Time continued to slip by day after day.
Only about ten days remained until the three-month deadline.
Nine days, eight days, seven days, six days, five days...
In truth, the closing of the secret realm was not rigidly fixed at exactly three months. It could stay open a little longer than that; the timing was never set in stone. Nevertheless, many people took the cautious approach and began leaving the secret realm ahead of schedule.
One after another, Dao Foundation martial artists and Foundation Establishment Dao Lords departed the realm, loaded with bountiful harvests and brimming with hope, ready to return to their respective sects.
Yet the moment they stepped out of the secret realm, they were greeted by the sight of a young martial artist sitting cross-legged not far from the entrance, who would calmly say, "Fellow Daoist, hold your steps..."
And so began their tragedy.
Whether Dao Foundation experts or Foundation Establishment Dao Lords, whoever stubbornly resisted was either struck down or thoroughly suppressed, then forced to swallow their humiliation and "contribute" their spatial treasures, allowing Lu Changsheng to "filter out" a few precious items.
Lu Changsheng remained a man of principle. A promise made was a nail driven home. If he said he only wanted law divine stones, then he took only law divine stones. At most, he would casually "appropriate" some heavenly demon essence blood along the way. Aside from that, he showed no interest in other natural treasures.
As the date of the secret realm's closure drew nearer, dozens of Dao Foundation martial artists and Foundation Establishment Dao Lords left the realm, and Lu Changsheng "requested" law divine stones from every single one of them.
Even so, Lu Changsheng had still not gathered enough law divine stones. On the other hand, he had gained an unexpected windfall of heavenly demon essence blood, which could truly be considered a rich harvest.
"I've only obtained one law divine stone.
"I'm still short three. But by now, there shouldn't be many Dao Foundation martial artists or Foundation Establishment Dao Lords left inside the secret realm..."
Lu Changsheng quietly stayed near the entrance of the secret realm.
A few Dao Foundation martial artists and Foundation Establishment Dao Lords had not left yet. Their emotions were complicated as they watched from afar everything happening at the entrance. After all, they felt profoundly humiliated. Being "plundered" by Lu Changsheng had been an utter disgrace; that single phrase, "Fellow Daoist, hold your steps," had become an inescapable nightmare lingering deep in their hearts.
So they refused to leave, waiting to see whether Lu Changsheng would crash into an iron plate. After all, a few truly terrifying powerhouses inside the secret realm seemed not to have emerged yet.
Lu Changsheng was waiting, and they were waiting too!
Five days, four days, three days, two days...
When only the final two days remained, the passage at the secret realm's entrance began to ripple slightly. Space trembled, yet the entrance passage did not collapse. By the looks of it, it could still hold out for a few more days.
However, Lu Changsheng knew that over these two days, most of the top Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment figures still inside the realm would definitely come out. None would wait until the very last day.
Sure enough, several faint figures blurred at the exit of the secret realm and flew out in an instant.
There were four figures: two Foundation Establishment Dao Lords and two Dao Foundation martial artists.
Catching sight of these four, the pupils of many onlookers contracted, and their hearts trembled!
Evidently, none of the four were ordinary individuals.
"Those are Su Tianwen and Zhang Tianyi! Top Dao Foundation powerhouses who are said to have mastered five laws. Their strength is unfathomable—they practically stand at the pinnacle of martial artists in the third layer of the Ancient Region!"
"Those two boast formidable battle records. They've slain many top Dao Foundation experts and even Foundation Establishment Dao Lords in the past!"
"Wait, the other two figures seem to be Foundation Establishment Dao Lords—aren't they Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu?"
"Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu are also top Dao Lords, stronger even than Dao Lord Qingxuan! Speaking of Dao Lord Qingxuan, he seemed to leave the secret realm in quite a rush earlier. Who knows what happened to him?"
"Now that these four are out, will Lu Changsheng still dare say 'Fellow Daoist, hold your steps' to them?"
For a moment, countless eyes turned toward Lu Changsheng.
No one dared underestimate Lu Changsheng anymore. Yet by the same token, no one dared underestimate these four either.
Before Lu Changsheng could speak, however, Su Tianwen spoke first.
Su Tianwen was not addressing Lu Changsheng, but rather sneering at the two top Foundation Establishment Dao Lords. "Dao Lord Dongyang, Dao Lord Shouxu, you two have no use for law divine stones. Why must you vie with us for them?
"Leave the law divine stones behind, and we won't make things difficult for you.
"Otherwise..."
Su Tianwen took a step forward, blocking the two Dao Lords alongside Zhang Tianyi. They intended to stop the Dao Lords from leaving.
"Oh?"
Dao Lord Dongyang's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Su Tianwen, in the secret realm, competing for treasures is a matter of skill. What, you couldn't seize the law divine stones inside, and now you want to settle things outside? This Dao Lord will gladly oblige!"
Dao Lord Shouxu was the same. Though he did not speak, he had already summoned his magic treasure. At once, the atmosphere grew tense, as though a fight might break out at the slightest disagreement.
Seeing this, many onlookers were dumbfounded.
It seemed that Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu had clashed with Su Tianwen and Zhang Tianyi inside the secret realm, leaving both sides on exceedingly bad terms. Even now, having left the realm, they were still refusing to let the matter rest.
Yet the four did not actually begin fighting, because Lu Changsheng had caught the words "law divine stones."
"You four, did you just mention law divine stones?"
"Did the two Dao Lords obtain them? How many law divine stones do you have?"
Lu Changsheng spoke up.
The unfamiliar voice instantly drew the attention of all four. In a flash, the gazes of the four top Dao Foundation and Dao Lord powerhouses snapped toward Lu Changsheng.
"Who are you?"
"Do you have any right to butt in while we speak?"
"Whether they are law divine stones or how many there are, what does that have to do with you?"
Dao Lord Dongyang sneered. Not just anyone was worthy of speaking to him. Only top Dao Foundation figures like Su Tianwen and Zhang Tianyi warranted his attention. As for other martial artists, Dao Lord Dongyang could not be bothered to acknowledge them—least of all an unfamiliar Dao Foundation martial artist like the one before him. In Dao Lord Dongyang's memory, a Dao Foundation cultivator who left no impression was likely just an ordinary, unremarkable one.
Silence fell.
The surroundings suddenly turned dead quiet—eerily quiet, in fact.
Just moments ago, Dao Lord Dongyang had seen many Dao Foundation martial artists and Foundation Establishment Dao Lords watching the confrontation. But now, not a single person uttered a word. Every face wore an exceedingly strange expression.
"Hmm?"
Dao Lord Dongyang sensed something odd. Was this unfamiliar Dao Foundation martial artist not quite so simple?
Lu Changsheng still wore a smile on his face, one of genuine sincerity. He had finally gotten news of law divine stones—how could he not be pleased? It was true joy from the bottom of his heart!
At this point, Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to beat around the bush, stating directly, "Fellow Daoists, bring out your spatial treasures so that I may inspect them one by one.
"I only want law divine stones. If you cooperate, you may safely depart the Tianluo Mountains.
"If you do not cooperate, then I will have to retrieve them myself..."
Lu Changsheng's words left all four slightly stunned.
What had they just heard?
Was this unfamiliar Dao Foundation martial artist actually threatening them? Not just the two Dao Lords, but even the two top Dao Foundation experts were being threatened together! Furthermore, he wanted to inspect their spatial treasures right at the entrance of the secret realm.
In an instant, all four understood.
Wasn't this simply camping at the gate? But camping at the secret realm's gate, and targeting the four of them no less—had he gone mad?
The short-tempered Zhang Tianyi was hardly pleasant to deal with. His expression darkened, and the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to plummet in an instant.
"Where did this arrogant Dao Foundation fool come from?
"I'll give you one breath to get lost, or else..."
Zhang Tianyi waved his hand.
Boom!
It was as if a massive mountain were crashing down. That was Zhang Tianyi's law. A single law erupted with horrifying might that rivaled a compound divine technique.
This was a consummate law! Zhang Tianyi had struck with a consummate law right from the start. Such was the strength of a pinnacle Dao Foundation expert! Whenever Zhang Tianyi fought, the earth shook, and against fellow Dao Foundation martial artists, he crushed them with overwhelming force.
Yet even as Zhang Tianyi unleashed his consummate law, why did the onlookers still wear such strange expressions?
This was a consummate law! Could it be that none of them recognized it? That seemed to be the only explanation. Consummate laws were extraordinarily rare, and very few had witnessed them, so most likely had no idea how terrifying Zhang Tianyi's technique truly was.
However, as Zhang Tianyi's consummate law descended...
Boom!
Lu Changsheng's brain domain descended as well.
Moreover, one beam of light after another flashed within Lu Changsheng's brain domain.
One, two, three, four!
Four dazzling rays of light radiated terrifying auras as they materialized above Lu Changsheng's head, clearly meant to intercept Zhang Tianyi's consummate law.
"Hmph, you think you can block it? A mantis trying to stop a chariot!"
Zhang Tianyi had not yet perceived the terror behind Lu Changsheng's four rays of light.
As the consummate law crashed down, the four lights above Lu Changsheng's head fully manifested and held firm, solidly stopping Zhang Tianyi's consummate law in its tracks.
"How is this possible?"
Zhang Tianyi's eyes went wide with disbelief. His consummate law had actually been blocked!
Those four rays of light clearly represented four different laws. Yet even with four laws, they shouldn't have been able to stop a consummate law. But as Zhang Tianyi felt the terrifying aura radiating from each of the four laws above Lu Changsheng's head, his heart violently shook.
"Consummate laws?"
"Impossible... That's four consummate laws!"
"How could anyone master four consummate laws?!"
Zhang Tianyi cried out in astonishment.
Four consummate laws—this was simply unbelievable. Even though Zhang Tianyi and Su Tianwen had mastered five laws, only three of their laws had reached consummation! That was right; even they only possessed three consummate laws. Yet with just that, they already stood at the pinnacle of Dao Foundation martial artists in the Ancient Region!
That was precisely why they were so determined to obtain law divine stones. With two more law divine stones, they would very likely be able to cultivate their remaining two laws to consummation. Once all five laws reached consummation, they could attempt to condense a divine ability. After all, they had only condensed five law seeds back then.
Never in their wildest dreams did they expect that in the third layer of the Ancient Region, someone would comprehend more consummate laws than them—and thoroughly suppress them in doing so!
"Just who are you?"
"Among the top Dao Foundation martial artists of the third layer, there is no one like you!"
"Besides, any Dao Foundation martial artist capable of cultivating four consummate laws could never be an unknown figure!"
Su Tianwen spoke up at this moment, his expression grave to the extreme. The moment Lu Changsheng unleashed those four laws, Su Tianwen had felt immense pressure.
"Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, Lu Changsheng!"
Lu Changsheng did not hide his identity. He couldn't hide it, nor did he have any need to. In the entire third layer of the Ancient Region, who could pose a threat to him now?
"You're that Lu Changsheng who suppressed an entire generation of both the immortal and martial paths back in the Divine Treasury Realm?!"
Zhang Tianyi gasped.
The name "Lu Changsheng" carried tremendous weight. Even so, they never could have imagined that Lu Changsheng, who had cast his Dao Foundation not long ago, had already surpassed both of them and comprehended four consummate laws. This was simply too incredible.
"Go!"
Seeing Lu Changsheng defeat Zhang Tianyi with a flick of his hand, the two Dao Lords, Dongyang and Shouxu, almost instantly triggered their Shift Talismans.
Buzz!
Their figures blurred slightly and vanished on the spot.
Yet in the very next instant, their figures stumbled out of the void, tumbling back into view.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, what is the meaning of this?"
Dao Lord Dongyang's face was thoroughly unsightly as he demanded in a heavy voice.
Both Dao Lords had already crushed their Shift Talismans. Unfortunately, Lu Changsheng had come prepared. The coverage of his brain domain was vast; as long as space was blanketed by his brain domain, ordinary Shift Talismans could not perform a void transfer—unless one possessed a Great Shift Talisman.
Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu, however, did not have a Great Shift Talisman. Great Shift Talismans could only be crafted by Golden Core True Persons, and they were hardly cost-effective to make. Unless one shared an extraordinarily deep relationship with a Golden Core True Person, a True Person would not go out of their way to craft one as a life-saving tool for a Dao Foundation junior. Aside from that, obtaining a Great Shift Talisman was essentially impossible. Strong as Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu were, they had no deep connection to any Golden Core True Person, so naturally they had no Great Shift Talismans. Without one, blanketed by a martial artist's brain domain, there was simply no way to flee.
Lu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Dao Lord Dongyang, his tone as steady as ever: "I said, leave your spatial treasures behind!
"However, I will give you two Dao Lords a chance. I am currently short three law divine stones. If you leave three law divine stones behind, you may depart without hindrance."
Lu Changsheng's primary objective was the law divine stones. He was only missing three stones. As long as he could gather them, he had no interest in anything else. After all, even when it came to heavenly demon essence blood, he already had more than enough.
"Three law divine stones..."
Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu felt their hearts tighten slightly. Between the two of them, they had indeed obtained exactly three law divine stones. They could certainly produce them, but how would it look if they surrendered them now? In front of so many onlookers, under broad daylight, being held up at the gate and forcibly extorted by Lu Changsheng—if they really agreed, they would become laughingstocks.
"Lu Changsheng, we do have law divine stones!"
"But no one has ever managed to take anything from our hands!"
"Su Tianwen and Zhang Tianyi couldn't, and neither can you!"
Dao Lord Dongyang's voice carried immense confidence.
"If you want the law divine stones, take them yourself!"
As Dao Lord Dongyang's words fell, a faint azure glow shimmered around his body. It was a magic treasure—an umbrella-shaped magic treasure that shielded his entire person.
"Hahaha! Well said! If you want the law divine stones, take them yourself if you have the ability!"
Dao Lord Shouxu also unleashed his magic treasure. With a wave of their hands, the two even laid down an array formation. With their combined strength, they did not believe anyone in the same realm could defeat them, let alone a Dao Foundation martial artist. Even the most elite Dao Foundation powerhouse could do nothing against the two of them!
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the array formation and magic treasures deployed by Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu. He said with deep meaning, "Have you two Dao Lords thought this through?
"If I strike, you two might... die!"
Lu Changsheng's words failed to instill any fear in Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu.
"Hahaha! Use whatever means you have!"
"If you can kill us, that'll just prove your ability!"
Dao Lord Shouxu's laughter echoed through the void.
Countless martial artists and Foundation Establishment cultivators in the vicinity heard the exchange. In an instant, innumerable eyes converged on Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng had been completely invincible and unstoppable before, but facing Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu fighting together, what could he possibly do?
"Fine, as you wish!"
Lu Changsheng's eyes turned profound. In this moment, he held back no longer.
Buzz!
Rays of light surfaced across Lu Changsheng's body, each representing a distinct law. This time, however, there were only five laws: three consummate laws, and two that had yet to reach consummation.
Even so, that was more than enough.
Whoosh...
A wind seemed to stir. As it blew past, the surroundings dimmed slightly. Within the expanse blanketed by Lu Changsheng's brain domain, everything turned into a pitch-black void.
"What is that...?"
Everyone stared blankly into Lu Changsheng's brain domain.
The five laws had disappeared, replaced by a mass of pitch-black energy.
Divine technique: Lesser Five Elements Annihilation!
This was the Lesser Five Elements Annihilation divine technique that Lu Changsheng had deduced, and it was currently his most powerful offensive measure. Previously, when none of the laws were consummate, its power had already been terrifying enough to force Dao Lord Qingxuan to concede defeat. Now, with three consummate laws fueling it, the power of Lesser Five Elements Annihilation had skyrocketed to an unimaginable degree.
Like a black deluge, it annihilated everything in its path.
In the blink of an eye, the black deluge representing Lesser Five Elements Annihilation surged before the two Dao Lords, engulfing their magic treasures and array formation.
Not a sound was made.
The array formation jointly erected by the two top Dao Lords could not even stall it for an instant. It was silently swallowed whole by the Lesser Five Elements Annihilation divine technique, vanishing without a trace, as if no array had ever existed there.
At the same time, the black deluge of the divine technique washed over their magic treasures. These were magic treasures refined through countless years of effort by the two top Dao Lords, possessing world-shaking power. Yet the magic treasures upon which they pinned their hopes could not hold out for even a single breath. Just like the array formation, they were submerged in the black torrent and utterly destroyed.
Spurt!
Both top Dao Lords violently spat out a mouthful of blood.
"My magic treasure..."
"How could my magic treasure be destroyed?!"
Their magic treasures were completely unable to withstand the Lesser Five Elements Annihilation divine technique, instantly reduced to ashes.
Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng's Lesser Five Elements Annihilation divine technique did not pause. It swept majestically toward the two top Dao Lords. With such terrifying might, no one dared underestimate this black deluge any longer.
"No—!"
The two Dao Lords wanted to scream, but as the black torrent swept over them, their voices abruptly cut off.
Gone.
The voices of the two top Dao Lords vanished.
Even their auras disappeared completely.
There was only one explanation.
They were dead!
Two top Dao Lords had died just like that.
Silence!
The entire area plunged into utter stillness.
Even the boldest martial artists and Foundation Establishment cultivators could hardly believe what they had just witnessed.
What had they seen?
Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu had actually died like this? Moreover, they had seemed completely powerless to fight back. Lu Changsheng had slain two top Dao Lords with a casual gesture, expending no effort at all.
Were top Dao Lords really that weak?
"Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu... are truly dead?"
"Is this a joke? Two renowned Dao Lords just perished like that?"
"Is this real?!"
"Neither the array nor their magic treasures could block Lu Changsheng's divine technique. What kind of divine technique was that? It's horrifying—even a wisp of its aura sent shivers down my spine."
"Just how terrifying has Lu Changsheng's strength become?"
"No wonder he dared to camp at the entrance of the secret realm. With this level of strength, he truly is invincible..."
Tumult erupted in the hearts of the crowd, yet none dared raise their voices, terrified of disturbing Lu Changsheng and incurring his displeasure.
Yet the ones experiencing the greatest terror were Zhang Tianyi and Su Tianwen. The two of them stood nearby, right next to Lu Changsheng! They had witnessed the deaths of Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu with their own eyes. They had clashed with those two Dao Lords countless times, and inside the secret realm, they had even suffered a slight loss when the two Dao Lords snatched away the law divine stones.
Yet two top Dao Lords that powerful had still died. They had died at Lu Changsheng's hands, right before their eyes! As pinnacle Dao Foundation experts, they understood divine techniques better than anyone. Sensing the dreadfulness of Lesser Five Elements Annihilation, they knew immediately that such a divine technique was impossible to oppose!
Swish!
Lu Changsheng recalled the Lesser Five Elements Annihilation divine technique.
The surroundings brightened once more. The black deluge was gone, but so were Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu. Both had been reduced to ashes, leaving not a bone behind.
However, Lu Changsheng had preserved the two Dao Lords' spatial treasures. He couldn't bear to destroy spatial treasures that were very likely to hold law divine stones.
Lu Changsheng swept his consciousness over them, and a smile finally surfaced on his face.
Law divine stones!
Within the two Dao Lords' spatial treasures, Lu Changsheng indeed discovered law divine stones—and exactly three of them! Combined with the law divine stone he had obtained earlier, he now possessed exactly four law divine stones.
For Lu Changsheng, this was just right. After all, he only had four laws left that had not reached consummation, two of which he had not even comprehended yet. Regardless, he needed to prepare four law divine stones.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, we truly do not have any law divine stones on us.
"If you do not believe us, you may inspect our spatial treasures."
At this moment, Su Tianwen took the initiative to speak. Together with Zhang Tianyi, he tossed their spatial treasures to Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng did not stand on ceremony, sweeping his consciousness across them immediately. Then, he offered a faint smile: "Indeed, there are no law divine stones."
However, Lu Changsheng quietly took out several drops of heavenly demon essence blood from them. The two could only turn a blind eye, pretending not to notice. Zhang Tianyi had just fought Lu Changsheng earlier, and now he didn't even dare utter a single word. Given Lu Changsheng's terrifying strength, where had he found the courage to strike against Lu Changsheng before?
Lu Changsheng returned the spatial treasures to Su Tianwen and Zhang Tianyi.
Only then did the two let out a breath of relief. It seemed Lu Changsheng truly only wanted law divine stones and had no intention of killing indiscriminately. As for Dao Lord Dongyang and Dao Lord Shouxu, they had thought too highly of themselves and refused to lose face.
And the result? In trying to save face, they had lost their lives.
To the two Dao Lords, law divine stones were of little practical use; at most, they could be traded for other treasures, making them entirely dispensable. Yet for the sake of pride, they had chosen to confront Lu Changsheng. In the end, they threw away their lives—a loss far exceeding any gain.
Having achieved his goal on this trip to the secret realm, Lu Changsheng lingered no longer.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, Lu Changsheng turned into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon, leaving behind a crowd of Dao Foundation martial artists and Foundation Establishment Dao Lords still immersed in profound shock.
Chapter 200