"We can set the matter of spirit treasures aside for now," Lu Changsheng said calmly.
"Now that Kunyu Immortal Sect has been destroyed, the next step is to take over its domain and convert everyone into blood scions."
"Once we possess Kunyu Immortal Sect's territory on top of what Divine Sword Villa already controlled, the rise of the blood scions will be unstoppable. By then, the Flesh Martial Dao will naturally spread throughout the entire Yuan World."
In truth, what followed was quite simple.
They just had to wait!
Wait until the Martial Dao, propelled by the will of all living beings, thoroughly reached the peak of Deity Transformation—the pinnacle of septenary growth—where it could advance no further.
At that point, it would be time to shatter the Martial Dao and obtain martial dao fragments.
Yet patience was required.
Furthermore, he had to push the Martial Dao to the peak of septenary growth within a few years.
Otherwise, once the Yuan World drifted away from the Immortal Martial World several years down the line, trouble would follow.
Lu Changsheng returned directly to Divine Sword Villa.
He still needed to study spirit treasures properly.
He found these spirit treasures quite intriguing, and what the Mountain-Moving Seal's artifact spirit said was true.
Perhaps he really could make a windfall in the Yuan World, seizing one spirit treasure after another.
Treasures like these could serve as the foundation of a sect or faction.
However, Lu Changsheng still harbored a few concerns.
If he returned with a vast hoard of spirit treasures, he would likely face a serious problem.
Heavenly Saints!
Or rather, Void Refining cultivators.
Would they covet these spirit treasures?
The Immortal Martial World had spirit treasures as well.
In fact, it had far more than the Yuan World could ever compare to.
However, the spirit treasures in the Immortal Martial World all had owners—mostly held by sects beneath Heavenly Saints or Void Refining experts.
For such sects to possess spirit treasures was entirely expected.
Who would dare snatch them?
Meanwhile, some Void Refining experts or Heavenly Saint factions possessed no spirit treasures at all.
The emergence of a single spirit treasure would incite conflict among various forces.
Yet Lu Changsheng was able to forcibly seize spirit treasures here in the Yuan World.
Though their numbers were limited, the key was that in the entire Yuan World today, only Lu Changsheng possessed the strength to take them.
"Spirit treasures... I should make an attempt after all."
"If I miss this chance, seizing spirit treasures next time will be exceedingly difficult."
"As for the pressure from Heavenly Saints or Void Refining experts, I'll deal with that after returning to the Immortal Martial World."
Lu Changsheng had made up his mind.
Being able to visit the Yuan World this time—an immortal cultivation world endowed with spirit treasures—was already an incredible stroke of fortune.
How difficult would it be to find another secret world like this in the future?
He might never encounter such a world again.
Therefore, he had to seize the opportunity.
"Mountain-Moving Seal, tell me in detail: what spirit treasures are there?" Lu Changsheng asked the artifact spirit directly.
Right now, the Mountain-Moving Seal wished for nothing more than for Lu Changsheng to plunder the other spirit treasures as well, so that it would have fellow treasures to keep it company.
Suffice to say, notions of treachery meant nothing to an artifact spirit.
As for playing the turncoat, the Mountain-Moving Seal felt not the slightest psychological burden.
"Master, there are the Yin-Yang Twin Swords, the pinnacle treasure of Yin-Yang Immortal Sect—exceptionally formidable."
"Then there's the Wuji Bell, the pinnacle treasure of Wuji Immortal Sect, capable of binding anything, even grand arrays. It is immensely profound."
"There's also the Mountains and Rivers Diagram, the pinnacle treasure of Shanhe Immortal Sect. It is said to contain a world of its own, capable of sealing all things under heaven—even living beings..."
The "artifact turncoat" Mountain-Moving Seal laid bare virtually every spirit treasure it knew of.
Lu Changsheng tallied them up.
In truth, there were only twelve other spirit treasures in total.
Including the Mountain-Moving Seal, there were currently only thirteen known spirit treasures in the Yuan World.
Many among them were top-tier spirit treasures whose myriad powers and functions were nothing short of miraculous.
Of course, the Mountain-Moving Seal was quite powerful in its own right, ranking among the upper tier of spirit treasures.
Lu Changsheng was thoroughly tempted by the capabilities and effects of these treasures.
"The Martial Dao has entered its proper trajectory and can be propelled forward bit by bit by the will of all living beings."
"However, the more blood scions there are, the faster the Martial Dao will advance."
"I can use this justification to launch attacks on those immortal sects and seize their spirit treasures."
After mulling it over, Lu Changsheng made up his mind.
To him now, martial dao fragments were practically within reach.
Spirit treasures had thus become the top priority.
With that thought, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer.
"The Mountains and Rivers Diagram is rather intriguing; it seems to be an auxiliary spirit treasure."
"Besides, Shanhe Sect is the sacred ground closest to Divine Sword Villa. I'll go to Shanhe Sect first."
Lu Changsheng settled on his target.
He notified no one.
When seizing spirit treasures, going alone was naturally best.
If he brought Divine Sword Villa along, would he have to share the treasures with them?
In matters like this, it came down to each party's own capabilities.
If Divine Sword Villa could seize spirit treasures, Lu Changsheng certainly wouldn't stop them.
Unfortunately, Divine Sword Villa lacked that capability.
Thus, Lu Changsheng would have to act on his own.
At that moment, a heavy, tense atmosphere hung over Shanhe Sect.
The reason was simple: Shanhe Sect felt threatened.
Or rather, felt immense pressure.
Shanhe Sect's territory directly bordered that of Kunyu Immortal Sect.
The two sects had always maintained quite cordial relations.
Shanhe Sect was a sacred ground with little desire for expansion.
It was relatively moderate and got along well with other immortal sects.
Yet Kunyu Immortal Sect had been annihilated.
Wiped out to the last man.
It was utterly terrifying, unbelievable.
Yet it was the cold truth.
Being so close, Shanhe Sect had gathered detailed intelligence on Kunyu Immortal Sect's destruction and understood the full story.
And because they knew what had happened, gloom shrouded everyone from top to bottom within Shanhe Sect.
"Elders, Divine Sword Villa is aggressive and overbearing. Though they've made no moves for the moment, they are martial artists, possessing a lineage distinct from our Immortal Dao. Having consecutively annihilated Haoqing Sect and Kunyu Immortal Sect, they come with menacing momentum. How can our Shanhe Sect protect itself?"
"Indeed. Kunyu Immortal Sect was stronger than our Shanhe Sect, yet they were wiped out completely, and even their spirit treasure was taken. If Divine Sword Villa moves against us, I fear we won't be able to hold them off."
"Perhaps we could contact the other sacred grounds and join forces to resist Divine Sword Villa?"
"What nonsense! We are closest to Divine Sword Villa. If we ally with other sacred grounds, our Shanhe Sect will probably be the first to be destroyed!"
"True. We cannot lightly provoke Divine Sword Villa."
"But even if we don't provoke them, does that guarantee we won't be destroyed?"
"What if we submit to Divine Sword Villa? At worst, we become their vassal. That's still better than having our lineage severed."
"Absolutely out of the question! Our Shanhe Sect is a proud sacred ground. How could we possibly become a vassal to a martial faction?"
Arguments broke out once more in Shanhe Sect's grand hall.
In truth, the disparity in strength was painfully clear.
Shanhe Sect held no advantage whatsoever.
If they chose to fight, Shanhe Sect had only one fate: extermination!
Just like Haoqing Sect and Kunyu Immortal Sect.
If they chose to yield to Divine Sword Villa, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
However, for an esteemed sacred ground to bow to a martial faction was something many cultivators simply could not stomach.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, Shanhe Sect's mountain-protecting grand array shook violently, as if heaven and earth were splitting apart.
"What's happening?"
"Why is the grand array shaking?"
"Quick, go out and see!"
One Deity Transformation Forefather after another flew out.
The moment they took to the air, they looked up into the void above.
Overhead, a colossal seal blotted out the sky and sun, radiating dense black and white hues as it cast an overwhelming presence across the firmament.
The Deity Transformation Forefathers blanched in an instant.
"That's... the spirit treasure Mountain-Moving Seal!"
"Isn't the Mountain-Moving Seal Kunyu Immortal Sect's pinnacle treasure? Kunyu Immortal Sect was destroyed, and the spirit treasure fell into the hands of Divine Sword Villa's Flesh Forefather..."
"Could it be the Flesh Forefather has arrived?"
"Divine Sword Villa moves this fast? They just destroyed Kunyu Immortal Sect, and now they want to wipe out Shanhe Sect?"
"This is intolerable bullying!..."
Countless Shanhe Sect cultivators bristled with indignation, burning to fight to the death.
Yet it was mere bluster.
In the end, not a single cultivator flew up to risk their life.
What a joke.
That was a spirit treasure!
To cultivators, dread of spirit treasures was carved into their very bones; they knew full well how terrifying such weapons were.
Only a spirit treasure could counter a spirit treasure.
Otherwise, the slightest brush would mean death or grievous injury.
Especially the Mountain-Moving Seal—a dreadful treasure ranked in the top five across the entire Yuan World for offensive power.
Who would dare stand against it?
"What do we do now?"
"Sect Master, please decide—what should we do?"
Many eyes turned toward the sect master.
Shanhe Sect's current sect master was a female cultivator.
For a woman to take charge of a sacred ground and become its master, she had to be extraordinary.
The Sect Master of Shanhe Sect was precisely that: whether in talent, cultivation, or temperament, she stood at the very pinnacle among sacred ground leaders.
Moreover, she was herself a Deity Transformation cultivator!
Many sacred grounds' sect masters were merely Nascent Soul cultivators; Deity Transformation leaders were exceedingly rare.
Yet Shanhe Sect's sect master was in the Deity Transformation realm.
Had she not achieved Deity Transformation, she wouldn't even have become Shanhe Sect's sect master.
Yet even such an exceptional sect master wore a solemn expression, her brow deeply furrowed.
"Enough."
"I will make contact with the person from Divine Sword Villa."
"Let us see if Divine Sword Villa truly intends to slaughter our sect."
With that, the Sect Master of Shanhe Sect soared into the void.
Controlling the mountain-protecting grand array, she could temporarily fend off the Mountain-Moving Seal's attacks.
Yet if the other party continued pounding on it, the barrier would not hold for long.
After all, that was a spirit treasure!
As for using the Mountains and Rivers Diagram to swallow and suppress the Mountain-Moving Seal, that would be extraordinarily difficult.
One careless slip could even damage the diagram.
Thus, unless left with no alternative, Shanhe Sect's sect master was unwilling to deploy the Mountains and Rivers Diagram in a direct clash with the Mountain-Moving Seal.
*Whoosh.*
She arrived in the void.
Peering through the swirling black and white light, she faintly discerned a silhouette standing in the sky.
It was a man exuding a terrifying aura.
Standing motionlessly in the void, he seemed enveloped in boundless majesty.
"Are you Divine Sword Villa's Flesh Forefather, Fellow Daoist Lu Changsheng?" Shanhe Sect's sect master asked.
"Hmm?"
"Indeed, that is I," Lu Changsheng replied slowly. "Are you the Sect Master of Shanhe Sect?"
He also looked upon the sect master with some surprise.
He hadn't known beforehand that she was a woman.
To Lu Changsheng's eyes, Shanhe Sect's sect master possessed matchless grace, radiating a sacred aura.
Of course, that was all.
Having cultivated to his present level, Lu Changsheng had long moved past being swayed by mere appearances.
What drew his notice was that she was a Deity Transformation cultivator!
Furthermore, a hidden fluctuation of power emanated from her, on par with the Mountain-Moving Seal.
Evidently, the Sect Master of Shanhe Sect possessed the spirit treasure Mountains and Rivers Diagram.
Right now, the diagram had to be on her person.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, your Divine Sword Villa is pressing aggressively. Will you truly leave us no way out?" the Sect Master of Shanhe Sect took a deep breath and said gravely.
Lu Changsheng took no offense. He said calmly, "I will naturally leave your sect a way out."
"As long as your noble sect does not hinder the voluntary conversion of blood scions, there will be no issue. Divine Sword Villa will not personally interfere in the conversions either; ordinary people will be left entirely free to choose for themselves. What do you say?"
Shanhe Sect's sect master knew about blood scions.
She also knew how terrifyingly fast they spread.
Yet this was a blessing amidst misfortune.
So long as Divine Sword Villa refrained from intervening directly, although many mortals would choose to become blood scions, those blessed with spiritual roots might still choose to walk the path of immortal cultivation.
That would at least preserve their lineage.
"Very well," the Sect Master of Shanhe Sect agreed.
"Then there is only one final condition," Lu Changsheng continued.
"I require your sect's spirit treasure, the Mountains and Rivers Diagram."
"If your noble sect is willing to part with it and hand it over, I guarantee not a hair of your sect will be harmed."
Lu Changsheng's words caused Shanhe Sect's sect master to blanch instantly.
"You want the Mountains and Rivers Diagram?"
"No, absolutely not! Without the Mountains and Rivers Diagram, can Shanhe Sect still be Shanhe Sect?"
Without a second thought, the Sect Master of Shanhe Sect refused flatly.
This was the pinnacle treasure of Shanhe Sect. How could she give it away so easily?
"Is that so?" Lu Changsheng replied. "Without the Mountains and Rivers Diagram, Shanhe Sect remains Shanhe Sect—your lineage survives, your mountain gate stands, only you will no longer be considered a sacred ground."
"Nor does Shanhe Sect need to worry. Once Shanhe Sect loses its spirit treasure, the other immortal sects will not keep theirs either. I intend to pay each and every one of them a visit."
"If your noble sect refuses to part with it willingly, I will have no choice but to take it myself!"
Lu Changsheng's words stunned Shanhe Sect's sect master.
From what he said, did he intend to sweep through the entire Yuan World and plunder every spirit treasure clean?
If so, wouldn't all the sacred grounds lose their spirit treasures?
Everyone would be in the same boat!
Shanhe Sect's sect master fell into contemplative silence.
"This matter is too grave. I must return and discuss it."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Lu Changsheng said indifferently, "One shichen."
He had no desire to waste too much time.
And so, Shanhe Sect's sect master returned to the mountain gate to confer with the Deity Transformation Forefathers.
Immediately, the forefathers erupted.
"Impossible! Utterly impossible! Demanding our Shanhe Sect's pinnacle spirit treasure—that is severing the very foundation of our sect!"
Yet it was merely words.
While some voiced furious objections, even more remained silent.
"If Elder Liu believes it impossible, why don't you go out and fight Lu Changsheng?" the Sect Master of Shanhe Sect said coldly.
"This..."
Elder Liu's face flushed crimson, yet he dared not accept.
What a joke. Lu Changsheng was a ruthless figure who had wiped out Kunyu Immortal Sect single-handedly.
Going out alone would be nothing short of suicide!
Silence descended on the hall; no one spoke another word.
"If no one speaks, then we are agreed."
"In truth, we speak of discussing this today, but did Lu Changsheng give us room for discussion?"
"He issued a direct ultimatum. In one shichen, whether we agree or not, he will take the Mountains and Rivers Diagram."
"The only difference is that if we refuse, he will trample Shanhe Sect into the dirt. Nothing more."
Her words drained the color from many forefathers' faces.
Never had they imagined that a proud sacred ground would one day be pushed to such straits—to the point of obediently surrendering its pinnacle spirit treasure.
Yet one had to bow one's head beneath another's roof.
The last sect that refused to bow, Kunyu Immortal Sect, already had grass three zhang tall growing over its grave.
Their sect was annihilated, their mountain gate reduced to rubble.
Dare they resist?
That would undoubtedly mean death.
"Forget it, Sect Master. Agree to Lu Changsheng's terms."
"Indeed, we'll agree to whatever conditions he sets. Preserving Shanhe Sect's lineage is what matters most."
"Besides, we won't be the only ones losing our spirit treasure. When the time comes, not a single sacred ground in the Yuan World will retain one."
One by one, the elders resigned themselves to fate.
Hesitating no more, Shanhe Sect's sect master flew back into the void to meet Lu Changsheng again.
Without another word, she produced a scroll.
The Mountains and Rivers Diagram!
"Go."
With a wave of her sleeve, the Mountains and Rivers Diagram flew straight into Lu Changsheng's grasp.
"So this is the Mountains and Rivers Diagram?"
Lu Changsheng took hold of the scroll.
The diagram shuddered violently, as if attempting to resist.
At that moment, the Mountain-Moving Seal's artifact spirit manifested and called out to the scroll, "Stop resisting! Master is no ordinary man. If you make him angry, he'll destroy you outright."
"We are both spirit treasures; gaining sentience wasn't easy! Why bother staying loyal to outsiders? You'd be much better off following Master—we'll be riding high and cutting quite the figure!"
"Besides, other brothers and sisters will soon join us to keep company."
"Come on, let me tell you all about the perks of following Master..."
The artifact spirit of the Mountain-Moving Seal behaved like a consummate turncoat, actively counseling and persuading the Mountains and Rivers Diagram's spirit.
Shanhe Sect's sect master watched this scene, slack-jawed.
An artifact spirit playing the turncoat was something she had never witnessed before.
The lofty, exalted image of spirit treasures seemed to collapse entirely in her heart at that very moment...
"Good. Now that the Mountains and Rivers Diagram is in hand, I will take my leave," Lu Changsheng said.
He tore through the void and departed Shanhe Sect.
This was merely the beginning.
He still had many other spirit treasures to collect one by one.
And so, Lu Changsheng traversed the Yuan World, demanding spirit treasures at every turn.
Most sacred grounds obediently surrendered their treasures.
Yet there were also stubborn holdouts that refused to hand them over.
For these obstinate sacred grounds, Lu Changsheng didn't bother wasting words.
He didn't even need to use spirit treasures.
Manifesting his Phenomenal Image of Heaven and Earth, he slapped their mountain gates into ruins with a single palm.
He forcibly seized the spirit treasures, then summoned Divine Sword Villa's people to take over the territory.
It was that simple and direct, without the slightest complication.
After several months, Lu Changsheng finally plundered every spirit treasure in the Yuan World.
He obtained thirteen spirit treasures in total.
Among these thirteen treasures, Lu Changsheng only actually needed a small portion.
The rest were of no use to him.
"Right, having too many spirit treasures might court disaster."
"I'm currently lacking martial dao fragments and deity fragments. I wonder if these can be auctioned or traded?"
"If spirit treasures can be traded for martial dao fragments, this haul will be immense..."
A sudden thought struck Lu Changsheng.
Spirit treasures were exceedingly rare.
Even Void Refining experts fought over them.
After all, a spirit treasure could suppress a sect's destiny; possessing even one meant formidable heritage.
Trading such precious spirit treasures for martial dao fragments shouldn't theoretically be difficult.
When the time came, Lu Changsheng might be able to obtain many martial dao fragments directly, without needing to venture into secret worlds time and again or spend ages fighting for them.
Thus, Lu Changsheng first filtered out the spirit treasures he needed.
Among them were the Mountain-Moving Seal, the Mountains and Rivers Diagram, the Yin-Yang Twin Swords, and the Wuji Bell.
Roughly four spirit treasures were useful to him.
As for the remaining nine, their functions either overlapped with what he had or fell short of his standards.
In short, those nine could all be traded away.
Having beaten the immortal sects into submission, Lu Changsheng ensured that none dared obstruct the spread of blood scions any longer.
Fueled by Divine Sword Villa's momentum, blood scions rapidly spread across the entire world.
In just over a year, blood scions accounted for seventy percent of the Yuan World's population!
And seventy percent was more than enough to elevate the Martial Dao to the Yuan World's upper limit.
*Boom!*
On this day, the Martial Dao was pushed forward a fraction more.
Then, all martial artists at tertiary growth or above felt a sudden resonance in their hearts.
The limit had been reached!
They could all sense that the Martial Dao had hit its absolute ceiling.
It could progress no further.
Even if countless more blood scions were born, the Martial Dao would not advance.
Unless this world itself advanced further one day, the upper limit of the Martial Dao would not rise.
Otherwise, the Martial Dao's limit remained right where it stood, unable to take another step forward.
Lu Changsheng looked up.
"Twenty-five months... just a little over two years..." he murmured softly.
In two years, he had caused the Yuan World to coalesce the Martial Dao, pushing it all the way to its limit.
Though he still had three years remaining, there was no longer any need to wait that long.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, now that the Martial Dao has reached its limit, can we proceed to shatter it and obtain martial dao fragments?"
The Earth Saints of Divine Sword Villa had long grown restless.
Now that the Martial Dao had finally reached its ceiling, they all rushed to find Lu Changsheng.
After spending so many years in the Yuan World, all they wanted now was to reap the harvest.
Lu Changsheng glanced at the gathered Earth Saints and suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoists, have you considered how to shatter the Martial Dao?"
The Earth Saints froze.
Indeed, how were they to shatter the Martial Dao?
Before, all they had thought about was coalescing the Martial Dao.
Yet now that it had coalesced, how were they to break it?
"The Martial Dao in a secret world must be shattered by absolute strength."
"In weaker secret worlds previously, we could summon our true bodies and shatter it using our true bodies' might."
"However, our true bodies are already in the Yuan World. How can we shatter the Martial Dao?"
"With so many of us Earth Saints joining hands, can we still fail to break it?"
Indeed—join forces.
That was the Earth Saints' plan.
It was essentially their only option.
"Very well, let us go and try," Lu Changsheng led the Earth Saints into the void.
Several Earth Saints from Divine Sword Villa could restrain themselves no longer.
If they couldn't handle Deity Transformation cultivators, could they not even deal with the Martial Dao?
This Martial Dao was a sitting target, completely open to their assault.
At once, the Earth Saints manifested their Earth Saint Dao bodies.
"Break!"
As their Earth Saint Dao bodies surged, terrifying attacks rained down time and again.
In an instant, countless strikes landed upon the Martial Dao in the void.
*Rumble!*
The Martial Dao trembled violently.
Yet that was all.
After that barrage, the Martial Dao showed virtually no sign of shattering.
Knowing that breaking it wouldn't be easy, the Earth Saints attacked frantically.
Sparing none of their Dao bodies' might, they bombarded the Martial Dao with reckless abandon.
The Martial Dao was forged from the will of all living beings, and right now it had reached the Yuan World's absolute limit.
Though it appeared to shake violently under strike after strike, it showed not the faintest sign of cracking.
The Earth Saints bombarded it ceaselessly for three whole days and nights.
In the end, their Earth Saint Dao bodies were on the brink of exhaustion, yet the Martial Dao in the void remained completely unbroken.
"This... is the Martial Dao so difficult to shatter?"
"With so many Earth Saints attacking without rest, we couldn't make a dent in it—we couldn't even weaken it!"
"Damn it, we shouldn't have pushed the Martial Dao to its limit. We never thought about this!"
"Indeed. Pushing it to the limit yields immense rewards, but only if we can actually obtain the martial dao fragments! Now this Martial Dao is so strong that even though it stands before us as a target, we can't chew through it."
"Back then, we spared no expense to elevate the Martial Dao just to obtain stronger martial dao fragments. As it turns out, haven't we dropped a boulder on our own feet?"
"Fellow Daoist Lu, only you can do it..."
Once more, the Earth Saints turned their eyes to Lu Changsheng.
In truth, they had little experience with this.
Entering a secret world with their true bodies was already extremely rare.
All of them had focused solely on maximizing profits.
Who would have anticipated being unable to shatter the Martial Dao?
Now that the issue had truly arrived, they were at their wits' end.
Would they have to invite a Heavenly Saint to intervene?
Once a Heavenly Saint stepped in, what share would be left for them?
At that thought, bitterness welled up within the Earth Saints.
They couldn't help looking at Lu Changsheng.
In the Immortal Martial World, each of these Earth Saints was an overlord.
Yet upon arriving in the Yuan World, they felt utterly useless, incapable of contributing anything.
However, while the others hadn't foreseen this, Lu Changsheng had anticipated it long ago.
Or rather, he had considered the question from the start.
Their true bodies had descended.
Yet the Yuan World's upper limit was the Deity Transformation realm.
Their true bodies were merely at the Earth Saint or Deity Transformation tier.
Once the Martial Dao coalesced at the Earth Saint tier, could ordinary Earth Saints truly shatter it?
It seemed his past concerns had now been vindicated.
Ordinary Earth Saints truly had no way to deal with a Martial Dao at the Earth Saint tier.
Since that was the case, he would have to act!
Besides, Lu Changsheng already had a plan.
Over the past months, he had made thorough preparations specifically to shatter the Martial Dao!
Now, it was time to put them to use!
Chapter 289