Lu Changsheng summoned Zhao Shuying.
"Zhao Shuying, do you remember how to cultivate the Innate Water Spirit Body?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Of course I remember," she replied. "However, if one wishes to cultivate the Innate Water Spirit Body, forging the foundation of the spirit body alone requires the Tianhe Heavy Water Bead. Without the heavy water inside it, laying down the foundation of the Innate Water Spirit Body is exceedingly difficult. It places an absurdly high demand on one's comprehension... Master Lu, do you wish to cultivate the Innate Water Spirit Body?"
Zhao Shuying looked at Lu Changsheng with utter bewilderment.
After all, Lu Changsheng had been the one to give her the Tianhe Heavy Water Bead last time, claiming he looked down upon the Innate Water Spirit Body.
Why did he want to cultivate it now?
"It is fine. I merely wish to give it a try and approach it from a different angle to see if I can cultivate the Innate Water Spirit Body, which will also prepare me for cultivating other spirit bodies in the future," Lu Changsheng said indifferently.
Naturally, he would not reveal the real reason.
"Very well. I will recite the chant for the Innate Water Spirit Body for you right now, Master Lu."
With that, Zhao Shuying recited it once.
Whether water spirit bodies or divine bodies, they were fundamentally methods of physical cultivation that could lead directly to the Sovereign Realm, Ancestor Realm, or even Immortal Realm. Every single one could be cultivated through one's own efforts, even without divine items. Without a divine item, however, cultivation was hundreds or thousands of times more difficult. Expending a tremendous amount of energy on such cultivation simply was not worth the effort.
Once Zhao Shuying finished reciting the method for the Innate Water Spirit Body, Lu Changsheng closed his eyes and sat motionless, not asking a single question.
Zhao Shuying felt a bit lost. "Master Lu, is there anything you do not understand? I can explain in detail..."
She could not help asking. Lu Changsheng had listened just once and then stopped. He did not even have any doubts. Had he fully comprehended it in a single pass? Zhao Shuying found that impossible to believe.
"That will do," Lu Changsheng said, closing his eyes once more. "I must continue my closed-door cultivation, so I will not keep you."
Zhao Shuying understood completely now. He truly had grasped it after just one recitation. Such comprehension... Zhao Shuying could hardly fathom it. She could only comfort herself with the thought that godly beings were inherently extraordinary.
In truth, Lu Changsheng really had comprehended it in one go. It was a mere Innate Water Spirit Body; how could a single recitation not be enough for him to grasp it? After all, his comprehension was peerless throughout the ages. Whether anyone in the entire Boundary Sea could rival his comprehension was unknown to him, but even if someone could, such people were surely few and far between.
Comprehension was one thing, but cultivation was another. For Lu Changsheng to step across the threshold of the Innate Water Spirit Body, laying down the foundation alone would require a massive amount of water—the water of the five elements. Moreover, even with his comprehension, following standard cultivation step-by-step would take at least ten years just to reach the threshold!
And that was merely entering the doorway.
Ten whole years. With a divine item, one could cross the threshold in a few hours, or even a single hour. Just look at how little time Zhao Shuying had needed back then.
"Ten years... is far too long," he thought. "Yet it also proves a point: even without a divine item, as long as one knows the technique for a spirit body, one can still cultivate it and even step across the threshold. It simply requires a vast expenditure of time."
Lu Changsheng weighed the matter carefully. In fact, this was already remarkably good. Ten years was equivalent to saving a spirit-body-tier divine item. For anyone else, it might take a century or even a millennium just to reach the threshold. Only Lu Changsheng, endowed with comprehension peerless throughout the ages, possessed such terrifying insight. This was his distinct advantage.
Thus, Lu Changsheng separated out another avatar. This avatar was only at the Martial Saint level, but that was sufficient to cultivate the Innate Water Spirit Body. Lu Changsheng instructed the avatar to cultivate slowly.
Even so, Lu Changsheng knew that divine items remained the most critical factor. As long as he had divine items, whether spirit bodies or divine bodies, his progress would advance by leaps and bounds. But how rare were divine items in this world? If anywhere truly had an abundance of them, it would be the imperial family of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty.
Upon further thought, however, Lu Changsheng shook his head. He truly wished he could rob the Great Qian imperial family, but the national divine item was far too terrifying, so he had to hold back for now. He would pay a visit to the imperial family later, once he found a way to counter the national divine item or after it was damaged. For now, he would continue searching for divine items and cultivating the Reincarnation Divine Body.
His Reincarnation Divine Body required a massive amount of deathly qi. The deathly qi within the Reincarnation Bead had already been completely depleted. Lu Changsheng thought of the Deadland, where a substantial amount of residual deathly qi still lingered. Therefore, his avatar headed directly to the Deadland.
Every day, the avatar drew upon the vast deathly qi in the Deadland to cultivate the Reincarnation Divine Body. Yet as time passed, not even the deathly qi in the Deadland could withstand the absorption of the Reincarnation Divine Body. After only a few days, the deathly qi there was thoroughly exhausted.
Stripped of its deathly qi, the Deadland became no different from any ordinary land. In the future, wild grass would be able to grow, and life would be able to thrive there. However, despite draining all the deathly qi of the Deadland in just a few days, Lu Changsheng's Reincarnation Divine Body progress remained at 1%, without the slightest increase. This demonstrated just how difficult cultivating the Reincarnation Divine Body truly was.
Lu Changsheng recalled that Reincarnation River. If he could enter the Reincarnation River, where deathly qi was inexhaustible and boundless, his Reincarnation Divine Body would surely advance at astonishing speed. It might even reach perfection without relying on divine items. But if his Reincarnation Divine Body was not perfected, how could he enter the Reincarnation River? He could not even locate the entrance. Thus, it was a closed loop.
In the end, everything returned to the starting point: divine items! Lu Changsheng still needed divine items!
On this day, Zhao Shuying hurried over to report to him.
"Master Lu, a prominent figure recently arrived in Liangcheng—supposedly the Ninth Princess of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty! This Ninth Princess is extraordinary; she is an imperial daughter who has formally entered the succession struggle. Her arrival in Liangcheng this time is reportedly over a major matter..."
Hearing Zhao Shuying's words, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, a glint of surprise in his gaze.
"A succession struggle?" An imperial daughter could participate in a succession struggle as well?
Zhao Shuying soon explained in detail. As it turned out, the Great Qian Divine Dynasty did not practice primogeniture; instead, the throne was contested through a succession struggle. Every prince and princess, upon reaching fourteen years of age, could decide whether to participate. If they chose not to, their title of prince or princess would be revoked, and they would be assigned to various government ministries. Within the divine dynasty, many departments were staffed by members of the imperial lineage. Naturally, this required passing rigorous evaluations and was by no means easy. Nor did the dynasty fear internal rebellion disrupting the imperial court, for this was a world with divine items and transcendent power. Once stripped of their titles, those imperial descendants possessed no ability whatsoever to threaten the imperial throne.
However, if they were willing to contest the succession, they would enter the war of succession. The succession struggle was exceedingly cruel, producing only a single victor in the end. The losers were all exiled to spend the rest of their lives quietly in bitter, desolate lands. Consequently, after weighing the pros and cons, most princes and princesses chose not to take part. Even so, there were always those who did. The Ninth Princess was one of them. Furthermore, as many as thirteen princes and princesses were currently participating in the succession struggle!
Contesting the succession required winning over court officials, obtaining and refining divine items oneself, and excelling across all aspects. In the end, the imperial council of elders, led by the emperor, would deliberate and make the final decision.
"A succession struggle..." A sharp glint flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes as an idea formed in his mind.
He needed a vast quantity of divine items, but how many could he obtain relying on Zhao Shuying alone? After so much time, Zhao Shuying had not brought him a second divine item. Well, counting the Reincarnation Bead, there were technically two, but that bead had little to do with Zhao Shuying. Moreover, Lu Changsheng wanted dozens or even hundreds of divine items; Zhao Shuying could never help him acquire that many. To obtain so many divine items in a short time, only one place had the capability: the imperial family! The imperial family of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty!
However, Lu Changsheng did not know the Great Qian imperial family's true attitude toward godly beings. But that did not matter. Lu Changsheng had no intention of letting his true body make contact with them anyway. His avatar—the Reincarnation Divine Body avatar—was now comparable to a peak expert. Furthermore, due to the deathly qi, the Reincarnation Divine Body possessed formidable combat prowess, matching the Limit Realm from the very beginning. Having the Reincarnation Divine Body avatar make contact with the Great Qian imperial family should pose no major issues.
After all, the avatar was enveloped entirely in the aura of the Reincarnation Bead—the aura of a divine item. They could easily treat his avatar as merely a fortunate individual who had acquired a divine item. Such fortunate individuals were not uncommon across the Great Qian Divine Dynasty, and many were incorporated directly into official ranks.
Lu Changsheng also wished to be incorporated, but not casually. He wanted to participate in the succession struggle. By aligning with a prince or princess, he would have the chance to access the core of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty and obtain vast numbers of divine items. Considering this, Lu Changsheng decided it was worth a try.
As for his true body, it had to remain hidden. If the Great Qian Divine Dynasty deployed its national divine item, his true body could be destroyed, and recovering from that would not be easy.
"Zhao Shuying, let us meet this Ninth Princess," Lu Changsheng said, having made his decision.
Zhao Shuying was slightly startled. "Master Lu, you wish to enter the succession struggle? That is far too dangerous; please reconsider, Master Lu! Once the struggle fails, the princes and princesses might merely be exiled, but those of us who aided them will certainly be put to death!"
Even as someone from the martial world, Zhao Shuying knew how cruel the succession struggle was. Evidently, many martial artists had taken part in past struggles, and the outcomes were exceedingly grim. Therefore, unless driven to absolute desperation, few from the martial world dared to involve themselves any longer. Zhao Shuying did not want to be drawn in, which was why she advised Lu Changsheng against it.
Yet Lu Changsheng's mind was made up. Unmoved by her counsel, he held firmly to his decision. After all, Zhao Shuying had never known his true objective. Without participating in the succession struggle, how could he obtain a vast quantity of divine items?
***
Inside the Governor's Estate of Liangcheng.
At this moment, the Xia Provincial Governor was leading a large entourage of officials to welcome the Ninth Princess. How could they dare neglect a princess who could take part in the succession struggle? Even so, none of them dared take sides. They were merely welcoming her; they would never participate in the succession struggle itself.
The Governor asked cautiously, "Your Highness the Ninth Princess, might this official inquire what brings Your Highness to Xia Province?"
The Ninth Princess was a woman radiating nobility. Though exceptionally beautiful, the officials present were all trembling with fear, none daring to covet her beauty. What a joke—this was a princess involved in the succession struggle! Siding with her now was practically seeking a dead end. After all, the situation had grown increasingly clear: the Ninth Princess was at a severe disadvantage, holding hardly any chance at all. Otherwise, she would not have traveled ten thousand li away from the Divine Capital to arrive in Liangcheng of Xia Province.
"What if I said I came to recruit you, Lord Governor?" the Ninth Princess said with a smile.
"Th-this... this official dares not interfere in the succession struggle! I beg Your Highness's forgiveness!" The Governor immediately trembled in terror and fell to his knees.
What kind of joke was this? The Ninth Princess actually wanted to recruit him? Given the current circumstances, joining her faction was simply courting death!
"Am I so beneath your regard, Lord Governor?"
"This official would never dare!"
As for the other officials, they did not even dare breathe loudly. Seeing the Governor terrified to such an extent, how could they fare any better? Even if the Ninth Princess was at a disadvantage and likely to be exiled later, she remained the lofty Ninth Princess right now. Who dared offend her? At this moment, they could only pray that she would leave Liangcheng and Xia Province as quickly as possible; otherwise, these officials of Xia Province would have no peace.
"Very well, I was merely joking with you, Lord Governor," the Ninth Princess said directly. "I have come to Liangcheng for only one matter: the Deadland! Find someone to guide the way, Lord Governor. I am going to the Deadland!"
"The Deadland?" The Governor was slightly stunned, but being a shrewd man, he realized the truth immediately.
A divine item! It had to be a divine item! Otherwise, why would the esteemed Ninth Princess travel ten thousand li to come here? Moreover, she most likely possessed a crucial clue confirming the presence of a divine item in the Deadland. Why else would she head straight for it?
Yet over the years, countless people had investigated the Deadland, and even those godly beings frequently explored it without discovering anything. How could the Ninth Princess locate a divine item there? But the Governor dared not ask, nor did the other officials. Thus, someone was found to guide the Ninth Princess toward the Deadland.
Soon, the Ninth Princess and her entourage arrived at the Deadland. However, upon seeing the scene before her, her expression instantly darkened.
Gone! The deathly qi was gone!
According to the clues she had obtained, a divine item known as the Reincarnation Bead lay within the Deadland. With it, one could cultivate the Reincarnation Divine Body. The bead contained terrifying deathly qi, which was why it had created a Deadland spanning dozens of li. But now, even the deathly qi had vanished. In fact, a faint trace of vitality was quietly taking root within the land. How could this still be called a Deadland?
Something unexpected must have occurred. Most likely, someone had taken the Reincarnation Bead, for otherwise the deathly qi could not have disappeared.
"Search!" the Ninth Princess commanded with a darkened face.
Instantly, several experts surged out from behind her. Agile and powerful, they had all clearly refined divine items before, none of them inferior to an Earth Saint. Soon, they appeared to employ a method to unlock the Deadland's gateway, opening a portal. Yet upon stepping inside, they found it completely empty. The Reincarnation Bead was indeed gone.
"Who took the Reincarnation Bead?" The Ninth Princess's expression sank. The Reincarnation Bead was of tremendous use to her! And now, it was simply gone?
"Investigate! Start with the Governor!" she said coldly, her eyes brimming with hostility.
Shortly after, the group returned directly to the Governor's Estate.
*Crash!*
The Ninth Princess shattered a tea set, sending shards scattering across the floor. The Governor trembled in terror. Her trip to the Deadland had clearly gone poorly, resulting in this thunderous rage. The Governor lamented bitterly in his heart.
"Speak! Who took the divine item from the Deadland?" the Ninth Princess asked, staring coldly at the Governor.
"What? There truly was a divine item in the Deadland? Your Highness, this official genuinely does not know who took it! I did not even know a divine item was there! Please see clearly, Your Highness!" The Governor prostrated himself on the ground.
Just as the Ninth Princess was about to speak, an unfamiliar voice suddenly transmitted inside:
"Your Highness, the one who took the divine item from the Deadland is Lu."
The words rang crystal-clear in her ears.
The Ninth Princess shuddered. She snapped her head up and looked outside the estate. Clearly no one was in sight, yet the voice had reached her ears with absolute clarity.
"Who is it?" she barked.
Instantly, the guards behind her who had refined divine items grew tense, stepping forward to protect her in the center.
"A report!" An official hurried in. "Your Highness, two individuals outside claim they wish to see Your Highness. They possess extraordinary bearing and are currently waiting outside."
"Two people outside?" The Ninth Princess narrowed her eyes slightly. With her intelligence, she guessed the truth immediately. That voice just now had likely come from one of those two. Had their purpose not been to show off their skill? And indeed, they had achieved their goal. That display had certainly caught her attention.
"Let them in."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The official quickly withdrew, walked outside the Governor's Estate, and led the two inside.
These two were naturally Lu Changsheng and Zhao Shuying. Lu Changsheng spotted the Ninth Princess at a single glance. Everything that had just transpired within the Governor's Estate held no secrets from him. He was a top Limit Realm expert of the Boundary Sea; with a sweep of his consciousness, what secrets could the estate conceal? Although the divine dynasties of the Kunwu World possessed diverse divine items and varied methods, in terms of profound and mystical techniques, they still could not compare to a Limit Realm expert of the Boundary Sea.
"Lu Changsheng and Zhao Shuying greet Your Highness." The two merely cupped their fists in a slight salute.
Nothing more. To have Lu Changsheng perform a grand kowtow? That was utterly impossible. Aside from those in the Ancestor Realm, who else could compel Lu Changsheng to perform a grand salute? Not even a Martial Dao Sovereign could!
Seeing how arrogant and disrespectful the two were, an attendant brought by the Ninth Princess immediately bellowed, "Insolence! How dare you show such disrespect before the princess?"
This person had evidently refined a divine item as well. A terrifying aura swept directly toward Lu Changsheng and Zhao Shuying.
Lu Changsheng smiled faintly. Standing calmly with his hands clasped behind his back, he allowed the aura to crash against him.
*Boom!*
The next instant, the guard felt his mind roar as an overwhelming dread seized him. In his eyes, Lu Changsheng seemed to transform into an endless purgatory, with terrifying deathly qi blanketing the heavens and earth.
"Ahhh..."
The man screamed in agony, gripped by boundless terror.
To the onlookers, however, Lu Changsheng and his companion had done nothing at all. Yet the princess's guard had cried out in distress of his own accord. The gap between them was immediately apparent.
"Deathly qi! You refined the Reincarnation Bead?" The Ninth Princess stared fixedly at Lu Changsheng, enunciating every word.
She had received word of the Reincarnation Bead earlier, which was why she had rushed to Xia Province without stopping. And now it had vanished without a trace? It seemed the person before her had obtained it, refined it, and laid the foundation for the Reincarnation Divine Body.
The Reincarnation Divine Body was a true divine body. Once its foundation was established, it far surpassed spirit-body divine items. Every gesture carried tremendous might, enough to contend even with those otherworldly godly beings. That was why the Ninth Princess had rushed to Liangcheng so urgently. She had not come to refine the bead herself; as an imperial descendant, she had already refined a divine item long ago. But with a Reincarnation Bead and the prospect of a divine body, she could recruit numerous experts and powerful factions, adding tremendous weight to her side in the succession struggle. That had been her true goal.
Unfortunately, the Reincarnation Bead had already been refined by the man before her. In that case, only one path remained.
"How should I address you, sir?"
"Lu Changsheng."
"May I ask what brings Master Lu to see me?"
"It is quite simple. Is Your Highness not engaged in a succession struggle? I am willing to lend Your Highness a helping hand!"
The exchange between them was direct, and Lu Changsheng made no effort to conceal his intentions.
"Help me contest the succession?" The Ninth Princess narrowed her eyes slightly.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that her chances in the struggle were exceedingly slim. Perhaps she was the only one who had not yet given up. Would anyone else take the initiative to follow her? That was practically impossible—unless what the other party desired was something only she could provide.
"Speak, then. What do you want?" the Ninth Princess said slowly. He would not offer his assistance for no reason; he had to be seeking something.
Lu Changsheng glanced at the other people in the room. The Ninth Princess understood at once.
"All of you, step outside."
"Your Highness, this man..."
"Out!"
Someone wanted to warn her of the danger Lu Changsheng posed, but her mind was set. Thus, the crowd filed out of the room one after another. Lu Changsheng also had Zhao Shuying leave, leaving only himself and the princess inside.
"Your Highness, what I seek is nothing more than divine items," Lu Changsheng stated directly. "Whether spirit-body-tier divine items or divine-body-tier divine items, I want them all! I have only this one request. If Your Highness can agree to it, I will naturally do everything in my power to assist you!"
"Divine items..." The Ninth Princess replied, "You have quite an appetite. A single Reincarnation Bead is not enough to satisfy you, and you demand more? Yet generally speaking, a person can only cultivate one technique and refine one divine item..."
She stared intently at Lu Changsheng.
"I have my own uses for them."
Lu Changsheng naturally would not elaborate on that. His avatars were his greatest secret in the Kunwu World. In fact, not even Zhao Shuying had realized that the one accompanying her this time was merely an avatar. His true body had long been hidden in the shadows.
"Do you realize how precarious my current situation is? Siding with me now is no different from seeking your own doom. Do you still wish to follow me?" the Ninth Princess asked with poised grace. Her current predicament was no secret; many people saw the dynamics of the succession struggle clearly, so there was no need to hide it.
Lu Changsheng did not care in the slightest. Looking deeply at the Ninth Princess, he said slowly, "I naturally know Your Highness's current situation. Yet precisely because of this, my arrival will be valued by Your Highness. Furthermore, if I turn the tide and help Your Highness gain the upper hand in the struggle, I trust Your Highness will not be stingy and will do your utmost to satisfy my need for divine items. I wonder if Your Highness agrees?"
Lu Changsheng's gaze settled on her face. Now it all depended on her resolve. Exchanging divine items for a powerful ally might truly give her a fighting chance in the succession struggle. The Ninth Princess knew very well which held greater weight.
"Master Lu, then I place my trust in you!" A smile appeared on the Ninth Princess's face.
It was settled! How could she refuse the allegiance of such a formidable ally? After all, Lu Changsheng had refined the Reincarnation Bead and forged the foundation of a divine body. Even with a divine-body-tier item, establishing such a foundation was exceedingly difficult. Otherwise, given the Great Qian Divine Dynasty's foundation, would those with divine body foundations not be everywhere? In reality, those with divine body foundations capable of rivaling otherworldly godly beings remained exceptionally rare.
The Ninth Princess was someone of broad vision. She knew that true talent was hard to come by, especially someone of Lu Changsheng's caliber. Even if he could not guarantee turning the tables, his allegiance right now was already a tremendous boon to her faction.
With that in mind, the Ninth Princess said directly, "Master Lu, I am delighted by your arrival today. Consider it resolving my pressing emergency. I bestow this spirit-body-tier divine item upon you."
With a wave of her hand, a jade-colored radiance flew before Lu Changsheng. Reaching out, he caught it in his hand.
It was a piece of fine jade, warm and smooth to the touch. Yet Lu Changsheng could clearly sense the distinct aura of a divine item within it, faintly pulsing with vibrant life.
"A divine item?"
"Yes, this is a divine item for the Innate Wood Spirit Body. Divine items of the five elemental spirit bodies are the most common and numerous among the divine items in the Kunwu World. But no matter how numerous they are, it is still a divine item."
Lu Changsheng nodded. The Ninth Princess was truly generous, handing over a divine item straightaway. Moreover, with a divine item, he could likely step across the threshold of the Innate Wood Spirit Body in just a few hours, rather than spending ten years like with the Innate Water Spirit Body without one.
"My thanks to Your Highness!" Lu Changsheng expressed his gratitude.
She was truly magnanimous; before he had even contributed anything, he had already received a divine item. It seemed his choice to support her had indeed been the right one. Naturally, this was only the beginning. Being far from the Divine Capital here in Xia Province meant there would be little trouble, but once they entered the Divine Capital, Lu Changsheng would face immense pressure. Even the Ninth Princess amounted to little there. What he had received now was merely a small taste of sweetness.
"Master Lu, cultivating the Reincarnation Divine Body should require a vast amount of deathly qi, correct?" the Ninth Princess asked. "Once we return to the Divine Capital, I will find a way to procure a large quantity of deathly qi to assist your cultivation. However, my current situation is precarious, and I cannot linger long in Xia Province. If you have any matters to settle, please attend to them as quickly as possible. We must return to the Divine Capital promptly."
"Understood," Lu Changsheng replied.
With that, he turned and departed.
Watching his retreating back, a sharp glint flashed in the Ninth Princess's eyes. She knew full well that Lu Changsheng was ambitious—perhaps exceptionally so. But as long as he could help her weather this crisis and even win the succession struggle, what did his ambition matter? She could satisfy it all! Yet if she lost the succession struggle, she would be ruined beyond redemption. The Ninth Princess saw the balance of priorities with absolute clarity.
Chapter 325