Supreme Ancestors Come Bearing Apologies!

Whoosh. Lu Changsheng stepped out from the City Lord's Manor of the City in the Sky. Emerging into the void, he looked into the distance and saw Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen. Lu Changsheng truly did not know much about these two supreme Ancestor Realm figures. He only knew their names and that the three supreme Ancestors had previously joined hands against Ancestor Qingtian. Nothing more. He had not expected them to take the initiative to come to the City in the Sky. Naturally, they appeared exceedingly cautious, remaining outside the perimeter without setting foot inside. Clearly, they harbored deep wariness toward him. "Ancestor Feixing, Ancestor Yinshen—may I ask what brings two such distinguished guests here?" Lu Changsheng looked calmly upon the two supreme Ancestors. Though there were two of them, he felt not the slightest fear. If Ancestor Daopo had been able to drive them away, their strength could only be so much, certainly inferior to Daopo's. He had slain even Daopo, so what was there to fear from these two? Given his current state with three Immortal Daos merged into one, he was confident he could instantly dispatch a supreme Ancestor of Daopo's caliber. With overwhelming strength came immense confidence, and Lu Changsheng's tone naturally reflected that poise. Ancestor Feixing was actually observing Lu Changsheng as well. Seeing that Lu Changsheng's expression was calm and unruffled, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then spoke: "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, we heard that you slew Ancestor Daopo. "We did join forces with Daopo before to deal with Ancestor Qingtian. Fearing you might misunderstand, we came specially to clarify the matter and offer our apologies. "We share no bond with Ancestor Daopo. Back then, it was solely to deal with Ancestor Qingtian that we were forced to join hands that one time. After that incident, we had nothing more to do with him." As the words fell, silence descended over the Boundary Sea. "Oh?" Lu Changsheng's heart stirred. He was somewhat surprised, his gaze sweeping repeatedly over the two supreme Ancestors. So these two had truly come all this way just to apologize? These were supreme Ancestors! Lu Changsheng had never even given thought to pursuing them. Even if he had considered them later, he would never have gone on a senseless slaughter against two supreme Ancestors. But they had no way of knowing that. In their hearts, after all, a lingering knot of unease remained. Lu Changsheng had still underestimated the shockwaves caused by his slaying of Ancestor Daopo. The impact was simply too vast—so vast that even two supreme Ancestors took the initiative to come to the City in the Sky to apologize, hoping to dissolve any lingering friction. Since they had come in person, how could Lu Changsheng fail to show courtesy? "Fellow Daoists, please come inside for a talk," Lu Changsheng said mildly. Airy talk before all the onlookers in the open would leave the two supreme Ancestors unable to step down gracefully. Though Lu Changsheng possessed immense strength and feared no supreme Ancestor, he lacked the overbearing arrogance of Ancestor Daopo. There was no need to humiliate them. If an issue could be resolved through discussion, why resort to slaughter? Furthermore, their willingness to come to the City in the Sky showed they likely came with sincerity. Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen exchanged a glance, hesitating slightly. After all, the City in the Sky was now Lu Changsheng's domain, an immortal treasure. Entering it would place them at a severe disadvantage. Yet both understood clearly that even without the City in the Sky, would they fare any better? Having exchanged glances, they made their decision at once. Whoosh. The two flew directly into the City in the Sky. Doing so demonstrated their sincerity all the more; they had genuinely come for reconciliation. "Good. Please, Fellow Daoists." Lu Changsheng was satisfied. He led the two supreme Ancestors back to the main hall of the City Lord's Manor. Once seated, only the three of them remained in the hall. Ancestor Feixing spoke: "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, what we said earlier about our relationship with Ancestor Daopo was the honest truth. He and we merely cooperated once; there was never any deeper connection. "Nevertheless, we ultimately did join hands with him to besiege and kill Ancestor Qingtian. We simply do not know what kind of relationship you had with Qingtian..." In truth, the two had already inquired and confirmed the relationship between Lu Changsheng and Ancestor Qingtian. There was none, strictly speaking. It had merely been Ancestor Qingtian offering an immortal spirit item in exchange for Lu Changsheng enduring the triple heavenly tribulations—a simple transaction. Yet even knowing they had no ties, would the two dare let their guard down? They did not dare! After all, excuses were easy to find. If Lu Changsheng claimed some bond with Qingtian and declared he sought vengeance on his behalf, they would have no retort. Of course, excuses and pretexts were unimportant. What mattered was securing Lu Changsheng's promise to thoroughly dissolve any potential conflict. That was the crucial point! Lu Changsheng did not answer, merely watching Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen in silence. Yet the calmer he appeared, the more at ease they felt. With that, they brought out their apology gifts. "We came bearing gifts to apologize, bringing two damaged immortal spirit items..." They presented their offerings. Immortal spirit items? This was greatly beyond Lu Changsheng's expectations. Opening the containers to inspect them, however, he saw they were indeed damaged. Though both were immortal spirit items, complete and damaged were entirely different concepts. Yet thinking about it, that was only natural. Ancestor Qingtian had ruled the entire City in the Sky, yet over countless years, he had managed to accumulate only a single intact immortal spirit item. In terms of wealth, who among Ancestor Feixing, Ancestor Yinshen, or even Ancestor Daopo could compare to Qingtian? These two damaged items had already cost the two supreme Ancestors immense effort and resources to obtain as apology gifts. They had clearly investigated Lu Changsheng. Though unaware that he walked three Immortal Daos, they knew he needed immortal spirit items, and the more, the better. Thus, they had prepared two damaged ones, hoping to fully settle any enmity. Yet they had evidently underestimated Lu Changsheng. Or rather, two mere damaged immortal spirit items were not enough to satisfy him. While Lu Changsheng harbored no deep hatred or grudge against them, now that they were here, was this all they brought? Strictly speaking, Lu Changsheng did have an axe to grind with them. Had the three not besieged Ancestor Qingtian, why would Lu Changsheng have had to spend tens of millions of comprehension points to analyze the corpse of the Kui Cow? Tens of millions of comprehension points represented decades of accumulation, completely wiped out in a single stroke. Though he had consequently become a supreme Ancestor, enhanced his strength, and obtained the City in the Sky, losing tens of millions of comprehension points remained an undeniable fact. Demanding some compensation from these two supreme Ancestors was entirely reasonable. "Not enough!" Lu Changsheng spoke, his tone utterly flat. Yet beneath that calm tone, Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen felt their hearts clench. They had truly exhausted their means to gather these treasures and were genuinely trying to resolve the conflict. But if two damaged immortal spirit items were insufficient, they could not produce more on short notice. The two looked at each other, and finally Ancestor Feixing gritted his teeth. "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, immortal spirit items are exceedingly rare. We truly cannot guarantee finding a third..." Lu Changsheng shook his head and said slowly, "It does not matter if you cannot find immortal spirit items, but I require martial dao fragments. "If you provide enough martial dao fragments, the matter between us shall be written off completely. "Furthermore, if there are enough martial dao fragments, I can even conduct trades with the two of you..." Lu Changsheng stated his condition. Martial dao fragments! He had lost tens of millions of comprehension points; how could he not replenish them? Relying solely on the Immortal Martial Palace to seek martial dao fragments was far too slow. But if two supreme Ancestors mobilized their forces to search, it would be an entirely different story. Perhaps those tens of millions of comprehension points could be recouped very quickly. "Martial dao fragments?" The two supreme Ancestors were taken aback. "Martial dao fragment" was a term from the Immortal Martial World. In the Boundary Sea, no one called them that. Here, they were known as Great Dao fragments! Within the worlds of the Boundary Sea, countless cultivation systems were born. When existing inside a world, those cultivation systems coalesced into a Great Dao. Cultivating inside a world blessed with a Great Dao yielded twice the result with half the effort, as cultivating under its radiance made progress remarkably easy and efficient. Out in the Boundary Sea, cultivation was far slower. Therefore, the Great Dao of every world was its very foundation. If the Great Dao shattered, the world itself would not necessarily perish, but the cultivators under its radiance would meet miserable ends, finding it nearly impossible to advance no matter how they trained. Shattering a Great Dao was tantamount to snapping the backbone of every cultivator in that world. Lu Changsheng paused slightly, quickly catching on. According to the two supreme Ancestors, martial dao fragments were indeed a type of Great Dao fragment. His avatar had been constantly refining martial dao fragments, thereby gaining numerous comprehension points—roughly a million each year. But could refining other Great Dao fragments grant comprehension points? Lu Changsheng had never tried, but he felt it was worth testing. "Do you have any Great Dao fragments on you?" Lu Changsheng asked. "We have none on our persons, but we can immediately have subordinates deliver them. We still have some Great Dao fragments stored in our vaults," Ancestor Feixing said hurriedly. Great Dao fragments were useful to Ancestor Realm cultivators as well. For practitioners of the Loose Immortal Dao in particular, they were practically a necessity. The Loose Immortal Dao essentially blended various cultivation systems together. If one could ultimately encompass all rivers into the sea and take that final step, one would achieve the Immortal Realm. Yet very few could truly encompass all rivers; most who tried ended up middling and unremarkable, as fusing diverse power systems was no easy task. Regardless, for the Loose Immortal Dao to advance and reach the Immortal Realm, Great Dao fragments were indispensable to perceive different systems, adopt their strengths, and ultimately perfect one's own Dao. While Great Dao fragments were precious, if Lu Changsheng needed them, Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen would not hesitate for a second. Resolving their conflict with him using Great Dao fragments was an incredible bargain! Lu Changsheng waited quietly for three months. It took three full months for the two supreme Ancestors' subordinates to deliver the fragments to the City in the Sky. "Fellow Daoist Dengtian, this is our apology gift: four Great Dao fragments in total." The two supreme Ancestors showed great sincerity, presenting four Great Dao fragments between them. This had not been easy, nearly draining their personal reserves, as they had only accumulated this many. Usually, whenever they obtained Great Dao fragments, they chose to refine them rather than hoard them. "Four Great Dao fragments?" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. There were four boxes in total, each containing one fragment. He opened the first. Snap. The lid came open, revealing the first Great Dao fragment. "This aura... the aura of a Great Dao. "Entirely different from martial dao, yet identical in essence!" Lu Changsheng rejoiced inwardly. The aura differed, but the fundamental essence was the same. In the past, refining martial dao fragments aided his martial dao tremendously. Refining other Great Dao fragments would have been useless to him then and would only have hindered his martial path. But things were different now. He had embarked upon three Immortal Daos, including the Mortal Immortal Dao, renowned for analyzing all things. How could a mere Great Dao fragment elude analysis? Once analyzed, what secrets could it hold? Moreover, having stepped onto Immortal Daos, he was no longer confined to the martial path of the old Immortal Martial Palace. He wanted to refine it simply to see if it would yield comprehension points. "Refine." Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng began refining the Great Dao fragment right in front of Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen. "What?" "Fellow Daoist Dengtian is directly refining a Great Dao fragment?" "This... surely that is too difficult? Refining a Great Dao fragment takes a very long time. Besides, this is the method of our Loose Immortal Dao—could he also be walking the Loose Immortal Dao?" "If he walks the Loose Immortal Dao, why would he seek immortal spirit items?" Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen exchanged bewildered glances. They truly could not fathom what was happening. Yet since Lu Changsheng was refining it before their eyes, they could only wait patiently. Time ticked by. Lu Changsheng was not merely refining the fragment; he was analyzing it first. In the past, analyzing such a fragment with his capabilities might have taken several months. But today was different. His analytical capability had surged drastically, with his Mortal Immortal Dao progress now at 59%. Such an enormous leap naturally amplified his analytical power, meaning he needed mere days rather than months. In fact, Lu Changsheng took only seven days! Seven days later, he opened his eyes with a faint smile playing at his lips. Then, he truly began the refinement. His speed was utterly staggering; in just three days, the Great Dao fragment vanished completely, refined into his being. Witnessing him refine it right before their eyes, Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen were completely flabbergasted. What kind of joke was this? That was a Great Dao fragment! As supreme Ancestors who had refined countless fragments, they knew all too well the tribulations involved. If they were to refine one, how could it ever be done in a mere ten days? It would take years at the very least. If things went poorly, taking decades or even a century was perfectly normal. Yet Lu Changsheng had taken only ten days! In roughly ten days, he had completed both analysis and refinement. Such terrifying talent and comprehension were utterly shocking. What filled Lu Changsheng with even greater ecstasy, however, was the comprehension points gained. *Refined one Great Dao fragment; gained 300,000 comprehension points.* A line of small characters surfaced before his eyes. "Three hundred thousand comprehension points?" Lu Changsheng smiled. A full three hundred thousand! It seemed refining Great Dao fragments could indeed yield comprehension points, and quite a substantial amount at that. He could even deduce that the points granted by a fragment were not fixed, likely ranging between one hundred thousand and one million. A fragment from a powerful Great Dao might yield eight hundred thousand or even a million, while an ordinary one might yield only one or two hundred thousand. Regardless, knowing that Great Dao fragments could increase his comprehension points set Lu Changsheng's mind at ease. "I am well satisfied with these Great Dao fragments. I shall accept all four. The past is written off completely!" Lu Changsheng gave his promise. Written off completely! He had harbored no deep grudge against Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen to begin with. Having obtained four Great Dao fragments, what more could he ask for? Hearing this, Ancestor Feixing and Ancestor Yinshen breathed a long sigh of relief. Lu Changsheng had finally uttered those words, settling the matter for good. Four Great Dao fragments were precious, but using them to resolve the friction with Lu Changsheng was well worth it! "May I ask how one obtains Great Dao fragments?" Lu Changsheng inquired. In truth, he knew how, but he wanted to acquire them in greater quantities. "Well..." "Obtaining Great Dao fragments largely depends on luck. A Great Dao is the foundation of a world. To obtain fragments, one can only continuously conquer those worlds, shatter their Great Daos, and extract the pieces," Ancestor Feixing answered truthfully. This was common knowledge known to many Ancestor Realm figures. Naturally, not all Ancestors used Great Dao fragments; generally, only supreme Ancestors utilized them to comprehend various cultivation systems, gathering all rivers into the sea to deepen their foundation in hopes of one day taking that crucial step. Take Ancestor Qingtian, for example. He had not waged war on worlds, yet the fragments he acquired were no fewer than those of any other supreme Ancestor. The reason lay in the City in the Sky. Relying on its flourishing trade, Qingtian was extraordinarily wealthy—what couldn't he buy? He could buy Great Dao fragments as well! Supported by immense, endless wealth, Qingtian constantly purchased various fragments, allowing him to stand out among numerous supreme Ancestors and be the first to attempt tribulation transcendence. Yet he rose by the City in the Sky and fell by it as well. The city drew immense jealousy, coveted by the three supreme Ancestors including Daopo, who ultimately dealt Qingtian a fatal blow. In the end, none of them obtained the City in the Sky; instead, it fell into Lu Changsheng's hands. "Great Dao fragments..." Lu Changsheng fell silent. Though Ancestor Feixing spoke of it nonchalantly, every single fragment represented an entire world. What world's cultivators would ever want their Great Dao shattered? Doing so severed almost all hope for the practitioners within. If a mighty figure from the Boundary Sea descended upon the Immortal Martial World and directly shattered its Immortal Martial Dao, could the world ever rise again? It would be utterly impossible, and likely not even a single new Ancestor Realm would ever be born. A Great Dao was the hope of every cultivator in a world, the very root of its existence. Supreme Ancestors were essentially plundering resources through the most brutal and bloody means possible. Indeed, Great Dao fragments were the resources of the supreme. Now Lu Changsheng finally understood why nearly all Ancestor Realm cultivators in the Boundary Sea walked the Loose Immortal Dao, including the supreme Ancestors. The reason was simple: the Loose Immortal Dao offered tangible hope, backed by available resources in the form of Great Dao fragments. In the boundless expanse of the Boundary Sea, worlds were beyond count. Among so many worlds, how many possessed Great Daos? Innumerable. That meant an endless supply of cultivation resources, with no fear of depletion. So long as resources did not run dry, hope remained. Thus, the Loose Immortal Dao had become mainstream across the Boundary Sea, while the Mortal Immortal Dao, immortal body cultivation, and the Physical Immortal Dao had all dwindled into niche paths, on the verge of fading entirely from the Boundary Sea. Lu Changsheng now understood the advantages of the Loose Immortal Dao—or rather, why it held sway throughout the Boundary Sea. Resources were an immensely decisive factor. Even if the Loose Immortal Dao was inferior to the other three, what did it matter? The other three offered no viable path to becoming an Immortal Realm mighty figure, whereas the Loose Immortal Dao still held a significant chance. Naturally, it became the mainstream. As for Great Dao fragments, precious though they were, those supreme Ancestors of the Loose Immortal Dao competed fiercely to collect them. That would certainly affect Lu Changsheng's ability to obtain them. But Ancestor Qingtian had already set an example, providing Lu Changsheng with a method: relying on the City in the Sky. So long as he built the City in the Sky into an incomparably prosperous trading hub, he could reliably secure a steady stream of Great Dao fragments through it. When that happened, his comprehension points could increase rapidly. Of course, the prerequisite was that the City in the Sky had to remain stable and prosperous. That would take time and require Lu Changsheng's unwavering enforcement of order. Only with order could the city flourish. Time flew, and a year passed in a flash. To many Ancestors, a single year was no more than the blink of an eye; many entered seclusion for centuries or millennia at a stretch. Yet for the City in the Sky, this single year brought earth-shattering changes. Naturally, it also brought tremendous changes for the members of the Immortal Martial Palace. "Who could have imagined that our Immortal Martial Palace would one day become the masters of the City in the Sky?" "Indeed, even we have become law enforcement elders of the city..." "Speaking of law enforcement elders, Ancestor Powang has actually become the hall master of the Hall of Law Enforcement." "Ancestor Juding has also become a vice hall master, while from our Immortal Martial Palace, only Martial Ancestor Jidao became a vice hall master..." Those speaking were disciples of the Immortal Martial Palace. Ever since Lu Changsheng took control of the City in the Sky, he needed his own people to manage it properly, so he transferred personnel from the Immortal Martial Palace to take charge of the entire city. For the vital Hall of Law Enforcement, the hall master appointed was surprisingly Ancestor Powang, a member of the Divine Eye race. Naturally, although some murmured in private, they knew positions were allocated according to strength. Ancestor Powang was a top-tier Ancestor Realm, and the Divine Eye race was now part of the Immortal Martial World; he had the strength required to command the hall. Otherwise, if a high-rank Ancestor were appointed hall master, could they keep Ancestor Powang in line? Utterly impossible. Despite their quiet grumbles, the people of the Immortal Martial Palace understood clearly that the City in the Sky remained firmly in their hands. The reason was simple: Lu Changsheng! Ancestor Dengtian Lu Changsheng was the master of the City in the Sky and a renowned supreme Ancestor across the vast Boundary Sea. So long as Lu Changsheng stood, the Immortal Martial Palace would prosper forever. A single position of hall master was not worth fretting over. At that moment, the very figures they were discussing—Ancestor Powang, Jidao Ancestor, Ancestor Juding, and others—were reporting to Lu Changsheng on matters concerning the city. "City Lord, our Hall of Law Enforcement squads deployed thirty-eight times this past year, slaying violators whose strongest was a top-tier Ancestor and the rest high-rank Ancestors, firmly maintaining order in the City in the Sky. "At present, the city has recovered roughly fifty percent of the prosperity it enjoyed in Ancestor Qingtian's era. Given another ten years or so, it will surely return to full strength." This was an exceptional achievement. Mentioning it, Ancestor Powang, Ancestor Juding, and Martial Ancestor Jidao were all deeply excited. This was their own handiwork. They remembered all too well what the city had looked like before—hardly any prosperity remained, reduced to a mere ten or twenty percent of what it once was. Reversing that decline in just one year to reach fifty percent of Qingtian's heyday was truly a monumental feat. Lu Changsheng nodded, largely satisfied with the outcome. Yet he still felt it was not enough. His ambitions were vast. Simply matching Ancestor Qingtian's era was not his goal; his aspiration was to build the City in the Sky into a trading hub where even supreme Ancestors could conduct commerce with absolute peace of mind. That was something even Ancestor Qingtian had failed to achieve. After all, the cornerstone of any trading hub was security. Qingtian had lacked the power to cow other supreme Ancestors and ensure the city's safety. But Lu Changsheng could! All he needed now was an opportunity—an opportunity to make the name of the City in the Sky resound among supreme Ancestors everywhere!