Chapter 142.1: Four Domains; Four Layers of Divine Fortification; The Foremost in the Northern Region Heavenly Sect! (I)

"He stopped... Senior Brother Lu stopped!"

"That aura... Unbelievable! Is that the power of a Domain?"

"The layer of divine fortification around Senior Brother Lu should be a top-tier one, right? The Tempest divine fortification?"

"How long has it even been? Just two hours and he's already condensed a layer of top-tier divine fortification! And he made it look so easy! Evolving a Domain gives you such an advantage, huh? The speed and efficiency of condensation are on a completely different level..."

The outer disciples gazed at the layer of divine fortification enveloping Lu Changsheng. They could not hide their awe and envy. To them, condensing divine fortification was like walking a tightrope suspended over an abyss—a single misstep meant failure.

Yet for Lu Changsheng, it was as effortless as eating and drinking. He did not just succeed; he condensed a top-tier divine fortification that amplified his physical body by twentyfold. The mere thought of it felt absurd.

Lu Changsheng paid no heed to the murmurs around himself. This was only the Tempest Divine Fortification—merely the beginning. Next, he would continue cultivating the Great Wave Divine Fortification Art and condense divine fortification from it.

Without hesitation, he sank back into cultivation. The method of the art rose clearly in his mind, and soon another layer of divine fortification began to spread across his body. This time, it was the Great Wave Divine Fortification taking shape.

The blood qi pool churned once more, and streams of warmth rushed madly into Lu Changsheng's body. At the same time, he unleashed the Wave Domain. Faintly, the illusion of towering tides took shape around him; they rolled forward with a deep rumble that echoed as if from a distance. Amid the roaring currents, his second layer of divine fortification took form.

With that, he had fully condensed and stabilized the Great Wave Divine Fortification.

"Two layers! Senior Brother Lu has already condensed two layers of divine fortification, and both are top-tier! I mean, I was expecting something impressive, but this is crazy... How can he do it so fast?"

"Those with a Domain really have a ridiculous advantage. They're guaranteed to condense top-tier divine fortification and amplify their body by twentyfold, and that's besides the Domain itself. Once you're ahead, you seriously just keep pulling further ahead!"

These outer sect disciples were perceptive enough to recognize what had happened. With two layers of top-tier divine fortification and the support of a Domain, Lu Changsheng's position as scion disciple would be difficult to shake, even among the inner sect.

After waiting for a while, the disciples were puzzled when Lu Changsheng remained in the blood qi pool, as though having no intention of leaving.

"What's going on? Why isn't Senior Brother Lu getting out?"

"He's already condensed two layers. There's no point staying in there any longer... Don't tell me he's trying to form a third layer?"

"No way... Senior Brother Lu only has two Domains. How could he possibly condense three?"

No sooner had those words been spoken than they witnessed another layer form over Lu Changheng. This one was rather unstable, looking as though it might collapse at any moment.

"He won't be able to fully stabilize it if he's relying on Intent alone. This could easily backfire, and if it does... he'll suffer great damage to his primordial qi."

The outer sect disciples were taken aback by Lu Changsheng's apparent intention of condensing an additional layer of divine fortification without a corresponding Domain. But what if he succeed?

Pshhhhhhh...

The next moment, everyone stood dumbfounded. A massive waterfall manifested in the void. It cascaded down, piercing through space. From afar, it resembled the waterfall of Celestial Foothills Mountain—majestic and magnificent. More importantly, it was unmistakably a Domain—a third one.

"Oh my... Senior Brother Lu has a third Domain? Does that mean he didn't go all out against Senior Brother Meng Fang?"

"Heavens! Three Domains, three layers of divine fortification. If he advances to the inner sect, he'll dominate there as well."

Even the most composed disciples outside the blood qi pool failed to maintain their composure. Divine Fortifications could be stacked, and three layers of top-tier divine fortification meant a sixtyfold amplification to the body.

They shuddered just thinking about it. If the martial artist possessed the strength of a thousand cauldrons, then the sixtyfold amplification would mean a total of sixty thousand cauldrons of strength. Who could possibly defend themselves against such monstrous power?

However, the disciples were still underestimating Lu Changsheng. Even after successfully condensing the Hundred Zhang Waterfall Divine Fortification, he kept going. Without pause, he began condensing the fourth.

The fourth layer was special; it was the Boundless Starry Sky Divine Fortification. Unlike the previous ones, it did not amplify the body twentyfold, but thirtyfold. Naturally, forming such a layer demanded far more blood qi and placed an even greater burden on the body.

Soon, a vast expanse of stars appeared above Lu Changsheng's head. It seemed boundless and immeasurable.

When the fourth layer finally took shape, all four Domains spread through the void. Although the Domains had not fused, the stacking of four layers unleashed such a terrifying pressure that one's heart would tremble even from a hundred zhang away. All the disciples outside the blood qi pool were paralyzed.

Four Domains?!

Four layers of divine fortification?! What on earth...

This is no genius... He's a monster!

They could not believe how foolish they had been for thinking that Lu Changsheng had avoided returning to the sect out of fear of being challenged for his position. A laughable idea indeed.

"Senior Brother Lu entered the sect through the Heavenly Stairway, did he not? He must have evolved a Domain during that trial, perhaps more than one. To have evolved four Domains while still in the outer sect... I'm speechless."

"Has anyone in the history of our Northern Region Heavenly Sect ever evolved four Domains in the Divine Strength Realm?"

"I don't think so... In a certain sense, Senior Brother Lu could be considered the foremost figure in our sect's history."

Who could have imagined that a new outer sect disciple would set a record in the Northern Region Heavenly Sect? No one in the sect had ever achieved the incredible feat of evolving four Domains in the Divine Strength Realm—not before Lu Changsheng. That alone made him unparalleled.

Splash!

At last, Lu Changsheng rose from the pool.

His four layers of divine fortification would grant a ninetyfold amplification of his physical body—a staggering number. Adding the amplification from the Domains on top of that, his burst of power could exceed one hundred thousand cauldrons.

It was not just his strength; due to the four layers of divine fortification, his defense had become equally formidable. He could stand still and allow his opponents to strike him freely, and the four layers would likely not shatter. The only way to defeat Lu Changsheng now would be to gradually shave off his divine fortification, but how long would that even take? Hours, days? With Lu Changsheng's strength, who could possibly force him into a stalemate for that long?

This blood qi pool is truly amazing. I managed to condense four layers of divine fortification without any physical strain whatsoever. If anything, thanks to the reinforcement of those four layers, my body feels stronger than ever.

Lu Changsheng slowly clenched and unclenched his fist, feeling the astonishing amplification of the four layers. After a moment, he withdrew the divine fortification, and his strength returned to the Thousand Cauldrons Stage.

Huh...

He frowned as he realized that, whether in the Divine Fortification Realm or the Divine Strength Realm, the natural limit of the physical body appeared to remain at the strength of a thousand cauldrons. Even though divine fortification could amplify that base several times over, that was only a temporary amplification.

It relied on the unique nature of divine fortification itself, much like a secret technique. Once the divine fortification was withdrawn, the physical body returned to the limit of one thousand cauldrons. In that sense, it would not be wrong to call divine fortification an enhanced secret technique.

Lu Changsheng had just tested that theory. Even when he activated only one layer of divine fortification—which amplified his body twentyfold—and then attempted to activate the Divine Dragon Third Transformation, the latter yielded no additional increase in strength. It became apparent that a single layer of top-tier divine fortification surpassed the amplification limit of the Dragon Transformation.

The same was true for the Threefold Wave. Under normal circumstances, it doubled his strength. But with four layers of divine fortification activated, even the most powerful martial technique could hardly double that again on top of a ninety times amplification.

Everything had a limit, and that included secret techniques and martial techniques. Divine fortification was essentially a culmination of them all, as it absorbed the essence of such methods and elevated them into something greater. That was why it could amplify the physical body on such a scale at once.

So the physical body is limited at the Thousand Cauldrons Stage. Then how should I advance from here?