Chapter 281.3: Returning to the Immortal Martial World, Fusing with the Flesh and Blood Martial Dao, Transforming into Countless Forms! (III)

Zhang Ling arrived not long after Lu Changsheng met up with Meng. Upon learning that Meng had decided to stay in the Hundred Flowers Sect, her face immediately lit up.

She was already familiar with his background. Meng had once stood at the peak of an entire world as its Demon Progenitor and had even fused himself with that world. In terms of realms, his former cultivation was roughly comparable to an Earthly Saint, so for him to make the decision to cultivate the Immortal Dao, he clearly thought it carried enormous potential.

Now, as long as the Hundred Flowers Sect could provide him with sufficient resources, Meng should be able to reach the Deity Transformation Realm without facing any serious obstacles. And once that happened, the Hundred Flowers Sect would have both an Earthly Saint of the Martial Dao and a Deity Transformation cultivator of the Immortal Dao within its walls.

"Fellow Daoist Meng, for you to join our Hundred Flowers Sect is only something we could wish for," said Zhang Ling. "Given your background and cultivation experience, you may take the position of Elder starting today. The sect will provide whatever Immortal Dao resources we can and support your cultivation to the fullest extent."

She paused before adding, "And if you reach the Deity Transformation Realm, you will naturally be promoted to Supreme Elder."

The terms were generous indeed, and Meng had no reason to refuse them. Both sides were more than satisfied with the arrangement.

Once the matter was settled, Zhang Ling turned to Lu Changsheng.

"Supreme Elder, there is one other matter I need to report. A few months ago, Divine Sword Manor sent you an invitation asking you to visit four months after it was delivered. It mentioned that the matter was related to a secret world, but gave no further details.

"We tried to learn more about this, but Divine Sword Manor has kept everything extremely confidential. There are now fewer than ten days left before the appointed date."

Lu Changsheng had been in seclusion when the invitation arrived, and an invitation alone was hardly reason enough for Zhang Ling to interrupt his cultivation. Now that he had emerged, however, there was finally an opportunity to bring it to his attention.

"Divine Sword Manor..." Lu Changsheng searched his memory for what he knew about Divine Sword Manor.

Divine Sword Manor was a powerful clan-based faction, and its lineage could be traced back to a Heavenly Saint. Everyone in Divine Sword Manor carried the surname Xiahou, and its founding ancestor was said to be a Heavenly Saint named Xiahou Feng.[1]

Although Xiahou Feng had long since passed away and the manor no longer had a Heavenly Saint, it still stood far above the lesser forces like the Hundred Flowers Sect. Housing multiple Earthly Saints within its ranks, it stood firmly as a powerful organization beneath the Heavenly Saint level.

For an organization like Divine Sword Manor to specifically invite Lu Changsheng surely meant something of real importance. Now that he was recognized as one of the strongest experts below the Heavenly Saint level, it was not strange that Divine Sword Manor would seek him out if the matter required someone of sufficient strength.

"Since they've gone to the trouble of inviting me, I'll go," said Lu Changsheng. "I'd like to see what Divine Sword Manor is planning."

What interested him most was the mention of a secret world. The manor had guarded the details so carefully that even the Hundred Flowers Sect had been unable to uncover anything beforehand. And that secrecy only made him more curious about what awaited him.

With only about ten days left, Lu Changsheng waited quietly at the Hundred Flowers Sect, and when the time came, he set off.

***

Much like the Hundred Flowers Sect, Divine Sword Manor was also located near Sacred Star City. Lu Changsheng traveled at full speed and reached the manor in only two hours.

The Manor sat among a range of mountains. From afar, those peaks resembled divine swords, and that was no mere coincidence. Each mountain within Divine Sword Manor was said to contain a divine sword. If one of those swords acknowledged someone as its master, that person could immediately become one of the strongest Earthly Saints.

These swords had all been collected by Xiahou Feng during his lifetime as a Heavenly Saint, and after his death, they became one of the foundations that allowed Divine Sword Manor to remain powerful for generations.

Lu Changsheng arrived outside the main gate and announced himself. "Supreme Elder of the Hundred Flowers Sect, Lu Changsheng!"

Upon hearing that name, the disciples guarding the entrance instantly adopted a respectful attitude.

"Greetings, Senior Lu," said one of them. "The patriarch instructed us beforehand that there would be no need to report your arrival. Please, come in and follow me."

Lu Changsheng was not surprised by the reception. His circumstances were very different from before. After everything that had happened in recent years, his name was already well known throughout the area surrounding Sacred Star City. Any major faction nearby would have heard of him, so Divine Sword Manor naturally would not treat his arrival lightly.

Under the disciple's guidance, Lu Changsheng entered Divine Sword Manor's territory. Pavilions, terraces, and towers were scattered throughout the mountains, each arranged with obvious care. The Xiahou clan had spared no effort in building the estate, but what stood out most was not the architecture; it was the swords.

The entire place seemed steeped in a kind of Dao charm—sword charm to be precise—and anyone who lived and cultivated here over the long term would find their comprehension of the Sword Dao deepening by the day.[2]

Before long, Lu Changsheng entered the main hall, and more than a dozen gazes turned to him at once.

Huh? He swept his eyes across the room and counted. One, two, three, four, five...

More than a dozen Earthly Saints filled the hall, and every one of them sized him up the moment he appeared. At the head of the hall sat the Manor Lord of Divine Sword Manor, Xiahou Puyu, who was also regarded as the strongest Earthly Saint in the manor.

"So Supreme Elder Lu of the Hundred Flowers Sect has arrived," remarked Xiahou Puyu, rising with a smile. "I apologize for not going out to welcome you personally. Please, take a seat."

"Thank you for welcoming me, Manor Lord."

Lu Changsheng glanced toward his seat and felt a flicker of surprise. It was the first seat on the left of the manor lord. Seating was always chosen deliberately. The left side of the hall was regarded as the place of honor, and the first seat on the left of the manor lord was reserved for the most honored guest.

Lu Changsheng's reputation had indeed grown, but Divine Sword Manor was a powerful faction in its own right. For Xiahou Puyu to place him in such a prominent seat was a clear acknowledgment of his status.

Still, Lu Changsheng had no intention of declining the gesture out of false modesty. He knew that with his current strength, he was fully qualified to sit there. Thus, he sat down without hesitation.

Once he sat down, the gazes across the hall withdrew all at once. Every martial artist present was a supreme Earthly Saint who had already condensed the embryo of their own Martial Dao. None of them would make an enemy of Lu Changsheng over something as trivial as a seat.

Once everyone had settled, Xiahou Puyu looked around the hall. "Now that Fellow Daoist Lu has arrived, everyone I invited is present. I assume none of you know why Divine Sword Manor asked you to come here today."

No one spoke. Everyone shook their heads and waited quietly for Xiahou Puyu to continue.

"The reason is a secret world!" Xiahou Puyu went on. "One that Divine Sword Manor discovered without anyone knowing. Unfortunately, it is far more powerful than we expected. My Divine Sword Manor does not have the strength to take it for ourselves."

His words lit up every face in the hall. A secret world was an extraordinary opportunity. If Divine Sword Manor was willing to share it rather than monopolize it, then the potential benefits were clear to all.

Still, none of the Earthly Saints present let themselves get carried away. Divine Sword Manor was a powerful organization, so if even they admitted that the secret world was beyond their ability to handle alone, then whatever lay inside was clearly not something to be underestimated.

1. Typically, Chinese surnames only have one character, but in the case of Xiahou Feng, his family name is "Xiahou", and his given name is "Feng". Some other Chinese last names with two characters are "Ouyang" (欧阳) and "Sima" (司马). Here's an interesting discussion on reddit regarding two-character Chinese family names. ☜

2. The Dao charm is a lingering trace of a cultivator's personal understanding of the Dao (their grasp of the world's underlying Laws and truths) that can saturate a place where they've long lived or trained. Others who spend time in that environment may sense it and deepen their own comprehension through exposure to it. Similarly, the sword charm is a sword-specific form of the Dao charm. It's the same phenomenon, but shaped by generations of dedicated swordsmanship, found in places steeped in sword cultivation. Immersion in it can sharpen one's understanding of the Sword Dao specifically. ☜