Lu Changsheng Sweeps Through the Primordial Abyss, Lin Qingluan's Shock!

"He broke through again!" The eyes of the four peak Great Saints narrowed. They exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the others' eyes. Yet beyond shock, they felt a creeping dread. Back when Lu Changsheng was merely equivalent to a seven-Dao Great Saint, he had already rivaled peak Great Saints and even defeated the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor. Now that he had broken through to become an eight-Dao Great Saint, just how much had his strength increased? If any one of them encountered Lu Changsheng alone, would they be able to escape with his current strength? It seemed highly unlikely! In other words, Lu Changsheng very likely possessed the power to slay peak Great Saints. That was a realm of strength virtually towering above peak Great Saints. Possessing such might—was that not like a sharp blade suspended over the heads of the four peak Great Saints? Who could tolerate having a blade hanging over their own head? No, it was unbearable. Then only one solution remained. Slay Lu Changsheng! With all four peak Great Saints gathered here today, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It might very well be their only chance to kill him. At this moment, the four peak Great Saints made up their minds. No matter the cost, they had to kill Lu Changsheng! Lu Changsheng had no idea what was running through the minds of the four peak Great Saints, nor did he care. Eight Great Daos pitted against thirty-six Great Daos. It seemed entirely mismatched. Yet Lu Changsheng remained brimming with confidence. His eight Great Daos were no ordinary Daos, and their thirty-six Daos were not truly fused into one. They were merely the Daos of four peak Great Saints joined together through some sort of array formation. Furthermore, this array was exceedingly crude, barely linking the thirty-six Daos together. It was far from bringing out their true potential. And so, without any fancy tricks, the two sides collided violently. Rumble! A colossal impact sent aftershocks sweeping outward in all directions like a surging tide. The terrifying tremors slammed fiercely against the mountain-protecting array of the Primordial Dao, shaking it violently—ample proof of how terrifying the backlash was. Crack! A crisp sound rang out. The faces of the four peak Great Saints turned ghastly pale. What were they seeing? The four peak Great Saints had joined forces, combining thirty-six Great Daos to clash head-on with Lu Changsheng's eight Daos. And the result? In that single clash, the array formed from their combined Daos shattered. A hairline fracture even appeared along one of the Great Daos. A crushing defeat! An utter, total defeat! Four peak Great Saints teaming up in a direct collision had suffered a crushing defeat? "No, that's impossible..." "How could the four of us lose when joining forces?" "If even our combined might is defeated, doesn't that make him invincible?" "An Invincible Great Saint..." Something seemed to dawn on the four of them. An Invincible Great Saint! In the past, the Primordial Continent had once produced an Invincible Great Saint who suppressed an entire era. Everyone had prostrated themselves before that Invincible Great Saint. It was an age where countless saints fell silent. Yet now, such an Invincible Great Saint had emerged once again. It was a tragedy for this entire era, a tragedy for peak Great Saints like them. Lu Changsheng's gaze remained calm. He swept his eyes over the four peak Great Saints with an overbearing, disdainful air. From that single clash just now, he had thought these four peak Great Saints might truly be able to contend with him somewhat. But once they actually collided, Lu Changsheng realized that even banded together, they were nothing more than a disorganized rabble. No matter how many Great Daos they had, it was futile. The so-called array formed from their Daos crumbled in a single strike. Only now did Lu Changsheng truly understand what it meant to be an Invincible Great Saint. It meant being truly unstoppable, roaming unhindered and unrivaled! "Fall." Lu Changsheng pressed down his eight Great Daos once more. Crack, crack! Dao after Dao snapped and shattered. The auras of the four peak Great Saints plummeted drastically. Bang! Finally, at the very front, the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor could no longer bear the brunt of Lu Changsheng's eight Great Daos. The terrifying power of the Daos crushed his nine Great Daos and descended upon his person. In an instant, the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor's physical body collapsed, bursting into a cloud of bloody mist. Silence. The entire void seemed to fall dead quiet in a heartbeat. Everyone stared blankly at the void, looking toward where the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor's body had been. There was no body left—only a mist of blood. The dignified Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor, a peak nine-Dao Great Saint, had died just like that without even a chance to struggle. Crushed under Lu Changsheng's Daos, he was completely obliterated. Slaying a peak Great Saint seemed utterly trivial to Lu Changsheng, hardly any more difficult than crushing an ant. Such was an Invincible Great Saint! Seeing this, how could the remaining three peak Great Saints dare to oppose Lu Changsheng any longer? "Flee!" The three peak Great Saints immediately sought to flee back into the Primordial Dao, hoping that with the aid of the sect's mountain-protecting array, they might still hold Lu Changsheng off to some extent. Yet how could Lu Changsheng grant their wish? Hum. The next instant, Lu Changsheng did not even bother simulating the eight Great Daos anymore. The Illusory Realm descended instantly. Boom! The terrifying Illusory Realm enveloped all three peak Great Saints at once. Once trapped within the Illusory Realm, the three peak Great Saints felt as though they had plunged into a quagmire, barely able to move a muscle. Their entire bodies felt suppressed as terrifying force crushed down on them from every direction. "What technique is this?" "What on earth is happening? Are we going to die?" "Lu Changsheng is an Invincible Great Saint. We are no match for him!" "What should we do?" The three peak Great Saints were terrified now. They did not want to die. But in their current state, what could they possibly do? Bang! Another peak Great Saint exploded. This was the Saint Heart Sect Ancestor. Both the Heaven Mending Dao Ancestor and the Saint Heart Sect Ancestor were dead. Only the Heavenly Sword Sect Ancestor and the Primordial Dao Ancestor remained. At this moment, neither showed the slightest shred of dignity. "Mercy! Great Saint Changsheng, please spare our lives!" "I... I might know the whereabouts of Fairy Qingluan..." Both cried out at once. Bang! Unfortunately, the Heavenly Sword Sect Ancestor failed to hold on for even a single breath. His physical body also burst apart into a cloud of bloody mist. Now, only the Primordial Dao Ancestor remained. Lu Changsheng halted. Raising an eyebrow, he stared at the Primordial Dao Ancestor. "You know Qingluan's whereabouts? If you are spouting nonsense just to survive, you know the consequences." Lu Changsheng's tone was no empty threat. If the Primordial Dao Ancestor were lying, Lu Changsheng would certainly not spare him. "What I say is the absolute truth—I may truly know Fairy Qingluan's whereabouts. While I cannot be one hundred percent certain, based on my deductions, she is most likely there." "Oh? Where?" The Primordial Dao Ancestor took a deep breath and said with utmost conviction, "The Primordial Abyss!" "What kind of place is that?" Lu Changsheng asked. "The Primordial Abyss is an extremely mysterious place in the Primordial Continent, said to be ancient beyond measure. It isolates all auras within. Moreover, one must hold an Abyss Token to have any chance of entering; otherwise, even a peak Great Saint cannot hope to step inside. I suspect Fairy Qingluan obtained an Abyss Token by sheer chance and was able to enter the Primordial Abyss. That is why, despite searching the entire continent for so many years, we could never find her." To save his life, the Primordial Dao Ancestor dared not conceal anything, revealing everything about the Primordial Abyss in one breath. "There is such a place?" Lu Changsheng was somewhat puzzled. The Primordial Continent was merely a secret realm attached to the Dark Domain. Having so many peak Great Saints was surprising enough, but to possess such enigmatic locales as well? Then again, Divine Emperor Dayan had also passed away within the Primordial Continent. This continent truly seemed extraordinary. Thinking of Divine Emperor Dayan, a thought struck Lu Changsheng, and he immediately summoned the Fire Kui Beast. The massive Fire Kui Beast revealed its true form, exuding a formidable aura all over. The sight sent another chill through the Primordial Dao Ancestor. He had never even seen such a divine beast before, completely ignorant of its bloodline. "Fire Kui, do you know of the Primordial Abyss?" Lu Changsheng asked. Divine Emperor Dayan had passed away in the Primordial Continent, so he ought to know its secrets. "The Primordial Abyss? I know it. That place was once where the old master conducted experiments. He exiled many exotic lifeforms brought back from the Great Universe there. Those exotic creatures are all extraordinarily terrifying with immense vitality; if they were to spread into the Dark Domain, they could cause tremendous upheaval. Therefore, the old master created the Primordial Abyss and banished those exotic lifeforms from the Great Universe into it. One must possess the old master's token to enter." Hearing the Fire Kui Beast's words, the Primordial Dao Ancestor was overwhelmed with shock, a stormy sea churning in his heart. Old master? Who was this 'old master' the Fire Kui Beast spoke of? To have created the Primordial Abyss—what kind of terrifying existence was that? For a moment, the Primordial Dao Ancestor felt as though everything had become completely unfamiliar. He had once believed he understood the Primordial Continent thoroughly, but now it seemed he knew nothing at all. What he knew was merely on the surface; he knew next to nothing about the continent's true secrets. Only Lu Changsheng understood the Fire Kui Beast's meaning. As expected, the Primordial Abyss was inextricably linked to Divine Emperor Dayan. If exotic lifeforms from the Great Universe were exiled there, did that not mean the Primordial Abyss was immensely dangerous? At this thought, Lu Changsheng quickly asked, "Do you have a token to enter the Primordial Abyss?" "A token? That thing is useless to me, so of course I don't have one. However, does Master wish to enter the Primordial Abyss? That's far too simple. I inherently possess the authority to enter the Primordial Abyss..." Lu Changsheng was overjoyed. He had not expected the Fire Kui Beast to be so important in Divine Emperor Dayan's eyes, even possessing the inherent authority. That made things easy. Lu Changsheng was about to depart with the Fire Kui Beast for the Primordial Abyss when he glanced back at the Primordial Dao Ancestor. "Since you informed me of Qingluan's whereabouts, you have rendered a service. I will spare your life for now. However, you must scour the entire Primordial Continent for Qingluan Sect disciples. If any have survived by some fortune, bring them back safely. Once I find Qingluan, I will let her decide your fate." "Yes, I will certainly obey Fellow Daoist's instructions to find the Qingluan Sect disciples," the Primordial Dao Ancestor said with utmost reverence. As for Qingluan deciding his fate? As long as he did his utmost to find and protect her disciples, Fairy Qingluan probably would not kill him upon her return, would she? So long as there was a sliver of hope to survive, he would clutch it tightly. Otherwise, the other three peak Great Saints were a clear warning! Lu Changsheng departed. Before leaving, however, he paid a visit to the Primordial Dao's mountain gate and ransacked it thoroughly. He pocketed all their cultivation methods and records; even if he did not practice them, they would serve to broaden his knowledge and enrich his foundations. Regrettably, just as he had predicted, there was no Dark Domain origin power within the Primordial Dao either. That was somewhat disappointing. Afterward, Lu Changsheng set off for the Primordial Abyss. One year later, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Primordial Abyss. It was indeed extremely distant from the Primordial Dao and located in a remote area where ordinary cultivators would rarely tread. The Primordial Abyss covered a vast area. Once one entered its vicinity, the surroundings turned into a barren wasteland where life could barely survive and vegetation was practically nonexistent. Under such conditions, virtually no one ever came here. Lu Changsheng looked down at a cliff below. Deep beneath the cliff lay the Primordial Abyss—a bottomless chasm, just as its name implied. At that moment, the Fire Kui Beast also revealed its true form. Looking at the Primordial Abyss before them, it felt a sense of unfamiliarity. "That's not right. The Primordial Abyss used to be lush with green hills and clear waters. Why has it turned into a barren wasteland? Could some change have occurred in the Primordial Abyss?" The Fire Kui Beast was also puzzled. "Won't we know once we go down and look?" Lu Changsheng took a step forward, bringing the Fire Kui Beast with him. Without the Fire Kui Beast or a token, Lu Changsheng would have been unable to enter the Primordial Abyss. But now, he encountered no resistance whatsoever, feeling as though he were stepping through an array formation. His body swayed slightly, followed by a rapid descent. After an unknown amount of time, they finally reached the bottom. The subterranean depths were profoundly dim, shrouded in pitch darkness save for vague, flickering glimmers of light. Yet with Lu Changsheng's current cultivation, day or night made no difference to his vision. "Hmm? That's not right. The aura here is wrong." Lu Changsheng's expression shifted slightly. He sensed that the aura here was different from that of the Primordial Secret Realm, and even different from the Dark Domain. It was completely distinct from the Dark Domain and distinct from chaos—an aura Lu Changsheng had never felt before. "Master, the aura you are sensing should be the aura of the Great Universe. The environment within the Primordial Abyss has been influenced by those exotic beasts from the Great Universe. Over countless years, that influence has grown even stronger, which is why it feels completely different from the Dark Domain. I even suspect it has affected the vicinity outside the Primordial Abyss. Those exotic beasts from the Great Universe are exceptionally powerful, so Master must be careful. Back then, the old master could capture them easily, but Master..." The Fire Kui Beast trailed off, its meaning clear: Divine Emperor Dayan had been able to capture these beasts, but Lu Changsheng was different. After all, Divine Emperor Dayan was a magnificent Divine Emperor, whereas Lu Changsheng was merely an eight-Dao Great Saint. Even if his combat prowess was invincible among Great Saints, facing these exotic beasts from the Great Universe, victory was far from guaranteed. Caution was paramount. Lu Changsheng was not arrogant; he understood there was truth in what the Fire Kui Beast said. These exotic beasts from the Great Universe were no small matter. He could only proceed cautiously, searching slowly through the depths beneath the Primordial Continent. Suddenly, Lu Changsheng sensed a faint trace of danger, though he could not tell precisely where it came from. The surroundings were plunged in darkness, seeming full of dark silhouettes. Wait, dark silhouettes? Where did these silhouettes come from? Lu Changsheng's expression changed abruptly. The next instant, the 'shadows' all around seemed to come alive at once, lunging toward Lu Changsheng in droves. The Fire Kui Beast shouted in a hurry, "Master, these are Shadow Beasts! They can conceal themselves within shadows, making them impossible to guard against. Back then, the old master captured them without lifting a finger, but there weren't this many! How did they multiply so much?" The Fire Kui Beast was also stunned. It had never expected so many Shadow Beasts. "Shadow Beasts?" Lu Changsheng's heart tightened. These Shadow Beasts did not appear exceedingly strong, yet each was at the level of a high-rank Great Saint—equivalent to a seven-Dao Great Saint. One or two would be nothing, but the issue was their numbers. There were far too many of them, countless in fact. At a rough estimate, there were more than fifty. Heavens, more than fifty Shadow Beasts! It was simply unbelievable. The Fire Kui Beast was a divine beast at the level of a seven-Dao Great Saint, yet right now it hastily hid behind Lu Changsheng. It had no choice; it could never deal with so many Shadow Beasts. Lu Changsheng did not hesitate either. Hum. The next moment, the Illusory Realm descended, enveloping all fifty Shadow Beasts at once. "Suppress!" Under the suppression of the Illusory Realm, even fifty Shadow Beasts were subdued in an instant. Such was the power of the Illusory Realm. Lu Changsheng had no need to worry about simulating Daos; fighting directly with the Illusory Realm yielded even greater might, wider coverage, and far greater convenience. "Eh? Master, your Illusory Realm is truly formidable! These Shadow Beasts were suppressed just like that?" The Fire Kui Beast marveled in astonishment. While it knew of World Masters, this was its first time seeing one in person, let alone witnessing a World Master fight. Seeing it with its own eyes now felt almost fantastical. They had remained in place without taking a single step, yet what about the Shadow Beasts? Every single one of them was immobilized as though bound in place. The Fire Kui Beast walked past them one by one, circling to examine them. It could feel that the Shadow Beasts were not dead yet, but they were utterly powerless to do anything. If Lu Changsheng so wished, a single thought could kill all of them right now. And these were fifty Shadow Beasts! "Fire Kui, what use do Shadow Beasts have?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Use?" The Fire Kui Beast pondered carefully, then shook its head. "Actually, Shadow Beasts are very common in the Great Universe. The old master captured them merely for research. He captured almost every kind of exotic beast from the Great Universe and put them together in the Primordial Abyss to study. In the end, after studying them for a long time, nothing ever came of it." Lu Changsheng understood. These Shadow Beasts were commonplace, and even Divine Emperor Dayan had found no use for them. If so, what was the point of keeping them? Maintaining the suppression of these Shadow Beasts continuously drained the power of his Illusory Realm, which was hardly worth the cost. "Obliterate." With a thought from Lu Changsheng, the power of the Illusory Realm crushed down frantically. One Shadow Beast after another seemed to weather away rapidly, turning to dust in moments. The sight left the Fire Kui Beast thoroughly shaken. These were fifty Shadow Beasts, yet in an instant, they were silently reduced to dust. There was no earth-shattering commotion; they simply died without a sound. But the quieter it was, the more terrifying it seemed. If Lu Changsheng could annihilate the Shadow Beasts without a sound, he could do the same to it just as easily. "Is this a World Master? Truly terrifying... No wonder they say in the Great Universe: provoke anyone, but never provoke a World Master..." the Fire Kui Beast thought to itself. It felt immensely fortunate to have followed Lu Changsheng; otherwise, its fate would have been no different from these Shadow Beasts. After Lu Changsheng annihilated the fifty-odd Shadow Beasts, there was no obvious change—no origin power, nor did his Illusory Realm grow stronger. "Wait, there is a slight difference." "The Illusory Realm seems to be subtly absorbing energy?" "Moreover, it's absorbing all kinds of energy?" Lu Changsheng was slightly taken aback. He keenly perceived that the Illusory Realm had changed subtly. It was absorbing energy. Perhaps it had been doing so in the past as well, but his senses had not been sharp enough to detect it. Now that his perception had improved, he could feel it absorbing energy. Furthermore, absorbing the energy left behind by the death of these Shadow Beasts seemed to be quietly altering the Illusory Realm. As for how it was changing, Lu Changsheng was unsure. But instinctively, he felt that this change was beneficial. "Space, matter, energy... these are essential elements that compose a complete world. Perhaps life must be added as well? Sadly, for some reason, my Illusory Realm has never been able to give birth to life." Lu Changsheng fell into deep thought. The legacy he had received was merely a cultivation method, stating only that continuously evolving worlds would elevate the Illusory Realm. As for what changes would take place once it advanced, that was left unclear. Since Lu Changsheng had never met another World Master, he had no way to confer with anyone. Regardless, since absorbing energy was beneficial to the Illusory Realm, he did not need to dwell on it. Over the following days, Lu Changsheng pushed deeper, keeping his goal of finding Lin Qingluan firmly in mind. Day after day passed. Within the Primordial Abyss, Lu Changsheng encountered many exotic beasts from the Great Universe. Among them were formidable creatures rivaling nine-Dao Great Saints, as well as beasts possessing all manner of bizarre abilities. Yet none were a match for Lu Changsheng. Fortunately, Divine Emperor Dayan had not captured Emperor-level beasts back then; otherwise, Lu Changsheng would have been in immense trouble. Even after roaming for so long, Lu Changsheng still had not found Lin Qingluan. Could she not be in the Primordial Abyss? Yet the Primordial Secret Realm was only so large. With the influence of the four top sects, had she been anywhere in the secret realm, there would surely have been some trace after searching for so long. But with not a shred of evidence turning up, she could only be in the Primordial Abyss. Hum. Just as Lu Changsheng was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a vast tremor. "This is... Dao power?" Lu Changsheng was startled. Dao power! How could there be Dao power in the Primordial Abyss? If there was, only one possibility remained. Lin Qingluan! Lin Qingluan was indeed in the Primordial Abyss! "Let's go!" Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Changsheng flew toward the fluctuation of Dao power at once. His speed was astonishing. In merely an hour, he reached the source of the disturbance. It was a subterranean valley, from which the fluctuations of Dao power emanated. Roar! Lu Changsheng saw formidable exotic beasts from the Great Universe crowding the subterranean valley, likely drawn here just moments ago by the ripples of Dao power. Lu Changsheng sensed the aura. It was unfamiliar at first, but soon a familiar presence emerged—a familiar Dao power. One, two, three, four, five... In the blink of an eye, nine Great Daos appeared! Among them, only one was unfamiliar to Lu Changsheng, likely a newly born Dao. "Qingluan..." Lu Changsheng smiled. His gaze pierced through layers of obstacles, immediately catching sight of a figure surrounded by countless exotic beasts at the center. Whoosh. As if sensing something, that figure snapped her head up, her gaze meeting Lu Changsheng's. "Changsheng?" Lin Qingluan's eyes widened in utter disbelief. She could never have imagined seeing Lu Changsheng here. This was the Primordial Abyss—not only difficult to find, but fraught with peril once inside. Even for her, having just ascended to become a nine-Dao Great Saint, breaking out from the encirclement of so many beasts would be challenging. How could Lu Changsheng manage? "Leave, quickly!" "Wait for me outside!" "I will break out as fast as I can to find you. Otherwise, if we both get trapped here, neither of us might make it out..." Lin Qingluan's anxious voice transmission echoed in Lu Changsheng's ears. No matter how he had managed to reach the Primordial Abyss, in their current situation, leaving immediately was the only sensible choice. Lu Changsheng smiled. Leave? Even with so many exotic beasts from the Great Universe present, so what? Lu Changsheng was no longer the man he once was. The past could not compare to the present! Instead of retreating, Lu Changsheng took a step forward. One step, two steps, three steps, four steps... Lu Changsheng strolled through the air as if ascending an invisible staircase, stepping out over the valley. He looked down upon the myriad beasts below. Most of them were at or above the level of seven-Dao Great Saints, and some even rivaled nine-Dao Great Saints. Had these beasts escaped into the outside world, they could have swept through the entire Primordial Secret Realm. Yet Lu Changsheng paid them no mind. He gently extended a hand and turned his palm downward. Boom! The Illusory Realm descended. A brilliant white light instantly blanketed the entire valley. Countless beasts roared in terror as a horrific, invisible force descended, bearing down on their bodies. Bang! The first beast exploded. Then the second, third, fourth, fifth... Beast after beast burst apart, reduced to dust. The entire valley was swallowed by a dense mist of blood. Meanwhile, Lin Qingluan could only gape in disbelief, her beautiful eyes overflowing with utter shock.