The Road to Ascending Heaven Emerges!

Inside the room, Wang Jiuzhen produced a book. It contained various emblems and patterns. One of the patterns was unmistakably the one on the sword's hilt. There was also an explanation in the book. The pattern represented a maker's mark. Specifically, it was the personal insignia of the one who forged the treasured sword—a master swordsmith's mark. However, who this swordsmith was remained unknown. This plunged Lu Changsheng into deep thought. Wang Jiuzhen believed the pattern on the sword was the hallmark of a swordsmith. In reality, though, this identical insignia was also carved upon the Mortal Immortal tombstone fragments. Clearly, the person behind this emblem was more than a mere maker of swords. Or perhaps there was another title for them: an artifact refiner! Whether it was a treasured sword or a tombstone, both were treasures in their own right. Only an artifact refiner would possess such broad expertise, capable of casting both divine blades and tombstones. Although Lu Changsheng still did not know who this artifact refiner was, it was undeniably a crucial clue. As long as he identified the artisan, he might very well locate the remaining tombstone fragments. Even if he could not find them directly, he would at least have a lead to investigate. "As for the origin of this sword... there is no harm in telling you. A past friend of mine bought it at great expense and later gifted it to me." "Though I investigated it afterward, it was indeed purchased fair and square. The merchant who sold the blade died long ago, so that trail went cold." Wang Jiuzhen spoke with utter sincerity, and Lu Changsheng naturally believed him. After all, there was no reason for Wang Jiuzhen to deceive him. "By the way, the provincial capital also houses an academy with tens of thousands of volumes in its collection. If you can gain access to those archives, you might be able to uncover the master of that emblem," Wang Jiuzhen suggested. Lu Changsheng nodded. The Wenhua Divine Dynasty might lack many things, but books were not among them. In this regard, it stood proud above all other divine dynasties. However, entering the provincial academy was no easy feat, let alone gaining permission to peruse its private collection. *Right now, the prefect needs a divine body expert like me to deal with the otherworldly godly being.* *He needs my help. If I approach him now with a simple request to read some archive books in the academy, it shouldn't be a problem.* *If I wait until after the otherworldly godly being is dealt with to ask for a favor, it will likely be much harder...* Lu Changsheng was about to take his leave. Yet when he caught Wang Jiuzhen's gaze, he remembered that the swordsman had a favor to ask as well. "Daoist Wang, who is the person you want me to find?" Lu Changsheng asked. "He calls himself Venerable Nine Eyes, though whether that is his true name, I cannot say." "Here is his portrait." "If you encounter him, please kill him. If you cannot slay him yourself, please send word to me. I would be forever in your debt!" When Wang Jiuzhen mentioned "Venerable Nine Eyes," a chilling murderous intent radiated from him that he could not conceal. Evidently, he hated Venerable Nine Eyes to the marrow of his bones. Lu Changsheng did not know what the man had done to warrant such venomous hatred, but he committed the face to memory. With his photographic memory, having seen the portrait once, he would recognize the man the instant they crossed paths. "Rest assured, Daoist Wang. If I spot him, I will certainly notify you." With that, Lu Changsheng took his leave. To Wang Jiuzhen, Lu Changsheng was merely an extra piece on the board. He had lost nothing in the exchange regardless. A lead concerning a sword's pattern was hardly an earth-shattering secret. Lu Changsheng went straight to see the prefect. Soon enough, he was granted an audience. At present, the prefect truly needed divine body experts like Lu Changsheng, so he was inclined to grant almost any reasonable request. "You wish to go to the academy's archives to browse the collection?" the prefect asked, somewhat surprised. He asked for no treasures, no silver, and no divine items—only access to an archive. Of course, had Lu Changsheng asked for rare treasures or divine items, the prefect would not have given them anyway. Yet if it was merely the academy's archives, that was of no great consequence. "Granted." The prefect nodded. "Thank you, Lord Prefect." Taking the prefect's token, Lu Changsheng turned and headed straight for the academy. The academy in the provincial capital occupied far more ground than the one in Shengzhou City. The number of scholars within was several times greater as well. Armed with the prefect's token, Lu Changsheng entered the academy's archives without the slightest hindrance. Inside, many scholars were quietly reading. Lu Changsheng focused his search on miscellaneous records and anecdotes. This would undoubtedly take time—perhaps a very long time—but he was in no rush. According to the prefect, it would still be a few days before they set out against the otherworldly godly being. One two-hour period passed, then two, then three... Lu Changsheng searched for hours without turning up a single clue. Yet on the second day of his search, a lead finally presented itself. He unearthed a volume of miscellaneous lore detailing eccentric figures and bizarre occurrences. Within its pages was an illustration featuring the very emblem from the Mortal Immortal tombstone—though here, it was carved into a throwing dagger. The passage beside it noted that the dagger had been forged by the Ouyang clan of Yunzhou. Lu Changsheng was overjoyed. At last, he had found it. *The Ouyang clan of Yunzhou...* If he could track down this clan, he might discover whether the Mortal Immortal tombstone had also been forged by them. If it had, the clan likely preserved records about it. When the time came, would he not obtain a lead on the exact location of the Mortal Immortal's resting place? Lu Changsheng wished he could fly to Yunzhou this very instant. However, he could not leave just yet. He still had to honor his commitment to deal with the otherworldly godly being entrenched in the prefectural city. Lu Changsheng returned to the prefectural office and waited for three more days. Finally, the prefect summoned all the divine body and spirit body experts. "The time has come. We set out at once!" "Our destination is Shannan Prefectural City. That otherworldly godly being is currently entrenched there. We must slay him without fail!" the prefect announced to the assembled masters. He was impatient to act. He had spent the past days gathering reinforcements, and only now had he assembled a sufficient force. With that, the group departed, led personally by the prefect. Everyone harbored a great deal of curiosity. Why on earth was that otherworldly godly being lingering in Shannan Prefectural City? It defied common sense. Were not all otherworldly godly beings deceitful and cunning? They never clashed head-on with a divine dynasty, for doing so brought them no advantage whatsoever. Remaining entrenched inside a prefectural city was practically courting death. Yet, having little understanding of these beings, the locals could not fathom their motives. The undeniable fact remained that the entity had refused to leave Shannan Prefectural City. The formidable company marched forth, taking a mere half-day to reach their destination. Yet the moment they arrived outside Shannan Prefectural City, everyone sensed that something was amiss. "Where is Shannan Prefectural City?" "Why is there only a sea of white mist?" "This is definitely where the city should be." "I've heard these otherworldly godly beings possess mystical methods. Perhaps an array has concealed the entire city." "What kind of array could conceal an entire prefectural city?" Many stood dumbfounded. Even the prefect was at a loss. The city had vanished entirely from sight. "It must be the otherworldly godly being hiding the city." "To conceal a whole city proves they intend to occupy it completely and carry out some nefarious plot." "Does anyone possess a method to break the array?" The prefect's gaze swept over the gathered experts. He had not assembled so many formidable figures only to be stymied by a mere array. "I can give it a try!" A middle-aged man stepped forward. The prefect nodded. The man drew a deep breath. Simultaneously, a powerful aura surged from his body—the unmistakable presence of a divine body! Between his brows, a vertical eye slowly parted! "Open!" As the vertical eye opened completely, a divine beam of light shot forth, blanketing the sky. A miraculous sight unfolded. Within the space illuminated by the divine light, the faint outline of a city gradually materialized. It was indeed Shannan Prefectural City! "It appeared! It really is Shannan Prefectural City." "Who is this man? To possess such a remarkable ability!" "I hear his name is Zhou Hong. He refined a very peculiar divine item and forged a unique divine body known as the Delusion-Breaking Divine Body. It comes with a Delusion-Breaking Divine Eye that pierces through all illusions and falsehoods—even arrays cannot withstand it." "Truly miraculous. Such an eye truly lives up to the name 'Delusion-Breaking'!" Whispers of admiration rippled through the crowd as they marveled at Zhou Hong's technique. To unravel an array in such fashion was no ordinary feat. Even Lu Changsheng possessed no such method. One could only remark on how extraordinary divine items truly were. "Wait... Shannan Prefectural City has appeared, but why isn't there a single soul inside?" "It's completely lifeless. Not a trace of vitality can be sensed." "Could it be that everyone inside has already been..." A collective chill gripped their hearts. Shannan Prefectural City was home to a hundred thousand people. And now, not a sound emerged from a hundred thousand souls? There was only one explanation... "They deserve to die!" "Slay these otherworldly demons!" "Charge in and slaughter them!" Fury erupted among the crowd, many now referring to the invaders as demons, a testament to their burning rage. Lu Changsheng also felt a faint stir of anger within his heart. These otherworldly godly beings were all Limit Realm experts from the Boundary Sea. The myriad races of the Boundary Sea numbered beyond count, and many of these mighty figures held human life in utter contempt; wanton slaughter was second nature to them. "Kill!" Unable to hold back any longer, several figures charged toward Shannan Prefectural City. Regardless of their private motives, they were all subjects of the Wenhua Divine Dynasty. How could they bear to witness such wholesale slaughter by otherworldly beings? One after another, they plunged into the city. Although Lu Changsheng preferred to keep a low profile, with the majority having already charged inside, he could hardly remain idle. He followed in their wake, stepping into Shannan Prefectural City. Yet the moment his foot crossed the threshold, he immediately sensed something wrong. *Wait, this isn't Shannan Prefectural City...* Detecting that something was off, Lu Changsheng moved to retreat and pull away. Unfortunately, it was already too late. *Boom.* His surroundings warped and shifted violently. He looked up. Pitch-black darkness enveloped him. Clearly, he was no longer in Shannan Prefectural City. Or had the city been a trap from the very beginning? *No, I'm still in Shannan Prefectural City.* Lu Changsheng could even "see" the city outside, completely desolate. Yet he himself was not in the city proper. Rather, he stood on an utterly pitch-black... path? Yes, a path! The instant he stepped onto this dark path, Lu Changsheng felt a terrifying suppressive force bearing down upon him. It seemed intent on suppressing all the power in his body. Lu Changsheng attempted to step off the path and return to the city. Yet as he tried to cross its boundary, ripples spread across his surroundings like water. The outside city twisted rapidly before his eyes, only for Lu Changsheng to find himself right back where he started. "I can't get out..." he muttered under his breath. He had just tested it; leaving was truly impossible. He even channeled the power of several avatars together, but he still could not break free. This was not an invisible barrier. It was as if he had stepped into another realm altogether, an isolated pocket of space. As for the people who had rushed in before him, they had vanished without a trace. On the entire dark path, Lu Changsheng was left completely alone. He began walking forward. "Aaargh..." A cry echoed in the distance. Lu Changsheng bolted forward at full speed. Yet when he arrived, he found only corpses strewn across the ground. They were the divine body and spirit body experts recruited by the prefect. Now, they lay pooled in blood, devoid of any breath of life. They were all dead! *Otherworldly godly beings!* *This is either an array or a treasure.* *Yet neither an array nor a treasure of this caliber should be unbreakable even for a Martial Dao Sovereign.* *Does such a treasure truly exist in the Boundary Sea?* Lu Changsheng's face darkened. He still held trump cards. If he fused all his avatars, he could unleash the power of the Ancestor Realm for a single breath's time. Whether that could shatter this dark path, however, he did not know. Perhaps it was worth a try. Suddenly, shrill laughter rang out along the dark path. "Just a bunch of natives. Dead is dead!" "They didn't even bring a national divine item. It seems they truly underestimated us." "Hahaha! How could you ever imagine that this is the Road to Ascending Heaven? The very road our Boundary Sea Ancestors dream of setting foot upon!" "Hahaha! The Road to Ascending Heaven is right here! What a pity, what a pity... it is a dead end! A path of certain death!" Several voices reached Lu Changsheng's ears. Clearly, there was more than one otherworldly godly being. Yet their voices sounded utterly deranged. Had they truly lost their minds? Why would Limit Realm experts from the Boundary Sea, who had secretly infiltrated the Kunwu World in search of fortune, go mad? Meanwhile, a shock ran through Lu Changsheng's mind. At this moment, only a single name echoed in his thoughts: The Road to Ascending Heaven! This pitch-black road that even he could not break—could it truly be the Road to Ascending Heaven he had sought so desperately? It was simply incredible! Yet what if it were true? The Road to Ascending Heaven! Rumor had it that the Boundary Sea once possessed such a road. If one at the peak of the Ancestor Realm could break through their limits, they could follow the Road to Ascending Heaven into the Heaven Realm, pursuing higher cultivation realms and endless longevity. Yet at some unknown point in time, the road in the Boundary Sea vanished. Countless Ancestors had been stripped of their hope. Only the Kunwu World was said to hold its secret, which was why countless Ancestors fought tooth and nail over it. It was the supreme opportunity for the Ancestor Realm! To think Lu Changsheng had stumbled upon it here! He was standing right upon the Road to Ascending Heaven. He stared ahead into the pitch-black road. If one kept walking to the other end, could they truly ascend to the Heaven Realm? *No!* *Those otherworldly godly beings sounded completely mad, raving that this is a dead end, a path of death.* *Could it be that they didn't entrench themselves in Shannan Prefectural City on purpose, but were... trapped on the Road to Ascending Heaven?* A bold thought surfaced in Lu Changsheng's mind. It was daring, even crazy. Yet it was the most reasonable explanation. "You otherworldly fiends, die!" While Lu Changsheng was pondering, another voice drifted from ahead. It sounded like one of the divine body experts. Along with the shout came the surging power of a divine body, which quickly subsided into nothingness. *Someone's fighting?* Lu Changsheng's mind stirred. Regardless of whether this was truly the Road to Ascending Heaven, finding those otherworldly beings would reveal everything. *Whoosh.* The next instant, Lu Changsheng moved at top speed, switching his avatar to the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body. Turning into a streak of rainbow light, he shot deep into the Road to Ascending Heaven. His speed was astonishing. Yet when he reached the scene, the otherworldly beings were already gone. Only three corpses remained. Three corpses of divine body experts, each killed in a single blow. The disparity in power must have been overwhelming. *Divine body experts aren't easy to kill, certainly not this quickly.* *Unless...* A possibility crossed his mind. The Sovereign Realm! Unless those otherworldly beings were not at the Limit Realm, but the Sovereign Realm. Yet would not Sovereign Realm experts be repelled upon entering the Kunwu World? Sovereign Realm cultivators could not enter, and even breaking through to the Sovereign Realm while inside would trigger that expulsion. *Wait... if they use a method similar to mine, briefly unleashing Sovereign Realm power and then dispersing it, would they avoid being repelled?* *If so, their strikes must be lightning-fast, and the clash must conclude in an instant. That would explain why the battle ended so quickly...* The more Lu Changsheng thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He would never underestimate his adversaries, especially given the myriad races of the Boundary Sea. With so many experts, legacies, and treasures among them, if he could use flesh avatars to briefly unleash Sovereign or Ancestor power, could the myriad races really lack similar methods? Lu Changsheng did not believe he was the only one capable of such feats. *The Road to Ascending Heaven...* *Let me see where it truly leads.* Lu Changsheng no longer cared about those Limit Realm experts from the Boundary Sea. He could do little about their slaughter of local divine body and spirit body experts anyway. However, if they dared make a move against him, he would show no mercy. The greatest secrets of the Kunwu World were divine items and the Road to Ascending Heaven. Now that he had crossed paths with the road itself, how could he pass it by? Ignoring the invaders for now, Lu Changsheng transformed into a rainbow streak and flew as fast as possible toward the depths of the road. It was remarkably deep. Lu Changsheng did not know how long he had been flying, yet there seemed to be no end in sight. Instead, he saw many corpses along the way. These corpses were rather peculiar. Some were clearly recent kills, while others were mere skeletons that appeared to have died long ago. *People died on the Road to Ascending Heaven in the past?* *And quite a few of them, too.* Lu Changsheng fell into thought. Perhaps many had battled along this road in ages past. *Swish.* Suddenly, Lu Changsheng caught a familiar aura. *This is... sword qi!* *Wang Jiuzhen?* Lu Changsheng's expression shifted slightly. He had actually sensed Wang Jiuzhen's presence. Accelerating once more, he flew toward the source of the sword qi. Soon, Lu Changsheng found the spot. However, there was no body—only a sword. And it was snapped in two. *The sword lives with the man; the sword breaks with his death...* Lu Changsheng knew what a weapon meant to a swordsman. For the blade to be broken left only one possibility: Wang Jiuzhen was dead! Yet with Wang Jiuzhen's strength, could he truly have died here? Even a top-tier Limit Realm expert could not have killed him so easily. Perhaps his earlier suspicion was correct. The invaders on this road were not Limit Realm cultivators at all, but Sovereigns! "Oh?" "What speed! Probably another special divine body." "With speed like that, if you were outside and bent on fleeing, we might not have caught you. Too bad for you, there is only death on the Road to Ascending Heaven." "It seems you knew that swordsman? He was quite strong, even managing to wound me. A pity he still died without even a corpse left behind." Three figures appeared before Lu Changsheng. Yes, three figures. Not one, but three! The auras they radiated were merely at the Limit Realm. Yet Limit Realm cultivators—even three working together—could never have slain Wang Jiuzhen virtually unscathed. Lu Changsheng had known Wang Jiuzhen for only a short time, but they had gotten along well. To think he had died just like this, swallowed by this dark road in such a wretched manner. Lu Changsheng slowly rose to his feet. Staring at the three Limit Realm experts, he asked in a calm, measured voice, "This is the Road to Ascending Heaven? Aren't you otherworldly godly beings constantly searching for it?" "Let me guess. Your entrenchment in Shannan Prefectural City wasn't by choice." "The real reason is that you can't get out..." His words caused their expressions to change. "Heh, a clever one, aren't you?" "A native who knows so much... have you encountered Limit Realm cultivators before?" "Most likely. Still, you guessed right. This is the Road to Ascending Heaven, and we truly cannot leave. Hahaha! You fools actually came to throw your lives away! Anyone who steps onto this road must die!" The three threw their heads back in laughter, their behavior bordering on sheer madness. Their mania seemed almost pathological, teetering on the edge of complete insanity. Lu Changsheng watched them with cold eyes. Meanwhile, the aura around him began to climb. One avatar, two avatars, three avatars... As his divine body avatars fused, the trio finally realized something was amiss. Why was his aura continuing to soar? "You..." Shock filled their eyes. The next moment, all three made their decision. *Whoosh.* They fled. Without even attempting to strike, they turned tail and ran. Where was the pride of top-tier Limit Realm experts? Where was the majesty of pinnacle powerhouses? Hadn't they slaughtered other divine body cultivators with such decisive speed? Yet facing Lu Changsheng, they did not even dare exchange a blow before fleeing. Though Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised, now that they had delivered themselves to his doorstep, how could he let them go? "Fuse!" In the next instant, Lu Changsheng merged a vast number of avatars. His divine body power expanded exponentially, anchored by the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body. With that divine body at the core, the fused avatars sent his speed skyrocketing once more, shattering the boundary between the Limit Realm and the Sovereign Realm. In a flash, he crossed into the Sovereign Realm, his power continuing to surge upward until it reached the peak of the Sovereign Realm! *The repulsive force!* *As expected, even on the Road to Ascending Heaven, one is still subject to the world's rejection.* *I can only maintain the power of a Martial Dao Sovereign for ten breaths of time.* *Still, ten breaths are more than enough!* Lu Changsheng's gaze was ice-cold as he watched the three fleeing figures ahead. He had only ten breaths. Yet with the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body, ten breaths were enough to kill them countless times over. *Boom.* Lu Changsheng moved. At the level of a Martial Dao Sovereign, how terrifying was the speed of the Rainbow Transformation Divine Body? In the blink of an eye, he had already overtaken the trio. Holding nothing back, he reached out with a colossal palm toward them. The hand seemed to blot out the sky, instantly enveloping all three. "No..." As the palm descended upon them, sheer terror twisted their faces. Though they erupted with their own formidable power in desperation, it was not enough! Not nearly enough! How could that meager strength break free from Lu Changsheng's pinnacle Sovereign Realm might? As if plucking three ants from the ground, Lu Changsheng seized them in his grasp and instantly sealed them with overwhelming force. *Thud.* He hurled them to the ground. "Disperse." The next instant, the Sovereign Realm power within his body drained away. From start to finish, he had used a mere three breaths. Had he not intended to capture them alive, it would not have taken even three breaths; two would have sufficed. In fact, a single breath would have been enough to grind them into dust. However, Lu Changsheng still had questions for them. Furthermore, he sensed that something was wrong—terribly wrong. "Who... who on earth are you?" "A native couldn't possibly possess such terrifying power!" "Who are you really?" The three stared at Lu Changsheng in horror. A native this strong? This was Sovereign Realm power! If a native could be this formidable without even using a national divine item, wouldn't the Boundary Sea cultivators in the Kunwu World have been wiped out long ago? They began to suspect that the man before them was no native at all, but a disguised expert from the Boundary Sea! Lu Changsheng neither confirmed nor denied their words. Frowning, he demanded in a cold, deliberate tone, "You three are far too weak to have killed Wang Jiuzhen in such a short time." "Speak. What really happened here?" What tipped Lu Changsheng off was Wang Jiuzhen's own prowess. With his caliber of strength, how could he possibly have been slain by these three, let alone left without a corpse? It was entirely impossible. These three had some skill, to be sure, but nowhere near enough to slay Wang Jiuzhen in a matter of breaths. There had to be something else at play. "You noticed as well?" "We couldn't have killed that swordsman. Just like you, we are merely wretched wretches struggling along this Road to Ascending Heaven..." The three exchanged glances, speaking with bitter, self-mocking irony.