Challenging a King! Win or Die!

"D-Dead?" "Zi Qianying is dead?" "Th-This is impossible! How could Zi Qianying die so easily? Even if Lu Changsheng has four inner worlds, Zi Qianying's Three Thousand Smelted Daos rivaled the combat prowess of a top-tier King! How could she die?" After a brief hush around the ring, a tumult erupted. Zi Qianying's death far exceeded everyone's expectations, instantly setting off an uproar. After all, Zi Qianying was widely acknowledged to possess the combat strength of a pinnacle King. How difficult was it to kill her? Wouldn't that require power at the "Invincible" tier? Lu Changsheng possessing four inner worlds was indeed formidable. But how could he be powerful to such an extent? *Whoosh.* Tong Tianlin shot to his feet. "Lu Changsheng's inner worlds truly seem different from ordinary ones. With every layer, his inner world surges a hundredfold, a thousandfold—just as a plane compares to a chaos world, or a Great Universe compares to a plane. Each time a layer of inner world is born, it is a qualitative transformation." Tong Tianlin enunciated every word, his eyes fixed on Lu Changsheng. With his discerning eye as a Second Realm mighty figure, now that Lu Changsheng had displayed his four inner worlds without concealment, Tong Tianlin naturally caught on to some of the secrets. "Hahaha, Vice President Tong, I thank you for yielding this round," Fang Chuan laughed heartily. He was genuinely overjoyed. Lu Changsheng's strength had far exceeded his expectations. Even though he had known Lu Changsheng possessed a fourth inner world, he had never imagined it would be so terrifying. It was a completely qualitative leap. The destructive power forged by Zi Qianying's Three Thousand Smelted Daos could have pulverized virtually anything, yet it had been stopped cold by Lu Changsheng's four layers of worlds. The outcome was naturally self-evident. Lu Changsheng stepped out of the ring. Lin Qingluan and Fang Chuan had long been waiting for him. "Changsheng, congratulations on your victory. You even slew Zi Qianying. Your fame has skyrocketed, and at the Overlord tier, none will likely stand as your match." "Junior Brother Lu, after this battle, I doubt any Vanguard will dare challenge you. You'll probably get byes for all of your next nine matches..." Both Lin Qingluan and Fang Chuan appeared delighted. Lu Changsheng sensed the fortune within him. It was truly immense, far surpassing that of any previous battle. Once he digested this surge of fortune, his soul strength was bound to increase substantially—by much more than just a point or two. "Changsheng, is Zi Qianying really dead?" Lin Qingluan asked hesitantly. She, too, was a Transcendent who walked the path of smelting Daos. In her eyes, Zi Qianying had been unimaginably powerful. Lu Changsheng gave a meaningful smile. "Did you carefully count the number of avatars Zi Qianying brought into the ring?" His words gave Lin Qingluan and Fang Chuan a slight start. "The number of avatars? Weren't there three thousand?" "Were there not?" Both of them looked surprised. "Zi Qianying had three thousand bodies there in total. But counting her three thousand avatars plus her original self, there ought to have been three thousand and one. Yet there were only three thousand in the ring. Surely I don't need to spell out what that means?" "Zi Qianying isn't dead!" Lu Changsheng's words sent a mild jolt through Lin Qingluan and Fang Chuan. Zi Qianying was not dead? That was genuinely beyond their expectations. Three thousand bodies? When there should have been three thousand and one? Where was the missing body? A body would not go missing for no reason, so the answer was obvious. Clearly, Zi Qianying had kept a backup plan. Even if she failed, even if all three thousand bodies in the ring were slain, Zi Qianying herself would not truly die. Perhaps that lone remaining body was somewhere else on the Summit of the Universe. It might even be nearby. None of that mattered, however. In the duel between Lu Changsheng and Zi Qianying, she had lost. That was an indisputable fact. Even if she lived on, nearly all her fortune had drained away, passing to Lu Changsheng. As for the prospect of her staging a comeback in the future? Lu Changsheng did not fear it in the slightest. Throughout his cultivation up to this day, among all the practitioners he had ever surpassed, not a single one had ever overtaken him again. Let alone overtaking him, not one had even managed to keep pace with his progress. Zi Qianying would be no different. With three thousand bodies slain, who knew how long it would take her to recover? By the time she did, Lu Changsheng would likely have already ascended to the Second Realm. "Let's go. Time to see what this battle yielded." Lu Changsheng was quite eager to tally his spoils. At that moment, two figures stood in a secluded corner below the ring. Lu Changsheng had guessed correctly. Zi Qianying had indeed survived. These two figures were Zi Qianying and her right-hand aide, Xing Can. Xing Can's face was flushed red, his eyes locked onto Lu Changsheng's departing silhouette, his whole body trembling. "Lu Changsheng... How can he be this strong?" "Qianying, he severed three thousand of your bodies and cut off your fortune..." Xing Can was consumed by fury. Zi Qianying, by contrast, remained remarkably composed. "His strength was indeed greater than mine. The destructive power from my Three Thousand Smelted Daos could not even shake his fourth inner world. Just what kind of inner world is that? I could even faintly sense that his inner worlds have not yet reached perfection—meaning he hasn't reached the limit of the first realm of Transcendence!" Zi Qianying's expression was grave. "His inner worlds haven't reached the limit? What method does he cultivate for him not to be at the limit even with this? You possess the strength of a pinnacle King! Could he be..." Xing Can seemed to realize a possibility, and his expression changed drastically. Above King tier lay "Invincible." In theory, an Invincible-tier ring defender had reached the utmost peak of the first realm of Transcendence. As for the Summit of the Universe, that was actually a title—a duel fought between the very strongest among those at the Invincible tier, competing for the Summit of the Universe. Yet although World Masters possessed a multitude of methods, their sheer combat prowess was not usually regarded as overwhelming. How could Lu Changsheng be this formidable? "Let us leave. This place no longer belongs to me..." "Still, temporary strength means nothing. Even without the fortune from the Summit of the Universe, I can still ascend to the Second Realm, and even the Third Realm..." Zi Qianying cast a deep glance toward Lu Changsheng. This was her very first defeat since entering the Great Universe. And it had been a total defeat! Naturally, she would remember Lu Changsheng well. Yet her resolve remained unwavering. In her heart, there had only ever been a single goal: to become a Third Realm Sovereign! It was for this purpose that she had come to the Summit of the Universe to amass fortune. But now that her fortune was gone, it was no grand calamity. Had she reached where she was today solely by relying on fortune? Unnoticed by anyone, Zi Qianying departed. She left the Summit of the Universe with clean detachment. *** Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling. He began tallying his gains. This Overlord battle had yielded immense rewards. First were the source crystals. The prize purse had surged directly to two hundred thousand source crystals. Added to the wager of five hundred and twenty thousand source crystals at odds of four to one, that brought in two million and eighty thousand source crystals. The total was two million two hundred and eighty thousand source crystals. It was a staggering sum. Next came the fortune. The fortune Lu Changsheng reaped from this match was vast. It took three full months for the surging fortune inside him to finally settle. With that, Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel. **Host:** Lu Changsheng **Comprehension:** Top-tier comprehension **World Master:** First Realm **True Realm:** 100% (115 expansions) **Soul:** 28% (incomplete) On the attribute panel, Lu Changsheng's soul had reached twenty-eight percent progress. This meant that his battle with Zi Qianying had boosted his soul by a full fifteen percent. This was unprecedented, demonstrating just how monstrous this wave of fortune truly was. *After this grand battle with Zi Qianying, where I displayed the power of a pinnacle King, hardly anyone will dare challenge me next time.* *I'll most likely get a bye. Even if not, there is a ten-year interval before the next challenge.* *Ten years is plenty of time for me to expand the True Realm once...* At the thought, Lu Changsheng felt a surge of anticipation. An Overlord-tier ring defender had ten years of rest between matches, allowing Lu Changsheng to expand his True Realm with peace of mind. The Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp would finally have a use. Without hesitation, he sent a message to Lin Qingluan and Fang Chuan, then settled into secluded cultivation to begin expanding. After all, if he received bye after bye, then ninety years from now, he would earn the right to challenge a King-tier fighter. With only four layers of worlds, Lu Changsheng still felt things were a bit tight. He had to keep expanding and strive to birth a fifth layer: the Divine Realm! Birthing the Divine Realm would surely not be easy, and he had no idea how many expansions it would take. But with the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp now in hand, he did not need to worry about exhausting his energy. Even if the lamp ran dry and required time to recover, he still had a vast reservoir of source crystals, more than enough to sustain his continued expansions. "Let's begin." Lu Changsheng activated the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp. *Hum.* Instantly, the undying spark within the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp radiated a wave of pure energy akin to source crystals. Lu Changsheng activated the Dimension Ascension Method. The entire True Realm began to expand. He had grown exceedingly familiar with expanding the True Realm; the process was second nature to him now. This was the first expansion since the True Realm had birthed the Great Thousand Realm. In theory, every expansion at this stage required a full one hundred thousand source crystals! Currently, Lu Changsheng was drawing upon the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp, expending the energy of its undying spark. Though he was not using source crystals directly, the effect was identical. The True Realm began to swell rapidly, and Lu Changsheng's consciousness immersed itself completely within the process. In the blink of an eye, ten years elapsed. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "The expansion succeeded. The True Realm has grown significantly, but it is still far from birthing the Divine Realm. Many more expansions will be needed..." Lu Changsheng glanced at his message transmission stone. Fang Chuan had already sent a message: it was time for his defense. As expected, he received a bye without any surprise. Evidently, since Lu Changsheng had defeated even Zi Qianying, no one dared challenge him. Zi Qianying had successfully defended the ring eight times. With just one more defense, combined with her initial challenge count, she would have qualified to challenge a King-tier fighter. Yet she had been slain in a single challenge by Lu Changsheng! With Lu Changsheng proving so ruthless, challenging him was suicide. One expansion, two expansions, three expansions... With the aid of the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp, Lu Changsheng's True Realm expanded again and again. In a flash, it had expanded nine times. Lu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes. It was time to stop. After receiving nine consecutive byes, he had smoothly earned the right to challenge a King. Lu Changsheng immediately called up his attribute panel to inspect his current stats. **Host:** Lu Changsheng **Comprehension:** Top-tier comprehension **World Master:** First Realm **True Realm:** 100% (124 expansions) **Soul:** 32% (incomplete) His soul strength had risen by another four percent. Over such a long period, he had continuously accumulated trickle after trickle of fortune, leading to a steady increase. The True Realm's expansions had reached one hundred and twenty-four. Yet it was still far from birthing the Divine Realm. Lu Changsheng rose and exited his cave dwelling. Lin Qingluan and Fang Chuan were already waiting inside the outer chamber, having estimated that he would emerge around this time. "Changsheng," Lin Qingluan called out the moment she sensed his exit. "Qingluan, Senior Brother Fang." "Is it time for me to challenge a King-tier ring defender?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Indeed, it is your turn to challenge a King-tier defender," Fang Chuan replied. "Among those available recently, you can challenge..." Fang Chuan listed the names of these King defenders one by one. If Lu Changsheng was willing to wait a bit longer, even more King defenders would become available. "Who is the strongest King defender?" Lu Changsheng inquired. "Well..." Fang Chuan looked slightly awkward, but spoke up nonetheless. "The strongest King defender is probably Liu Lin, who has only one defense left before he can challenge an Invincible-tier opponent. However, he approached me earlier and made several promises, asking that you refrain from challenging him..." "Liu Lin and Senior Brother Fang...?" Lu Changsheng looked at Fang Chuan with curiosity. "Well... Liu Lin is a descendant of an old friend of mine, so..." Fang Chuan looked somewhat embarrassed. He clearly wanted to do Liu Lin a favor. If Lu Changsheng challenged him, Liu Lin would be in dire jeopardy. "How does Liu Lin compare to Zi Qianying?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Though Liu Lin has notable strength, he falls far short of Zi Qianying..." Fang Chuan shook his head. As a Second Realm mighty figure, his judgment was naturally sound. Zi Qianying had simply been too powerful. If not for Lu Changsheng, she would certainly have secured a chance to challenge an Invincible defender, standing at the very pinnacle of the King tier. Unfortunately, she had crossed paths with Lu Changsheng. Hearing this, Lu Changsheng lost interest. Since Liu Lin was not even on par with Zi Qianying, Lu Changsheng saw no reason to pursue him; doing Senior Brother Fang a favor was perfectly fine. "Alright, I won't challenge Liu Lin, then," Lu Changsheng agreed. "Changsheng, these are source crystals Liu Lin prepared for you as a token of gratitude." Fang Chuan produced one million source crystals. Indeed, it was a grand gesture—a full million source crystals! Lu Changsheng accepted the million source crystals without hesitation. He had an urgent need for source crystals right now. Even with the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp, its energy would eventually run out and require time to recover, during which he would need source crystals to continue expanding his True Realm. Therefore, the more source crystals he had, the better; he would never complain about having too many. Seeing Lu Changsheng accept the crystals, Fang Chuan was even more pleased. Scanning the various King defenders, Lu Changsheng ultimately selected one named Kuang Lei. This Kuang Lei had a wild, booming name, yet his fighting style was remarkably cautious. He had always kept a low profile, flying under the radar while steadily climbing from the bottom qualifiers to Vanguard, Overlord, and finally becoming one of the King defenders. Lu Changsheng faintly sensed that Kuang Lei was not simple. In every battle, Kuang Lei had never run into real danger, and his opponents had always appeared relatively weak. Many assumed Kuang Lei was merely lucky, but Lu Changsheng did not think so. He sensed that Kuang Lei had been completely controlling the pace of every battle. To defeat or slay an opponent only required being a sliver stronger, but to control the entire flow of battle was no simple feat. One had to possess strength far surpassing the opponent. "Senior Brother Fang, let's challenge this Kuang Lei this time," Lu Changsheng said. "Kuang Lei? That man likely harbors some secrets. He has always kept a low profile, but no matter what secret techniques he has, he won't be your match. Very well, let's see what he's made of." Fang Chuan nodded and went to arrange the challenge against Kuang Lei. Lu Changsheng did not dwell on the matter. Yet he was no longer an ordinary participant; he commanded immense attention, and every move he made was watched by countless factions. As news spread that Lu Changsheng had challenged Kuang Lei, many expressed surprise. "Kuang Lei? Isn't he just an ordinary King-tier defender? Why would Lu Changsheng challenge Kuang Lei instead of Liu Lin?" "While Liu Lin is formidable, word has it he has ties to Mighty Figure Fang Chuan of Mount Feilong, and Fang Chuan is the senior brother accompanying Lu Changsheng." "Liu Lin is not even on Zi Qianying's level; Lu Changsheng probably didn't think much of him." "Even so, why Kuang Lei? What tricks could a nobody like Kuang Lei possibly have?" "Actually, when I reviewed Kuang Lei's past battles, something felt off. Could he have hidden his true strength?" Lu Changsheng drew so much attention that the mere rumor of his match prompted widespread scrutiny, and Kuang Lei came under close examination as a result. This scrutiny led many to spot clues. In every single battle, Kuang Lei seemed to maintain complete control over the arena—even in King-tier matches. To control a King-tier duel proved how terrifying his power truly was. No wonder Lu Changsheng had chosen him. He was indeed extraordinary. While some were intrigued, others were displeased. At that moment, inside Kuang Lei's cave dwelling, his right-hand aide and close friend, Cheng Tingsheng, a pinnacle cultivator of the first realm of Transcendence, spoke in a heavy voice: "Kuang Lei, who would have thought that despite all your caution, someone would still see through you? Why on earth did this Lu Changsheng have to pick you? If not for him, three more battles would have earned you the right to challenge an Invincible-tier defender! Once victorious, you would have forged an invincible heart and ascended to the Second Realm in one stroke!" Kuang Lei remained silent. His cultivation was somewhat peculiar; it required forging an "invincible heart." While it sounded abstract, it was not mere fancy. Some of his predecessors had challenged an Invincible-tier fighter at the Summit of the Universe and won, thereby acquiring an invincible heart before ascending to the Second Realm. Defending the ring afterward was irrelevant to Kuang Lei. All he needed was a single opportunity to challenge an Invincible defender. For that very reason, he had fought every battle with extreme care, advancing steadily and appearing utterly unremarkable until he became a King defender. He had successfully defended his title several times and was on the verge of qualifying for an Invincible challenge. Yet out of nowhere came Lu Changsheng, throwing his plans into chaos. Kuang Lei could not afford to lose. If he failed, forging an invincible heart would become virtually impossible, and he might never ascend to the Second Realm for the rest of his life. Cheng Tingsheng was furious. Lu Changsheng was cutting off Kuang Lei's path of cultivation! Yet Kuang Lei appeared unusually calm. "Lu Changsheng... He is indeed strong. Even Zi Qianying, whom he defeated, was remarkably powerful. I might not have been her match, let alone his." "Sometimes I wonder: what truly is an invincible heart? Must one challenge and defeat an Invincible defender at the Summit of the Universe to attain it?" Kuang Lei murmured softly. In truth, this question had troubled him for a long time. He faintly sensed that something was amiss—perhaps one did not need the Summit of the Universe to achieve an invincible heart. None of that mattered now, however. What mattered was that he had reached a critical crossroads. Lu Changsheng had challenged him, and he had to defeat Lu Changsheng. Otherwise, all would be lost, and his path would be severed—a consequence Kuang Lei could not bear. "Lu Changsheng's greatest strength lies in his four inner worlds. To defeat him, the only way is to thoroughly shatter them. Zi Qianying failed to destroy his worlds with her Three Thousand Smelted Daos, but I am different. I walk the path of the physical body. My flesh is my greatest weapon. Even if I fall into his worlds, I can rely on my body to bore through them by sheer force..." A sharp glint flashed in Kuang Lei's eyes. Lu Changsheng exerted immense pressure on him. A great name cast a long shadow. Ever since learning Lu Changsheng would challenge him, Kuang Lei had shouldered crushing pressure. He even doubted whether facing an actual Invincible defender would have felt as oppressive as facing Lu Changsheng. In the end, Kuang Lei steeled his resolve. No matter who his opponent was, he would strike them down—even Lu Changsheng! At this moment, Kuang Lei felt his state of mind grow clearer. He even had a premonition: if he defeated Lu Changsheng, perhaps he would no longer need to challenge an Invincible defender at all. Yet, was defeating Lu Changsheng truly possible? Kuang Lei calmed himself completely, ignoring the clamor of the outside world. Lu Changsheng did the same, paying no heed to the outside chatter and quietly awaiting the day of the challenge. "Changsheng, I've placed all the wagers as you requested. The odds on you are 1.5," Lin Qingluan said. Lu Changsheng nodded. The payout was low, but there was no helping it. He was the overwhelming favorite, openly perceived to outclass Kuang Lei by a wide margin, so the odds could hardly be generous. Even so, with the one million source crystals he had received from Liu Lin, Lu Changsheng's total holdings stood at three million two hundred and eighty thousand source crystals. Wagering it all meant a victory would turn that into four million nine hundred and twenty thousand source crystals. That was still a staggering fortune. Knowing Lin Qingluan had placed the entire sum on him as planned, Lu Changsheng was satisfied. "Has the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce made any moves?" Lu Changsheng asked. He had not forgotten that the Chamber was lurking like a tiger watching its prey. Their continued silence only made him more vigilant. "The Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce has made no moves lately." Lu Changsheng nodded. Perhaps they were busy attempting to recruit Invincible-tier fighters, having realized that King-tier combatants posed little threat to him. "By the way, some rumors about Kuang Lei have circulated," Lin Qingluan added softly. "Kuang Lei walks the path of invincibility, which requires forging an invincible heart. His aim was to challenge an Invincible-tier defender, and upon victory, attain an invincible heart to break through to the Second Realm. By challenging him now, you are essentially severing his path of cultivation. Bearing the grudge of an obstructed Dao, Kuang Lei will hold nothing back. He will spare no effort and pay any price to defeat you." "An invincible heart?" Lu Changsheng nodded. That was a good thing. He did not fear Kuang Lei being too strong; he feared him being too weak, or worse, forfeiting. Since Lu Changsheng had effectively blocked his path, Kuang Lei would certainly fight with his life on the line. Lu Changsheng offered full regard and respect to every cultivator who fought to the death. "I understand." Lu Changsheng continued to wait. Soon, the day of the King challenge arrived. Cultivators quickly packed the stands around the ring, including quite a few Second Realm mighty figures. "Lu Changsheng is certain to win this one, right? There's barely any suspense." "Not necessarily. Word has it Lu Changsheng's challenge has blocked Kuang Lei's Dao. Kuang Lei will almost certainly stake his life on this fight." "What good is staking your life? If your strength falls short, staking your life won't change anything." "That may be true, but Kuang Lei is by no means weak. His goal was to challenge an Invincible defender and win; how could someone like that be weak?" "I suspect this fight might be even more thrilling than the one between Zi Qianying and Lu Changsheng." "I'm betting my entire fortune on Kuang Lei this time. The payout is just too high to pass up." "I'll take a gamble too..." Many opted to place their bets on Kuang Lei, tempted by the sky-high odds, even though Lu Changsheng held an obvious advantage. Before long, Lu Changsheng entered the ring, drawing an immediate roar of cheers. *Hum.* Kuang Lei arrived as well. Both men stepped onto the arena floor. Abruptly, the environment shifted violently, transforming into an endless expanse of land that stretched beyond the horizon. Kuang Lei possessed a burly, rugged frame, yet his demeanor was intensely cautious. He fixed his eyes on Lu Changsheng, enunciating every word: "Lu Changsheng, I walk the path of the physical body, while you walk the path of a World Master. Since even Zi Qianying's Three Thousand Smelted Daos could not shatter your worlds, I can only stake everything on this one gamble." "Today, either I die, or I will tear your worlds apart!" Kuang Lei's voice rang with absolute resolve. He had arrived prepared to die. Win, or die! To Kuang Lei, surrender had never been an option.