Step by step, Lu Changsheng descended before Lin Qingluan.
He glanced over at Luo Yang.
Luo Yang was naturally perceptive; cupping his hands in a respectful bow, he tactfully withdrew.
Now, only the two of them remained standing atop the summit of the Tianyuan Holy Sect's rear mountain.
"Have you made up your mind?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Yes, pretty much."
"Thanks to you, your status as the foremost figure of the Chaos Plane brought an immense wave of fortune to the Divine Tree of Fortune. After actively absorbing all that fortune, I felt a distinct premonition that now is the best time to attempt the breakthrough to Emperor, with a very high chance of success!"
"However, you probably know what my greatest obstacle to becoming an Emperor is..."
Lin Qingluan looked at Lu Changsheng. He naturally understood the meaning behind her words.
She was referring to the Dark Domain's backlash.
Whether they could withstand the Dark Domain's backlash rested entirely on him.
Lu Changsheng looked up at the sky and said in a calm tone, "Qingluan, go ahead with your breakthrough without worry. The Dark Domain's backlash can do nothing against me!"
Hearing Lu Changsheng's words, Lin Qingluan's mind was completely put at ease.
Lu Changsheng was her greatest source of confidence!
"All right!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Qingluan took a step forward, stepping directly into the void.
Attempting the breakthrough to Emperor was, in essence, walking the path of fusing the Daos.
This path could lead to becoming a Transcendent.
Even across the vast Great Universe, it was one of the major cultivation systems.
As for the brief lifespan, that was not the fault of the cultivation system itself, but rather the Dark Domain. Every living being of the Dark Domain was branded by the Dark Domain from the very moment of birth. Furthermore, as the Dark Domain's cultivation system continued to develop, even achieving Emperor left one with a fleeting lifespan.
Yet with the Divine Tree of Fortune, Lin Qingluan was different; once she advanced to Emperor, she would break past her lifespan limit.
She would become like the Transcendents of the Great Universe—and with even greater potential.
Hum.
One Dao after another manifested around Lin Qingluan.
One, two, three, four, five...
A total of nine Daos manifested in the void.
Such an immense commotion naturally drew the attention of numerous disciples and elders of the Tianyuan Holy Sect.
However, with Luo Yang maintaining order and Lu Changsheng having demarcated a perimeter that no one was allowed to breach, the entire Tianyuan Holy Sect was shaken, yet no chaos broke out, ensuring nothing disturbed Lin Qingluan's breakthrough.
"Is that Saintess Qingluan? What is she doing?"
"With such a massive disturbance, what else could Saintess Qingluan be doing? She must be attempting the breakthrough to Emperor!"
"What, breaking through to Emperor? If she succeeds, won't our Tianyuan Holy Sect have an Emperor?"
"Actually, does it even make a difference now whether our Tianyuan Holy Sect has an Emperor? With World Master Lu, the number one figure of the Dark Domain plane, who would dare oppose our Tianyuan Holy Sect?"
"That's true, the number one figure of the plane... That figure beneath Saintess Qingluan must be World Master Lu, right?"
"Yes, that's World Master Lu. Even World Master Lu is here, so the Saintess is definitely breaking through to Emperor..."
In truth, many disciples had already deduced that Qingluan was attempting to become an Emperor. After all, it was plain to see.
Although no one would dare provoke the Tianyuan Holy Sect with Lu Changsheng, the foremost expert of the Dark Domain plane, standing behind them, he was not an Emperor born of the sect itself.
Once Lin Qingluan achieved the realm of Emperor, she would truly be the Tianyuan Holy Sect's own Emperor.
No matter what, Lin Qingluan was one of their own.
Many disciples hoped she would succeed in her breakthrough.
At this moment, Lin Qingluan could already sense the nine Daos stirring restlessly.
"Fuse."
In the next instant, Lin Qingluan drew all nine Daos into her body, merging them directly into a unified whole!
The so-called Emperor was essentially one who fused the Daos, taking the power of the Great Daos for oneself to unleash earth-shattering might.
Lin Qingluan's nine Daos were exceptionally strong.
To fuse Daos, the power of those Daos had to be powerful. Weak Dao power might collapse the moment the fusion began.
Therefore, the stronger one's Dao power, the greater the chance of advancing to Emperor.
On this front, Lin Qingluan met the mark.
Thus, her path of Dao fusion proceeded very smoothly.
Without encountering any apparent difficulty, the nine Daos coalesced into one.
Yet was it truly that simple?
In reality, unbeknownst even to Lin Qingluan herself, wisps of fortune from the Divine Tree of Fortune had flowed into the Daos during the fusion process.
This fortune seemed to play a pivotal role, keeping the Daos completely stable without a single tremor.
Everything unfolded naturally, like water flowing to form a channel.
Tremors in the Daos? None.
Collapse of the Daos? None.
Deficiency in Dao power? None whatsoever.
Everything went smoothly; everything came together effortlessly.
Had any Emperor witnessed Lin Qingluan's breakthrough, their jaws would have dropped in astonishment.
That included the Fire Kui Beast, whose gaze was filled with complicated emotions.
"The mistress's advancement to Emperor is truly... mundane. It's so smooth that it looks as easy as eating or drinking," the Fire Kui Beast muttered under its breath.
"The Divine Tree of Fortune's ability is beyond imagination. I fear we all underestimated it..."
It naturally understood why things had gone so smoothly. It was because of the Divine Tree of Fortune—the supreme treasure that Divine Emperor Dayan had risked his life to snatch from the Great Universe.
It was truly miraculous.
After refining a Divine Tree of Fortune, advancing to Emperor was simply child's play.
In truth, both Lu Changsheng and the Fire Kui Beast now understood: with the Divine Tree of Fortune, even if Lin Qingluan had prepared nothing at all, she could have effortlessly broken through to Emperor without the slightest mishap.
What others viewed as a one-in-ten-thousand feat—a breakthrough fraught with mortal danger—was accomplished right before Lin Qingluan's own astonished eyes.
Lin Qingluan's body shuddered. A formidable aura erupted from her form.
It was her core Dao, forged from the ultimate fusion of her nine Daos.
Now, this core Dao was integrated with Lin Qingluan. Moving forward, taking this core Dao as her foundation and continuously fusing various Daos to grow would allow her to steadily elevate her strength.
In that respect, Dao fusion seemed quite suitable for Lu Changsheng as well. After all, fusing Daos relied on comprehension and opportunity. With transcendent comprehension, fusing Daos would certainly be easier.
Many Transcendents who walked the path of Dao fusion would attempt to fuse Daos in the Great Universe. Fusing even a single Dao from the Great Universe would cause a Transcendent's strength to advance by leaps and bounds, bringing about a qualitative transformation!
"She succeeded!"
"Saintess Qingluan succeeded!"
"From now on, she is Emperor Qingluan!"
"Hahaha, our Tianyuan Holy Sect has finally birthed another Emperor..."
Although Lin Qingluan's breakthrough had been utterly tranquil and so smooth as to defy belief, that did not dampen the excitement of the Tianyuan Holy Sect.
Emperor Qingluan!
An Emperor belonging solely to the Tianyuan Holy Sect!
Yet as Lin Qingluan stood in the void, there was little joy on her face. Her brows were furrowed tightly, and she seemed weighed down by anxiety over some looming trouble.
While others were bewildered, only Lu Changsheng and the Fire Kui Beast understood what was happening.
They knew that Lin Qingluan's ascension to Emperor was merely the beginning. Now, the true test was only just arriving!
Boom!
In the next instant, the entire sky seemed to turn black. Yes—darkness abruptly consumed the heavens.
Immediately after, a terrifying layer of dark clouds gathered together. Not only were there dark clouds, but also howling gales and bone-chilling cold.
It was as though the area around the Tianyuan Holy Sect had been plunged into an apocalypse.
Even many Great Saints felt a deep terror in their souls, sensing that something dreadful was about to occur.
"What's going on?"
"Why is this happening? I feel as if an immense calamity is about to descend!"
"This feeling, this spectacle... Could it be... heavenly punishment?"
"Yes, the heavenly punishment of ancient legends! Only peerless arch-demons or terrifying beings who dare defy the Heavenly Dao can draw down the heavenly punishment of the entire Dark Domain! Just what did Emperor Qingluan do to provoke heavenly punishment?"
"It's over! If heavenly punishment descends, one must face the power of the entire Dark Domain! Our entire Tianyuan Holy Sect will be reduced to ash under it!"
"We were just celebrating, and now disaster strikes to grind us into powder?"
Many looked up at the void above with stunned expressions.
When heavenly punishment descended, there was no room for luck. It would destroy everything!
"The Dark Domain's backlash..."
Lu Changsheng's gaze turned cold.
He could already sense that this region had essentially been temporarily "imprisoned" by the power of the Dark Domain. The might of the entire Dark Domain was converging toward this area, all to wipe out Lin Qingluan—or rather, to destroy this new form of life born from the union of Lin Qingluan and the Divine Tree of Fortune, which dared to challenge the rules of the Dark Domain.
The Dark Domain had to eliminate it.
"True Realm!"
Lu Changsheng took a step forward. As though ascending an invisible staircase, he climbed higher into the void step by step until he stood before Lin Qingluan.
At the same time, a flash of white light erupted, instantly blanketing the entire grounds of the Tianyuan Holy Sect.
Rumble!
The world seemed even more enraged.
The Dark Domain's will had thoroughly locked onto Lin Qingluan and Lu Changsheng's True Realm.
A single Divine Tree of Fortune was bad enough; now, a True Realm had appeared as well. That was a power rejected by the Dark Domain. This was nothing short of repeated provocation!
Instantly, bolts of lightning crashed down from the sky, their terrifying brilliance illuminating the entire void. Every single lightning bolt shook heaven and earth, seeming capable of obliterating an Emperor.
Yet when they struck Lu Changsheng's True Realm, they only caused a slight tremor, stirring faint ripples before everything smoothed over as though nothing had happened.
Everyone stood dumbfounded.
Lu Changsheng was not only shielding Lin Qingluan right now, but in fact protecting the entire Tianyuan Holy Sect. Otherwise, once the punishment lightning struck the earth, the sect's mountain gates along with every disciple and elder would have been pulverized.
However, the failure of the lightning to harm Lu Changsheng's True Realm only incensed the Dark Domain's will further. Innumerable dark clouds gathered anew, continuously brewing even more horrifying lightning.
Boom!
Another lightning bolt crashed down, striking violently against the True Realm.
Lu Changsheng's True Realm was instantly torn open, and a torrent of lightning rampaged inside. But that was all. His True Realm repaired itself in a flash, and the lightning that had entered was ground down and annihilated by the realm.
This was the work of the Realm-Stabilizing Pearl; otherwise, that single strike would have punctured his True Realm entirely.
Moreover, the heavenly punishment consisted of more than just lightning. Lu Changsheng could clearly feel the True Realm being squeezed by space from all directions. Terrifying spatial forces seemed to sweep in from every side, seeking to crush the True Realm into dust.
"Hmph."
Lu Changsheng snorted coldly, driving his True Realm to its absolute limit.
At the same time, the Realm-Stabilizing Pearl shone brilliantly. Bolstered by the pearl, the True Realm became extraordinarily resilient, forcefully holding off the spatial crushing from all sides.
Still, under the combined assault of spatial compression and destructive lightning, Lu Changsheng's True Realm struggled to endure. It could withstand it for a time, but not against continuous bombardment.
Crack!
Finally, the True Realm fractured. Although it rapidly mended itself, fractures continued to appear.
Lu Changsheng gazed into the void. He could sense the Dark Domain's will; it was omnipresent.
"In the end, I'm still falling a bit short..." Lu Changsheng murmured softly.
Even Divine Emperor Dayan had been unable to endure the backlash of the Dark Domain's will. Although Lu Changsheng was a World Master, he was by no means a peak World Master. Being able to resist the Dark Domain's backlash for this long was already an incredible feat.
However, Lu Changsheng's objective had never been to defeat the Dark Domain's will. He only needed to protect Lin Qingluan. Now that she had become an Emperor and broken free of the lifespan shackles, all she had to do was leave the Dark Domain plane and enter the Great Universe, where the Dark Domain's will could no longer touch her.
The reason Divine Emperor Dayan had perished in the past was that he had to face the backlash of the Dark Domain's will alone, with no one to escort him out of the Dark Domain. But Lin Qingluan was different; she had Lu Changsheng to escort her.
Then again, across the entirety of the Dark Domain and chaos, there was not a second World Master capable of withstanding such pressure head-on. Even if others had obtained the Divine Tree of Fortune, they would not have been able to break the lifespan shackles—even if they became Emperors, they would have died to the Dark Domain's backlash.
"Let's go!"
Lu Changsheng immediately took Lin Qingluan and, forcefully braving the Dark Domain's backlash, flew step by step toward the cosmic passage.
The Dark Domain's will was immensely powerful. Even upon reaching chaos, one would still be targeted by it—perhaps due to some compromise between the Dark Domain's will and the chaotic will. In short, fleeing into chaos was futile; otherwise, Divine Emperor Dayan would not have needed to die back then. The only way was to flee into the Great Universe.
And once locked onto by the Dark Domain's will, escaping was impossible even if one were a half-step away. But with Lin Qingluan inside Lu Changsheng's True Realm, she had no such concerns.
As Lu Changsheng and Lin Qingluan departed, the Dark Domain's will remained locked onto her, sparing the Tianyuan Holy Sect from destruction by heavenly punishment. Still, the Dark Domain's heavenly punishment followed them like a shadow, relentlessly bombarding Lu Changsheng's True Realm. Even as the True Realm repeatedly fractured, it could hold out for quite some time.
Finally, Lin Qingluan reached the passage connecting the Great Universe and the Dark Domain.
Whoosh.
In the next moment, Lin Qingluan stepped through the passage and entered the Great Universe.
The Dark Domain's heavenly punishment ceased. Having lost its target, the heavenly punishment gradually dissipated.
Lu Changsheng likewise arrived in the Great Universe and met Lin Qingluan.
"Qingluan, you have now become an Emperor. Thanks to the Divine Tree of Fortune, you do not possess a fleeting lifespan like other Emperors, but rather an endless lifespan just like the Transcendents of the Great Universe."
"There is only one issue: for now, you cannot return to the Dark Domain. Once you enter the Dark Domain, even hiding inside my True Realm will not stop the Dark Domain's will from locking onto you and calling down heavenly punishment," Lu Changsheng said.
"I can't enter the Dark Domain for the time being?" Lin Qingluan nodded, not particularly minding. "That's fine. With you in the Dark Domain, the Tianyuan Holy Sect won't face any problems."
Having achieved the realm of Emperor, she would have had to leave the Dark Domain eventually to roam the Great Universe anyway.
"Don't worry. As long as my True Realm continues to improve—perhaps without even needing to reach the Second Realm, just reaching the peak of World Master—I will be able to easily withstand the Dark Domain's backlash. When that time comes, you can return to the Dark Domain without fearing heavenly punishment," Lu Changsheng comforted her.
Lu Changsheng was very confident in this. The Dark Domain's will had no complex emotions; as long as one was stronger than it, one could suppress it. It was not an insurmountable problem. However, given that Lin Qingluan could not return for now, they needed to find a place to settle down.
"Qingluan, come with me to the Boundary Sea first. Later, once we decide where to go in the Great Universe, I will escort you there."
"All right," Lin Qingluan nodded.
With a sweep of his True Realm, Lu Changsheng immediately drew Lin Qingluan inside. Soon, the True Realm vibrated at a unique frequency, then slowly vanished. In reality, the True Realm had simply returned to the Boundary Sea.
The Boundary Sea existed within the Great Universe, omnipresent yet undetectable to ordinary beings. Only World Masters could perceive it. It could not truly be considered a higher dimension—perhaps half a dimension? Moreover, the Boundary Sea had not been like this initially; anyone could have found it back then. But over time, as more and more worlds merged into the Boundary Sea, it gradually took on the characteristic of only being perceivable by World Masters.
"This is the Boundary Sea?" Lin Qingluan felt curious. She certainly knew of the legends concerning the Boundary Sea: only World Masters could perceive it, while other Transcendents could not. Perhaps high-tier Transcendents could, but First-Realm Transcendents definitely could not.
However, if sheltered inside a World Master's world, other cultivators could also enter the Boundary Sea. Lin Qingluan, for instance, was inside the True Realm; under its protection, she was perfectly safe. But Lin Qingluan could not leave the True Realm. Once she stepped outside into the Boundary Sea, the pressure of the entire Boundary Sea would fall upon her. At that point, she would be unable to bear it and would likely perish.
Lu Changsheng's True Realm gradually settled into place. He spent a long time accompanying Lin Qingluan within the True Realm. During that time, the two finally engaged in dual cultivation, becoming dual cultivation Dao companions in deed as well as name.
However, both were Transcendents, making it exceedingly difficult to conceive a child. The more powerful a lifeform, the harder it was to produce offspring—this was an ironclad law of life. Yet it was not impossible; some powerful beings still managed to have children. It all came down to luck. Lu Changsheng naturally did not care whether they had offspring; cultivation was the pursuit of individual immortality, without any need to rely on bloodline descendants to perpetuate one's existence.
However, Lin Qingluan could not stay in the True Realm forever; she also needed to cultivate. Having become an Emperor, she wished to advance further in her cultivation, which required techniques, resources, and the like. None of those were available in the True Realm.
Lu Changsheng and Lin Qingluan searched together and ultimately selected a destination: the Liuguang Plane!
The Liuguang Plane was overseen by a Second-Realm expert, making it exceptionally safe. Lu Changsheng had visited it before—it was an immensely prosperous commercial plane where countless fine goods could be traded, drawing together many Transcendents. Thus, whether for living or cultivating, the Liuguang Plane was highly suitable.
"Then it's settled. We're going to the Liuguang Plane!" Lu Changsheng made up his mind.
Because of Lin Qingluan, Lu Changsheng had to travel in his true body as well. Thus, the True Realm relocated once more, this time heading toward the Liuguang Plane. They encountered no dangers during the journey and arrived smoothly.
Lu Changsheng spent five source crystals to rent a top-tier cave dwelling in the Liuguang Plane's Liuguang City. As a World Master, Lu Changsheng certainly would not slight Lin Qingluan. Renting a cave dwelling for five source crystals was quite expensive, but you got what you paid for. The cultivation facilities inside were fully equipped, and the Daos of the Liuguang Plane even manifested there, offering an exquisite cultivation environment for Transcendents walking the path of Dao fusion. Five source crystals for a hundred-year lease was a worthwhile deal.
After spending five source crystals, Lu Changsheng had only fifteen source crystals left. The purchasing power of source crystals was truly formidable.
Lu Changsheng planned to browse techniques for the Emperor's path of Dao fusion. Lin Qingluan needed a superior method to continue her cultivation. In fact, Lin Qingluan was not the only one; Lu Changsheng needed one as well. It was just that World Master cultivation methods were too expensive. Last time, Lu Changsheng had hesitated, but this time, after some thought, he finally made up his mind: he had to secure a cultivation method first.
Lu Changsheng and Lin Qingluan arrived together at the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. Since they were buying cultivation methods, going to Eternal Light was the natural choice. After all, Lu Changsheng was an internal member of Eternal Light, which gave him a discount.
"World Master Lu, you've arrived. Are you here for another transport delivery?" The receptionist cultivator at the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce already recognized Lu Changsheng, knowing him as an esteemed World Master who transported cargo for the chamber.
Lu Changsheng shook his head. "Not for official business this time, but personal matters. Does the chamber have cultivation methods for Dao fusion?"
"Of course." The one attending to Lu Changsheng was a female cultivator. She glanced at Lin Qingluan beside him and roughly guessed the situation. Enthusiastically, she led Lu Changsheng toward the technique section.
"All of these are cultivation methods for Dao fusion, but they are only geared toward First-Realm Transcendents."
Lu Changsheng nodded. This receptionist cultivator was named Xiao Yu; she was concise and never wasted a single word.
"Go on, Qingluan. See which method suits you. Choosing a cultivation method doesn't necessarily mean picking the absolute best; what matters most is that it fits you," Lu Changsheng advised. As for which cultivation method suited Lin Qingluan, she had to choose for herself. No one else could do that for her.
Lin Qingluan nodded, stepped forward, and began inspecting them one by one. The cultivation methods here only listed names and brief descriptions; the actual method itself would only be provided after purchase.
Time trickled by. Lin Qingluan selected very meticulously. Although there was a vast array of techniques, she was not dazzled, growing all the more thorough and focused instead. Finally, after careful comparison, Lin Qingluan settled on a technique.
"This is a superior cultivation method. If mastered to perfection, it can even provide some assistance in breaking through to the Second Realm," Xiao Yu said hesitantly. "However, it is quite expensive to purchase."
"How many source crystals?"
"Ten thousand source crystals."
"Mm? Ten thousand source crystals?"
Lu Changsheng paused in surprise. It was not that he found it too expensive, but rather too cheap. He remembered clearly that from what he had learned at the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce previously, a superior World Master method cost at least one hundred thousand source crystals. Yet a superior Dao-fusion method only required ten thousand source crystals?
That was merely a tenth of the price for a World Master method!
Chapter 498