The Century Deadline Approaches, Lu Changsheng Enters the Heavenly Court!

The Kongxiang Bead had an exceptionally wide range of uses. For instance, possessing the Kongxiang Bead naturally granted an innate affinity with space. Upon encountering an enemy, one could directly activate the bead to slip into the void and take refuge, or use it to shuttle through space. It could also stabilize a pocket of space. For example, the spatial crevice had been stabilized using the Kongxiang Bead, remaining completely secure even after all those years. In short, its applications were remarkably vast. When Immortal Venerable Kongxiang roamed beyond the heavens, he had relied on the Kongxiang Bead to turn peril into safety on numerous occasions. Now, however, it had fallen into Lu Changsheng's hands. Lu Changsheng had already brought the bead fully under his control. Aside from the Kongxiang Bead, his greatest gain was the corpse of Immortal Venerable Kongxiang. This was an intact corpse of a Golden Immortal. Many Golden Immortals met their ends through unforeseen disasters or were slain in battle; where would they ever leave behind a corpse? Only when their lifespan reached its limit and the Five Decays of Heaven and Man descended was it possible for a complete corpse to remain. Every Golden Immortal corpse was exceedingly precious. For example, Lu Changsheng could regularly contemplate the immortal dharmic power contained within the corpse of Immortal Venerable Kongxiang. That was immortal dharmic power. Lu Changsheng was currently a Heavenly Immortal. If he wished to advance to a Golden Immortal, he had to achieve immortality of dharmic power. Previously, he had not possessed the slightest clue. Now that he possessed the corpse of a Golden Immortal, he could scrutinize and even dissect the dharmic power within it at length, which would be of immense help to his cultivation. Naturally, cultivation was not something accomplished overnight. Lu Changsheng currently lacked cultivation methods for Heavenly Immortals. Even though he knew he needed his dharmic power to achieve immortality, doing so still required a cultivation method. Creating one out of nothing was impossible for him. No matter how formidable his comprehension was, he could not conjure something from thin air. Perhaps, by slowly comprehending the dharmic power within the Golden Immortal corpse over an extensive period, he might deduce a few techniques. But that would take far too long, its results were not guaranteed to be ideal, and it lacked much practical value. Once Lu Changsheng went to the battlefield beyond the heavens, the issue of cultivation methods would naturally be resolved. Calculating the time, Lu Changsheng realized he had been in the Boundary Sea for over ten years. There were still ninety years left until the century agreement with the Heavenly Court. Ninety years was neither too long nor too short. Lu Changsheng still had one extremely important matter in the Boundary Sea that remained unfinished—a matter that could only be completed within the Boundary Sea. That was filling the Illusory Realm. He wanted to completely reconstruct the entire Boundary Sea inside the Illusory Realm. Previously, it had been nothing more than an outline. Fully fleshing out the Illusory Realm would require an immense amount of time. It was certainly not an overnight task. Earlier, during his fierce battle against the five Immortal Monarchs, Lu Changsheng had relied on the Illusory Realm to suppress them. This had given him confidence. If his Illusory Realm contained an intact Boundary Sea, suppressing five Immortal Monarchs would become even easier. Even obliterating their consciousness would likely be far simpler. With this thought, Lu Changsheng made up his mind. No matter how much time it took, he would completely reconstruct the entire Boundary Sea within the Illusory Realm. Thus, Lu Changsheng remained in the Boundary Sea. He began shuttling to every corner of the Boundary Sea, meticulously reconstructing every inch of it into the Illusory Realm. One year, three years, five years, ten years... Lu Changsheng did only one thing in the Boundary Sea. In the past, even if Lu Changsheng had had several decades, he could never have dreamed of thoroughly reconstructing the Boundary Sea inside the Illusory Realm. After all, the Boundary Sea was simply too vast—so vast that even a Heavenly Immortal could not hope to fly across it in a short span. Now, however, things were different. Lu Changsheng could shuttle through space. No matter how immense the distance, he could cross it in an instant. Traversing the Boundary Sea once was effortless, and doing so ten or a hundred times was just as easy. Relying on spatial shuttling and his top-tier comprehension, Lu Changsheng was confident he could transplant the entire Boundary Sea into the Illusory Realm, reconstructing an identical Boundary Sea within it. The scale of this undertaking was unimaginably massive and intricate beyond measure. Yet with top-tier comprehension, no matter how complex or immense it was, it posed no problem. All it required was time. Ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty years, fifty years... Lu Changsheng stayed for decades, showing no intention of returning to the Heaven Realm. This was also a form of cultivation, except what he cultivated was the Illusory Realm. As Lu Changsheng continuously perfected the Boundary Sea, the progress of the Illusory Realm crept upward bit by bit. However, the pace was exceedingly slow. Once past the fifty percent mark, increasing it further became exceedingly difficult; gaining even one percent was no small feat. Finally, in the ninety-third year since Lu Changsheng's arrival in the Boundary Sea, a roar echoed within the Illusory Realm. Immediately after, the Illusory Realm seemed to transform into the Boundary Sea, identical in every way to the real world—except for time. Within the Illusory Realm's Boundary Sea, everything appeared frozen, devoid of the flow of time, as though fixed in a single eternal moment. Without the flow of time, it would forever remain an illusory realm, incapable of transforming into a true world. Yet it was enough. A satisfied smile appeared on Lu Changsheng's face. He immediately brought up his attribute panel to examine his current attributes: Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension Red Dust Dao Fruit: 90% (Divine Ability: Illusory Realm) Myriad Spirits Dao Fruit: 52% (Divine Ability: Devour Spirit) Flesh and Blood Dao Fruit: 26% (Divine Ability: Mighty Power) Physical Immortal Characteristic: Physical Immortality On the attribute panel, Lu Changsheng's Red Dust Dao Fruit had reached a staggering ninety percent. This appeared to be the limit. No matter how hard Lu Changsheng pushed, he could no longer advance the progress of the Red Dust Dao Fruit. A vague conjecture formed in his mind. If he wanted to elevate the Red Dust Dao Fruit further, there was likely only one path: time. If he could comprehend time, perhaps the Red Dust Dao Fruit would reach perfection. "Time..." Lu Changsheng knew that comprehending time would likely require a fortuitous opportunity. Even with his top-tier comprehension, nearly a century had passed without him grasping the slightest shred of time. Evidently, this was not something comprehension alone could unravel; it certainly required specific opportunities, or perhaps his current realm and cultivation were simply insufficient. Perhaps once he became a Golden Immortal or even a Taiyi Golden Immortal, he might finally grasp an inkling of time. It was definitely out of reach for now. "It is about time. Ninety-three years have passed, leaving only around seven years before the century deadline." "Time to return to the Heaven Realm..." Having essentially settled all affairs upon returning to the Boundary Sea, it was time to head back. He had to honor the century agreement and make his way to the battlefield beyond the heavens; he could not linger in the Boundary Sea indefinitely. A century of preparation had indeed yielded tremendous benefits for Lu Changsheng. Not only had he obtained the Kongxiang Bead, but the progress of his Illusory Realm had reached ninety percent, leaving little room for further advancement. Facing any Heavenly Immortal, Lu Changsheng had nothing to fear. Even against a Golden Immortal, he did not believe the Illusory Realm was completely without a chance of victory. The specifics would require a true test, but in any case, he had secured a substantial layer of protection before heading beyond the heavens. Thus, Lu Changsheng returned to the Immortal Martial Palace. He informed everyone in the palace that he was about to return to the Heaven Realm. An uproar immediately erupted across the Immortal Martial Palace, though none were truly surprised. After all, they had anticipated this long ago. Lu Changsheng was an immortal of the Heaven Realm and would return there sooner or later; that went without saying. "Palace Master, may we follow you to the Heaven Realm?" someone suddenly asked. When a man attained the Dao, even his poultry and dogs rose to heaven—there was truth to that old saying. In the past, if someone in the Boundary Sea reached the immortal realm without yet being a true immortal, attempting to bring others into the Heaven Realm would have been extraordinarily difficult. Yet difficult did not mean impossible. In fact, it could be done. In a sense, Lu Changsheng's own ascension had relied on being brought along by Giant Axe Immortal, though ultimately his own ability had carried him through. Furthermore, Lu Changsheng was far from who he used to be. He was not merely an immortal, but a Heavenly Immortal Monarch! Bringing people along to ascend to the Heaven Realm was no troublesome feat for the current Lu Changsheng. Crucially, he also possessed the Kongxiang Bead to stabilize space, preventing a situation like the one he and Giant Axe Immortal had faced, which had scattered them upon ascension and put them in mortal danger. However, a question remained: whom should he bring, and whom should he leave behind? For a moment, every gaze turned toward Lu Changsheng, brimming with anticipation. "I can bring people," Lu Changsheng said. Joy surged through everyone's hearts. "However, I can only bring a portion, and they must be at the senior Ancestor Realm." "Those newly entered into the Ancestor Realm should remain obediently in the Immortal Martial Palace," Lu Changsheng said flatly. He could not possibly take every single Ancestor Realm cultivator to the Heaven Realm. If he took them all, what would become of the Immortal Martial Palace? As for whether taking the supreme and pinnacle Ancestor Realm cultivators would strip the Immortal Martial Palace of its top combat power, that was not an issue in the slightest. Lu Changsheng intended to leave several flesh avatars behind to oversee the palace. His flesh avatars were practically invincible among supreme Ancestor Realm cultivators. With no immortals left in the Boundary Sea, the supreme Ancestor Realm was the ceiling; no faction could match the Immortal Martial Palace. Hearing that Lu Changsheng could take a portion of the Ancestor Realm cultivators, many grew thrilled, while the remainder felt a pang of disappointment. After all, it was ascension to the Heaven Realm—who wouldn't yearn for it? Lu Changsheng cautioned them, "Even ascending to the Heaven Realm is the same; becoming an immortal remains fraught with difficulties. In fact, remaining in the Boundary Sea and pooling its resources may offer a higher chance of reaching the immortal realm." "When that time comes, ascending through the Road to Ascending Heaven I leave behind will lead directly to the Changsheng Dao Field, allowing you to condense an immortal body and become true immortals!" "Therefore, whether to stay in the Boundary Sea or ascend to the Heaven Realm is a choice I leave to you once more." "Consider it carefully and give me your answers in three days." With that, Lu Changsheng dismissed them to weigh their options. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Changsheng stood before the Road to Ascending Heaven, waiting to see who had chosen to ascend. The first to arrive was naturally Ancestor Powang. In the Boundary Sea, he was already at the supreme Ancestor Realm with nowhere further to advance. Ascending to the Heaven Realm might grant him the opportunity to become a True Immortal. Next came Ancestor Juding and the three Martial Ancestors of the Immortal Martial Palace, all of whom wished to go to the Heaven Realm. Aside from them, more Ancestor Realm cultivators chose to remain in the Boundary Sea this time around. After several days of careful deliberation, several felt it wiser to stay for now, having families, clans, and kin to look after. Moreover, they could cultivate just the same in the Boundary Sea. On the whole, the number of Ancestor Realm cultivators willing to follow Lu Changsheng to the Heaven Realm had slightly decreased. "Very well. Since you have made your decision, let us depart!" Without further delay, Lu Changsheng led the group of Ancestor Realm cultivators directly onto the Road to Ascending Heaven. Within the Road to Ascending Heaven, Lu Changsheng brought several dozen people into the spatial passage. Upon entering, all several dozen were Ancestor Realm cultivators, many of them ordinary ones. They could never withstand the spatial pressure, and relying solely on Lu Changsheng to shelter so many would have been impossible. Only a handful of them could bear the strain, and even then, only with every ounce of their strength. Yet since Lu Changsheng had agreed to bring them along, he naturally had no intention of leading them to their deaths. Hum. In the next instant, facing the terrifying spatial turbulence and crushing pressure, Lu Changsheng flipped his palm, revealing a bead. It was none other than the Kongxiang Bead! "Suppress!" Lu Changsheng called out softly. The Kongxiang Bead radiated wisps of gray light, instantly blanketing the surrounding space. Curiously, once the bead's light enveloped the area, the precarious space instantly stabilized. No matter how fiercely the spatial turbulence battered against it, the space stood rock-solid. Even the crushing spatial pressure seemed to vanish without a trace. The crowd was astonished, gazing at the bead in awe. Seeing this spectacle, they all understood that it had to be a formidable immortal treasure. Lu Changsheng offered no explanation, feeling quite pleased himself. The Kongxiang Bead had always possessed the ability to stabilize space, and now it had proven its worth. Spatial turbulence was extraordinarily terrifying; when Lu Changsheng had forcefully ascended to the Heaven Realm in the past, he had nearly been swept away and killed by it. Fortunately, he had been able to dissect the turbulence back then, or he would have perished long ago. Now, with this Golden Immortal-tier treasure, stabilizing the space was more than enough to ensure the Ancestor Realm cultivators faced no peril. Amidst the spatial currents, everyone felt only a gentle tremor before the surrounding darkness receded, replaced by a magnificent realm brimming with dense immortal spirit qi. "We have arrived!" Lu Changsheng waved his hand, stowing the Kongxiang Bead. "This place is... the Changsheng Dao Field!" Many of the Ancestors felt a tremor of astonishment before realizing where they were: Lu Changsheng's Dao field, and also their destination—the Heaven Realm! Lu Changsheng knew that ascending to the Heaven Realm would naturally leave the Ancestors brimming with curiosity, but he had no desire to spend endless hours explaining things to them. The disciples of the Dao field could handle that. Lu Changsheng summoned personnel from the Dao field to settle the members of the Immortal Martial Palace, then returned to his own cave dwelling within the Changsheng Dao Field. He retrieved his communication stone. "Hm?" A message sat inside the stone. Sent three years prior, it reminded him that only ten years remained before the century agreement. Lu Changsheng knew this was a dispatch from the Heavenly Court. Its purpose was not to rush him, but merely to serve as a reminder lest other matters cause him to miss the century deadline. Once the deadline passed, the Heavenly Court would show no leniency. "Sent three years ago, leaving seven years..." Lu Changsheng was in no hurry. Seven years was more than enough time to reach the Heavenly Court. Even so, Lu Changsheng wanted to acclimate to the Heaven Realm first. He attempted to sense the power of space, hoping to shuttle through space just as he had in the Boundary Sea. Yet upon sensing it, he found it completely ineffective. He could not shuttle through space in the Heaven Realm. Moreover, with his top-tier comprehension, he gained a faint understanding: to shuttle through space in the Heaven Realm would likely require an immense amount of time. Furthermore, the spatial pressure in the Heaven Realm was so immense that even a Heavenly Immortal might not necessarily withstand it. "As expected, space is ever-changing. Its most distinct trait is its mutability." "Every world possesses spatial power, yet each is utterly unique and cannot be universally applied." "To shuttle through space, one can only adapt to the Heaven Realm's space as quickly as possible and sense it gradually." "Unfortunately, there is no time for that..." Lu Changsheng knew he had only a few years left, nowhere near enough to comprehend the spatial power of the Heaven Realm. "Forget it, onward to the battlefield beyond the heavens." Lu Changsheng wasted no more time. Although he was confident he could reach the Heavenly Court in a short period, there was no need to cut it so close. Arriving early was a prudent measure. Thus, Lu Changsheng arranged affairs within the Changsheng Dao Field and set out for the Heavenly Court. He possessed the exact coordinates of the Heavenly Court. Setting off ahead of time, even without spatial shuttling, would not cause significant delay. Along the way, Lu Changsheng encountered no danger. After all, he was already a Heavenly Immortal; outside the battlefield beyond the heavens, Heavenly Immortal Monarchs stood virtually at the pinnacle of the Heaven Realm. Immortals more powerful than that were almost exclusively deployed to the battlefield beyond the heavens. Roughly a year later, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Heavenly Court. "Up ahead lies the Heavenly Court..." Lu Changsheng gazed upon the pavilions and grand towers floating in the void ahead. This appeared to be the true immortal realm, and without a doubt, it was the Heavenly Court! The history of the Heavenly Court was ancient beyond reckoning. Many immortals had no idea when it had first come into being. However, the rumor that a Dao Ancestor backed the Heavenly Court was true. Some even suspected that the Heavenly Court had been established directly by a Dao Ancestor. Yet throughout the ages, the Heavenly Court had maintained a remarkably low profile, never intervening in the internal disputes of the Heaven Realm, to the point that people had nearly forgotten its existence. It was only when the You clan invaded and the Heaven Realm fought a bitter war against them on the battlefield beyond the heavens that the Heavenly Court truly made its presence felt. Over time, backed by the Dao Ancestor, the Heavenly Court had quietly become the overlord of the Heaven Realm. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng flew toward the Heavenly Court. Before long, a True Immortal of the Heavenly Court stepped forward to greet him. "Are you Dao Monarch Changsheng?" "I am," Lu Changsheng nodded. It was only natural for the Heavenly Court to recognize him; since he was bound for the battlefield beyond the heavens, the Heavenly Court would certainly have made appropriate arrangements. "Please follow me, Dao Monarch Changsheng." The True Immortal led Lu Changsheng to a cave dwelling. "Dao Monarch Changsheng, this cave dwelling contains introductory knowledge regarding the battlefield beyond the heavens. You may review it before making your decisions. If there is anything you do not understand, you may ask me at any time. I am Xuanjiu, the True Immortal assigned to attend to you." Lu Changsheng nodded. The cave dwelling was not overly lavish, but it was pristine and orderly. Lu Changsheng noticed an array of jade slips placed within, which presumably held the general knowledge concerning the battlefield beyond the heavens. He extended his consciousness to inspect them. The jade slips outlined basic conditions on the battlefield beyond the heavens. As it turned out, the battlefield operated under a wartime framework. All immortals had to obey orders, much like mortal soldiers. Immortal Monarchs served as mere basic combat units, and more often than not, it was Immortal Monarchs who perished there. Seeing this, Lu Changsheng's heart sank. For Heavenly Immortals to be treated as basic combat units demonstrated just how dire the situation was beyond the heavens. Ordinary Heavenly Immortals were forced to become mere cogs in massive immortal legions, and might even be used as cannon fodder. An Immortal Monarch's physical immortality was of little consequence on the battlefield beyond the heavens, as the You clan and the formidable lifeforms under their command possessed means to destroy an Immortal Monarch's immortal body. However, for Immortal Monarchs newly arriving at the battlefield, the Heavenly Court offered a single opportunity—a chance to avoid becoming cannon fodder. That was ascending the Heavenly Immortal Steps. The Heavenly Immortal Steps was a venue designed purely to test an Immortal Monarch's combat power. It consisted of ten tiers of steps. So long as one climbed high enough, they would be awarded immortal merit prior to entering the battlefield beyond the heavens. Immortal merit could be exchanged for all manner of treasures, cultivation methods, and more. Furthermore, the higher one climbed, the greater the esteem they would command, ensuring that upon entering the battlefield, they would be assigned important roles rather than treated as cannon fodder. This was their sole opportunity. Otherwise, once on the battlefield beyond the heavens, even if one could scale the highest steps, acquiring resources would strictly depend on immortal merit—merit that had to be earned through hard-fought battles, by slaying extraterrestrial races. "Immortal merit..." Lu Changsheng understood that the core of the entire battlefield beyond the heavens was immortal merit. Nothing else mattered; only immortal merit was of consequence. With enough immortal merit, anything could be exchanged! Though he had fought tooth and nail in the Boundary Sea to acquire a Golden Immortal-tier treasure, with sufficient immortal merit on the battlefield beyond the heavens, one could exchange for far more than just Golden Immortal-tier treasures—even immortal treasures far surpassing the Kongxiang Bead were within reach. Thus, attempting the Heavenly Immortal Steps to earn immortal merit before heading to the battlefield was perhaps one of the easiest ways to obtain it. Every Immortal Monarch had this opportunity once and only once. If missed, it was gone forever, and they would have to risk their lives on the battlefield to earn it. Having finished reviewing the jade slips, Lu Changsheng reached a decision. He needed immortal merit to exchange for Heavenly Immortal-tier cultivation methods, making this the ideal moment to attempt the Heavenly Immortal Steps. With that, Lu Changsheng rose and exited the cave dwelling. He saw True Immortal Xuanjiu waiting outside. "True Immortal Xuanjiu, I wish to challenge the Heavenly Immortal Steps. Please lead the way," Lu Changsheng stated directly. True Immortal Xuanjiu nodded. "Please follow me, Immortal Monarch Changsheng." He was not in the least surprised by Lu Changsheng's desire to challenge the steps. It was entirely standard; nearly every Immortal Monarch did so, as it was considered a benefit bestowed by the Heavenly Court. How much immortal merit one could earn depended entirely on their own ability. True Immortal Xuanjiu led Lu Changsheng all the way to the Heavenly Immortal Steps. The so-called Heavenly Immortal Steps were actually a series of massive battle arenas arranged in ascending tiers. From bottom to top, there were ten tiers in total, which was why they were known as the Heavenly Immortal Steps. "The first through third tiers yield no immortal merit whatsoever." "For the fourth through sixth tiers, clearing each tier awards one hundred immortal merit." "For the seventh through ninth tiers, clearing each tier awards one thousand immortal merit." "And the tenth tier... if cleared, awards ten thousand immortal merit!" True Immortal Xuanjiu explained. "Ten thousand immortal merit?" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up slightly. He was not entirely ignorant of the merit system. As far as he knew, exchanging for a Golden Immortal-tier treasure required ten thousand immortal merit. Such a reward was practically astronomical—that was a Golden Immortal-tier treasure! One only had to look at how frenzied the Immortal Monarchs had become over the Golden Immortal treasure in the Boundary Sea. Most Immortal Monarchs could never amass ten thousand immortal merit even if they fought to the death beyond the heavens, which went to show just how precious it was. "What kind of strength is required for the tenth tier?" Lu Changsheng asked. For the tenth tier to offer such an immense reward, it certainly could not be simple. "The tenth tier?" True Immortal Xuanjiu expressed slight surprise, but answered nonetheless. "In all these years, I have never seen anyone clear the tenth tier. However, long ago, it is said that someone did manage to pass it." "As for the required strength... well, the last time an Eight-Tribulation Great Immortal Monarch attempted to clear the tenth tier on the battlefield beyond the heavens, he failed as well. I almost suspect that no Immortal Monarch can ever clear the tenth tier." Lu Changsheng understood. Even an Eight-Tribulation Great Immortal Monarch found it difficult to clear. Could he pass it? Lu Changsheng could not say for sure. After all, he still had no idea what method the Heavenly Immortal Steps used to test combat strength. He did possess a trump card—his Illusory Realm was practically invincible among Heavenly Immortals. However, that required targets with mental consciousness. Against a lifeform devoid of spirit or mind, the Illusory Realm would be useless. Nonetheless, even if he could not clear the tenth tier, clearing the seventh tier or higher would already yield substantial rewards. Lu Changsheng did not rush to challenge it. Other Immortal Monarchs were currently attempting the ascent, and even challengers had to queue up. Lu Changsheng joined the queue, receiving number one hundred eighty-seven, meaning there were one hundred eighty-six people ahead of him. Still, he was unhurried. He still had several years left, which was more than enough. Besides, if things moved quickly, the queue could clear very fast, as many challengers failed to pass even the first three tiers. From beneath the steps, one could observe the battles above; the Heavenly Immortal Steps seemingly intended for everyone to witness the combat. One day, two days, three days... Lu Changsheng maintained some interest at first, but soon grew indifferent. Over so many days, hardly any Immortal Monarch managed to clear the seventh tier. One had reached it, only to fail in the end, which was a great pity. Most could not even clear the first three tiers, walking away without a single point of immortal merit. The Heavenly Immortal Steps were evidently exceedingly arduous; claiming immortal merit was no simple matter. Notably, using immortal treasures was forbidden on the Heavenly Immortal Steps. This made sense; if formidable factions supplied their subordinate monarchs with powerful immortal treasures, it would border on cheating. The Heavenly Court naturally eliminated such a possibility. After waiting on and off for three months, his turn finally arrived. "Number one hundred eighty-seven, Immortal Monarch Changsheng!" Lu Changsheng looked up at the Heavenly Immortal Steps. It was finally his turn. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng soared upward and landed on the first tier. His arrival drew little attention. In the Heavenly Court, "Immortal Monarch Changsheng" held no reputation to speak of, being an unknown figure. Unknowns like him often failed to clear even the first three tiers. "The first tier: an extraterrestrial lifeform at the Heavenly Immortal level!" Lu Changsheng had already learned who the opponents on the Heavenly Immortal Steps were. In truth, they were extraterrestrial lifeforms—the very adversaries they would soon encounter on the battlefield beyond the heavens. Perhaps the steps served an additional purpose: to familiarize the monarchs with their opponents beyond the heavens, preventing them from being caught off guard. Naturally, extraterrestrial lifeforms beyond the heavens were vast and varied. The Heavenly Immortal Steps could only ensure that their overall strength remained comparable; which specific creature one faced came entirely down to luck. Looking at the extraterrestrial being before him, Lu Changsheng recognized it immediately. A lifeform from beyond the heavens—a Ba!