The Physical Body Finally Breaks Through: Nonary Growth!

"What?" Ancestor Luosheng could scarcely believe his eyes. What was he seeing? The Slaughter Dao! His Slaughter Dao—Lu Changsheng was displaying it right before him. And it was in no way inferior to his own. No, it was far more than merely being not inferior. Lu Changsheng's Slaughter Dao exerted a palpable, suffocating threat over Ancestor Luosheng. Yet Ancestor Luosheng's Slaughter Dao posed no threat to Lu Changsheng whatsoever. How could this be? Ancestor Luosheng could not fathom it no matter how hard he racked his brain. In truth, the reason was simple: Lu Changsheng had analyzed Ancestor Luosheng's Slaughter Dao. Once analyzed by Lu Changsheng, it could be mastered completely. And it went beyond mere complete mastery. Once a power was analyzed, it could hardly harm Lu Changsheng ever again. This was the unique wonder of the Mortal Immortal Dao. Otherwise, the Mortal Immortal Dao would never have been hailed as possessing the foremost potential among the many Immortal Daos. It was miraculous indeed. Boom! Lu Changsheng's Slaughter Dao Third Turn violently collided with Ancestor Luosheng's Slaughter Dao Third Turn. Both were the Slaughter Dao Third Turn; theoretically, their power should have been comparable. In reality, however, they were worlds apart. Lu Changsheng unleashed the Slaughter Dao through his Myriad Spirits Immortal Body. Ancestor Luosheng's physical constitution could not hold a candle to the Myriad Spirits Immortal Body. Thus, when the two met head-on, Ancestor Luosheng's Slaughter Dao was instantly obliterated. Moreover, with unstoppable force, the might of the Slaughter Dao Third Turn crashed directly onto Ancestor Luosheng's body. Squelch! In an instant, Ancestor Luosheng's body shattered into pieces. The terrifying Slaughter Dao carried fearsome killing power and immense destructiveness. Although Ancestor Luosheng was a top-tier Ancestor, his offense was potent while his defense was frail. His weakness had always been his physical body! With Ancestor Luosheng's physical frame, he simply could not withstand the terrifying might of the Slaughter Dao Third Turn. Therefore, in just a single exchange, Ancestor Luosheng suffered irreversible, mortal trauma. "I... I lost?" "And I lost to my own Slaughter Dao Third Turn?" "B-but how is that possible?" Ancestor Luosheng struggled to lift his head, his gaze dazed in sheer disbelief. Yet everything before him was an undeniable fact. Ancestor Luosheng had suffered a crushing defeat, vanquished by his own Slaughter Dao. It was utterly unacceptable to him. Yet defeat was defeat. And this time, the price of defeat was steep. The price was his life! Ancestor Luosheng died. And he died beneath Lu Changsheng's Slaughter Dao. "The Slaughter Dao... not bad." Lu Changsheng was quite pleased with the might of the Slaughter Dao. Previously, his offensive technique had been limited to the Heaven-Overturning Palm. However, the Heaven-Overturning Palm was clearly inferior to the Slaughter Dao in destructive power. Even so, Lu Changsheng was well aware that his ability to kill Ancestor Luosheng was predicated on having completely analyzed his Slaughter Dao. If he had not possessed the underwater manor to suppress Ancestor Luosheng and lacked the time to analyze the Slaughter Dao, he would have had no way of slaying him. Of course, treasures were also part of one's strength. Lu Changsheng possessed the underwater manor. He could directly suppress a top-tier Ancestor. As for whether he could suppress a supreme Ancestor, Lu Changsheng did not know. Even if he suppressed one and analyzed their methods, that did not guarantee he could kill the opponent. Analysis was merely a means to an end. For instance, if he encountered the Giant Spirit race: Even if Lu Changsheng could analyze them, what purpose would it serve? That was pure, raw physical power. Even if Lu Changsheng analyzed it, he could not bestow that power onto his own frame. In the end, wouldn't it still come down to clashing head-on? It was only that Ancestor Luosheng's Slaughter Dao this time was akin to Lu Changsheng's Heaven-Overturning Palm—something Lu Changsheng could master after analyzing it and thereby use to slay Ancestor Luosheng. Truthfully, there was an element of good fortune involved. "I must still step onto the Physical Immortal Dao as soon as possible for my combat strength to undergo a qualitative leap..." Lu Changsheng remained exceptionally clear in his mind about what mattered most. The Physical Immortal Dao was now of paramount importance. Therefore, Lu Changsheng entered secluded cultivation right inside the underwater manor and began refining the fifteen drops of Gaia divine beast blood essence. He wanted to see whether fully refining them would allow his physical body to take another step forward. In particular, could his Flesh Martial Dao advance further? Time flew by, and three months passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Changsheng finally emerged from seclusion. "I've refined all fifteen drops of Gaia divine beast blood essence, yet my physical body still hasn't advanced to the next level." "Even so, my physical body has indeed strengthened. I feel that if I had two more kinds of blood essence comparable to the Gaia divine beast—at most three to five kinds—my physical body would definitely take that next step, transforming from the current octonary growth to nonary growth!" Lu Changsheng felt immense confidence. His Flesh Martial Dao could finally advance again. He could even see the path forward. Naturally, part of this was due to Lu Changsheng's deduction of the Giant Spirit bloodline. It had allowed him to subtly modify the Flesh Martial Dao. Only then did breaking through the bottleneck and reaching nonary growth become possible. However, even nonary growth was merely the Sovereign Realm. Reaching the Ancestor Realm, or directly setting foot onto the Physical Immortal Dao, remained exceedingly difficult. "Master, if you wish to walk the Physical Immortal Dao, you must seek out beings of powerful physique, obtain their blood essence, and analyze it." "In that case, Master can search for the Thunder Spirit clan. As I mentioned before, the Thunder Spirit clan possesses a lightning-attribute immortal spirit divine item. If you acquire that item, Master's immortal body will surely experience a substantial upgrade." "Furthermore, the Thunder Spirit clan's physical bodies are quite formidable themselves. Blood essence from an Ancestor of the Thunder Spirit clan should also be of great assistance to Master's cultivation of the Physical Immortal Dao," the ancient turtle suddenly spoke up. "Oh?" "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have nearly forgotten about the immortal spirit divine item." "The Thunder Spirit clan... Yet after so many years, I wonder if the Thunder Spirit clan still exists?" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. This was indeed a viable path. If the Thunder Spirit clan still existed, locating them would kill two birds with one stone. Yet after so many years, where could he find the Thunder Spirit clan? So Lu Changsheng summoned Ancestor Juding and the Three Great Martial Ancestors to inquire. "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, you wish to inquire about the Thunder Spirit clan?" The Three Great Martial Ancestors knew nothing at all. However, Ancestor Juding seemed to know something. "Indeed. Does Fellow Daoist Juding have any news regarding the Thunder Spirit clan?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Well... I actually know a little." "The Thunder Spirit clan has fallen on hard times." "I happen to have a Thunder Spirit friend whom I met back during the arena life-and-death battles." "His name is Lei Quan. Unlike me, however, he voluntarily entered the Zhou family's life-and-death arena battles to temper himself. He broke through to the Ancestor Realm a step ahead of me and subsequently departed the Zhou family, though he still resides in the City in the Sky," Ancestor Juding explained slowly. Lu Changsheng's eyes brightened. Ancestor Juding actually knew someone from the Thunder Spirit clan. Moreover, the Thunder Spirit clan had not gone extinct. They even had living Ancestors. To Lu Changsheng, this was the best possible news! "Good. Without further ado, let us set out for the City in the Sky at once!" Lu Changsheng did not want to delay. "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Juding for this journey." Lu Changsheng looked toward Ancestor Juding. Ancestor Juding nodded. "No trouble, it is a trifling matter. However, last time Ancestor Luosheng acted in person, and thanks to Fellow Daoist Dengtian, we narrowly escaped. If I return to the City in the Sky now, I fear I may be targeted once more..." Ancestor Juding was clearly worried. Last time it had been Ancestor Luosheng. What about next time? Yet Lu Changsheng remained completely unfazed. "Put your heart at ease, Fellow Daoist Juding. So long as it is not a supreme Ancestor, with Lu here, no one can touch you!" "Besides, even if a supreme Ancestor wished to breach my immortal treasure, it would hardly be an easy task," Lu Changsheng spoke with confidence. He had an immortal treasure; that was his greatest reliance. If not even a top-tier Ancestor backed by an immortal treasure dared to roam the Boundary Sea, who else could? Simply heading to the City in the Sky posed no great issue. Lu Changsheng naturally had the confidence to protect Ancestor Juding. "Very well! In that case, let us set out for the City in the Sky!" Ancestor Juding cast aside his misgivings. The City in the Sky remained as prosperous as ever. Lu Changsheng arrived at the City in the Sky once more. Along the journey, Lu Changsheng and his companion met no trouble. This time, only Ancestor Juding accompanied Lu Changsheng back to the City in the Sky. The two made straight for Lei Quan's residence. "Fellow Daoist Lei, Juding pays a visit." Ancestor Juding's voice carried into the compound. "Ah, so it is Ancestor Juding. Please enter." The courtyard gate swung open, and Lei Quan welcomed Ancestor Juding and Lu Changsheng inside. Lei Quan looked Ancestor Juding up and down, exclaiming with emotion, "Juding, to think you have also broken through to the Ancestor Realm. You've finally escaped the Zhou family's life-and-death arena—truly leaping the dragon gate and ascending to the heavens in a single bound." Indeed, for Ancestor Juding, this was ascending to the heavens in a single step. He no longer had to live each day in perpetual precarity. Fighting in the Zhou family's arena meant living on borrowed time day after day. No matter how many matches one won, losing even a single match meant certain death! Even now, Ancestor Juding loathed recalling those days. "Haha, but it pales in comparison to your perseverance, Fellow Daoist Lei. You voluntarily threw yourself into mortal combat and ultimately carved out your own destiny, becoming an Ancestor even earlier than I did," Ancestor Juding replied with a smile. "Even if one becomes an Ancestor, so what?" Lei Quan shook his head. Once, he too had been full of vigor and ambition. He had thrown himself into the arena to temper himself between life and death. In the end, his wishes had been granted, breaking through to the Ancestor Realm through those mortal trials. Alas, that was where it ended. Only after reaching the Ancestor Realm did one realize that advancing further beyond the Ancestor Realm was harder than ascending to heaven. Many spent their entire lives halted at the Ancestor Realm. Take Lei Quan: upon attaining the Ancestor Realm, he had surged straight into the high-rank Ancestor Realm. His strength was fairly decent. Yet when it came to climbing to the top-tier Ancestor Realm, even he felt despair. To say nothing of the legendary supreme Ancestor Realm. No matter how brilliantly talented a genius was, upon reaching the Ancestor Realm, their progress would slow to a crawl, or even grind to a complete halt. Seeing Lei Quan in low spirits, Ancestor Juding did not pursue the topic further. Instead, he made the introductions: "Fellow Daoist Lei, this is Ancestor Dengtian of the Immortal Martial Palace, a top-tier Ancestor!" "Oh? Greetings, Fellow Daoist Dengtian." Lei Quan's eyes lit up. A top-tier Ancestor! Even in the City in the Sky, such a being was undeniably among the foremost powerhouses. This time, Ancestor Juding coming with Lu Changsheng certainly was not just to reminisce. "Fellow Daoist Juding, I doubt you came to visit me merely to catch up on old times, did you?" "Speak your mind—what brings you here?" Lei Quan asked bluntly. "Well... truth be told, it is Fellow Daoist Dengtian who wishes to speak with you." "It would be best for Fellow Daoist Dengtian to explain." Lei Quan turned his gaze toward Lu Changsheng. This "Ancestor Dengtian" of the Immortal Martial Palace was a top-tier Ancestor, but Lei Quan remembered having no prior dealings with him. What did Lu Changsheng seek him for? Lu Changsheng gave a slight smile. "I heard that Fellow Daoist Lei hails from the Thunder Spirit clan?" "Indeed, I do come from the Thunder Spirit clan. Is there a problem?" "Lu has come to seek Fellow Daoist Lei for two matters, which can be viewed as transactions. First, I hope Fellow Daoist Lei will not be stingy in granting Lu some blood essence. Lu would be deeply grateful and will naturally exchange treasures for it." "Second, Lu happened to hear that the Thunder Spirit clan possesses a lightning-attribute immortal spirit divine item, which the Thunder Spirit clan has been unable to refine. Lu desires this divine item. Please name your terms, Fellow Daoist Lei, and Lu will do his utmost to satisfy them." Lu Changsheng did not beat around the bush and directly stated his two objectives. "What?" Lei Quan's expression changed drastically in an instant. "An immortal spirit divine item?" "Where did you hear such news?" Lei Quan stared fixedly at Lu Changsheng. This news was far too shocking and could under no circumstances be leaked. Otherwise, the Thunder Spirit clan would be in grave peril! After all, the current Thunder Spirit clan was hardly formidable. Though they still possessed Ancestors, they did not have a single top-tier Ancestor. In the Boundary Sea, they barely managed to hold their ground. They were not even on par with the prior Immortal Martial Palace. At least the Immortal Martial Palace had the renowned Three Great Martial Ancestors. The high-rank Martial Ancestor of the Thunder Spirit clan possessed nowhere near that level of fame. "Oh?" "So the Thunder Spirit clan truly does possess an immortal spirit divine item?" Lu Changsheng's eyes sparkled. Though he trusted the ancient turtle, so many years had passed that Lu Changsheng had not known whether the Thunder Spirit clan's divine item was still around. Anything could have happened. Judging by this reaction, however, the immortal spirit divine item genuinely did exist. "No, our Thunder Spirit clan possesses no immortal spirit divine item. I believe you have misremembered." Suddenly, Lei Quan calmed down and flatly denied it. Lu Changsheng was not surprised. It was only natural for the Thunder Spirit clan to deny it; it would be strange if they had not. After all, the Thunder Spirit clan was currently not strong. Once news of an immortal spirit divine item leaked out, it would spell utter catastrophe for them. Lu Changsheng did not argue either. Instead, he spoke calmly: "Back then, an Immortal Realm mighty figure bestowed a lightning-attribute immortal spirit divine item upon the Thunder Spirit clan, merely intending to conduct an experiment to see if anyone among the Thunder Spirit clan could refine it." "Alas, the Thunder Spirit clan disappointed that Immortal Realm mighty figure. Not a single person throughout the entire clan could refine the divine item. Although the Immortal Realm mighty figure was disappointed, he did not take the divine item back and simply departed." "Ever since, that immortal spirit divine item has remained with the Thunder Spirit clan." "I wonder, did I get anything wrong?" Lu Changsheng calmly looked at Lei Quan. Lei Quan's mind went completely blank. A tempest of shock surged within his heart. This history had been recorded in its entirety by the Thunder Spirit clan. As a high-ranking member of the clan, how could Lei Quan not know? "You... who on earth are you?" Lei Quan rose abruptly to his feet. "Lu inherited that Immortal Realm mighty figure's mantle, so naturally, I know everything." Lu Changsheng was not afraid of revealing that he possessed an Immortal Dao inheritance. After all, Ancestor Juding already knew. As for Lei Quan? He was likely far more terrified of news leaking regarding the Thunder Spirit clan's immortal spirit divine item. Lei Quan fell silent. An Immortal Realm inheritance... By that virtue alone, the secrets Lu Changsheng carried were not a bit smaller than the Thunder Spirit clan's. In fact, they were even greater! Lei Quan actually felt somewhat reassured. He no longer feared that Lu Changsheng would leak the Thunder Spirit clan's secret. This was likely Lu Changsheng's deliberate gesture as well—a show of sincerity so the Thunder Spirit clan would not panic, let alone fear him. Lu Changsheng would not use this to blackmail them. "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, your first request is quite simple, and Lei can naturally fulfill it. It is merely some blood essence; after resting for a while, I will recover." "However, regarding the immortal spirit divine item, I must decline. That is the supreme treasure of the entire Thunder Spirit clan and cannot be passed to outsiders. I ask that Fellow Daoist Dengtian abandon all thoughts of it." Lei Quan flatly refused on the spot. Blood essence: yes. The immortal spirit divine item: impossible. His stance was resolute! "It won't do?" "Then that is truly a pity..." Lu Changsheng pondered. This matter could not be rushed. He could hardly go and exterminate the entire Thunder Spirit clan. Though Lu Changsheng knew the Boundary Sea operated on the law of the jungle, he would not wipe out an entire race merely for an immortal spirit divine item. That did not align with his Dao! "Then let us trade for the blood essence first." "Lu requires twenty drops of blood essence in exchange for five immortal crystals. What do you think?" Lu Changsheng's offer was slightly lower than the price he had paid for the Gaia divine beast blood essence, about two immortal crystals less. However, this was a private transaction, so the price was naturally somewhat lower. Yet to Lei Quan, five immortal crystals was by no means a small sum—in fact, it was quite generous! "Deal!" Lei Quan agreed. He directly gave Lu Changsheng twenty drops of blood essence, and Lu Changsheng handed over five immortal crystals. The transaction proceeded smoothly. Yet the atmosphere was hardly celebratory. After all, both parties knew full well: The immortal spirit divine item was a thorn between them. They could not simply pretend nothing had happened. "Since the transaction is complete, Lu shall not disturb Fellow Daoist Lei any further." "Should Fellow Daoist Lei or the Thunder Spirit clan require any assistance, do not hesitate to ask." "Alternatively, if the Thunder Spirit clan ever wishes to trade the immortal spirit divine item with Lu, you may name any condition." "Here is Lu's contact method..." Lu Changsheng left behind a communication talisman. As long as he remained in the City in the Sky, the other party could reach him. If they were too far apart—for instance, if Lu Changsheng returned to the Immortal Martial Palace—this contact method would be useless. Very few treasures could bridge the infinite distances across the Boundary Sea for communication. Such treasures existed, but each was earth-shakingly rare and precious. Watching Ancestor Juding and Ancestor Dengtian depart, Lei Quan's eyes gradually turned cold. "An immortal spirit divine item..." Lei Quan knew all too well what this revelation entailed. In fact, Lei Quan had once attempted to refine that immortal spirit divine item himself. Unfortunately, it had been useless. Though this immortal spirit divine item had been passed down through the Thunder Spirit clan for generations, if one spoke of what practical benefit it had brought the clan, there truly was none. It was merely a lingering hope. Outside the courtyard, Ancestor Juding could not help asking, "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, are we simply leaving like this?" In Ancestor Juding's view, Lu Changsheng's primary objective had been that immortal spirit divine item. The blood essence was merely secondary. Now that Lei Quan had refused to trade the divine item, shouldn't they devise some scheme? "Does Fellow Daoist Juding have a good idea?" Lu Changsheng asked. "With Fellow Daoist Dengtian's strength, exterminating the Thunder Spirit clan from top to bottom would likely be more than easy, wouldn't it?" "Using Lei Quan as a lead, we could track down the Thunder Spirit clan, and then..." Ancestor Juding fell silent. He and Lei Quan were indeed friends, but only in the sense that they knew each other and shared mutual respect as fellow gladiators. His relationship with Lu Changsheng was different. Both now belonged to the Immortal Martial Palace, part of the same faction. Ancestor Juding naturally had to consider things from Lu Changsheng's perspective. Lu Changsheng was quiet for a moment. Even Ancestor Juding held such thoughts. Lei Quan would likely anticipate the same. In that case, Lei Quan would rather die than disclose the Thunder Spirit clan's location. Across the boundless Boundary Sea, where would Lu Changsheng even begin to look for the Thunder Spirit clan? Lu Changsheng did not explain, merely saying calmly, "Let us wait a little longer..." And so, Lu Changsheng took up residence in the City in the Sky. Time flew by, and two months elapsed. Lu Changsheng refined Lei Quan's twenty drops of blood essence. Sure enough, his physical strength surged dramatically. He was now a mere step away from nonary growth—the Sovereign Realm. He only needed the blood essence of one more powerful lifeform, and his physical body would most likely break through to the Sovereign Realm. In the Immortal Martial Palace, powerful lifeforms were hard to come by. In the City in the Sky, however, finding powerful lifeforms was trivial. As long as one had immortal crystals, nothing was an issue. Truth be told, Lu Changsheng was rather strapped for cash. He did not have many immortal crystals on hand. However, he possessed an abundance of treasures. After liquidating some of them, he obtained a large quantity of immortal crystals. Then he went to purchase the blood essence of powerful lifeforms. Procuring mere blood essence posed no problem at all. Soon, Lu Changsheng purchased the blood essence of another powerful lifeform. He began refining it once more. One month, two months... Two months later, a resounding boom echoed from Lu Changsheng's physical body. Boom! A terrifying aura radiated from his flesh. Every single particle within his physical body began a comprehensive reorganization. Yes, reorganization. This was the distinct feature—or rather, the greatest difference—of Lu Changsheng's deduced Flesh Martial Dao. Particle reorganization! Lu Changsheng utilized the physical particles of these powerful lifeforms, combining them with the practical state of his own Flesh Martial Dao, to restructure his fleshly particles. He even incorporated certain structures of the Giant Spirit bloodline. Through cycle after cycle of reorganization—nearly tens of thousands of times—Lu Changsheng's physical body finally took shape once more. Swish! Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. The attribute panel materialized before him. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 70,180,000 (Peerless Through the Ages) Mortal Immortal Dao: 6% (Entered the Dao) Myriad Spirits Immortal Body Foundation: 25% (Incomplete) Slaughter Dao: Third Turn Flesh Martial Dao: Nonary Growth (Sovereign Realm) Comprehension Deduction: Can consume large amounts of comprehension to deduce On the attribute panel, Lu Changsheng's comprehension had finally reached seventy million. His avatar had obtained more martial dao fragments, contributing an additional million comprehension points. Next was his Flesh Martial Dao, which had stepped into nonary growth, equivalent to the Sovereign Realm! Reaching the Sovereign Realm in physical body was of paramount significance to Lu Changsheng. It was not merely about wanting to break through to the Ancestor Realm. More importantly, it was about stepping onto the Physical Immortal Dao. Fortunately, Lu Changsheng already possessed the Physical Immortal Dao inheritance. In the subsequent cycles of physical reorganization, he could continually accumulate experience and elevate his physical frame. He had to step onto the Physical Immortal Dao at the very moment he broke through to the Ancestor Realm. Otherwise, trying to set foot onto the Physical Immortal Dao after breaking through to the Ancestor Realm would be exceedingly difficult. Lu Changsheng had also drawn inspiration from the Giant Spirit race. After all, once a Giant Spirit advanced from the Sovereign Realm into the Ancestor Realm, they automatically stepped onto the Physical Immortal Dao. Meanwhile, countless Ancestor Realm lifeforms, despite possessing formidable physiques, failed to step onto the Physical Immortal Dao. Contrasting the two, the difference was starkly evident. This was the bloodline left behind by the Giant Spirit Ancestor. It was also the Giant Spirit Ancestor's blessing. Since even the Giant Spirit Ancestor advocated stepping directly into the cultivation of the Physical Immortal Dao upon advancing from the Sovereign Realm to the Ancestor Realm, there had to be profound wisdom in it. Therefore, Lu Changsheng also had to solidify his foundation unceasingly while at the Sovereign Realm. Without forging a solid foundation for the Physical Immortal Dao, Lu Changsheng's physical body would absolutely not break through to the Ancestor Realm. "Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Dengtian on your immense progress in cultivation!" When Lu Changsheng emerged from seclusion, Ancestor Juding offered his congratulations at once. He knew that Lu Changsheng's physical body had broken through during this seclusion. He also knew that Lu Changsheng had always sought to step onto the Physical Immortal Dao. Now that his physical body had reached the Sovereign Realm, he was essentially just one step away from setting foot upon the Physical Immortal Dao. Yet that single step was like an insurmountable chasm, fraught with immense difficulty. "It is merely a minor breakthrough." "By the way, is there any news from Lei Quan?" Lu Changsheng asked. During his prolonged stay in the City in the Sky, aside from facilitating his own cultivation, he had another purpose: keeping an eye on Lei Quan. Or rather, he was waiting for news from Lei Quan. Lu Changsheng was certain that Lei Quan would come seeking him! "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, I truly cannot fathom how you are so certain Lei Quan will come knocking," Ancestor Juding said, completely mystified. Yet Lu Changsheng refused to explain why he was so certain Lei Quan would come. Ancestor Juding had waited for months, yet Lei Quan had never appeared. "No rush. Let us wait a bit longer." Lu Changsheng was not in the slightest hurry. It had only been a few months. At worst, waiting a few more months, or even several years or decades, was nothing. Ancestors enjoyed vast lifespans. A mere few years or decades were barely worth mentioning. "Right, there is one more matter." "Over the past few months, I have gathered a few more Giant Spirits." "The plight of the Giant Spirit race is rather grim. I wish to spread word far and wide across the Boundary Sea that I am here, so that Giant Spirits facing dire circumstances can come to the City in the Sky to seek refuge under my protection." "However, doing so might bring trouble to the Immortal Martial Palace..." Ancestor Juding hesitated, but ultimately spoke. This was something he had to do, but he also had to inform Lu Changsheng. "No matter. This was originally part of the agreement between the Immortal Martial Palace and the Giant Spirit race." "Your Giant Spirit race is thinly populated, with numbers far too sparse. I was worried that your clan might fail to reproduce and eventually go extinct." "Therefore, recruit as many Giant Spirits as you can; the more, the better." Lu Changsheng placed no obstacles in his way on this matter. He even offered Ancestor Juding assistance. The more Giant Spirits there were, the more the foundation of the Immortal Martial World would be enriched. Why would he ever obstruct it? Ancestor Juding was overjoyed. "Then my thanks to Fellow Daoist Dengtian." With Lu Changsheng's backing, Ancestor Juding felt that gathering several dozen, or even over a hundred more Giant Spirits, should pose no problem. As long as they had a few hundred Giant Spirits, the race could continue to multiply. In several centuries or millennia, the Giant Spirit race's situation would surely be far better than it was today. "Hm?" Suddenly, Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow. A faint smile appeared on his face. "After waiting for several months, our wait was not in vain after all. Lei Quan has come." "Come, let us go welcome Fellow Daoist Lei!" Ancestor Juding was slightly startled. To think Lei Quan actually came? Without hesitation, the two immediately opened the cave abode to welcome Lei Quan.