Eternal Academy's Number One True Disciple, Supreme Changsheng!

Hearing Supreme Gaotian's words, not a single true disciple around the arena was surprised. After all, this was simply who Supreme Gaotian was. It was not arrogance. It was merely an objective fact. Supreme Gaotian had indeed reigned supreme over the Eternal Academy for more than nine thousand years. During this time, not a single person had successfully challenged him, and no one else had ever claimed the first rank! Supreme Gaotian had ample grounding and confidence to speak in such a manner. As for Lu Changsheng? Defeating a Sovereign's incarnation had certainly won him tremendous renown. It was perhaps even more shocking. However, having not fought for seven thousand years, everyone's impression of Lu Changsheng had grown vague. Moreover, the people who had seen Lu Changsheng fight were virtually all peripheral disciples. Among the true disciples, almost none had ever seen him make a move. Yet, faced with Supreme Gaotian's lofty attitude, Lu Changsheng offered no rebuttal. Because it was meaningless. "Is that so?" "If we speak of attrition, other than a Sovereign's true body, I doubt anyone can outlast me." "Besides, against a Sovereign, I might need to wear them down, but against a cosmic mighty figure? There is no need for attrition at all... Can you withstand a punch packing one thousand times the volume of my True Realm?" Lu Changsheng said nothing more. Words were useless. *Boom!* Lu Changsheng made his move. He threw a casual punch. It seemed to be just a punch, but in reality, an entire True Realm Plane surged forth. And it was a thousand times the volume of a True Realm Plane. Compared to when Lu Changsheng had defeated Sovereign Yongye's incarnation, this was four hundred times larger. This was Lu Changsheng's "respect" for Supreme Gaotian. After all, no matter what, Supreme Gaotian was the number one true disciple of the Eternal Academy; he undoubtedly possessed extraordinary strengths. Striking with a thousand-fold volume was giving him more than enough regard. And then... When the thousand-fold volume of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane erupted, the entire arena was engulfed. Supreme Gaotian's pupils contracted violently. What was he looking at? The void itself seemed to cave in. Was that a world? No, it was a plane. An entire plane—or rather, a vast portion of a plane—was crashing down in terrifying grandeur. More importantly, such a colossal plane was simply unheard of. What kind of method was this? In an instant, an overwhelming sense of extreme danger seized Supreme Gaotian's mind. It felt as though if this world struck his body, he would die! How distant death had seemed to Supreme Gaotian. Ever since becoming a cosmic mighty figure, he could not remember how long it had been since he last experienced this sensation. Yet, Supreme Gaotian had risen step by step from the very bottom. He knew deep down just how terrifying death truly was. And now, as the number one true disciple of the Eternal Academy, he was actually sensing the aura of death once more. He could not possibly withstand this power! *Hum.* Almost instinctively, Supreme Gaotian frantically unleashed streaks of golden radiance. It was immortal substance! Having already birthed immortal true intent, Supreme Gaotian was capable of utilizing immortal substance. And he channeled the meager amount of immortal substance remaining in his body with only one objective. Survival! To save his life! Lu Changsheng's strike was simply too fast. He did not even have the chance to concede defeat. Only by surviving this blow would he have the opportunity to yield. This was utterly insane. Supreme Gaotian could never have imagined that he would end up in such a predicament. Forget winning—even conceding had become an extravagant luxury. He harbored only one thought right now. He did not want to die! Even though he had avatars in the outside world, if this original body perished, it would become virtually impossible for him to push toward the Third Realm, even with immortal true intent. If he could not block this strike, his path of cultivation would be effectively ruined! *Rumble!* At last, the thousand-fold True Realm volume descended. What terrifying might was this? Without needing any other technique, the sheer oppressive weight of world power alone was horrifying. A single plane was already vast. Much less a thousand times its volume. Even a mighty figure who cultivated the physical path fell far short of such power. Seeing this spectacle, everyone beneath the arena held their breath. Then, the True Realm crashed down, and the terrifying force crushed down upon Supreme Gaotian. Brilliant light radiated from Supreme Gaotian's body. Golden beams burst outward. Discerning cosmic mighty figures immediately recognized it. That was immortal substance! Only upon seeing Supreme Gaotian resort even to immortal substance did they realize something was gravely amiss. "Immortal substance? It is said that only those who have birthed immortal true intent can utilize immortal substance! Not even the River of Spacetime can destroy immortal substance, and even a Sovereign's power of decomposition cannot dismantle it. But why is Supreme Gaotian using his ultimate trump card right from the start?" "Judging by his expression, he takes this battle extremely seriously." "The technique Lu Changsheng unleashed is unfathomable. Even across the arena barrier, it makes my heart palpitate with fear..." While the crowd was still buzzing with discussion, Supreme Gaotian's massive physique was already being crushed to collapse. Yes, it was literally being crushed to pieces. Immortal substance was indeed indestructible. However, it could not completely deflect pure physical force. The immortal substance could only absorb a fraction of the raw power. The rest of the impact fell squarely on Supreme Gaotian's body. Supreme Gaotian was a cosmic mighty figure of the physical path. How resilient was his body? Yet now, before he even had a chance to display its might, it was pulverized. Thirty percent, fifty percent, seventy percent, eighty percent, ninety percent... The thousand-fold volume of the True Realm Plane bore down, instantly shattering ninety percent of Supreme Gaotian's physical body. Nevertheless, aided by the immortal substance, Supreme Gaotian managed to endure it in the end. Having survived Lu Changsheng's strike, Supreme Gaotian was almost beside himself with ecstatic relief. He yelled out instantly, "I concede! I admit defeat!" Terrified that Lu Changsheng might strike again, Supreme Gaotian gave him no time to hesitate and conceded right away. "Conceded?" Lu Changsheng felt a slight twinge of regret, especially looking at the immortal substance clinging to Supreme Gaotian. Every little bit counted. He had originally planned to claim the immortal substance from Supreme Gaotian. However, since Supreme Gaotian had conceded so quickly, there was nothing he could do. He could hardly pursue and slaughter an opponent who had already surrendered. That would be an outright violation of the Eternal Academy's rules. A Sovereign would personally intervene to investigate, which was entirely unnecessary. Besides, Lu Changsheng already possessed plenty of immortal substance. It was just that he had yet to birth immortal true intent, so he could not utilize it. In the end, Lu Changsheng reined in the power of the True Realm. *Phew...* Supreme Gaotian let out a long breath of relief. He never would have imagined that even admitting defeat could be so difficult. Meanwhile, this scene left the true disciples below the arena utterly dumbfounded. A huge uproar broke out. "What? Supreme Gaotian conceded?" "A single blow... Supreme Gaotian couldn't even withstand a single blow? How is that possible?" "What on earth happened? Why does Supreme Gaotian look relieved after conceding?" "Lu Changsheng might be far stronger than we ever imagined..." At this moment, all previous doubts crumbled on their own. Even Supreme Gaotian had conceded, and had looked upon merely managing to concede as a monumental achievement—what room was left for skepticism? If anyone truly doubted, would they dare challenge Lu Changsheng themselves? Speaking of challenges, Lu Changsheng had not forgotten the matter. He turned his gaze, which locked directly onto Supreme Liu Sheng. "Supreme Liu Sheng, now that my challenge is over, it is time to address yours." "You applied to challenge me earlier. I accept. Please step onto the arena." Lu Changsheng's tone was calm. He had indeed said earlier that he would resolve his own challenge first before dealing with Supreme Liu Sheng's. Now, it was Supreme Liu Sheng's turn. As long as he stepped onto the arena, the fight could begin at any moment. *Swish!* Countless gazes snapped toward Supreme Liu Sheng. Instantly, Supreme Liu Sheng felt mortified. What kind of joke was this? Challenge Lu Changsheng now? Arrogant though he was, he was not an idiot. Even the invincible Supreme Gaotian had been thoroughly trounced without the slightest ability to resist. Going up there now would be nothing short of suicide! Yet, he had indeed uttered those challenging words earlier. It was thoroughly embarrassing. Still, no matter how embarrassing it was, it was far better than going up and getting obliterated by Lu Changsheng. "Supreme Changsheng, you have just defeated Supreme Gaotian. I acknowledge that I am no match for you, so I withdraw my challenge..." Seeing Supreme Liu Sheng humble himself so drastically, Lu Changsheng shook his head without dwelling on it. Instead, he addressed the surrounding crowd: "If anyone wishes to challenge me, I shall be available anytime within the year." With that, Lu Changsheng headed straight back to Cave Dwelling No. 9. Over the next few days, Lu Changsheng and Supreme Gaotian completed the handover procedures. According to the rules of the Eternal Academy, having defeated Supreme Gaotian, Lu Changsheng was entitled to move into Cave Dwelling No. 1. Supreme Gaotian, in turn, challenged the true disciple of Cave Dwelling No. 2 and claimed it for himself. From that day forth, Cave Dwelling No. 1 had a new master. The rankings of the true disciples within the Eternal Academy underwent a massive upheaval. Lu Changsheng was now the number one true disciple, while Supreme Gaotian took second place! The change of ownership of Cave Dwelling No. 1 sent shockwaves through the entire Eternal Academy. The news even spread to the academy's peripheral sectors. When the peripheral disciples heard that Lu Changsheng had become the number one true disciple of the Eternal Academy, they were thrilled and proud, as if sharing in his glory. After all, they had witnessed Lu Changsheng defeat a Sovereign's incarnation with their own eyes. Nonetheless, most people were still astounded. Entering the Eternal Academy as a true disciple and becoming the number one true disciple were entirely different matters. No one had expected Lu Changsheng to pull it off. This invisibly brought another surge of providence to Lu Changsheng. Time flew by. A year later, the challenge period among the Eternal Academy's true disciples concluded, and the rankings stabilized. Lu Changsheng remained first. Supreme Gaotian remained second. Throughout the entire year, Lu Changsheng had not faced a single challenge. It had been exceptionally peaceful. Lu Changsheng brought up his status panel: Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-Tier Comprehension World Master: Second Realm True Realm Plane: 10,600-fold (Growable) Golden-Nature Soul: 13% (Golden nature is immortal, indestructible for ten thousand years in the River of Spacetime) In just one short year, his Golden-Nature Soul had increased by another two percent. Such progress was tremendous. One had to remember that back in the Xingying Universe, his Golden-Nature Soul had only grown by one percent every millennium. This showed just how massive the current boost was. Such was the influential reach of the Eternal Academy's number one true disciple. Furthermore, as time went on, Lu Changsheng could potentially harvest even more providence. However, the influence of the number one true disciple of the Eternal Academy was far inferior to that of the Hundred Supremes Ranking. Lu Changsheng looked forward to the release of the Hundred Supremes Ranking more and more. Now that the one-year mark had arrived, it was time to depart for the Shenyan Universe. Soon, Sovereign Yongye gathered the top ten true disciples of the Eternal Academy. He exhorted them, "The ten of you represent the prestige of our Eternal Academy. This journey to the Shenyan Universe is for you to display your strength and see if you can enter the Hundred Supremes Ranking, or perhaps improve your current standing on it." "This time, this seat will accompany you in my true body to ensure your safety." "We thank Your Majesty Sovereign!" The top ten true disciples were delighted. After all, this was the Hundred Supremes Ranking—who wouldn't yearn for it? Even Supreme Gaotian could not help but let a smile surface on his face. "Depart." Sovereign Yongye brought out a flying treasure forged from immortal substance. Although it could not travel within the River of Spacetime itself, its flight speed along the river was faster than a Sovereign traveling on foot. The Eternal Academy was extremely far from the Shenyan Universe. Moreover, the two entities were independent of each other and shared no transmission arrays, so they could only rely on flying there steadily. The group boarded the flying treasure and sat cross-legged, quietly waiting to reach the Shenyan Universe. "Supreme Changsheng, what rank do you estimate you will achieve on the Hundred Supremes Ranking this time?" Supreme Gaotian suddenly asked via voice transmission. Supreme Gaotian appeared cold and aloof, but that was only toward others. After Lu Changsheng defeated him, Supreme Gaotian had not grown distant; instead, he had become quite close with Lu Changsheng. He even visited Lu Changsheng frequently. Perhaps in Supreme Gaotian's eyes, only Lu Changsheng was a peer of the same caliber. Everyone else was negligible and not worth communicating with. "I am different from you, Supreme Gaotian. My strength improves rather rapidly, so perhaps the intelligence Sovereign Shenyan gathered on me has lagged behind my progress. It is not even certain whether I can make the ranking..." Lu Changsheng replied. "Uh..." Supreme Gaotian was momentarily at a loss for words. His strength improved rather rapidly? Even Sovereign Shenyan's information gathering could not keep up with his growth? How was one supposed to respond to that? Yet, it was indeed possible. After all, Lu Changsheng had not made a move for seven thousand years. He had only fought once, a year ago, when challenging Supreme Gaotian. By that time, the preliminary Hundred Supremes Ranking had long been established. Even if changes were to be made, they would have to wait until they arrived in the Shenyan Universe and demonstrated their strength in person. "With your strength, Supreme Gaotian, entering the Hundred Supremes Ranking should be effortless," Lu Changsheng remarked calmly. This was not flattery, but fact. Even though he had defeated Supreme Gaotian, Lu Changsheng still had to acknowledge that Supreme Gaotian was indeed formidable. With his abilities, not only could he enter the ranking, but his placement would likely be quite high. Supreme Gaotian nodded and said with palpable pride, "According to my estimates, I should be able to break into the top fifty!" This brought immense pride to Supreme Gaotian. Top fifty! Such a standing was exceptionally high. After all, Supreme Gaotian had previously been the foremost representative of the Eternal Academy. "Who was the highest-ranking true disciple from the Eternal Academy on the Hundred Supremes Ranking? What rank did they hold?" Lu Changsheng asked suddenly. "That would naturally be the great Sovereign Zhichu. Back then, Sovereign Zhichu was brilliantly gifted, overwhelming countless universes and shining with unrivaled brilliance, securing second place on the Hundred Supremes Ranking. Regrettably, he encountered an even more monstrous figure, which relegated him to second." "Nevertheless, Sovereign Zhichu has already attained the Sovereign realm and now stands as a top Sovereign, residing at the pinnacle of the River of Spacetime! He is the pride of our Eternal Academy!" Lu Changsheng became pensive. A top Sovereign... Though he had not yet become a Sovereign, Lu Changsheng understood the difference between a top Sovereign and an ordinary Sovereign. A top Sovereign truly stood at the pinnacle of the River of Spacetime. Wherever they went, they were overlords. Even the Eternal Academy took immense pride in boasting a top Sovereign! "The one who managed to surpass Sovereign Zhichu..." Lu Changsheng inquired. "That person was named Jianxin, and it is said he cultivated the Sword Dao. His combat prowess was so peerless that it crowned the entire River of Spacetime, suppressing an entire era. Even Sovereign Zhichu lost all his brilliance before Jianxin." "Unfortunately, Jianxin sought to cross realms as a cosmic mighty figure and slay a Third Realm Sovereign. He was killed by that Sovereign, falling before he could even ascend to the Third Realm..." "The tragedy of Jianxin made everyone realize that the majesty of a Sovereign cannot be violated. Any prodigy, no matter how brilliantly gifted, must prioritize ascending to the Third Realm. Without entering the Third Realm, all talent is ultimately in vain." Lu Changsheng remained silent. Someone even more dazzling than Sovereign Zhichu had perished without even reaching the Third Realm. And it had been at the hands of a Sovereign! Being strong for a moment did not make one truly powerful. Remaining strong until the very end was true power! Clearly, Sovereign Zhichu had had the last laugh. Thus, Lu Changsheng had always understood a fundamental truth. Cultivation was the root. Preserving one's life was paramount. To that end, he had set up numerous contingency plans. All to ensure that even if an unforeseen disaster struck, he would not truly perish. At the very least, he would have the chance to start over. However, Jianxin's fate also served as a reminder to Lu Changsheng. He needed to birth immortal true intent as soon as possible. Only by birthing immortal true intent could he attempt the breakthrough to the Third Realm. Without becoming a Sovereign, one could never truly stand at the apex of the River of Spacetime. Once he became a Sovereign, he would truly possess the ability to protect himself within the River of Spacetime. Moreover, it was a recognized fact that an ordinary Sovereign could rarely kill another ordinary Sovereign. Only top Sovereigns possessed the ability to slay fellow Sovereigns. This was the reason why, despite the existence of so many Sovereigns across the River of Spacetime, a relative equilibrium was maintained overall. Since one could not kill the other, why bother forging deadly vendettas? There was no need. This was also an important reason why top Sovereigns held such transcendent status. After all, a top Sovereign could kill another Sovereign. Holding the life and death of other Sovereigns in their hands naturally elevated their standing above the rest. The two continued conversing through voice transmission. Supreme Gaotian was cold and proud before outsiders, but spoke volubly in Lu Changsheng's presence. Before long, the flying treasure came to a halt. Sovereign Yongye's voice resonated in everyone's ears: "The Shenyan Universe has arrived. Everyone, exit in order." "Yes, Your Majesty Sovereign." With that, everyone rose and filed out of the flying treasure. Lu Changsheng also exited the flying treasure and descended into the Shenyan Universe. *Boom.* Lu Changsheng felt a distinct suppression. This was the suppression exerted on him by the universe itself. For it to cause a noticeable suppressive effect on someone of Lu Changsheng's current caliber spoke volumes. The Shenyan Universe was undoubtedly a formidable universe. And Sovereign Shenyan was a renowned top Sovereign. He did not need to give face to anyone. The reason the Shenyan Universe could stand aloof from worldly conflicts and even publish the Hundred Supremes Ranking was purely because Sovereign Shenyan's strength was sufficiently immense! "Sovereign Yongye of the Eternal Academy has arrived. Please proceed to Shenyan City to rest." At that moment, a Sovereign arrived to greet them. This Sovereign was not Sovereign Shenyan. After all, as a top Sovereign, Sovereign Shenyan could not possibly welcome Sovereign Yongye in person. However, the Shenyan Universe had other Sovereigns, and Sovereign Shenyan had several ordinary Sovereigns under his command. This was completely normal. Given Sovereign Shenyan's strength, he was a pinnacle power within the River of Spacetime in his own right; having several Sovereigns gather beneath his banner was only natural. "Then we shall trouble Sovereign Yuguang," Sovereign Yongye replied. Sovereign Yongye and the others followed Sovereign Yuguang into Shenyan City to settle in first. Other factions' Sovereigns and cosmic mighty figures were also lodging in Shenyan City. Those arranged to stay in Shenyan City were by no means ordinary figures in the River of Spacetime. They were either from pinnacle factions or possessed astonishing talent. Sovereign Shenyan did not summon the Eternal Academy group immediately. Lu Changsheng was in no hurry either, quietly waiting within his cave dwelling in Shenyan City. Finally, three years later, Sovereign Shenyan summoned the Eternal Academy's contingent. In truth, it was not just the Eternal Academy; practically all factions and individuals who had arrived in Shenyan City were summoned on this day. On this occasion, Sovereign Shenyan would unveil the preliminary draft of the Hundred Supremes Ranking. This was not the official release. Its primary purpose was to check for omissions, gather corrections, make revisions to the ranking, and finalize it before publicizing it to the wider world. Therefore, if anyone wished to enter the Hundred Supremes Ranking or improve their placement, this was their best opportunity. Other than this, there was no other way. One would have to wait until the next compilation. Lu Changsheng entered Shenyan Palace alongside the others. Supreme Gaotian still wore an aloof expression, appearing completely confident. By contrast, Supreme Liu Sheng looked visibly nervous. Supreme Liu Sheng had ultimately secured a spot among the Eternal Academy's top ten, earning the fortune to visit the Shenyan Universe. However, he did not have much confidence in actually making the Hundred Supremes Ranking. He might make it, or he might not. It largely depended on luck. Based on past experience, the Eternal Academy could generally only guarantee that its top five disciples would enter the Hundred Supremes Ranking. As for the rest, it came down to fortune. There had been occasions when all ten of the Eternal Academy's representatives made the ranking, which demonstrated the academy's profound foundation. Shenyan Palace was immense, and when Lu Changsheng arrived, he found a vast crowd already present. After all, Sovereign Shenyan had invited numerous factions and individuals. Many of these factions and individuals were unknown to Lu Changsheng. The River of Spacetime was simply too vast. Factions were as numerous as ox hairs. Attempting to learn about every single one was virtually impossible. Naturally, the most eye-catching groups were the few pinnacle factions, such as the Glory Divine Hall, the Eternal Academy, and others. Lu Changsheng laid eyes on Sovereign Shenyan. It was not an incarnation, but his true body! After all, with so many Sovereigns present, they were all in their true bodies as well. Sovereign Shenyan did not look intimidating. Instead, he exuded an aura of profound wisdom. His gaze swept across the hall, and he spoke, "The Hundred Supremes Ranking is about to be released. I thank you all for traveling from afar to help review and refine it." "This seat shall now display the preliminary draft of the Hundred Supremes Ranking for all to see..." With that, Sovereign Shenyan waved his hand. Instantly, a colossal light screen materialized within the grand hall of Shenyan Palace. The highly anticipated Hundred Supremes Ranking appeared right before everyone's eyes.