Chapter 202.2: Lu Changsheng Finally Returns, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect Is Shaken! (II)
Lu Changsheng left the Exchange Hall.
In the third layer of the Ancient Region, he had few acquaintances and no one he could truly call a friend. His relationship with Zhao Yuanshan was the closest thing to friendship he had, and even that was closer to a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Still, part of him regarded Zhao Yuanshan as a friend, and so he had decided to give him a tip regarding Xia Chenfeng and Zhao Yujian's divine stones. It was a considerable favor, more than what their agreement strictly required.
Time to head back to the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
There was no hesitation in him, no trace of reluctance. He took a single step forward, rose into the air, and vanished in the distance.
The journey from the third layer of the Ancient Region back to the sect was a long one. When Lu Changsheng had first traveled from the sect to the third layer, it had taken him a full month.
But now, he no longer needed that much time. With his Wind Principle at Perfection at his strength at new heights, he had reached the sect in just three days while traveling at full speed.
Finally back.
As the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect came into view, a faint smile crossed Lu Changsheng's face.
This was his sect. Back when he was still at the Divine Treasury Realm, these walls had been the one place where he felt truly safe. Without realizing it, over all this time, his roots had taken hold here.
Whoosh!
He shot straight toward the Enforcement Hall. Hall Master Zhong Yu would know everything there was to know about divine abilities, and going to him directly was the fastest path to the answers Lu Changsheng needed.
He quickly reached the entrance of the Enforcement Hall.
"Someone walking in the air... That's a Dao Foundation expert."
"Which Dao Foundation elder is that?"
"That Dao Foundation elder looks so young... Wait, isn't that Senior Brother Lu Changsheng?"
"What? Senior Brother Lu? It really is him! Senior Brother Lu is back..."
"I heard Senior Brother Lu made quite a name for himself in the third layer of the Ancient Region. He killed Dao Lords, even defeated supreme Dao Foundation cultivators. The stories are incredible."
"I even heard someone say Senior Brother Lu is practically invincible at the Dao Foundation Realm..."
In an instant, the gazes of disciples and elders throughout the Enforcement Hall turned toward Lu Changsheng.
Within the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, he was an undisputed legend, and his appearance naturally sent ripples through the entire hall. It had been a year or two since he had last been seen at the main mountain gate, and his sudden return was bound to draw attention, especially given the scattered pieces of news about him that had been spreading back recently.
The Divine Treasury disciples, however, were still too low in standing to know the full picture; they had only heard fragments. It was the Dao Foundation elders who truly understood the scale of what had happened at the Heavenly Shackle Mountain Range, and just how staggering the details were.
Lu Changsheng landed and swept his Sense Domain outward, locating Hall Master Zhong Yu immediately.
He was no longer a true inheritor disciple of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, but he was not an elder either. That was the case for many Dao Foundation martial artists; neither true inheritor disciple nor elder, yet an indispensable part of the sect all the same!
Lu Changsheng walked directly into the inner hall. No one moved to stop him.
Before long, Lu Changsheng spotted a familiar figure. It was the hall master of the Enforcement Hall, Zhong Yu.
However, something was different. In the past, Lu Changsheng had found Zhong Yu difficult to read, but now, he could see him clearly.
Zhong Yu was genuinely formidable. He was a supreme Dao Foundation expert who had mastered four Principles, so it was no wonder that he had been entrusted with the command of the Enforcement Hall. That level of strength placed him firmly among the elite of the Dao Foundation Realm. Only someone of his caliber was fit to hold such a position.
"Lu Changsheng, you're back?" A flicker of surprise crossed Zhong Yu's eyes.
"Greetings, Hall Master Zhong." Lu Changsheng returned the greeting with a respectful bow, then settled into a cross-legged seat across from him.
They were both Dao Foundation martial artists now—men of equal standing.
Zhong Yu let out a long breath. "Lu Changsheng, I've been hearing things about you. Word is that you did something extraordinary at the Heavenly Shackle Mountain Range. Those rumors..."
Even with the reports he had received, Zhong Yu still struggled to believe them.
"Everything you've heard is true," Lu Changsheng answered without hesitation. He knew exactly what was being said out there. None of it was exaggerated. If anything, the truth was even more outrageous than the rumors.
"Is that so..." Zhong Yu fell silent. Deep within him, a storm was building. He understood what this meant.
Lu Changsheng had been in the Dao Foundation Realm for only a little over a year, and yet he was already considered invincible within that realm. There was no other way of saying it: Lu Changsheng's progress simply defied common sense.
Having received confirmation that the rumors were true, Zhong Yu became certain that Changsheng would become the next grand elder of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
"Lu Changsheng, what brought you back this time?"
"I came back to learn how to condense a divine ability."
The question hit Zhong Yu like a jolt. "Condensing a divine ability? Have you brought your Principles to Perfection?"
Being invincible in the Dao Foundation Realm and having Principles at Perfection were two entirely separate things. Invincibility in the Dao Foundation Realm could come from a powerful treasure or an exceptionally strong divine technique.
Perfection-level Principles, on the other hand, meant something else entirely. It meant genuinely having the qualifications to attempt reaching the Divine Ability Realm. That was far more staggering than any battle record.
Lu Changsheng did not bother explaining with words. He had long since learned that a demonstration was worth more than any explanation.
Hum...
His Mind Space manifested and enveloped Zhong Yu in an instant.
Zhong Yu's own Mind Space surged forth in response, almost as if by instinct. However, to Zhong Yu's utter shock, his own Mind Space offered no resistance whatsoever against Lu Changsheng's Mind Space. The force was unstoppable, seemingly to obliterate everything in its path.
"Withdraw." Zhong Yu pulled his Mind Space back immediately.
Had he been even a moment slower, it would have been torn apart on the spot, and that was with Lu Changsheng holding no hostility toward him whatsoever, his Mind Space not even specifically targeting him.
"Lu Changsheng... h-how is your Mind Space this powerful?"
Zhong Yu himself was a supreme Dao Foundation expert, and yet he was unable to hold his own against Lu Changsheng's Mind Space for even a moment. Lu Changsheng did not even need to use a divine technique against him, as simply unleashing his Mind Space would be enough to completely crush him.
Zhong Yu stared at him wide-eyed, utterly dumbfounded. No matter how great Lu Changsheng's reputation had become, and no matter how loudly people claimed that he was invincible in the Dao Foundation Realm, words alone could not convey the true extent of his strength. To truly understand his power, one had to witness it firsthand.
Now, Zhong Yu finally understood. If Lu Changsheng wanted to kill him, he could do so in an instant with a simple thought. That was what it meant to be invincible within the Dao Foundation Realm.
Zhong Yu desperately wanted to understand exactly how Lu Changsheng's Mind Space had become so absurdly powerful.
Hum...
The answer came moments later. Streams of light blazed within Lu Changsheng's Mind Space, each one representing a Principle.
Zhong Yu could sense it clearly. Every single one is at Perfection!
As the realization struck, his mouth fell open. It was those eight Principles at Perfection that made Lu Changsheng's Mind Space so devastating, capable of crushing any Dao Foundation martial artist instantly. There were no Dao Foundation experts out there who could withstand his Mind Space.
"Eight Principles at Perfection... No wonder you came back to the sect. At this point, you genuinely have the qualifications to attempt condensing a divine ability..." Zhong Yu was shaken to his core, barely able to get the words out.
He thought about himself. By any measure, he had been a top-tier genius—but what did he have to show for it? He had grasped four Principles, and yet not a single one of them was at Perfection. At this point, bringing all four to Perfection within his lifetime seemed increasingly unlikely.
As for advancing to the Divine Ability Realm, he would not allow himself to even entertain such ridiculous ideas.
The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had gone several hundred years without producing a new Divine Ability Realm grand elder. But now, Zhong Yu found himself believing that Lu Changsheng would be the one to change that.
Lu Changsheng withdrew his Mind Space, and the room settled back into stillness.
"Hall Master Zhong, am I allowed to know about the Divine Ability Realm?" Lu Changsheng asked calmly.
"Huh...? Ah, yes, of course! If you don't have that right, then who does? The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect has had clear rules on this for a long time. Any Dao Foundation martial artist within the sect, regardless of who they are, earns access to the Divine Ability Realm methods the moment they bring all of their Principles to Perfection!"
Zhong Yu's tone left no room for doubt.
Lu Changsheng gave a single nod. That was all he needed to hear. Learning about this was the entire reason he had come back.
"Let's go I'll take you to the Transmission Hall right now—"
Zhong Yu was already rising to his feet when a thunderous voice rolled across the entire Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. "Zhong Yu, come out and face me!"
At the sound of it, Zhong Yu's expression stiffened slightly. He made no move to respond, but whoever was out there kept going.
"Zhong Yu, do you not even have the nerve to come out and face me? You think you can cut down a disciple of the Purple Sun Immortal Sect and not face consequences? You owe us an explanation! I will not leave until you come out, Zhong Yu!"
The more the man yelled, the paler Zhong Yu became.
Lu Changsheng lifted an eyebrow. He quickly realized that the man outside was a Dao Lord. This was a clear provocation, boldly delivered right outside the headquarters of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. However, what was most puzzling was Zhong Yu's refusal to go out and face the man.
What's going on? The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect has no reason to fear the Purple Sun Immortal Sect.
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