The Tianyuan Holy Sect returned to normal.
They did not even announce the invasion of the chaos lifeforms.
In truth, peaceful and tranquil places were plentiful throughout the vast Dark Domain. Not everywhere had been dragged into the catastrophe.
After all, interworld passages were still exceedingly rare.
Some wished to use the catastrophe to make a desperate gamble, but far more simply wished to live in peace.
Lin Qingluan did not return to seclusion either.
There was little point in secluding herself any longer. She was already a nine-Dao Great Saint; she needed only to cultivate step-by-step, and reaching the realm of a peak Great Saint would come naturally. A century at most, or a few decades at least, and she would undoubtedly become a peak Great Saint.
Therefore, from this moment on, Lin Qingluan began preparing for dual cultivation.
Lu Changsheng had also been inquiring about dual cultivation.
He asked in meticulous detail, primarily inquiring about Lin Qingluan's dual cultivation method.
In the past, the technique she cultivated had been an absolute secret. But now, Lin Qingluan trusted Lu Changsheng unconditionally. She answered almost every question, concealing nothing. Thus, she shared the cultivation method and all its specific secrets with him without reservation.
According to Lin Qingluan, she possessed a rare physique called the Innate Dao Body. Those born with it had a natural ease in comprehending Great Daos.
The method she cultivated was called the Tianyuan Holy Heart Art. It required the cultivator to maintain their primal yin and even preserve a pure heart devoid of desires all the way until reaching the Great Saint realm.
After becoming a Great Saint, one had to undergo bitter cultivation to reach the nine-Dao Great Saint realm. Then, one had to find an equally brilliant Great Saint who had comprehended an earth-shattering Great Dao.
During dual cultivation, the Tianyuan Holy Heart Art would take effect, allowing Lin Qingluan to experience that person's earth-shattering Great Dao firsthand, as though she were living it herself. As long as she was not utterly dull-witted, she would practically be guaranteed to comprehend a tenth Great Dao.
With the foundation of a tenth Great Dao, assaulting the Emperor realm would naturally succeed.
However, the requirements of the Tianyuan Holy Heart Art were simply too demanding. An Innate Dao Body alone was something one could only encounter by luck. In all these years, the only disciple with an Innate Dao Body that the Tianyuan Holy Sect had ever found was Lin Qingluan. That alone showed just how rare it was.
Lu Changsheng finally understood completely.
So the Tianyuan Holy Heart Art was this miraculous. During dual cultivation, it let the practitioner experience another's Great Dao firsthand, almost as if retracing their path of comprehension. With such profound insight, comprehending one's own tenth Great Dao was virtually certain.
A tenth Great Dao belonged to legends. Nine was generally the absolute limit of numbers, and nine Great Daos was fundamentally the ceiling for a Great Saint. Comprehending ten Great Daos was equivalent to breaking limits. Assaulting the Emperor realm from a limit-broken level made success almost a certainty.
That was the greatest value of the Tianyuan Holy Heart Art.
Yet Lu Changsheng was not a Great Saint.
He had not comprehended a single Great Dao. Even if he dual cultivated with Lin Qingluan, how could she experience his Dao firsthand?
This problem had weighed heavily on Lu Changsheng's mind.
"Fire Kui, do you have any ideas?" Lu Changsheng asked.
The Fire Kui Beast was quite knowledgeable, having once followed a Divine Emperor. Even so, it was helpless on this matter.
It shook its head. "Master, this Tianyuan Holy Heart Art is extraordinarily wondrous. Even my former master could not create such a marvelous art. Allowing someone to break limits and become a ten-Dao Great Saint is simply unimaginable—it forcefully raises the probability of a nine-Dao Great Saint advancing to Emperor to over ninety percent. Even if my former master were revived, he would marvel at it.
"In truth, Master, what troubles you is not that Holy Maiden Qingluan will discover your identity, but that she will be unable to advance to Emperor.
"If Master could help her advance to Emperor, your dilemma would be resolved immediately."
The Fire Kui Beast's words struck Lu Changsheng like a revelation.
Indeed.
Was he worried about exposing his identity? Not at all. He had never feared exposure. What troubled him was that Lin Qingluan might fail to become an Emperor, stunting her path of cultivation. That was his true concern.
If he could lend her a hand in becoming an Emperor, the problem would disappear.
Yet the crux was: how could he help her achieve that? Leaving aside aiding Lin Qingluan, Lu Changsheng himself had only evolved his world eight times. He had not even become a true World Master yet. How could he help her become an Emperor?
"Actually, it is not impossible," the Fire Kui Beast continued. "Master, do you not have a Divine Tree of Fortune? Across the Great Universe, the Divine Tree of Fortune seizes the fortune of heaven and earth—it is exceedingly miraculous. If Holy Maiden Qingluan could refine it and take it as her foundation, her destiny and fortune would grow boundless.
"With boundless fortune, everything she undertakes will proceed smoothly, whether comprehending Daos or practicing secret techniques. When that time comes, grasping a tenth Great Dao with the aid of the Divine Tree of Fortune will be entirely within reach.
"Once she reaches the Emperor realm, its effects will be even greater, and it may even allow her to shatter the Emperor's lifespan shackles..."
Lu Changsheng fell silent as he listened to the Fire Kui Beast lay it all out.
He had originally prepared the Divine Tree of Fortune for Lin Qingluan in the first place. He had simply planned to give it to her after she became an Emperor, when she would need to break the lifespan shackles. But looking at it now, giving it to her now seemed far more fitting.
Still, if he was truly going to give it to her, he would have to reveal his identity.
Lu Changsheng no longer wished to conceal the truth anyway.
*Indecision will only breed greater chaos.* He made up his mind.
*Whoosh.*
Lu Changsheng rose to his feet and flew straight toward Lin Qingluan's cave dwelling.
Soon, he stepped inside. The two of them had been virtually inseparable lately, and Lin Qingluan had already come to view him as a Dao companion bound to him in life and death.
"Qingluan, there is something I must tell you." Lu Changsheng's expression turned grave.
Lin Qingluan keenly sensed that what he had to say was of great consequence. With a wave of her sleeve, she activated the cave dwelling's grand array, sealing off all outside interference and probing.
"Changsheng, what is it?" she asked.
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath. Without a word, he willed his power into motion.
*Boom!*
The Illusory Realm descended.
Indeed, it was the Illusory Realm—not the eight Great Daos he had simulated before, but his true Illusory Realm. The moment it descended, it enveloped Lin Qingluan.
Lin Qingluan was now a nine-Dao Great Saint. Her eyes widened instantly.
"This is..."
She sensed something completely different from anything she had ever felt before. The power was utterly alien.
*Buzz.*
Soon, a Great Dao appeared within the Illusory Realm. It was Lu Changsheng's Thunder-Fire Dao, followed by the Eternal Sword Dao. Lin Qingluan was most familiar with the Eternal Sword Dao. Within the Illusory Realm, these were genuine Great Daos, yet she seemed to experience them in a completely different light.
Then came the third, fourth, fifth... all the way to the eighth.
Yet it did not stop there.
*Boom!*
A ninth Great Dao appeared.
"Changsheng, you broke through? A nine-Dao Great Saint?" Lin Qingluan was overjoyed. A nine-Dao Great Saint! She did not doubt it for a moment.
Lu Changsheng did not answer, his expression remaining calm.
Then the void trembled once more.
*Buzz.*
A tenth Great Dao manifested.
Lin Qingluan's eyes went wide, and her whole body shook. A tenth Great Dao? Yes, without a shadow of a doubt! That was truly a tenth Great Dao.
How was this possible? She had not even dual cultivated with him yet, nor had she comprehended a tenth Great Dao herself. Was Lu Changsheng's talent so monstrously absurd that he had grasped a tenth Great Dao on his own?
Before she could speak, another Great Dao manifested in the void.
An eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth...
What followed grew even more terrifying.
Twenty, thirty, fifty, a hundred...
As time passed, Lin Qingluan grew completely numb. Over a hundred Great Daos? How could that be? No matter how brilliant someone was, mastering over a hundred Great Daos was impossible! Since ancient times, no cultivator in the Dark Domain had ever been heard of possessing a hundred Great Daos.
Yet the number of Great Daos in the void continued to rise, likely exceeding several hundred.
At that moment, understanding dawned upon Lin Qingluan.
Every single one of these Great Daos was lifelike—she could not tell them apart from the real thing. They all seemed genuine, yet that was an impossibility.
Lin Qingluan was, after all, a nine-Dao Great Saint. She examined the void carefully, and a realization struck her.
"A world... Changsheng, we are inside a world, and this world is under your control. In the Dark Domain, there is only one possibility for this.
"A World Master! Changsheng, you are a World Master?" Lin Qingluan spoke slowly.
"Yes. From the very beginning, I have been a World Master." Lu Changsheng nodded.
A complex look crossed Lin Qingluan's face.
A World Master. She understood what that meant. Even with her limited knowledge of World Masters, she knew one thing: World Masters came from chaos. In essence, they were equivalent to chaos lifeforms.
In other words, Lu Changsheng came from chaos.
"You... come from chaos?" Her voice trembled slightly.
"Not only do I come from chaos, but I am a chaos lifeform." Lu Changsheng revealed his physical body.
Instantly, a wisp of familiar chaos lifeform aura radiated from him. Lin Qingluan had just encountered the chaos lifeforms of the Panyuan Realm, so she recognized it immediately. It was indeed a chaos lifeform.
Her thoughts fell into turmoil.
Who could have imagined that the Holy Maiden of the Tianyuan Holy Sect, an esteemed nine-Dao Great Saint, had chosen a chaos lifeform as her Dao companion? She had even hoped to dual cultivate with him to grasp a tenth Great Dao. It was nothing more than an idle daydream.
Yet Lin Qingluan was no ordinary person. She was a nine-Dao Great Saint with an unshakeable will. Even faced with such an abrupt shock, though her heart surged with turbulence, she maintained her composure.
"Now that you have told me... are you preparing to return to chaos?" she asked, her voice still carrying a faint tremor.
Chaos or Dark Domain—neither truly mattered in her eyes. Looking back on their time together, she had been the one to take the initiative to become his Dao companion. As for Lu Changsheng using her? That was utter nonsense. Furthermore, she was a nine-Dao Great Saint, and he was a World Master; they could sense each other's genuine feelings at any moment. Even upon learning that he was a chaos lifeform, her feelings had not changed in the slightest.
Without an unshakeable will, how could one ever become a nine-Dao Great Saint?
"Return to chaos?"
"I have no such plans at present. I simply felt that I should not hide this from you any longer. After all, you need to grasp a tenth Great Dao to assault the Emperor realm.
"I could not bear to ruin your cultivation, so I had to tell you the truth."
His words rendered Lin Qingluan silent.
It was true. If Lu Changsheng had kept her in the dark until they dual cultivated, her cultivation would have been thoroughly ruined, leading to an irreversible disaster.
Lin Qingluan closed her eyes. She realized that her feelings remained utterly steady.
Indeed, what if he was a chaos lifeform? At her level, did it truly matter whether someone was from chaos or the Dark Domain? They were all cultivators! Some Emperors were even close friends with source lifeforms. Who could say anything against that? When one stood at a certain height, hatred and factions became trivial matters that no one cared about.
"My feelings will not change.
"And I believe yours will not change either, Changsheng.
"It is just that my cultivation plans must be altered. I cannot rely on the Tianyuan Holy Heart Art anymore. I will build up my foundation and rely on myself to advance to Emperor!"
Lin Qingluan made her decision right then. She remained full of confidence. Which of those Emperors had mastered a tenth Great Dao? Not a single one! If they could advance with nine Great Daos, why couldn't she? She could do it too! Her feelings would not waver, and neither would her resolve to become an Emperor!
Lu Changsheng smiled. He had not misjudged her after all. Lin Qingluan was still Lin Qingluan; she would not change her mind because of his identity. And naturally, Lu Changsheng was still Lu Changsheng.
"Your Tianyuan Holy Heart Art has already been cultivated down to your bones. Without the aid of dual cultivation, comprehending a tenth Great Dao will likely be exceedingly difficult.
"However, reaching a tenth Great Dao is not entirely hopeless. As long as one's comprehension is high enough and one's fortune deep enough, anything is possible.
"Qingluan, look at this." Lu Changsheng flipped his hand, revealing the Divine Tree of Fortune.
Instantly, the entire cave dwelling was bathed in radiant golden light, dazzling beyond compare.
Lin Qingluan was astonished. "What is this?"
She had never seen such a golden tree before, yet she could tell its extraordinary nature at a glance.
"This is the Divine Tree of Fortune. It belongs neither to the Dark Domain nor to chaos, but to the Great Universe.
"During my trip to the Primordial Secret Realm, I stumbled into Divine Emperor Dayan's cave dwelling..." Lu Changsheng recounted the story of Divine Emperor Dayan and the Divine Tree of Fortune in full detail.
Lin Qingluan marveled at the tale. "I spent over two thousand years in the secret realm just fighting for a single Sky-Connecting Fruit, nearly losing my life in the process. Yet as soon as you went, you discovered Divine Emperor Dayan's cave dwelling—and through my disciple, no less—and obtained a supreme treasure of the Great Universe like the Divine Tree of Fortune...
"It seems your fortune is truly uniquely blessed."
Lu Changsheng did not refute her. He knew very well whether he possessed fortune. Having refined so much Dark Domain origin power, how could he lack it? His fortune was so immense it likely stood at the pinnacle of the entire Dark Domain. Otherwise, how could he have stumbled into Divine Emperor Dayan's dwelling the moment he entered the Primordial Secret Realm, acquiring both the Divine Tree of Fortune and the Divine Fruits of Fortune? That was unquestionably the effect of fortune.
"The Divine Tree of Fortune... Changsheng, shouldn't it be useful to you as well?" Lin Qingluan looked at him and asked.
Lu Changsheng shook his head. "I am a World Master. While the Divine Tree of Fortune is useful, its value to me is limited. But you are different. Becoming an Emperor is merely the first hurdle; the truly daunting challenge is breaking the lifespan shackles. Without the Divine Tree of Fortune, breaking them will be nearly impossible—even Divine Emperor Dayan failed to do so back then.
"Since you are my Dao companion, I cannot stand by and watch you die when your lifespan reaches its limit.
"In the future, you and I are meant to travel the Great Universe side by side. This Divine Tree of Fortune can help you shatter the lifespan limit; you need it far more than I do!"
Lu Changsheng was not merely comforting her; it was the truth. He possessed absolute confidence in the World Master cultivation system. Furthermore, that system was exceptionally unique. Once he became a true World Master and anchored his Illusory Realm within the Boundary Sea, dying would be nearly impossible. That was the Boundary Sea of the Great Universe! The World Master cultivation system alone was arguably more wondrous than the Divine Tree of Fortune.
As for the Divine Tree of Fortune continuously gathering fortune—the more fortune Lin Qingluan possessed and the more benefits she received, would that not be equivalent to Lu Changsheng benefiting as well? As Dao companions, they were as one!
"All right!" Lin Qingluan finally agreed and accepted the Divine Tree of Fortune.
"Do not refine the Divine Tree of Fortune for now; simply keep it within your body and nourish it quietly," Lu Changsheng instructed patiently. "The moment refining begins, you will face the backlash of the entire Dark Domain. Even Divine Emperor Dayan could not withstand it.
"However, once I become a true World Master and anchor the Illusory Realm in the Great Universe's Boundary Sea, I will be immortal and indestructible. Even the Dark Domain will not be able to harm me. When that time comes, I will lend you a hand to help shoulder the backlash, and you may be able to refine it successfully.
"At that point, not only will becoming an Emperor be effortless, but shattering the Emperor's lifespan limit will pose no problem whatsoever."
"Understood. I will do as you say." Lin Qingluan nodded without asking further.
In truth, another possibility existed: what if Lu Changsheng failed to become a true World Master? Or what if it took so long that Lin Qingluan's lifespan ran out while waiting? Yet she did not bring it up, nor did Lu Changsheng mention it. Lu Changsheng possessed confidence, and Lin Qingluan had faith in him. Neither considered it an insurmountable task.
If outsiders learned of this, they would likely be dumbfounded. Since when had becoming a World Master been so easy? A true World Master stood on the level of source lifeforms and Emperors, far surpassing them in subtlety and potential. Yet from Lu Changsheng's mouth, it sounded effortless.
"Changsheng, to advance your Illusory Realm, you need Dark Domain origin power, which requires slaying prodigy Great Saints. Even with one Divine Fruit of Fortune remaining, you still need at least fifty-one wisps of Dark Domain origin power.
"Should we mobilize the Tianyuan Holy Sect's forces to campaign against some major powers?
"Slaying Great Saints would allow you to gather the origin power you need. That would be far safer than returning to chaos to take part in the interworld war. In the war between the two realms, even Emperors intervene personally; the more brilliantly you perform, the more likely you are to draw an Emperor's attention," Lin Qingluan suggested, a flash of cold resolve crossing her eyes.
She was now considering everything entirely from Lu Changsheng's perspective. He needed Dark Domain origin power? Then they would kill! The Dark Domain had always been governed by the law of the jungle. What was slaying a few Great Saints? Even annihilating several factions would be worth the price.
Lu Changsheng frowned. "The great catastrophe has already arrived, and the Dark Domain is locked in battle against chaos. Right now, even Emperors are calling upon the various factions to march into chaos and fight. If we stir up a war of conquest within the Dark Domain, we will likely incur an Emperor's displeasure..."
He considered the broader picture. If a war of conquest broke out now, an Emperor would never sit idly by. Otherwise, with fire raging in their own backyard, who would dare enter chaos to fight with peace of mind? If an Emperor took offense, it would spell extreme danger for the Tianyuan Holy Sect. In an Emperor's eyes, the sect could be snuffed out with a casual wave of a hand, without the slightest hesitation.
"Changsheng, it is fine; I will be careful," Lin Qingluan said meaningfully. "Besides, you will not need to show yourself. I am a nine-Dao Great Saint; even against a peak Great Saint, no one can stop me if I wish to leave.
"I will step forward to slay the Great Saints, and you can follow behind to collect the Dark Domain origin power.
"As for the Emperors... even during a catastrophe, an Emperor cannot stop me from seeking vengeance, can they?
"I have plenty of enemies..."
Lu Changsheng understood. Lin Qingluan intended to slay Great Saints under the guise of settling personal vendettas. But in reality, it was all to gather Dark Domain origin power for him.
"Very well," Lu Changsheng agreed with a nod. "Look into which Great Saints we should target first. Try to aim for high-rank Great Saints so we can gather a large amount of Dark Domain origin power all at once."
In truth, time was pressing. The catastrophe had arrived, and sometimes, wishing to remain uninvolved was simply not an option. The Tianyuan Holy Sect had repelled the Panyuan Realm this time, but what about the next?
Lu Changsheng felt that urgency as well. He was eager to re-evolve his world for the ninth time. Once he completed the ninth evolution, his strength would surge drastically again. Even now, he was already hailed as an Invincible Great Saint. If he took another step forward and reached the level of a nine-Dao Great Saint, would he be able to rival an Emperor? Even if he could not match one, he would at least possess the means to protect himself before an Emperor.
"Wait for me to refine the Divine Fruit of Fortune first."
Lu Changsheng set about refining the fruit. He still had one left, containing forty-nine wisps of Dark Domain origin power.
He spent forty-nine months refining it before finally finishing. His Illusory Realm's progress reached 49%, leaving 51% remaining until consummation. That meant he needed fifty-one wisps of Dark Domain origin power.
To cultivators, a little over four years was like the snap of a finger.
"Finished refining?" Lin Qingluan asked.
"Just about. Have you decided who to target?" Lu Changsheng looked at her, knowing she had been planning which Great Saints to strike.
Lin Qingluan smiled. "Wentian Sect, of course!
"Wentian Sect has one nine-Dao Great Saint, seven high-rank Great Saints, and countless other Great Saints.
"Once we crush Wentian Sect, the Dark Domain origin power you need will undoubtedly be sufficient.
"Furthermore, when I make a move against Wentian Sect, the Emperors will definitely not interfere," Lin Qingluan stated with utter confidence.
"Why wouldn't an Emperor interfere?" Lu Changsheng asked, puzzled. Annihilating another power's mountain gate was something an Emperor should never permit. Moreover, Wentian Sect was a top-tier power backed by a nine-Dao Great Saint. Every top-tier power held considerable weight in an Emperor's eyes.
"The reason is simple: Wentian Sect is actually a splinter faction of the Tianyuan Holy Sect, established by our sect's traitors. From the day Wentian Sect was founded, it has targeted our sect relentlessly. The two sides have slaughtered each other for ages without either gaining the upper hand, and our hatred has accumulated to an irreconcilable level.
"If I march against Wentian Sect in the name of the Tianyuan Holy Sect, it will be considered internal business. Even an Emperor will have nothing to say, as it falls under internal sect strife.
"In the past, even if I wanted to do this, the Tianyuan Holy Sect would not have supported it. But things are different now. I am a nine-Dao Great Saint, and together with our Supreme Elder, that makes two nine-Dao Great Saints, already surpassing Wentian Sect.
"On top of that, Changsheng, you are an Invincible Great Saint. With you around, the Tianyuan Holy Sect will throw its full support behind crushing Wentian Sect!"
Lu Changsheng understood. This truly was an opportunity.
He had previously known nothing about the relationship between the Tianyuan Holy Sect and Wentian Sect, which was only natural since he was not an elder of the sect. But Lin Qingluan knew, as did every cultivator of the Tianyuan Holy Sect.
"Good, then we shall do as you say!" Lu Changsheng agreed.
Acting with swift decisiveness, Lin Qingluan immediately sought out the Sect Master of the Tianyuan Holy Sect to discuss the matter.
Upon receiving Lu Changsheng's guarantee, the Sect Master instantly convened a grand assembly of elders and proposed the annihilation of Wentian Sect.
The elders were overcome with excitement, wishing they could march out and destroy Wentian Sect that very instant. That alone demonstrated how deep the enmity ran between the two sects.
Furthermore, they now had a perfectly legitimate reason: Lin Qingluan had become a nine-Dao Great Saint. Whenever either Wentian Sect or the Tianyuan Holy Sect held a decisive advantage in strength, they would strike immediately. Historically, the Tianyuan Holy Sect had been attacked several times by Wentian Sect, nearly having its heritage severed.
Now the tables had turned. With Lin Qingluan, and even more so with Lu Changsheng, it was the Tianyuan Holy Sect's turn to strike.
"Very well. Since no elders object, go and make preparations.
"Three days from now, the entire Tianyuan Holy Sect will mobilize to annihilate Wentian Sect!" the Sect Master declared.
"We obey the Sect Master's decree!"
The elders departed to prepare.
"Changsheng, if Wentian Sect holes up inside, I will have to trouble you to shatter their mountain-protecting array," Lin Qingluan said in a low voice. "As for the rest, the Tianyuan Holy Sect will handle it. Try not to take action so as to avoid drawing an Emperor's attention."
"Understood." Lu Changsheng nodded.
Although he was confident in the concealment of his Illusory Realm, what if an Emperor could see through him? He dared not take that gamble. Keeping a low profile was always best.
As long as the mountain-protecting array fell, the Tianyuan Holy Sect's current strength was more than enough to crush Wentian Sect. There was no need for him to intervene and risk exposure.
Chapter 487