A Woman at the Door Wants to Be Dao Companions? A Three-Year Pact to Attain Sainthood!

In the pill furnace room, many alchemists looked at one another in dismay as a group of Golden Core True Persons dismantled the Water-Fire Ruyi Cauldron. This was the pill furnace room's semi-finished "true treasure." Naturally, it was of the unusable variety. Yet unusable or not, it was still a semi-true treasure with the potential to be refined into a genuine true treasure in the future. Now, however, it was being taken apart right in front of them. "Alas, why must it come to this?" "Our grand Feixian Sect possesses a ten-thousand-year heritage and deep foundations. Must we truly dismantle the Water-Fire Ruyi Cauldron? This was forged specially by a Nascent Soul forebear. Though it never became a true treasure, it was still that senior's life's blood." "If only our pill furnace room had a genuine true treasure..." Every one of these alchemists felt it was an immense pity. The Golden Core True Persons, however, paid them no heed. What choice did they have? Right now, they were the ones begging Lu Changsheng. And Lu Changsheng demanded Innate Five Elements Essence. Such a precious material could not be found on short notice even by mobilizing the Feixian Sect's entire network. Dismantling a treasure was their only recourse. "It is done!" "Innate Five Elements Water and Innate Five Elements Fire." The True Persons sealed the Innate Five Elements Essence into porcelain bottles and brought them to the main hall. "Fellow Daoist Lu, please inspect them." A True Person handed the porcelain bottles to Lu Changsheng. Probing them briefly with his senses, Lu Changsheng immediately confirmed that the bottles indeed held Innate Five Elements Water and Innate Five Elements Fire. What was more, the quantities were considerable. After all, when a Nascent Soul almighty forged a true treasure, they certainly spared no expense with their materials. "Indeed, this is Innate Five Elements Essence," Lu Changsheng said decisively. "In that case, I will make the trip to the Qifeng Mountains and purge every ethereal demon within them for your Feixian Sect!" Now that he had seen the Innate Five Elements Essence, he naturally agreed to the sect's terms. "Good! When does Fellow Daoist Lu plan to set out?" the Feixian Sect's sect master asked. "No time like the present. We leave immediately," Lu Changsheng said. "I ask only that your esteemed sect provide a guide." True Person Feilong smiled. "No trouble at all. I shall go personally to hold the line for Fellow Daoist Lu!" Lu Changsheng nodded. It made no difference who went. And so, the group departed the Feixian Sect at once, flying toward the Qifeng Mountains. The Qifeng Mountains were not very far from the Feixian Sect. After flying for a few shichen, the group arrived. The range earned its name from its peculiar, jagged peaks that thrust high into the clouds, presenting a spectacular sight. Yet it was desolate and seldom visited by people. Lacking valuable natural treasures, almost no one ever set foot there, and previously even the Feixian Sect had paid it little mind. Who could have imagined that a large spirit stone vein lay beneath its soil? To the Feixian Sect, this was nothing short of an unexpected windfall. "Fellow Daoist Lu, below us are the Qifeng Mountains," True Person Feilong said. "Now that we have arrived, you should be able to sense the dense spiritual energy here. A large spirit stone vein lies underneath, but ethereal demons infest it, making mining impossible for now. We shall look forward to seeing Fellow Daoist Lu display his great might!" Lu Changsheng nodded. Then, he descended straight toward the Qifeng Mountains below. "Sect Master, can this Lu Changsheng truly purge all the ethereal demons throughout the Qifeng Mountains?" "Indeed, the ethereal demons here are no simple foes. There is even an ethereal demon king among them!" "If he fails as well..." Many of the Golden Core True Persons were still somewhat uneasy. Though word of what had occurred on Ethereal Spirit Mountain had spread far and wide, they had not witnessed it with their own eyes and harbored doubts about the rumors. Devouring over a hundred ethereal demons single-handedly? That sounded far too unreal. Ethereal demons were extraordinary entities; let alone a hundred, if even several dozen swarmed together, a top Martial Venerable would undoubtedly perish. If ethereal demons were not so terrifying, why would the Feixian Sect pay such an enormous price to hire Lu Changsheng to purge them? "Whether Lu Changsheng can purge the ethereal demons or not, do we stand to lose anything?" True Person Feilong asked. "If he succeeds, we give him the Innate Five Elements Essence. If he fails, we owe him nothing and can simply seek another way." The other True Persons nodded at his words. Indeed, the Feixian Sect risked nothing. Naturally, they still hoped Lu Changsheng would succeed; if he did, their sect would gain a large spirit stone vein, bringing immense benefits to them all. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng touched down in the mountain forest. Having been to Ethereal Spirit Mountain, he was no stranger to ethereal demons. The moment he arrived in the Qifeng Mountains, he indeed sensed their presence. The general aura here was inferior to that of Ethereal Spirit Mountain, yet certain presences among them were not in the least weaker. "There are indeed ethereal demons, and in substantial numbers. Back on Ethereal Spirit Mountain, the unique environment suppressed my senses, preventing me from perceiving much. But in the Qifeng Mountains, there is no suppression, so I can use my Perception Domain." Lu Changsheng released his Perception Domain in an instant. Hum. Immediately, everything within the domain's reach—every blade of grass, tree, and even ant—was registered clearly in his mind. And he truly did sense the ethereal demons. "There are ethereal demons in that direction, quite a lot of them. There's even an extraordinarily powerful aura, one I never encountered on Ethereal Spirit Mountain. That must be an ethereal demon king, right?" A glint of intrigue flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. An ethereal demon king! Sensing its presence only excited him. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng sprinted toward the detected direction. Soon, the ethereal demons came into view. Many of them. Densely packed, an entire swarm of ethereal demons. At a rough glance, there were at least a hundred! They were gathered in a single valley, in numbers no fewer than what Lu Changsheng had encountered on Ethereal Spirit Mountain. While the total number of demons on Ethereal Spirit Mountain far exceeded those in the Qifeng Mountains, Lu Changsheng had not wiped out Ethereal Spirit Mountain. Here, however, he had to scour the entirety of the Qifeng Mountains. "Lu Changsheng has found the demons." "Over a hundred of them, and an ethereal demon king as well." "Let us see how he handles this." Up in the void, the Feixian Sect's Golden Core True Persons kept their divine sense fixed on his every move. Lu Changsheng did not hesitate. Boom! In the next moment, the sky went black. Above the valley, a colossal black vortex manifested out of nowhere, engulfing the entire basin in an instant. Boundless divine ability: Spiritual Black Hole! Once Lu Changsheng unleashed the Spiritual Black Hole, its terrifying gravitational pull immediately began devouring the ethereal demons in the valley one after another. Furthermore, the black hole kept descending toward the valley floor; the closer it drew, the more horrifying its devouring power became. One, ten, twenty, thirty... The ethereal demons possessed no power to resist. One by one, they were sucked into Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole. The moment a demon entered, it was pulverized into fine powder and reduced completely to ash. Lu Changsheng simply stood quietly at the valley's edge. Not a single ethereal demon could come close to him. Witnessing this, the Feixian Sect's Golden Core True Persons were struck dumb, their hearts filled with shock. "Is... is this Lu Changsheng's boundless divine ability?" "Everyone knows the horror of ethereal demons. Yet Lu Changsheng wipes them out like this? It's simply... too effortless." "To think a boundless divine ability could be this terrifying. Not a single demon can withstand his divine ability—it's an absolute slaughter!" "It seems Lu Changsheng truly might be able to scour the Qifeng Mountains clean..." All the True Persons were shaken. Anyone who had ever dealt with ethereal demons, whether a Golden Core True Person or a Divine Ability realm martial artist, would be astonished by this sight. In a battle against ethereal demons, one or two could still be managed, but against three or four, one would have to flee for their life. Yet what about Lu Changsheng? In such a brief span of time, he had already obliterated dozens of ethereal demons, and not a single one could even get close. It was a pure, unadulterated crush! Even a Martial Saint would likely be hard-pressed to accomplish such a feat. Down in the Qifeng Mountains, however, Lu Changsheng suddenly raised his head and cast his gaze toward a certain corner of the valley. There, he saw an extraordinary ethereal demon. It was at least ten times the size of the others, radiating a dark, gloomy light from head to toe. Even a single glance at that black glow was enough to make one's heart palpitate. An ethereal demon king! Lu Changsheng knew that this terrifying creature was undoubtedly an ethereal demon king! "Roar..." The ethereal demon king seemed to unleash a silent roar. The surrounding space rippled and warped, and Lu Changsheng's spirit immediately suffered a heavy blow, jolting violently! "Hmm?" Lu Changsheng had been attacked by the ethereal demon king. Even at such a distance, the attack had struck him. Yet Lu Changsheng's spirit was exceptionally robust, and he possessed the Spiritual Black Hole divine ability. The instant he detected the assault, his thoughts shifted. Hum, hum, hum. Sparing no expense, Lu Changsheng unleashed five Spiritual Black Holes at once. Five gigantic black vortexes immediately converged to swallow the ethereal demon king. The ethereal demon king threw a punch. Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Holes actually trembled. Indeed, the ethereal demon king seemed capable of resisting the devouring force of his ability, and even struck back. However, despite that punch, the Spiritual Black Hole did not disperse. That proved that even if the ethereal demon king could strike the black hole, its power remained limited. Five divine abilities unleashed their terrible gravitational pull together, like five invisible forces violently tearing at the demon king's body. The ethereal demon king roared repeatedly. Several ethereal demons tried to rush forward to assist their king, but the moment they drew near, the Spiritual Black Holes devoured them whole. Time ticked away. In merely the span of an incense stick, the ethereal demon king could hold out no longer. Its massive frame shattered into pieces and was swallowed into the black hole. Lu Changsheng reached out. "Retrieve." The Spiritual Black Hole that had devoured the ethereal demon king was recalled directly into his hand. Once the divine ability faded, a dark, glossy bead rested on his palm, exuding the aura of an ethereal demon. An ethereal demon bead! This was the very ethereal demon bead Lu Changsheng coveted to forge the Hundong Saint Body! "I hadn't expected to acquire an ethereal demon bead so smoothly." "However, one bead is far from enough to forge the Hundong Saint Body. I must continue gathering more." "Clearing the entire Qifeng Mountains... I hope those ethereal demon kings won't disappoint me..." A faint smile appeared on Lu Changsheng's face. He would never complain of having too many ethereal demon beads. For forging the Hundong Saint Body, the more, the better. Having effortlessly wiped out the valley's ethereal demons and even slain their king, Lu Changsheng proceeded to scour the rest of the Qifeng Mountains. Above the mountains, the Feixian Sect's Golden Core True Persons exchanged stunned glances, their hearts thoroughly shaken. "The ethereal demon king... died just like that?" "It's truly dead. An ethereal demon king can pose a threat even to a Martial Saint, yet against Lu Changsheng, a mere Martial Venerable, it had no power to retaliate and held on for barely an incense stick's time. Is this the might of a boundless divine ability?" "Seeing a boundless divine ability in person is truly far beyond mere hearing. Utterly unbelievable..." This was the first time many of the Feixian Sect's Golden Core True Persons had witnessed a legendary boundless divine ability. It seemed to transcend everything they knew about divine abilities. They were familiar with ordinary divine abilities, greater divine abilities, and even supposedly exceedingly rare top-tier greater divine abilities. But could any of those compare to Lu Changsheng's boundless divine ability? There was simply no comparison. No wonder people said boundless divine abilities were extraordinarily rare. Aside from the peerless monstrous talents hidden away in the sacred grounds, almost nobody in the outside world could ever form one. If even a few more martial artists condensed boundless divine abilities, how could major immortal sects like theirs maintain their current status? When that time came, Golden Core True Persons would have to bow their heads before Divine Ability realm martial artists. Thus, under the watchful eyes of the Feixian Sect's Golden Core True Persons, Lu Changsheng swept across the Qifeng Mountains invincible, using his boundless divine ability to cleanse the range. He eradicated the ethereal demons one by one. In total, they witnessed him slay four ethereal demon kings. Whoosh. Before long, Lu Changsheng soared back into the void, arriving before the Feixian Sect's True Persons. "Mission accomplished. The ethereal demons in the Qifeng Mountains have been completely purged. The Feixian Sect may now safely dispatch personnel to mine the spirit stones," Lu Changsheng said calmly. True Person Feilong laughed and replied, "Fellow Daoist Lu possesses boundless might; we all witnessed it with our own eyes. Here is the Innate Five Elements Essence you requested..." True Person Feilong handed the Innate Five Elements Water and Innate Five Elements Fire straight to Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng accepted the two essences without standing on ceremony. Aside from the two essences, he had also reaped four ethereal demon beads from slaying four demon kings. This trip had yielded immense gains! "True Persons, Lu shall take his leave." With that, Lu Changsheng stepped forward, turning into a streak of light that vanished from sight. Lu Changsheng returned smoothly to Cave Abode Number One in the Martial Saint Mansion. He took out the four ethereal demon beads, as well as the Innate Five Elements Water and Innate Five Elements Fire. Without hesitation, he refined all four demon beads, followed by both the water and fire essences. For Lu Changsheng, this produced almost no increase in immediate battle strength. Yet he could distinctly feel two saint bodies faintly brewing within him. However, it was not yet time to forge them. He needed to smelt all three saint bodies together. And the third saint body, the Ten Directions Saint Body, still required Void Divine Crystals. "Those immortal sects adept at artifact refinement surely possess Void Divine Crystals," Lu Changsheng thought. "Yet getting them to part with even a single piece would be harder than ascending to heaven. After all, a Void Divine Crystal is of momentous importance—it can be considered the very foundation of an immortal sect!" Lu Changsheng knew full well just how vital a Void Divine Crystal was. It could spawn an entire vein of Void Divine Stone, equivalent to an endless stream of space-type treasures. This was even more crucial than a spirit stone mine. Space-type treasures were perpetually in high demand and short supply; as long as one had them, they would sell easily and at exorbitant prices. From this, one could imagine how difficult it was for Lu Changsheng to obtain a Void Divine Crystal. Yet no matter how difficult, he had to find a way. With a thought, Lu Changsheng summoned his attribute panel: Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 347,100 (Praised for a Hundred Generations) Hundong Saint Body: Unforged (46%) Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body: Unforged (57%) Ten Directions Saint Body: Unforged (1%) Glancing at the attribute panel, Lu Changsheng saw that his comprehension had been rising steadily. However, reaching one million comprehension points for the next qualitative leap remained quite distant. As for the three saint bodies, their progress was gradually accumulating. Among them, the Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body had the highest completion rate. After all, Lu Changsheng had already acquired three of its five core materials. Naturally, having three key materials yet reaching only 57% progress was because Lu Changsheng was deliberately keeping it in check. Beyond the primary components, a great deal of supplementary materials was required. Lu Changsheng had not refined those supplementary materials yet. The reason was simple: he still needed to smelt the saint bodies together. Before the saint bodies were successfully forged, all three had to be fused into one. Thus, none of them could be allowed to finish forging prematurely; the pacing had to be controlled. Fortunately, Lu Changsheng had the attribute panel. Controlling the forging progress posed no problem at all, and it would greatly aid his eventual smelting of the three physiques. "According to my deduction, smelting the saint bodies will be easier and produce the best results only when all three exceed fifty percent progress," Lu Changsheng pondered. "All three of my physiques are boundless saint bodies. Keeping their progress synchronized is best to avoid major flaws during smelting." Lu Changsheng had made up his mind. To push the progress past fifty percent, the primary materials were indispensable. Otherwise, relying on supplementary materials alone would never advance the progress beyond fifty percent. The Five-Colored Divine Light Saint Body had already crossed that threshold, and the Hundong Saint Body only needed a few more supplementary materials to reach over fifty percent as well. Now, only the Ten Directions Saint Body lagged behind at a mere one percent, entirely due to the absence of the key material: the Void Divine Crystal. Obtaining a Void Divine Crystal had become a matter of utmost urgency for Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng planned to explore every avenue. For instance, Li Guang. He sent a transmission directly to Li Guang: "Brother Li, I need a Void Divine Crystal at any cost!" Li Guang replied: "I will contact you the moment I receive any word, Brother Lu." Yet relying solely on Li Guang would not suffice. Lu Changsheng also messaged Venerable Fiery Cloud: "Venerable Fiery Cloud, do you have any news regarding Void Divine Crystals? I am willing to pay whatever it takes!" Venerable Fiery Cloud responded promptly: "If I hear anything about Void Divine Crystals, I will notify Fellow Daoist Lu immediately." These were two leads, but Lu Changsheng did not hold out much hope for either. So Lu Changsheng rose and headed once more to the outer mansion's Trading Hall. He wanted to see whether any news regarding Void Divine Crystals could be found there. The Trading Hall was bustling as usual. Inner mansion martial artists, outer mansion martial artists, and numerous cultivators from outside the Martial Saint Mansion gathered under one roof. In truth, the hall had become something of a gathering ground for martial artists. Lu Changsheng meticulously checked the missions one by one. Yet after searching for several shichen and scouring every single mission posted in the hall, he failed to find even a trace of a task concerning Void Divine Crystals. "Obtaining a Void Divine Crystal through existing missions is virtually impossible," he thought. "However, I can post a mission myself. Seeking a Void Divine Crystal, or any clue regarding one—provided it is an unowned object!" No sooner said than done. Lu Changsheng hung up a placard, sat cross-legged on the floor, and waited in silence. Yet the moment he set out his sign, it drew immediate attention. The reward he listed on the placard was simply... peculiar! Exceedingly peculiar! Consequently, it piqued the curiosity of many onlookers. "Huh? This mission asks for a Void Divine Crystal or a clue to one, and the reward is... a single promise?" "He wants a Void Divine Crystal for just a promise? Even a Martial Saint's promise wouldn't be worth a Void Divine Crystal, would it?" "Is this person confident or arrogant?" "Even if this mission hangs here for a thousand years, I doubt anyone will ever accept it." "It truly is... absurd. What does a single promise from a Divine Ability realm martial artist count for?" A crowd gathered around Lu Changsheng, shaking their heads in succession. Wanting a Void Divine Crystal was nothing unusual in itself; among the myriad missions in the Trading Hall, oddities of all kinds could be found. But the compensation offered was neither saint body forging materials nor even spirit stones. Merely a promise? What good was a promise from a Divine Ability realm martial artist, even if he were a Martial Venerable? To expect a Void Divine Crystal for that was a fool's daydream! The gazes of many in the Trading Hall were drawn toward Lu Changsheng, though most of them held only ridicule. Lu Changsheng remained unmoved. He did not care in the slightest. Others might not comprehend, but he knew perfectly well just how precious his promise was. And so, Lu Changsheng closed his eyes and waited quietly. Time slipped by. One shichen, three shichen, five shichen, ten shichen... In the blink of an eye, three days passed. During those three days, people paid attention to him at first. But as the days rolled on, almost nobody bothered to look his way anymore. Even if a few recognized his identity—the number one Divine Ability expert of the inner mansion—what of it? A promise still couldn't buy a Void Divine Crystal! Yet Lu Changsheng remained impassive, continuing to wait in silence. Until a woman walked over and stopped before him. "Does your promise apply even if one merely provides a clue?" Her crisp voice rang out. Swish. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes and looked at her. "Yes. Even a clue suffices—provided the Void Divine Crystal is unowned," Lu Changsheng said in a calm tone. It had to be unowned. It would be meaningless if someone simply told him that immortal sacred grounds possessed Void Divine Crystals; could he go and rob them? In fact, the woman had already inquired about Lu Changsheng's identity: the inner mansion's number one martial artist, cultivator of a boundless divine ability, and the current master of Cave Abode Number One. In the future, he had a strong prospect of becoming a Martial Saint—and no ordinary Martial Saint at that. A promise from someone destined for such boundless horizons was by no means easy to come by. And as it happened, she knew of a Void Divine Crystal. To trade mere information for a promise from Lu Changsheng struck her as a worthy bargain. After all, there was no way she could ever obtain the Void Divine Crystal in that place on her own. "I know a place where there is a Void Divine Crystal!" the woman said in a low voice after taking a deep breath. "Oh?" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. "Come. Let us discuss the details in my cave abode." Lu Changsheng immediately packed away his mission sign and led the woman straight to Cave Abode Number One. The woman glanced around, taking in Cave Abode Number One. "This is my first time inside Cave Abode Number One," she said. "By the way, my name is Zhang Shu, a disciple of the Martial Saint Mansion's outer mansion. I know you are Venerable Lu, the foremost Divine Ability practitioner in the inner mansion, who has condensed a boundless divine ability. Your promise is very useful to me, but the condition is that you must fulfill it first!" Gritting her teeth, Zhang Shu spoke every word distinctly. "Fulfill the promise first?" Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Zhang Shu. A Divine Ability realm martial artist, likely not a Martial Venerable. Demanding that he fulfill the promise beforehand meant she had surely run into trouble—and no small trouble at that. "Tell me first, what do you want me to fulfill this promise for?" "As Dao companions!" "I want to become Fellow Daoist Lu's Dao companion!" "As long as Fellow Daoist Lu agrees, I will tell you the news of the Void Divine Crystal immediately." Lu Changsheng froze slightly. A Dao companion? Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine this woman would want to become his Dao companion. "Wait. We are total strangers. You want me to become your Dao companion?" "Be honest. What is it that you truly want?" Lu Changsheng pressed. He did not believe that someone who had attained divine abilities would seek to become his Dao companion merely out of admiration. That was out of the question! Zhang Shu hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "I come from a martial clan. I am the most outstanding member of my clan, having reached the Divine Ability realm and even joined the Martial Saint Mansion as an outer mansion martial artist." "However, a Martial Saint power is pressuring us, seeking to annex my clan through marriage." "Neither I nor my clan has the strength to refuse." "Yet if I become Fellow Daoist Lu's Dao companion, with your renown as the inner mansion's number one figure, that Martial Saint clan surely wouldn't dare press too hard. This is merely an expedient measure..." Lu Changsheng understood now. She simply wanted to use him as a shield. "A Martial Saint power..." Lu Changsheng's brows knitted slightly. A bit troublesome. But in truth, not overly troublesome either. "How long can your clan hold out?" "Or rather, with your best efforts, how long can you stall?" Zhang Shu hesitated, then replied, "My clan has already agreed that once my ten-year term at the Martial Saint Mansion is fulfilled, the marriage alliance may take place. At present, only three years remain until my ten-year term is up." Hearing this, Lu Changsheng nodded slightly. "Three years? That is more than enough!" "In truth, you need not sacrifice yourself to become my Dao companion." "I can give you a promise: once I become a Martial Saint, I will do everything in my power to help you resolve the trouble with that Martial Saint faction." "Within three years, I have full confidence I shall attain the Martial Saint realm. I only wonder whether you can trust me?" After saying this, Lu Changsheng fixed his gaze steadily upon her.