In the second layer of the Ancient Region, Xu Haotian sat cross-legged on the ground. Before him stood an elderly man with white hair and beard. Xu Haotian recognized him at a glance. He was the Deputy Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall. Today, the man had come in person.

"Xu Haotian, Wu Qingyi is dead, killed by that Lu Changsheng. The entire Wu Clan has been wiped out by the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's Enforcement Hall. Not a single one of their four Divine Treasury experts escaped. The Enforcement Hall has already sent a warning to our Yellow Heavenly Sect. If you try to have Lu Changsheng assassinated again, whether he lives or dies, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect will kill you.

The Deputy Hall Master cast him a fierce look. "So drop it. If you truly can't let go of your hatred, then just make sure you do not break the rules."

That was both a reminder and a warning. It was only because of Xu Haotian's status that the Deputy Hall Master had come personally.

Xu Haotian remained expressionless. "Understood. I won't touch him before he reaches the Divine Treasury Realm. Once he breaks through and steps into the second layer, I'll deal with him myself. Then, they won't have any grounds to interfere."

At that, the Deputy Hall Master's gaze sharpened slightly. Clearly, Xu Haotian was not letting go of that grudge. What began with Xu Haoran had only deepened with Wu Qingyi. Though he had merely used Wu Qingyi, the woman had undoubtedly been a valuable asset. But in the end, she died at the hand of Lu Changsheng, and her death only served to elevate his population. How could Xu Haotian accept that?

But rules were rules. Lu Changsheng was no ordinary martial artist without backing. He was a true inheritor scion of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect and a future true inheritor. Breaking the rules once was enough, but not a second time.

"Well... as long as you understand. Let people say what they want. Once you take that step, what is he, really? Your own cultivation is what matters most."

With that, the Deputy Hall Master had said all he wanted to say. He believed Xu Haotian was smart enough to make the right decision.

"Thank you, Deputy Hall Master." Xu Haotian closed his eyes, his attitude dismissive.

The Deputy Hall Master's expression stiffened slightly. Xu Haotian had always been like this, but his talent was undeniable. Though he was a true inheritor disciple, his status surpassed even that of the Deputy Hall Master. The reason was the fact that Xu Haotian had a chance to take that crucial step, while the Deputy Hall Master would not be able to advance any further.

"Take care of yourself." The Deputy Hall Master shook his head and left Xu Haotian's cave residence.

After he left, Xu Haotian opened his eyes and sneered. "Lu Changsheng, dominating a generation..."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Lu Changsheng had to die, but not right away. He would wait until Lu Changsheng advanced to the Divine Treasury and entered the second layer. Then, he would kill him with his own two hands.

With that, Xu Haotian closed his eyes again.

***

A few days later, Lu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes.

My heart force has finally recovered.

He exhaled in relief. With his heart force restored, he could once again materialize his Domain. Moreover, his increased heart force would allow him to sustain the manifestation of his Starry Sky Waterfall Domain slightly longer. Even a small increase meant a huge boost to his combat power. After so long, he brought up his status panel to check his condition.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 4,500 (Praised by All)

[Skills]

Blood Qi Sword Crafting Secret Technique: Sword Crafting, 14 years and 4 months

Heart Sword True Mantra: Progress 56% (Heart Sword)

Wave Domain: Progress 1%

Storm Domain: Progress 12%

Sense Domain: Perfection (Not Transformed)

Starry Sky Domain: Perfection (Not Transformed)

Waterfall Domain: Perfection (Not Transformed)

Lu Changsheng's Perception had been steadily improving. However, the 10,000 threshold still lay far away. In the short term, another qualitative transformation was unlikely. By contrast, his Heart Sword had advanced significantly, its progress reaching fifty-six percent.

The Heart Sword was quite remarkable. It had originally been just a Divine Strength Realm secret technique, but after merging with the Nine-Character Mantra, its power had multiplied. More than that, the Heart Sword still seemed capable of further evolution. This technique was far from simple. It could be called a martial art or a secret technique.

The Heart Sword True Mantra itself was extremely unique. Its effect could only be fully realized in extremely intense combat. The more intense the battle, the greater its effect. Especially when it tore through an opponent's mind, it greatly refined and strengthened the Heart Sword itself. Even so, Lu Changsheng had still not elevated it to Perfection.

No wonder that even someone as talented as Sheng Yuanyi failed to bring it to its peak.

In truth, the Heart Sword Sect was already struggling to hold on. Talented disciples were becoming rarer by the day; sooner or later, the sect would fade entirely. The demands the Heart Sword placed on talent and Perception were simply too high.

Lu Changsheng turned his attention to his last two Domains which had yet to be Perfect: the Storm Domain and the Wave Domain. The latter was more troublesome, as comprehending it required witnessing real waves firsthand.

Storms, on the other hand, were easier to encounter. In the first layer of the Ancient Region, near the sect, there was a place known as Wolf Howl Gorge, where winds swept through at irregular intervals, their howls akin to that of wolves. There were other areas with similar meteorological conditions, but this one lay closest to the sect.

This time, Lu Changsheng decided to travel alone, but not too far away. Having pushed the Sense Domain to Perfection, the Domain would remain active once released, even if Lu Changsheng was submerged in a state of epiphany. The moment someone stepped within its range, he would be immediately alerted, which meant he had no need for guards.

Besides, Liu Yuan and the Heavenly Lin Squad still needed time to recover and absorb the gains from the Golden Swamp, and Lu Changsheng was not going to wait for them. After he procured a map, he left the sect and headed straight for the Wolf Howl Gorge.

It took him little more than two hours to reach the Wolf Howl Gorge. True to its name, the gorge sounded as if it were teeming with wolves, but in reality, it was just the fierce winds tearing through the gorge.

As Lu Changsheng moved closer, he noticed quite a number of martial artists within. They seemed to be using the raging winds for cultivation.

Are they... comprehending a Domain?

Lu Changsheng's expression shifted.

There's so many of them. I thought this was supposed to be a quiet place. That's what Liu Yuan said. And yet there's so many people here, and nearly everyone is comprehending wind-related Domains.

To comprehend the Storm Domain, he needed a secluded spot to take a Dao Comprehension Pill and enter epiphany. He looked around the gorge and noticed tiers of steps along the mountainside. They were essentially stone steps layered one above another. They sat halfway up the gorge, right at the heart of the raging winds. It was clearly the best position in the entire area, but just like in the Golden Swamp, those steps were already occupied.

Still, that posed no problem for Lu Changsheng. In the Ancient Region, anything worth having had to be fought over.

Whoosh...

Lu Changsheng leapt and landed directly at the first tier of stone steps. The martial artists there opened their eyes. When they saw it was Lu Changsheng, a sharp glint flashed in their gaze.

"Are you Lu Changsheng of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect?"

"Indeed, I am," he said evenly.

Then, the martial artist bowed to Lu Changsheng, and his tone softened. "Ah, so it really is you? You're here to comprehend the Storm Domain, right? Thanks to you, ever since word spread, everyone's been trying to comprehend Domains and push them to Perfection to boost their heart force. Some even hope to perfect their Domains. You've shown us that there's actually a path forward."

Lu Changsheng swept his gaze across the densely packed figures on the steps. So they have all come here to comprehend Domains because of... me?

It was only now that he realized what his rise in fame had sparked among Divine Fortification martial artists across the Ancient Region. Of course, not everyone had a real chance of advancing to the Divine Treasury, but Lu Changsheng had given everyone a sliver of hope—and sometimes, that was all one needed to keep advancing.

"I see... I'd like to go up now," Lu Changsheng said firmly.

The martial artist stepped aside. "Please."

Lu Changsheng walked up the stone steps, and just like the first martial artist, everyone else made way for him. After all, reputation carried weight. In the entire first layer of the Ancient Region, his prestige was unmatched.

He kept going until he reached the tier halfway up the mountainside. There, he stopped and fixed his gaze on the four people here. They were clearly trying to comprehend their Domains, and when they saw Lu Changsheng halt before them, they immediately understood his intention.

"Lu Changsheng, you want this section of the stone steps?" asked one of them.

"Yes. I want to comprehend the Storm Domain," Lu Changsheng told them plainly.

The expressions of the four martial artists tightened slightly. They took a deep breath, and a trace of unwillingness flashed in their eyes. They had not claimed this prime spot through luck or courtesy; rather, they had fought for it, and none of those opponents had been weak.

"Lu Changsheng... He's just like the rumors, huh?"

"Well, he stands at the very top of the Divine Fortification Realm."

"You want this section? Fine, we'll give it up."

"Let's go!"

The four seemed to know each other, perhaps even closely. They did not even leave a harsh word behind and simply withdrew. Such was Lu Changsheng's fearsome reputation.

The battle at the Golden Swamp had spread far and wide and grew more exaggerated with every retelling.

Rumours had turned those hundred Domains stacked against Lu Changsheng into a thousand, and now people thought Lu Changsheng's saber strike hadn't split into a hundred streaks of light, but into ten thousand, all raining down on his opponents.

Indeed, tales of unmatched brilliance and absolute dominance spread everywhere. Even Divine Treasury martial artists were said to be unable to withstand a single move, with Lu Changsheng casually killing Wu Qingyi in an instant.

In the end, only one thing mattered was that Lu Changsheng had slain a Divine Treasury martial artist. That alone had built his overwhelming reputation across the region. With a reputation like his, who would still dare to act arrogantly before him?