Chapter 197 of 198
Chapter 137.1: An Unstoppable Domain; One Strike Shatters Divine Fortification and Sends Fear Through All! (I)
Chapter 137.1: An Unstoppable Domain; One Strike Shatters Divine Fortification and Sends Fear Through All! (I)
Buzz!
The surroundings seemed to darken all at once. A boundless starry sky stretched overhead, and a massive waterfall, seemingly three thousand chi high, plunged straight down in an unstoppable torrent.
Rumble... Rumble...
Before long, the sound of raging waves echoed. To the three Divine Fortification martial artists, it was as if a boundless sea surged forth, blotting out the heavens and the earth and threatening to drown everything.
The Wave Domain, combined with the Starry Sky Waterfall Intent, directly empowered Lu Changsheng. The moment it manifested, the three leaders felt as though they were trapped in a mire, with an immense pressure bearing down on them.
Their Intents were crushed and dispersed outright. However, a layer of divine fortification still enveloped them. Having prepared themselves long ago, they endured the crushing pressure with sheer will. Gritting their teeth, they pushed forward, determined to close in on Dao Shi'er and unleash a fatal blow. With their combined strength, a close-range burst would surely kill him.
Hence, they gambled on withstanding Lu Changsheng's Wave Intent, and for a moment, they did.
Hahaha! We can do this!
Almost... Just a close-range strike, and Dao Shi'er will surely die!
Too cocky! He thought his Domain alone could overwhelm us. Sure, it's powerful, but we were prepared!
Their lips curled into smiles, yet Lu Changsheng showed no signs of panic.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the distant howl of a violent gale reached their ears. Immediately after, another wave of energy washed over them, causing their entire bodies to shudder.
A second... Domain?
Two Domains? How is that possible?
To evolve two Domains while still in the Divine Strength Realm...
The three leaders were shaken to the core, disbelief flooding their minds. Even the most exceptional geniuses could only evolve a single Domain. The idea of two Domains was simply inconceivable, yet what was happening before their eyes was undeniable.
The Wave Domain and the Storm Domain pressed down together, overwhelming the three leaders. Lu Changsheng had not even fused the two Domains, as there was no need for that. The three leaders, no matter how firm their resolve, were utterly powerless. Lu Changsheng would not push himself just for these ordinary Divine Fortification Realm experts.
Shing!
Lu Changsheng's formless Heart Sword instantly split into three as it cleaved toward them.
"
Ghah!
"
Already suppressed to the brink by Lu Changsheng's two Domains, their minds shattered the moment the Heart Sword struck. Their thoughts fell into chaos, and their attacks naturally dissipated into nothing.
At this moment, they were less than three zhang away from Lu Changsheng. Normally, they could cross more than that distance in the blink of an eye, but now, that felt like an insurmountable gorge.
Shing!
Lu Changsheng drew his saber. A blood-colored saber light shot skyward and split into three. Empowered by two Domains and his Intent, he instantly unleashed three strikes, each one far surpassing ten thousand cauldrons of strength. In the blink of an eye, the three crimson arcs fell upon the divine fortification of the three leaders.
Crack!
Unsurprisingly, the divine fortification shattered, and a look of despair appeared on the leaders' faces. With their fortifications destroyed, they were no different from someone in the Divine Strength Realm.
"NOOOO!" The three roared in terror, but it was meaningless. Lu Changsheng's saber light had already descended.
Splurt!
The light penetrated them, and they went stiff. A second later, their heads hit the ground with a dull thud and rolled away.
Just like that, Lu Changsheng had slain the leaders of the Three Flood Dragon Gang as though they were mere Divine Strength martial artists. He had not even broken a sweat.
Clack.
He sheathed his saber. Outside the Far Ocean Merchant Association, everything had fallen into a deathly silence. Even the Heavenly Maiden Sect's Supreme Elder looked momentarily dazed. She had rushed here to rescue Dao Shi'er, but as it turned out, he never needed any help.
By his own strength, Dao Shi'er had effortlessly slain four Divine Fortification martial artists: the three leaders of the Three Flood Dragon Gang and Grand Elder Dark Abyss. In Zhanhai City, such figures were normally revered as overlords and patriarchs.
At this moment, Yun Haitang arrived as well, leading many Heavenly Maiden Sect disciples in haste. Much to her surprise, Dao Shi'er stood completely unharmed, with corpses scattered around him. Confusion filled her gaze.
The Supreme Elder of the sect, also visibly baffled, briefly explained the situation to her via voice transmission. For a moment, Yun Haitang fell silent.
Lu Changsheng did not forget to search the bodies for any valuables. Grand Elder Dark Abyss carried a Divine Fortification Realm martial art, while the others only had some silver notes on them.
Lu Changsheng skimmed through the manual and shook his head. It was merely an ordinary martial art that enhanced physical strength by tenfold and could only condense ordinary divine fortification.
The martial art stirred no interest in him. The Northern Region Heavenly Sect dominated the entire Northern Region; naturally, they had to have hoarded all the valuable divine arts and secret techniques. As such, it was not surprising that Grand Elder Dark Abyss possessed nothing exceptional.
"Miss Yun, thank you for your timely aid."
Lu Changsheng cupped his hands toward Yun Haitang and the Supreme Elder in gratitude. Although he had not needed help, the mere intention was enough to earn his respect.
"Mr. Dao, you are too nice. We didn't help at all. With your strength, you needed no assistance."
The Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Maiden Sect sighed softly. Had she not witnessed everything herself, she would never have believed that someone at the Divine Strength Realm could slay four Divine Fortification martial artists by themselves. She was still dumbfounded at the fact that Dao Shi'er had manifested two Domains. No one had ever heard of such a genius before—not in Zhanhai City, or anywhere else.
"Well... You can still help me. From now on, I don't want to see the Three Flood Dragon Gang or the Dark Abyss Sect continue to operate. Can your sect take over both their forces?"
Lu Changsheng looked at Yun Haitang and the Supreme Elder. At once, both of their hearts stirred. The Dark Abyss Sect was manageable, as its main strength lay on offshore islands. However, the Three Flood Dragon Gang was different. It was one of the three major gangs in Zhanhai City, and overall, it was stronger than the Heavenly Maiden Sect. Just the number of Divine Fortification Realm experts made that clear.
The Three Flood Dragon Gang had three, while the Heavenly Maiden Sect had only one. Normally, the odds would be clearly against the Heavenly Maiden Sect. Yet now, with Dao Shi'er backing them, what was there to fear?
"Yes!" Yun Haitang replied at once, her tone decisive and resolute. Such an opportunity would not come a second time.
"The Three Flood Dragon Gang still has a large number of Divine Strength martial artists," Lu Changsheng remarked. "Fully absorbing them won't be easy. I'll go with you and clear out some of them. Let's go."
The Three Flood Dragon Gang and the Dark Abyss Sect had acted against him; he would not let that go. Whatever consequences his retaliation might bring, such as upsetting the balance among the major forces of Zhanhai City, he could not care less. Whoever made a move against him would meet his blade. Such was the way of the jianghu!
Lu Changsheng walked resolutely at the front, with Yun Haitang, the Supreme Elder, and many disciples of the Heavenly Maiden Sect following closely behind. Naturally, this outstanding group drew many eyes.
"
Whoa
... What's going on?"
"What a large group. Is that the Heavenly Maiden Sect? What are they here for?"
"I see Yun Haitang, the current Heavenly Maiden. The Supreme Elder of the sect is also there. But who's that man in black? The Heavenly
Maiden
Sect should not have any men, right?"
"That man... Could it be Dao Shi'er?"
"Dao Shi'er? The one who dominated the Northern Region battlefield and ranked first on the Divine Strength Rankings? He has returned?"
Indeed, Dao Shi’er had returned! He was a well-known figure here, and many recognized him immediately. Previously, only a few major forces had caught wind of his whereabouts, but now that he had appeared openly, his return was known to all.
What puzzled everyone was that he was marching together with the Heavenly Maiden, and many were wondering where the two were headed.
"We're here. The Three Flood Dragon Gang!"
Lu Changsheng came to a halt. He had previously stayed in Zhanhai City for quite a while, and so he was familiar with the major forces.
Clatter Clatter.
With so many Heavenly Maiden Sect members arriving, the martial artists guarding the Three Flood Dragon Gang headquarters acted immediately. Hundreds of martial artists poured out and got in formation. There were even dozens of Divine Strength martial artists, their frosty gazes fixed on the newcomers. An elderly man swept his eyes across them, focusing on Dao Shi'er and the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
"What does your sect seek here?" asked the elderly man.
"I have slain your three leaders. That leaves you with two choices. Submit or die."
Lu Changsheng's words instantly stirred an uproar among the crowd.
"The leaders are dead? Impossible! They are Divine Fortification Realm experts. Who could kill them?"
"Even if the Heavenly Maiden Sect mobilized everyone, they still could not kill them, let alone Dao Shi'er."
"Exactly. No matter how strong Dao Shi'er is, he's still in the Divine Strength Realm. How could he kill all three of them?"