Exhausting Every Mystery of the Flesh! A Trial from the Black Light Pagoda!

Outside the Cloud Palace, Lu Changsheng clearly saw where he now stood. It seemed to be a barren, desolate land. Yet it stretched vast and boundless, without an end in sight. "Store." Lu Changsheng drew the Cloud Palace back into his body. His gaze swept across the surrounding void, yet he detected no presence. "Will Your Excellency not show yourself?" Lu Changsheng said indifferently. Buzz. As soon as his voice fell, countless motes of light coalesced before him into a figure. The figure looked petite and was not even a physical body, appearing somewhat akin to an incarnation. "More than ten thousand epochs have passed, and you are the first cultivator walking the Tiers to Godhood to reach the bottom of the Illusory Spirit Abyss," the figure spoke. "Hmm?" "The Illusory Spirit Abyss has existed for over ten thousand epochs?" Lu Changsheng was slightly startled, genuinely surprised. Over ten thousand epochs. He had truly never imagined such a staggering expanse of time. He had previously looked up records concerning the Illusory Spirit Abyss. All of them noted that the abyss was ancient, but none gave any concrete details as to just how ancient it was. Now it seemed the Illusory Spirit Abyss was far older than he had presumed. "Who exactly are you?" Lu Changsheng asked. "And what is going on with this black pagoda?" "You may call me Zisang." "I am one of the artifact spirits of the Black Light Pagoda. My purpose is to seek out geniuses. Anyone who passes the preliminary trial of the Black Light Pagoda can obtain unimaginable benefits." "Benefits that would be difficult for you to obtain in any other domain." "Unfortunately, after all these years of being cast aside in a remote domain like the Hundred Flowers Domain, where virtually no top geniuses exist, I have remained stranded here the entire time." As Zisang explained in detail, Lu Changsheng's eyes widened. He gradually came to understand what the Black Light Pagoda truly was. It was a treasure transcending chaos supreme treasures. Yet this one was merely a secondary body. Secondary bodies like this Black Light Pagoda were scattered across countless domains. A domain was simply a region like the Hundred Flowers Domain. A single Black Light Pagoda could effortlessly suppress the Cloud Palace, and could even suppress chaos lifeforms with ease. And this was merely one secondary body? There were tens of thousands of such secondary bodies... Just how powerful was the original, true body of the Black Light Pagoda? "So the Black Light Pagoda is meant specifically to search for geniuses, and even the Illusory Spirit Abyss formed solely because of it—effectively serving as a filter?" "Correct. If one cannot even reach the bottom of the Illusory Spirit Abyss, one lacks the qualifications to enter the Black Light Pagoda and undertake the preliminary trial." Understanding dawned on Lu Changsheng. Moreover, Zisang mentioned that the existence of the Black Light Pagoda was hardly a secret among the upper echelons of the Hundred Flowers Domain. Naturally, that referred to chaos lifeforms. Most ordinary chaos lifeforms could not even make it to the bottom of the Illusory Spirit Abyss, meaning they did not even qualify to receive the trial. Why had the Illusory Spirit Abyss remained undisturbed all these years? Because the major factions and chaos lifeforms knew that the Black Light Pagoda resided at its bottom. Yet knowing was one thing; passing the trial was entirely another. The reality was that in the Hundred Flowers Domain, throughout more than ten thousand epochs, not a single being had ever passed the preliminary trial of the Black Light Pagoda. "You now possess a rough understanding of the Black Light Pagoda's circumstances. Do you decide to accept the preliminary trial?" Zisang asked. In truth, Zisang found Lu Changsheng quite intriguing. After all, Lu Changsheng was merely a cultivator on the path to godhood. For someone who had not yet transcended the Tiers to Godhood to reach the bottom of the Illusory Spirit Abyss was incredible in itself. Of course, even if Lu Changsheng participated, Zisang did not believe he could pass. If so many chaos lifeforms had failed, how could a mere cultivator walking the Tiers to Godhood succeed? Nonetheless, Zisang had duties to uphold. As long as someone reached the Black Light Pagoda, they were qualified to receive the trial. "Does the trial... carry any danger to my life?" Lu Changsheng asked. "The preliminary trial naturally involves no danger to your life." "Since there is no mortal peril, I will give it a try." Lu Changsheng nodded in agreement. He would be a fool not to try. Judging by Zisang's lofty tone, the extraordinary nature of the Black Light Pagoda, and the fact that it had spawned a chaos spectacle like the Illusory Spirit Abyss, its background had to be immense. Most likely, the entire Hundred Flowers Domain paled in comparison to the master of the Black Light Pagoda. With such a profound backing, passing the trial would surely yield unimaginable rewards. There was nothing to lose. Zisang nodded and waved its hand. Buzz. The surroundings transformed. Lu Changsheng found himself standing inside a magnificent, imposing hall. Before him, a jade slip materialized. "Within this jade slip is a flesh cultivation method named the Chaos Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. It was created by my master, encompassing virtually every flesh cultivation method in existence, and is an almost flawless manual for the physical body." "Yet precisely because it is too perfect, with too many variations, cultivating it is immensely difficult. Even achieving basic mastery is extraordinarily arduous." "Your trial is straightforward: achieve the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art within one year. If you fail to do so within that timeframe, you fail the trial, and I will send you straight out of the Illusory Spirit Abyss." Zisang's voice resonated directly inside Lu Changsheng's mind. "One year?" Lu Changsheng's thoughts stirred slightly. No matter how difficult this Myriad Origins Fundamental Art was, completing the first layer in one year was merely reaching basic entry. Could one year truly not be enough to achieve entry? "This is a trial for cultivators on the path to godhood. What about the trial for chaos lifeforms?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Chaos lifeforms naturally face different assessments." "Do not underestimate the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. Even for the first layer, achieving basic mastery is exceedingly difficult, let alone within a mere single year..." Zisang's words only piqued Lu Changsheng's curiosity further. With his comprehension, no matter how difficult a cultivation method was, achieving entry within a year could hardly pose a problem. Lu Changsheng possessed absolute confidence. After all, his greatest advantage was his extraordinary comprehension. It was already top-tier comprehension! Could there possibly be a cultivation method that top-tier comprehension could not master? Lu Changsheng immediately sank his consciousness into the jade slip. Boom. A method of physical cultivation surfaced in Lu Changsheng's mind: the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. Though it was only the first layer. "Hmm?" As Lu Changsheng took in the complete first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, shock rippled through him. This flesh cultivation method had been created through endless epochs of painstaking effort by the master of the Black Light Pagoda. It was hailed as "exhausting every mystery of the flesh." It incorporated hundreds of millions of body-refining methods, fusing them into a singular whole to become a terrifying physical cultivation technique. Hence, the master of the Black Light Pagoda had named it "Myriad Origins," referring to the countless origins of physical arts. This cultivation technique placed the utmost importance on foundation. It possessed nine layers in total, corresponding to the Nine Tiers to Godhood. It was said that each layer of the fundamental art allowed a practitioner's physical body to become more than a hundred times stronger than that of other cultivators! The resulting foundation was profound beyond imagination. If one could master this fundamental art, slaying chaos lifeforms while still a godhood cultivator would be nothing out of the ordinary. The Myriad Origins Fundamental Art possessed countless unimaginable advantages. Its sole drawback was that it was brutally difficult to cultivate. A so-called prodigy of an entire domain would find it impossible even to achieve entry. Even a supreme prodigy would face immense difficulty just grasping the basics, likely needing hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years to step through the threshold. And Lu Changsheng? He had only one year! This was the trial of the Black Light Pagoda. If one could not master the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art within a year, one had no qualification to remain in the pagoda. "No wonder Zisang said nobody in the Hundred Flowers Domain has passed the trial in over ten thousand epochs. This difficulty... is unimaginable." Lu Changsheng took a deep breath. He felt no dread. On the contrary, he was thrilled. Each layer provided a foundation over a hundred times that of other cultivators. How terrifying was that? It even enabled one to combat chaos lifeforms from a lower realm. Originally, Lu Changsheng had merely intended to give the trial a casual try, not caring much if he failed. He had not placed great importance on it. Now, however, things were different. Even if only for this Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, he would exert every ounce of effort to cultivate it. As for the difficulty of achieving entry? For so many years, Lu Changsheng's top-tier comprehension had not operated at full throttle. His top-tier comprehension had almost lacked a worthy challenge. Now, it finally had the opportunity to run at full power. "Let us begin." Lu Changsheng immediately set about cultivating the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. The first layer encompassed hundreds of millions of physical cultivation methods. Yet across ten thousand changes, the essence remained unchanged. Ultimately, it was about bolstering the foundation of the physical body. Lu Changsheng used a single flesh particle as his baseline, attempting to cultivate the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art within that single particle first. Once successful, he could extrapolate the process to every flesh particle throughout his entire body. Even if the particle was destroyed, it would not matter. It was only a single flesh particle, after all. Lu Changsheng used his true spirit to illuminate every minute change within the flesh particle. The analytical power unleashed by his top-tier comprehension was horrifyingly potent. His thoughts were clearer than ever before. With the aid of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, Lu Changsheng also realized how laughable his previous methods of strengthening his flesh particles had been. He had once believed his flesh particles had advanced as far as possible, with no room left to strengthen them. Now he saw that his flesh particles were exceedingly crude. What was the core concept of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art? It treated every single flesh particle as an independent "world" to be cultivated. Every particle possessed the potential to grow into a world. This also made Lu Changsheng keenly aware that the master of the Black Light Pagoda was most likely a Realm Lord. Lu Changsheng had once entertained such an idea himself, but had deemed it too difficult, even whimsical. Yet upon reading the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, understanding struck him. It was not whimsical at all; someone truly had created such an astounding flesh technique. Yet the grander the concept, the more difficult the technique became. However, Lu Changsheng already possessed experience in condensing the Illusory Realm. Coupled with his true spirit illuminating all things and his comprehension being of the top tier, he could grasp even the most complex variations in an instant. Thus, Lu Changsheng's first flesh particle gradually took shape, steadily transforming toward the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. Days slipped by, one after another. Zisang did not watch Lu Changsheng continuously. Instead, it gazed into the void, letting out a long sigh. "Over ten thousand epochs have passed while stranded in the Hundred Flowers Domain. Who knows when I will ever be able to return..." Zisang understood well that the Hundred Flowers Domain was far too remote. Compared to the vast chaos, a mere Hundred Flowers Domain was practically negligible. How strong a genius could such a desolate place produce? It feared it might never return in this lifetime. As for Lu Changsheng? He was merely a cultivator on the path to godhood. Even chaos lifeforms struggled to pass the trial. A cultivator walking the Tiers to Godhood? Unless his talent and comprehension reached an unfathomable height, passing was impossible. Even for the very first test, achieving basic mastery of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art was an uphill battle fraught with immense difficulty. Let alone within a single year. One month, two months, three months, four months, five months... In the blink of an eye, half a year flitted past. Only six months remained. Yet Lu Changsheng seemed entirely unchanged. Swish. Suddenly, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. A hint of joy surfaced on his face. "It is finally done—the first flesh particle!" Lu Changsheng smiled. Over the course of six months, he had exerted his utmost to experiment on a single flesh particle. Truth be told, the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art was indeed extraordinarily difficult. He had pushed his comprehension to its absolute limits and relied on the illumination of his true spirit just to finally achieve entry in that one flesh particle. Without his true spirit illuminating all things, he might still have completed the first layer eventually, but whether he could have done so within a year would have been difficult to say. "Done?" Zisang was slightly startled. Yet when it swept its senses over him, Lu Changsheng had not succeeded at all. "I just inspected you. You have not achieved the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art," Zisang stated. Lu Changsheng glanced at Zisang but offered no explanation. He had merely completed his experiment. A single successful flesh particle naturally did not count as completing the technique. Yet as long as one flesh particle could succeed, ten, a hundred, a thousand, and tens of thousands could follow. Ultimately, his entire physical body would master the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. Lu Changsheng immersed himself once more in that single flesh particle. He was still waiting, observing whether this particle would collapse and whether it could remain stable. Lu Changsheng spent ten days observing. There was not the slightest issue. At this moment, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer. He began cultivating the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art across all of his flesh particles. Seven months, eight months, nine months... Finally, Lu Changsheng's entire body shuddered violently. His aura surged explosively in an instant. In that moment, his physical body grew stronger by an immeasurable degree. The terrifying presence was downright heart-palpitating. "Zisang, I request an inspection," Lu Changsheng suddenly spoke. "You request an inspection?" Zisang was somewhat caught off guard. Only nine months had passed. Three months still remained before the one-year deadline. Lu Changsheng was actually requesting an inspection ahead of time? One had to realize that even reaching the stage of an inspection was a first in over ten thousand epochs. Suspicious and half-doubting, Zisang mobilized the power of the Black Light Pagoda and swept it directly across Lu Changsheng's physical body. In this instant, every single flesh particle was revealed in exquisite, flawless detail, concealing nothing from Zisang. Zisang's eyes flew wide. Its entire form began to tremble. "First layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art detected!" an ethereal voice sounded within the Black Light Pagoda. Zisang was thoroughly shaken. "Hahaha, a success! It truly succeeded!" "The first layer! Someone actually mastered the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, and it took him only nine months?" Zisang was wild with excitement. The inspection of the Black Light Pagoda could not be wrong. That was indeed the first layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art! "Then does that mean I have passed the trial?" Lu Changsheng asked. If he could pass the preliminary trial of the Black Light Pagoda, the rewards would naturally be even greater. "Passed the trial?" "No, no, you are still far from it. The preliminary trial has only just begun..." Zisang shook its head. Excited though it was, it knew full well that this was merely the start of the trial. After all, Lu Changsheng had only achieved entry into the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. "There are other trials?" Lu Changsheng looked at Zisang suspiciously. Yet no matter what trial it was, Lu Changsheng did not fear a challenge. "They are not separate trials; the preliminary trial consists of only one thing: the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art." "However, the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art has strict time limits. Exceeding those limits means failing the trial." "Furthermore, you must undergo your transformation into a chaos lifeform through the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art before you can participate in the ultimate trial of the Black Light Pagoda." "Rest assured, a chaos lifeform forged through the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art will possess the deepest foundation and rank among the very pinnacle of chaos lifeforms in the vast chaos. Even if you fail the ultimate trial, it will not hinder your future cultivation." Zisang's words gave Lu Changsheng pause for thought. "There are differences in rank among transformed chaos lifeforms? Is it not said that once one becomes a chaos lifeform, everyone stands on the same starting line, evening out the disparity between special lifeforms and ordinary lifeforms?" Lu Changsheng asked with some surprise. He had previously believed that once someone achieved the state of a chaos lifeform, whether they had been an ordinary or a special lifeform made no difference. Zisang explained, "Most chaos lifeforms are indeed alike, but across the vast chaos, how could all of them truly be identical?" "First, you must understand what a chaos lifeform is. For all physical cultivation, our fundamental purpose is to become a Chaos Origin Lifeform. A chaos lifeform is, in reality, merely laying the foundation—establishing the most solid foundation possible to become an Origin Lifeform in the future. The sturdier the foundation, the greater the chance of attaining the Origin Lifeform realm." "Most cultivators lack this awareness when advancing to a chaos lifeform. In truth, becoming a chaos lifeform is about reshaping the physical body, equivalent to reshaping one's foundation. If you utilize that reshaping effectively, you stand upon a far higher starting line, allowing an ordinary lifeform to leap into an existence even more terrifying than a special lifeform." "By the same token, if one fails to utilize it well, even a special lifeform will become mediocre and no different from an ordinary lifeform upon advancing. The methods most cultivators possess for reshaping their foundations are thoroughly mundane." "The Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, however, is entirely different. What it sculpts is the supreme foundation for a chaos lifeform. Not just in the Hundred Flowers Domain, but across the countless domains of the vast chaos, it is among the very finest methods!" Zisang was utterly certain of this. What kind of figure was its master? The methods passed down by such an existence were naturally extraordinary. Understanding dawned on Lu Changsheng. He understood now. Transforming into a chaos lifeform was the lifelong dream and ultimate goal of countless cultivators. Even within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, it was no different. Becoming a chaos lifeform was already considered an astonishing feat. Yet in the eyes of the Black Light Pagoda's master, becoming a chaos lifeform was merely for reshaping one's foundation, laying the groundwork to eventually achieve the Origin Lifeform realm. The difference in perspective between the two was as vast as heaven and earth. "Then what is the second trial?" Lu Changsheng inquired. "It is simple: you must complete the third layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art within one hundred years." "Complete the third layer within a hundred years?" "However, the resources consumed by this Myriad Origins Fundamental Art are far too vast..." "You need not worry about that. As long as you cultivate the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, cultivation resources will be provided in unlimited supply." Lu Changsheng was overjoyed. With an unlimited supply of resources, what was there to hesitate about? Had he not come to the Illusory Spirit Abyss precisely to earn contribution points and exchange them for cultivation resources? Now, cultivating the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art required no worries about resources at all. It was simply ideal. Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng threw himself into cultivation. The first layer was merely entry, which had taken him nine months. Yet that did not mean the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art was easy. The first layer was only the beginning. Previously, Lu Changsheng had assumed that reaching the third layer within a hundred years would be a breeze, given that the first layer had taken only nine months. However, the difficulty of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art exceeded his expectations. Once he crossed the threshold and continued cultivating, he found it excruciatingly difficult. Even with the illumination of his true spirit, even with his top-tier comprehension, and even with unrestricted access to cultivation resources provided by the Black Light Pagoda, his cultivation speed remained as slow as a snail's crawl. This was the first time Lu Changsheng had ever cultivated a technique so slowly. It was atrociously slow. Yet it made sense. Every single flesh particle was treated as a world. How difficult was it to strengthen those worlds across every particle in his body? How many flesh particles were there in a mortal form? Hundreds of millions! Naturally, this slowed his progress to a crawl. In the first ten years, Lu Changsheng finally broke through to the second layer. At thirty years, he brought the second layer to completion. At fifty years, he broke through to the third layer. Yet it took a full eighty-five years for Lu Changsheng to cultivate the third layer to absolute perfection. With this, he completed the task, finishing it ahead of schedule. "Oh?" "You actually completed the second trial ahead of time? Splendid!" Zisang was thoroughly pleased. Entry was extraordinarily difficult, but reaching the third layer within a hundred years was even more so. "The next phase of the trial is even more demanding: you must complete the sixth layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art within one thousand years!" Sure enough, Zisang issued the next cultivation task. Lu Changsheng's brow furrowed. He had grasped the general pattern of the Black Light Pagoda's trial. It was centered around the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. Why impose time limits? Lu Changsheng understood that it was meant to filter candidates step by step, weeding out everyone until only true geniuses remained. However, a problem arose. He could not stay inside the Black Light Pagoda indefinitely, could he? Lu Changsheng voiced this concern. One hundred years was manageable, but now came a thousand years. Would the next stage demand ten thousand years? Thus, Lu Changsheng asked directly, "May I leave the Black Light Pagoda and cultivate outside?" Zisang shook its head. "No, you can only remain inside the Black Light Pagoda. You may leave if you wish, but the Black Light Pagoda will not provide you with any cultivation resources." Lu Changsheng's brow knitted tighter. Without cultivation resources provided, he would suffer a massive loss. "Very well, I will treat it as a secluded cultivation session." After considering it, Lu Changsheng accepted his fate of remaining in the pagoda. He resumed cultivating the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, striving to master its sixth layer within the one-thousand-year limit. Years flowed by, one after another. Cultivating the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art consumed even more time. One hundred years, three hundred years, five hundred years, eight hundred years, nine hundred years... Finally, after nine hundred and thirteen years, Lu Changsheng mastered the sixth layer of the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art, barely within the millennium limit. Lu Changsheng requested Zisang's inspection. Naturally, he passed. However, Zisang cautioned, "This was the second phase of cultivation, and your efficiency was somewhat lacking." "The third phase requires you to transform into a chaos lifeform within ten thousand years. Judging by your pace in the second phase, you may not necessarily pass the third task." Zisang's observation held merit. Lu Changsheng's performance during the second phase had indeed been somewhat underwhelming. Yet there was a reason for it. Lu Changsheng harbored reservations. Reservations regarding the Black Light Pagoda, as well as the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art and the matter of chaos lifeforms. He could not blindly trust Zisang's one-sided account. With misgivings in his heart, his cultivation speed during the second phase had naturally slowed. If he continued with these lingering doubts, he would likely fail the third phase's task. "I wish to temporarily depart from the Illusory Spirit Abyss and spend some time outside to prepare myself." "Once I am properly prepared, I will return to the Black Light Pagoda to accept the third phase of the trial. How about that?" Lu Changsheng suddenly proposed. This was the solution he had devised. Since accepting the trial bound him to cultivate inside the Black Light Pagoda, he simply would not accept the third phase for now. As long as he did not accept it, he would not receive the techniques above the sixth layer, meaning he could not cultivate them outside anyway. He would return once he had made all necessary preparations. By then, with a clear mind free of doubts, his cultivation efficiency would naturally soar. Hearing Lu Changsheng's request, Zisang hesitated. In truth, it wanted Lu Changsheng to pass the trials as quickly as possible. When that happened, it could leave the Hundred Flowers Domain and return home alongside him. For over ten thousand epochs, it had dreamed of going back. Therefore, Zisang did not want Lu Changsheng to fail; it desperately hoped he would succeed. Lu Changsheng's performance in the second phase had indeed been barely passable. If it forcibly initiated the third phase and Lu Changsheng failed, the loss would be catastrophic for it. Weighing everything together, Zisang nodded. "Very well. You may leave the Illusory Spirit Abyss for now. Once you are prepared, you may return to the Black Light Pagoda. I will bestow upon you the pagoda's imprint. As long as you wish to return, you can instantly come back to the Black Light Pagoda from anywhere within the Hundred Flowers Domain to resume your trial." Zisang's words caused Lu Changsheng's eyes to snap wide. "What did you say? Return to the Black Light Pagoda instantly from anywhere in the Hundred Flowers Domain? Is that equivalent to a spatial shuttle? Can it shuttle across space even within the chaos?" Lu Changsheng was thoroughly shaken. How was this merely for his convenience to take the trial? This was clearly a life-saving measure Zisang was providing him! With the Black Light Pagoda's imprint, as long as he was not obliterated before he could even react, he could use the imprint to escape directly into the pagoda. Once inside, he would be completely safe. Although Lu Changsheng could revive in the Heaven Realm, what if something went wrong there too? Even if he revived in the Heaven Realm, his physical body would not restore to its original state, which would be a tremendous loss. Buzz. Zisang waved a hand, and a streak of black light burrowed into Lu Changsheng's body. Lu Changsheng faintly sensed an extra imprint belonging to the Black Light Pagoda within him. With just a single thought, activating the imprint would bring him right back inside. "Matters in the outside world are mere trivialities. You must adjust your state as quickly as possible and focus primarily on cultivation." "Remember, return to the Black Light Pagoda to accept the trial as soon as you can. The sooner, the better; the Hundred Flowers Domain is not worth wasting your time on..." As Zisang finished speaking, Lu Changsheng felt his body enveloped in a shroud of black light. In the next instant, he was sent directly out of the Black Light Pagoda—and straight out of the Illusory Spirit Abyss.