Ten Thousand Years to Become a Chaos Lifeform! The Heavenly Light Holy Sect Stunned!

"So this is a chaos lifeform!" Lu Changsheng rose abruptly to his feet. Nine thousand nine hundred years—just one century shy of ten thousand. Yet he had achieved it at last. A chaos lifeform! At this moment, Lu Changsheng finally understood why chaos lifeforms held themselves so aloof. Between a chaos lifeform and those beneath them lay two utterly distinct modes of existence. The very essence of their life was no longer the same. A chaos lifeform differed fundamentally from cultivators of the Tiers to Godhood—even those at Tier Nine to Godhood. If the two were to speak to each other, the chaos lifeform would have to exert all their might simply to suppress their physical body, focusing their full concentration on restraining their raw strength. They would live in constant fear of accidentally crushing the cultivator to death. This was no exaggeration in the slightest. It was like an elephant facing an ant. If an elephant were to converse with an ant, the elephant would dread blowing the ant away with a single breath. A slightly heavy sneeze might crush the ant flat. How could an elephant and an ant ever be equals? A chaos lifeform and a cultivator of the Tiers to Godhood were as an elephant and an ant. If anything, the disparity was even more extreme. No wonder so many chaos lifeforms maintained virtually no contact with cultivators of the Tiers to Godhood. It was not that they refused to interact out of pride, but that they simply could not. Constantly holding back their own strength was exhausting. It was far simpler to avoid contact entirely. Lu Changsheng immediately called up his status panel to inspect his current condition. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-tier comprehension World Master: 0 (Embryonic) Chaos Lifeform: 1% (Initial) Thirteen-Fold True Self Method: True Spirit Avatar Fusion Physical Method: 10,130,000 avatars On the status panel, Lu Changsheng had indeed become a chaos lifeform. Once one stepped into the realm of a chaos lifeform, the Avatar Fusion Physical Method lost all meaning. With a thought, Lu Changsheng concealed the Avatar Fusion Physical Method, hiding it from future display on the panel. The Thirteen-Fold True Self Method had also condensed a true spirit, so there was no further need to display it either. Calculating the time, more than twelve thousand years had passed since Lu Changsheng first began cultivating. It seemed like an exceptionally long stretch. And yet, to become a chaos lifeform in a mere twelve thousand years... Searching the entirety of the Hundred Flowers Domain, he was the very first! Even special lifeforms lagged far behind. Whoosh. Zisang materialized inside Lu Changsheng's cave dwelling. As the artifact spirit of the Black Light Pagoda, Zisang naturally sensed the transformation in Lu Changsheng right away. "Lu Changsheng, you... you have metamorphosed into a chaos lifeform?" Zisang was trembling with excitement. Even having sensed it firsthand, the artifact spirit remained wild with disbelief. "Indeed. I have metamorphosed into a chaos lifeform. The third phase of cultivation took me only nine thousand nine hundred years—less than ten thousand. That should count as completing the trial, correct?" Lu Changsheng said with a smile. "You must apply for verification with the Black Light Pagoda. Only once the verification passes will you be deemed to have cleared the preliminary trial!" Zisang urged excitedly. "Very well. I request verification." As soon as Lu Changsheng spoke the words, an invisible power enveloped him. After a brief pause, a mechanical voice resonated from the Black Light Pagoda. "Verification passed. Lu Changsheng has completed the third-phase cultivation task and passed the preliminary trial of the Black Light Pagoda!" "Dispensing rewards." The pagoda's proclamation took Lu Changsheng slightly aback. "Dispensing rewards?" Zisang had never mentioned anything about rewards. Zisang grinned broadly and said, "Lu Changsheng, from now on, I must call you master. Included among the rewards is this very Black Light Pagoda. You may refine it and claim it as your treasure." "What? I can refine this Black Light Pagoda?" Lu Changsheng's heart gave a violent jolt. This was the Black Light Pagoda! A single Black Light Pagoda was capable of creating the Illusory Spirit Abyss. That alone showed how terrifyingly powerful it was. Furthermore, the pagoda could encompass the entire Hundred Flowers Domain, allowing Lu Changsheng to traverse space back to it at any time. Though he did not know what grade of treasure the Black Light Pagoda truly was, it certainly far surpassed his Cloud Palace. And his Cloud Palace was already a chaos supreme treasure. Hum. A beam of light washed over Lu Changsheng. A vast deluge of information flooded his mind. Every scrap of it pertained to the Black Light Pagoda. It even contained the mnemonics for refining it. Because the Black Light Pagoda cooperated willingly, it took Lu Changsheng merely a month to refine it completely, turning it into his personal treasure. "Wonderful, Master!" Zisang had already shifted to addressing Lu Changsheng as "Master." As the artifact spirit of the Black Light Pagoda, addressing Lu Changsheng as master was only natural. "Master, now that you have refined the Black Light Pagoda and passed the preliminary trial, please make your way to the Black Light Realm as soon as possible to take part in the ultimate trial. Once you pass the ultimate trial, you will inherit the old master's legacy, become a source lifeform, and ascend to the pinnacle of chaos!" An eager gleam burned in Zisang's eyes. It had been away from the Black Light Realm for far too long, yearning to return. And now, the opportunity had finally arrived. "Tell me about the Black Light Realm and the ultimate trial," Lu Changsheng said. "The Black Light Realm is actually the true body of the Black Light Pagoda. The pagodas like us are merely daughter pagodas. The true body forms its own realm, impregnable even to source lifeforms. "Across the vast chaos, countless daughter pagodas administer trials to geniuses time and again. Once a cultivator passes the preliminary trial, the daughter pagoda becomes their treasure, accompanying them back to the Black Light Realm to face the ultimate trial. "The true body of the Black Light Pagoda also continuously generates new daughter pagodas, dispatching them to various domains across the chaos. For instance, after we depart the Hundred Flowers Domain, a new daughter pagoda will arrive, though it might employ a different method to screen geniuses." Following Zisang's explanation, Lu Changsheng gained a much clearer picture of the Black Light Realm. However, Zisang knew nothing about the ultimate trial itself. After all, it was only a daughter pagoda. It had never witnessed the ultimate trial. It only knew that any cultivator who passed the preliminary trial would enter the Black Light Realm to undergo it. "I understand. "I will travel to the Black Light Realm for the ultimate trial, but not just yet. "Once I leave, I will likely be gone for a very long time. Before departing, I must settle everything here properly..." Lu Changsheng stated calmly. The only reward granted for passing the preliminary trial was the daughter pagoda. As for cultivation methods, there were none. Only by undergoing the ultimate trial could one obtain techniques on the level of a chaos lifeform— techniques directly connected to the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art. This was evidently a mechanism designed to draw cultivators to the Black Light Realm. Therefore, he would certainly make the journey. Even without cultivation methods, the reward of a daughter pagoda was already immensely generous. This treasure could traverse space within the chaos. It could encompass an entire domain, allowing him to travel anywhere within it at will. On that point alone, most chaos lifeforms could not compare. Not to mention that ordinary chaos lifeforms could hardly shake a daughter pagoda. With this Black Light Pagoda in hand, Lu Changsheng could stride across the Hundred Flowers Domain without fear of mishap. "Let us go. First, back to the Heavenly Light Holy Sect." Lu Changsheng took a step forward. He stood at the floor of the Illusory Spirit Abyss. At the same time, the Black Light Pagoda transformed into a streak of dusky light, flying directly into the space between Lu Changsheng's brows and vanishing from sight. Rumble! Lu Changsheng suddenly felt the Illusory Spirit Abyss violently convulsing. "Hmm?" "The abyss... is collapsing?" Lu Changsheng flew out of the Illusory Spirit Abyss at once. He glanced back over his shoulder. The Illusory Spirit Abyss was indeed quaking fiercely. Before long—perhaps a decade, perhaps a century—it would completely collapse. "Zisang, what is happening to the Illusory Spirit Abyss?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Master, the Illusory Spirit Abyss was brought into being by the Black Light Pagoda in the first place. Once the pagoda is gone, the abyss will naturally crumble." Lu Changsheng nodded, understanding the cause. However, he was not worried about the Illusory Spirit ore. The Illusory Spirit Abyss was not the only source of the ore within the Hundred Flowers Domain. A few other locations produced it as well, even if not in such vast quantities. Turning away, Lu Changsheng paid the crumbling abyss no further heed. He mobilized a sliver of the Black Light Pagoda's power. "Go!" Taking a step forward, Lu Changsheng vanished into the chaos amidst a flash of dusky light. Hum. Within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, ripples spread across space. Lu Changsheng appeared out of thin air. He looked around. The point of arrival was right near his cave dwelling, with nobody else in sight. Lu Changsheng could not help but marvel. "To traverse directly into the Heavenly Light Holy Sect... worthy of the Black Light Pagoda." Lu Changsheng understood full well what this implied. If he could enter the Heavenly Light Holy Sect undetected, he could enter any other faction in the Hundred Flowers Domain just as easily. And do so without being noticed. The pagoda's spatial traversal was extraordinary indeed. With it, traveling would be far simpler. "Lu Changsheng?" Only a moment later, a voice rang out in Lu Changsheng's ear. It was Saint Heavenly Light! Every movement within the sect was known to the Saint. Though the Black Light Pagoda could traverse space silently, the moment Lu Changsheng manifested in the flesh, Saint Heavenly Light detected him. And so it proved. "Greetings, Saint," Lu Changsheng greeted respectfully with a bow. Yet the phantom projection manifested by Saint Heavenly Light wore an expression of sheer shock. As a chaos lifeform, the Saint recognized the change in Lu Changsheng at a single glance. A chaos lifeform! The aura radiating from Lu Changsheng was indisputably that of a chaos lifeform. In other words, in the ten thousand years Lu Changsheng had been gone, he had actually become a chaos lifeform? "You... you passed the trial?" Saint Heavenly Light seemed to realize something, suddenly trembling with excitement. Lu Changsheng knew what the Saint was referring to. He nodded and said, "Indeed. I have passed the preliminary trial of the Black Light Pagoda and become a chaos lifeform." There was no need to hide it. "You truly succeeded..." Amidst his shock, Saint Heavenly Light felt a surge of exhilaration. This was the preliminary trial of the Black Light Pagoda. No one in the entire history of the Hundred Flowers Domain had ever passed it. There was only Lu Changsheng! "Does that mean you have refined the Black Light Pagoda?" Saint Heavenly Light asked urgently. The question seemed of the utmost importance to him. "Hmm?" "Saint, I have indeed refined the Black Light Pagoda." Lu Changsheng did not conceal it. Saint Heavenly Light evidently already knew that passing the preliminary trial granted ownership of the pagoda. "Good! Splendid!" Saint Heavenly Light could not contain his laughter. "May I ask, Saint, what is it you need me to do?" Lu Changsheng vaguely guessed that Saint Heavenly Light's delight meant there was a task for him. Moreover, it most likely involved the Black Light Pagoda. "Lu Changsheng, do you know of Heaven Prison?" Saint Heavenly Light asked. "Heaven Prison? I know of it. Last time, Heaven Prison ruptured, allowing many Dark Domain lifeforms to escape..." Lu Changsheng paused. How could he not know of Heaven Prison? It had been a blessed place for him. When suppressing the Dark Domain lifeforms in the Heaven Prison World last time, he and Liu Qing had earned a massive sum of contribution points. "Heaven Prison is indeed where Dark Domain lifeforms are suppressed, but the reason we merely suppress rather than kill them is fundamentally that we cannot. "In the deepest reaches of Heaven Prison, two Dark Domain lifeforms have been imprisoned all this time. Back then, our Heavenly Light Holy Sect suffered severe casualties just to barely suppress them, and that was the limit of what we could achieve. "Yet long-term suppression will inevitably have lapses, causing Heaven Prison to crack from time to time and letting some Dark Domain lifeforms flee. Although those two lifeforms did not escape during the last breach, they have tied down five of our sect's chaos lifeforms, who must constantly suppress them. "Therefore, I wish to ask you to use the Black Light Pagoda to thoroughly slay those two Dark Domain lifeforms. That way, our sect's chaos lifeforms will no longer have to remain bound to Heaven Prison, constantly having their attention diverted." Saint Heavenly Light laid out the situation plainly. One could tell that the two Dark Domain lifeforms in Heaven Prison had drained a tremendous amount of Saint Heavenly Light's energy. Perhaps the reason Saint Heavenly Light had not left the Hundred Flowers Domain to explore the wider chaos for all these years was that he had to keep watch over those two beings. Yet Lu Changsheng also had his doubts. Over the countless years of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, difficult though becoming a chaos lifeform was, there were bound to be more than ten of them. Could ten chaos lifeforms still fail to kill those two Dark Domain lifeforms? "Saint Heavenly Light, what strength do those two Dark Domain lifeforms possess? Could the sect truly not slay them even by throwing everything into the effort?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Changsheng, you might not know the divisions of strength among chaos lifeforms. "Generally, those who have just become chaos lifeforms—your current state—are merely initial chaos lifeforms. Such initial chaos lifeforms are the most numerous; nearly all chaos lifeforms fall into this category. "To advance beyond an initial chaos lifeform, one must undergo a life leap. But a life leap is unimaginably difficult. For a chaos lifeform, refusing to attempt a life leap allows one to live peacefully and securely. But attempting a life leap carries immense risk, and failure is common. If one fails, their physical body is likely to collapse, resulting in death and the end of their Dao. "Consequently, many chaos lifeforms dare not attempt a life leap at all. In all the years our Heavenly Light Holy Sect has accumulated, including myself, we have only three chaos lifeforms who have undergone a single life leap. The two Dark Domain lifeforms suppressed in the Heaven Prison World have both undergone one life leap. Defeating them is easy, but killing them outright is simply impossible; we can only rely on numbers and Heaven Prison itself to keep them suppressed. "However, if you can mobilize the Black Light Pagoda, the situation changes entirely. Even as a daughter pagoda, its power is terrifying. Slaying Dark Domain lifeforms that have undergone one life leap should pose no problem." Saint Heavenly Light's words brought sudden clarity to Lu Changsheng. So that was it. He had not expected Saint Heavenly Light to be a chaos lifeform who had undergone only a single life leap. One had to realize that Saint Heavenly Light was ancient beyond measure. After all, the Heavenly Light Holy Sect had been founded by his own hand. The sect did not lack ordinary chaos lifeforms. Yet those who had achieved a life leap numbered only three in the entire sect. Far too few. And all three had undergone only one life leap, insufficient to completely obliterate the two Dark Domain lifeforms in Heaven Prison. "Zisang, can the Black Light Pagoda kill two Dark Domain lifeforms that have undergone one life leap?" Though Lu Changsheng controlled the pagoda, he was uncertain whether it could truly slay lifeforms of that level. He had never fought a once-leaped lifeform, after all. But Zisang would know. "Master, if you mobilize the full power of the Black Light Pagoda, killing Dark Domain lifeforms of a single life leap will be well within your capability!" Zisang answered with absolute certainty. This was the Black Light Pagoda. Even as a daughter pagoda, it possessed earth-shattering power. Every daughter pagoda served as a Dao-protecting treasure for the cultivator who cleared the preliminary trial. How could it protect their Dao without formidable might? "Very well," Lu Changsheng nodded. Since the Black Light Pagoda could resolve the matter, he was willing to give it a try. "Excellent!" "Now that you have become a chaos lifeform, this must be announced to the entire Heavenly Light Holy Sect! "Your authority shall also be raised to match my own; you will have the right to mobilize all the resources of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. "Furthermore, you should meet the sect's other chaos lifeforms." Saint Heavenly Light arranged everything systematically. These arrangements were made to foster Lu Changsheng's sense of belonging to the sect. After all, Lu Changsheng had spent very little time in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. To become a chaos lifeform in such a short period made him peerless across the Hundred Flowers Domain. His sense of belonging might therefore be lacking. Yet Saint Heavenly Light was worrying unnecessarily. Lu Changsheng had cultivated for a short time overall, meaning his time in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect accounted for a substantial portion of his life. He did feel a sense of belonging to the sect. Otherwise, he would not have agreed to Saint Heavenly Light's request without hesitation. *** Within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, disciples came and went, creating a bustling atmosphere. Many were currently attempting to raise their ratings. Cultivators crowded Rating Square in countless numbers. Some disciples could not help but reminisce about Lu Changsheng. "Ten thousand years have passed already. Why hasn't Supreme Lu come to challenge the seventh passage? Has he not reached Tier Seven to Godhood yet?" "With Supreme Lu's talent, he must have reached Tier Seven to Godhood long ago. It's just that Supreme Lu aims only for the Supreme Prodigy rating. To clear that seventh passage and become a Supreme Prodigy is extraordinarily difficult—one might need to be infinitely close to a chaos lifeform, or even capable of slaying one!" "Indeed. A Supreme Prodigy at Tier Seven to Godhood is unimaginable. Even with Supreme Lu's strength, he might not have felt certain of victory." "In any case, Supreme Lu hasn't shown himself in ten thousand years. Where could he have gone?" Cultivators discussed the matter animatedly. Though ten thousand years had passed and Lu Changsheng had not made a single appearance, they still remembered him clearly. His fame had not waned in the slightest. The reason was simple: he had achieved the Supreme Prodigy rating three consecutive times. Who would dare overlook him? Now, Lu Changsheng's name echoed not only through the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, but across the entire Hundred Flowers Domain. Many factions knew that an earth-shattering Supreme Prodigy had emerged within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Under such circumstances, he would never be forgotten. Just as the crowd was in the middle of their discussions... Hum! Suddenly, the identity tokens of every cultivator in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect vibrated violently. Immediately afterward, brilliant beams of light burst from the tokens. Saint Heavenly Light's voice resonated directly from them: "Supreme Prodigy Lu Changsheng has today achieved the realm of a chaos lifeform. All cultivators of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect shall offer their congratulations to Saint Lu!" Saint Heavenly Light's voice was instantly recognizable. Moreover, carried within that voice was a terrifying aura of pressure. The pressure of a chaos lifeform! Boom! Saint Heavenly Light's proclamation ignited the entire Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Disciples stared with wide eyes, completely incredulous. What had they just heard? Lu Changsheng? Was that not Supreme Lu? Supreme Lu had vanished for ten thousand years without showing his face, only to emerge now as a chaos lifeform? Back then, Supreme Lu had only been at Tier Six to Godhood. Now, he had leaped over Tier Seven, Tier Eight, and Tier Nine to Godhood— and stepped straight into the realm of a chaos lifeform! This was utterly staggering. The Heavenly Light Holy Sect had gained another chaos lifeform, another Saint! The cultivators on Rating Square who had just been debating when Lu Changsheng would take his next assessment looked at one another in dumbfounded horror. What assessment was left to take? The man had already become a chaos lifeform! "Supreme Lu has become a chaos lifeform just like that? How long has it even been?" "Last time he was at Tier Six to Godhood, and this time he's a chaos lifeform directly. He probably didn't care about the Supreme Prodigy rating anymore..." "Still, how is that possible? This is simply absurd!" "Saint Heavenly Light proclaimed it himself. Could it be false? From now on, there is no more Supreme Lu—only Saint Lu!" For a time, Rating Square erupted with fervor. Everyone debated how "Saint Lu" could have ascended from a Supreme Prodigy directly into a chaos lifeform in a single bound. To skip from Tier Seven to Tier Nine to Godhood and become a chaos lifeform in a mere ten thousand years was utterly inconceivable. *** Inside her cave dwelling, Xing Ying was currently cultivating. Over the ten thousand years, Xing Ying had reached Tier Seven to Godhood. As a prodigy herself, her cultivation speed was already exceptionally fast. "I wonder how Lu Changsheng is faring in the Black Light Pagoda?" Xing Ying murmured softly. Her thoughts drifted to him. She naturally knew he was undertaking the third phase of the Black Light Pagoda's trial. Yet she had harbored little certainty about his chances of success. Especially after attempting to cultivate the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art herself—she had failed to even step across the threshold and had long since given up. Could anyone truly cultivate such a monstrous technique to completion? Xing Ying found it hard to imagine. Suddenly, Xing Ying's identity token flared with brilliant radiance. Immediately following it, the voice of Saint Heavenly Light rang out. Hearing the announcement, Xing Ying shuddered all over. A look of pure joy bloomed in her eyes. "It's Lu Changsheng... he has become a chaos lifeform?" "Since he has become a chaos lifeform, he must have passed the Black Light Pagoda's trial! Truly the foremost genius of the Hundred Flowers Domain!" Xing Ying was genuinely thrilled for Lu Changsheng. She knew well that even Saint Heavenly Light himself had failed the pagoda's trial back in his day. And that was the founding ancestor of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect! Yet what Saint Heavenly Light could not accomplish, Lu Changsheng had achieved! Soon, however, a wave of melancholy washed over Xing Ying. Lu Changsheng had spoken to her of the Black Light Pagoda. Xing Ying knew that once he cleared the preliminary trial, he would leave the Hundred Flowers Domain to face the ultimate trial in a place far beyond. Once he departed, it would be for a very long time—perhaps never to return. Xing Ying felt a pang of sorrow. Yet she knew that the Hundred Flowers Domain was far too small to hold Lu Changsheng. *** The news of Lu Changsheng becoming a chaos lifeform spread rapidly. Not only were the disciples stunned, but the sect's chaos lifeforms were shaken even more profoundly. Upon looking into Lu Changsheng's past, their shock deepened. Cultivating to become a chaos lifeform at a mere twelve thousand years old? Compared to him, where had they been at twelve thousand years of age? How could anyone possibly become a chaos lifeform so quickly? Furthermore, Lu Changsheng did not seem to have achieved his breakthrough within the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Otherwise, the commotion would have been massive, and they would certainly have felt it. Yet there had been no disturbance within the sect during this period. That meant he had achieved it elsewhere. Regardless, they all wished to meet Lu Changsheng. Conveniently, Saint Heavenly Light had already summoned all the sect's chaos lifeforms to gather with Lu Changsheng. Before long, more than a dozen chaos lifeforms assembled in the grand hall of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Counting Lu Changsheng and Saint Heavenly Light, their number reached twenty. "Almost everyone is here. "A few are roaming the outer domains and cannot return, but twenty chaos lifeforms represent the vast majority of our sect's strength. "Everyone, the man beside me is Supreme Prodigy Lu Changsheng. Having just achieved the realm of a chaos lifeform, he shall henceforth be known as Saint Lu." With Saint Heavenly Light's introduction, the gazes of the gathered chaos lifeforms naturally settled on Lu Changsheng. In the past, a single glance from these chaos lifeforms would have carried immense, stifling pressure. Now, however, things were different. Most of them did not cause Lu Changsheng to feel the slightest pressure at all. Only two among them stood out from the rest. Lu Changsheng guessed their identities at once. Those two had to be the other chaos lifeforms in the sect who had undergone a single life leap. Together with Saint Heavenly Light, they formed the sect's three peak pillars—known as the "Three Saints" of the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. "Saint Lu was formerly a Supreme Prodigy of transcendent talent, virtually unrivaled in the Hundred Flowers Domain! Now that Saint Lu has become a chaos lifeform, could he perhaps challenge the Black Light Pagoda at the floor of the Illusory Spirit Abyss? With Saint Lu's talent, he might well pass its trial!" One of the Saints suddenly spoke up, a look of anticipation on his face. The Black Light Pagoda! This was no secret among chaos lifeforms. Nearly every chaos lifeform attempted to challenge the pagoda. Whether they could actually reach the floor of the Illusory Spirit Abyss, of course, was another matter. Yet with Lu Changsheng's exceptional talent, it would be a waste not to try. What if he succeeded? Hearing those words, Saint Heavenly Light and Lu Changsheng shared a knowing smile. Lu Changsheng extended his hand. "Fellow Saints, are you referring to this Black Light Pagoda?" With a wave of Lu Changsheng's hand, a pitch-black pagoda appeared within his palm. Boom! The pitch-black pagoda settled directly onto the hall floor, radiating ripples of dusky light.