Tertiary Growth, Stepping into Transcendence!

"Banning the Limit Martial Dao?" Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He set the electric wire straight down, wisps of vapor still seemingly rising from his body. Yet he appeared entirely calm, remarking indifferently, "Having failed at assassination, that lot is now leveraging their connections to try to ban the Limit Martial Dao outright. We infringed upon the interests of the entire martial arts circle; it is only natural for them to push back furiously." "Here is what we will do. Immediately mobilize a large sum of funds. Spare no expense to go to the capital of the Yulong Kingdom and lobby the kingdom's nobles and parliamentarians." "Do not ask them to protect the Limit Martial Dao style. Just ask them to stall for time. The longer the delay, the better. Half a year or a year would be ideal." Senior Sister Xiang paused, taken aback. "Just stall?" "Even if we delay it for a year, what good will that do?" Senior Sister Xiang could see no turning point at all. Expending massive amounts of money and effort merely to buy six months or a year—could some miraculous turn of events truly occur after six months or a year? It seemed utterly impossible. The martial arts circle wielded immense influence. Once official power was brought to bear, the Limit Martial Arts Hall had no chance of competing. Let alone six months or a year, delaying for two, three, or even five years would likely be completely pointless. Lu Changsheng gave neither approval nor disapproval, saying calmly, "Just do as instructed. The longer you stall, the better. If you can buy a year, today's problem will cease to be a problem." Lu Changsheng offered no further explanation. Even so, Senior Sister Xiang nodded and went to make the arrangements. The Limit Martial Arts Hall had practically monopolized the martial arts halls across all of Pan City, and its tuition fees were by no means cheap. It was also expanding into other regions. Consequently, the hall's current financial reserves were substantial. Using the hall's wealth to lobby nobles, the royal family, and parliamentarians to buy a little time would certainly present no problem. Senior Sister Xiang naturally had no idea what Lu Changsheng had planned. His plan was actually quite simple. He needed to strive to break through his limits once more and achieve tertiary growth. Lu Changsheng was now certain. Tertiary growth would definitively allow him to step into transcendence. At present, he was merely invulnerable to blades and spears and capable of withstanding ordinary bullets. Against artillery shells or high-powered anti-materiel sniper cannons, he might not hold out. However, once he achieved tertiary growth and entered transcendence, everything would change. By then, he would sweep across all opposition unhindered, taking whatever he pleased. The word "transcendent" truly meant standing above all mortal life. Yet he needed time. "I need to pick up the pace..." Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Yuan Limit Martial Dao Style: Secondary Growth (42%) On the attribute panel, Lu Changsheng's secondary growth had already reached 42% progress. Previously, using electrical energy, his progress increased by 1% every three days. By that logic, three months should have only yielded an increase of 30%, making for a total of 32%. Now, there was an extra 10%. This extra 10% came from Lu Changsheng occasionally taking the risk of increasing the voltage. Raising the voltage indeed allowed his physical body to improve much faster. However, it carried a degree of risk. If the voltage remained high for too long, a single lapse in care could overwhelm his physical body. After all, his current constitution had not yet reached the realm of transcendence. A powerful current could still kill him if sustained over time. Under the present circumstances, however, those force-refining martial masters had mobilized all their connections across the Yulong Kingdom to shut down the Limit Martial Arts Hall for good. That was an attempt to destroy Lu Changsheng's foundation. If the Limit Martial Arts Hall were closed, where would he coalesce martial dao once the three-year limit arrived? Coalescing martial dao was not something that could be accomplished merely by him stepping into transcendence alone. A vast number of people had to practice the Limit Martial Dao and achieve substantial results as well. "Five months. I must buy at least five months to reach 100% progress." "Then I will attempt to break through the limit, achieve tertiary growth, and step into transcendence!" "I hope Senior Sister Xiang can stall for five months..." Lu Changsheng then continued using electrical energy inside the factory to accelerate his body's growth. Senior Sister Xiang was indeed shrewd and capable. She quickly arrived in Yudu. Paving her way with money, she became acquainted with a large circle of royal family members, nobles, and parliamentarians. Furthermore, she did not rely on money alone; she also utilized the Limit Martial Dao, singing its praises to high heaven. For instance, she claimed that in its later stages, the Limit Martial Dao could prolong one's life. The moment this claim of "prolonging life" surfaced, many high-ranking individuals were instantly enticed. Prolonging life! No matter the place, no matter the person, who would not wish to live a few more years, a decade, or even several decades? Still, this was only Senior Sister Xiang's word. Many remained skeptical. After all, they all understood the purpose of her visit: to stop the Yulong Kingdom from banning the Limit Martial Arts Hall. Yet a portion of them were undeniably swayed. What if it were true? Thus, both factions became locked in a tug-of-war. The kingdom's authorities repeatedly hesitated, delaying the decision to ban the Limit Martial Arts Hall. Just like that, time slipped by, and five months passed. In Pan City, Lu Changsheng was inside the factory. *Ring, ring, ring.* The telephone rang. Lu Changsheng answered the call. Senior Sister Xiang's voice came from the other end of the line: "Sect Master, I have exhausted every method and maneuvered in Yudu for five months, but I still cannot sway the Yulong Kingdom's resolve to ban the Limit Martial Arts Hall." "Within the next few days, the Yulong Kingdom will officially ban the Limit Martial Arts Hall." "Sect Master, it was my incompetence..." Her voice carried a faint tremble. Over these past few months, she had been truly exhausted in both body and mind. Every day, she had to navigate among nobles, parliamentarians, and royal family members. Moreover, every single one of them was an old, cunning fox who was exceedingly difficult to handle. Five months was already the absolute maximum time she could secure. "It does not matter. Five months is plenty!" "Stay in Yudu for now. In a few days, I might come to Yudu in person." Lu Changsheng hung up the phone. He glanced at the attribute panel. The progress of the Limit Martial Dao style had already hit 100%—not merely for a single day, but for several days now. Yet Lu Changsheng had not broken through the limit. He had been waiting. Waiting for the right opportunity. "It is about time." "Over these past few days, my condition has been adjusted to its peak. Now I can attempt to break through the limit." "Previously, I used 220 volts and 380 volts to enhance my physical strength." "However, 380 volts cannot help me break through the limit of secondary growth. To break through secondary growth, a massive surge of energy must erupt in an instant—a voltage of at least a thousand volts or more." The reason Lu Changsheng had spent days adjusting his condition and preparing was that a thousand volts still posed a degree of danger to him at present. He had to gauge the threshold precisely. Too much would not do. Too little would not work either. He knew that to break through the limit, he had to take in an enormous electric current in a single instant. The sole purpose was to shatter the limit. According to Lu Changsheng's deductions, there should be no error. Besides, with his formidable consciousness, he could govern every single inch of his body. If any change occurred within his flesh, his consciousness could monitor it immediately. "Let us begin." Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng flipped the switch for over a thousand volts, and his hand firmly gripped the wire. *Sizzle!* The immense electric current instantly numbed his entire body. Lu Changsheng's consciousness immediately guided the current's power deep into his body, furiously battering against the physical limit of his flesh. *Boom!* Lu Changsheng's whole body shuddered. He felt hunger. Intense hunger. The thousand-volt current was packed with immense energy. It seemed to be ravenously devoured by Lu Changsheng's body. Earlier, Lu Changsheng had found a thousand volts terrifying. Now, however, once he shattered the limit, he felt a thousand volts was nothing remarkable after all. Even if the voltage increased tenfold or a hundredfold, it could no longer harm him. At this moment, his physique was no longer ordinary. Instead... it was a transcendent body! Yes, a transcendent body! Transcendence meant rising above the mundane and breaking free from mortal bounds. Standing above all mortal beings. It was no longer a "human" body. It could be considered "non-human." Lu Changsheng now felt an overwhelming hunger. No amount of food seemed to satisfy it. Only electrical energy could replenish it slightly. Yet it could not be replenished in a brief span. And so, time ticked away. One day, two days, three days... Finally, after three days, Lu Changsheng no longer felt hungry. By this point, however, his physical body had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. "My body..." Lu Changsheng was inwardly startled. His entire frame had expanded by more than a full size. Originally around 2.1 or 2.2 meters tall, he had now ballooned directly to roughly three meters. A massive three-meter frame, covered in thick, coiling muscles. Moreover, the density of his muscle and bone was terrifyingly high. With such horrifying density, an artillery shell striking his body would likely feel like nothing more than an itch. Lu Changsheng could clearly sense that this physical constitution far surpassed Divine Strength and Divine Gang. It should be comparable to the Divine Treasury! Purely through his fleshly body, he could rival the Divine Treasury. Undoubtedly, he had stepped into transcendence! The Divine Treasury corresponded to Qi Refinement. In any world, that was the hallmark of transcendence. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng suddenly looked up. The instant he stepped into transcendence, he could distinctly sense the shifts occurring across the entire world. Furthermore, in the unseen depths, this world seemed to be coalescing something. Yet it remained unable to take shape. "Martial dao..." A peculiar gleam flashed through Lu Changsheng's eyes. He could clearly feel that this world was beginning to coalesce martial dao. Though it was merely an embryonic form—no, not even an embryonic form yet. Even so, it was genuinely beginning to coalesce. However, him stepping into transcendence alone was insufficient to bring martial dao into form. Ideally, a second person would achieve transcendence. Even if no second person reached it, that would still be fine—as long as a vast multitude practiced the Limit Martial Dao. Only then could the fortune of all living beings in this world converge, thereby coalescing martial dao! Martial dao was fundamentally born from countless living beings. Without living beings, how could there be any martial dao? With a thought, Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Yuan Limit Martial Dao Style: Tertiary Growth (1%) Without a doubt, Lu Changsheng had truly entered the state of tertiary growth. Now, his body could continue to grow stronger. Every single passing moment, it grew stronger. This sensation was exhilarating. It felt as though Lu Changsheng had leaped from a tiny pond straight into a boundless, roaring river. The sky was vast enough for birds to fly; the sea was wide enough for fish to leap. This was the feeling of breaking limits and stepping into transcendence. "Retract." Lu Changsheng compressed his frame. He returned to his usual 1.8-meter appearance. However, whenever he wished, he could release his full frame at any time. "Mm, this should be the Limit Triple Transformation now." "With the Limit Triple Transformation, ordinary guns and artillery should no longer be an issue." "Perhaps only the top-tier weapons of this world's leading powers could inflict the slightest harm on me." A sharp glint flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes. If his current strength were converted into an energy reaction level, it would correspond to the Qi Refinement level. The ceiling of this world stood at the Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment energy reaction level. There were still certain forces capable of threatening him. However, those would undoubtedly be peak technological forces. The Yulong Kingdom's technology was quite average. It certainly possessed no such pinnacle technological weapons. Moreover, even if such top-tier technological weapons existed, wiping Lu Changsheng out in one blow would likely prove exceedingly difficult. After all, such weapons were never deployed lightly. Lu Changsheng was a human being, extraordinarily agile and flexible. How could they easily lock onto and strike him? Furthermore, according to his attribute panel, he could continue to advance. When martial dao finally coalesced, Lu Changsheng could even break through once more and achieve quaternary growth. Quaternary growth should rival the Dao Foundation and Foundation Establishment. By that time, no means or force in this world would be capable of threatening him. Right now, however, Lu Changsheng had a far more pressing matter to attend to. "Time to head to Yudu and talk with those people." Lu Changsheng rose to his feet and walked out of the factory. *** In Yudu, Senior Sister Xiang was utterly exhausted in body and mind. Yet she forced a smile and spoke to the noble before her: "If the Si family wishes to practice the Limit Martial Dao, I can suggest that our Sect Master visit Yudu in person to personally guide the Si family in practicing it." "I trust the Si family will not be disappointed." "Over time, the Si family will naturally come to appreciate the benefits of the Limit Martial Dao, particularly when it comes to prolonging life..." Senior Sister Xiang was still striving to lobby the Si family. The Si family was a prominent noble household, carrying immense weight throughout Yudu. If they wanted to prevent or stall the Yulong Kingdom from banning the Limit Martial Arts Hall, the Si family was of paramount importance. Consequently, Senior Sister Xiang had poured a massive amount of energy into the Si family recently. *Ring, ring, ring.* Just then, the telephone rang. A member of the Si family picked up the receiver. Gradually, the Si family representative's expression turned grave. After hanging up, he looked at Senior Sister Xiang and let out a long sigh. "Miss Xiang, word has just arrived. The Long family has intervened and made the definitive call to ban the Limit Martial Arts Hall." "In this matter, there is no longer any room for maneuver." The head of the Si family shook his head, feeling somewhat regretful. He had not wished for the Limit Martial Arts Hall to be banned. In fact, he had hoped to try practicing the Limit Martial Dao style himself to see if it truly could prolong life. He had not expected the martial arts circle to enlist the Long family. The Long family, like the Si family, was a great noble house. Once the Long family entered the fray, the outcome was practically set in stone; there would be no further changes. "What? The Long family intervened?" Senior Sister Xiang's complexion turned dreadful. She had visited the Long family only a few days ago, and they had stated they would not get involved. Yet today, they had completely sided with the martial arts circle? The head of the Si family said, "Miss Xiang, I am deeply sorry. The Limit Martial Arts Hall will certainly be banned; the Si family is powerless to assist with that." "However, regarding yourself, Miss Xiang, and Sect Master Lu Yuan personally, my Si family can still offer shelter. If Sect Master Lu is willing to come to Yudu, my Si family is willing to have him teach us the Limit Martial Dao—he simply will not be able to openly take disciples any longer." This guarantee from the Si family carried considerable weight. At present, the Yulong Kingdom had only declared that the Limit Martial Arts Hall would be banned. How Lu Yuan would be dealt with had not yet been settled. The Si family extending an olive branch meant they would do their utmost to protect Lu Yuan and key figures of the Limit Martial Arts Hall. Senior Sister Xiang hesitated. Her thoughts were in utter disarray; she had no idea what to do next. Earlier, she had thought they could stall for a bit longer, even if only for ten days or half a month. Now, it seemed completely futile. *Buzz.* Senior Sister Xiang's cell phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen and answered immediately. A familiar voice came from the other end. "Senior Sister Xiang, where are you right now?" "I am at the Si family residence." "The Si family? No need to lobby them anymore. Come to the airport to pick me up. I have arrived in Yudu." "Ah? Sect Master, you have arrived in Yudu?" Senior Sister Xiang felt a burst of joy. Lu Yuan had actually come to Yudu in person. And so quickly? In an instant, she felt as though she had found her anchor once again. Regardless of what happened, Lu Yuan was the Sect Master of the Limit Martial Dao style! He was the true core figure! "Mr. Si, my apologies. I have an urgent matter and must take my leave." "Not at all. Please help yourself, Miss Xiang." Senior Sister Xiang promptly departed. Watching her retreating back, the head of the Si family narrowed his eyes slightly. "Has Lu Yuan arrived?" "Even if Lu Yuan is here, what of it? The die is cast; the Limit Martial Arts Hall is doomed to be banned. If he does not wish to be dragged down with it, his only option is to align with my Si family." "Right now, in the entirety of Yudu, only my Si family can protect him..." He pushed up his spectacles, a confident smile appearing on his face. Soon, Senior Sister Xiang arrived at the airport and picked Lu Changsheng up in her car. Lu Changsheng spotted her at a glance. Once they were seated inside the vehicle, he noticed the exhaustion written all over her face. Evidently, her time in Yudu had been fraught with obstacles, and her situation had been far from pleasant. "Sect Master, I just received news that the Long family intervened and sided entirely with the martial arts circle. The Yulong Kingdom has decided to ban the Limit Martial Arts Hall..." The moment she saw Lu Changsheng, she hurried to report this crucial update. "Now the Si family is willing to protect key figures of the Limit Martial Dao style, including you, Sect Master. But you would need to teach the members of the Si family the Limit Martial Dao..." As she spoke, her voice gradually grew quieter. The Si family clearly thought they had the Limit Martial Dao style completely cornered, believing no one else could protect Lu Yuan and the others. Lu Changsheng, however, showed not the slightest panic or fear. He appeared entirely composed. "Senior Sister Xiang, head to the Long family!" Lu Changsheng said suddenly. "What?" "Sect Master, the Long family is a prominent noble house, heavily guarded, with armed guards stationed around the clock..." Senior Sister Xiang's expression changed. She knew Lu Yuan well. Once he decided to go to the Long family, he was likely prepared to "persuade" them with force. Could the Long family truly be persuaded with force? If violence broke out, the consequences would be unpredictable. The Limit Martial Dao style might truly be finished, with no room left to salvage the situation. "To the Long family." "Do not worry, Senior Sister Xiang. I am going to reason with them." "I believe the Long family will make the right choice." Lu Changsheng smiled, his tone calm. "Reason with them?" Senior Sister Xiang gave a wry smile inwardly. How could she not know what Lu Yuan meant by "reasoning"? Whenever Lu Yuan reasoned with someone, he always did so with his fists. "Very well, to the Long family!" Senior Sister Xiang instructed the driver. Regardless, they had to give it a try. What if they truly could "persuade" the Long family? After all, the kingdom was already resolved to ban the hall. They had no path of retreat left; their only option was a desperate gamble! Before long, the car pulled up before the Long residence. The Long family was guarded by personnel armed with live ammunition, maintaining strict security. As a prominent noble house of the Yulong Kingdom, security was taken with utmost seriousness. The vehicle was stopped. "Show your identification." Senior Sister Xiang presented her credentials and said to the guard, "Lu Yuan, Sect Master of the Limit Martial Dao style, has come in person to visit the head of the Long family. We request an audience with Lord Long." The guard immediately made a phone call to inquire. After a moment, he replied expressionlessly, "Apologies. Mr. Long does not wish to see you. Please leave." The Long family refused to even grant them an audience, denying the Limit Martial Dao style the slightest chance. "Heh." Lu Changsheng chuckled. "You two stay in the car. I will go in alone to pay my respects." With that, Lu Changsheng stepped out of the vehicle. He strode directly toward the Long residence. "Halt! Unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entering!" A guard pointed his rifle straight at Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng did not spare him a glance. He continued walking forward just as before, heading straight inside. "Final warning!" "Advance no further, or we will open fire!" the guard warned again. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng's figure swayed faintly. In the blink of an eye, he was standing directly before the guard. Reaching out, he snatched the rifle from the guard's hands and squeezed firmly. *Snap.* The firearm was crushed in an instant, disintegrating into a heap of loose parts that clattered across the ground. "You..." The guard's face flushed crimson, his whole body trembling. Lu Changsheng shook his head. *Bang!* Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. *Ding.* A bullet struck Lu Changsheng directly in the head. Moreover, it was a sniper round. Lu Changsheng had been targeted by a sniper! Yet the spent slug simply dropped to the ground. Not even a mark remained on Lu Changsheng's head. The guard's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. That was a sniper round! Even a sniper rifle could not pierce the skin of the man before him. Was this person even human? The guard had clearly never encountered anyone like Lu Changsheng; it completely overturned his understanding of reality. "Oh?" "A sniper as well? Truly seeking my death..." Lu Changsheng smiled instead. To the guard, however, that smile was utterly terrifying. *Boom.* Lu Changsheng kicked off with both feet. He soared directly into the air, heading straight toward the concealed sniper positioned within the estate. "Alarm! Someone is forcing entry..." Startled, the guard immediately reported the breach. This was no ordinary place. Living inside was the Long family! A great noble house of the Yulong Kingdom! If anything happened to the Long family, no one could bear the responsibility. "Intruder spotted! Shoot to kill!" The guard unit immediately issued the order. Shoot to kill! In an instant, squads of guards mobilized. Lu Changsheng paid them no heed. He had already landed before the sniper. Then, he raised a hand and swatted down casually. *Splat.* The sniper attempted to fire, but Lu Changsheng swatted both man and rifle straight into the ground. Crashing down violently, the man's head burst open; his body was mangled beyond recognition. "A bit too heavy-handed." Lu Changsheng had not intended to be quite so violent. Yet how terrifying was his power at present? Even one ten-thousandth of his strength could easily swat an ordinary person to death. Shaking his head, Lu Changsheng continued walking toward the Long family manor. Squad after squad of guards had already moved into position. "Open fire!" Dozens of guards opened fire simultaneously. A dense hail of bullets formed a lethal web, pouring down toward Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Yet he did not dodge. This time, he had come to reason with the Long family. Since he was here to reason with them, he had to let the Long family see his sincerity. Displaying a bit of strength was entirely necessary. After all, the greater one's strength, the greater one's sincerity. The Long family were intelligent people; they would surely understand this. *Clang, clang, ping, ping.* Innumerable bullets struck Lu Changsheng's body, letting out crisp, ringing sounds. Yet not a single bullet could pierce his skin. Those guards were all highly trained and possessed strong mental fortitude. Witnessing this scene, however, pushed them far beyond the limits of their comprehension. How could any human be impervious to bullets? Even an astral force master would undoubtedly perish under such horrifying firepower! "What... what kind of person is he?" "The bullets... truly cannot pierce him. Is he wearing some high-tech ballistic suit?" "No, he is not wearing a mask! A bullet hit his head earlier, and it did not even leave a scratch!" "We cannot stop this man..." "Request instructions, quickly..." Cold sweat poured down the guards' bodies. Never had they imagined they would encounter something so unfathomable. Braving the hail of bullets, Lu Changsheng advanced step by step as if taking a leisurely stroll, drawing closer to the guards and the Long family's main hall. The guards were forced to fall back all the way to the hall entrance. Inside the Long family's grand hall, members of the family looked out with panic-stricken expressions. They had already witnessed Lu Yuan shrugging off the gunfire. In truth, they had heard rumors that Lu Yuan feared no bullets. Yet hearing rumors and witnessing it with one's own eyes were two entirely different matters. Moreover, this was not just one or two bullets. It was dozens of firearms unleashing a sustained barrage. Even that could do nothing to Lu Yuan. "Deploy the rocket launchers!" An order rang out from behind the guards. The head of the Long family was indeed courageous; he stood up directly, his eyes burning as he glared at Lu Yuan in the distance. *Whoosh.* The guards immediately parted to clear a path. Three guards emerged from behind them. Each of them shouldered a rocket launcher. *Boom! Boom! Boom!* The rocket launchers fired. Terrifying bursts of flame flashed in an instant. Three rockets struck Lu Yuan simultaneously. *BOOM!* A violent explosion erupted into a terrifying inferno, billowing outwards like a colossal fireball. With such devastating power, even if Lu Yuan truly possessed a body of steel, he would be reduced to scrap metal. Guns and artillery—the might of artillery was far greater than that of guns! Now that Lu Yuan had taken direct hits from rocket launchers, there was no doubt: Lu Yuan was dead!