Chapter 250.3: Lu Changsheng Becomes an Earthly Saint at Twenty-Six Years Old! (III)

Lu Changsheng spent a full month in his cave residence, repeatedly studying and digesting the founding ancestor's cultivation insights. Only after thoroughly grasping their contents did he finally put the record away.

It's about time. I need to head to the Sacred Region.

Lu Changsheng left his cave residence. He had never formed any particularly close friendships within the Heavenly River Sacred Land, so after bidding farewell to Sect Master Wan, he returned to the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect.

The Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect was flourishing more than ever. When the elders learned that Lu Changsheng had become an Earthly Saint, they were naturally overjoyed, though most of them probably had only a vague idea of what the Earthly Saint Realm actually represented. And when he told them that he intended to travel to the Sacred Region and continue cultivating toward becoming a Heavenly Saint, they gave him their wholehearted support.

They might not have understood what a Heavenly Saint was either, but Lu Changsheng only needed to tell them that every sacred land had been founded by a Heavenly Saint, and that was enough to send the upper ranks of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect into frenzied excitement.

If Lu Changsheng eventually became a Heavenly Saint, then the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect could also be elevated into a sacred land. When that happened, the current high-ranking members of the sect would naturally become the upper ranks of a sacred land as well.

Sacred lands stood at the very top throughout the Sacred Earth, lofty and transcendent. They could endure for ten thousand years, perhaps even tens of thousands of years, without declining. An ordinary sect could never compare to that.

But now, the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect had a genuine chance of becoming one, so naturally, all members were filled with excitement.

With the full support of his sect, Lu Changsheng knew he no longer had anything to worry about. So after settling the affairs of the sect, he left with peace of mind and began his journey toward the distant Sacred Region.

Following the map Sect Master Wan had given him, Lu Changsheng flew onward.

The Sacred Earth was extremely far from the Sacred Region. The Immortal Martial World was simply too large; the Sacred Earth itself already covered a massive area, and the Sacred Region lay far beyond it.

Fortunately, Lu Changsheng was now an Earthly Saint. Even without manifesting his Earthly Saint Dao Body, every movement he made could draw upon the power of heaven and earth. So, by mobilizing multiple forces of heaven and earth at once, he could travel at astonishing speed.

There were, of course, long-distance teleportation formations that could shorten the journey considerably, but those formations were only available in certain sacred lands, and the Heavenly River Sacred Land was not one of them. Lu Changsheng would need to visit another sacred land just to use one, but he felt that was far too troublesome.

It's not like I have to walk there. Flying with my current speed is more than enough, and I have all the time I need. Even if it takes several years, so what?

As it turned out, he did not need to wait nearly that long. With the power of heaven and earth augmenting his speed, Lu Changsheng traveled far faster than most Earthly Saints. After roughly a year of continuous travel, he finally reached the Sacred Region.

Finally here... Lu Changsheng gazed up at the colossal city rising before him.

Sacred Star City was one of the more famous major cities in the Sacred Region, and it was home to a branch of the Secret World Pavilion.

Lu Changsheng had come here by following the map Sect Master Wan had given him. This was the very branch where the founding ancestor of the Heavenly River Sacred Land had once purchased the coordinates of a secret world. Now, he had followed in the ancestor's footsteps and arrived at Sacred Star City himself.

The moment Lu Changsheng entered Sacred Star City, he noticed just how different the Sacred Region was from the Sacred Earth. Martial artists at the Divine Ability Realm could be seen everywhere here, and even Martial Saints were not uncommon, though most were only Human Saints. He could also faintly sense the auras of a few Earthly Saints scattered throughout the city.

Looks like even in the Sacred Region, Earthly Saints still held a considerable status.

Lu Changsheng proceeded to ask around about the Secret World Pavilion. It was not hard to find; after just a few rounds of inquiry, he found it easily. But just as he was about to enter the pavilion, several gazes, barely perceptible, stopped him in his tracks.

Hmm? Am I being watched?

They were merely watching him from a distance, but as an Earthly Saint, even such subtle attention could hardly escape his notice.

Lu Changsheng did not think much of it. As an Earthly Saint, attracting a few curious looks was only natural. So, without giving the matter another thought, he walked straight into the Secret World Pavilion.

Elsewhere, several people exchanged messages telepathically.

An Earthly Saint just entered the Secret World Pavilion.

Judging by his aura and appearance, he seems to have only recently arrived in Sacred Star City.

And he came straight here after entering the city. He's probably looking to purchase coordinates to a secret world. If so, he must be quite wealthy.

Keep watching him. If an opportunity presents itself, we proceed as planned.

Lu Changsheng was unaware of those exchanges. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to target him. Ever since he became a Martial Saint, he had grown accustomed to others treating him with caution and respect. He never would have thought he would be targeted by others as soon as he arrived in the Sacred Region.

The moment Lu Changsheng entered the Secret World Pavilion, a Human Saint stepped forward to receive him. "Fellow Daoist, have you come to purchase secret world coordinates?"

Lu Changsheng nodded while thinking to himself, What else would anyone come here for?

"Then please, come with me to the VIP room."

Lu Changsheng followed the Human Saint inside.

Once they were seated, the Human Saint began introducing the secret worlds currently available. "Our pavilion has the coordinates of many secret worlds. Take the Emperor Heaven World, for example. Its energy level is not particularly high, roughly equivalent to the Golden Core level.[1]

"Three hundred years ago, someone entered it, spread the Martial Dao and successfully obtained Martial Dao fragments. With your abilities, Fellow Daoist, you may also have a chance to further develop the Martial Dao there and obtain fragments of your own."

Lu Changsheng's eyes turned cold. The man made Emperor Heaven World sound appealing, but he knew better.

According to the cultivation insights left by the Heavenly River Sacred Land's founding ancestor, the best secret worlds were unclaimed ones that no martial artist from the Immortal Martial World had ever entered. Ideally, the secret world would not possess a Martial Dao at all. Starting from nothing made it much easier to establish and condense the Martial Dao, then shatter it to obtain Martial Dao fragments.

Since someone had already entered the Emperor Heaven World three hundred years prior and condensed a Martial Dao there, anyone who entered now would first have to elevate that existing Martial Dao before attempting to shatter it, which would be vastly more difficult.

After all, an Earthly Saint could not enter a secret world with their true body.[2] Without their full strength, they would have to rely on the Martial Dao they established there to contend with a Martial Dao that had already existed and developed for three hundred years. By now, who knew how powerful it had become?[3]

"Enough," said Lu Changsheng. "I'm only interested in unclaimed secret worlds. Does the pavilion have any?"

The Human Saint immediately waved his hand and put away the information on the secret worlds whose Martial Daos had already been established. He knew he was dealing with someone who understood the game, and could not be easily persuaded into buying an inferior option.

Unclaimed secret worlds offered the best chance of condensing the Martial Dao and obtaining Martial Dao fragments. Naturally, such secret worlds were often considered priceless. However, at the Secret World Pavilion, there was nothing that could not be bought.

"Unclaimed secret worlds are coveted by many, many people," said the Human Saint. "Whenever one appears, countless Earthly Saints compete for it. Still, your timing is quite fortunate. Our Secret World Master recently discovered a new secret world, and its coordinates have already been calculated.

"Too many Earthly Saints want it, though, so the pavilion plans to hold an auction one month from now, and the coordinates will go to the highest bidder. If you are interested, Fellow Daoist, I can arrange for you to attend."

Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Have secret worlds become so sought after that they have to be put up for auction?

That had not been the case when the founding ancestor of the Heavenly River Sacred Land came here. Back then, the ancestor had simply purchased the coordinates directly from the Secret World Pavilion.

However, times had changed. As the Martial Dao continued to flourish, the number of Earthly Saints had naturally increased as well. Yet the number of secret worlds had not grown at the same pace. There might now be ten times or even a hundred times as many Earthly Saints as before, but there were certainly not ten or a hundred times as many secret worlds available to them. With demand far exceeding supply, competition was inevitable.[4]

"One month from now?" Lu Changsheng considered it briefly. "Sure, I'll attend."

"Very well." The Human Saint handed him a token. "Bring this token back in one month, and you may attend the auction."

Lu Changsheng accepted it, then asked, "What currency does the auction run on?"

"Deity fragments, of course," replied the Human Saint. "Unused Martial Dao fragments are also accepted."

Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed again. Deity fragments, huh? Well, I guess that makes sense. They are valuable enough to serve as a form of currency. But why would anyone purchase secret world coordinates with Martial Dao fragments?

Precisely because he was an Earthly Saint he needed Martial Dao fragments for his cultivation. Supposing he had enough of them to use freely, why would he be here buying the coordinates of a secret world in the first place?

Lu Changsheng couldn't wrap his head around this system, but he decided to just go along with it. He was sure he could find some answers to that at the auction.

"Very well. I'll return in one month," Lu Changsheng told the Martial Saint before leaving the Secret World Pavilion.

As soon as he stepped outside, he once again felt several gazes falling upon him. Again, he paid them no mind. He had already learned that Sacred Star City was guarded by enforcement squads led by Heavenly Saints. With such powerful experts maintaining order, who would dare cause trouble within the city? Surely, he had nothing to worry about while in Sacred Star City.

When Lu Changsheng walked away from the Secret World Pavilion, the people targeting him communicated telepathically again.

The target has left the pavilion.

Proceed as planned.

1. The measurement of energy level in this context shows how difficult a secret world is to a cultivator, and whether or not it is feasible for them to develop the Martial Dao and obtain its fragments. ☜

2. A cultivator's original, primary body, as distinct from a clone/split body/avatar or incarnation/manifestation that the same cultivator can also project or create. ☜

3. Not being able to enter the secret world with his true body, Lu Changsheng will likely not be able to fully utilize his Dao Body, which is where most of his Earthly Sain strength comes from. This is why he does not want to enter a secret world that already has an established Martial Dao. ☜

4. Looks like the economy isn't great in the martial world either. ☜