For Lu Changsheng to deduce a divine technique, he needed an existing divine technique as a foundation—or rather, as a reference point.
His reference point was the divine technique Flame Stream!
Flame Stream was primarily centered on the Flame Law.
It rearranged and combined the Wind Law, Wood Law, and Flame Law to form a powerful, top-tier compound divine technique.
Now, Lu Changsheng's process of deducing his own divine technique followed the exact same principle.
The only difference was that he currently possessed five laws. He had to break down all five laws and rearrange and combine them anew to deduce an entirely new compound divine technique.
With every law added, deducing a technique required complete rearrangement and combination; the complexity and the sheer number of permutations increased almost exponentially, reaching a terrifying scale.
An ordinary martial artist would have to expend vast amounts of time and energy just to conduct deduction attempts one by one.
Yet Lu Changsheng's comprehension was extraordinarily powerful.
Within his brain domain, he directly dispersed the five laws.
He began rearranging and combining them.
He tested them one after another, trying each variation.
However, though Lu Changsheng attempted it dozens, even hundreds of times, not once did he succeed.
"No, this arrangement is wrong. If I keep arranging them like this, they simply can't form a divine technique."
"This arrangement looks decent, but two of the laws conflict with each other and mutually deplete their force. Even if deduced into a divine technique, its might would be drastically reduced."
"The arrangement of these three laws is fairly good, but the moment I add a fourth, it falls apart..."
Lu Changsheng tried time and time again, completely absorbed in deducing the divine technique.
From time to time, he checked his attribute panel.
Yet almost never did a new divine technique appear.
This indicated that none of the divine techniques he deduced had succeeded.
In the blink of an eye, several months went by.
At the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect outpost, two top-tier Dao Foundation experts arrived at Wang Yun's cave dwelling: Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian!
These two were renowned figures in the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
Both had once been geniuses whose fame shook the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, and now they were top Dao Foundation experts.
At this moment, however, both Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian wore solemn expressions.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, we sincerely wish to invite the top Dao Foundation expert who slew Dao Lord Shanhai to join us and compete for a secret realm together."
"Indeed. Fellow Daoist Wang should understand very well how brutal the slaughter inside a secret realm can be. Even with our strength, the two of us cannot guarantee that we will secure a law divine stone. But with a top Dao Foundation powerhouse capable of slaying Dao Lord Shanhai stepping in, the matter will be secure."
"Right now, we are both only lacking law perfection. We must bring our laws to perfection before we can attempt to condense a divine ability. This concerns a crucial juncture in our paths to the Dao. We ask Fellow Daoist Wang to grant us this favor!"
"Fellow Daoist Wang, we would be endlessly grateful!"
Their attitudes were exceptionally sincere.
Moreover, Wang Yun understood very well what a large-scale secret realm meant.
Countless top-tier Dao Foundation cultivators and top Foundation Establishment Dao Lords would enter the secret realm to vie for various treasures.
To Dao Foundation experts, the most precious treasure was a law divine stone.
This was because a law divine stone could accelerate a Dao Foundation expert's comprehension progress of a law and could even push a law to perfection.
Only a perfected law offered the hope of condensing a divine ability.
No wonder even Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian had come seeking help.
Neither of them was simple; both had mastered four laws, and throughout the entire third layer of the Ancient Region, their strength was considered top-notch.
Even so, they still felt they lacked sufficient assurance.
They still needed to pull in another top Dao Foundation expert.
Yet there were only so many top Dao Foundation experts.
Very few could catch their eye.
Over the past few months, the news of Dao Lord Shanhai being slain had grown increasingly sensational.
It had drawn their close attention.
They knew Dao Lord Shanhai's strength.
Facing Dao Lord Shanhai alone, neither dared claim absolute certainty of slaying him.
In fact, had Dao Lord Shanhai unleashed his trump cards, they might well have been the ones to perish.
Anyone who could slay Dao Lord Shanhai possessed strength definitely not inferior to theirs.
Was this not the exact "reinforcement" they dreamed of?
Seeing that the two were indeed sincere, Wang Yun considered the situation.
Furthermore, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian were illustrious top Dao Foundation experts who held hope of attaining the Divine Ability realm.
Helping them would also mean building ties with them.
With this in mind, Wang Yun nodded and said, "Actually, there is no harm in telling you."
"As for whether he is willing, that is his business. You cannot force him."
Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian were overjoyed and quickly replied, "With that fellow daoist's strength, capable of slaying Dao Lord Shanhai, who in the third layer of the Ancient Region could force him if he is unwilling?"
"Who exactly is this fellow daoist?"
Both men fixed their gazes firmly on Wang Yun.
Wang Yun then enunciated every word: "The one who slew Dao Lord Shanhai is Lu Changsheng of our Ancient Region Heavenly Sect! You should not be unfamiliar with this name..."
Hearing Wang Yun mention "Lu Changsheng," Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian felt their hearts jolt.
Their eyes went wide.
They looked almost incredulous.
"Is it that Lu Changsheng who shook the entire Ancient Region while in the Divine Treasury realm, took number one across both lists, and suppressed an entire generation of the immortal and martial paths?"
"Indeed, it is Fellow Daoist Lu."
The two fell silent.
Naturally, they had heard the name "Lu Changsheng."
However, that fame belonged to his time in the Divine Treasury realm.
Even if he had forged his Dao Foundation and possessed certain methods, how could he have caught the eyes of Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian?
They had assumed the person who helped Wang Yun was some mysterious Dao Foundation powerhouse.
Never did they expect it would be a Dao Foundation cultivator from the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect—and the renowned Lu Changsheng at that.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, Lu Changsheng forged his Dao Foundation only about a year ago. His strength..."
Zhao Yujian was still somewhat hesitant.
Wang Yun furrowed her brows. "Fellow Daoist Lu slew Dao Lord Shanhai with my own eyes bearing witness. There is no mistake."
Wang Yun's words thoroughly convinced them.
Such talent, such strength, was simply unbelievable.
"However, Fellow Daoist Lu is currently in seclusion."
"I tried contacting him earlier, but received no response."
"If you are truly sincere about inviting Fellow Daoist Lu, then wait patiently."
Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian consulted in low voices for a moment, then nodded. "We can wait, but we hope Lu Changsheng can emerge from seclusion within a year to meet with us and determine whether to go to the secret realm."
"No problem. Fellow Daoist Lu should emerge within a year. Once he does, I will ask him. Just wait patiently for news."
Wang Yun nodded.
"Very well. Then our thanks to Fellow Daoist Wang."
With that, the two stood and departed the cave dwelling.
Watching the retreating backs of Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian, Wang Yun sighed softly and muttered to herself, "Law divine stones—who wouldn't want one? Unfortunately, competing in a secret realm requires the strength of the top Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment experts. I don't even have the qualifications to enter the secret realm..."
"Still, Lu Changsheng has truly soared to the heavens. This is a good opportunity for him; he should agree..."
Shortly after, Wang Yun closed her eyes again and began to immerse herself in comprehending laws.
Meanwhile, in Lu Changsheng's cave dwelling.
He had no idea about the outside situation.
Nor did he know that Wang Yun had sent him numerous transmissions.
He was entirely devoted to deducing the divine technique.
One month, three months, five months, eight months...
Lu Changsheng had never remained in seclusion for so long.
Yet, concentrating entirely on deducing the divine technique, he could not feel the passage of time at all.
Time and again Lu Changsheng deduced, and time and again he overturned his deductions.
He had likely rearranged and combined the five laws tens of thousands of times.
His transcendent comprehension had been pushed almost to its absolute limit!
Only while deducing this divine technique did Lu Changsheng genuinely realize how terrifying his current Dragon and Phoenix Among Men comprehension truly was.
He was virtually touching the ceiling of the Dragon and Phoenix Among Men comprehension!
In the past, when he comprehended heavenly demon essence blood, grasped laws, or cultivated divine techniques, he had never come close to touching the limits of Dragon and Phoenix Among Men.
Now, Lu Changsheng touched that limit.
Precisely because he touched the limit did he understand how terrifying his comprehension was, and even more so, how exceedingly difficult it was to deduce a compound divine technique of five laws.
Yet despite such monumental difficulty, Lu Changsheng was gradually approaching completion.
His deduction had already progressed past the halfway mark.
It seemed only a tiny fraction remained before complete success.
Nine months, ten months, eleven months, twelve months, thirteen months...
Lu Changsheng spent a full thirteen months!
Finally, on a certain day, a roar echoed through Lu Changsheng's brain domain.
Immediately afterward, the five laws he was using to deduce the divine technique suddenly disintegrated.
Then they seemed to fuse back together, nurturing something within.
At last, a terrifying aura radiated from his brain domain.
A divine technique!
It was a terrifying divine technique!
Within his brain domain, there appeared to be a cluster of black flames.
Wherever the black flames passed, everything collapsed and was destroyed.
Even the void itself twisted.
Moreover, the vastness of its coverage was utterly unbelievable.
Even pure laws would shatter when faced with this divine technique.
"It's done!"
"A top-tier compound divine technique deduced from five laws!"
"Centered primarily on the Flame Law, the characteristics of the other four laws are contained within it. Through rearrangement and combination, it unleashes an incomparably terrifying might."
"It needs a name."
Lu Changsheng pondered for a long time.
A divine technique ought to have a name!
Like the divine technique Flame Stream, or Windfire Purgatory.
Those names were quite fitting.
The divine technique Lu Changsheng had deduced was formed using the Wind Law, Metal Law, Wood Law, Water Law, and Flame Law—five laws in total.
"Metal, Wood, Water, and Flame... only the Earth Law is missing to complete the five elements. In that case, this divine technique shall simply be named Lesser Five Elements Annihilation!"
Lu Changsheng settled on an appropriate name.
He had merely completed the deduction.
Lu Changsheng had not yet cultivated this divine technique to perfection.
However, this technique was deduced entirely by Lu Changsheng himself.
Therefore, bringing it to perfection would be effortless.
With a thought from Lu Changsheng,
*Rumble!*
Lesser Five Elements Annihilation was instantly unleashed, and his entire brain domain turned into a sea of black flames.
Wherever the flames reached, everything was reduced to ash.
It was total, absolute annihilation.
Under these conditions, the progress of Lu Changsheng's Lesser Five Elements Annihilation divine technique surged at a visible pace.
In less than fifteen minutes, a line of small text surfaced before Lu Changsheng's eyes.
"The divine technique Lesser Five Elements Annihilation has reached perfection; comprehension increased by 5,000 points."
In just fifteen minutes, this top-tier compound divine technique reached perfection.
Lu Changsheng immediately called up his attribute panel to inspect his status.
Host: Lu Changsheng
Comprehension: 58,520 (Dragon and Phoenix Among Men)
Spiritual Law: 75% (progress)
Flame Law: 73% (progress)
Wind Law: 63% (progress)
Wood Law: 54% (progress)
Metal Law: 39%
Water Law: 39%
Lesser Five Elements Annihilation: Perfection
Lu Changsheng saw that his comprehension was already nearing the sixty-thousand-point mark.
He was very close to the hundred-thousand threshold.
Furthermore, both his Spiritual Law and Flame Law exceeded seventy percent progress.
Reaching one hundred percent and attaining total perfection of the laws was likewise not far off.
His other laws had also shown notable improvement.
All six laws had substantial progress.
Even without unleashing a divine technique now, Lu Changsheng's overall strength was earth-shattering.
Other Dao Foundation experts simply could not compare to him.
Not to mention that Lu Changsheng possessed compound divine techniques.
At present, Lu Changsheng had three compound divine techniques: Windfire Purgatory, Flame Stream, and Lesser Five Elements Annihilation.
All three compound divine techniques possessed immense power.
Flame Stream and Lesser Five Elements Annihilation in particular wielded earth-shattering might.
"Now I only lack the Earth Law and the Great Earth Law to grasp all eight laws."
"Once that happens, I can cultivate each law to perfection, and then I can consider condensing a divine ability."
"Still, the Earth Law and the Great Earth Law seem somewhat similar?"
Lu Changsheng was already considering his subsequent cultivation path.
The Earth Law and the Great Earth Law.
They appeared similar, almost identical.
In reality, when Lu Changsheng had condensed the law seeds, he discovered they were two distinct laws.
The Earth Law went without saying; it was definitely one of the five elemental laws, representing the element of "earth" among all things in the world.
The Great Earth Law was different.
It seemed somewhat akin to a terrestrial magnetic field.
In short, they were two distinct laws.
Earth-attributed heavenly demon essence blood was fairly abundant, as there were many heavenly demons with five-element attributes.
However, heavenly demons with the great earth attribute were rare, to say nothing of their essence blood.
"Better to first obtain two drops of heavenly demon essence blood to comprehend the Earth Law and strive to assemble the five elements!"
Lu Changsheng had already made up his mind.
He began checking the status of his cave dwelling's grand array.
"Hmm?"
"So many transmissions?"
"It seems to be... Wang Yun?"
Lu Changsheng found it rather strange.
What did Wang Yun want with him?
After all, Lu Changsheng had only conducted a single transaction with Wang Yun last time, helping her slay Dao Lord Shanhai.
Beyond that, he had no interaction with her.
However, judging by the transmissions left in the cave dwelling's grand array, she seemed to have urgent business.
Thus, Lu Changsheng rose, left his cave dwelling, and flew straight toward Wang Yun's cave dwelling.
Very quickly, Wang Yun received word.
"Lu Changsheng has emerged from seclusion?"
"Quickly, invite Fellow Daoist Lu inside."
Wang Yun was slightly surprised.
Several months had passed since Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian had come asking for her help.
During these past months, Wang Yun had sent transmissions to Lu Changsheng from time to time.
All had vanished without a trace.
Counting the time, Lu Changsheng had been in seclusion for roughly one year and one month.
Now, he had finally emerged.
Furthermore, it was within the one-year timeframe agreed upon with Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, you have finally emerged."
Wang Yun welcomed Lu Changsheng into the cave dwelling.
Lu Changsheng looked across at Wang Yun and asked with doubt, "Fellow Daoist Wang, do you have business with me?"
"Yes, indeed I do, and for you, it is a great opportunity."
"Several months ago, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian approached me. They wish to venture into a large-scale secret realm to compete for law divine stones. But relying solely on the two of them, they have little assurance."
"Later, they heard about Fellow Daoist Lu slaying Dao Lord Shanhai, so they found me in hopes that I could pass on a message and arrange a meeting with you."
"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Lu is interested?"
Wang Yun laid out the matter concerning Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian directly.
"A secret realm? Law divine stones?"
Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up.
He had heard of law divine stones.
They could assist Dao Foundation martial artists in comprehending laws, thereby accelerating their progress.
They could even bring a martial artist's law to perfection!
While certainly an extraordinary treasure, to Lu Changsheng, it was not actually the most precious.
In truth, Lu Changsheng could advance his law progress simply by comprehending heavenly demon essence blood.
He did not strictly need precious law divine stones.
Others, however, were different.
Others lacked Lu Changsheng's terrifying comprehension.
They needed the aid of law divine stones to boost their law progress and push their laws to perfection.
Even without comprehending heavenly demon essence blood, Lu Changsheng could rely on his own comprehension to advance his laws by three percent each month, which would still bring them to perfection.
"What price can they pay? Or rather, what benefits can they offer?"
Lu Changsheng asked bluntly.
They were the ones seeking his help, and Lu Changsheng would not help for no reason; naturally, he had to demand benefits.
As it happened, Lu Changsheng still needed four drops of heavenly demon essence blood to fully grasp all eight laws.
Hadn't Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian just delivered themselves right to his doorstep?
"That I do not know."
"If Fellow Daoist Lu is willing to meet, I will send word to Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian immediately. They should pay a visit to your cave dwelling. When the time comes, you can discuss the specifics at your leisure."
Wang Yun was merely an intermediary, passing on the word.
"Then I must trouble Fellow Daoist Wang."
Lu Changsheng did not refuse.
This was plainly a benefit delivered to his door; taking it was only sensible.
Whatever the matter, he would meet first and hear Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian's thoughts before deciding.
Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling.
Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian did not keep Lu Changsheng waiting long.
Both were stationed within the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect outpost.
Thus, within less than an hour, the two arrived outside Lu Changsheng's cave dwelling to pay their visit.
Lu Changsheng naturally opened the entrance and invited them inside.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lu."
"Fellow Daoist Xia, Fellow Daoist Zhao, there is no need for ceremony. After all, we hail from the same sect; if there is business, we can discuss it openly,"
Lu Changsheng said with a smile.
In truth, from the moment they stepped into the cave dwelling, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian had been quietly observing Lu Changsheng.
They were genuinely curious about him.
Not just them—likely every Dao Foundation martial artist and Foundation Establishment Dao Lord in the third layer of the Ancient Region was curious about Lu Changsheng.
From the Divine Treasury realm to the Dao Foundation.
Lu Changsheng's martial path could be described as thrilling and far-reaching in its impact.
"Please, take a seat, both of you."
Lu Changsheng was likewise sizing up Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian.
Neither of them was an unknown figure.
On the contrary, their reputations were illustrious.
Particularly within the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
They were said to be among the very top Dao Foundation experts.
Now visiting together, their purpose clearly concerned the secret realm.
This secret realm was certainly extraordinary.
Lu Changsheng asked directly, "You two have come regarding the secret realm, correct? May I ask, what exactly is a secret realm?"
"What is a secret realm?"
Xia Chengfeng pondered for a moment before taking the initiative to explain: "A secret realm... in truth, it is a naturally formed special space. A secret realm is attached to the Ancient Region, yet separated from it."
"Only during certain specific periods, when the space of the secret realm merges with that of the Ancient Region, will the secret realm manifest within the Ancient Region."
"Some of these secret realms are ancient, while others formed only recently. Some contain life, while others are desolate wastelands."
"Certain large-scale secret realms are relatively stable and harbor natural treasures. Since no one has ever set foot in them, the natural treasures are countless, and various other treasures are beyond imagination."
"Among them, when the secret realm originally formed, clashes between laws occurred, giving rise to law divine stones."
"These law divine stones offer unimaginable assistance to our comprehension of laws as Dao Foundation martial artists, and can even directly help us cultivate our laws to perfection!"
"With so many benefits, a secret realm naturally sparks intense contention among numerous Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment cultivators. While our strength is fairly decent, we do not have absolute certainty, which is why we specially came to invite Fellow Daoist Lu to enter the secret realm alongside us and vie for law divine stones!"
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng finally understood what a secret realm was.
Furthermore, he understood the duo's intention.
Sure enough, they wanted to invite him to enter the secret realm together.
However, Lu Changsheng merely smiled without speaking.
If they wanted to invite him into the secret realm, it depended on what price or benefits they could offer.
After all, contention in a secret realm was bound to be intensely fierce.
When the time came, they would face not only top Dao Foundation experts, but also top Foundation Establishment Dao Lords.
There was no telling how many experts on the level of Dao Lord Shanhai would be present.
There might even be many entities far stronger than Dao Lord Shanhai.
Entering a secret realm to compete for law divine stones meant taking substantial risks!
Seeing Lu Changsheng smiling yet remaining silent, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian instantly understood.
He was asking for benefits!
Or rather, waiting for them to present their terms.
With this thought, Zhao Yujian spoke crisply and directly: "Brother Lu, let us not mince words. If Brother Lu is willing to lend us a hand, we can provide you with six drops of heavenly demon essence blood!"
"Furthermore, if we find three law divine stones, one will go to Brother Lu. If we find six, two will go to Brother Lu, and so forth. We will by no means mistreat you."
Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian laid out their terms.
Six drops of heavenly demon essence blood clearly referenced the price Lu Changsheng had received for slaying Dao Lord Shanhai on Wang Yun's behalf.
Back then, Wang Yun had given Lu Changsheng five drops of heavenly demon essence blood.
Now, the two had added one more drop to show how much they valued Lu Changsheng.
Moreover, they were willing to share law divine stones with Lu Changsheng.
Of course, Lu Changsheng would only receive one stone for every three obtained.
In reality, this was merely painting an attractive picture.
If law divine stones were so easy to obtain, countless Dao Foundation experts would not scramble to enter secret realms to fight for them.
Obtaining two or three would already be the limit.
As for more?
Perhaps neither Xia Chengfeng nor Zhao Yujian had even dared to consider it.
Lu Changsheng did not answer, quietly weighing the offer.
The cave dwelling fell into silence.
After a long while, Xia Chengfeng could not resist asking, "Brother Lu, what do you think?"
"Not enough!"
Lu Changsheng's tone was resolute and brooked no doubt.
"Hmm?"
"Still not enough?"
"Brother Lu, how much do you want?"
Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian exchanged glances.
"If this were before, six drops of heavenly demon essence blood plus law divine stones might have been enough to secure my aid."
"Now, however, it will not do."
"Because a year has passed. I am no longer the person I was a year ago..."
As Lu Changsheng's words fell,
*Boom.*
The next instant, his brain domain descended.
Feeling the brain domain descend, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian almost reflexively released their own brain domains in an attempt to resist Lu Changsheng's.
Yet within Lu Changsheng's brain domain, flashes of radiance shimmered one after another.
One, two, three, four, five, six!
A full six rays of radiance shimmered.
Each ray represented a distinct law.
Six laws completely saturated Lu Changsheng's brain domain, making it unimaginably formidable.
In an instant, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian's brain domains were thoroughly suppressed by Lu Changsheng.
"How is this possible?"
"Six... six laws?!"
"Unbelievable... truly unbelievable! He has actually mastered six laws!"
"I remember that during Brother Lu's battle with Dao Lord Shanhai, he clearly only commanded four laws, roughly on par with us. And now, merely a year later, Brother Lu has mastered two additional laws. Such speed in comprehending laws is simply beyond imagination..."
Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian were both severely shaken.
Tempestuous waves churned in their minds.
Six laws—purely in terms of the number of laws, Lu Changsheng was undeniably number one throughout the entire Ancient Region Heavenly Sect!
Currently, the strongest among the Dao Foundation martial artists of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had only mastered five laws.
Even that could not compare to Lu Changsheng's mastery of six laws!
Suppressed by Lu Changsheng's brain domain, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian felt utterly outmatched.
Although they had yet to unleash their divine techniques, Lu Changsheng possessed divine techniques as well.
"Incredible!"
"Brother Lu, since you have already mastered six laws, asking for your help naturally requires a higher price."
"Brother Lu, what is it that you want?"
Both men looked toward Lu Changsheng.
They wanted to hear Lu Changsheng's terms.
If they could meet them, they naturally would.
If not, the matter would simply have to be called off.
"Ten drops of heavenly demon essence blood, plus the law divine stones you mentioned earlier. If you can provide that, I can accompany you on a trip to the secret realm!"
Lu Changsheng stated his price.
Right out of the gate, he demanded ten drops of heavenly demon essence blood.
In truth, six drops was already something the two had pooled together with difficulty.
Ten drops meant that each of them would have to provide five drops.
Even though both were top Dao Foundation martial artists who had spent a long time in the third layer of the Ancient Region, they would likely have to empty out their fortunes completely to scrape together ten drops of heavenly demon essence blood.
Actually, Lu Changsheng only needed four drops to assemble the remaining two laws.
However, he still needed heavenly demon essence blood to accelerate his cultivation progress of the laws.
Naturally, the more heavenly demon essence blood, the better.
He too wished to bring his laws to perfection.
Of course, because his comprehension was so terrifying, he had no real need for law divine stones.
Nonetheless, having law divine stones would certainly be ideal.
Even if he did not use them himself, he could trade them for more heavenly demon essence blood.
A single trip to the secret realm might yield enough heavenly demon essence blood to directly bring all eight laws to perfection.
"Ten drops... we agree!"
Finally, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian gritted their teeth and agreed.
Thinking of the law divine stones,
and thinking of the Divine Ability realm,
no matter how heavy the price paid, so long as they could obtain law divine stones, it was worth it!
After all, this concerned the crucial key to whether they could condense a divine ability.
"You two have made the correct choice,"
Lu Changsheng said with a smile.
"However, we also have one condition."
"If we perish, then regardless of whether law divine stones are obtained, Brother Lu will not receive a single drop of heavenly demon essence blood,"
Zhao Yujian added.
In truth, they had never previously considered the possibility of falling.
After all, they already stood at the pinnacle of the Dao Foundation.
They might be unable to defeat certain experts,
but killing them was exceedingly difficult.
Over the years, they had accumulated many methods.
They possessed more than one Shift Talisman.
They also held life-preserving treasures even more powerful than Shift Talismans.
However, seeing that Lu Changsheng had mastered six laws,
and witnessing such terrifying comprehension, a ripple of unease stirred in their hearts.
Or rather, a shred of wariness toward Lu Changsheng.
What if?
If Lu Changsheng played dirty inside the secret realm, what could they do?
Even though they belonged to the same sect, one could not be too careful.
Lu Changsheng naturally understood their concerns.
Thus, without hesitation, he nodded directly. "Very well. If the two of you perish, I will not take a single drop of heavenly demon essence blood."
"However, if you two emerge from the secret realm alive yet fail to obtain a single law divine stone, I cannot make the journey for nothing. I must receive four drops of heavenly demon essence blood as compensation."
"Furthermore, those four drops of heavenly demon essence blood must be placed in the custody of an intermediary."
Facing Lu Changsheng's demand, the two hesitated briefly before agreeing.
It was only four drops of heavenly demon essence blood.
For the sake of the law divine stones, they were willing to take the gamble.
Besides, venturing into a large-scale secret realm with the combined strength of the three of them, they were bound to secure at least one law divine stone.
They could not possibly return empty-handed.
"Fine, we agree."
"As for the intermediary, how about Zhao Yuanshan?"
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng naturally agreed.
With Zhao Yuanshan serving as intermediary, he felt at ease.
And so, the trio went straight to the Trading Hall, found Zhao Yuanshan, and explained the situation.
Zhao Yuanshan naturally agreed with pleasure.
After all, whether Lu Changsheng, Xia Chengfeng, or Zhao Yujian, all had been major clients of his; helping with such a minor matter was something he was glad to do.
"Everything is settled. Brother Lu, you may prepare yourself. In three days, we will set out immediately for the secret realm!"
"Very well, then we depart in three days."
Having agreed on the time, Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian took their leave from the Trading Hall.
Hearing that Lu Changsheng was heading to a secret realm,
Zhao Yuanshan actually called out to him.
"Brother Lu, on this trip to the secret realm, if you manage to obtain extra law divine stones, could you spare one for me?"
"Rest assured, I will never let Brother Lu suffer a loss. How about exchanging one law divine stone for six drops of heavenly demon essence blood? Moreover, the drop of heavenly demon essence blood Brother Lu borrowed from me will be waived."
"I only ask for a single law divine stone..."
A trace of yearning showed in Zhao Yuanshan's eyes.
A law divine stone!
This was a rare treasure, sought after but seldom found.
Essentially, it was priceless and unavailable on the market.
After all, all Dao Foundation martial artists needed law divine stones; even if they obtained one, they would not part with it, choosing to use it themselves.
Though Zhao Yuanshan possessed heavenly demon essence blood, he could not buy a law divine stone.
With Zhao Yuanshan's aptitude, without a law divine stone, he might never bring a single law to perfection in several decades or a century, let alone condense a divine ability—it was practically impossible.
Only with a law divine stone would Zhao Yuanshan possess a sliver of hope to ascend to the Divine Ability realm.
"A law divine stone..."
Lu Changsheng looked deeply at Zhao Yuanshan.
"If I happen to obtain extra law divine stones, I will certainly spare one for Brother Zhao."
With that, Lu Changsheng turned and left.
"Thank you, Brother Lu..."
Zhao Yuanshan felt immense excitement. He bowed deeply toward Lu Changsheng's retreating back, an irrepressible smile spreading across his face.
Finally, there was hope!
He had constantly extended goodwill toward Lu Changsheng and frequently assisted him with small favors, continually maintaining their rapport.
Now, he had finally received a tremendous return!
Lu Changsheng soon returned to his cave dwelling and began making preparations.
After all, anything could happen inside a secret realm; being well-prepared was never a mistake, as foresight prevented mishap.
In the blink of an eye, three days hurried past.
Xia Chengfeng and Zhao Yujian arrived once more at Lu Changsheng's cave dwelling.
Chapter 195