Who Is He?

"C-Cave Abode Number One?" "Did I hear that right? Did the artifact spirit really say Cave Abode Number One?" "Unbelievable... Really Cave Abode Number One? Could the artifact spirit have made a mistake?" "The artifact spirit paused for an entire incense stick of time just now. Did something go wrong?" "It should be impossible for the artifact spirit to make a mistake, but how could it assign Cave Abode Number One to a martial artist who just entered the Martial Saint Mansion?" "If I remember correctly, the one occupying Cave Abode Number One right now is Martial Venerable Tianming, isn't it?" "Yes, it's Martial Venerable Tianming. He has held Cave Abode Number One firmly for six whole years. Although his ten-year limit is drawing near, as long as he hasn't left, no one has been able to force him out. His strength is simply too terrifying." "What a shame. Martial Venerable Tianming hasn't even been challenged, yet now he's being forced to yield Cave Abode Number One. Still, that name sounds somewhat familiar. Where have I heard it before?" "Who is he? Who on earth is he?" "Lu Changsheng... Could it be..." As the artifact spirit's voice faded, the crowd lapsed into a brief silence before erupting into fervent discussion once more. After all, this was simply too shocking. Perhaps since the very founding of the Martial Saint Mansion, from the moment an artifact spirit was first used to assign cave abodes, nothing like this had ever occurred. Who could possibly enter the Martial Saint Mansion and immediately be assigned Cave Abode Number One? Before this, probably no one had even conceived that such a thing could happen. Yet it had happened. Right before everyone's eyes. *Cave Abode Number One?* Lu Changsheng did not even need to sense anything to know that this "Number One" cave abode was certainly extraordinary. One look at the stunned expression on Wei He's face in front of him made it obvious just how shocking this was. In the Martial Saint Mansion, it undoubtedly counted as a momentous event. Wei He stood dumbstruck, his eyes wide with astonishment. Even now, he could hardly believe it. What had he just heard? Cave Abode Number One! Lu Changsheng had actually been assigned to Cave Abode Number One! According to the artifact spirit's principles of assignment, strength was paramount above all else. Which meant that in the artifact spirit's assessment, Lu Changsheng's strength surpassed even that of Venerable Tianming, the current occupant of Cave Abode Number One! "Lu Changsheng... I remember now! Didn't Ethereal Spirit Mountain open recently?" "Many major immortal sects recruited experts to enter Ethereal Spirit Mountain and vie for Core Melting Liquid." "In the end, a single martial artist obtained sixty-eight drops of Core Melting Liquid all on his own, and even wiped out over a hundred ethereal demons single-handedly." "That man was Lu Changsheng!" Someone finally recalled Lu Changsheng's background. Around Tiansheng City, Lu Changsheng's reputation was naturally illustrious, where he was acclaimed as the foremost Martial Venerable. However, the Martial Saint Mansion was far too distant, and Tiansheng City was hardly an exceptionally powerful place. Who would pay attention to the so-called foremost Martial Venerable of some minor backwater? The news had barely traveled beyond its borders. Only the opening of Ethereal Spirit Mountain had drawn together the major immortal sects, and many within the Martial Saint Mansion had heard of it. Martial artists in the Martial Saint Mansion rarely lacked cultivation resources, so naturally, they had no need to venture into Ethereal Spirit Mountain. Yet they knew well how perilous Ethereal Spirit Mountain was, and how troublesome ethereal demons could be. Wiping out over a hundred ethereal demons single-handedly? It sounded like pure fantasy. "Obliterating over a hundred ethereal demons? I don't believe it!" "Indeed. Ethereal demons are exceedingly peculiar. Even with a spiritual divine ability, wiping out over a hundred is impossible. At most, one could protect oneself. That claim is exaggerated beyond belief." "Even if a Martial Saint went to Ethereal Spirit Mountain, they wouldn't dare claim they could wipe out over a hundred ethereal demons, let alone a Divine Ability realm martial artist!" "Still, Lu Changsheng obtaining sixty-eight drops of Core Melting Liquid is a verifiable fact. To obtain sixty-eight drops certainly couldn't have been mere luck—his strength must be extraordinary." "There's another rumor: Lu Changsheng seems to have manifested a boundless divine ability. Previously, I was skeptical, but now that the artifact spirit has assigned him Cave Abode Number One, I'm inclined to believe it. Aside from a boundless divine ability, how else could the artifact spirit judge Lu Changsheng to be stronger than Venerable Tianming?" "A boundless divine ability... Unthinkable..." Many people looked upon Lu Changsheng with renewed respect. For no other reason than the words *boundless divine ability*. Whatever was said did not matter. Whatever was done did not matter. Possessing a boundless divine ability was enough. Unconvinced? Feel free to test yourself against a boundless divine ability. So no matter how obscure Lu Changsheng had been before, no matter what backwater he hailed from, and even if this was his very first time at the Martial Saint Mansion, none of it mattered. The four words *boundless divine ability* were enough to suppress everything! "May I ask, Daoist Wei, do you know where Cave Abode Number One is located?" Lu Changsheng asked. Wei He snapped back to his senses and immediately answered, "Cave Abode Number One is very easy to find. Among that cluster of cave abodes, the one situated at the very highest point is Cave Abode Number One. "However, once a cave abode is assigned, if someone is currently living there, they must be given time to relocate. Generally, one can only move in on the second day. "I'm afraid Brother Lu will have to wait one more day." Lu Changsheng nodded. "No matter. It is merely a single day; I will wait here." To a Divine Ability realm martial artist, a mere day was nothing. Simply closing one's eyes to rest the spirit would see a day pass by. Lu Changsheng glanced around, then sat cross-legged directly in the cultivation area of the hall. Many exchanged glances, yet not a single person dared step forward to disturb him. Only Wei He, having chatted with Lu Changsheng earlier and established some familiarity, walked over cheerfully and said with a smile, "Brother Lu, this time I was assigned Cave Abode Number One Hundred Eighty-Nine. Not bad at all—it ranks within the top two hundred." Lu Changsheng nodded, then asked, "Martial artists of the inner mansion can stay for ten years. If one is dissatisfied after being assigned a cave abode, can one challenge other, better cave abodes and claim them upon victory?" "Yes, you can issue a challenge at any time. "However, the challenged party must have occupied the cave abode for a full year before others can challenge them. "Newcomers like us who were just assigned a cave abode don't have to worry about being challenged for a full year." Lu Changsheng understood. With a year free from challenges, there was nothing to worry about. In truth, Lu Changsheng did not even need to think to guess how Venerable Tianming, the current occupant of Cave Abode Number One, must be feeling. It was an enormous loss of face, yet entirely out of his hands. How could he possibly feel pleased? He would likely want to challenge Lu Changsheng and settle matters with actual combat. However, Lu Changsheng had no desire to fight right now. A year was just the right amount of time to forge his saint body and clarify his path toward becoming a Martial Saint. "Daoist Wei, you are well-informed. Do you know of Venerable Tianming?" "Naturally." "Then I must trouble you to tell me more about him..." And so, Wei He launched into an exhaustive recount of Venerable Tianming's exploits. *** Martial Saint Mansion, Cave Abode Number One. Venerable Tianming was in seclusion, cultivating his saint body. It had been eight full years since he arrived at the Martial Saint Mansion. Two years after his arrival, he had challenged the occupant of Cave Abode Number One and claimed it for himself. Six years had passed since then! Yet in two more years, he would have to leave the Martial Saint Mansion, and he had still not become a Martial Saint. Looking back, many of his former competitors had already forged their saint bodies and become Martial Saints, while he had lingered unascended. Exceptional talent and formidable combat strength did not always align. Those martial artists whose strength was inferior to Venerable Tianming's had successfully forged their saint bodies early on and attained the Martial Saint realm. Yet Venerable Tianming, the strongest of them all, was still working on forging his saint body. Of course, this was also because his ambitions were immense: he wished to forge an extraordinarily powerful saint body, which was why he had delayed until now. *Buzz.* Just then, the formation rippled slightly. The voice of the artifact spirit manifested out of thin air. "Cave Abode Number One has been assigned to Lu Changsheng, who has just entered the Martial Saint Mansion. "Venerable Tianming, you have one day to pack your belongings. You must vacate the cave abode tomorrow." With that, the voice vanished. *Swish.* Venerable Tianming snapped his eyes open, a look of utter disbelief surfacing in them. "I have to vacate Cave Abode Number One? "Cave Abode Number One was assigned to a newcomer who just entered the mansion? "Impossible!" Venerable Tianming could hardly accept that something so preposterous had occurred. The maidservants in the cave abode were equally bewildered, having no idea what had happened. "Come here!" Venerable Tianming barked. Several beautiful maidservants hurried inside. Venerable Tianming enjoyed a life of refinement, and everything in his daily existence was meticulous. Even the maidservants who served him were at least Dao Foundation martial artists, each exceptionally lovely. "Venerable, what are your orders?" a maidservant asked respectfully. "Go to the Registration Hall and find out what on earth has happened. In particular, find out everything you can about this person named Lu Changsheng." "Yes, Venerable." The maidservants left the cave abode and headed for the Registration Hall. A few hours later, they returned. "Venerable, the situation is this: a martial artist newly admitted to the mansion named Lu Changsheng, said to be a Martial Venerable from the Holy Land Heavenly Sect of Tiansheng City, has manifested a boundless divine ability..." The maidservants relayed every detail they had gathered to Venerable Tianming. "A boundless divine ability?" Venerable Tianming's heart skipped a beat! What he had manifested were greater divine abilities—even top-tier ones, and more than one at that. Moreover, in the Martial Saint Mansion, Venerable Tianming had read many confidential records; he knew full well what a boundless divine ability represented. Yet weren't martial artists capable of manifesting a boundless divine ability monstrous geniuses born only in the sacred lands and great sects? How could a mere place like Tiansheng City produce someone with a boundless divine ability? "Venerable, what do we do now? Are we still moving?" a maidservant asked anxiously. "We move!" The Martial Saint Mansion's artifact spirit governed everything. Since Cave Abode Number One had been assigned to Lu Changsheng, they had no choice but to relocate. "However, before moving, I will go meet this Lu Changsheng!" With that, Venerable Tianming rose and flew directly toward the Registration Hall. Inside the Registration Hall, more and more people had gathered. After all, people arrived at the Martial Saint Mansion bearing recommendation tokens every single day. Yet no matter how many arrived, the focus of everyone's attention remained on Lu Changsheng. Furthermore, the more people arrived, the wider the news regarding Lu Changsheng spread. To Lu Changsheng, however, being the center of attention had long become second nature. Completely accustomed to it, he appeared thoroughly calm. He needed only to wait until tomorrow to move into Cave Abode Number One. *Whoosh.* At that moment, a figure entered the Registration Hall. Upon seeing him, the eyes of many martial artists in the hall narrowed. "That's... Venerable Tianming?" "Why has Venerable Tianming suddenly come to the Registration Hall? Could he be here for Lu Changsheng?" "The artifact spirit must have notified Venerable Tianming to vacate Cave Abode Number One. Given his temperament, how could he not come to see who 'seized' his cave abode?" "Does that mean Venerable Tianming is here to cause trouble for Lu Changsheng?" Excitement surged through the crowd. Venerable Tianming! The undisputed number-one figure of the Divine Ability realm in the entire Martial Saint Mansion! He had occupied Cave Abode Number One for six consecutive years, and not a single soul had been able to defeat him. Yet now, his cave abode had been directly "seized" by a newcomer who had just stepped through the mansion's doors. It was simply too incredible, too dramatic. With Venerable Tianming's arrival, everyone understood what it implied. In an instant, many eyes turned once again to Lu Changsheng. "Which one is Lu Changsheng?" Venerable Tianming's gaze swept over the hall as he asked in a calm voice. *Swish.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "I am Lu Changsheng. May I ask what business Venerable Tianming has with me?" Lu Changsheng said slowly. Though he had been resting his spirit with eyes closed, he was fully aware of the chatter around him, and thus knew the man who had just spoken was Venerable Tianming. Venerable Tianming walked slowly up to Lu Changsheng, gazing down at him without speaking a word. The atmosphere between the two grew taut, and the entire Registration Hall fell pin-drop silent. An invisible pressure seemed to envelop the room. Suddenly, Venerable Tianming smiled. "I heard Venerable Lu manifested a boundless divine ability. I merely came to see you. "Until we meet again." With that, Venerable Tianming turned and left. The onlookers stared at each other in utter disbelief. Venerable Tianming just left like that? In truth, Venerable Tianming had genuinely come only to take a look at Lu Changsheng. He would never break the rules of the Martial Saint Mansion. Even if he wished to issue a challenge, that would have to wait a year. Having already attained the Divine Ability realm, why would he engage in reckless brawling? Venerable Tianming's top priority was to forge his saint body and become a Martial Saint. If he had still not achieved that after a year, he could challenge Lu Changsheng then and experience a boundless divine ability firsthand. As for now? Forget it. Let things take their course. Without Cave Abode Number One, there was still Number Two and Number Three. To Venerable Tianming, it made little difference. "Phew..." Wei He let out a long breath. "Venerable Tianming's aura was truly frightening just now. He truly lives up to his reputation as the foremost Martial Venerable of the inner mansion! "Of course, now Brother Lu is the foremost Martial Venerable of the inner mansion!" Wei He added with a laugh. Whoever held Cave Abode Number One was the foremost Martial Venerable of the inner mansion. Lu Changsheng said nothing. Venerable Tianming's aura had indeed been formidable, but Lu Changsheng's sights were no longer set on the Divine Ability realm. No matter how strong a Divine Ability realm martial artist was, could they withstand his boundless divine ability? If they could, it would hardly be worthy of the name. Besides, Lu Changsheng had no shortcomings left. He possessed three boundless divine abilities that complemented one another; he had moved entirely beyond caring about competition at the Divine Ability realm. Naturally, he could remain composed before Venerable Tianming. In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived. Lu Changsheng rose and headed directly for Cave Abode Number One. Arriving outside, he found it completely deserted. Venerable Tianming had already moved out, allowing Lu Changsheng to take up residence smoothly. The cave abode had been cleared out entirely, leaving a remarkably spacious interior. Lu Changsheng did not care for furnishings. Many cave abodes retained maidservants to attend to martial artists, but Lu Changsheng had always walked his path alone and was accustomed to solitude. *According to Wei He, every cave abode in the Martial Saint Mansion comes with corresponding cultivation resources. The higher the rank, the greater the allocation. Cave Abode Number One must receive the most.* A sharp light flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. He knew the entire Martial Saint Mansion was overseen by the artifact spirit, which was omnipresent. Any question could be asked of it directly. "Artifact spirit, what cultivation resources are currently available to me?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Cave Abode Number One offers abundant cultivation resources. You may request specific resources according to your needs. The available resources are as follows..." An invisible ripple attempted to enter Lu Changsheng's mind. Lu Changsheng recognized this as a transmission of information from the artifact spirit that could be displayed directly in his memory. If a martial artist refused it, the artifact spirit could not force it into their mind. Lu Changsheng chose to accept. Soon, countless cultivation resources surfaced in his mind—mostly materials for forging a saint body, along with various pills and elixirs. *It seems I must first decide which saint body to forge before requesting the appropriate resources.* After a moment's thought, Lu Changsheng rose and set off for the Martial Saint Mansion's Library. Inside the Library, inner mansion martial artists were free to browse at will. All manner of techniques and manuals were available—and entirely free of charge! Of course, sharing them outside was strictly forbidden. Anyone who leaked them would be hunted down by the Martial Saint Mansion. In the past, someone had leaked techniques through clandestine means, and the Martial Saint Mansion had mobilized directly to wipe out their entire sect. That sect had been a major martial arts power, yet it had still been unable to escape destruction. Lu Changsheng entered the Library; what he wanted to examine were the various saint bodies. A saint body was of paramount importance to a Martial Saint. Whether a Martial Saint was powerful depended entirely on the saint body they forged. Moreover, the saint body had to align with the martial artist's own divine abilities. Lu Changsheng had studied this thoroughly. A saint body served as an amplifier for divine abilities, allowing them to fuse completely with the body while multiplying their power tenfold or even a hundredfold! Even the most ordinary saint body generally amplified a divine ability's might by tenfold or more. First were spiritual saint bodies. These were exceedingly rare and unique. Lu Changsheng browsed through them briefly, finding very few that matched his Spiritual Black Hole divine ability. He saw many bizarre and wondrous spiritual saint bodies. For instance, the Myriad Thoughts Saint Body. It was said to divide consciousness into countless fragments, allowing one to control numerous living beings. Such a saint body was utterly terrifying, capable of silently taking control of others, whether martial artists or immortal cultivators, without the victims even realizing it. However, its direct combat capability was relatively weak, and it did not fit Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole. He also saw the Annihilation Saint Body, which was immensely dread-inducing. A single glance from its bearer was said to annihilate an opponent's spiritual consciousness. Every action inherently suppressed and eroded spiritual awareness. Facing such a Martial Saint required dedicating part of one's consciousness at all times just to defend, preventing one from exerting full strength. It was extraordinarily troublesome, yet it still did not quite align with Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole. Though his Spiritual Black Hole could annihilate spirit, its primary function was devouring. "Hmm... Hundong Saint Body. "'Transforms oneself into a primordial void, capable of devouring all spiritual consciousness.'" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. This saint body was excellent and fit his Spiritual Black Hole perfectly. Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng selected it. However, the text also noted that the Hundong Saint Body was arduous to cultivate, requiring resources of exceptional rarity—thirteen precious materials in total. Among them, the most crucial was the ethereal demon bead. Ethereal demon beads were no ordinary item; they were found only within the bodies of ethereal demon kings. One had to slay an ethereal demon king to obtain one. To forge the Hundong Saint Body, at least ten ethereal demon beads were required. Naturally, the more ethereal demon beads used, the better. The greater their number, the greater the amplification of the divine ability, and the more terrifying the resulting power. *Ethereal demons?* Lu Changsheng thought. Weren't there plenty of ethereal demons within Ethereal Spirit Mountain? In fact, they existed there in vast numbers. While ethereal demons were a nightmare for other Divine Ability realm martial artists, to Lu Changsheng, they posed little threat. Obtaining ethereal demon beads should not be an issue for him. Even an ethereal demon king was still at the Divine Ability realm; Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole would be more than enough to handle it. However, this was only a spiritual saint body. Lu Changsheng had two other divine abilities that also required saint bodies. He turned his attention to searching for a saint body corresponding to Five Elements Decomposition. Saint bodies related to the Five Elements were overwhelmingly numerous, covering vast shelves. Of course, the number of saint bodies that encompassed all five elements was drastically smaller. Even so, "smaller" was relative; there were still quite a few. For instance, Lu Changsheng saw the Five Elements Escape Saint Body. It was said that once mastered, one could flee using any object containing the five elements, making it nearly impossible to kill such a Martial Saint. After all, even many formations contained the power of the five elements. There were also the Five Elements Extinction Saint Body, Five Elements Primordial Qi Saint Body, Great Five Elements Void Saint Body, and many others. Although five-element saint bodies were plentiful, Lu Changsheng discovered that very few matched his Five Elements Decomposition. After searching for a long time, he finally found one that aligned with it: The Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body! Once forged, five-colored divine light would envelop the body, giving it a truly sacred appearance. Furthermore, this five-colored divine light could sweep across all things of the five elements, instantly disintegrating elemental power. It was nearly the strongest among all five-element saint bodies! "You're the one—Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body!" Lu Changsheng selected it without hesitation. However, forging the Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body was extraordinarily difficult—even harder than the Hundong Saint Body. It required only five materials, but every one of them had to be an Innate Five Elements Essence. Acquired essences would not suffice; they had to be innate. As for quantity, there was no upper limit; the more, the better. Yet if even a single Innate Five Elements Essence appeared in the outside world, people would fight tooth and nail for it. It was far too precious, let alone gathering all five types. Still, Lu Changsheng had made up his mind: he would choose the Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body! As for Innate Five Elements Essences, with patient searching, they could eventually be found. Only the final saint body remained. Lu Changsheng's Four Symbols Prison brought together the four laws of earth, fire, water, and wind to form a boundless divine ability. Saint bodies of this kind were exceedingly scarce. Moreover, his Four Symbols Prison was purely about imprisonment. Even though it was pure confinement, it was a boundless divine ability. Once anyone was imprisoned by Four Symbols Prison, breaking free was near impossible. The four symbols often represented a complete, self-contained cycle. Some even said they symbolized a world. But Lu Changsheng knew that the four symbols could not represent a world. The foundation of a world was time and space; without time and space, what meaning did the four symbols hold? Thus, the four symbols were simply the four symbols—pure laws with little relation to a true world. "Ten Directions Saint Body!" Lu Changsheng suddenly came across a very intriguing saint body. It bore great similarity to his Four Symbols Prison. Once cultivated, the Ten Directions Saint Body could unleash ten directions of space. These ten directions truly sealed heaven and severed earth, far more terrifying than any binding formation. Escaping from it was nigh impossible. Moreover, it happened to incorporate the laws of the four symbols. Crucially, the Ten Directions Saint Body could project spatial realms. In a sense, this was equivalent to space evolving from the four symbols into actual space. It seemed even stronger. However, forging the Ten Directions Saint Body was also immensely difficult, requiring Void Divine Crystals. Void Divine Crystals were not entirely unattainable: the most vital material used in the immortal path for refining spatial treasures was Void Divine Stone, and veins of Void Divine Stone often harbored Void Divine Crystals. Burying a Void Divine Crystal deep underground would, after thousands or tens of thousands of years, form a Void Divine Stone vein. Nearly everyone desired spatial treasures, so they never lacked buyers. The importance of Void Divine Stone veins to immortal sects was obvious. For Lu Changsheng to require Void Divine Crystals to forge the Ten Directions Saint Body showed just how difficult it would be—using Void Divine Crystals was akin to consuming entire veins of Void Divine Stone. Just thinking about it made the difficulty plain. Still, there was hope. Lu Changsheng settled on the Ten Directions Saint Body. *All three saint bodies have been chosen.* *So next, which one should I actually cultivate?* Lu Changsheng sank into deep thought. He had to make a choice. A Martial Saint could only cultivate one saint body; there was no such thing as cultivating multiple saint bodies. Conflict inevitably arose between different saint bodies, making it impossible to master two or more. The reason many people manifested numerous divine abilities was simply to give themselves more options when forging a saint body. So, how should Lu Changsheng choose? The Hundong Saint Body, the Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body, and the Ten Directions Saint Body—forging any of the three would instantly elevate Lu Changsheng to the rank of top-tier Martial Saint! Yet he had to choose just one! *Actually, there is another choice...* A thought suddenly crossed Lu Changsheng's mind.