Tianxing Tower was the largest intelligence broker in the Saint Domain, specializing in selling all kinds of information.
As long as one sought it, Tianxing Tower could sell it.
Lu Changsheng walked inside.
As an Earth Saint, he carried immense weight and held an exalted status, so he was immediately ushered into a VIP room by Tianxing Tower's staff.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, what manner of intelligence do you wish to acquire?" asked an Earth Saint of Tianxing Tower with a smile.
"Oh?"
"You know me?"
Lu Changsheng stared at the man.
In his memory, he had never dealt with Tianxing Tower before.
The Tianxing Tower Earth Saint chuckled. "Fellow Daoist Lu jests. You went on a slaughter outside the city, turning the tables on a band of Earth Saint marauder cultivators.
"Later, you even auctioned off the coordinates to a secret world inside the Secret World Tower.
"For a prominent figure such as yourself, our Tianxing Tower established an intelligence dossier long ago. How could we possibly be unaware of your illustrious name?"
Lu Changsheng understood.
Tianxing Tower gathered all manner of intelligence, and he was among the subjects they tracked.
In fact, he was deemed quite important—they had compiled a dossier specifically for him.
"Out of curiosity, how much is information on me worth?" Lu Changsheng asked, genuinely intrigued.
The Tianxing Tower expert smiled slightly. "Fellow Daoist Lu's file is shrouded in mystery. To view your complete dossier, the highest-tier access requires ten deity fragments!
"Naturally, general intelligence only costs some spirit stones."
Lu Changsheng grew thoughtful.
It seemed that even for the same person, information on different aspects had different prices.
The most classified required deity fragments, while the lowest only called for spirit stones.
Anything payable in spirit stones was certainly considered quite cheap.
As for deity fragments, those were exorbitant. Many Martial Saints spent two to three hundred years in the Divine Domain only to obtain a single fragment.
Yet a single dossier on Lu Changsheng commanded ten deity fragments?
Utter extortion!
Still, this let Lu Changsheng know that this visit to Tianxing Tower would likely cost him dearly.
"I need information on factions near Saint Star City. Ideally, they once had an Earth Saint presiding over them but no longer do. They must not have completely fallen to ruin, still possessing a degree of influence, a solid foundation, and plenty of disciples.
"And of course, crucially, they must have a need to bring in an Earth Saint expert.
"Based on Tianxing Tower's intelligence, are there any suitable factions that meet these conditions?"
Lu Changsheng laid out his criteria in detail.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, please wait a moment while we consult our archives. We shall have an answer for you in roughly two shichen."
Lu Changsheng nodded.
And so, he waited quietly inside the VIP room.
Two shichen later, the Earth Saint of Tianxing Tower returned.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, there are three factions that meet your conditions."
Having said that, the Earth Saint stopped.
Clearly, if Lu Changsheng wanted to know the names of these three factions, he had to pay.
"How many spirit stones?"
"Three factions—each name costs ten thousand spirit stones," the other party said with a beam.
"Ten thousand spirit stones?"
"So if I want all three names, that's thirty thousand spirit stones?"
Lu Changsheng knew Tianxing Tower was rapacious, but he had not expected them to be this brazen.
A single name cost ten thousand spirit stones.
Of course, it was more than just a name. It represented Tianxing Tower's synthesis of various intelligence reports to select three factions matching Lu Changsheng's precise conditions.
Still, though expensive, as long as it only required spirit stones, Lu Changsheng could easily afford it.
"Give me one faction's name first. Here are ten thousand spirit stones."
Lu Changsheng only needed one faction. He would obtain a name first and go see whether it was suitable. If not, he could return to purchase the second.
Accepting the spirit stones, the Tianxing Tower Earth Saint promptly replied, "The Hundred Flowers Sect!"
It truly was just a single name—not a shred of additional intelligence was included.
"The Hundred Flowers Sect?" Lu Changsheng murmured thoughtfully.
"If you desire detailed intelligence on the Hundred Flowers Sect, you need only pay another twenty thousand spirit stones."
Lu Changsheng finally understood Tianxing Tower's routine.
Just a name. If he wanted detailed information, he had to cough up another twenty thousand spirit stones.
"Forget it. I'll go see the Hundred Flowers Sect myself."
Though Lu Changsheng had spirit stones to spare, he had no desire to waste them. He was merely looking for a suitable faction; whether they fit his needs would become obvious once he saw them in person.
If they suited him, once he took control of the Hundred Flowers Sect, what information could he not obtain? Why would he need to buy it from Tianxing Tower?
Lu Changsheng departed Tianxing Tower directly.
With just a bit of casual inquiry, he quickly gleaned the general situation regarding the Hundred Flowers Sect.
The Hundred Flowers Sect had a long history, reportedly founded over a million years ago. It was even a Heavenly Saint lineage.
Unfortunately, though it had once been glorious, the present Hundred Flowers Sect did not possess a single Earth Saint and had fallen into steep decline.
The Hundred Flowers Sect also had a peculiar rule: it placed tremendous emphasis on appearance when recruiting disciples. Regardless of gender, one had to be handsome or beautiful. Anyone unsightly was barred from entry.
Such an odd rule had persisted for a million years.
Presently, the Hundred Flowers Sect faced dire circumstances.
Although it still had its grand sect array and ancient foundation—so that as long as they remained inside their mountain gate, even several or a dozen Earth Saints could do nothing to them—it had simply gone too long without an Earth Saint presiding.
Too many people harbored designs on the Hundred Flowers Sect now. A single misstep could bring about its annihilation.
This was why the Hundred Flowers Sect was now willing to accept an outside Earth Saint expert. Their position was truly as precarious as an egg teetering on a precipice.
Yet was such a sect not the most suitable choice for Lu Changsheng?
With this thought, Lu Changsheng flew straight toward the Hundred Flowers Sect's mountain gate outside Saint Star City.
The sect was situated roughly eight hundred li outside Saint Star City, within the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range.
This mountain range was carpeted with rare and wondrous blossoms and plants. In the past, it had been strictly the territory of the Hundred Flowers Sect, and no outsider had been permitted to enter.
Now, however, Martial Saints and even Earth Saints occasionally traversed the range, and the Hundred Flowers Sect was powerless to stop them.
This showed just how drastically the sect had declined.
Lu Changsheng took a step forward. Without even bothering to announce his arrival, he barged straight to the Hundred Flowers Sect's mountain gate.
"Lu has come to pay a visit! Sect Master of the Hundred Flowers Sect, come forth to meet me!"
Lu Changsheng's voice echoed grandly through the mountain gate.
"Who goes there?"
Instantly, figures rushed outside the gate.
Most were women, with a handful of men among them, and every single one was remarkably graceful and attractive.
Among them, a female Martial Saint stepped forward, her expression guarded. "I am Zhang Ling, Sect Master of the Hundred Flowers Sect. Greetings, Senior. May I ask what guidance Senior has to bestow with this visit?"
Lu Changsheng glanced at Zhang Ling, then clasped his hands behind his back. "Lu has heard that your noble sect wishes to recruit an Earth Saint to serve as Supreme Elder, so I have come to make an attempt.
"I wonder what the Sect Master thinks of Lu? Do I have the qualifications to become a Supreme Elder of the Hundred Flowers Sect?"
Lu Changsheng was completely straightforward.
He had come to join the Hundred Flowers Sect, and specifically as a 'Supreme Elder.'
His intent could not be clearer.
A Supreme Elder in any sect was a figure of supreme authority whose words carried decisive weight—hardly different from the true master of the sect.
Zhang Ling's expression turned somewhat unsightly.
It was no secret that the Hundred Flowers Sect lacked an Earth Saint to oversee it. Yet they could not simply recruit any Earth Saint at random. It required thorough consideration on all fronts and was typically negotiated in private.
Arriving aggressively before their mountain gate like Lu Changsheng made his domineering intent all too obvious.
Zhang Ling's face darkened, and she said coldly, "Senior, our Hundred Flowers Sect is indeed seeking an Earth Saint expert, but we generally seek renowned figures whose backgrounds are fully known to us.
"Therefore..."
Lu Changsheng chuckled. "Can an Earth Saint with a known background deal with the Earth Saint experts lurking in the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range?
"Or do you intend to rely entirely on your sect's defensive array?
"If my eyes do not deceive me, your grand array has already been pushed to its absolute limit. How much longer it can hold is difficult to say."
Lu Changsheng's words caused Zhang Ling's face to change drastically.
This was the Hundred Flowers Sect's greatest secret!
She had never expected Lu Changsheng to see right through it.
In that instant, Zhang Ling felt several malevolent strands of divine sense sweeping toward the mountain gate from within the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range.
Those were Earth Saint experts who had lingered in the mountains, watching the sect like tigers eyeing their prey. They had refused to leave, simply waiting for an opportunity.
"Senior, please mind your words!"
Zhang Ling took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and said, "If Senior wishes to join the Hundred Flowers Sect, what is it that you seek?"
Lu Changsheng shook his head. "Lu is a newcomer who arrived in Saint Star City not long ago. What I seek is nothing more than capable hands to handle matters on my behalf."
There was no need to hide this. Right now, what Lu Changsheng lacked most was manpower.
Hearing this, Zhang Ling's eyes brightened. "Senior has just arrived in Saint Star City? You are an itinerant cultivator?"
"Indeed. Within the Saint Domain, Lu is indeed an itinerant cultivator."
Lu Changsheng's answer brought a surge of delight to Zhang Ling's heart.
An itinerant cultivator!
No background whatsoever!
And an Earth Saint at that.
If he joined the Hundred Flowers Sect and the sect treated him with sincerity, they might well foster a genuine sense of belonging in him. Once they had an Earth Saint presiding over them, many of the sect's troubles would be resolved instantly.
However, one crucial issue remained: strength!
Merely being an Earth Saint was not enough. He had to possess formidable might and stand out among Earth Saints—only then could he deter those coveting the Hundred Flowers Sect.
"Senior, we need to verify Senior's strength..." Zhang Ling gritted her teeth and said in a heavy voice.
"Verify my strength?"
Lu Changsheng smiled faintly. "No matter. Does your Hundred Flowers Sect not pride itself on its grand array?
"Go ahead and activate it with all your might. Let us see if it can do anything to me."
"Then please be careful, Senior."
Zhang Ling agreed.
The next instant, she activated the grand array.
Boom!
The surrounding environment shifted abruptly. Lu Changsheng found himself standing in what seemed like a vast starry void.
Lu Changsheng knew this was the effect of their array; he was now deeply enveloped within it.
Rumble!
Streaks of thick lightning flashed and struck down violently.
With a thought, Lu Changsheng instantly unleashed his Dao body.
Boom!
A ten-thousand-zhang Dao body manifested in the void.
The surrounding space seemed to warp and distort as a terrifying aura surged across the starry expanse.
Lightning bolts crashed into Lu Changsheng's Dao body one after another, yet none could shake it in the slightest.
"What? This strong?"
"He is indeed an Earth Saint, but how can his Dao body be so terrifying?"
"To be this horrifying through his Dao body alone, without even attacking... Furthermore, I can sense a dreadful aura within him—the aura of his own Martial Dao. He is a peak Earth Saint who has condensed the embryonic form of his own Martial Dao!"
"If he were to strike, perhaps even our grand array could not withstand him!"
Countless thoughts flashed through Zhang Ling's mind.
There was no need for further testing. The moment his Dao body appeared, Zhang Ling understood Lu Changsheng's terrifying prowess.
Hum.
The starry sky dimmed, and the scenery of the Hundred Flowers Sect's mountain gate reappeared around them.
Evidently, Zhang Ling had deactivated the array.
"Well?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Senior's strength is astonishing. I concede in admiration."
Just as Zhang Ling was about to speak further, a powerful aura suddenly surged from the distant void.
Immediately afterward, an enormous Dao body took a step forward, arriving right outside the Hundred Flowers Sect's gate.
"Fellow Daoist, hold on!"
"There is no glory in being a Supreme Elder of the Hundred Flowers Sect.
"With your strength, the two of us joining hands would easily breach the mountain gate. At that point, wouldn't all the treasures within the sect be ours for the taking?
"Every treasure in the Hundred Flowers Sect will belong to you; this old man only desires the Hundred Flowers Sacred Bottle. What do you say, Fellow Daoist?"
The words of this Earth Saint caused the members of the Hundred Flowers Sect to turn pale.
Zhang Ling barked sharply, "Ancestor Fuyun, you are the founding ancestor of the Fuyun Sect, a dignified peak Earth Saint expert! Why do you repeatedly covet my sect's foundational treasure?"
Ancestor Fuyun shook his head, paying Zhang Ling no heed at all.
Instead, he addressed Lu Changsheng: "Fellow Daoist, the Hundred Flowers Sacred Bottle can accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs. Though it can only accelerate them by several centuries, it speeds up their growth significantly.
"Pills refined from centuries-old herbs are of immense benefit to disciples in the Divine Treasury and divine ability realms. It is a foundational heritage treasure for any sect!
"Such an item is of little use to Earth Saints like us, or even to Human Saints. But this old man has newly established a sect and lacks precisely this kind of heritage treasure. If you and I join forces to breach the Hundred Flowers Sect, you may take whatever you please from within. Would that not be delightful?
"What is your thought on this?"
Ancestor Fuyun offered a brief explanation to Lu Changsheng.
In truth, Ancestor Fuyun had been eyeing the Hundred Flowers Sect for a long time, but had been stymied by their defensive array. Thus, he had been waiting for an opportunity.
Seeing Lu Changsheng's manifested Dao body effortlessly shrug off the sect's array, Ancestor Fuyun knew the moment had arrived and immediately showed himself.
Zhang Ling's face flushed red with anxiety.
If two peak Earth Saints truly joined forces, they might genuinely shatter the array.
When that happened, doom would fall upon the sect!
Gritting her teeth, Zhang Ling blurted out, "Senior, our Hundred Flowers Sect is willing to honor you as our Supreme Elder!
"Should the Supreme Elder give an order, the entire Hundred Flowers Sect will obey without hesitation, braving fire and water!"
At this point, the Hundred Flowers Sect could only pledge complete fealty to Lu Changsheng. Otherwise, total destruction was at hand!
Lu Changsheng glanced at Zhang Ling, then looked toward Ancestor Fuyun.
Then, he spoke in a calm tone: "Fellow Daoist Fuyun, you heard her just now. Lu is already the Supreme Elder of the Hundred Flowers Sect.
"Therefore, Fellow Daoist Fuyun, please see yourself out."
Ancestor Fuyun's eyes narrowed slightly.
The atmosphere grew stiflingly tense.
After a long pause, Ancestor Fuyun chose not to act. The unfamiliar Earth Saint before him gave off an exceedingly dangerous premonition.
"Very well. This old man will not force another's hand."
With that, Ancestor Fuyun turned and departed.
"By the way," Lu Changsheng added, "after three days, all Earth Saints are forbidden from entering the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range.
"If any Earth Saint still lingers here after three days, do not blame Lu for showing no mercy!"
Lu Changsheng's voice rolled thunderously across the entire mountain range!
"What? This Earth Saint is truly overbearing!"
"He already considers himself the Supreme Elder of the Hundred Flowers Sect?"
"Hmph, there are at least a dozen Earth Saints in the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range. In three days, I'd like to see how this newly arrived Earth Saint plans to drive out a dozen of us!"
For a time, many experts across the mountain range bristled with displeasure.
Yet Lu Changsheng cared nothing for their reactions. What he had just spoken was not a negotiation, but a notice.
"Sect Master, let us go. Lead the way so I may inspect the Hundred Flowers Sect," Lu Changsheng said calmly, turning back to Zhang Ling.
Zhang Ling started slightly.
Lu Changsheng's bold declaration had left her deeply shaken.
Recovering her wits quickly, she said respectfully, "Supreme Elder, please."
Zhang Ling opened the defensive array completely and invited Lu Changsheng inside.
Within the sect grounds, rare flowers and exotic herbs bloomed everywhere, filling the air with fragrant scents.
Dedicated arrays enveloped the grounds, ensuring that even the harshest winter would not hinder the growth of these plants.
Upon arriving at the main hall, Lu Changsheng took the seat of honor and said calmly, "Sect Master, tell me in detail about the Hundred Flowers Sect's situation. Remember, omit nothing, or Lu may not be able to help you."
"To report to the Supreme Elder, the sect's current circumstances are indeed rather precarious..."
Zhang Ling dared not conceal anything, recounting their circumstances in full.
In truth, things were better than Lu Changsheng had imagined.
Though the Hundred Flowers Sect was primarily a martial sect, it also had immortal cultivators among its ranks. Although the highest was only at the Nascent Soul stage, that was comparable to a Martial Saint.
With immortal cultivators present, pill refining, array formation, artifact crafting, and other logistical matters were well taken care of.
Furthermore, the Hundred Flowers Sect possessed a large-scale spirit stone mine, and beneath the mountain gate lay a spiritual vein.
The sect's foundational assets were exceptionally abundant—the hallmarks of a true Heavenly Saint lineage. It was easy to see how magnificent the sect had once been.
Alas, no matter how glorious the past, it had now declined.
The present Hundred Flowers Sect was like a child holding a mountain of treasure, with countless pairs of eyes fixated upon it.
Only their formidable array had kept other Earth Saints from acting rashly.
Yet truly top Earth Saints did not fear the sect. For instance, Ancestor Fuyun of the Fuyun Sect had long harbored designs on them.
If the array were ever damaged or failed, total annihilation would certainly follow!
It was precisely because of this that Zhang Ling was so desperate to recruit an outsider to oversee the sect.
Had matters not reached an untenable state, she would never have entertained such a notion. After all, taking in an outside expert carried immense risk.
"Then why has no one in the Hundred Flowers Sect broken through to the Earth Saint realm for so many years?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Could it be that you cannot obtain deity fragments?"
This struck him as strange. Given the sect's foundation, obtaining deity fragments should not have been difficult. Even purchasing them should have been possible.
"No, we can obtain deity fragments—in fact, we have obtained many.
"The issue lies purely in talent. Surely the Supreme Elder does not believe becoming an Earth Saint is easy? Although Earth Saints seem abundant in Saint Star City, that is only because the city gathers experts from all over. Many choose to come here after becoming Earth Saints; it is not that Saint Star City birthed so many.
"Every single Earth Saint is an invincible figure capable of founding a sect and ruling a domain. Ancestor Fuyun, for instance, was once the undisputed peerless number one in his homeland.
"Surely the Supreme Elder was practically the foremost figure in your homeland as well?"
Lu Changsheng nodded.
Indeed, seeing so many Earth Saints recently in Saint Star City—even mere marauder cultivators being Earth Saints—had given him the illusion that Earth Saints were a common commodity.
Reflecting carefully, it truly was an illusion.
Which Earth Saint had not been an invincible overlord of their respective domain?
It was only because Saint Star City was famous throughout the Saint Domain and served as a trading hub for the resources Earth Saints required that they congregated here. It by no means implied that attaining the Earth Saint realm was trivial.
For local factions in Saint Star City, producing an Earth Saint was extraordinarily difficult. Even for Heavenly Saint factions with an actual Heavenly Saint providing guidance, producing an Earth Saint remained arduous.
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "How many deity fragments does the Hundred Flowers Sect have left?"
Zhang Ling's heart sank slightly.
Here it came at last.
She knew that bringing in an outside Earth Saint made such demands inevitable—they would take whatever resources they pleased.
Yet there was no alternative. Could a Supreme Elder of the Hundred Flowers Sect truly be denied access to its resources?
Steeling herself, Zhang Ling answered, "Currently, the Hundred Flowers Sect has three hundred and twenty-three deity fragments remaining."
"Hmm?"
"How many did you say?"
Lu Changsheng froze, seemingly unable to believe his ears.
"Three hundred and twenty-three deity fragments!" Zhang Ling repeated the number.
For a moment, Lu Changsheng was struck dumb.
What was true heritage? This was true heritage!
He could hardly believe it.
In the Divine Domain, many Martial Saints spent two to three centuries just to obtain a single deity fragment. Lu Changsheng's own previous stash had not exceeded a hundred.
Yet the Hundred Flowers Sect could casually produce over three hundred fragments.
This was simply incredible.
Lu Changsheng had assumed that given their decline, they might possess ten or twenty fragments at most.
And the reality?
He had vastly underestimated the depth of a 'Heavenly Saint lineage.'
"Sect Master, Lu is an itinerant cultivator and truly does not understand: how could the Hundred Flowers Sect accumulate so many deity fragments?" Lu Changsheng could not help but ask.
"This... Supreme Elder, do you not know?
"Our Hundred Flowers Sect was founded a million years ago. Over that vast span of time, accumulating this modest amount of fragments should be quite normal, shouldn't it?"
Lu Changsheng frowned. "Obtaining deity fragments in the Divine Domain is exceedingly difficult. It requires repeatedly dispatching Martial Saints to harvest them, and the Hundred Flowers Sect must consume fragments itself. How could you accumulate so many?"
Zhang Ling blinked, now even more certain that Lu Changsheng truly was an itinerant cultivator. Otherwise, he could not possibly be ignorant of what a 'Heavenly Saint lineage' signified.
"Supreme Elder, you might not know what a Heavenly Saint lineage represents.
"Once one becomes a Heavenly Saint, one can sever space to form an independent pocket world. A Heavenly Saint can then enter the Divine Domain, capture deities, and throw them into that severed space.
"These deities become akin to domesticated livestock. When slain, they will slowly reform over time—and they will reappear directly within the space severed by the Heavenly Saint.
"Thus, any faction overseen by a Heavenly Saint essentially never lacks deity fragments."
Realization dawned upon Lu Changsheng.
"Wait. Though there are many deities in the Divine Domain, if every Heavenly Saint captured them, wouldn't they have been wiped out long ago?" Lu Changsheng thought of another question.
"Once a deity is captured and thrown into a severed space, it is effectively severed from the Immortal Martial World.
"The Immortal Martial World registers the deity as deceased, and subsequently resurrects a new one. Therefore, the Divine Domain never runs out of deities.
"However, the Heavenly Saint cannot allow the captured deities within that space to return to the Immortal Martial World. Otherwise, the newly generated deity would be instantly obliterated by the world's laws."
Lu Changsheng truly understood now.
Deities were the physical embodiments of rules. Once captured and cast into an independent space, they no longer had any connection to the Immortal Martial World. Slaying them still yielded deity fragments, and because the space severed by a Heavenly Saint was originally part of the Immortal Martial World, it contained all the worldly elements.
Therefore, when a deity died within the independent space, it could slowly regenerate.
Of course, this required the Heavenly Saint to periodically reinforce and infuse energy into the space. Otherwise, the space would slowly decay.
The Hundred Flowers Sect's space was precisely in such a state—it was gradually deteriorating.
If no new Heavenly Saint emerged to infuse it with energy, the collapse of that space would expose the deities within to the Immortal Martial World, causing them to be annihilated instantly.
When that happened, the Hundred Flowers Sect would lose its endless supply of deity fragments, marking the true, irreversible decline of the sect!
"Very well. Lu needs to requisition some deity fragments to bid for secret worlds. That won't be an issue, will it?" Lu Changsheng looked at Zhang Ling and said slowly.
Zhang Ling's heart tightened, but she nodded nonetheless. "You are now our Supreme Elder. Requisitioning some deity fragments is naturally not a problem."
"Good."
Lu Changsheng smiled.
Over three hundred deity fragments was a massive sum—enough to auction at least three secret worlds.
Of course, if a secret world had a higher energy grade, its price would be steeper, likely costing upwards of a hundred fragments.
"Supreme Elder, when will you need the deity fragments?" Zhang Ling inquired.
"No rush. We can wait a little longer.
"Let us wait until three days from now, after Lu has swept clean the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range.
"Lu will not consume the Hundred Flowers Sect's resources for nothing; naturally, I must safeguard the sect's peace."
Lu Changsheng glanced at Zhang Ling.
A wave of joy washed over Zhang Ling's heart.
Indeed, there was no problem with Lu Changsheng claiming resources, provided he handled their troubles. What the sect needed most right now was security. Lu Changsheng could use the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range to establish his dominance.
Only then would the Hundred Flowers Sect truly be safe.
Chapter 266