Hard to Perfect Ten Thousand Martial Daos? Check Out the Avatar Method!

From within his Earth Saint Dao body, Lu Changsheng turned his gaze toward the area outside the Heavenly Saint Pool. Every head bowed wherever his sight fell. Even fellow Heavenly Saints could clearly feel the immense gulf between them under that overwhelming pressure. Lu Changsheng had only just advanced to Heavenly Saint, yet the sheer weight of his aura was already comparable to that of a top Heavenly Saint! "A Heavenly Saint enjoys a lifespan of a hundred thousand years!" Lu Changsheng felt a swell of emotion and pride. All these years of bitter cultivation had finally borne fruit. A hundred thousand years of life! From this moment on, Lu Changsheng could truly breathe a sigh of relief. No matter where one went, Heavenly Saints stood high above the masses and were by no means weak. Even in the Jidao Sacred Ground, anyone who became a Heavenly Saint was at least an inner disciple. Within the sacred ground, inner disciples were second only to true disciples. Out in the wider world, an inner disciple of the Jidao Sacred Ground was an exalted figure who could dominate an entire region! As for the forces in the Immortal Martial World outside the sacred grounds, a Heavenly Saint was an undisputed pinnacle powerhouse capable of establishing a sect whose legacy could endure for a hundred thousand years, a million years, or even longer. For example, Ancestor Chen of Saint Star City and the founder of the Hundred Flowers Sect were Heavenly Saints who had founded Heavenly Saint-grade forces. However, Lu Changsheng's ambitions certainly did not stop at Heavenly Saint. He carefully examined his Infinite Martial Dao. Having fully taken shape, the ten thousand martial daos were reorganized and aligned according to the Ten Thousand Daos structuring method, and now every single one was firmly coalesced. Under the effects of the structuring method, Lu Changsheng could feel faint wisps of power constantly permeating his flesh from the ten thousand martial daos at every passing moment. By all reason, his physical body had already reached the Earth Saint level and hit a bottleneck, unable to advance any further. Yet now, Lu Changsheng could sense his body growing stronger. Though the pace was slow, it was undeniably strengthening bit by bit. Many a little makes a mickle. Given a thousand or ten thousand years, his body stood a very good chance of breaking through to the Heavenly Saint level. That was something countless Heavenly Saints dreamed of achieving. Yet to Lu Changsheng, it still felt too slow. Waiting a thousand or ten thousand years was far too long for him. He still needed to find a way to rapidly enhance his physical body. "Retract." Lu Changsheng drew back his Dao body. Heavenly Saints possessed Dao bodies as well, but when they fought, they usually relied on their Martial Dao. The Martial Dao within the body was the true foundation! Lu Changsheng could already feel that his Martial Dao could unleash an inexhaustible stream of power. And it was not merely one martial dao, but ten thousand! Only upon advancing to Heavenly Saint could a Master of Ten Thousand Daos truly unleash their terrifying might. Having retracted his Dao body, Lu Changsheng took a step forward and exited the Heavenly Saint Pool. Whoosh. Countless eyes instantly locked onto him. "Congratulations to True Disciple Lu on advancing to Heavenly Saint!" All the disciples shouted in unison. Lu Changsheng did not need to make a great display of force. Simply breaking through to Heavenly Saint was enough to shatter all rumors and gossip, leaving everyone utterly convinced. "Deacon Elder, the Heavenly Saint Pool can be unsealed now." With that, Lu Changsheng transformed into a streak of flowing light and vanished without a trace. Gazing in the direction where he had disappeared, every disciple understood one thing clearly. From now on, above the heads of the many true disciples of the Jidao Sacred Ground, a single name would likely hang heavy for a very long time to come. The name of Lu Changsheng! *** Just as Lu Changsheng returned to the exterior of his cave abode, he spotted a familiar figure. "Junior Brother Lu." "Senior Brother Mo." The person waiting outside was none other than Mo Kong. Mo Kong smiled faintly. "I haven't had the chance to congratulate you on advancing to Heavenly Saint, Junior Brother Lu." "You jest, Senior Brother Mo. As a true disciple, failing to advance to Heavenly Saint would be the real joke." Lu Changsheng knew very well that in the Jidao Sacred Ground, no true disciple had ever failed to reach Heavenly Saint. Anyone who failed would likely be branded the shame of the true disciples! "Junior Brother Lu, I have an imposition to ask of you." "I shouldn't have come to you right now, but the matter is quite urgent." "Thinking it over, you might be the most suitable person for it at the moment." Mo Kong's tone carried a hint of hesitation. "Oh? What is it? Please speak freely, Senior Brother Mo." Mo Kong hesitated briefly before speaking. "Junior Brother Lu, this matter mainly concerns my Dao companion, Jialan Hua." "Jialan's physical talent is poor. Even though she advanced to Heavenly Saint as a Master of a Thousand Daos, her body has been stuck at the Martial Saint level for all these years, utterly unable to break through to the Earth Saint level." "Senior Sister Jialan has long since given up on achieving the Unified True Self to become a Martial Dao Sovereign. Her only remaining wish now is to bear a child of our bloodline. Unfortunately, her body is at the Martial Saint level, while mine is at the Earth Saint level." "The disparity between our physical bodies is too great. Even after trying for several thousand years, we have been unable to conceive a child." Lu Changsheng was taken aback. He had not expected Mo Kong to seek him out for such a matter. However, when it came to having children, what could he possibly do? "Senior Brother Mo, though I have attained the Heavenly Saint realm, I have no way to help someone's body break through to Earth Saint," Lu Changsheng said, shaking his head. Even with the Flesh Martial Dao, his ancestral blood alone could not possibly allow Jialan Hua's body to shatter its bottleneck and advance to Earth Saint. Coming to him would be of no use. "No, Junior Brother Lu, you misunderstand." "Breaking through from a Martial Saint body to an Earth Saint body is immensely difficult. I didn't come asking you to directly help Jialan break through her bottleneck." "Instead, I hope that once you have consolidated your cultivation realm, you can make a trip to the Gufu Sacred Ground." "The Martial Ancestor of the Gufu Sacred Ground is a man of great magnanimity. Recognizing how difficult cultivation is for the many Heavenly Saints of the Immortal Martial World, he erected a Tower of Heaven." "Only Heavenly Saints may enter this Tower of Heaven, regardless of whether they belong to the Gufu Sacred Ground or not." "The Tower of Heaven has nine floors in total. As long as one can clear the first three floors, one can obtain rewards very useful even to Heavenly Saints." "Clearing the seventh floor grants a Concentric Fruit. This fruit is extraordinarily precious and practically impossible to come by. With a Concentric Fruit, Jialan will be able to break her physical bottleneck, giving her a very high chance of breaking through to the Earth Saint level." "If you can pass the seventh floor of the Tower of Heaven and obtain a Concentric Fruit, we are willing to trade an Earth Core Grass for it." "The Earth Core Grass works wonders on bodies at the Earth Saint level, but each body can only use one. I have already used one on mine, so it is useless to me. In terms of external value, an Earth Core Grass is likely worth even more than a Concentric Fruit." Mo Kong explained everything in one breath. Lu Changsheng now essentially understood what Mo Kong was asking for. A Concentric Fruit! It was likely exceedingly difficult to obtain. Even if an Earth Core Grass held greater value, the Concentric Fruit was a rarity that could only be chanced upon and was nowhere to be found elsewhere. It could only be found on the seventh floor of the Tower of Heaven. "Senior Brother Mo, why don't you attempt the Tower of Heaven yourself?" Lu Changsheng asked. Mo Kong let out a long sigh. "It's simple: I can't clear it." "The Tower of Heaven was set up by the Martial Ancestor of the Gufu Sacred Ground. The first three floors aren't very difficult, but starting from the fourth, the difficulty increases tenfold or a hundredfold with each subsequent floor." "I've challenged the Tower of Heaven ten times, but I could only pass the fourth floor. I was trapped on the fifth floor every single time, unable to clear it no matter what I did." "Even the fifth floor is that difficult, let alone the sixth or seventh." "You, however, are different, Junior Brother Lu. You are a Master of Ten Thousand Daos. Advancing to Heavenly Saint brings a qualitative leap to your strength. If I'm not mistaken, you should already be able to clear the fifth floor, perhaps even the sixth." "As for the seventh floor, you also have a great chance!" "That is why I came specifically to ask this favor of you." Mo Kong bowed deeply to Lu Changsheng. It was clear he attached immense importance to the Concentric Fruit. For a warrior whose body had already reached the Earth Saint level, the Concentric Fruit was essentially useless. It only aided in breaking through from Martial Saint to Earth Saint. Its true worth lay in its rarity—it was something one could only dream of finding. Lu Changsheng pondered for a moment before saying, "I can agree to this matter, but it will probably take some time." After all, he still had to consolidate his realm and gain a clear understanding of his current condition. Having just advanced to Heavenly Saint, he needed to settle his foundation regardless. "Hahaha! As long as you agree, that's not a problem at all!" "Take as much time as you need." "We've waited this long; a little longer won't make a difference." "Then I shall take my leave and await your good news, Junior Brother Lu!" Mo Kong seemed overjoyed. Back then, he had strongly advocated recruiting Lu Changsheng into the Jidao Sacred Ground, and now he found himself needing Lu Changsheng's help. In truth, Mo Kong had not originally intended to trouble Lu Changsheng with this. However, Lu Changsheng had caused a massive stir by deducing the Ten Thousand Daos structuring method, and his ambitions clearly reached for the heavens. Once he advanced to Heavenly Saint, his strength was bound to be formidable. The title of Master of Ten Thousand Daos had already reverberated throughout the Immortal Martial World. Perhaps Lu Changsheng truly could clear the seventh floor. Of course, Mo Kong was merely holding onto a sliver of hope. The Tower of Heaven was simply too grueling. Clearing the seventh floor was as difficult as ascending the heavens. Even though Lu Changsheng was a Master of Ten Thousand Daos, Mo Kong only considered it a glimmer of a chance. After Mo Kong left, Lu Changsheng returned to his cave abode. Once inside, he carefully sorted through his power once more. He discovered that the ten thousand martial daos within his Infinite Martial Dao were constantly sending out subtle streams of power to temper his body. However, those ten thousand martial daos did not seem to have reached perfection. There appeared to be ample room for improvement. If he improved the ten thousand martial daos, would the rate of his body's enhancement increase even further? Would the martial power he could mobilize become even stronger? Lu Changsheng faintly sensed that this seemed to be the path of cultivation at the Heavenly Saint level. Yet it differed from what he had learned. At the Heavenly Saint stage, the most important task was to enhance the physical body, fusing the body, Dao body, and Martial Dao together to ultimately achieve the Unified True Self and become a Martial Dao Sovereign. There was rarely any mention of enhancing one's martial daos. Lu Changsheng indeed felt that something was unusual. Thus, he left his cave abode and headed to the Library. Inside the Library, Lu Changsheng presented his identity token and began searching within. He focused primarily on cultivation records regarding Heavenly Saints. Yet as he browsed through the books on Heavenly Saint cultivation, most said the same things. They discussed how to use one's martial daos to temper the body, or what to look out for when fusing the body, Dao body, and Martial Dao to achieve the Unified True Self. Hardly anyone mentioned enhancing the martial daos themselves. However, the Library held an immense number of books, reflecting the deep heritage of the Jidao Sacred Ground. Among the countless volumes, Lu Changsheng finally found some common knowledge regarding the enhancement of Martial Dao during the Heavenly Saint stage. According to the records, if a Heavenly Saint wished to increase their strength, they had to enhance their martial daos—for example, by cultivating them to perfection. However, this required time. Moreover, cultivating a martial dao to perfection offered no help toward achieving the realm of Martial Dao Sovereign. It merely boosted one's combat strength. At most, a perfected martial dao added to one's foundation. The stronger one's martial daos—and especially if all of them were perfected—the more help it would offer toward taking another step to become a Martial Ancestor after achieving the Unified True Self as a Martial Dao Sovereign. Yet for virtually all Heavenly Saints, becoming a Martial Dao Sovereign was already their ultimate dream. A Martial Ancestor? That was something they could only daydream about—or wouldn't even dare imagine. What point was there in racking one's brains to enhance martial daos and cultivate them to perfection? It did nothing more than provide a slight boost to combat strength. Furthermore, many peak Heavenly Saints were Masters of a Hundred Daos or Masters of a Thousand Daos. How difficult would it be to cultivate a hundred or a thousand martial daos to perfection? Lu Changsheng was a Master of Ten Thousand Daos. How monumental of a task would it be for him to bring ten thousand martial daos to perfection? How much time would it consume? Tens of thousands of years, or even a hundred thousand years, might not be enough. A cultivator's energy was limited, after all. It was impossible to comprehend ten thousand martial daos all at once; they had to be comprehended slowly, one by one. That would take an eternity. *Wait. Perhaps I have a different way.* *Others cannot cultivate multiple martial daos simultaneously, but I am different.* *I have avatars!* A sudden flash of inspiration struck Lu Changsheng's mind. He thought of his avatars. The Flesh Martial Dao could coalesce numerous avatars. Even now, Lu Changsheng had avatars constantly aiding him in contemplation to boost his comprehension. Could he use multiple avatars to cultivate and comprehend different martial daos separately? Wouldn't that save an immense amount of time? Was that feasible, though? Lu Changsheng was eager to test it out. Testing it wouldn't take much time anyway. Thus, Lu Changsheng left the Library and returned to his cave abode. "Divide." Lu Changsheng began separating masses of flesh and blood. The flesh quickly shaped into avatars identical to him. One, two, three, four, five... His flesh avatars multiplied rapidly. "Stop." Looking at the hundred avatars before him, Lu Changsheng called a halt. Yes, one hundred flesh avatars! "Comprehend the martial daos..." Lu Changsheng immediately assigned the hundred flesh avatars to begin comprehending a hundred different martial daos separately. These avatars shared their memories with Lu Changsheng. Therefore, their comprehension was effectively his own, with no difference whatsoever. Yet only moments into the comprehension— Crack! The next instant, the hundred flesh avatars collapsed one after another. "The flesh avatars collapsed?" "Are they unable to bear the power of a complete martial dao?" "Of course. A hundred avatars are at most equivalent to the Divine Ability realm, not even Martial Saints. They can't bear the power of a martial dao at all." "Let's try Martial Saint-level avatars." Lu Changsheng reabsorbed the remains of the flesh avatars and reconvened ten avatars at the Martial Saint level. Forming these ten Martial Saint-level avatars took a great deal of effort. His body was only equivalent to an Earth Saint, after all. These ten avatars consumed nearly a third of his flesh and blood energy. Transforming flesh into avatars was by no means easy; it required an immense expenditure of energy, which grew steeper the stronger the avatar was. However, it was indeed effective. When the ten avatars began attempting to comprehend the martial daos, one hour passed, then two, then three... Though the ten avatars felt a slight pressure, they did not collapse. Nor did they show any signs of buckling under the strain. This proved that using Martial Saint-level avatars to comprehend different martial daos worked. Lu Changsheng's method was viable. "Martial Saint-level avatars can support me in sensing different martial daos." "But how many Martial Saint-level avatars can I ultimately divide into?" Lu Changsheng began producing avatars with all his might. Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty... Ultimately, Lu Changsheng could only produce fifty Martial Saint-level avatars. That was his current limit. "Fifty Martial Saint-level avatars can comprehend fifty martial daos at the same time." "With my current peerless comprehension, it would probably take about ten years to bring a single martial dao to perfection." "Even if each Martial Saint-level avatar takes an average of ten years to comprehend one dao..." "To comprehend all ten thousand martial daos to perfection would take two thousand years!" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. Two thousand years! Compared to his previous estimate of tens of thousands of years, this saved an enormous amount of time. Still, two thousand years remained too long for Lu Changsheng. He carefully reviewed his circumstances. His current physical body was not stagnant. On the contrary, through the ten thousand martial daos within him and the unique Ten Thousand Daos structuring method, his body was continuously growing stronger. As his body strengthened, he would be able to split off even more Martial Saint-level avatars in the future. Perhaps then he could produce sixty, seventy, eighty, a hundred, two hundred, or even hundreds of avatars! It was entirely possible. As the number of avatars increased, the time required to comprehend all ten thousand martial daos to perfection would shrink further. By then, it wouldn't take two thousand years. It might only take a thousand, five hundred, two hundred, one hundred, or even a few decades. Compared to his lifespan of a hundred thousand years, spending a fraction of that time was practically nothing. *Looking at it this way, I truly have hope of cultivating all ten thousand martial daos to perfection!* *When the time comes, my body will also reach the Heavenly Saint level. Achieving the Unified True Self, fully fusing everything, and stepping into the realm of Martial Dao Sovereign will make me extraordinary even among Sovereigns!* A brilliant light flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes. He had known from very early on that the firmer one's martial foundation, the better. Ever since he began practicing martial arts, his foundation had been incomparably solid, which was how he had walked step by step to where he stood today. Even now that he was a Heavenly Saint, he intended to forge an equally indestructible foundation. Lu Changsheng remained in his cave abode for an entire month, spending the time observing his avatars. There were no problems. Using Martial Saint-level avatars to comprehend martial daos to perfection seemed completely viable. Only then did Lu Changsheng feel completely at ease. "Time to make a trip to the Tower of Heaven." "At the very least, I should give it a try." Lu Changsheng had thoroughly consolidated his realm. Now he needed to find ways to rapidly strengthen his body. The stronger his body became, the more Martial Saint-level avatars he could create. Naturally, Lu Changsheng wanted the Earth Core Grass in Mo Kong's hands, so he had to visit the Tower of Heaven. With that in mind, Lu Changsheng headed straight to Mo Kong's cave abode. "Senior Brother Mo, Senior Sister Jialan." Entering Mo Kong's dwelling, Lu Changsheng found both Mo Kong and Jialan Hua inside. "Junior Brother Lu, have you consolidated your realm?" Mo Kong asked. "Senior Brother Mo, I have stabilized my cultivation and am ready to head to the Gufu Sacred Ground to challenge the Tower of Heaven," Lu Changsheng stated plainly. "Going to the Tower of Heaven now?" Mo Kong and Jialan Hua exchanged glances, both showing hints of delight. "That's wonderful. Let us go together, then." Jialan Hua wanted to go as well. After all, this matter concerned her deeply; she needed to witness it with her own eyes. "Junior Brother Lu, the Tower of Heaven is very difficult to clear. Going now to broaden your horizons is a good idea as well." Mo Kong both hoped Lu Changsheng could clear the seventh floor and felt it was a tall order. Regardless, going to give it a try could never hurt. Thus, Mo Kong and Jialan Hua accompanied Lu Changsheng to the teleportation array of the Jidao Sacred Ground. In truth, all the major sacred grounds maintained teleportation arrays connecting to one another's vicinity. While they could only teleport to the perimeter of a sacred ground, that was more than sufficient. Buzz. The teleportation array activated, and the figures of the three vanished in an instant. *** Gufu Sacred Ground, the Tower of Heaven. This was practically the most bustling location in the entire Gufu Sacred Ground. The Martial Ancestor of the Gufu Sacred Ground was broad-minded and willing to grant opportunities to warriors from outside his sacred ground. The Tower of Heaven was one such immense opportunity. As long as one could clear the first three floors, one would receive rewards. The higher one climbed, the more abundant the rewards became. Many Heavenly Saints had obtained rewards here and were deeply grateful to the Martial Ancestor of the Gufu Sacred Ground. However, the number of Heavenly Saints capable of clearing the first three floors was still relatively small compared to the vast sea of Heavenly Saints in existence. Furthermore, from the fourth floor onward, the number of successful challengers plummeted with every single level. "Three hundred years ago, I cleared the second floor. Now that I have returned to the Tower of Heaven, I must clear the third! Only by clearing the third floor can I obtain the reward, and among those rewards is a spiritual item I have sought in vain for years." "Three thousand years ago, I cleared the fourth floor and received lavish rewards. Those rewards caused my strength to advance by leaps and bounds, and my physical body improved so drastically that I harbored delusions of achieving the Unified True Self and stepping into the realm of Martial Dao Sovereign. Alas, three thousand full years have passed, and I still cannot clear the fifth floor." "The Tower of Heaven is simply too difficult. In recent tens of thousands of years, not a single Heavenly Saint has cleared the sixth floor. The last one to do so was fifty thousand years ago..." At the Gufu Sacred Ground, a soaring tower stretched into the clouds, suspended in the void. The tower floated weightlessly in midair, exuding a sacred and imposing aura. Everyone coming and going here was a Heavenly Saint; Earth Saints were not even qualified to step foot in this place. One could even see Heavenly Saints from other sacred grounds arriving at the tower. Yet regarding the Tower of Heaven, all Heavenly Saints shared the exact same sentiment: It was simply too hard! Whoosh. Suddenly, three figures appeared outside the Tower of Heaven. "Junior Brother Lu, that pagoda ahead is the Tower of Heaven of the Gufu Sacred Ground," Mo Kong introduced slowly. "The Tower of Heaven... It truly lives up to its name. Magnificent and grand!" This was Lu Changsheng's first time seeing the Tower of Heaven, yet he could discern its magnificence at a glance. In fact, he felt that the Tower of Heaven was not a building at all, but a treasure. More precisely, a spirit treasure! And certainly no ordinary spirit treasure, either—this was the treasure of a Martial Ancestor. "The Tower of Heaven can accommodate countless Heavenly Saints challenging it simultaneously." "Whenever someone challenges a specific floor, that level of the pagoda lights up." "Look, the fifth floor is currently glowing, which means people are currently attempting it. However, the sixth floor hasn't lit up for ages, indicating they have all been halted at the fifth floor, unable to pass." Lu Changsheng nodded. Looking up, he indeed saw the fifth floor radiating light, while the sixth floor remained pitch-black. So many Heavenly Saints. A sea of heads stretched as far as the eye could see, every single one of them a Heavenly Saint. Yet despite so many Heavenly Saints present, not a single one had cleared the fifth floor, showing just how difficult the tower truly was. "Oh?" "Isn't this Fellow Daoist Mo Kong?" "What, are you planning to test yourself against the Tower of Heaven again?" A voice suddenly sounded beside Mo Kong's ear. As the words fell, a Heavenly Saint stepped up to Mo Kong's side. "Ah, it is Fellow Daoist Yuan Chen of the Wanfa Sacred Ground." "Are you here to challenge the tower as well, Fellow Daoist Yuan Chen?" Mo Kong clearly recognized this Heavenly Saint. He was a true disciple of the Wanfa Sacred Ground, of comparable status and standing. "Indeed. It has been six hundred years since I last attempted the Tower of Heaven. I plan to give it another try today." Yuan Chen was likewise only capable of clearing the fourth floor. As for the fifth floor? He had been trapped there for several thousand years, unable to pass no matter what. "Why don't we head inside together?" Yuan Chen proposed. He was acquainted with Mo Kong and on fairly good terms with him. Mo Kong, however, shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Yuan Chen, I am not here to challenge the Tower of Heaven today, but to spectate." "Spectate whom?" Yuan Chen asked curiously. "This is my junior brother from the Jidao Sacred Ground, Lu Changsheng." "I came specifically to accompany Junior Brother Lu as he challenges the Tower of Heaven." Mo Kong did not conceal the truth and introduced Lu Changsheng. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yuan Chen," Lu Changsheng said, offering a greeting. "Fellow Daoist Lu Changsheng..." "Wait, that name sounds rather familiar." "I believe I've heard others mention it before." "Right! During the recent Dao Transformation Battlefield, a peerless genius reportedly emerged, having become a Master of Ten Thousand Daos, only to be snatched away by your Jidao Sacred Ground." "That Master of Ten Thousand Daos was named Lu Changsheng. Could it be...?" Heavenly Saint Yuan Chen's eyes widened as he stared at Lu Changsheng. Clearly, he had deduced the truth. "Indeed, Junior Brother Lu is that Master of Ten Thousand Daos." "Having achieved the Heavenly Saint realm, he wished to challenge the Tower of Heaven, so I accompanied him here." "We shall see just how many floors Junior Brother Lu can clear," Mo Kong said with a smile. Yuan Chen looked Lu Changsheng up and down thoroughly. Then he let out a long sigh. "A Master of Ten Thousand Daos... Even the three pinnacle sacred grounds fought tooth and nail over you, only for the Jidao Sacred Ground to snatch you away." "Very well. In that case, I am in no hurry. Let me see which floor Fellow Daoist Lu can reach." "After you, Fellow Daoist Lu." Yuan Chen was no longer in a rush. Instead, he stepped aside, gesturing for Lu Changsheng to enter the Tower of Heaven first. Lu Changsheng nodded slightly. Without hesitation, he transformed into a streak of flowing light and plunged straight into the Tower of Heaven.