Inside the mountain villa, many figures of distinguished status were gathered together.
The annual Treasure Contest had begun once more.
In the beginning, there had been no actual contest. It had merely been private exchanges between people of high standing. Later, on a sudden impulse, sparring matches arose to compete for the items. As time passed, the contest's influence grew larger and larger.
Now, even individuals of noble birth took the Treasure Contest very seriously. After all, it truly offered a chance to acquire rare treasures they each needed.
Li Guang led Lu Changsheng to their seats. However, there was only a single chair.
"Someone, bring another chair for Brother Lu," Li Guang ordered the servants.
"Oh?"
"Li Guang, what kind of person did you bring this time to treat them with such courtesy?"
The speaker was a man in extravagant robes.
"Qi Tianyi, this Brother Lu is a good friend I specially invited to take part in the Treasure Contest."
Li Guang glanced at Qi Tianyi, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes. There was bad blood between them. Qi Tianyi hailed from Tianguang City, and during the previous Treasure Contest, Qi Tianyi's guard had defeated Li Guang's guard, causing Li Guang to lose a great deal of face.
Qi Tianyi looked at Li Guang with an odd expression before chuckling. "Li Guang, you really are going downhill. Since when does a guard you hired get to sit as an equal with the likes of us? Truly disgraceful!"
Qi Tianyi made no attempt to hide his mocking sneer. The two had never gotten along. But with those words, Qi Tianyi had offended not just Li Guang, but Lu Changsheng as well.
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Yet he did not lose his temper. There was no need. He was here at Li Guang's invitation, so Li Guang should be the one to stand up. A war of words was entirely pointless. At worst, once the Treasure Contest began, he could simply beat Qi Tianyi's guard to death.
"Hmph! Qi Tianyi, show some respect to Brother Lu—he is my good friend! Do you think I'm like you, barely managing to establish a Dao Foundation, unable to cultivate even a single law to perfection? A waste among wastes!" Li Guang sneered back.
Although people of their status were distinguished, when it came to talent, they were virtually all considered "wastes." Even among wastes, however, there were tiers. Some among them could still cultivate laws to perfection. Li Guang, for instance, had comprehended four laws and cultivated two of them to perfection. In theory, there remained a sliver of hope for him to advance to the Divine Ability realm. Of course, that was only in theory.
And what about Qi Tianyi? He had not cultivated even a single law to perfection. What was more, he had comprehended a mere two laws. It was said that Qi Tianyi had feared being unable to comprehend laws at all, so when imprinting his law seeds, he had imprinted only two. That truly made him a waste among wastes.
"Li Guang, you..."
Qi Tianyi was instantly enraged, his face flushing crimson. The matter of talent was Qi Tianyi's sore spot; no one was allowed to mention it! But Li Guang cared nothing for that. The two already despised each other, so why would he dance around his rival's pain? Out of the question!
"Enough, say less," Wu Shun spoke up at that moment. "Whatever grievances you have, settle them in the Treasure Contest shortly."
Wu Shun held high status in Tianguang City. Once he spoke, Qi Tianyi had no choice but to suppress his anger for the time being, no matter how dissatisfied he was. Even so, Qi Tianyi glared fixedly at Li Guang. This time, he had brought several formidable experts. He would make Li Guang pay dearly in the contest!
Li Guang could not be bothered to waste any more breath on Qi Tianyi.
Before long, many more people arrived at the villa. All of them possessed distinguished backgrounds, forming small circles of two or three to converse. Lu Changsheng kept his eyes closed, resting quietly and waiting.
Roughly an hour later, a man in white finally spoke. "Alright, since everyone has arrived, there will be plenty of time to catch up later. The Treasure Contest begins now. Bring out whatever treasures you have. As usual, each treasure must be appraised at a value of at least one hundred thousand spirit stones."
Wu Shun appeared to be the host of this Treasure Contest. With his announcement, everyone quieted down.
"Hehe, this time I brought a magic treasure, the Heavenly Thunder Pagoda. It can unleash the power of thunder, possessing terrifying offensive might, easily worth more than one hundred thousand spirit stones."
"I brought a piece of ancient jade. Sitting upon it clears the mind tremendously and makes comprehending laws considerably easier. It is a treasure meant to assist in cultivation."
"I have a Domain-Breaking Pearl. It specifically targets the brain domain of a Dao Foundation martial artist and can definitely blow it apart. Once their brain domain is destroyed, a Dao Foundation martial artist's laws become practically useless. While it has some drawbacks, it is certainly worth one hundred thousand spirit stones."
"I have..."
People began introducing their treasures one after another. These items were all extraordinary and could not be underestimated. Even Lu Changsheng found them intriguing, finding his horizons broadened.
The Domain-Breaking Pearl was particularly wondrous. Being able to shatter a brain domain made it virtually the bane of Dao Foundation martial artists, countering them completely. After all, a Dao Foundation martial artist's entire strength lay in divine techniques and laws, which were both rooted in the brain domain.
Of course, the restrictions were substantial. For instance, activating the Domain-Breaking Pearl was difficult, and its deployment was very slow. In a direct confrontation, an opponent would notice long before the pearl could be triggered. But in an ambush or with advance preparation, the threat would be immense.
Lu Changsheng was not overly concerned, however. Even if an opponent possessed a Domain-Breaking Pearl, it would not truly threaten him. Lu Changsheng was not merely a Dao Foundation martial artist; he was a "half-step Divine Ability realm" martial artist. The laws within him had already absorbed a trace of the world's external laws, allowing them to separate from his brain domain rather than remaining wholly dependent on it. The only consequence of losing his brain domain would be an inability to cast divine techniques, but he could still wield his laws.
Although these treasures were remarkable, none offered substantial help to Lu Changsheng. Right now, he needed only Heavenly Spirit Water; everything else was secondary. Furthermore, none of the treasures could assist in breaking through to the Divine Ability realm. If such a treasure existed, these noble figures would have used it themselves to achieve a breakthrough rather than offering it up for the contest.
The participants eagerly presented their treasures. Li Guang did the same, offering an item valued at over one hundred thousand spirit stones.
One, two, three, four, five...
The participants provided eighteen treasures in all! This meant eighteen factions were present. Combined, the treasures supplied by these eighteen factions were worth more than 1.8 million spirit stones!
It was truly astonishing. The Treasure Contest was winner-take-all! No wonder the contest had grown from an obscure gathering into such a massive event. Everyone treated it with the utmost gravity. After all, who could ignore 1.8 million spirit stones?
In the Battle Arena, the total wagers during Lu Changsheng's fight against the King of the Battle Arena had barely exceeded two million spirit stones. Here, whoever won could walk away with 1.8 million spirit stones' worth of treasures in one go. Even these highborn figures found their hearts racing, each doing everything possible to bring top-notch experts.
Of course, wanting to win was one thing; whether one could claim the championship was another. Moreover, not just anyone could participate in the contest. A background check was required, and those lacking sufficient influence were unqualified to enter. For instance, Lu Changsheng could only take part as Li Guang's helper; entering on his own was out of the question. He lacked the standing. Otherwise, countless Dao Foundation martial artists would have flocked to it. Risking a hundred thousand to win 1.8 million—a return over a dozen times the wager—was a prospect that tempted everyone.
"The Dao Foundation martial artists or Foundation Establishment Dao Lords representing each faction may step forward," Wu Shun announced.
*Swish.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.
Li Guang said in a heavy voice, "Brother Lu, do not hold back when you fight shortly. Kill whenever you must! Especially the person Qi Tianyi brought—kill him no matter what!"
Following Li Guang's gaze, Lu Changsheng noticed the martial artist beside Qi Tianyi. That person was also a Dao Foundation martial artist: an old man with plain features, short and lean. He appeared entirely unremarkable. Yet anyone brought by Qi Tianyi to compete in the Treasure Contest was clearly no simple figure.
"Understood," Lu Changsheng replied calmly.
The eighteen factions' experts slowly stepped forward. Most were Dao Foundation martial artists: eight Foundation Establishment Dao Lords and ten Dao Foundation martial artists. Each sized up the others with grave expressions. After all, the eighteen faction leaders only needed to supply treasures and men, facing no personal danger. But for those actually stepping into battle, it was different. Failure very likely meant death. For Lu Changsheng and the others, this was a life-and-death struggle.
Conceding was permitted in the contest, but what became of those who conceded was another matter entirely.
At that moment, Wu Shun rose and said with a smile, "The first trial of the Treasure Contest: endure fifteen minutes within the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda! We invite Old Man Qing to step forward."
Wu Shun spoke respectfully toward an elderly Taoist in robes beside him.
Old Man Qing was a terrifying Golden Core True Person! That Wu Shun could command the attendance of a Golden Core True Person demonstrated just how formidable his background and standing were. Generally speaking, Golden Core True Persons were exceedingly wealthy and would never attach themselves to clans or large factions. Old Man Qing was clearly an exception. Even so, despite Old Man Qing accompanying him, Wu Shun treated him with immense respect.
Old Man Qing nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group as he said coldly, "This old Taoist's Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda harbors the power of yin-yang destruction, which is extraordinarily terrifying. Once it penetrates the body, those at the Dao Foundation or Foundation Establishment level will surely perish! Therefore, if you cannot hold out, concede quickly. This old Taoist will remove anyone who concedes from the pagoda. Otherwise, you must endure the full fifteen minutes before coming out."
The eighteen experts felt their hearts tighten.
Old Man Qing waved his hand. A small pagoda expanded with the wind, towering into the clouds in the blink of an eye.
"Enter."
The doors of the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda swung open. The eighteen showed no hesitation; having decided to participate in the contest, they would not shrink back. In an instant, all eighteen flew inside.
"Haha, I wonder which faction's expert will stand out this time?"
"I cannot say who will stand out, but enduring an hour in the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda for the first trial should be no problem for my family's expert."
"Indeed. While Old Man Qing's Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda is renowned, as long as he does not deploy the Yin-Yang True Thunder, holding out for an hour should be manageable."
"Old Man Qing certainly won't use the Yin-Yang True Thunder. After all, that is destructive power at the true Golden Core level. If he used that, which of our experts could survive? We would be wiped out entirely!"
"Looking at Li Guang's confidence this time, the person he brought must be quite strong. Where on earth did he find him?"
Watching the eighteen experts enter the pagoda, the spectators from the eighteen factions outside discussed the matter in low voices.
*Whoosh.* Inside, Lu Changsheng entered the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda. The pagoda seemed to contain an internal space; though not overly massive from the outside, the interior was vast. The eighteen stood inside surrounded by endless space, quickly putting distance between one another. They needed to endure for fifteen minutes, and since this was not the time to fight one another, standing too close would only interfere with their defense. Every top Dao Foundation expert and Dao Lord who came here was battle-hardened and rich in combat experience.
*Rumble!* Suddenly, the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda shook violently. Terrifying lightning poured down in an instant.
"Is that... a lightning net?"
Many looked up toward the ceiling. Above their heads, dense arcs of lightning formed a massive net that descended with overwhelming force.
Evading it? Completely impossible. They had to take it head-on! The first trial of the contest tested the survival capabilities of each expert.
The eight Foundation Establishment Dao Lords immediately deployed defensive magic treasures while swiftly laying down formations. Compared to pure defense, Foundation Establishment Dao Lords held the advantage. Facing the lightning net, Dao Foundation martial artists had few options; their only recourse was to endure it directly!
Nearly every Dao Foundation martial artist released their brain domain at once. As the brain domains manifested, the lightning net descended. Some martial artists possessed divine techniques dedicated to defense, allowing them to withstand the net. But many Dao Foundation martial artists had no defensive divine techniques at all.
Lu Changsheng cultivated divine techniques to enhance his comprehension. Thus, when it came to the sheer number of divine techniques at his command, Lu Changsheng dared to say no one possessed more than he did. Others had to weigh practicality when cultivating divine techniques, but did Lu Changsheng need to? He did not! As long as it was a divine technique, it served his purpose.
Therefore, the moment the lightning net fell, Lu Changsheng deployed five defensive divine techniques simultaneously. Even if a single defensive technique was not particularly strong, five together could hold out for a time.
Yet when the lightning net crashed down, the Dao Foundation martial artists who lacked defensive divine techniques all paled in horror. Their brain domains were subjected to immense pressure.
"How can it be this powerful?"
"My brain domain won't last long... I definitely can't hold out for fifteen minutes!"
"Damn it, I haven't even had the chance to unleash my divine techniques, and I'm already facing elimination?"
Several Dao Foundation martial artists felt deep regret, wishing they had cultivated a few defensive divine techniques. Regret came too late, however.
Outside, the people from the eighteen factions watched the interior of the pagoda intently. Old Man Qing had employed some method to project the pagoda's interior, allowing everyone to see the situation clearly.
"The lightning net of the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda is formidable indeed. A top Dao Foundation expert with fewer than six laws would likely be destroyed in an instant."
"Every top Dao Foundation expert qualified to compete has at least seven or eight laws, if not nine or ten. Even so, without defensive divine techniques, they won't last long."
"Someone died! A Dao Foundation martial artist died—is that the Chen clan's expert? To think he was eliminated in the very first round, and the first to fall at that!"
"The Chen clan has truly fallen off. Is this the best Dao Foundation expert they could recruit?"
Many turned their gazes toward the Chen clan members. With their expert dead—and the first to fall—it naturally drew attention. Of course, it was hardly something to be proud of; in fact, it was utterly humiliating, bringing shame upon the entire Chen clan. With the expert dead, however, no amount of frustration could change anything.
As the first martial artist fell, hearts tightened across the factions. No one wanted their representative to be the next to drop.
Li Guang was equally tense. Even though he had faith in Lu Changsheng, everyone inside the pagoda was a formidable expert. Even if Lu Changsheng was the new King of the Battle Arena, elimination was still possible.
"You must hold on!" Li Guang muttered under his breath.
He glanced at Qi Tianyi, only to find him looking completely calm and composed. Li Guang grew suspicious. He knew Qi Tianyi was a waste among wastes, someone whose mental fortitude was certainly inferior to his own. Yet Qi Tianyi showed no sign of anxiety, appearing thoroughly at ease. There could only be one explanation: the martial artist Qi Tianyi brought was exceedingly powerful, giving him absolute confidence!
"A second one—the Zhao clan's man is dead as well."
"The Zhao clan? During the last contest, I remember their expert was quite formidable. Who would have thought he couldn't even survive the first round this time?"
"Without defensive divine techniques, passing this first trial is brutal."
"Look quickly, the expert Li Guang recruited—I believe his name is Lu Changsheng? He looks like he's about to fall."
"Indeed. Five defensive divine techniques, but each is very basic with mediocre power. What good is quantity? They won't last long."
"Once those five techniques break, Lu Changsheng will die if he doesn't concede."
Many people were watching Lu Changsheng. Li Guang represented one of the more prominent factions among the eighteen, naturally drawing attention. Moreover, Li Guang and Qi Tianyi had bad blood and were engaged in a subtle rivalry. The martial artist under Qi Tianyi seemed very stable and likely to endure the first round, whereas if the expert under Li Guang could not even survive the first round, the humiliation would be unbearable.
As time ticked by, the five defensive divine techniques on Lu Changsheng truly began to fail.
One, two, three, four...
Soon, four divine techniques collapsed.
"Haha, only one technique left! Li Guang, it seems the martial artist you found isn't all that impressive—quite ordinary, in fact!" Qi Tianyi smiled, his tone dripping with mockery. He loved watching Li Guang suffer setbacks.
Li Guang's face darkened, but he said nothing. He refused to believe Lu Changsheng could not hold out. Lu Changsheng was the King of the Battle Arena! But at a moment like this, words meant nothing; facts spoke louder than eloquence.
Even Wu Shun shook his head slightly. Lu Changsheng's performance was too poor; Li Guang was most likely going to lose this time.
*Hiss.* Finally, Lu Changsheng's fifth defensive divine technique broke.
Yet before the lightning from the net could strike his body, beams of light shimmered around Lu Changsheng once more.
*Hum.* In the blink of an eye, a dazzling array of colors lit up. Ten distinct divine techniques manifested simultaneously—and every single one was a defensive divine technique.
"That's impossible..." Qi Tianyi gasped aloud.
Just moments ago, he had been utterly composed and relaxed. Now, his expression changed abruptly.
Not just Qi Tianyi—many others froze in disbelief at what they were witnessing. What were they seeing? Lu Changsheng, who had seemed on the verge of collapse just moments ago, had pulled himself out of danger in an instant, suddenly producing ten more defensive divine techniques!
How could that be? Divine techniques were not cabbages to be picked at will. Cultivating them took time. What was more, these were merely ordinary divine techniques; expending time and effort on ordinary techniques was pure madness. Furthermore, Lu Changsheng had now displayed fifteen divine techniques. Even ordinary techniques required vast amounts of time and energy. Did Lu Changsheng have no desire to form a divine ability at all? Wasting time on such common techniques was sheer foolishness.
"Hmph, utter stupidity! No matter how high his talent, squandering time and energy cultivating such ordinary divine techniques is utterly pointless!" Qi Tianyi sneered, having regained his composure.
"Heh, still better than a certain waste who finds even ordinary divine techniques agonizingly difficult!" Li Guang retorted without yielding an inch, mocking Qi Tianyi in turn.
"Li Guang, you..." Qi Tianyi stood up abruptly, glaring at Li Guang.
Li Guang did not care in the slightest; instead, he felt delighted. The angrier Qi Tianyi became, the happier he felt.
This time, Wu Shun did not intervene. He was not related to Qi Tianyi, so why should he clean up after him every time? As direct scions of major factions, they ought to know their limits. If Qi Tianyi failed to grasp that, he would only suffer for it.
Qi Tianyi quickly calmed down as well. Staring intently at Lu Changsheng, he said coldly, "So what if he has ten more divine techniques? That must be his final card. Those ten techniques won't last fifteen minutes under the lightning net. Once the net grinds them away, he's dead!"
Qi Tianyi's assessment was accurate: those ten techniques would not withstand the lightning net for fifteen minutes.
Li Guang remained silent. Who knew what other methods Lu Changsheng possessed? After all, he had never seen Lu Changsheng deploy these ordinary divine techniques in the Battle Arena. Perhaps Lu Changsheng would bring him even more surprises.
Time passed bit by bit. Another Dao Foundation martial artist died, bringing the total casualties to three. As time went on, the pressure on every Dao Foundation martial artist and Foundation Establishment Dao Lord mounted. Even the Dao Lords would be in dire straits once their magic treasures were breached.
Yet practically everyone kept their eyes on Lu Changsheng. The reason was simple: Lu Changsheng appeared to be teetering on the edge. His ten divine techniques were nearly shattered. Once all ten were broken, what else could he do?
Nine, seven, five, three, one...
Finally, Lu Changsheng's ten divine techniques were almost entirely broken by the lightning net, while barely more than half the time had elapsed. With nearly half the time remaining, how could Lu Changsheng possibly resist the lightning net?
"Hahaha, Lu Changsheng is finished this time!"
"With so much time left, he will certainly be reduced to ashes under that lightning net!"
Qi Tianyi felt immense exhilaration. He had endured for so long, and this moment had finally arrived! Let us see what Lu Changsheng will use to withstand the lightning net now!
Others sighed and shook their heads as well. Lu Changsheng could not hold out.
*Hum!* In the next instant, the expressions on everyone's faces froze.
Inside the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda, the moment the ten divine techniques shattered, another burst of multicolored light flashed around Lu Changsheng.
Divine techniques! Divine techniques again! And this time, there were a full twenty of them!
Silence fell.
The entire mountain villa went dead quiet. Everyone who witnessed the scene froze, rendered speechless, able only to stare dumbfoundedly at the figure inside the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda.
Chapter 211