"Twenty-eight stalks of Spirit Flower? I thought we'd get more," Lu Changsheng said with a frown. "Didn't you say there were around thirty to fifty stalks?"
"There are, but the Spirit Flowers don't all mature at the sa ti," Zhang Kong explained. "It'll take at least a few more years before the rest are ready for harvesting. Spirit Flowers have an extrely long maturation cycle."
Following Zhang Kong's gaze, Lu Changsheng looked at the Spirit Flowers scattered throughout the valley, and just like Zhang Kong said, most had yet to fully bloom. If he wanted to harvest another batch, he would have to wait several years. But by then, Spirit Flowers might no longer be useful to him.
"Well, I guess twenty-eight stalks is still a decent haul..." Lu Changsheng sighed and looked back at Zhang Kong. "Now, as agreed, Senior Brother Zhang, you can keep five and I get the rest."
Zhang Kong imdiately handed over the twenty-three stalks of Spirit Flower.
Lu Changsheng put away his share of the flowers and swept his gaze across the valley once more. A handful of Immortal Masters still lingered nearby, but the vast majority had already left.
"Let's go."
He had no intention of remaining on Spirit Gathering Mountain any longer. This was still Immortal Dao territory, and although he feared no one here, he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Lu Changsheng and Zhang Kong left Spirit Gathering Mountain together, and after ten days of traveling, safely arrived back at the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect.
Their return caused no commotion at all. No one in the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect knew that the two of them had traveled to Spirit Gathering Mountain and triggered a battle that shook the entire region. The news had simply not spread yet.
"Junior Brother Lu, I owe you for this," said Zhang Kong as he cupped his hands. "Without your help, I never would've managed to walk away with five stalks of Spirit Flowers."
"We did it together. Those five stalks are your rightful share. If you co across any information related to peculiar items that can expand the Mind Space in the future, let know."
"I will." Zhang Kong nodded before taking his leave.
Lu Changsheng returned to his cave residence soon afterward. The journey to Spirit Gathering Mountain and back had taken a full twenty days, but the rewards had been more than worthwhile. He now had twenty-three stalks of Spirit Flower at his disposal.
Lu Changsheng took out one stalk and examined it briefly. There was no need to refine the Spirit Flower into pills or use any techniques. One simply had to consu the stalk directly—but only one per day. If several were taken at once, the Mind Space could expand too quickly and collapse under the strain.
Lu Changsheng placed the Spirit Flower into his mouth. The mont it dissolved, a rich fragrance spread through his body, followed by a warm sensation that rushed straight to his Mind Space. Then, his Mind Space began to expand at once, slowly and steadily, little by little. A single stalk of Spirit Flower would take roughly an entire day to increase the Mind Space by one li.
While Lu Changsheng sat quietly in his cave residence consuming the Spirit Flowers, news of the battle at Spirit Gathering Mountain finally began spreading throughout the Ancient Region.
The outco of the battle hit the Immortal Dao hardest. Many Immortal Masters who normally held themselves above everyone else were left utterly stunned by the news. Even Dao Lords and True Ones were alard.
"Is this actually true?"
"Did Lu Changsheng really defeat Immortal Master Ling Miao of the Purple Sun Immortal Sect? And did she really call him the greatest Divine Treasury martial artist of all ti?"
"Unbelievable. Apparently Ling Miao would've died at Spirit Gathering Mountain if not for the failsafe asure implented by a True One."
"Is the Martial Dao really this powerful? Has it surpassed the Immortal Dao?"
"That's ridiculous! The Immortal Dao is much stronger."
"Well, Immortal Master Ling Miao claid Lu Changsheng could dominate both the Immortal Dao and the Martial Dao."
For so ti, people in the Immortal Dao did not discuss anything else but that news. What had started as a battle between a Divine Treasury martial artist and an Immortal Master gradually evolved into sothing larger: a dispute between the Martial Dao and the Immortal Dao themselves. At the sa ti, Lu Changsheng's reputation surged to unprecedented heights, until almost all the Immortal Masters and Dao Lord had heard of him.
***
Yu Feixiao, the number one Immortal Master on the Foundation Establishnt Candidate List, was preparing to establish his foundation. Over the past several months, he had been quietly preparing, steadying his condition, working toward peak form before he took the Foundation Establishnt Pill.
"Senior Brother Yu, have you heard the news about Lu Changsheng defeating Immortal Master Ling Miao?"
Yu Feixiao's seclusion was interrupted by his Junior Sister.
"Of course I've heard," Yu Feixiao replied, slowly opening his eyes.
"Ling Miao is absolutely shaless! She lost to Lu Changsheng herself, yet now she's dragging you into this ss!" The Junior Sister flared with indignation. "By saying Lu Changsheng can dominate both the Immortal Dao and the Martial Dao, she's basically saying that you're also inferior to him, Senior Brother Yu! She's only number three on the Foundation Establishnt Candidate List, so what right does she have to imply you're inferior to him? Her words have not only shaken the entire Immortal Dao, but affected your reputation as well!"
"It doesn't matter. I am about to establish my foundation. Why should I concern myself with what others say?" Yu Feixiao said indifferently. "Besides, do you truly believe a Divine Treasury martial artist can overpower an entire generation of Immortal Dao practitioners? Ling Miao is simply making excuses for her own failure."
Yu Feixiao had absolute confidence in his own abilities. Among Immortal Masters, he believed no one could match him, whether in talent or strength. As for martial artists, he had never taken them seriously to begin with. In his eyes, a re Divine Treasury martial artist was nowhere near worthy of comparison to an Immortal Master, especially not soone like him.
In his eyes, even Xia Feilong, who was ranked first on the Dao Foundation Candidate List, barely deserved his attention.
"But—"
"Enough," Yu Feixiao cut his Junior Sister off. "I wish to continue with my secluded cultivation. "Don't disturb again over such trivial matters."
With that, he closed his eyes again.
***
At the Elite Martial Sect, Xiao Wuji had also received news of Lu Changsheng's battle with Ling Miao.
"What did you just say? Lu Changsheng defeated Ling Miao, the Immortal Master ranked third on the Foundation Establishnt Candidate List?"
"Precisely. The news has already spread throughout the Immortal Dao and caused a massive uproar. Ling Miao herself has even declared that Lu Changsheng is the greatest Divine Treasury martial artist of all ti. She also said that he dominates both the Immortal Dao and Martial Dao..."
Xiao Wuji burst into laughter. "I've always believed the Martial Dao stands above all else, but for soone at the Divine Treasury Realm to overpower an Immortal Dao expert... How amusing."
Xiao Wuji was genuinely thrilled by the news. At present, he ranked third on the Dao Foundation Candidate List. If Xia Feilong, who had already forged his Dao Foundation, were excluded, Xiao Wuji would effectively stand second, directly beneath Lu Changsheng, the man now hailed as the greatest Divine Treasury martial artist of this generation.
But truth be told, rankings mattered far less than his pride as a martial artist. Lu Changsheng's achievent was more than a personal victory. It was an event capable of inspiring countless martial artists.
For countless years, the Immortal Dao had dominated the five regions. It was only after the gradual decline of spiritual energy throughout the five regions that the Martial Dao gained the opportunity to rise and stand alongside the Immortal Dao. Even so, most martial artists still had to acknowledge one harsh reality: in the early stages of cultivation, martial artists were generally inferior to Immortal Masters.
However, Lu Changsheng had shattered that perception. Not only had he overpowered Immortal Masters, he had done so on their own turf. To all martial artists across the five regions, such an achievent was nothing short of legendary.
***
While Lu Changsheng remained in seclusion, completely detached from the outside world, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect erupted with excitent at the news of his battle at Spirit Gathering Mountain. The entire sect was celebrating Lu Changsheng's victory; even the upper ranks were rattled by the news.
As the days passed, the discussions surrounding Lu Changsheng showed no signs of cooling down. If anything, the topic was only growing in intensity. Before long, tensions between martial artists and Immortal Masters had escalated to the point where clashes were beginning to break out between the two sides.
Although the martial artists usually ended up losing, their attitudes had changed completely. After witnessing Lu Changsheng overpower Immortal Masters at Spirit Gathering Mountain, they no longer felt the sa instinctive inferiority they once carried whenever they faced cultivators of the Immortal Dao.
anwhile, within the Immortal Dao, more and more voices began calling for Yu Feixiao to challenge Lu Changsheng. As the number one ranked cultivator on the Foundation Establishnt Candidate List, Yu Feixiao was regarded by many Immortal Masters as the person most capable of ending Lu Changsheng's rising montum.
They insisted that Lu Changsheng had to be brought down, no matter the cost, but Yu Feixiao paid no heed to those voices.
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