A Sparring Match upon Arrival; The Golden Mind Sword Defeats Gu Nian! Ordinary Dao Foundations Are Nothing to Fear!

Gu Nian carried himself with a cool detachment, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. He even spoke to Lu Changsheng: "Lu Changsheng, do not pay heed to their stares. This is merely a sparring match between the two of us. Win or lose, it matters not. "Besides, should any danger arise upon the martial arena, one will immediately be transported off the platform. You will not suffer serious harm. "However, if you cannot withstand my spiritual secret method, you must call a halt on your own initiative. Otherwise, spiritual trauma—even the slightest bit—is exceedingly troublesome." Gu Nian stood quietly upon the ring, carrying an impressive bearing. Lu Changsheng nodded. He had not expected Gu Nian to be so courteous and particular. Since he had stepped onto the martial arena, he had naturally prepared himself mentally. "Let us begin." The moment Gu Nian spoke those words— "Mind Sword!" Lu Changsheng unleashed his spiritual secret method, the Mind Sword, almost instantaneously. *Hum.* Inside Lu Changsheng's brain domain, the Golden Mind Sword flew out in a flash. "Mind Vortex, devour!" Gu Nian unleashed his own spiritual secret method at the same time. A beam of white light abruptly formed a massive vortex. This vortex was terrifying, swallowing Lu Changsheng's Golden Mind Sword in a split second. *Hm?* This was the first time Lu Changsheng had encountered a spiritual secret method capable of rivaling his Mind Sword. Lu Changsheng knew very well how frightening the might of his Golden Mind Sword was. Yet it had been swallowed whole by Gu Nian's Mind Vortex. Moreover, the vortex appeared completely unharmed, showing not the slightest abnormality. *He truly lives up to his reputation as a Dao Foundation expert of the Ancient Region's third layer. Having entered the Dao Foundation realm for decades, he has spent all this time tempering his mind and honing his spiritual secret method.* Lu Changsheng took a deep breath. He began to treat the fight with gravity. Gu Nian before him was clearly a formidable opponent who could not be dismissed lightly. He had to take him seriously! Gu Nian stood quietly where he was, hands clasped behind his back, his expression unchanged. He said in a calm tone, "Lu Changsheng, your spiritual secret method is definitely not limited to this level of power. "Hold nothing back. Unleash your full spiritual secret method, or else once I begin my counterattack, you will not have another chance!" Lu Changsheng's expression grew solemn, and he nodded. "Very well, I shall go all out!" Before, Lu Changsheng had harbored some reservations. Now, seeing how potent Gu Nian's spiritual secret method was, he discarded every lingering hesitation. *Buzz.* The next instant, the Golden Mind Sword within Lu Changsheng's brain domain vibrated violently. Its golden radiance blazed with blinding intensity. Lu Changsheng did not project his brain domain. Nor did Gu Nian project his. The two were engaged in a pure contest of spiritual secret methods. "Slash!" Lu Changsheng let out a sharp cry. Instantly, his Golden Mind Sword pierced outward from his body. Originally, it had been only a few inches in size. Now that Lu Changsheng went all out, the Golden Mind Sword erupted with its full power for the first time. From mere inches, it suddenly surged to several zhang in length! As the golden sword materialized across several zhang, an incisive aura piercing the realms of soul and spirit could be felt even from afar. "Is this Lu Changsheng's spiritual secret method? How is it so strong?" "Indeed. Hasn't Lu Changsheng only just forged his Dao Foundation? How can his spiritual secret method rival a veteran Dao Foundation?" "He truly lives up to being a peerless genius who suppresses an entire generation of the immortal path. He cannot be measured by common sense." "With Lu Changsheng unleashing such a terrifying spiritual secret method, can Gu Nian truly hold out?" Some of the Dao Foundation martial artists knew Gu Nian's strengths and limits intimately. At this moment, Gu Nian did appear calm and relaxed on the surface. In truth, an immense gravity gripped his heart. Unlike the Dao Foundation martial artists below the martial arena, directly facing Lu Changsheng's Golden Mind Sword upon the platform was truly terrifying. "Mind Vortex, swallow!" Gu Nian took a deep breath and abruptly pushed his spiritual secret method, the Mind Vortex, to its peak. Instantly, the vortex expanded by a great margin. Yet Gu Nian could not guarantee whether it could swallow Lu Changsheng's Golden Mind Sword. He could only do his utmost. If he were truly defeated by Lu Changsheng, he would lose immense face. After all, everyone knew that Lu Changsheng did not specialize in spiritual secret methods. Gu Nian, on the other hand, had dedicated himself whole-heartedly to spiritual secret methods, seeking to comprehend the spiritual law. To be defeated by a martial artist who had just forged a Dao Foundation—one who did not even primarily cultivate the mind and spirit—would make Gu Nian the laughingstock of the entire Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. Therefore, he had to withstand it! Yet in a clash of spiritual secret methods on the spiritual plane, withstanding a blow was not merely a matter of willpower. When the Mind Vortex swallowed the several-zhang-tall Golden Mind Sword whole, it seemed unchanged at first glance. Yet Gu Nian's entire body trembled. His Mind Vortex became exceedingly unstable. "Impossible... hold on!" Gu Nian's expression twisted. *Bang!* The next instant, the Mind Vortex abruptly blew apart. The Golden Mind Sword flashed and vanished into Gu Nian's body. "Ah..." Gu Nian let out a miserable shriek. Immediately afterward, the martial arena flashed with light, and Gu Nian was transported off the platform, landing below it. At this moment, Gu Nian's vigor and spirit were thoroughly depleted. His face was pale, and his aura plunged drastically. "More than half my spirit has been annihilated..." Gu Nian snapped his head up, staring at Lu Changsheng in shock and horror. His spirit was certainly not weak. Yet how could he fail to endure even one strike from Lu Changsheng's spiritual secret method? He was a martial artist striving to comprehend the spiritual law. How could he lose to someone who had just forged a Dao Foundation—and lose in spiritual secret methods, no less? Not only was Gu Nian stunned, but the many Dao Foundation experts beneath the martial arena were even more dumbfounded. "What? Gu Nian was defeated?" "How is this possible? Though Gu Nian's overall combat strength isn't exceptionally strong, on the spiritual level, apart from those powerhouses who have condensed the spiritual law, he yields to no Dao Foundation expert. Why was he defeated head-on with crushing force by Lu Changsheng's spiritual secret method?" "Simply unbelievable. Lu Changsheng hasn't comprehended any law, and he only just forged his Dao Foundation and arrived at the Ancient Region's third layer, yet he defeated Gu Nian?" "Humiliating. Gu Nian has thoroughly humiliated himself! With a performance like this, he dreams of comprehending the spiritual law? What a fantasy!" "Indeed, Gu Nian is finished. Being defeated by Lu Changsheng's spiritual secret method today, if Gu Nian cannot rally his spirits and sweep away the haze over his mind, he will likely never comprehend any law for the rest of his life." "Still, Lu Changsheng truly cannot be judged by conventional standards. He is indeed a peerless figure..." Gu Nian's defeat would likely spread across the entire Ancient Region Heavenly Sect before long. Gu Nian gave Lu Changsheng a deep look. He was on the verge of utter despair. Yet he did not harbor resentment toward Lu Changsheng. Instead, he gritted his teeth and spoke with solemn resolve: "Lu Changsheng, I have learned much today! "This time, I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. Yet though I have lost, I will not give up. Once I sweep away the haze over my mind, I might very well break through and rise again, fully comprehending the spiritual law! "Here is the fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood I promised you. Take it." Gu Nian tossed over a porcelain vial. Lu Changsheng caught it. When he looked up to glance at Gu Nian again, he found that Gu Nian had already vanished. *All the better. The fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood is in hand.* *I wonder how much this drop of fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood can raise my progress in the flame law?* Lu Changsheng put away the vial and swiftly left the martial arena. Returning to his residence, Lu Changsheng immediately brought out the porcelain vial containing the fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood. He gently opened the stopper. He sensed the drop of essence blood inside for a moment. *Mm, it differs from the drop Hall Master Wang Feng gave me last time.* *Though both are fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood, they should be from different kinds of heavenly demons. I can use it to comprehend the flame law.* Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Changsheng began his contemplation. Day after day slipped by. Even with Lu Changsheng's comprehension, fully contemplating a single drop of heavenly demon essence blood required an entire month. One month later, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He had completely finished comprehending this drop of fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood. Lu Changsheng promptly summoned his attribute panel to inspect his status. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 8,650 (Praised in All Directions) Flame Law Seed: 11% (Progress) Mind Sword Mantra Formula: 1% progress (Golden Mind Sword) *My flame law progress increased to 11%—a 6% jump all at once?* *That is 1% more than last time. The effect seems quite good.* Lu Changsheng was very satisfied. The previous drop of heavenly demon essence blood had only granted a 5% increase. However, the exact progress gained depended on the quality of the heavenly demon essence blood. For example, between the essence blood of a heavenly demon with formidable natural talent and one with weak talent, which held greater value? The answer was beyond doubt. If the next drop of heavenly demon essence blood he obtained only yielded a 4% or 3% increase, it would not be surprising either. *There is also the Mind Sword Mantra Formula. I should continue improving it.* *At merely 1%, having just transformed into the Golden Mind Sword, it could already crush Gu Nian, who specializes in spiritual secret methods and aims to cultivate the spiritual law. The potential of my Mind Sword Mantra Formula is truly terrifying. It must be an earth-shaking spiritual secret method.* A sharp gleam flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes. In truth, his Mind Sword Mantra Formula was fundamentally rooted in the Mind Sword Sect's heritage. Yet the Mind Sword Sect likely had no idea how formidable the technique truly was. Following Lu Changsheng all the way from Divine Gang to Dao Foundation, it had grown ever stronger, ever more horrifying. It might even continue to undergo further transformations. However, Lu Changsheng had run into a wall with this spiritual secret method. He could not advance the Mind Sword Mantra Formula any further. Over the past several months, its progress had remained completely motionless, lingering at 1%. He did not know what conditions were missing. *Could further transformation of the Golden Mind Sword be closely tied to the spiritual law?* Lu Changsheng considered this possibility. It was common knowledge that the Dao Foundation realm focused on cultivating laws. Meanwhile, the Golden Mind Sword was effectively a spiritual secret method at the "Dao Foundation" tier. To continue enhancing it might very well require the spiritual law. *Laws! The foundation of everything for a Dao Foundation powerhouse lies in laws.* *Yet to comprehend laws, one needs heavenly demon essence blood...* Lu Changsheng had been in the Ancient Region's third layer for some time now. Yet he had not ventured outside even once. He had consistently maintained a low profile. His plan had been to understand the situation thoroughly before making any moves. Now that Lu Changsheng had gained a general grasp of the third layer's circumstances, he discovered that things were quite different from what he had imagined. In fact, the difference was enormous. Originally, Lu Changsheng had imagined that with so many Dao Foundation experts in the third layer, Dao Foundations must fill the skies and Foundation Establishment cultivators walk everywhere. He had pictured that whenever a Dao Foundation expert acted, their brain domain would descend and their laws would shake heaven and earth. Yet Lu Changsheng had been wrong. Utterly wrong! He had assumed that every Dao Foundation expert possessed laws. What was the reality? In the Ancient Region's third layer, while Dao Foundation experts who possessed laws were not exceedingly rare, they accounted for less than half of the total. To possess even a single law firmly placed one among the powerful Dao Foundation experts. Laws were by no means easy to comprehend. Many Dao Foundation experts spent their entire lives unable to comprehend a single law. In the end, they could only return dejectedly to their sects to live out their days in retirement. For instance, Huang Jiufeng, the master of Xu Haotian whom Lu Changsheng had slain, was precisely a Dao Foundation martial artist who had returned to the Huangtian Sect to retire. He had spent years roaming the Ancient Region's third layer without ever comprehending a single law. Ultimately, he had no choice but to return to the Huangtian Sect and take Xu Haotian as his disciple. Put simply, figures like Huang Jiufeng were mere weaklings among Dao Foundation experts, hardly worth mentioning. Lu Changsheng had assumed that upon arriving in the third layer, he would sit at the very bottom. Yet that was not the case. Because his brain domain had incorporated so many fusion domains beforehand, it was naturally far more powerful. Coupled with the Golden Mind Sword, which could even defeat Gu Nian, Lu Changsheng's overall strength placed him in the top echelon among Dao Foundation martial artists who had not yet comprehended a law. He was far from the bottom dweller he had once imagined himself to be. *The so-called rivalry between Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment—where Dao Foundation is said to be slightly superior—refers to Dao Foundations that possess laws.* *A Dao Foundation with laws and one without are two completely different matters.* Lu Changsheng now understood. No wonder Huang Jiufeng had felt so utterly humiliated when Hall Master Zhong Yu intervened back then, not daring to strike back at Zhong Yu no matter how furious he was. The reason was simple: Zhong Yu possessed laws! Whether it was one law or two, he was certainly far beyond what a weakling like Huang Jiufeng could compare against. *I still need to comprehend a law as soon as possible.* *A Dao Foundation without laws cannot hold their head high in the Ancient Region's third layer after all.* Lu Changsheng was well aware of this. Though Dao Foundation cultivators were numerous, only those who had comprehended laws truly counted as powerhouses. Otherwise, lingering in the third layer remained exceedingly dangerous. At the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's outpost in the third layer, there was no Exchange Hall. Yet trading items—especially heavenly demon essence blood—was quite straightforward. Many Dao Foundation experts frequently bartered with heavenly demon essence blood. For instance, if someone cultivating the flame law slew an ice-attributed heavenly demon and obtained a drop of ice-attributed essence blood, what were they to do? Very simple: trade it with another Dao Foundation expert for fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood. Thus, the crucial factor was having heavenly demon essence blood in the first place. *It is time to venture out...* Lu Changsheng made up his mind. In the third layer, few people formed teams. Teaming up was certainly much safer. Yet how would they divide the heavenly demon essence blood they obtained? After all, a single heavenly demon generally yielded only a single core drop of essence blood. The rest of its essence blood was essentially useless. Furthermore, one could venture out for months without encountering a single heavenly demon. If one teamed up, obtaining a single drop of essence blood might take years, or even over a decade. The efficiency was far too low! As a result, most Dao Foundation experts acted alone. As for gathering intelligence on heavenly demons, that was harder still. No one would leak news of a heavenly demon. Even if one could not slay it alone for the moment, one would pay a price to hire others to help surround and kill it. Broadcasting the news was out of the question. To slay a heavenly demon and obtain essence blood, one had to rely on one's own luck. Even so, Lu Changsheng's stay at the outpost had not been entirely fruitless. He at least knew under what circumstances one could find heavenly demons. It was simple: large-scale demon gathering grounds were guaranteed to have heavenly demons! Heavenly demons could be understood as the nobility among demons. For example, among a tribe of wild bull demons, a wild bull heavenly demon could be born. Having awakened its innate talent, this wild bull heavenly demon could borrow the power of the earth to a certain extent, possessing terrifying strength. Consequently, the wild bull heavenly demon became nobility among the wild bull demons. Generally, demon tribes harbored a number of heavenly demons, sometimes quite a few. However, being a demon tribe meant there were countless ordinary demons. Not a single demon was weak. Once surrounded, leave aside those without laws—even a Dao Foundation expert possessing laws might be mobbed to death. *Right now, I need fire-attributed heavenly demon essence blood.* *Then I should head to Flame Mountain.* *It remains scorching hot year-round, and many fire-attributed demons dwell there. The probability of encountering a fire-attributed heavenly demon is high.* Lu Changsheng chose his destination—Flame Mountain! Five days later, Lu Changsheng felt the air growing increasingly scorching. A wave of heat seemed to crash against his face. Lu Changsheng knew he had reached his destination. "Flame Mountain!" Lu Changsheng looked up and spotted a mountain in the distance. Viewed from afar, the mountain seemed enveloped in a blaze, burning furiously. However, those were not real flames. Rather, it was a unique environment. Across a thousand-li radius around Flame Mountain, conditions were almost identical. Extreme heat and scorching temperatures. By all logic, it was difficult for any vegetation to grow here. It was an inhospitable place to live. Yet certain peculiar demons favored precisely such an environment. Fire-attributed demons especially thrived in these conditions, so a vast number of them gathered around Flame Mountain. Many Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment cultivators came to Flame Mountain from time to time to battle the demons. *Fighting ordinary demons is meaningless.* *My objective is a heavenly demon! Therefore, I should avoid fighting ordinary demons as much as possible!* Having reached a decision, Lu Changsheng willed his Perception Domain to swiftly envelop his body. The Perception Domain could conceal his aura. It could even make him invisible to the demons outside. Unless a demon possessed extraordinarily keen senses or specialized in detection, it was nearly impossible to discover him. Otherwise, Lu Changsheng could travel in utter silence, virtually undetectable. Lu Changsheng had tested it before. Ordinary demons truly showed no reaction. With his Perception Domain cloaking him, Lu Changsheng searched silently throughout Flame Mountain. "A wild bull demon." Lu Changsheng spotted a wild bull demon. The creature had an enormous physique, radiating a terrifying aura all over. Wild bull demons possessed boundless strength and ferocious combat power, making them exceptionally troublesome. Ordinary Dao Foundation cultivators preferred not to provoke them. *There might be a wild bull heavenly demon among them.* *However, the wild bull demons are too strong in combat. If I get surrounded, it could turn extremely dangerous. Retreat!* Weighing the pros and cons, Lu Changsheng immediately abandoned the thought of seeking a wild bull heavenly demon. What a joke. He had no desire to be encircled by a dozen robust, powerful wild bull demons. If those wild bull demons went mad and entered a berserk state, dealing with them would become an utter nightmare. Lu Changsheng bypassed the territorial range of the wild bull demon tribe. Every demon tribe possessed a defined territory. As long as one steered clear with care, one generally avoided detection. Lu Changsheng wandered Flame Mountain for three days. He saw numerous demons. Yet he found not a single heavenly demon. On this day, Lu Changsheng spotted a flock of fire crow demons. *Wait, fire crow demons also produce heavenly demons. Furthermore, fire crow demons are not as individually powerful as wild bull demons. If I find a Fire Crow Heavenly Demon, I might truly be able to slay it and obtain its essence blood!* Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. Fire crow demons were best known for swarm attacks. No matter how many martial artists there were, the fire crow demons attacked en masse, which was truly terrifying. Yet Lu Changsheng was different. He possessed his Perception Domain. If he acted prudently, he would not be easily discovered and could slip effortlessly into the fire crow demons' nest. When the time came, no matter how many fire crow demons were present, it would not matter, as none could detect him. Once he located the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon, Lu Changsheng could strike directly, slaying it with utmost speed. Then he would slip away immediately. The fire crow demons would be helpless. Naturally, the key to all this lay in the Perception Domain! With this thought, Lu Changsheng silently followed behind the flock of fire crow demons. Soon, the fire crow demons returned to their nest. It was a forest of stone pillars. Numerous caves dotted the area. Looking across the landscape, fire crows filled the caverns everywhere. There were newborn fire crows, mature fire crow demons, and elderly fire crows whose lifespans were drawing to a close, waiting to die inside their caves. This was indeed the fire crow demons' nest. Their numbers were truly staggering. If he were discovered and surrounded, it would prove exceedingly perilous. Fortunately, not a single fire crow demon had noticed Lu Changsheng thus far. *Where is the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon?* Lu Changsheng searched around. With so many caves, where should he look? After some thought, Lu Changsheng decided against acting rashly. Entering the caves to search carried a high risk of discovery. He would wait! He would wait patiently right inside the fire crow demons' nest. He refused to believe the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon would never show itself. Once it appeared and Lu Changsheng spotted it, he would have his opening. Lu Changsheng was indeed exceptionally patient. He squatted quietly in the fire crow demons' nest for three full days. Each day he stayed still in place, making not the slightest sound. Finally, three days later, a demon far larger than ordinary fire crows abruptly flew out of a cave. Flames seemed to burn across its entire body. *A flame talent—a Fire Crow Heavenly Demon!* *It has finally shown its head!* Lu Changsheng's eyes gleamed as he fixed his gaze upon the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon. Having waited so long for this heavenly demon, Lu Changsheng naturally would not let it slip away. However, he had to proceed with extreme caution. He might only have a single strike. After that strike, succeed or fail, he had to leave immediately. Otherwise, he would be swarmed by the fire crow demons, which would place him in mortal danger. Even having a Shift Talisman might not save him. He could be blasted to death before the talisman could take effect. After all, crushing a Shift Talisman took time. That brief moment was more than enough for a massive flock of fire crow demons to obliterate him. Lu Changsheng edged closer. One step, two steps, three steps... The Fire Crow Heavenly Demon stretched its body, cawing into the air. Finally, it landed upon a rock, spread its wings, and bathed in the blazing sunlight. One hundred zhang, fifty zhang, thirty zhang, ten zhang... At last, Lu Changsheng closed within ten zhang of the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon. At this moment, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer and instantly unleashed his brain domain. *Boom.* The brain domain descended. Lu Changsheng's brain domain contained eighteen fusion domains. Now that it had shifted from illusory to real, the might of his brain domain was terrifying, far surpassing that of almost any Dao Foundation powerhouse who had yet to comprehend a law. Simultaneously, Lu Changsheng's Golden Mind Sword trembled violently, swelling into a blade several zhang long that slashed fiercely into the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon's body. Brain domain plus Mind Sword—Lu Changsheng unleashed both almost at the same instant. This was his strongest attack to date! *Boom.* The Fire Crow Heavenly Demon reacted swiftly. Scorching flames swept out from its body in an overwhelming torrent. In all directions, the surroundings transformed into a blazing inferno. Lu Changsheng's brain domain seemed to ignite, faintly struggling to suppress the creature. This was only natural. The Fire Crow Heavenly Demon had awakened its innate talent, which was flame. Once this flame was unleashed, an ordinary brain domain simply could not suppress it. Only a Dao Foundation expert who commanded laws could forcefully hold it down. However, Lu Changsheng still had his spiritual secret method! After the Golden Mind Sword sank into the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon's body, the creature let out a shrill, mournful cry, its entire form convulsing violently. At the same time, the flames covering the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon vanished rapidly. The flames within Lu Changsheng's brain domain extinguished in an instant. "Suppress!" Lu Changsheng channeled his brain domain, immobilizing the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon in a split second. The power within his brain domain bound the creature tight. "Collect." Lu Changsheng took the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon directly, sweeping it into his spatial ring. From Lu Changsheng's initial strike to suppressing the Fire Crow Heavenly Demon, barely an instant had passed. Yet in that very instant, the other fire crow demons noticed. A swarm of fire crow demons flew toward Lu Changsheng, blotting out the sky. "Shift Talisman." Lu Changsheng abandoned any thought of flying away. Competing in speed against fire crow demons with his current velocity? That was pure suicide! He immediately crushed the Shift Talisman. The talisman shattered. A peculiar force enveloped Lu Changsheng from head to toe. It lasted for merely half a breath. *Whoosh.* The next instant, Lu Changsheng's figure vanished without a trace. The massive swarm of fire crow demons roared toward the sky in fury, shaking the entire nest. Lu Changsheng had crushed the Shift Talisman, teleporting away from the fire crow demons' nest. Yet he did not lower his guard. The Shift Talisman was wondrous, but it carried a fatal flaw. It transported the user at random, offering no choice of direction. While it would carry him far away, it could very well drop him right in front of other demons. If that happened, he would be walking straight into the tiger's den. Thus, under normal circumstances, Lu Changsheng almost never used the Shift Talisman. This time, he had been left with no choice; had he not shifted immediately, he would have lost his life in the fire crow demons' nest. *Swish.* Lu Changsheng's figure stumbled. He had been transported to an unfamiliar place. Lu Changsheng immediately wrapped his brain domain around himself and opened his eyes. "This is..." Lu Changsheng abruptly noticed a foul stench permeating the air. Moreover, pairs of bell-sized eyes stared from every direction in shock at his sudden appearance. "Wild bull demons..." "This is the wild bull demons' lair!" "I actually shifted right into the wild bull demons' nest..." Lu Changsheng's heart sank. It seemed his luck this time was truly abysmal...