He Has Come: Immortal Venerable Changsheng Descends upon the Battlefield!

Once, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm had been like a flat painting, completely static. Everything within it had been frozen. Yet, as Lu Changsheng simulated a "River of Time," movement began to stir inside the Illusory Realm. First was the Illusory Realm's Boundary Sea, where faint currents of air began to drift. Then this expanded across the entire Boundary Sea. Above the Boundary Sea lay the Heaven Realm. That was a portion of the Heaven Realm constructed by Lu Changsheng. Likewise, an invisible current began to flow there as well. The Illusory Realm remained the Illusory Realm, still illusory. Yet now, the Illusory Realm was set in motion. "The River of Time..." Lu Changsheng understood the cause of it all. The River of Time. It was precisely because he had simulated a River of Time. As a result, like dotting the eyes of a painted dragon, it brought the entire Illusory Realm to life. From then on, Lu Changsheng would no longer need to pay much conscious attention to the Illusory Realm, because it would develop on its own. Given time, earth-shaking changes might well unfold within it. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng felt a sensation of falling all around him. Then he opened his eyes and looked around. He was still in the Dao Ancestor Hall. And before him still sat Pan Ancestor. "It is over?" Lu Changsheng felt as if a lifetime had passed. "Half a shichen has already elapsed. Judging by your expression, Immortal Venerable Changsheng, you must have reaped a great harvest." Pan Ancestor looked at Lu Changsheng calmly, as if able to see through everything. "Thank you, Pan Ancestor!" Lu Changsheng took his leave respectfully, left the Dao Ancestor Hall, and returned to his cave dwelling. Inside his cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng summoned his status panel almost immediately to inspect his current condition. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension Red Dust Dao Fruit: Consummate (Illusory Realm Divine Ability) Myriad Spirits Dao Fruit: 90% (Devour Spirit Divine Ability) Flesh and Blood Dao Fruit: 90% (Mighty Power Divine Ability) Avatar-Fused Body Method: 49,000 avatars On the status panel, the progress of Lu Changsheng's Red Dust Dao Fruit had actually leaped from ninety percent straight to consummation! "Consummate..." Lu Changsheng's heart stirred. A consummate Dao Fruit meant that one could merge it into the Heaven Realm with virtually a hundred percent chance of success, without any complications! Once the Dao Fruit was integrated into the Heaven Realm, Lu Changsheng would be a Taiyi Immortal Venerable! Who could have imagined that so soon after ascending to Immortal Venerable, he would already be on the verge of breaking through to Taiyi? Yet Lu Changsheng knew better than anyone how difficult it had been for his Dao Fruit to reach consummation. He had begun cultivating his Dao Fruit back when he was still an Immortal Monarch. It meant he had been cultivating his Dao Fruit concurrently since his time as an Immortal Monarch. Even so, he had previously hit a bottleneck. Yet this time, expending a full five hundred thousand immortal merit just to observe the River of Time for half a shichen and attempting to simulate it inside the Illusory Realm had actually pushed the Red Dust Dao Fruit to consummation. It seemed his earlier deduction had been entirely correct. The rule of time was of utmost importance. However, even though the Illusory Realm now possessed a River of Time, that did not mean Lu Changsheng had comprehended the rule of time. In truth, Lu Changsheng had not comprehended it at all. He did not even understand why the River of Time he had simulated had caused such changes in the Illusory Realm. He had merely copied what he saw, mimicking the River of Time within the Illusory Realm. He could neither perceive the rule of time nor truly understand the River of Time. Yet that did not matter. His Red Dust Dao Fruit was now consummate. He could take his time to slowly comprehend the rule of time later. "However, two of my Dao Fruits are not yet consummate. To ascend to Taiyi, all three Dao Fruits must merge into the Heaven Realm. Merging non-consummate Dao Fruits carries a certain risk. If I choose to integrate all three together right now, I might fail..." Lu Changsheng remained clear-headed, not letting the consummation of his Red Dust Dao Fruit go to his head. He was not yet a Taiyi Immortal Venerable. At the very least, the two incomplete Dao Fruits were holding him back. When Lu Changsheng ascended to Taiyi, he wanted absolute certainty—he had no desire to take risks and rely on luck. The only way forward was to cultivate the remaining two Dao Fruits to consummation as well. Yet Lu Changsheng also knew that cultivating the remaining two Dao Fruits to consummation was no simple task. Moreover, he currently had few leads. In that case, he might as well study the Illusory Realm further. "Before the Illusory Realm was consummate, it could govern forty-nine thousand avatars." "Now that it is consummate, how many avatars can it govern?" Lu Changsheng could not help feeling a surge of anticipation. His greatest combat strength right now was not the Illusory Realm, but his forty-nine thousand Ancestor Realm avatars! The more avatars he had, the stronger his combat power would be. Previously, what restricted Lu Changsheng's avatar count was consciousness. By using the Illusory Realm to control the avatars, he had ingeniously bypassed the problem of weak consciousness. Yet the Illusory Realm also had its limits. Now that the Illusory Realm was consummate, Lu Changsheng knew that the number of avatars he could govern had definitely increased. Just how many more, however, he was not certain. He would have to test it in practice. However, cultivating avatars required exchanging immortal merit for resources. Previously, Lu Changsheng had possessed plenty of immortal merit. Now, he only had twenty-two thousand seven hundred immortal merit left. Such a meager amount could hardly support him in cultivating many more avatars. When thinking of immortal merit, Lu Changsheng naturally thought of the You clan right away. Although the You clan and the immortal race were broadly in a state of standoff, localized friction and clashes still occurred. Immortal Monarchs in particular engaged in ceaseless slaughter. Furthermore, because the battlefield beyond the heavens had fallen, fighting was now within the Heaven Realm—the immortal race's home turf. Even in a standoff, the immortal race actually held the upper hand. Thus, the immortal race no longer held back with any reservations. Not only did Immortal Venerables enter the fray, even Taiyi Immortal Venerables and Daluo Immortal Venerables would occasionally clash in great battles. Of course, those were only sporadic battles, not large-scale engagements. The You clan refused to be outdone. The sporadic clashes between both sides were exceptionally intense. Slaying an extraterrestrial lifeform or a You clan member yielded vast amounts of immortal merit, just as it had on the battlefield beyond the heavens. "Then let's take a look at the battlefield." Lu Changsheng left his cave dwelling and headed straight for the battlefield. The number of immortals on the battlefield was not actually that large. Many Taiyi Immortal Venerables had departed to roam the chaos, so there were few Taiyi Immortal Venerables present. However, Immortal Venerables and Immortal Monarchs were abundant. A battlefield was a battlefield after all; it still required Immortal Venerables and Immortal Monarchs to hold the defense line. With prolonged standoff, clashes naturally broke out frequently. Many immortals took the initiative to hunt down You clan members for immortal merit. The moment Lu Changsheng showed himself, he immediately caused a sensation. Yes, an outright sensation. Lu Changsheng was no ordinary Immortal Venerable. Since advancing to Immortal Venerable, he had not taken part in a single battle. Yet his reputation was extraordinarily high. His battle against Lin in the chaos had been the focus of ten thousand eyes. He had even been hailed as the foremost Immortal Monarch throughout all eternity. Of course, Lu Changsheng was no longer an Immortal Monarch. He was an Immortal Venerable! After advancing to Immortal Venerable, his physical body grew stronger by the day, nourished by immortal dharmic power. Still, his primary combat strength rested upon his forty-nine thousand avatars and his consummate Illusory Realm. Especially the consummate Illusory Realm. Lu Changsheng faintly sensed that his consummate Illusory Realm had undergone unpredictable changes. It was likely that even Immortal Venerables and commanders would be suppressed by it! "Immortal Venerable Changsheng, are you preparing to enter the battlefield?" Just then, an Immortal Venerable approached Lu Changsheng and asked. Lu Changsheng recognized him; he had served under Immortal Venerable Kuhai and was named Immortal Venerable Guxuan. "Immortal Venerable Guxuan, what is the current situation on this battlefield?" Lu Changsheng was in no hurry. Though confident in his strength, he still needed to understand the present conditions clearly. He could not simply plunge headlong into the battlefield. What if he encountered a king-level powerhouse among the You clan? A king-level powerhouse of the You clan rivaled a Daluo Immortal Venerable. Though rare, under the current circumstances, anything could happen. Immortal Venerable Guxuan glanced at Lu Changsheng and said with a smile, "Immortal Venerable Changsheng, the battlefield right now is exceedingly lively. Although smaller in scale compared to before, the intensity of combat is not the least bit inferior—in fact, it even surpasses it." "Oh?" Lu Changsheng was intrigued. "In the past, although the battlefield was vast, the chaos battlefield had its limitations. Immortal Venerables rarely entered the fray, and the slaughter was mostly among Immortal Monarchs. "Now things are different. Immortal Monarchs, Immortal Venerables, and Taiyi Immortal Venerables can all enter the field. At times, even Daluo Immortal Venerables take action without any reservations. "So while the battlefield is not massive in size, it is actually perilous." Lu Changsheng understood. From the look of it, the battlefield was indeed fraught with extreme danger. One careless move could lead to death. Still, that was all. With Lu Changsheng's current strength, as long as he was not too far from the Heaven Realm, he could retreat calmly even if he ran into an expert at the Daluo Immortal Venerable level. As for the Taiyi Immortal Venerable level, it was far from certain whether they could withstand Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm. "Thank you for clarifying, Immortal Venerable Guxuan. "I am just about to enter the battlefield to sweep away the You clan!" With that, Lu Changsheng took a step and instantly flew into the battlefield. This sight left Immortal Venerable Guxuan slightly stunned. He had spoken so much and explained at length to show that the battlefield was nothing like before—now chaotic and dangerous—hoping Immortal Venerable Changsheng would think twice before acting. Yet Lu Changsheng had resolutely stepped onto the battlefield anyway. Not only Immortal Venerable Guxuan, but many Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Venerables saw Lu Changsheng enter the battlefield. They were equally astonished. Yet after their astonishment came excitement. After all, Immortal Venerable Changsheng was the one who had slain a royal bloodline of the You clan in the battle of chaos. Even now, people talked about it with relish. And now that Lu Changsheng had returned to the battlefield, what kind of waves would he stir? "Hahaha! Immortal Venerable Changsheng has finally stepped onto the battlefield again. Things are about to get lively!" "I didn't get to watch the battle in the chaos last time, which was truly a great regret. But now we have another chance! We must go and witness Immortal Venerable Changsheng display his divine might!" "Indeed. With Immortal Venerable Changsheng entering the battlefield, waves are bound to rise. We must go see." "That might not be true. The battlefield today is not what it used to be. There are many You clan commanders, grand commanders, and even king-level beings on the field. If he encounters one of them, Immortal Venerable Changsheng might face dire peril." "Indeed, times have changed. There are even emperor and saint bloodlines among the You clan, not the least bit inferior to royal bloodlines—perhaps even stronger. Immortal Venerable Changsheng might not be able to sweep through invincible as he did on the chaos battlefield..." Many immortals discussed among themselves. Regardless, with Lu Changsheng entering the battlefield, the area grew noticeably livelier. Within the battlefield, the You clan actually still held the advantage. The reason was simple: the You clan's actual combat strength was indeed somewhat superior. Especially now that powerhouses of the You clan's royal bloodline, emperor bloodline, and saint bloodline had appeared on the battlefield one after another, making the You clan even stronger. These three great bloodlines could not truly be ranked above or below one another. They represented three distinct paths of physical body cultivation within the You clan. All three were physical body methods created after the You clan ancestor observed a "Chaos Origin Lifeform," branching out into three separate bloodlines. All focused on physical cultivation; only their specific orientations differed slightly. In recent years, experts of the emperor and saint bloodlines had emerged in droves, gradually overshadowing the royal bloodline. Yet that did not prove these two bloodlines were stronger than the royal bloodline. Internally, however, the three bloodlines looked down on one another, locked in constant rivalry. The last time Lin was slain by Lu Changsheng, the royal bloodline had lost all face, becoming practically the laughingstock of the You clan. Now, many emperor- and saint-bloodline powerhouses roamed the battlefield unchecked and invincible, cutting a dashing figure. The You clan's "Shengyuan" was a standout among the saint bloodline, a top commander. "Devour." Before Shengyuan stood numerous Immortal Monarchs. Manifesting an enormous body, Shengyuan opened his mouth and swallowed them whole. This was the cultivation path of the saint bloodline: devouring! Any energy was devoured directly. Even if something could not be consumed, the devouring method could suppress the opponent. It was truly terrifying. Of course, while devouring was formidable, their physical body toughness was slightly inferior to the royal and emperor bloodlines; their cultivation speed, however, was exceptionally fast. Shengyuan seemed unsatisfied, having devoured only this small amount. "Report, Commander Shengyuan! News just came in that Lu Changsheng, Immortal Venerable Changsheng of the immortal race, has entered the battlefield!" A member of the You clan suddenly arrived to report. "Hmm?" "Lu Changsheng has entered the battlefield?" "Heh heh, excellent, truly excellent! That Lu Changsheng finally dared to enter the battlefield. Back then, Lin thoroughly disgraced our You clan. Those royal bloodlines are all useless trash, allowing a mere Immortal Monarch to slay him. "However, if he crosses my path, I'll swallow him whole!" Shengyuan seemed delighted, even expectant. Back then, Lin's death at Lu Changsheng's hands had caused an uproar within the You clan. The emperor and saint bloodlines had mocked the royal bloodline mercilessly, nearly leaving them unable to hold their heads high. Now that Lu Changsheng had become an Immortal Venerable and appeared on the battlefield, Shengyuan naturally hoped to devour him. That would further prove the saint bloodline's superiority over the royal bloodline, and he could make a name for himself in a single battle, gaining esteem among the saint bloodline. However, the prerequisite was finding Lu Changsheng first. "Go. Instruct everyone to report to me immediately if there is any intelligence on Lu Changsheng." "Yes, Commander." Shengyuan's subordinate departed. They were not in the chaos now, but in the region converted by the You clan. In this place, it was just like being in the You clan's homeland. The You clan could transmit messages with ease. Once Lu Changsheng's whereabouts were discovered, they could move out immediately. "Lu Changsheng... you will definitely be mine!" A sharp glint flashed in Commander Shengyuan's eyes. ... *Swish.* Lu Changsheng had already entered the battlefield. "Hmm?" "This place... is entirely different from the chaos, and also different from the Heaven Realm. "However, fighting here is much more convenient than in the chaos, without so many restrictions." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. This area was converted by the You clan. By rights, it could no longer be considered part of the Heaven Realm. Yet it was still better than being in the chaos. A converted region, even if styled after the You clan's homeland, was still a chaos world. A chaos world was naturally suited for cultivators. Lu Changsheng tested it. Transmitting messages within this region posed no issue. Even transmitting back to the Heaven Realm was not a problem. Though converted, it had after all once been a part of the Heaven Realm. A connection still existed between them. Being able to transmit messages undoubtedly made Lu Changsheng much safer. If it came down to a critical moment, at worst he could message Pan Ancestor. Lu Changsheng was not one to underestimate his own worth. He knew his standing in Pan Ancestor's eyes. It was naturally unlike that of ordinary Immortal Venerables. If he sent a distress message in a life-or-death crisis, Pan Ancestor would certainly intervene to save him. Of course, with his current strength, Lu Changsheng felt there would not be many occasions where he would face a life-or-death crisis. Lu Changsheng swept out his consciousness. This was not the chaos; while there was some obstruction to consciousness, it was not significant. With this sweep, Lu Changsheng immediately detected something. "There are You clan members over there..." Immediately, Lu Changsheng turned into a streak of light and sped away. Soon, Lu Changsheng arrived at the area. Sure enough, there were You clan members besieging a group of Immortal Monarchs. Yes, Immortal Monarchs. There were roughly three You clan beings plus over a dozen extraterrestrial lifeforms. Yet not a single commander among them. "Illusory Realm!" *Boom!* As Lu Changsheng spoke, the Illusory Realm pressed down, enveloping everyone within its expanse. Even those Immortal Monarchs. Under the suppression of the formless, invisible Illusory Realm, the You clan beings and extraterrestrial lifeforms froze instantly. Only the Immortal Monarchs were able to move freely. "What's happening?" "Why did the You clan stop moving?" "Could it be... we're saved?" "Which senior is this?" Many of the Immortal Monarchs had no idea what was going on. After all, Lu Changsheng was some distance away, but the range of his Illusory Realm was vast. *Buzz.* Lu Changsheng revealed his figure. Seeing Lu Changsheng, the Immortal Monarchs found him not unfamiliar in the least—in fact, he was remarkably familiar. "It's him... He has come, Immortal Venerable Changsheng!" "So it was Immortal Venerable Changsheng! No wonder these You clan beings and extraterrestrial lifeforms are frozen—they've been suppressed by him!" "Hahaha! With Immortal Venerable Changsheng stepping in, how could these You clan creatures stand a chance? Back when he was still an Immortal Monarch, he swept through all opposition..." Lu Changsheng's reputation in the Heavenly Court was immense. Virtually everyone knew of him. That was why seeing him left these Immortal Monarchs so thrilled. "Perish." Lu Changsheng punched out. Those You clan members and extraterrestrial lifeforms disintegrated into powder. He did not even need to fuse with his avatars. After all, he was an Immortal Venerable! Moreover, nourished constantly by immortal dharmic power, his physical body grew stronger by the moment. To what level it had risen, not even Lu Changsheng knew precisely. Yet it was certainly far beyond the physical bodies of other Immortal Venerables. Lu Changsheng glanced at his tally. He had obtained several thousand immortal merit in an instant. He was short on immortal merit. And hadn't it just arrived? It was all too easy! "Thank you, Immortal Venerable Changsheng!" The Immortal Monarchs bowed to Lu Changsheng, thanking him for saving their lives. Had Lu Changsheng not intervened, they would have met with disaster today. "By the way, Immortal Venerable Changsheng, we heard across the battlefield that the You clan seems to be searching for you. Please be cautious—perhaps formidable members of the You clan already have their eyes on you," one of the Immortal Monarchs warned. Lu Changsheng nodded. Of course he would be cautious. He did not believe the You clan would let him be. His potential was immense, after all. Furthermore, he had slain Lin, costing the You clan immense face. How could the You clan possibly let him go? "No matter, I shall be careful." With that, Lu Changsheng prepared to depart. "Lu Changsheng, you're not going anywhere!" Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice drifted from the distant void. Immediately afterward, their surroundings turned into something like a muddy mire, making every step an ordeal. The Immortal Monarchs were bound instantly in place, incapable of moving in the slightest. "A You clan commander?" Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. Sensing the other party's aura, he understood at once. *Swish.* Sure enough, a figure flew in from the distance. A You clan commander! Moreover, his aura was clearly beyond that of an ordinary commander. It gave Lu Changsheng a familiar sensation. It seemed somewhat similar to the royal bloodline, yet different. Yet it bore similarities to the Chaos Origin Lifeform Lu Changsheng had seen in the royal bloodline's memories. However, he was not alone. There were many other You clan members with him. In fact, every single one of them was a commander! A total of thirteen commanders! Yet these thirteen commanders flanked him respectfully, taking him as their leader. "Shengyuan of the You clan!" The figure spoke. Lu Changsheng came to a realization. "Saint bloodline?" He understood. No wonder it felt familiar—similar to the royal bloodline, yet not quite the same. So it was the saint bloodline. Lu Changsheng possessed some understanding of the dynamics among the You clan's three great bloodlines. The three bloodlines engaged in overt and covert struggles, but in truth stemmed from the same origin. However, this saint bloodline was not the least bit inferior to the royal bloodline. Not to mention, he was a commander. When ordinary top Immortal Venerables encountered one, they had to tread carefully and yield ground. Let alone thirteen You clan commanders gathered together now. These thirteen commanders had used a special method to turn the surroundings into a treacherous quagmire where walking even a single step was arduous. The Immortal Monarchs behind Lu Changsheng were unable to move at all. "You brought only this few?" Lu Changsheng merely shook his head slightly. He even sounded a bit disappointed. Thirteen commanders—in the past, Lu Changsheng would certainly have felt immense pressure. But now he was an Immortal Venerable. Against opponents of the same rank, when had Lu Changsheng ever lost? "Hmph! Do you think because you slew that royal bloodline waste, I, Shengyuan, am anything like him? "Once the saint bloodline reaches the commander level, a qualitative transformation occurs. Especially for me, a standout among the saint bloodline..." Shengyuan was overflowing with confidence. "Is that so?" Lu Changsheng shook his head. Step by step, he actually advanced toward Shengyuan of his own accord. "Hmph, kill him!" Shengyuan snorted coldly. Confident as he was, he was no fool. With over a dozen companions present, why would he dirty his own hands first? Yet as the words left his mouth, he saw that his companions on all sides were completely unmoving. "You lot..." Shengyuan's face changed drastically.