Three Years of Bitter Cultivation, Birth of the Immortal Characteristic!

In Chiyue City, Lu Changsheng descended slowly from the sky. Although he had fought a great battle against thirteen Great Immortals, he had primarily deployed his Illusory Realm. As a result, the city had suffered little damage. "Greetings, True Immortal Lu." The moment Lu Changsheng touched the ground, a True Immortal stepped forward to pay his respects. "True Immortal Canglan? No need for ceremony." Lu Changsheng recognized him. Canglan had been one of Great Immortal Chiyue's trusted confidants. "Thank you, True Immortal Lu. If not for you, I fear Chiyue City would have met a grim fate..." Canglan understood all too well that once those Great Immortals began fighting over the treasures, a mere Chiyue City would not even enter their consideration. In the end, the city's destruction would have been virtually inevitable. Now, however, everything had changed. Chiyue City had not fallen, and the ultimate victor was Lu Changsheng, Changsheng True Immortal. Lu Changsheng nodded and headed straight for the treasuries, intending to empty them out first. In truth, there was more than one vault. The vault Great Immortal Chiyue had left to Lu Changsheng and Great Immortal Lu held only his most precious treasures. There were many ordinary vaults as well, including the treasury of the City Lord's Manor. In short, all of Chiyue City now belonged to Lu Changsheng. All its treasures were his for the taking, and not a single soul dared utter a word of complaint. Lu Changsheng naturally saw no reason to be polite. He directly claimed a vast quantity of treasures and specifically gave orders that he required crystal stones. Crystal stones were not particularly valuable treasures; they were merely a special type of mineral ore that existed in immense quantities. Chiyue City had accumulated an abundance of them, and Lu Changsheng swept them all into his possession. These crystal stones alone would be enough to sustain his cultivation for a long time. "True Immortal Lu, on behalf of all Chiyue City, I have an audacious request," Canglan said at that moment. "What is it?" Canglan answered directly, "Most of the people in Chiyue City hope to follow you, True Immortal Lu, and join Changsheng Dao Field!" Lu Changsheng grew thoughtful. He understood. The people of Chiyue City were terrified. With Great Immortal Chiyue gone, how could they protect their interests? Their only option was to find a new backer, and Lu Changsheng was an excellent one. Otherwise, if they ventured out on their own to other Dao fields, they would likely be swallowed whole, leaving not even scraps behind. "Very well." Lu Changsheng did not refuse. At present, Changsheng Dao Field was relatively isolated, with almost no outsiders visiting. Under such circumstances, development was difficult. But if the people of Chiyue City joined, it would be entirely different—Changsheng Dao Field would quickly flourish. Canglan was overjoyed and immediately went off to make preparations. As for Lu Changsheng, he stayed inside a secret chamber. Aside from waiting for the people of Chiyue City to get ready, he also reflected on the gains and losses of his battle against the thirteen Great Immortals. It had been an earth-shattering fight and a tremendous challenge for him. He had practically exhausted his entire repertoire of methods. Though victorious, the battle had revealed his limitations. For instance, the divine abilities Mighty Power and Devour Spirit were exceedingly strong at the True Immortal level, yet they had notable drawbacks. Against thirteen Great Immortals, once an opponent possessed a defensive immortal treasure, Mighty Power could not completely blast them apart. Even if their body was destroyed, an immortal treasure protecting their spirit prevented Devour Spirit from consuming them. Without being devoured, the Great Immortal would not die, and the two sides would reach an impasse. In the end, victory would hinge on who could endure longer, degenerating into a battle of attrition. That was far too severe a limitation. Mighty Power and Devour Spirit were, after all, divine abilities nurtured by the Flesh Dao Fruit and the Myriad Spirits Dao Fruit. Their constraints were significant. Yet the Illusory Realm was different. The divine ability nurtured by his Mortal Dao Fruit seemed to possess boundless potential, its upper limit nowhere in sight. As long as he continued to refine the Illusory Realm, its future prospects were unimaginable. Moreover, it had no obvious weaknesses, possessing an all-around versatility. It truly was worthy of being nurtured by the Mortal Dao Fruit. And there was good reason why the Mortal Immortal Dao was hailed as the foremost immortal path in the Heaven Realm, even though it was not traditionally known for combat. Now, the comprehensive nature of the Illusory Realm was gradually manifesting, displaying astonishing combat power. His ability to crush the combined force of thirteen Great Immortals had relied primarily on it. It was simply too versatile. Even so, Lu Changsheng still wished to enhance his other two Dao fruits and their corresponding divine abilities. There were times when he still had to rely on them. No matter how versatile the Illusory Realm was, it suffered from one critical drawback: a lack of direct destructive power. After all, it targeted the mental plane. If an opponent possessed an unshakeable will, the Illusory Realm would be of little use. Or if the opponent was not a living being, it would be even less effective. In such moments, the Mighty Power divine ability was indispensable. However, advancing a Dao fruit was inherently difficult, so Lu Changsheng was in no rush. Several days later, the situation in Chiyue City had largely stabilized. Those who wished to leave had already departed, while those remaining had basically resolved to join Changsheng Dao Field. True Immortal Canglan stood before Lu Changsheng and reported, "True Immortal Lu, Chiyue City is prepared. Changsheng Dao Field is far away, so I fear we will need to travel in several batches to reach it." Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng shook his head. "Why make it so troublesome?" With that, he flew directly into the void. Looking down, he saw that the inhabitants of Chiyue City were all gazing up at him, wondering what he intended to do. By now, they understood clearly that they were about to join Changsheng Dao Field. From here on, their fates would be bound tightly to Lu Changsheng. "That must be True Immortal Lu. What is he trying to do?" "No idea. True Immortal Lu is the master of Changsheng Dao Field. Once we join, we can rest easy." "Indeed. True Immortal Lu is extraordinarily young. Even if he cannot advance to Heavenly Immortal, a lifespan of an entire epoch is enough for us to reproduce for countless generations." "Besides, True Immortal Lu is said to possess astonishing talent and stands a very high chance of becoming a Heavenly Immortal. Once he reaches that realm, we will truly never have to worry again..." Many murmured among themselves. They harbored no aversion to joining Changsheng Dao Field. To those below the Immortal Realm, an epoch was an exceedingly long time—more than enough. If he became a Heavenly Immortal, their security would be absolute. Yet none of them knew what Lu Changsheng planned to do at this moment. Lu Changsheng stood quietly in the void, then waved his sleeve. Array flags flew out and planted themselves around Chiyue City. Instantly, an immortal array enveloped the entire city. This was the very immortal array Lu Changsheng had previously used to relocate an immortal vein. If it could move a vein, his intention now was simple: he would directly relocate all of Chiyue City to Changsheng Dao Field. There was no need for its residents to make the arduous, distant journey on foot. That would simply be too slow! "Rise!" With another wave of Lu Changsheng's hand, a tremendous rumble echoed. Chiyue City shook violently as if mountains were collapsing and the earth was splitting. Many within the city struggled to keep their footing. "This is... relocating the entire city?" True Immortal Canglan's jaw dropped in disbelief. Moving mountains and filling seas was certainly within the power of an immortal, but what kind of ordinary immortal could manage this? It was easy to speak of, yet immensely difficult to execute. For a True Immortal, moving a mountain or filling a sea was not hard. But ensuring that the mountain remained completely intact was another matter entirely—much like the immortal vein back then, which had been exceptionally difficult to relocate undamaged. And now, while a True Immortal could indeed lift Chiyue City, ensuring that the people inside suffered no harm was an immense challenge. Yet Lu Changsheng had deployed array flags to lay down the Mountain-Moving Immortal Array, which changed everything. The array was inherently designed to protect whatever mountain range or city it relocated. The people in Chiyue City were thoroughly awestruck. They distinctly felt the ground crack and slowly ascend, until to their utter shock, they realized the entire city was being hoisted into midair. This was not just one or two people; it was an entire city with a population exceeding a million! "Heavens, is this the power of Changsheng True Immortal?" "To move such a massive city directly without harming us in the slightest—such methods are unimaginable!" "I doubt even Great Immortal Chiyue could have accomplished this were he alive!" The residents of Chiyue City had not previously possessed a vivid impression of Lu Changsheng, but now they understood. Even Great Immortal Chiyue could never have wielded such terrifying power. Of course, even Lu Changsheng had to rely on the strength of an immortal array to achieve it. As time passed, Lu Changsheng lifted Chiyue City fully into the void. "Go." Without hesitation, he shouldered Chiyue City and flew swiftly toward Changsheng Dao Field. Such an undertaking created a massive commotion, and he passed over numerous cities along the way. People in those cities looked up at the sky, only to see a colossal city soaring through the void, and were struck with overwhelming shock. A little inquiry soon revealed the illustrious name of Lu Changsheng. Consequently, this feat caused the renown of Changsheng True Immortal to reverberate across the surrounding territories. Scores of True Immortals sought to pay their respects, but Lu Changsheng turned them all away. He was in the middle of transporting a city and had no leisure to entertain visiting True Immortals. Lifting Chiyue City slowed his flight considerably. What would normally take three months from Chiyue City to Changsheng Dao Field took several times longer. In the end, it required a full year before he finally arrived at Changsheng Dao Field. Nevertheless, they arrived safely, and conditions inside Chiyue City had remained stable throughout, as though untouched by the journey. On that day, everyone in Changsheng Dao Field looked up. What did they see? The sky was blotted out, plunging the surroundings into sudden darkness. A colossal city had arrived in the void above Changsheng Dao Field. Everyone in the Dao field was deeply shaken. "What... what is that?" "A city... It looks even larger than Lu City!" "What on earth is happening?" "No, the Ancestor has returned..." Many caught sight of Lu Changsheng. Most within Changsheng Dao Field belonged to the Qi clan, and to them, the Ancestor was Lu Changsheng. Seeing him meant the city was under his control and connected to him, which quickly dispelled their alarm. "Descend." Lu Changsheng located an open expanse within the Dao field. His grounds were vast, more than large enough to accommodate Chiyue City. With a deep rumble, Chiyue City settled down. Despite the tremendous momentum, it touched down smoothly without causing the slightest damage. After all, this was Changsheng Dao Field, where Lu Changsheng was virtually omnipotent. Even without the Mountain-Moving Immortal Array, no danger would arise here. Soon, Chiyue City was securely grounded, and tranquility returned. "Is this Changsheng Dao Field?" "Such dense immortal spirit qi! The old Chiyue City couldn't compare to this by half!" "There's an immortal vein here too? And it's even larger than the one in Chiyue City!" "Changsheng Dao Field has incredible potential. It's truly better than Chiyue City..." The people of Chiyue City surveyed their new surroundings, their initial scrutiny quickly turning to sheer delight. The density of immortal spirit qi was often the measure of a Dao field's foundation. While Lu Changsheng and his Dao field lacked generational heritage, he possessed a large immortal vein—and a growing one at that, destined to become a super-large immortal vein. Naturally, the immortal spirit qi was exceptionally rich, which greatly increased the likelihood of birthing geniuses. *Hmm?* *The immortal vein in Chiyue City and the one in Changsheng Dao Field ought to merge. That way, the vein's power can be fully realized, perhaps even allowing the large immortal vein to evolve prematurely into a super-large one...* With a thought, Lu Changsheng initiated the fusion of the two veins. This process was already second nature to him. Within his Dao field, he could experiment freely without fear of mishap, and even if an issue arose, he could resolve it instantly. The fusion proceeded with total smoothness. Or rather, it was less a fusion than the Dao field's vein outright devouring Chiyue City's vein. After all, the vein of Changsheng Dao Field was capable of growth. Instantly, the concentration of immortal spirit qi within the vein surged violently. Lu Changsheng clearly sensed the vein's transformation—from a large immortal vein into a genuine super-large immortal vein! "A super-large immortal vein is typically something only major immortal sects possess. It serves as the bedrock of a sect. And now, Changsheng Dao Field possesses one as well..." Lu Changsheng felt a trace of emotion. He had known that Changsheng Dao Field would acquire a super-large immortal vein sooner or later, but he had not expected it so quickly. How long had it been since he established the Dao field? Yet now, he already owned one. "With a super-large immortal vein and a vast store of crystal stones, I can cultivate in peace for a while." Lu Changsheng had not forgotten the primary objective of his trip to Chiyue City: to acquire substantial wealth so he could purchase immense quantities of crystal stones. Chiyue City itself held a great deal of crystal stones, which had now been gathered and placed before him. Thus, Lu Changsheng began refining crystal stones once more. One month, three months, five months, eight months... This time, Lu Changsheng remained in seclusion for an extended period. Meanwhile, Changsheng Dao Field continued producing resources and generating wealth, steadily purchasing vast quantities of crystal stones. The buying was on such a scale that the price of crystal stones even edged up slightly. Yet it was only a slight increase. This was where the ubiquitous nature of crystal stones shone. They existed in overwhelming abundance. When Changsheng Dao Field bought heavily, various factions simply ramped up their mining efforts, preventing any true shortage. Without a shortage, prices could hardly rise. When Lu Changsheng created his immortal art utilizing crystal stones, it was precisely this ubiquity he had counted on. Endless shipments of crystal stones were transported to Changsheng Dao Field and brought directly into Lu Changsheng's secret chamber. In the blink of an eye, three years slipped by. On this day, Lu Changsheng's entire body shuddered. Faint golden light seemed to emerge from within his flesh, only to flash and vanish instantly, like an illusion. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. Just moments ago, he had sensed a peculiar transformation taking place within his body. He immediately immersed his awareness inside, thoroughly examining his physical form. What he saw sent a jolt through his heart. He clearly observed wisps of pale golden light emanating from his flesh. They were indeed radiating from deep within his body; it was no hallucination. *Is this... an immortal characteristic?* A possibility crossed his mind: an immortal characteristic! When the physical body was tempered to a certain degree, an immortal characteristic would manifest. Of course, only a single wisp had appeared in Lu Changsheng's body so far, which was nowhere near true physical immortality. He was still far from that stage. Even so, this marked a qualitative change. At the very least, it proved he was on the right path—cultivating with crystal stones could indeed bestow an immortal characteristic upon his flesh. Lu Changsheng immediately brought up his status panel to review his condition. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 31,080,000 (Peerless Through the Ages) Mortal Dao Fruit: 5% (Illusory Realm divine ability) Myriad Spirits Dao Fruit: 42% (Devour Spirit divine ability) Flesh Dao Fruit: 6% (Mighty Power divine ability) Physical Immortal Characteristic: 10% Annihilation Divine Eye: True Immortal Level Slaughter Dao: Ninth Turn Comprehension Deduction: Can consume a large amount of comprehension to deduce On the panel, his comprehension had been climbing steadily, now surpassing thirty-one million. His Mortal Dao Fruit, Flesh Dao Fruit, and Myriad Spirits Dao Fruit had seen little advancement. However, the physical immortal characteristic he cared most about had risen from 2% to 10%. No wonder a wisp of the characteristic had manifested in his flesh—his progress had reached 10%. It seemed hitting that milestone triggered a qualitative shift, birthing that first trace of the immortal characteristic. Though it was merely a single wisp, it represented a fundamental leap forward and provided immense benefits. With this wisp of an immortal characteristic, his body would become far sturdier—at the very least, his defenses were vastly enhanced. For anyone else seeking to completely annihilate his flesh, it would now be extraordinarily difficult. Consequently, any True Immortal who gave birth to an immortal characteristic was cut from a different cloth. Perhaps one could even call such a figure a half-step Heavenly Immortal. Of course, no formal realm called "half-step Heavenly Immortal" existed. Yet birthing an immortal characteristic meant having a tremendous prospect of achieving the Heavenly Immortal realm. It was practically the firmest stride toward becoming a Heavenly Immortal—one foot had already crossed the threshold! This was an accomplishment beyond the reach of many Great Immortals. Despite the gathering of so many Great Immortals and True Immortals in Chiyue City back then, not a single one among them had birthed an immortal characteristic. Developing one was simply that arduous. Even Great Immortal Chiyue, who had survived two physical tribulations, had never managed to produce an immortal characteristic in his body. Lu Changsheng wished to continue cultivating, but the crystal stones accumulated from his trip, as well as those supplied by Changsheng Dao Field, were entirely exhausted. His consumption of crystal stones was simply too staggering. With his reserves depleted, he could not continue his practice. Thus, Lu Changsheng concluded his seclusion and stepped out of the chamber. In the main hall of Changsheng Dao Field, Lu Changsheng summoned Qi Guangmao to inquire about the Qi clan's business affairs. He had no need to ask about matters within the Dao field itself; having complete mastery over it, he was acutely aware of everything that transpired within its borders. The Qi clan's business continued as usual, and thanks to Changsheng Dao Field, it was flourishing even more. Although Lu Changsheng had parted on bad terms with Great Immortal Lu, the latter had not made things difficult for the Qi clan. "Ancestor, there is a matter I must report to you," Qi Guangmao said hesitantly. "What is it?" Qi Guangmao spoke, "Ancestor, do you remember asking us to keep an eye out for a certain person? Recently, we seem to have found some clues regarding him. However, we do not know if he is truly the person you seek." Lu Changsheng gave it a moment's thought before realizing who Qi Guangmao meant. The only person he had asked the Qi clan to watch for was the Giant Axe Immortal. He had not expected to receive clues about him so soon. After all, though they had ascended to the Heaven Realm via the same Road to Ascending Heaven, they had been separated. Lu Changsheng had never heard any news of him before, so finding a lead now was quite unexpected. "Tell me about the clues," Lu Changsheng said. "It is like this: our Qi clan's business has expanded into many regions. While interacting with our partners, we caught wind of a rumor. It is said that a True Immortal named the Giant Axe Immortal ventured into an ancient immortal ruin and obtained an extraordinary immortal treasure. Rumor has it that this treasure can suppress fortune, making it exceptionally suited for establishing a Dao field." "However, the Giant Axe Immortal lacks any backing or background, and news of his acquiring this treasure was leaked. As you can imagine, a host of True Immortals and even Great Immortals are pursuing him, leaving him in dire straits." "Knowing you were searching for the Giant Axe Immortal, but considering the possibility of a shared name, we sent people to investigate his background carefully. As it turns out, his origins are a complete blank. People only know where he first appeared, while everything prior to that is completely unaccounted for—strikingly similar to you, Ancestor..." Qi Guangmao did not finish the sentence. In truth, Lu Changsheng's origins were also mysterious, a fact Qi Guangmao knew well. Lu Changsheng had simply crossed paths with the Qi clan's caravan on the road. As for his life before that, Qi Guangmao had naturally investigated, only to come up entirely empty-handed—as if Lu Changsheng had materialized out of thin air. How could an Ancestor Realm expert leave behind not a single trace? They knew Lu Changsheng harbored an earth-shattering secret, but Qi Guangmao dared not dig deeper. After all, the Qi clan was now thoroughly bound to him. The Giant Axe Immortal they investigated was the same: his past was an absolute void, and no one could uncover any record of his existence prior to his emergence. It was as though he, too, had appeared out of nowhere. This mirror-like past, combined with having the exact name Lu Changsheng had asked them to look for, convinced Qi Guangmao that this treasure-bearing Giant Axe Immortal was indeed the person his Ancestor sought. Lu Changsheng looked at Qi Guangmao. The man was intelligent; there was no need to spell out every detail. The fact that Lu Changsheng had ascended from the Boundary Sea could not remain hidden forever, nor did it matter much. Lu Changsheng had long since learned about ascenders in the Heaven Realm. Though relatively rare, ascendant True Immortals did appear from time to time. "I ascended from the lower realm," Lu Changsheng said slowly. "And that Giant Axe Immortal ascended from the lower realm just like me. Now, I want to know everything about him, including the immortal treasure he obtained. If you can pinpoint his current location, all the better." A tremor ran through Qi Guangmao's heart. *He truly ascended from the lower realm!* Simply being an ascendant immortal was not shocking on its own. But Lu Changsheng was different—he had been in the Ancestor Realm! To ascend from the lower realm as an Ancestor Realm cultivator was terrifying beyond measure. In the history of the Heaven Realm, there had been other Ancestor Realm ascenders. So long as they did not fall along the way, every single one had achieved staggering heights—becoming at least a Heavenly Immortal, or even a formidable mighty figure at the Golden Immortal realm or above! Hearing confirmation directly from Lu Changsheng's own lips set stormy waves crashing in Qi Guangmao's heart. Yet alongside that awe came boundless joy and excitement. This meant that Lu Changsheng's potential was truly immeasurable!