"You... you're really Master's Dao companion?"
"Do I not look like it?"
Lu Changsheng looked at the three women in green robes.
They were disciples of the Qingluan Sect, taken in by Lin Qingluan in the Primordial Secret Realm, and were quite close to her.
"But we have never seen Senior before, nor have we ever heard Master mention you..."
"That is because I have been in secluded cultivation for a very long time. It is only natural that Qingluan never brought me up."
His words persuaded the three women somewhat.
A single seclusion for a powerful expert could last centuries, or even millennia.
"Do you know where Qingluan is?" Lu Changsheng asked the most critical question. His reason for saving them was precisely to learn Lin Qingluan's whereabouts.
"This..."
The three exchanged glances, then shook their heads. "Senior, we truly don't know where Master is. She hasn't contacted us at all..."
"Did Senior not contact Master either?"
If Lu Changsheng was truly Lin Qingluan's Dao companion, he surely would have contacted her.
Lu Changsheng did not hide anything and said calmly, "Naturally, I sent Qingluan a transmission, but for some reason she never replied. Thus, the moment I left seclusion, I came to the Qingluan Sect's mountain gate to search for clues about her.
"Yet now, it seems there are none left..."
Pausing, Lu Changsheng turned his gaze back to the several Great Saints from the Heaven Mending Dao.
"Since there are no clues about Qingluan, let us settle some debts first!
"Heaven Mending Dao..."
Lu Changsheng reached out with his great hand and grabbed one of the Great Saints.
"Speak. Which factions and cultivators made a move against the Qingluan Sect? In particular, who besieged and wounded Qingluan?" Lu Changsheng asked in a frigid tone.
The Great Saint immediately understood what he meant.
He wanted to settle the score.
Or seek vengeance.
Yet whether it was settling debts or seeking revenge, the Great Saint was delighted.
His only fear was that Lu Changsheng would not go!
If Lu Changsheng refused to go, they would have no chance of surviving. Only if Lu Changsheng went to seek revenge and was defeated or slain by the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor would they have any hope of living.
With that in mind, the Great Saint held nothing back and said directly, "Those who besieged Fairy Qingluan were four peak Great Saints: the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor, the Saint Heart Sect Ancestor, the Heavenly Sword Sect Ancestor, and the Primordial Dao Ancestor.
"As for destroying the Qingluan Sect's mountain gate, that was done by Great Saints of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Hunting down Qingluan Sect disciples across the realm was carried out under a joint warrant issued by all four factions.
"If Your Excellency has the courage, go settle scores with the Ancestors of the four great factions! My only fear is that you wouldn't dare."
The Great Saint sneered.
Lu Changsheng had never heard of these four factions before. Even the Heaven Mending Dao was a name he had learned only today. Thus, he turned his gaze to the three green-robed women.
As disciples of the Qingluan Sect, they should not be strangers to these four powers.
"Do you know of these four factions?" Lu Changsheng asked.
The three women were startled.
"All four are among the greatest powers on the entire Primordial Continent. Each has a peak Great Saint Ancestor overseeing them, backed by immense foundations," the three women explained in turn.
Lu Changsheng understood that the inhabitants here called the Primordial Secret Realm the Primordial Continent.
It was vast as well.
Yet those that could be called top-tier powers were few and far between. Only factions guarded by a nine-Dao Great Saint were qualified to bear that title.
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
At present, he was only a seven-Dao Great Saint. In terms of cultivation realm, he was merely a high-rank Great Saint. However, his combat power might already rival a nine-Dao Great Saint.
Whether he could rival a peak nine-Dao Great Saint, however, Lu Changsheng did not know for certain. Even so, if he proved outmatched, no one could stop him if he chose to leave. He at least had that much confidence.
"Which top-tier power is closest to here?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Senior, it should be the Heaven Mending Dao!"
"The Heaven Mending Dao? Excellent. Then we go to the Heaven Mending Dao!"
"Will you three leave first, or come with me?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"We... we will come with you!" the three women said resolutely, gritting their teeth.
They knew what Lu Changsheng intended to do, and they wanted to witness the Heaven Mending Dao's end with their own eyes.
Of course, since Lu Changsheng was bringing them along, he naturally had the confidence to keep them safe. The reason was simple: at worst, he could store them inside the Black Light Pagoda. This was a secret realm, after all; exposing the Black Light Pagoda here would not affect the Dark Domain.
"Your turn," Lu Changsheng said, looking at the remaining Great Saints.
He raised his hand and pinched lightly.
Bang!
Several Heaven Mending Dao Great Saints were casually crushed by Lu Changsheng like fragile eggs.
"What?"
Only a single Great Saint remained.
Shock battered his heart.
Just like that, they were dead?
The deaths of the Saint Realm cultivators earlier were of little consequence, but Great Saints were different. Every single Great Saint was a pillar of the Heaven Mending Dao. The death of even one was a catastrophic event that shook the heavens. Yet Lu Changsheng had effortlessly crushed several Great Saints as though squashing bugs, paying no heed to the Heaven Mending Dao whatsoever.
"You're still alive, and you should consider yourself fortunate, because I still need a guide.
"Let's go. To the Heaven Mending Dao.
"It's high time to settle the Qingluan Immortal Sect's debt!"
Lu Changsheng's gaze was cold.
Even if he could not find Lin Qingluan, could he not at least avenge her? Moreover, there was a deeper purpose behind his action: if he made enough noise, he might alert Lin Qingluan, allowing them to reunite.
Bringing the three Qingluan Sect women and the captive Great Saint, Lu Changsheng flew toward the Heaven Mending Dao.
A month later, the group arrived.
"The Heaven Mending Dao..."
Lu Changsheng looked up at the mountain gate before him.
Legend had it that the founder of the Heaven Mending Dao had once "mended the heavens," thus establishing the sect. Of course, that was merely a legend. What truly happened, no one knew; the truth had long been buried in the river of time. Yet that did not detract from the sect's glorious prosperity.
Through every generation, the Heaven Mending Dao had peak Great Saints guarding it, keeping it continuously among the top-tier powers. It was an exceptionally ancient sect on the Primordial Continent.
During that month of travel, Lu Changsheng had also questioned the three women and the captive Great Saint about realms beyond the peak Great Saint.
Regrettably, both the women and the Great Saint could only stare at each other in confusion. None of them knew what lay beyond the peak Great Saint realm. It seemed that nine-Dao Great Saint was the absolute limit of cultivation here.
The Primordial Continent seemed never to have produced an Emperor, nor were there any records or mentions of one.
This led Lu Changsheng to speculate: perhaps it was impossible to become an Emperor within the Primordial Secret Realm? That was entirely possible. After all, this was merely a secret realm; perhaps one had to enter the Dark Domain to achieve the realm of Emperor.
For Lu Changsheng, this was good news. Without Emperors around, he had nothing to fear on the Primordial Continent.
"Let's go see this Heaven Mending Dao of yours."
With that, Lu Changsheng carried the Great Saint in one hand and strode through the air, step by step, toward the mountain gate.
Soon, he hovered above in the void. He noticed that the Heaven Mending Dao had not even activated its mountain-protecting array. Their confidence was truly remarkable.
With a cold sneer, Lu Changsheng hurled the Great Saint down toward the mountain gate.
Bang!
The Great Saint slammed violently into the gate. A massive crater formed in the ground, and the Great Saint was reduced to a puddle of minced flesh, dead beyond doubt.
However, a Great Saint's aura was unmistakable, and the Heaven Mending Dao disciples instantly sensed it.
"That's... Elder Huo."
"What? Elder Huo is dead?"
"Elder Huo was a Great Saint! How could he have died?"
"An enemy attack! They even killed Elder Huo..."
In an instant, chaos erupted among the disciples. An enemy capable of slaying a Great Saint was currently standing right above their mountain gate.
Lu Changsheng shook his head. Slow—far too slow. Had the Heaven Mending Dao enjoyed peace for so long that their reactions had become this sluggish? He had already struck their gate, yet they still had not activated the mountain-protecting array.
Since it was not active, Lu Changsheng saw no need for courtesy.
Hum!
The next instant, Great Daos emerged one after another around Lu Changsheng. In the blink of an eye, seven Great Daos manifested, spanning across the void.
Though there were only seven, they radiated a terrifying aura that made many cultivators below feel as if they were suffocating.
"That's... a seven-Dao Great Saint?"
"No, it's a high-rank Great Saint! Quickly activate the array!"
"It's too late..."
Despair swept through many of the disciples. How terrifying would it be when a seven-Dao Great Saint's Great Daos came crashing down?
"Insolence!"
"What cultivator dares to act so presumptuously?"
Just then, accompanied by furious shouts, several Great Daos manifested and surged toward Lu Changsheng, including those of high-rank Great Saints.
Yet Lu Changsheng's seven Great Daos pressed down without hesitation, crushing straight toward them.
Crack!
At the briefest touch, the incoming Daos crumbled one after another.
"Ah... my Great Dao!"
"This is... the power of a peak Great Saint! How is this possible?"
"A seven-Dao Great Saint—how can his combat power be so monstrous? Ancestor! Quickly ask the Ancestor to intervene!"
"The mountain-protecting array won't make it in time..."
The Great Daos unleashed by these Great Saints barely held against Lu Changsheng's seven Daos, unable to delay them for even a moment. Lu Changsheng's seven Great Daos descended unabated onto the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate.
Rumble!
The mountain gate shook violently. Immediately after, swathes of buildings disintegrated into dust beneath the force of his seven Great Daos, leveling the entire mountain gate to the ground.
"Insolent brat, how dare you!"
Suddenly, an enraged roar erupted from the subterranean ruins. A tall, imposing elder soared into the sky, his body radiating a terrifying aura and slaughterous intent so dense it seemed almost tangible.
"A nine-Dao Great Saint!" Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
Nine Great Daos coiled around the newcomer. He was clearly a nine-Dao Great Saint, and most likely the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor.
At that moment, the Ancestor was overwhelmed with shock and fury. He could never have imagined that the Heaven Mending Dao would suffer such an apocalyptic calamity. This was the Heaven Mending Dao! How could it possibly be annihilated?
The entire sect had been flattened, and countless cultivators had perished. The survivors could be counted on one hand. Crucially, even high-rank Great Saints had died. Where was the mountain-protecting array? How had they been wiped out so easily?
Yes, the Heaven Mending Dao was now effectively destroyed. Aside from the Ancestor himself and a few resilient disciples who had miraculously survived, only a pitiful handful remained—scarcely better off than the Qingluan Sect.
Of course, so long as the Ancestor remained, the Heaven Mending Dao still existed and could be rebuilt. Yet in its entire history, the Heaven Mending Dao had never once been wiped out and forced to rebuild. This was the very first time!
Boom!
Lu Changsheng's seven Great Daos clashed violently with the other's nine Great Daos in an unembellished frontal collision.
Lu Changsheng's expression grew solemn.
In the end, Lu Changsheng remained completely still, while the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor shuddered all over, his nine Great Daos immediately recoiling.
On the surface, they appeared evenly matched, but the Ancestor was inwardly shaken to his core. After all, he had struck first in what was effectively an ambush, yet the opponent had taken the full brunt of his nine Great Daos without suffering the slightest harm.
At that moment, the Ancestor's heart sank.
A peak Great Saint!
The cultivator who had obliterated the sect was unmistakably a peak Great Saint. Yet what the Ancestor could not comprehend was why someone with a mere seven Great Daos possessed combat strength on par with a peak Great Saint.
"Just who are you? Why have you destroyed my Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate?" the Ancestor asked coldly.
"I am Lin Qingluan's Dao companion, Lu Changsheng. I have just exited seclusion and learned of what befell the Qingluan Sect. I have merely come to settle debts.
"Since you were permitted to wipe out the Qingluan Sect, am I not permitted to trample the Heaven Mending Dao?"
Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, seven Great Daos swirling around him, Lu Changsheng spoke in a calm voice, his momentum not yielding in the slightest to the Ancestor.
The Ancestor's heart plummeted further.
The Qingluan Sect!
This man was Fairy Qingluan's Dao companion? Why had he never heard of such a person before? Furthermore, how could Fairy Qingluan's Dao companion be so powerful? Where on earth had he sprung from?
The Ancestor was thoroughly baffled. Every peak Great Saint on the Primordial Continent—or anyone whose strength approached that level—was known to him by name. Yet over two thousand years ago, a Fairy Qingluan had emerged, and now an even more terrifying, mysterious peak Great Saint had appeared out of nowhere without him ever hearing a whisper of it.
This made no sense at all.
The Ancestor could not see through Lu Changsheng. Even though fury burned within him and he wished nothing more than to tear Lu Changsheng to pieces, he did not dare strike again rashly, lacking absolute confidence in victory.
For a moment, the two stood at an impasse.
Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng's destruction of the mountain gate left the three Qingluan Sect disciples stunned beyond belief. Their eyes were wide as they stared at the ruins below.
That was the Heaven Mending Dao—an ancient power with unfathomable foundations that had endured for countless eras. How had it been reduced to rubble? To them, the sight was breathtaking. They had grown up hearing legends of the Heaven Mending Dao, an undisputed titan and hegemon of the Primordial Continent. Yet Lu Changsheng had single-handedly trampled its gates into dust.
Beyond the three disciples, other cultivators had lingered in the vicinity of the sect. At first, they had not known what was happening, but seeing the mountain gate flattened, realization dawned on them, sparking an uproar.
"Fairy Qingluan's Dao companion... trampled the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate? But since when did someone like Fairy Qingluan have a Dao companion? And for him to be so strong that he took a direct strike from the Ancestor—he must be a peak Great Saint!"
"Yet which peak Great Saint would actually dare destroy the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate? It's simply... unimaginable."
"Heh, other peak Great Saints wouldn't dare, but that doesn't mean Fairy Qingluan's Dao companion wouldn't! Don't forget, the Qingluan Immortal Sect has already been destroyed, and its disciples hunted down until almost none remain. This Dao companion of hers is entirely alone, with nothing to hold him back! Aside from the Ancestor, who in the entire Heaven Mending Dao is his match? Even if such an expert hadn't wiped them out today, he could have lurked in the shadows and slaughtered every last one of them."
"So this is a peak Great Saint... capable of intimidating a top-tier sect like the Heaven Mending Dao through sheer individual strength."
Countless cultivators learned the news, but none dared draw close. A life-and-death clash between two peak Great Saints was nothing to take lightly; even a stray aftershock would mean instant death!
"Lu Changsheng, the destruction of the Qingluan Immortal Sect was not the work of my Heaven Mending Dao alone," the Ancestor said through gritted teeth.
"Is that so? This is merely the beginning; your Heaven Mending Dao is just the first. I shall pay a visit to the other three one by one. Not a single one will escape!" Lu Changsheng said coldly.
Neither spoke another word.
In a situation like this, only life and death could decide the matter. This was the enmity of total annihilation; reconciliation was impossible.
The Qingluan Sect was gone, and now the Heaven Mending Dao was gone as well. Even a peak Great Saint would go mad at such a juncture.
"Die!"
The next instant, the Ancestor struck. Things having come to this, further words were useless. As long as Lu Changsheng lived, rebuilding the sect would be pointless; if he could destroy it once, he could destroy it a second or third time. Unless Lu Changsheng died, the Heaven Mending Dao would never know peace!
Therefore, Lu Changsheng had to die!
This time, the Ancestor held nothing back, erupting with everything he had. All nine Great Daos coalesced in a peculiar formation.
"Hmm? A Great Dao Array?"
Lu Changsheng's heart stirred, recalling descriptions from ancient texts. In ancient times, many high-rank Great Saints could employ Great Dao Arrays, combining their Daos into formations to unleash terrifying might. However, the requirements were exceedingly strict; not all Great Daos were suited to forming an array.
Yet here was the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor, capable of combining his Daos into an array. With the combination complete, their power surged dramatically.
Lu Changsheng lacked a Great Dao Array. In truth, both the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect and the Tianyuan Holy Sect possessed them, but the formations were rigid, requiring specific corresponding Daos to function. Each of Lu Changsheng's Great Daos was earth-shattering in its own right, leaving no existing array suited for him. The Ancestor, whether through his sect's deep heritage or through eons of personal study, possessed one, and with its augmentation, his strength soared.
Even so, Lu Changsheng felt no fear.
His seven Great Daos blazed with brilliant light, especially the Eternal Sword Dao, which acted as the core of the seven, with the other six orbiting around it. Together, they crashed fiercely into the Ancestor's Great Dao Array.
Rumble!
The Great Daos collided once more. Blinding light flared in the void like a blazing sun, and a terrifying shockwave rolled outward in all directions. With a wave of his hand, Lu Changsheng still had enough strength to summon the Black Light Pagoda, sweeping the three green-robed women safely inside.
Soon, the clash concluded.
Lu Changsheng could not help taking a single step backward, but it was only one step.
Sweeping his awareness forward, Lu Changsheng looked closely. The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor was still there, but his Great Dao Array emitted a crisp cracking sound.
It broke.
A fissure ran across one of the Ancestor's Great Daos, and the array itself shattered. Even giving his all, the Ancestor had proved no match for Lu Changsheng. In that instant, victory and defeat were settled: the Ancestor had lost!
Whoosh!
The next moment, the Ancestor fled. Yes, he actually ran, turning into a streak of light that vanished in the blink of an eye.
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the fleeing figure, but he did not give chase.
Through this battle, he had confirmed his own strength—he was even stronger than he had anticipated! With only seven Great Daos and the cultivation of a seven-Dao Great Saint, his actual combat power had surpassed that of the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor, placing him among the preeminent figures even among peak Great Saints.
However, Lu Changsheng also knew that he had gone all out just now. While preeminent among peak Great Saints, he was not yet an Invincible Great Saint. Defeating the Ancestor was feasible, but killing him was nearly impossible unless the Ancestor stubbornly chose to fight to the bitter end. Clearly, the Ancestor was not a fool; upon realizing he was outmatched, even with his sect destroyed, he had made a swift, decisive retreat without any hesitation.
Under such circumstances, it was difficult for Lu Changsheng to stop him, leaving him no choice but to let the Ancestor escape.
Nevertheless, though the Ancestor had fled, the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate had indeed been wiped out. Lu Changsheng's objective for this trip was accomplished.
"Hmm?"
A thought struck him. Having gone through the trouble of coming to the Primordial Secret Realm, it would be unnatural to leave empty-handed. The Heaven Mending Dao was a top-tier power with immense foundations; what if it held valuable treasures? In particular, Lu Changsheng was rather tempted by that Great Dao Array.
Lu Changsheng reached out with his hand.
Rumble!
The ruins of the mountain gate shuddered violently as Lu Changsheng pulled out several items—cultivation techniques and ancient records that had not been completely destroyed—stowing them all away. Whether they were useful remained to be seen, but he could not leave with empty hands.
Having done all this, Lu Changsheng drifted away, disappearing without a trace.
Several days after his departure, once other cultivators confirmed that no one remained at the mountain gate, some dared to approach. Gazing upon the vast expanse of ruins, their faces were flushed with excitement.
Ruins were good; only amidst the rubble could they fish in troubled waters. Perhaps they might stumble upon some treasures! Thus, itinerant cultivators and members of various factions plunged eagerly into the remains of the Heaven Mending Dao.
As news spread, the destruction of the sect quickly reverberated across the entire Primordial Continent, causing an immense shockwave. The Heaven Mending Dao was no ordinary power; unlike the Qingluan Sect with its shallower history, it had endured for countless eras. For such a top-tier power to be wiped out, its mountain gate reduced to rubble, and even its peak Great Saint Ancestor sent fleeing into hiding—every cultivator who heard of it was deeply shaken.
More critically, no one seemed to have heard of the man who trampled the Heaven Mending Dao before this. He claimed to be Fairy Qingluan's Dao companion, which made the matter all the more astonishing.
When had Fairy Qingluan acquired a Dao companion? If he truly was her companion, he was an extraordinary figure indeed—capable of defeating the Ancestor head-on and forcefully annihilating the sect. That placed him at the pinnacle even among peak Great Saints.
Those most terrified were the other three top-tier powers. They activated their mountain-protecting arrays early on, dreading that Lu Changsheng would come knocking to settle debts. After all, the siege on Fairy Qingluan had been a joint effort by all four powers. If Lu Changsheng truly sought retribution, not a single one would be spared.
Yet they waited one day, two days, three days... over a month passed, and the other three top-tier powers saw no unusual activity. It was as though Lu Changsheng had vanished from the face of the earth.
Of course, Lu Changsheng had not actually vanished. At that moment, he was inside a secluded cavern—a temporary cave dwelling he had carved out. Though crude, it was safe, and almost impossible for anyone to find.
The three green-robed women of the Qingluan Sect were inside the cave dwelling as well. Having witnessed Lu Changsheng trample the Heaven Mending Dao with their own eyes, they fully believed he was truly their Master's Dao companion. Otherwise, who would take such an immense risk to destroy the sect and clash with a peak Great Saint like the Ancestor?
Ever since arriving at this temporary cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng had remained in seclusion.
The reason was simple: at present, he still could not handle a peak Great Saint like the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor. He could defeat him, but not kill him.
There were certainly many Great Saints and prodigies within the Heaven Mending Dao, yet when Lu Changsheng destroyed their mountain gate, he had not gained a single trace of Dark Domain origin power. It seemed the cultivators within the Primordial Secret Realm likely did not possess Dark Domain origin power in their bodies.
Since he could not raise his cultivation realm, he could only seek ways to enhance his combat strength. Lu Changsheng had been browsing through the books salvaged from the sect to see if there were any secret methods that could substantially augment his prowess.
Unfortunately, though there were many texts, after reviewing them, Lu Changsheng found almost none that provided meaningful help to his strength. After all, he was already a seven-Dao Great Saint with combat power rivaling a peak Great Saint; ordinary secret methods were naturally useless to him.
"A Great Dao Array?"
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng turned to an ancient book. It was actually a Great Dao Array! This was an unshared secret of the Heaven Mending Dao, yet it had now fallen into his hands.
Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng began reading through the Great Dao Array.
Chapter 481