Secret of the World Master! Another Breakthrough in a Century, Eight-Dao Great Saint!

Hum. Lu Changsheng once again channeled the power of his Illusory Realm. This time, he did not simulate the power of Great Daos; instead, he directly mobilized the power of the Illusory Realm itself. The three female Qingluan Sect disciples had already been taken into the Black Light Pagoda, leaving only him and the Fire Kui Beast here. Moreover, this was a secret realm, so Lu Changsheng had no fear of exposing himself. When the Illusory Realm enveloped the Fire Kui Beast, the beast finally believed that Lu Changsheng truly was a World Master. "Hahaha! It really is a World Master! An actual World Master... To think I'd encounter a World Master..." The Fire Kui Beast threw its head back and roared with laughter, seeming immensely thrilled. "What is going on? You're actually pleased to learn that I'm a World Master?" Lu Changsheng asked, somewhat puzzled. He had previously sensed vaguely that World Masters were distinctly different from source lifeforms and Emperors, though he had never understood the specifics. Now, it seemed the Fire Kui Beast might know something. "Master, please accept my life soul. From now on, I will follow you." The Fire Kui Beast offered up its life soul directly. Once one held its life soul, one completely controlled the beast. Lu Changsheng did not quite grasp the reason behind its change of heart, but taking control of a life soul was always a good thing—especially when it belonged to a Fire Kui Beast possessing the combat strength of a high-rank Great Saint. Furthermore, once he held its life soul, it would be impossible for the beast to lie. Lu Changsheng immediately reached out and refined the life soul. Soon, he could sense a strand of connection between himself and the Fire Kui Beast. With a single thought, he could end its life. The Fire Kui Beast's life and death now rested entirely in Lu Changsheng's hands. "All right. Can you explain now why learning I am a World Master made you willing to offer up your life soul?" Lu Changsheng asked. Earlier, when Lu Changsheng had nearly killed it, the beast had merely begged for mercy without the slightest intention of offering its life soul. Yet the moment it realized he was a World Master, it had offered its life soul of its own accord. There had to be something unusual at play. "Master, the World Master path is a cultivation system from beyond chaos and the Dark Domain. It is completely different from source lifeforms and Emperors. Its upper limit is far higher, and its prospects are practically limitless. "For a source lifeform or an Emperor, breaking through to a higher realm is astronomically difficult. But World Masters are different. The World Master path has a complete cultivation system, which you might obtain once you leave the Dark Domain and chaos. "When that time comes, Master can soar straight to the heavens and truly stand above the Dark Domain and chaos," the Fire Kui Beast explained truthfully. Lu Changsheng's heart jolted, yet he was not entirely surprised. He had previously heard that the World Master cultivation system might have originated from outside. After all, no matter how one looked at it, the World Master system bore no resemblance whatsoever to the systems of source lifeforms and Emperors; even their core concepts differed. Now it seemed that was indeed the case. The World Master cultivation system was a method of cultivation transmitted into the Dark Domain and chaos from the outside. "If the World Master cultivation system possesses such immense potential, why are World Masters so few and far between in chaos and the Dark Domain—virtually countable on one hand?" Lu Changsheng asked further. Wouldn't it be better if everyone cultivated as World Masters? Even considering the need for origin power, it should still have been possible to support a few more. "Master, you are a World Master yourself, so you naturally know what a World Master requires. A World Master needs origin power. But once chaos or the Dark Domain loses its origin power, it will gradually collapse. This dictates that the number of World Masters can never be large; having one or two in an entire era is already remarkable. "Furthermore, the World Master system demands extraordinarily high comprehension. Without such comprehension, even stepping through the threshold is impossible. When Master first began walking the path of the World Master system, it must have been exceptionally arduous, right? "Another crucial factor is that cultivation methods for World Masters are exceedingly precious. Rumor has it they were lost long ago, yet surprisingly, Master obtained one." Lu Changsheng neither confirmed nor denied it. Exceptionally arduous? Transforming the Illusory Realm from illusory to real had indeed been quite difficult. As for a World Master method... Did Lu Changsheng even have one? From start to finish, he had never claimed to be a World Master. In fact, his Illusory Realm had been developed through his own exploration, and its transition from illusory to real had also been figured out on his own. Even now, when everyone called him a World Master, it was all something he had groped his way through step-by-step. He had never possessed any World Master method. Recalling that Divine Emperor Dayan had once ventured outside the Dark Domain and even seized the Divine Tree of Fortune, and seeing how knowledgeable the Fire Kui Beast was regarding World Masters, Lu Changsheng felt a stir in his heart and promptly asked, "Do you have a World Master method?" The Fire Kui Beast asked in bewilderment, "Master, do you not already have a World Master method? World Master methods are generally similar; asking me for one wouldn't be of much use to you." "Who told you I have a World Master method?" "What? Master, if you don't have a World Master method, how did you become a World Master?" "I figured it out on my own... Moreover, up until now, I've only ever heard others say I'm a World Master. Whether I truly am one, even I am not entirely sure. After all, I fumbled through it myself, so it's hard to say what my actual situation is." Hearing this, stormy waves surged in the Fire Kui Beast's heart. Lu Changsheng didn't have a World Master method? He had embarked on the path of a World Master entirely by exploring on his own? How did that sound like anything less than an utter fantasy? "Master, you... you truly have no method? Then how did you embark on the path of World Master cultivation?" the Fire Kui Beast asked. It now believed Lu Changsheng's words. No matter how outrageous or fantastical it sounded, it was the truth. "I began when my Illusory Realm transformed from illusory to real..." Lu Changsheng did not hide anything. He explained how he had manifested the Illusory Realm divine ability and then used it as a foundation to turn illusion into reality. One day, as Lu Changsheng was continuously perfecting the Illusory Realm, he had received the cultivation system of a "World Master." Moreover, it had been received automatically from the void. Viewed this way, Lu Changsheng did in fact have a World Master cultivation method—in particular, reopening the world time and again. That was essentially the cultivation method of a World Master, yet it felt as though it had been bestowed directly by the heavens, like an innate divine ability. It was information Lu Changsheng had received from the unseen depths. Lu Changsheng did not know what was really going on either; perhaps the Fire Kui Beast knew something about it. The Fire Kui Beast was thoroughly shaken by what it heard and remained speechless for a long time. After quite a while, it looked at Lu Changsheng with a profound gaze and let out a long sigh. "Master, your fortune is truly immense. To think you stepped onto the World Master cultivation path entirely on your own, and even automatically received information regarding World Master cultivation. "If I am not mistaken, the World Master cultivation information you automatically received must have come from the Boundary Sea." "The Boundary Sea?" Lu Changsheng had never heard of the Boundary Sea. The Fire Kui Beast explained, "Master, to understand the existence of the Boundary Sea, you must first understand what kind of place we are in. "For example, chaos and the Dark Domain are actually planes. We can call them the Chaos Plane or the Dark Domain Plane—it's essentially the same thing. The end point of cultivation for the top experts of a plane is Emperor or source lifeform. "Beyond the planes lies the boundless Great Universe. A single Great Universe encompasses countless planes. But to leave a plane and enter the Great Universe, one must become an Emperor or a source lifeform; otherwise, one does not even have the right to set foot in the Great Universe. "Within the Great Universe are infinite planes, each containing vast amounts of origin power. In the past, World Masters cultivated by devouring the origin power of plane after plane. This drew the hostility of many powerful plane experts, eventually triggering a massive war. Many World Masters were hunted down and perished, nearly wiping out the heritage of World Masters altogether. "Later, recognizing that the Great Universe had no place for them and that continuing to fight alone would likely lead to their complete extinction, the World Masters devised a solution: to fuse their worlds together. "Once this idea was put forward and tested, it was found to be viable, so more and more World Masters joined in. Over time, as countless World Masters accumulated and merged the worlds they had evolved, it ultimately formed a realm similar to a plane, yet vastly surpassing any plane—somewhat resembling a Great Universe itself. It came to be known as the Boundary Sea. "Although the Boundary Sea exists within the Great Universe, it stands on equal footing with it, and the Great Universe cannot do anything to it. Once a World Master integrates their world into the Boundary Sea, cultivators from outside cannot kill them unless the Boundary Sea itself is destroyed. World Masters usually roam around using incarnations, and in battle, they can draw upon a portion of their world's power from the Boundary Sea. "Furthermore, whenever a new World Master is born and their evolved world gains the recognition of the Boundary Sea, the Boundary Sea automatically imparts the cultivation methods of the Boundary Sea. Master, it must be that your evolved world gained the Boundary Sea's recognition, leading it to bestow the World Master cultivation method upon you... "Methods transmitted directly by the Boundary Sea are invariably the most supreme. Such World Masters are without exception figures of peerless talent and breathtaking brilliance. If you can merge your world into the Boundary Sea in the future, your prospects will be limitless..." Speaking to this point, the Fire Kui Beast looked at Lu Changsheng with immense envy. "As long as the Boundary Sea remains unbroken, a World Master never dies..." Lu Changsheng felt his blood surge with excitement for a moment, profoundly shaken by the magnificent grandeur of the World Masters. After all, the Boundary Sea had been formed by countless World Masters voluntarily merging their worlds. In other words, the Boundary Sea was the result of World Masters uniting for self-preservation. Some World Masters had even raised the slogan of "recreating the Great Universe," intending to replace the Great Universe with the Boundary Sea. While that was rather fanciful, the existence of the Boundary Sea nonetheless gave World Masters a supreme advantage within the Great Universe. "Master, there is a saying in the Great Universe: only a World Master can kill a World Master... "If you become a true World Master and merge your world into the Boundary Sea, your entire plane will have to rely on you..." the Fire Kui Beast said. Lu Changsheng understood. "By the way, if I merge my world into the Boundary Sea and then help someone else assimilate the Divine Tree of Fortune, will I be able to withstand the backlash from the Dark Domain's will?" Lu Changsheng suddenly asked. The Fire Kui Beast paused slightly. Thinking it over carefully, it could not say for sure, only offering cautiously, "Perhaps it could work? But regardless of whether you can withstand it or not, Master would not die. Even the backlash of the entire Dark Domain wouldn't be able to destroy you." Lu Changsheng nodded. World Masters truly were an extraordinary class of existence. Naturally, their numbers were few—far fewer than other cultivators in the Great Universe. This was only normal. After all, the bare minimum threshold to become a World Master was having supreme comprehension. If one's comprehension fell short, even having a World Master's cultivation technique wouldn't allow one to practice it. The demand on comprehension was unimaginably high. Lu Changsheng also understood why the Fire Kui Beast had been so eager to acknowledge him as master, even going so far as to offer its life soul. After all, Lu Changsheng was a World Master. Once he merged his world into the Boundary Sea, he would be immortal. Missing out on clinging to such a thick thigh would be the beast's greatest regret. In a sense, Lu Changsheng as a World Master was far better than Divine Emperor Dayan. After all, even a Divine Emperor had a very limited lifespan. Even in the Great Universe, a Divine Emperor could die. But a World Master would not die. As long as one did not die, anything was possible. Following a World Master naturally promised a boundless future! Of course, the prerequisite was that Lu Changsheng had to become a true World Master. Right now, Lu Changsheng was merely a cultivator of the World Master system; he had yet to become a true World Master. However, the hopes were high. Currently, Lu Changsheng's biggest problem remained Dark Domain origin power. He still needed a substantial amount of Dark Domain origin power. First, he would secure the Divine Fruits of Fortune. With that, Lu Changsheng reached out and grabbed the three Divine Fruits of Fortune directly into his hand. Nor did he pass up the Divine Tree of Fortune; he placed the tree directly into the Black Light Pagoda. In any case, being inside the pagoda would not hinder the tree from absorbing origin power. "Three Divine Fruits of Fortune. I wonder how much Dark Domain origin power they contain?" Lu Changsheng entered a secret chamber in Divine Emperor Dayan's cave dwelling and immediately began refining a Divine Fruit of Fortune. Hum. The Divine Fruit of Fortune was essentially a condensation of vast amounts of Dark Domain origin power, which was rapidly absorbed by Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm. The fruit gradually shrank. As time passed, it grew dimmer and dimmer until it finally vanished completely, as if it had never existed. Yet Lu Changsheng was overjoyed. A single Divine Fruit of Fortune actually contained forty-nine strands of Dark Domain origin power. This clearly aligned with the grand principle of the Great Dao: "The Great Dao has fifty, and heaven derives forty-nine." Forty-nine strands of Dark Domain origin power represented the state of utmost culmination. Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm had already been at 2% progress. In other words, refining just two Divine Fruits of Fortune would allow his Illusory Realm to reach perfection. Without further hesitation, Lu Changsheng continued refining the Divine Fruits of Fortune. Refining a single strand of Dark Domain origin power took him only one month. For the two Divine Fruits of Fortune, Lu Changsheng spent a full eight years and two months refining. At this moment, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm finally reached perfection once again. Furthermore, he had previously reconstructed two hundred Great Daos, so the Illusory Realm was already exceptionally stable. Now, all that remained was to reopen the world. At this thought, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer. Boom. The Illusory Realm began to collapse, followed by a violent explosion. The explosion was itself the process of evolving the world. This process was destined to be lengthy; the evolution of the world took a full century. Yet after a century, Lu Changsheng finally opened his eyes. The first thing he did was summon his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-tier comprehension World Master: 0 (Eight times) Chaos Lifeform: 86% (Three leaps) As expected, Lu Changsheng had reached the stage of reopening the world eight times, equivalent to an eight-Dao Great Saint! "Finally, the eighth world evolution... With my current strength, I can thoroughly crush a peak Great Saint! I might even rival an invincible Great Saint!" A sharp glint flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. An invincible Great Saint. Beneath an Emperor, he had no reason to fear anyone. As for the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor and the peak Great Saints of the other three top factions, Lu Changsheng could now settle accounts in earnest. He checked his possessions; there was still one Divine Fruit of Fortune left. He did not proceed to refine it. A single fruit wouldn't be enough to reopen the world a ninth time anyway, so he would save it for later. Over a century had passed, and he had yet to learn what had transpired in the outside world. "Huo Kui, come out with me," Lu Changsheng said to the Fire Kui Beast. "Yes, Master." Lu Changsheng glanced across the entire palace. "A dignified Divine Emperor Dayan didn't leave behind a single supreme treasure?" Lu Changsheng had searched earlier, and indeed there were no treasures. The Fire Kui Beast said awkwardly, "My former master was a Divine Emperor whose strength towered over the entire Dark Domain. What supreme treasures would he need?" Lu Changsheng naturally understood that Divine Emperor Dayan had not been without treasures. The true supreme treasures—the Divine Tree of Fortune and the Divine Fruits of Fortune—had now all fallen into Lu Changsheng's hands. Whoosh. Bringing the Fire Kui Beast with him, Lu Changsheng used the palace's teleportation array and was beamed out immediately. The teleportation distance was random, but it was definitely beyond the Bewildering Forest. "Phew..." "Finally out." With a wave of his hand, Lu Changsheng released the three female Qingluan Sect disciples. Each of them was brimming with joy, knowing Lu Changsheng had gained immense benefits. "Senior, are you confident in dealing with the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor now?" one of the women asked. "The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor? Come, I'll go slay him right now!" Lu Changsheng's tone was brimming with confidence. Before, letting the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor escape was because he had lacked the confidence to kill him. Now, things were different. Lu Changsheng had broken through to evolving the world eight times, equivalent to an eight-Dao Great Saint. Dealing with the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor again would be effortless. As for simulating an eighth Great Dao? That was even simpler. Right now, within the Illusory Realm, Lu Changsheng was having countless Great Daos clash and simulate. When the time came, he would naturally simulate the eighth Great Dao. Lu Changsheng flew in the direction of the Primordial Dao. It was said that the Primordial Dao was just as ancient as the Heaven Mending Dao. There were even rumors that the Primordial Dao had originally splintered off from the Heaven Mending Dao to become an independent sect. These were merely rumors that no one could verify. However, Lu Changsheng felt that if the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor were to flee, he would most likely head to the Primordial Dao. The Primordial Dao was quite far away, and Lu Changsheng was in no hurry. As he simulated Great Daos along the way, his eighth Great Dao was virtually finished: the Azure Wood Great Dao. Belonging to the wood attribute, its might was fairly ordinary, yet that did not matter. In truth, had the Primordial Secret Realm not ultimately been located within the Dark Domain, Lu Changsheng wouldn't even have bothered to simulate Great Daos anymore. If he possessed the strength of an Emperor, he wouldn't bother simulating or disguising anything, even in the Dark Domain. About a year later, Lu Changsheng arrived at the mountain gate of the Primordial Dao. Although over a century had passed, the destruction of the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate still seemed to cast a heavy shadow. The Primordial Dao had learned its lesson; its mountain-protecting array was active at all times, and disciples wishing to leave now had to use specialized tokens. They would not give Lu Changsheng another opportunity to catch them off guard. "Senior, their mountain-protecting array is active. What should we do?" Seeing the array active, the three Qingluan Sect disciples turned slightly pale. By now, they loathed the four top factions to the bone and wished to see all four destroyed one by one. Razing only the Heaven Mending Dao had not satisfied their thirst for vengeance. After all, the Qingluan Sect had been annihilated; how could the profound hatred of having one's sect wiped out be so easily appeased? "No matter. A mere mountain-protecting array—watch me break it!" Lu Changsheng's gaze grew razor-sharp. With a wave of his hand, hum! One Great Dao after another suddenly emerged. Seeing this, some cultivators within the Primordial Dao's mountain gate recognized him instantly. "He... he is Great Saint Changsheng! He's come to flatten our Primordial Dao's mountain gate too!" "The Great Saint Changsheng who leveled the Heaven Mending Dao?" "It's been over a century, but he's finally here!" "Last time Great Saint Changsheng flattened the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate, there was no sign of him for over a hundred years. We thought he had vanished into obscurity, but he's actually returned!" "What do we do? Even the Heaven Mending Dao was wiped out by Great Saint Changsheng..." Panic spread among the disciples. Lu Changsheng was not who he used to be; his fame had skyrocketed. Even after more than a century, people still recognized him. "You have finally come..." Just then, a familiar figure appeared within the Primordial Dao's mountain gate. Lu Changsheng focused his eyes. The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor! Indeed, the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor was truly here at the Primordial Dao's mountain gate. At the same time, several other figures stood beside him—four figures in total. Whoosh. The four figures instantly flew out of the mountain gate and appeared opposite Lu Changsheng, confronting him from a distance. "Lu Changsheng, you've finally come. I have waited over a century for you." The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor's tone was calm, but a chilling coldness gleamed in his eyes. For him, this past century had been sheer torment, a ceaseless agony. "Oh? These three must be the Ancestors of the other three top factions, then? Four peak Great Saints waiting here for me. You certainly have patience." Lu Changsheng immediately discerned the identities of the other three: three peak Great Saints! They had to be the Ancestors of the Primordial Dao, the Saint Heart Sect, and the Heavenly Sword Sect. For them to appear at the Primordial Dao at a moment's notice could only mean one thing: these three Ancestors had been waiting at the Primordial Dao all along. They had waited for a full century. Were they truly so certain he would come to the Primordial Dao rather than any of the other sects? Regardless of how they had reached that conclusion, they had bet correctly. Lu Changsheng had indeed come to the Primordial Dao. At this point, one of the peak Great Saints spoke up, "Great Saint Changsheng, since you possess the combat strength of a peak Great Saint, you are our peer. Why must we fight to the death? How about we turn swords into plowshares and let the matter rest here?" "Let it rest? I leveled the Heaven Mending Dao's mountain gate. Is the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor truly willing to let it rest?" Lu Changsheng asked, somewhat surprised. The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor's face was dark, but he remained silent. "We have already persuaded the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor. He will rebuild the Heaven Mending Dao at their mountain gate and is willing to shake hands, make peace with Fellow Daoist Lu, and let bygones be bygones." Lu Changsheng understood. The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor had likely been pressured into submission by the other three peak Great Saints. After all, the four top factions had always been rivals. With the Heaven Mending Dao's headquarters gone, its power was severely diminished. Why would the other three factions risk their lives to avenge the Heaven Mending Dao? Naturally, they preferred to negotiate peace with Lu Changsheng. After all, the one suffering the loss was the Heaven Mending Dao, not them. Of course, this involved complex negotiations, and the three factions had likely offered certain compensations to the Heaven Mending Dao; otherwise, the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor would never have agreed to seek peace. Lu Changsheng remarked faintly, "The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor is surprisingly broad-minded to accept peace even after all that. "However, I am different. I do not possess such magnanimity. The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor may be willing, but I am not! "I only know one thing: the four of you laid siege to Qingluan, driving her into hiding with her fate still unknown. Therefore, I will have blood for blood, an eye for an eye!" Lu Changsheng's words rang out with unyielding power, brooking no dispute. In an instant, the expressions of the four peak Great Saints turned thoroughly grim. "Hmph! Lu Changsheng, have you failed to see the situation clearly? Right now, it is you alone against our four peak Great Saints. It would be fortunate if you can even keep your life, yet you still talk of vengeance?" "Is that so? I'd certainly like to see you try." Lu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, his expression placid, seemingly not putting the threat of the four peak Great Saints in his eyes at all. "Hmph! Everyone, didn't I tell you? This man is hopelessly arrogant—were my words not true? There's no need to hold back. Attack with everything we have and slay him!" The Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor bellowed, striking first. Among the peak Great Saints facing Lu Changsheng, perhaps none yearned to kill him more than the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor. After all, Lu Changsheng had razed his sect's mountain gate. How could such a deep grudge go unavenged? Previously, he had merely been suppressed by the other three factions and had no choice. Now that Lu Changsheng had proven intractable, this was his golden opportunity! Seeing the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor take action, the other three peak Great Saints exchanged glances. They could not let him face Lu Changsheng alone. While a third party might profit when two rivals fight, what if Lu Changsheng defeated the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor without suffering any real loss? If they were to strike, they had to go all out! "Attack!" Immediately, the other three peak Great Saints struck at the same time. Since reconciliation was off the table, they could only nip the danger in the bud. Lu Changsheng had to be killed. Under no circumstances could he be allowed to escape; otherwise, having a peak Great Saint watching them from the shadows would mean their three factions would never know peace again. As the four peak Great Saints unleashed their attacks, terrifying pressure swept toward Lu Changsheng. One Great Dao after another spanned the void. At a glance, there were a full thirty-six Great Daos. Thirty-six Great Daos—what terrifying might! Moreover, the four peak Great Saints seemed to coordinate faintly with one another. Countless Great Daos formed a massive array, firmly locking down the void. At this moment, even traversing the void became impossible. They had completely cut off any chance of Lu Changsheng fleeing. In the past, Lu Changsheng would certainly have been no match. Even though he could defeat the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor over a century ago, facing four peak Great Saints working in concert would have placed him in dire straits. Now, however, things were different. Lu Changsheng's cultivation had advanced further, matching an eight-Dao Great Saint. As for his combat strength? It was... invincible! Boom! Holding nothing back, Lu Changsheng unleashed his Great Daos with an earthshaking burst. One, three, five, eight... The eyes of the four peak Great Saints snapped wide, their faces draining of color in an instant. Eight Great Daos? How could it be eight Great Daos?! Hadn't they said he had only seven? Yet now, above Lu Changsheng's head, eight Great Daos hovered undeniably in the sky!