First Arrival in the Black Light Realm, Lu Changsheng's Ranking!

"The power of Dark Domain origin has an effect on the Illusory Realm, but because the amount is too minuscule, it cannot manifest right now. I must obtain far more Dark Domain origin power..." Lu Changsheng quickly understood the reason. Although the Illusory Realm had yet to transform and still could not rival a chaos lifeform, Lu Changsheng was now entirely certain that all he lacked was chaos origin. If that proved impossible, Dark Domain origin would suffice as well. After all, chaos and the Dark Domain were two sides of the same coin; either could trigger the metamorphosis of his Illusory Realm. However, whether chaos origin or Dark Domain origin, both were extraordinarily difficult to obtain. Lu Changsheng had no immediate solution and could only wait to see if an opportunity to acquire either arose in the future. Without these two resources, becoming a true World Master was out of the question, and his path as a World Master would remain at a complete standstill. Originally, Lu Changsheng still held affection for the Hundred Flowers Domain and had wished to stay a while longer. Yet now it was clear that obtaining chaos origin within the Hundred Flowers Domain was impossible. He had no choice but to venture outward. To other domains. Perhaps even to the very center of chaos. Only in the thriving, prosperous reaches of chaos might he have a chance to find chaos origin. Before departing, however, Lu Changsheng had to settle a few matters. At present, he was tied to only two places: the Heavenly Light Holy Sect and the Heaven Realm. As for the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, with Saint Heavenly Light and the other chaos lifeforms presiding over it, it stood as one of the three major factions of the Hundred Flowers Domain; Lu Changsheng had little reason to worry. His only lingering concern was the people within the sect—such as Xing Ying. Since he was about to depart, leaving something behind for her was only right. After all, once he set out, who knew when they would ever meet again? They might never see each other again. With that thought, Lu Changsheng flew directly toward Xing Ying's cave dwelling. *Whoosh.* He landed outside the entrance. Xing Ying noticed his arrival at once and opened the door. "Greetings, Saint Lu!" Though she spoke the words of formal greeting, a faint smile played at the corner of her lips. Clearly, she did not treat Lu Changsheng like a stranger simply because he had become a chaos lifeform. There was no rift between them. Xing Ying remained the same Xing Ying, and Lu Changsheng was still the same Lu Changsheng. Once inside the cave dwelling, Xing Ying smiled and said, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lu, on becoming a chaos lifeform. What Sister Liu Qing could not achieve back then has been accomplished through you." A trace of bittersweet emotion flickered in her expression. She thought of Liu Qing. Liu Qing had also been a prodigy, full of ambition to attain the rank of a chaos lifeform, and had even made every preparation. Yet in the end, she had still fallen short. Xing Ying herself was a special lifeform with outstanding natural talent, but even she possessed no certainty of ever becoming a chaos lifeform. Yet the man before her had quietly ascended to that realm, stepping ahead of every prodigy. He truly deserved the title of a supreme prodigy! "Fellow Daoist Lu, I imagine you didn't come here just for idle chatter, did you?" Xing Ying knew him well. Lu Changsheng would never visit her cave dwelling without good reason. Taking a deep breath, Lu Changsheng looked at her calmly. "I am leaving." "When?" "Soon." "Will you return?" "Perhaps. Perhaps not." Xing Ying fell silent. Though their exchange was brief, she understood everything. Lu Changsheng was leaving, likely traveling far away, and might never return. This parting could very well be forever. "I will leave behind a flesh particle," Lu Changsheng said. "With it by your side, no one below a chaos lifeform can harm you! Consider it my protection for your Dao path!" With a flick of his finger, a single flesh particle drifted from his body into Xing Ying's. Xing Ying immediately sensed the particle. It pulsed with terrifying power—utterly invincible against anyone beneath the level of a chaos lifeform! Lu Changsheng even felt a measure of relief that he had chosen the second method to become a chaos lifeform. Had he merged all his flesh particles together into a single whole, he would never have been able to spare a particle like this. Xing Ying did not refuse. She understood what a flesh particle meant to him. Lu Changsheng possessed hundreds of millions of them; parting with a single particle had no impact on him whatsoever. "Then I wish Fellow Daoist Lu will reach the summit of chaos and become a source lifeform!" Xing Ying nodded. She had countless words she wished to say, but in the end, only this blessing crossed her lips. Lu Changsheng said nothing more. He simply nodded, turned resolutely, and departed from the cave dwelling. Gazing after his retreating silhouette, Xing Ying remained quiet. "A Dao companion..." A gentle smile touched her face. Only those who could walk alongside each other to the very end were true Dao companions. Otherwise, they were merely passersby. A prodigy like Lu Changsheng could never be held back by the Hundred Flowers Domain, and she was not qualified to walk beside him. In truth, not even ordinary chaos lifeforms were qualified to journey with him to the end. Perhaps only source lifeforms could. Since she could not accompany him, all she could offer were her blessings. *** Instead of returning to his cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng directly activated the Black Light Pagoda. *Swish.* The Black Light Pagoda vanished instantly. In the next moment, it reappeared outside the Heaven Realm. Lu Changsheng stowed the pagoda and stepped straight into the Heaven Realm. *Rumble!* The moment Lu Changsheng entered, the entire Heaven Realm churned. It was the rules of the Heaven Realm, buckling as though under immense pressure. In a sense, a chaos lifeform existed on the same tier as a chaos world. Thus, whenever a chaos lifeform entered such a world, it exerted heavy pressure upon it. If the world lacked a will, the effect was manageable, but if it possessed a conscious world will, that will would mount an overt rejection. The Heaven Realm was experiencing precisely that. Fortunately, Lu Changsheng was born of this realm, and he had even fused his Dao Fruit imprint into it. Even though he was now a chaos lifeform, the imprint remained true, and his aura could not be mistaken. The Heaven Realm recognized him. Before long, the tumultuous disturbances began to subside. Yet even as the world quieted, the magnitude of the commotion sent a wave of palpitations through the Dao Ancestors residing within the Heaven Realm, making them feel as if doomsday had arrived. It was the aftershock of the world will's violent reaction. "What happened? Why did the Heaven Realm's will react so violently?" "What on earth was that? After such a tremendous disturbance, why has it suddenly calmed down?" "We have Tier Nine cultivators guarding our Heaven Realm. What could possibly go wrong?" The Dao Ancestors buzzed with uneasy speculation. Even Qian Heliu, who was stationed in the Heaven Realm, was filled with doubt and alarm. Why had the Heaven Realm's will reacted so intensely out of nowhere? However, when their eyes fell upon the familiar figure hovering in the void, their shock turned to pleasant surprise. "It's Fellow Daoist Lu." Qian Heliu smiled faintly. He was glad to see Lu Changsheng. According to their agreement, it was his turn to oversee the Heaven Realm, which had been a dull assignment. Running into Lu Changsheng was an unexpected delight. "Fellow Daoist Qian Heliu." Lu Changsheng was slightly surprised as well. He had not anticipated meeting an old acquaintance here. As Lu Changsheng drew near, Qian Heliu immediately asked, "Fellow Daoist Lu, what was with the reaction from the Heaven Realm's will just now?" In truth, Qian Heliu had already guessed that it had something to do with him. "I made a breakthrough not long ago and haven't fully reined in my power, which caused the Heaven Realm's will to react a bit. It should be no issue," Lu Changsheng answered. "A breakthrough?" Qian Heliu froze slightly. Even if Lu Changsheng was exceptionally gifted, breaking through to Tier Nine of the Tiers to Godhood shouldn't have provoked such a massive response from the Heaven Realm's will, should it? *Could it be...* A staggering possibility flashed through Qian Heliu's mind. He focused his gaze and scrutinized Lu Changsheng carefully. That brief inspection revealed something extraordinary: a faint, ethereal pressure emanating from Lu Changsheng. It was not a pressure born of brute force, but an oppressive weight derived from a higher tier of life itself. This kind of presence was not unfamiliar to Qian Heliu. He had seen chaos lifeforms before, and they had carried an identical aura of higher-order existence—virtually identical to what he was feeling now. Qian Heliu's heart seized with shock. He understood—he understood completely. A chaos lifeform. Lu Changsheng had actually ascended to become a chaos lifeform! Yet how could that be possible? How much time had passed? How could Lu Changsheng have become a chaos lifeform so quickly? It was utterly inconceivable. Qian Heliu began to tremble all over from sheer excitement. "F-Fellow Daoist Lu, could you be..." His voice quavered, but before he could finish, Lu Changsheng nodded. "Indeed. I am now a chaos lifeform." *Boom!* Lu Changsheng made no attempt to conceal his voice. Everyone heard him clearly. A chaos lifeform! He was truly a chaos lifeform?! All at once, the Dao Ancestors felt their minds go blank. They stood frozen where they were, struck dumb. A chaos lifeform! That was a legendary existence! The Dao Ancestors were merely at Tier Five of the Tiers to Godhood, an insurmountable distance from becoming a chaos lifeform. Yet here Lu Changsheng stood before them, having quietly reached that realm. Lu Changsheng released a sliver of his chaos lifeform aura. Instantly, beneath that terrifying presence, the Dao Ancestors felt as though they were suffocating. The oppressive difference in their tiers of life was unmistakable. Only a genuine chaos lifeform could project such overwhelming dread upon cultivators of the Tiers to Godhood. "Hahaha! Our Heaven Realm has produced a chaos lifeform! Who could have imagined it?" "From now on, our Heaven Realm is safe!" "Who would have thought our Heaven Realm would have a chaos lifeform watching over it?" The Dao Ancestors were ecstatic. This was an unprecedented blessing! Although Lu Changsheng had previously been a supreme prodigy whose performance in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect showed immense potential, potential was still just potential. Countless cultivators possessed potential, yet how many actually became chaos lifeforms? They could be counted on one hand! Now, Lu Changsheng was a bona fide chaos lifeform. With one of their own reaching that realm, the Heaven Realm would instantly leap to the ranks of top-tier worlds in the vast Hundred Flowers Domain. While it naturally could not rival the three supreme factions, no one would dare offend a chaos world guarded by a chaos lifeform. Even without the Qian family stationed here, the Heaven Realm could rest completely secure. Such was the deterrent power of a single chaos lifeform! Qian Heliu was equally thrilled. He knew Lu Changsheng had cultivated for at most ten thousand-odd years. Achieving this realm in barely over ten thousand years meant he was bound to become a powerhouse among chaos lifeforms. Moreover, Qian Heliu knew of the hierarchies among chaos lifeforms. Those capable of life leaps enjoyed supreme status. Given Lu Changsheng's exceptional talent, taking further steps through life leaps was well within reach. For a moment, even Qian Heliu looked upon the Heaven Realm with envy. This unremarkable chaos world had given birth to a chaos lifeform—and an extraordinary one at that. What incredible fortune! Fortunately, the Qian family had turned misfortune into a blessing and forged ties with him. That, too, was the Qian family's great luck! Seeing the Dao Ancestors' jubilation, Lu Changsheng did not interrupt. Publicly revealing his new identity had been deliberate on his part. He needed the weight of a chaos lifeform to deter any opportunistic schemers, ensuring the Heaven Realm's long-term safety. Even so, that was not enough. The Heaven Realm could not rely forever on the Qian family's Tier Nine cultivators; it needed its own protective might on that level. That was precisely the reason for his return. "I may not return to the Heaven Realm often in the future," Lu Changsheng said. "However, I will leave behind a flesh particle. It can suppress and slay any cultivator within the Tiers to Godhood—anyone short of a chaos lifeform! "With this particle stationed here, the Heaven Realm should face no threats." With another flick of his finger, Lu Changsheng dispatched a flesh particle. The particle swiftly took shape, assuming Lu Changsheng's likeness, and bowed toward him. It could be considered an avatar. Yet it was merely a single flesh particle, which cost Lu Changsheng nothing. It could remain stationed in the Heaven Realm indefinitely to safeguard its peace. "Go on, Changsheng. You have no need to worry about us," Pan Ancestor spoke up. Even though Lu Changsheng had become a chaos lifeform, Pan Ancestor held an esteemed position having watched him rise through every step. He naturally understood that Lu Changsheng could not remain bound to the Heaven Realm. Lu Changsheng nodded. He did not mention that he was preparing to leave the Hundred Flowers Domain entirely. There was no need. The Dao Ancestors lacked the broader perspective of the wider cosmos; even if he told them about the Black Light Pagoda, they would not understand. Leaving a flesh particle was more than enough. "Fellow Daoist Qian Heliu, your Qian family must still abide by our agreement regarding the Heaven Realm," Lu Changsheng added. "Naturally," Qian Heliu replied. "In fact, I have a request that I hope Saint Lu will grant. My Qian family wishes to relocate our entire clan into the Heaven Realm..." Qian Heliu had not dared bring this up before because the Heaven Realm—or rather Lu Changsheng—would have harbored misgivings, fearing the Qian family might usurp the realm. But things were different now. Lu Changsheng was a chaos lifeform, and with his flesh particle stationed here, the Heaven Realm possessed ample foundation and had nothing to fear from the Qian family. Meanwhile, Qian Heliu had resolved to bring his clan here so they could cling tightly to Lu Changsheng's backing. For the Qian family, it offered nothing but advantages. "Granted," Lu Changsheng nodded. He understood Qian Heliu's intentions perfectly well, but he did not mind. Having the Qian family settle here would only enhance the Heaven Realm's foundation, which was a good thing. "Very well. I shall take my leave." A faint dark light shimmered across Lu Changsheng's figure, and he vanished on the spot. Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling in the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. Settling these two matters had taken very little time—less than a single day. That was thanks to the spatial shuttle ability of the Black Light Pagoda, which allowed him to traverse anywhere within the Hundred Flowers Domain instantly, saving immense amounts of time. With both matters resolved, Lu Changsheng had no more lingering worries. He cast one final look over the Heavenly Light Holy Sect. "Time to go..." Without lingering, a dark radiance flashed around him, and he vanished from the cave dwelling. *** *Swish.* Lu Changsheng emerged in the depths of chaos. He was already beyond the borders of the Hundred Flowers Domain. Outside lay boundless chaos. Traversing chaos was normally an agonizingly slow endeavor, but Lu Changsheng was different: he possessed the Black Light Pagoda. Ordinary chaos lifeforms could not shuttle through space within raw chaos; they could only perform spatial shuttles within a chaos world. Yet the Black Light Pagoda was capable of spatial shuttling directly through chaos itself. Even so, the pagoda's shuttles had limits. It could not instantly transport him back to the Black Light Realm. Each spatial leap covered a distance roughly equivalent to the size of the entire Hundred Flowers Domain, while the Black Light Realm was unfathomably distant—far more than a few domains away. Thus, Lu Changsheng still had to spend considerable time shuttling through the chaos to reach it. In the blink of an eye, ten years passed. Lu Changsheng finally arrived at the Black Light Realm. Looking at the world ahead, which radiated a terrifying energy signature, he let out a long breath of relief. "Ten years. I've finally arrived." He could not help but sigh. Even with the Black Light Pagoda continuously executing spatial shuttles through the chaos, the journey had still taken ten full years. If a chaos lifeform had to rely solely on flight, how long would it take? Several thousand years? Tens of thousands of years? The thought was daunting. Without a treasure capable of traversing chaos, traveling through it was exceedingly arduous even for a chaos lifeform. Most could only roam among several neighboring domains; any distance spanning more than ten domains posed a formidable challenge. Regardless, Lu Changsheng had reached his destination. Stowing the Black Light Pagoda, he flew toward the Black Light Realm. Since he was already so close, there was no need to rush. Just as he was about to enter, a figure suddenly flew over and blocked his path. A chaos lifeform. It was unmistakably a chaos lifeform. The newcomer cupped his hands with a beaming smile and said, "Fellow Daoist, have you come to take the preliminary trial in the Black Light Realm? If it's the preliminary trial, I have a few strategy guides here that are sure to help you with the assessment..." Lu Changsheng paused, taken aback. "Strategy guides?" This was a chaos lifeform! A dignified chaos lifeform, hawking trial walkthroughs? For a moment, Lu Changsheng could hardly process it. "Indeed, Fellow Daoist! The Black Light Pagoda's preliminary trial is notoriously brutal. My guide compiles the experiences of countless top prodigies across tens of thousands of epochs. It's worth every penny..." The chaos lifeform continued his enthusiastic pitch for the preliminary trial guide. The catch, of course, was that Lu Changsheng had already cleared the preliminary trial; he had no need for any guide whatsoever. Lu Changsheng couldn't resist asking, "Fellow Daoist, you are a dignified chaos lifeform, yet you're blocking the entrance to the Black Light Realm to peddle preliminary trial guides? Isn't that beneath the dignity of a chaos lifeform?" "Dignity?" The man froze, then sighed deeply and let out a bitter laugh. "Fellow Daoist, you must have just arrived at the Black Light Realm. You don't know how difficult cultivation truly is. Once one becomes a chaos lifeform, many people are essentially placed on the same starting line. But precisely because of that, progressing further becomes even harder. "To achieve a life leap, countless chaos lifeforms must hoard resources frantically. Without resources, a life leap is utterly impossible! And where do resources come from? Everyone is a chaos lifeform, so it comes down to influence or raw force. But I couldn't join any major faction—most early-stage chaos lifeforms can't. Even if you manage to join one, you might not get many resources anyway; you still have to fight for yourself. "For the sake of a life leap, what does hawking guides matter? No matter how hard it is, one must do what must be done. "As for face? In the Black Light Realm, an ordinary chaos lifeform has no face to speak of. You'll understand once you step inside..." Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes, falling into thought. *So even after becoming a chaos lifeform, cultivation remains this difficult?* The man's words carried plenty of truth. Throughout his cultivation journey, Lu Changsheng had always understood one principle: it was easier to find shade under a great tree. In other words, having a faction behind you—the stronger, the better—was immensely beneficial to one's progress. As an unaffiliated rogue cultivator, even becoming a chaos lifeform was an uphill battle. If Lu Changsheng had not joined the Heavenly Light Holy Sect, even if he had eventually managed to become a chaos lifeform, it would have taken vastly more time, and his cultivation would never have proceeded as smoothly as it had. That was the advantage of having powerful backing. Given the choice, Lu Changsheng had no desire to be an unaffiliated cultivator. "May I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?" Lu Changsheng asked. "My name is Chen Yuan." "So it is Fellow Daoist Chen." Lu Changsheng nodded. After hearing Chen Yuan prattle on for so long, Lu Changsheng found him rather intriguing. Although he claimed to be an unaffiliated rogue cultivator, he had nonetheless become a chaos lifeform. Furthermore, he discarded all the haughty dignity expected of one. No matter how one looked at it, that was no small feat. After all, Chen Yuan was the only one out here peddling guides; no other chaos lifeforms were thick-skinned enough to do the same. That alone proved this was anything but easy. "Fellow Daoist Lu, after all this talk, will you buy a guide or not?" Chen Yuan asked. "If you had a guide for the ultimate trial, I might consider purchasing it. A preliminary trial guide, however, is unnecessary." As Lu Changsheng spoke, the faint outline of a pitch-black pagoda materialized above his head. Seeing that black pagoda, Chen Yuan's heart leaped in astonishment. Having resided in the Black Light Realm for so many years, he knew all too well what that black pagoda represented. It was a daughter pagoda of the Black Light Pagoda. Only cultivators who had cleared the preliminary trial were permitted to refine one. "So Fellow Daoist Lu has already passed the preliminary trial, and you've come to the Black Light Realm to undertake the ultimate trial?!" Chen Yuan's eyes lit up with intense heat and excitement. Although chaos lifeforms were numerous in the Black Light Realm, those who had passed the preliminary trial held an exceptionally high status, far beyond what ordinary chaos lifeforms could compare to. This was an enormous backer, a great thigh to cling to! "Fellow Daoist Lu, if you don't mind, I know the Black Light Realm like the back of my hand. Allow me to guide you inside!" Chen Yuan offered eagerly, his gaze burning with anticipation. He didn't even mention compensation. When meeting someone preparing for the ultimate trial like Lu Changsheng, what compensation could compare to getting on his good side? Clinging to such a backer promised immense benefits in the future. Seeing Chen Yuan's eager demeanor, Lu Changsheng found it entirely natural. In fact, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. Wasn't Chen Yuan acting just like the opportunistic, worldly mortals of the mortal realm? It had been ages since Lu Changsheng had encountered such down-to-earth behavior. Seeing a chaos lifeform acting like a mortal felt refreshing, even somewhat endearing. "Very well," Lu Changsheng agreed. It was only leading the way, after all. Moreover, though he had Zisang for guidance, Zisang had been away from the Black Light Realm for ages. Having Chen Yuan guide him was certainly helpful. With that, the two flew into the Black Light Realm together. *Whoosh.* Upon entering the Black Light Realm, they were immediately met with crowds of bustling pedestrians. Lu Changsheng was taken aback. This was completely different from what he had pictured. He had imagined that the Black Light Realm would be filled with chaos lifeforms everywhere. After all, the realm gathered the foremost geniuses from countless chaos worlds across the expanse of chaos; those coming and going ought to be chaos lifeforms. Yet he was mistaken. The vast majority of the people here were cultivators of the Tiers to Godhood. "Why are there so many cultivators of the Tiers to Godhood?" Lu Changsheng asked. Could cultivators who hadn't achieved chaos lifeform status enter the Black Light Realm as well? Chen Yuan smiled. "The Black Light Realm isn't a chaos world—it is the Black Light Pagoda itself. That treasure surpasses our comprehension; not even source lifeforms can damage it. Because of that, the Black Light Realm is extraordinarily safe, and its cultivation environment is exceptional. Some cultivators who passed the preliminary trial brought their family members here. "Another major factor is the descendants of chaos lifeforms. Although it is exceedingly difficult for a chaos lifeform to produce bloodline descendants, some fortunate individuals manage to have children. Those children then bear further descendants, and over countless generations, cultivators of the Tiers to Godhood naturally grew numerous here. "However, aside from those who pass the preliminary trial receiving a handful of residence quotas, everyone else—even chaos lifeforms—must pay a fee to live in the Black Light Realm. Otherwise, they will be expelled." Lu Changsheng understood. Requiring a residence fee made complete sense. Without one, the Black Light Realm would have been overrun long ago. Continuously raising the fee effectively restricted the influx of people. Within the Black Light Realm, transactions typically used chaos crystal stones. These stones were said to be condensed thousands of times over from the beneficial components within chaos qi that strengthened the physical body, making them extremely difficult to form. Any chaos lifeform could use them for cultivation to slightly enhance their physical body's strength. It was for this reason that chaos crystal stones were recognized as currency. Even so, many cultivation resources required by chaos lifeforms were priceless and unavailable on the market; no amount of chaos crystal stones could buy them. "Fellow Daoist Lu, for cultivators like you who are preparing for the ultimate trial, the most crucial thing is your ranking. It directly dictates your cultivation resources. The higher your rank, the more resources you receive. If your rank is too low, you might not receive any resources at all, making future life leaps exceedingly difficult. "One step ahead, always ahead. In the Black Light Realm, the competition among chaos lifeforms who passed the preliminary trial is even fiercer than among us rogue cultivators. "I won't hold you up any longer. You should check your ranking first. We can catch up later when you have time." Chen Yuan knew what mattered most to Lu Changsheng right now, so he tactfully took his leave. "Alright." Chen Yuan departed. At that moment, Zisang spoke up in Lu Changsheng's mind. "Master, I just connected with the Black Light Pagoda's parent body. Your ranking has been determined." "Oh?" "What is my rank?" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up as he asked eagerly. In truth, Lu Changsheng wasn't worried. He had cleared the preliminary trial while still within the Tiers to Godhood, which should give him a decisive advantage over those who only passed after becoming chaos lifeforms. His ranking would surely not be low. Still, as to exactly where he stood, Lu Changsheng did not know.