"The Martial Dao has already condensed. All that remains is to wait quietly for the ten-year mark to arrive.
"When that time comes, I will be able to project the power of my true body, shatter the Martial Dao, and obtain the martial dao fragment.
"As for doing so now, breaking the Martial Dao would be extraordinarily difficult..."
Lu Changsheng shook his head.
The Martial Dao was growing stronger with every passing moment.
How terrifying was a Martial Dao condensed from the will of all living beings?
Without absolute strength, shattering it was nearly impossible.
Lu Changsheng summoned his attribute panel to examine his current state.
Host: Lu Changsheng
Title: Flesh Progenitor
Flesh Martial Dao: Quinary Growth (66%)
Thanks to the demon plants he had acquired sporadically over the years and his diligent cultivation of the Flesh Martial Dao, the progress of his quinary growth had reached sixty-six percent.
Even so, he was still a distance away from breaking through to senary growth.
"Over these years, the Demon Realm has intensified its crackdown on the blood scions. It has become increasingly difficult for them to obtain demon plants, and fewer and fewer are being sent back from the Demon Realm..."
Lu Changsheng sorely wanted to travel to the Demon Realm.
Yet he held back.
He would wait a little longer.
Only six years had passed; he still had four years left.
He would wait a few more years and see how things developed.
And so, Lu Changsheng remained in Jingdu.
One year, two years, three years...
In the blink of an eye, three years slipped by.
During those three years, the entire territory of the human race underwent earth-shaking changes.
Within human domains, practically no living space remained for demons.
Even demons attempting to infiltrate human territory found it virtually impossible to penetrate. Once discovered, death was their only fate.
After all, the human race had transformed too drastically.
More than eighty percent of the populace had been converted into blood scions.
When confronting demons, they were no longer utterly defenseless.
Furthermore, blood scions of quaternary growth sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Many quaternary-growth blood scions were roughly equivalent to demon kings, more than sufficient to safeguard humanity.
Meanwhile, the Martial Dao condensed in this world had long reached the upper limit of senary growth.
Unfortunately, Lu Changsheng himself had not yet achieved senary growth.
"Nine years..."
"Only one final year remains, and the progress of my Flesh Martial Dao has reached ninety-five percent—just five percent shy of breaking through to senary growth..." Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath.
On his attribute panel, that ninety-five percent progress had remained unchanged for several months.
Yet he had gained nothing more.
Not a single demon plant had emerged from the Demon Realm.
Evidently, relying on those blood scions to retrieve demon plants from the Demon Realm was no longer feasible.
If Lu Changsheng continued cultivating by conventional means for another year, he would likely fail to break through to senary growth.
Still, what did it matter?
Lu Changsheng's objective was to acquire the martial dao fragment.
Now that the Martial Dao had coalesced, he needed only to wait quietly until the ten years were up.
When his true body's power projected here, shattering the Martial Dao and seizing the fragment would be as easy as turning his hand.
However, while Lu Changsheng wished to pass this final year in peace, the demon race would not allow it.
"Lord Progenitor, an upheaval has occurred in the Demon Realm.
"At present, under the united command of more than a dozen ancient demons, the demon race in the Demon Realm has issued an order to eradicate all blood scions.
"The entire Demon Realm has been plunged into a tempest of blood and gore. Countless blood scions are being slaughtered.
"Once the demons purge the blood scions in the Demon Realm, they will undoubtedly turn their blades upon us humans!
"We beg the Progenitor to make the decision."
The emperor of the Jing Dynasty came before Lu Changsheng to report.
"Chen Ping."
"What news have you received?"
Lu Changsheng did not rely solely on the emperor's words. He summoned Chen Ping to inquire further.
"Reporting to the Progenitor, what the emperor said is true.
"The blood scions currently in the Demon Realm have suffered catastrophic casualties.
"I fear that before long, the blood scions there will be slaughtered down to the last."
Lu Changsheng frowned slightly. "Ordinarily, those ancient demons in the Demon Realm mind their own affairs and yield to no one. Why have they suddenly joined forces?
"Even if the blood scions expanded rapidly in the Demon Realm, they shouldn't have posed a threat to ancient demons."
Lu Changsheng was thoroughly puzzled.
Chen Ping hesitated, seeming on the verge of speaking before pausing. Ultimately, he said, "Progenitor, based on certain fragments of intelligence we obtained, we made several deductions.
"It is possible that the supreme Demon Ancestor of the demon race issued a command, which is why those ancient demons united."
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes. "The Demon Ancestor?"
If it truly were the Demon Ancestor, things would be troublesome.
The Demon Ancestor was comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator or a Martial Saint.
If the Demon Ancestor knew Lu Changsheng was the source of all blood scions and attacked him directly, how could he resist?
Lu Changsheng fell silent for a moment.
He knew full well that once the Demon Ancestor made a move against him, he would not be able to withstand it!
At present, he had two choices.
The first was to remain waiting in Jingdu, or stall for as long as possible.
Ideally, he would stall until the ten-year mark arrived; after all, only one year remained.
Once the ten-year period arrived, what would a mere Demon Ancestor count for?
Yet would the Demon Ancestor grant him a year?
Once the Demon Ancestor struck, he could slaughter Lu Changsheng in a single day, or even within an hour.
If that happened, all of Lu Changsheng's efforts over the years would come to naught.
Thus, there remained the second option: to take the initiative.
While the Demon Ancestor had yet to make an open appearance—or had not yet turned his focus to killing Lu Changsheng, the 'Flesh Progenitor'—Lu Changsheng could venture into the Demon Realm himself and seize demon plants without delay.
With enough demon plants, Lu Changsheng could break through to senary growth in a month of cultivation.
Once he reached senary growth, even if the Demon Ancestor took action, Lu Changsheng would fear nothing.
However, traveling to the Demon Realm meant he might still face the Demon Ancestor.
"How much intelligence do you have on the Demon Ancestor?" Lu Changsheng glanced at Chen Ping and the emperor.
The emperor shook his head.
The Demon Ancestor was practically a figure of myth; how could he possess any concrete intelligence?
Chen Ping, on the other hand, hesitated before speaking. "Progenitor, I have heard several rumors, though none are confirmed.
"Rumor has it that the Demon Ancestor has been slumbering and thus has not shown himself for thousands of years.
"Recently, for reasons unknown, the Demon Ancestor awakened. However, he has not fully awakened; doing so will take some time.
"This is precisely why the ancient demons did not immediately invade the human dynasties and chose to purge the Demon Realm first. In truth, they are preparing for the Demon Ancestor's awakening."
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes.
This intelligence was by no means certain.
It was merely Chen Ping's conjecture based on stray remarks, hearsay, and legendary tales circulating out of the Demon Realm.
It was not necessarily accurate.
Yet it served as a crucial reminder.
What if the Demon Ancestor truly was gradually waking up?
Then this very moment was the optimal window for Lu Changsheng to act.
He could exploit the time difference.
As long as the Demon Ancestor did not intervene personally, those ancient demons could do nothing to him.
If he could secure one month to plunder enough demon plants, he could achieve a breakthrough.
Then, even if the Demon Ancestor fully awakened, he would no longer pose a threat.
Naturally, this carried risks.
What if the Demon Ancestor awakened prematurely?
Or what if Lu Changsheng's presence in the Demon Realm provoked the Demon Ancestor?
Regardless, risk and opportunity went hand in hand.
Besides, waiting idle in Jingdu for a whole year carried a high probability of the Demon Ancestor striking.
If that happened, Lu Changsheng would not even have the power to resist.
"One's fate must remain in one's own hands!"
Lu Changsheng did not deliberate for long; his mind was made up.
He could not sit and await death.
His only choice was to go to the Demon Realm and stake everything on a gamble!
No sooner said than done.
Lu Changsheng had Chen Ping provide the exact locations of the demon soil in the Demon Realm.
This was not difficult for Chen Ping.
With so many blood scions in the Demon Realm, Chen Ping possessed any intelligence that was not exceptionally confidential.
After giving Chen Ping detailed instructions, Lu Changsheng quietly slipped out of Jingdu and headed straight for the Demon Realm!
In the Demon Realm, the human population had thinned.
The reason was simple: the Demon Realm had launched a massive purge of the blood scions.
As for the excessive slaughter of blood scions?
To demons, that was not an issue in the slightest.
No matter how many humans they butchered, demons felt no psychological burden whatsoever.
Because no matter how thoroughly they slaughtered, humanity could never be wiped out.
At most, after waiting some years, a fresh crop of ordinary humans would naturally grow up, only to be harvested once again by the true demons.
True demons had never worried about the number of ordinary humans.
Consequently, the blood scions in the Demon Realm suffered a miserable plight.
At this moment, the blood scion Liu Feng was scurrying about, evading the searches of true demons.
Liu Feng was exceptionally gifted. When first converted into a blood scion, he possessed only primary growth.
Later, within a mere year or two, he broke through to tertiary growth, stepping into the transcendent realm.
Given steady cultivation, quaternary or even quinary growth in the future was not out of reach.
After attaining tertiary growth, Liu Feng had slain the pack of ordinary true demons that had once slaughtered his family, including a greater demon!
Afterward, he wandered far and wide, assassinating true demons throughout the Demon Realm.
Recently, however, the entire Demon Realm had been hunting down blood scions, making Liu Feng's situation precarious.
Yet he had survived.
Liu Feng had joined the Flesh Temple.
Moreover, he had received a mission from the temple: to keep watch over the demon soil and bide his time.
A 'great figure' would arrive in the Demon Realm, and Liu Feng's role would be to guide this figure to the demon soil.
Thus, Liu Feng had remained in hiding within the Demon Realm, waiting in silence.
He looked forward to this 'great figure' from the Flesh Temple with intense anticipation.
In Liu Feng's eyes, the Flesh Temple was his savior, and the savior of all mankind.
Without the Flesh Temple, who knew how many humans would have ended up as demon rations, powerless to resist?
Now, things were different.
Although human casualties were still heavy, they at least possessed the strength to strike back.
The demon race had paid a considerable price as well.
Day after day, Liu Feng waited.
Suddenly, an overbearing consciousness swept across his hiding place.
"A demon king?"
Liu Feng's expression shifted drastically.
It was a demon king!
His whereabouts had been discovered.
"Heheh, to think a fish slipped through the net here.
"A tertiary-growth blood scion! Tsk-tsk, caught by my hand. Handing you over will earn me another major merit!"
A horned demon king sneered with savage malice.
Without a second thought, Liu Feng turned to flee.
Yet the demon king had come prepared.
It was a monstrous bird capable of flight, moving as swiftly as lightning.
With a whoosh, the demon king overtook Liu Feng.
Escape was impossible.
Seeing that he could not get away, Liu Feng felt no fear. His eyes burned with venomous hatred.
"If you want to capture me, die with me!"
Liu Feng prepared to detonate all the flesh within his body to devour the demon king's flesh.
Right at that moment, a voice rang out.
"A mere demon king dares act so rampantly?"
As the words fell, everyone looked up in shock.
Suddenly, the sky seemed to darken.
Darkness fell on all sides.
No, the sky had not turned dark.
Above their heads, a colossal palm had appeared.
The palm was unimaginably immense, blotting out the sky and covering the entire firmament.
"Who?"
"Who is that?"
"Such terrifying pressure... an ancient demon?"
The demon king's heart jolted violently.
Feeling that dreadful aura, his face twisted in horror and despair.
An ancient demon!
This palm strike was comparable to that of an ancient demon!
How could a mere demon king like him withstand it?
Yet since when did such a powerful blood scion exist?
It was unheard of!
Within the Demon Realm, the strongest blood scions were only of quaternary growth, merely on par with demon kings.
Now, looking at this enormous palm, it was plain to see that this was no quaternary growth, nor was it comparable to a demon king.
This was an ancient demon, a being towering above all ordinary demons!
Thud!
The gigantic hand descended.
Within a radius of several li, dozens of greater demons along with the demon king were instantly crushed into meat paste beneath the single strike!
Even after they were reduced to paste, an enormous mass of flesh branched out from beneath the giant palm, cloaking the true demons' remnants.
In an instant, the demon flesh was voraciously devoured.
Within moments, every trace of life vanished.
Dozens of true demons and a demon king had perished entirely.
A single palm had annihilated dozens of true demons!
Witnessing this, Liu Feng was struck with awe.
He quickly regained his senses.
"Which... which lord of the Flesh Temple are you?"
Liu Feng only knew that a 'great figure' from the Flesh Temple was arriving, but he had no idea which one.
Still, anyone possessing such terrifying means and strength must hold an exalted status in the Flesh Temple.
Whoosh.
A figure traversed the distance in a few leaps, appearing before Liu Feng.
At the sight of this figure, Liu Feng shuddered violently.
A wave of wild ecstasy surged in his heart.
He could hardly believe his eyes.
This figure was far too familiar.
To every single blood scion, it was unmistakable.
Coupled with the innate intimacy resonating from the depths of his body, there was no doubt.
The Progenitor!
The founder of the Flesh Temple.
The source of all blood scions under heaven—the Flesh Progenitor!
"Blood scion Liu Feng pays his respects to the Progenitor!"
Liu Feng knelt reverently on the ground, his voice trembling with excitement.
The Progenitor!
The Flesh Progenitor had personally come to the Demon Realm.
The 'great figure' he was meant to receive was none other than the Flesh Progenitor himself!
"You are the blood scion Liu Feng?"
"Very good."
Lu Changsheng nodded.
He had seen the previous scene clearly.
Faced with a demon king, Liu Feng stood no chance of winning, yet he had still chosen to perish alongside the enemy, fighting with all his might even in death.
"Progenitor, I truly never imagined you would come to the Demon Realm in person.
"The Demon Realm is perilous!"
Liu Feng took a deep breath, calming his agitated heart, and could not help but issue a warning.
"No matter.
"Even an ancient demon cannot harm me.
"I came to the Demon Realm for demon plants.
"Do you know the demon soil? Especially the demon soil where the most demon plants are cultivated?"
Lu Changsheng did not mince words and asked directly.
"Demon soil?"
Liu Feng replied, "Progenitor, I know where the demon soil is. I know the exact locations; I have even infiltrated it before.
"If we speak of the place where the most demon plants are nurtured within the demon soil, it would be the Flower Spirit Hall.
"The Flower Spirit Hall is managed by the Flower Demon King and belongs to Ancient Demon Taozun!
"Ancient Demon Taozun oversees the Flower Spirit Hall in person. The moment any disturbance affects the demon plants, Taozun will know immediately.
"Therefore, if the Progenitor wishes to seize the demon plants in the Flower Spirit Hall, avoiding Taozun will likely be impossible."
Liu Feng laid out all the intelligence he possessed without the slightest reservation.
"Ancient Demon Taozun?"
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes, weighing the matter in his mind.
Ancient Demon Taozun was comparable to quinary growth.
However, Lu Changsheng did not fear him.
With his own strength, even if he was not invincible among peers of the same rank, he was not far from it.
He remained wary only of the Demon Ancestor.
"Liu Feng, do you know anything regarding the Demon Ancestor?
"Has the Demon Ancestor awakened or appeared?"
Lu Changsheng asked solemnly.
"The Demon Ancestor?"
Liu Feng shook his head; he truly knew little about the Demon Ancestor. At least, he had heard no news.
"Are there truly abundant demon plants in the Flower Spirit Hall?"
Lu Changsheng confirmed once more.
"Yes, a vast amount.
"Not only does the Flower Spirit Hall store a huge quantity of demon plants, but the demon soil under its jurisdiction also grows many, though many have yet to mature."
Liu Feng spoke with certainty.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer.
"Let us depart for the Flower Spirit Hall!"
Lu Changsheng made his decision.
He resolved to launch a raid.
As long as he seized enough demon plants, he would need only a single month to push his Flesh Martial Dao to one hundred percent of quinary growth and break through to senary growth.
Once he reached senary growth, he would stand at the peak of this world, comparable to the Demon Ancestor.
When that time came, no one could threaten him.
Naturally, Lu Changsheng would exercise extreme caution.
If the Demon Ancestor appeared, he would flee immediately and go into hiding.
Regardless of whether it proved useful, caution was never amiss.
Liu Feng was equally excited.
For the Progenitor to take action personally was an extraordinary event.
To guide the Progenitor was his greatest honor.
He knew the Progenitor was about to undertake an enormous feat, one that might even involve clashing with Ancient Demon Taozun.
This was something Liu Feng would never have dared to dream of under normal circumstances.
Yet now, the Progenitor needed him.
Therefore, Liu Feng led the way with utmost diligence, detailing everything he knew about the Flower Spirit Hall.
Before long, the two quietly drew near the Flower Spirit Hall.
Even from this distance, Lu Changsheng caught the scent of various floral fragrances.
These fragrances caused the flesh throughout his body to stir.
Evidently, his flesh harbored an intense craving for these demon plants.
Most of the demon plants within the Flower Spirit Hall were demon flowers; otherwise, it would not have been named 'Flower Spirit.'
Yet the hall was heavily fortified.
Looking from afar, Lu Changsheng saw countless demons clustered tightly, guarding the Flower Spirit Hall at the center.
To slip into the Flower Spirit Hall unnoticed was nothing short of a pipe dream.
For an outsider to enter, there was only one way: to force his way in!
Otherwise, entry was impossible.
However, a frontal assault could not drag on.
If unexpected complications arose, things would turn perilous.
"A swift victory, then?"
"Liu Feng, leave first and hide far away.
"I am about to storm the Flower Spirit Hall. When the fighting starts, you may find it difficult to flee."
Lu Changsheng said to Liu Feng.
"Yes, Progenitor."
Liu Feng did not hesitate and turned to leave.
Naturally, he did not retreat too far, halting ten li away.
This position was relatively safe, yet still allowed him to witness the battle between the Progenitor and Ancient Demon Taozun.
A clash of such magnitude was of monumental significance; he could not bear to miss it.
Watching Liu Feng depart, Lu Changsheng waited for an hour.
Finally, he made his move.
Whoosh.
Lu Changsheng stepped forth, appearing directly in the empty sky.
The terrifying aura of quinary growth swept outward like an overwhelming tide.
At the same time, a colossal palm that blotted out the sun reached directly toward the Flower Spirit Hall.
The palm descended with crushing force.
This sudden upheaval caused the true demons of the Flower Spirit Hall to pale in terror.
"What... what is that?"
"An enemy attack! It's an attack!"
"There is no demonic aura—could it be those blood scions?"
"Insolence! How dare those blood scions assault the Flower Spirit Hall? Yet this aura far surpasses a demon king!"
"This strike rivals an ancient demon!"
Many demons made their guesses the moment they saw the gigantic palm in the sky.
In truth, their guesses were accurate.
It was no demon, but a blood scion—the very source of all blood scions, the Flesh Progenitor!
Boom!
The Flower Spirit Hall was instantly shattered by the colossal palm.
Simultaneously, masses of Lu Changsheng's flesh enveloped one demon plant after another within the hall, swiftly returning them to his body.
Yet it was not enough—far from enough.
Lu Changsheng saw that in the distant demon soil, vast quantities of demon plants remained.
Without hesitation, he extended another gigantic hand, reaching toward the distant demon soil.
"Roar..."
Suddenly, a deafening roar reverberated across the void.
Immediately afterward, an ancient demon of immense proportions manifested across the sky.
Ancient Demon Taozun!
Lu Changsheng's commotion had finally drawn out Ancient Demon Taozun!
The beast opened its maw wide and inhaled fiercely toward Lu Changsheng's gigantic palm.
Legend had it that Ancient Demon Taozun could swallow all things.
Its belly was its most terrifying weapon.
Once swallowed into its stomach, certain death awaited!
Sure enough, Lu Changsheng's colossal palm was drawn straight into Taozun's cavernous mouth.
The hand disintegrated, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
"Hm?"
Lu Changsheng felt a flicker of surprise.
Back then, his palm strike had crushed Demon God Li Zong.
The Ancient Demon Taozun before him was clearly stronger than Li Zong.
He truly lived up to his station presiding over the Flower Spirit Hall; he was indeed extraordinary.
Yet what of it?
"You wish to devour me? Then have your fill and see how much you can swallow!"
Lu Changsheng might not possess an endless variety of techniques, but when it came to flesh, he had as much as he could ever desire.
During ordinary times, he constantly stored up flesh.
Over these years, who knew how much flesh he had accumulated?
Perhaps even Lu Changsheng himself was unsure.
"Go."
Lu Changsheng waved his hand.
One giant flesh hand after another condensed and surged toward Ancient Demon Taozun.
One, two, three, four, five...
Ancient Demon Taozun's belly seemed like a bottomless pit. No matter how much flesh Lu Changsheng unleashed, it swallowed every bit in a single gulp, suffering no ill effects.
However, once Taozun swallowed the tenth hand, it finally sensed something amiss.
Ancient Demon Taozun's stomach could devour and digest everything.
Even if another ancient demon were swallowed into its belly, death was the only outcome.
Thus, no ancient demon dared enter Taozun's stomach, doing everything possible to avoid being swallowed.
Yet Lu Changsheng was different.
What had been swallowed were masses of his flesh.
His flesh was no ordinary flesh. Lu Changsheng's flesh could devour other flesh as well, including the flesh of demons.
Perhaps the flesh of one or two hands was insufficient to devour Taozun's flesh.
Eight or ten hands, however, changed the equation entirely.
Within Ancient Demon Taozun's stomach, countless strands of flesh squirmed.
Looking closely, one would see an enormous mass of flesh wildly devouring Taozun's own flesh.
Yet within its own belly, Taozun's flesh possessed a terrifying devouring force that still managed to suppress Lu Changsheng's flesh, devouring it in turn.
Thus, the two types of flesh devoured each other.
Yet mutual devouring was also mutual destruction.
Lu Changsheng's flesh, however, did not stop coming.
Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen...
One flesh hand after another was swallowed into Taozun's belly.
Taozun finally felt the strain.
It felt that it had reached its limit.
It truly could swallow no more.
Swallowing any further would render it unable to digest the flesh.
Yet it was no longer a question of whether it wanted to swallow.
It had no choice.
If it did not swallow, it would be battered to death by Lu Changsheng's colossal hands.
Taozun was trapped on the back of a tiger, unable to dismount.
In its wildest dreams, it could never have imagined that Lu Changsheng possessed such a vast amount of flesh.
This completely exceeded its comprehension.
Even the mightiest of ancient demons could not possibly harbor so much flesh.
As Lu Changsheng's flesh piled up higher and higher inside Taozun's belly, the situation gradually reversed.
Taozun's flesh began to be devoured, diminishing continuously, while Lu Changsheng's flesh grew ever more dominant.
As the balance tilted, a critical moment finally arrived.
"Ahhh..."
Ancient Demon Taozun let out a shrill shriek.
Its belly tore open.
A vast surge of flesh completely distinct from its own sprouted from within, rapidly spreading to cloak its entire body.
It was no longer Ancient Demon Taozun devouring Lu Changsheng.
It was Lu Changsheng's flesh devouring Ancient Demon Taozun!
Chapter 278