Chapter 205.3: The Golden Dao Fruit Reveals Its Might; Its Immeasurable Divine Abilities Shock the Seven Grand Elders! (III)
Some of the grand elders couldn't hold back any longer. "Eight full drops of Heavenly Spirit Water, and the Dao Fruit still hasn't transformed into a divine ability. This... makes no sense!"
"Exactly. In the Sacred Earth, even those of the most dazzling talent who condense powerful Divine Ability Dao Fruits only ever need two or three drops, four at the very most, to complete the transformation. And yet Junior Brother Lu has already used eight drops of Heavenly Spirit Water without so much as a glimpse of any transformation taking hold..."
"Perhaps we miscalculated. We never really understood what an immeasurable divine ability actually represents. After all, even during our time venturing through the Sacred Earth, none of us ever encountered a Major Divine Ability Dao Fruit, let alone came to know the mysteries of an Immeasurable Divine Ability Dao Fruit."
"Indeed. I believe that transforming an Immeasurable Divine Ability Dao Fruit is no simple matter. The issue may not be a question of a few drops, or even a few dozen drops of Heavenly Spirit Water. Something worthy of being called 'immeasurable' is hardly an ordinary thing."
"Perhaps the secrets of immeasurable divine abilities are something only Junior Brother Lu himself can uncover by venturing to the Sacred Earth in person. And if he wishes to transform his Dao Fruits into true immeasurable divine abilities, he will have to go to the Sacred Earth and look for Heavenly Spirit Water himself..."
The grand elders acknowledged their own ignorance. They had underestimated just how difficult it would be to transform an Immeasurable Divine Ability Dao Fruit, and had little understanding of what an immeasurable divine ability truly meant. All they knew was that in the Sacred Earth, immeasurable divine abilities were the kind of thing one could only hope to stumble upon by fortune, for vanishingly few people had ever managed to condense an Immeasurable Divine Ability Dao Fruit.
"The Sacred Earth..." Lu Changsheng spoke up immediately, his voice resolute. "I don't know where the Sacred Earth is, but I am willing to go there and look for Heavenly Spirit Water myself."
He had already exhausted every last reserve the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had to offer. Eight drops of Heavenly Spirit Water, all used up. Under normal circumstances, that amount would have been enough to bring eight martial artists into the Divine Ability Realm.
In this situation, Lu Changsheng could not keep asking the grand elders for Heavenly Spirit Water. No, he had to procure it himself, and there was only one option left: the Sacred Earth.
"Senior Brothers, how do I get to the Sacred Earth?" Lu Changsheng asked directly.
"The Sacred Earth... It requires crossing five great regions, traversing endless deserts, crossing vast oceans, before finally reaching that distant land."
"The Sacred Earth is not only a place where the Martial Dao flourishes. The Immortal Dao thrives there just as vigorously. With the Martial Dao and Immortal Dao coexisting side by side, and with a great variety of schools of thought, it truly is a sacred land for cultivation!"
"And the reason the Sacred Earth is called sacred is that it seems to be the only place where Martial Saints can come into being. A Martial Saint, who can live for thousands of years, whose every movement commands terrifying power, is a figure who can genuinely stand alongside the Nascent Soul True Lords of the Immortal Dao as a titan among titans!"
"What's more, the Martial Dao in the Sacred Earth is so dominant that it even surpasses the Immortal Dao. If you haven't been there yourself, it's hard to imagine how the Martial Dao could hold such an advantage. But once you arrive, you'll understand."
The moment the Sacred Earth was brought up, a look of longing crossed all seven grand elders' faces. It was plain to see how highly they regarded it.
Deeply curious, Lu Changsheng could not help asking, "Senior Brothers, if the Sacred Earth is so remarkable, why didn't any of you remain there to cultivate?"
At that, a wry smile tugged at the corners of every grand elder's mouth.
Lu Tong let out a long sigh. "Who among us wouldn't have wanted to stay? But for one thing, there is the matter of our sect. The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, and even the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, both need grand elders at the Divine Ability Realm to hold the fort.
"For another, we had already spent many years making our way through the Sacred Earth, and had essentially reached the limits of our cultivation. There was no way forward for any of us. Staying longer would have served no purpose, and might only have led us into danger.
"And third... We did consider establishing a sect in the Sacred Earth, but we failed. With our level of strength, any sect we founded there would have had no foothold whatsoever. To establish a sect that could truly stand, you would need at least one expert who had condensed a major divine ability.
"That is precisely why we placed such great hope in you condensing a Major Divine Ability Dao Fruit. Because if you could, our sect might finally have a chance to establish a branch in the Sacred Earth and secure a foothold there.
"Only by establishing a sect and planting firm roots can we grow and develop from there. And our sect is not alone in thinking this way. Other Martial Dao sects and Immortal Dao sects from the Ancient Region have had the same idea. Unfortunately, not a single one of them has managed to establish a sect in the Sacred Earth and hold its ground."
With that, everything became clear to Lu Changsheng. No wonder the seven grand elders had placed such weight on him, and had even come to see him as their hope. In fact, he truly was the hope of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
The ceiling of the Ancient Region was plain to see. Once a martial artist reached the Divine Ability Realm, advancing any further became extraordinarily difficult. And venturing into the Sacred Earth without a sect to rely on meant that even a single step forward would be a struggle.
But now, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had reason to hope, and Lu Changsheng was that hope. Once he acquired enough Heavenly Spirit Water and transformed his Dao Fruits into true immeasurable divine abilities, he would have the standing to establish a sect in the Sacred Earth. When that day came, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect could flourish there, and finally break free from the difficult circumstances it now found itself in.
Having come to understand the full picture of the Sacred Earth, and the intentions behind the seven grand elders' hopes, Lu Changsheng rose to his feet.
"Senior Brothers, rest assured. Should I succeed in reaching the Divine Ability Realm, I will establish the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect in the Sacred Earth. When that time comes, I will be counting on each of you for your full support in building the sect!"
It was a promise, plain and simple: Lu Changsheng would establish the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect in the Sacred Earth!
The seven grand elders smiled and nodded in approval. "Junior Brother Lu, don't worry. If you can establish a sect in the Sacred Earth, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect will fully support you in everything that follows, no questions asked."
"Junior Brother Lu, before you set off for the Sacred Earth, is there anything else you require? Don't hold back. We will do everything in our power to see it done!"
Lu Changsheng thought for a moment, then nodded. "There is something, actually..."
"I would ask you to spare no effort in gathering martial techniques of all kinds. Ordinary martial techniques and divine techniques alike, the more the better. Have them all sent to the Transmission Hall of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. I intend to study broadly to build a deeper foundation in martial arts."
His request left several of the grand elders puzzled. Divine techniques were one thing. Even martial artists of the Divine Ability Realm could practice divine techniques, even if those techniques offered almost no practical boost to their combat strength at that level. But ordinary martial techniques? Those were of little use even to Dao Foundation martial artists, let alone anyone who had reached the Divine Ability Realm.
Even so, since Lu Changsheng had made the request, the seven grand elders were naturally going to see it fulfilled.
"Junior Brother Lu, rest assured. We will mobilize our people at once and gather every martial technique available across the Ancient Region."
"That's right. We'll even swallow our pride and go to other sects to borrow or exchange for divine techniques."
"One way or another, we will make sure you have nothing to worry about."
All seven grand elders spoke in turn, each offering their word.
Lu Changsheng nodded. "Then I thank you all, Senior Brothers."
With that, he rose and took his leave of the underground hall. The seven grand elders watched his figure disappear into the distance, their eyes glimmering with quiet intensity and barely concealed eagerness.
"An immeasurable divine ability... Who could have imagined it?"
"Indeed. Who could have imagined that Lu Changsheng would condense an Immeasurable Divine Ability Dao Fruit? This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for our sect. We cannot afford to let it slip by."
"We must support Lu Changsheng with everything we have, so that he can venture into the Sacred Earth without a single thing weighing on his mind. And should he ever run into trouble there, we shall back him up!"
"With Lu Changsheng on our side this time, our sect finally has a chance to establish a permanent foothold in the Sacred Earth..."
Having said their piece, the seven grand elders of the Divine Ability Realm departed one by one and set about gathering martial techniques and divine techniques from across the Ancient Region.
Lu Changsheng left the underground hall and made his way back to the Transmission Hall. Lu Tong had already granted him full access. He was free to come and go as he pleased, to browse any martial arts manual he wished, all at no cost. With that, he threw himself into the rows upon rows of shelves.
Faced with that vast expanse of shelves, Lu Changsheng felt no urgency. His first move was to pull up his Status Panel.
[Status Panel]
Host: Lu Changsheng
Perception: 140,800 (Praised for a Hundred Generations)
Mental Black Hole: Divine Ability Dao Fruit (Not Transformed)
Five Elements Decomposition: Divine Ability Dao Fruit (Not Transformed)
Four Symbols Prison: Divine Ability Dao Fruit (Not Transformed)
His Perception had already risen past 140,000 points, that being the result of practicing several divine techniques. Even so, it was still not enough, not even close.
Lu Changsheng understood perfectly well that Perception was the very foundation of everything he did. For it to undergo another transformation, it needed to reach one million points—a staggering number indeed. At 140,000, he was still a long way off, but the gap did not discourage him.
The reason he had come to the Transmission Hall, and the reason he had asked the seven grand elders to gather ordinary martial techniques and divine techniques, was precisely to raise his Perception.
With my current level of Perception, I can fully master any ordinary martial technique in an instant. So no matter how many there are, it won't take long. The plan is to gather as many ordinary martial techniques as possible, practice every single one to Perfection, and raise my Perception all at once. Ordinary martial techniques are finite in number, so once I've exhausted them, I'll move on to divine techniques to keep pushing my Perception higher!
The plan was already clear in his mind. Ordinary martial techniques took him no time at all to master, though they yielded very little Perception per technique. Divine techniques, on the other hand, offered at least several hundred points each, and they were something that could still be practiced even at the Divine Ability Realm. They were the perfect tool for pushing his Perception upward!
In any case, for the time being, he still needed to first practice every martial technique available to Perfection, to see just how much Perception he could gain all at once. He was rather curious about that.
And so, he began working through every martial technique held in the Transmission Hall. He skimmed through the manuals at a glance, each one committing itself to memory the moment his eyes passed over it. The essence of each technique was immediately transparent to him, and within his mind, its core truths were deduced in a single second. Mastery was essentially instantaneous.
As he moved from one martial technique to the next, he felt like he was genuinely deepening his foundation in martial arts, each one adding another thread to a growing tapestry of understanding.
Numerous thoughts flickered through his mind, and Lu Changsheng came to realize that even ordinary martial techniques, however modest, did carry a faint contribution to one's grasp of the Martial Dao. Perhaps these small gains accumulated over time could build something meaningful over time.
Time kept passing. One day, two days, three...
He gradually worked through the martial techniques housed in the Transmission Hall, but the seven grand elders delivered fresh batches of martial techniques and divine techniques almost daily without pause. Lu Changsheng could feel clearly that his Perception was surging at a tremendous rate, rising with every passing day.
Alongside his work with the martial techniques, he spent his remaining time transcribing divine techniques. Unlike martial techniques, divine techniques could not be brought to Perfection immediately; they still demanded real time and effort. For the time being, all Lu Changsheng could do was copy each one down to bring with him to the Sacred Earth.
After all, he had no idea how long he would end up staying there, and having more divine techniques on hand was simply good preparation. As long as he had enough techniques to work through, his Perception would keep rising.
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