Inside a VIP lounge at the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce, Shopkeeper Zhou Yang received Lu Changsheng with a warm, beaming smile.
"World Master Lu, did you gain anything from your century of seclusion?" Zhou Yang asked.
"A little," Lu Changsheng replied, shaking his head with a wry smile. "However, delaying for a whole century means... I now owe the chamber another ten thousand source crystals for that time."
He was currently saddled with debt, a burden that was far from light even for a World Master.
"It is merely ten thousand source crystals," Zhou Yang said. "Though to be precise, it will likely be a bit more than that once late penalties are factored in. In truth, many missions required a World Master's hand, but knowing you were in secluded cultivation, we chose not to disturb you. As it stands, you now owe an additional twelve thousand source crystals."
Lu Changsheng knew that two thousand of that was the penalty fee.
In reality, this was already quite reasonable—amounting to just twenty percent.
The Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce truly treated World Masters with immense generosity and good faith.
Naturally, the fundamental reason was that World Masters were exceedingly rare and invaluable. Even the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce was unwilling to antagonize one.
"Are there any missions available now?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Indeed there are. In fact, there are quite many. World Master Lu, you need only check your identity token to see the details."
Lu Changsheng nodded.
Looking into it, he indeed saw a vast list of assignments.
They spanned the Liuguang Plane, the Chaos Plane, the Heixia Plane, and others—all planes located in the vicinity of the Liuguang Plane.
There were plenty of opportunities to earn money, though none offered particularly large one-off payouts. Even so, accumulating them bit by bit would amount to a substantial sum.
"Very well. If any higher-paying missions appear, please give me advance notice, Shopkeeper Zhou," Lu Changsheng said.
"Of course," Zhou Yang agreed with a nod.
Building a good relationship with Lu Changsheng was bound to yield benefits. After all, the assignments had to be given to someone anyway; offering Lu Changsheng a favor was only natural.
And so, Lu Changsheng began taking on missions.
Most paid twenty or thirty source crystals, with very few offering more than fifty.
One, two, three, four, five...
Time flew by.
During this period, Lu Changsheng threw himself into completing missions with frantic abandon, scarcely pausing to rest.
Though each trip yielded only twenty or thirty source crystals, the sheer volume made up for it.
Lu Changsheng completed over a dozen consecutive runs, taking very little time since each journey lasted only a few days at most. In just over forty days—a little more than a month—he had already accumulated nearly four hundred source crystals.
Coupled with the fifteen source crystals he had kept from before, Lu Changsheng now had four hundred and fifty source crystals.
Still, it was not enough. It fell far short of twelve thousand source crystals.
Yet after taking on more than a dozen missions in a single month, Lu Changsheng had single-handedly cleared out every assignment available in the surrounding planes.
"None left?" Lu Changsheng muttered, rather dissatisfied.
Even though earning four hundred source crystals in this short span was vastly more efficient than Lin Qingluan spending decades just to obtain a hundred, this was simply what it meant to be a World Master. Their speed at earning source crystals was astonishingly fast.
Even so, with "massive debts" hanging over his head, this meager return was nowhere near enough to satisfy him.
"This will not do. The Liuguang Plane is still too small, and the missions are too sparse. Even if I want to keep running missions, where am I going to find them?"
Lu Changsheng shook his head. Finding himself idle over the past few days, he returned to the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce and sought out Shopkeeper Zhou Yang.
"Shopkeeper Zhou, all the chamber's branches in the neighboring planes have run out of missions lately. If this continues, who knows when I will finally clear my debt? What is more, I also need source crystals for my own cultivation. Do you have any suggestions?"
Having interacted frequently with Zhou Yang during this time, Lu Changsheng had grown quite familiar with him.
Zhou Yang had also learned of Lu Changsheng's background. He knew Lu Changsheng was remarkably young—unimaginably young for a World Master. That meant his future was boundless; at the very least, he held the potential to become a second-realm World Master.
Once one ascended to the second realm, their status would skyrocket, turning them into a prominent figure across the entire Great Universe.
Vast as the Great Universe was and teeming with Transcendent beings as numerous as ox hairs, those capable of reaching the second realm were exceedingly few. Second-realm World Masters were rarer still.
"Daoist Lu, why not go to headquarters?" Zhou Yang suggested. "In truth, very few World Masters linger at remote branches; most head straight to headquarters. At the chamber's headquarters, the transport missions are simply endless. There is almost never enough World Master personnel to handle them all. As long as you are willing to go, headquarters will welcome you with open arms. Moreover, headquarters is extremely safe—a true sacred ground for cultivation. There are even many other World Masters like yourself there."
Lu Changsheng's heart stirred.
Headquarters?
That was indeed an option.
In fact, the reason Lu Changsheng had temporarily settled on the Liuguang Plane was its close proximity to the Chaos Plane, which allowed him to look after things if anything arose there.
Yet on second thought, distance was hardly an obstacle for a World Master. Even stationed at the chamber's headquarters, he could rush back to the Chaos Plane at top speed should anything occur, taking very little time—perhaps several days, or a month at most.
Lu Changsheng had personally experienced just how fast a World Master could travel.
"How long would it take to travel from headquarters to the Liuguang Plane or the Chaos Plane?" Lu Changsheng asked.
Zhou Yang naturally understood he was asking about travel time at a World Master's pace.
"Headquarters is situated on the Eternal Light Plane, quite far from both the Chaos Plane and the Liuguang Plane. At your travel speed, World Master Lu, it would take about half a month to arrive."
Lu Changsheng weighed this in his mind. For it to require half a month even for a World Master meant the distance was indeed vast. Had it been an ordinary Transcendent flying slowly across the Great Universe, reaching the Eternal Light Plane might take centuries or even millennia.
"I will consider it. Thank you for the recommendation, Shopkeeper Zhou."
"Think nothing of it. You have a magnificent future ahead, World Master Lu; perhaps I will be relying on your favor down the line."
Zhou Yang escorted Lu Changsheng out. He was fairly certain Lu Changsheng would make the trip to headquarters. After all, a figure with such boundless prospects could never remain cooped up in a tiny place like the Liuguang Plane. Neither the Liuguang Plane nor the Chaos Plane could ever hold him.
Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling.
"Qingluan, I spoke with Shopkeeper Zhou today, and he recommended that I head to the chamber's headquarters..."
Finding Lin Qingluan, Lu Changsheng recounted everything that had transpired. The two of them were already true Dao companions who shared everything; regarding a major decision like this, he naturally wished to consult her.
Lin Qingluan smiled. "Changsheng, since I cannot return to the Tianyuan Holy Sect for now, anywhere is the same to me—be it the Liuguang Plane or the chamber's headquarters. Cultivation comes before all else!"
Lu Changsheng nodded. Lin Qingluan was indeed deeply understanding.
In truth, to Lin Qingluan, there was little difference between the Liuguang Plane and the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce's headquarters, given that she could not return to the Dark Domain anyway.
"Rest assured, once we reach the Eternal Light Plane, my speed at earning source crystals will increase drastically. I will surely reach the peak of the first realm soon, perhaps even the second realm. When that time comes, withstanding the Dark Domain's backlash will be trivial, and you will be able to return whenever you wish," Lu Changsheng reassured her once more.
Afterward, the two packed their belongings.
In truth, there was little to pack. Even their cave dwelling was merely rented. Upon terminating the lease, they were refunded four source crystals, while the remaining one was non-refundable. That left Lu Changsheng with four hundred and nineteen source crystals—more than enough to settle down on the Eternal Light Plane.
With that, Lu Changsheng mobilized his True Realm. Escorting Lin Qingluan to the Eternal Light Plane was far safer with his true body. In the worst case, once she was settled, he could always return his True Realm to its previous location.
The journey via the True Realm passed without incident. Just as expected, it took roughly half a month before Lu Changsheng arrived at the Eternal Light Plane.
His True Realm emerged from the Boundary Sea and descended upon the plane.
The moment he entered, Lu Changsheng was greeted by the sight of densely packed Transcendent beings—an almost countless multitude.
This was only natural. While other planes might possess a limited number of Transcendents, the Eternal Light Plane was different: it housed the headquarters of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce.
Countless cultivators flocked here, knowing that the chamber's headquarters offered infinite resources. Those closest to the source were naturally first to receive word whenever rare treasures surfaced.
The only prerequisite was having enough source crystals.
This principle was laid bare across the Eternal Light Plane, which was, after all, a realm centered entirely on commerce.
Lu Changsheng and Lin Qingluan proceeded directly to the City of Eternal Light, the site of the chamber's headquarters and the heart of the entire plane.
Lu Changsheng rented a cave dwelling at a jaw-dropping price: a full fifty source crystals for a century's lease. Leases were typically measured in centuries. On the Liuguang Plane, renting a cave dwelling cost five source crystals per century; here in the City of Eternal Light, the price was tenfold!
No wonder people said that without source crystals, taking a single step in the City of Eternal Light was difficult. Even the cost of lodging was astronomical.
After all, the city gathered a vast portion of all the Transcendents in the Great Universe. Even second-realm mighty figures were far from rare, and rumors claimed that third-realm Sovereigns occasionally took up residence here.
However, the third realm was still far too distant from Lu Changsheng.
In truth, a Transcendent was already a prominent figure within the wider Great Universe, representing the absolute pinnacle of their respective plane. It was only because the Great Universe was so boundless and contained so many planes that Transcendents appeared so numerous. Even then, that only applied to the first realm.
Second-realm powerhouses were an entirely different matter. In the Great Universe, they were revered as "mighty figures" capable of establishing sects and being venerated as patriarchs.
As for the third realm, they were great beings hailed as "Sovereigns"—the absolute zenith of the Great Universe, terrifying figures who could truly summon the wind and command the rain. It was said that the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce was backed by Sovereigns, and more than one at that. That was the fundamental reason why the chamber's business spanned the entirety of the Great Universe.
After securing the cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng visited the chamber's headquarters. As an internal member, he held access to many areas and even encountered and conversed with several other World Masters.
Opening his identity token to inspect the missions, he found an inexhaustible sea of listings. Even if one did nothing else but accept missions day in and day out, it would be impossible for a single person to finish them all in a year.
Lu Changsheng did not accept any assignments right away. Instead, he spent several months observing and familiarizing himself with the City of Eternal Light before finally taking on a transport mission.
"Transporting goods from the City of Eternal Light to the Tiangang Plane pays fifty source crystals. Not bad. The pay is relatively high because of the distance."
Lu Changsheng accepted the Tiangang Plane mission; fifty source crystals was respectable compensation.
He set out, deploying an avatar containing only a fraction of his True Realm's power. Such strength would be helpless against serious trouble, but it was more than sufficient to haul cargo and navigate the Boundary Sea unimpeded.
This time, it took Lu Changsheng ten full days to reach the Tiangang Plane. He delivered the cargo smoothly and received his payment of fifty source crystals.
"Quite straightforward," Lu Changsheng remarked, thoroughly satisfied.
Spurred on by success, he threw himself into a relentless transport career.
In truth, there were many World Masters like him, not just in the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce, but in other commercial bodies as well. Without furiously grinding transport assignments, where else would they obtain so many source crystals?
However, one still had to be wary of being targeted. If targeted and cargo was lost, the transporter had to pay compensation out of their own pocket, potentially wiping out many days of hard labor.
Day after day passed.
As Lu Changsheng grew increasingly familiar with the paths through the Boundary Sea, his transport efficiency rose steadily. He could earn around one hundred and twenty source crystals a month, amounting to roughly fifteen hundred a year.
This was an immense fortune. In the vast Great Universe, a World Master's income was solidly among the highest brackets, placing them firmly within the wealthy class.
One year, five years, ten years, twenty years...
In the blink of an eye, Lu Changsheng had spent fifty years in the City of Eternal Light.
Throughout these fifty years, he had barely cultivated, devoting himself entirely to transport missions to accumulate source crystals. In total, he had earned roughly seven hundred and fifty thousand source crystals.
With that, Lu Changsheng completely cleared his debts, which had reached two hundred and two thousand source crystals. Factoring in daily expenses, he still had over five hundred thousand source crystals remaining.
This was a genuine fortune. Lu Changsheng resolved that after a few more runs, he would take a break and focus entirely on cultivation. Over five hundred thousand source crystals was more than enough to sustain his training for a long time, even when sharing with Lin Qingluan.
On this particular day, Lu Changsheng set out as usual to deliver goods to the Senyun Plane.
The compensation for this trip was quite handsome: a full one hundred source crystals. The journey alone had taken him over half a month.
"Arrived."
Lu Changsheng checked the coordinates; this was the spot. It was his first time visiting the Senyun Plane, but with the coordinates in hand, navigating presented no issue.
After all, planes in the vast Great Universe were practically endless. Forget fifty years—even in fifty thousand years or five epochs, one could never hope to visit every single plane.
Lu Changsheng's avatar exited the Boundary Sea and began descending toward the Senyun Plane below.
Everything went smoothly until a streak of golden light suddenly flashed.
Immediately following it, Lu Changsheng saw a golden giant towering between heaven and earth, straddling the void. An immense golden hand reached down, clawing savagely toward him.
"Not good! A marauder cultivator!"
Lu Changsheng's expression shifted violently. He moved to retreat back into the Boundary Sea, the only place where he would be safe. The golden figure was evidently not a World Master and could not enter the Boundary Sea.
As for meeting it head-on? This was merely an avatar; how could it clash with such might?
However, the assailant had prepared well in advance, striking with deliberate malice against an unsuspecting target. Just as Lu Changsheng tried to withdraw into the Boundary Sea, golden light pierced straight through his body.
*Pfft!*
In the next instant, Lu Changsheng's avatar was completely obliterated in the golden glare.
Whatever happened next, Lu Changsheng could no longer see.
*Whoosh.*
Lu Changsheng's true body opened its eyes.
The moment his avatar was ambushed, his true body had sensed it. Yet he did not move, knowing it was pointless. The distance was too great; rushing over would take at least ten-odd days, by which time the marauders would be long gone.
Lu Changsheng's face darkened.
From the moment his avatar exited the Boundary Sea to the attack and its destruction, barely three breaths had elapsed. The actual strike took only a split second. It had clearly been a premeditated ambush.
"Did the information leak?"
"They were lying in wait outside the Senyun Plane specifically for me. How did the information get out?"
Lu Changsheng frowned deeply.
Regardless, he had to go see for himself. Even though the culprits were likely long gone, he could not rest easy without inspecting the scene in person.
Thus, Lu Changsheng's true body set off toward the Senyun Plane. About twenty days later, he reached the destination and descended just outside the plane's borders.
"It happened right here!"
Lu Changsheng unfolded his True Realm, seeking any trace or clue. Unfortunately, over twenty days had passed, leaving no residue whatsoever. Despite an exhaustive search inside and out, he found nothing.
"Where could the information have leaked?"
Lu Changsheng gazed toward the Senyun Plane.
In truth, only the chamber's headquarters knew he had accepted this mission; even the local branch on the Senyun Plane had not been notified. That left only one possible source for the leak: the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce's headquarters itself!
Yet how could headquarters leak information? Anyone capable of extracting secrets from headquarters would not be mere first-realm marauders.
Unable to make sense of the riddle, Lu Changsheng could only return to the Boundary Sea.
"This is trouble."
"According to the chamber's rules, whenever cargo is lost, the transporting World Master must pay a tenfold penalty. The fee for this trip was one hundred source crystals, making the penalty one thousand."
"One thousand source crystals is manageable, but the critical part is reimbursing the cargo at full value. This shipment was worth thirty thousand source crystals."
"All told, I have lost thirty-one thousand source crystals on this single trip!"
Lu Changsheng's face was grim. Thirty-one thousand source crystals—a hard year's work only earned him fifteen thousand. This single disaster wiped out two entire years of labor.
To have slaved away for two years in vain naturally infuriated him. Worse still, unless he uncovered how the information had leaked, he could no longer take on transport jobs. If he was targeted and ambushed again, his losses would be even greater.
"I should return to the City of Eternal Light first and report this to headquarters, to see if they have any way of tracking down those marauders."
Lu Changsheng let out a long sigh.
For now, this was all he could do. Daring to rob the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce's cargo was an open provocation against the chamber itself; they would certainly not sit idly by. Having the chamber step in to investigate would grant him far greater peace of mind.
Returning to the City of Eternal Light, Lu Changsheng reported the incident to headquarters.
"What? The cargo was raided?"
The headquarters staff expressed mild surprise upon hearing the news, but nothing more. They quickly regained their composure. Lost shipments were hardly unprecedented; many World Masters had experienced robberies before, stemming from all manner of causes.
First, however, the compensation had to be paid.
With a dark expression throughout, Lu Changsheng paid out a full thirty-one thousand source crystals.
"World Master Lu, your report has been logged. Headquarters will initiate an investigation and notify you as soon as there are any findings."
Lu Changsheng nodded. He could only wait for news now.
Returning to his cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng shared what had happened with Lin Qingluan.
Lin Qingluan remained quiet for a moment before saying, "Changsheng, you have spent these past fifty years constantly grinding missions for source crystals. You were long overdue for a rest."
"Having this happen now is not entirely a bad thing. At least it forces you to pause and cultivate in peace for a while. Cultivation is the true foundation, after all!"
"If your strength were formidable enough, even an avatar would not be so easily annihilated. And as a World Master, so long as you can hold out for a brief moment, you can retreat into the Boundary Sea, preventing the cargo from ever being seized."
Lu Changsheng remained silent.
Lin Qingluan was right. He had never forgotten that cultivation was his foundation; he had simply grown somewhat complacent. Since becoming a World Master and having the towering tree of the Eternal Light Chamber of Commerce to lean on, he had encountered virtually no danger. Even if trouble arose, it posed no threat to his life—the saying that a World Master was unkillable was no mere boast. Over time, that security had bred laxity.
Yet this encounter with the marauders served as a quiet reminder: so-called safety was merely superficial. Even as a World Master, he could not rest on his laurels.
Today it was an ambush in the Great Universe. What if it had been another World Master ambushing him inside the Boundary Sea? Dying there meant true death, with no chance of revival.
Cultivation was the root of everything!
"I understand," Lu Changsheng said, nodding. "I will leave the investigation to the chamber while I focus on secluded cultivation."
Even after paying thirty-one thousand source crystals, he still possessed five hundred thousand—more than enough to support deep cultivation.
Lu Changsheng entered his meditation chamber, his mind settling into absolute tranquility.
"Let us begin."
Lu Changsheng withdrew a hundred source crystals.
With that, the True Realm began its expansion.
Once, twice, three times, four times, five times...
During his previous session, ten expansions had brought the True Realm's progress to a mere five percent. However, it had already been verging on a transformation.
This time, after merely six expansions, Lu Changsheng sensed something unusual.
Within the True Realm, a great war erupted between the innate fiendgods and the innate divine beasts. The human race was drawn in by the fiendgods, joining this protracted conflict that plunged the entire True Realm into endless strife.
In the end, the innate fiendgods were virtually wiped out, and the innate divine beasts were reduced to a scattered few clinging to survival.
Conversely, humanity rose.
Though human casualties had been severe, their sheer numbers allowed them to recover first. Without the fiendgods and divine beasts monopolizing the realm's resources, the wealth available to humanity multiplied vastly. Fuelled by these resources, cultivation geniuses erupted in unprecedented numbers, ushering in a golden age of human cultivation.
Prodigy after prodigy emerged. Powerful figures rivaling the innate fiendgods and divine beasts arose among mankind, firmly securing humanity's hegemony over the realm.
*Whoosh.*
Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, a faint smile playing across his lips.
"Humanity has finally become the dominant race..."
He immediately checked his attribute panel:
Host: Lu Changsheng
Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension
World Master: First Realm
True Realm: 20% (Sixteen Expansions)
Sure enough, on the panel, his True Realm progress had jumped from five percent to twenty percent—a direct surge of fifteen percent, all because humanity had established its dominion.
Along with this massive leap in his True Realm, Lu Changsheng's own power grew swiftly.
Such was the nature of a World Master: whenever their world underwent a transformation, their personal strength experienced an earth-shattering shift.
Even so, Lu Changsheng did not halt his cultivation.
Humanity's rise was merely the beginning. He knew full well that for the True Realm to undergo a complete qualitative leap and allow him to ascend to the second realm, it had to become a complete, structured world.
"Currently, the True Realm consists only of the Mortal Realm; the overall framework has barely begun."
"Now that humanity holds dominion, the next focus must be opening the Spirit Realm."
Lu Changsheng had long formulated a plan. The Spirit Realm had to be forged first. Otherwise, once human powerhouses reached the limits of the Mortal Realm and sought to ascend, finding no place to go—or ascending into a desolate void—would be an utter farce.
The Spirit Realm had to be opened, and its gestation completed as swiftly as possible.
In truth, Lu Changsheng eagerly anticipated its creation. He knew that birthing a Spirit Realm would grant a massive, qualitative leap to his own strength, effectively adding the full might of an entire new realm to his arsenal.
Furthermore, as the Mortal Realm grew increasingly prosperous and the Spirit Realm developed alongside it, his foundation would multiply. A World Master's power stemmed entirely from their world; the stronger the world, the stronger the master. When the combined might of both the Mortal and Spirit Realms erupted together, what terrifying height would his strength reach?
"Continue."
With a thought, Lu Changsheng spurred the True Realm into further expansion.
Countless source crystals flooded into the True Realm, providing a continuous stream of energy to drive the process.
Once, three times, five times, ten times, thirteen times, eighteen times...
At last, the True Realm expanded a full eighteen more times.
*Rumble!*
The True Realm shuddered violently.
The vast realm expanded frantically as its original structure shattered, paving the way for an entirely new world framework to be born!
Chapter 500