A Thousand Years Fleeting, Finally a Seven-Dao Great Saint!

"How much time is left before the great catastrophe arrives?" Lu Changsheng asked. "An exact time cannot be determined, only an approximation. In roughly a thousand years, the Dark Domain and chaos will collide and begin to merge, opening countless passages between them." Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow. A thousand years was far too short. Once the great catastrophe arrived, neither chaos lifeforms nor the Dark Domain's Great Saints would be spared. They would have no choice but to plunge body and soul into the tribulation. Lu Changsheng could not help asking, "May I ask Ancestor, why must the Dark Domain and chaos fight to the death? As for the Emperors, I can understand—they seek second, third, or fourth lives, and need divine herbs to sustain themselves. But source lifeforms have near-infinite lifespans, immortal and indestructible. What could possibly be worth a source lifeform risking their life to clash with the Emperors of the Dark Domain?" Lu Changsheng found it utterly baffling. Source lifeforms held far too great an advantage over the Emperors. There was simply no reason to wage life-and-death battles against them. "Heh." "If one were truly devoid of desire, how could there be life-and-death struggle?" "Yet source lifeforms also have karma, entanglements. The collision between the Dark Domain and chaos is fundamentally driven by the wills of the two realms. The Dark Domain and chaos are two sides of a single coin, but in truth, this state of existence is abnormal. The wills of both realms desire nothing more than to swallow each other and become the sole existence!" "Under these circumstances, the wills of both realms push the cultivators of both sides toward war through every possible means. For instance, the fleeting lifespans of the Dark Domain's Emperors are likely deliberate, orchestrated by the Dark Domain's will to force them to stake everything on invading chaos, seizing divine herbs to extend their lives." "In chaos, source lifeforms are indeed immortal, indestructible, and possess endless lifespans. But unless a source lifeform can abandon everything in chaos and depart entirely, how could they stand idly by while countless lives in chaos are slaughtered, or watch their own kin and disciples fall one by one as long as they remain?" "When that time comes, even source lifeforms have no choice but to enter the tribulation." Ancestor Qingchi let out a long sigh. This was why the collision and merging of the Dark Domain and chaos was called a great catastrophe. Beneath its shadow, neither source lifeforms nor Emperors were masters of their own fates. "What about World Masters?" Lu Changsheng asked. Ancestor Qingchi had mentioned Emperors and source lifeforms, but not World Masters. "World Masters..." Ancestor Qingchi glanced at Lu Changsheng before speaking in a low voice. "World Masters are exceedingly unique. They are entirely different from source lifeforms and Emperors—a completely different cultivation system." "A chaos lifeform concentrates myriad mighty powers within themselves, yet they can only shelter themselves, ensuring only their own transcendence. Emperors comprehend various Great Daos, but are ultimately much the same as source lifeforms—gathering myriad mighty powers into a single body, able only to preserve themselves." "World Masters, however, are different. A World Master controls an entire world, one in which countless lives can dwell. In fact, some speculate that when a World Master becomes powerful enough, they become equivalent to a Dark Domain or chaos unto themselves, able to keep countless relatives, friends, and descendants alive within their internal world. The so-called catastrophe cannot affect a World Master in the slightest." "Thus, throughout past catastrophes, World Masters have always maintained neutrality, truly untouched by myriad tribulations." Lu Changsheng understood. So World Masters were that extraordinary? Even if the Dark Domain and chaos waged total war, and even if tribulation qi permeated both realms, a World Master could simply gather their kin and friends into their internal world and retreat beyond chaos. What could the catastrophe of the Dark Domain and chaos do to them then? Seen this way, only World Masters were truly detached from worldly affairs. "Besides, the World Master cultivation system is entirely unlike those of Emperors and chaos lifeforms. For that reason, rumors exist that the World Master path was introduced from beyond chaos, having nothing to do with either chaos or the Dark Domain. Whether there is truth to this rumor remains unknown. After all, World Masters in chaos and the Dark Domain are far too rare—so rare that even this seat has never laid eyes on a true World Master..." Ancestor Qingchi gave Lu Changsheng a meaningful look. Lu Changsheng felt a tremor in his heart. Could World Masters truly have originated from beyond chaos? In the past, Lu Changsheng had barely given it thought. But hearing Ancestor Qingchi's words now, understanding seemed to dawn on him. He faintly realized that this rumor might not be groundless. World Masters treated both Dark Domain origin power and chaos origin power completely impartially. Both could be used for cultivation. It was just that chaos origin power was exceptionally difficult to obtain. Looking at it this way, the fact that a World Master's cultivation was so indiscriminate regarding resources genuinely fit the possibility of an outside origin. Moreover, the ceiling for a World Master was astronomically high—so high that Lu Changsheng could not even fathom its limits. Consider his own World Master cultivation path: he was even simulating the Dark Domain within his Illusory Realm. If he truly succeeded and his Illusory Realm ultimately transformed into a Dark Domain, how formidable would that be? Controlling the entire power of a Dark Domain! At that point, if his Illusory Realm truly evolved into a Dark Domain, wouldn't he stand far above all source lifeforms and Emperors? The World Master cultivation system was so distinct, with an unimaginably high ceiling, and bore not the slightest resemblance to source lifeforms or Emperors. Lu Changsheng had not thought much of it before. Thinking about it now, perhaps the World Master path truly was brought from beyond chaos. Of course, it was merely a rumor that even Ancestor Qingchi could not confirm. "Ancestor, should the infiltration of the Dark Domain by chaos lifeforms continue?" Lu Changsheng asked. "There is no need for now. A thousand years is brief; the catastrophe will arrive soon enough. The people you sent into the Dark Domain last time should have no trouble holding out for a millennium. Sending more inside serves no purpose and only increases your risk of exposure." "Now, you must make a decision: will you return to chaos, or remain in the Dark Domain?" Ancestor Qingchi's words plunged Lu Changsheng into silence. Return, or remain in the Dark Domain? If he returned, Lu Changsheng would lose the opportunity to advance his Illusory Realm further, unless he waited a thousand years until the catastrophe arrived to slay Dark Domain lifeforms and potentially obtain Dark Domain origin power. But that would require waiting a thousand years, and it would be exceedingly perilous. If he chose to remain in the Dark Domain, his physical body would be unable to cultivate or undergo life leaps. It was a dilemma. Furthermore, this involved his Dao companion, Lin Qingluan. He had no idea how he would explain it to her either. Ancestor Qingchi did not press him, quietly waiting instead. "Ancestor, will this spatial passage be destroyed?" Lu Changsheng asked suddenly. "Destroyed? No, it will not. It took an immense effort to stabilize this spatial passage; why would it be destroyed?" "Since it will not be destroyed, this Lu shall keep things as they are. When I need to cultivate my physical body, I will return to chaos; when I need to cultivate my Illusory Realm, I will return to the Dark Domain. I will wait until chaos and the Dark Domain collide and merge before making my final choice." Lu Changsheng made his decision. He would not choose just one. He wanted both! "Very well," Ancestor Qingchi agreed. Whatever choice Lu Changsheng made would not have surprised him. Lu Changsheng was both a chaos lifeform and a practitioner of the World Master path; his choice was naturally well considered. As for Lu Changsheng betraying chaos or the like, that was sheer nonsense. Lu Changsheng was already a chaos lifeform. Once exposed, even if the cultivators of the Dark Domain could tolerate him, the world will of the Dark Domain never would. There was no question of betrayal at all. This was precisely why, throughout the countless years of war between chaos and the Dark Domain, there were virtually no traitors on either side. The will of chaos could not tolerate Dark Domain lifeforms, and the will of the Dark Domain naturally could not tolerate chaos lifeforms. "However, if something happens to you during this period, this seat will likely be unable to come to your rescue," Ancestor Qingchi said. "This seat must also seek out old friends to prepare for the great catastrophe a thousand years from now. Most of the chaos lifeforms guarding this spatial passage will be withdrawn as well." Lu Changsheng naturally understood what Ancestor Qingchi meant. For the next millennium, if anything happened to him in the Dark Domain, the Chaos Alliance would not be able to intervene; everything would depend on Lu Changsheng alone. "Will everything I accomplish in the Dark Domain still earn contribution points from the Chaos Alliance?" "Naturally, everything remains as before." Lu Changsheng was reassured. As long as he could still earn contributions, that was enough. What he needed was simple: cultivation resources, nothing more. With contribution points came resources. "Lu Changsheng, you have never experienced a great catastrophe and do not know its cruelty. Even Emperors and source lifeforms must prepare for it. Take care of yourself..." With that, Ancestor Qingchi departed. Furthermore, ninety percent of the chaos lifeforms garrisoned at the spatial passage withdrew, leaving only three behind. "Fellow Daoist Lu, rest assured. The three of us will remain stationed at this spatial passage and will not leave. Should anything arise, you may notify us," the three chaos lifeforms offered on their own initiative. "Then I shall trouble the three of you," Lu Changsheng nodded. Over the coming millennium, he would likely interact with these three chaos lifeforms frequently; getting acquainted and speaking with them now was only proper. "The great catastrophe..." Lu Changsheng murmured softly. This sudden turn of events had disrupted all his plans. Yet he remained crystal clear on one truth: to survive the catastrophe, there was only one way—increase his strength! And do so as swiftly as possible. Lu Changsheng brought up his status panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension World Master: 0 (Five Reopenings) Chaos Lifeform: 86% (Three Leaps) His chaos lifeform status was currently at a mere three life leaps. It was not enough, far from enough. But that was fine. In a sense, Lu Changsheng's life leaps were constrained by the progress of his Illusory Realm. The faster the Illusory Realm advanced, the more confidence he possessed when undergoing a life leap. The reason lay in the Sky Cleaving Art. The technique seemed to share commonalities with the re-evolution of worlds within his Illusory Realm. As long as his Illusory Realm grew stronger, Lu Changsheng would face no difficulties in his life leaps. Therefore, he was in no hurry to attempt a life leap. After all, he would eventually return to chaos. Undergoing life leaps back in chaos would be simple enough. The pressing priority right now was to increase his strength with all his might. Only by possessing immense power could he protect himself in the coming catastrophe. "This Lu must return to the Dark Domain. I leave this post in your capable hands, fellow Daoists." "Think nothing of it. Feel free to return, Fellow Daoist Lu; we shall remain stationed at the passage throughout." Lu Changsheng nodded, then stepped back into the Dark Domain. Taking another five years, Lu Changsheng returned to the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect and went straight to its Sect Master. "Sect Master, has the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect gathered any Dark Domain origin power in recent years?" Lu Changsheng asked. He was in no mood for pleasantries now. He had to increase his strength as quickly as possible, and Dark Domain origin power was indispensable. "Dark Domain origin power? We have accumulated some, but not much." The Sect Master of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect understood Lu Changsheng's intent; he knew Lu Changsheng needed it. Thus, he handed over the Dark Domain origin power. Lu Changsheng checked it: only forty-eight strands. It was indeed meager, and their ability to collect Dark Domain origin power could not compare to the Tianyuan Holy Sect. Nevertheless, forty-eight strands added to his prior reserves brought the Dark Domain origin power in his possession to two hundred and two strands. That was a substantial amount. Lu Changsheng had reopened his world five times. Theoretically, these two hundred and two strands of Dark Domain origin power could elevate him to the realm of reopening the world seven times—equivalent to the cultivation of a seven-Dao Great Saint. A bona fide high-rank Great Saint! Furthermore, with his foundation, his combat prowess by then would likely rival a nine-Dao Great Saint, perhaps even surpass one! Once the great catastrophe arrived, the strength of a nine-Dao Great Saint would be quite formidable. At the very least, he would possess a degree of self-preservation. However, Lu Changsheng did not inquire about the catastrophe with the Sect Master. After all, only Emperors possessed such knowledge, capable of foreseeing the collision between the Dark Domain and chaos. If he leaked the news to the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect now, it would inevitably arouse suspicion as to how he learned of it, bringing unnecessary trouble upon himself. With Dark Domain origin power in hand, he still needed to reconstruct Great Daos. Lu Changsheng set out once more for the Tianyuan Holy Sect. The journey was uneventful. Arriving at the Tianyuan Holy Sect's Great Dao Disc, he devoted himself single-mindedly to reconstructing Daos. He constantly felt the pace of reconstructing Great Daos was too slow. He had to be faster—even faster! This time, Lu Changsheng gave his all, leveraging his Mortal Immortal ability of analysis. He earnestly set about analyzing every single Great Dao, no longer seeking complete comprehension. In the past, he had fully comprehended each Dao before simulating it. This time, he skipped full comprehension and moved straight from analysis to simulation. As long as it was reconstructed within the Illusory Realm and functioned properly there, the effect was the same. Under these conditions, the time needed to reconstruct a Great Dao shortened even further. Naturally, this was only possible in the environment of the Great Dao Disc. Without clear Dao traces, directly analyzing and simulating them would have proved exceedingly difficult. By using this method, Lu Changsheng compressed the reconstruction time for each Great Dao to two years—a third less than the three years it took previously. His efficiency increased dramatically. Indeed, cultivation required pressure. With enough push, Lu Changsheng could push his limits even higher. Ten, thirty, fifty, eighty, one hundred... This time, Lu Changsheng reconstructed over a hundred Great Daos, yet his Illusory Realm still had not reached its limit. The stronger the realm became, the more Great Daos it required. Nor would Lu Changsheng recklessly reopen his world out of haste. He remained exceedingly prudent, continuing to reconstruct Great Daos. One hundred and ten, one hundred and twenty, one hundred and thirty... Finally, after reconstructing one hundred and thirty-three Great Daos, Lu Changsheng felt the limit of his Illusory Realm. Evidently, reopening the world five times had drastically elevated the realm's power, pushing its capacity to one hundred and thirty-three Daos. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. With a thought, hum—the Illusory Realm began to collapse, then exploded, subsequently evolving into a new world. Lu Changsheng was all too familiar with this process. This time, the collapse, explosion, and re-evolution of the Illusory Realm took a full fifty years. Combined with the two hundred and sixty-six years spent reconstructing Daos, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm broke through to the realm of reopening the world six times, taking three hundred and sixteen years in total! Less than seven hundred years remained before the millennium mark. Furthermore, who could guarantee it would be exactly a thousand years? What if it happened in eight hundred years? What if in five hundred? No one could say for certain. All Lu Changsheng could do was raise his cultivation as swiftly as possible. Reopening the world six times was not enough. He had to reach seven reopenings! That was crucial! That was the threshold of a high-rank Great Saint. Many Great Saints remained trapped as six-Dao Great Saints, unable to advance. Yet Lu Changsheng harbored no such worries. Day after day passed. In the blink of an eye, four hundred years swept by. Swish. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. At this moment, profound depth filled his gaze. A full four hundred years of arduous cultivation. Added to the previous three-hundred-plus years, that was over seven hundred years. The catastrophe had yet to descend, which Lu Changsheng found fortunate, but time was clearly running out. Little more than two hundred years remained of the thousand-year estimate. Lu Changsheng immediately brought up his status panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension World Master: 2% (Seven Reopenings) Chaos Lifeform: 86% (Three Leaps) On the panel, his Illusory Realm had reached the state of seven reopenings—equivalent to a seven-Dao Great Saint! In terms of cultivation realm, he truly matched a seven-Dao Great Saint. From this moment forth, Lu Changsheng was a genuine high-rank Great Saint, or a high-rank chaos lifeform. As for combat strength, Lu Changsheng had never sparred with a nine-Dao Great Saint. But the hallmark of his Illusory Realm was that the higher it climbed, the more profound his foundation became. At five reopenings, he could already rival a veteran seven-Dao Great Saint like Great Saint Yuhua. Now, with seven reopenings, matching a nine-Dao Great Saint should pose no difficulty. He might even reach the pinnacle of a nine-Dao Great Saint! Whether he could be considered an invincible Great Saint, Lu Changsheng was not yet certain. But if he could take one more step and reopen the world once more, he would truly be invincible among Great Saints. However, Lu Changsheng had now exhausted all of his Dark Domain origin power. Not a single strand remained! And now was not the time to go searching for more. Over seven hundred years had passed; the great catastrophe could arrive at any moment. Lu Changsheng had also fused and clashed out two new Great Daos within his Illusory Realm: the Wind Extremity Dao and the Rosy Light Dao. Of course, neither could compare to the Eternal Sword Dao or the Black Fiend Dao, yet they still ranked among top-tier Great Daos. The Wind Extremity Dao granted him an explosive boost in speed, while the Rosy Light Dao was a trapping and binding Dao. Once unleashed, the Rosy Light Dao could seal and suppress opponents, and could even freely form certain grand formations. It truly possessed remarkably versatile applications. Although not a purely offensive Dao, when combined with all seven Great Daos, the power unleashed was earth-shattering. If he were to face Great Saint Yuhua again, Lu Changsheng could likely kill him in an instant. That was no exaggeration. Still, Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to show off his cultivation this time. There was no point. In a short while, whether he could even stay in the Dark Domain remained uncertain. Moreover, he had essentially exhausted the Tianyuan Holy Sect's supply of Dark Domain origin power; no matter how much he demonstrated his prowess, the sect could not conjure more out of thin air. Even so, Lu Changsheng did not slacken. If Dark Domain origin power was lacking, he could still reconstruct Great Daos in advance. After all, the Tianyuan Holy Sect still had the Great Dao Disc, filled with countless Dao marks from which he could perceive the rhymes of various Daos. Lu Changsheng had to seize every opportunity to build his strength. Thus, he returned to the Great Dao Disc and began reconstructing Daos. After the seventh reopening, his Illusory Realm was extraordinary. Lu Changsheng faintly sensed that pushing the realm's reconstruction to its absolute limit this time would require an immense amount of Dao power. Lu Changsheng began reconstructing. Ten, thirty, fifty, eighty, one hundred... In the blink of an eye, he reconstructed over a hundred Great Daos. Yet he was still far from feeling the limit of his Illusory Realm. He had to keep adding more. Thus, Lu Changsheng continued: one hundred and twenty, one hundred and forty, one hundred and sixty, one hundred and eighty... The reconstructed Dao power reached a terrifying total of one hundred and eighty Daos. Yet astonishingly, it still had not reached the limit. Could this be? "Continue!" Finally, when Lu Changsheng reconstructed two hundred Great Daos, he felt the Illusory Realm reach its limit at last. Reconstructing these Daos alone had taken a full four hundred years. At last, Lu Changsheng reopened his eyes. By now, his Illusory Realm could advance no further without reopening. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng departed from the Great Dao Disc. Standing in the void, he swept the surroundings with his consciousness. The entire Tianyuan Holy Sect showed no signs of change whatsoever, which could not help but surprise him. "Reconstructing Daos at the Great Dao Disc took me four hundred years this time. Since the great catastrophe was estimated at around a thousand years, eleven hundred years have actually passed by now." "It has exceeded the estimate by a century, so why is there no commotion in the Dark Domain?" Lu Changsheng's brows knitted tightly. Had Ancestor Qingchi deceived him? Completely impossible. Had Ancestor Qingchi been mistaken? Even less likely. That was a source lifeform—how could he be mistaken? Still, Ancestor Qingchi had said roughly a thousand years. Overrunning by a century was well within expectations. Now, the Dark Domain and chaos could collide and merge at any moment; the catastrophe could erupt at any second. Yet Lin Qingluan was still inside the secret realm. This had taken far too long. Was advancing from an eight-Dao Great Saint to a nine-Dao Great Saint truly that difficult? Thus, Lu Changsheng sought out Luo Yang, Sect Master of the Tianyuan Holy Sect. "Sect Master Luo, why is there still no word of Qingluan? Qingluan has been in that secret realm for nearly two thousand five hundred years, yet there has not been a whisper of news." Faced with Lu Changsheng's inquiry, Luo Yang fell silent. Indeed, two thousand five hundred years had passed, and Lin Qingluan still had not emerged. It was truly abnormal. "This..." Luo Yang did not know how to explain. There indeed was no news of Lin Qingluan, and he had no idea what was happening inside. The only thing he knew for certain was that Lin Qingluan's life was not in danger; at the very least, she had not fallen. Of that, he was positive. "Which secret realm did Qingluan enter? This Lu wishes to enter and search for her to see what has happened," Lu Changsheng said directly. With the catastrophe poised to erupt at any moment, not seeing Lin Qingluan left him ill at ease. "Great Saint Changsheng wishes to enter the secret realm?" "The secret realm Qingluan entered is extraordinarily perilous for anyone below a high-rank Great Saint. Even for a seven-Dao Great Saint, the danger is considerable. Given Great Saint Changsheng's strength, entering would likely prove an uphill struggle. Not only might you fail to find Holy Maiden Qingluan, but you could also plunge yourself into danger..." Luo Yang put it diplomatically. The realm was perilous—at least for Lu Changsheng. Naturally, Lu Changsheng caught the meaning behind Luo Yang's words. Without another word, he unleashed the Great Daos within him. Boom! Great Daos instantly materialized above Lu Changsheng's head: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven! Swish. Luo Yang rose abruptly to his feet, utter shock written across his face. What was he seeing? Seven! There were actually seven Great Daos! Without a sound, Lu Changsheng had advanced from a five-Dao Great Saint to a seven-Dao Great Saint? This was truly unfathomable. How much time had passed? Lu Changsheng's cultivation speed seemed to only grow faster. Who could have imagined that Lu Changsheng was already a seven-Dao Great Saint? There hadn't been the slightest warning! "A seven-Dao Great Saint..." Luo Yang muttered under his breath. He was stunned. At the same time, he knew full well just how terrifying the combat strength of this particular seven-Dao Great Saint was. It would at least rival a nine-Dao Great Saint, perhaps even a peak nine-Dao Great Saint! Such tremendous power was comparable to the Tianyuan Holy Sect's mightiest Supreme Elders. In sheer combat strength, he might have even surpassed Lin Qingluan. It was simply inconceivable. Yet it was the undeniable truth. Lu Changsheng was no longer who he once was. "Sect Master Luo, with this Lu's current cultivation and strength, may I enter the secret realm?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Of course you may!" Luo Yang replied without the slightest hesitation. What a joke—with such immense strength, what secret realm could he not enter? Even if the realm Lin Qingluan entered was perilous, to Lu Changsheng, it would hardly pose a threat. "If Great Saint Changsheng is determined to go, then follow me." With that, Luo Yang got up and led Lu Changsheng to a secluded area of the Tianyuan Holy Sect. Secret realms were the bedrock of a sect's heritage. The Dao Comprehension Holy Sect had secret realms as well, though Lu Changsheng had never entered them. The Tianyuan Holy Sect possessed many secret realms, yet those capable of yielding benefits to someone like Lin Qingluan could be counted on one hand. "The secret realm Holy Maiden Qingluan entered is called the Primordial Secret Realm," Luo Yang said. "Rumor has it that this secret realm has been passed down from an extraordinarily ancient era. It is said to be older than the history of our Tianyuan Holy Sect—that the secret realm existed before our sect was ever founded..." Lu Changsheng nodded. This Primordial Secret Realm was undoubtedly extraordinary. Precisely because of its extraordinary nature, Lin Qingluan had insisted on entering it to seek an opportunity to break through to a nine-Dao Great Saint. "Great Saint Changsheng, you must remember: the Primordial Secret Realm is extremely dangerous. Moreover, once inside, you must firmly commit the exit to memory. The entire secret realm has only this single entrance and exit. If you forget it or cannot find it, you will never be able to return." Lu Changsheng nodded. Luo Yang then opened the entrance to the Primordial Secret Realm. The entrance took the form of a vortex, appearing immeasurably deep and ancient. Suspecting nothing amiss, Lu Changsheng shifted his body and flew straight into the vortex, vanishing without a trace. Luo Yang considered things for a moment. Instead of hurrying off, he sat cross-legged on the ground, quietly waiting. With Lu Changsheng entering, perhaps it would not be long before Lin Qingluan was found.