—such strength in the Divine Treasury realm truly allowed him to rampage unchecked..." Lu Changsheng muttered softly. Now, however, it all profited Lu Changsheng. Although his comprehension had not yet reached ten thousand to trigger a transformation, it had been steadily increasing. Though the growth was slow, the added comprehension was still effective. Lu Changsheng's comprehension was now between six and seven thousand, naturally far different from the three thousand of the past. Lu Changsheng had only engaged in a single battle with Lei Tiandu, yet he had firmly committed every domain Lei Tiandu displayed to memory. Lu Changsheng closed his eyes. Within his mind, all six fusion domains Lei Tiandu had unleashed appeared vivid and lifelike. Inside his consciousness, Lu Changsheng repeatedly entered states of comprehension. Indeed, he was comprehending directly from memory. With his level of comprehension, doing so was effortless. In just a few hours... Hum. An unfamiliar martial conception suddenly surged around Lu Changsheng. "Success!" Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, a faint smile surfacing on his face. All that remained was to split the martial conceptions and evolve them one by one. For this, he would need the aid of Dao Comprehension Pills. With his abundant contribution points, Lu Changsheng could consume Dao Comprehension Pills like meals. Time flew, and over five months passed in the blink of an eye. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. A sharp light flashed within them, accompanied by a trace of exhaustion. "Finally done. The last domain has been nurtured to perfection." Over the past five months, Lu Changsheng had devoted himself entirely to comprehending domains. Today, he had finally comprehended and nurtured to perfection all of Lei Tiandu's domains: the one four-in-one domain, the two three-in-one domains, and the three two-in-one domains. Splitting those six fusion domains down into martial conceptions yielded sixteen individual domains, equivalent to expanding his brain domain by sixteen li! Lu Changsheng immediately brought up his attribute panel to review his current status. Host: Lu Changsheng Brain Domain: 71 li Comprehension: 7,570 (Praised in All Directions) Mind Sword Mantra Formula: 61% progress (Jade Mind Sword) Lu Changsheng's brain domain had expanded to seventy-one li. Furthermore, he had requested three more Boundary Suppressing Stones and integrated them into his brain domain. Now, nurturing a domain to perfection took him a mere seven days. Indeed, the time had dropped from ten days to seven. The further along one progressed, the slower additional Boundary Suppressing Stones improved the efficiency of brain domain nurturing. "With seven Boundary Suppressing Stones, nurturing a domain takes only seven days!" "My brain domain is currently seventy-one li, meaning I only need twenty-nine more domains to expand it to a hundred li." "At this rate, reaching a hundred li would take only a few months. Unfortunately, the Dao Comprehension Pills have practically lost their effect..." During this seclusion, Lu Changsheng had originally intended to expand his brain domain to a hundred li in a single breath. Unfortunately, Dao Comprehension Pills no longer worked. Even if he sought out other true disciples to "spar" and "steal" their fusion domains, it would be useless. Without the pills' efficacy, it was exceedingly difficult for him to enter a state of sudden enlightenment. Without sudden enlightenment, terrifying though his comprehension was, he was far from able to evolve a martial conception into a domain within a single day. In fact, Lu Changsheng had anticipated this possibility long ago. Once one consumed over a hundred Dao Comprehension Pills, resistance set in and rendered them ineffective. Exactly how many pills beyond a hundred depended on the individual. Some people still benefited after taking two hundred, while others found them useless after ninety or so. Lu Changsheng calculated that counting from the very first pill, he had already consumed over a hundred. Losing efficacy only now was quite respectable and fell within normal expectations. "Without Dao Comprehension Pills, I cannot enter sudden enlightenment. Evolving more domains isn't impossible, but it will consume a great deal of time..." Lu Changsheng felt it was not worthwhile. Spending excessive time merely to comprehend domains was inferior to searching for curiosities capable of expanding the brain domain. As for combat power, his current domains were already more than sufficient. He possessed one five-in-one domain, one four-in-one domain, two three-in-one domains, and fourteen two-in-one domains—eighteen fusion domains in total, capable of unleashing power exceeding two hundred and fifty layers of domains! What kind of terrifying might was that? Within the Divine Treasury realm, Lu Changsheng truly could not imagine who could match his strength. Invincible in the Divine Treasury realm! This was by no means an empty boast! "Well, it is time to go out." "Staying in my cave dwelling won't yield any news about curiosities that expand the brain domain." Lu Changsheng rose and left his cave dwelling. After a moment's thought, he headed straight for the Mission Hall. In the Mission Hall, many disciples gathered to share information, some of which might touch upon brain domain expansion curiosities. Yet when Lu Changsheng arrived, he found the Mission Hall packed with people, disciples streaming in by the droves. "What is happening to cause such a commotion?" Lu Changsheng frowned slightly in puzzlement. The Mission Hall was always popular and bustling, but this was the first time he had seen it jammed to capacity. What had occurred? Even without deploying his perception domain, Lu Changsheng could hear the disciples' discussions. "The annual Dao Foundation Candidate List updates today! I wonder how many from our Ancient Region Heavenly Sect made the cut this time?" "Who knows the exact number? But those senior true disciples who were already on the list will definitely remain; that's beyond doubt." "The key now is Senior Brother Lu Changsheng! Will he make the list, and if so, what rank will he hold?" "I feel he probably won't be listed. Senior Brother Lu is certainly formidable, but his brain domain hasn't reached ninety li. The arbiters wouldn't alter the rules and reorder the candidate list just for Senior Brother Lu." "Heh, that's not necessarily true. What is the purpose of the Dao Foundation Candidate List? Isn't it meant to spur Divine Treasury martial artists from the major sects to forge ahead and build their Dao Foundations? Senior Brother Lu is astonishingly brilliant and has slain multiple experts from the list. If they cling rigidly to technical rules, the candidate list loses all its meaning!" "After all, who among you dares claim Senior Brother Lu only has combat strength and cannot achieve a Dao Foundation?" "Indeed, Senior Brother Lu will most likely make the list. The only question is his rank." As the hour drew near, more and more disciples engaged in heated discussion. They were all members of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. Even in the Divine Gang and Divine Treasury realms, they were far from having hearts as still as water. They had curiosity and competitive spirit as well. The Dao Foundation Candidate List was an annual grand event—arguably the biggest in the entire Ancient Region. Naturally, they paid close attention. Moreover, since it concerned a legendary true disciple from their own sect this time, it drew countless disciples together. "So the Dao Foundation Candidate List is being announced today..." Realization dawned upon Lu Changsheng. What a coincidence. He had been in deep seclusion and had paid no attention to the candidate list. Had the Dao Comprehension Pills not lost efficacy, he certainly would have continued cultivating. Nevertheless, Lu Changsheng had looked into the Dao Foundation Candidate List before. Its influence was immense, and its authority indisputable. It rarely contained errors. Every annual release drew the attention of the entire Ancient Region. One was the Dao Foundation Candidate List; the other was the Foundation Establishment Candidate List. Together, they covered the two major paths of martial arts and the immortal way. Lu Changsheng grew intrigued as well. He wanted to see whether the candidate list would include his name. By ordinary rules, lacking a hundred-li brain domain meant one was unqualified for the list. Yet Lu Changsheng had slain one expert on the list after another. In particular, slaying the Huangtian Sect's foremost true disciple, Lei Tiandu, had shaken the entire Ancient Region. Lei Tiandu had not merely been the Huangtian Sect's number one true disciple; he had been ranked ninth on the Dao Foundation Candidate List! His fame had been illustrious! Over the past several centuries, almost no Divine Treasury cultivator in the top ten of the candidate list had fallen in battle. They only failed while attempting to break through to the Dao Foundation; none had been slain by another. Yet Lei Tiandu had been slain by Lu Changsheng. And before countless witnesses, no less. The shock to the Ancient Region was enormous. The creators of the candidate list surely had quite a headache. Time ticked away. Finally, midday arrived—the hour when the Dao Foundation Candidate List was unveiled. The Mission Hall always received the quickest news, and it even possessed a sub-slate capable of reflecting the candidate list in real time. Hum. Within the Mission Hall, all the names on the massive Dao Foundation Candidate List slate blurred at once. Immediately after, amidst a burst of dazzling golden light, new names began to materialize. As the golden light faded, the annual Dao Foundation Candidate List was officially proclaimed. Everyone's eyes immediately landed on the very top of the list, where the largest characters stood. In years past, this spot had almost always belonged to the same person, never changing. Now, however, it had changed. Dao Foundation Candidate List, Rank 1: Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, Lu Changsheng!