Chapter 239.2: Lu Changsheng Has Come, and Everything Is Secure! (II)

The sect master swept his gaze across everyone at the table.

"Everyone, the once-in-a-decade Sacred Land Exchange Convention is soon to begin. This time it will be convened at the Azure Mountain Sacred Land.

"At every Exchange Convention, the disciples of the sacred lands hold contests against one another. Our disciples placed rather poorly last time and brought us shame. So this time we send our strongest disciples, and they are expected to come away with a respectable ranking.

"Now, which elder is willing to lead the delegation to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land?"

At the speech of the sect master, the expressions of the elders throughout the Hall shifted slightly.

No one was particularly eager to participate in the Sacred Land Exchange Convention, especially since it was going to be held in the Azure Mountain Sacred Land.

Relations between the Azure Mountain Sacred Land and Heavenly River Sacred Land were far from cordial, with many old grudges between them. While the hosts would hardly raise a hand against the Heavenly River Sacred Land's people outright, making things difficult for them was another matter entirely. Someone was bound to lose face in this.

Besides, Heavenly River disciples had never performed particularly well in the Exchange Convention to begin with. Naturally, no one wanted to be humiliated.

As such, everyone was silent, no one daring to come forward. In fact, most elders were keeping their eyes down, not daring to look at the sect master. The atmosphere quickly became awkward.

"Huh? What is this?" the sect master grumbled, his expression darkening instantly. "Not one of you will step forward? No one wants to lead the delegation to Azure Mountain Sacred Land?"

The silence among the elders persisted.

Lu Changsheng glanced at the sect master, then at the assembled elders, and suddenly he understood why he had been summoned.

I guess it makes sense.

He was an outside Martial Saint, and even titled elders were asked to handle tasks the sacred land's own martial artists would decline. Lu Changsheng was well aware that his position as titled elder came with obligations too.

For instance, once a year, the sacred land could call upon a titled elder to handle a matter on its behalf. After all, could hardly share in the sacred land's momentum of the masses for nothing.

"I'll go," said Lu Changsheng.

He assumed that if he stepped forward and settled this matter accordingly, the Heavenly River Sacred Land would think twice before bothering him again. In theory they could call on him once a year, but Lu Changsheng was confident that if he handled this well, he would likely have peace for the next several years.

The sect master shifted his gaze to Lu Changsheng. "Oh? Elder Immeasurable, you're willing to lead the delegation to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land?"

The eyes of the elders and hall masters brightened as well. There was no question about Lu Changsheng's strength. To have become a titled elder meant that among the Human Saints of the Heavenly River Sacred Land, probably not one Martial Saint could match him.

If Lu Changsheng led the delegation to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land, any trouble they met along the way would be swiftly dealt with, and the disciples' safety would be assured.

"Yes, I will lead the delegation," Lu Changsheng said evenly. "I have nothing better to do, so I might as well go and see this Exchange Convention, and see what the disciples of the great sacred lands are made of."

The sect master nodded. Sending that message had been precisely his way of proposing that Lu Changsheng lead, and it seemed that Lu Changsheng understood that. Volunteering now spared the sect master having to appoint him outright.

"Good. Then it's settled. Elder Immeasurable will lead this time. And we shall assign three Martial Saints to accompany him, to escort the disciples to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land together."

Those three were named directly, and they did not mind. There was a leader now—Lu Changsheng, of all people. They would be merely the supporting figures, not the ones taking responsibility. If face was to be lost, it would be Lu Changsheng's to lose.

"Sect Master, when do we depart?" Lu Changsheng asked.

"In one month. Use that time to select the finest disciples in the Heavenly River Sacred Land."

Lu Changsheng nodded. With that the council concluded and everyone filed out of the hall.

He quickly returned to his cave residence. One month was not enough to push his Saint Body to any great height, so he went instead to observe the screening of the Heavenly River Sacred Land disciples.

The screening was, in essence, a tournament. The whole of Heavenly River Sacred Land held a grand tournament among its disciples, and apart from those in secluded cultivation, every disciple was required to compete.

As a titled elder, Lu Changsheng's status in Heavenly River Sacred Land was lofty enough that he was not required to take the field himself. Instead, he could simply observe from the sidelines, and at times, the Martial Saints presiding over the matches would even invite him to offer a few words of critique.

At first, some of the disciples were completely unaware of his identity. But once they learned of his status, every trace of dismissal vanished and they took his critiques with the utmost seriousness. Naturally, the judgment of a titled elder and a Martial Saint who had attained the legendary immeasurable divine ability was far more valuable than that of the vast majority of Martial Saints.

"Elder Immeasurable's critiques are incisive. He puts his finger right on the problem."

"Of course. He is a titled elder, after all. To become one, you have to defeat over a hundred Martial Saints in the All Saints Tower."

"They say one hundred and eight Martial Saints were basically fused into a single entity by the tower's power, and yet Elder Immeasurable defeated them all with one strike. Can you imagine? Defeating over a hundred Saints with one palm strike! Absolutely magnificent!"

"I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it."

Proud as the disciples of the Heavenly River Sacred Land were, before Lu Changsheng their pride gave way to genuine reverence. Not one of them could even imagine themselves condensing an immeasurable divine ability and destroying over a hundred Martial Saints in one blow. So naturally, they were most eager to receive Lu Changsheng's advice.

In the span of a single month, Lu Changsheng's prestige among the disciples of the Heavenly River Sacred Land rose sharply, and as his name spread among them his influence expanded just as quickly.

During that time, Lu Changsheng noticed that he was gaining more momentum from the masses.

Just as I thought. With more influence, I gain more of the Heavenly River Sacred Land's momentum of the masses. If I take these disciples to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land and bring back a good ranking, my influence will likely climb further still, and I will draw more momentum from the masses.

At this rate, I might gain another percentage of progress with my Saint Body in five months instead of six. Maybe I could even reduce the time to three months.

A sharp glint flashed through Lu Changsheng's eyes. So far so good!

At the end of the month, the Heavenly River Sacred Land finished selecting its disciples: fifty in total, the finest fifty out there. They would travel to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land under Lu Changsheng's command.

At last the day of departure arrived.

The Heavenly River Sacred Land had prepared a flying boat enchanted treasure for them, driven by spirit stones, and assigned three Martial Saints as his aides: Elder Feng, Elder Yun, and Elder Xia.

All three declared that on this journey to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land they would follow Lu Changsheng's orders and arrangements in everything. Seeing how well they knew their place, Lu Changsheng nodded in satisfaction.

Then the flying boat launched, turned into a streak of light, and vanished into the horizon.

The fifty disciples were thoroughly excited about attending the Exchange Convention at Azure Mountain Sacred Land; they saw this as a chance to broaden their horizons, with someone else, namely Lu Changsheng, carrying the heavier burden. He was the one to guarantee their safety.

Fortunately for everyone, nothing went awry along the way. Naturally, no one would dare try anything against a formation of fifty Divine Ability martial artists and four Martial Saints who all represented the Heavenly River Sacred Land.

The only issue was the distance itself. Even with the flying boat, the journey from the Heavenly River Sacred Land to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land took a full three months.