Ti passed slowly. It was nearly noon, and still there was no sign of Lu Changsheng. Eventually, a figure erged in the distance, from the direction of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. It was a young man, walking toward Tianlong Mountain at an unhurried pace, each step steady and deliberate.
It was not long before the crowd erupted once again.
"He's here! Lu Changsheng of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect!"
"Finally! Look at his deanor. He's facing Lei Tiandu, the number one true inheritor of the Yellow Heavenly Sect, yet he doesn't seem nervous at all. That kind of composure in a situation like this is sothing most Divine Treasury martial artists could never achieve."
"So this is Lu Changsheng, the man whose na has shaken the Ancient Region. It's my first ti seeing him...”
Although Lu Changsheng's na had spread across the entire Ancient Region since his days in the Divine Fortification Realm, few had actually seen him in person. Now, whether they were Immortal Masters, Divine Treasury martial artists, or even Dao Foundation experts, all were finally seeing him with their own eyes.
Lu Changsheng was approaching slowly, until he ca to a stop when he was about ten zhang away from Lei Tiandu.
Lei Tiandu opened his eyes, and their gazes t. Contrary to the charged, confrontational atmosphere the crowd had anticipated, both n's eyes were perfectly calm, showing no flicker of emotion. This was their first eting, after all; there were no grudges, no personal grievances between them.
Lei Tiandu spoke up first, his voice calm. "Lu Changsheng, your talent is astounding. If I had been born with your gifts, I would likely have forged my Dao Foundation long ago, rather than idling away my ti until now."
Lu Changsheng looked at him. "You're not what I expected."
"What, did you expect arrogance? Thought I would look down on you and speak with disdain? No, I am not that kind of man. You see, I ca from nothing, just like you. We both know how hard it is to reach this point, and how often we're left with no real choices in the path we walk. No, this battle of ours is not born from hatred... and yet we shall still fight to the death."
Lu Changsheng understood the aning behind Lei Tiandu's words. Since Lei Tiandu had taken on this challenge, he would carry it through without hesitation. He would not show rcy, nor would he underestimate his opponent. Once the battle began, he would strike with everything he had.
A man like Lei Tiandu was far more difficult to deal with than Xu Haotian. However, Lu Changsheng had not co to Tianlong Mountain unprepared. He was ready for whatever ca his way.
Gradually, a silence settled over the mountain. It was as though, between heaven and earth, only the two of them remained. Each had only the other in his eyes.
"Have you ever thought that your path might end here today?" Lu Changsheng asked, breaking the silence.
Lei Tiandu did not respond. The thought had never crossed his mind. He took Lu Changsheng seriously and would give his all, but defeat was sothing he had never considered. With one foot already in the Dao Foundation Realm, he was confident in his strength. If there was soone out there capable of cutting his journey short, Lu Changsheng was not one of them.
Seeing that Lei Tiandu was not going to respond, Lu Changsheng made his move. "Heart Sword! Sever!"
The Heart Sword, nurtured within his Mind Space, trembled. Dozens of jade-colored Heart Sword blades shot forth, streaking toward Lei Tiandu with a sharp, piercing howl.
"A ntal secret technique, huh?" Lei Tiandu's lips curled into a faint smile. He possessed no such techniques himself, but he had absolute confidence in his own mind. Having risen step by step from humble beginnings, his greatest strength had always been his grit and willpower.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The blades from the Heart Sword pierced into his body and struck hard against his mind. The impact was fierce, yet Lei Tiandu's mind stayed as solid as rock. No matter how hard the blades battered his mind, they could not shake him in the slightest.
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed. This was the first ti his Heart Sword failed to affect his opponent. Even against Xu Haotian, who had a mind treasure, the Heart Sword had still taken effect; Xu Haotian had simply been able to recover instantly through the treasure's power. Lei Tiandu, on the other hand, had no mind treasure or any ntal techniques of his own; he was simply withstanding the attack through willpower alone.
Lu Changsheng could not help but feel a sense of admiration for Lei Tiandu. How impressive! He's truly worthy of being the number one true inheritor of the Yellow Heavenly Sect.
Lu Changsheng understood how fearso the Heart Sword was, and if it could not shake Lei Tiandu's mind, then there was no chance of using it to gain an opening before launching a proper attack. The only thod left was to compete directly with Domains—the ultimate asure of a Divine Treasury martial artist.
In the next mont, both Lu Changsheng and Lei Tiandu manifested their Domains, then forced them to materialize. In a clash of Domains, there was no room for trickery, as it ca down to pure strength and control, nothing else.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The collision sent devastating shockwaves rolling outward in every direction, leveling everything within several li of the two n at its center. Such was the destructive power of two supre Divine Treasury martial artists with materialized Domains.
Lu Changsheng manifested his five-in-one Domain next. A five-colored radiance flickered as it erged, enveloping Lei Tiandu imdiately.
"A five-in-one Domain..." There was a trace of envy in Lei Tiandu's voice. "Your Perception is indeed extraordinary. In that regard, I cannot compare."
A low hum followed as he released his own Domain. It was a four-in-one Domain, his strongest. But the mont it made contact with Lu Changsheng's five-in-one Domain, it started to crumble. The difference of a single fusion seed insignificant, but in truth, the gap was vast.
As Lei Tiandu's four-in-one Domain began to collapse, he imdiately unleashed a second Domain, this ti a three-in-one. The three-in-one Domain rged with what remained of the four-in-one, and together they pressed down on Lu Changsheng's Five Elents Domain.
Combined, the two carried the force of fifty layers of Domains, just enough to counter the forty-layer force of the Five Elents Domain. Although the Five Elents Domain sustained itself in a continuous cycle and resisted collapse, it was still being steadily forced back.
Lei Tiandu smirked, thinking it was only a matter of ti until Lu Changsheng died by his hands.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept in, accompanied by towering waves. At the sa ti, darkness spread across the surroundings, as though the battlefield had been cast into the cosmos. Within the starry sky, a massive waterfall appeared, roaring loudly.
Lu Changsheng's Waterspot Domain and Starry Sky Waterfall Domain had descended. The two two-in-one Domains overlapped with Lu Changsheng's Five Elents Domain, creating the combined force equivalent to sixty layers of Domains.
The balance shifted at once. Lei Tiandu's Domains were now being pushed back, yet his expression did not change in the slightest.
Hmm... Four kinds of fused Domains. Interesting...
Without hesitation, he unleashed another three-in-one Domain, bringing his total power to the equivalent of seventy layers of Domains, and the advantage swung back to his side once more.
Blow after blow, the two kept stacking Domains as the pressure rose to a terrifying level. At this point, whoever commanded more Domains held the advantage. There were no techniques or tricks involved, only a direct contest of Domains.
Among Divine Treasury martial artists, once ntal techniques lost their effect, battles often ca down to this: a direct asure of how many Domains one could command. It was a simple, unembellished clash, yet there was nothing dull about it. The spectators watched in tense silence, their expressions tight as waves of shock surged through their hearts.
"Seventy layers... Lei Tiandu has the upper hand again."
"Eighty... no, ninety layers. Lu Changsheng has turned it back!"
"A hundred... no, a hundred and twenty layers! Is that Lei Tiandu's true strength? Who could possibly stand against that? Even the number one on the Dao Foundation Candidate List would struggle to match it."
"But look, Lu Changsheng is still standing! He now has eleven two-in-one Domains and a five-in-one Domain... that power is equivalent to the power of a hundred and fifty layers of Domains!"
"How insane! Lu Changsheng's Domains are suppressing Lei Tiandu's now. This is unbelievable!"
"What? Is Lei Tiandu going to lose...?"
Eyes widened across the crowd, disbelief plain on every face. Yet the outco was undeniable. The mont Lu Changsheng unleashed eleven two-in-one Domains alongside his five-in-one, it was over.
Lu Changsheng's twelve Domains surged forward like an unstoppable tide. One after another, Lei Tiandu's Domains shattered under the pressure. A hundred layers, eighty, fifty, thirty, ten... they collapsed in rapid succession, and Lei Tiandu could only watch in disbelief.
Panic seized Lei Tiandu. He had never imagined defeat, let alone one this embarrassing. There was no room left to fight back. At this mont, only one thought remained in his mind.
I have to run!
As the number one true inheritor of the Yellow Heavenly Sect who was fighting an opponent below his level, fleeing would be a stain on his na—but with one foot already in the Dao Foundation Realm, he could not afford to die here. Defeat would not stop him from forging his Dao Foundation, but death would.
He took out his Teleportation Talisman, his lifeline. Top-tier Divine Treasury martial artists often carried one despite the cost, because even a materialized Domain could not block it from teleporting its user.
In previous battles, Lu Changsheng had been able to kill many powerful Divine Treasury martial artists because of the Heart Sword. The Heart Sword True Mantra could affect their minds and prevent them from activating their talismans in ti. However, that thod would not work against Lei Tiandu, as his mind was unshakeable.
Lei Tiandu crushed the talisman in his hand to activate it, and a surge of spirit energy wrapped around him.
No matter how powerful a martial artist is, if they can't reach the Dao Foundation, it ans nothing. I've been defeated this ti, but it won't be the end.
Even now, Lei Tiandu's confidence did not waver. He was tenacious; a temporary setback like this could not break him.
Lei Tiandu's figure flickered, but he remained where he stood. A trace of confusion crossed his face. "What’s going on?"
He lifted his head and looked toward the sky. At so point, a pale white light had spread across the battlefield.
All color drained from his face as realization hit him. This is... This is a materialized Mind Space!
A materialized Domain could not block a Teleportation Talisman, but a materialized Mind Space could. And since a technique like this was beyond the abilities of Divine Treasury martial artists, it could only an one thing: a Dao Foundation expert had intervened.
At this mont, Huang Jiufeng's exasperated voice echoed through the battlefield. "Zhong Yu! Don't you dare!"
But it was already too late. Lu Changsheng's Domains surged forward, shattering the remaining of Lei Tiandu's Domains before descending upon him.
"No—" Lei Tiandu's cry rang out, sharp with terror and unwillingness.
In the next instant, the Domains fell, crushing him to dust.
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