Lu Changsheng Instantly Kills a True Deity! A Fatal Oversight, a Deity King Descends!

Martial Saints came and went within the Saint Alliance branch, yet virtually none ever stood upon the arena stage. It had become little more than an ornament. Everyone had come to the Divine Domain hoping to obtain deity fragments, not to fight to the death. Why cause friction with other Martial Saints, let alone take a grievance up to the arena? It simply was not worth it! However, the moment Lu Changsheng and Yang Mao stepped directly onto the arena stage, they quickly drew the attention of numerous Martial Saints. "Someone's climbed onto the arena?" "Who is it?" "One of them is an unfamiliar Martial Saint—never seen him before. The other looks like Saint Yang Mao." "So it is Martial Saint Yang Mao. But hasn't he always made his living selling intelligence on deities? He never leaves the branch, so how could he have made an enemy, let alone ended up on the arena with someone?" "They might not have a grudge. Perhaps they're just sparring?" Many onlookers broke into hushed chatter. Aside from settling disputes, the arena was intended primarily for Martial Saints to spar. Yet whether it was a friendly exchange or a life-and-death duel, a clash between two Martial Saints drew a crowd all the same. A great number of Martial Saints swiftly gathered below the platform. Lu Changsheng swept his eyes over them, paying them no mind. "Fellow Daoist Yang, since this is a spar, how about we decide the outcome with a single strike?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Fine by me," Yang Mao replied. "I only hope Fellow Daoist Lu goes all out. Let me see what kind of power gives you the confidence to hunt a true deity alone. Otherwise, if you cannot earn my approval, our transaction won't be necessary." Lu Changsheng nodded. "I will ensure Fellow Daoist Yang is satisfied." As for going all out? Naturally, Lu Changsheng would do no such thing. If he truly went all out, Yang Mao likely would not survive a single blow. He would be killed on the spot. *Boom!* The moment Lu Changsheng finished speaking, Yang Mao did not stand on ceremony. He directly unleashed his saint body. "It's actually a lightning-attributed saint body! The moment he strikes, heavenly thunder accompanies him—so utterly domineering!" "Yang Mao has always kept a low profile in the branch, constantly refusing to team up with others to hunt deities. Everyone assumed his strength was mediocre. Who knew he possessed such terrifying power?" "Yang Mao really is prudent. With this kind of strength and such a saint body, joining a hunt to surround and slay a deity would be more than enough." Seeing Yang Mao act, many spectators' eyes immediately lit up. His saint body and martial might clearly exceeded their expectations. In truth, his caliber placed him in the upper-middle tier among the Martial Saints of the branch. Yet he had concealed his talents so deeply and acted with such caution. Lu Changsheng's interest was also piqued. Yang Mao's strength was indeed commendable. The lightning raged with immense ferocity. Even before striking Lu Changsheng, it caused a stinging sensation across his flesh. There was even a faint, oppressive intimidation woven into it. The deterrence of heavenly thunder! Yet Lu Changsheng's heart remained as still as a well. *Buzz.* The next instant, Lu Changsheng unleashed his own saint body. The dreadful Chaos Saint Body leaped abruptly from the void, towering a hundred zhang high as it straddled the heavens, radiating a crushing, suffocating pressure. Even standing far below the stage, the Martial Saints could feel the terrifying aura bearing down on them. "What... what kind of saint body is that?" "Such a terrifying saint body! It feels so heavy I can barely breathe, and I'm not even on the arena!" "How could a saint body's aura reach such an absurd level?" Shock washed over the crowd. From the aura alone, they could tell that Lu Changsheng's Chaos Saint Body was extraordinarily uncommon. None of them recognized Lu Changsheng. Naturally, they knew nothing of his renown. With his hundred-zhang saint body spanning the void, Lu Changsheng extended a hand and threw a direct punch. *Boom!* The void trembled under the blow. Three boundless divine abilities surged together, amplified several hundred times, as the punch smashed forward. Even the sky full of lightning shattered and vanished into oblivion beneath the strike. Yang Mao felt an overwhelming sense of impending doom, as though he were hovering between life and death. Even before the saint body's fist landed on him, his mind was crystal clear. He could not block this. If he tried to withstand it by force, he would die! "Stop!" "Fellow Daoist Lu, halt! I concede!" Yang Mao called out decisively. "Hm? Conceding already?" Lu Changsheng stopped. Before the punch had even landed, Yang Mao had already surrendered. Yang Mao shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Lu's strength is astonishing. There's no need to continue. I believe you possess the qualifications to hunt a true deity alone." With such frightening might... A single punch would have blown him to pieces. How could Yang Mao fail to grasp how terrifying Lu Changsheng was? In fact, Lu Changsheng far surpassed his wildest estimates. As Yang Mao conceded, the Martial Saints below burst into an uproar. Upon hearing Yang Mao state that Lu Changsheng could hunt a true deity alone, their shock deepened. "What? Yang Mao surrendered just like that?" "It's hardly surprising. Yang Mao never likes taking risks, so why would he fight to the death on the arena?" "From the look of that punch, that Saint Lu could probably have killed Yang Mao outright!" "Where did such a terrifying Martial Saint come from? And from what Yang Mao said, he can hunt a true deity on his own?" "Hunting a true deity single-handedly... that's unbelievable." Despite their shock, the Martial Saints believed Yang Mao's judgment. Single-handedly hunting a true deity... Such Martial Saints had existed in the Saint Alliance before. Yet they could be counted on one hand. Now, another Martial Saint capable of hunting a true deity alone seemed to have emerged. Still, none of them knew whether he would truly succeed. Wanting to hunt a true deity and actually slaying one were two entirely different matters. Many supremely confident Martial Saints with tremendous power had gone out seeking true deities, only to suffer crushing defeat in the end. Some had even lost their lives in the process. Lu Changsheng and Yang Mao descended from the arena stage. Yang Mao led Lu Changsheng to his cave abode. "Fellow Daoist Lu, your strength leaves me in absolute awe," Yang Mao sighed. "I have cultivated for seven or eight centuries, and I considered myself reasonably capable. But compared to you, the difference is night and day—there is simply no comparison." "With strength like yours, once you strike, you will surely succeed in slaying a true deity and obtaining deity fragments." "Fellow Daoist Yang, let us return to the matter of the true deity," Lu Changsheng said directly. "Which true deity does your intelligence concern?" Yang Mao spoke gravely. "The information I obtained is on the Fushan True Deity of the Fushan Divine Dynasty." "This Fushan True Deity is an ancient true deity, though not a deity king." "However, because his divine dynasty is surrounded by divine dynasties ruled by several deity kings, no one has attempted to deal with him over all these years." "I lurked within the Fushan Divine Dynasty for over a decade before finally discovering his precise hiding place." "If you make a move, Fellow Daoist Lu, you will surely be able to slay the Fushan True Deity." Yang Mao laid out his intelligence. "The Fushan True Deity?" Lu Changsheng had never heard of him. Yet he understood clearly what it meant to be surrounded by dynasties with deity kings. In other words, slaying the Fushan True Deity might not be difficult. What would be difficult was making an escape afterward. Yang Mao promptly produced a map. Pointing to the map, he explained, "The Fushan Divine Dynasty is enclosed on all sides by other divine dynasties. Three of the surrounding dynasties have deity kings presiding over them. Only the southern dynasty is ruled by an ordinary true deity." "If those three deity kings wish to rush to the Fushan True Deity's hiding place, it will take them at least fifteen minutes at top speed." "Therefore, if you can slay the Fushan True Deity in the shortest time possible and withdraw toward the south, there is a strong chance you can escape without being intercepted by a deity king." "Naturally, this carries danger. It depends on whether you are willing to take the risk, Fellow Daoist Lu." Having finished, Yang Mao fell silent, quietly awaiting Lu Changsheng's decision. Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. He scanned the map, weighing the matter in his mind. Fifteen minutes... In truth, if he genuinely had fifteen minutes, Lu Changsheng could easily leave the Fushan Divine Dynasty safely. Yet would he really have that full quarter of an hour? That was far from certain. Fifteen minutes was merely Yang Mao's estimate. What if a deity king happened to be near the border of the Fushan Divine Dynasty? Surrounded on three sides by dynasties guarded by deity kings meant countless variables. A single lapse in attention could lead to interception by a deity king. If that happened, death was all but assured. Yang Mao had tried to sell this intelligence for so long without finding a buyer; this was undoubtedly the primary reason. Killing the Fushan True Deity was not hard. The hard part was retreating in one piece. "Do you possess a Great Shift Talisman, Fellow Daoist?" Yang Mao asked suddenly. "I do." Naturally, Lu Changsheng had prepared Shift Talismans in abundance, both Great Shift Talismans and Lesser Shift Talismans. "Having a Great Shift Talisman makes all the difference," Yang Mao said deeply. "If the worst happens, you can activate it directly. As long as you aren't so unlucky as to shift right in front of a deity king, there won't be an issue." "The most crucial factor remains that fifteen-minute window: can you slay the Fushan True Deity within that time?" Fifteen minutes! In truth, that was a very narrow window. Even when several top Martial Saints joined forces to surround and kill a true deity, fifteen minutes might not be enough to shatter one. This was precisely why so many Martial Saints struggled to hunt true deities. They could not achieve a quick kill. They could only grind them down slowly. And the longer it dragged out, the more variables emerged. Once other deities arrived, Martial Saints or Nascent Soul True Monarchs would find themselves in grave peril. A swift kill was paramount. Lu Changsheng weighed his chances. Swift kill? He could do far more than that. He could kill in an instant! This was the very foundation of his confidence in hunting a true deity alone. "Very well. I accept!" Lu Changsheng finally looked up and said slowly. *** Fushan City, the capital of the Fushan Divine Dynasty. At that moment, a carriage slowly rolled into the city. "It is Master Zhang's family. Let them pass." Recognizing the status signified by the carriage, the city guards dared not search it and waved it through immediately. Privilege existed everywhere. Even within a divine dynasty with boundless power of faith, the officials still held privileges that humble gate guards could never afford to offend. The master of the carriage, Lord Zhang, possessed great authority. How would these guards dare inspect his convoy? That would be courting death. Thus, the carriage rolled smoothly into Fushan City. Inside were indeed members of Lord Zhang's household. Yet there were also two uninvited guests: Lu Changsheng and Yang Mao. Yang Mao had made preparations long ago. In truth, the Zhang clan had been secretly supported by Yang Mao for years, solely for the day they might prove useful. And now, that day had come. Using the Zhang clan's carriage convoy allowed them to slip smoothly into Fushan City. Although martial artists could not openly exert supernatural power here, they were far from ordinary people. Through patience, cultivation, and bribery, they could easily bring common mortals of the Divine Domain under their control. They could then rely on the influence of these mortals to lie dormant within a divine dynasty without making a sound. Without the Zhang family line, it would have been exceedingly difficult for Lu Changsheng and Yang Mao to enter Fushan City so effortlessly. Upon entering the Zhang estate, Yang Mao and Lu Changsheng were escorted to a courtyard reserved for distinguished guests to rest. Lu Changsheng went to Yang Mao's room to confer with him. "Where is the Fushan True Deity's exact location?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Fellow Daoist Lu, if you are certain about making your move, you must be fully prepared," Yang Mao said solemnly. "The Fushan True Deity is likely hidden beneath a temple to the deity of Fushan in the eastern part of the city." "It is such an inconspicuous temple. Who could have imagined the true deity himself was hiding there?" "It took me immense effort and many years before I could confirm it." Yang Mao paused, then asked, "When do you plan to strike?" "If the information is accurate, we strike tonight," Lu Changsheng replied, having already formed a plan. Striking at night would allow him to resolve the Fushan True Deity as swiftly as possible, then use the cover of darkness to flee the Fushan Divine Dynasty and perhaps even leave the Divine Domain entirely. Only then could he steer clear of the three deity kings. Yang Mao made no objection. And so, the two waited until night fell. During that time, no one from the Zhang estate disturbed them. "Night has fallen..." Lu Changsheng rose and departed the Zhang estate, heading straight toward the temple of the Fushan True Deity in the east of the city. A temple or a divine palace made little difference; in the Divine Domain, both served as places to venerate true deities. Lu Changsheng and Yang Mao arrived before the shrine. Even at night, worshipers knelt within, praying devoutly. "Fellow Daoist Lu, I wish you every success." With that, Yang Mao faded into the shadows. He had no desire to expose himself. He had only accompanied Lu Changsheng to the temple. The only one who would actually take action was Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng glanced at the shadows where Yang Mao had vanished, but paid him no further heed. Stepping out into the open darkness, he walked toward the temple stride by stride. Moreover, he had already released his Perception Domain. The vast Perception Domain swept out instantly, blanketing the area around the temple, especially the ground beneath. According to Yang Mao, the Fushan True Deity was concealed beneath the structure. "Who goes there?" "Halt!" "You..." The attendants in the temple caught sight of Lu Changsheng and sensed the aura radiating from him. Their faces drained of color. "An evil deity! It's an evil deity!" "There's an evil deity here..." "How could an evil deity infiltrate Fushan City?" Chaos erupted inside the temple in an instant. Countless people scrambled to flee. Lu Changsheng no longer cared. *Boom!* The Chaos Saint Body manifested in a flash. Towering a hundred zhang tall, it straddled the empty sky. Even in the dead of night, the Chaos Saint Body seemed to radiate dazzling brilliance, casting a heavy, suffocating pressure over every soul in Fushan City. "What is that?" "That aura—it isn't the Fushan True Deity, it's an evil deity!" "An evil deity has come!" "Quick, pray to the True Deity..." As Lu Changsheng released his saint body, the Fushan True Deity did not appear, but the Fushan False Deity did. "Insolent evil deity! How dare you sneak into Fushan City—" The Fushan False Deity bellowed, attempting to speak further. "Noisy." Lu Changsheng's hundred-zhang saint body casually raised a finger and flicked it. *Whoosh!* A terrifying burst of force swept toward the Fushan False Deity. "Ahhh!" The Fushan False Deity shrieked in agony. The power of faith he mobilized could not mount the slightest resistance before it was pierced clean through. In an instant, the Fushan False Deity blew apart. Lu Changsheng had destroyed a false deity with the flick of a finger! Naturally, a mere false deity was only equivalent to the Divine Ability realm. Even a top-tier Divine Ability realm meant nothing to him. Lu Changsheng could obliterate such an existence with a single finger. Yet the false deity did not matter; what mattered was drawing out the Fushan True Deity! "Rise!" The saint body slammed a colossal palm down toward the earth. *Rumble!* The ground around the temple split apart as the entire city seemed to tremble. It was as though Lu Changsheng intended to overturn everything beneath the temple. "Presumptuous!" Finally, a cold, furious roar rang out. The Fushan True Deity! He had indeed been concealed beneath the eastern temple. Seeing that Lu Changsheng was about to tear up the ground beneath the shrine, the Fushan True Deity knew he could hide no longer and surged forth from beneath the earth. His divine body was immense, barely smaller than Lu Changsheng's saint body. Yet between the two, the difference was night and day. Without a word, Lu Changsheng hurled a fist through the air. Three boundless divine abilities converged, amplified hundreds of times. The might behind this single punch was beyond terrifying—it rolled out like an unstoppable torrent. "Who on earth are you?" the Fushan True Deity roared. A flicker of dread stirred in his heart. Yes, absolute dread. He had never seen a punch so horrific. He had seen Lu Changsheng's saint body and knew the intruder should only be a Martial Saint. Yet how could a mere Martial Saint unleash such a monstrous strike with his saint body? A single punch—one that had not even landed—made the Fushan True Deity feel as though he were standing on the brink of death. He was certain that if he failed to block it, he would die! "Ahhh!" A bloodcurdling scream tore from the Fushan True Deity's lips. Beneath that solitary punch, none of his methods availed him in the slightest. He could not withstand it at all. His divine body was blown apart by Lu Changsheng's fist, shattering and collapsing into fragments. An instant kill! Lu Changsheng had actually killed the Fushan True Deity in a single blow! Where was the need for fifteen minutes? It was an outright instant kill! Watching from the shadows, Yang Mao's eyes went wide, a tempest of shock raging within his mind. He knew Lu Changsheng was strong. They had sparred, and Yang Mao had recognized that he was no match for him. Yet seeing Lu Changsheng instantly destroy the Fushan True Deity still left him in utter disbelief. A true deity was by no means weak. Even the weakest true deity rivaled the pinnacle of Human Saints. Usually, it required several peak Human Saints to surround one, grinding it down through sheer endurance until it was worn to death. To achieve an instant kill against a true deity using overwhelming saint body and divine ability techniques—such a person was not merely one of a handful. It was utterly unprecedented! The death of the Fushan True Deity sent shockwaves throughout Fushan City. His believers felt a sudden, hollow emptiness in their hearts. In their senses, the Fushan True Deity was gone. That meant their true deity had fallen. "How is this possible? How could the True Deity have fallen?" "Who could kill a true deity?" "Could it be that evil deity who slipped into the city just now?" "The great True Deity has fallen..." In an instant, wails and weeping echoed everywhere. Soon, every soul in Fushan City knew the Fushan True Deity was dead. When a true deity fell, it almost always heralded a shifting of the heavens! "Collect." Lu Changsheng swept his massive hand out at once. Regrettably, after the Fushan True Deity blew apart, only two large fragments and over a dozen small ones remained. Lu Changsheng drew them all into his grasp. "Fellow Daoist Yang, let's go," Lu Changsheng called out. Then, transforming into a streak of light, he sped toward the south. The Fushan Divine Dynasty was flanked on three sides by dynasties guarded by deity kings. Only the southern route had no deity king. Moreover, they supposedly still had a fifteen-minute window. Thus, Lu Changsheng and Yang Mao swiftly fled Fushan City, fleeing at the limits of their speed. Yet they had fled for only a short while and had not even crossed the borders of the Fushan Divine Dynasty when— *Rumble!* A terrifying presence suddenly surged ahead of them. A colossal face that blotted out the sky hung suspended in the void. Its terrifying majesty battered relentlessly against the minds of Lu Changsheng and Yang Mao. "Two Martial Saints dare trespass in the Fushan Divine Dynasty? Die!" The voice booming from that colossal face rolled down like crashing thunder, sweeping over them in vast waves. "That's... a deity king!" "How could it be a deity king?!" "Why is a deity king here? And blocking our path?" Yang Mao cried out in horror, unable to believe his eyes. His investigation had been thorough. There were only three deity kings near the Fushan Divine Dynasty, none of them to the south. How could a deity king have appeared in the south now? Could their luck truly be so atrocious that they had stumbled straight into one by coincidence? In truth, it was entirely a matter of luck. This deity king had come to the southern borders of the Fushan Divine Dynasty for an unrelated matter. As a result, he had sensed the sudden eruption of Martial Saint auras within the dynasty. When Lu Changsheng and his companion came racing in this direction, the deity king had not revealed himself right away. Instead, he had laid in ambush, waiting until the two drew close before unleashing his might. *Rumble!* A gargantuan palm manifested in the void. It blotted out the sky and sun, blanketing the entirety of the space around them. There was nowhere left to run. "Great Shift Talisman!" Yang Mao reached for his Great Shift Talisman almost instinctively. Yet with a brief flicker of his silhouette, he merely reappeared a short distance away, tumbling to the ground. He had hardly traveled any distance at all. The Great Shift Talisman had failed. Or rather, this entire expanse of void had already been blanketed and sealed by the deity king's divine power in advance. Even a Great Shift Talisman could not break through such a spatial lock. A Great Shift Talisman required unsealed space to transport someone away. With space sealed, Lesser Shift Talismans, Great Shift Talismans, and escape arts were rendered utterly useless. They had become turtles trapped in the deity king's jar. "It's over... We've been targeted by a deity king, and the space has been sealed in advance. We have to face a deity king head-on. There's no escaping this—we're dead..." Yang Mao's face turned deathly pale. Brought to such a point, he had no solutions left. He had never wanted to take risks. This was the very reason he avoided danger. Despite a hundred precautions, a single flaw remained. No matter how meticulous the plan, luck remained an inescapable factor. And right now, their luck had utterly failed them. They were trapped in a dead end.