Unstoppable Momentum, Lu Changsheng Takes First Place!

Within the void of the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm, Lu Changsheng saw a multitude of people seated cross-legged on the ground. He stepped forward to inquire. "Pardon me, fellow Daoist. Where is the assessment for the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm held?" "The assessment? Just wait here. The Heavenly Light Sacred Realm holds an assessment once every hundred years. Anyone with an assessment quota can take part. Ninety-seven years have passed since the last assessment, so there are three years left." Having said that, the person closed his eyes. "An assessment once every hundred years?" Lu Changsheng truly had not expected that one had to wait just to take the assessment. Still, his luck was quite good. Ninety-seven years had already elapsed since the last one. He only had to wait three more years. That was not long. If he had missed this chance, he would have had to wait another full century. Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the ground as well. Looking around, however, cultivators were gathered in dense crowds all across the surroundings. The auras of these cultivators rose and fell, and their cultivation levels were clearly varied. Some were quite weak, only at Tier One to Godhood. Yet others were at Tier Eight to Godhood, and there were even formidable figures at Tier Nine to Godhood. Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow. Were so many cultivators with such differing realms and strengths all going to be assessed together? If so, it would hardly be fair. Those with higher cultivation would hold an overwhelming advantage. However, Lu Changsheng had no idea what the specific content of the assessment entailed, so he could only wait in silence. Before long, three years slipped by. Lu Changsheng took a rough count. The number of cultivators taking part in this assessment of the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm reached several hundred thousand! Yes, not thousands or tens of thousands, but hundreds of thousands! It was a staggering figure. Yet on second thought, how vast was the Hundred Flowers Domain? Chaos worlds were as countless as the sands of the Ganges. What was more, there were even cultivators who had rushed here from outside the domain. In any case, so long as someone possessed an assessment quota, the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm turned away no one. Hundreds of thousands of cultivators being assessed together, with only those who stood out from the crowd having the chance to pass and become disciples of the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm. This level of difficulty was practically infernal. No wonder Immortal Venerable Jiuyuan and the others had never even thought of taking the assessment themselves back then. Evidently, they had known long ago that even if they went to participate, they would likely only be squandering a quota. "The three-year period has arrived." Lu Changsheng saw figures fly out one after another from those magnificent buildings. These figures wore the attire of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. In truth, the actual name of the faction governing this Heavenly Light Sacred Realm was the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. It was merely known to the outside world as the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm because it controlled the realm itself. It was hard to tell whether the emerging figures were disciples or elders. The middle-aged man leading them said in a loud voice, "The assessment is divided into nine passages, ranging from Tier One to Tier Nine to Godhood. Within each passage lies an assessment. Give it your utmost effort. Anyone who can clear the ninth floor of their passage will be admitted into the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. "However, you must know your limits, for people can die during the trials in the passages. If you perish, you cannot blame the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. "If you can break through the ninth floor, then keep pushing forward. The higher the floor you clear, the better the treatment you will receive upon entering the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Remember, this may very well be your easiest opportunity to improve your standing within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect." As his words fell, nine dark passage openings appeared in the void. "Step forward one by one to test your cultivation." With that, the hundreds of thousands of cultivators began to test their cultivation levels one by one. The Heavenly Light Holy Sect seemed fully capable of discerning a cultivator's exact realm. Attempting to disguise a higher cultivation to pass oneself off as a lower one was utterly impossible. Lu Changsheng, on the other hand, felt a bit uneasy. His situation was extraordinarily peculiar. In terms of pure cultivation realm, he was actually at Tier Four to Godhood. Yet his flesh avatars were far beyond Tier Four to Godhood; they should have reached Tier Five to Godhood. However, that required fusing the avatars. Without fusion, he was at Tier Four to Godhood. As for the realm of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, that belonged to the Heaven Realm's cultivation system. He did not know how the Heavenly Light Holy Sect would judge it. A few days later, it was Lu Changsheng's turn to step forward and have his cultivation tested. He stood before an enormous mirror. This mirror was likely some kind of treasure. Once illuminated by it, one's cultivation realm was essentially made clear. "Tier Four to Godhood. Proceed to the fourth passage," said the Heavenly Light Holy Sect cultivator in charge of testing. Lu Changsheng's heart settled completely. If he went into the fourth passage, his advantage would be immense. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng flew directly into the fourth passage. The surrounding scenery warped, and Lu Changsheng found himself in an unfamiliar environment. There was no one else around. Yet many people had already entered the fourth passage earlier. It seemed that within these passages lay vast dimensional spaces. Every candidate would undergo the assessment alone. "The first floor of the assessment begins." As the voice rang out, an enormous exotic beast abruptly appeared before Lu Changsheng. The beast possessed a colossal body and emanated the aura of Tier Four to Godhood. It lunged straight at Lu Changsheng. *Bang!* Lu Changsheng did not deploy his flesh avatars at all. Relying solely on the strength of his own physical body, he blew the exotic beast apart with a single punch. "Hm?" "It's actually a real exotic beast? And it contains flesh and blood! Such flesh and blood can't be wasted..." Lu Changsheng's four hundred and fifty thousand avatars were not his upper limit. Yet because he lacked cultivation resources, he had been unable to temper more avatars. Now, with the flesh and blood of a Tier Four exotic beast right here, it was like someone offering him a pillow just as he grew drowsy. Taking the assessment while simultaneously obtaining powerful flesh and blood on the side—this was a tremendous stroke of good fortune! "Do you wish to begin the second floor of the assessment?" "Yes," Lu Changsheng answered resolutely. If he answered "no," he would automatically be sent out of the fourth passage, and his assessment would come to an end. This was also designed for safety. That was why the Heavenly Light Holy Sect member had warned them earlier to "know their limits." If someone pushed forward at all costs, deaths truly would occur. Many cultivators died during every assessment. Next, Lu Changsheng encountered the second floor's trial, which was likewise an exotic beast. However, Lu Changsheng blew it apart with a single punch as well. Then came the third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor, sixth floor... From the first to the sixth floor, it was simply too effortless for Lu Changsheng. *That's it?* It seemed he was not far from the ninth floor. Once he cleared the ninth floor, he would be able to join the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. "Begin the seventh floor of the assessment!" Finally, he reached the seventh floor. Although Lu Changsheng had cleared the sixth floor with immense ease, he had faintly sensed that the sixth floor was already infinitely close to the strength of Tier Five to Godhood. The trial on this seventh floor most likely possessed the strength of Tier Five to Godhood. In other words, the assessment of the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm had only truly begun just now. *Roar...* Sure enough, a colossal beast resembling a small mountain appeared on the seventh floor. A terrifying aura emanated from its entire body. One look showed that it possessed a special bloodline. Such a special bloodline was fully capable of erupting with power that exceeded its own cultivation realm. Lu Changsheng dared not show negligence. "Illusory Realm." Instantly, a swath of translucent white light descended directly. *Boom!* The Illusory Realm descended, immediately enveloping the colossal beast. "Extinguish." As Lu Changsheng spoke, the giant beast shuddered violently, terrifying bloody gashes tearing across its flesh. *Bang!* The next instant, the colossal beast's body abruptly collapsed, disintegrating into a cloud of blood mist. Seventh floor cleared! "Cleared?" Lu Changsheng was slightly surprised. Just now, he had not even used his flesh avatars; he had only deployed the Illusory Realm. Yet it had instantly slain the beast of the seventh floor in one blow. This giant beast definitely possessed the strength of Tier Five to Godhood. That was to say, it was comparable to a Daluo Golden Immortal. Yet it had been instantly slain by the Illusory Realm. Lu Changsheng truly felt a pleasant surprise. He knew that after absorbing a wisp of Heaven Realm origin power, the Illusory Realm was gradually turning from illusion to reality. He had expected the Illusory Realm's power to increase somewhat. He had simply not anticipated that the changes in the Illusory Realm would be so earth-shaking, or that its power would surge so drastically. It could actually kill a beast of the Daluo level in an instant. Still, it was not entirely an effortless kill. After all, Lu Changsheng had just exerted the full force of the Illusory Realm. In truth, there had been some resistance. Furthermore, this was only the seventh floor. Once he reached the eighth floor, things would likely not be so simple. Lu Changsheng pressed on. The trial of the eighth floor was a humanoid cultivator with three heads and six arms. In truth, he could be considered a human cultivator. A formidable aura emanated from him, giving even Lu Changsheng the faint sensation of Mount Tai pressing down upon him. Evidently, the trial of this eighth floor far surpassed that of the seventh. "Illusory Realm." Lu Changsheng deployed the Illusory Realm once more. The Illusory Realm descended, directly suppressing the three-headed, six-armed human cultivator. "Extinguish." Lu Changsheng mobilized all the power of the Illusory Realm, preparing to destroy this cultivator of the eighth floor. This time, however, he encountered a bit of difficulty. The opponent seemed capable of holding out. One breath, two breaths, three breaths... Only after five full breaths did the human cultivator of the eighth floor reach his limit, collapsing with a resounding boom. *Phew...* Lu Changsheng exhaled a breath of relief. On the eighth floor, he had indeed run into a bit of trouble. If it were the ninth floor, Lu Changsheng might not necessarily be able to clear it relying solely on the Illusory Realm. "The ninth floor of the assessment begins." Soon, he reached the ninth floor. Standing before Lu Changsheng was a giant. Yes, an authentic, bona fide giant. He stood a full hundred zhang tall. Yet this was merely his natural body size—a true giant's physique. Since this was the ninth floor, Lu Changsheng had nothing to say. "Illusory Realm." The Illusory Realm descended once again, attempting to crush the giant to pieces. *Crack.* A network of fine cracks indeed appeared across the giant's body. Yet that was all. In the blink of an eye, the cracks on the giant's body vanished. "What terrifying regenerative power!" Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Evidently, the giant before him possessed extraordinarily formidable regenerative abilities, enough to withstand the suppression of the Illusory Realm. Still, it was not as though the opponent was entirely unburdened. On the contrary, he was under immense pressure. Under the suppression of Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm, the giant could barely move his feet. Even so, he could still manage to move. *Boom!* The giant threw a punch, striking the void. The void trembled, and Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm shook violently, feeling as though it were on the verge of shattering. Not only could this giant not be easily suppressed, but he could even counterattack. If this continued, the giant might actually break the Illusory Realm. *Impressive. Truly worthy of the ninth floor. Relying solely on the Illusory Realm can only hinder the giant, but cannot slay him.* *To clear the ninth floor, I need to increase my strength.* A sharp glint flashed through Lu Changsheng's eyes. The Illusory Realm was not his only method. In fact, his strongest technique at present was not the Illusory Realm at all. It was his flesh avatars! A full four hundred and fifty thousand flesh avatars—once fused, how terrifying would that be? Especially now, working in tandem with the Illusory Realm. The Illusory Realm had suppressed the majority of the giant's power. All that was needed now was a force to break the equilibrium. "Fuse!" Lu Changsheng did not unleash all four hundred and fifty thousand avatars. He fused merely one hundred thousand. That was enough. After all, he only needed to break the balance. One hundred thousand avatars fused into an enormous, heaven-propping figure. Then, he hurled a fist toward the giant. With ninety percent of his power suppressed by the Illusory Realm, the giant could barely take a step. Unable to dodge, he could only take the blow head-on. Yet the giant was already at his absolute limit. How could he withstand a strike from Lu Changsheng's flesh avatars now? *Bang!* The giant's body exploded on impact, turning into blood mist that scattered throughout the Illusory Realm. Dead. Such a terrifying giant had been blown to pieces by Lu Changsheng with pure, brute force. "Ninth floor cleared. Do you wish to continue to the tenth floor?" The same familiar voice sounded through the dark space. Lu Changsheng smiled. He had finally passed. In truth, he felt it had been rather relaxed. After all, even now, he had not unleashed his full strength. Relying on the Illusory Realm, he had swept all the way to the ninth floor. Only the ninth floor had caused a slight hitch, but that hardly amounted to much. Moreover, Lu Changsheng understood full well what passing the ninth floor meant. Even if he stopped the assessment right now, he would already become a disciple of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. His objective in coming to the Heavenly Light Sacred Realm had been achieved. So, should he continue? While Lu Changsheng was pondering, outside the nine assessment passages, the cultivators responsible for overseeing the Heavenly Light Holy Sect's assessment seemed to notice something, and peculiar expressions appeared on their faces. "Eh?" "Someone else cleared the ninth floor. That's the tenth cultivator to pass the ninth floor so far." "It seems to be the fourth passage, which means Tier Four to Godhood." "To clear the ninth floor so quickly at Tier Four to Godhood shows quite good potential." "I wonder if he will keep going? And how many floors will he ultimately reach?" "If he only clears the ninth floor, even if he joins the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, he will only be considered a very ordinary disciple." "The most crucial thing in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect is a disciple's treatment, and that requires a rating. Achieving a good rating is truly difficult, and it's easiest during this initial assessment. If one doesn't seize this chance, trying to raise one's rating after actually joining the Holy Sect will be far harder..." Many Heavenly Light Holy Sect disciples turned their gazes toward Lu Changsheng's silhouette in the fourth passage. They also wanted to see how many floors Lu Changsheng could push through. They even wanted to see what rating he would ultimately obtain. They were curious about all the cultivators who had cleared the ninth floor this time. This was also a centennial spectacle for the disciples of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. They wanted to see what kind of ratings would emerge from this batch of recruits. The rating was what mattered most! Lu Changsheng had no idea that members of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect were watching him, much less that they were waiting to see what rating he would earn. He did not know what the ratings even were. However, he remembered what the Heavenly Light Holy Sect cultivator had said before. Once through the ninth floor, one should push forward with everything they had. The higher the floor cleared, the greater the benefits! "Continue." Lu Changsheng proceeded to the tenth floor. From the ninth to the tenth floor might seem like just one floor, but beginning from the ninth floor, every step was a massive leap. Clearing them was arduous. *Hum.* The tenth floor's trial was a person. Yes, an ordinary-looking human. Yet Lu Changsheng knew he could not be an ordinary human. Though he did not appear to carry any immense aura, he was bound to be an existence even more terrifying than the ninth floor's trial. Lu Changsheng dared not show the slightest negligence. "Illusory Realm." Instantly, the Illusory Realm descended. Suppressive force enveloped that figure in a flash. The other party was visibly surprised. By now, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm did not merely suppress consciousness; it could suppress physical bodies as well. A dual suppression of mind and body. It was precisely because of this that Lu Changsheng had cleared the first nine floors with such ease. Now, facing the tenth floor, the Illusory Realm exerted that same dual suppression on mind and body. Yet the opponent could still move! Of course, he was certainly affected to some degree. However, the effect was not as drastic as it had been on the ninth floor. At most, it merely suppressed a portion of the opponent's strength—suppressing at least half of it. That was enough! "Fuse!" Lu Changsheng dared not tarry. He directly fused one hundred thousand avatars. With one hundred thousand avatars combined with the Illusory Realm, the opponent was actually still able to resist. However, he was also at his limit, an arrow at the end of its flight. After roughly fifteen minutes, his body collapsed with a rumble. Lu Changsheng had cleared the tenth floor! "Do you wish to continue the assessment?" "Continue." Lu Changsheng did not hesitate in the least. He stepped onto the eleventh floor. It was still the Illusory Realm paired with his avatar fusion method. This time, he had to deploy two hundred thousand avatars before he managed to pass. Twelfth floor, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth... As Lu Changsheng swept forward like splitting bamboo, clearing floor after floor, little did he know that his speed and the number of floors he cleared had already caused an uproar among the Heavenly Light Holy Sect disciples. They had originally been spectating for amusement. Now, however, it was no longer mere amusement. A true genius was being born. "The cultivator in the fourth passage... His name seems to be Lu Changsheng? He looks completely unremarkable, but who would have thought his strength is so terrifying? He has cleared all the way through the sixteenth floor! Could he actually break through the nineteenth?" "The nineteenth floor! That can elevate one's rating to the 'top genius' tier! For several thousand years, not a single new disciple in our Heavenly Light Holy Sect has achieved the 'top genius' rating!" "How could the nineteenth floor be so easy to break through?" "Right now, Lu Changsheng is already number one in this assessment. In the other passages, no one has even managed to breach the sixteenth floor." Virtually all the Heavenly Light Holy Sect disciples turned their attention to Lu Changsheng. They no longer cared about anyone else. Lu Changsheng had cleared the sixteenth floor with unstoppable momentum. By that point, he had already deployed the power of four hundred thousand avatars. Only by fusing four hundred thousand avatars alongside the Illusory Realm had he cleared the sixteenth floor. Upon reaching the seventeenth floor, Lu Changsheng held back nothing, going all out to fuse four hundred and fifty thousand avatars—his entire reserve of avatar strength. Only then did he pass the seventeenth floor. Reaching the eighteenth floor, Lu Changsheng fought fiercely for an entire two hours before barely managing to clear it. "Do you wish to continue the assessment?" Lu Changsheng fell silent. Even the eighteenth floor had been cleared only with great difficulty. The nineteenth floor would certainly be even more perilous. If he forcibly attempted the nineteenth floor, he might very well find himself in grave danger. *If I could cultivate in this place, I could easily temper more avatars. With more avatars, I would certainly be able to clear the nineteenth floor. But now...* Lu Changsheng thought it over and ultimately gave up. It took him one year to temper ten thousand avatars. To temper a hundred thousand avatars would take ten years. Could he stay inside the passage for ten years just for the sake of the assessment? That was utterly impossible. The assessment had time limits as well. It was impossible to linger indefinitely inside the assessment passage. "No," Lu Changsheng said. He gave up on continuing the assessment. In the end, Lu Changsheng stopped at the eighteenth floor. Though he had cleared the eighteenth floor, he did not attempt the nineteenth. Seeing Lu Changsheng withdraw, an uproar broke out among the disciples of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. All of them felt it was a pity. "He already cleared the eighteenth floor! Why didn't he push a little harder to try and pass the nineteenth?" "He probably doesn't know what clearing the nineteenth floor means. Once you pass the nineteenth, your rating can be raised!" "How many years has it been since our Heavenly Light Holy Sect's recruit assessment produced a 'top genius' rating?" "It seems several hundred years have passed without a recruit earning the top genius rating. This time, Lu Changsheng came closest to it. What a shame..." In the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, ratings were of paramount importance. In a sense, the lower one's cultivation realm, the relatively easier it was to raise one's rating. The higher the cultivation realm, the harder the rating became. The reason was simple. Ratings were determined through competition among those of the same cultivation realm. The higher the cultivation realm, the more geniuses there were. Earning a high rating was as difficult as ascending the heavens. Yet it was too late to say anything now. Lu Changsheng had already been teleported out of the fourth assessment passage. He looked around. Many cultivators had already gathered nearby. Most were dejected and wore expressions of unwillingness. Evidently, the vast majority had failed to clear the ninth floor. Lu Changsheng, however, had already cleared the ninth floor. He was naturally guaranteed to become a disciple of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, so he had nothing to worry about. Yet upon emerging, he noticed that nearly everyone's gaze was fixed upon him. Every single one of them looked exceedingly astonished. "It's him, Lu Changsheng from the fourth passage!" "Lu Changsheng cleared the eighteenth floor! He's number one in this new disciple assessment!" "Ranked first for now, at least. After all, the assessment isn't over yet; some people haven't finished." "What a shame! He cleared the eighteenth floor, yet didn't attempt the nineteenth. Doesn't he know the importance of passing the nineteenth floor? That would have raised his rating!" "Perhaps he truly didn't know. After all, if he hails from some desolate region, how could he know about the Heavenly Light Holy Sect's affairs?" "What a pity..." Listening to the murmuring crowd, Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow slightly. From what they were saying, they all seemed to feel regret on his behalf. Was passing the nineteenth floor truly so extraordinary? *Whoosh.* At that moment, a disciple of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect stepped up to Lu Changsheng. "Lu Changsheng, you cleared the eighteenth floor of the assessment and are eligible to become a disciple of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Come with me." Lu Changsheng nodded and followed behind the disciple. The two quickly flew into a building deep within the void. The disciple could not help but say, "Lu Changsheng, what a shame. If you could have cleared the nineteenth floor, you would have raised your rating. That carries immense benefits in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect." "Raise my rating?" Many thoughts flashed through Lu Changsheng's mind. This was not the first time he had heard of the "rating." It seemed this "rating" was indeed exceptionally important. Still, though it appeared to others that Lu Changsheng was merely a single step away from raising his rating and that giving up was such a pity, Lu Changsheng did not feel the slightest regret. Others only saw that he was one step away and had willingly given up. In truth, Lu Changsheng had reached his limit. That was his threshold. If he had challenged the nineteenth floor, he might have faced grave danger. One had to give up something to gain something. A choice had to be made. His strength was simply at that level, incapable of clearing the nineteenth floor, so there was nothing to regret. Before long, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Deacons' Office, registered his name, and received his identity jade talisman. With that, Lu Changsheng officially became a disciple of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Lu Changsheng checked the location of the cave dwelling assigned to him. He then located the cave dwelling on his own. Its location was quite good. Using his identity jade talisman, Lu Changsheng entered the cave dwelling and settled down completely. He carefully reviewed the common knowledge regarding the Heavenly Light Holy Sect stored inside the cave dwelling. Soon, he spotted the section on "ratings." As it turned out, ratings truly were of supreme importance in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Many precious resources could only be purchased if one's rating was high enough. Moreover, those with higher ratings enjoyed priority when purchasing many rare goods. Even viewing permissions differed. Many materials could only be viewed by those with high ratings, while those with lower ratings could not even see what was available. In short, within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, rating was everything. All supplies, cultivation techniques, treasures, and the like were prioritized for disciples with high ratings. "So that's how it is..." "Ratings are so crucial, and clearing the nineteenth floor elevates one's rating to the 'top genius' tier." Understanding dawned upon Lu Changsheng. In the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, ratings were divided into five tiers: Ordinary, Top, Peerless, Prodigy, and Supreme. Clearing the nineteenth floor granted the Top tier, while anything below the nineteenth floor fell under the Ordinary tier. Of course, even the Ordinary tier could be considered top geniuses across the entire Hundred Flowers Domain. After all, the Heavenly Light Holy Sect's own entry requirements were exceedingly high. Among the disciples it recruited, who was not a genius? Yet the internal rating within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect was the cream of the crop. "Wait, one can go for rating assessments at any time?" "The nine assessment passages are actually nine rating passages. Anyone who clears the nineteenth floor receives the Top rating." "However, if one advances in cultivation, the rating reverts to Ordinary, requiring a reassessment in the passage corresponding to the new realm." Lu Changsheng gradually came to fully understand the Heavenly Light Holy Sect's "ratings." It truly was difficult. Advancing even a single minor realm required being reassessed. Lu Changsheng could easily imagine how cutthroat the competition within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect must be. Countless disciples were frantically bolstering their strength just for the sake of their ratings. "If it's only the nineteenth floor, it won't be difficult for me. I just need to temper more avatars..." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. Even though he had missed raising his rating during the recruit assessment, it was not too late now. He simply needed time to temper more avatars. Lu Changsheng had harvested a considerable amount of powerful flesh and blood in the assessment passage. It was more than enough to temper avatars. Without delay, Lu Changsheng began cultivating his avatars. He would raise his rating first before anything else.