After almost two hours, Zhang Wending finally arrived with his army. Mobilizing a large force was no easy task, and their pace was naturally slow. When he reached the outskirts of Luochang County Town, a Divine Fortification martial artist rushed out from the city to meet him and gestured for him to enter first. Zhang Wending did not hesitate.

Upon entering Luochang County Town, the first thing he saw was the corpse of the demonic martial artist. A surge of relief rose in his chest. Finally, Qing Province was safe. But aside from that corpse, there were many others scattered across the ground, and some of them he recognized. They were all Divine Fortification martial artists, seemingly from Prince Yong's residence.

"Prince Yong..." Zhan Wending scanned across the ground. When he finally saw Prince Yong's body, split into two, whatever relief he had felt drained away entirely.

As the governor of a province, Zhang Wending knew how influential and powerful that man was. Prince Yong had suppressed the jianghu and slaughtered great clans. In the Great Moon Dynasty, his name alone could bring the imperial court on its knees, and yet here he lay, dead on the ground of a county town.

Zhang Wending steadied himself and asked cautiously, "Envoy, how did Prince Yong die here?"

Lu Changsheng opened his eyes and looked at Zhang Wending, his gaze cold. "Prince Yong attempted to seize the demonic essence blood in my possession, so I killed him. But this matter requires an explanation from the Great Moon Dynasty.

"As an inner sect scion disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, I represent the sect. So I must ask, what is the imperial family plotting that they would allow their prince to attempt the murder of a scion disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect? Could it be that the Great Moon Dynasty is trying to become independent from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and no longer submit to its authority?"

Zhang Wending's expression changed drastically, his face turning pale as paper. This is a disaster. The envoy is actually an inner sect scion disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?

Zhang Wending knew very well what that title represented. Even the imperial family had to treat a scion disciple with the utmost respect, for a scion disciple was the very embodiment of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect's honor. An accusation of rebellion coming from a scion disciple was something the Great Moon Dynasty could not possibly bear.

It did not matter whether the imperial family had a Divine Treasury martial artist or not; the Northern Region Heavenly Sect needed only to dispatch a single true inheritor disciple to crush them entirely. Across the Northern Region, not a single dynasty dared claim independence from the sect. The Great Moon Dynasty was no exception.

Zhang Wending cleared his throat and chose his next words very carefully. "Envoy, this may be a misunderstanding." He knew this matter was far beyond what he could handle. Before the imperial family and the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, a lowly governor like him was nothing.

"A misunderstanding?" Lu Changsheng asked flatly. "Prince Yong's corpse lies here, along with dozens of his Divine Fortification martial artists. His residence mobilized practically everything they had. There is no misunderstanding."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Seven days. I will wait only seven days. If the imperial family has not given me an explanation within seven days, I will report this matter to the Heavenly Sect."

Lu Changsheng then rose to his feet, and without sparing Zhang Wending another glance, he turned and left Luochang County Town.

Zhang Wending looked at Prince Yong's corpse, then at the fallen Divine Fortification martial artists, and finally at the twenty-four who still stood. "Tell me. What exactly happened here?"

One of them stepped forward. "More or less as the envoy said. Prince Yong was obsessed with the demonic essence blood, and he attacked the envoy for that."

"Tch..." Zhang Wending shook his head. There was nothing he could do about this. Since a member of the imperial clan had caused the trouble, it had to be handled by the imperial family. This was no longer something a provincial governor could resolve.

Lu Changsheng returned to Qing City. He had given the imperial family seven days, so he would remain there and wait.

He took out the Dao Comprehension Pill and turned it over in his hand. Perhaps the greatest gain from this entire affair was this single pill. The demonic essence blood, for all the desperate craving it had stirred in someone like Prince Yong, held little value for Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng was still young, far from the limits of his lifespan. The Dao Comprehension Pill, however, could induce a state of epiphany, and with his Perception, any insight gained during such a state would be remarkable. What mattered was choosing the right direction for his epiphany.

My Domains have become my weakness.

Lu Changsheng possessed five Domains. Aside from the Sense Domain, the others had only just taken shape, and when clashing with other Domains, they were at a disadvantage. Several confrontations had confirmed that, and each time he had to rely on sheer numbers or Domain Fusion to make up for the gap. While this strategy had worked so far, it was by no means a long-term solution.

He had to improve his Domains, otherwise he would just find himself in the same situation. The clash with Prince Yong earlier had been a stark reminder. Even with four Domains stacked together, he had not been able to completely suppress Prince Yong's single Domain.

Furthermore, since improving his Domains was also a form of comprehending the world itself, doing so would strengthen his willpower at the same time. It was a direction worth pursuing on more than one front.

There are no waves, no storms, no waterfalls here in Qing City. In that case, I will focus on one Domain. The Starry Sky Domain.

Having made his decision, Lu Changsheng waited until nightfall. When night fell, he went out to the courtyard and looked up at the sky. It was clear. The stars shone brightly, scattered across the heaves.

He took the Dao Comprehension Pill without hesitation. The pill dissolved the moment it touched his tongue, and a cool, refreshing sensation spread through his mind. As he raised his head and fixed his gaze on the stars, his consciousness seemed to immerse into the boundless, magnificent expanse above. No one knew how far the starry sky stretched, but one thing was certain: no matter where a person went, the stars would always be there above them.

Lu Changsheng surrendered himself completely to this profound state of contemplation, and his Starry Sky Domain began to advance at a visible pace.

Several hours later, the effect of the Dao Comprehension Pill faded. The epiphany it granted lasted around four to five hours, though to someone immersed in it, that time passed in an instant. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes and checked his condition through his status panel.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 3930 (Praised by All)

[Skills]

Blood Qi Sword Crafting Secret Technique: Sword Crafting, 9 years and 7 months

Heart Sword True Mantra: Progress 36% (Heart Sword)

Wave Domain: Progress 1%

Storm Domain: Progress 6%

Sense Domain: Progress 35%

Starry Sky Domain: Progress 28%

Waterfall Domain: Progress 5%

His Starry Sky Domain had advanced directly to twenty-eight percent, second only to his Sense Domain, and that was with a single Dao Comprehension Pill. With a few more pills, he could possibly push it to Perfection, though he knew it would not be that simple.

The higher a Domain advanced, the more difficult further progress became. Still, the effect of the Dao Comprehension Pill was undeniable, and with his exceptional Perception, the gains from an epiphany were always substantial.

As Lu Changsheng continued to review his Status Panel, something else caught his eye. The progress of his Heart Sword True Mantra had also increased considerably, reaching thirty-six percent.

That was strange. During the epiphany, he had not focused on cultivating the Heart Sword at all, and typically, its progress was extremely slow. The only variable was earlier, when he used the Heart Sword to kill the demonic martial artist.

The Heart Sword was one of Lu Changsheng's most valued arts, and he was happy to see it progress. Could it be that the Heart Sword has advanced because of that battle? If that's the case, it seems I need to use the Heart Sword frequently in combat to improve it.

This sudden leap in progress was likely because the demonic martial artist's mental strength had been great enough to endure multiple strikes. Though a demonic martial artist's mental strength was considered its weakness, it was still far greater than that of ordinary martial artists. Against normal opponents, a single Heart Sword strike would overwhelm them instantly, leaving Lu Changsheng no chance to refine or temper the technique.

While Lu Changsheng did not understand the exact mechanism of the Heart Sword, at least he knew now that its growth was likely tied to the act of crushing an opponent's mental strength.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, Zhang Wending came to visit with news that members of the royal family had already arrived in Qing Province. Clearly, the imperial family was taking the matter seriously, having not waited seven days to give a response.

Zhang Wending stepped before Lu Changsheng with a spirited young woman at his side. "Envoy, this is Princess Qiuyun of the imperial family."

She inclined her head slightly. "Qiuyun pays her respects to the envoy."

Lu Changsheng merely looked at Princess Qiuyun calmly and did not respond. Judging from her aura, she was likely a Divine Strength martial artist.

She gritted her teeth and spoke in a solemn tone. "Envoy, regarding Prince Yong's matter, the imperial family had no knowledge of it. We would never dare defy the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and establish independence. This was all a misunderstanding. To make amends for Prince Yong's actions, the imperial family is willing to offer three Dao Comprehension Pills as compensation."

She produced a porcelain bottle containing three pills. "Please accept them, Envoy."

Lu Changsheng's eyebrow twitched slightly. Three Dao Comprehension Pills right off the bat, when Prince Yong only had one with him!

The imperial family had acted with surprising decisiveness, but Lu Changsheng remained unmoved. Three pills were valuable, but as hush money they fell decidedly short. If he reported to the Heavenly Sect that a member of the Great Moon Dynasty's imperial family had attempted to kill an inner sect scion disciple, the imperial family would not survive the fall out.

Seeing that Lu Changsheng remained silent, Princess Qiuyun clenched her jaw and produced a long scroll. "The imperial family also offers this painting, Faces of All Beings. It is an artifact refined by an Immortal Master. It can immerse a person in an illusion, allowing them to experience the suffering of all living beings and temper their will and heart.

"This artifact can be activated nine times. It has already been used eight times, leaving only one final use. Though limited, it remains a rare treasure and should aid the envoy in strengthening your heart power."

Now, Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up with genuine interest. A heart-tempering artifact was far more valuable to him than the pills. The royal family had clearly done their homework. They knew what someone like him truly valued.

He accepted both the painting and the pills. "You've gone to great trouble, Princess Qiuyun. I can tell the imperial family is being sincere, so let us end this matter here. When I return to the Heavenly Sect, I won't mention Prince Yong's assault. However, I must say, the imperial family should exercise stricter control over its members in the future. Do not let something like this happen again."

Princess Qiuyun let out a quiet breath, her shoulders easing now that she had completed the task entrusted to her. "Thank you, Envoy, for your understanding."

Lu Changsheng gave a slight nod. "My task here is complete. It's time for me to return to the mountain."

With that, he stepped forward. In just a few strides, his figure had already receded into the distance, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.

Zhang Wending and Princess Qiuyun exchanged glances. Even with a princess personally present, Lu Changsheng had shown no regard for the imperial family. He had accepted the compensation and left without hesitation.

Zhang Wending could only sigh. Princess Qiuyun, however, felt a trace of disappointment. Before coming, the imperial family had given her clear instructions. As the most outstanding woman of her generation, she was among the best both in terms of appearance and talent. They had sent her in the hope of leaving a favorable impression. In fact, it would have been ideal if Lu Changsheng had taken an interest in her.

She looked in the direction he had disappeared. "Lu Changsheng... a true inheritor scion..."

The compensation had cost the imperial family dearly, but in exchange they had learned something invaluable. Lu Changsheng was not a mere scion disciple, but true inheritor scion, a candidate who could one day inherit the Northern Region Heavenly Sect itself. Furthermore, with a heart scale of twenty-eight, his status and strength was unquestionable.

In that light, the cost was nothing. If it meant establishing a connection with a future true inheritor scion, no price was too high.