Slaying Resentment Demon Venerable, Obliterating the Fiendgod Bodies!

The Mingluo Battlefield stretched vast and boundless. The moment Lu Changsheng arrived at the Mingluo Battlefield, he unfurled his True Realm Plane. To him, the immense battlefield was like an enormous slab of choice meat. Lu Changsheng felt utterly invigorated. The plane ruins here were simply too numerous to count. In a brief span of time, the volume of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane began swelling at an astonishing speed. Onefold, threefold, fivefold, eightfold, tenfold... As time passed, the growth in volume became increasingly immense. Yet this covered only a fraction of the Mingluo Battlefield. Most of the battlefield remained far beyond the reach of the True Realm Plane's current span. Lu Changsheng felt no rush, however. He needed to completely devour the plane ruins in this section of the battlefield before moving on. A century, three centuries, five centuries... Ever since Lu Changsheng had begun expanding the volume of his True Realm Plane, the passage of his cultivation time was reckoned in centuries and millennia. This was only natural. For a cosmic mighty figure, a brief session of contemplation could easily consume several hundred or even thousands of years. Swish. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. After several centuries of devouring, he had stripped this section of the Mingluo Battlefield completely bare of plane ruins. The results were exceptionally gratifying. Lu Changsheng immediately called up his attribute panel to review his current status. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-tier comprehension Realm Lord: Second Realm True Realm Plane: 215-fold (expandable) Purple Zenith Soul: 42% (Inestimably noble, capable of braving the surges of the River of Spacetime) The volume of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane had already exceeded two hundredfold. It had surged by a full sixty-fold! This was an astonishing figure. What was more, this did not even account for all the planes in the Mingluo Battlefield—merely a portion of them. If he devoured all the plane ruins throughout the entire Mingluo Battlefield, by how many fold would his volume multiply? It was almost unimaginable. Roughly three-quarters of the battlefield's expanse still contained plane ruins. Lu Changsheng needed to seize every moment to devour them. With that in mind, Lu Changsheng began shifting his True Realm Plane toward the remaining three-quarters of the Mingluo Battlefield. Yet the moment he moved, trouble struck. Boom! A terrifying force erupted, crashing forward like an endless torrent of pure resentment, accompanied by myriad negative emotions. Even with Lu Changsheng's resolute mind, that sudden onslaught had nearly overwhelmed his consciousness. If one's consciousness collapsed, the consequences would be catastrophic. "Hmm? A cosmic mighty figure?" Lu Changsheng quickly deduced what had happened. When he had shifted his True Realm Plane just now, he had evidently provoked a formidable cosmic mighty figure. This figure had attacked without hesitation. Accustomed to unchecked arrogance, their immediate instinct upon encountering any disturbance was to annihilate the other party. Unfortunately for them, Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane bore down instantly. Rumble! The entire Mingluo Battlefield trembled violently. The vast battlefield seemed on the verge of total collapse, threatening to obliterate even the remaining plane ruins. The Mingluo Battlefield could no longer withstand the crushing weight of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane. "How is this possible? You not only blocked my attack, but you even have strength left to suppress this seat?" The speaker was Resentment Demon Venerable. A thick, stifling aura of resentment billowed from Resentment Demon Venerable's form. Yet this very resentment provided him with an inexhaustible wellspring of power. The greater and stronger the resentment, the more terrifying the might Resentment Demon Venerable could unleash. At this moment, Resentment Demon Venerable was erupting with horrific force in an attempt to shatter Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane. Unfortunately, Resentment Demon Venerable had underestimated Lu Changsheng—and the True Realm Plane. Or perhaps he had not underestimated him at all, but simply had no choice. If he did not take action, Lu Changsheng would completely devour the Mingluo Battlefield. When that happened, the insights and fortune Resentment Demon Venerable had only recently begun to glean would vanish entirely. To Resentment Demon Venerable, that was utterly intolerable! "The power of emotion..." Lu Changsheng felt his emotions being buffeted once again, this time violently. "Hmph." Lu Changsheng gave a cold sneer. Merely attempting to manipulate emotions was far from enough to overcome him. Yet how could Resentment Demon Venerable rely only on such tricks? "Resentment Fiend Bodies!" Resentment Demon Venerable manifested his fiend bodies. One, two, three, four, five... Seven fiend bodies in total. These bodies shared a common characteristic: each was the embodiment of a distinct negative emotion. Resentment Demon Venerable seemed capable of segregating negative emotions and cultivating them into separate avatars. Moreover, each avatar wielded nearly eighty percent of the original body's strength. There were seven fiend bodies in total, all linked in perfect unison of thought and purpose. "Kill!" In unison, the seven fiend bodies charged, striking together toward Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane. "Oh?" Lu Changsheng's expression shifted slightly. He stood motionless, unyielding as a mountain, allowing the attacks of the seven resentment fiend bodies to crash upon his True Realm Plane. Rumble! Enormous tremors surged through the True Realm Plane. Lu Changsheng had never felt such tremendous power from any cosmic mighty figure before. It far surpassed anyone he had ever encountered. Crucially, an energy that felt strangely familiar erupted from the seven fiend bodies. "Power of the Third Realm?" "No, not quite. It somewhat resembles the power of decomposition, but it is vastly inferior—merely a superficial imitation." "Could he be... a half-step Sovereign?" A possibility crossed Lu Changsheng's mind. A half-step Sovereign! Those who had attempted to break through to become Sovereigns and survived indeed possessed unique powers. Such was the case with Resentment Demon Venerable before him. The seven fiend bodies were extraordinarily formidable. Against any other cosmic mighty figure, Resentment Demon Venerable would have crushed them with ease. Unfortunately, he was facing Lu Changsheng. In truth, the power unleashed by the seven fiend bodies was enough to suppress a portion of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane. Yet it was only a portion. Leave aside a mere imitation of decomposition power; even when faced with genuine decomposition power, Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane had withstood it through sheer, overwhelming volume. What threat could Resentment Demon Venerable pose by comparison? Thus, amidst violent tremors, the volume of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane began depleting rapidly. Yet that was all. Ten percent! Despite the earth-shattering commotion, Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane had lost a mere ten percent of its volume. Even so, Lu Changsheng did not underestimate Resentment Demon Venerable in the slightest. After all, his current volume exceeded two hundredfold. A ten-percent loss amounted to twentyfold of realm volume. Depleting twentyfold volume in a single strike? That was already exceptionally potent, far beyond the reach of ordinary peak cosmic mighty figures. "No, your seven resentment fiend bodies are not that simple. They are still continuously wearing down my True Realm Plane..." Lu Changsheng's gaze narrowed sharply. He noticed something amiss with Resentment Demon Venerable—or rather, with those seven fiend bodies. These were definitely no ordinary fiend bodies. The volume of his True Realm was still being steadily eroded. Eleven percent, twelve percent, thirteen percent, fourteen percent, fifteen percent... Although the volume being destroyed each moment was small, the destruction was steady and unrelenting. Methodical and persistent. If this were allowed to continue indefinitely, it was not impossible that Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane could be entirely dismantled. Finally, Lu Changsheng caught a trace of a familiar aura from the seven fiend bodies. "Immortal true intent?" "Half-step Sovereigns are those who failed to break through to the Third Realm. Many only made the attempt out of sheer desperation at the end of their path. But a tiny fraction grasped immortal true intent and made thorough preparations before challenging the Third Realm, surviving their failure." "Such half-step Sovereigns possess genuine immortal true intent! And your seven resentment fiend bodies are actually rooted in seven pieces of immortal substance, serving as vessels for your immortal true intent. Each possesses astonishing combat strength, and with all seven acting as one, you could stand proud among half-step Sovereigns!" A brilliant light flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes. He was genuinely impressed. The Resentment Demon Venerable before him was truly extraordinary and not to be taken lightly. Indeed, across the boundless River of Spacetime and the countless universes, there would always be exceptionally brilliant cosmic mighty figures. Resentment Demon Venerable was one such figure! Lu Changsheng did not know how Resentment Demon Venerable had failed his breakthrough to the Third Realm. Yet not only had he survived, he had retained his immortal true intent and obtained seven pieces of immortal substance to forge seven fiend bodies. Driven by immortal true intent, his battle prowess was peerless. Among cosmic mighty figures, he could sweep across virtually all opposition unopposed. Unfortunately, he had crossed paths with Lu Changsheng. "Immortal true intent, combined with immortal substance, can temporarily unleash an imitation of the Third Realm's decomposition power." "Yet it is merely an imitation, far inferior to true decomposition power." "Even if your power is half a tier above my True Realm Plane, so what?" "Can you instantly obliterate my two-hundredfold True Realm volume?" Lu Changsheng did not hesitate for a second. Against Resentment Demon Venerable, Lu Changsheng could not engage in a battle of attrition as he had against Ephemera Temple. Back then, Ephemera Temple had relied on a treasure forged of immortal substance. The trace of immortal true intent remaining inside was depleted with every use, allowing Lu Changsheng to grind it down until it was exhausted. Resentment Demon Venerable was different. He had birthed his own immortal true intent. That intent was virtually inexhaustible, with no fear of attrition. Coupled with the seven pieces of immortal substance, if they engaged in a war of endurance, Lu Changsheng would ultimately be the one to lose. However, Lu Changsheng held a distinct advantage compared to his battle with Ephemera Temple. Volume. His current volume was over two hundredfold. Beyond enduring attrition, once the full might of Lu Changsheng's two-hundredfold True Realm Plane erupted, its power would be world-shaking. It could shake an entire universe, let alone Resentment Demon Venerable. Rumble! In the next instant, Lu Changsheng unleashed the full might of his True Realm Plane. Without any trickery, the two-hundredfold volume swept directly toward the seven resentment fiend bodies. He intended to use sheer volume to forcefully suppress the seven fiend bodies and grind them into dust. After all, Resentment Demon Venerable had one fatal weakness. His strength lay in the seven resentment fiend bodies. His original body, however, possessed no immortal substance. Nor could his true body refine immortal substance. Therefore, Resentment Demon Venerable's original body was his vulnerability. So long as Lu Changsheng suppressed the seven bodies, he could turn the tables and strike him down! And indeed, the battle unfolded precisely that way. The terrifying, overwhelming force of the True Realm Plane surged outward, rapidly engulfing the seven resentment fiend bodies. Even as the seven bodies continually decomposed the energy of the True Realm Plane, the volume was simply too colossal. Decomposing it would require immense time. After all, he was not a true Third Realm Sovereign. With the seven resentment fiend bodies held down, the force of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane descended directly upon Resentment Demon Venerable's true body. Bang! In a single instant, Resentment Demon Venerable's true body detonated. It offered virtually no resistance at all. Just like that, it blew apart, reduced to fine powder. Even his aura plummeted precipitously. "Hmm?" "Not dead yet?" Lu Changsheng's heart stirred. He sensed an anomaly. Even though Resentment Demon Venerable's original body had been blown to dust—effectively leaving him without a physical form—he was still not dead. His aura persisted. Following the source of that aura, Lu Changsheng shifted his gaze. The seven resentment fiend bodies! However, having lost their original body, the seven resentment fiend bodies had lost their core anchor. They were swiftly worn down under Lu Changsheng's relentless pressure. Immortal substance could not be destroyed. Immortal true intent, however, was another matter. With the original body gone, only the immortal true intent imbued within the immortal substance remained. This immortal true intent functioned like a consciousness, yet far more powerful. It was a power unique to the Third Realm. Only those who had birthed immortal true intent could truly comprehend its functions. Regardless, severed from its source, this immortal true intent diminished with every bit spent. The situation had now become identical to Lu Changsheng's battle against Ephemera Temple. Once the immortal true intent of Resentment Demon Venerable within the seven pieces of immortal substance was thoroughly worn away, the seven resentment fiend bodies would collapse. Only then would Resentment Demon Venerable truly perish! "Roar..." Resentment Demon Venerable condensed a spectral figure from the immortal substance. "Fellow Daoist, why drive things to absolute ruin?" "If you spare my life, I am willing to swear a Great Dao oath to serve as your vanguard, your slave, your servant!" Resentment Demon Venerable was willing to bend when circumstances demanded. To survive, he was even prepared to become a slave. Lu Changsheng was well aware of Great Dao oaths. Such oaths were far from absolute. Violating a Great Dao oath merely bred inner demons in one's mind, hindering one's path forward. Yet that applied only to ordinary cultivators. Those with unshakeable resolve could disregard Great Dao oaths entirely without their dao path suffering any ill effect. Thus, a Great Dao oath held no binding power whatsoever over such individuals. Bang! Lu Changsheng remained unmoved. He intensified the crushing power of the True Realm Plane. The immortal true intent within one piece of immortal substance was completely exhausted. Resentment Demon Venerable's expression warped with terror. He attempted to flee carrying a piece of immortal substance with him. Yet he was trapped within Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane. Escape was an impossibility! Bit by bit, Lu Changsheng ground away every scrap of Resentment Demon Venerable's immortal true intent within the immortal substance. Finally, Resentment Demon Venerable died. This time, his form and spirit were thoroughly extinguished, leaving zero possibility of survival. Resentment Demon Venerable was dead! With a wave of his hand, Lu Changsheng drew the seven pieces of immortal substance into his grasp. These seven pieces of immortal substance bore clear signs of refinement. They had likely not been forged by Resentment Demon Venerable. A cosmic mighty figure could not refine immortal substance. Only Third Realm mighty figures, utilizing specialized immortal substance tools, were capable of doing so. Even so, Resentment Demon Venerable's use of immortal substance to anchor his immortal true intent had indeed been an extraordinary feat. His battle strength had been astonishing! He was easily the most powerful cosmic mighty figure Lu Changsheng had ever faced. Even his battle against Ephemera Temple had felt somewhat simpler by comparison. Resentment Demon Venerable had been exceptionally difficult to handle. Yet now, these seven pieces of immortal substance had fallen into Lu Changsheng's hands. "Immortal substance... can only be driven by immortal true intent." "Even though I have obtained these pieces, they are of little use to me for now, as I have yet to birth immortal true intent." "Only select half-step Sovereigns who birthed immortal true intent yet failed their breakthrough to the Third Realm can utilize immortal substance." Lu Changsheng murmured softly to himself. Resentment Demon Venerable had shown Lu Changsheng just how terrifying a top-tier half-step Sovereign could be. While inferior to a Third Realm Sovereign, they held an absolute advantage over cosmic mighty figures. Only Lu Changsheng, having forged an unprecedented path through the immense volume of his True Realm Plane, had been able to overcome Resentment Demon Venerable. "Let's test it with consciousness." Lu Changsheng still wished to experiment with the seven pieces of immortal substance. If they could house Resentment Demon Venerable's immortal true intent, could they hold Lu Changsheng's consciousness? He extended his consciousness to envelop the immortal substance. And then... nothing happened. The seven pieces of immortal substance did not react in the slightest. His consciousness could not activate the immortal substance at all. "It seems immortal true intent is truly indispensable..." Lu Changsheng shook his head. Everyone desired to birth immortal true intent. Yet how many cosmic mighty figures had ever succeeded? They were as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns, especially relative to the vast number of cosmic mighty figures across existence. Even Lu Changsheng currently lacked the faintest clue as to how to birth immortal true intent. However, his strength had not hit a bottleneck yet. Continuing to expand the volume of his True Realm Plane would allow him to grow stronger steadily. There was no urgent rush to birth immortal true intent. With Resentment Demon Venerable eliminated, no obstacles remained in the Mingluo Battlefield. He resumed devouring the plane ruins across the remaining three-quarters of the battlefield. As time passed, the lingering silence of the Mingluo Battlefield drew the attention of perceptive onlookers. "That immense commotion earlier... was that Resentment Demon Venerable?" "Yes, it was Resentment Demon Venerable. Everyone knows he possessed seven fiend bodies of terrifying might. Weren't those the seven fiendgod bodies from just now?" "Indeed. Even with all seven fiendgod bodies deployed, the fighting has ceased, while that unfamiliar cosmic mighty figure remains alive, calmly continuing his cultivation. The outcome is obvious: Resentment Demon Venerable has likely been defeated—perhaps even killed." "To defeat or even slay Resentment Demon Venerable... that stranger is truly terrifying. No wonder he dared to devour planes so openly and claim the Mingluo Battlefield for himself. Who else could claim to have slain Resentment Demon Venerable?" "With the Mingluo Universe on the verge of collapse, more and more cosmic mighty figures are arriving, each more brilliant than the last. We had better proceed with utmost caution, or we might not leave this universe alive..." As word spread, many cosmic mighty figures learned that a terrifying powerhouse capable of slaying Resentment Demon Venerable occupied the Mingluo Battlefield, and they consciously steered clear of the area. Day after day slipped by. A century, three centuries, eight centuries, a millennium... Previously, Lu Changsheng had taken five centuries to devour a quarter of the Mingluo Battlefield. Now, another fifteen hundred years had passed, and the remaining three-quarters of the battlefield had been completely devoured. Swish. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He immediately checked his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-tier comprehension Realm Lord: Second Realm True Realm Plane: 400-fold (expandable) Purple Zenith Soul: 43% (Inestimably noble, capable of braving the surges of the River of Spacetime) On the attribute panel, his Purple Zenith Soul had increased by one percent, which was better than nothing. As for why cosmic fortune had converged upon him in the Mingluo Battlefield, it was likely due to his slaying of Resentment Demon Venerable, which had presumably become common knowledge across the region. After all, Resentment Demon Venerable was no minor figure; he possessed immense fame and had ranked among the apex entities within the Mingluo Battlefield. His death at Lu Changsheng's hands naturally drew fortune toward him. Gathering fortune over fifteen hundred years to gain a one percent increase in his Purple Zenith Soul was entirely reasonable. In contrast, the True Realm Plane had yielded an enormous harvest. Its volume had skyrocketed from 215-fold to 400-fold, an increase of 185-fold. This was an astonishing figure. With a 400-fold volume, Lu Changsheng could scarcely fathom how formidable he currently was. If he encountered Resentment Demon Venerable again, there would be no need to slowly wear down his avatars. It would be an outright crush. Pulverizing Resentment Demon Venerable's fiendgod bodies would be child's play. Furthermore, as the True Realm Plane's volume grew, Lu Changsheng could engulf vast expanses of planes in a single sweep. Take the Mingluo Battlefield, for instance. While Lu Changsheng could not yet swallow the entire battlefield in a single gulp, it would certainly no longer take fifteen hundred years. A few centuries at most would suffice to devour it completely. Lu Changsheng harbored an even greater ambition. If his True Realm Plane's volume grew large enough, could he one day envelop one percent, or even ten percent, of an entire universe all at once? When that day came, every plane ruin within the region enveloped by his True Realm Plane would be devoured by him. The efficiency would be immeasurably faster than it was now. Therefore, his current volume was still not enough. After becoming a cosmic mighty figure, Lu Changsheng's path of cultivation differed from that of others. Other cosmic mighty figures could only search for lucky chances, striving to birth immortal true intent. Only by birthing immortal true intent and challenging the Third Realm could their strength advance by leaps and bounds. Lu Changsheng was different. Becoming a cosmic mighty figure had merely been his starting point. While others found cultivation increasingly arduous and their progress ever slower, Lu Changsheng's expansion of his True Realm volume grew faster and more efficient by the day. "Junior Brother Lu, you've finally finished cultivating." "Look at the void around us." At that moment, Zhao Yi's voice drifted over from nearby. Lu Changsheng glanced at their surroundings. The surrounding void was constantly collapsing, yet it did not disintegrate completely. After collapsing, it would mend itself, only to shatter once more. In such an environment, let alone ordinary mortals, even cultivators would find it difficult to survive. Furthermore, the appearance of such phenomena proved that the Mingluo Battlefield truly did not have much time left. At most a few millennia, or as little as a few centuries, and the Mingluo Universe would inevitably collapse. "We need to hurry." "Next stop: Molo Airspace. Once we've devoured Molo Airspace, if time permits, we'll head to Tianmen City." "In short, we must devour planes as quickly as possible, by any means necessary." Lu Changsheng already had a plan in mind. "Wait, Molo Airspace might pose some trouble," Zhao Yi said, suddenly furrowing his brow. "What trouble?" "Molo Airspace is occupied by the Nine-Headed Supreme of the Azure Universe." "This Nine-Headed Supreme is said to possess extraordinary innate talent; his nine heads can swallow all things. In that sense, he's somewhat similar to you, Junior Brother Lu. The Nine-Headed Supreme grows stronger by consuming certain things, and Molo Airspace contains what he requires. He has been entrenched there for over a millennium, and more than thirty cosmic mighty figures from other universes have fallen by his hand..." Zhao Yi spoke with grave seriousness. Evidently, the Nine-Headed Supreme possessed tremendous renown within the Mingluo Universe—and a ferocious reputation to match! Although Lu Changsheng was strong, going to Molo Airspace could be perilous. "Perhaps we should head to Tianmen City first..." Zhao Yi suggested.