"Hmm?"
Lu Changsheng was slightly surprised.
How did this Demon Ancestor before him know that he was not a being born of this world?
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, staring straight at the Demon Ancestor.
Seeing Lu Changsheng's reaction, the Demon Ancestor became even more certain.
He heaved a long sigh and said, "To beings like us, this world holds no secrets. Humans and demons were all born of this world, and I can see through them with a single glance.
"Only you remain opaque to me.
"The Flesh Martial Dao you created can convert blood scions, and can even devour and obliterate demons. That in itself contradicts the rules of this world.
"Thus, there is only one possibility: you come from another world.
"Coincidentally, I have observed that our world is continually drawing closer to another vast world. That world is so colossal and magnificent that a mere glimpse of it shakes one to the core.
"If I am not mistaken, you must hail from that world, yes?"
Lu Changsheng realized he had still underestimated the Demon Ancestor.
This Demon Ancestor was actually already capable of observing the Immortal Martial World.
He had almost broken free of the cage.
That was truly no small feat.
"And what if I am? What if I am not?" Lu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, speaking casually.
Even with his origins guessed correctly, he felt no panic whatsoever.
So what if the Demon Ancestor was right?
He had already reached senary growth.
Moreover, he possessed the ability of rebirth from a drop of blood.
Lu Changsheng had even stashed bits of his flesh across various secret locations.
He had nothing to fear from the Demon Ancestor.
Even if this body was destroyed, what of it?
He only had to wait several months until the ten-year mark arrived and the power of his true body was projected here.
When that time came, no matter how strong the Demon Ancestor was, there would be only one outcome.
Death!
The Demon Ancestor stared fixedly at Lu Changsheng.
In truth, he had many things to say and plans he wished to discuss with Lu Changsheng.
However, at their level of cultivation, conventions no longer applied.
Discuss things?
That depended on whether they stood on the same level.
Only between equals could there be discussion.
If one proved weak, they would merely be meat on the chopping block, ripe for the taking.
"Demon Ancestor, let me see the upper limit of this world!" Lu Changsheng said calmly.
The Demon Ancestor nodded. "Fair enough. Hailing from that world, you are naturally proud and disdainful of conversing as an equal with a life-form from our little world.
"Since that is the case, we must fight after all!"
The two stood facing each other in the void.
All around them, both demons and blood scions hurriedly retreated a hundred li.
Yes, a full hundred li.
In fact, even a distance of a hundred li might not be safe.
"Flesh True Body."
Lu Changsheng instantly unleashed his Flesh True Body.
His form swelled rapidly.
Soon, he stood towering like a colossus spanning heaven and earth, straddling the void and radiating a terrifying aura.
The Demon Ancestor smiled faintly as well.
*Boom!*
The Demon Ancestor's body also expanded dramatically.
It seemed as though a certain power was pouring endlessly into his body.
In Lu Changsheng's eyes, the Demon Ancestor appeared to be bolstered by an inexhaustible influx of the entire world's strength.
*Boom!*
The two clashed.
They struck directly with their fists.
It was a head-on collision devoid of any trickery.
The Demon Ancestor wanted to subdue Lu Changsheng,
while Lu Changsheng wanted to test the ceiling of power in this world.
Thus, both went all out.
Instantly, their powers collided.
The terrifying shockwaves shattered the void in an instant.
A vast, sweeping force surged in all directions.
"Hmm?"
"This power..."
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Demon Ancestor's sheer physical force was not overwhelmingly vast, yet it was sufficient to contend with him.
More importantly, the Demon Ancestor's power was continuous, as though it would never run dry.
Lu Changsheng keenly sensed that the opponent's power drew upon the entire world.
"Divide."
The flesh on Lu Changsheng's body split apart in an instant.
Within the void, it coalesced into a colossal palm of flesh.
The palm descended with overwhelming might,
giving the Demon Ancestor no time to react.
Yet the Demon Ancestor merely raised a hand, and a massive palm manifested in the void as well, colliding fiercely against Lu Changsheng's colossal hand.
*Bang!*
Both palms disintegrated in an instant.
However, as Lu Changsheng's scattered flesh rained down near the Demon Ancestor, it seemed to come alive, writhing relentlessly and pouncing onto the Demon Ancestor's body with lightning speed.
Layer upon layer of flesh instantly coated the Demon Ancestor.
"Devour!"
Countless tendrils of Lu Changsheng's flesh began to devour the Demon Ancestor's flesh.
This was Lu Changsheng's trump card.
His flesh naturally countered the demon race.
The Demon Ancestor's flesh was equally potent, and both sides devoured each other.
However, compared to his fights with earlier demons, Lu Changsheng now found himself at a complete disadvantage.
The Demon Ancestor was utterly unlike ordinary demons, or even ancient demons.
He was like a favored son of the world.
Endless power converged upon him.
Therefore, even though their flesh devoured each other, whatever the Demon Ancestor lost was replenished immediately.
And Lu Changsheng?
He could accumulate flesh over time,
but no matter how much he had stockpiled, every bit devoured was a permanent loss in this exchange.
With one waxing and the other waning, how could he contest the Demon Ancestor like this?
"Retract."
With a thought from Lu Changsheng, the flesh blanketing the Demon Ancestor swiftly flew back and reincorporated into his body.
Clearly, Lu Changsheng did not wish to waste his flesh in vain.
"What, the Flesh Progenitor will not continue?" the Demon Ancestor asked serenely.
Even after such an intense clash, he appeared completely unaffected.
Lu Changsheng said in a deep voice, word by word, "Demon Ancestor, within this world you already occupy an invincible position. Fighting you here is meaningless.
"Unless one can sever your connection to this world, or simply shatter this world itself, it is impossible to truly kill you."
Lu Changsheng clearly understood just how troublesome the Demon Ancestor was.
He had thoroughly fused with this world.
To kill him, one had to shatter the world or sever his connection to it.
Yet whether severing the connection or breaking the world, Lu Changsheng could not achieve either with merely his current strength at senary growth.
Unless his true body descended!
Or the power of his true body was projected here.
However, that still required several more months.
The Demon Ancestor smiled faintly and said, "Indeed. I was born of heaven and earth, blessed by fortune from the moment of my birth. Yet back then, I too was destined to die, to face my natural lifespan's end.
"Later, I devised a method: to fuse with the world. From then on, I became immortal and imperishable. When I created the demon race later on, I endowed them with immortal and imperishable power as well.
"Regrettably, after endless ages had passed, I realized that while fusing with the world granted me immortality, it also bound me to this world forever, leaving me trapped in a cage I could never escape.
"After so much time, what I desire now is to break free from this world..."
The Demon Ancestor revealed the secret behind his immortality.
Even the immortality of the demon race stemmed entirely from him.
Lu Changsheng was thoroughly shaken.
He had assumed the Demon Ancestor had been fused with the world from birth.
To think that was not the case.
Instead, to avoid death, the Demon Ancestor had taken the initiative to fuse with the world later in life, attaining immortality.
"Flesh Progenitor, could you tell me: what is your purpose in coming to this world?" the Demon Ancestor suddenly asked.
"My purpose?"
"My apologies, but that is none of your business," Lu Changsheng replied coldly.
He was not afraid of the Demon Ancestor attacking him again.
Even if this body was destroyed, Lu Changsheng had reserve flesh elsewhere and could easily resurrect, lasting until the ten-year mark.
Though fused with the world and immortal, the Demon Ancestor could not possibly perceive every single nook and cranny of the realm. Unable to find the flesh Lu Changsheng had concealed everywhere, he could do nothing to him.
Lu Changsheng refused to speak, but the Demon Ancestor did not seem surprised.
"Let me guess.
"Your journey from another world could not have been easy. World barriers make entry exceedingly difficult. To expend so much effort reaching this world, you must be after something.
"Resources? Or perhaps treasures? To someone of your status and realm, the resources and treasures of this world are beneath notice, not worth such immense effort.
"That leaves only the final possibility: cultivation.
"Ever since you descended, this world has undergone certain changes. For instance, that Martial Dao condensed from all living beings...
"If you came for cultivation, is your goal this Martial Dao forged by the will of all living beings?"
The Demon Ancestor's words caused a flicker of emotion in Lu Changsheng's eyes.
It had to be said that someone capable of fusing with a world and attaining immortality was indeed formidable.
He had actually deduced it.
Having merged with the world, he was acutely aware of every shift within it.
Hiding it from him was impossible.
Lu Changsheng did not answer, but the Demon Ancestor continued, "Flesh Progenitor, you may take anything you wish from this world; I would not even care if you destroyed it.
"I have only one request: help me break free from this world, escape this cage, and send me into your world. What do you say?
"As long as you agree, I will not stand in your way. In fact, I will do everything in my power to assist you!
"Otherwise... while this Martial Dao condensed by all living beings is difficult for others to erase, for someone like me who has merged with the world, wiping it out is effortless..."
With that, the Demon Ancestor made a grasping motion toward the void.
*Rumble!*
Sure enough, the void trembled.
Lu Changsheng clearly sensed the Martial Dao in the void being repelled by the world, showing faint signs of disintegrating.
This caused Lu Changsheng's heart to tighten.
"Well played, Demon Ancestor!
"In truth, helping you escape this world is not difficult.
"You guessed correctly: what I want is precisely the Martial Dao condensed by all living beings!
"I promise you that within one year, I will surely help you break free of this cage.
"In return, you must promise not to harm the Martial Dao formed by all living beings!" Lu Changsheng said slowly.
"Good, it is a deal!" The Demon Ancestor agreed immediately.
Lu Changsheng gave the Demon Ancestor a deep, searching look.
Without lingering any longer, he led his blood scions swiftly away from the Demon Ancestor Hall.
Leaving the Demon Realm behind, Lu Changsheng traveled all the way back to the Flesh Temple in Jingdu.
In fact, before returning to the Flesh Temple in Jingdu, Lu Changsheng had secretly made a tour throughout the Jing Dynasty.
He had quietly left traces of his flesh behind in various places just in case.
He did not fully trust the Demon Ancestor.
What if the Demon Ancestor decided to turn on him?
Reality had proven that Lu Changsheng did not need to fear the Demon Ancestor.
However, because the Demon Ancestor was fused with the world and commanded inexhaustible strength, Lu Changsheng could not win a war of attrition against him.
He had to make ample preparations.
Nonetheless, if the Demon Ancestor merely wished to escape the cage and shake off the shackles of this world, Lu Changsheng could truly accomplish that.
With the power of his true body's descent,
forcibly detaching the Demon Ancestor from this world and bringing him to the Immortal Martial World would not be a significant challenge.
Moreover, the Demon Ancestor was exceptionally brilliant.
To devise the method of world fusion entirely on his own showed immense talent.
Once brought to the Immortal Martial World, he would surely thrive.
He would not only have hope of becoming an Earth Saint, but perhaps even a Heavenly Saint!
However, everything had to wait until several months later when the power of his true body arrived.
During this time, he would see whether the Demon Ancestor kept his word.
Accordingly, Lu Changsheng issued orders for the blood scions to withdraw from the Demon Realm.
On the demon side, the Demon Ancestor had evidently also given orders, halting the slaughter of blood scions.
They did not infringe upon the human realm either.
For a time, the humans, the demons, and the blood scions fell into a strange equilibrium.
Yet this equilibrium was fragile.
The humans were weak.
More and more humans were converting into blood scions.
Moreover, these conversions were not forced, but voluntary.
When ordinary mortals witnessed the many advantages of blood scions—immunity to illness, prolonged lifespan, immense strength, and the ability to counter demons—what ordinary person could resist such temptation?
None!
Hardly anyone could resist.
Thus, as time went on, the number of pure humans dwindled.
Eventually, this world would become a battleground for supremacy between demons and blood scions.
However, that no longer concerned Lu Changsheng.
His purpose in creating the blood scions had simply been to better promote the Flesh Martial Dao and thereby condense the Martial Dao.
Now, his goal was achieved.
The Martial Dao had condensed.
All that remained was waiting for his true body's power to descend, enabling him to shatter the Martial Dao and claim the martial dao fragments.
Day after day passed.
After all, the blood scions were his creations.
He knew very well that once he and the Demon Ancestor departed this world, another great war would erupt between the demons and the blood scions.
Therefore, Lu Changsheng could not bear to see the blood scions wiped out.
He took some time
to painstakingly elevate several blood scions,
raising them to quinary growth!
Lu Changsheng was currently at senary growth.
Thus, by paying a certain price, he could forcibly elevate blood scions to quinary growth.
And quinary growth corresponded to the ancient demons among the demon race.
Of course, their numbers were small.
Over roughly ten months, Lu Changsheng could elevate one blood scion per month,
amounting to about ten blood scions.
Ten blood scions of quinary growth would be just about sufficient.
Even if they could not defeat the demon race, self-preservation should pose no problem.
At worst, he could have the Demon Ancestor eliminate several ancient demons before their departure to maintain the balance between both sides.
As for the outcome of the struggle between the two races after they left, Lu Changsheng could not care that much.
The Flesh Martial Dao could be cultivated.
With sufficient talent, one could cultivate up to quinary growth, or even senary growth.
Naturally, that would be exceedingly difficult.
However, if the blood scions degenerated into complacency after he departed and were defeated by the demon race, it would simply mean they were beyond help, and Lu Changsheng had no inclination to worry about it.
He could help the blood scions for a time, but not for a lifetime!
Thus, time slipped by.
In the blink of an eye, the ten-year mark approached.
On this day, an uninvited guest arrived in Jingdu.
It seemed no one had noticed his presence.
This guest walked up to the secret chamber of the Flesh Temple and stood there quietly.
Only Lu Changsheng noticed him.
*Rumble!*
The heavy stone door of the secret chamber opened,
revealing Lu Changsheng's figure.
He looked at the figure outside the chamber.
"Demon Ancestor!" Lu Changsheng said slowly.
The Demon Ancestor said calmly, "Flesh Progenitor, the one-year mark is drawing near. It is not that I distrust you, but I truly cannot fathom what method you intend to use to help me break free of the cage and shake off the shackles of this world.
"Could it rely on that world currently colliding with ours?"
The Demon Ancestor was seeking an answer.
Or rather, he had grown impatient.
Having waited for eons, he simply could not bear to wait any longer.
Lu Changsheng smiled faintly. "Do not fret, Demon Ancestor.
"You know that this world is converging with mine, so you should also know that when the two worlds meet, they will be at their closest.
"When that time comes, I will naturally have a way to help you break free."
Lu Changsheng spoke with absolute certainty and confidence.
Seeing his confident demeanor, the Demon Ancestor nodded.
However, he did not wish to return.
Instead, he sat down with Lu Changsheng to discuss the Dao.
The Dao was the same whether in this world or the Immortal Martial World.
The Dao was everywhere.
Immortal cultivators, martial artists, and unique beings like the Demon Ancestor all needed to comprehend the Dao.
In truth, the Dao was a comprehension of the fundamental principles of the world and all things within it.
In any world, the Dao existed.
Having merged with this world, the Demon Ancestor's understanding of the Dao was remarkably profound.
Discussing the Dao with him, Lu Changsheng realized that in terms of comprehension and realm, the Demon Ancestor had long since attained the level of an Earth Saint.
In fact, he had walked a considerable distance down the path of an Earth Saint.
He had merely been constrained by this world, unable to break through, and had remained at the level of a Martial Saint.
Of course, reaching that realm of comprehension did not guarantee one could effortlessly become an Earth Saint.
It was not that simple.
However, relatively speaking, cultivating anew would present him with no bottlenecks.
Given sufficient resources, he would swiftly attain strength matching his realm.
As the two sat discussing the Dao, they barely noticed the passage of time, yet days slipped by one after another.
Finally, on a certain day,
*Hum.*
Mortals noticed nothing,
but the entire world seemed to shudder faintly.
Yet the tremor was so minute
that even ancient demons and blood scions of quinary growth could not detect it.
Only Lu Changsheng and the Demon Ancestor ceased their discussion at once.
"The two worlds have intersected. Fellow Daoist Lu, has the time come?" the Demon Ancestor asked.
Lu Changsheng nodded and rose. "Fellow Daoist Meng, the time has indeed come. Are you prepared?"
Fellow Daoist Meng was the Demon Ancestor.
The Demon Ancestor had no surname; he referred to himself as Meng, so Lu Changsheng simply addressed him as Fellow Daoist Meng.
Addressing each other as fellow daoists showed that a preliminary foundation of trust had been established.
*Whoosh!*
The Demon Ancestor stood up abruptly.
Staring intently at Lu Changsheng, he said in a solemn voice, word by word, "I have waited far too long for this day and have prepared everything. Please proceed as you see fit, Fellow Daoist Lu."
"Good."
Lu Changsheng nodded, and the two took to the air, soaring straight into the void.
Neither concealed their presence.
Consequently, the people in Yudu immediately saw Lu Changsheng and the Demon Ancestor.
"Look! Who is that?"
"It seems to be the Progenitor."
"Yes, it is the Progenitor! But who is the other person?"
"Why has the Progenitor flown into midair?"
Many looked up at the two figures.
Ignoring the crowd below, Lu Changsheng took a deep breath.
From afar, he sensed his true body within the Secret World Tower of the Immortal Martial World.
*Swish!*
His true body opened its eyes at the same moment.
He had established contact.
Just now, his true body and his consciousness had resonated with each other.
*Boom!*
In the next instant, his true body projected its power without hesitation.
Immediately, the power of a top-tier Earth Saint surged continuously into Lu Changsheng's body.
"Saint body!"
Lu Changsheng manifested his saint body at once.
He manifested his saint body in this very world.
The terrifying might of the saint body climbed incessantly.
The surrounding void shattered directly,
faintly revealing wisps of pitch-black space.
That dreadful aura had already reached the Demon Ancestor's realm, senary growth.
Yet it did not stop there.
Lu Changsheng's momentum continued to soar step by step.
Finally, his aura burst through a certain shackle with a resounding roar.
*Crack!*
The void shattered completely.
The entire world seemed to wail in agony,
unable to bear Lu Changsheng's terrifying power.
The Demon Ancestor was utterly shaken,
consumed by profound terror.
"Is this the Flesh Progenitor's true power in that world?
"It is... unimaginable. Such power has far exceeded the ceiling of this world; even the world itself cannot endure it..."
At this moment, the Demon Ancestor finally understood why Lu Changsheng had been so confident in promising to help him break free.
With strength like this, obliterating this world would be effortless, let alone freeing him.
It was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Of course, while trivial to Lu Changsheng,
to the Demon Ancestor, it meant everything.
"It has returned—the familiar feeling, the familiar power..."
Lu Changsheng smiled.
He unleashed his aura without restraint.
Below, countless blood scions fell to their knees, shivering uncontrollably.
It was a terror welling up from the depths of their souls.
"Break!"
Lu Changsheng did not forget his purpose.
He struck out with a direct punch.
Instantly, the Martial Dao shattered.
The Martial Dao condensed from the will of all living beings broke apart.
Lu Changsheng swept his giant hand forward, grasping the martial dao fragments in his grip.
Success!
With these martial dao fragments, Lu Changsheng would not only enhance his comprehension, but also advance further along his Earth Saint cultivation.
His ten years of effort in this world had not been in vain.
Of course, he had merely shattered the Martial Dao.
He had not wiped it out completely.
As long as blood scions continued to exist and people practiced the Flesh Martial Dao, the Martial Dao would slowly regenerate.
Given enough time, this would have no lasting adverse impact on the blood scions.
In truth, the proper method was to take control of world after world
and steadily harvest martial dao fragments time and again.
Unfortunately, that was extraordinarily difficult.
In fact, it was practically impossible.
Every world was constantly in motion.
How could anyone permanently control them?
Without control over those worlds, one could not reliably harvest martial dao fragments.
Thus, one had to seek out worlds again and again, taking risks each time.
"So you truly came for this Martial Dao.
"Shattering the Martial Dao to obtain its fragments?
"This must be the cultivation method of your world..."
A strange glint flashed in the Demon Ancestor's eyes.
He had already deduced part of the truth.
Lu Changsheng was thoroughly satisfied.
He turned back to look at the Demon Ancestor.
"Fellow Daoist Meng, do you have any final words for the demon race?" Lu Changsheng asked.
The Demon Ancestor knew Lu Changsheng was about to help him break free.
He shook his head and said, "I have already arranged what needed arranging. The demon race was created by me so long ago; how they live from now on is up to them to decide."
The Demon Ancestor did not care much about the demon race.
To him, only his own freedom mattered.
"Very well. Watch closely, then."
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath.
"Sever!"
He struck with a palm.
This palm blotted out the sky and the sun,
aiming straight at the Demon Ancestor!
In an instant, the Demon Ancestor felt the chilling threat of death.
He understood that if this strike landed on him, he would die!
And there would be no chance of resurrection.
Yet he could not dodge.
For Lu Changsheng to kill him now would be as easy as turning over his hand,
no more difficult than crushing an ant.
The Demon Ancestor was thoroughly shaken, yet he maintained his composure.
Life or death hung on a single thought from Lu Changsheng; it was no longer within the Demon Ancestor's control.
*Bang!*
The colossal palm descended.
Below, the onlookers opened their mouths wide, staring at the sky in shock.
They did not know who the Demon Ancestor was,
but they knew that anyone standing beside the Flesh Progenitor could be no ordinary being.
Yet when such a terrifying palm struck down, the Demon Ancestor emerged completely unharmed.
"I... did not die?"
The Demon Ancestor examined his internal condition.
Weak!
At this moment, he felt an overwhelming, boundless weakness.
He had never felt so weak in his entire life.
However, this weakness was merely relative.
Compared to his previous state when fused with the world, he was indeed far weaker now.
After all, with the world's support before, his power had been practically inexhaustible; how could he have ever felt weak?
Now, the Demon Ancestor could clearly sense that his connection to the world had been completely severed.
"I am finally free.
"I have broken free from the shackles of this world.
"I thank you for granting me a new life, Fellow Daoist!"
The Demon Ancestor bowed respectfully to Lu Changsheng in gratitude.
Helping him escape the world was virtually equivalent to bestowing a second life upon him.
How could he not be thrilled?
He had dreamed of breaking free from the world's confinement,
and today, he had finally accomplished it!
However, breaking free was only the first step.
Without Lu Changsheng's help, he would still remain trapped in this world forever.
"Fellow Daoist Meng, let us go.
"To the Immortal Martial World, to witness a vaster universe."
Lu Changsheng smiled faintly.
The Demon Ancestor nodded.
With that, Lu Changsheng took a step forward, leading the Demon Ancestor along.
*Whoosh!*
One step, two steps, three steps...
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lu Changsheng vanished from everyone's sight.
Then, utilizing his Earth Saint power, Lu Changsheng tore open the world barrier with brute force and departed this world directly.
*Hum.*
In the next instant, Lu Changsheng's consciousness returned to his true body.
Chapter 280