Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

"Who exactly are you?" Venerable Jing Yun asked, his voice low. Sharp as his tone was, he did not dare move so much as a finger.

Lu Changsheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back and smiled faintly. "Lu Changsheng of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect."

Venerable Jing Yun's eyes went wide. "Lu Changsheng? Venerable Lu of Heavenly Sacred City, the one who killed Sword Venerable Chen Peng?"

Lu Changsheng had risen to prominence with astonishing speed. His name had spread throughout the Sacred Earth after he publicly challenged and killed Sword Venerable Chen Peng. Although Chen Peng had not been as powerful as Venerable Jing Yun or Venerable Huo Yun, he had still been a Martial Venerable, a formidable figure who could dominate an entire region. Killing a man like that in open combat was enough to make Lu Changsheng famous.

More astonishing still were the rumors that Lu Changsheng had condensed an immeasurable divine ability. Such divine abilities were considered almost legendary. Apart from a handful of peerless geniuses from the greatest sacred lands, scarcely anyone in the entire Sacred Earth had ever attained one.

Before meeting Lu Changsheng, Venerable Jing Yun might have dismissed those claims as exaggeration. But now, as the black vortex hung above him, he could no longer doubt them. The terrifying pressure bearing down on him could only have come from an immeasurable divine ability.

Venerable Jing Yun remained where he was, not daring to make the slightest move. If he moved recklessly against Venerable Huo Yun and that power came crashing down on him instead, he could very well die.

Around them, the discussion from the crowd gradually faded as they also reached the same conclusion.

They were witnessing an immeasurable divine ability, something most people would never have the chance to see in their lifetime. Its mere presence was so overwhelming that not even a Martial Venerable dared to act recklessly.

For Zhao Huaishan, this revelation was nothing short of a disaster.

"No, no!" Terror twisted Zhao Huaishan's face as he finally realized there would be no escape this time.

"Die!" Venerable Huo Yun's three major divine abilities crashed down on Zhao Huaishan at once, overpowering whatever defense he could muster.

Boom!

A moment later, Venerable Huo Yun pulled his divine abilities back. And where Zhao Huaishan had stood, there was nothing left; not even a trace of his aura remained.

Just like that, Zhao Huaishan had died.

"Hahaha!" Venerable Huo Yun laughed with satisfaction. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Lu. You can withdraw your divine ability now."

Zhao Huaishan had plagued him for years, always provoking him when they met while ducking into places he could not simply storm into and kill him. The man had been an endless source of irritation, like a mosquito that refused to stop buzzing around his ears.

Now, at last, that nuisance was gone.

Lu Changsheng withdrew the Mental Black Hole. The massive vortex hanging in the sky vanished, and with it went the crushing sense of threat that had pressed down on the entire space.

Everyone let out a breath of relief. But even though the danger had passed, when they looked at Lu Changsheng, they could not help but feel afraid.

"So that's an immeasurable divine ability. Even a faint trace of its aura was that terrifying. It really is far more powerful than other divine abilities out there."

"Yeah. I mean, did you see Venerable Jing Yun? A supreme Martial Venerable, but he didn't even dare move when it was locked onto him."

"So the rumors were true after all. Venerable Lu has condensed an immeasurable divine ability, and he already carries himself like a supreme Martial Venerable with nothing left to fear."

"Among those in the Divine Ability Realm, who could confidently claim they can defeat Venerable Lu now?"

"The Gourd Immortal Sect must be delighted. The stronger Venerable Lu is, the greater their chances of obtaining more Core Dissolution Liquid."

For a moment, the gazes directed at Lu Changsheng became far more complicated. Shock, envy, and reverence mingled in the eyes of the surrounding martial artists.

Venerable Huo Yun turned to Venerable Jing Yun, a half-smile tugging at his mouth. "Venerable Jing Yun, what do you think of Fellow Daoist Lu's strength?"

Venerable Jing Yun studied Lu Changsheng for a long moment before slowly nodding. "Most impressive. I am certainly no match for him."

With that, he turned back and returned to where he had stood before. He was wary of Lu Changsheng now, and the exchange between them, brief as it was, was nothing pleasant.

Lu Changsheng and Venerable Huo Yun also descended to the ground.

"Fellow Daoist Lu," Venerable Huo Yun said with a laugh, pulling thirty drops of Heavenly Spirit Water from his spatial treasure, "here's what I promised you."

For treasures like the Heavenly Spirit Water, martial artists often carried with them at all times.

Lu Changsheng took the thirty drops without hesitation. He had barely done anything, yet he had earned Heavenly Spirit Water worth three hundred thousand spirit stones.

It might have seemed like effortless profit, but no ordinary martial artist could have achieved the same result by simply displaying their divine ability.

With his divine ability, Lu Chansheng managed to stop Venerable Jing Yun, a supreme Martial Venerable, from saving Zhao Huaishan. Without him holding Venerable Jing Yun in place, Venerable Huo Yun could have never killed Zhao Huaishan.

That was the power Lu Changsheng held, and that alone was worth thirty drops of Heavenly Spirit Water—perhaps even more. Without Lu Changsheng's interference, Venerable Huo Yun would never have been able to kill Zhao Huaishan.

To Lu Changsheng, however, the entire incident was little more than a brief interruption. After accepting his payment, he simply stood at the foot of Void Spirit Mountain and waited in silence.

Finally, after a few days, Void Spirit Mountain showed signs of activity.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A deep rumble rolled through the air as distorted shockwaves rolled outward.

Only then did Lu Changsheng realize that the mountain before them had been concealed by a formation all along. What they had seen hitherto was merely an illusion. The true Void Spirit Mountain remained hidden inside, only reachable now that the ten-year cycle had come around again.

As the formation lifted, the true form of Void Spirit Mountain was revealed, a mysterious aura rolling out from within. The Divine Ability martial artists barely reacted to it, but the expressions of the True Ones turned grim.

"That's the aura of Core Dissolution Liquid."

"Be careful, it's going to dissolve our mana."

"Move farther back!"

Core Dissolution Liquid was naturally hostile to immortal cultivators. Its aura alone could erode mana, which was precisely why it could dissolve a True One's golden core.

True One Xuan Hu turned to the martial artists gathered before the mountain, his expression grave. "Venerable Lu, Venerable Huo Yun, and all fellow Daoists, you may enter Void Spirit Mountain now. But remember, you only have a month's time to collect the liquid. You must leave before that time is up, or the formation will close and you'll be trapped inside.

"This formation was laid together by True Lords from the various immortal sects. Even a Martial Saint would not be able to break through it. So if you get trapped inside, you'll only be able to leave when the mountain opens again in ten years.

"And don't think you can just wait it out, gathering Core Dissolution Liquid for ten years and cashing it in later. No one can survive in Void Spirit Mountain for that long. Even a Martial Saint would die."

Lu Changsheng nodded. He had no interest in trading ten years of his life for a little extra Core Dissolution Liquid.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, let's go." Venerable Huo Yun gestured for Lu Changsheng to follow him.

At that, Lu Changsheng, Venerable Huo Yun, and the rest of the gathered martial artists shot into Void Spirit Mountain.

Whoosh!

The moment Lu Changsheng crossed the formation, he could instantly feel that this place was different. The entire mountain was saturated with a strange aura that constantly seeped into the body and wore away at it. But fortunately, martial artists possessed extraordinarily powerful physiques, so the erosion was not an immediate danger to them.

What martial artists truly needed to watch out for though, were the Void Devils.

Venerable Huo Yun turned to Lu Changsheng. "Fellow Daoist Lu, the mountain is huge, so let us part ways here and search for the liquid separately."

This had been their plan all along. They had agreed beforehand that once they went into the mountain, they would split up and explore on their own. Traveling together would only limit the area they could cover and consequently their chances of finding Core Dissolution Liquid. By splitting up, they could cover far more ground and improve their chances of finding enough Core Dissolution Liquid to make the expedition worthwhile.

Lu Changsheng quickly put some distance between himself and the others. Before long, there was no one else in sight.

He released his Sense Domain, which was far stronger than that of most Divine Ability martial artists, yet the moment it spread outward, an invisible force began to push back against it. It was not the same feeling as being suppressed, it felt more as though his Sense Domain itself was being dissolved.

So this is the power of Core Dissolution Liquid.

Lu Changsheng looked around. Mist and clouds pressed in on every side, but there was no trace of the liquid anywhere in sight.

They say it dissolves divine consciousness, but I didn't expect it to affect my Sense Domain too. No wonder it's so difficult to find even a drop of this stuff. Without a Sense Domain to guide you, you're basically stumbling through the dark, relying on luck.

Regardless, Lu Changsheng moved forward. As he traveled, he left markers behind so that no matter how far he ventured, he would still be able to retrace his path to the formation entrance.

After traveling for what seemed like endless hours, Lu Changsheng felt a faint dizziness wash over him. It was as though something were trying to burrow into his mind, yet there was nothing around him that he could see.

Buzz!

Inside his mind, the Heart Pagoda suddenly erupted with a bright light, and for a moment, a thin wisp of black smoke emerged, clinging to the edge of his mind.

Lu Changsheng's heart tightened. A Void Devil.

There was no other explanation. The black smoke could only be one of the formless and deadly creatures said to haunt Void Spirit Mountain.