Ten thousand source crystals was indeed exorbitant.
Never mind ten thousand, Lu Changsheng did not even have a hundred source crystals on him right now.
Hoping to purchase a method was no different from a pipe dream.
However, Lu Changsheng already had a plan.
When one is deep in debt, worries cease to matter.
If one was already a debt, would two not be the same?
Since he had to choose a technique anyway, he might as well pick them together, making it easier to negotiate terms.
"I would also like to choose a method," Lu Changsheng said.
Xiao Yu was overjoyed.
Lu Changsheng was a World Master!
Anything concerning a World Master could be summarized in a single word: expensive.
After all, who was the wealthiest in the Great Universe?
It was definitely the World Masters!
If Xiao Yu could guide Lu Changsheng to select a technique to his satisfaction, she would make a massive profit.
Every single cultivation technique for a World Master was unimaginably expensive.
A superior cultivation method—and merely one for a first-realm Transcendent—started at a minimum of a hundred thousand source crystals.
By comparison, the mere ten thousand source crystals for the method Lin Qingluan chose was hardly worth mentioning.
Lu Changsheng also walked over to the section for cultivation techniques.
The number of cultivation techniques for World Masters was relatively small.
Lu Changsheng naturally skipped over the ordinary ones.
He headed straight to browse the superior and peak techniques.
Although the full contents of these techniques could not be viewed, their overviews were remarkably clear.
At a single glance, one could see where a technique's focus lay and what its advantages were.
Lu Changsheng took his time, carefully examining them one by one.
After all, choosing a technique required immense caution.
Moreover, while selecting a technique, Lu Changsheng was actually pondering the future direction of cultivation for his True Realm.
This was critical.
It concerned the future potential of his True Realm.
When it came to the development path of a World Master's world, the overarching goal was virtually unanimous.
Every World Master ultimately aimed to develop their world to rival or even surpass the Great Universe.
Regardless of where the emphasis lay, the general direction remained the same.
This was the so-called different paths leading to the same destination.
However, there were vast differences in how one actually developed a world to rival or surpass the Great Universe.
Many World Masters blindly expanded their worlds.
Yet once their worlds expanded to a certain scale, they found themselves unable to control them.
The worlds grew beyond their grasp.
This would cause the worlds to become exceedingly unstable,
eventually leading to total collapse.
Others focused on cultivating life within the world,
even passing down cultivation methods so the internal lifeforms could cultivate.
Yet as the number of cultivators inside grew, the world as a whole became overburdened and ultimately collapsed.
Alternatively, when an internal cultivator grew too mighty—strong enough to tear through the world itself—a conflict with the World Master would inevitably arise.
Even though the World Master had created the world and the lifeforms within it,
no being would passively await death when cultivation was at stake.
They would not hesitate to rebel and slay their "World Master."
Such occurrences had happened far more than once or twice.
There were even powerful internal cultivators who successfully rebelled against their World Masters, broke out of their worlds, and ventured into the Great Universe to continue cultivating.
Another category of World Masters embarked on the path of world devouring,
even devouring entire planes.
By devouring along their journey, their worlds expanded rapidly.
While such reckless expansion was exceptionally fast, hidden hazards cropped up endlessly.
Hardly any of them ever managed to reach the second realm.
Yet another kind of World Master simply allowed their worlds to develop on their own, growing at their own pace.
They did not intervene in the slightest.
After an immense passage of time, such worlds were indeed exceptionally stable, but their progress was unimaginably slow.
World Masters had lifespan limits as well.
Some even reached the end of their lifespans without ever finding a way to advance to the second realm.
Therefore, when World Masters cultivated their worlds, they had to grasp the proper balance.
What about Lu Changsheng?
Where would his focus lie?
This concerned his future cultivation; it was crucial and immensely important.
In truth, Lu Changsheng's True Realm bore some resemblance to the Dark Domain.
After all, he had initially used the Dark Domain as a blueprint, essentially simulating it.
However, Lu Changsheng's True Realm was still far from rivaling the Dark Domain.
Growing from a world into a plane was a qualitative leap,
equivalent to advancing from the first realm to the second realm.
In the short term, it was impossible for Lu Changsheng's True Realm to transform into a plane.
Furthermore, the Dark Domain was not perfect either; it was still far from the ideal world in Lu Changsheng's vision.
Lu Changsheng himself was not yet entirely certain what kind of world development he wanted.
This was precisely why he was searching for cultivation methods.
He needed to draw inspiration from the myriad techniques available.
Before long, Lu Changsheng came across a superior World Master method called the Ninefold World Method.
This method was both simple and difficult.
It involved dividing one's world into nine distinct tiers.
One would vigorously develop the first tier, allowing the lifeforms there to evolve on their own. Once lifeforms reached the limits of that tier, they would ascend to the second tier, where they would again develop naturally until reaching its limits, before ascending to the third tier.
This progression continued across all nine tiers.
The logic was straightforward: by dividing the world into nine layers, the lifeforms born inside would constantly strive to climb to higher tiers, perpetually driven to ascend.
Many of the climbing cultivators would perish beneath heavenly punishment.
This kept each tier extraordinarily stable.
Countless lifeforms would strive to cultivate without destabilizing the world.
Furthermore, the presence of heavenly punishment ensured that countless beings would die, preventing an overabundance of immortals from overburdening the world.
Even if a lifeform managed to reach the ninth tier and pushed its limits, it would not matter,
for there was still the Great Cataclysm of World Destruction.
At a specific time and under specific conditions, a world-destroying cataclysm would arrive.
When that happened, the world would enter a cycle of reincarnation.
Once the cataclysm passed, the second cycle would begin.
This would repeat for a third cycle, a fourth cycle, and so forth.
After reading the overviews of numerous cultivation methods, Lu Changsheng already had an answer in his heart.
The so-called World Master cultivation methods were, in essence, blueprints for designing one's world.
It was just that the process was far too complex
and involved far too much.
Almost every World Master was an erudite "creator god."
Every world established by a World Master was unique.
Naturally, mere daydreaming was useless.
Only a method that had been practically tested and proven successful could become an established technique for others to cultivate.
As for the difference between ordinary, superior, and peak methods, variations existed in world structure and power.
Naturally, the greatest disparity lay in potential.
Whether a world possessed immense potential was of paramount importance to a World Master.
The Ninefold World Method was already considered a superior method.
Relying on it offered a glimmer of hope to break through to the second realm.
Yet the second realm was its limit.
Hoping to rely on the Ninefold World Method to advance to the legendary third realm was practically impossible.
Lu Changsheng went over to inspect the peak methods.
Peak World Master methods merely offered a slightly higher chance of advancing to the second realm.
That was all.
Moreover, the prices of peak methods were astronomical,
easily costing hundreds of thousands or even millions of source crystals.
However, they were proven methods that one could cultivate with confidence.
For a World Master's world, self-experimentation was generally the greatest taboo.
After all, many World Masters wished to experiment on their own,
whimsically attempting to create an earth-shattering world of astounding potential.
Some World Masters had indeed succeeded,
even ascending to the legendary third realm.
In fact, any World Master who wished to advance to the third realm had to create a world uniquely suited to themselves.
Yet how many World Masters had ever reached the third realm?
They were the absolute pinnacle of existence throughout the Great Universe.
Reaching the second realm was already a remarkable feat.
*Forget about peak methods. They are far too expensive, and they still won't help one reach the third realm, so they don't hold much meaning. They just have a slightly higher success rate for advancing to the second realm. Given my comprehension, I can do without that bit of probability.*
*However, choosing no World Master method at all won't do either. Even if I intend to design a world myself, I still need concrete references. Choosing an actual World Master technique is very necessary, and preferably a superior one.*
*Then the Ninefold World Method it is.*
Many thoughts drifted through Lu Changsheng's mind.
With that, Lu Changsheng left the technique area and rejoined Lin Qingluan.
"Did you find your technique?" Lin Qingluan asked.
"I found one. But mine is even more expensive."
Lu Changsheng handed the two methods directly to Xiao Yu.
"The World Master technique costs one hundred thousand source crystals, and the other method for smelting Daos costs ten thousand source crystals, totaling one hundred and ten thousand source crystals. As a member of our Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce, you are entitled to an internal ten percent discount, making it ninety-nine thousand source crystals!" Xiao Yu said with a smile.
One hundred and ten thousand source crystals reduced to ninety-nine thousand.
This internal discount was actually quite generous, saving eleven thousand source crystals.
The crux of the matter, however, was that Lu Changsheng did not possess that many source crystals.
"Never mind, please summon your shopkeeper. I'll need to take out another loan..."
Xiao Yu seemed to have anticipated this long ago.
A loan was nothing unusual.
In fact, it was very common.
She had seen many consecrated elders, World Masters, and other esteemed members of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce who were initially resolute about never taking out loans, fully intending to leave the moment they paid off what they owed.
Yet once they stayed within the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce for a while, virtually none of them were willing to leave.
As for never taking a loan?
That was utterly impossible.
Cultivation techniques, resources, treasures—the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce had everything one could desire.
When one could enjoy these benefits in advance, who would care about debt?
Before long, the shopkeeper arrived at the VIP lounge.
"World Master Lu, do you wish to take out a loan?"
"Of course."
"How much would you like to borrow?"
"Let's make it a hundred thousand source crystals."
Lu Changsheng thought it through and decided to borrow a round figure.
That way, after purchasing the techniques, he would still have a thousand source crystals left over.
It would serve as a reserve for unforeseen needs.
After all, while having no source crystals on hand might not make it completely impossible to move an inch in the Great Universe, doing anything without them was terribly difficult.
"That is simple enough. We shall extend your agreement, World Master Lu."
"It will be extended from one thousand years to two thousand years. You will still repay at least one hundred source crystals annually. Furthermore, even if you repay the borrowed source crystals early, you must serve the chamber of commerce for at least one thousand years. What do you think, World Master Lu?"
Lu Changsheng fell into contemplation.
This was practically doubling the previous agreement.
Serving for at least a thousand years.
To Lu Changsheng, that duration was somewhat long.
However, he had recently made discreet inquiries on the Liuguang Plane regarding the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce.
Its reputation was impeccable.
Even after paying off their debts, many World Masters chose to remain with the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce—a considerable number, in fact.
It was because the treatment from Eternal Light was exceptionally good.
Moreover, one enjoyed the backing of a pinnacle power like Eternal Light.
Why not embrace it?
Even if things proved unpleasant, it was merely a thousand years.
With a bit of patience, it would pass in the blink of an eye.
With this thought, Lu Changsheng made his decision.
"Agreed."
Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng signed the new contract.
The moment the contract was signed, a smile bloomed on the shopkeeper's face.
He promptly handed Lu Changsheng the one hundred thousand source crystals.
With the source crystals in hand, Lu Changsheng spent ninety-nine thousand to purchase the two cultivation methods, handing Lin Qingluan the one she needed.
"Qingluan, for now, we will stay on the Liuguang Plane and familiarize ourselves with our respective cultivation methods."
"Alright," Lin Qingluan nodded.
Lu Changsheng and Lin Qingluan temporarily settled down on the Liuguang Plane.
Both set about acquainting themselves with their new methods.
Lu Changsheng was in no hurry to cultivate; instead, he carefully scrutinized the Ninefold World Method.
Since this method already existed as an established technique, it meant someone had successfully cultivated it,
perhaps even reaching the second realm of Transcendence.
Otherwise, the Ninefold World Method could never have been classified as a superior method.
Consequently, the Ninefold World Method contained concrete instructions on constructing nine tiers of worlds:
how to build the first tier,
how to construct the second tier,
and so on. If one followed the steps methodically, it was possible to form a ninefold world and thereby gain an opportunity to advance to the second realm—
a fairly promising opportunity at that.
This was the advantage of an established technique.
It provided step-by-step guidance and concrete instructions, sparing one from fumbling in the dark and taking detours.
Yet Lu Changsheng still did not intend to cultivate the Ninefold World Method.
From the very beginning, he had resolved to construct his own world.
Only by designing his own world would he have any hope of ascending to the third realm.
Otherwise, practicing someone else's method and adopting another World Master's structural blueprint would leave him settling for mediocrity.
His highest achievement would merely be the second realm.
That fell far short of his aspirations.
Purchasing the Ninefold World Method was solely to provide himself with a concrete reference, hoping to glean a spark of inspiration from it.
And now, inspiration flooded Lu Changsheng's mind.
In truth, the Dark Domain's framework was quite good.
Everything within it was very comprehensive.
A cultivator's lifespan was not excessively long,
and there was even the presence of heavenly punishment.
One did not have to worry about an overpopulation of cultivators.
However, the speed of cultivation there was a bit too fast;
the difficulty of cultivation should be raised slightly.
Furthermore, it lacked something that Lu Changsheng considered of paramount importance:
reincarnation.
The Dark Domain had no reincarnation.
Not only did the Dark Domain lack it, but chaos lacked it, and even the Great Universe had none.
Lu Changsheng did not know why,
but reincarnation truly did not exist.
In a sense, the absence of reincarnation was a good thing.
When a lifeform died, dust returned to dust, earth to earth, and everything reverted to the Great Universe and the Dark Domain.
Yet if reincarnation existed, the number of souls could theoretically continue to mount.
Of course, that was not absolute.
Many souls were utterly obliterated,
dissipating into heaven and earth.
Moreover, reincarnation had an advantage: it could be utilized to regulate the balance of the world.
This was easy to understand.
Reincarnation applied to all living beings,
not merely cultivators,
but flowers, grass, trees, and all living things.
Lu Changsheng even intended to expand this reincarnation system.
No matter what stage a being cultivated to, they would never escape the cycle of reincarnation.
Of course, that was for the future.
For now, he still needed a basic framework.
While the Dark Domain's model was fine, placing mortals and mighty figures in the same world easily bred countless complications, which hindered Lu Changsheng's control over his True Realm.
In that regard, the tiered structure of the Ninefold World Method was excellent.
It could be adapted.
For instance, Lu Changsheng planned to divide his True Realm into the Mortal Realm, Spirit Realm, Lesser Thousand Realm, Greater Thousand Realm, Divine Realm, and Supreme Realm.
A total of six tiers of worlds.
Though not quite nine tiers, it was more than sufficient.
Reincarnation would be the great cycle spanning all six tiers, encompassing the entire realm.
Even if one reached the Supreme Realm, they could still elevate their dimension, ascending to an even higher plane of existence.
All in all, it was a colossal world structure.
Yet who couldn't design a world blueprint?
Anyone could.
Never mind six tiers; one could imagine sixty tiers if they wished.
Why, then, couldn't everyone construct their own world?
The reason was simple.
Envisioning a world's architecture was easy, but actually building it was exceedingly difficult.
Furthermore, the more intricate the world, the harder it was to construct successfully.
A single misstep would ruin all prior efforts, potentially causing the entire world to collapse.
When that happened, the World Master would perish as well.
How had so many shattered worlds in the Boundary Sea come to be?
In truth, their creators had failed in constructing their worlds, dying as their worlds collapsed.
World Masters were often slain not by others, but by the very worlds they attempted to build.
This was the cold reality!
When World Masters dutifully cultivated another's technique, their progress might be a bit slower, but the risk was undeniably far lower.
Constructing one's own world?
That was fraught with peril at every step.
One never knew when the world might collapse.
Lu Changsheng understood all of this clearly.
Even so, he did not waver in the slightest.
Thus, Lu Changsheng began to refine his framework.
First was the Mortal Realm.
The Mortal Realm needed life to be born,
particularly lifeforms capable of cultivation.
This process naturally could not happen entirely on its own.
It required Lu Changsheng to give it a push, to actively intervene.
The race he chose was naturally the human race.
After all, he was human himself.
With that in mind, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer.
To birth life and develop the world further, once the framework was set, the world needed to expand.
In reality, this required the replenishment of source crystals.
Every time the world expanded, it underwent a metamorphosis.
For Lu Changsheng's current True Realm, roughly a hundred source crystals were needed for a single expansion.
Presently, Lu Changsheng possessed one thousand and fifteen source crystals.
This was enough to expand the True Realm many times over.
"Let us begin."
Lu Changsheng promptly took out one hundred source crystals. With a sweep of his True Realm, he instantly drew all hundred into the realm.
*Rumble!*
As the hundred source crystals were swept into the True Realm, the world immediately began to tremble.
Strands of Great Daos flickered into sight.
The entire True Realm churned like boiling water.
However, the Realm-Stabilizing Pearl manifested at the right moment; no matter how violent the tremors became, they could not shake the foundation of the True Realm.
Every expansion was a metamorphosis.
And for this expansion, Lu Changsheng's objective was the birth of life.
Lu Changsheng held absolute control over his True Realm.
Therefore, he directed the focus of this expansion toward the Great Dao of Life.
Empowered by the Great Dao of Life, lifeforms gradually began to appear.
Several mighty innate fiendgods were born,
alongside innate divine beasts.
More importantly, innate humans were also born.
Within the True Realm, the innate fiendgods and innate divine beasts reigned as overlords,
while the human race was exceedingly frail.
Their sole advantage was their ability to learn, and to learn rapidly.
Humanity's survival hung by a thread.
There was a reason for this arrangement.
Drawing upon the myriad myths in Lu Changsheng's memories,
almost every story began the same way:
humanity was weak at its inception.
In truth, this was only natural.
Only the weak yearned for strength.
Only those living precarious lives would fight desperately for survival.
Only by braving hardships and blazing new trails could they step out of adversity.
The expansion lasted for an entire century!
Yes, a century.
This meant Lu Changsheng remained in seclusion for a hundred years.
A century also passed within the True Realm, witnessing the rise of innate fiendgods, innate divine beasts, and innate humans.
Frail of body, humanity could only survive cautiously beneath the looming threat of the fiendgods and divine beasts.
In truth, Lu Changsheng could manipulate the flow of time within the True Realm.
He could speed it up or slow it down.
However, there was a condition:
it required consuming the True Realm's own power.
And once that power was spent, it had to be replenished with source crystals.
Thus, everything ultimately came down to source crystals.
Lu Changsheng temporarily sped up time tenfold, making one outside year equivalent to a thousand years within the True Realm. That way, it would only consume ten source crystals each year.
Lu Changsheng could still sustain that.
If he accelerated time within the True Realm by a hundredfold, it would consume at least a hundred source crystals per year.
A hundredfold speed was indeed ideal,
but for now, Lu Changsheng had to retain some source crystals for emergencies.
Once he acquired more source crystals in the future, he could accelerate the True Realm's time further.
Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel to inspect his current condition.
**Host:** Lu Changsheng
**Comprehension:** Top-Tier Comprehension
**World Master:** First Realm
**True Realm:** 1% (One Expansion)
Lu Changsheng saw that on the attribute panel, the progress of the True Realm had reached 1%.
This progress was merely the beginning.
Yet it was of vital importance.
It signified going from zero to one.
Given enough time for the True Realm to develop on its own, it could potentially reach 2%, 3%, or even more.
If it could expand again, it would undoubtedly progress much further.
Lu Changsheng glanced at the source crystals in his hand.
He had nine hundred and fifteen source crystals remaining.
He could continue expanding.
Then what was he waiting for?
Wasn't expanding far more effective than merely accelerating time?
"Continue."
With that, Lu Changsheng channeled another hundred source crystals into the realm.
Before long, the True Realm began its second expansion.
During this second expansion, the innate fiendgods and innate divine beasts clashed violently across the True Realm, battling fiercely for territory.
Humanity's plight grew perilous.
Innumerable humans suffered heavy casualties, yet several exceptionally powerful individuals observed the innate divine beasts and fiendgods, creating cultivation methods and gradually growing in strength.
Then came the third expansion, the fourth expansion, the fifth expansion...
Lu Changsheng initiated expansion after expansion, halting only after completing ten expansions in total.
The ten expansions took a full century.
After ten expansions, Lu Changsheng was left with a mere fifteen source crystals.
"I cannot continue expanding. I'm out of source crystals..."
Lu Changsheng shook his head.
In just a hundred years, his source crystals were completely exhausted.
It seemed he had to find a way to earn more source crystals.
Lu Changsheng brought up the attribute panel once more.
**Host:** Lu Changsheng
**Comprehension:** Top-Tier Comprehension
**World Master:** First Realm
**True Realm:** 5% (Ten Expansions)
Seeing this, an awkward expression crossed Lu Changsheng's face.
After ten expansions, the True Realm's progress was merely 5%. What did this mean?
It meant that despite ten expansions, the True Realm had not advanced much.
Lu Changsheng had reaped meager gains as well.
His strength had hardly increased.
Had something gone wrong with his cultivation?
Not at all.
The reason Lu Changsheng did not panic was that he knew the cause.
Life was now abundant within the True Realm.
Ten expansions had caused the population of living beings to surge uncontrollably.
There were now so many living creatures that they populated almost every corner of the True Realm.
However, the rulers remained the innate fiendgods and innate divine beasts.
The innate divine beasts, in particular, had spawned numerous beasts carrying divine beast bloodlines. Vast in number, they gradually gained the upper hand in their struggle against the innate fiendgods, seizing the advantage.
Lu Changsheng knew that the designated protagonists of his True Realm were actually humanity.
Yet right now, humans remained frail.
Although numerous and possessing cultivators, their overall strength paled in comparison to the innate divine beasts and innate fiendgods.
This was the precise reason his True Realm had made little progress.
Once humanity rose to become the rulers of the True Realm, Lu Changsheng's True Realm progress would surge.
And that day was fast approaching.
When cultivating a world, a World Master could not intervene directly.
They could provide indirect assistance or nudge the world's momentum, but direct intervention was forbidden.
Therefore, if humanity wished to become the masters of the True Realm, they had to rely on themselves.
Lu Changsheng already saw hope.
The innate divine beasts held the advantage, while the innate fiendgods gradually fell behind.
The reason was that the descendants of the divine beasts were exceedingly numerous,
whereas the fiendgods were few in number.
The innate fiendgods had already devised a strategy: win over the human race.
And to win over humanity, they had to offer benefits.
The innate fiendgods began cooperating with the humans.
To humanity, this was an immense boon.
Lu Changsheng believed that with a few more expansions, human strength would soar, and the day they became the rulers of the True Realm was just around the corner!
Unfortunately, with no source crystals left to fuel further expansions, Lu Changsheng had no choice but to stop.
*Wait. A single session of cultivation took me a century. According to the agreement with the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce, I must repay one hundred source crystals every year. Doesn't that mean I owe another ten thousand source crystals now?*
*What's more, that counts as defaulting, which incurs penalty fees. Accumulated over time...*
Lu Changsheng frowned.
It all came down to source crystals.
It seemed he truly had to find a way to earn source crystals this time—
and in vast quantities at that.
Otherwise, a single cultivation session of a hundred years would rack up a mountain of penalty fees.
Thinking up to this point, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer and exited the quiet room.
"Changsheng, you're finally out of seclusion."
The moment Lu Changsheng stepped out, he saw Lin Qingluan.
Lin Qingluan's cultivation had concluded long ago.
"Qingluan, how did your cultivation go?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Fairly smoothly. But cultivating this method is too slow, and it requires high comprehension."
"In truth, one still needs external aids. Certain treasures can deepen one's resonance with the Great Dao, but when I looked into it, those treasures were all exorbitantly priced. Because of that, I've spent the past several decades trying to earn source crystals."
"Unfortunately, as an ordinary Transcendent, I cannot earn very much..."
Lin Qingluan shook her head.
In several decades, she had earned barely over a hundred source crystals.
Such was the reality for ordinary Transcendents.
Source crystals were hard to come by.
"Qingluan, I've ended my seclusion as well. Right now, I need to pay a visit to the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce. I'll likely take on cargo transport missions for a concentrated period to earn source crystals."
"Don't worry, I'll see if the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce has any tasks suitable for you."
Lu Changsheng comforted Lin Qingluan.
After chatting a while longer, Lu Changsheng rose, left the cave dwelling, and hurried toward the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce.
Chapter 499