Breaking the Life-and-Death Gateway, Finally Reaching the Divine Strength Realm!

Within his mind, Lu Changsheng "saw" the life-and-death gateway once more. It was an illusory portal, wavering between substance and void, seemingly untouchable. Both the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art and the Raging Wave Divine Strength Art contained crystal-clear records on how to break through the life-and-death gateway. One simply had to charge their consciousness straight into that illusory portal. That part was exceedingly simple. The hard part was sensing the gateway in the first place. Once it was sensed, breaking through was relatively easy. Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Changsheng drove his consciousness toward the portal in his mind and entered it. *Boom!* A tremendous roar instantly resounded through Lu Changsheng's mind. The moment his consciousness passed through the life-and-death gateway, he felt an unprecedented level of insight into his own body. It was as though his consciousness had merged into every single part of his physical form. It was a wondrous sensation. Every person was born with the ability to control their hands and feet. Yet what about the rest? Every inch of skin, every strand of flesh, the bones, the internal organs... Ordinary people could not consciously govern most of the human body. Breaking through the life-and-death gateway, however, changed everything. Lu Changsheng's consciousness seemed to melt into every inch of skin, every fiber of muscle. Even his five viscera and six bowels could now be actively commanded. If someone were to thrust a blade toward his heart, Lu Changsheng could even shift the organ slightly aside. So long as the internal organ's fundamental structure was not destroyed, no harm would come of it. Likewise, a severed blood vessel would normally bleed out. Yet once a martial artist stepped into the Divine Strength Realm, they could actively constrict the vessel to keep their blood from spilling. Under such conditions, the survivability of a Divine Strength Realm martial artist naturally far surpassed that of a Body Tempering artist. *So breaking through the life-and-death gateway allows a martial artist to attain absolute mastery over their own body.* *Or rather, it fuses consciousness into every part of the flesh. Even with identical raw strength and physical constitution, a Divine Strength martial artist who has broken the gateway can effortlessly crush a Body Tempering artist who hasn't.* Lu Changsheng now completely understood the true purpose of the life-and-death gateway. Yet this was merely an auxiliary benefit of reaching the Divine Strength Realm. The core of the realm lay in the words "Divine Strength" itself. *Marrow transformation and blood exchange, divine strength born from within!* At this very moment, Lu Changsheng could clearly sense the blood and bone marrow throughout his body undergoing a rapid metamorphosis. It was another round of marrow transformation and blood exchange! In truth, breaking the life-and-death gateway triggered an innate marrow transformation and blood exchange without needing any external aids. At the same time, Lu Changsheng felt a terrifying force surging wildly within him. Where did this force originate? It was born from the comprehensive leap in his physical constitution following the marrow transformation and blood exchange. *So this is divine strength...* *Marrow transformation and blood exchange, divine strength born from within. I had already gone through one transformation before, which was equivalent to possessing divine strength ahead of time.* *Now, advancing into the Divine Strength Realm amounts to a second marrow transformation and blood exchange...* Realization dawned upon Lu Changsheng. When the second transformation came to an end, Lu Changsheng had become a true Divine Strength Realm martial artist! *The true path of martial arts only begins at the Divine Strength Realm.* *The wondrous facets of the martial path only reveal themselves from here on.* *The Body Tempering Realm before this was merely laying down the foundation!* A flash of insight struck Lu Changsheng, instantly illuminating the relationship between the Body Tempering Realm and the Divine Strength Realm. The firmer one's foundation, the easier it was to advance into the Divine Strength Realm. Though Lu Changsheng had appeared completely composed just now, as if stepping into the realm posed no difficulty whatsoever, what was the reality? During the two hours of marrow transformation and blood exchange, divine strength had surged into being within him. Such an immense force placed an enormous instantaneous load upon the body. If an ordinary martial artist lacked a firm and solid foundation, their body might be shattered by that sudden torrent of divine strength in a single instant. Should that happen, not only would the breakthrough fail, but their very life would be forfeit. The sturdier the foundation, the smoother the breakthrough. Lu Changsheng had already undergone marrow transformation and blood exchange once during the Body Tempering Realm and possessed divine strength, meaning his body was thoroughly acclimated to it. Consequently, the divine strength born from this second transformation posed no burden to him at all. That was why his advancement had gone so smoothly, taking merely two hours to reach completion. Such was the advantage of an unshakeable foundation. Lu Changsheng raised his hand. *Bang!* He threw a punch, producing a sharp sonic crack in the air. *According to the Raging Wave Divine Strength Art, martial artists who have just advanced to the Divine Strength Realm belong to the Ten Tripods Realm.* *The level above the Ten Tripods Realm is the Hundred Tripods Realm.* Lu Changsheng carefully organized the realm divisions outlined in the Raging Wave Divine Strength Art. The Ten Tripods Realm, the Hundred Tripods Realm, and the Thousand Tripods Realm! These were essentially the three great realms of Divine Strength. They were also known as the Threefold Divine Strength. Three Hurdles of Body Tempering, Threefold Divine Strength! Now, Lu Changsheng had reached the first layer of the Divine Strength Realm! *Though my cultivation level is in the Ten Tripods Realm, my prior transformation already granted me the strength of ten tripods.* *Now that I've advanced to the Divine Strength Realm and undergone another transformation, my current strength should equate to the strength of twenty tripods!* One transformation granted the strength of ten tripods. A second transformation granted the strength of twenty tripods. Lu Changsheng estimated his current prowess. Cultivation realm was one thing, but actual strength was another. Even if one wielded the strength of ninety tripods, they would still technically be in the Ten Tripods Realm. No wonder so many people yearned to undergo marrow transformation and blood exchange prior to reaching the Divine Strength Realm. It granted an extra ten tripods of strength, effectively doubling one's combat power. Once in the Divine Strength Realm, increasing one's strength grew extraordinarily difficult. One needed to refine rare treasures and possess the corresponding secret methods. Furthermore, the secret methods had to be cultivated to consummation before those treasures could be refined to augment one's strength. Only now did Lu Changsheng truly appreciate just how precious the Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method was. Many Divine Strength martial artists spent their entire lives idling in the Ten Tripods Realm, possessing only the strength of ten tripods. Even if they were fortunate enough to obtain rare treasures, lacking the matching secret methods or failing to cultivate them to consummation meant they had no way to advance their realm or strength. Every rare treasure refined triggered another marrow transformation and blood exchange, granting an additional ten tripods of strength. To a certain degree, it used rare treasures to force the body through further metamorphoses, making it ever stronger! *Wait, speaking of secret methods, don't I already have a Divine Strength secret method—the Divine Dragon Transformation?* A thought flashed across Lu Changsheng's mind. He remembered the Divine Dragon Transformation. Immediately, Lu Changsheng retrieved a stone slate from a hidden compartment. Carved upon it was the Divine Dragon Transformation. *"First Transformation augments physical power by thirty percent. Second Transformation augments physical power twofold. Third Transformation augments physical power threefold!"* Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed sharply, and he drew in a cold breath. When he first obtained the Divine Dragon Transformation, it had not stirred much emotion in him. Back then, he had not understood what such an "augmentation" truly meant. Now that he had become a genuine Divine Strength martial artist, he realized just how terrifying this secret method was. The Third Transformation could triple his physical power. With his current strength of twenty tripods, tripling it would add forty tripods of strength, giving him a total of sixty tripods of strength! If he ever reached forty tripods of strength and executed the Third Transformation, his power would instantly surge to one hundred and twenty tripods of strength—wouldn't that grant him combat power on par with the Hundred Tripods Realm? Such a secret method was frighteningly potent! *This secret method provides immediate results. I must master it as soon as possible!* No sooner said than done. Lu Changsheng immediately began practicing the Divine Dragon Transformation. The Divine Dragon Transformation was a Divine Strength secret method, accessible only to martial artists in that realm. Yet even among Divine Strength martial artists, anyone lacking sufficient talent would find it difficult to master in a short span of time. However, with Lu Changsheng's comprehension exceeding five hundred points, comprehending the Divine Dragon Transformation proved effortless. In just one hour, Lu Changsheng had grasped the essence of the technique. *Whoosh.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He threw a punch straight into the empty air. At that moment, his entire frame trembled faintly, and within that subtle vibration, the force behind his fist surged dramatically. *Boom!* A piercing sonic boom rang through the room. *The First Transformation is accomplished!* A smile tugged at the corner of Lu Changsheng's lips. Immediately, he called up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 581 (Hidden Dragon in the Depths) Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art: Consummation Divine Dragon Transformation: First Transformation Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method: Consummation (Incomplete) On the attribute panel, the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art had reached consummation. In fact, it had reached consummation the very moment he stepped into the Divine Strength Realm, granting him ten points of comprehension as a Tier 10 martial art. To grow stronger and reach the Hundred Tripods Realm of the second layer of Divine Strength, he would have to use secret methods to temper his physical constitution and induce further metamorphoses. If he could not find the right secret methods, he would be stuck in the first layer of Divine Strength for the rest of his life, unable to make any further progress. Aside from the divine strength art, Lu Changsheng's primary focus was the Divine Dragon Transformation. Just as expected, the Divine Dragon Transformation had reached the First Transformation. The First Transformation increased his physical strength by thirty percent. For instance, with his current baseline of twenty tripods of strength, unleashing the First Transformation with all his might would let him erupt with twenty-six tripods of strength. That was an extra six tripods of strength. It was already astonishing. Six tripods of strength amounted to roughly sixty percent of a normal Divine Strength martial artist's total power. And this was merely the first of the three transformations. Beyond it lay the Second and Third Transformations. *The principle behind the Divine Dragon Transformation isn't overly profound. It uses a specialized technique to mobilize the body's muscles, bones, and organs in unison, unleashing tremendous power.* *My current physical constitution can only support the First Transformation. To reach the Second and Third Transformations, I lack certain external materials.* *No matter how high my comprehension is, it cannot replace physical materials.* Lu Changsheng recognized his greatest advantage: his monstrous comprehension. High comprehension allowed him to grasp the core essence of a martial art in practically no time. Even an exceptionally gifted individual would likely need several months or years to comprehend the essence of the Divine Dragon Transformation. Yet Lu Changsheng had grasped it in a single hour. Even so, comprehension could not replace material necessities. The Divine Dragon Transformation required a material called "ancient rock grease"—and not just a little, but in massive quantities. Only a substantial amount of ancient rock grease would allow Lu Changsheng to cultivate the Second and Third Transformations. While Lu Changsheng had never heard of ancient rock grease before, inquiring about it should yield some leads. Lu Changsheng remained at home for several days to stabilize his cultivation realm and familiarize himself with the traits of the Divine Strength Realm. Only after a few days had passed did he set out toward Miaoren Hall once more. There were noticeably fewer refugees along the streets. In fact, smiles had returned to many people's faces. Lu Changsheng made discreet inquiries and learned that a righteous warrior known as "Hero Zhuang" had taken the bounty, slain the Thirteen Desert Riders, and eliminated the bandit menace. Several hundred ferocious bandits in the mountain stronghold had been slaughtered to the last man by Hero Zhuang alone. The dark cloud looming over Nanyang Prefecture seemed to have been swept away in one fell swoop. Having learned that the bandit threat outside the walls was gone, the refugees promptly departed for their hometowns. Many people were discussing who Hero Zhuang might be. Regrettably, no one knew. Lu Changsheng smiled faintly. Watching order return to Nanyang City, he breathed a sigh of relief, his mood lifting considerably. Arriving at Miaoren Hall, he found Wang Ruhai beaming with excitement. The grudge of Xiaohe Village had finally been avenged by Hero Zhuang. "Alas, Hero Zhuang comes and goes like a phantom. Not a soul can find him. Otherwise, I would surely kowtow to him in person to express my gratitude!" Wang Ruhai was deeply moved. Little did he know that the true Hero Zhuang was standing right before his eyes. "Physician Wang, have you ever heard of ancient rock grease?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Ancient rock grease? It does sound somewhat familiar. Let me think..." Wang Ruhai felt he had heard of it, but could not recall the details right away. "Right, I remember now!" "There's a specialty found in the mountain forests near Gao Family Fort. It's said to be a grease-like substance that seeps from the rocks, called ancient rock grease." "It used to be completely useless. But recently, the Blood Fiend Sect—the sect that took over and renamed Gao Family Fort—seems to have discovered some uses for it. They're reportedly using it to make some sort of rare incense, so they've been mining ancient rock grease on a massive scale." "Physician Lu, if you want ancient rock grease, you can go and ask the people around Gao Family Fort." Physician Wang was still accustomed to calling it Gao Family Fort. As for the Blood Fiend Sect, they had kept a relatively low profile after taking over Gao Family Fort, rarely stirring up trouble. Their only notable activity was mining the traditionally useless ancient rock grease. "Thank you, Physician Wang." Lu Changsheng returned to his seat and continued consulting patients. At dusk, Lu Changsheng left Miaoren Hall. The sky had not yet darkened, and the Blood Fiend Sect was not far from Nanyang City. Returning home, Lu Changsheng changed his attire and disguised his appearance once more into that of "Zhuang Thirteen." He then left Nanyang City and made his way toward the Blood Fiend Sect. The Blood Fiend Sect occupied what had once been Gao Family Fort. Lu Changsheng arrived at the Blood Fiend Sect before long. He had gathered some intelligence on the Blood Fiend Sect beforehand; they had long operated within Nanyang Prefecture as a major sect. Previously, the sect had kept a low profile, so no one had expected them to wipe out Gao Family Fort and take it over. Lu Changsheng had not understood the reason before either. Yet seeing that the sect had been manufacturing rare incense from large quantities of ancient rock grease, he had an inkling. *Ancient rock grease!* *The Blood Fiend Sect wanted to monopolize ancient rock grease!* Ancient rock grease was produced solely in the mountain forests near Gao Family Fort. Controlling Gao Family Fort was equivalent to controlling the supply of ancient rock grease. Lu Changsheng walked directly toward the entrance. "Halt." The guards of the Blood Fiend Sect stopped Lu Changsheng. "What business do you have at the Blood Fiend Sect?" a guard demanded. "I wish to purchase ancient rock grease," Lu Changsheng replied plainly. If it could be bought with money, that would naturally be ideal. In any case, he did not lack silver. "Purchase ancient rock grease?" The guards exchanged glances, then shook their heads. "If you want ancient rock incense, that's fine. But we don't sell ancient rock grease." "I can purchase it in large quantities, and price is no issue," Lu Changsheng stated again. "We told you, the grease isn't for sale!" "Keep talking nonsense and don't blame us for getting rough!" "Do you take our Blood Fiend Sect for common merchants?" The two guards instantly turned menacing. They were disciples of the Blood Fiend Sect, not traders. If their patience ran out, they would not hesitate to kill. Lu Changsheng's brow furrowed slightly. It seemed buying ancient rock grease from the Blood Fiend Sect was out of the question. However, the ancient rock grease was located in the mountain forests. Since the Blood Fiend Sect refused to sell it, he would simply harvest it himself. With that thought, Lu Changsheng did not linger and turned to leave. "Heh, dressed like a martial artist, yet he's such a coward." "I thought he was about to draw his sword just now." "With that short sword of his, could he even kill a fly?" The guards made no effort to lower their voices, heedless of whether Lu Changsheng could hear. The Blood Fiend Sect was not a force to be trifled with. Anyone who dared cause trouble at their doorstep would rarely leave alive. Lu Changsheng paid no heed to the disciples' jeers. Walking the martial world, such mockery was a dime a dozen. Was he supposed to slaughter an entire faction just because someone mocked him? Hardly. He was no bloodthirsty demon, nor did he possess an appetite for slaughter. So long as there was no substantive conflict of interest, Lu Changsheng cared nothing for petty squabbles. Leaving the Blood Fiend Sect, Lu Changsheng made a wide detour around to the mountain forests behind their stronghold. The perimeter was heavily guarded, with Blood Fiend Sect disciples patrolling everywhere. Yet this posed no obstacle to Lu Changsheng. Scaling a steep cliff on the opposite side, he slipped into the mountain forest and soon located the ancient rock grease. The grayish-white rock grease emitted a peculiar fragrance that was, in truth, rather foul. For the Blood Fiend Sect to turn it into rare incense, other ingredients had to have been added. Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng smashed his fist into the rock.