The Illusory Realm Transforms, the True Realm Is Born! Lu Changsheng Finally Becomes a World Master!

Within the Great Universe, a vast brilliance shone across the cosmos. Lu Changsheng sat upright within his Illusory Realm. Or rather, it could no longer be called an Illusory Realm. It was a world taking shape—a true world! As the first rule was born within Lu Changsheng's world, followed by a second and a third... Relying on his three thousand Great Daos, he forcefully held up true world rules, one after another. And as more and more rules emerged, Lu Changsheng's world became increasingly complete and increasingly stable. Until... the birth of the rule of life. Yes, the rule of life had been born. Lu Changsheng did not even need to comprehend it deliberately. On an ordinary day, the rule of life simply came into being. It stabilized completely, becoming an indispensable part of his transformed world. With the appearance of the rule of life, Lu Changsheng faintly sensed that the entire world had changed. He had no idea how much time had passed. A few hundred years? A thousand years? *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "World Master..." he murmured under his breath. This was a World Master. Yet one final step remained. For this step, Lu Changsheng could take no shortcuts. In truth, his Illusory Realm had only integrated a single flesh particle—just one particle. Even if he failed, he would not die; at most, he would lose that single flesh particle. But to truly become a World Master, he had to take this most critical step. A World Master possessed no physical body. Or rather, the body was the world, and the world was the body. Only in this way could the world merge into the Boundary Sea. Only then could one achieve an undying body. Without this step, one could not become a true World Master. For the expansion of the world would depend upon the World Master's spirit, consciousness, and even soul. This was not mere speculation on Lu Changsheng's part; it was information automatically received as his Illusory Realm underwent its transformation, likely transmitted from the depths of the Boundary Sea. The information expounded upon the three cultivation systems of the Great Universe. Though all were Transcendents, Transcendents were divided into three kinds. The first was the World Master, who merged body and world, using themselves to evolve a world. The second was the pure path of the physical body, reducing everything to the flesh—thoroughly fusing spirit, soul, consciousness, and all else into one, allowing the physical body to transcend. The third was melting and refining the Great Dao. By comprehending the Great Daos of heaven, earth, and the cosmos, one forged the Daos into oneself, ultimately becoming the Great Dao itself—transforming every aspect of spirit and body into the Dao to achieve transcendence. So-called transcendence was, in truth, transcending one's native plane to roam freely across the Great Universe. Only by doing so could one be considered transcendent. These three systems were the World Master, the Physical Body, and the Great Dao. Aside from the World Master, did the other two systems not correspond to chaos and the Dark Domain? Source lifeforms cultivated the physical body, while Emperors refined the Great Dao. There might be subtle differences, but in essence, they were identical. This also demonstrated that the cultivation systems of chaos and the Dark Domain had not developed in complete isolation. They were bound to have ties to the Great Universe. This was only natural; for a cultivation system developing solely within an isolated plane to reach the Transcendent realm was easier said than done. It was completely understandable that it had been influenced by information from the Great Universe. In theory, there was no hierarchy among these three systems. In practice, however, it was universally acknowledged throughout the Great Universe: World Masters stood supreme! Their advantages were simply too pronounced. Their offensive power might not necessarily surpass the other two paths, but their survival capability was practically invincible. Furthermore, their traversing speed and their myriad methods were virtually limitless. As for offense? World Masters were not necessarily weak in attack either. That depended on what sort of world the World Master evolved. If the evolved world was inherently geared toward immense offensive power and strength, the World Master's strikes would be just as formidable. Thus, among the three kinds of Transcendents, World Masters faintly reigned above the other two. Yet World Masters were exceedingly few in number. Among cultivators of equal talent, many might achieve transcendence through the physical body or the Great Dao. But those capable of becoming a World Master were barely one in ten thousand! Out of ten thousand Transcendents, only one World Master might emerge. That was why everyone knew World Masters were powerful, yet scarcely anyone cultivated the path. It was simply too difficult, demanding an extraordinary degree of talent and comprehension. Having gained a complete understanding, Lu Changsheng no longer hesitated. "Disperse." In the next moment, his physical body dispersed. Or rather, it was not dispersing, but thoroughly integrating into the world. Not just his flesh, but his spirit, consciousness, and soul all merged into the world as well. *Rumble!* Lu Changsheng's world expanded explosively. At that instant, the world seemed to gain a soul—or rather, a core. Only now could the world truly be said to have come alive. Faintly, Lu Changsheng seemed to "see" something deep within the Great Universe—somewhere far away, a magnificent, colossal world loomed. It filled him with an immense sense of kinship. He could even "see" boundless worlds there, linked one after another, unfathomably grand and vast. A sudden flash of insight struck Lu Changsheng. He understood instantly what that place was. The Boundary Sea! That was the Boundary Sea—the destination of countless World Masters! And Lu Changsheng's destination as well! "Merge." Lu Changsheng did not hesitate. After transforming his body into a world, his very first step was to merge completely into the Boundary Sea. Only upon completing this step would he become the kind of World Master that gave countless Transcendents across the Great Universe a headache. Without this step, while a World Master still held advantages, they would not be nearly so pronounced. However, merging a world into the Boundary Sea took time, and even his world would temporarily vanish during the process. He needed to inform Lin Qingluan. *Whoosh.* With a single thought, Lu Changsheng's world expanded, bringing him before Lin Qingluan in an instant. "Changsheng, did you... succeed?" Lin Qingluan had already guessed, yet she was still overcome with excitement. "Indeed. I have become a true World Master! But next, I must visit the Boundary Sea to merge my world into it. This is my first time entering the Boundary Sea to merge my world, and bringing you along might invite unforeseen complications and danger. Therefore, you two should return to chaos first. Once I have merged my world into the Boundary Sea, I will return." Lin Qingluan nodded. She had learned about World Masters as well. A World Master truly needed to merge their world into the Boundary Sea. What was more, once merged, they could use the Boundary Sea to traverse across space incessantly; even the boundless Great Universe was trivial to a World Master, and he could return at any moment. "I'll see you off for a stretch." Taking Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast with him, Lu Changsheng arrived outside the Great Universe's passage in the blink of an eye. "Go on in." "Alright! Changsheng, be careful as well." Lu Changsheng nodded. Lin Qingluan turned, and together with the Fire Kui Beast, she vanished into the Great Universe passage. Watching Lin Qingluan disappear, Lu Changsheng looked up toward the depths of the Great Universe. "The Boundary Sea..." In the next moment, Lu Changsheng's world began to vibrate at a peculiar frequency. Faintly, this patch of cosmic void seemed to tremble along with it, and darkness fell all around. Lu Changsheng sought the Boundary Sea using the methods unique to a World Master. For non-World Masters, finding the Boundary Sea was practically impossible, because it existed between the reality and illusion of the Great Universe. Lu Changsheng saw it—it resembled a gigantic bubble. Yet within that bubble were countless smaller bubbles, densely clustered together. Lu Changsheng's world crashed straight into it. *Boom!* The world shuddered, but Lu Changsheng was more like someone slowly "squeezing" his way into the bubble, bit by bit. "Is this the Boundary Sea?" Lu Changsheng saw bubbles surrounding him in all directions. These small bubbles were, in reality, the worlds of other World Masters. Within the Boundary Sea, one could not casually traverse another person's world; doing so was equivalent to prying into their secrets. The only exceptions were ruined worlds. If those ruined worlds had not yet dissipated, they could become ruins, allowing those fated to enter to obtain all manner of treasures and benefits. Many World Masters journeyed across the Boundary Sea specifically to explore such ruins. The entire Boundary Sea resembled a cluster of bubbles. In truth, Lu Changsheng felt it belonged to another dimension. The Boundary Sea stood above the Great Universe, yet attached itself to the Great Universe—perhaps another half-dimension? In any case, it was extraordinarily unique. Traversing a short distance in the Boundary Sea translated, on the cosmic scale, to distances that many Transcendents could not cover even after traveling for thousands or tens of thousands of years. All Transcendents could perform spatial shuttles, but when it came to long-distance travel, none could rival a World Master. This was also why World Masters were often superb couriers; those in charge of transporting goods for major chambers of commerce were invariably World Masters. Another characteristic of World Masters was immortality. However, this required leaving behind a core imprint in the Boundary Sea. As long as the imprint remained, even if their world collapsed and they perished in the Great Universe, a World Master could slowly recover over time by relying on the imprint in the Boundary Sea. This was the wondrous uniqueness of the Boundary Sea. Only a World Master could kill a World Master. Or, according to rumors, high-rank Transcendents could do so. Aside from them, no one could kill a World Master. However, if World Masters fought within the Boundary Sea, one could use their world to directly "uproot" an opponent's imprint, causing them to perish permanently. Therefore, one should never make enemies lightly in the Boundary Sea. And if a feud truly arose, one had to pull up the weeds by their roots at all costs, eradicating the opponent's imprint to avoid inviting fatal disaster later. The Boundary Sea was immense. Lu Changsheng found an unoccupied spot and released his world. "Right here, then." With a shift in thought, Lu Changsheng faintly sensed the core of the Boundary Sea. The Boundary Sea was, in fact, created jointly by countless World Masters. Only as the number of World Masters grew did the Boundary Sea become more powerful. When it first formed, it had been exceedingly weak. It was said that only a few World Masters had merged together back then; it had none of its current miraculous abilities and was constantly on the verge of collapse. It was only as the number of World Masters multiplied and more of them chose to integrate that the Boundary Sea grew to what it was today. Lu Changsheng unfolded his world, slowly aligning and fitting it into the gigantic bubble of the Boundary Sea. For a World Master, this was quite simple. Before long, Lu Changsheng's world integrated completely into the Boundary Sea. "Success!" A faint smile appeared on Lu Changsheng's face. He immediately brought up his attribute panel to inspect his current status. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension World Master: First Realm True Realm: 0 (Unexpanded) There were indeed changes on the attribute panel. The most significant was that he was marked as a World Master of the First Realm. Furthermore, there was a "True Realm." Lu Changsheng understood at once that this referred to his world. His world had transformed from an Illusory Realm into a true world; calling it the "True Realm" in counterpart to the Illusory Realm was quite fitting. As for "expansion," it involved the cultivation of a World Master. A World Master's cultivation was focused entirely on their world and was exceedingly slow. Depending on the world's focus, cultivation methods also varied. Yet regardless of the world's type or the method used, the world had to expand. "The True Realm still needs a defined direction, but there's no rush right now. That requires careful thought and exploration. Ideally, I should explore the Boundary Sea to see if I can find any ruins. But exploring the Boundary Sea will also take time; for now, I should return to chaos first." Lu Changsheng knew Lin Qingluan was worried about him. Thus, he did not delay. He immediately began moving his True Realm, shifting it in the direction of chaos. Within the Boundary Sea, a World Master's world seemed to move very slowly, yet on the cosmic scale, it was unimaginably swift. Before long, Lu Changsheng sensed the twin planes of chaos and the Dark Domain. "I'm here." With a thought, his True Realm, like a bubble, squeezed its way back out from the gigantic bubble of the Boundary Sea. *Buzz.* In the Great Universe just outside chaos, ripples spread across the void. A beam of white light appeared out of thin air, gradually coalescing into a human figure—none other than Lu Changsheng! "Finally back..." Looking upon the chaos passage once more, Lu Changsheng felt a surge of emotion. It was as though a lifetime had passed. In truth, over the mere span of a thousand years, earth-shaking changes had taken place within him. *Swish.* Taking a single stride forward, Lu Changsheng stepped straight into the chaos passage. When Lu Changsheng reentered chaos, he clearly sensed a difference: rejection. An invisible force within chaos seemed to be constantly repelling him—or rather, repelling his True Realm. Lu Changsheng knew this was completely normal. Every World Master was rejected by native planes. After all, a World Master's world was fundamentally the same as a plane. Both held life, both held energy, and both held all manner of Dao rules. As the saying went, one mountain could not shelter two tigers. Even chaos and the Dark Domain, twin planes, were constantly colliding and clashing with each other. How much more so for a World Master, who represented an entirely unfamiliar, brand-new world? Naturally, the plane would reject him. However, it did not matter. Such slight repulsive force was beneath notice to Lu Changsheng. *Whoosh.* Suddenly, Lu Changsheng felt gaze after gaze land upon him. "Hmm? So many people?" Lu Changsheng was taken aback. There were far too many people gathered here—both Emperors and source lifeforms. Among them were several familiar faces, such as Ancestor Qingchi and Hunyuan Patriarch. Even Emperor Beichen and Emperor Fantian of the Dark Domain were present. Every eye was fixed upon Lu Changsheng, as if they had waited for an eternity. "Fellow Daoist Lu, did you really... succeed? Have you become a true World Master?" Ancestor Qingchi spoke up. With that question, the attention of everyone present locked onto Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng's brow furrowed. What did this mean? Everyone knew he had become a World Master? Lu Changsheng recalled that only Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast should have known. Ancestor Qingchi had known of his attempt, of course, but only as a suspicion. Those who truly knew for certain were only the Fire Kui Beast and Lin Qingluan. "Yes," Lu Changsheng swept his gaze across them and ultimately nodded. In the past, he had needed to be discreet, but no longer. He was now a genuine World Master—what reason did he have to hide? *Boom!* Lu Changsheng's personal confirmation erupted into an uproar. Countless Emperors and source lifeforms were shaken to the core. "He truly is a World Master! A genuine World Master has been born in our chaos!" "But how is that possible? Across the vast Great Universe, World Masters are extraordinarily rare. The difficulty of becoming a World Master is many times greater than becoming a normal Transcendent, yet Lu Changsheng actually succeeded?" "Great Saint Qingluan and that Fire Kui Beast were telling the truth..." Hearing the crowd's murmurs, Lu Changsheng realized something was wrong. "Where is Qingluan?" By all logic, Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast would never broadcast the news of him becoming a World Master. How could it be common knowledge now? "Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Lu truly is a World Master! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lin Tianhai of the Blood Oath Alliance." Just then, a figure flew out from a colossal flying boat. Lu Changsheng recognized at a glance that this man was not a cultivator from chaos or the Dark Domain, but a Transcendent from the Great Universe. Though Emperors and source lifeforms were essentially Transcendents, subtle differences remained. In this area, there should have been no Transcendents from the Great Universe aside from those of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. Yet this person clearly did not belong to them. "You are... marauders?" A flash of inspiration struck Lu Changsheng's mind. Marauders! They had to be marauders. Only marauders would seek out the chaos plane so quickly. "Since Fellow Daoist Lu already knows, that makes things simple," Lin Tianhai admitted freely. Lu Changsheng's expression darkened, and he asked coldly, "Where are Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast?" In truth, Lu Changsheng had already deduced it. Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast must have fallen into their hands; otherwise, they would not be waiting here specifically for him. Indeed, these people were waiting here just for him. Lin Tianhai waved his hand, and two figures materialized within the flying boat—Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast. "It truly was an unexpected turn of events. When Fellow Daoist Lu's Dao companion returned from the Great Universe to chaos, she happened to be captured by us. After employing a few methods, we discovered that your Dao companion actually possessed the Divine Tree of Fortune! "What an unexpected windfall! The Divine Tree of Fortune is an illustrious treasure even across the Great Universe. We originally intended to plunder the entire chaos and Dark Domain planes to make a fortune, but with the Divine Tree of Fortune, things are different. "Fellow Daoist Lu, why don't we strike a deal? We will take the Divine Tree of Fortune from your Dao companion, and in return, we will spare chaos and the Dark Domain, returning immediately to the Great Universe. How about it? "Trading a single Divine Tree of Fortune for the safety of an entire plane is hardly a losing bargain for you, Fellow Daoist Lu. After all, this is your home plane..." Lin Tianhai had Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast held inside the flying boat. That vessel was clearly extraordinary; even a peak First-Realm Transcendent could not breach it, making it exceptionally safe. They were using Lin Qingluan to extort Lu Changsheng for the Divine Tree of Fortune. The Divine Tree of Fortune resided within Lin Qingluan's body. As for why they had not forcibly extracted it, the reason was simple: the tree had completely fused with her body. It could only be drawn out with her consent; extracting it by force would destroy it entirely. And Lin Qingluan's prerequisite for agreeing was that she had to see Lu Changsheng, and only if Lu Changsheng consented would she willingly extract the Divine Tree of Fortune. "Aren't you afraid I will hunt you down?" Lu Changsheng said coldly. "You should know the consequences of offending a World Master. In the entire Great Universe, there will be nowhere left for you to hide!" Though he had only just become a World Master, and Lin Tianhai was already a peak First-Realm Transcendent, Lu Changsheng was fully qualified to threaten Lin Tianhai—and even the entire Blood Oath Alliance. Simply because he was a World Master! Offending a World Master meant that even the vast Great Universe was no longer safe. Unless driven to absolute desperation, no one was willing to make an enemy of a World Master. Lin Tianhai shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Lu, you are a World Master. Under normal circumstances, we would never dare offend you; even as marauders, we would never cross a World Master. But the Divine Tree of Fortune concerns the foundation of my path. With it, I might even have hope of reaching the Second Realm of Transcendence. Even if it means offending you, Fellow Daoist Lu, I will not hesitate!" Lin Tianhai's words revealed his resolve. They were marauders, and he was determined to claim the Divine Tree of Fortune. If pushed to extremes, they might truly resort to anything. Lu Changsheng's gaze swept over Lin Tianhai. This man was a peak First-Realm Transcendent. Lu Changsheng did not know whether he could defeat him, but even if he could trap or defeat Lin Tianhai, what good would that do? More members of the Blood Oath Alliance were concealed inside the flying boat, leaving Lu Changsheng powerless against them for the moment. "I need time to consider." "I will give Fellow Daoist Lu one day!" Lin Tianhai wasted no words and returned straight to the flying boat. As Lin Tianhai returned to the vessel, Lu Changsheng glanced at Ancestor Qingchi. "May we speak?" "Of course." With that, Lu Changsheng and Ancestor Qingchi flew away from this patch of void. "Ancestor Qingchi, your void traversal is too slow." With a sweep of his True Realm, Lu Changsheng drew Ancestor Qingchi straight into it. Ancestor Qingchi reflexively attempted to resist, only to find he could not resist at all, encompassed completely by Lu Changsheng's True Realm. *Is this a World Master's world?* Ancestor Qingchi marveled in astonishment. Before he could examine it any further... *Whoosh.* Ancestor Qingchi was deposited outside the True Realm. "We've arrived," Lu Changsheng said mildly. Ancestor Qingchi was stunned. How long had that taken? One breath? Two? This was the headquarters of the Chaos Alliance, immensely far from the Great Universe passage. Yet they had arrived in merely a few breaths? For the first time, Ancestor Qingchi experienced the terrifying capabilities of a World Master. The two sat facing each other inside a cave dwelling at the Chaos Alliance. "Ancestor Qingchi, please explain everything that has transpired since I departed chaos in detail." Ancestor Qingchi nodded, and Lu Changsheng listened in quiet contemplation. From Ancestor Qingchi's account, Lu Changsheng gradually pieced together what had occurred in chaos after his departure, finally understanding the full sequence of events behind Lin Qingluan's capture. Originally, the Blood Oath Alliance's goal was to plunder the chaos and Dark Domain planes; they would not have cared about Lin Qingluan at all. Unfortunately, Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast had returned from the Great Universe, while Lin Tianhai was blockading the vicinity of the Great Universe passage. Lin Qingluan was not even an Emperor, meaning she was not a Transcendent—how could she possibly roam the Great Universe on her own? Thus, Lin Tianhai intervened to capture her. In the process, Lin Qingluan naturally refused to surrender meekly, and a battle ensued. But how could she be a match for Lin Tianhai? Just as her life hung in the balance, the Divine Tree of Fortune manifested to protect its master. Yet its appearance was precisely what exposed it to the Blood Oath Alliance. Others might not recognize the Divine Tree of Fortune, but that did not mean the marauders failed to recognize it. It was a supreme treasure of the Great Universe! Back then, Divine Emperor Dayan had expended immense effort, escaping death by a hair's breadth, before managing to obtain it. Once the Blood Oath Alliance captured Lin Qingluan, with their lives on the line, the Fire Kui Beast had no choice but to borrow prestige, revealing that Lu Changsheng was a World Master. Offending a World Master was exceptionally foolish in the Great Universe. This move had indeed preserved the lives of Lin Qingluan and the Fire Kui Beast. Moreover, since the Blood Oath Alliance wanted the Divine Tree of Fortune, they could not extract it by force and had to wait for Lu Changsheng to return to the chaos plane. What followed, Lu Changsheng already knew. That was the whole truth of the matter. Lu Changsheng fell silent after listening. Thirty-eight source lifeforms and Emperors joining forces had been completely wiped out by a fraction of the Blood Oath Alliance's experts. This alone demonstrated just how terrifyingly formidable the Blood Oath Alliance was. Had they not been strong, they could never have been marauders. "Changsheng, what should we do now?" Ancestor Qingchi could not help asking. "Everyone says World Masters are paramount beings in the Great Universe whom no one dares offend lightly. With your strength, can you destroy the Blood Oath Alliance?" Lu Changsheng was now the crux—even the hope of the entire chaos plane. "My strength... I'm afraid I have no certainty of destroying the Blood Oath Alliance." Lu Changsheng was not one to belittle himself, but neither was he arrogant enough to believe he could annihilate the Blood Oath Alliance single-handedly. They had three peak First-Realm Transcendents among them, each no weaker than Divine Emperor Dayan had been. Back then, Divine Emperor Dayan had been an invincible Emperor capable of sweeping across both chaos and the Dark Domain. Perhaps in the future Lu Changsheng would surpass Divine Emperor Dayan, but certainly not right now—to say nothing of facing three peak powerhouses on par with him. "Even Fellow Daoist Lu cannot deal with the Blood Oath Alliance?" Ancestor Qingchi felt a wave of despair. Lu Changsheng was a World Master of the Great Universe; if even he could not wipe out the Blood Oath Alliance, what hope remained for the chaos plane? "I may not be able to wipe out the Blood Oath Alliance, but that doesn't mean others cannot!" A fierce light glinted in Lu Changsheng's eyes. "A dragon has reverse scales; touch them, and you die! How dare they use Qingluan to threaten me... Ancestor Qingchi, I am paying a visit to the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce!" Lu Changsheng's voice echoed in Ancestor Qingchi's ears, but his figure had long vanished without a trace.