Inside the cave dwelling, the atmosphere grew tense, nearly freezing solid.
The entire place fell dead silent in an instant.
The Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp!
This was a supreme treasure that even the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce was determined to retrieve at all costs. How could they possibly abandon it over a single word from Lu Changsheng?
Yet Tong Tianlin's ploy had clearly failed. One million source crystals were not enough to sway Lu Changsheng.
Tong Tianlin's expression gradually chilled. "Fellow Daoist Lu, I know you are a disciple of Mount Feilong and a Sovereign's personal disciple. But the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp is of immense importance. His Majesty, the Sovereign of our Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce, has personally looked into this matter and instructed us to retrieve it by any means! If you insist on claiming the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp for yourself, that will make you an enemy of the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce!"
Tong Tianlin no longer maintained a pleasant facade.
Fang Chuan sneered. "Tong Tianlin, your Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce may possess vast wealth and great influence, but do you truly think our Mount Feilong fears you?"
Fang Chuan was not afraid of Tong Tianlin in the least. Nor did Tong Tianlin dare resort to covert, underhanded methods. No matter how secret the scheme, if a Third Realm Sovereign were to divine it, everything would be laid bare down to the finest detail.
"Show our guest out," Lu Changsheng said indifferently.
He could no longer be bothered to speak with Tong Tianlin. There was no point.
Tong Tianlin gave Lu Changsheng a deep, lingering look. Saying nothing more, he left the cave dwelling with a frosty expression.
Watching Tong Tianlin depart, Fang Chuan frowned deeply. "Junior Brother Lu, the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce has indeed tracked you down, and this has even alerted a Third Realm Sovereign. In the dark, the Chamber certainly won't dare make a move against you. But out in the open, they probably won't let the matter rest. Especially since you still have to defend the ring—if they approach it from that angle, you might be in for some trouble," Fang Chuan said in a heavy voice.
This was only natural. The Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce possessed plenty of means to arrange for top experts to challenge Lu Changsheng.
Yet Lu Changsheng felt no fear.
"No matter. Since I've entered the Summit of the Universe, I naturally intend to test myself against the very best among my peers. If I lose, it only proves I am still lacking and wouldn't get very far in the Summit of the Universe anyway. Besides, what if I do lose? The Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce still won't get their hands on the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp!" Lu Changsheng said coldly.
Now that he knew the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce was involved, he naturally would not carry the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp on his person inside his True Realm.
"Junior Brother Lu, be careful. If the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp isn't kept within your world, the Chamber will have ways to seize it at any moment. Do not underestimate their methods."
Lu Changsheng nodded. "In that case, let them come at me. If they can defeat me head-on, they can have the lamp back!"
A surge of towering pride rose in Lu Changsheng's heart. The stronger his opponents, the more immense his fortune would become upon victory. That was a good thing!
As for losing? If he lost, so be it. At worst, he would lose the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp. It wasn't as though he could actually die here in the Great Universe. While the lamp was undoubtedly vital, he could still cultivate without it.
Fang Chuan nodded and said no more. Lu Changsheng understood everything clearly. From here on, it was entirely up to Lu Changsheng himself.
Day after day slipped by.
The Transcendent challenging Lu Changsheng finally appeared: Transcendent Leng Jiankong.
He was likewise a Transcendent who tempered a Great Dao, and what he tempered was the Sword Dao.
However, Leng Jiankong was exceptionally formidable. He had also fought his way up from the bottom preliminaries step by step, yet he was far more dominant than Mo Wen had been. Not a single person who had fought Leng Jiankong had ever withstood more than a single sword strike. Nearly all of them had been slain in one blow. Leng Jiankong only ever struck once.
Of course, whether Leng Jiankong was only capable of unleashing one sword strike remained an open question. After all, to this day, no one had survived his first strike.
"Junior Brother Lu, this Leng Jiankong is truly extraordinary. The Summit of the Universe is building anticipation right now, and there is still a month to go. I will gather detailed intelligence on him for you as soon as possible."
"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Fang."
Fang Chuan truly put his heart and soul into his logistical support for Lu Changsheng. A dignified Second Realm mighty figure, yet here he was handling trivial chores for Lu Changsheng at the Summit of the Universe. Of course, this had surely been instructed by Sovereign Feilong. Even so, Lu Changsheng was deeply grateful to Fang Chuan.
"Haha, you're winning honor for Mount Feilong. What do these little errands matter?" Fang Chuan smiled faintly, then set off to gather detailed information on Leng Jiankong.
Seven days later, Fang Chuan returned to the cave dwelling with a solemn expression. It had taken him seven days to compile a comprehensive profile on Leng Jiankong, but from the look of things, the situation was far from optimistic.
"Junior Brother Lu, this Leng Jiankong is no ordinary figure..."
With that, Fang Chuan shared the information on Leng Jiankong.
Leng Jiankong was the sole Transcendent to emerge from a minor plane, virtually acting as that plane's guardian. Ever since childhood, he had loved swordsmanship and subsequently embarked upon the Sword Dao. Titles such as Sword Saint and Sword God had followed him since his youth.
Upon arriving in the Great Universe, Leng Jiankong not only did not slow down, but his accomplishments in the Sword Dao grew even greater. With a single sword, he had once wiped out ten plunderer organizations. Even organizations stronger than the Blood Oath Alliance had been utterly slaughtered by him alone with his sword.
The deeper he was in battle and slaughter, the more crazed and obsessed he became. Many of his breakthroughs in the Sword Dao had occurred amidst combat, on the brink of life and death. He seemed born purely for the Sword Dao.
Leng Jiankong's purpose in coming to the Summit of the Universe was remarkably pure—neither for source crystals nor for fortune. He was "testing his sword." This was an exceedingly ancient method, a unique practice belonging to those who tempered a Great Dao. If he tested his sword against all under heaven without a single defeat, his heart and mind would attain perfection, and his Great Dao would likewise achieve completion. When that time came, he could even advance to the Second Realm via the Sword Dao.
"Testing his sword against all under heaven... Only at the Summit of the Universe could one encounter someone like him..."
"Junior Brother Lu, to be blunt, this Leng Jiankong likely possesses Overlord-tier strength. He is not to be underestimated."
Lu Changsheng nodded. Reviewing Leng Jiankong's detailed records, he could naturally see that Leng Jiankong was no easy opponent. Testing his sword against all under heaven? That was easier said than done. Over the years at the Summit of the Universe, what kind of genius had not appeared? Leng Jiankong was hardly the only one who had ever sought to test his sword against the world.
"By the way, does this Leng Jiankong have any connection to the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce?" Lu Changsheng asked suddenly. He couldn't truly put the Chamber out of his mind.
"You guessed right. The Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce did approach Leng Jiankong, and they certainly promised him something. As for whether Leng Jiankong accepted, I have no idea. But whether he is connected to the Chamber doesn't really matter. He chose to challenge you, so a victor must be decided between the two of you!"
Lu Changsheng nodded. Indeed, for Leng Jiankong, this was a matter of life and death. If Leng Jiankong died, he was truly dead. Lu Changsheng, on the other hand, was a World Master and could not die in the Great Universe.
Day after day passed. Lu Changsheng made no moves, quietly focusing on his cultivation inside the cave dwelling until the day of the arena match arrived.
After a month of hype, the betting odds for Lu Changsheng and Leng Jiankong were finally released. Leng Jiankong's performances had simply been too dazzling; his odds were lower than Lu Changsheng's. Lu Changsheng's payout odds were higher, reaching four to one, while Leng Jiankong's were merely two to one. This indicated that the major factions favored Leng Jiankong far more.
Yet this also gave Lu Changsheng an opportunity. Odds of four to one did not come easily. He placed his wager straight on himself, betting almost all of his one hundred and ten thousand source crystals on his own victory.
This was Lu Changsheng's second battle at the Summit of the Universe, and also his first ring defense match. This time, Lu Changsheng was the defending Vanguard rather than a challenger; the challenger was Leng Jiankong.
Having built anticipation for an entire month, this battle had drawn enormous popularity, and crowds packed the perimeter of the arena ring.
Lu Changsheng had high popularity to begin with—he had inherent buzz as a Sovereign's personal disciple, and in his previous match, despite being the underdog, he had defeated Mo Wen in an effortless victory. Many people hadn't even seen his full strength yet.
Meanwhile, Leng Jiankong's popularity had been forged entirely by his own sword, and it was even higher than Lu Changsheng's. Rising through the preliminaries, he had ended every single match with just one sword strike. Someone like that naturally commanded tremendous popularity. Many spectators wanted to see where his limit lay—would he ever need to draw a second sword strike?
Thus, all these factors made this match an object of massive attention, rivaling even some Overlord-tier duels.
"Everyone favors Leng Jiankong in this fight. Surely Lu Changsheng won't win again?"
"Never mind Mo Wen from last time, but Leng Jiankong is different—he's far stronger than Mo Wen. Even against Mo Wen, Leng Jiankong probably would have needed only one strike."
"Indeed. Leng Jiankong's Sword Dao is terrifying. I heard he came to the Summit of the Universe to test his sword against all under heaven. Anyone who dares to test their sword here, even if they ultimately fall short, possesses earth-shattering might. This Leng Jiankong likely possesses true Overlord-tier strength. Lu Changsheng is definitely no match for him."
"Lu Changsheng being challenged by Leng Jiankong this time can only be called his bad luck..."
Spectators buzzed with discussion. This time, almost no one believed in Lu Changsheng. The odds alone made that obvious: at four to one, his chances of winning were seen as slim.
Lu Changsheng stepped onto the arena ring first. Soon, Leng Jiankong appeared as well, clad in white robes, his expression cold and aloof.
Once both stood upon the ring, their surroundings instantly shifted. The battlefield transformed into an endless desert of yellow sand stretching beneath a swirling sky, the robes of both combatants fluttering in the wind.
Leng Jiankong did not attack immediately. Instead, he spoke: "I did not accept the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce's offer. This battle has nothing to do with them. It is simply that I sense you are strong. Since I am testing my sword against all under heaven, I seek out only the strongest!"
"Oh? You know I'm strong? Out of all these people, you're probably the only one who thinks so," Lu Changsheng replied calmly.
"There is no need to heed those vulgar minds. My sword heart tells me that you are strong—exceedingly strong. Among all the Vanguards, you are the strongest! That is why you are the first I chose to challenge. I hope you will display your full strength and show me just how formidable the strongest Vanguard truly is."
Leng Jiankong's words made Lu Changsheng realize that this was a true swordsman. Or perhaps, a sword lunatic! People like this often went by another name: Dao Seekers!
Every Dao Seeker pursued solely the Dao in their heart. No one could sway their conviction. A Dao Seeker possessed an unyielding, unbreakable will.
"I believe you," Lu Changsheng said mildly. "As for drawing out my full strength... that depends on whether your sword can push me that far."
A Dao Seeker was an opponent worthy of respect. Strictly speaking, not even Lu Changsheng was a Dao Seeker; he merely wanted to grow stronger and reach the apex of cultivation, without an obsession anywhere near as consuming as a true seeker's. Leng Jiankong was a Dao Seeker whose sole obsession was to sunder every obstacle on the path ahead with the sword in his hand!
"Sever," Leng Jiankong uttered, striking.
He went all out from the very first move. A sword light flared.
To Lu Changsheng, it seemed as if a colossal sword materialized in the void, sundering everything, cleaving all in its path with an unimaginable sharpness that felt capable of cutting through the very spirit.
This was the most powerful sword strike Lu Changsheng had encountered to date, suffused with Leng Jiankong's conviction—a belief that could cut down anything in existence!
Whoosh!
The blinding sword light struck Lu Changsheng's True Realm in an instant.
Within the True Realm, violent tremors rippled out. Just as the realm seemed on the verge of being torn open, a peerless world manifested. The appearance of this world seemed to suppress all instability, and the True Realm, which had teetered on collapse, became steady as a mountain.
The Lesser Thousand Realm! Lu Changsheng had brought forth the Lesser Thousand Realm.
The Lesser Thousand Realm encompassed countless Spiritual Realms, belonging to a higher tier of worlds and occupying a pivotal position within his True Realm. Lu Changsheng had never previously mobilized the power of the Lesser Thousand Realm, but now, facing Leng Jiankong's strike, he brought it to bear.
When the seemingly indestructible sword light met the Lesser Thousand Realm, it was like running into an impenetrable wall. No matter how sharp the sword light was, it proved futile against this barrier, scattering instantly without causing any significant wear on the True Realm.
Below the arena ring, however, countless cultivators were dumbstruck.
"Is that... a third-layer world?"
"A third layer within his inner world—just how far has Lu Changsheng's world developed?"
"What's more, this third-layer world is countless times more powerful than the second layer before it. With the third layer anchoring it, no matter how sharp Leng Jiankong's sword light is, it can't seem to shake Lu Changsheng's world at all."
"Just how many layers of worlds does Lu Changsheng have?"
Many stood slack-jawed. Unfamiliar with Lu Changsheng, their astonishment was natural. But even Fang Chuan and Lin Qingluan, who knew him well, were just as astonished.
Especially Fang Chuan. As a dignified Second Realm mighty figure with discerning eyes, he had known Lu Changsheng possessed many methods and hidden trump cards, but he had never known what they actually were. Now he did: inner worlds, three layers of inner worlds, each more formidable than the last.
Leng Jiankong was already extraordinarily powerful. That strike just now had unquestionably reached the Overlord tier—and stood among the stronger attacks even at the Overlord tier. Yet it still failed to sunder Lu Changsheng's three layers of worlds.
"You truly are strong!" Leng Jiankong said, appearing even more excited. "However, I have more than one sword strike."
In the next breath, sword after sword flashed, and in the blink of an eye, dozens upon hundreds of sword lights were unleashed. Yes, dozens upon hundreds. Just as many had underestimated Lu Changsheng, many had also underestimated Leng Jiankong.
If Leng Jiankong dared to test his sword against all under heaven, how could he be unprepared? In all his previous matches, he had won cleanly with a single strike, cutting down his opponents because none of them could even survive that first blow—not because he was limited to one strike.
In truth, Leng Jiankong had far more than one strike. He could unleash thousands, tens of thousands of sword beams of comparable caliber! This was no longer merely Overlord-tier power; this was King-tier power!
Who could have imagined that a challenger who wasn't even a Vanguard yet, challenging a sitting Vanguard, would erupt in a clash of terrifying, King-tier might?
In an instant, the crowd grew even more ecstatic.
"Hahaha, King-tier! That is definitely King-tier power!"
"Brilliant! Utterly brilliant! Leng Jiankong's boast of testing his sword against all under heaven is no empty talk, but Lu Changsheng is just as incredible. His three layers of worlds actually withstood Leng Jiankong's tempestuous onslaught!"
"Now we'll see who comes out on top!"
Tension gripped the spectators. The battle was fiercely contested at blinding speeds, radiant sword lights blazing continuously.
Unfortunately for Leng Jiankong, Lu Changsheng remained steady as Mount Tai. Though his True Realm shuddered, the onslaught did not exceed its tolerance limit, meaning it could withstand every blow.
'It seems the power of the Lesser Thousand Realm has already reached the King tier. And as for the Great Thousand Realm...' Lu Changsheng felt even more confident. He still had the Great Thousand Realm held in reserve, but now it seemed there was no need to reveal it.
For a World Master, so long as an opponent's attacks could not sunder his internal world, no amount of ferocity would do any good.
Rumble!
In the next instant, Lu Changsheng's True Realm erupted, sweeping directly toward Leng Jiankong.
Previously, Lu Changsheng's True Realm had focused entirely on defense. Once he realized Leng Jiankong had exhausted his methods and still could not breach the True Realm, Lu Changsheng naturally counterattacked. Once Leng Jiankong was swept inside the True Realm, he would be doomed beyond a doubt!
"I yield," Leng Jiankong called out immediately, leaping backward.
He had come to the Summit of the Universe to test his sword against the world. Now that he knew defeat was inevitable, what point was there in stubbornly holding out? He was a Dao Seeker, not a martyr looking to throw his life away. When death was certain and there was room to step back, why throw away his life?
Perhaps this defeat would strip away all the fortune he had accumulated.
Yet so what? Leng Jiankong had reached this point relying on the sword in his hand. As long as his sword remained, he had the chance to take another step forward. Moreover, through this battle, Leng Jiankong had already seen the shortcomings of his current Sword Dao. If he couldn't even tear open Lu Changsheng's world, how could he talk of cutting through all things?
Lu Changsheng halted as well. He believed Leng Jiankong when he said he had refused the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce, so there was no deep enmity between them. Since Leng Jiankong had conceded, Lu Changsheng naturally saw no need to press the attack. His primary goal was simply to defend the ring and win.
Buzz!
Both were teleported out of the arena battlefield. The victor had been decided.
At that moment, the arena's perimeter fell completely silent. No one cheered. Everyone stared at Lu Changsheng in stunned disbelief.
This time, opinion had been overwhelmingly against Lu Changsheng. Leng Jiankong had been too formidable, and his performance in this match had certainly not disappointed anyone, showcasing what amounted to King-tier power. And the result? He had still lost.
Lu Changsheng had hidden his depth far too well. Who could have imagined he possessed a third layer of worlds? This third layer elevated the strength of his world to rival King-tier power, so that even Leng Jiankong's razor-sharp sword aura could not breach it. For a World Master, as long as their world was not ruptured, they were virtually invincible. Leng Jiankong's defeat was no fluke.
"I've lost two bets in a row on Lu Changsheng..."
"As expected of a Sovereign's personal disciple—his strength is truly unfathomable. He appears utterly ordinary, but in reality, he is terrifyingly strong and rock-solid."
"If not even Leng Jiankong can beat him, then in the next few challenges, probably no one at the Vanguard tier will be Lu Changsheng's match..."
This battle introduced Lu Changsheng to an even wider audience. Likewise, this victory granted him a massive surge of fortune. Waves of tremendous fortune washed over him, and Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling almost immediately.
Back in his cave dwelling, Lu Changsheng set about assimilating the fortune. It took three full months before the fortune was completely absorbed. 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: 100% (115 expansions)
Soul: 12% (Incomplete)
Lu Changsheng's soul progress had jumped by a full 2 percent, whereas previously it had only increased by 1 percent. This pointed to only one conclusion: the impact of this battle had been massive.
After all, when a match at the Vanguard tier suddenly exploded with King-tier power, how could it fail to draw immense attention? Under these circumstances, Lu Changsheng's fortune had surged repeatedly, directly increasing his soul strength by 2 percent. This was truly an unexpected boon.
Lu Changsheng emerged from seclusion. Lin Qingluan immediately came to greet him. "Changsheng, this time you earned eighty thousand source crystals in prize money. And your bet of one hundred and ten thousand became four hundred and forty thousand. You now have a total of five hundred and twenty thousand source crystals."
Lin Qingluan handed all the source crystals over to Lu Changsheng. She had been managing these matters on his behalf.
"Oh? Five hundred and twenty thousand already?" Lu Changsheng remarked with a hint of amazement. He had won only two matches, yet his wealth had reached five hundred and twenty thousand source crystals. If he won a few more, he would gain vastly more.
"However, after this fight, your odds will likely be very low. Earning vast quantities of source crystals from betting will become difficult. The only upside is that with so many people following you and your popularity soaring, the prize money for each victory will be significantly higher."
Lu Changsheng nodded. He understood that the more dominant his performance, the lower his odds would become. Thus, placing bets would no longer yield exorbitant profits as before. But the prize money would increase.
"No matter. I have the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp. Having source crystals is great, but lacking them won't hinder me," Lu Changsheng reflected. What did he need source crystals for in the first place? To expand his True Realm. Now that he had the lamp, why would he rely so heavily on source crystals? Of course, having them as a supplementary resource was still beneficial—especially once his True Realm gave birth to a Divine Realm, when each expansion would likely consume astronomical amounts of source crystals. By then, the lamp's efficacy might diminish. It was wise to plan ahead and amass as many crystals as possible.
"By the way, any movements from the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"The Chamber? Nothing for the moment. They're likely waiting. It's difficult to handpick someone at the Vanguard tier, but once you reach the Overlord or King tier, they'll have plenty of options. They're probably waiting until you advance to Overlord or King tier, when they can snipe you with absolute certainty."
Lu Changsheng nodded. For now, he wasn't worried. Even so, he wished to take another step forward. His True Realm had to expand. Yet each expansion required ten years. As a Vanguard, he was required to defend the ring with at most a one-year gap between matches. He didn't have enough time, so he had to find a solution.
Chapter 509