The True Realm Transforms into a Universe; Devourers Attack!

"Lu Changsheng, you've become a Sovereign?" Sovereign Yongye was the first to speak. Several other figures—all Sovereigns as well—stared at Lu Changsheng in astonishment. He was a legend of the Eternal Academy, the very first disciple from their academy to claim the title of First Supreme on the Hundred Supremes Ranking. How could they not know of him? Yet they were even more shocked that Lu Changsheng had already attained the rank of Sovereign. Although giving birth to immortal true intent was equivalent to having half a foot in the Third Realm, countless practitioners had still failed at that threshold in practice. Successfully advancing to the Third Realm was never an easy feat. Lu Changsheng replied, "Your Majesty Sovereign Yongye, I only broke through to the Third Realm not long ago. I returned on an errand requiring entry into the Eternal Academy, but forgot that I am no longer a true disciple here. I intruded by mistake and disturbed all of you Sovereigns." The Sovereigns of the Eternal Academy accepted his explanation. After all, he was one of their own. There was no reason to reproach Lu Changsheng over such a trivial matter. No Sovereign could be taken lightly—much less a Sovereign with as boundless a future as Lu Changsheng. Sovereign Yongye nodded. "Then follow me inside so we can talk." And so, Lu Changsheng followed Sovereign Yongye into the Eternal Academy. Soon, the two sat facing each other. "Speak, then. What brings you to the Eternal Academy this time?" Sovereign Yongye asked. He knew Lu Changsheng would not come to the Eternal Academy without a good reason. Besides, Lu Changsheng was already a Sovereign. What need could he possibly have of the Eternal Academy now? Lu Changsheng did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. "Although I have broken through to the Third Realm, my cultivation still requires a massive quantity of water from the River of Spacetime. Because of that, I need a treasure forged from space-attribute immortal substance. "The Spacetime Boat happens to be such a treasure. I would like to borrow it for a period to dredge water from the River of Spacetime for my cultivation." Hearing that Lu Changsheng's goal was the Spacetime Boat, Sovereign Yongye immediately shook his head. "Impossible! The Spacetime Boat is a supreme treasure of the Eternal Academy. No one may borrow it except for true disciples of the academy. "Furthermore, even when a true disciple applies to use the Spacetime Boat, there is a strict time limit. You should know this better than anyone. "Therefore, there is no need to mention borrowing the Spacetime Boat again. Even if I agreed, the other Sovereigns would never consent." Sovereign Yongye refused unequivocally. Even though Lu Changsheng had once been a true disciple of the Eternal Academy—even the First True Disciple—loaning out the Spacetime Boat was entirely out of the question. Lu Changsheng frowned slightly. In truth, he had anticipated that the Eternal Academy would most likely refuse. Still, he had wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, he had now received a definitive answer. "Sovereign Yongye, is there really no room for accommodation?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Accommodation..." Sovereign Yongye looked up at Lu Changsheng. He did not reject the idea outright. Because, in fact, there truly was room for accommodation. "Sovereign Changsheng, if you are willing to join the Eternal Academy as an academy Sovereign instructor, this matter might just work," Sovereign Yongye said after careful consideration. If it were an ordinary instructor, it would still be impossible. The Eternal Academy did not actually lack Sovereigns. Yet Lu Changsheng was different. Lu Changsheng was the First Supreme of the Hundred Supremes Ranking for two consecutive terms. His fame echoed across countless universes. Once Lu Changsheng became an instructor at the Eternal Academy, it would be a tremendous boon to the academy. Even within the Universe Alliance, the Eternal Academy was not uniquely unmatched at the top. Competition still existed. Therefore, Lu Changsheng was well worth winning over. Lu Changsheng closed his eyes in contemplation. "I need a time limit," Lu Changsheng said. Serving as an instructor was not a big issue in itself. However, he could not remain an instructor indefinitely. "Then we shall discuss it among ourselves. Stay here in the Eternal Academy for now. As soon as a conclusion is reached, I will notify you immediately." Lu Changsheng nodded. He then found a cave dwelling and temporarily took up residence within the Eternal Academy. Sovereign Yongye began conferring with the other Sovereigns of the academy. Days slipped by one after another. The Sovereigns debated the matter intensely. In the end, Lu Changsheng's reputation as the two-time champion of the Hundred Supremes Ranking carried too much weight, and the resolution finally passed. However, the required term was rather long. Soon, Sovereign Yongye sought out Lu Changsheng in person. "The Eternal Academy has reached its decision. We can lend you the Spacetime Boat, but you must become an instructor of the Eternal Academy for a term of one hundred thousand years!" Sovereign Yongye's words left Lu Changsheng silent for a long while. One hundred thousand years was an extraordinarily long time for him. On the other hand, the restrictions at the Eternal Academy were not particularly strict. He would not necessarily be forced to stay inside the Eternal Academy the entire time. Moreover, what Lu Changsheng needed most urgently right now was water from the River of Spacetime. Without the Spacetime Boat, unless Lu Changsheng leaped directly into the river itself, he had no way to dredge sufficient river water. In addition, being in the Eternal Academy would give Lu Changsheng access to many deep secrets. Joining the academy was hardly a losing proposition for him. Other Sovereigns wishing to join might not even be granted the chance. "Very well," Lu Changsheng finally agreed. "Excellent!" "Congratulations, Sovereign Changsheng, on becoming an instructor of the Eternal Academy. Once this news spreads, I suspect that every time you deliver a sermon, the academy's true disciples will show up in full force. Your popularity will far surpass ours..." A smile appeared on Sovereign Yongye's face. He had always been relatively close to Lu Changsheng. Naturally, he was delighted that Lu Changsheng could remain at the Eternal Academy. "However, I would like to use the Spacetime Boat first—the sooner, the better," Lu Changsheng said. "That will naturally be no problem," Sovereign Yongye nodded. Without delay, Lu Changsheng followed Sovereign Yongye and saw the Spacetime Boat once again. This time, there was no time limit. Lu Changsheng now counted as one of the Eternal Academy's own. He was authorized to control the vessel. "Your clearance has been elevated, so you may now pilot the Spacetime Boat. However, although it can resist the erosion of the River of Spacetime's water, it is still unwise to linger in the river for too long." Lu Changsheng nodded. The River of Spacetime was exceedingly perilous. And the dangers within were by no means limited to the water itself. For instance, the Devourers were immensely dangerous. The longer one stayed in the River of Spacetime, the higher the chance of encountering peril. Lu Changsheng flew into the Spacetime Boat. Unable to hold back his eagerness, he steered the vessel to the banks of the River of Spacetime. This was not the first time Lu Changsheng had seen the River of Spacetime. To him, the river was already familiar. Right now, the River of Spacetime remained calm—the optimal time to draw water. He operated the Spacetime Boat and initiated a powerful suction. *Whoosh!* Ripples immediately stirred across the surface of the River of Spacetime. The Spacetime Boat began drawing in the river water voraciously. Vast streams of river water poured ceaselessly into the boat's interior. Inside lay an immense expanse of space, more than capable of holding a staggering volume of water. Lu Changsheng spent several whole months drawing water until the Spacetime Boat was finally filled to capacity. The boat was now brimming with river water. Even if Lu Changsheng stepped inside and wished to swim in it, there would be plenty of room. "Time to return." Lu Changsheng had no desire to wander along the banks of the River of Spacetime with the boat. Though the Universe Alliance was mighty and the Eternal Academy was formidable, who could predict what might happen across the boundless universes? If other Sovereigns caught sight of an extraordinary treasure like the Spacetime Boat, there was no guarantee they would not covet it. An attempt to seize it by force was not out of the question. Now that Lu Changsheng possessed the river water, he returned to the Eternal Academy aboard the Spacetime Boat without delay to avoid unexpected complications. Back at the academy, Lu Changsheng gave Sovereign Yongye a brief explanation, stating that he needed to enter closed-door cultivation. With that, Lu Changsheng took the Spacetime Boat and directly secluded himself. Inside the secret chamber, the Spacetime Boat rested before him. It was packed to the brim with water from the River of Spacetime—resources piled high as a mountain. Lu Changsheng could now consume this cultivation resource to his heart's content. "Let us begin..." Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer. With a sweeping reach of his hand, he channeled a massive torrent of river water into his True Realm Plane. *Rumble!* As expected, the True Realm began to shake violently once more. Lu Changsheng distinctly felt the effect of accelerated time. One thousand years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, a million years, a hundred million years... Or perhaps even longer. Under such continuous time acceleration from the river water, an ordinary Sovereign's physical body would struggle merely to keep up. Yet Lu Changsheng was different. The faster time accelerated, the more the True Realm within him slowly expanded. After all, his True Realm Plane was already consummate. It had even birthed living beings and established reincarnation. With the passage of time, the True Realm Plane would not collapse; instead, it grew stronger and expanded continuously. This growth manifested directly in its scale. Originally, the volume of Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane had been reduced to just twenty percent of its peak. At its peak, its volume had been fifty thousand times normal. Twenty percent amounted to ten thousand times normal! Yet now, under the time acceleration of the River of Spacetime's water, the True Realm Plane expanded continuously, steadily recovering its lost ground. Twenty thousand times, thirty thousand times, forty thousand times, fifty thousand times... It did not merely recover—it surged right past its prior peak. This time, Lu Changsheng had no worries, letting the True Realm expand freely. He wanted to see where the ultimate limit of the True Realm Plane truly lay. As time elapsed, the True Realm Plane's volume exceeded a hundred thousand times. Yet it continued to expand. Finally, when the True Realm Plane ballooned to a million times its original volume, Lu Changsheng felt a faint sensation of heaviness. He knew he had reached the limit. In truth, this was not the limit of the True Realm. The True Realm had no limits. This was Lu Changsheng's limit—or rather, the limit of his immortal soul. At present, Lu Changsheng's immortal soul could only support a volume of a million times normal. If it expanded any further, his immortal soul would be unable to bear the load, like carrying an unbearable weight. That would be detrimental. A million-fold scale still could not compare to the Boundary Sea. However, the Boundary Sea required no cultivator's soul to sustain it, allowing it to expand without bound. Lu Changsheng could not do that. He possessed a soul, and he had to use that soul to bear the weight of his True Realm. If the True Realm exceeded the soul's upper limit, it would impose a crushing burden. Even so, a scale of one million times was already a terrifying figure. Even if Lu Changsheng had not broken through to the Third Realm, relying solely on this million-fold volume would likely have allowed him to contend with a Sovereign. None of that mattered anymore, however. Now that he had reached the Third Realm and his True Realm Plane had hit its limit, he could pivot to another approach. A quantitative change leading to a qualitative transformation. Right now, the quantity of the True Realm within him was sufficient; what was missing was quality. With the quantity pushed to the absolute extreme, triggering a qualitative leap was remarkably straightforward. Following a sudden flash of insight, Lu Changsheng naturally understood what needed to be done. When a plane reached its limit, it could transform into a universe. And now, every prerequisite for the True Realm's transformation had been met. With a single thought, Lu Changsheng initiated the process. *Rumble!* The True Realm Plane began to transform. Transitioning from a plane to a universe was a natural evolution. Long ago, Lu Changsheng's True Realm Plane had possessed the conditions to transform. Yet he had always wished to push the plane to its utmost limit first, which was why he had held back until now. The principle held true now as well. Once it transformed, with a foundation spanning a million times its original scale, the resulting entity would undoubtedly be an unimaginable super universe! It would likely surpass any universe Lu Changsheng had ever laid eyes upon. Moments trickled past. The plane was collapsing inward, yet the True Realm was undergoing a metamorphosis. This was a transformation of quality. Gradually, the plane evolved into a complete, self-contained universe. The instant the universe formed, Lu Changsheng snapped his eyes open. "It is done!" A universe. A universe beyond imagination had manifested directly within his body. This was the True Realm Universe! In other words, Lu Changsheng now harbored the power of an entire universe within himself. Whenever he wished, he could unleash the full, genuine might of a universe. And just how strong was an entire universe? In truth, an ordinary Sovereign's power fell far short of a universe's. After all, a single universe could give birth to numerous Sovereigns. If one could fully command the power of a universe, Lu Changsheng believed that even a Sovereign could be suppressed with ease. As for whether he could slay a Sovereign? Lu Changsheng felt that would pose no great difficulty—especially since what lay inside him was a super universe! Without delay, Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel to examine his current status. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: Top-tier comprehension World Master: Third Realm True Realm Universe: A growing super universe Immortal Soul: 35% (The soul is immortal, granting the qualification to step into the River of Spacetime) On the attribute panel, True Realm Plane had become True Realm Universe. And after all this time, his immortal soul had finally increased by 10%. That was quite remarkable. According to Lu Changsheng's perception, his current True Realm Universe could continue to expand and swell. Furthermore, it required no cultivation resources whatsoever. Given enough time, the True Realm Universe would grow steadily stronger. Of course, the prerequisite was that Lu Changsheng's immortal soul remained strong enough. If his soul proved insufficient, he would actively halt the universe's expansion. This meant that, in theory, even if Lu Changsheng did nothing at all, his True Realm Universe would steadily grow larger as time passed. In theory, even if he did nothing, his strength would continue to climb. The key bottleneck now was his soul. Lu Changsheng's soul restricted the growth of the True Realm Universe, thereby limiting the advancement of his overall strength. "Immortal soul..." For the time being, Lu Changsheng had no effective method to bolster his immortal soul. Perhaps providence could help. Yet he was already the First Supreme of the Hundred Supremes Ranking, boasting renown far greater than most Sovereigns. Even so, the advancement of his immortal soul remained exceedingly sluggish. Perhaps he still had to rely on the Spacetime Boat to continuously sense souls in other dimensions, deduce the universes in which those souls resided, and directly absorb souls from alternate timelines or dimensions. Yet that, too, required the Spacetime Boat. And right now, the Spacetime Boat sat right before him. However, he had previously borrowed the boat solely to collect water from the River of Spacetime. Using it to cultivate within the River of Spacetime was an entirely different matter. He would have to negotiate terms with the Eternal Academy again. Yet what leverage did Lu Changsheng have left to offer? He was already an instructor of the academy. *Wait... with my current strength, I wonder if I can match a peak Sovereign?* Lu Changsheng reflected on his condition. He knew that peak Sovereigns had integrated immortal substance into themselves. Their every move was equivalent to unleashing immortal substance, allowing them to obliterate an ordinary Sovereign with ease. Right now, Lu Changsheng had merely evolved the True Realm Plane within him into the True Realm Universe. He had not integrated any immortal substance. Yet Lu Changsheng felt that if he wanted to blow apart a Sovereign right now, it would hardly be difficult. So, did he count as a peak Sovereign? Perhaps he would only know for sure by testing himself against a peak Sovereign in person. "Sovereign Changsheng, have you emerged from seclusion?" Right at that moment, Lu Changsheng heard a voice transmission. Under normal circumstances, no one would disturb him while he was in seclusion. Yet now, a voice transmission from Sovereign Yongye had arrived. Yes, Sovereign Yongye himself. Something extraordinary must have occurred for Sovereign Yongye to disturb Lu Changsheng during his seclusion. "Fellow Daoist Yongye, what has happened?" Lu Changsheng asked. He exited the secret chamber and saw that Sovereign Yongye had arrived in his true body. Moreover, his solemn expression indicated that an incident had indeed taken place. "Fellow Daoist Changsheng, do you know of the Devourers?" "I do." "Devourers have appeared once again, rivaling peak Sovereigns—and more than one, at that. Currently, members of the Universe Alliance are requesting peak Sovereigns to handle them. "Yet at this exact moment, one Devourer is heading toward our Eternal Academy. It likely intends to devour our Eternal Universe." Lu Changsheng's heart stirred. A Devourer? And it was heading toward the Eternal Academy. The Eternal Academy resided within the Eternal Universe. "Does the Eternal Academy not have a peak Sovereign?" Lu Changsheng asked. "We do—Sovereign Qianheng, the founder of our Eternal Academy. "Sovereign Qianheng has already gone to intercept the Devourer. However, according to him, this Devourer is exceptionally formidable, and he cannot guarantee he can hold it off completely. If he fails to stop it, the rest of us Sovereigns must step in to resist and tie it down. Under no circumstances can we allow the Devourer to consume the Eternal Universe. "That is why I came to notify you, Sovereign Changsheng." Lu Changsheng nodded. "No time to lose. Let us go take a look." With that, the two immediately arrived at the banks of the River of Spacetime. Looking into the distance, they instantly caught sight of a colossal shadow. A Devourer! Moreover, this Devourer was far larger than the one Lu Changsheng had seen before. Drifting from afar like a colossal expanse of darkness, it cast an ominous shadow that made one's heart palpitate. Standing on the riverbank was a Sovereign radiating an overwhelmingly immense aura. That was Sovereign Qianheng! The Eternal Academy's peak Sovereign. Ordinarily, he paid no heed to the academy's affairs, appearing only when the academy's survival was on the line. Aside from Sovereign Qianheng, numerous other Sovereigns were present. All of them were Sovereigns of the Eternal Academy. They stood along the shore, keeping a safe distance from Sovereign Qianheng, serving as the final line of defense to protect the Eternal Universe. "Sovereign Changsheng, Sovereign Yongye, you have arrived as well." At that moment, several Sovereigns greeted them warmly. Judging by their demeanor, morale was fairly high. After all, with Sovereign Qianheng present, they were not overly worried. Lu Changsheng naturally returned their greetings. However, he did not know many of the Sovereigns and could only listen to their discussions. "I don't know what has happened recently, but many Devourers have emerged in the River of Spacetime, prompting numerous universes under the Universe Alliance to request aid. The other peak Sovereigns have all departed to those universes, leaving our Eternal Academy to rely solely on Sovereign Qianheng." "Fortunately, Sovereign Qianheng did not leave, or we would have been in grave danger." "With Sovereign Qianheng here, nothing should go wrong." "Still, the River of Spacetime has been peaceful for so long. Why have so many Devourers appeared all at once? What on earth happened?" The Sovereigns speculated on the reasons behind the sudden surge of Devourers. Unfortunately, none of them had any clues. After all, none of them dared venture into the depths of the River of Spacetime to investigate. The River of Spacetime was ever-shifting and unpredictable; who could know what had transpired? As the crowd conversed, Sovereign Qianheng suddenly struck. *Boom!* The moment Sovereign Qianheng attacked, Lu Changsheng immediately sensed an aura of immortality. It was an intensely familiar sensation. Immortal substance! As a peak Sovereign, Sovereign Qianheng had integrated a vast amount of immortal substance into himself. Consequently, every strike was an eruption of immortal substance. His blows forced the Devourer into continuous, enraged roars. Yet the Devourer's form swelled abruptly as it met Sovereign Qianheng head-on. It was not at the slightest disadvantage. In fact, it appeared even stronger! Even so, Sovereign Qianheng could barely hold his ground. As long as he held the Devourer at bay and prevented it from nearing the Eternal Universe, that would suffice. As for killing the creature? Sovereign Qianheng had never entertained such thoughts. After all, this Devourer also possessed the strength of a peak Sovereign. Slaying it was virtually impossible. Lu Changsheng watched with keen attention. After all, this was his first time witnessing a peak Sovereign in action. Observing more closely would grant him a clearer understanding of peak Sovereigns. As time wore on, the battle fell into a stalemate. Sovereign Qianheng managed to hold the Devourer in check. Just as the Sovereigns breathed sighs of relief, believing the crisis had passed, another massive silhouette faintly emerged in the distant reaches of the River of Spacetime. Another colossal shadow drifted over. A Devourer! Yet another Devourer! In both size and aura, it was not the least bit inferior to the one Sovereign Qianheng was battling. This was unmistakably another Devourer rivaling a peak Sovereign. "What? A second Devourer, and it rivals a peak Sovereign as well?" "What do we do? Can Sovereign Qianheng hold it off?" "If Sovereign Qianheng cannot stop it..." In truth, Sovereign Qianheng had already made his move. He attempted to single-handedly hold off both Devourers. Unfortunately, against the second Devourer, Sovereign Qianheng was utterly powerless to intervene. He could not even disengage himself in time. He could only watch helplessly as the second Devourer bore down upon the Eternal Universe. "All Sovereigns, stop the second Devourer at all costs!" "Hold on for just a little longer! Once I repel this Devourer, I will be able to assist you!" "You must hold out for at least three days!" At that moment, Sovereign Qianheng's voice echoed in the mind of every Sovereign. Hold out for three days! The hearts of all the Sovereigns sank. In this situation, never mind three days—they would struggle to endure even three hours. Yet right now, they had no one else to rely on. They could only depend on themselves. "What do we do?" "We cannot stop it..." "That is a Devourer rivaling a peak Sovereign!" Even Sovereign Yongye wore a grim expression. Faced with a Devourer on par with a peak Sovereign, ordinary Sovereigns like them could very well perish! "Never mind. Allow me." "Fall back, all of you, and form the final line of defense." At that moment, a calm voice reached everyone's ears. *Swish!* All eyes snapped toward the speaker. It was a familiar figure. Every Sovereign recognized him. He was arguably the most renowned figure among all the Sovereigns of the Eternal Academy. The former First True Disciple of the Eternal Academy! The two-time First Supreme of the Hundred Supremes Ranking! The man who had once dominated an era! Sovereign Changsheng, Lu Changsheng, stepped forward at this critical hour!