Chapter 282.3: Lu Changsheng Defeats Six Supreme Earthly Saints! (III)

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The strikes from the six Earthly Saints reached Lu Changsheng all at once. The combined assault surged vast and mighty, straining to tear his Dao Body apart, yet it did not move at all.

When the smoke and dust cleared, everyone was dumbfounded. Lu Changsheng's Earthly Saint Dao Body remained standing without the slightest damage. Lu Changsheng himself had not been affected either, his calm expression making that clear.

"What? Is this still an Earthly Saint Dao Body?"

"Six supreme Earthly Saints went all out on him, yet there's not even a scratch on him? How is that possible?"

"What exactly is his Earthly Saint Dao Body? That sense of oppression... Only a Heavenly Saint's Dao Body could be stronger than his, right?"

"Everyone says Lu Changsheng can kill supreme Earthly Saints. I never quite believed it before, now it seems they may have understated his strength."

Everyone was shaken by Lu Changsheng's Earthly Saint Dao Body. However, he was just getting started.

Buzz...

Lu Changsheng raised his hand. The palm of his Earthly Saint Dao Body expanded rapidly, growing larger with every passing instant until it seemed to cover the entire sky.

Seeing this, the expressions of the six Earthly Saints changed at once.

"Block it!"

They drove their Earthly Saint Dao Bodies to the extreme to meet the enormous palm descending from above.

As the palm fell, heaven and earth seemed to buckle beneath the force of the strike. An overwhelming pressure crashed down upon the six Earthly Saints at once, so tremendous that even their Dao Bodies could not withstand it.

Crack, crack!

As their Dao Bodies were starting to collapse one after another, the six Earthly Saints realized they had no choice but to surrender.

"Stop!"

"We concede!"

"We'll stay out of the secret world expedition..."

Only moments earlier, the six Earthly Saints had still been fighting out of anger and wounded pride. But after being brought so close to death, neither their pride nor the potential rewards of the expedition mattered anymore. If Lu Changsheng continued pressing down with that palm, their Dao Bodies would collapse completely, and once that happened, there would be no coming back.

They had only challenged Lu Changsheng because they could not accept his claim that he alone was enough for the expedition, and because none of them had been willing to give up their share of the Martial Dao fragments without a fight. Still, they were not so foolish as to throw their lives away for that.

Lu Changsheng did not press the attack. He had only wanted to prove that he did not need them in the expedition, not kill them. Furthermore, every one of these six Earthly Saints had powerful forces behind them, and turning this dispute into a blood feud would serve no purpose.

He withdrew his Earthly Saint Dao Body, and the enormous palm vanished. The crushing pressure over the area disappeared too, and everything became calm again.

The six Earthly Saints, however, were anything but calm. They had attacked Lu Changsheng together, yet had still been driven to the brink of death by a single strike from him.

One of them let out a bitter sigh. "Six of us against Fellow Daoist Lu alone, yet we came close to being wiped out."

"We accept our defeat." Another cupped his hands toward Xiahou Puyu. "Manor Lord Xiahou, farewell."

The oldest among them looked at Lu Changsheng before leaving. "Fellow Daoist Lu, I shall not forget your act of mercy."

With that, the six top supreme Earthly Saints left Divine Sword Manor without another word, leaving behind Lu Changsheng and the people of Divine Sword Manor.

A strange look flashed through Xiahou Puyu's eyes, quickly followed by unmistakable joy. The six Earthly Saints had left, but after witnessing Lu Changsheng's strength, Xiahou Puyu no longer considered that a loss. If anything, it was probably going to be easier to work with just Lu Changsheng.

Bringing several powerful Earthly Saints into the secret world would certainly increase their combat strength, but it would inevitably lead to disagreements too. Each person would have their own ideas about how the Martial Dao should be devised, promoted, and condensed. Even the division of contribution would be tricky.

With just Lu Changsheng, there would be no such issues. Divine Sword Manor only needed to cooperate with him and follow the plan he established. If they succeeded in condensing the Martial Dao and obtaining its fragments, the manor would take thirty percent while Lu Changsheng received the remaining seventy percent. Of course, all of that depended on whether they could succeed in the first place.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Lu, you truly live up to your reputation," said Xiahou Puyu. "You've opened my eyes today!"

Another member of Divine Sword Manor smiled. "With Fellow Daoist Lu assisting us, our chances of obtaining the Martial Dao fragments are much greater."

"With strength like his, there may truly be few opponents left for Fellow Daoist Lu beneath Heavenly Saint."

The people of Divine Sword Manor were clearly pleased with the outcome.

Once everyone had returned to the hall, Lu Changsheng turned to Xiahou Puyu. "Manor Lord Xiahou, how much longer will the secret world remain near the Immortal Martial World?"

Xiahou Puyu considered the question before replying, "It approached the Immortal Martial World roughly five years ago, which was when people from the Divine Sword Manor first entered it. Based on our estimates, it will begin drifting away in another five years. That's how much time we have left."

Lu Changsheng nodded. Five years. That is more than enough.

This secret world's energy reaction had reached the Earthly Saint level. He could enter with his true body rather than merely sending his consciousness inside, which meant he would not need to start from nothing and slowly rebuild his power within the secret world.

Lu Changsheng quickly made his decision. "Let us establish a Dao Oath."[1]

An Earthly Saint-level secret world was not something he could give up under any circumstances. Still, a partnership like this needed something binding that would put both sides at ease, and a Dao Oath could do exactly that. Once sworn, violating it would sever a cultivator's possibility of advancing further in the Dao.

Lu Changsheng also had no intention of making the agreement with Xiahou Puyu alone, but with everyone of Divine Sword Manor who was at the Martial Saint Realm or above. If even one person broke the oath, the entire manor would be implicated and suffer the consequences. That protected both sides, and above all it guarded against Divine Sword Manor later deciding to monopolize everything.

Of course, after the display of strength Lu Changsheng had just given, Divine Sword Manor would not really dare to hold such thoughts. After witnessing him defeat six supreme Earthly Saints by himself, they understood perfectly well that even without the Dao Oath, attempting to betray him would be extremely dangerous.

As for Lu Changsheng himself, he had even less reason to break his word. His future prospects were immense, and he had a genuine chance of advancing to the Heavenly Saint Realm. No amount of Martial Dao fragments would justify destroying his own path of cultivation by violating a Dao Oath.

Once the Dao Oath had been established, Lu Changsheng wasted no time. "When can we enter the secret world?"

"Any time," Xiahou Puyu replied.

"Then I'll go now."

Lu Changsheng saw no reason to delay. The sooner he entered the secret world, the sooner he could begin working toward the Martial Dao fragments. More importantly, only five years remained before the secret world began drifting away from the Immortal Martial World.

That might sound like a long time, but this secret world was unlike the previous ones he had entered. Even Lu Changsheng would need to understand its situation carefully before deciding how to condense its Martial Dao.

"Very well. Fellow Daoist Lu, please follow me."

Xiahou Puyu led him away from the hall, accompanied by several Earthly Saints of Divine Sword Manor. Before long, the group arrived at a vast underground palace. A dense formation covered almost every part of the palace, layer upon layer, their patterns interlocking across the floor and walls.

Lu Changsheng grasped its purpose at once. Like the formations used by the Secret World Pavilion, they connected the Immortal Martial World to a secret world and created a stable passage between the two.

This formation at Divine Sword Manor, however, was far more elaborate because Lu Changsheng's true body was going to enter the secret world directly. The previous secret worlds he had entered could only accommodate the descent of consciousness. This time, his true body would cross over directly, so the formation needed to be far larger and more advanced.

Divine Sword Manor had also sent many disciples to guard it day and night, replenishing its energy and keeping it running. For the sake of the Martial Dao fragments in the secret world, Divine Sword Manor had clearly prepared thoroughly.

Once they reached the center of the formation, Xiahou Puyu stopped. "Fellow Daoist Lu, everything is ready. I have to remain behind to oversee Divine Sword Manor, so I won't be accompanying you personally. However, these Earthly Saints will enter with you."

He gestured toward the cultivators beside him.

"Divine Sword Manor already has people stationed inside the secret world as well. Over the years, we've established our own forces there, and once you arrive, all members and resources of Divine Sword Manor within the secret world will be placed under your command."

Lu Changsheng nodded. "Your arrangements are thorough, Manor Lord Xiahou. I have no further concerns."

With that, he stepped into position at the very center of the formation, and the Earthly Saints accompanying him took their places around him.

Buzz...

A low hum filled the underground palace as the formation activated. The power from the formation enveloped Lu Changsheng and his team, then an instant later, they vanished from the underground palace without a trace.

1. In wuxia/xianxia novels, a Dao Oath is a binding, unbreakable contract sworn by a cultivator using their soul, inner resolve, and the laws of the universe as a guarantee. ☜