"Th-this makes thirty-five divine techniques, doesn't it?"
"Just how many divine techniques has he cultivated?"
"To have cultivated so many... I can clearly sense that he's still very young, probably not even fifty years old. At such a young age, how could he possibly have cultivated this many divine techniques?"
"Is it really as simple as just cultivating so many? If I'm not mistaken, every single divine technique he displayed has reached consummate perfection. Otherwise, how could a few dozen ordinary defensive techniques withstand the lightning net of the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda?"
"Dozens of divine techniques at consummate perfection..."
A chill ran through the hearts of many present.
Even though these were merely ordinary divine techniques, the implications were extraordinary.
Even Li Guang was utterly dumbfounded.
Dozens of ordinary divine techniques, every one of them perfected.
What was more, Li Guang knew that these were not even Lu Changsheng's true trump cards.
Lu Changsheng's real trump cards were a handful of immensely powerful divine techniques.
Yet aside from those, Li Guang had possessed no inkling that Lu Changsheng possessed dozens of consummate-level divine techniques as well.
To Li Guang, this came as an equal shock.
After all, while cultivating divine techniques—even dozens of them—was exceedingly difficult, there were still individuals who managed it. Top Dao Foundation martial artists who saw no hope of attaining a divine ability had little choice but to cultivate numerous divine techniques with desperate effort to compensate for their combat disadvantages.
However, bringing dozens of divine techniques to consummate perfection was another matter entirely.
It sounded like an outright fantasy.
Yet such a fantastical sight was unfolding right before their eyes.
As time slipped by, the allotted period finally came to an end.
All the surviving martial artists and Dao Lords were transported out of the Yin-Yang Destruction Pagoda.
"They're out!"
"Haha, the Dao Foundation expert under my banner survived the first round!"
"Mine too. The first trial didn't seem all that difficult."
"My Foundation Establishment Dao Lord barely broke a sweat in the first trial."
Among the eighteen factions, most wore smiles.
Even so, four competitors had been eliminated.
In the first round alone, four were wiped out, leaving fourteen behind.
On the surface, the elimination rate did not seem particularly high. But these representatives chosen by the eighteen factions were the absolute cream of the crop at their level. For even them to fall proved that the first trial had been far from easy.
The Foundation Establishment Dao Lords had merely held a slight advantage by relying on the defenses of their magic treasures, nothing more.
Next came the second trial.
Wu Shun spoke up. "The second trial: a free-for-all melee!"
"Between you fourteen top experts, there will be no rules or restrictions. You may strike at one another at any time."
"You may even join forces or gang up on someone. In short, any method or tactic is permitted. This round will eliminate ten people, leaving only four to advance to the third trial."
"However, to ensure you do not evade battle, you must remain within a designated boundary."
"We shall use this mountain villa as the boundary. You may not leave the villa grounds. The moment you step outside, you are eliminated."
"Do you all understand?"
Wu Shun's words caused the fourteen experts' hearts to sink slightly.
A free-for-all!
Any means allowed, and even alliances permitted.
The freedom was immense.
Yet such vast leeway was exceedingly perilous for each of them, because the elimination rate was staggeringly high.
Of fourteen peak experts, only four could remain.
A full ten experts had to be eliminated.
The difficulty was immense, and the battle was bound to be brutal.
Wu Shun swept his gaze across the fourteen contenders. Seeing no objections, he said calmly, "Since there are no objections, let us begin."
*Whoosh.*
As soon as Wu Shun finished speaking, almost everyone retreated immediately, frantically putting distance between themselves and the others.
Even Lu Changsheng did the same.
Attacking someone at a moment like this was sheer folly. If two strong fighters clashed, they would only benefit third parties.
As for joining hands?
That was even less feasible. Even if some were acquaintances, who would dare trust another in such circumstances?
Of course, there were exceptions. Under certain conditions, alliances remained quite likely.
The fourteen competitors quickly scattered.
Lu Changsheng withdrew into a deserted corner.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had no need to rely on his physical sight; with his Perception Domain, sensing the other thirteen was effortless.
The same was true for the others. The mountain villa was vast for ordinary mortals, but for top Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment experts, such an area was far too cramped.
Completely hiding away to watch the tigers fight from the hilltop was simply unrealistic.
Yet no one was eager to make the first move.
Everyone adopted a stance of waiting for others to act.
Just then, Wu Shun seemed to recall something.
"By the way, if more than four people remain after two hours, all of them will be eliminated,"
Wu Shun suddenly announced. "In that case, first place will be determined according to the seating order within the villa for this gathering."
This slight rule addition caused the faces of the fourteen contenders to change drastically.
They looked toward the seating arrangements of the eighteen factions in the villa.
In truth, the seats were scattered, and no one occupied a true head seat. Even Wu Shun was not sitting at the head. But some seats were undeniably closer to the front.
The foremost seat belonged to the Wang clan.
And the Wang clan's representative was a Foundation Establishment Dao Lord.
That Dao Lord's expression shifted violently.
"Run!"
He tried to flee, but a peak Foundation Establishment Dao Lord beside him reacted even faster.
"Suppress!"
With that single shout, a talisman flared with brilliant light, manifesting an enormous character for "Suppress" that crashed down from the sky, instantly striking the Wang clan's Dao Lord.
Even though the Dao Lord had deployed his magic treasure in advance, it proved largely ineffective.
In that split second, the Wang clan's Dao Lord froze, immobilized.
In truth, the talisman was not overwhelmingly powerful, and it could only restrain him for an instant. In a one-on-one duel, such a brief lapse would not have posed a fatal threat to a Foundation Establishment Dao Lord sheltered by his magic treasure.
However, the circumstances were different now.
The moment the Wang clan's Dao Lord was immobilized, several brain domains descended simultaneously.
The instant the domains materialized, terrifying divine techniques poured over him like an apocalyptic deluge.
"No!" the Wang clan's Dao Lord screamed in terror.
It was futile.
These battle-hardened Dao Foundation experts would never let such a golden opportunity slip by.
*Rumble!*
Divine techniques erupted with terrifying might, every one of them an elite composite divine technique of at least five laws.
They crashed down upon the Wang clan's Dao Lord all at once.
*Crack!*
The magic treasure failed to hold out for even an instant before shattering into pieces.
Stripped of his defense, the Dao Lord was instantly engulfed by the monstrous barrage.
Before a single shriek could escape his lips, everything fell silent.
Dead!
The Wang clan's Dao Lord had perished just like that.
Of the fourteen top experts, only thirteen now remained.
*Smack!*
The representative of the Wang clan slammed his hand onto his chair, his face flushed with fury.
He had paid an exorbitant price to recruit this Dao Lord.
And this was the result?
Blown apart and slain in an instant during the second round, failing even to reach the finals.
The Wang clan representative was naturally consumed by rage.
Yet no one paid him any mind at that moment.
*Swish.*
Following the death of the Wang clan's Dao Lord, the crowd's gaze shifted to the seat immediately behind the Wang clan.
All eyes converged onto a single figure.
"Me?"
Li Guang was taken aback, and his expression instantly twisted.
"Brother Lu, look out..."
Li Guang recognized at once that Lu Changsheng was in grave danger.
After all, the example of the Wang clan's Dao Lord had just played out before their eyes, and now it was Li Guang's turn.
"Heheh, Li Guang, let's see how you contest for first place now!"
"You won't even make it to the third round, yet you dreamed of winning?"
Qi Tianyi roared with laughter, not missing the chance to mock Li Guang.
Li Guang had no leisure to spar with Qi Tianyi. He turned his eyes toward Lu Changsheng with a complex look.
Under such circumstances, could Lu Changsheng hold his ground?
*Swish.*
The remaining twelve top experts fixed their eyes on Lu Changsheng.
Several were already beginning to edge closer.
However, some were reluctant to join the siege.
For instance, the Foundation Establishment Dao Lord whose faction occupied the seat immediately following Li Guang's showed no desire to act.
If Lu Changsheng died, wouldn't he be next in line?
If things continued this way, the four survivors would inevitably be the representatives of the four factions seated last.
At first, the others had not thought it through, acting on reflex to eliminate the Wang clan's Dao Lord. But seeing him obliterated in an instant served as a stark wake-up call.
If they followed the seating order to hunt down targets, whose wedding dress were they sewing?
With that realization, many halted in their tracks.
Nevertheless, four figures charged forward with the greatest ferocity, without the slightest hesitation.
Among the four were two Foundation Establishment Dao Lords and two Dao Foundation martial artists.
Without question, they represented the four factions seated dead last among the eighteen.
Four people would survive in the end. As long as the four of them joined forces, they had nothing to fear from behind and no worries about backstabbing.
Thus, without needing to exchange a single word, they formed an unspoken alliance and pounced straight at Lu Changsheng, brimming with confidence and determined to slay him!
Countless gazes locked onto Lu Changsheng.
Yet Lu Changsheng remained unmoved.
The expression on his face did not change in the slightest; he stood utterly calm.
Facing four peak experts, he remained still.
*Buzz.*
Four laws flared with brilliance.
Instantly, the Four Symbols Prison manifested, descending upon the four experts in a flash.
All at once, the four discovered that no matter what they did, they could not close the distance to Lu Changsheng.
They were trapped!
"Spiritual Black Hole."
At the same time, Lu Changsheng unleashed his Spiritual Black Hole without restraint.
The massive black vortex swallowed all four experts.
Of course, the Spiritual Black Hole consumed only spirit. Martial artists and Dao Lords with exceptionally formidable spirits or soul-defending treasures could endure for a short while.
Yet it was only a brief reprieve.
Even among peak Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment experts, very few could withstand Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole.
*Thud.*
Two of the experts—the Foundation Establishment Dao Lords—stiffened simultaneously.
Their eyes wide, they collapsed rigidly to the ground, entirely devoid of life.
Dead!
Without warning, they had perished, without a single wound on their bodies.
Yet their life force was utterly extinguished.
Only the two Dao Foundation martial artists remained, trembling violently in agonizing torment as though straining with all their might to resist.
Lu Changsheng waved a hand.
"Flame Stream."
A torrent of blazing fire instantly enveloped the two martial artists.
Submerged in the flames, they offered virtually no resistance before perishing as well.
Everyone bore witness to this spectacle.
Minds went completely blank.
What had just happened?
Moments ago, four peak experts had charged with overwhelming momentum to lay siege to Lu Changsheng. Yet they had been slaughtered instead?
In the blink of an eye, the tables had turned.
Four top experts had been annihilated in a flash.
"How is that possible? Those weren't ordinary Dao Foundation or Foundation Establishment cultivators; they were peak Dao Lords and Dao Foundation experts standing at the very pinnacle of their realms! How could one man wipe them out alone?"
"Was that... a spiritual divine technique? And likely a consummate-level peak spiritual technique capable of directly annihilating the spirit of Foundation Establishment Dao Lords! Just how terrifying is its power?"
"Does such a horrifying spiritual technique even exist?"
"Where on earth did Li Guang find this Lu Changsheng? Unbelievable..."
Four peak experts were dead.
Now, only nine competitors remained.
Excluding Lu Changsheng, there were merely eight.
In an instant, an acute sense of danger seized every one of them.
"He's too strong! We have to join forces, or we'll all die!" several martial artists shouted.
Everyone understood this truth. Originally, their strengths had been evenly matched. But with such a ferocious monster suddenly appearing among them, uniting was their only hope.
Otherwise, death awaited.
Yet could they truly join forces?
Now, only the four experts seated furthest back might have wished to unite. But recalling the fate of the previous four, their hearts turned to ice.
They could not band together. Doing so would only hasten their demise.
Flee!
All at once, the remaining eight experts scattered in every direction.
They chose neither to unite nor to confront Lu Changsheng.
They would stall!
As long as they dragged it out until Lu Changsheng slew five more people, they would be victorious, securing their advancement to the third round.
Yet among them were shrewd individuals.
"Hmph! Our goal is to take first place in the Treasure Contest."
"Even if you reach the third round, what then? The third round is even worse—one-on-one duels until a victor emerges. Do any of you have the confidence to defeat Lu Changsheng in single combat?"
"Indeed! If we don't join hands now, reaching the third round is tantamount to handing first place to Lu Changsheng on a silver platter!"
"Only by joining forces now do we have a glimmer of hope to contest for first place. Once Lu Changsheng is eliminated, our strengths are roughly equal, and any of us could win the contest. We can settle the score in the third round!"
The eight remaining experts exchanged urgent messages.
None of them were fools. As battle-hardened veterans, a single exchange was enough to gauge superior and inferior strength.
Without question, Lu Changsheng's display had been overwhelming.
Slaying four great experts in an instant!
Who could stand against such monstrous might?
If this went on, the third round would hardly need to be fought—Lu Changsheng would take first place uncontested.
Curiously, Lu Changsheng showed no intention of pursuing the eight.
He stood quietly in place, his gaze sweeping over them one by one.
Lu Changsheng had his own thoughts.
He felt that proceeding to a third round was simply too tedious.
He might as well resolve everything right here in the second round!
Though the second round was meant to eliminate ten competitors and leave four for the finals, what if only one person remained?
If all the other experts were dead and only one stood tall, what third round would there be to speak of?
Thus, Lu Changsheng was waiting.
He was waiting for the eight experts to join hands.
Only if they attacked together could he hope to slay them all in an exceedingly short span of time.
Otherwise, if he hunted them down one by one, Wu Shun would declare the second round over the moment only four were left. Lu Changsheng could hardly defy Wu Shun's orders to strike by force.
The best opportunity was for the eight experts to initiate a collective assault.
So Lu Changsheng remained motionless, letting the eight deliberate.
As for defeat?
Lu Changsheng had never even entertained the thought.
He possessed absolute confidence now. With his current strength, how could he possibly fail?
Moments trickled by.
Within a few breaths, the eight experts reached a consensus.
They had realized that leaving Lu Changsheng unchecked was impossible; in the third round, their defeat would be absolute.
To contest for the treasure, Lu Changsheng had to be dealt with now.
"Kill!" the eight roared in unison.
The brain domains and divine techniques of peak Dao Foundation cultivators, alongside the spells, formations, and magic treasures of peak Foundation Establishment Dao Lords, all bombarded Lu Changsheng at once.
"Just what I wanted!"
"This is a fine chance to test just how unbreakable my Four Symbols Prison truly is."
Standing with his hands behind his back, Lu Changsheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
*Buzz.*
Four radiant lights flared anew.
The Four Symbols Prison expanded instantly, blazing with dazzling brilliance like a true celestial cage as it descended.
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng's Four Symbols Prison firmly enveloped all eight experts.
The binding power took effect immediately. At the same time, the attacks of the eight experts slammed into the interior of the prison, meeting it in a head-on collision.
The Four Symbols Prison shuddered violently.
The incoming power was colossal; after all, eight peak experts were no ordinary foes.
Yet in that moment, the terrifying resilience of the Four Symbols Prison shone through. Even against such devastating force, it held fast.
Though it likely could not endure for long, withstanding a single collective strike was more than enough!
Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Changsheng acted.
The opportunity had arrived!
He would wipe out all eight in one fell swoop!
"Five Elements Decomposition Divine Technique!"
"Lesser Five Elements Annihilation!"
"Flame Stream..."
Utterly composed, Lu Changsheng unleashed one offensive divine technique after another.
The Five Elements Decomposition Divine Technique in particular dismantled every magic treasure it touched, causing them to shatter into fragments.
After all, virtually every magic treasure was crafted from materials rooted in the five elements, while Lu Changsheng's technique held absolute dominion over elemental forces. Once their magic treasures disintegrated, the Foundation Establishment Dao Lords lost half their combat strength.
Then came the Lesser Five Elements Annihilation, destroying and obliterating all in its path.
And Flame Stream, reducing everything to ash.
Whether peak Dao Foundation or peak Foundation Establishment, boundless terror gripped their hearts.
They could feel the cold breath of death.
If this continued, they would die!
"No..."
The eight experts cried out in horror, their voices trembling.
Yet it was useless.
Unable to break the Four Symbols Prison, they could only watch helplessly as Lu Changsheng's myriad divine techniques drowned their bodies.
Gradually, the auras of the eight peak Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment experts waned until they vanished entirely.
Silence!
The entire mountain villa fell into deathly quiet.
Every one of the eighteen factions stared with wide eyes, gazing blankly at Lu Changsheng and the divine techniques raging through the void.
They could scarcely believe the sight before them.
Amidst the storm of divine techniques, Lu Changsheng stood alone.
Around him, not a single trace of a peak Dao Foundation or Foundation Establishment aura remained.
Dead!
Even with eight peak experts joining forces, all had perished.
Counting the five eliminated earlier, that made thirteen. Adding the four eliminated in the first round, the total was seventeen!
Across the eighteen factions, seventeen experts were dead.
In other words, save for Lu Changsheng, not a single competitor remained among the eighteen factions.
This development caused even the perpetually composed Wu Shun's expression to change drastically.
The Treasure Contest he had planned consisted of three rounds.
Yet now, was there any point to a third round?
None!
Because of the eighteen factions, only Li Guang's remained.
How could a third round proceed?
The victor was already self-evident.
"Good! Well done, Lu Changsheng!"
"You wiped out the champions of every other faction in the second round. Now no one is left to contest the third, and it cannot go on."
"The Treasure Contest has concluded..."
Wu Shun spoke slowly, enunciating every word.
Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng dispersed all his divine techniques.
Even after the techniques vanished, not a single corpse of the eight experts could be seen in the villa.
Evidently, they had all been reduced to ashes.
They were truly dead.
Even their seemingly indestructible magic treasures had been decomposed and incinerated into nothingness.
"No, this is impossible!"
"Li Guang, how could you have found such a monster?"
"Even seventeen factions joining forces were no match for him! Could this Lu Changsheng be a Divine Ability realm expert in disguise?"
"Investigate! We must investigate this thoroughly!"
Unable to accept this outcome, Qi Tianyi glared venomously at Li Guang, attempting to stir up trouble.
Li Guang was completely unfazed, sneering in response. "Qi Tianyi, a Divine Ability realm expert in disguise? What a ridiculous thought! Why don't you try having a Divine Ability expert disguise themselves as a Dao Foundation martial artist?"
"There are Divine Ability experts and even a Golden Core True Person right here! Do you think they are mere decorations, unable to tell whether Brother Lu is a Dao Foundation cultivator or a Divine Ability expert?"
Qi Tianyi's expression darkened.
He knew his accusation was merely finding fault out of spite.
Yet he was truly unwilling to accept this.
The other factions felt the same.
Anyone could have won first place, but Qi Tianyi simply could not stomach Li Guang taking it. If Li Guang won, he would mock Qi Tianyi endlessly in the future.
At this moment, Wu Shun turned to Golden Core True Person Old Man Qing beside him and asked, "Old Man Qing, what do you think? Is Lu Changsheng a Divine Ability realm expert?"
Old Man Qing was a top-tier Golden Core True Person with piercing vision.
How could he fail to see through Lu Changsheng?
"Lu Changsheng has condensed a divine ability Dao fruit, but it has yet to transform. He remains at the Dao Foundation level,"
Old Man Qing stated slowly.
Though some referred to martial artists who had condensed a Dao fruit as 'half-step Divine Ability,' that was merely a title. Even a half-step was not the true Divine Ability realm.
It was still half a step short.
Furthermore, when it came to condensing Dao fruits, most of the top Dao Foundation experts recruited by the eighteen factions had likely done so already.
They had simply been waiting for Heavenly Spirit Water to transform their Dao fruits into true divine abilities and become genuine Divine Ability realm experts.
Those top Dao Foundation experts had accepted the recruitment of the eighteen factions precisely for the Heavenly Spirit Water. In the end, they had failed to obtain it and thrown away their lives instead—hardly worth the price.
Yet Lu Changsheng had triumphed.
He would receive the Heavenly Spirit Water he desired.
"Wu Shun, can you make the announcement now?" Li Guang asked.
Wu Shun nodded. "Since the man you brought is so formidable that he is the sole survivor, the third round of this Treasure Contest is indeed unnecessary."
"I hereby announce: the winner of the Treasure Contest is Lu Changsheng!"
As Wu Shun spoke, an irrepressible look of excitement spread across Li Guang's face.
"Hahaha, first place at last!"
"In past years, I lost a treasure every single time. Today, I've won it all back!"
"Qi Tianyi, I'll gladly accept your treasure without standing on ceremony, hahaha!"
Li Guang did not miss the opportunity to taunt Qi Tianyi.
Qi Tianyi's face was dark, and he remained silent. However unwilling he was, he could only acquiesce. Wu Shun had already spoken; continuing to make a scene would be slapping Wu Shun in the face, and Qi Tianyi was not that foolish.
Lu Changsheng drifted over to Li Guang's side.
Li Guang beamed. "Brother Lu, I owe you my thanks this time. The five drops of Heavenly Spirit Water promised to you will be handed over as soon as we return to the Li Chamber of Commerce."
Lu Changsheng nodded.
Those were the five drops Li Guang had pledged.
Li Guang collected the treasures of the other seventeen factions one by one, brimming with joy. Even he found these items alluring, which spoke volumes of their worth. Otherwise, the Treasure Contest would never have drawn such widespread attention.
Every treasure was immensely valuable, and now all belonged to Li Guang.
"Well, the Treasure Contest is over. It took far less time than in previous years."
"Indeed. We've certainly had our eyes opened today—to think a Dao Foundation cultivator could be this strong."
"Lu Changsheng..."
The representatives of the prominent factions turned their eyes toward Lu Changsheng.
They knew Lu Changsheng was merely a temporary recruit and not a member of the Li Chamber of Commerce. If they wished to recruit him, nothing stopped them from trying.
Even Wu Shun took an interest.
"Lu Changsheng, could you tell me which divine technique that five-element technique of yours was?" Wu Shun asked.
Lu Changsheng glanced at him and replied calmly, "It is the Five Elements Decomposition Divine Technique, deduced by Lu himself."
"A self-deduced divine technique?"
"Incredible! Truly extraordinary! I know some top Dao Foundation martial artists deduce their own divine techniques, eventually evolving them into divine abilities, but that is exceedingly rare. Deducing a peak divine technique is as difficult as ascending to the heavens."
"To think I would witness someone deducing a peak divine technique today, and such a powerful one at that..."
The onlookers gasped in admiration.
A self-deduced divine technique required peerless comprehension. With such talent, the divine ability condensed from it could never be ordinary.
Some even began to harbor suspicions.
A greater divine ability!
Lu Changsheng had most likely condensed a greater divine ability Dao fruit.
Once it transformed, it would become a true greater divine ability!
"Hahaha, now that the Treasure Contest has ended, I shall take my leave," Li Guang said, sensing an impending threat.
So many people were eyeing Lu Changsheng like hungry wolves.
Li Guang now fully understood Lu Changsheng's worth. He could not allow other factions to poach him away.
Even if Lu Changsheng was only a temporary hire, Li Guang refused to let the other seventeen factions steal him. Thus, departing the villa as quickly as possible was paramount.
Wu Shun did not stop them.
He allowed Li Guang to leave the mountain villa alongside Lu Changsheng, carrying his haul of treasures.
"Brother Lu, I truly owe you everything this time. I made an enormous profit,"
Li Guang said. "Though I cannot share these treasures with you, I will naturally honor my word regarding our prior agreement."
"Come, let us head straight to the Li Chamber of Commerce."
True to his word, Li Guang brought Lu Changsheng directly to the Li Chamber of Commerce.
First, he handed Lu Changsheng five drops of Heavenly Spirit Water.
Then Li Guang gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Lu, Heavenly Spirit Water is exceptionally precious. I can only make this promise to you this once. In the future, if you wish to purchase more, it will still cost ten thousand spirit stones per drop."
"Therefore, seize this opportunity to buy as many drops as you can. I can make the decision to waive the thirty-drop limit for you. As long as you have the spirit stones, you may purchase as much as you like right now."
"In fact, if you lack sufficient spirit stones, I can even lend you some," Li Guang offered in a low voice.
Originally, Li Guang had not planned on lending Lu Changsheng spirit stones. After all, their relationship was merely a business transaction.
However, ever since Lu Changsheng displayed such terrifying strength and potential at the contest, Li Guang had changed his mind.
He was seeking to win Lu Changsheng over.
Even if he could not recruit Lu Changsheng into the Li Chamber of Commerce, deepening their connection was well worth it.
When encountering a supreme genius who had very likely condensed a greater divine ability Dao fruit, failing to build a strong rapport would be the height of stupidity.
Though Li Guang lacked cultivation talent, he was far from foolish; on the contrary, his mind was exceptionally sharp.
"Borrow spirit stones?"
Lu Changsheng made a rough calculation.
He had previously used thirteen drops of Heavenly Spirit Water, and with the five drops gifted by Li Guang, that made eighteen drops.
He needed eighty-two more drops to reach a hundred.
Li Guang was offering him a discount of nine thousand spirit stones per drop.
Eighty-two drops would require around seven hundred and forty thousand spirit stones.
Lu Changsheng currently had three hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones on him, leaving a deficit of roughly four hundred thousand.
With that in mind, Lu Changsheng looked up and asked directly, "Then Lu will not stand on ceremony. I would like to borrow four hundred thousand spirit stones. What does Brother Li think?"
Lu Changsheng did not hold back in the slightest.
Four hundred thousand spirit stones in a single breath!
This was an astronomical sum, one that even Li Guang could not produce casually.
"Four hundred thousand spirit stones?"
Li Guang froze momentarily, falling into deep contemplation.
Such a massive figure was indeed not something Li Guang could easily produce under normal circumstances.
Of course, things were different now. He had just achieved total victory at the Treasure Contest, obtaining seventeen treasures, each worth no less than one hundred thousand spirit stones.
Scraping together four hundred thousand spirit stones would not be difficult for him.
Yet this was a loan!
Lending four hundred thousand spirit stones to a stranger was no small matter.
Even to Divine Ability realm experts, four hundred thousand spirit stones was a staggering sum. Consider that Lu Changsheng had fought tooth and nail in the Battle Arena just to earn three hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones in total.
That showed just how daunting four hundred thousand spirit stones truly were.
Yet Lu Changsheng had made the request nonetheless.
He knew Li Guang wanted to win him over, and Lu Changsheng did not reject the notion.
If someone wished to recruit him, how could they expect to do so without paying a price?
Lu Changsheng had stated his terms. Whether Li Guang agreed was entirely up to Li Guang.
The atmosphere grew quiet and heavy.
Lu Changsheng did not press him, waiting patiently.
Sometimes, a person's choice at a specific juncture could shape their entire life.
Clearly, this decision was of vital importance.
It was important to Lu Changsheng, but even more so to Li Guang!
Li Guang had not thought too deeply before. Courting Lu Changsheng had merely been an instinctive impulse.
Yet now that Lu Changsheng had responded and set his terms, Li Guang had to weigh the matter thoroughly.
If he won Lu Changsheng over, what benefits would it bring him? What could he achieve?
Li Guang saw the situation with absolute clarity. Courting Lu Changsheng was not befriending an ordinary Divine Ability cultivator, but one who commanded a greater divine ability!
A greater divine ability represented peak combat power even within the Li Chamber of Commerce.
While the Li Chamber of Commerce had a Saint-level expert presiding over it, that was the Li clan's ancestor, who rarely showed his face.
The ones truly running the clan and vying for authority were peak Divine Ability experts or wielders of greater divine abilities!
*If I secure the full backing of a greater divine ability cultivator, must I truly just wait around to die in mediocrity within the clan?*
*No, I still have a chance. If I can seize control of the clan's power and mobilize its influence to gather treasures, who says I can't condense a divine ability? I'm not like that useless Qi Tianyi; I still have some talent.*
*With supreme treasures, I might truly have a shot at condensing a divine ability and stepping into the Divine Ability realm!*
A sharp light flickered in Li Guang's eyes.
The ambitions that had long lain dormant in his heart flared to life once more.
Contesting for the position of Clan Patriarch?
It had seemed completely out of reach before, to the point that Li Guang had given up on it himself.
Yet now, with Lu Changsheng's support, Li Guang felt that the seat of Clan Patriarch was something he could truly reach for.
According to the rules, Li Guang's father would soon step down from the patriarch's seat. That position was chosen through clan-wide selection, not passed down from father to son.
Once his father was no longer patriarch, could Li Guang continue living such a comfortable life?
Impossible!
*This position of Clan Patriarch... perhaps I truly can fight for it!*
A brilliant light flashed in Li Guang's eyes!
Chapter 212