Silence.
The entire void was utterly still.
The black-robed elder materialized in the void in an instant. Sweeping his gaze across the empty expanse, his expression gradually turned grim.
"This Lu Changsheng must possess an avatar technique. He manifested countless avatars at once, disrupting the national divine item."
"Though his avatars were annihilated, he still managed to escape!"
"Issue an arrest warrant for Lu Changsheng at once. However, should anyone encounter him, they are forbidden from acting rashly. Report everything in secret to the imperial court."
The black-robed elder issued his decree.
Looting the treasury, killing the ruler, storming the Divine Capital—Lu Changsheng's crimes were utterly egregious, showing not the slightest regard for the Great Qian Divine Dynasty. This was a severe provocation against the imperial clan.
Yet the black-robed elder was powerless for now, left with no choice but to issue a warrant. In truth, he knew perfectly well that the so-called warrant was mere posturing. If someone actually discovered Lu Changsheng, who would dare lift a finger against him? They would wish nothing more than for this god of slaughter to be gone as quickly as possible.
As for having news sent back to the Divine Capital so an elder could depart with the national divine item to suppress him, that was nothing more than wishful thinking. The national divine item was of paramount importance. Under normal circumstances, it could never leave the Divine Capital. The moment it did, it would trigger a chain reaction that could lead to catastrophic consequences.
"Lu Changsheng..." the black-robed elder murmured softly.
Now that the ruler was dead, they needed to determine the next emperor without delay. There was no time for another succession struggle. When he thought about it, their only viable choices were between the exiled First Prince and Third Prince. Both princes were fully capable of assuming the throne. It all came down to whose head this unexpected windfall would land on.
***
Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng was fleeing at top speed. However, the one running was merely an avatar.
His true body had remained outside the Divine Capital all along. Knowing that the avatar was about to do something monumental, the true body had departed the Divine Capital long ago.
Lu Changsheng had no intention of having his true body meet with the avatar. There was no need. His true body remained concealed in the shadows as his ultimate trump card. After all, if the true body perished, the loss would be catastrophic. The avatar, on the other hand, had no fear of danger.
Furthermore, his avatar was far from simple now. It comprised dozens of avatars, and upon fusing, their strength surged to exceed that of his true body. Crucially, the avatar could continue to grow stronger.
Lu Changsheng's avatar found a mountain cavern and concealed himself within.
Inside the cavern, Lu Changsheng sorted through his memories. Back in the Divine Capital, he had split off thousands of flesh avatars, expending a massive amount of flesh and blood. Recovering from that would take time and would not be easy.
Yet what concerned him even more was that beam of white light. It had actually been able to erase his flesh avatars outright. Such a form of attack was completely unheard-of.
"As expected of a national divine item, truly miraculous."
"It can erase targets directly. Below the Ancestor Realm, probably no one can withstand it."
"Fortunately, I ran fast. Had I been erased by that national divine item, my fate would have been the same..."
Lu Changsheng murmured softly to himself. He was not belittling his own abilities; it was simply the truth. The national divine item was terrifying indeed. That horrific power would have forcibly erased even his forty-two spirit and divine body avatars had they taken a direct hit, which amounted to death.
Below the Ancestor Realm, that sort of power was virtually impossible to block. It bore some resemblance to the rules of the Kunwu World.
"The national divine item should be connected to the Kunwu World."
"Just who constructed the Kunwu World? This doesn't seem like a natural world at all. Even Ancestor Realm experts cannot enter. In the Boundary Sea, the Kunwu World is far too extraordinary. It is said to harbor secrets beyond the Ancestor Realm."
"I currently have no way of uncovering the Kunwu World's secrets, but growing stronger to contend with the national divine item doesn't seem entirely hopeless."
Lu Changsheng remained full of confidence. He then brought out box after box, arranging them across the cavern floor. They were the spoils of his harvest from the Imperial Treasury.
Though he had lost so many flesh avatars, it did not matter; a few days of recuperation would see him fully recovered. In contrast, the divine items inside these wooden boxes were treasures one could only dream of encountering. Aside from the imperial clan of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty, virtually no other faction could produce so many divine items at once.
Even for the Great Qian imperial clan, it had taken countless years of accumulation and deep foundations to amass such a hoard. Yet now, all these divine items belonged to Lu Changsheng. His hopes lay squarely within them.
Inside the cavern, Lu Changsheng took a quick inventory of the items: forty-eight divine-body-level divine items, and one hundred and eighty-six spirit-body-level divine items.
To what heights would so many divine items push his avatars? Even Lu Changsheng had no idea. But he knew that if he wished to contend with the national divine item, avatar fusion was his only recourse. There was no other path.
"Let's begin."
Wasting no more time, Lu Changsheng began refining the divine items one after another. He divided off avatar after avatar. Some were Martial Saints, while others had to be Earth Saints. With so many avatars, the process was far from simple; replenishing the expended flesh and blood required all manner of natural treasures. As a result, his progress slowed somewhat.
Fortunately, Lu Changsheng was in no rush. He simply entered secluded cultivation inside the cavern.
One month, two months, three months...
This period of seclusion was exceptionally long. In the blink of an eye, more than half a year—roughly eight months—slipped by.
During those eight months, Lu Changsheng even had his true body visit the cavern once to divide off more flesh and blood for crafting flesh avatars, after which the true body departed to other places to replenish the consumed flesh.
Under Lu Changsheng's relentless refining efforts, the final divine item was at last refined. The final spirit body avatar was formed.
*Swish!*
Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.
The count of his divine body avatars had reached sixty-one, while his spirit body avatars numbered two hundred and fifteen. His total avatar count had reached an astonishing two hundred and seventy-six!
Two hundred and seventy-six—nearly three hundred avatars. Though the majority were spirit bodies, once fused, their combined might would be earth-shattering.
Over the past eight months, Lu Changsheng had devoted himself entirely to refining divine items and cultivating divine and spirit bodies. He had never once fused all of his avatars together. Thus, even Lu Changsheng did not know what terrifying power would erupt once all two hundred and seventy-six avatars merged into one.
"Two hundred and seventy-six avatars!"
"Let me see just how powerful the fusion of these avatars has become!"
Lu Changsheng felt a trace of anticipation.
"Fuse."
The next instant, the avatars within Lu Changsheng's body merged.
*Boom!*
A continuous rumble echoed from within him. As the avatars fused, waves of terrifying power flooded his physical form. Simultaneously, this power seemed to shatter a certain shackle, and his horrific aura climbed by leaps and bounds.
Lu Changsheng's surroundings warped as if he were a black hole, twisting the very void. This sensation far surpassed that of his true body, far outstripping the full might he had unleashed in the Divine Capital months ago. It was not merely an increment of growth, but a surge several times over—perhaps even tenfold!
Lu Changsheng could clearly sense how terrifying this erupting power within him was. Even a Martial Dao Sovereign would be pulverized without the slightest ability to fight back if struck by this force. The power he wielded now was simply no longer on the level of a Martial Dao Sovereign.
*Crack!*
Suddenly, a crisp snap seemed to ring out inside him. It was not the cracking of bones, but the sound of his surging power from the fused avatars shattering an invisible barrier. This breakthrough brought an intuitive flash of insight from the unseen depths of his mind.
He had faintly broken through a boundary—the boundary separating a Martial Dao Sovereign from the Ancestor Realm.
In the past, Lu Changsheng had seen that boundary only hazily, unable to perceive it clearly through the dense fog that seemed to shroud it. Now, with nearly three hundred avatars fused, the surging power took its natural course, effortlessly shattering that boundary.
"The Ancestor Realm... is this the power of the Ancestor Realm?"
Lu Changsheng murmured softly.
The past confusion, the past doubts, the past powerlessness—all of it vanished in this instant, replaced by earth-shattering power.
*Rumble!*
The moment Lu Changsheng rose to his feet, the sky underwent a dramatic change. Faint rumbles of thunder boomed as terrifying forces gathered above his head. At the same time, an appalling repulsive force washed over Lu Changsheng's body.
In that vague glimpse, Lu Changsheng seemed to perceive invisible chains spread across the entire Kunwu World like an immense net.
Yet Lu Changsheng knew they were not chains at all. They were... an array formation! An unprecedented grand formation that surpassed the imagination of the Ancestor Realm!
"A grand formation?"
"Whose monumental handiwork could take the entire Kunwu World as the formation's foundation to lay down such a grand array?"
"It permeates every facet of existence, thoroughly sealing off the Kunwu World and turning it into an entirely separate, uniquely peculiar realm within the Boundary Sea."
"It even wields terrifying power that leaves even the Ancestor Realm helpless..."
In this moment, Lu Changsheng felt as though he had glimpsed the Kunwu World's greatest secret—or perhaps its very nature.
Simultaneously, the terrifying repulsive force threatened to squeeze him out of the Kunwu World entirely.
"Disperse."
Deciding decisively, Lu Changsheng immediately dispersed the avatars, releasing the fusion. Sure enough, as the avatars separated, he felt the surrounding repulsive force gradually recede.
This gave Lu Changsheng a much deeper impression and understanding of the Kunwu World's repulsive force.
"My avatars can fuse, and their power can exceed a Martial Dao Sovereign to rival the Ancestor Realm! However, this terrifying power cannot be sustained; it can only last for a very brief moment."
"The longer it persists, the more likely I am to be expelled from the Kunwu World."
"Previously, when I fused forty-two avatars to reach the Martial Dao Sovereign level, I could hold it for roughly ten breaths."
"Now, when over two hundred—nearly three hundred—avatars fuse, breaking the shackles to reach the power of the Ancestor Realm, the Kunwu World's repulsive force will likely grant me only a single breath."
"Within that one breath, I must disperse the avatars. Otherwise, I will inevitably be squeezed out of the Kunwu World by the repulsive force."
Lu Changsheng murmured to himself.
Power at the level of a Martial Dao Sovereign could be maintained for ten breaths, but power at the Ancestor Realm could last for only one. Forcing the power to continue would only result in complete expulsion.
Even so, Lu Changsheng was not truly afraid of being forced out. As long as his true body had not broken through to the Martial Dao Sovereign level, he could return to the Kunwu World even if he were expelled. It would simply require paying a steep price. Of course, that price was painful even for an Ancestor Realm expert and was clearly not easy to assemble, so avoiding expulsion was best unless left with no alternative.
Moreover, Lu Changsheng knew what he was doing. Under normal circumstances, fusing dozens of avatars to reach the Martial Dao Sovereign level was more than enough to resolve any problem. Ten breaths of Martial Dao Sovereign power could settle the vast majority of troubles. Only if he truly ran into a national divine item would he unleash his full strength, fuse hundreds of avatars, and gain that single breath of Ancestor Realm power.
In truth, a single breath was sufficient for an Ancestor Realm combatant. A clash could be decided in even less time.
"Avatar fusion unleashing Ancestor Realm power—this is my true trump card!"
Lu Changsheng had been in the Kunwu World for over two years and had gained a great deal. Now, he had obtained a definitive trump card capable of deciding any crisis, trouble, or upheaval in the Kunwu World.
However, this trump card could not be used lightly. Once unleashed, victory or defeat—even life or death—would be decided immediately.
With a clear understanding of his own strength, Lu Changsheng knew he could essentially walk unhindered through the Kunwu World under normal circumstances. Even if he encountered a national divine item, going all-out for a single breath would let him clash head-on with it before escaping directly. Of course, he would avoid clashing head-on with a national divine item unless absolutely necessary. What if the item proved even stronger? What if he failed to escape? The loss would outweigh the gain. If he were expelled from the Kunwu World, returning would cost a heavy price.
Lu Changsheng flipped his hand, and a massive fragment appeared before him—a Mortal Immortal tombstone fragment.
"One, two, three, four, five!"
"Five Mortal Immortal tombstone fragments in total. Out of nine, I hold more than half."
"There are inscriptions on the fragments. Previously they were incomplete, but now complete characters have formed."
"However, this is immortal script. I couldn't find any trace of immortal script even within the imperial collection..."
Lu Changsheng frowned.
Without finding the immortal script, he could not decipher the characters on the tombstone fragments. He could sense that these characters were of vital importance, perhaps containing concrete clues regarding the Mortal Immortal.
"The script..."
"The Great Qian Divine Dynasty is situated in the southwest of the Kunwu World, an empire that rose within the last millennium. In civil and martial governance, its martial might reigns supreme while its cultural accomplishments are mediocre."
"I've heard that to the east of Great Qian lies the Wenhua Divine Dynasty, renowned for its brilliant culture and known as the land of a hundred sages."
"In the Wenhua Divine Dynasty, a 'sage' refers to one whose literary and scholarly path rivals the ancient sages. A single divine dynasty is fortunate to produce one sage, yet at its peak, Wenhua possessed over a hundred! That speaks volumes of its flourishing culture."
"Perhaps someone in the Wenhua Divine Dynasty can recognize the immortal script on these tombstone fragments. Even a faint clue would suffice."
Having spent over two years in the Kunwu World, Lu Changsheng understood a great deal about it. There was far more than just the Great Qian Divine Dynasty; many other divine dynasties existed. He had simply happened to arrive within Great Qian's borders.
Now that he had swept clean the Great Qian imperial clan's foundation, there was no point in remaining there. Staying would only invite an ongoing pursuit under their arrest warrant. It made far more sense to head to the Wenhua Divine Dynasty in search of clues about the tombstone fragments. After all, the Wenhua Divine Dynasty was the central heartland of the Kunwu World, a land steeped in history and brilliant culture. Going there would likely yield more clues regarding the immortal body than Great Qian ever could.
With that, Lu Changsheng had his avatar alter his appearance slightly before departing the cavern, setting off directly toward the Wenhua Divine Dynasty.
Along the way, Lu Changsheng encountered various minor twists and turns, but none posed a serious problem. With his current strength, anything short of a national divine item was a trivial matter.
He did not fly ostentatiously, choosing instead to travel like an ordinary person. Though slower, it drew far less attention.
Three months later, Lu Changsheng finally crossed the border of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty and stepped into the Wenhua Divine Dynasty.
The moment he entered, Lu Changsheng immediately sensed the difference. The people here were humble and courteous, their moral values ingrained to the bone. Even if wicked individuals existed, the general atmosphere was remarkably honest, upright, and polite. It was truly worthy of being the Wenhua Divine Dynasty, the former land of a hundred sages.
Temples were visible everywhere, yet the figures enshrined within were not formidable beings from myth and legend, but ancient sages. Countless sages throughout history were worshiped in these temples, their incense burning perpetually.
Lu Changsheng introduced himself as a traveling scholar, a cover that raised no suspicions whatsoever. In the Wenhua Divine Dynasty, many scholars traveled far and wide in their youth to study and seek masters, broadening their horizons and knowledge. His avatar appeared young, looking no different from any other youthful scholar.
He first arrived at Shengzhou City. It was said that this city had been built long ago to commemorate an ancient sage surnamed Zhou, giving it an exceptionally ancient history.
Seeking clues about the immortal script, Lu Changsheng made inquiries and learned that the most knowledgeable individuals resided within the academies. They were said to house the most erudite scholars and the most comprehensive collections of books.
Shengzhou City possessed its own academy, so Lu Changsheng entered it under the pretext of an academic visit.
The academy was not heavily guarded. Under normal circumstances, no one came to cause trouble in such a place. Even otherworldly godly beings, who caused chaos elsewhere, left the academies alone. The reason was simple: they sought divine items or other treasures, whereas the academy contained nothing but books. Going there was utterly pointless.
Lu Changsheng arrived at the academy's library. Though security was lax, someone still guarded the collection.
"I am a traveling scholar. Might I enter the academy library to read?" Lu Changsheng asked the elderly man guarding the entrance.
With a single glance, Lu Changsheng could tell this elder was extraordinary—likely an expert who had forged the foundation of a spirit body. To have such a person assigned to guard the library showed that the academy took its collection very seriously.
"A scholar? Do you possess credentials from another academy?"
Lu Changsheng shook his head, explaining that he was not an enrolled student of any academy.
The elder spoke plainly. "If you are not a student of another academy and hold no letter of recommendation from an esteemed scholar, you may not enter the library. Unless..."
"Unless what?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Unless you pay!"
Lu Changsheng let out a quiet breath of relief. If it was just money, that was simple. Though he had little need for worldly wealth, he still possessed some, and acquiring silver was effortless for someone of his abilities.
Thus, Lu Changsheng paid two taels of silver and entered the library.
The collection inside was vast. In sheer volume, this single academy's library seemed on par with the imperial collection of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty. Of course, many imperial books were rare editions and unique copies, far exceeding the value of the academy's texts.
Lu Changsheng began his search, adopting the straightforward method of leafing through every volume. His pace was swift since his consciousness could sweep across the pages, but he could not scan every book simultaneously; he still had to check them one by one, which naturally slowed things down.
Four hours later, Lu Changsheng had swept through nearly the entire collection.
Nothing!
The library contained not a single clue regarding the immortal script, nor had he found any characters resembling it in the ancient records.
"Nothing to be found?" Lu Changsheng frowned.
Shengzhou City was not particularly large, but the academy's collection was comprehensive enough. If he could find no trace of the immortal script here, searching elsewhere seemed just as unpromising.
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng noticed a young man dressed in a long robe that had been washed until it was pale white. He held a peculiar book, seemingly comparing it against something.
Lu Changsheng swept his consciousness over the text. To his surprise, he found that the ancient book in the young man's hands was filled with all sorts of archaic scripts. This youth was actually researching ancient scripts—or rather, attempting to translate them.
A spark of inspiration struck Lu Changsheng. Perhaps the immortal script was simply a very ancient writing system, so old that few people today knew of it.
Observing the youth closely, Lu Changsheng saw how utterly engrossed he was, translating character after character. Whenever he deciphered one, genuine joy overtook him; he would dance and gesticulate wildly, looking like a madman. Yet the more he acted this way, the more Lu Changsheng felt this youth was worth trying for deciphering the immortal script.
Lu Changsheng walked over.
"Brother, are you studying ancient scripts?" he asked directly.
The young man raised his head, a flicker of fluster in his eyes. Standing up to return the greeting, he replied with a slight stammer, "There's... there's no need for formalities, brother. I'm just interested in ancient scripts, doing some careless research, that's all."
Lu Changsheng feigned sudden realization. "So you are a scholar of such profound learning! I am honored to make your acquaintance."
Faced with such politeness, the socially awkward youth flushed slightly, stammering, "N-no need for such courtesy. It's just casual tinkering, nothing that amounts to real scholarship."
Lu Changsheng did not mind in the least. He took out a sheet of paper bearing a rubbing of a single, complete immortal character from the Mortal Immortal tombstone and presented it to the young man. "I have an ancient character here that I have studied for a long time without making any headway. Might I ask if you recognize it?"
The youth looked at the immortal character. Though initially somewhat restrained, the sight of an ancient character instantly absorbed him completely.
"This character... I don't recognize it."
The young man shook his head.
Lu Changsheng felt a pang of disappointment. As expected, he did not know it. Since it was an immortal script, it was only natural not to recognize it; Lu Changsheng had not truly expected a random encounter to yield someone who did.
"Yet it feels familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere..." the youth murmured softly, trying hard to recall.
"Oh? You've seen it before?"
Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up, his gaze locking onto the young man.
What kind of being was Lu Changsheng? Even as an avatar, he had forged the foundation of a divine body. The involuntary release of a sliver of his aura made the youth tremble all over, overcome by a dread that welled from the depths of his soul, like an ordinary person facing a ferocious beast.
Noticing the reaction, Lu Changsheng immediately reined in his presence. Yet the youth remained fearful, glancing timidly at Lu Changsheng before lowering his head. "I only find it familiar, as though I've seen it somewhere, but I can't recall where for the moment. I might need to return home and search for clues before I can make sense of it."
Lu Changsheng knew he had frightened the young man just now. Smiling, he said, "No need to be nervous. Might I trouble you and pay a visit to your residence?"
"This... if Brother Lu doesn't mind my humble home, you are of course welcome to visit."
With that, the young man stood, returned his book to the shelf, and led Lu Changsheng out of the academy.
Along the way, Lu Changsheng noticed many academy students greeting the youth—or more accurately, teasing and ridiculing him. It seemed this young man was far from unknown in the academy; he was actually quite famous.
"Well, well, isn't that Zhao Shuwen? I heard he argued with the Master and went home to study his ancient scripts all on his own!"
"Zhao Shuwen once aspired to become a sage, only to end up obsessing over ancient characters, claiming he'd translate every script under heaven to uncover the wisdom of ancient sages!"
"What a pity he's nothing more than a bookworm. He's researched for so many years without accomplishing a thing..."
Many students shook their heads in disdain.
Lu Changsheng finally learned that the young man was named Zhao Shuwen and appeared to be an academy student himself. That made sense; gaining access to the library without student status was no easy task. As for paying? Looking at Zhao Shuwen's appearance, where would he have found the money?
Still, Lu Changsheng had not expected Zhao Shuwen to be so well-known in the academy. Aspiring to become a sage?
Facing the taunts and mockery of his peers, Zhao Shuwen said nothing. Clutching a tattered ancient book tightly against his chest, he kept his head bowed and hurried out of the academy as if fleeing.
Chapter 336