Four Divine Bodies! Four Spirit Bodies! Who Can Stand Against the Eight Combined?

At the Princess Estate, Ouyang Fu rushed in to report to the Ninth Princess. In the reception hall, the Ninth Princess was discussing matters with several of her people. The situation had grown extraordinarily dangerous of late. Deep down, even the Ninth Princess felt intense anxiety. First it was the Thirteenth Prince. What if her turn came next? No one knew who the next to be eliminated would be. "Your Highness!" Ouyang Fu hurried forward and immediately bowed to the Ninth Princess. His face showed an urgent yet excited look, leaving everyone uncertain what kind of turn events had taken. "Hmm? Ouyang Fu, weren't you accompanying Master Lu to the Sun family? Why have you returned so soon and in such a rush? Has something gone wrong?" The Ninth Princess grew tense at once, her sharp gaze locking onto Ouyang Fu. The others in the Princess Estate turned their eyes toward him as well. The matter of the Sun family was of paramount importance. If they failed to wipe out the Sun family, it would spell immense trouble for the Princess Estate. Ouyang Fu was slightly taken aback, but he quickly realized the Ninth Princess had misunderstood. A smile spread across his face, and he hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, nothing went wrong. It is good news—tremendous news! "By his power alone, Master Lu slew the five experts of the Sun family who had forged spirit body foundations. He even flattened the entire Sun family compound to the ground! "Right now, the Sun residence is nothing but rubble. I have already ordered members of the Ouyang family to immediately move in and seize their properties across the regions. "What is more, the experts under the other princes were all frightened away by Master Lu. Terrified by his divine might, none dared show their faces, let alone contest him. "Your Highness, with Master Lu on our side, your great endeavor is within reach!" Seeing Ouyang Fu's impassioned expression, everyone present was shaken to the core. The Ninth Princess was particularly moved. The Sun family—destroyed just like that? She knew full well how formidable the Sun family was; wiping them out should not have been easy. Yet how much time had passed? A day? No, not even a single day. Lu Changsheng had destroyed the entire Sun family single-handedly. He had even scared off the experts under the other princes, keeping them from daring to step forward and compete. This showed just how terrifying the strength Lu Changsheng displayed in that battle was, to strike such fear into the other princes' experts. Once the Sun family's assets were integrated into the Princess Estate, the estate would truly command immense momentum. When that time came, they could form a tripartite standoff alongside the First and Third Princes, becoming one of the three titans of the succession struggle! The others exchanged glances, their delight plain to see. Rising to their feet in unison, they cried out together, "Congratulations, Your Highness! Our great endeavor is within reach!" The Ninth Princess could hardly contain her elation either. She smiled and said, "Splendid. Master Lu did splendidly. And Patriarch Ouyang, you and your people have worked hard as well. "By the way, where is Master Lu?" Meeting Lu Changsheng was what she wanted most right now. "Reporting to Your Highness, Master Lu has already returned to the Princess Estate." "Returned to the Princess Estate?" The Ninth Princess knitted her brows slightly. She gave Ouyang Fu a deep look. Ouyang Fu showed nothing amiss. She also understood Lu Changsheng well. Recalling his conduct and style, she nodded. "Very well. In a moment, I will go visit Master Lu in person." The group discussed matters further. The Ninth Princess gave priority to arranging the Ouyang family's takeover of the Sun family's businesses and assets. She even dispatched other capable subordinates from the Princess Estate to cooperate with the Ouyang family. This was currently the Princess Estate's top priority. It was crucial to whether the Princess Estate could become one of the three titans of the succession struggle, so it had to be handled flawlessly. After arranging everything, the Ninth Princess went straight to the courtyard where Lu Changsheng was staying. "Master Lu," she called out from outside the courtyard. "Your Highness, please come in," Lu Changsheng's voice drifted out. He did not come out to receive her in person. The Ninth Princess knew he did not stand on ceremony and paid little mind to etiquette. She walked straight into the courtyard and saw Lu Changsheng inside the room. Lu Changsheng's expression was completely unchanged. He looked utterly calm, as though wiping out the Sun family were trivial and hardly worth mentioning. Taking a deep breath, the Ninth Princess said solemnly, "Thank you, Master Lu. You hold the premier merit in destroying the Sun family!" Lu Changsheng smiled faintly. "Since I joined the Princess Estate, it is only natural to do my part. It was merely my duty. "However, I obtained two divine items from the Sun family..." Before Lu Changsheng could finish, the Ninth Princess cut in decisively, "Master Lu, when we first spoke, I promised that if you joined my estate, I would provide you with divine items. The Sun family was brought down solely by your hand, so their divine items are rightfully your spoils of war. You are free to use them as you see fit—there is no need to report to me. "However, there is one matter that has puzzled me, and I cannot help but ask for your guidance." Seeing her hesitate as if holding back, Lu Changsheng could tell she had concerns. "What is it? Your Highness may speak frankly." The Ninth Princess gritted her teeth, then asked in a low, measured voice, "Master Lu, may I ask... just how strong are you?" She was thoroughly perplexed. Back in Liangcheng in Xia Province, she knew Lu Changsheng was very strong. Yet he shouldn't have been strong to such an extent, should he? Ever since arriving in the Divine Capital, his strength had soared by leaps and bounds. Now, against the Sun family, he had flattened their entire estate with a single palm strike. Even the experts under the other princes had not dared show their faces. Such power was simply inconceivable. She found it hard to imagine where his limit lay. That was why she had asked. If she couldn't even grasp the true strength of the expert under her banner, how could she win the succession struggle? "My strength..." Lu Changsheng looked up at her and smiled faintly. "Your Highness, I believe you might have already guessed a thing or two. "I have no desire to speak in riddles. The reason I work so hard to search for divine items is simple: the more divine items I possess, the stronger I become! "If there are enough divine items, I am afraid not a single soul in this Divine Capital would be worthy of my regard..." Boom. A jolt ran through the Ninth Princess's heart. Stormy waves churned in her mind. Lu Changsheng had made it abundantly clear. As long as there were enough divine items, he would be number one in the Divine Capital! He was utterly confident in this. Moreover, he had practically admitted in plain words that he could make use of multiple divine items. The more divine items he had, the stronger he became. This completely overturned her understanding of divine items. Ever since she was young, she had been taught that any person could only use one divine item. Having more was essentially useless. Yet Lu Changsheng ran completely counter to this rule. As for how he did it, or how he utilized those divine items, she had no way of knowing. Nor did she dare ask! She knew very well that this was Lu Changsheng's core secret. If she pried, their cooperative relationship might completely fall apart. That was the last thing she wanted to see. "I understand. "Rest assured, Master Lu. As long as you can help me succeed in the succession struggle, all divine items the Princess Estate can obtain will be provided to you!" Gritting her teeth, the Ninth Princess made a bold promise. Would Lu Changsheng pose a threat in the future? As an intelligent woman, she naturally considered this. However, her primary goal right now was winning the succession struggle. As long as he could help her achieve that, she was willing to turn a blind eye to everything else. With a powerhouse of his caliber, she had no reason to push him away. "Very well. I trust Your Highness." Lu Changsheng and the Ninth Princess looked at each other and smiled. Everything was understood without words! Afterward, the Ninth Princess took her leave, leaving Lu Changsheng alone in the room. The room was so quiet that a falling pin could be heard. Lu Changsheng looked calm, but thoughts flashed through his mind one after another. "She has probably noticed or suspects that I am not a native of the Kunwu World, but an otherworldly godly being. "Yet she didn't expose it, because right now she needs me—needs me to help her win the succession struggle. "To the Ninth Princess, whether I am an otherworldly godly being doesn't matter; what matters is helping her win the succession!" Lu Changsheng murmured softly to himself. In truth, Lu Changsheng had never expected to conceal it forever. This secret could not be hidden for long. However, both sides were taking what they needed. At least before she succeeded in the succession struggle, she would not choose to turn against him. That was enough! As for what would happen after she won, Lu Changsheng was unsure. If she no longer wished to cooperate then, the solution was simple: at worst, he would just leave. As for mobilizing the national divine item to slay him? It was a possibility, but a slim one. Even if she won the succession, easily mobilizing the national divine item would hardly be a simple matter. Besides, he would surely sense it and withdraw beforehand. "The most pressing task is still to seize as many divine items as possible. "The more divine items, the better. That way, I can handle whatever unexpected turns may come." From start to finish, Lu Changsheng remained remarkably clear-headed, knowing exactly what he needed. He took out the two divine items he had just obtained from the Sun family. Both were divine items capable of forging a divine body foundation. One forged the foundation for the Yin-Yang Divine Body. The other forged the foundation for the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body. "The Yin-Yang Divine Body! And the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body! "The Yin-Yang Divine Body balances offense and defense, perfectly balanced with almost no weaknesses. Meanwhile, the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body gathers and disperses at will, possessing formidable survival capability. In particular, it can transform into rainbow light, achieving an unimaginably terrifying speed. "With the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body, even if I cannot defeat an opponent, I can leave whenever I wish, and hardly anyone could detain me." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. He felt that the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body was currently of greater utility to him. With it, even if the imperial family of the Divine Capital wanted to use their national divine item, as long as he had the slightest sliver of time, he could rely on the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body to flee swiftly. No one could catch him. No matter how powerful the national divine item was, what good would it do if it couldn't hit him? Even power capable of destroying heaven and earth would be useless. "I must cultivate both divine bodies. "Moreover, the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body is something I urgently need right now. "Once I forge foundations for both divine bodies, I will effectively possess four divine body avatars. "When all four divine bodies combine into one, to what extent will my avatar's strength increase?" Lu Changsheng felt a slight stir in his heart. Regardless, cultivation came first. Thus, Lu Changsheng began refining the two divine items, using two avatars to forge the foundations of the divine bodies respectively. One day, three days, five days, ten days... In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Over this month, Lu Changsheng devoted all his efforts to having his two avatars refine the divine items and forge their divine body foundations. The first to successfully forge its foundation was surprisingly the Yin-Yang Divine Body. Just as the information he had obtained indicated, the Yin-Yang Divine Body was exceptionally balanced, excelling in both offense and defense. There were no real surprises there. A few days later, Lu Changsheng finally forged the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body as well. The assistance provided by this Rainbow Transformation Divine Body was immense, and truly miraculous. "Disperse." With a thought from Lu Changsheng, the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body instantly disintegrated. Even though it was merely the foundation of the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body, it could still gather and disperse at will. Upon dispersing, the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body transformed into something resembling a cluster of rainbow light. Ordinary attacks would pass straight through it without harming his Rainbow Transformation Divine Body in the slightest. Unless an exceptionally powerful force struck, it could hardly inflict any damage. Even then, that force would be heavily diminished. Moreover, the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body had to be completely obliterated in a single strike; otherwise, so long as a sliver remained, it could rapidly regenerate. This was the dispersal ability of the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body. As for gathering, it was the counterpart to dispersal—it could reassemble the scattered body into a whole. Of course, the most crucial aspect of the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body lay in the words "Rainbow Transformation." Dispersing was itself transforming into a rainbow. Its speed was astonishingly rapid, like a flash of true light. At such extreme speed, completely annihilating all the rainbow light in an instant was extraordinarily difficult. Because of this, wanting to completely destroy the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body was nothing short of a pipe dream. Its survivability was unimaginably strong. In this regard, even Lu Changsheng's Flesh Martial Dao was far inferior. "Indeed, none of these divine bodies earned their reputation in vain; each has its unique purpose. "The Rainbow Transformation Divine Body is undoubtedly a standout among them, surely renowned even among divine bodies. "With it, my survival capability has increased drastically. "However, once all four divine bodies fuse..." Lu Changsheng still wanted to test it. With a thought: "Fuse!" The four divine body avatars rapidly merged. Lu Changsheng was already thoroughly accustomed to fusing avatars. Even with two completely unfamiliar divine bodies added to the mix, it did not hinder him in the least. Boom! When the four divine bodies merged, an unprecedented transformation truly occurred. Power! Power violent to the extreme! As if a volcano had erupted with the fusion of the four divine bodies, his strength instantly ascended to another plane. "Hmm? "Is this... rejection? "Rejection by the Kunwu World?" Lu Changsheng's expression changed instantly. At that moment, he felt the rejection of the Kunwu World. In the Kunwu World, anyone who attained Martial Dao Sovereign—the Sovereign Realm—whether through the Martial Dao Sovereign path, the Boundary Sea's Sovereign Realm, or the perfected spirit body, would be rejected and expelled from the Kunwu World once they reached the Sovereign Realm level. They would be forced to leave the Kunwu World, never able to return. Yet now, Lu Changsheng was experiencing the Kunwu World's rejection. With his four divine body avatars fused, his strength surged violently, breaking through power's shackles. It had unequivocally reached the Sovereign Realm. In fact, it was terrifying even among Sovereigns—at the peak of the Sovereign Realm. Yet curiously, his four avatars were not expelled from the Kunwu World. The power of the Kunwu World descended as though preparing to expel him, yet Lu Changsheng remained intact right where he was inside the Kunwu World. "A condition is missing!" Lu Changsheng's eyes brightened. He immediately understood the reason. The Kunwu World wanted to expel his avatar, yet some prerequisite condition had not been met. He was not in the Sovereign Realm! Nor was his spirit body perfected. Yet he possessed the power of the Sovereign Realm. "Disperse." With a thought, the four avatars instantly separated. Once unfused, the avatars returned to the Limit Realm level. Immediately, the repulsive force of the Kunwu World vanished without a trace, as though it had never appeared. Yet Lu Changsheng knew very well that the repulsive force just now had been no illusion. It had genuinely descended. Because he wasn't truly in the Sovereign Realm, and it was merely the instantaneous burst of power from fusing his divine body avatars that summoned the Kunwu World's power, if maintained for a prolonged period, his avatars might eventually be forcibly expelled even without meeting the condition. However, if he dispersed the divine bodies and ceased fusing them, the power of the Kunwu World could not expel him. "What does this count as? "A loophole? "A loophole in the Kunwu World?" A glint of sharpness flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. Perhaps he had truly discovered an extraordinary loophole in the Kunwu World! *** At the First Prince's Estate. A man clad in black was reporting grimly to the First Prince. "Heh, my Ninth Sister certainly hid her cards well. To recruit such a formidable expert without making a sound, someone who wiped out the entire Sun family single-handedly... Good, truly magnificent! "It seems a tripartite standoff will indeed take shape from now on." The First Prince spoke in a calm tone, yet anyone could detect the underlying fury in his words. Originally, the only ones with a real advantage in the succession struggle were the First Prince and the Third Prince, competing against each other. As for the others? In his eyes, they were mere cannon fodder. Now, however, a piece of cannon fodder had transformed into a titan. That changed everything. She now possessed the qualifications to contend with the First and Third Princes, truly entering the game of succession. "Investigate. "The one who struck is named Lu Changsheng, isn't he? "Investigate him thoroughly. Let us see just what kind of figure he is." The First Prince issued the order. "Yes, Your Highness." The man in black bowed respectfully and retreated. Not just the First Prince, but the Third Prince and the other imperial heirs as well—undercurrents surged throughout the Divine Capital that night, sending tremors through countless factions. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that after tonight, the Ninth Princess was bound to rise forcefully, forming a tripartite standoff with the First and Third Princes. As for the other princes? Even if they weren't cannon fodder, they weren't far from it, completely outmatched by the three titans. What was even more terrifying was that if the three titans reached a tacit agreement to clear the field, it would become even more difficult for the remaining princes. In fact, the previous move against the Thirteenth Prince had been a tacit understanding between the First and Third Princes—the beginning of clearing the field. However, with the Ninth Princess emerging as an unexpected variable, whether that clearing of the field would continue remained to be seen. The outside commotion did not affect Lu Changsheng in the slightest. He continued to wait. He waited for Ouyang Fu to come visit him in person. Lately, Ouyang Fu had been leading the Ouyang family in taking over the Sun family's businesses and assets. The stir was immense. Yet an exceedingly bizarre situation emerged: not a single faction or individual came to cause trouble or hinder the Ouyang family's actions. This was abnormal. After all, the First and Third Princes could easily have dispatched subordinates to delay or disrupt them. Yet neither prince's faction made any move. This gave food for thought. Perhaps the First and Third Princes had already acknowledged the Ninth Princess's faction and did not wish to clash openly with her right now, lest a third party reap the spoils. That was the most likely reason. As for the other princes, they dared not clash head-on with the Princess Estate at all. Lu Changsheng's battle had thoroughly terrified the other factions vying for succession. Until they found a method to deal with Lu Changsheng, none would dare enter a direct conflict with the Princess Estate. The significance of that battle far exceeded many people's imaginations. Ouyang Fu seized the opportunity. In merely one month, the Ouyang family fully absorbed the Sun family's properties. With that, the Ouyang family's power surged. Of course, many of the Sun family's enterprises were placed under the control of the Ninth Princess's trusted confidants. Thus, while the Ouyang family executed the takeover, the Sun family's properties were actually under the direct control of the Ninth Princess. The most vital part of the Sun family's assets was intelligence. With that in hand, the Ninth Princess could finally view matters from the vantage point of the entire Great Qian Divine Dynasty. "Master Lu, Ouyang Fu is here to pay his respects." Ouyang Fu's voice sounded outside the door. "Come in." With a wave of Lu Changsheng's hand, the door opened. Ouyang Fu stood respectfully outside. Holding a box, he respectfully set it down upon the table. "Master Lu, these are the divine items of the Sun family that we secured through various means while taking over their assets. "However, there aren't many—only three. "None of the three had been used by the Sun family yet. "Although they are only at the spirit body level, they are easier to forge foundations with." Lu Changsheng glanced at the box and nodded. "Patriarch Ouyang has been thoughtful." Ouyang Fu smiled slightly. "As long as Master Lu is satisfied, it is my greatest honor!" After that, not wanting to disturb Lu Changsheng further, Ouyang Fu turned and left. He had made a special trip just to deliver the divine items. He was indeed thoughtful! Within the entire Princess Estate, apart from the Ninth Princess, the person Ouyang Fu valued most was probably Lu Changsheng. "Three divine items." Lu Changsheng opened the box. Extending his consciousness into the divine items, three streams of information surfaced in his mind. Indeed, these were three divine items of the spirit body level. "Although they are not divine body items, once spirit body foundations are forged, they can also be fused. "As long as there are enough spirit bodies, fusing them will also cause my strength to skyrocket. "More importantly, refining spirit body items does not require an Earth Saint physical body; a Martial Saint body is sufficient." This last point was key. Lu Changsheng's true form was at the Heavenly Saint physical level. He could divide out Earth Saint bodies, but there was a limit to the quantity. If there were too many, he couldn't sustain them. However, when it came to Martial Saint avatars, he could produce as many as he wanted with effortless ease. In a sense, spirit body divine items were actually quite good. Producing thousands of Martial Saint avatars was no issue at all. Thus, Lu Changsheng immediately began refining them. In just a few hours, he refined all three divine items and forged three spirit body foundation avatars. At this point, the number of avatars Lu Changsheng had in the Kunwu World reached nine! Among the nine avatars, one was the Innate Water Spirit Body avatar, which had yet to forge a spirit body foundation due to the lack of a divine item. Lu Changsheng considered it. There was no need to keep this avatar. Without a divine item, it would take him ten years to cultivate the Innate Water Spirit Body. To the current Lu Changsheng, a mere water spirit body avatar was completely meaningless. Therefore, Lu Changsheng simply recalled and absorbed that avatar. Now, he was left with eight avatars. Four divine body avatars, and four spirit body avatars! Once these eight avatars fused into one, Lu Changsheng's strength would become even more terrifying! Naturally, this was only an increase in combat power. In terms of cultivation realm, he remained at the Heavenly Saint level. In the Kunwu World, being a Heavenly Saint was actually better than being a Martial Dao Sovereign. Had he truly become a Martial Dao Sovereign, he would have been expelled from the Kunwu World long ago. There were so many opportunities in this Kunwu World. Even the immortal body he dreamed of had not yielded the slightest clue yet. How could Lu Changsheng be willing to leave? "I wonder if the Great Qian imperial family's intelligence network contains any clues regarding immortal bodies?" Lu Changsheng considered the possibility. However, to truly access the Great Qian imperial family's intelligence, the Ninth Princess had to win the succession struggle first. Time flew by, and another month passed in a flash. On this day, the Ninth Princess came in person to Lu Changsheng's courtyard. "Master Lu, the Thirteenth Prince has submitted a memorial to Father Emperor, voluntarily withdrawing from the succession struggle. "In other words, the contenders for succession have been reduced from thirteen to eleven!" The Ninth Princess looked delighted. One less competitor meant one less obstacle. With the Sixth Prince dead and the Thirteenth Prince voluntarily withdrawing, two had now been eliminated. Under the rules of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty's succession struggle, the contending princes and princesses could use any means necessary to compete, but they were forbidden from killing one another. Therefore, the contest was fundamentally about pruning the opposing factions' forces. Faced with the First Prince, Third Prince, and Ninth Princess joining hands to clear the field, the Thirteenth Prince's forces had been completely wiped out. Now reduced to a commander without an army, how could he continue contending? Persisting would only make him a laughingstock. Voluntarily withdrawing was far better. There was an advantage to withdrawing voluntarily: he would not be exiled. Instead, he would be demoted to a commoner. Though a commoner possessed nothing, he could at least preserve his life, live out the rest of his days in peace, and survive comfortably. Once the succession struggle concluded, those who had fought to the end would surely be exiled to a harsh and frigid land. That was truly a fate worse than death. Thus, having lost all hope, the Thirteenth Prince was unwilling to continue. "Also, the First Prince has invited me to a gathering tonight. "I learned that he also invited the Third Prince. "This gathering will definitely not be simple. "Therefore, I would like to ask Master Lu to accompany me tonight." The Ninth Princess spoke in a solemn, grave voice. Clearly, tonight's gathering would be no ordinary affair. Only by bringing Lu Changsheng along could she feel completely at ease. "I will naturally ensure Your Highness's safety," Lu Changsheng said calmly. He remained exceedingly confident on that front. However, the Ninth Princess shook her head. "There are rules to the succession struggle; they would not dare move against me. "This gathering is likely meant for the First and Third Princes to test the weight of the Princess Estate! "Especially Master Lu. I fear they will be targeting you..." Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. "No matter. "Whatever tricks they have, I shall meet them as they come. "With me here, the only one who can succeed to the throne is Your Highness!" Lu Changsheng's words were decisive and firm! Though domineering, they carried absolute conviction! In fact, there was one thing Lu Changsheng had left unsaid: If the First and Third Princes truly tried to pull something, then the succession struggle could also end ahead of schedule. Such was Lu Changsheng's confidence now! "Good. Then I shall trouble Master Lu tonight." The Ninth Princess smiled faintly and quickly departed to make preparations for the evening.