Chapter 239.3: Lu Changsheng Has Come, and Everything Is Secure! (III)

"The Azure Mountain Sacred Land, at last!"

Lu Changsheng brought the flying boat down and led the group into the Azure Mountain Sacred Land.

"May I ask, are you the disciples and Martial Saints of the Heavenly River Sacred Land?"

The Azure Mountain Sacred Land had sent a Martial Saint to receive them. He swept his gaze across the group and settled it on Lu Changsheng, who clearly appeared to be the leader of the group.

"We have not met before, Fellow Daoist. How should I address you?" asked the Martial Saint of the Azure Mountain Sacred Land.

"Lu Changsheng from the Heavenly River Sacred Land."

The Martial Saint frowned slightly. "Lu Changsheng?"

Although he did not recognize Lu Changsheng, the name did ring a bell. Still, even after searching his memory, he could not recall any Martial Saints in the Heavenly River Sacred Land that went by that name.

A Martial Saint newly advanced in the past few years, perhaps? But how can a newly advanced Martial Saint lead a delegation to the Sacred Land Exchange Convention?

At this, Elder Feng stepped forward. "Saint Lu is also a titled elder of the Heavenly River Sacred Land. He is Elder Immeasurable."

That was enough to make everything clear to the Martial Saint of the Azure Mountain Sacred Land.

Being a titled elder was no trivial thing. titled elders within the Heavenly River Sacred Land were all outside Martial Saints, but the trial for that position was unimaginable. Any Martial Saint who succeeded deserved utmost respect.

"Saint Lu, please, enter our base," said the Azure Mountain Martial Saint, his tone noticeably more respectful. Regardless of the bad blood between the Azure Mountain and Heavenly River Sacred Lands, neither side would abandon courtesy altogether.

"Let's go."

And so, Lu Changsheng swiftly led the group into the Azure Mountain Sacred Land, where they took up residence in the cave residences arranged by their hosts.

The Martial Saint who had received them kept his gaze fixed on Lu Changsheng as he disappeared into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Look into that Lu Changsheng. titled elder of the Heavenly River Sacred Land, got it? Investigate thoroughly. Find out where he came from. To become a titled elder of Heavenly River Sacred Land..."

Just like that, the Azure Mountain Sacred Land began gathering information on Lu Changsheng. It did not take long to uncover everything they needed, as none of that information was particularly well guarded.

Lu Changsheng's name had already spread across the Sacred Earth, and it was only the sacred lands, lofty as they were, that paid so little attention to the affairs of the wider Sacred Earth. That was why the people of the Azure Mountain Sacred land had not recognized Lu Changsheng immediately, despite the name sounding somewhat familiar to them.

"Found him."

"Lu Changsheng. He condensed an immeasurable divine ability, and once, while still in the Divine Ability Realm, cut down a Martial Saint against all odds!"

"Later he took the immeasurable divine ability as his foundation, forged his Saint Body, and became a Martial Saint!"

"More than that, he took the Heavenly River Sacred Land's Martial Saint trial. The titled elder trial, no less. He destroyed 108 Martial Saints of the All Saints Tower in a single strike!"

"And now the Heavenly River Sacred Land has started regarding him as the strongest Human Saint out there."

Those were merely the essential points. The Azure Mountain Sacred Land had found out way more about Lu Changsheng.

The Azure Mountain Martial Saints gasped as they read through the reports. They usually held themselves in high esteem and were dismissive of Martial Saints beyond their walls, but Lu Changsheng was a different story.

Besides condensing an immeasurable divine ability, this man had also defeated more than a hundred Martial Saints by himself, in one strike. And those were not just any Martial Saints; they were Martial Saints of the Heavenly River Sacred Land.

However sour things were between the two sacred lands, the Azure Mountain Martial Saints had to admit that the Martial Saints of the Heavenly River Sacred Land were no weaker than their own. If Lu Changsheng could defeat a hundred Heavenly River Martial Saints, he could likely do the same with a hundred Martial Saints of the Azure Mountain Sacred Land.

"Incredible. I can't believe a monstrous genius like this could emerge from outside the sacred lands."

"From what we gathered, he really climbed step by step from nothing. He was not even in the Sacred Earth before this, but in some remote, barbaric Ancient Region..."

"I would love to trade blows with him and see just what that Saint Body of his can do."

Indeed, many of them were itching to trade blows with Lu Changsheng. Even in the Azure Mountain Sacred Land, going against a Saint Body forged upon the foundation of immeasurable divine abilities was a once-in-a-millenium opportunity.

As far as the present generation was concerned, the Azure Mountain had no martial artist who had condensed an immeasurable divine ability, much less a Martial Saint who had built their Saint Body upon it.

"Everyone. This Exchange Convention is being held in our sacred land, so there is no room for missteps."

"We have our differences with the Heavenly River Sacred Land, but this time you will not provoke them, and you will certainly not provoke Lu Changsheng. Should he defeat any of you, the only ones shamed will be the people of the Azure Mountain Sacred Land."

The sect master of Azure Mountain Sacred Land swept a stern gaze across his Martial Saints. His warning was most clear: leave Lu Changsheng alone. Were his strength unremarkable, that would have been another matter entirely; the Azure Mountain martial artists would certainly not have minded putting the people of the Heavenly River Sacred Land in an uncomfortable position.

However, a man strong enough to defeat a hundred Martial Saints by himself changed everything. Provoking the Heavenly River Sacred Land in this situation would only result in the humiliation of the Azure Mountain Sacred Earth.

The assembled Martial Saints nodded their agreement. Indeed, they knew better than to provoke someone like Lu Changsheng.

***

Unaware of the ongoing investigation on him, Lu Changsheng settled into his cave residence and waited for the Exchange Convention to begin.

Elder Feng and the others, by contrast, paid frequent visits to various Martial Saints of the sacred land, presumably old acquaintances of one sort or another. Lu Changsheng had no such connections and knew no other Martial Saints. He had come to the Azure Mountain Sacred Land to complete a task, and that was all.

Unlike Lu Changsheng, the disciples could not sit still. They went out in droves to see the sights of the Azure Mountain Sacred Land, and to ask after the finest Divine Ability Realm martial artists of each sacred land. The contests at this Exchange Convention would be confined to Divine Ability Realm disciples alone.

The rivalry between the sacred lands flared up the moment the disciples had set foot in the Azure Mountain Sacred Land. Everyone was gathering word on the very best disciples from every sacred land, and someone had even compiled a ranking of them.

The list was merely to satisfy curiosities and feed egos, nothing more. Still, it was precisely this list that infuriated the disciples of the Heavenly River Sacred Land.

Fifty names had made the list, and among those fifty, the Heavenly River Sacred Land did not place a single disciple in the top twenty. The highest-ranked disciple of theirs was only twenty-fifth.

"Where did this garbage ranking come from? Utter nonsense."

"Not one disciple of the Heavenly River Sacred Land is good enough for the top twenty?"

"That list first came out of the Great Snow Mountain Sacred Land. Their own people drew it up, obviously."

"Exactly. Look at the top twenty. Seven of them are Great Snow Mountain Sacred Land disciples."

The Heavenly River Sacred Land disciples burned with indignation. However, there was a reason they ranked so poorly compared to the Great Snow Mountain Sacred Land.

In recent Exchange Conventions, the Heavenly River Sacred Land's disciples had performed abysmally, and calling it a rout would have been generous. Naturally, the ones who had drawn up the ranking saw them as insignificant.

The quarrel between the disciples of the two sacred lands eventually came to blows. This had already become messy, and the Exchange Convention had not even begun yet. This was just an outburst triggered by wounded pride, but it drew the attention of the Martial Saint elders on both sides.

"Who dares strike my Great Snow Mountain disciples?"

"Xue, you old bastard! Your Great Snow Mountain disciples went at my Heavenly River disciples with the intent to kill. My guys even warned them. What, are we not allowed to strike back?"

"Feng Tianxing, you're just bullying those weaker than you. Have you no shame at all? Or shall the two of us go for a round? You already lost against me when we were both in the Divine Ability Realm. You think anything has changed now?"

"You really think I'm afraid of you, Xue?"

Elder Feng's face went ashen, thoroughly provoked by Elder Xue of the Great Snow Mountain Sacred Land. Both were Martial Saints, and old acquaintances at that, which was exactly why the Martial Saint Xue's sharp remark cut so deep. He had gone straight for the old wound.

Neither could hold back any longer, and sure enough, they came to blows. Elder Feng was quickly overwhelmed, and his expression darkened further after his defeat.

"Feng Tianxing, I told you. You could not beat me at the Divine Ability Realm, and becoming a Martial Saint has not made you my match either."

Elder Xue stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down on Elder Feng as the victor. The Great Snow Mountain disciples were riding high, while every Heavenly River Sacred Land disciple hung his head.

Bitter as they were, what could they do? Their Martial Saint elder had just lost a brawl.

Still, Elder Feng jumped to his feet. "Old Bastard Xue. Do you really think the Heavenly River Sacred Land has no one?"

His morale surged the moment he spotted Lu Changsheng in the distance, coming their way. In that moment, Lu Changsheng was no longer an outsider to him. No, he represented the Heavenly River Sacred Land.

Now that he's here, we'll regain control of the situation...