A Carp Leaps the Dragon Gate, One Dragon Gate for Every Heaven!

Miaoshou Garden was completely quiet, without a sound. Lu Changsheng returned silently to his room within Miaoshou Garden, lit a candle, and set down his bundle. Even though he had carried out earth-shaking deeds outside, the moment he stepped back into the courtyard of Miaoshou Garden, his mind settled into calm. Here, he was still just a physician of Miaoshou Garden. Lu Changsheng began to reflect on the gains and losses from his battle with Yan Jiansheng. In truth, combat between Divine Strength Realm martial artists was fundamentally different from fighting at the Body Tempering level. Many methods simply were not suitable for battles between Divine Strength experts. Take the Instant Kill Technique, for example. In the past, Lu Changsheng's Instant Kill Technique had been an unfailing trump card, allowing him to fight above his level and even execute many Refining Organs martial artists. However, Divine Strength Realm martial artists were unlike those at the Body Tempering level. A Divine Strength martial artist's physical body had undergone a complete metamorphosis. The Instant Kill Technique relied on being "swift, precise, and ruthless," targeting the opponent's vital points. Yet for a Divine Strength martial artist, many so-called "vital points" were no longer truly vital, rendering the Instant Kill Technique largely ineffective. Moreover, the Instant Kill Technique was merely a fifth-tier martial technique. No matter how much further it was raised, it would lack sufficient power to threaten a Divine Strength martial artist. *The Instant Kill Technique is of little use now, and even my combat experience from the Body Tempering level isn't very helpful. I have to change my approach to combat.* *In the Divine Strength Realm, what matters is who possesses stronger defense and greater strength. Martial techniques must develop in that direction as well.* *For example, the First Transformation of the Divine Dragon Transformation enhances physical power by thirty percent. In a sense, secret methods like that are the true norm for Divine Strength martial artists.* Since Lu Changsheng possessed the First Transformation, other Divine Strength martial artists were likely to possess similar amplifying secret methods. However, Lu Changsheng lacked martial techniques of the Divine Strength level. He wanted to create his own, but he had only an initial concept and no actual inspiration yet. Even with a comprehension stat as high as 5, he could not invent a Divine Strength martial technique overnight. Martial techniques could wait; Lu Changsheng was in no hurry. He began taking inventory of his spoils from this excursion. Inside the bundle was a vast collection of martial arts and techniques—the accumulation of two to three centuries from the Blood Fiend Sect. Lu Changsheng sorted through technique after technique. "Wait, is this a Divine Strength martial art?" Suddenly, Lu Changsheng's hands flipped open two secret manuals. He had not looked closely at these two manuals before, only noting that they had been placed in the highest position within the vault. One glance revealed their immense value: they were indeed Divine Strength martial arts. One was the Blood Fiend Divine Strength Art, the legacy art of the Blood Fiend Sect. However, its quality was on par with the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art and the Raging Wave Divine Strength Art—merely an ordinary Divine Strength art. Yan Jiansheng, the sect master of the Blood Fiend Sect, had likely broken through to the Divine Strength Realm using this very art. The second manual was also a Divine Strength martial art, titled the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art. The name sounded grand and imposing, clearly indicating something extraordinary. Lu Changsheng had seen several Divine Strength arts before, such as the Divine Strength Chapter of the Myriad Poison Scripture, the Raging Wave Divine Strength Art, the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art, and others. Most were roughly comparable. Yet as Lu Changsheng carefully examined the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art, a shock rippled through his heart. This Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art was no ordinary Divine Strength martial art; it was a superior Divine Strength art! It could be cultivated all the way from the first layer of Divine Strength, the Ten Tripods Realm, straight to the second layer, the Hundred Tripods Realm! This art comprised nine layers in total. With each layer mastered, one gained the strength of ten tripods. If one used this art as their primary foundation to break through into the Divine Strength Realm, they would instantly possess the strength of twenty tripods, completely outclassing the vast majority of Divine Strength arts. However, if one had already entered the Divine Strength Realm before taking up this art, the difficulty of training doubled, and mastering the first layer would only grant the strength of ten tripods. On the other hand, the subsequent second, third, and up to the ninth layers remained completely unaffected. Even more crucially, cultivating this art required no external materials whatsoever. As long as one's comprehension and innate talent were sufficient, it could be mastered! *A superior martial art is truly extraordinary.* *I wonder whether Yan Jiansheng broke through to the Divine Strength Realm with the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art or the Blood Fiend Divine Strength Art.* *Given that he immediately possessed the strength of twenty tripods, it was probably the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art.* Lu Changsheng had previously assumed Yan Jiansheng cultivated the Blood Fiend Divine Strength Art. Looking at it now, things were clearly not that simple. No wonder Yan Jiansheng had carried an air of looking down on all living things, acting as though no one was worth his notice. If he had cultivated the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art, it would explain everything. Once trained to the ninth layer, one could become a powerhouse of the Hundred Tripods Realm directly! The vast majority of Divine Strength martial artists wasted their entire lives stuck in the Ten Tripods Realm. Advancing to the Hundred Tripods Realm was as difficult as ascending to heaven! Lu Changsheng, for instance, even with the Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method, would never be able to reach the Hundred Tripods Realm even if he gathered all the required rare treasures. Yet this Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art allowed one to cultivate directly to the Hundred Tripods Realm without relying on any external items. It was truly incredible. *Ordinary Divine Strength arts reach completion the moment you break through, leaving no room for further cultivation, and thus no way to continue advancing.* *Superior Divine Strength arts, however, not only enable the breakthrough to the Divine Strength Realm, but also allow continued cultivation all the way to the second layer, the Hundred Tripods Realm. The difference is like night and day!* Lu Changsheng now understood the distinction between ordinary and superior Divine Strength arts. With that, he began attempting to cultivate the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art. Under normal circumstances, this art was exceedingly difficult to train, and grasping even the basics was arduous beyond measure. Yet with Lu Changsheng's comprehension stat of 5, it took him barely two hours to grasp its core essence. *The Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art revolves around the concept of a carp transforming into a dragon. It views the human body as nine dragon gates, requiring the practitioner to scale them step by step to achieve the transformation.* *A dragon gate for every heaven.* Lu Changsheng instantly comprehended a sliver of the art's true intent. He had to gather his full qi, blood, and willpower, treating his body as nine heavens to execute a leap over the dragon gate. Each successful leap represented an advance of one layer. Without the slightest hesitation, at a moment when his essence, qi, and spirit were at their absolute peak, Lu Changsheng acted. If not now, when else would he leap over the dragon gate? *Boom!* Lu Changsheng felt as though he had transformed into a carp, gathering all its might to leap over the towering dragon gate. Simultaneously, his essence, qi, and spirit focused to an extreme degree, depleting at a rapid pace. The leap seemed to last both a mere instant and an eternity. He seemed to reach the heights of the lofty dragon gate, then threw every ounce of his strength into clearing it. *Buzz.* The moment he felt himself cross the dragon gate, the marrow within his bones vibrated violently, and the blood coursing through his body surged with tremendous force. This sensation was all too familiar—marrow transformation and blood exchange! Yes, this was marrow transformation and blood exchange! Having undergone it twice before, Lu Changsheng recognized it immediately. One hour, two hours, three hours passed... Just as dawn broke in the sky, Lu Changsheng snapped his eyes open. *Whoosh.* There was no trace of exhaustion in his gaze; on the contrary, he appeared radiant with vigor. In this single night, Lu Changsheng had completed his third marrow transformation and blood exchange. His physical body had gained the strength of ten tripods, reaching a total strength of thirty tripods! Gaining the strength of ten tripods in a single night! And without using any external materials—all he had done was make a single leap over the dragon gate. *Miraculous. Absolutely miraculous.* *Then what about attempting a second leap?* Stirred by the thought, Lu Changsheng visualized himself as a carp once more, mustered all his power, and surged toward the dragon gate! This time, he had to clear the second dragon gate! *Boom!* Lu Changsheng attempted the leap again. He soared high into the air, even clearing the first dragon gate. However, just past the first gate, his momentum faltered; he fell completely short of reaching the second dragon gate. With a splash, Lu Changsheng felt as though he had tumbled back into the water. In reality, moments ago his momentum had been magnificent and his qi and blood surging like a torrent. Yet in the next instant, like a punctured balloon, his entire essence, qi, and spirit rapidly deflated. He gasped heavily for air, overcome by deep exhaustion. *That attempt failed.* *To leap the dragon gate, one must succeed on the first try. Making two consecutive leaps is simply impossible.* *The interval between my first leap and second leap was far too short; my essence, qi, and spirit hadn't recovered to their peak.* *I must wait at least a month, perhaps even longer, before attempting another leap. If it ends in failure and drains my essence, qi, and spirit, the time required to recover will be substantial.* Lu Changsheng now understood the knack of leaping the dragon gate. Unless one was fully prepared, one must never attempt the leap recklessly. A single failure cost far too much time. Just like now: having failed once, getting his essence, qi, and spirit back into condition for another attempt would take at least two to three months, if not longer. And if he failed again, another two to three months or more would be lost. *Still, even if I can only manage one leap for now, that represents the first layer of the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art, which grants the strength of ten tripods.* *Right now, I already possess the strength of thirty tripods!* *Besides, I still have a blood crystal. Once my Blood Crystal Secret Method reaches completion, I can immediately refine one, which will grant another ten tripods of strength.* Lu Changsheng drew the Blood Crystal Secret Method from his robes. This secret method was not particularly difficult, though it required a considerable amount of time. With his comprehension, Lu Changsheng quickly grasped the basics of the method. He then summoned his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 5 (Hidden Dragon in the Depths) Blood Crystal Secret Method: Entry Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art: First Layer Divine Dragon Transformation: First Transformation Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method: Consummate (Incomplete) Looking at the martial arts on his attribute panel, Lu Changsheng felt deeply satisfied. Not long after breaking through to the Divine Strength Realm, his strength had already increased dramatically, and he was still in a phase of rapid progression. With a bit more quiet cultivation, his strength would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds. Perhaps reaching the Hundred Tripods Realm would not be so far away. If other Divine Strength martial artists learned of his cultivation speed, they would likely be driven mad with envy. Ordinary martial artists, even if fortunate enough to reach the Divine Strength Realm, saw their strength stall. Any advancement had to be measured in years, or even decades. Yet what about Lu Changsheng? His growth was measured in months. Having only recently achieved Divine Strength, he already commanded the strength of thirty tripods—an astonishing rate of progress! Lu Changsheng turned back to sorting the martial arts and techniques in the bundle. In the end, he cataloged three hundred and eighteen martial techniques. Unfortunately, he had already practiced over two hundred of them. That left only sixty-eight new techniques. Even so, the quality of these sixty-eight techniques was quite high. Most were of the third or fourth tier, with several at the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth tiers. To his pleasant surprise, there was even a martial technique belonging to the Divine Strength Realm! This technique was called Triple Waves. It was an overwhelmingly ferocious, force-crushing explosive martial technique that excelled at continuous strikes. It comprised three distinct waves. Once the first wave was unleashed, if the opponent failed to break through the stance, it would be followed immediately by the second and third waves, each rising higher than the last! The first wave unleashed roughly one's full power. The second wave amplified that power by fifty percent. The third wave doubled one's power outright. Such a martial technique was formidable indeed. That said, Triple Waves only multiplied striking power without enhancing the physical body, falling short of the Divine Dragon Transformation in that regard. However, the Divine Dragon Transformation was merely a secret method, not a martial technique. Triple Waves was a stacking combat technique—heavy, crushing, and completely discarding defense in favor of relentless offense. It was a matter of kill or be killed! If trained to the third wave, it would offer a tremendous boost to his combat prowess. The sole difficulty lay in the high degree of comprehension required to master it. Yan Jiansheng likely had lacked the comprehension to learn Triple Waves back then. Otherwise, had Yan Jiansheng mastered it, it would have been uncertain whether Lu Changsheng could have won relying solely on the First Transformation. Even with his extraordinary comprehension, it took Lu Changsheng several days of effort just to master the first wave of Triple Waves. Furthermore, he could tell that mastering the second wave would require a substantial investment of time. *It seems that at the Divine Strength Realm, martial arts, techniques, and secret methods alike are all remarkably difficult.* Thinking it over, Lu Changsheng found this quite reasonable. Every martial artist capable of ascending to the Divine Strength Realm possessed exceptional gifts and comprehension far surpassing the ordinary. Martial arts, techniques, and secret methods created by such figures naturally would not be easy to learn; they demanded even greater comprehension and talent. In terms of innate talent, Lu Changsheng was not particularly extraordinary. Many martial arts were not naturally well-suited to him. Yet through his exceptional comprehension, he had forcibly trained them to completion. The same held true now. His comprehension was still sufficient to handle martial arts and techniques around the tenth tier. Beyond the tenth tier, however, things became somewhat strenuous. Even if he could master them, it would require significant time. According to his current deductions, the tenth tier roughly corresponded to the Divine Strength Realm. *It's time to go check on Miaoren Hall.* Lu Changsheng pushed open his door. After several days of closed-door cultivation, his gains were substantial, but to Miaoren Hall, he had essentially gone missing for days. In truth, his absence was nothing new. He occasionally disappeared for days at a time, and the staff at Miaoren Hall had grown accustomed to it. Lu Changsheng had even explicitly instructed them that if he failed to show up, there was no need to worry; he would reappear after a while. Before long, Lu Changsheng arrived at Miaoren Hall. "Doctor Lu, you're finally here!" "Quite a few patients came looking for you over the past few days, all waiting for Doctor Lu." Zhang Huan swiftly brewed a cup of hot tea and brought it over. "I went out for a while. Let the patients in now." With that, Lu Changsheng began seeing patients one by one. After a busy morning, the midday rest period arrived. At that moment, an apothecary from Miaoshou Garden delivered a batch of medicinal ingredients. "Wait, what is this?" Lu Changsheng suddenly stopped the apothecary, pointing at one of the items. "This is Ancient Rock Exotic Incense, crafted by the Blood Fiend Sect by refining ancient rock grease," the apothecary replied. "This Ancient Rock Exotic Incense calms the heart and clears the spirit. Inhaling it over prolonged periods improves one's complexion and prolongs life." Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow. Only a few days ago, he had wiped out the Blood Fiend Sect's mountain gate. How could Miaoshou Garden be collaborating with the Blood Fiend Sect now? "Zhang Huan, what's going on here?" Lu Changsheng asked. Strictly speaking, this Ancient Rock Exotic Incense was not a medicinal herb, but once tied to longevity, it naturally found a market in pharmacies. "Doctor Lu, don't you know?" "A few days ago, the Blood Fiend Sect was overthrown single-handedly by Hero Zhuang Thirteen! The sect master and elders were all eliminated by Hero Zhuang, and their mountain gate was even razed to the ground." "The Blood Fiend Sect quickly fell into internal chaos. Later, somehow, they established a new sect master and partnered with the major factions of Nanyang City to jointly control the trade of Ancient Rock Exotic Incense." "Our Miaoshou Garden also took a share. Selling Ancient Rock Exotic Incense now brings great profit to Miaoshou Garden as well." Hearing this, Lu Changsheng grasped the situation with only a moment's thought. The Blood Fiend Sect had not been formally wiped out, but it was practically the same as destroyed. Lacking a Divine Strength sect master and Refining Organs elders, the Blood Fiend Sect had effectively been carved up by the major factions of Nanyang City to share in the profits of the Ancient Rock Exotic Incense. This involved extensive negotiations, distribution, and rivalry, with even Miaoshou Garden taking a piece of the pie. Regardless, none of this concerned Lu Changsheng. In fact, having a nominal shell of the Blood Fiend Sect around was good news for him. At the very least, when he went to purchase ancient rock grease, no one would dare stand in his way. Moreover, the fame of "Zhuang Thirteen" had reached an absolute pinnacle throughout Nanyang Prefecture, known to virtually everyone. Zhuang Thirteen of Nanyang, a powerhouse of the Divine Strength Realm! To single-handedly raze the Blood Fiend Sect's mountain gate, slay Yan Jiansheng, and wipe out fifteen Refining Organs elders—what a terrifying feat! *This works out well. Acting under the identity of Zhuang Thirteen should make many things far easier in the future,* Lu Changsheng mused inwardly.