Five Decays of Heaven and Man!

Lu Changsheng immediately called up his attribute panel. Whether he had grown stronger was clear at a glance. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 16,080,000 (Peerless Through the Ages) Mortal Immortal Dao: 82% (enter the Dao) Myriad Spirits Immortal Body Foundation: 70% (incomplete) Physical Immortal Dao Foundation: 84% (incomplete) Annihilation Divine Eye: supreme Ancestor Realm level Slaughter Dao: six revolutions Flesh Martial Dao: denary growth (Ancestor Realm) Comprehension Deduction: Can consume a large amount of comprehension to perform deductions Looking at the panel, Lu Changsheng saw that his Myriad Spirits Immortal Body Foundation had directly reached seventy percent, up from sixty-four percent—a gain of six percent. One had to realize that he had merely been recovering from his injuries. He had not deliberately focused on cultivating the Myriad Spirits Immortal Body. Yet thinking it over, Lu Changsheng found it entirely reasonable. What did the Myriad Spirits Immortal Body rely on? Nothing other than an immortal spirit body and various immortal spirit items. These treasure medicines were genuine immortal spirit items of the Heaven Realm, brimming with an unimaginable amount of immortal spirit qi. What could be more natural than advancing the Myriad Spirits Immortal Body while healing his wounds? Moreover, his Physical Immortal Dao had also progressed by one percent. Naturally, that one-percent gain was likely because eighty percent of his physical body had been destroyed, and when it regenerated, breaking down and reforming anew had brought about subtle improvements. A one-percent increase was already quite impressive. Lu Changsheng had a faint inkling. Reaching the Immortal Realm seemed remarkably easy for him. As long as he kept cultivating, ascending to the Immortal Realm would be as natural as water flowing into a canal. Unlike in the lower realm, attaining immortality in the Heaven Realm was, in his eyes, unquestionably far simpler. Right now, he felt as if every single breath made him stronger. His Myriad Spirits Immortal Body had truly arrived in the most ideal environment. Growing stronger with every breath. It was a fantastic sensation. Lu Changsheng finally understood why immortal bodies were the mainstream path in the Heaven Realm. Growing stronger just by breathing was simply too efficient. Pursuing the immortal body path in the Heaven Realm was undeniably far easier than the other three immortal daos. Lu Changsheng took a few more breaths. Every breath made him stronger; with each intake of air, his power deepened! He even felt that relying purely on "breathing" to achieve immortality in the Heaven Realm was not entirely absurd. At the very least, he felt that as long as he was given enough time— A thousand years? Ten thousand years? With sufficient time, even if he did nothing but breathe every day, his Myriad Spirits Immortal Body would eventually reach perfection, carrying him into the Immortal Realm. Even so, Lu Changsheng understood the reason behind it. Cultivators from the lower realm were fundamentally different from those native to the Heaven Realm. In the lower realm, those capable of becoming supreme Ancestor Realm powerhouses, or even candidates with hopes of attaining the Immortal Realm, were people who had clawed their way to the peak amid brutally harsh conditions; their talent was inevitably second to none. Possessing such extraordinary talent was akin to having grown accustomed to bitter hardship in the lower realm. Arriving abruptly in the Heaven Realm was like falling into a vat of honey. Naturally, cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. Right now, Lu Changsheng could feel the "hunger" of his Myriad Spirits Immortal Body. It was madly "devouring" the boundless immortal spirit qi surging from all directions to bolster itself. Still, advancing the Myriad Spirits Immortal Body was not something achieved overnight. It was time for Lu Changsheng to step outside. Not only because his injuries had fully healed, but for another crucial reason: The treasure medicines were gone. The Qi clan had not delivered any treasure medicines for several days. Either the supply in the city had been bought out, or the Qi clan could no longer afford to sustain the expense. It was impossible for every treasure medicine to be sold out. That left only one possibility: The Qi clan could no longer shoulder the burden. After all, such treasure medicines were exceedingly expensive. Purchasing over a hundred stalks in an unbroken stream for Lu Changsheng had nearly drained the Qi clan's meager remaining savings. Therefore, no matter what, Lu Changsheng had to go out. Before long, he emerged from the quiet chamber. Faces lighting up with pleasant surprise, Qi Liu and Qi Yue stepped forward at once to await his instructions. Lu Changsheng glanced at the two of them and said directly, "Qi Liu, go invite the patriarch and Young Master Qi." "Yes, An... Ancestor." Qi Liu looked delighted, yet held a touch of timidity. "Hmm?" "What did you just call me?" Lu Changsheng asked. "A while ago, the patriarch ordered the entire clan to revere you as the Qi clan's Ancestor..." Qi Liu replied meekly. Lu Changsheng fell into thought. No wonder he had felt the treasure medicines delivered to his quiet chamber growing increasingly potent as time went on. So the Qi clan had begun revering him as their Ancestor? Lu Changsheng naturally understood what this implied. If the Qi clan had previously acted out of coercion and done things half-heartedly, it was different now. They were actively seeking to align themselves with him, eager to bind their fate completely to his. That was why they honored him as their Ancestor. Something must have happened during this period that he was unaware of. Otherwise, why would their attitude shift so abruptly? Regardless of what had transpired, Lu Changsheng welcomed the change. This shift in attitude was a good thing. The Qi clan needed him, and he needed the Qi clan. With them, he had a foothold in the Heaven Realm. Only then could he steadily pursue further development. Cultivation required a firm foundation. Having a backing faction was a basic necessity. Fighting alone was not impossible, but it was far more arduous. Since it benefited both sides, Lu Changsheng had no reason to refuse. "Very well. Go inform the patriarch." "Yes, Ancestor." The two maidservants curtsied and withdrew. Lu Changsheng waited quietly. Soon, Patriarch Qi Guangmao and the clan's young master, Qi Yutang, hurried over. These two were the true leaders of the Qi clan, wielding all executive authority. Any matters concerning the clan could be resolved through them. "Greetings, Ancestor." Both bowed respectfully. Lu Changsheng looked at Qi Guangmao with a faint, knowing smile and said slowly, "Patriarch Qi, since you revere me as the Qi clan's Ancestor, do you also possess the sincerity appropriate for treating an Ancestor?" Hearing this, Qi Guangmao felt a burst of wild joy. Did Lu Changsheng mean he was accepting their offerings? This was the most monumental matter for the Qi clan. As long as Lu Changsheng accepted their devotion, the entire clan would go all out for him. "Our Qi clan is entirely sincere! All treasures, manpower, and resources belonging to the Qi clan are at Ancestor's disposal!" Qi Guangmao declared resolutely. This was tantamount to handing the entire Qi clan over to Lu Changsheng, placing everything at his command. Yet this was only natural. After all, this was not the mortal realm. This was the Heaven Realm, where supreme individual power reigned supreme. Lu Changsheng was the strongest. Even if he did not actively seek authority, who would dare contest it? Qi Guangmao was keenly aware of this, which was why his attitude was impeccably deferential. Lu Changsheng nodded. "Gathering treasure medicines during this period must have cost the clan dearly. Let us pause that for now." "Bring me all the cultivation manuals regarding the Ancestor Realm and the Immortal Realm that your Qi clan has collected. I wish to review them thoroughly." "I shall arrange it immediately." Qi Guangmao and Qi Yutang exchanged glances. Both withdrew with deep respect. "Father, did the senior... no, did Ancestor just agree to accept our Qi clan?" Excitement shone in Qi Yutang's eyes. "Yes, he agreed." "From this day forth, our Qi clan has nothing to fear in Lu City!" Qi Guangmao was exhilarated. He had led the clan on their migration from Zhang City to Lu City under crushing pressure. A single misstep could have torn the Qi clan apart. Their situation had been precarious in the extreme. Yet fortunately, he had endured. The Qi clan had survived. At last, dawn was breaking after the storm. "Father, why didn't you ask about Ancestor's true cultivation? What if he isn't a supreme Ancestor Realm expert? Wouldn't that..." Qi Yutang asked hesitantly. "Foolish!" "What does it matter whether he is a supreme Ancestor Realm expert or not? Even if he isn't, he is at least a top-tier Ancestor Realm powerhouse; on that point, my judgment cannot be wrong." "Is our Qi clan in a position to be picky about supreme Ancestor Realm experts? We lack even ordinary Ancestor Realm cultivators!" Qi Yutang had a sudden epiphany. Indeed. To the Qi clan, even an ordinary Ancestor Realm expert would be a tremendous pillar of support. Earlier, Qi Guangmao had hesitated out of fear of Lu Changsheng's enemies. Yet so much time had passed without anyone coming for him. Most likely, those enemies were already dead. That being the case, what did the Qi clan have left to worry about? Father and son acted with great efficiency. Barely half an hour later, a stack of cultivation manuals was placed before Lu Changsheng. All pertained to the Ancestor Realm. There were also manuals on the Immortal Realm, though only two or three volumes— representing the accumulation of the Qi clan over countless years. Lu Changsheng opened the manuals and examined them one by one. He harbored many questions that required answers from these texts. Such was the disadvantage of lacking a formal lineage; everything had to be explored on his own. Fortunately, with his peerless comprehension, feeling his way forward on the path of cultivation posed little difficulty. After all, established paths already existed. He merely needed to make slight adjustments to suit his current circumstances. "Advancing from the Ancestor Realm to the Immortal Realm requires an immortal vein?" "Otherwise, during the breakthrough, one cannot draw upon the vast quantities of immortal spirit qi needed to condense an immortal body." Lu Changsheng frowned slightly. He truly had not considered the matter of an immortal vein. He continued flipping through the Immortal Realm manuals. As it turned out, upon attaining immortality, one was known as a True Immortal. Most immortals in the Heaven Realm were True Immortals. Even those immortals who had descended upon the Boundary Sea were merely True Immortals. Even the lord of Lu City, Great Immortal Lu, was fundamentally a True Immortal. In theory, immortals possessed infinite lifespans. Yet that was strictly theoretical. After all, immortals had to endure the Five Decays. The Five Decays pertained to the physical body, dharmic power, Dao Fruit, mind, and Great Dao. Specifically, when the grand limit arrived, an immortal would face tribulations such as the decay of the physical body, the dissipation of dharmic power, the shattering of the Dao Fruit, the extinction of the mind, and the collapse of their Great Dao. Among these, a True Immortal faced the decay of the physical body every single epoch. An epoch was defined as one hundred and twenty thousand years. One hundred and twenty thousand years constituted one epoch! Above True Immortals were Heavenly Immortals. The term "Heavenly Immortal" implied having a lifespan matching heaven itself. Once one attained the Heavenly Immortal stage, they would no longer suffer the decay of the physical body. Even in death, their physical body would remain rock-solid and endure for eternity. Even so, Heavenly Immortals still faced the dissipation of dharmic power. After twelve epochs, a Heavenly Immortal's dharmic power would dissipate. If they could not overcome it, they would perish. Lu Changsheng was struck with realization. He suddenly understood something. The problem of physical decay was not unique to immortals. All living beings and cultivators faced it. One epoch was one hundred and twenty thousand years. If a lower-realm cultivator managed to survive for one hundred and twenty thousand years, they, too, would face physical decay. Essentially, their grand limit would arrive, and death would be certain. In truth, how could the lifespan of an Ancestor Realm cultivator in the Boundary Sea be limited to merely a hundred thousand years? It should have exceeded a million years. Yet had anyone truly lived for a million years? It was virtually impossible. Most died around one hundred and twenty thousand years. Undoubtedly, they had succumbed to physical decay. Cultivators in the Boundary Sea did not understand the underlying truth, but immortals of the Heaven Realm knew it clearly. The Five Decays of Heaven and Man targeted not just immortals, but all living beings across myriad trillions of worlds. It was a tribulation common to every living creature. After all, defying fate to live as long as heaven was no simple feat. Naturally, there were beings who enjoyed true eternal life. Those were the Dao Ancestors! Rumor had it that once one became a Dao Ancestor, the Five Decays of Heaven and Man vanished completely. One would achieve genuine immortality and indestructibility. Yet even in the Heaven Realm, Dao Ancestors were mere legends. Legend had it that the Heaven Realm had been forged by a Dao Ancestor. Yet who was that Dao Ancestor? Where did they reside? Opinions were endless and varied. Matters concerning Dao Ancestors were far too remote for Lu Changsheng. He naturally had no intention of troubling himself over them. Instead, Lu Changsheng found himself deeply intrigued by the Five Decays of Heaven and Man. For instance, could one survive physical decay? Without becoming a Heavenly Immortal, could one weather the decay of the physical body? The answer was yes! Certain extraordinary immortals, through fortuitous encounters—such as a specific treasure medicine or a unique method—could survive physical decay. Once physical decay arrived and was successfully overcome, a True Immortal gained another epoch of life. Any True Immortal who weathered physical decay was honored with the title of Great Immortal! The lord of Lu City, Great Immortal Lu, was precisely such an existence. Great Immortal Lu was exceptionally formidable. Through fortunate opportunities, he had already survived physical decay twice, effectively securing a lifespan of three epochs. Of course, whether he could survive a third physical decay remained uncertain. Each successive physical decay was harder than the last. Moreover, surviving physical decay only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. At most after twelve epochs, one would inevitably face the decay of dharmic power. When that time came, physical decay and dharmic power decay would erupt together. Who could endure that? In the end, death was still the outcome. Therefore, striving merely to survive physical decay was not the optimal solution. The best choice remained breaking through to become a Heavenly Immortal. Lu Changsheng also noticed that the manuals spoke of Mortal Immortals with the highest praise. The reason was simple: A Mortal Immortal's analytical ability was peerless under heaven. Upon becoming a Mortal Immortal, one would receive immense assistance when later confronting physical decay, dharmic power decay, and subsequent tribulations. Furthermore, Mortal Immortals possessed tremendous potential; compared to other paths, they found it easier to achieve the Heavenly Immortal stage. The only drawback was that their combat prowess was undeniably weak. Consequently, many Mortal Immortals relied heavily on magic treasures, arrays, and the like. Of course, many had thought: if Mortal Immortals were weak in combat, why not cultivate the Physical Immortal Dao alongside it? That was indeed an option. Yet while dual cultivation offered massive benefits, it severely hampered cultivation speed. Never mind becoming a Heavenly Immortal; even breaking through to the Immortal Realm became exceedingly difficult. Anyone who could practice both paths simultaneously and still achieve the True Immortal realm was an existence who dazzled the entire Heaven Realm. Reading this, Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. He was not practicing just two immortal daos, but three. Two paths would condense two Dao Fruits. What about three paths? In all likelihood, they would condense three Dao Fruits. To an immortal, the Dao Fruit was of paramount importance. Everyone knew that three Dao Fruits would be a colossal boon, yet no one cultivated all three paths as Lu Changsheng did. After all, cultivating all three required simultaneous breakthroughs; one had to advance all three paths concurrently. It was simply too difficult. Only Lu Changsheng, blessed with peerless comprehension, could manage such a feat. At present, all three of his immortal daos stood above seventy percent. Of course, balancing all three to reach one hundred percent would take time. Fortunately, Lu Changsheng had ample time. Physical decay would only arrive after an entire epoch. How old was he now? At most, around a hundred years old. A hundred years compared to one hundred and twenty thousand years— Lu Changsheng had no need to worry about the Five Decays of Heaven and Man for a very long time. "The Myriad Spirits Immortal Body is straightforward. As long as I have immortal spirit items, the unique nature of my physique will allow me to push it directly to one hundred percent." A sharp glint flashed across Lu Changsheng's eyes. He already understood that not everyone cultivating an immortal body could achieve the Immortal Realm simply by refining immortal spirit items as he did. If that were the case, wouldn't everyone in the Heaven Realm become an immortal? In reality, that was not so. Lu Changsheng could do it because his Myriad Spirits Immortal Body was utterly unique. It was a technique he had deduced and created himself, capable of devouring all immortal spirit items— a sea accommodating all rivers. Even in the Heaven Realm, it was undoubtedly an elite technique. Not to mention that he also possessed a Mortal Immortal's analytical capacity, which completely outmatched that of any Ancestor Realm cultivator; even True Immortals might not possess analytical ability superior to his. After all, analytical capacity had tiers. Even if other Ancestor Realm cultivators walked the path of a Mortal Immortal, their analytical prowess was nowhere near as terrifying as his. The difference lay in comprehension. Lu Changsheng's comprehension was Peerless Through the Ages! In the past, he had not fully grasped the weight of that title. Now he understood. It did not mean he was peerless merely within the Boundary Sea; rather, throughout the entire universe, including the Heaven Realm, his comprehension stood unmatched through all the ages. With comprehension so terrifying, Lu Changsheng doubted a second person like him could ever be found. The immortal body was easily handled; what remained were the Mortal Immortal Dao and the Physical Immortal Dao. For the Physical Immortal Dao, Lu Changsheng could analyze the flesh of powerful immortal beasts and divine beasts, directly refining their flesh and blood— such as the corpse of the Kui Cow. In the Heaven Realm, remains similar to the corpse of the Kui Cow were likely abundant. Next came the Mortal Immortal Dao. This was slightly trickier, though by no means impossible. For example, analyzing immortal arrays. As long as there were enough immortal arrays for him to analyze one by one, why would he need to worry about his Mortal Immortal Dao stalling? However, whether it was the flesh of beasts like the Kui Cow, immortal arrays, or even treasure medicines, all three were cultivation resources. And cultivation resources required money! "Money!" "It still comes down to money!" "In the realm of immortals, even immortal crystals won't do; one needs immortal stones." "Yet immortal stones only form at the very core of immortal veins. The Qi clan possesses no immortal veins." Lu Changsheng's brow furrowed slightly. All the challenges of cultivation ultimately converged on one point: money. Money could move the gods. In the Heaven Realm, anything one wished to do required immortal stones. And if one had no immortal vein to mine stones from, one had to earn them through commerce or other ventures. That required a faction. With this thought, Lu Changsheng summoned Qi Guangmao and Qi Yutang once more. He asked bluntly, "How many immortal stones does the Qi clan currently have?" Qi Guangmao and Qi Yutang looked at each other. Gritting his teeth, Qi Guangmao said in a low voice, "The entire Qi clan has fewer than a thousand immortal stones remaining. It is barely enough to maintain the clan's daily operations." "However, if Ancestor requires them, we can grit our teeth and surrender half our immortal stones to purchase cultivation resources for Ancestor's use!" Offering half of their immortal stones was effectively drawing the firewood from under the cauldron. It meant "sacrificing" the majority of the Qi clan to sustain Lu Changsheng with the entire family's strength. Yet the crux was, even if they handed over half their stones, what would it amount to? A single stalk of treasure medicine cost at least three or four immortal stones. Could they buy even a hundred more stalks? It was meaningless. In the end, they needed to make money! "Has the Qi clan's business encountered any difficulties recently?" Lu Changsheng asked. Qi Guangmao's face brightened, and he replied, "Our clan has only just gained a footing in Lu City. Our business is naturally in its infancy, barely breaking even. It will require several years of steady effort..." Lu Changsheng understood. If he wanted to strike it rich quickly, relying on the Qi clan was out of the question. "Tell me about immortal veins." "The Qi clan has no immortal vein. Where can I find one in the future to break through into the Immortal Realm?" Lu Changsheng's question caught father and son off guard. Considering an immortal vein already—didn't that mean Lu Changsheng was truly on the verge of breaking through? Didn't that prove he was indeed a supreme Ancestor Realm expert? A supreme Ancestor Realm expert merely half a step away from immortality! Qi Guangmao spoke with great caution: "Ancestor, to borrow an immortal vein for a breakthrough, one can either join a sect, though that is exceedingly difficult. Immortal Sects only recruit disciples of clean, known background and nurture them slowly toward the Immortal Realm. For an outsider at the Ancestor Realm, joining an Immortal Sect is practically impossible." "The second way is to join certain powerful factions. Yet factions possessing immortal veins are few and far between." "In Lu City, only Great Immortal Lu owns an immortal vein. Many Ancestor Realm cultivators pledge allegiance to Great Immortal Lu, thereby gaining access to an immortal vein." "Finally, one can search for an unowned immortal vein. Yet in the vast Heaven Realm, the chances of finding an immortal vein in a safe region are vanishingly small. Only certain exceptionally perilous regions harbor numerous veins." "For instance, the Blood Marsh Mountain Range has many immortal veins, but humans, demons, immortals, and fiends intermingle there. No single faction has ever managed to dominate the Blood Marsh Mountain Range, and entering it is perilous even for True Immortals. Still, many Ancestor Realm cultivators venture there to stake their lives, and some ultimately manage to achieve the Immortal Realm." Lu Changsheng understood. For now, he would not consider the Blood Marsh Mountain Range. He was still some distance away from the Immortal Realm; there was no rush. On the other hand, inquiring at Great Immortal Lu's manor was worth a try. Thus, Lu Changsheng went directly to the City Lord's Manor. Naturally, he did not see Great Immortal Lu. However, he did meet an immortal serving under Great Immortal Lu. This immortal was named the Shuize Immortal. "May I ask, Upper Immortal Shuize, if I wish to join the City Lord's Manor and cultivate with the aid of the immortal vein to achieve a breakthrough, what conditions must be met?" Lu Changsheng asked. The Shuize Immortal glanced at Lu Changsheng and said calmly, "Serve the City Lord's Manor for thirty thousand years. Even if you become an immortal during that time, the requirement remains the same." "After thirty thousand years, you may leave freely." The condition was straightforward. Yet Lu Changsheng shook his head. Thirty thousand years? A True Immortal had a lifespan of only one epoch. Many cultivators were already tens of thousands of years old when they finally broke through. Serving for thirty thousand years would leave barely any time for one's own cultivation. Cultivating within the manor was certainly permitted, but the manor would undoubtedly dispatch him on various missions. Lu Changsheng was unwilling to be bound by others, so he had no choice but to drop the matter. "If joining the City Lord's Manor is out of the question, must I truly go to the Blood Marsh Mountain Range?" Lu Changsheng shook his head. He had no desire to head to the Blood Marsh Mountain Range either. It was better to bide his time for now. He would see if he could help the Qi clan expand their business. Once their business flourished and provided a steady stream of immortal stones, he could slowly consider other options.