Famous Across the World Overnight! Lu Changsheng Astounds the Entire Dark Domain!

"Lin Qingluan finally found a Dao companion?" "Even a nine-Dao Great Saint like Great Saint Zhongtian failed to catch Lin Qingluan's eye. Just who could have become her Dao companion?" "The man is named Great Saint Changsheng, a guest elder of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. He hails from a minor city, and up until now he seems to be only a two-Dao Great Saint." "A mere two-Dao Great Saint? How could he win Lin Qingluan as a Dao companion?" "Lu Changsheng may only be a two-Dao Great Saint, but he has comprehended a unique Sword Dao known as the Eternal Sword Dao—reputed to be the greatest Sword Dao through all eternity! Even Lin Qingluan's Sword Dao could not rival his." "The Eternal Sword Dao..." Whispers and discussions of this matter erupted across the entire Dark Domain. Lin Qingluan was certainly no nobody. On the contrary, her fame was immense. Not only was she extraordinarily beautiful, but her talent was monstrous. At merely three thousand years of age, she had already become an eight-Dao Great Saint, and it was entirely possible she would attain the nine-Dao Great Saint realm within ten thousand years. Everyone knew Lin Qingluan had been searching for a Dao companion. They also knew the unique nature of the cultivation method she practiced. Becoming Lin Qingluan's Dao companion would truly allow someone to ascend to the heavens in a single step. Even a nine-Dao Great Saint would reap immense benefits from pairing with her. Had Lin Qingluan not been the Holy Maiden of the Tianyuan Holy Sect and an eight-Dao Great Saint in her own right—someone whom virtually no one beneath the level of an Emperor could contend with—others would have long since abducted her. Back when Lin Qingluan had yet to reveal her talent, she had been kept hidden deep within the Tianyuan Holy Sect, without a whisper of her existence allowed to leak out, precisely out of fear that others might learn of her and seize her. Only after becoming a high-rank Great Saint did she step out of the Tianyuan Holy Sect of her own accord and begin searching for a Dao companion. The moment she descended the mountain, she had slain a seven-Dao Great Saint, causing an instant sensation. Now she had become the focal point of the Dark Domain once again. By extension, Lu Changsheng was thrust back into the sights of numerous factions throughout the Dark Domain. In truth, this brought Lu Changsheng a great deal of trouble. One could never be too careful. What if someone truly decided to make a move against him? The possibility was far from nonexistent. For instance, enemies of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect might strike. Or enemies of the Tianyuan Holy Sect might act to prevent the birth of an Emperor in their rival's ranks. In that case, killing Lu Changsheng was perhaps the best course of action. Without a suitable Dao companion, no matter how extraordinary Lin Qingluan's cultivation method was, she would have no way to master a tenth Great Dao. Without that tenth Great Dao, attempting a breakthrough to Emperor was a nine-in-ten chance of death. "I never imagined that once this news went public, I would end up cooped up in the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect, afraid to go anywhere..." Lu Changsheng let out a long sigh, looking at Lin Qingluan before him with considerable helplessness. Indeed, Lin Qingluan had not yet departed. She remained at Lu Changsheng's side. As a Holy Maiden, she was a favored daughter of heaven. Yet she displayed none of the haughtiness or imperiousness typical of such figures. Instead, she was gentle, warm, and approachable. Conversing with her, Lu Changsheng felt no pressure at all. In just a few short months, the two had grown quite close. Lu Changsheng could even share lighthearted jokes with her. Lin Qingluan smiled and said, "A dignified three-Dao Great Saint actually hiding his cultivation, leading the outside world to believe you are merely a two-Dao Great Saint. Fellow Daoist Lu, your talent surpasses even mine. Even without this matter, the one who should be hiding in the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect ought to be you..." During this time, Lin Qingluan had naturally discovered the "secret" of Lu Changsheng's cultivation. Of course, that was because Lu Changsheng had made no attempt to conceal it from her. Revealing the cultivation of a three-Dao Great Saint was actually part of his scheme to acquire Dark Domain origin power. Yes, Lu Changsheng had already devised a plan. In the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect's Library, Lu Changsheng had come across a description in an ancient tome. In the past, certain brilliant Emperors had been capable of sensing and utilizing Dark Domain origin power while still in the Great Saint realm. They had defeated one opponent after another, plundering origin power and contending for providence, ultimately ascending to the rank of Emperor! This discovery had excited Lu Changsheng immensely. It meant that Great Saints within the Dark Domain could indeed utilize Dark Domain origin power in their cultivation. He no longer needed to gather Dark Domain origin power in secrecy. He could openly mobilize the resources of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect—and even the Tianyuan Holy Sect—to gather it for him. To compel both sacred sects to exert their full strength in procuring Dark Domain origin power on his behalf, Lu Changsheng's displayed talent naturally needed to be as formidable as possible! Hence, Lu Changsheng had demonstrated a third Great Dao: the Heavy Earth Dao. This had stunned both the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect and Lin Qingluan. Knowing Lin Qingluan was teasing him, Lu Changsheng shook his head slightly and said, "Qingluan, just as you once cultivated in seclusion within the Tianyuan Holy Sect, my situation is no different. Once talent like mine is exposed, everyone will realize I could become an Emperor in the future. Would I ever have peace again? I would likely perish before I could even mature..." Lu Changsheng's wistful words resonated deeply with Lin Qingluan. After all, she had walked that very same arduous path. "Changsheng, once you become a high-rank Great Saint, you won't need to fear anything anymore." "In the future, the two of us can use the dual cultivation technique to jointly comprehend a tenth Great Dao and become Emperors together! We will stand atop the pinnacle of the Dark Domain and become a legend celebrated throughout the ages!" Lin Qingluan's beautiful eyes shone brightly. If she had initially felt only a modest degree of favorable impression toward Lu Changsheng, then after learning of his terrifying talent, she had wholly embraced him as her Dao companion. Finding a Great Saint whose talent rivaled her own was exceedingly difficult, let alone finding one suitable to become her Dao companion. This was simply a match made in heaven! An esteemed eight-Dao Great Saint like Lin Qingluan had stayed at the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect for months on end, reluctant to return to the Tianyuan Holy Sect. "How about I remain here at the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect to cultivate? If you ever wish to descend the mountain, I can accompany you," Lin Qingluan offered. By now, she considered his well-being in every matter. With her strength, virtually no one beneath the realm of Emperor could threaten her. Lu Changsheng immediately shook his head. "Qingluan, you must cultivate as well, and your responsibilities are heavy. Grasping a ninth Great Dao is no small feat. You should return to the Tianyuan Holy Sect, strive to master the ninth Great Dao, and become a nine-Dao Great Saint! "For us, cultivation must always come first." How could Lin Qingluan fail to understand his point? She nodded. "In a few days, I will take my leave." Lu Changsheng nodded back. Faced with her devotion, Lu Changsheng felt somewhat helpless. She genuinely treated him as her Dao companion and sincerely looked out for him. Yet Lu Changsheng was a chaos lifeform, while she was a Great Saint of the Dark Domain. Could a chaos lifeform and a Dark Domain Great Saint ever reach a harmonious end? Lu Changsheng's brow furrowed. A few days later, Lin Qingluan departed from the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect and returned to the Tianyuan Holy Sect. However, she and Lu Changsheng agreed to exchange transmissions regularly. Once Lu Changsheng became a high-rank Great Saint, he promised to visit the Tianyuan Holy Sect to see her. Lu Changsheng had agreed to all of it. Under Lin Qingluan's reluctant gaze, the entourage from the Tianyuan Holy Sect finally vanished into the distance. "Phew..." Lu Changsheng let out a breath of relief. "The Dark Domain, chaos..." Lu Changsheng's gaze deepened. At present, conflict raged ceaselessly between chaos and the Dark Domain. Yet if an Emperor and a source lifeform chose to unite, who could truly stop them? Even if others attempted to interfere, Lu Changsheng was more than a mere source lifeform. By then, he might well be a World Master. If he wished to be with Lin Qingluan, who would dare stand in his way? So-called rules were merely shackles placed upon the weak. When one's power reached a certain height, no shackle could bind them. The real issue lay in how Lin Qingluan would feel if she ever learned the truth—that Lu Changsheng was an undercover agent from chaos. That was the crux of the matter! "Forget it. It's too early to dwell on this; there is still plenty of time. "Only a bond that withstands the test of time is a true Dao companionship..." Lu Changsheng shook his head. In truth, he had never previously considered seeking a Dao companion. This arrangement had come about purely by chance, forced upon him by the Tianyuan Holy Sect's sudden arrival. Yet after spending time with Lin Qingluan, Lu Changsheng found her company rather pleasant. Moreover, Lin Qingluan stood a tremendous chance of becoming an Emperor. In both strength and status, she was fully worthy of him. Her only drawback was a comparatively limited lifespan. Yet that was of little consequence; an Emperor could live out a second life, a third life... As long as one was sufficiently powerful, living on indefinitely was entirely possible. "Elder Lu, this is the Dark Domain origin power gathered by our Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. "It is not a large quantity. Had we known earlier that you required Dark Domain origin power, our sect would have begun collecting it long ago. Unfortunately, with so little time, we have not gathered very much..." At that moment, the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect Master approached and spoke. He handed Lu Changsheng fifty-three strands of Dark Domain origin power. This represented everything the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect had managed to muster on short notice. After Lu Changsheng had revealed his three-Dao Great Saint cultivation, he had made no secret of his need for Dark Domain origin power. Not only did Lin Qingluan know, but the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect knew as well. Lin Qingluan had even promised that upon returning, she would mobilize the Tianyuan Holy Sect to collect Dark Domain origin power and deliver it to Lu Changsheng at the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. Lin Qingluan was doing everything within her power to aid Lu Changsheng's cultivation. In fact, two great sacred sects were exerting their full strength to assist him. "Fifty-three strands of Dark Domain origin power..." Lu Changsheng immediately began refining them. Refining each strand of Dark Domain origin power required at least one month. Thus, refining the fifty-three strands took Lu Changsheng a full fifty-three months—four years and five months. Even so, he was still somewhat short of reopening the world for the fourth time. The moment Lu Changsheng emerged from seclusion, he noticed several messages inside his message transmission stone. Most were transmissions from Lin Qingluan. Because Lu Changsheng had been secluded in cultivation refining the origin power, he had not replied to any of them. "Hm?" "The Tianyuan Holy Sect delivered one hundred and sixty-three strands of Dark Domain origin power?" "Lin Qingluan even personally challenged a high-rank Great Saint and slew him, obtaining a massive amount of Dark Domain origin power?" Lu Changsheng felt a jolt in his chest. He had known that their rapport was pleasant, and by mundane standards, Lin Qingluan had developed feelings for him. Yet now it seemed far more than a simple fondness. She truly regarded Lu Changsheng as a Dao companion bound to him in life and death. Otherwise, why would Lin Qingluan take the risk of challenging a high-rank Great Saint, much less slaying him? Though the transmission was brief and made it sound simple, Lu Changsheng knew it was anything but. Even with Lin Qingluan's formidable strength, what high-rank Great Saint lacked a faction backing them? Defeating a high-rank Great Saint was not difficult for Lin Qingluan. Slaying one, however, was an entirely different matter. Not only did Lin Qingluan have to shoulder the resulting pressure, but the Tianyuan Holy Sect was also forced to bear immense fallout. This meant completely offending the powerhouse backing that slain Great Saint. "She went to great lengths..." Lu Changsheng murmured softly. He promptly sent a transmission to Lin Qingluan informing her of his current situation and urging her not to take risks by challenging high-rank Great Saints anymore, advising her to gather Dark Domain origin power at a normal pace instead. Lu Changsheng left his cave dwelling and sought out the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect Master. The Sect Master immediately brought out the Dark Domain origin power. "These are the one hundred and sixty-three strands of Dark Domain origin power delivered by the Tianyuan Holy Sect. Elder Lu, Holy Maiden Qingluan went to great lengths on your behalf," the Sect Master said meaningfully. Lu Changsheng received the origin power and asked, "Which high-rank Great Saint did Lin Qingluan kill?" "Great Saint Gaotian, an eight-Dao Great Saint of illustrious renown. Although everyone knew Lin Qingluan was powerful, no one anticipated she could slay an eight-Dao Great Saint of equal rank. "Behind Great Saint Gaotian stands the Nine Heavens Sacred Ground. That, too, is an Emperor's legacy, with influence not in the least inferior to the Tianyuan Holy Sect. Following Great Saint Gaotian's death, the Nine Heavens Sacred Ground was incensed and has targeted the Tianyuan Holy Sect at every turn. Both sides are now like fire and water, and the Tianyuan Holy Sect will not have an easy time ahead." Lu Changsheng fell silent. The Nine Heavens Sacred Ground! Naturally, he had heard of it; it was renowned throughout the realm. It was indeed the heritage of a former Emperor. Furthermore, the Nine Heavens Emperor had been no ordinary Emperor, but an illustrious figure who had shone brilliantly during the great war between the Dark Domain and chaos. Regrettably, he had lived only three lifetimes, failing to attain a fourth, and had perished when his lifespan reached its end. Yet Lin Qingluan had offended such a formidable power without hesitation—all to gather Dark Domain origin power for Lu Changsheng. Slaying Great Saint Gaotian alone had likely yielded a substantial portion of origin power, resulting in this batch of one hundred and sixty-three strands. No wonder the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect Master had spoken with such profound implication. Agreeing to become Dao companions was one thing, but before they had even formally wed, Lin Qingluan had risked her life to slay Great Saint Gaotian and made a mortal enemy of the Nine Heavens Sacred Ground. The depth of her intent required no explanation. "Thank you for your trouble, Sect Master." Lu Changsheng turned and left the grand hall. With these one hundred and sixty-three strands of Dark Domain origin power, Lu Changsheng would not lack cultivation resources for a long time to come. However, to reopen the world for the fourth time, Lu Changsheng still needed to strengthen his Illusory Realm. That required reconstructing Great Daos. Lu Changsheng returned to the foot of the Great Dao Stele. There, he began comprehending the various Great Daos engraved upon the stele, reconstructing them within his Illusory Realm. In the first year, Lu Changsheng comprehended one Great Dao. In the third year, he comprehended a second. In the fifth year, he comprehended a third. In the sixth year, he comprehended a fourth. As time passed, Lu Changsheng comprehended one Great Dao after another. This was merely the comprehension phase. Reconstructing a Great Dao required roughly five years. In the past, Lu Changsheng had comprehended Daos very quickly. However, he had already comprehended many of the Daos inscribed on the stele. As the remaining Daos had been left far further in the past, their Dao rhymes had degraded, making comprehension increasingly arduous and time-consuming. Over time, comprehending and reconstructing a single Great Dao took Lu Changsheng at least seven years, and the duration only continued to grow—eight years, nine years, ten years... Yet Lu Changsheng's resolve never wavered. He remained seated cross-legged beneath the Great Dao Stele, undisturbed by anyone. The Dao Comprehension Holy Sect Master had even temporarily designated the stele as a forbidden area, barring all others from approaching without permission. This granted Lu Changsheng a serene environment for his cultivation. With the passage of time, one Great Dao after another was reconstructed within Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm. One, three, five, eight... Soon, ten Great Daos were reconstructed in his Illusory Realm. Yet that was nowhere near enough. In fact, it was only the beginning! Ten Great Daos were insufficient to stabilize his Illusory Realm. For the Illusory Realm to withstand the explosive shockwave of reopening the world for the fourth time, it had to be reinforced to the utmost limit. Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty... Reopening the Illusory Realm four times was vastly different from doing so three times. Merely to stabilize the realm, the number of Great Daos Lu Changsheng needed to reconstruct skyrocketed. For the third reopening, reconstructing forty-two Great Daos had been enough. For this fourth reopening, however, that fell far short. Only after reconstructing eighty-five Great Daos did Lu Changsheng sense an intuitive premonition. It was finally enough! These were eighty-five complete Great Daos. The further along he progressed, the harder reconstruction became and the more time it demanded. On average, Lu Changsheng had spent ten years on each Great Dao. Eighty-five Great Daos had taken eight hundred and fifty years. It was an exceedingly long stretch of time. "The Illusory Realm is sufficiently stable now. "Having reconstructed eighty-five Great Daos, the Illusory Realm has reached peak stability. I can proceed with reopening the world for the fourth time..." Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He rose, left the Great Dao Stele, and returned to his cave dwelling. Lu Changsheng spent another fourteen months refining the Illusory Realm to perfection. Next, he began adjusting his condition. After all, this was the fourth reopening of the world—a watershed moment. Once successful, he would be equivalent to a four-Dao Great Saint, standing among the core pillars of the Great Saints. He would no longer be a low-rank Great Saint or an entry-level chaos lifeform. This step was a qualitative leap. Hence, meticulous preparation was essential. Several days later, Lu Changsheng had completed his preparations. "Begin." Lu Changsheng laid down layers of formations within the cave dwelling, completely severing any outside probing. Then, without further hesitation, he shifted his mind. Buzz. The Illusory Realm began to collapse. Before long, it compressed into a singularity. Boom! The singularity exploded. A terrifying shockwave surged out in all directions, crashing against Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm. It was the first time Lu Changsheng had ever experienced a shockwave of such magnitude. The Illusory Realm shuddered violently, appearing on the verge of fracturing into pieces. Lu Changsheng felt fortunate that he had reconstructed eighty-five Great Daos. Had he gambled and settled for only eighty or eighty-four, his Illusory Realm would have been in grave peril. The realm would likely have shattered beneath the catastrophic shockwave. And once it shattered, Lu Changsheng's attempt would fail. Both the Illusory Realm and the flesh particle housing it would collapse and be completely annihilated. While Lu Changsheng would lose only a single flesh particle, rebuilding his progress would require condensing the Illusory Realm from scratch, reconstructing every Great Dao anew, and reacquiring Dark Domain origin power. The previously consumed Dark Domain origin power in particular would all go down the drain. The loss would be catastrophic! While failing to reopen the world would not kill Lu Changsheng, the resulting setback was more than he could bear. Fortunately, everything proceeded smoothly. Even so, because this breakthrough was a qualitative leap, the explosion persisted for an extended period. One year, three years, five years, eight years, ten years... This reopening of the world took longer than Lu Changsheng had anticipated. In the blink of an eye, twenty years passed. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "It is done..." A dazed look crossed Lu Changsheng's eyes. How much time had passed? Nearly nine hundred years had elapsed before he finally succeeded in evolving the Illusory Realm. This corresponded to reopening the world four times—equivalent to evolving the world four times. With each evolution, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm expanded massively, and every facet of his strength surged tenfold, even a hundredfold. Lu Changsheng immediately brought up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension World Master: 0 (Four Reopenings) Chaos Lifeform: 86% (Three Leaps) On the attribute panel, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm had reopened four times, equivalent to four evolutions. His power had exploded. Having attained this formidable fourth evolution, he was on par with a four-Dao Great Saint. And that was merely his cultivation level. In terms of combat prowess, Lu Changsheng could likely obliterate five-Dao Great Saints with ease, and whether a six-Dao Great Saint could defeat him was something only a battle could determine. Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm grew ever stronger. The further he advanced, the greater its power became, its foundation built step by step. After all, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm was modeled from the very beginning after the Dark Domain and chaos. Even among World Masters, Lu Changsheng was decidedly exceptional. Lu Changsheng glanced at his Dark Domain origin power. One hundred and forty-nine strands remained. This was sufficient to reopen the world once more and attain five evolutions. Yet Lu Changsheng fell into contemplation. Reopening the world for the fourth time had taken roughly nine hundred years. In chaos, such a duration was negligible. In the Dark Domain, however—especially among top prodigies—it was merely unremarkable. His future Dao companion, Lin Qingluan, was an eight-Dao Great Saint at only three thousand years of age. If the fourth reopening had taken nine hundred years, what about the fifth? What about the sixth, or the seventh? Each subsequent attempt would demand even more time. Reflecting on the process, Lu Changsheng realized most of that time had been consumed by comprehending Great Daos. It was not that his comprehension had diminished, nor that the Great Daos had grown intrinsically harder to grasp. Rather, the Daos on the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect's Great Dao Stele were simply too old. The lingering Dao rhymes were faint, requiring vast amounts of time to decipher bit by bit. Had they been more recently inscribed, comprehending them would have been far easier. "I heard the Tianyuan Holy Sect also possesses a treasure similar to the Great Dao Stele. "Perhaps the Daos preserved within the Tianyuan Holy Sect are clearer and can save me a great deal of time." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. He felt an urge to visit the Tianyuan Holy Sect. Naturally, his desire to visit was also prompted by a wish to see Lin Qingluan. After all, nine hundred years had passed. Since her last transmission, centuries had elapsed without a single word from her. That was unusual. Lu Changsheng wanted to see for himself. Perhaps Lu Changsheng had not even realized it, but nine centuries without seeing Lin Qingluan had left her silhouette lingering in his heart, impossible to dispel. Yet Lu Changsheng saw nothing wrong with that. He was already a chaos lifeform and a World Master. What harm was there in having a Dao companion? Regardless of who she was, as long as she was his Dao companion, that was enough. Otherwise, what had been the purpose of cultivating to this point? Was it not to live freely and unconstrained? No one had the right to bind him. However, before leaving, Lu Changsheng needed to put the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect at ease. Thus, within his Illusory Realm, Lu Changsheng allowed countless Great Daos to collide and fuse. With so many additional Great Daos present, he wanted to see what new Dao might emerge from their fusion. With a thought, a rumbling roar echoed within the Illusory Realm. Countless Great Daos collided, shattered in the impact, and reconstituted through fusion. Since the Illusory Realm would not collapse, whatever state it assumed inside was of no consequence; Lu Changsheng could restore it with a single thought. One year, three years, five years, ten years... This process also took a full ten years—far longer than previous attempts. Yet it succeeded in producing several powerful Great Daos. Lu Changsheng's gaze settled upon one of them. "You will do: the Ice-Fire Dao!" Lu Changsheng gazed at the Dao within the Illusory Realm. This Ice-Fire Dao was exceedingly peculiar and breathtakingly magnificent, leaving an indelible impression at first glance. Yet its magnificence was merely a veneer. In truth, the might of the Ice-Fire Dao was terrifying. By Lu Changsheng's estimation, it was likely second only to the Eternal Sword Dao, surpassing both the Thunder-Fire Dao and the Heavy Earth Dao. Lu Changsheng was very pleased with the Ice-Fire Dao. He immediately began to simulate it. Buzz. Above Lu Changsheng's cave dwelling, a cluster of white flame faintly materialized. Yet this white flame was utterly bizarre. The instant it appeared, the void seemed to freeze solid. Crack, crack. As the void froze, countless cultivators felt the temperature plummet, gripped by piercing cold. Many cultivators across the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect raised their heads, staring in shock at the sky. "What is that?" "It is flame, yet so cold that it can freeze the void. Is that... an Ice-Fire Dao?" "Such a rare Great Dao is not possessed by a single Great Saint in our Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. Could a new Great Dao have been formed?" "That direction... it's Elder Lu!" "Could Elder Lu have comprehended another Great Dao? Does that mean he has become a four-Dao Great Saint?" Many instantly recognized the master of this brand-new Great Dao. Lu Changsheng! The Great Saint betrothed to Lin Qingluan! And now, he had condensed a fourth Great Dao, stepping into the realm of a four-Dao Great Saint! In an instant, the entire Dao Comprehension Holy Sect was shaken!