The so-called Great Dao Array was formed by arranging Great Daos into the structure of an array, unleashing terrifying might.
In theory, there was virtually no problem with this.
As was widely known, an array's power was undeniably greater. An array could allow the weak to defeat the strong and turn the ordinary into the miraculous. If one composed an array using the power of Great Daos, its might would inevitably shake the heavens and earth.
However, arrays were essentially fixed combinations. Yet the Great Daos grasped by different cultivators could never be completely identical. Even if two cultivators shared the Fire Great Dao, it was divided into many varieties. Very rarely did any two cultivators possess exactly the same Great Dao. Consequently, this sort of Great Dao Array was exceedingly difficult to pass down.
If one truly wanted to form a Great Dao Array, it could usually only be created by a Great Saint crafting an array uniquely suited to the specific types of Great Daos they wielded.
This had been the case for the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor. He had created his own Great Dao Array, and its power was truly formidable.
However, Lu Changsheng's foundation was simply too profound. Thus, even the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor's Great Dao Array could not faze Lu Changsheng in the slightest.
Yet that did not mean the Great Dao Array was weak. On the contrary, a Great Dao Array was exceedingly powerful.
Unfortunately, practicing it would be useless to Lu Changsheng. Even with his top-tier comprehension, even if he comprehended the Great Dao Array or created a stronger one of his own, it would still serve no purpose. Because he had no Great Daos.
His so-called Great Daos were merely simulated. When he battled other Great Saints, he still relied entirely on the power of the Illusory Realm. No matter how realistic the simulation appeared, it remained nothing more than the Illusory Realm's power and could not be used to form a Great Dao Array.
"The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor will most likely go to the other three top factions. They will set an inescapable net in advance, biding their time and waiting quietly for me to walk right into their trap.
"Besides, going there now would be pointless. I was only able to flatten the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate because they had enjoyed peace for too long and grown careless, failing to activate their mountain-protecting grand array in time. Had their defensive array been active, wiping out their sect gate would have been virtually impossible.
"Furthermore, even if those three top factions didn't activate their protective arrays, four peak Great Saints waiting at their leisure for me to walk into their snare would leave me besieged just like Qingluan. Even if I could escape then, I wouldn't be able to do anything to those three top factions.
"Unless my strength takes another step forward, granting me the power to slay peak Great Saints!"
A sharp glint flashed through Lu Changsheng's eyes.
Yet how difficult was it to slay a peak Great Saint? Even with his profound accumulation, his cultivation was only comparable to that of a seven-Dao Great Saint. His cultivation was still somewhat too weak. If he could become an eight-Dao Great Saint, he would surely sweep across the Primordial Continent and slaughter those peak Great Saints.
"Dark Domain origin power..."
Lu Changsheng shook his head. At least for now, he had not found any Dark Domain origin power, meaning he could not bring the Illusory Realm to perfection, much less reopen his world.
Since there was no way to press on with taking revenge against the three factions for now, Lu Changsheng decided against going. It was better to search for Qingluan's whereabouts instead.
With that, Lu Changsheng ended his seclusion.
Seeing Lu Changsheng emerge, the three Qingluan Sect disciples immediately stood up nervously.
"Greetings, Senior."
All three appeared quite uneasy.
Lu Changsheng asked, "Do you truly know nothing of Qingluan's whereabouts? Even the slimmest clue would do. Think carefully—where is she most likely to have gone?"
He still hoped to uncover some clues about Lin Qingluan. Unfortunately, though the three racked their brains, none could guess where she might be. After all, Lin Qingluan had taken in many disciples, and these three were merely ordinary disciples among them.
"Senior, are you no longer planning to go to the other three top factions?" one of the women asked.
Lu Changsheng nodded. "Indeed. Though I can defeat the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor, slaying him is virtually impossible. Moreover, now that those three factions have received word, they will be exceedingly cautious and will surely lay an inescapable net waiting for me. Heading there now would be profoundly unwise."
Hearing his words, the three expressed their understanding. After all, flattening the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate and repelling their Ancestor was already astonishing. Slaying a peak Great Saint? He still fell just a bit short.
The three women exchanged glances. Seemingly having made up their minds, one of them spoke up, "Senior, perhaps we might be able to help you advance your cultivation. If so, you might be able to slay peak Great Saints."
"Hmm? You can help advance my cultivation?"
Lu Changsheng was thoroughly puzzled. These three had not even reached the Saint realm. How could they possibly advance his cultivation?
"Senior, the reason the three of us survived our sect's destruction was that we were trapped in a perilous land, having only just escaped it recently. And that perilous land is actually a place of opportunity. There is a golden divine tree there bearing three golden divine fruits. We do not know what kind of fruit those three golden fruits are; even after escaping, we consulted various records and found no trace of them. However, they must be exceptionally miraculous and potent. If Senior acquires them, your cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds. Then you will naturally be able to slay those peak Great Saints and avenge Master and our sect!"
Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up.
Golden divine fruits?
From their description, Lu Changsheng could not tell what sort of natural treasure they were either. Perhaps they were treasures unique to the Primordial Secret Realm.
"Then why didn't the three of you take the three fruits? One for each of you—wouldn't that have sent your strength soaring to the heavens?" Lu Changsheng said with a smile.
Such a situation was quite unusual and coincidental. Three of them trapped together in a perilous land, and it just happened to have three golden divine fruits, exactly one for each. It seemed almost too convenient.
"To be honest with Senior, that was indeed our original intention. Unfortunately, the golden divine tree is guarded by a terrifying divine beast, one we estimate to be on par with a high-rank Great Saint. Forget harvesting the three golden divine fruits, we didn't even dare draw close. Only Senior might be able to repel that beast and claim the three fruits."
Lu Changsheng grew pensive.
In truth, he had little interest in divine fruits, divine herbs, and the like. After all, he was not truly a native of the Dark Domain, and his cultivation system was not that of the Dark Domain either. What he needed was Dark Domain origin power. No matter how potent certain divine herbs might be, they held little value for him.
However, the three women meant well. Moreover, since they described the golden divine tree as so extraordinary, Lu Changsheng wanted to see it for himself. Even if the golden divine fruits were useless to him, perhaps they would be of use to Lin Qingluan? After all, Lin Qingluan had been besieged by four peak Great Saints all for the sake of a single Sky-Connecting Fruit.
At that thought, Lu Changsheng nodded. "Very well, I shall go and see what manner of divine fruit this is."
With that, Lu Changsheng left the cave dwelling with the three women, flying toward the distant horizon.
Following their guidance, Lu Changsheng flew for a full half-year before finally arriving at the perilous land where they had been trapped.
"This is the place. It was once known as the Bewildering Forest, a perilous land said to be exceedingly ancient. Once inside the Bewildering Forest, even Saint realm experts become hopelessly lost; only Great Saints can withstand it. Back then, we blundered into the Bewildering Forest by accident and somehow ended up beside a pool of water. To evade a strange beast, we dove into the pool, where we discovered an undercurrent that brought us straight to an underground palace. The golden divine fruits are right inside that underground palace beneath the pool."
Lu Changsheng nodded.
It seemed these three women possessed a fair amount of fortune—quite substantial fortune, in fact. Surviving a catastrophe had indeed brought good fortune in its wake; they had even stumbled upon golden divine fruits.
Lu Changsheng paid the Bewildering Forest no heed. Taking a single stride forward, he flew swiftly into the Bewildering Forest.
Standing within the forest, he sensed a mysterious aura in the surrounding air attempting to erode his consciousness. However, it had little effect on him.
The three Qingluan Sect disciples, on the other hand, could not withstand it. Their gazes gradually began to unfocus. Lu Changsheng immediately enveloped them within the Illusory Realm, and only then did the three snap out of it.
"Thank you, Senior."
The women knew it was Lu Changsheng's intervention, without which they would likely have fallen into confusion again, unable to extricate themselves.
"If you cannot withstand the Bewildering Forest's bewildering power, how did you get out of that perilous land in the first place?" Lu Changsheng asked curiously.
"There was a teleportation array in that underground palace that sent us directly outside the Bewildering Forest," the three women replied.
Lu Changsheng nodded. No wonder they had been able to escape the forest.
In any case, Lu Changsheng did not care about the bewildering force. He had his Illusory Realm, and his consciousness was exceedingly powerful. A mere bewildering power was of no consequence to him. Protected by the Illusory Realm, the three women remained clear-headed as well.
However, when they had first entered the Bewildering Forest, they had been half-dazed, so they didn't know the exact route. Lu Changsheng had to search around while having the three identify landmarks. After spending three months wandering back and forth through the Bewildering Forest, they finally located the familiar pool.
"Senior, this is it!"
The three women finally let out a sigh of relief. Having led Lu Changsheng through the Bewildering Forest for three whole months, they had been under immense pressure. Fortunately, they had found the pool at last.
Lu Changsheng nodded. With a wave of his hand, he led the three directly into the pool. Under the shield of the Illusory Realm, the water could not touch them at all. At the bottom of the pool, they indeed spotted an undercurrent and allowed themselves to be swept along by it.
Crash!
The group flew up from the undercurrent.
Lu Changsheng looked around. Sure enough, it was an underground palace. Though subterranean, it was not the least bit chilly; instead, it felt pleasantly warm. Furthermore, it was as bright as day. Lu Changsheng walked into the palace. Resplendent with gold and jade, it was the epitome of luxury, appearing to have once been the cave dwelling of some mighty expert.
The three women led Lu Changsheng toward the rear of the palace, where a wave of searing heat washed over them.
Lu Changsheng saw the golden divine tree. It grew right out of a lake of magma not far ahead. Yes, subterranean magma. The fiery red magma radiated terrifying heat, yet in such blistering heat, a tree was actually growing. One could only say that the vast universe held boundless wonders. From this alone, it was evident that the golden divine tree was extraordinary.
On the divine tree hung three golden divine fruits, glowing with a golden radiance, magnificent to behold.
Yet the moment Lu Changsheng extended his senses slightly, his heart jolted violently.
What had he sensed?
Dark Domain origin power! And dense Dark Domain origin power at that! That golden divine tree had actually gathered dense Dark Domain origin power. It was simply unbelievable. Strands of Dark Domain origin power even flowed across the golden divine fruits.
Lu Changsheng felt deeply shaken. Previously, all the Dark Domain origin power he had encountered was found on prodigies and supreme talents. He had never seen a natural treasure that contained Dark Domain origin power. Yet these three golden divine fruits were different. They actually possessed Dark Domain origin power!
"The golden divine fruits are miraculous in their ability to absorb Dark Domain origin power directly, but the golden divine tree is the real key. It can draw upon Dark Domain origin power—and though its rate and efficiency are very low, over endless years of accumulation, it has coalesced these three golden divine fruits."
Lu Changsheng grasped the golden divine tree's condition at a glance. The golden divine tree was the key! There was no telling how long this golden divine tree had stood here. Ten thousand years? A hundred thousand years? Or even a million years? Any of those was plausible. Over such an immense expanse of time, day after day, once it had accumulated enough Dark Domain origin power, the golden divine tree bore a single golden divine fruit.
At this thought, Lu Changsheng's heart burned with excitement. How much Dark Domain origin power was contained within these three golden divine fruits? Were there a hundred strands? If there were a hundred strands, once Lu Changsheng refined them, he could attempt his eighth world reopening. Equivalent to an eight-Dao Great Saint! As for the exact amount, he would only know once he obtained the golden divine fruits.
Still, Lu Changsheng did not act rashly. He knew that a terrifying divine beast, comparable to a high-rank Great Saint, likely lurked within that magma. The three green-robed women had seen it earlier, which was why they hadn't dared harvest the three fruits. To smoothly obtain the three golden divine fruits, he first had to deal with the guardian divine beast.
Buzz.
At this moment, Lu Changsheng was not afraid of revealing his Illusory Realm. This was a secret realm, after all; there were no other Great Saints around. Lu Changsheng expanded his Illusory Realm directly, quickly engulfing the fiery magma within it.
"Roar..."
The engulfment of the Illusory Realm instantly enraged the guardian divine beast. A massive head emerged from the magma, exuding a fearsome aura.
Lu Changsheng pressed down with his Illusory Realm.
Crack!
The terrifying divine beast had its bones instantly crushed to splinters under the pressure. It was simply too weak. It was merely comparable to a seven-Dao Great Saint. To Lu Changsheng, that was far too weak.
"Spare me! My lord, spare my life! I am merely a guardian spirit beast, ordered by my master to watch over this Divine Tree of Fortune!"
Suddenly, the divine beast spoke in human tongue, and the very moment it opened its mouth, it begged for mercy.
"Oh?"
Lu Changsheng truly hadn't expected this divine beast to surrender so quickly. Moreover, while Lu Changsheng had crushed it with overwhelming ease, seemingly able to destroy it in an instant, the divine beast's strength was by no means lacking. It truly was at the level of a high-rank Great Saint. However, being comparable only to a seven-Dao Great Saint, it naturally paled in comparison to Lu Changsheng's current might, which could defeat peak Great Saints.
"What kind of divine beast are you?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Reporting to my lord, I am a Fire Kui Beast, an ancient exotic breed."
Lu Changsheng nodded. He knew of the Fire Kui Beast. Such beasts had existed in ancient times, though in the present day, they were virtually extinct in the Dark Domain. He had not expected to encounter one within the Primordial Secret Realm.
"You said earlier that you were ordered by your master to guard this Divine Tree of Fortune? What is this all about? Who was your master, and what manner of natural treasure is this Divine Tree of Fortune?" Lu Changsheng fired off several questions in succession.
The Fire Kui Beast answered earnestly and thoroughly, "My lord, my master was Divine Emperor Dayan. Back then, Master roamed the Dark Domain and chaos, invincible across both. However, constrained by his lifespan limit, he departed the Dark Domain to venture into the lands beyond it. In the end, beyond chaos, Master slew dozens of Emperor-level experts in succession, forcefully seizing this Divine Tree of Fortune. Originally, he intended to rely on the Divine Fruits of Fortune condensed by this tree to completely shatter his lifespan limit. Regrettably, he suffered backlash from the Dark Domain's will and ultimately failed, his Dao crumbling as he perished in meditation within this cave dwelling.
"Before passing, Master tasked me with guarding this Divine Tree of Fortune and awaiting the fated one. Last time, those three women entered the cave dwelling. At first, I thought they were the fated ones, but who knew they would fear being eaten by me and not dare approach the Divine Tree of Fortune? Looking at it now, the true fated one must be you, my lord! Only you are worthy of possessing such a divine tree!"
Lu Changsheng looked at the Fire Kui Beast's fawning demeanor. It was hard to imagine that this was an ancient divine beast, one comparable to a high-rank Great Saint, no less.
This fortuitous encounter had originally belonged to the three women. Unfortunately, through a twist of fate, it had ended up in Lu Changsheng's hands instead. Had it been any other opportunity, Lu Changsheng might not have minded passing it up. However, the Divine Tree of Fortune was different. It bore three Divine Fruits of Fortune, all containing vast amounts of Dark Domain origin power, which would be of immense help to his cultivation. Naturally, Lu Changsheng would not surrender such an opportunity.
As for the three women, that was even simpler to resolve. He would simply grant them opportunities in the future, assisting them until they achieved the Great Saint realm, which would more than compensate them for this fortune.
"Divine Emperor Dayan... I only know of Emperors. What does 'Divine Emperor' mean?" Lu Changsheng asked. Could Divine Emperor be a realm above Emperor? Lu Changsheng had never heard of such a thing.
"Divine Emperor... is actually a title. A Divine Emperor's cultivation is still that of an Emperor, but because their combat strength reigns supreme above all others at the Emperor level—unrivaled by any source lifeform or Emperor, truly an invincible existence—they are bestowed the title of 'Divine Emperor.' Throughout the ages, across the entirety of the Dark Domain and chaos, those worthy of the title 'Divine Emperor' could be counted on one hand! And my master was one of them."
Speaking of this, the Fire Kui Beast seemed filled with pride.
Lu Changsheng came to an understanding. So a Divine Emperor was simply an invincible expert among Emperors. Such a figure truly suppressed an entire era!
"A pity. No matter how powerful a Divine Emperor might be, they are still constrained by their lifespan limit..." Lu Changsheng shook his head. What did supreme combat strength matter? When the lifespan limit arrived, wasn't death the only outcome? Even after snatching the Divine Tree of Fortune, he had still failed to escape death in the end.
"Master sought to break the Dark Domain's lifespan restrictions on Emperors and suffered backlash from the Dark Domain, ultimately falling. However, it was not entirely without reward. Master carved out a path to transcend the Dark Domain, though whether that path can truly be walked to the end, no one knows."
The Fire Kui Beast's words made Lu Changsheng's eyes brighten. Divine Emperor Dayan had forged a path of transcendence beyond the Dark Domain? Meaning no more lifespan limits. Shattering the shackles.
Lu Changsheng naturally did not worry about his own lifespan, but he worried about Lin Qingluan's. If they became Dao companions, he would naturally have to find ways to extend her lifespan. Yet Emperors living life after life seemed to Lu Changsheng like merely drinking poison to quench thirst. It treated the symptoms, not the cause. The shackles of lifespan still had to be fundamentally broken.
Source lifeforms within chaos and Emperors within the Dark Domain were beings of the same tier. However, source lifeforms possessed boundless lifespans, vastly surpassing Emperors in that regard. Yet in terms of raw combat power, Emperors were actually slightly stronger than source lifeforms. Furthermore, cultivators of the Dark Domain required only a short timescale to attain the Emperor realm. And source lifeforms? Achieving the rank of a source lifeform demanded vast stretches of time. Both had their merits and drawbacks; it all depended on what a cultivator chose.
Yet at Divine Emperor Dayan's realm, he had naturally desired boundless longevity.
"Speak. What is the truth behind this Divine Tree of Fortune?" Lu Changsheng knew that the crux lay with the tree. Divine Emperor Dayan had gone to such great lengths to seize this Divine Tree of Fortune. Thus, this tree had to be extraordinarily precious. It might even have been the key to Divine Emperor Dayan breaking his lifespan limit.
"The Divine Tree of Fortune... I do not know much either. I only know that beyond the Dark Domain, Master snatched it from countless Emperor-level opponents, and that it is considered exceptionally precious even outside the Dark Domain. The Divine Tree of Fortune can attract ethereal fortune. And so-called fortune is, in truth, origin power. A world possesses a will, and the more origin power it holds, the denser its fortune. While in the Dark Domain, the Divine Tree of Fortune absorbs Dark Domain origin power. In chaos, it absorbs chaos origin power. Beyond both the Dark Domain and chaos, it absorbs other kinds of origin power. It is truly marvelous. Once the Divine Tree of Fortune absorbs a certain amount of origin power, it bears a Divine Fruit of Fortune. In the Dark Domain, it bears roughly one fruit every hundred thousand years. These three Divine Fruits of Fortune alone required a full three hundred thousand years!"
Hearing the Fire Kui Beast's detailed explanation, Lu Changsheng was overjoyed. As expected, the Divine Fruits of Fortune contained immense origin power. Moreover, what Lu Changsheng hadn't expected was that the Divine Tree of Fortune could also grow in chaos, and could even absorb chaos origin power.
How truly heaven-defying was this? Origin power was the foundation of a world. Yet the Divine Tree of Fortune could silently absorb a world's origin power. This clearly operated at a level that transcended a single world. Applied to chaos and the Dark Domain, it transcended both. No wonder even Divine Emperor Dayan had fought with his life on the line to seize such a treasure.
"Tell me about Divine Emperor Dayan's method for breaking the lifespan limit," Lu Changsheng asked again.
"Master's secret method was recorded and placed in the secret chamber. Please follow me, my lord."
With a splash, the Fire Kui Beast stepped out of the magma. It was an enormous colossus that looked just like a fire qilin. The Fire Kui Beast shook its body, shrinking until it was the size of a small dog, and led Lu Changsheng back into the palace.
Deep within the palace lay a secret chamber. Entering the chamber, Lu Changsheng indeed saw a jade slip. He immediately scanned its contents with his senses.
Sure enough, recorded inside was a "limit-breaking method" left behind by Divine Emperor Dayan. This so-called limit-breaking method stemmed from Divine Emperor Dayan understanding the true nature of the lifespan restriction: namely, that Emperors were bound by the will of the Dark Domain.
The Dark Domain possessed a will. The entire cultivation system of the Dark Domain had been gradually refined by this will. Once a cultivator embarked on the Dark Domain's cultivation path, they could never escape the restrictions imposed by its will. Lifespan was the greatest shackle enforced by the Dark Domain's will.
Unless an Emperor could transcend the Dark Domain, existing independently outside of it. And from the inside out, they had to "transcend" the Dark Domain completely. This was extraordinarily difficult. At least, within the Dark Domain, it was fundamentally impossible.
Until Divine Emperor Dayan found the Divine Tree of Fortune. If one could refine the Divine Tree of Fortune, or rather, merge into one with it, the Emperor would become part of the tree. And the Divine Tree of Fortune was a magnificent lifeform that transcended the Dark Domain. The lifespan limit would naturally be resolved.
Divine Emperor Dayan had acted on this plan. Regrettably, he had suffered backlash from the Dark Domain's will. The backlash was something even Divine Emperor Dayan could not withstand, leading to his eventual failure and demise.
On the verge of death, Divine Emperor Dayan had devised a solution. Merging with the Divine Tree of Fortune was indeed the correct path. However, there had to be a great being capable of enduring the backlash of the entire Dark Domain to shield against it. Or, there needed to be a treasure that could withstand the Dark Domain's backlash. Only then could one successfully merge with the tree and achieve the "limit break."
Reading up to this point, Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow. If one required a great existence that transcended the Dark Domain or even stood above it, why would they even need the Divine Tree of Fortune? Where on earth could one find such a great existence? Whether this limit-breaking method existed or not seemed to make little difference...
Still, it was a method nonetheless. He would record it for now; perhaps it might prove useful later.
However, for Lu Changsheng, the most important thing at present was no longer the Divine Tree of Fortune itself. It was the three Divine Fruits of Fortune! After all, the tree took a hundred thousand years just to bear a single fruit. That was far too long. Yet right now, three ready-made Divine Fruits of Fortune sat before him, brimming with immense Dark Domain origin power that he could use immediately.
Soon, Lu Changsheng returned before the Divine Tree of Fortune.
"Fire Kui Beast, if the Divine Tree of Fortune is transplanted, does it require a special environment? And once the Divine Fruits of Fortune are plucked, how should they be preserved?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"The Divine Tree of Fortune is virtually indestructible and can grow in any environment. Even if you plant it within the void, it can slowly absorb origin power to sustain itself. As for the Divine Fruits of Fortune, because they contain origin power, they are nearly immortal treasures. They require no special method of preservation to endure indefinitely without losing their potency.
"However, very few cultivators ever refine a Divine Fruit of Fortune. Even if refined, it merely increases one's fortune. It is far better to forge it into treasures, enhancing their might."
The Fire Kui Beast cautioned Lu Changsheng. In its eyes, the fruits weren't particularly useful. They were best suited for artifact refinement. As for direct cultivation, that was exceedingly difficult. Whether for an Emperor or a source lifeform, refining a Divine Fruit of Fortune yielded virtually no benefit. As for increasing one's fortune? One had to consume fruit after fruit. Only by accumulating and refining a great number could a noticeable effect be produced. A mere three fruits would have hardly any impact.
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Lu Changsheng's face.
"Who said the Divine Fruits of Fortune are useless? Refining a Divine Fruit of Fortune may be useless to an Emperor or a source lifeform, but what about a Realm Lord?"
Lu Changsheng's words caused the Fire Kui Beast's expression to change drastically. It was thoroughly shocked.
"Y-You... you are a Realm Lord?"
The Fire Kui Beast's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
This puzzled Lu Changsheng slightly. Were Realm Lords different from source lifeforms and Emperors? Was there something special about them? Why was the Fire Kui Beast so shocked?
Chapter 482