Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

Chapter 173.1: The Three Swordsmen of the Heavenly Sect Returns! (I)

Silence settled over the crowd gathered at the gate of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect as the clash between Lu Changsheng and Xu Haotian came to an end. Xu Haotian was dead. Lu Changsheng had killed him in front of a Dao Foundation expert of the Yellow Heavenly Sect, without hesitation, without mercy.

The boldness and swiftness of the act shook the hearts of the watching disciples. If they had been in Lu Changsheng's position, they would have never dared to strike. Even with a Dao Foundation expert from their own sect standing by to protect them, they would not have the nerve to kill Xu Haotian right in front of his master.

Offending a Dao Foundation expert was never a trivial matter. Lu Changsheng was strong, but at the end of the day, he was still in the Divine Treasury Realm. Those who had reached the Dao Foundation Realm held clear advantages, both in strength and status.

In the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, they were hall masters or senior elders with real authority. Crossing someone of that level so openly was bound to bring about consequences, and most people would think twice before doing so, yet Lu Changsheng had not hesitated. He had killed Xu Haotian right before his master's eyes.

The Yellow Heavenly Sect's Dao Foundation expert, Xu Haotian's master, stood motionless as reality sank in. "Haotian, my disciple..."

His eyes went bloodshot, and a cold, suffocating killing intent spread from him, pressing down on everyone nearby. But with the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's Dao Foundation expert present, there was nothing he could do, so he simply glared at Lu Changsheng.

"Lu Changsheng, I will remember this," he said. Then, he turned around and left. His disciple was dead, and there was no point in staying on another sect's territory.

Lu Changsheng shrugged. He felt no regret for killing Xu Haotian, even though it meant offending a Dao Foundation expert and earning that expert's deep resentment.

He looked down at where Xu Haotian once stood. Xu Haotian was reduced to dust, and only an ancient bronze bell remained, radiating a faint cyan glow.

That's the mind treasure Xu Haotian was using! He reached out and took the ancient bronze bell. Well, it's mine now.

The ancient bronze bell was an extremely rare mind treasure, and it was the only thing that kept Xu Haotian alive against Lu Changsheng's Heart Sword in combat. It was a powerful item, and he was now its proud owner.

He put the bell away and looked up. The Dao Foundation expert who had come to his rescue descended slowly toward him, each step measured and calm. As the man drew closer, Lu Changsheng finally noticed the man's attire. It was the uniform of the Enforcement Hall, and there was only one Dao Foundation expert in that hall—Enforcement Hall Elder, Zhong Yu.

Lu Changsheng bowed. "Thank you, Hall Master Zhong, for your assistance."

He had not expected someone of Zhong Yu's stature to intervene personally.

Zhong Yu was a man of both power and status. His strength alone set him far above the average Dao Foundation expert, and the earlier clash had made that unmistakably clear. With a single strike, he shattered the Yellow Heavenly Sect expert's Mind Space and left him heavily injured. The gap between them was impossible to ignore.

His status was just as prominent. Not only was he head of the Enforcement Hall, but he also stood among the core figures of the Ancient Region. Across the entire Ancient Region, his name carried weight, and few would dare take him lightly.

Zhong Yu smiled slightly. "That elderly man was Huang Jiufeng, a Dao Foundation elder of the Yellow Heavenly Sect and Xu Haotian's master. You killed his disciple right in front of him, and you've made him your enemy for life.

"Near our sect, he won't dare lay a hand on you. But once you leave its vicinity, that may not be the case. His lifespan is running short, so he might act without restraint, making him a bit unpredictable.

"Of course, I don't think he'll retaliate directly, but you shouldn't lower your guard. I'll also put pressure on the Yellow Heavenly Sect. They will keep him in check."

Lu Changsheng bowed again. "Thank you for your support, Hall Master Zhong."

Zhong Yu chuckled. "You're an impressive young man. The fact that you've fused five Domains into one already places your combat strength among the top of the Divine Treasury Realm. But remember, the foundation of cultivation is still the Mind Space. Expand it as soon as possible."

With that, he turned around and walked away, his figure faded step by step until it disappeared from sight.

Watching Lu Changsheng chat and laugh with Hall Master Zhong Yu, the disciples gathered around could barely contain their envy.

"That's Hall Master Zhong Yu! The mighty Enforcement Hall Master! Who knew he was so approachable?"

"Heh, it depends on who he's talking to. He's not that nice to everyone."

"Senior Brother Lu must be something special to catch Hall Master Zhong Yu's attention. For him to step in personally, defeat Huang Jiufeng, and stand behind him, that's no small matter. It probably means even the upper ranks of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect have noticed him."

Zhong Yu's appearance was not simply a personal gesture. It was a message from the higher-ups of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, a declaration that Lu Changsheng was not just an ordinary True Inheritance Disciple, and anyone who dared to harm him would have to deal with the sect itself.

Lu Changsheng looked around and didn't see a point in staying at the foot of the mountain any longer, so he made his way back up. When he left, the whispers among the surrounding disciples only grew louder.

"Xu Haotian's death is a really big deal. He wasn't just a true inheritor disciple of the Yellow Heavenly Sect; he was also on the Dao Foundation Candidate List."

"Exactly. That list ranks the top one hundred Divine Treasury Realm martial artists in the Ancient Region with the greatest chance of forging a Dao foundation. Much like the Immortal Dao Foundation Candidate List, it carries a huge influence across the entire Ancient Region.

"Only those whose Mind Space has expanded beyond ninety li can hope to rank on the Dao Foundation Candidate List."

"It's not just Mind Space. Combat strength is another key factor; without that, you'd never make the list either."

"Xu Haotian was ranked ninety-first. Even if it was near the bottom, he was still on the list. The list updates once a year, and if a candidate dies within that year, they're formally removed.

"Once Xu Haotian is removed, the news will probably spread across the entire Ancient Region... This is going to be humiliating for the Yellow Heavenly Sect."

"It's a pity Senior Brother Lu's Mind Space hasn't crossed ninety li yet. Otherwise, he could have taken Xu Haotian's place on the list."

The discussion circled around Xu Haotian's former standing. Being listed on the Dao Foundation Candidate List meant recognition across the entire Ancient Region, and being removed from it carried just as much weight.

But Lu Changsheng was not someone who cared about trivial things like this. He had completed what he set out to do. Xu Haotian was dead and could never bother him again.

***

Back in his cave residence, Lu Changsheng took out the ancient bronze bell and examined it carefully. A mind treasure...

Mind treasures were exceedingly rare. For any martial artist at the Divine Treasury Realm, they were also exceedingly important, and he wanted to truly make it his without delay.

With a faint hum, the bronze bell slipped into his mind and dissolved into it seamlessly, as though it had always belonged there.

This bronze bell... it's not a defense-type mind treasure. It restores mental strength, and as long as my mental strength hasn't been completely shattered, the bell can restore it. This means I don't have to worry about exhaustion when using my Heart Sword. I should be able to use it without limit... How remarkable!

Lu Changsheng stirred with slight excitement, but he quickly steadied himself again. He had to test it first instead of jumping to conclusions. He focused and unleashed the Heart Sword.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

His Mind Space quivered with the release of each strike of the Heart Sword. He continued unleashing the Heart Sword without pause, trying to deplete his mental strength. Just as the Heart Sword was about to collapse from mental exhaustion—

Dooong!

The bronze bell vibrated in his mind, and it emanated a deep and clear toll. His depleted mental strength recovered in a rush, and the Heart Sword, on the verge of dissipating, stabilized once more.

A faint smile formed on Lu Changsheng's lips. Amazing! What a wonderful treasure! This bell would serve me far better than it would Xu Haotian, as he never possessed the Heart Sword.

Lu Changsheng could now see a clear path ahead for himself. He needed to continue contemplating Domains. Starting from Intents, he would refine them step by step into Domains. Once a Domain reached Perfection, it could fuse with another and become a fused Domain.

Even a simple fusion of two Domains could rival a ten-layer Domain. In theory, if he could master ten such fused Domains, even if each were only two Domains fused together, their combined power could overwhelm a Domain of a hundred layers.

That was only a theory, of course. Turning it into reality would be difficult and would take time, perhaps more time than most would be willing to invest. Still, with his methods, Lu Changsheng believed it was within reach. Once he set his mind on it, patience was the one thing he would not lack.

***

Three months passed by quickly. On a sunny afternoon, three true inheritor disciples of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had returned to the sect. They were well-known figures within the sect: Gu Chen, Liu Pu, and Han Tianyun. They were collectively known as the Three Swordsmen of the Heavenly Sect.

Despite that, they were not bound to the path of the sword. Using swords as their weapon of choice was merely a preference.

They had built considerable reputations in the Ancient Region, particularly in the second layer. Not every martial artist knew their names, but those who did knew to regard them with caution.

When they stepped into the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, their faces were dark and their mood foul. Clearly, their recent venture had not gone well.

"Dammit. We were the first to discover those Azure Cloud Fruits, but we've been forced out of it entirely," Gu Chen ssaid, his voice tight with frustration. "We don't even qualify to compete for the fruits anymore. Those people were all powerful Divine Treasury experts on the Dao Foundation Candidate List. How could we have fought them?"

Liu Pu clenched his jaw. "I can't accept it. What if we find a senior brother on the Dao Foundation Candidate List and let him step in and compete for the fruit on our behalf?"

Han Tianyun shook his head. "Senior brothers on the list are all out chasing their own opportunities. There isn't a single one at the sect's base right now. How exactly are we supposed to find one?"

The three men exchanged glances, each seeing the same unwillingness reflected in the others' eyes. They had spent months grinding through the second layer, and when they had finally found Azure Cloud Fruits, they were squeezed out before the fruits could even ripen. The humiliation stung, but there was nothing they could do. They could not compete with Dao Foundation experts, especially those on the Dao Foundation Candidate List.

After a moment, Gu Chen spoke again, "Let's go check the Dao Foundation Alternate List. See which true inheritor disciples of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect are currently on it."

Truth be told, they already had a fair idea of the names they would find. Only a handful of people in the Ancient Region could meet the standards, and they knew most of them by memory. Still, they were unwilling to give up so easily.

Even if there was nothing they could actually do, going to see the list with their own eyes felt like the only way to make peace with their circumstances.