Lu Changsheng was stunned.
He stared blankly at that figure.
Had it truly jumped into the River of Spacetime?
Why? Jumping into the River of Spacetime voluntarily meant trapping oneself within it.
Why would anyone do such a thing?
Lu Changsheng could not fathom it.
Yet after the figure plunged into the River of Spacetime, it did not sink. Instead, it floated.
Moreover, it seemed to be slowly attempting to break free of the river, trying to leap ashore.
A flash of insight struck Lu Changsheng, and he understood at once.
"Is this a Third Realm Sovereign attempting to break through to the Fourth Realm?"
"Only great beings capable of breaking free from the River of Spacetime can undergo a metamorphosis into eternal Fourth Realm existences."
"Does this mean that among the versions of 'myself' in numerous dimensions and timelines, a Third Realm Sovereign has already been born?"
"No wonder my fortune only surged from within the Great Universe recently, rather than flowing to me from countless timelines. It turns out I am not yet the strongest existence among them..."
Lu Changsheng grasped the truth in an instant.
A version of himself on another timeline had already reached the Third Realm as a Sovereign.
No wonder he had felt no fortune channeling from other timelines.
He was not even in the Second Realm yet, so how could he compare to a Third Realm Sovereign?
In fact, that other version had already tried jumping into the River of Spacetime in an effort to reach the Fourth Realm.
From the looks of it, however, that attempt had ended in failure.
The figure remained floating in the River of Spacetime, perpetually unable to break free.
Lu Changsheng had heard his master, Sovereign Feilong, speak of the River of Spacetime before—especially regarding the circumstances across different timelines and dimensions.
In theory, those other timelines and dimensions all belonged to "oneself," but in practice, each diverged.
Every life was an entirely unique existence.
The slightest event—perhaps a single spoken word or a stray thought—could spawn countless branching timelines.
On some timelines, one might attain immense cultivation and staggering achievements.
On others, one might never even embark on the path of cultivation.
That was entirely normal.
A person might be a Third Realm Sovereign in this timeline, yet merely a common mortal living a fleeting lifespan of several decades in another.
Only a Fourth Realm Sovereign could converge all timelines, fuse every soul, and achieve the Unified True Self.
When that happened, no trace of the Fourth Realm Sovereign would remain in any individual timeline.
There would be no past.
There would be no future.
There would be only the present.
The present was absolute.
The Unified True Self was eternity!
*Whoosh.*
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng saw the figure in the River of Spacetime raise its head. Its gaze seemed to bridge an infinite expanse of spacetime before settling squarely upon him.
Their eyes met.
The figure began slowly swimming through the River of Spacetime toward Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng firmly recalled Sovereign Feilong's warning: never let anyone within the River of Spacetime draw near.
If they approached, he would be in mortal peril.
However, the figure did not come too close.
It seemed to understand why Lu Changsheng was backing away.
"I am you, and you are me. We were originally one and the same. My timeline has met with failure, yet I believe that one day we will succeed. After all, we possess top-tier comprehension."
"Remember well: the foundation of everything, the source of everything, the hope of everything is ourselves. That is our sole path to success..."
The voice drifted in and out, indistinct and ethereal.
Once the words were spoken, the figure sank back beneath the surface of the River of Spacetime, drifting farther and farther away until it vanished without a trace.
Lu Changsheng fell into deep contemplation.
"Everything depends on ourselves..."
He did not know what it truly meant.
Was it a warning left by another version of himself?
Perhaps it was.
Yet Lu Changsheng could not comprehend it right now. The Third Realm was still far too distant for him, let alone charging toward the Fourth Realm.
That was virtually a pipe dream.
Unable to reach a conclusion no matter how much he pondered, Lu Changsheng withdrew from the River of Spacetime and began digesting the fortune gained from his successful title defense.
He wanted to see how much his soul strength would improve.
Before long, three months slipped by.
Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel.
Host: Lu Changsheng
Comprehension: Top-tier comprehension
World Master: First Realm
True Realm: 100% (149 expansions)
Ordinary Soul: 10% (Sinks upon contact with water, cannot survive more than one second in the River of Spacetime)
Looking at the panel, Lu Changsheng saw that his soul progress was at a mere 10%.
This progress was remarkably slow—especially compared to before.
Of course, Lu Changsheng understood why.
The baseline had changed completely.
His soul had already undergone a metamorphosis and had been fully completed; he could even perceive the River of Spacetime now. Compared to other cultivators, he was already exceptionally formidable.
Gaining 10% on top of such a powerful foundation was truly significant.
Even after a battle at the Invincible tier, that massive influx of fortune had only pushed it forward by 10%.
"Changsheng, hurry! Master has arrived!"
Lin Qingluan's voice sounded from outside the meditation chamber.
Under normal circumstances, she would never disturb his quiet cultivation unless something of paramount importance occurred.
Now, however, was different.
His master, Sovereign Feilong, was here.
*Rumble.*
Lu Changsheng pushed open the heavy chamber doors.
"Where is Master?" he asked.
"Master is already in the cave dwelling..."
Before she could finish, Lu Changsheng saw a familiar figure inside the dwelling.
"Changsheng."
Lu Changsheng immediately bowed with deep respect. "Disciple greets Master! To think my minor matter would trouble Master to come in person—this disciple feels deeply ashamed!"
Lu Changsheng naturally knew why his master had come.
It was for the Golden Halberd.
Or more accurately, for Baidi.
A warm smile appeared on Sovereign Feilong's face. "Changsheng, you did splendidly. You have brought immense honor to Mount Feilong!"
"To become an Invincible-tier arena defender and have your name echo throughout the Great Universe is not something just anyone can achieve. Among all the disciples of Mount Feilong, you are the only one who has managed such a feat so far."
Sovereign Feilong's tone was brimming with satisfaction.
"Master, regarding this Golden Halberd..." Lu Changsheng asked hesitantly.
"The Golden Halberd is Baidi's very lifeline. If you truly keep it, he might risk everything to fight me. While I do not fear him, the rest of you would be in grave danger."
"Still, the Golden Halberd is your rightful spoils of war. If Baidi wishes to reclaim it, he can, but he must pay a steep price!"
"I came here personally to secure your interests. Rest assured, Baidi is exceedingly wealthy. To redeem the Golden Halberd, I will make him bleed profusely this time!" Sovereign Feilong stated firmly.
Lu Changsheng knew this was the best possible outcome.
"I leave everything in Master's hands."
"Very well. We will discuss it once Baidi arrives."
Lu Changsheng produced the Golden Halberd.
Sovereign Feilong took it, thoroughly pleased.
Baidi had truly miscalculated this time, entrusting the Golden Halberd to Bai Yukun, only for it to fall into Lu Changsheng's hands.
If Lu Changsheng had been an ordinary cultivator, Baidi could have easily reclaimed it with a flick of his sleeve.
Yet Lu Changsheng was no ordinary cultivator; he had Sovereign Feilong standing behind him.
Now that the halberd was in Sovereign Feilong's possession, reclaiming it would not be so simple for Baidi.
As for the terms negotiated between his master and Baidi, Lu Changsheng had no say. All he could do was wait quietly.
As for the Golden Halberd itself?
Lu Changsheng felt a slight pang of regret, but nothing more.
He understood full well that cultivation relied on oneself. The Golden Halberd only amplified combat power and offered no aid to cultivation itself.
He would far prefer treasures that aided the advancement of his cultivation over the Golden Halberd.
"Master, there is also the matter of the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce..."
Lu Changsheng recounted the situation regarding the Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp in full detail.
Since Sovereign Feilong was already here, it was only natural to inform him.
Who knew what extremes the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce might resort to for the lamp? Against a Sovereign-level faction, Lu Changsheng remained cautious.
"The Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp?" Sovereign Feilong chuckled.
"The Golden Halberd is Baidi's lifeline, so you cannot keep it. But as for a mere Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp? Since you obtained it, it is your treasure. No one can force you to surrender it!"
Lu Changsheng understood.
Evidently, the lamp was nowhere near as significant as the halberd.
With Mount Feilong's might, the Myriad Ancients Chamber of Commerce would not dare move against Lu Changsheng openly.
That was more than enough.
As for any petty underhanded schemes the chamber might deploy, Sovereign Feilong did not care in the slightest.
Lu Changsheng's mind was completely put at ease. As long as Sovereigns or Second Realm mighty figures did not intervene personally, he feared nothing.
Days slipped by one after another.
While waiting, Lu Changsheng continued expanding his True Realm.
His soul, fortune, and the River of Spacetime were all too distant for him right now. Even the Second Realm was still far off.
The only thing Lu Changsheng could grasp and look forward to in the present was his True Realm.
By continuing its expansion, he could at least see hope for the birth of a Divine Realm.
Once a Divine Realm emerged and gave him a five-layered world, Lu Changsheng would fear no cultivator in the first realm of Transcendence.
In the blink of an eye, fifty years passed.
Lu Changsheng expanded his True Realm five more times, bringing his total count to one hundred and fifty-four expansions.
He was drawing ever closer to the birth of a Divine Realm.
Even so, Lu Changsheng harbored a question.
Why had Sovereign Feilong not summoned him from seclusion over these fifty years?
Had the matter of the Golden Halberd still not been settled?
Now that fifty years had elapsed, his rest period had drawn to a close. Lu Changsheng had to leave the cave dwelling to prepare for his upcoming defense battle.
Although his last performance had been formidable, he could not guarantee that no one would challenge him.
After all, things were different now. He had not displayed the crushing, absolute dominance he once had.
Lu Changsheng rose and exited the meditation chamber.
"Changsheng, you're finally out."
"Counting the time, fifty years have indeed passed. You are always so punctual when emerging," Lin Qingluan said with a smile.
She knew he would never lose track of time during cultivation and miss a defense match, given the immense stakes.
"Qingluan, where are Senior Brother Fang and Master?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"Senior Brother Fang went to handle your match arrangements. It seems someone has challenged you again. I can't tell whether that's good or bad..." Lin Qingluan shook her head.
She did not fully understand Lu Changsheng's internal progress, so every challenge filled her with worry.
Yet this was the normal state of affairs.
Every arena defender was challenged continually. Only by defending nine times and challenging once—ten victories in total—could one challenge a defender of a higher tier.
The way Lu Changsheng had passed through the Vanguard, Overlord, and King tiers without a single challenger was what had been abnormal.
To have byes every single round was exceptionally rare across all generations of defenders at the Summit of the Universe.
Lu Changsheng was merely returning to the norm.
"As for Master... he probably went to visit friends. There are many Sovereigns at the Summit of the Universe, including Baidi. Senior brother said that Sovereigns have a very different concept of time from us. A casual gathering or Dao discussion can easily last decades or centuries. He told us not to worry and just wait patiently."
Lu Changsheng nodded at her explanation.
That was indeed the case.
Although Sovereigns were not eternal beings and could not guarantee eternal existence, their lifespans were still unimaginably vast.
Their perception of time differed drastically from that of other cultivators.
To Lu Changsheng, fifty years was a long time, but to a Sovereign, it might be no longer than pondering a single question or holding a single gathering.
He did not need to concern himself with his master's whereabouts. His primary focus remained the defense match.
Over the past fifty years, Lu Changsheng had accumulated another fifty years' worth of destructive power, on top of what had remained unused from his last battle.
Coupled with five additional True Realm expansions, his current strength far surpassed what it had been when facing Bai Yukun.
He had nothing to fear.
He was merely curious about who his challenger would be.
Lin Qingluan was not entirely certain either, mentioning that there seemed to be more than one.
Lu Changsheng waited patiently.
A few hours later, Fang Chuan returned to the cave dwelling.
"Senior Brother Fang, how are things?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"It's a bit troublesome this time. You don't have just one challenger—there are three, and every single one explicitly named you..."
Fang Chuan smiled wryly.
Even though Lu Changsheng had defeated Bai Yukun and Yuan Jiuzhen, his victories had not appeared overwhelmingly crushing.
As a result, he was still viewed as an easy target.
Any cultivator who earned a challenge opportunity chose to target him, leading to this crowd of challengers all aiming for the same defender.
In such cases, the rules allowed Lu Changsheng to choose which challenge to accept.
"Junior Brother Lu, I gathered detailed information on the three challengers. Take a careful look."
Fang Chuan was always meticulous in his work.
Lu Changsheng took the files.
Among the three, one walked the fleshly body path, while the other two cultivated the Dao integration system.
Lu Changsheng flipped through them carefully.
"Let's go with this fleshly body Transcendent, Li Daokong."
"Understood. I will make the arrangements right away." Fang Chuan nodded.
Fang Chuan was well acquainted with Li Daokong's details. He had also noticed that Lu Changsheng's methods held a distinct advantage over cultivators who walked the path of the body.
And that was indeed the case.
The destructive power Lu Changsheng accumulated was born from the birth and destruction of worlds. When even worlds could not withstand it, what physical body could?
Days went by.
The match between Lu Changsheng and Li Daokong was finalized, and anticipation began to build.
Lu Changsheng's popularity remained high, though Li Daokong's was fairly mediocre.
This match naturally did not match the fervor of the clash between Lu Changsheng and Bai Yukun, but a victory would still grant Lu Changsheng a substantial amount of fortune.
As for the odds, Lu Changsheng's had dropped further to 1.3.
Profits were practically negligible at that rate, but Lu Changsheng still placed his bet.
Every bit counted.
Defeat was something he had never even considered.
With his current strength, losing to a challenger would be exceedingly difficult.
Soon, the arena battle commenced.
Lu Changsheng entered the arena first, with Li Daokong following closely behind.
Lu Changsheng looked at his opponent. Li Daokong possessed a burly, imposing physique that radiated formidable power.
Yet while his body was remarkably strong, it still fell short of Yuan Jiuzhen's.
"I know winning against you is nearly impossible, but I still had to try," Li Daokong said slowly.
"You should know that failure means death," Lu Changsheng replied calmly.
"To me, failing to reach the pinnacle of cultivation is no different from being dead."
Lu Changsheng understood.
Li Daokong was another true seeker of the Dao.
In truth, the closer one came to the peak, the more such seekers there were.
Without such unshakeable conviction, how could anyone reach this stage?
Many of them had not started with extraordinary talent; it was their sheer, unwavering resolve that carried them upward step by step.
Without that conviction, they would have amounted to nothing.
"As you wish!"
Lu Changsheng said no more. Before such conviction, words were meaningless.
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng's True Realm swept forth like a tidal wave.
Unlike Yuan Jiuzhen, Li Daokong already knew how perilous the interior of Lu Changsheng's True Realm was.
Facing the incoming True Realm, Li Daokong unleashed his full physical might, driving a devastating punch straight into the encroaching world.
*Rumble!*
The True Realm shuddered violently.
With a single strike, countless phantom fists seemed to batter against the boundary of the world.
The sweeping True Realm was forcefully halted and repelled by Li Daokong's raw physical power, unable to pull him inside.
"Hmm?"
Lu Changsheng was slightly surprised.
This was the first time he had encountered such resistance.
Yuan Jiuzhen had entered the True Realm voluntarily back then, so drawing him inside had posed no challenge at all.
This time was different. Li Daokong refused to step inside.
With Li Daokong's formidable physical strength, Lu Changsheng could not forcibly drag him in using only his four-layered True Realm.
"Just as I thought! Your world cannot swallow my body! Without that advantage, your threat is drastically diminished. I may very well defeat you!"
Seeing this, Li Daokong's morale surged.
He felt he had uncovered Lu Changsheng's fatal flaw.
As long as he avoided being pulled into that inner world, what could Lu Changsheng do to him?
Not only did Li Daokong's confidence soar, but many spectators surrounding the arena cheered in excitement as well.
"Hahaha! I took a gamble and put my money on Li Daokong! It looks like he came fully prepared and exposed Lu Changsheng's weakness!"
"Indeed! Lu Changsheng is a World Master after all, and his greatest asset is his inner world. But a cultivator with immense physical strength can easily resist being drawn inside. Without his inner world, how much strength can Lu Changsheng possibly display?"
"Now it comes down to who can hold out longer. The advantage lies with Li Daokong!"
"It seems Lu Changsheng's streak finally ends today..."
Many spectators saw that the two had reached a stalemate, and they believed Lu Changsheng was in a perilous position.
If this turned into a war of attrition, maintaining a world required vast amounts of energy and focus.
Li Daokong, however, had monstrous regenerative capabilities in his physical body.
Engaging in an endurance match against a body cultivator was the height of folly.
Yet if not an endurance match, what other recourse did Lu Changsheng have?
Lu Changsheng, of course, had plenty of options.
He shook his head.
Even if his True Realm could not swallow his opponent, he still possessed destructive power.
Destructive power did not care whether it was unleashed inside or outside the True Realm.
The only difference was that within the True Realm, Lu Changsheng could precisely control its area of effect. Outside, once it spread, he would have difficulty containing its perimeter in the short term.
Under these circumstances, however, he had no choice but to unleash it.
*Buzz.*
A tremor rippled through Lu Changsheng's True Realm.
Simultaneously, a terrifying wave of destructive power surged forth like an unstoppable deluge, hurtling directly toward Li Daokong.
"This is... your destructive power!"
Li Daokong's heart clenched in horror.
He had watched Lu Changsheng's earlier battles, but observing from afar was entirely different from facing it firsthand.
Now, staring directly at the surging tide of destruction, he felt an overwhelming, irresistible dread.
Even though Li Daokong poured every ounce of his strength into his physical defenses, it was utterly futile.
*Sizzle!*
Li Daokong's flesh began to rapidly disintegrate.
Before that pure destructive power, he had no defense whatsoever.
In the span of a breath, his physical body melted away and turned to ash, until his aura vanished entirely.
Dead.
The man who had seemed to hold the upper hand moments ago was now completely bereft of breath.
His fleshly body had been annihilated down to the last atom—a total fall.
Silence!
A suffocating quiet gripped the entire perimeter of the arena.
The confident smiles on countless spectators froze in place.
They stared in disbelief at the scene before them.
Yet no matter how hard it was to accept, Lu Changsheng had won.
He shook his head lightly, turned, and departed the arena.
"Well done, Changsheng."
"That was destructive power, wasn't it? Harnessing the force of a world's creation and annihilation—remarkable, truly remarkable!"
As soon as Lu Changsheng exited the arena and arrived at the resting chamber, he saw a familiar figure standing beside Lin Qingluan and Fang Chuan.
It was Sovereign Feilong.
His master had arrived.
"Greetings, Master!"
"It is merely a minor trick, unworthy of praise," Lu Changsheng replied with a slight shake of his head.
He felt no particular pride in it.
While destructive power was undeniably potent, it could only be accumulated bit by bit over time and offered no benefit to his personal cultivation. It was merely a tool for combat to enhance his fighting strength.
"Changsheng, Baidi has already visited, and the Golden Halberd has been returned to him."
"Baidi paid a considerable price: ten million source crystals, and one Dao Evolution Stone. While you cannot use the stone yourself, you can give it to Qingluan. A Dao Evolution Stone is a supreme treasure for the Dao integration system—exceedingly rare and virtually impossible to find on the market."
"However, neither the ten million source crystals nor the Dao Evolution Stone compare to the third treasure. The item most suited for you—or rather, for both of you—is the third one."
"Take a look at what this is."
Sovereign Feilong playfully kept him in suspense.
Lu Changsheng followed his master's gaze.
Resting in Sovereign Feilong's hand was a golden tree.
How could he not recognize it?
Lu Changsheng blurted out, "A Divine Tree of Fortune?"
"Master, Baidi gave you a Divine Tree of Fortune?!"
A Divine Tree of Fortune!
It was actually a Divine Tree of Fortune!
Never in his wildest dreams had Lu Changsheng imagined Baidi would offer such a prize.
This tree was undeniably extraordinary.
During his time in the Great Universe, Lu Changsheng had naturally inquired about Divine Trees of Fortune.
Only then did he realize just how precious they were.
Back then, Divine Emperor Dayan had been extraordinarily fortunate to obtain one.
Not to mention first-realm Transcendents, even Second or Third Realm cultivators found it nearly impossible to acquire a Divine Tree of Fortune.
The primary reason was their sheer rarity.
They were treasures one could only hope to encounter through immense luck.
One needed only look at Lin Qingluan: it was precisely because she possessed a Divine Tree of Fortune that she had successfully achieved Transcendence and maintained a massive advantage among her peers.
"Indeed, a Divine Tree of Fortune."
"With your current situation, you will harvest vast amounts of fortune at the Summit of the Universe. However, your previous Fortune-Gathering Pagoda cannot hold that much fortune, causing substantial amounts to disperse and go to waste."
"A Divine Tree of Fortune is different. It can absorb all fortune completely, ensuring not a single sliver is lost."
"Furthermore, there is an even more crucial benefit: Qingluan has also refined a Divine Tree of Fortune, and you two are Dao companions. Once you engage in dual cultivation, the fortune within your trees can actually circulate between them."
"I don't need to spell out what that means, do I?" Sovereign Feilong explained with a smile.
Lu Changsheng's heart leaped, replaced by boundless joy.
Circulation of fortune?
To Lu Changsheng, this might seem minor, but for Lin Qingluan, it was a tremendous boon.
Since Lu Changsheng possessed a surplus of fortune, he could share a portion with her. Even a tiny fraction would grant her immense benefits.
Similarly, Lin Qingluan possessed her own fortune and could continually gather more.
If Lu Changsheng's soul ever reached a critical bottleneck where it lacked only a final sliver of fortune to undergo a metamorphosis, he would not have to wait through long eras. He could simply engage in dual cultivation with Lin Qingluan to draw on her fortune and bridge the crucial gap.
In short, this Divine Tree of Fortune was of immense value—precisely the treasure Lu Changsheng needed most.
"Thank you, Master!"
Lu Changsheng knew full well that had it not been for his master, Baidi would never have offered such compensation. All of this had been secured through Sovereign Feilong's efforts on his behalf.
"It is nothing. You are my disciple; how could I allow anyone to bully you?"
"Now, go ahead and refine the Divine Tree of Fortune."
"I will remain at the Summit of the Universe to watch every single one of your matches and see whether you can truly stand atop the Summit of the Universe!"
A warm smile remained on Sovereign Feilong's face.
He was thoroughly proud of Lu Changsheng.
By coming to the Summit of the Universe in person, Sovereign Feilong was personally escorting and safeguarding his disciple's path.
As for Lu Changsheng, his task was simple: defeat every opponent step by step, and claim the title of the Summit of the Universe!
Chapter 515