Straddling Ten Boats: Lu Changsheng Lays His Cards on the Table with Tianhe Sacred Ground!

"Sect Master Xu, an open person speaks openly. What exactly is it that you want me to do? Please speak frankly," "Otherwise, Lu cannot accept a reward without merit." Lu Changsheng saw right away that there was more to Sect Master Xu's words than met the eye. The man likely had a task for him. After all, the momentum of all living beings was not something given away lightly. How many schemes had outside Martial Saints resorted to for the sake of that momentum? How could Qingshan Sacred Ground simply let Lu Changsheng share in theirs without a catch? Sect Master Xu smiled faintly and said, "Fellow Daoist Lu, do you know why Earth Saints are so scarce in the Holy Land? "The same goes for Deity Transformation in the Immortal Dao. One can still encounter Nascent Soul True Monarchs, yet those at Deity Transformation are exceedingly rare." Lu Changsheng froze slightly. He had truly never considered this point. Earth Saints rivaled Deity Transformation cultivators. Within the Holy Land, both were extraordinarily rare. In fact, reflecting on it carefully now, it seemed that outside the sacred grounds, not a single Martial Saint across the vast Holy Land had ever become an Earth Saint. What people in the outside Holy Land referred to as Martial Saints were, in truth, only Human Saints. Lu Changsheng had previously thought it might simply be due to a shortage of the momentum of all living beings. Yet among the numerous factions across the Holy Land, surely some could amass enough momentum for a Human Saint to cultivate their saint body to perfection. Why, then, were there still no Earth Saints? Could there be some hidden secret behind it? Seeing Lu Changsheng's puzzled expression, Sect Master Xu said with a smile, "It seems Fellow Daoist Lu understands as well. The transition from Human Saint to Earth Saint is, in truth, a fundamental leap. "In their early stages, the Martial Dao and the Immortal Dao appear entirely different. Yet when martial arts reaches the Earth Saint realm and the Immortal Dao reaches Deity Transformation, different paths lead to the same destination. "In the Deity Transformation stage of the Immortal Dao, the 'deity' refers to natural gods—beings birthed by heaven and earth. If that is hard to grasp, think of it this way: to a certain extent, deities represent specific rules of heaven and earth. To transform into a deity is to comprehend such rules. Therefore, achieving Deity Transformation strictly requires a deity fragment, as only that allows one to comprehend the rules directly. "Otherwise, relying solely on a Nascent Soul True Monarch's own comprehension of nature and heaven and earth makes attaining Deity Transformation harder than ascending to the heavens. "Likewise, when the Martial Dao reaches the Earth Saint realm, it also requires deities—or rather, the rules of heaven and earth. Martial artists wage war against heaven and earth, consolidating immense might within their own bodies. Although they do not need to comprehend the rules of heaven and earth, they require the power of deities, or the power of those worldly rules, to perfect their saint bodies. "A saint body is the method by which martial artists break free from the shackles of ordinary flesh, and it holds infinite possibilities! Once fused with a deity fragment—even just a fraction of one—the saint body can undergo a metamorphosis, achieving the Earth Saint realm! "Therefore, all our Qingshan Sacred Ground asks of Fellow Daoist Lu is to provide a single deity fragment. Nothing more." Sect Master Xu laid out Qingshan Sacred Ground's objective without holding anything back. "A deity fragment?" Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. He had never heard of deities before, let alone deity fragments. According to Sect Master Xu, however, deities had once ruled the entire world. Later, the Immortal Dao spread from some unknown origin, and the Martial Dao began to flourish alongside it. As the Immortal Dao grew mighty and the Martial Dao followed closely behind, a great war ultimately erupted against the deities, purging vast numbers of them from the world. Only then did the world become a land where the Immortal Dao and Martial Dao prospered. Eventually, the remaining deities were driven into a fixed territory known as the Divine Domain. Deities could not be wiped out permanently. Even if one were shattered, a new deity would naturally be born over time. After all, deities were the very embodiment of the rules of heaven and earth. Later, supreme figures of both the Immortal Dao and Martial Dao joined forces to drive all deities into that specific region called the Divine Domain, sealing it off so they could never leave. Conversely, whenever martial artists or immortal cultivators needed them, they had to venture into the Divine Domain to hunt deities and harvest deity fragments. Naturally, the process was perilous. Furthermore, due to the nature of the seal, only martial artists below the Earth Saint realm and immortal cultivators below the Deity Transformation realm could enter. This was designed to prevent the seal from being broken by powerful experts; those at the Earth Saint or Deity Transformation realm could not enter the Divine Domain at all. "Sect Master Xu, sacred grounds are filled with talents and experts. Can they truly not obtain deity fragments on their own?" Lu Changsheng asked. Sect Master Xu let out a long sigh. "Fellow Daoist Lu, the sacred grounds stand aloft, virtually without rivals in the Holy Land. Yet there are quite a few sacred grounds here. "Moreover, sacred grounds do not exist solely within the Holy Land. Beyond its borders, there are just as many sacred grounds, along with many top Human Saints. Whenever they wish to advance to the Earth Saint realm, they all must risk their lives in the Divine Domain. "It is not just my Qingshan Sacred Ground; many sacred grounds across the Holy Land have failed to obtain a deity fragment for a very long time. Whenever they dispatch their top Martial Saints, the expeditions almost always end in catastrophic defeat and heavy casualties. "If Fellow Daoist Lu desires more momentum of all living beings, then as long as your saint body can endure it, other sacred grounds would likely be willing to share their momentum with you as well. "One sacred ground, five sacred grounds, ten sacred grounds... Imagine it: when the time comes, you can take as much momentum of all living beings as you need." Sect Master Xu had clearly struck Lu Changsheng's core desire. He knew what Lu Changsheng needed most right now. The momentum of all living beings! Lu Changsheng needed momentum above all else, and Sect Master Xu was offering precisely that. Lu Changsheng was currently a titled elder of Tianhe Sacred Ground, which already granted him a considerable amount of momentum. Yet it still took him about half a year to advance his Chaos Saint Body by a single percent—far too slow. However, if he could truly gain the backing of several or even ten sacred grounds, sharing in the momentum of ten such factions, his Chaos Saint Body would advance at an astonishing pace. The only prerequisite was that his Chaos Saint Body had to withstand the strain. Different kinds of momentum of all living beings naturally clashed. Carrying two kinds placed tremendous pressure on a saint body. Bearing three, four, or even more would magnify that pressure exponentially. Yet Lu Changsheng was confident that, with the sheer robustness of his Chaos Saint Body, he had no reason to fear the strain of multiple streams of momentum. "Sect Master Xu, I must return to Tianhe Sacred Ground to discuss this with them," Lu Changsheng said after a moment of contemplation. Sect Master Xu did not seem to mind in the slightest. Smiling, he said, "No matter. It is only right that you discuss it with them. "However, Fellow Daoist Lu can experience the momentum of our Qingshan Sacred Ground beforehand. "From this moment on, you are a titled elder of our Qingshan Sacred Ground!" Sect Master Xu directly conferred the status of titled elder of Qingshan Sacred Ground upon Lu Changsheng. For someone of his standing, it was merely a matter of a single decree. As soon as Sect Master Xu's words fell— *Boom.* Lu Changsheng's entire frame jolted. His pupils contracted slightly. He felt the momentum of all living beings within him surge instantly, swelling to an intensity not a whit weaker than that of Tianhe Sacred Ground. Lu Changsheng probed his Chaos Saint Body, finding that it could easily withstand the addition. In fact, he handled it with room to spare, bearing almost no pressure at all. He circulated his saint body and refined it slightly. No problems arose. The momentum of all living beings from Qingshan Sacred Ground could be fully refined. Lu Changsheng gave Sect Master Xu a deep look, then said in a low voice, "Sect Master Xu is indeed sincere. "Then I shall return to Tianhe Sacred Ground at once. The moment there is word, I will notify you immediately!" Sect Master Xu's direct approach had earned Lu Changsheng's goodwill. Afterward, Lu Changsheng led the disciples of Tianhe Sacred Ground away from Qingshan Sacred Ground. It took another three months to return to Tianhe Sacred Ground. The distance between the two sacred grounds was immense—three months to go, and three months to return, totaling half a year on the road. Naturally, an ultra-long-distance teleportation array would have spared them the trouble, but since Qingshan Sacred Ground and Tianhe Sacred Ground were on poor terms, no such array existed between them. Upon returning to Tianhe Sacred Ground, Lu Changsheng did not seek out the Sect Master right away. Instead, he called up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 683,000 (Praised for a Hundred Generations) Chaos Saint Body: Momentum of All Living Beings (4%) *Indeed, the progress of my Chaos Saint Body has reached four percent. Compared to before I set out for Qingshan Sacred Ground, it has increased by two percent.* A sharp glint flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes. A two percent increase might not seem like much, but at his previous rate, it took six months to advance by one percent. Now, exactly six months had passed, yet it had increased by two percent. There was only one plausible explanation: while at Qingshan Sacred Ground, he had received the reinforcement of their momentum of all living beings, allowing his Chaos Saint Body to advance by one percent in just three months. That was the only possibility. If that were the case, this was merely the result of adding one more sacred ground. What if he added two, three, or even more? At this thought, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer. He transmitted a message directly to the Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground, then headed toward the Tianhe Grand Hall. Before long, Lu Changsheng arrived at the grand hall. Having received the message, the Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground was already waiting there. "Elder Boundless, you have truly worked hard this time. "Elder Feng has already told me everything. You turned the tide at Qingshan Sacred Ground, forcefully defeating Great Snow Mountain Sacred Ground and elevating our Tianhe Sacred Ground's prestige. I must express my deep gratitude to you." The Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground looked delighted. It seemed his decision to have Lu Changsheng lead the contingent to Qingshan Sacred Ground had been entirely correct; otherwise, Tianhe Sacred Ground likely would have become a laughingstock among the sacred grounds once again. Lu Changsheng nodded slightly and said, "Sect Master, I have come to consult you regarding a certain matter." "Oh? What is it?" The Sect Master was puzzled. What could Lu Changsheng need to consult him about? "Sect Master, is it true that achieving the Earth Saint realm requires a deity fragment?" Lu Changsheng asked slowly, enunciating every word. "Hmm?" The Sect Master's eyes narrowed, his expression turning solemn. "Elder Boundless, where did you hear this?" "It was told to me by Sect Master Xu of Qingshan Sacred Ground. In fact, he shared quite a great deal..." Lu Changsheng did not go into detail, but the Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground understood immediately. *Sect Master Xu of Qingshan Sacred Ground!* The Sect Master instantly saw through Xu's scheme. Even though fury surged within him, there was nothing he could do. After all, it was an open gambit! The moment Lu Changsheng learned about deities, he would inevitably desire deity fragments. How could a top Martial Saint who had condensed a boundless divine ability not wish to become an Earth Saint? The Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground could not stop him. Taking a deep breath, the Sect Master asked in a heavy tone, "Elder Boundless, what Sect Master Xu told you is indeed true. "Now that you know, what are your thoughts?" Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes and replied, "I am a titled elder of Tianhe Sacred Ground. However, the Sect Master should be well aware of my goal. What I require is the momentum of all living beings, and the more of it, the better. "Therefore, I intend to agree to Sect Master Xu's terms. In fact, not just Sect Master Xu—I will contact even more sacred grounds. As long as they are willing, I can seize a deity fragment on their behalf. "Naturally, the same applies to Tianhe Sacred Ground. With a hundred-year deadline, I will venture into the Divine Domain within a century to claim deity fragments. Any sacred ground that shares its momentum of all living beings with me shall receive one." Lu Changsheng did not conceal his intentions, laying out his plan plainly. What difference was there between one or two versus eight or ten? Either way, the more momentum of all living beings he gathered, the better—so long as his Chaos Saint Body could endure it. The Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground fell into thought. Looking up at Lu Changsheng, he let out a long sigh. "Elder Boundless, aside from a slight trace of selfishness, there is another very important reason I did not mention the Divine Domain to you earlier—one that Sect Master Xu likely omitted. "The Divine Domain is exceedingly dangerous! "Only martial artists or immortal cultivators below the Earth Saint realm can enter. But what dwells inside? Those deities represent the rules of heaven and earth, blessed by the world itself, possessing terrifying might. "Many deities rival the topmost Heavenly Saints. "Those rivaling Earth Saints are just as numerous. "Once inside the Divine Domain, even the strongest Human Saints face the risk of death. "Why do those sacred grounds refrain from sending their top Human Saints? Because the mortality rate is simply too high. "If you enter the Divine Domain, you must be prepared to perish..." Sect Master Xu had indeed not mentioned any of this. Danger! The Divine Domain was peril itself! Yet even without Xu mentioning it, Lu Changsheng had already deduced as much. It was bound to be dangerous; otherwise, with the power of the sacred grounds, why would they ever need him to go? "I am well aware of the danger in the Divine Domain," Lu Changsheng said decisively. Seeing his resolve, the Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground nodded. "Since your mind is made up, I will not stand in your way. You are a titled elder of Tianhe Sacred Ground now, and you shall remain one in the future. "If you wish to become a titled elder of other sacred grounds, that is fine as well. So long as you honor your promise and deliver a deity fragment from the Divine Domain to Tianhe Sacred Ground within a century, I have no objections." The Sect Master knew he could not stop Lu Changsheng. Since he could not prevent it, he might as well go with the flow and facilitate his ambition. In any case, securing a deity fragment was guaranteed not to be a loss. Given that Lu Changsheng was virtually invincible among Human Saints, his chances of obtaining a fragment were substantial despite the perils of the Divine Domain. "My thanks to the Sect Master!" Lu Changsheng bowed respectfully. Tianhe Sacred Ground opening this door of convenience was also a gesture of goodwill, allowing Lu Changsheng to straddle multiple boats without hesitation. "Elder Boundless, Tianhe Sacred Ground was the first sacred ground you joined. No matter what, our sacred ground will support you." Lu Changsheng nodded, understanding the unspoken implication. "Should I obtain deity fragments in the Divine Domain, the first fragment will naturally be delivered to Tianhe Sacred Ground." Both sides understood each other, each getting what they desired. "Sect Master, I take my leave." With that, Lu Changsheng departed from the Tianhe Grand Hall. Returning to his cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng did not send a message to Sect Master Xu right away. Instead, he carefully examined the momentum of all living beings currently resting upon him. Lu Changsheng possessed profound control over his saint body, capable of detecting even the subtlest change. Such was the advantage of complete mastery over one's physical form. Judging by the feedback from his saint body, carrying two streams of momentum posed virtually no strain. Yet he estimated that he could handle around ten such streams in total. In other words, Lu Changsheng could straddle ten boats, joining ten sacred grounds simultaneously. That was essentially the limit of his saint body. If he were to take on a dozen or more, the accumulated momentum would become so terrifying that even his saint body could not bear it, which would instead hinder his cultivation. *Ten sacred grounds...* *I already possess the momentum of two, which means I still need eight more.* A sharp light gleamed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. There was no need for him to contact eight sacred grounds one by one. He was a prized commodity now, and he knew it well. Among Human Saints, even if he was not completely invincible, he was among the absolute pinnacle. Which Human Saint across the major sacred grounds could surpass him? Furthermore, Lu Changsheng had a clear grasp of his standing. He was no longer an unknown figure. Now, it was he who chose the sacred grounds, not the sacred grounds choosing him. Of course, the tedious task of establishing contact was best left to Qingshan Sacred Ground. Thus, Lu Changsheng transmitted a message directly to Sect Master Xu: "Sect Master Xu, you may begin contacting the sacred grounds. "I want eight sacred grounds, no more!" Lu Changsheng was also doing Sect Master Xu a favor. He had asked for only eight, but were there truly only eight sacred grounds in need? Deity fragments were coveted by every single sacred ground. With Qingshan Sacred Ground stepping forward as the intermediary, it naturally gave them considerable leverage to maneuver. Lu Changsheng did not care. All he needed was the momentum of all living beings; whatever benefits Qingshan Sacred Ground gained from the arrangement were of no concern to him. Days slipped by. Lu Changsheng felt no rush. Day after day, he cultivated in Tianhe Sacred Ground, utilizing the momentum of all living beings to temper his saint body. In the blink of an eye, three months passed. Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 713,000 (Praised for a Hundred Generations) Chaos Saint Body: Momentum of All Living Beings (5%) In three months, his Chaos Saint Body had advanced by another percent, reaching five percent. Yet Lu Changsheng still felt it was too slow. His comprehension, on the other hand, had quietly surpassed seven hundred thousand, reaching seven hundred and thirteen thousand. With roughly three hundred thousand more, it would undergo another metamorphosis. Naturally, Lu Changsheng had no urgent need for comprehension at the moment. Refining the momentum of all living beings to temper his saint body did not require particularly high comprehension. However, he sensed that achieving the Earth Saint realm and refining a deity fragment would likely demand immense comprehension. *Buzz.* Suddenly, Lu Changsheng's message transmission stone vibrated slightly. He picked it up and found only a single sentence: *Eight sacred grounds secured. Fellow Daoist Lu must make a trip to Qingshan Sacred Ground.* The message was from the Sect Master of Qingshan Sacred Ground. *It's finally done?* Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes. He knew that once the eight sacred grounds were secured, the time for him to depart for the Divine Domain would not be far off. Still, an agreement had to be established among all ten sacred grounds first. Thus, Lu Changsheng sought out the Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground once more. "Sect Master, I must go to Qingshan Sacred Ground to discuss the Divine Domain with the other sacred grounds. It would be best for our Tianhe Sacred Ground to send a representative as well," Lu Changsheng said directly to the Sect Master. Moreover, this person could not be of low standing; it had to be a heavyweight figure from Tianhe Sacred Ground. "Elder Boundless, how many sacred grounds do you intend to join in total?" the Sect Master asked curiously. "Counting Tianhe Sacred Ground, ten in total." Lu Changsheng did not hide it. The matter was hardly a secret anyway, and everything would become clear once they arrived at Qingshan Sacred Ground. "Ten sacred grounds..." The Sect Master's heart trembled. This was straddling ten boats at once! Of course, what shocked the Sect Master was not merely the act of straddling ten boats, but that Lu Changsheng dared to accept the momentum of all living beings from ten sacred grounds. How terrifyingly immense would that momentum be? An excess of momentum was by no means a good thing; it could crush a saint body directly! Yet the fact that Lu Changsheng dared to accept ten sacred grounds showed he was confident his saint body could withstand the strain. Indirectly, this revealed just how formidable his saint body truly was. With this realization, the Sect Master became even more convinced that Lu Changsheng had a genuine chance of retrieving a deity fragment from the Divine Domain. Therefore, Tianhe Sacred Ground had to treat this journey to Qingshan Sacred Ground with the utmost gravity! "I shall go personally," the Sect Master said. This gathering of ten sacred grounds was essentially to negotiate the distribution of interests with Lu Changsheng. His personal presence would demonstrate greater sincerity. "Good. It is naturally best if the Sect Master goes in person. However, I hope we can set out as soon as possible." Traveling to Qingshan Sacred Ground would take three months. "Then we leave at once." The Sect Master summoned the elders to make the necessary arrangements, then boarded a flying boat with Lu Changsheng to head toward Qingshan Sacred Ground. They encountered no trouble along the way. Three months later, the two arrived at Qingshan Sacred Ground. Although there was friction between Qingshan Sacred Ground and Tianhe Sacred Ground, the Sect Master had no fear of facing danger there. After all, with his esteemed status as a sacred ground's sect master, who would dare move against him? Qingshan Sacred Ground even dispatched a senior elder to receive Lu Changsheng and the Sect Master personally. "Sect Master Wan, Fellow Daoist Lu, you have had a long journey." The Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground was surnamed Wan, a fact well known to the people of Qingshan Sacred Ground. Lu Changsheng did not beat around the bush, asking directly, "Have the other eight sacred grounds arrived?" "They are all present, waiting in the grand hall for Fellow Daoist Lu and Sect Master Wan." "Good, let us head straight to the grand hall." Lu Changsheng and Sect Master Wan flew directly toward the grand hall of Qingshan Sacred Ground, arriving shortly after. *Swish.* The moment Lu Changsheng stepped into the hall, countless gazes locked onto him. In contrast, almost no one paid attention to the esteemed Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground; Lu Changsheng was the sole focal point. Sect Master Xu of Qingshan Sacred Ground smiled faintly. "Sect Master Wan, Fellow Daoist Lu, you have finally arrived. These fellow daoists here are elders from the eight sacred grounds..." Sect Master Xu introduced them to Lu Changsheng one by one. Sect Master Wan was somewhat left out in the cold, but he did not mind. He understood full well that these sacred grounds were all here for the deity fragments, and Lu Changsheng was the key to obtaining them. After the introductions, Lu Changsheng had a general grasp of the eight sacred grounds. Then, he and Sect Master Wan took their seats. "Everyone, you have all agreed to confer the status of titled elder upon Fellow Daoist Lu. Since that is settled, let us discuss the matter of the deity fragments directly. A deadline of one hundred years should pose no issue. The crucial matter is that once Fellow Daoist Lu secures the deity fragments, the order of distribution must be determined beforehand to avoid future disputes," Sect Master Xu went straight to the crux of the issue. The order! One could not underestimate the order of distribution. In truth, no one could guarantee that Lu Changsheng would retrieve ten deity fragments. If he only secured a few before an unexpected mishap occurred, the sacred grounds higher on the list would be the ones reaping tangible benefits. However, this was a matter between the sacred grounds. Lu Changsheng merely stipulated that Tianhe Sacred Ground would take the first position and Qingshan Sacred Ground the second. As for the remaining eight, the order was left to them to negotiate. After fierce debate and several private promises exchanged between factions, the order of the eight sacred grounds was finally determined. Lu Changsheng reviewed the sequence of all ten sacred grounds carefully and committed it to memory. "I have no objections on my end," Lu Changsheng said in a deep voice. "However, my appointment as a titled elder of the ten sacred grounds must be finalized first." He needed to secure their momentum of all living beings before anything else. "Naturally," an elder replied. "We shall transmit messages to our sect masters immediately so they may inscribe Fellow Daoist Lu's name within our sacred grounds. Does Fellow Daoist Lu need time to prepare? Once the momentum of the sacred grounds descends, the burden on your saint body will be immense—especially with the momentum of our eight sacred grounds descending one after another..." "I am already prepared. Please, do not worry," Lu Changsheng said. Seeing his confident demeanor, the elders of the various sacred grounds nodded and hesitated no longer, immediately sending word to their respective sect masters. They also wanted to see whether Lu Changsheng could truly withstand the momentum of ten sacred grounds. If he could, it would prove his strength was genuinely terrifying. But if he could not... they might reconsider cooperating with him altogether. In a sense, this was also a test imposed by the sacred grounds. Lu Changsheng naturally understood what the elders were thinking, but he did not mind. "Begin." Lu Changsheng took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the floor, and quietly waited for the momentum of all living beings from the remaining eight sacred grounds to descend upon him!