Lu Changsheng returned to the Holy Land Heavenly Sect.
The Holy Land Heavenly Sect was situated outside Tiansheng City, which in truth was practically no different from being in Tiansheng City itself. It fell squarely within Tiansheng City's sphere of influence.
Moreover, the Holy Land Heavenly Sect maintained close ties with the Li Chamber of Commerce.
Because of this, the sect's development over this period had been remarkably smooth and steady.
With Lu Tong managing sect affairs, Lu Changsheng felt entirely at ease.
Upon returning to the Holy Land Heavenly Sect, Lu Changsheng immediately announced that he was entering seclusion.
Inside the cultivation chamber, Lu Changsheng retrieved all two hundred drops of Heavenly Spirit Water.
"Two hundred drops of Heavenly Spirit Water. Even if Four Symbols Prison and Five Elements Decomposition are stronger than Spiritual Black Hole, no matter how much stronger they are, two hundred drops should be enough."
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath.
He weighed his options for a brief moment, but without hesitating long, a decision took shape in his mind.
*Hum.*
A massive divine ability Dao fruit materialized above Lu Changsheng's head.
It was the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability Dao fruit!
Lu Changsheng then uncorked the porcelain bottle.
Drop after drop of Heavenly Spirit Water instantly flew into the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability Dao fruit.
The Five Elements Decomposition divine ability Dao fruit, which originally bore a faint touch of ethereal insubstantiality, swiftly began condensing into solid reality under the nourishment of the copious Heavenly Spirit Water.
Time trickled by.
Ten drops, twenty drops, thirty drops, forty drops, fifty drops...
In the blink of an eye, Lu Changsheng had already refined one hundred drops of Heavenly Spirit Water into the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability Dao fruit.
Yet it remained insufficient.
The Five Elements Decomposition divine ability Dao fruit still seemed far from satisfied, showing no signs of completing its ultimate metamorphosis.
Lu Changsheng continued refining the Heavenly Spirit Water.
One hundred and ten drops, one hundred and twenty drops, one hundred and thirty drops, one hundred and forty drops...
When the Heavenly Spirit Water Lu Changsheng refined reached one hundred and fifty drops—
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng's divine ability Dao fruit shuddered violently.
At the same time, the Dao fruit split open, and the divine ability burst into being.
*Whoosh.*
Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.
With scarcely a shift of his thought, five-colored radiance materialized out of thin air.
Engulfed by the five-colored radiance, the quiet cultivation chamber instantly began crumbling.
Earth, metal, stone walls—none of it offered the slightest resistance.
Everything was directly decomposed by the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability.
From a distance, it looked as though the chamber were collapsing and melting away all at once.
"It worked!"
"The Five Elements Decomposition divine ability can directly break down anything belonging to the five elements."
"Such might... is truly inconceivable!"
Lu Changsheng looked at the chamber before him.
It was already riddled with gaping holes.
The chamber walls had been broken down entirely.
A massive pit had even been decomposed into the ground.
If Lu Changsheng continued unleashing the divine ability, the earth itself would likely be decomposed into nothingness.
If the coverage of his Five Elements Decomposition divine ability were vast enough, he could easily erase an entire city from existence.
Take Tiansheng City, for example.
As long as Lu Changsheng's Five Elements Decomposition divine ability could envelop Tiansheng City, it could thoroughly erase the city in a single instant!
This was a boundless divine ability!
It truly reigned supreme over all divine abilities.
A truly boundless power!
In truth, the boundless divine ability Lu Changsheng had transformed previously was Spiritual Black Hole.
While Spiritual Black Hole was undoubtedly marvelous, its physical destructive power lagged far behind that of ordinary divine abilities.
To say nothing of greater divine abilities, it was inferior even to lesser divine abilities in raw devastation.
In fact, it possessed virtually zero physical destructive force.
Its miraculous effects were aimed solely at the mind and spirit.
In terms of pure destructive capability, Lu Changsheng had previously hardly counted as a true Divine Ability realm martial artist.
Now, however, things were different.
With the full metamorphosis of the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability, Lu Changsheng now commanded two boundless divine abilities.
In particular, with Five Elements Decomposition, any substance or power within the domain of the five elements would be directly broken down.
"The Five Elements Decomposition divine ability can break down anything of the five elements."
"The saint bodies forged by many Martial Saints are actually formed by refining five-elements materials, falling within that very domain."
"I wonder if the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability could decompose a Martial Saint's saint body?"
Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath.
A daring thought took root in his mind.
A so-called saint body involved using external objects and various materials to temper and cast the physical form until it harmonized with one's divine ability.
Once that harmony was achieved, the divine ability could be thoroughly integrated into the flesh, creating a saint body.
When that time came, every gesture and movement carried the immense might of the divine ability.
In fact, a saint body could amplify a divine ability's power by tenfold or even a hundredfold!
In theory, there was simply no comparison between a Divine Ability realm martial artist and a Martial Saint.
With a saint body amplifying a divine ability tenfold or a hundredfold, just how terrifying would the power behind every casual strike be?
Formidable though Lu Changsheng's Five Elements Decomposition divine ability was in breaking down five-elements matter, what if that matter was simply too powerful?
For instance, water could extinguish fire.
Yet if the flame burned hot and fierce enough, it could turn around and scorch the water into steam.
Lu Changsheng's Five Elements Decomposition divine ability was undeniably a boundless divine ability.
Yet a Martial Saint stood aloof at the pinnacle.
With a tenfold or hundredfold amplification from a saint body, a Martial Saint's blow could shake the heavens and shatter the earth.
Lu Changsheng certainly dared not claim that he could contend with a Martial Saint.
It was merely an idle thought that had surfaced in his mind.
Yet that thought was like a seed, taking root and sprouting in his heart, impossible to banish.
"It took roughly one hundred and fifty-three drops of Heavenly Spirit Water to finally bring the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability Dao fruit to complete metamorphosis."
"The Four Symbols Prison Dao fruit is similar to Five Elements Decomposition, so it should also require around one hundred and fifty drops of Heavenly Spirit Water."
Lu Changsheng made a quick calculation.
He had forty-seven drops of Heavenly Spirit Water left.
He would only need to purchase another one hundred and ten drops to ensure he had enough.
Still, Lu Changsheng was in no hurry.
Instead, he continued using the Heavenly Spirit Water to temper the Four Symbols Prison Dao fruit.
Once the Heavenly Spirit Water was completely exhausted, he would visit the Li Chamber of Commerce.
By then, the ancestor of the Li clan would surely have reached a decision.
While Lu Changsheng was secluded in cultivation, Li Guang and Li Chengwu finished their discussion.
Afterward, the two made their way to the clan's secret grounds to request an audience with their Martial Saint ancestor.
Within the secret grounds, they met the pillar of the Li clan—Martial Saint Li Zhenggang!
"Li Chengwu, the current patriarch of the Li clan, together with the clan heir, Li Guang, pays respects to the ancestor!"
The two bowed respectfully in a full kowtow toward Li Zhenggang.
They knew that the Martial Saint ancestor before them was a genuine, bona fide founding ancestor.
He had presided over the Li clan for over a thousand years!
Through a millennium of years, the clan had seen its share of ups and downs.
Yet no matter what crisis arose, as long as the ancestor remained, the Li clan could safely weather the storm.
Such was the significance of a Martial Saint.
A divine ability martial artist enjoyed a lifespan of eight hundred years.
A Martial Saint lived for three thousand!
Every Martial Saint could live for three thousand years.
Therefore, if a faction could produce a single Martial Saint, it could truly guarantee a thousand years of glory!
"Li Chengwu?"
"I remember you. Speak. What trouble has the clan encountered this time?"
Li Zhenggang spoke slowly.
Due to certain circumstances, he had spent the last several centuries in continuous seclusion, never venturing outside.
"Ancestor, this matter concerns Lu Changsheng."
"Lu Changsheng wishes to enter the Martial Saint Mansion, and he requires Ancestor's recommendation spot."
"Therefore..."
Li Chengwu spoke in a low, tentative voice.
"The Martial Saint Mansion?"
Li Zhenggang neither approved nor dismissed the idea immediately.
This was only natural. Which Divine Ability realm martial artist did not yearn for the Martial Saint Mansion?
If one wished to become a Martial Saint and forge a saint body, the Martial Saint Mansion was indispensable—a veritable shortcut that could save countless years of effort.
One might still manage to become a Martial Saint without joining the Martial Saint Mansion, but that was like the difference between a rogue cultivator and a disciple of a great sect.
Even if both forged a saint body and attained the Martial Saint realm, how vast would the gap between them be?
Li Zhenggang lowered his gaze, his tone placid. "A recommendation spot for the Martial Saint Mansion is no small matter. In the past ten years, has the clan produced any exceptional juniors worthy of cultivation?"
"This..."
Li Chengwu kept his head bowed, speaking with utmost care. "Reporting to Ancestor, your descendants are incompetent..."
Li Zhenggang understood.
Over the past ten years, the younger generation of the Li clan had amounted to nothing more than a flock of mediocre deadweight.
Or rather, none among them could be presented with pride.
Forging a saint body was utterly out of the question for them.
A thousand years had passed, yet the Li clan still had only him as its sole Martial Saint!
The moment he perished, the Li clan would fall into complete decline.
Fortunately, Li Zhenggang was still far from his ultimate end.
He still had over a thousand years of life ahead of him.
He had plenty of time to wait for a truly gifted talent to emerge from the Li clan.
"The recommendation spot for the Martial Saint Mansion can be given to Lu Changsheng, but on one condition."
"If he passes the assessment of the Martial Saint Mansion, enters the inner mansion, becomes an inner mansion martial artist, and eventually forges a saint body to become a Martial Saint, he must obtain a Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill for this old man."
"Only a Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill can thoroughly mend the injuries to my saint body and grant me full recovery. Otherwise, even though I have over a thousand years of lifespan remaining, it is hard to say how long I will truly survive. Moreover, every time I take action, the damage to my saint body worsens, accelerating the drain on my lifespan."
"With Lu Changsheng's talent, once he becomes a Martial Saint, obtaining a Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill shouldn't be difficult."
Centuries ago, Li Zhenggang had engaged in a bitter battle, suffering severe damage to his saint body.
Even after mobilizing the full power of the Li clan, he had failed to gather the miraculous elixirs capable of healing it completely.
After all, pills of the Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill's caliber were virtually unobtainable on the open market, rare even for ordinary Martial Saints to lay hands on.
Yet if Lu Changsheng became a Martial Saint, he would certainly be no ordinary one.
Li Zhenggang was well aware of Lu Changsheng's talent.
"Very well. We will pass the message to Lu Changsheng. He should agree!" Li Guang said.
"Go, then."
With a wave of Li Zhenggang's hand, the two respectfully withdrew.
At the Holy Land Heavenly Sect, Li Guang arrived in person.
Lu Changsheng had already ended his seclusion.
He had refined the remaining forty-seven drops of Heavenly Spirit Water into the Four Symbols Prison divine ability Dao fruit, but it was still quite a distance from completing its metamorphosis.
Thus, the moment Lu Changsheng sensed Li Guang's arrival at the sect, he stepped out immediately to welcome him.
"Brother Li, what was the ancestor's reply?"
Lu Changsheng asked directly, unable to conceal his anticipation.
Li Guang smiled faintly. "Ancestor has agreed to give Brother Lu the recommendation spot for the Martial Saint Mansion, but there is one condition."
"What condition?" Lu Changsheng asked.
He knew very well that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
For a recommendation spot of such immense value, it would have been strange if the Li clan did not attach any strings.
After all, regardless of how close Lu Changsheng's friendship with Li Guang was, Lu Changsheng was not a member of the Li clan.
The Li clan could not possibly hand over the recommendation spot for nothing.
Li Guang took a deep breath, his tone solemn as he enunciated every word: "Ancestor stated that if Brother Lu enters the inner mansion of the Martial Saint Mansion with this recommendation spot, and later forges a saint body to become a Martial Saint, you must find a way to obtain a Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill and deliver it to the Li clan."
"If Brother Lu agrees, the recommendation spot for the Martial Saint Mansion is yours."
"That is Ancestor's condition. What does Brother Lu think?"
Lu Changsheng was slightly taken aback. "A Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill?"
"It is a sacred healing medicine..."
Lu Changsheng fell into thought.
Li Guang did not elaborate further.
The ancestor's injuries, his flawed saint body, his inability to recover over centuries, and his confinement to the clan's secret grounds were hardly matters of pride.
Naturally, the Li clan would not broadcast such things.
Yet Lu Changsheng understood.
The Li clan ancestor was most likely injured and required the Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill to fully heal.
He knew the Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill must be exceedingly precious.
However, that was a matter for after he achieved the Martial Saint realm.
The Li clan's sincerity could hardly be questioned.
"Very well, I agree!"
"Once I enter the Martial Saint Mansion and achieve the Martial Saint realm in the future, I will certainly find a way to deliver a Heavenly Rain Fortune Pill to the Li clan!"
Lu Changsheng gave his word.
"That is wonderful."
"This is our Li Chamber of Commerce's recommendation token. The bearer may enter the Martial Saint Mansion and become an inner mansion martial artist. You will only need to undergo a minor verification—at the very least, to confirm you are in the Divine Ability realm—before joining the Martial Saint Mansion."
Lu Changsheng understood.
It was merely going through the motions.
With the recommendation token in hand, entering the inner mansion to become an inner mansion martial artist was practically guaranteed.
Compared to the outer mansion martial artists, this was undeniably unfair.
Yet if an outer mansion martial artist became a Martial Saint and earned recommendation privileges in the future, their descendants could likewise become inner mansion martial artists directly, enjoying all kinds of conveniences and resources.
This was the martial world, where the strong were revered. Where could one find absolute fairness?
Lu Changsheng put away the recommendation token.
He then said directly, "I still require one hundred and ten drops of Heavenly Spirit Water."
"I already prepared them for Brother Lu. Our Li Chamber of Commerce did not have that much on hand, so we had to procure some from other chambers of commerce, but supplying Brother Lu is no problem at all."
"The price remains at ninety percent: nine hundred and ninety thousand spirit stones in total."
Lu Changsheng nodded.
The Li clan had invested heavily in him.
Li Guang befriending him was naturally not out of pure selflessness; he was investing in Lu Changsheng's future.
A return could only be expected once Lu Changsheng became a Martial Saint.
"Then many thanks, Brother Li."
Lu Changsheng did not stand on ceremony. He handed over nine hundred and ninety thousand spirit stones and accepted the one hundred and ten drops of Heavenly Spirit Water.
"Then I shall take my leave and allow Brother Lu to cultivate."
Li Guang rose and departed from the Holy Land Heavenly Sect.
Lu Changsheng returned to his seclusion.
He now possessed one hundred and ten drops of Heavenly Spirit Water.
Combined with the forty-seven drops he had refined earlier, it would more than suffice to bring the Four Symbols Prison divine ability Dao fruit to complete metamorphosis.
Thus, Lu Changsheng resumed refining the Heavenly Spirit Water.
Fifty drops, eighty drops, one hundred drops, one hundred and twenty drops...
As time slipped away, the amount of Heavenly Spirit Water Lu Changsheng refined grew steadily greater.
Finally, when Lu Changsheng refined the one hundred and fifty-first drop—
*Rumble!*
The Four Symbols Prison divine ability Dao fruit shattered in an instant, merging completely into Lu Changsheng's body.
At the same time, Lu Changsheng shifted his thought.
*Boom!*
The Four Symbols Prison divine ability manifested instantly.
A boundless divine ability!
Yet another boundless divine ability!
Moreover, it was a boundless divine ability of the entrapment and confinement type.
Once trapped by such an ability, accompanied by the Five Elements Decomposition divine ability and the Spiritual Black Hole divine ability, three boundless divine abilities complemented one another.
Who could possibly stand against him?
At this moment, Lu Changsheng truly stood at the very pinnacle of the Divine Ability realm!
"Mm, six drops of Heavenly Spirit Water remain."
"These six drops can be left with the Holy Land Heavenly Sect to serve as the sect's foundation."
"Now that the three boundless divine abilities are complete, it is time to head to the Martial Saint Mansion!"
Lu Changsheng had long made up his mind.
With that, he rose and exited the cultivation chamber.
He went directly to find the Sect Master of the Holy Land Heavenly Sect, Lu Tong.
"Sect Master."
Seeing Lu Changsheng, Lu Tong hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Venerable Lu."
Although Lu Tong was the Sect Master of the Holy Land Heavenly Sect, his standing could not compare to Lu Changsheng's.
Lu Changsheng had founded the Holy Land Heavenly Sect with his own hands; strictly speaking, he was the sect's founding patriarch.
Of course, since the Holy Land Heavenly Sect shared an unbroken lineage with the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, Lu Changsheng was not formally referred to as the patriarch.
Yet his prestige was immense.
In the entire Holy Land Heavenly Sect, no one commanded greater reverence than Lu Changsheng.
He was practically the very symbol of the sect.
"Sect Master, here are six drops of Heavenly Spirit Water. They may be placed into the sect's treasury."
"Heavenly Spirit Water? Venerable Lu, you have no further need for it?"
"Indeed. My three divine abilities are now complete, so I have no further need for Heavenly Spirit Water."
Lu Tong felt a profound jolt in his chest.
He naturally knew Lu Changsheng's true depth.
Outsiders believed Lu Changsheng possessed only a single boundless divine ability.
Yet Lu Tong knew full well that Lu Changsheng had initially condensed three divine ability Dao fruits.
Moreover, all three were boundless divine abilities!
Now, all three of Lu Changsheng's boundless divine abilities had undergone metamorphosis, complementing one another to terrifying effect. At this moment, even Lu Tong could affirm with absolute certainty that within the Divine Ability realm, Lu Changsheng no longer had any rival!
Even the reclusive, peerless prodigies hidden within the sacred lands would never be Lu Changsheng's match.
In the Divine Ability realm, Lu Changsheng was already invincible!
"Venerable Lu, the Divine Ability realm is divided into ordinary divine ability martial artists, top-tier divine ability martial artists, and Martial Venerables."
"In my view, that is not enough. There ought to be an invincible tier—and Venerable Lu is now invincible in the Divine Ability realm!" Lu Tong remarked with heartfelt emotion.
Yet Lu Changsheng did not seem to pay it much mind. He shook his head and said, "No matter how strong one is in the Divine Ability realm, it is still merely the Divine Ability realm. Faced with a Martial Saint, the disparity remains far too great."
"Above divine abilities lies the Martial Saint realm, but to become a Martial Saint, one must forge a saint body. Furthermore, the saint body must harmonize with one's own divine abilities, which is by no means an easy feat."
"I intend to travel to the Martial Saint Mansion to forge a saint body and attain the Martial Saint realm. I have already secured the recommendation spot for the Martial Saint Mansion."
"Therefore, going forward, the affairs of the Holy Land Heavenly Sect will depend on the Sect Master and the elders to maintain."
Lu Changsheng directly stated the purpose of his visit.
"The Martial Saint Mansion?"
"Splendid! That is truly magnificent!"
"Once you become an inner mansion martial artist, the likelihood of forging a saint body and attaining the Martial Saint realm increases by leaps and bounds."
"If Venerable Lu becomes a Martial Saint, our Holy Land Heavenly Sect will become a Martial Saint-level faction!"
Lu Tong's heart pounded with excitement, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes.
A Martial Saint-level faction!
Given Lu Changsheng's age, once he became a Martial Saint, he could sustain three thousand years of glorious prosperity for the Holy Land Heavenly Sect.
That was more than enough to elevate the Holy Land Heavenly Sect into one of the paramount factions of Tiansheng City.
How could Lu Tong not be thrilled?
"Who could have imagined that my Ancient Region Heavenly Sect would one day have the hope of becoming a Martial Saint-level faction?" Lu Tong sighed in wonder.
He did not say the Holy Land Heavenly Sect.
After all, he hailed from the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
Now that the three heavenly sects were united as one, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect was the Holy Land Heavenly Sect.
"I am off."
Lu Changsheng lingered no longer.
Transforming into a streak of light, he soared away from the Holy Land Heavenly Sect.
The Martial Saint Mansion was situated far from Tiansheng City.
Even with Lu Changsheng's speed, it took a full three months of flight before he arrived.
Three months was an exceptionally long journey.
However, Tiansheng City lacked a direct super long-distance teleportation array linked to the Martial Saint Mansion.
It was said that any faction capable of establishing a direct super long-distance teleportation array with the Martial Saint Mansion was extraordinarily formidable.
An ordinary Martial Saint-level faction was simply not qualified to erect a super long-distance teleportation array connecting to the mansion.
Still, it did not matter.
To a Divine Ability realm martial artist, three months of travel was negligible.
At long last, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Martial Saint Mansion.
The moment he reached the mansion, he was slightly taken aback.
The scene before his eyes surpassed his expectations.
Crowds bustled in an endless, weaving stream, resembling a prosperous mortal marketplace.
Yet every person here possessed a cultivation starting at the Dao Foundation realm, and many were Divine Ability realm martial artists.
The sheer number of people was staggering.
Lu Changsheng thought back to Tiansheng City, to Tianguang City, and to the Ancient Region.
The Ancient Region was already vast enough, to say nothing of the five great regions combined.
Yet compared to the entire Holy Land, it was scarcely worth mentioning.
The Holy Land was boundless and vast.
Even a Martial Saint flying for decades would fail to traverse it completely.
With such an immense domain, the Martial Saint Mansion, which gathered countless peerless prodigies from across the land, naturally drew numbers beyond counting.
This area, however, was merely the outer mansion.
It was still some distance from the true Martial Saint Mansion.
The core of the grounds was the inner mansion.
That was the true Martial Saint Mansion.
The terms "inner mansion" and "outer mansion" were merely names.
Only inner mansion martial artists were considered true disciples of the Martial Saint Mansion.
Outer mansion martial artists merely had the privilege to enter the grounds; they possessed no right to reside or cultivate within the Martial Saint Mansion.
Even obtaining cultivation techniques or resources required paying a steep price.
Yet it was an opportunity nonetheless, infinitely better than being a rogue cultivator.
Lu Changsheng drifted forward, heading directly toward the Martial Saint Mansion.
Soon, he laid eyes upon the mansion proper.
The Martial Saint Mansion was protected by a massive array.
This array did not appear to have been laid by a Golden Core expert.
Rather, it had been arranged by a Nascent Soul True Monarch, an array at the Nascent Soul level.
It required no guards to watch over it.
Without a token, one simply could not enter.
Lu Changsheng retrieved the recommendation token given by the Li clan ancestor.
*Hum.*
Sure enough, holding the token, Lu Changsheng encountered not the slightest resistance.
He passed effortlessly through the array and stepped into the Martial Saint Mansion.
Upon entering the mansion, he had officially arrived in the "inner mansion." The crowd was visibly sparser here, and the atmosphere far more tranquil.
Lu Changsheng made a few inquiries and soon arrived at the registration hall.
Many martial artists were currently registering here as well.
All of them had arrived sequentially from various corners of the Holy Land, holding recommendation tokens to become inner mansion martial artists.
Lu Changsheng took his place in line behind a tall, upright martial artist clad in fluttering white robes.
The martial artist glanced back at Lu Changsheng and introduced himself with easy familiarity: "Where does Fellow Daoist hail from? I am Wei He from Tongtian City."
Though the man was remarkably outgoing, Lu Changsheng merely nodded without offering much in response.
He saw no need to announce his background to a stranger.
Within the Martial Saint Mansion, Lu Changsheng preferred to remain prudent.
Wei He did not seem to mind in the slightest. He chuckled and said, "To come to the Martial Saint Mansion and become an inner mansion martial artist, one must be in the Divine Ability realm. That serves as the threshold. Once we step into the Martial Saint Mansion, the array itself verifies our cultivation. Without attaining divine abilities, one simply cannot enter."
Lu Changsheng came to a sudden realization.
In other words, by successfully entering the Martial Saint Mansion, the screening had already been passed.
It truly was just going through the motions.
With a recommendation token, one was essentially guaranteed to become an inner mansion martial artist.
This was precisely why recommendation tokens were so immensely valuable.
"Every newly arrived martial artist must register."
"Once registered, a cave abode residence will be assigned."
"Generally speaking, the assignment of a cave abode depends on the martial artist's own strength. The better the cave abode, the greater the resources and treatment one receives within the Martial Saint Mansion."
"Once the cave abodes are assigned, martial artists can challenge one another once every year. Those who succeed in their challenges claim the superior cave abode."
"In truth, this exists to foster competition among inner mansion martial artists."
"Inner mansion disciples may remain in the Martial Saint Mansion for ten years at most. If one fails to become a Martial Saint after ten years, they will be expelled. Conversely, once someone achieves the Martial Saint realm, they will depart the Martial Saint Mansion as well."
Wei He truly was chatty, rattling off standard knowledge concerning the Martial Saint Mansion in a continuous stream.
Though basic, the information was genuinely helpful to Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng could not ignore him entirely, so he asked, "For this initial registration, how is one's strength evaluated to allocate a cave abode?"
Wei He grinned and replied, "For the first registration, it largely comes down to reputation. The Martial Saint Mansion evaluates a martial artist's past battle record in other regions to estimate their strength, allocating a cave abode accordingly."
"Because of this, many martial artists engage in several fierce battles before arriving at the Martial Saint Mansion, all to secure a better cave abode."
"Even so, most people still have to wait a year to challenge their way into a better cave abode."
"Basically, upon the initial allocation, practically no one is ever assigned to the top ten, and even assignments into the top fifty are exceedingly rare. Almost everyone is placed into a cave abode beyond rank one hundred."
Lu Changsheng understood.
"Lu Changsheng of Tiansheng City. Thank you, Fellow Daoist."
Lu Changsheng cupped his hands in greeting.
"Think nothing of it. I've always enjoyed lending a hand."
"The moment I saw you, Brother Lu, I felt an immediate kinship. If you have any questions in the Martial Saint Mansion going forward, feel free to ask me."
Wei He made no attempt to conceal his goodwill toward Lu Changsheng.
Though he was naturally friendly, he still relied on intuition and believed strongly in his "instincts."
The moment he laid eyes on Lu Changsheng, he had sensed an extraordinary bearing, which prompted him to initiate the conversation.
Lu Changsheng nodded.
He then quietly waited his turn.
Before long, Lu Changsheng stepped up to the front.
The allocation of cave abodes was handled automatically by the artifact spirit of a magic treasure.
Rumor had it that the entire Martial Saint Mansion was, in fact, a single terrifying magic treasure.
Lu Changsheng handed over his recommendation token and inscribed his name, sect, and other details.
He then waited quietly.
However, time trickled by.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths...
Until an entire stick of incense had burned down, the artifact spirit remained completely unresponsive.
"What is going on?"
"Normally, the artifact spirit assigns a cave abode in a few breaths. It has never made an error before. Why hasn't it assigned one even after an entire stick of incense?"
"Could something have gone wrong with the Martial Saint Mansion's artifact spirit? How strange..."
"Could there be something unusual about this man?"
Many in the hall could not help but glance toward Lu Changsheng.
After all, the timing was far too coincidental.
The moment it was Lu Changsheng's turn, the artifact spirit seemed to malfunction; it was completely out of the ordinary.
In the past, the artifact spirit had never encountered such a delay.
No matter who arrived, a cave abode was assigned virtually instantaneously.
Lu Changsheng had no idea what was happening either, so he simply waited in silence.
Finally, the voice of the artifact spirit rang out.
"Lu Changsheng of the Holy Land Heavenly Sect, Tiansheng City, is assigned Cave Abode Number One."
The artifact spirit's voice echoed throughout the entire hall.
Yet the expressions of everyone present shifted dramatically.
Every pair of eyes snapped onto Lu Changsheng.
Silence!
The entire registration hall plunged into sudden, profound quiet.
You could have heard a pin drop!
Chapter 225