Sweeping the Heavenly Immortal Steps, the Immortals in Uproar!

The Ba was a type of extraterrestrial lifeform with an exceptionally formidable physical body. Its physical resilience was fully comparable to physical immortality. Not only that, but it possessed inexhaustible strength, blistering speed, and terrifying vitality. It was essentially equivalent to an Immortal Monarch of the Physical Immortal Dao. The Ba's greatest asset was its body. Even an Immortal Monarch possessing physical immortality would likely come out worse in a head-on collision of pure flesh and bone unless they walked the Flesh Immortal Dao. On the battlefield beyond the heavens, the Ba were extraordinarily troublesome adversaries. Many Immortal Monarchs had to rely on immortal treasures just to suppress a single one. Here on the Heavenly Immortal Steps, however, Immortal Monarchs were forbidden from using immortal treasures. While this worked immensely to the Ba's advantage, it was borderline catastrophic for the Immortal Monarchs. Deprived of immortal treasures, many Immortal Monarchs would simply be no match for a Ba. Although Lu Changsheng held little fame in the Heavenly Court and drew little attention, there was only one set of Heavenly Immortal Steps. Now that his turn had come, several onlookers still kept their eyes on him. When they saw Lu Changsheng encounter a Ba on the very first step, collective astonishment rippled through the crowd. "That Immortal Monarch ran into a Ba on the first tier? What rotten luck." "Indeed. Without immortal treasures, we Immortal Monarchs are at a huge disadvantage against a Ba. He probably won't even clear the first step. Truly unfortunate." "Still, if the subsequent Immortal Monarchs keep running into Ba as well, the elimination rate will be high and things will move quickly. It might be our turn soon." "I wonder how long this Immortal Monarch can hold out against a Ba?" Murmurs passed among several Immortal Monarchs below. Naturally, their discussions did not center on Lu Changsheng, but on the Ba. After all, the odds of encountering a Ba on the battlefield beyond the heavens were quite high. Gaining advance insight into how a Ba fought and familiarizing themselves with its traits would be beneficial for these Immortal Monarchs when they entered the war beyond the heavens later on. As for Lu Changsheng defeating the Ba? That was far too difficult. Unfamiliar with Lu Changsheng as they were, hardly any Immortal Monarch believed he could emerge victorious. At this moment, standing on the first step, Lu Changsheng was also somewhat surprised. He had encountered a Ba on his very first attempt. From what was said, the Ba specialized in raw power and possessed boundless strength. Only an Immortal Monarch walking the Flesh Immortal Dao could contest it. As it happened, of Lu Changsheng's three Immortal Daos, one was precisely the Flesh Immortal Dao. *Roar...* It moved. The Ba was exceedingly ferocious. It lunged directly at Lu Changsheng the instant it stirred. Its speed was blinding, akin to a streak of light, arriving before Lu Changsheng in the blink of an eye. Yet Lu Changsheng's reaction was just as swift. He threw out a punch of his own. Within him, the Flesh Dao Fruit jolted violently. The divine ability Mighty Power erupted in an instant, colliding viciously against the Ba's fist. *Boom!* The first tier of the Heavenly Immortal Steps seemed to shudder. Below, many Immortal Monarchs were visibly startled. Shock washed over them. Someone was actually choosing to trade blows head-on with a Ba? "Could this Immortal Monarch have attained immortality through the Flesh Immortal Dao?" "It seems highly likely." "The Flesh Immortal Dao! Boundless in strength—it truly can clash with a Ba, or even overpower it!" Those who had paid Lu Changsheng no mind earlier now watched with gleaming eyes. The Flesh Immortal Dao! That path was reputed to possess the foremost combat prowess. To attain Heavenly Immortality via the Flesh Immortal Dao resulted in astonishing martial might. On the battlefield beyond the heavens, many Immortal Monarchs had to lean on immortal treasures. Of course, immortal treasures were inherently a hallmark of the Immortal race, representing an integral part of their power. Yet immortals walking the Flesh Immortal Dao were the sole exception; they required no aid from immortal treasures whatsoever, able to contend directly with extraterrestrial lifeforms through their own bodies. Their combat prowess was downright terrifying. Even across the Heaven Realm, however, few immortals pursued the Flesh Immortal Dao, and fewer still attained Heavenly Immortality. No one had expected an Immortal Monarch of the Flesh Immortal Dao to appear before them right now. Lu Changsheng paid no heed to the thoughts of the onlookers below. This time, he truly had deployed only the divine ability Mighty Power, channeling the raw force of the Flesh Dao Fruit. Combined with the strength of his immortal body, such terrifying power proved too much even for the Ba, sending it flying backward. Yet the Ba had not detonated from that single strike, testifying to its astonishing physical durability; instead, it leaped back into the fray. Lu Changsheng now had a grasp of the creature's prowess. The next instant, he unleashed another blow. *Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!* In an instant, the air filled with an endless flurry of fist silhouettes. The speed was mind-bogglingly swift. Countless phantom fists slammed into the Ba's body. *Bang!* At last, the Ba detonated. Formidable though its body was, it lacked the true physical immortality of an Immortal Monarch. Once blown apart, it was dead. In this single respect, it fell short of a Heavenly Immortal. Yet in pure physical toughness, a Heavenly Immortal could not match a Ba. Which was superior depended entirely on one's cultivation system. In any case, on the battlefield beyond the heavens, most Immortal Monarchs could not suppress a Ba without relying on immortal treasures. Watching the Ba detonate into a mist of blood on the first tier of the Heavenly Immortal Steps, the immortals gathered below gradually fell silent. Their gazes fixed upon the steps. They were thoroughly shaken. That was a Ba. It had been beaten to pieces with bare fists. Crucially, this challenger was not a Great Immortal Monarch. He bore no aura of having transcended the dharmic power tribulation. To blow a Ba apart without being a Great Immortal Monarch was extraordinary. An Immortal Monarch of the Flesh Immortal Dao was bound to shine brightly on the battlefield beyond the heavens. "Remarkable! After all this time, an intriguing Immortal Monarch has finally emerged." "To overpower and obliterate a Ba on the very first step—I wonder how high he can climb?" "Clearing the first three tiers shouldn't pose any problem. I even think he might reach the sixth." "The sixth tier? That still depends on luck." "Who is this Immortal Monarch? His face is utterly unfamiliar..." Murmurs broke out among the Immortal Monarchs as they tried to uncover Lu Changsheng's identity. However, Lu Changsheng had risen far too rapidly from a remote corner of the world. Having joined the Heavenly Court so abruptly, virtually nobody recognized him. Inquiries were made back and forth, but none knew who he was. Lu Changsheng was unaware of the stir his battle had caused, and even had he known, he would not have cared. He was simply pleased. That bout had been thoroughly invigorating. It had been a long time since his divine ability Mighty Power had seen much use. Lately, Lu Changsheng had relied almost exclusively on the Illusory Realm. Upon careful consideration, however, while the Illusory Realm was immensely formidable, it carried limitations: it worked only against beings possessing a conscious mind. What if an adversary had no spiritual consciousness? In that scenario, his Illusory Realm would be useless, leaving him to rely on Mighty Power or Devour Spirit. Three Dao Fruits yielded three divine abilities, and none could be abandoned; all needed to advance in parallel. At present, the Flesh Dao Fruit had the lowest progress—sitting below fifty percent, at a mere twenty-six percent. It lagged far behind the Mortal Dao Fruit and the Myriad Spirits Dao Fruit. *The Flesh Dao Fruit requires refining pure flesh to advance, and not just ordinary flesh at that.* *I wonder if this Ba's flesh will do?* Lu Changsheng hesitated. After all, this was an extraterrestrial lifeform, inherently different from beings of the Heaven Realm. If he refined it rashly, unforeseen complications might arise. Still, the Ba's physical flesh was undeniably potent. Now that it had blown apart, scattering pieces everywhere, Lu Changsheng decided to gather them up first. At worst, he could analyze them slowly later. "Collect." With a thought, Lu Changsheng swept up all the scattered flesh. Whether to refine it would depend on what analysis revealed down the line. So long as analysis showed no hidden dangers, he could proceed with refinement. Having cleared the first tier, Lu Changsheng ascended to the second and third steps. On both tiers, he encountered extraterrestrial lifeforms of the Heavenly Immortal caliber. Yet their prowess fell short of the Ba, and Lu Changsheng blew them apart in short order. Thus, he swiftly cleared the first three tiers and stepped onto the fourth tier of the Heavenly Immortal Steps. Things changed upon reaching the fourth tier. Clearing the first three tiers yielded no immortal merit. From the fourth tier onward, however, every step cleared granted one hundred immortal merit. One could not look down on a hundred immortal merit. On the battlefield beyond the heavens, obtaining that amount was no easy feat—indeed, it was exceedingly difficult, often requiring one to risk life and limb. On the Heavenly Immortal Steps, there was no need to gamble one's life. In times of mortal peril, the steps would protect the Immortal Monarch, teleporting them safely to the base. Thus, challenging the steps involved zero worries or lingering fears, allowing challengers to go all out. On the fourth tier, Lu Changsheng stood on guard with deliberate caution. *Buzz.* Soon, a figure coalesced upon the fourth step. It was not particularly tall, but it was pitch-black. So utterly black, in fact, that its specific appearance could not be discerned, resembling a dark silhouette. Upon seeing this figure, the expressions of many Immortal Monarchs below shifted dramatically. "An extraterrestrial lifeform—the Shadow clan?" "To think it's the Shadow clan! Why would such a vexing creature appear on the fourth tier?" "None appeared before. I can't tell if this Immortal Monarch is unlucky or fortunate to encounter the Shadow clan." "The Shadow clan isn't particularly strong in direct combat, but they are horrifyingly difficult to deal with because they are almost impossible to kill. Only specific, specialized immortal treasures can destroy them." "Indeed. The Shadow clan is said to tread within shadows, lacking a defined physical form beyond a dark silhouette. Yet they are insidious, able to possess an immortal's body. With the slightest lapse in vigilance, an Immortal Monarch can be influenced or even controlled by them." "The Shadow clan is treacherous. Word has it that once they possess a target, they launch mental assaults that are nearly impossible to guard against." Many of the Immortal Monarchs were familiar with the Shadow clan. They were notoriously troublesome. While numerous Heavenly Immortal-level lifeforms inhabited the battlefield beyond the heavens, the Shadow clan was among the least liked by the Immortal race. They were stubborn, vile, and near-impossible to kill, clinging tenaciously once they attached themselves. Lu Changsheng had also heard of the Shadow clan. Though he had never encountered one in person, he had read about their traits from the Heavenly Court's jade slips back in his cave dwelling. *Hard to kill?* A sharp light flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. *Boom!* The next instant, he drove a fist forward. The force behind this blow was tremendous—so immense that the void faintly trembled. Caught squarely by Lu Changsheng's punch, the Shadow clan creature burst apart on impact. It literally detonated. The single mass of black shadow fractured into dozens of distinct silhouettes. Lu Changsheng froze slightly. Dozens of silhouettes meant dozens of Shadow clan entities. This was their signature technique: clones. Crucially, each of these avatars shared an identical aura. Even Heavenly Immortals struggled to tell them apart. Only through direct contact could one discern which were clones and which was the true body. Yet once contact occurred, an Immortal Monarch would find themselves in grave peril. *Bizarre indeed.* *Still, I don't believe it's truly unkillable.* Lu Changsheng refused to believe the Shadow clan was unkillable. If that were true, wouldn't they be invincible on the battlefield beyond the heavens? Lu Changsheng threw punch after punch. Every strike shook the surroundings as the Shadow clan entities were shattered again and again. Yet whenever a clone was destroyed, it simply dissolved, while the true body deliberately generated further splits. Consequently, the swarm of Shadow clan silhouettes before Lu Changsheng only seemed to multiply. *Hmph.* *These avatars are beneath notice. As for being hard to kill, it's merely difficult to grind away their physical forms.* *In that case...* With a shift of Lu Changsheng's intent, the Myriad Spirits Dao Fruit jolted lightly. "Divine ability, Devour Spirit!" A colossal black hole suddenly manifested in the void. It appeared unfathomably deep and mysterious. A terrifying suction force surged from within, pulling in all dozens of Shadow clan avatars in a single sweep. The immortals below erupted into an uproar. Experienced and knowledgeable, they understood immediately what this signified. "A heaven-bestowed divine ability! That's his second heaven-bestowed divine ability!" "Possessing a second heaven-bestowed divine ability means he holds two Dao Fruits!" "An Immortal Monarch with two Dao Fruits is a supreme prodigy! How could he have been completely unknown?" "This second heaven-bestowed divine ability also appears extraordinary. With two Dao Fruits and two exceptional divine abilities, his foundation is far deeper than ordinary Immortal Monarchs—he possesses a Golden Immortal foundation!" "I knew the Heavenly Court was a gathering of talents and powerhouses from all quarters, but I never expected to see an Immortal Monarch with a Golden Immortal foundation so soon. No wonder he could dispatch a Ba with ease despite not being a Great Immortal Monarch." "Still, impressive though this divine ability is, it seems to be of the devouring variety. Can it truly obliterate the Shadow clan? Don't forget, the Shadow clan can possess bodies..." For a time, the gaze of nearly every immortal turned toward the fourth tier of the Heavenly Immortal Steps, fixed entirely upon Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng's attention was fully focused inside the black hole of his Devour Spirit ability. He could distinctly sense the divine ability steadily grinding away at the Shadow clan creature. As for the avatars? The instant they were drawn into Devour Spirit, they had been eradicated. After all, the current Devour Spirit was far beyond what it once was; having surpassed fifty percent progress, it had undergone a profound qualitative transformation. *Pfft.* Within moments, a faint smile surfaced on Lu Changsheng's face. The extraordinarily troublesome Shadow clan entity had failed to hold out for even a few breaths before being thoroughly ground into oblivion by the divine ability. *Devour Spirit is vastly different from before. With its progress past fifty percent, its power has surged dramatically.* *More importantly, the Shadow clan's supposed immortality seems directly countered by Devour Spirit. Stripped of that invulnerability, they pose no threat to me—a single divine ability suffices to wipe them out!* Thoughts raced through Lu Changsheng's mind. The Shadow clan might indeed be a nightmare for other Immortal Monarchs, but to Lu Changsheng, armed with Devour Spirit, they were hardly worth mentioning. Seeing Lu Changsheng actually obliterate the Shadow clan creature, shock settled over the onlookers. "He eradicated even a member of the Shadow clan with ease. If this Immortal Monarch enters the battlefield beyond the heavens, he will take to it like a fish to water." "First a Ba, now the Shadow clan, and neither could halt his stride." "The first six tiers probably hold no real challenge for him." "Could he possibly clear the seventh tier?" Any lingering condescension vanished from the minds of the Immortal Monarchs, replaced by deep solemnity. Events unfolded precisely as they foresaw. After effortlessly erasing the Shadow clan on the fourth tier, Lu Changsheng encountered further extraterrestrial lifeforms on the fifth and sixth tiers. Combining his divine abilities Mighty Power and Devour Spirit, he cleared both without incident. Traversing the fourth through sixth tiers yielded him three hundred immortal merit. To Lu Changsheng, none of this presented the slightest difficulty. Now, he had stepped onto the seventh tier. He was well aware that the seventh tier was a watershed threshold. Many formidable Great Immortal Monarchs had fallen on this very step. From the seventh to the ninth tiers, the reward for each cleared step was one thousand immortal merit—more than the fourth through sixth tiers combined. This alone reflected the sheer difficulty of the seventh tier. Clearing it was arduous in the extreme. Yet Lu Changsheng remained thoroughly composed as he set foot upon the seventh step. *Buzz.* Shortly after, a figure black as ink manifested on the platform. It was humanoid in shape. Yet the moment this figure appeared, widespread clamor erupted among the immortals below. "That's... the Demon-kin!" "The exceptionally rare Demon-kin! To think he would encounter one here!" "Hmph, the Demon-kin are all traitors—fallen degenerates seduced by the You clan..." Rage saturated the voices of the watching Immortal Monarchs. Their fury far exceeded the disgust they had shown toward the Shadow clan. Unabashed killing intent radiated from the assembly, born of bone-deep hatred toward these Demon-kin. "The Demon-kin... the legendary immortals seduced, corrupted, and ultimately transformed by the You clan!" "In other words, you were once an immortal—perhaps even an Immortal Monarch!" Lu Changsheng stared intently at the figure before him. Simply put, the Demon-kin were traitors to the Immortal race. They had betrayed their kind, defected to the You clan, and been remade by them into full members of the extraterrestrial lifeforms. The pitch-black Demon-kin looked at Lu Changsheng and spoke slowly, "Indeed, I was once an exalted Immortal Monarch. Yet even Immortal Monarchs fear death. Unwilling to die, I had no choice but to yield to the You clan in the face of despair." "I never imagined I would still be captured, dragged back, and cast onto these Heavenly Immortal Steps to serve as a whetstone for you Immortal Monarchs." "Yet whether a whetstone or a Demon-kin, I desire only to live. So long as there is the slimmest chance of survival, I will give everything, sparing no cost!" "Besides, you Immortal Monarchs who have yet to tread the battlefield beyond the heavens are nothing more than cannon fodder. I know all your tricks, but do you know mine?" The Demon-kin laughed—a wild, uninhibited laugh. Those who became Demon-kin had cast aside all dignity and restraint, resorting to any means necessary. However, they could never betray the You clan. Having been remade by the You clan's own hands, they would immediately fall under the You clan's direct control if they ever faced them again. Consequently, captured Demon-kin could never be sent back to the battlefield beyond the heavens to fight the You clan; they could only be placed upon the Heavenly Immortal Steps to act as whetstones for aspiring Immortal Monarchs. Yet there was no denying that these Demon-kin were exceptionally formidable. Whether an Immortal Monarch could successfully temper themselves against them depended entirely on their own strength. *Whoosh.* The Demon-kin moved. Thoroughly familiar with how Immortal Monarchs fought, it brandished a pitch-black blade. The weapon appeared entirely unassuming, yet in a split second, it arrived right before Lu Changsheng. A slash carved through the air. Swift, precise, and ruthless. There was no earth-shaking commotion—only the absolute concentration of all its power focused into this single strike. The cut made even Lu Changsheng sense a hint of peril. It felt as though, should the blade land, even his immortal body might crumble. This was the unique danger of the Demon-kin: having been modified by the You clan, their attacks possessed the ability to pierce the physical immortality of Immortal Monarchs, allowing them to slay immortals outright. Of course, doing so still required considerable effort. An immortal body was an immortal body after all, not easily broken or eradicated. Nevertheless, the Demon-kin possessed the genuine ability to injure and kill Immortal Monarchs. *Squelch.* Unexpectedly, Lu Changsheng made no move at all. He allowed the blade to plunge straight into his flesh. "What?" "He... how could he let a Demon-kin's attack strike his body?" "Too arrogant! Even if an Immortal Monarch possesses physical immortality, Demon-kin modified by the You clan have the power to damage and destroy it! Taking a direct hit means severe injury if not death!" "Even if this Immortal Monarch possesses two Dao Fruits and two heaven-bestowed divine abilities, suffering a direct hit out of sheer hubris will spell his end. He'll likely fall right here on the seventh tier." "What a pity..." Seeing Lu Changsheng make no attempt to block, letting the Demon-kin's blade impale him, the Immortal Monarchs below were stunned, followed quickly by regret. The Demon-kin's dreadfulness was well known. Not even an immortal body could withstand it unhindered. Weathering such an attack with one's physical form alone never led to a good outcome. Not only were the onlookers shocked, but even the Demon-kin was taken aback. It had not anticipated that Lu Changsheng would stand completely motionless, taking the blow head-on. What was he thinking? Yet the Demon-kin did not hesitate. It sought to unleash even greater force, intending to obliterate Lu Changsheng's flesh in a single burst. *Boom!* The blade light erupted, its terrifying energy instantly engulfing Lu Changsheng's form, seemingly shredding his body to pieces. "Hmm?" Yet the Demon-kin felt no triumph. A strange sensation crept into its heart. It had just torn Lu Changsheng's flesh apart, yet something felt deeply amiss. Terribly amiss. Had that truly been the opponent's body? *No, that wasn't his body...* Realizing something, the Demon-kin whipped around. Standing behind it, Lu Changsheng was completely unharmed, without the slightest scratch upon him. "How is this possible?" The Demon-kin could hardly believe its eyes. Though captured and placed on the steps, it had been subdued not by an Immortal Monarch, but by a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Against beings at the Immortal Monarch level, it retained supreme confidence. It had slain several Immortal Monarchs on the battlefield beyond the heavens. Yet facing Lu Changsheng, a sense of grave peril gnawed at its heart. How could a full-powered slash fail to even injure him? This defied all logic. "Die!" The Demon-kin roared once more. A single slash multiplied into countless blade silhouettes, blanketing the sky as they swept down viciously upon Lu Changsheng. *Boom!* The entire Heavenly Immortal Steps shuddered. Endless blade phantoms descended, leaving Lu Changsheng nowhere to dodge as he was swallowed by the storm of light. This time, there was no escaping. Yet as the dust settled, Lu Changsheng's figure had vanished once more. "If this is the extent of your capability, you leave me thoroughly disappointed." Lu Changsheng's voice echoed from behind the Demon-kin again. *Swish!* The Demon-kin whipped around. Beholding Lu Changsheng standing once more without a scratch, sheer shock overtook its face. It could not fathom what it was seeing. Unharmed once again? It knew the physical immortality of Immortal Monarchs well—it had once been an Immortal Monarch itself, possessing that same resilient form. Yet even an Immortal Monarch of the Flesh Immortal Dao could never possess a body tough enough to shrug off its all-out strikes as though nothing had happened. An Immortal Monarch simply could not be this strong! While the Demon-kin grew frantic, the Immortal Monarchs below furrowed their brows in utter bewilderment. What had they just witnessed? The Demon-kin had merely been hacking blindly at empty air around Lu Changsheng. Each wave of blade energy had been terrifying and visually spectacular, but none of it had even grazed him. Lu Changsheng had stood in the exact same spot the entire time, without moving an inch. It looked as though the Demon-kin had simply flown into an unprovoked frenzy. What was going on? This could not be mere luck; a Demon-kin would not lose its mind for no reason. "Could it be an illusion technique?" Someone guessed. Illusions could produce such a scene. Yet the Demon-kin had once been an Immortal Monarch—what illusion could possibly bewilder a former Immortal Monarch so completely? That should have been impossible! Regardless of their confusion, the reality remained before them. Having gauged the Demon-kin's capabilities, Lu Changsheng saw no need to delay any longer. "Divine ability, Mighty Power!" He threw a punch that landed squarely upon the Demon-kin's body. *Bang!* The Demon-kin's form instantly burst. Though it had once been an Immortal Monarch with physical immortality, its transformation into a Demon-kin by the You clan had granted it heightened destructive power at the cost of that immortality. Thus, Lu Changsheng's punch blew it apart, annihilating it outright. The creature had stood there like a living target, offering no resistance whatsoever as it took the fatal blow. It was dead. A formidable Demon-kin had been slain by Lu Changsheng just like that. The entire process had seemed almost absurdly simple, yet the creature was undeniably dead. Confusion gripped the onlookers below, none able to comprehend what had occurred. Only Lu Changsheng understood. The Demon-kin had not gone mad, nor had it fallen to an illusion. It was the Illusory Realm! Lu Changsheng had deployed the Illusory Realm. Because the Illusory Realm was so profoundly imperceptible, drawing the Demon-kin inside had occurred without the creature even realizing it, let alone the spectators below. With the realm's current level of completion, trapping a Demon-kin was child's play. The rest had been trivial: once trapped in the Illusory Realm, the creature's physical body became an immobile target, ripe to be obliterated by a single divine ability. To the Immortal Monarchs watching from below, Lu Changsheng appeared to have dispatched the Demon-kin with even greater ease than his foes on the first six tiers. Then came the eighth and ninth tiers. Both featured Demon-kin as well. Naturally, these were no ordinary specimens, but formidable beings equivalent to Great Immortal Monarchs of the three-tribulation and six-tribulation levels. The result? Employing the exact same method, Lu Changsheng effortlessly obliterated both Demon-kin, smoothly clearing the ninth tier. Witnessing this, many Immortal Monarchs stood dumbfounded, struck speechless for a long time. Were the Demon-kin truly so weak? No, they were not weak. If they were weak, why had so many Immortal Monarchs failed to pass the seventh tier? It was not that the Demon-kin were weak, but that Lu Changsheng was too strong! Every single Immortal Monarch had misjudged him. From the first to the sixth tier, Lu Changsheng had not even used his full strength. Even across the seventh to ninth tiers, he appeared not to have gone all out. Could he truly clear the tenth tier?