Lu Changsheng returned to the Secret World Tower once again.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, please enter the VIP room."
Lu Changsheng walked straight inside.
Not wanting to beat around the bush, he stated bluntly, "If I want to sell spirit treasures directly rather than auction them, how much can the Secret World Tower offer?"
"Spirit treasures?"
The attendant was slightly startled.
Selling spirit treasures outright to the Secret World Tower instead of consigning them for auction was a completely different matter.
The Secret World Tower was well aware of how much a spirit treasure was worth.
After a moment of contemplation, the Earth Saint said, "That depends on the specific spirit treasure. The price between an exceptional spirit treasure and an ordinary one will naturally differ."
Lu Changsheng did not waste any breath either.
He directly brought out a spirit treasure and asked, "Give me a quote for this one."
If the price was unreasonable, Lu Changsheng would rather keep it.
The Earth Saint of the Secret World Tower's eyes lit up, but he evidently knew what he was doing. He inspected the spirit treasure with immense caution before slowly stating a price: "This is an offensive spirit treasure. In terms of value, it certainly falls short of a supportive one.
"Our Secret World Tower is willing to offer two complete Martial Saint-level martial dao fragments, plus an additional thirty percent of a fragment."
In essence, 2.3 fragments.
Lu Changsheng weighed the offer.
When he auctioned a spirit treasure earlier, he had obtained three martial dao fragments. After deducting a ten percent fee, he was left with 2.7 fragments.
Now the Secret World Tower directly offered 2.3 fragments. Although it was less than what an auction might fetch, the price was genuinely fair for an outright purchase.
"Agreed."
"I have two more spirit treasures here. Appraise them as well."
With that, Lu Changsheng produced two more spirit treasures, making three in total.
Among them was a defensive spirit treasure, which commanded a slightly higher price.
In the end, after some bargaining, the Secret World Tower agreed to pay 7.2 martial dao fragments for the three spirit treasures.
That averaged 2.4 martial dao fragments per spirit treasure, slightly higher than the first quote.
Lu Changsheng was very satisfied. Without any further hesitation, he sold all three spirit treasures.
It was a win-win deal.
With three spirit treasures in hand, the Secret World Tower could stage several separate auctions, generating immense hype each time. As long as they had sufficient time, the Secret World Tower was guaranteed to make a handsome profit.
After selling the three spirit treasures, Lu Changsheng, who previously carried nine, was now left with six. If he excluded the four spirit treasures he kept for himself, only two spare spirit treasures remained.
Carrying 7.2 martial dao fragments, Lu Changsheng directly activated the array and headed once more to the Earth Saint Dao Field.
Activating the array cost another 0.1 martial dao fragment, leaving him with 7.1 fragments.
Yet to Lu Changsheng, that was more than enough.
He had already undergone two Dao transformations.
If all seven martial dao fragments were used for Battles of Dao Transformation, that would afford him a full seven battles. Combined with his two prior battles, it would be enough to reach nine Dao transformations.
Lu Changsheng did not know how many Battles of Dao Transformation he ultimately intended to undergo.
He only wanted to push every single step of his martial path to its absolute limit!
Perhaps nine times would still not be enough.
Perhaps he would not even need nine times.
Both were possible.
Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling within the Earth Saint Dao Field and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Right now, only the Earth Saint Dao Field could be considered safe for him.
Even as a Heavenly Saint mighty figure, Bloodfire Ancestor could not chase him into the Earth Saint Dao Field. And even if he could enter, Bloodfire Ancestor would never dare act brazenly here. The grand array of the Earth Saint Dao Field could effortlessly obliterate even a Heavenly Saint!
Yet Lu Changsheng knew full well that he could not afford to drag things out.
Who knew what Bloodfire Ancestor might do in his rage?
If he truly slaughtered members of the Hundred Flowers Sect to vent his anger, then even with Ancestor Chen's protection, the sect would remain in grave danger.
Therefore, Lu Changsheng had to complete his Dao transformations as quickly as possible and rush back to Saint Star City.
He still needed to resolve the threat of Bloodfire Ancestor with his own hands!
In the Earth Saint Dao Field, the only way to enhance one's strength was through the Battles of Dao Transformation.
Lu Changsheng did not hesitate in the slightest. Just a few days after returning to the Earth Saint Dao Field, he made his way to the Dao Transformation Tower.
"I apply to enter a Battle of Dao Transformation!"
Lu Changsheng handed over one martial dao fragment.
"Battlefield Number One!"
Lu Changsheng was assigned to Battlefield No. 1.
This time, the Earth Saint attending the Dao Transformation Tower did not recognize Lu Changsheng.
Quietly, he stepped into Battlefield No. 1.
He wondered who his opponent would be this time.
Before long, Lu Changsheng caught sight of his adversary.
This was Lu Changsheng's third Battle of Dao Transformation.
And then...
An hour later, Lu Changsheng walked out of the Dao Transformation Tower and returned to his cave dwelling.
He spent an entire month refining the martial dao plundered from his third Dao transformation.
However, he was not satisfied in the slightest.
"Weak! Far too weak!"
"The opponent in this third Dao transformation was truly too weak. The plundered martial dao was weak as well, far inferior to what I took in the previous two battles..."
Lu Changsheng frowned deeply.
The results of this third battle were simply lackluster. Even though he had absorbed the martial dao, it brought virtually no significant improvement to his Infinite Martial Dao. His strength had barely increased at all.
This was not the outcome Lu Changsheng sought.
*The key to the Battle of Dao Transformation lies in the quality of the martial dao.*
*The stronger the martial dao, the more remarkable the boost when integrating it into my own path after the transformation.*
*Therefore, I shouldn't waste time battling ordinary martial artists. Instead, I should fight formidable Earth Saints, or those who possess extraordinary martial daos.*
*Only then can I maximize the benefits of the Battle of Dao Transformation!*
Lu Changsheng reflected on the experience.
Normal Battles of Dao Transformation felt like a waste of time and fragments to him. At one complete martial dao fragment per battle, the cost was exorbitant.
If every opponent yielded results like Lu Feng, that would be acceptable. But the reality was that martial artists like Lu Feng were rare gems. Most were just ordinary Earth Saints.
Yet opponents in the Battles of Dao Transformation were almost entirely assigned at random. Where could he find truly formidable opponents?
After pondering back and forth, Lu Changsheng realized he had to inquire at the Dao Transformation Tower.
He surely wasn't the only one looking for powerful opponents. There had to be plenty of confident Earth Saints who wished to face mighty adversaries to enrich their own martial dao and make it ever more formidable!
With that in mind, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer and headed to the Dao Transformation Tower once more.
Soon, he arrived at the tower.
This time, he saw a familiar face—the very Earth Saint who had received him during his first two visits.
When that Earth Saint saw Lu Changsheng, his eyes lit up.
He retained a vivid impression of Lu Changsheng. After all, how could he ever forget an Earth Saint capable of slaying Lu Feng?
"Fellow Daoist Lu, here for another Battle of Dao Transformation?" the attendant took the initiative to greet him.
Lu Changsheng nodded and asked, "How should I address you, Fellow Daoist?"
"Zhao Qi."
"So it is Fellow Daoist Zhao Qi."
"Actually, I have already completed three Battles of Dao Transformation. You should be able to look that up, Fellow Daoist Zhao."
Zhao Qi nodded.
He had just checked the records; Lu Changsheng had indeed undertaken his third battle a month ago. The current Lu Changsheng was already a powerhouse who had achieved three Dao transformations.
Three transformations was enough to earn a spot on the Dao Transformation Stele!
Of course, Lu Changsheng could not care less about the stele.
"Is there another way to apply for a Battle of Dao Transformation in the tower?"
"For instance, I don't wish to encounter ordinary Earth Saints. I want opponents who are all extraordinary, who are all among the strongest at Earth Saint perfection!"
Lu Changsheng laid out his request directly.
"You want powerful opponents?"
Zhao Qi's eyes flashed with interest.
When ordinary Earth Saint perfection martial artists entered the battle, they all prayed to run into weaker opponents so they could secure a win. Yet Lu Changsheng did the exact opposite, actively seeking formidable foes.
Still, Zhao Qi was not overly surprised.
Such individuals existed, and their numbers were not negligible.
Anyone who had undergone a Battle of Dao Transformation understood its profound benefits—the advantages of plundering martial daos and validating one's own path. The stronger the martial dao absorbed, the greater the enhancement to one's own.
Consequently, ambitious top-tier Earth Saints naturally hoped for formidable opponents to fortify their martial dao. However, doing so was undeniably perilous.
Then again, what Battle of Dao Transformation was devoid of danger? Those with true capability held different pursuits.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, if you want to encounter stronger opponents in the Battle of Dao Transformation, you can only head to the second floor."
"The battlefields on the second floor exclusively match exceptionally powerful Earth Saints."
"Therefore, anyone applying for a battle on the second floor must be thoroughly prepared mentally," Zhao Qi cautioned.
"Oh?"
"There really is such a place?"
"Then I apply for a battle on the second floor!"
Without an ounce of hesitation, Lu Changsheng handed over a martial dao fragment on the spot.
Zhao Qi nodded, then said, "Battlefield Number Eighteen on the second floor."
Hearing that, Lu Changsheng walked straight toward the second floor.
At that moment, several other Earth Saints were applying for battles on the ground floor. They could clearly observe everyone in the hall.
As Lu Changsheng stepped onto the stairs leading up, glances fell upon him one after another.
"That's... the direction of the second floor?"
"That man is going to the second floor?"
"The second floor... Every single participant there is an elite expert, almost all possessing the strength of someone who has undergone five or more transformations."
"Who is he? Such an unfamiliar face, yet he dares go to the second floor."
Many felt astonished.
After all, qualifying for the second floor and actually heading there were two entirely different things. Even among those on the Dao Transformation Stele with five or more transformations, many chose to stay in the first-floor battlefields. Those who ventured to the second floor were exceedingly rare.
The Battle of Dao Transformation was harrowing enough as it was; heading to the second floor seemed like deliberately inviting a brutal challenge.
Yet for martial artists with true ambition and confidence, the second floor was their rightful destination.
Unaware of the stir he had caused, Lu Changsheng headed straight to Battlefield No. 18.
*Buzz.*
The moment he stepped inside, a wave of scorching heat washed over him.
Looking up, he found himself in a vast desert. A blazing sun hung overhead, and the heat across the dunes was suffocating. The area was devoid of life, showing nothing but rolling yellow sands as far as the eye could see.
Grains of sand battered against his face, and the blistering air was enough to drive an ordinary man mad with anxiety.
Yet Lu Changsheng remained utterly composed.
This trivial amount of heat had zero effect on him.
He waited quietly, full of anticipation. Who would his opponent on the second floor be?
Meanwhile, down in the Dao Transformation Tower...
Zhao Qi suddenly glanced at the matching list.
"Hmm? Zhang Shun?"
"'Demon Saber' Zhang Shun?"
Zhao Qi's expression instantly changed.
He was merely an attendant at the tower; the pairings were not determined by him. He had no authority to arrange the battles. That duty belonged to a spirit treasure of the Earth Saint Dao Field—an artifact that oversaw the entire field.
And just now, Zhao Qi saw Zhang Shun's name appear beside Battlefield No. 18.
In other words, Lu Changsheng's opponent was none other than "Demon Saber" Zhang Shun.
This Zhang Shun was renowned for his terror and held a spot on the Dao Transformation Stele.
Although his number of transformations was not exceptionally high—he had only undergone four transformations, with this battle marking his fifth—Zhang Shun had fought on the second floor from the very beginning and had emerged victorious in all four.
Given Zhang Shun's prowess, coupled with the formidable martial daos he had plundered, his strength was bound to be horrifying.
*Can Lu Changsheng win this time as well?*
Zhao Qi was intensely curious.
A clash between Lu Changsheng and "Demon Saber" Zhang Shun would certainly be magnificent. Unfortunately, he had no way of spectating the fight.
*Swish.*
On the second floor, within Battlefield No. 18.
Amidst the swirling sands, Lu Changsheng snapped his head up.
Through the yellow dust, a figure abruptly materialized.
It was a man clad in black robes, exuding an aura as cold as glacial ice. Even the sweltering desert could not dispel the chilling chill clinging to him.
"He's finally here!"
Lu Changsheng fixed his gaze upon him.
"In the Battle of Dao Transformation, only one walks out alive,"
"I do not wish to slay a nameless ghost."
"Remember the name: Zhang Shun!" the man said coldly.
"Lu Changsheng."
The two exchanged names.
Anyone who stepped onto the second floor possessed absolute confidence in themselves. Thus, neither engaged in superfluous chatter.
*Swoosh!*
The very next moment, Zhang Shun made his move.
In an instant, he unleashed his Dao body. Furthermore, his Dao body wielded a jet-black saber. The blade gleamed with terrifying sharpness as it cleaved down toward Lu Changsheng.
With that single slash, heaven and earth lost their color.
It felt as though the void itself were being split in two. The rolling yellow sands were utterly fragile before this horrific saber intent.
Naturally, Lu Changsheng saw the incoming blade. The overwhelming saber intent surged forth, descending directly upon him.
He had a faint premonition that if this strike landed cleanly, his Dao body would suffer severe damage.
"Heaven-Overturning Seal!"
Refusing to show the slightest weakness, Lu Changsheng unleashed his terrifying Earth Saint Dao body and brought a palm crashing down.
The strike felt like an inverted river of stars, like heaven collapsing and earth shattering. Even the color of the dunes seemed to shift, leaving only his palm imprint spanning the world.
Neither held back from the start, unleashing world-shaking force the moment they engaged. Saber against palm, meeting head-on with absolute ferocity.
*Boom! Boom!*
Heaven and earth trembled violently.
The shockwaves alone seemed to shatter the boundless desert, blasting the dunes into oblivion.
Lu Changsheng felt a piercing saber intent carve into him. His Earth Saint Dao body rapidly deteriorated, with nearly a fifth collapsing in the blink of an eye.
Losing a fifth of his Earth Saint Dao body was already a shocking injury. Ever since his Dao body reached major completion, he had never suffered such damage against a peer of the same realm.
This was the very first time!
However, Zhang Shun's plight was far worse.
Lu Changsheng's palm had slammed square into Zhang Shun's Earth Saint Dao body. When it came to the sheer durability of their Dao bodies, Zhang Shun was far inferior.
*Crack!*
Zhang Shun's blade snapped abruptly.
He let out a tragic laugh. "When the saber snaps, the man dies. Congratulations... you win..."
As the words left his lips, Zhang Shun's massive Earth Saint Dao body collapsed with a deafening rumble, disintegrating entirely into dust.
Dead!
"Demon Saber" Zhang Shun had perished just like that in the Battle of Dao Transformation.
Lu Changsheng reached out, and Zhang Shun's martial dao instantly sank into his body.
Of course, now was not the time to refine it.
Lu Changsheng took a deep look at the spot where Zhang Shun had fallen. That had been a truly respectable adversary!
Yet only one person could walk out of the Battle of Dao Transformation alive.
And the victor was Lu Changsheng!
Taking a single stride, he exited Battlefield No. 18 and briskly descended the stairs to the ground floor.
"Hmm?"
"Lu Changsheng, he's out already?"
Downstairs, Zhao Qi looked up and immediately spotted Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng's departure from Battlefield No. 18 was proof enough of the outcome. Lu Changsheng had undeniably triumphed.
The current Lu Changsheng was now a powerhouse who had achieved four Dao transformations!
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lu," Zhao Qi offered his congratulations.
With this victory, Lu Changsheng had completed four transformations. Moreover, three of those four were of extraordinary caliber.
Not only did Zhao Qi notice him, but the other martial artists lingering in the tower caught sight of him as well. Some even retained an impression of his earlier ascent.
"Isn't that the Earth Saint who just went up to the second floor for a battle?"
"He came down so quickly—did he actually win?"
"Winning on the second floor means he's no ordinary fellow."
"Perhaps his name is on the Dao Transformation Stele."
"I wonder who he really is?"
Several wanted to ask around, yet feared bringing trouble upon themselves. In the end, they could only watch as Lu Changsheng left the Dao Transformation Tower.
Lu Changsheng headed straight back to his cave dwelling and began refining Zhang Shun's martial dao.
Zhang Shun's martial dao was, in truth, a saber dao—and it was even stronger than Lu Feng's sword dao!
Lu Changsheng was immensely pleased with such a formidable saber dao. It was precisely what he needed to enrich his Infinite Martial Dao. He was confident that once Zhang Shun's saber dao was integrated, his Infinite Martial Dao would grow even more potent!
A month later, Lu Changsheng summoned his attribute panel.
**Host:** Lu Changsheng
**Comprehension:** 7,795,000 (Natural Sage)
**Infinite Martial Dao:** Perfection (Uncondensed)
**Flesh Martial Dao:** Septenary Growth
**Battles of Dao Transformation:** Four
Indeed, the panel reflected four Dao transformations.
*Four transformations... If I attempt to break through to Heavenly Saint now, I should have a very high chance of success.*
*Yet I feel it is still not enough. My Earth Saint Dao body is far from reaching its absolute limit.*
Lu Changsheng still felt he could push further. His Dao body possessed ample room for growth.
Besides, he had only undergone four transformations so far. He could still undertake five more battles.
*Buzz.*
Just as Lu Changsheng was consolidating the Infinite Martial Dao within him, he faintly sensed the power of an array descend upon his body.
Immediately after, a voice echoed in his mind:
"The Dao Transformation Battlefield is about to open."
"All Earth Saint perfection martial artists within the Earth Saint Dao Field are specially invited to join the Dao Transformation Battlefield."
"Those who rank in the top one hundred may enter the twenty-one martial sacred grounds of the Immortal Martial World!"
"Do you accept the invitation?"
Lu Changsheng was slightly startled.
The Dao Transformation Battlefield?
He had not spent long in the Earth Saint Dao Field, so he truly had never heard of this so-called Dao Transformation Battlefield.
However, for such a massive commotion to occur, it was clearly extraordinary. Furthermore, all Earth Saint perfection martial artists were eligible to participate.
To Lu Changsheng, this was practically a dream come true. He wouldn't even need to expend precious martial dao fragments to fight. Merely by joining the Dao Transformation Battlefield, he could face one perfected Earth Saint after another, engaging in battles and validating his path.
"I accept!" Lu Changsheng decided on the spot.
"Registration successful."
"In three days, you may enter the Secret World Tower to access the Dao Transformation Battlefield."
"Failure to enter within the designated time will be deemed a forfeiture."
The power of the array dispersed.
Lu Changsheng stood up abruptly and walked out of his cave dwelling.
Sure enough, outside his dwelling, he saw that the entire Earth Saint Dao Field was shrouded in the light of the grand array. Countless martial artists wore expressions of shock. This Dao Transformation Battlefield had indeed enveloped the entirety of the field.
Lu Changsheng immediately made his way to the Secret World Tower. He needed to find out what this battlefield actually entailed.
Before long, he arrived outside the tower, which was already packed to the brim with people. Many shared the exact same thoughts as Lu Changsheng, eager to uncover the truth behind the Dao Transformation Battlefield.
Among the crowd, some martial artists appeared to possess prior knowledge.
"The Dao Transformation Battlefield has finally arrived again."
"The last time was about seven hundred years ago, wasn't it?"
"Indeed. The battle seven hundred years ago was extraordinarily brutal. Countless Earth Saints suffered staggering casualties back then, but terrifying figures also emerged—truly peerless prodigies!"
"The Dao Transformation Battlefield is both a stroke of fortune and a crisis. It has no fixed schedule; sometimes it opens after a millennium, sometimes after a century, and sometimes thousands of years pass without a single opening. Encountering one is exceptionally rare."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that must be seized. If you enter and manage to rank in the top hundred, you can join the twenty-one supreme martial sacred grounds! That is a fortune beyond words!"
"The twenty-one supreme martial sacred grounds are rumored to be guarded by great beings beyond the Heavenly Saint realm. They are the undisputed hegemons of the Immortal Martial World. Once you enter their ranks, your future cultivation is practically guaranteed."
"We must prepare thoroughly this time and strive to fight our way into the top hundred!"
Many martial artists were rubbing their palms together, regarding this as a supreme opportunity.
Lu Changsheng naturally overheard their discussions, but he still squeezed his way into the Secret World Tower. After all, his physical body was exceedingly powerful.
Inside the tower, staff were already explaining the details, and notices had been posted on the walls outlining basic information about the battlefield.
The notices kept things brief, covering foundational terms like entry into the twenty-one sacred grounds.
However, a few crucial details caught his eye. For instance, the notice urged martial artists to strive for as many Battles of Dao Transformation as possible. The more battles one fought, the greater the rewards, with the ultimate benefits reaching unimaginable heights.
Furthermore, the notice mentioned specific milestones:
Master of a Hundred Daos, Master of a Thousand Daos, and Master of Ten Thousand Daos!
A Master of a Hundred Daos, as the name implied, was someone who had plundered one hundred kinds of martial daos. Becoming one virtually guaranteed admission into the twenty-one supreme martial sacred grounds. It seemed achieving this status carried an immense advantage, prompting even the greatest sacred grounds to vie for them.
Of course, "one hundred kinds of martial daos" did not mean one had to fight one hundred battles. It encompassed the cumulative martial daos carried by defeated opponents.
For example, if an opponent had undergone three transformations, each time absorbing a single martial dao, that opponent possessed three plundered daos plus their own original dao, totaling four. Slaying such an opponent would yield all four martial daos at once.
Accumulating one hundred martial daos in this manner conferred the title of Master of a Hundred Daos!
Lu Changsheng's heart jolted.
*If calculated like that, don't I already possess over a dozen martial daos?*
After all, the opponents from his four transformations had all been of remarkable caliber. Some had transformed seven times, others four.
Previously, Lu Changsheng had planned to attempt a breakthrough to Heavenly Saint after nine transformations. But now, it appeared things were far from that simple. Nine transformations was not the ultimate limit.
"A Master of a Hundred Daos... just how sturdy of a foundation does that require?"
"Indeed. If one's own martial dao isn't powerful enough, there's no way it could accommodate so many daos."
"Even becoming a Master of a Hundred Daos is monstrously difficult, let alone a Thousand or Ten Thousand."
"From what I know, across the last ten Dao Transformation Battlefields, only a mere handful of Masters of a Thousand Daos have ever emerged. Even Masters of a Hundred Daos are exceedingly scarce."
"Raw combat strength alone isn't enough to become a Master of a Hundred or Thousand Daos. One's own embryonic martial dao must be extraordinarily resilient..."
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Lu Changsheng's thoughts stirred.
So becoming a Master of a Hundred or Thousand Daos ultimately hinged upon one's own foundation and depth.
Lu Changsheng possessed immense confidence in his Infinite Martial Dao. When he originally condensed it, he had forged it upon the concept of embracing all rivers into an endless ocean.
Becoming a Master of a Hundred Daos should pose no problem for him at all.
As for a Master of a Thousand Daos?
He would have to test it himself to find out.
After inquiring further and gaining a comprehensive grasp of the battlefield rules, Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling to wait patiently.
Three days later, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.
"Time to head to the Secret World Tower."
"I cannot miss the Dao Transformation Battlefield!"
Lu Changsheng rose and headed straight for the tower!
By this time, the Secret World Tower was already swarming with an ocean of people. Countless martial artists were waiting to enter, and the tower had deactivated its defensive barriers, allowing the crowd to pour inside.
Lu Changsheng swept his divine sense across the area. The number of martial artists in his view alone exceeded ten thousand, and the count was steadily rising!
After all, across the entire Earth Saint Dao Field, the number of perfected Earth Saints was immense—numbering in the tens of thousands!
This Dao Transformation Battlefield was nothing short of a grand carnival for Earth Saint perfection martial artists!
Countless people were itching to enter. Even if they had no hope of contending for the top hundred, being able to engage in Battles of Dao Transformation without expending fragments was alluring enough for any perfected Earth Saint.
Lu Changsheng waited for several more hours until nearly everyone had gathered.
"The Dao Transformation Battlefield is now open. Three, two, one..."
As the voice of the spirit treasure's artifact spirit faded, a vast, surging formation power descended, enveloping tens of thousands of Earth Saint perfection martial artists in an instant.
*Swish!*
In a flash, the tens of thousands of perfected Earth Saints vanished without a trace.
Chapter 298