The Ninth World Evolution!

Three days later, numerous powerhouses at and above the rank of Great Saint assembled at the Tianyuan Holy Sect. Those at the Saint Realm were excluded. To stamp out the Wentian Sect, only Great Saints were needed. "Set forth!" the Sect Master of the Tianyuan Holy Sect commanded. Instantly, a vast force of Great Saints departed the sect gates in a grand procession, flying toward the Wentian Sect. *** Within the Wentian Sect, an atmosphere of peace and serenity prevailed. No interworld passages had appeared within their territory, and the sect had taken no part in the grand conflict to invade chaos, leaving daily life largely unchanged from the past. Even so, the upper echelons of the Wentian Sect kept constant watch over the war between the two realms. "I hear the Tianluo Sect invaded chaos and seized dozens of chaos worlds, plundering vast amounts of resources. Drawing on those treasures, they even produced scores of Saint Realm experts. Those experts are all seeds for Great Saints! Given time to digest their gains, a great number of Great Saints will surely emerge, multiplying their overall might several times over!" "What does the Tianluo Sect amount to? I hear the Heishan Sect went on a slaughtering spree across chaos, conducting blood sacrifices over dozens of worlds. That directly allowed the Heishan Sect Master to forcibly condense a tenth Great Dao—the Dao of Slaughter! Word has it he is already preparing to make a breakthrough to Emperor. With the foundation of ten Great Daos, his ascent to Emperor is practically guaranteed!" "An Emperor! If the Heishan Sect really produces an Emperor, they will soar to the heavens in a single leap, becoming a true Emperor lineage!" "Hmph! You only see the fortunes, not the risks! Three nine-Dao Great Saints from Ziluo Mountain Villa were swatted dead on the spot by a source lifeform from chaos, and the entire Ziluo Mountain Villa was wiped out completely!" "Take the Heishan Sect as well. Though their renown soared after blood-sacrificing dozens of chaos worlds, they incurred the wrath of a source lifeform in chaos. That supreme being personally intervened and obliterated numerous Great Saints of the Heishan Sect. Had the Heishan Sect Master not fled back to the Dark Domain ahead of time to attempt his breakthrough to Emperor, he would likely be dead too!" "Dangers and opportunities go hand in hand. But our Wentian Sect is developing smoothly at present; there is no need to take reckless risks in the two-realm war. The losses would far outweigh any gains." "Developing smoothly? Have you forgotten the sword hanging over our heads from the Tianyuan Holy Sect? Once Holy Maiden Qingluan dual cultivates with Lu Changsheng and grasps the tenth Great Dao, she can attempt a breakthrough to Emperor. Do you honestly expect Lin Qingluan to spare our Wentian Sect once she becomes an Emperor? The Tianyuan Holy Sect will probably make us the first target on their chopping block!" At the mention of the Tianyuan Holy Sect, silence fell over the entire hall. Indeed, the Tianyuan Holy Sect was an unavoidable subject. The Wentian Sect had originally splintered from the Tianyuan Holy Sect and had always been branded as traitors by them. The two factions had waged relentless campaigns against each other, accumulating deep, bitter hatred over countless years. If the Tianyuan Holy Sect truly produced an Emperor, the Wentian Sect would undoubtedly be the first to be eradicated. There was no question about it. "Lin Qingluan..." The members of the Wentian Sect shook their heads in resignation. Back when Lin Qingluan was still weak, the Wentian Sect had tried everything. They had dispatched assassins. Even a nine-Dao Great Saint had personally intervened. Yet none had succeeded in slaying her. Now that Lin Qingluan had grown even stronger, the Wentian Sect was utterly powerless against her. "Then why don't we kill Lu Changsheng? Without a dual cultivation partner, it will be impossible for Lin Qingluan to master a tenth Great Dao. And without that tenth Great Dao, attempting to become an Emperor is virtually out of the question." "Putting aside whether we even can kill Lu Changsheng, if we do, the enemy we provoke won't just be the Tianyuan Holy Sect, but the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect as well!" "If Lu Changsheng dies, would the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect really march against our Wentian Sect with reckless abandon? Highly unlikely! The Dao Comprehension Holy Sect faces the threat of heavenly demons; their situation is far more precarious than ours!" The elders fervently debated whether to eliminate Lu Changsheng. "Elders, I am afraid you will be sorely disappointed," the Sect Master of the Wentian Sect spoke, breaking the silence. "According to our intelligence, that youth Lu Changsheng can fight across realms; his strength has long rivaled that of a high-rank Great Saint. Slaying him would be exceedingly difficult. Unless our Supreme Elder acts in person, it cannot be done—and the moment our Supreme Elder makes a move, the Tianyuan Holy Sect will be alerted immediately." The Sect Master's words cast another pall of silence over the elders. At present, the Wentian Sect had no viable solution against either Lu Changsheng or Lin Qingluan. Were they to simply watch Lin Qingluan grow stronger day by day, until she eventually ascended as an Emperor? "Right now, everything seems fine on the surface for the Wentian Sect, but our foundation is as precarious as an egg perched on a rock. One misstep, and ruin awaits us." "Therefore, reach out to Emperor Fantian. Our Wentian Sect is willing to join the two-realm war. Our sole condition is to seek Emperor Fantian's protection..." The Wentian Sect Master made his decision. The elders exchanged glances. None of them wished to join the two-realm war. After all, joining the conflict meant marching onto the battlefield. Those who died might very well be themselves. Yet in their current predicament, did they have any choice? They had none. "Very well, so be it." With a wave of his hand, the Wentian Sect Master dismissed the elders. He then formally conveyed their resolution to participate in the two-realm war to Emperor Fantian. Days slipped by. Just as the Wentian Sect was preparing to enter the fray, the mountain-protecting array suddenly sprang to life, and a voice echoed throughout the sect grounds: "Enemy attack! The Tianyuan Holy Sect has arrived!" Panic seized the disciples. When they looked up and beheld the sky blanketed by Great Saints—all bearing the banners of the Tianyuan Holy Sect—their faces drained of color. "It really is the Tianyuan Holy Sect..." "What are they trying to do?" "Showing up at our sect at a time like this—do they want to start an all-out war?" "Does our Wentian Sect have any reason to fear them?" Fury flared among the Wentian Sect disciples. The enmity between the two sects ran too deep; their feud was irreconcilable. Neither side would ever back down. Yet the Wentian Sect's current situation was extraordinarily delicate. The Wentian Sect Master wore a grim expression. High in the void, he spotted the Supreme Elder of the Tianyuan Holy Sect alongside Lin Qingluan. Clearly, the Tianyuan Holy Sect had mobilized in full force, holding nothing back. "Maintain the mountain-protecting array! No one steps outside!" the Wentian Sect Master ordered. Great Saint elders promptly channeled their power to sustain the defensive barrier. *Whoosh!* The Wentian Sect Master flew into the sky, confronting the Tianyuan Holy Sect Master from a distance. "For your Tianyuan Holy Sect to campaign against my Wentian Sect at such a time disrupts Emperor Fantian's strategic deployment! Our Wentian Sect has already prepared to answer Emperor Fantian's summons and enter chaos to fight in the two-realm war! "If your Tianyuan Holy Sect dares make a move, you will face Emperor Fantian's thunderous wrath!" The Wentian Sect Master's voice rang clearly in the ears of the Tianyuan Holy Sect host. "Answer Emperor Fantian's summons?" "Do you think that excuse can stay our hands?" "Your Wentian Sect has yet to set foot in chaos. How can you claim to be part of the two-realm war?" "Strike!" Lin Qingluan barked. She was utterly unmoved. Having mobilized their entire force, how could they possibly retreat now? Unthinkable! Borrowing an Emperor's name to bluff would never intimidate the Tianyuan Holy Sect. *Buzz—* Great Daos began manifesting one after another. Yet the first to act was neither Lin Qingluan nor the Tianyuan Holy Sect Master. It was Lu Changsheng. One, two, three, four, five... Eight Great Daos manifested above Lu Changsheng's head, exuding a terrifying, crushing aura. "That's... Great Saint Changsheng?" "It truly is Great Saint Changsheng! The guest elder of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect who is said to be Lin Qingluan's future Dao companion?" "To think Lu Changsheng has already become an eight-Dao Great Saint!" "Wait, why is Lu Changsheng the one striking? Even if he is an eight-Dao Great Saint, can a mere eight-Dao Great Saint breach our mountain-protecting array?" "Never mind an eight-Dao Great Saint like Lu Changsheng—even a peak Great Saint could scarcely hope to break our array!" Seeing that only Lu Changsheng had stepped forward, many cultivators of the Wentian Sect were bewildered. Even so, a faint sense of relief washed over them. An eight-Dao Great Saint—no matter how powerful, what could he possibly achieve alone? Their true concern was preparing for Lin Qingluan and the others joining forces. Only then would the mountain-protecting array face dire strain. "Break!" Lu Changsheng uttered coldly. Instantly, the eight Great Daos crashed downward in a vast, unstoppable surge. Countless eyes fixed upon the descending Daos. The Great Saints of the Tianyuan Holy Sect, however, were brimming with confidence. Though Lu Changsheng was an eight-Dao Great Saint, he was a true Invincible Great Saint. That a peak Great Saint could not shatter the Wentian Sect's array did not mean an Invincible Great Saint could not. After all, this defensive barrier was not personally laid down by an Emperor. It had not reached the Emperor level. *Rumble!* The eight Great Daos slammed into the barrier. Boundless energy erupted like a cataclysm. The entire Wentian Sect shook violently. The elders maintaining the barrier turned deathly pale. They felt a horrific weight press down upon them—a force so crushing that several Great Saints suffered immediate backlash. "Pfft..." Blood sprayed from the mouths of multiple Great Saints. "Not good! This power—the array cannot hold!" the Wentian Sect Master cried out, his voice trembling. How could it fail to hold? This was merely a single strike from Lu Changsheng! How could the mountain-protecting array crumble before a single blow from an eight-Dao Great Saint? One breath, two breaths, three breaths... The Wentian Sect's barrier was undeniably potent, but Lu Changsheng had unleashed the full might of his eight Great Daos. In just three breaths, the defensive array could endure no longer. It shattered completely. The instant the array collapsed, the Supreme Elder of the Tianyuan Holy Sect sprang into action. "Hahaha! Today, the Wentian Sect shall be destroyed!" Exhilaration surged through the Supreme Elder's veins. The opportunity to wipe out the Wentian Sect had finally arrived! The Supreme Elder had grown up within the Tianyuan Holy Sect. His master, martial brothers, close friends, and even some of his descendants and disciples had perished in battles against the Wentian Sect. The hatred ran bone-deep. Now that the barrier was broken, the chance for total vengeance was here. How could he possibly let it slip? Alongside the Supreme Elder, Lin Qingluan struck at the same instant. Two nine-Dao Great Saints locked onto the Wentian Sect's sole nine-Dao Great Saint. Lu Changsheng did not act further. According to his prior agreement with Lin Qingluan, he would refrain from fighting whenever possible. One could never be too cautious. If his aura leaked, what if someone realized he was a chaos lifeform? Even without striking, however, Lu Changsheng stood vigil over the battlefield. His mere presence cast an overwhelming pall of despair over the Wentian Sect cultivators. Moreover, the Tianyuan Holy Sect held an overwhelming advantage in overall strength. Lin Qingluan, in particular, was a prodigy capable of fighting above her realm. Even though she had only recently advanced to nine-Dao Great Saint, her combat prowess was terrifying. Besieged by both Lin Qingluan and the Supreme Elder, the Wentian Sect's sole nine-Dao Great Saint buckled within moments. "You want to exterminate my sect's lineage? Then let us perish together!" Recognizing that doom was inevitable, the Wentian Sect Supreme Elder's eyes turned blood-red, his demeanor descending into madness. "Hmm?" Lu Changsheng's expression shifted. This nine-Dao Great Saint was actually preparing to disintegrate his Great Daos! That was self-destruction! Once his Daos were unraveled, certain death followed. Yet the energy unleashed by collapsing Great Daos would be world-shattering. Not everyone possessed the ability to unravel their Daos; it required a specialized secret method. "Retreat!" Lin Qingluan and the Tianyuan Supreme Elder knew precisely what he intended. Both blanched and withdrew immediately. Yet there was no time. Right at that juncture, Lu Changsheng's eight Great Daos descended once more. *Bang!* The next instant, the Wentian Supreme Elder's nine Great Daos collapsed—not through self-disintegration, but crushed to pieces by Lu Changsheng's eight Great Daos. "Ahhh!" The Wentian nine-Dao Great Saint let out a bloodcurdling scream. Having his Great Daos brutally pulverized inflicted an agony that pierced the very depths of his soul. "Sect Master... call to Emperor Fantian for help..." With that final strangled cry, the Wentian Supreme Elder was crushed to ash by Lu Changsheng, perishing entirely. A heavy dread settled over the Wentian Sect. Despair was written on every face. Even their Supreme Elder had fallen, and with their protective array shattered, the Wentian Sect was doomed. "Qingluan, are you alright?" Lu Changsheng asked. "I'm fine. I didn't expect the Wentian Supreme Elder to be so decisive as to disintegrate his Daos." Lu Changsheng nodded. Reaching toward the spot where the elder had perished, he grasped the void. A copious amount of Dark Domain origin power gathered into his palm. This had been a nine-Dao Great Saint; by Lu Changsheng's rough estimate, there were at least twenty wisps of Dark Domain origin power here. Yet it was still not enough! He required more. "Let me step in, lest more complications arise," Lu Changsheng said. With that, Lu Changsheng swept across the battlefield. Wherever his eight Great Daos passed, everything was ground into dust. Invincible! This was true, unmatched invincibility, sweeping through all opposition. Many witnessed Lu Changsheng's full might for the first time, struck dumb with awe. For the Wentian Sect cultivators, however, it brought only unending despair. "An Invincible Great Saint... he must be an Invincible Great Saint!" "Short of an Emperor, an Invincible Great Saint sweeps aside everything!" "Our Wentian Sect is finished..." Cultivators of the Wentian Sect began to flee in all directions. Lu Changsheng, however, had his eyes locked onto the high-rank Great Saints. Not a single one would escape. With Lu Changsheng joining the fray, the Wentian Sect's high-rank Great Saints were eradicated in short order. Lu Changsheng reaped a bountiful harvest, collecting at least sixty to seventy wisps of Dark Domain origin power. Bringing his Illusory Realm to full consummation would present no difficulty at all now. Before long, the battle drew to a close. The Wentian Sect had been wiped out to the last member, fading entirely into history. "Did we... truly destroy the Wentian Sect?" Only now did many members of the Tianyuan Holy Sect come to their senses. The Wentian Sect, their sect's greatest thorn for ages, was gone just like that? Yet everyone understood who the true key to this victory had been. It was neither the Supreme Elder nor Holy Maiden Qingluan. It was Lu Changsheng. Without Lu Changsheng shattering the mountain-protecting array, the Tianyuan Holy Sect could never have breached the gates, let alone wiped them out. "Changsheng, have you... gathered enough?" Lin Qingluan asked softly. Lu Changsheng smiled and nodded. More than enough. His gains this time were immense. He needed only to return to the Tianyuan Holy Sect to evolve his world anew. Once he underwent his ninth world evolution, he would reach the true pinnacle. "That is good..." Lin Qingluan exhaled in relief. "Still, earlier, the Wentian Sect claimed they sent a distress call to Emperor Fantian..." Before Lu Changsheng could finish his sentence— *Boom!* A terrifying presence descended from above. Everyone, including Lu Changsheng, felt as though Mount Tai were pressing down upon them. Not a single person dared to move. It was not that they could not move, but that they dared not. A single twitch might mean death! "Is this... an Emperor?" A flicker of shock crossed Lu Changsheng's face. An Emperor! An Emperor had truly arrived! The overwhelming might radiating from the heavens suppressed every member of the Tianyuan Holy Sect in an instant. "It is Emperor Fantian..." "Changsheng, do not act. Even in his rage, Emperor Fantian will not casually wipe out our Tianyuan Holy Sect..." Lin Qingluan whispered with remarkable calm. Lu Changsheng nodded, retracting his aura as much as possible and concealing himself among the crowd. So long as the Emperor did not scrutinize him directly, discovering his true identity would not be so easy. "Tianyuan Holy Sect, how insolent! To dare destroy the Wentian Sect at a time like this! Did you not know they had already resolved to join the two-realm war?" "Now that you have eradicated them, where is this Emperor to find replacements for the war?" "If you cannot provide an answer, this Emperor shall wipe out your Tianyuan Holy Sect!" A vast, booming voice reverberated through the void. The Emperor did not reveal his true form, yet a colossal visage materialized in the sky, brimming with majesty and spanning the entire horizon. A single realm seemingly separated Great Saints from Emperors, but the divide was unimaginably vast—a difference like heaven and earth. The might of an Emperor defied comprehension. Even with so many Great Saints present, the Emperor could slaughter them all with ease. Lin Qingluan glanced at Lu Changsheng, knowing they had to provide a satisfactory answer to Emperor Fantian immediately. Otherwise, an Emperor's wrath would not be easily quelled. "Our Tianyuan Holy Sect is willing to take the Wentian Sect's place and join the two-realm war!" Lin Qingluan declared suddenly. An uproar immediately rippled through the Tianyuan Holy Sect. "Holy Maiden, you cannot—" "Humph!" Emperor Fantian let out a cold snort. A colossal finger pressed downward, crushing the high-rank Great Saint elder who had just shouted "you cannot" into nonexistence. That had been a high-rank Great Saint! Snuffed out with a single finger, as effortlessly as squashing an ant. Such was the terrifying might of an Emperor! "This Emperor grants it. Within ten years, the Tianyuan Holy Sect must be fully prepared to follow this Emperor's deployment..." Emperor Fantian's voice gradually faded into the distance until it vanished completely. The sky returned to normal. Everything felt like an illusion, yet every soul present knew it had been terrifyingly real. An Emperor had truly come! They had all stood on the precipice of obliteration. This was what it meant to be an Emperor! "Holy Maiden, by agreeing to Emperor Fantian's demand to enter the two-realm war, you have dragged our Tianyuan Holy Sect toward an abyss of doom!" The moment Emperor Fantian departed, several elders rushed forward, looking utterly distraught. Lin Qingluan swept a frigid glance over them. "When Emperor Fantian was standing before us, why did none of you dare speak up?" "Hmph! In that situation, would you have chosen to join the war to appease his wrath, or would you have preferred to withstand a blow from Emperor Fantian and face an Emperor's might directly?" The elders fell silent. Face an Emperor's might? What a joke! Judging by the power Emperor Fantian had just displayed, a single strike would have reduced the entire sect to dust. They had only ever heard tales of an Emperor's supremacy—that none beneath an Emperor could disobey or offend one. Yet they had never possessed a concrete understanding of just how formidable an Emperor truly was. Now, they knew. Before an Emperor, numbers meant nothing, regardless of how many Great Saints stood assembled. Unless backed by a protective array left behind by an Emperor lineage, facing an Emperor meant certain death. In truth, the Tianyuan Holy Sect had been left with no alternative. Moreover, there was another reason Lin Qingluan had agreed so swiftly: Lu Changsheng. She had needed to send Emperor Fantian away as quickly as possible to prevent him from discerning Lu Changsheng's secrets. Lu Changsheng understood her intentions completely. "In any case, we still have time to prepare. First take over the Wentian Sect, then make arrangements gradually," Lin Qingluan said, handing administrative matters over to the Tianyuan Sect Master before returning to the sect alongside Lu Changsheng. Back within their cave dwelling, Lin Qingluan let out a soft sigh. "Changsheng, plans went awry. Who could have anticipated the Wentian Sect would decide to join the war and invite the tribulation upon themselves? It drew Emperor Fantian's intervention and nearly exposed you." Lu Changsheng shook his head. "You handled it brilliantly. To prevent me from being exposed, you agreed to enter the war on the sect's behalf. One misstep, and the Tianyuan Holy Sect could be wiped out." He knew Lin Qingluan had wagered the entire sect for his sake—a gesture of profound devotion. "In that moment, facing an Emperor's might, I had no other choice," Lin Qingluan said. "Besides, participating in the two-realm war might not be entirely bad for the Tianyuan Holy Sect. I possess the Divine Tree of Fortune. If I plunge into the tribulation, I can certainly harvest massive amounts of fortune to nurture it. Should I refine the tree in the future, the fortune amassed today will surely help me soar to the heavens!" Lin Qingluan's words were largely meant to comfort him. Refining the Divine Tree of Fortune was still a distant prospect, far from realization. Even if she intended to cultivate fortune, now was not the time. Yet what was done was done; dwelling on it served no purpose. In the end, it all stemmed from insufficient strength. If Lu Changsheng possessed the might of an Emperor, would Emperor Fantian have dared intimidate the Tianyuan Holy Sect so brazenly? "Qingluan, I must enter seclusion! If I can re-evolve my Illusory Realm, it will rival a nine-Dao Great Saint. With my strength vastly increased, I might even be able to contend with an Emperor. Should a similar crisis arise, we will have the power to protect ourselves." Lu Changsheng had made up his mind. "Very well. You need not worry about anything during your seclusion; I will handle all matters properly." Lu Changsheng nodded and proceeded into the quiet chamber of the cave dwelling. With Qingluan guarding him, he could cultivate in peace. Inside the chamber, Lu Changsheng took stock of his spoils. "Seventy-eight wisps of Dark Domain origin power in total. More than enough!" He had previously refined forty-nine wisps and now needed only fifty-one more. Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng began the refinement process. One year, two years, three years, four years... Finally, after four years and three months, Lu Changsheng had refined the remaining fifty-one wisps of Dark Domain origin power. *Whoosh!* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "The Illusory Realm has reached consummation..." He knew it was time for his ninth world evolution. This process would be exceedingly long. His previous world evolution had taken an entire century. He had a premonition that this one would take even longer. Nevertheless, this evolution held monumental significance for him. This was his ninth evolution of the Illusory Realm. Upon completion, his realm would reach the ninth-tier threshold. In theory, after evolving a world nine times, one could attempt to become a true World Master. Naturally, that final step would not be simple, but Lu Changsheng chose not to look too far ahead; evolving the Illusory Realm came first. With a thought, his Illusory Realm began to collapse, followed by an explosion. Amidst the destruction, the world began to reform and evolve anew. Years slipped by. Soon, ten years had passed. For the Tianyuan Holy Sect, these ten years were agonizing. The sect had issued its decree: they would join the two-realm war and march to the battlefield, drafting cultivators from the Saint Realm and above. Naturally, they did not send everyone at once, but rather in rotations. The first contingent, led by high-rank Great Saints alongside numerous Great Saints and Saint Realm experts, set off for the front lines. Lin Qingluan's strategy was to delay as much as possible, sending as few people as feasible. Her orders to the sect members were equally clear: slack off whenever possible and never risk their lives recklessly. Preserving their own survival was their highest priority. Under normal circumstances, each contingent served a ten-year term before rotating back to the sect to be replaced by the next group. Even so, no one was exempt from service. The Sect Master, the Supreme Elder, and even Lin Qingluan herself were required to march to the front. Lin Qingluan stalled as long as she could, holding out until the fifth rotation. By then, even the Supreme Elder had completed a tour on the battlefield, leaving her no choice but to depart as well. Lu Changsheng remained unaware of all this, deeply immersed in the evolution of his world. In the blink of an eye, one hundred and twenty years passed. *Whoosh!* Lu Changsheng's eyes snapped open. "Finally... it is done..." he murmured softly. He immediately brought up his status panel: **Host:** Lu Changsheng **Comprehension:** Top-tier comprehension **World Master:** 0 (Nine evolutions) **Chaos Lifeform:** 86% (Three leaps) "Nine world evolutions, finally complete..." "I wonder how strong I am now? Can I contend against an Emperor?" Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly, a surge of bold confidence rising within his heart.