Transcendents Arrive, Upheaval in Chaos!

Lu Changsheng returned to the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. The sect master of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect wished to ask about what had happened, but Lu Changsheng said nothing. Instead, he sat before the Great Dao Stele and instructed that he not be disturbed. His sole request was for the sect to collect Dao marks and Dao rhymes similar to those found on the Great Dao Stele. Day after day slipped by. Paper could not contain a fire forever. Emperor Fantian had suffered a crushing defeat, resulting in countless high-rank Great Saints being captured by source lifeforms. A single battle had buried countless high-rank Great Saints. This immediately ignited a tremendous uproar across the entire Dark Domain. The sects and clans within the territories governed by Emperor Fantian, in particular, were seething with outrage. However, when Emperor Fantian personally intervened and obliterated a top-tier sect, everyone fell deathly quiet. All unrest was thoroughly quenched. Only then did the crowd seem to awaken to reality. That was an Emperor! An Emperor standing high above the mortal realm! Seething with outrage? Questioning an Emperor? They had clearly forgotten their place. Emperor Fantian’s word remained absolute. In fact, after this incident, Emperor Fantian no longer negotiated; he simply conscripted by force. If anyone refused to comply, Emperor Fantian stepped in personally. This was a total shedding of pretenses. To contend for destiny, an Emperor would spare no expense. As for dead Great Saints? High-rank Great Saints? To an Emperor, what did they amount to? Cannon fodder, every last one! Upon learning this news, Lu Changsheng and Lin Qingluan both fell silent. In truth, even though the Tianyuan Holy Sect had already suffered heavy losses, many of its members were still forcibly conscripted. Yet Lin Qingluan and Lu Changsheng had no way to stop it. This was the true great cataclysm! Sweeping across the Dark Domain and chaos alike, no one could escape. Time flowed on day by day. Lu Changsheng continued his contemplation of the Great Daos. Each Great Dao took him roughly four years to comprehend and reconstruct. This was already quite swift. If the Dao rhymes were distinct, it might take only two years. However, Great Daos with distinct Dao rhymes were relatively few. One thousand five hundred, one thousand six hundred, one thousand seven hundred, one thousand eight hundred, one thousand nine hundred... Finally, nearly two thousand more years passed. Lu Changsheng had reconstructed over nineteen hundred Great Daos. It was likely just shy of two thousand. Yet at this moment, an epiphany struck Lu Changsheng. He seemed to sense that this was the limit. "The limit?" "Before this, I clearly felt the number of Great Daos could reach several thousand or even tens of thousands. How could it reach its limit at barely two thousand?" Lu Changsheng was thoroughly puzzled. However, this did not stump him for long. He carefully combed through the Great Daos within his Illusory Realm once more. "Wait. The number of Great Daos isn't just shy of two thousand—it is approaching three thousand... or perhaps it is exactly three thousand!" Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. He recalled how he had regenerated the Illusory Realm time and again. With each regeneration, Lu Changsheng had to reconstruct Great Daos. Those reconstructed Great Daos also remained within the Illusory Realm. Regenerating the Illusory Realm nine times had accumulated roughly a thousand Great Daos. Combined with the nearly two thousand Great Daos he possessed now, did that not add up to nearly three thousand? "Three thousand Great Daos..." Lu Changsheng understood. Three thousand Great Daos was the limit of the Illusory Realm. It was said that all things in the world had a limit. The Illusory Realm had one as well. Three thousand Great Daos was essentially the boundary of the Illusory Realm. Any more would be counterproductive. *Swish.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "Qingluan, you have worked hard all these years," Lu Changsheng looked at Lin Qingluan, comforting her in a soft voice. Over these years, life for the Tianyuan Holy Sect had been extremely difficult. Unlike Emperor Beichen, Emperor Fantian was exceedingly tyrannical. Those who obeyed prospered; those who resisted perished. Even after suffering defeats, Emperor Fantian repeatedly conscripted Great Saints. Now, barely any Great Saints remained in the Tianyuan Holy Sect. Indeed, barely any. Even a Supreme Elder had fallen in a great battle. And it was not just the Tianyuan Holy Sect; every sect and clan within the territories under Emperor Fantian's dominion was in a miserable state. Some sects had resisted. Unfortunately, Emperor Fantian showed no mercy, wiping them out entirely. Under such suffocating pressure, no one could resist. The Tianyuan Holy Sect could only watch helplessly as it gradually declined. Although it had not been wiped out, falling to such a state caused Lin Qingluan immense grief. Yet even under these circumstances, Lin Qingluan did not act rashly. She was waiting. Waiting for Lu Changsheng to bring his cultivation to complete fruition. "Changsheng, has your practice reached completion?" Lin Qingluan was somewhat excited. She had waited for a very, very long time. She had even prepared herself to wait another several thousand years. She had not expected that after only two thousand years, Lu Changsheng would already reach completion. "Indeed. I can advance no further now, and I can begin setting the Illusory Realm's transformation in motion." A sharp light flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. He knew very well that relying on the stability of his Illusory Realm at present, he could only confront Emperors and source lifeforms head-on. Suppressing or killing those Emperors and source lifeforms was simply impossible. Lu Changsheng did not yet possess the strength to run rampant across the Dark Domain and chaos. Only by becoming a true World Master would he have the qualifications to stride unchecked through both realms. Lu Changsheng had waited for this moment for far too long. In truth, he cultivated two paths simultaneously. One was the World Master system. The other was the chaos system. Previously, Lu Changsheng cultivated both simply to see which path could climb higher toward the pinnacle. Now, Lu Changsheng no longer harbored any hesitation. How could the chaos system compare to the World Master system? Not just the chaos system—the Dark Domain system was the same. Whether chaos or the Dark Domain, cultivators were ultimately trapped within a plane, limited by its confines. But the World Master system was different. It transcended planes, standing as one of the topmost cultivation systems in the Great Universe. Could the three even be compared? As for how to choose, Lu Changsheng had naturally made up his mind long ago. "However, before that, we must go to a place. Only there can the Illusory Realm's transformation proceed smoothly." "Where?" "Naturally... the Great Universe!" Lu Changsheng's gaze was profound. He understood clearly that the World Master system belonged neither to the Dark Domain nor to chaos. Once he began transforming the Illusory Realm, it would become an entirely new world. When that time came, both the Dark Domain and chaos would reject it. Attempting to transform the Illusory Realm within the Dark Domain or chaos would be impossible. The moment he began, the wills of the Dark Domain and chaos would likely obliterate him. To achieve the breakthrough, he could only go to the Great Universe. "The Great Universe..." Lin Qingluan fell silent. She vaguely recalled that an ancient text in her sect recorded several matters. Among them was information regarding the Great Universe. "The Great Universe... has been sealed off. Only two passages were left behind, one in chaos and one in the Dark Domain. None beneath the level of a source lifeform or an Emperor may pass through into the Great Universe." Lin Qingluan spoke slowly, revealing this deep secret. "Fire Kui, is this true?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Master, it is indeed true." "It is said that back then, countless source lifeforms and Emperors joined forces to seal off the chaos and Dark Domain planes. The purpose was to protect them; breaking the seal would supposedly bring immense danger to both chaos and the Dark Domain." "My former master also used the Dark Domain passage to enter the Great Universe back then," the Fire Kui Beast answered truthfully. "One passage in chaos and one in the Dark Domain?" "In theory, I could enter the Great Universe from either passage." "Then where should I choose to depart for the Great Universe?" Lu Changsheng fell into thought. In truth, he did not ponder for long. He swiftly made his decision. He would travel to the Great Universe via the passage in chaos. After all, no matter what, he originated from chaos. That fact could not be altered. He was even a chaos lifeform. Though he bore the title 'Emperor Changsheng' in the Dark Domain, choosing to enter the Great Universe through the Dark Domain would draw far more attention from other Emperors, and more of them would investigate him. When that happened, his true identity would inevitably be exposed. Though Lu Changsheng no longer feared Emperors, he was not yet strong enough to act with utter impunity. It was better to keep his identity hidden if possible. After weighing his options, entering the Great Universe via the passage in chaos was the superior choice. "By the way, since the two-realm war began, ten Emperors and eight source lifeforms have emerged one after another." "Even now, the two-realm war has not ended. In fact, it is growing fiercer," Lin Qingluan said. Lu Changsheng nodded. He had no desire to meddle in the two-realm war. Right now, he had only a single focus. To become a true World Master. "Let's go. To chaos." Lu Changsheng stood up and departed the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. ... In the icy, dark void of the Great Universe. A massive flying boat traversed the cosmic void. The Great Universe was vast beyond measure. Even when performing spatial shuttles, traversing it required an immense amount of time. As for mere flight? Lifeforms that could only fly did not even possess the qualifications to enter the Great Universe. Within the massive flying boat was a group of cultivators. Leading them were three Transcendents bearing formidable auras. They belonged to the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. This vessel was an exploration flying boat of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce, and they were all pioneers of the chamber. Their purpose was to pioneer planes. After all, the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce dealt in the business of planes. Once a plane was pioneered, the pioneer would receive an enormous contribution reward. Consequently, countless pioneers flocked to the endeavor. Unfortunately, finding a plane was far from easy. Finding a mature plane was harder still. Many mature planes gave birth to Transcendents. Once those Transcendents learned the truth of the Great Universe, every one of them concealed their home plane. This made it exceedingly difficult for pioneers to locate them. Even so, the pioneers naturally possessed their own methods. Certain pioneers carried treasures capable of detecting traces of formation arrays within the Great Universe. Wherever a formation existed, the treasure would discover it. By searching carefully from there, they could usually find hidden planes. After all, most concealed planes were sealed off with massive formation arrays. *Buzz.* Suddenly, bursts of light began flashing aboard the exploration flying boat. Seeing the light flash, everyone instantly grew excited. "There's a reaction! An obscurity formation is nearby!" "Search! We must find it; it's very likely a hidden plane!" "Our luck is good this time. After drifting in the Great Universe void for only several centuries, we actually made a discovery!" "Still, we'll only know the exact situation once we locate the obscurity formation." With that, many treasures and arrays within the flying boat were activated. They swept continuously across the surrounding area. Very soon, they made a discovery. "Found it! It really is an obscurity formation, and a powerful one at that!" "It truly is a plane. Wait, this plane is somewhat unusual—it's actually a twin plane!" "What? A twin plane? You mean it's highly likely to have birthed two plane wills?" "Yes! Once two plane wills are born, a protracted war within the plane is inevitable. In such circumstances, the entire plane flourishes rapidly and is bound to evolve into a fairly powerful plane!" "Looks like we're really going to strike it rich this time! Once our Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce establishes a post in this plane, with the foundation of a twin plane, business will pour in endlessly! And as pioneers, we can claim a full ten percent of the business profits generated from pioneering this plane!" "We're rich..." Inside the exploration flying boat, the three Transcendents were beside themselves with excitement. They took immense risks to pioneer planes for what? Was it not for that ten percent share of the profits? The potential of a twin plane was colossal; just thinking about it was thrilling. "Quick, find the plane passage first. Let's enter the plane before anything else—I can't wait!" Before long, they found the plane passage. "Move, go in." And so, the colossal exploration flying boat slowly entered the plane passage. *Boom.* Passing through the passage, the exploration flying boat arrived in chaos. The three Transcendents swept their senses outward and instantly grasped the situation across chaos and the Dark Domain. "Hahaha! It truly is a twin plane, and a massive war is underway right now!" "Follow the protocol of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. Announce to this twin plane that we have arrived..." Instantly, an invisible, colossal voice echoed through both chaos and the Dark Domain. *Whoosh.* A source lifeform snapped its head up, staring into the void. "The Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce... They've descended..." Within the Dark Domain, an ancient Emperor shuddered violently. "The Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce actually found us. There's no escaping it this time..." At the same moment, one source lifeform after another, one Emperor after another, heard the voice. Streaks of light immediately surged toward the Great Universe passage in chaos. Soon, these Emperors and source lifeforms gathered together. They all saw the colossal flying boat suspended in the void. The vessel bore an emblem. It was the insignia of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. Three phantoms materialized in the void. These were the three Transcendents from within the flying boat. "With so many Transcendents among you, some of you must have journeyed outside and know the rules of our Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. When we located your plane, we already transmitted its exact coordinates back." "So, you can put away any other thoughts. Attacking a flying boat of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce is equivalent to provoking the chamber itself, and you should know the consequences of doing so." "In any case, your plane has already been exposed. You are all Transcendents, so this has little negative impact on you; it might even be an opportunity. As for the goal of our Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce, you should all understand—we are merely here to do business." "There will be plenty of chances for us to meet in the future..." With those words, the three phantoms faded away. In truth, the three Transcendents were also quite wary. Faced with so many Transcendents, they dared not step foot outside the flying boat. Who knew what might happen? In the past, there had been incidents where pioneers were beaten to death by the local Transcendents of a newly discovered plane. Although that plane was ultimately punished and nearly all of its Transcendents were slaughtered, dead pioneers remained dead. Nothing remained for them. Remaining aboard the flying boat kept the three of them safe. They were being appropriately cautious. In any case, they only had to hold out until personnel from the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce headquarters arrived. The Emperors and source lifeforms exchanged glances. "The Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce is here. The secret of our twin plane could not be kept after all." "From now on, our plane's coordinates will be exposed in the Great Universe plane maps sold by the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. Our troubles have only just begun..." "However, we are already Transcendents. In the Great Universe, Emperors and source lifeforms alike are considered Transcendents. We can simply walk away, but the fate of those Great Saints and chaos lifeforms will depend on themselves." "We have already guarded chaos and the Dark Domain for a very long time..." Many Emperors and source lifeforms shook their heads. This was the general trend, completely unstoppable. Even united, they lacked the power to oppose the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. Since resistance was futile, they could only accept it. A great upheaval was bound to arrive. For a time, even the two-realm war seemed to lose much of its meaning. Naturally, to the Emperors, the two-realm war still held significant importance. Yet several source lifeforms grew disheartened, resolving to leave chaos behind and venture into the Great Universe. Unlike Emperors, they had infinite lifespans. They had no need to fear reaching the limit of their longevity, and they cared far less about contending for destiny. ... Lu Changsheng returned to chaos. He considered that while many people knew of the Great Universe passage, knowledge was mostly restricted to the level of source lifeforms. At present, the only source lifeforms he knew were Ancestor Qingchi and Ancestor Hunyuan. Ancestor Hunyuan was out of the question; Lu Changsheng shared no friendship with him, and they even harbored past friction. That left only Ancestor Qingchi. This was not some deep secret, so Ancestor Qingchi would likely answer truthfully. With this thought, Lu Changsheng immediately sent a message asking about the Great Universe passage. Soon, the message transmission stone replied. "You wish to go to the Great Universe?" "Indeed. I sense that I can attempt the transformation of the Illusory Realm to become a true World Master," Lu Changsheng replied without hiding anything. "Come to the Qingchi Battlefield. The situation has changed..." Lu Changsheng frowned. The situation had changed? Had the situation in the two-realm war changed? Yet what did changes in the two-realm war have to do with him entering the Great Universe? Still, Ancestor Qingchi was not one to speak without cause. Thus, Lu Changsheng set off for the Qingchi Battlefield. Relying on the spatial shuttle of his Illusory Realm, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Qingchi Battlefield in just a few days. The Qingchi Battlefield was not as fierce as the Hunyuan Battlefield. Ancestor Qingchi had consistently maintained control over the flow of battle, holding the upper hand. The situation was exceedingly favorable. Lu Changsheng soon met with Ancestor Qingchi. Ancestor Qingchi wore a solemn expression. He looked Lu Changsheng up and down carefully before speaking: "Actually, you don't need to be in such a rush to transform your Illusory Realm. A World Master's world transformation is perilous in the extreme—a slim chance of survival at best." "If it were before, when nothing had changed, there would be no harm in you going to the Great Universe to attempt the transformation. But things are different now. The situation has shifted. While this may be a disaster for chaos and the Dark Domain as a whole, for you, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Lu Changsheng was puzzled. An opportunity right now? Yet a disaster for the Dark Domain and chaos? What was going on? Utterly baffled, Lu Changsheng could not help but ask, "Fellow Daoist Qingchi, what on earth has happened?" Since Lu Changsheng now possessed the combat prowess of a source lifeform, addressing him as 'Fellow Daoist' was entirely fitting. Ancestor Qingchi let out a long sigh. "An exploration flying boat descended from outside the Great Universe. It belongs to the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce of the Great Universe. This chamber strictly does business within the Great Universe." "However, once the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce sets up shop, our chaos plane's coordinates will be recorded in the Great Universe maps they sell. It means our chaos plane will be exposed to every faction across the Great Universe." "The Great Universe contains countless planes, and its cultivators are unfathomably powerful. Certain cultivators make a living entirely by plundering planes. You can think of them as marauder cultivators. Once the coordinates of chaos are exposed, our chaos may face plundering at the hands of powerful marauder cultivators." "Because of this, many years ago, countless Emperors and source lifeforms from chaos and the Dark Domain joined forces to seal and conceal the plane. Who would have thought it would be exposed after all..." Lu Changsheng understood. So the locations of chaos and the Dark Domain had been revealed. For chaos and the Dark Domain as a whole, this was indeed a catastrophe. Yet for source lifeforms, it had little impact. Source lifeforms could simply walk away and roam the Great Universe. What they could not let go of was merely sentiment for their homeland. After all, this was where many source lifeforms were born. Naturally, they could not bear to watch their homeland suffer devastation. "So, Fellow Daoist is telling me to wait?" "Wait until the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce sends personnel to fully establish a trading outpost, and then trade for treasures that aid in a World Master's transformation to increase my chances of success?" "Precisely." Lu Changsheng fell silent. This truly was an opportunity for him. Cultivators in chaos and the Dark Domain could not offer any assistance for a World Master's transformation. Nor did they possess any treasures that could help Lu Changsheng. But the Great Universe was different. The Great Universe possessed countless treasures, and there were bound to be items that aided the Illusory Realm's transformation. Moreover, the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce offered virtually everything under the sun; anything could be traded. "The Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce... I'll go take a look." After thinking it over, Lu Changsheng decided he wanted to see it for himself. "Very well." "At present, the flying boat of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce is near the Great Universe passage. Once you find their flying boat, you will know where the Great Universe passage is." Ancestor Qingchi handed the coordinates directly to Lu Changsheng. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qingchi." With that, Lu Changsheng turned and left. Watching Lu Changsheng's departing back, Ancestor Qingchi let out a soft sigh. "What a pity that he walks the path of a World Master." "To become a World Master... is harder than ascending the heavens..." There were words Ancestor Qingchi had left unsaid. World Masters stood high above others in the Great Universe. Their advantages within the same tier were simply overwhelming. However, becoming a World Master was too difficult. In particular, that step of world transformation. It had barred countless World Masters from advancing. In the past, chaos also possessed World Master inheritances. There had been a good number of practitioners. Yet those so-called 'World Masters'—what had become of them in reality? Every single one was stuck before world transformation. Not a single one had succeeded in transforming their world. Let alone merging their world into the Boundary Sea. Not one. Lu Changsheng possessed extraordinary talent, but it was a shame he had embarked on the path of a World Master. This path was destined to be fraught with immense hardship. What was more, Lu Changsheng wanted to transform his world and become a true World Master after such a short time. That was simply impossible. He would most likely fail. Now that the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce had arrived, if Lu Changsheng could heed his advice and trade for some treasures with them, his chances of success might increase slightly. Otherwise, this meeting might very well be their last. If a World Master failed their transformation, death was the only outcome. Following the coordinates given by Ancestor Qingchi, Lu Changsheng soon spotted a flying boat. That was the vessel of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, near the flying boat, several Emperors and source lifeforms were faintly visible. They seemed to be conversing with the people inside the boat. As for the Emperors, Lu Changsheng could understand. Their lifespans were limited, and they were surely eager to trade for treasures that could extend their lives, grant them a second or third life, or even more. As for the source lifeforms, they likely had items they wished to acquire as well. After a moment's thought, Lu Changsheng approached the flying boat. "Eh?" "This person is... a World Master? A World Master who has reopened his world nine times and is on the verge of transformation?" "A major client! This is a massive business opportunity!" Inside the exploration flying boat, the gazes of the three Transcendents locked onto Lu Changsheng. They recognized his identity as a World Master at a single glance. Of course, this was also because Lu Changsheng had manifested his Illusory Realm without bothering to conceal it. "Esteemed World Master, do you require treasures to increase the success rate of your world transformation? Our Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce possesses an abundance of such items. The most direct is the World Transformation Trial Card." "With a trial card, you can fully experience the transformation process of another World Master firsthand, as though you were living it yourself. It can significantly boost your success rate, and its efficacy is remarkable..." The three pioneers eagerly pitched their wares. It was true that their trading post had not yet been established, but that did not stop them from drumming up business. Securing deals early meant that once the outpost was built, any business they brought in would earn them hefty commissions. There was no reason not to do it. This was considered 'extra income' for pioneers. "World Transformation Trial Card?" Lu Changsheng's eyes brightened. If such a trial card truly existed, it would definitely be of use. "What is the price?" "The price... ten thousand source crystals." "Source crystals?" Lu Changsheng had never heard of source crystals. "They are crystals condensed from source power. A single plane can generally yield around one hundred thousand source crystals." Lu Changsheng fell silent. An entire plane yielded only a hundred thousand source crystals. In other words, the card was worth a tenth of an entire plane. This price... was far too exorbitant. "Fire Kui, what exactly are source crystals?" Lu Changsheng asked. The Fire Kui Beast immediately explained: "Master, source crystals are crystals formed from the continuous gathering of source power. In the Great Universe, Emperors, source lifeforms, and World Masters are all called Transcendents. And the cultivation of Transcendents cannot do without source crystals. Because of this, transactions across the entire Great Universe use source crystals as currency." "Did Divine Emperor Dayan leave any source crystals behind?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Master, back then, while my former master was decent, he didn't amount to much in the Great Universe. Put simply, he was also a pauper—he didn't leave behind a single source crystal..." Lu Changsheng fell silent. A dignified Divine Emperor was nothing more than a pauper in the Great Universe. He had wished he could split each source crystal in two; how could he have left any behind? "Do you lack source crystals?" "No matter! You are a World Master who has reopened your world nine times, only one step away from world transformation. You should be capable of spatial shuttles using your world, right? As long as you sign a contract pledging your service to the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce for one hundred thousand years, you can obtain a World Transformation Trial Card! How about it? It is merely a hundred thousand years. Judging by your life aura, you are still exceptionally young; waiting another hundred thousand years won't hinder you in the least!" The three pioneers seemed to have anticipated that Lu Changsheng had no source crystals. Not having source crystals was no problem at all. World Masters were hot commodities. Even a World Master who had not yet undergone transformation was an exceptional asset for transporting goods across the Great Universe. Major chambers of commerce scrambled to recruit them. "Serve for a hundred thousand years..." Lu Changsheng shook his head. Forget it. A World Transformation Trial Card was clearly a luxury good in the Great Universe. Aside from the fabulously wealthy, ordinary people could only gaze at it with envy. As for Lu Changsheng? He knew his own limits. He was not worthy of such a treasure! It was better to look at other items. The three Transcendents felt a twinge of disappointment. However, as long as Lu Changsheng showed interest, that was enough. Having no source crystals was fine; what they feared was a lack of interest. And so, the three Transcendents chattered away without pause, introducing Lu Changsheng to a wide variety of treasures that could aid in world transformation. They droned on tirelessly for several hours. Lu Changsheng remained silent. To tell the truth, he wanted every single one of those treasures! Unfortunately, looking at the prices, Lu Changsheng keenly felt just how poor he truly was. Lu Changsheng looked up toward the other Emperors and source lifeforms. The profound, distant looks in their eyes explained everything. The word 'pauper' seemed to be written across all of their faces.