Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

"The Divine Ability Realm! All ten of them are Divine Ability martial artists?"

"Why would Lu Changsheng bring ten Divine Ability martial artists with him?"

"Did all ten of them come from the Sacred Earth?"

"What exactly is Lu Changsheng's purpose in bringing them back to the Ancient Region?"

For a moment, the expressions of the Ancient Region's crowd shifted slightly.

Ten Divine Ability martial artists! Such a lineup was, of course, nothing worth mentioning in the Sacred Earth, but the Ancient Region was different. A force like this was already a match for any supreme martial sect.

The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, for example, had only seven Divine Ability grand elders in all. Counting Lu Changsheng's group of eleven Divine Ability martial artists together with the seven grand elders of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, that made eighteen Divine Ability martial artists, a lineup that could very well dominate the entire Ancient Region.

It was no wonder the crowd of the Ancient Region was so on edge.

"Lu Changsheng, these people are..." said Grand Elder Lu Tong of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. He was well acquainted with Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng led the ten Divine Ability martial artists out of the formation and said calmly, "Grand Elder Lu Tong, these are all Supreme Elders of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect, the sect I founded in the Sacred Earth. You could say they come from the same lineage as our Ancient Region Heavenly Sect."

"Hmm? The Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect? And Supreme Elders, no less? Lu Changsheng, you really founded a sect in the Sacred Earth and established a firm foothold there?" Lu Tong grew excited all at once, his face flushing red.

Founding the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect within the Sacred Earth itself! This was something countless Grand Elders of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had dreamed of, and now it had been realized at Lu Changsheng's hands.

What's more, given the current situation, this was tremendously favorable for the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. After all, even if the Ancient Region fell, its people would at least have a way out; they could retreat to the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect.

"Haha, Lu Changsheng, your timing could not be better!" Lu Tong burst into laughter.

The other sects, such as the Yellow Heavenly Sect and the Vast Immortal Sect, wore far more complicated expressions. Who could have imagined that Lu Changsheng would establish himself in the Sacred Earth and even found the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect?

"Grand Elder Lu Tong, what exactly has happened here? Why have so many experts gathered at the Vast Immortal Sect?"

Lu Changsheng had clearly sensed that something was off. These people were not here to welcome him. Something must have brought them all together at the Vast Immortal Sect.

"Changsheng, it's like this. A group of uninvited guests suddenly arrived in the Ancient Region, calling themselves the Black Light Merchant Association..." Lu Tong recounted everything that had recently happened in the Ancient Region, sparing no detail.

"The Black Light Merchant Association of Heavenly Light City? It's them?

"That is real trouble. The Black Light Merchant Association has a Martial Saint presiding over it, and its experts are as numerous as clouds. It's considerably stronger than even the Li Clan Merchant Association."

"That Ouyang You, I know of him. He is a Major Divine Ability expert of the Black Light Merchant Association. They say he is second only to the Martial Venerables. In fact, had he not lost to a true Martial Venerable back then, Ouyang You would have long since claimed the title of Martial Venerable himself."

"And the Black Light Merchant Association has true Martial Venerables, stronger than Ouyang You..."

Hearing that it was the Black Light Merchant Association, the ten Divine Ability Supreme Elders of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect paled slightly, and they shared everything they knew about it. If it truly was the Black Light Merchant Association, this was going to be extremely tricky.

"What? The Black Light Merchant Association is that strong?"

"We had only heard of them; apparently, they’re some huge power in Heavenly Light City. We never imagined they would be this strong. If they have martial artists even stronger than Ouyang You, how are we supposed to resist them?"

"If Ouyang You isn't even the strongest Divine Ability Realm martial artist in the Black Light Merchant Association, then won’t it be meaningless even if we somehow manage to stop him?"

"No, there is still some meaning in it. At the very least, it will show the Black Light Merchant Association that our Ancient Region is no easy bone to chew, and that taking us will cost them dearly! But first, we have to actually stop Ouyang You."

Just then, a disciple of the Vast Immortal Sect came to report, shouting, "Reporting! Sect Master, a large group of unfamiliar martial artists, suspected to be Divine Ability experts of the Black Light Merchant Association, has been spotted a hundred li from the sect and is heading straight for our base."

The report sent a jolt through everyone present.

"They're already here?"

"The Black Light Merchant Association must have known that we were all gathering at the Vast Immortal Sect, yet they never once interfered. Are they planning to wipe us all out in one sweep?"

"They could have come earlier or later, yet they chose the exact moment we all assembled here. Clearly, this was deliberate. Their goal was to let us gather in one place so they could catch us all at once and finish off the Ancient Region for good."

"Hmph, if the Black Light Merchant Association is coming, then we’ll fight with everything we have! We kill Ouyang You first, and then we'll see whether they really dare to send someone stronger!"

Discussion rippled through the crowd, though there was little real fear in it. The Ancient Region had gathered this many experts precisely to intercept Ouyang You. They had long since steeled themselves for this.

"Let's go."

The Sect Master of the Vast Immortal Sect immediately led everyone toward the front of the sect's base and began presiding over the mountain-guarding grand formation to protect the sect.

Lu Tong could not help but ask, "Changsheng, your Dao Fruit..."

Lu Changsheng knew what Lu Tong wanted to ask, but he shook his head. "Now is not the time. With the enemy at our gates, let's deal with the Black Light Merchant Association's attack first."

Lu Tong nodded. He had a vague sense that Lu Changsheng's current strength had to be immense. It was an immeasurable divine ability, after all.

But the fact that Lu Changsheng possessed an immeasurable divine ability was known only to the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. Since Lu Changsheng hadn’t brought it up himself, they certainly would not volunteer to reveal it.

Push Lu Changsheng out front to hold off the Black Light Merchant Association? Absolutely not! They were not that foolish. For now, they would watch how things unfolded.

The ten Divine Ability martial artists of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect, on the other hand, were far less worried. They had personally witnessed the battle between Lu Changsheng and Sword Venerable Chen Peng.

One divine ability from Lu Changsheng, and Sword Venerable Chen Peng was dead. The might of an immeasurable divine ability was simply terrifying.

Aside from that Martial Saint, who in the Black Light Merchant Association could possibly be Lu Changsheng's match? Not Ouyang You, and not even a Martial Venerable stronger than Ouyang You! With Lu Changsheng here, they felt completely at ease.

"Venerable Lu, the moment you give the word, we will act as well!" the people of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect declared.

They were all Divine Ability martial artists. None of them had condensed a major divine ability, but their strength was nothing to scoff at. Compared to the Grand Elders of the Ancient Region in particular, these ten would absolutely hold the upper hand.

"No rush. We’llwatch for now," Lu Changsheng replied evenly.

If the Vast Immortal Sect could handle the Black Light Merchant Association on its own, he saw no need to meddle. Besides, this was an opportunity to see just how deep the Ancient Region's foundations ran.

The Vast Immortal Sect in particular was remarkably mysterious. Perhaps the Black Light Merchant Association would force it to reveal everything it had!

At last, with a whoosh, the crowd arrived before the sect's base, where a dozen or so streaks of light had already come to a stop in the blink of an eye.

The dozen or so figures stood in the void. Most were Divine Ability martial artists, but there were Golden Core True Ones among them, too. And not one, but two!

In the Sacred Earth, Golden Core True Ones were exceedingly esteemed figures, every one of them dripping with wealth. Who would have thought the Black Light Merchant Association would count so many Golden Core True Ones among its ranks?

These dozen or so experts simply stood outside the sect's base, in no hurry to attack. At their head was none other than Ouyang You, the Major Divine Ability expert whose name thundered across the Sacred Earth!

Standing in the void, Ouyang You looked down upon the Vast Immortal Sect's base and the dozens of Divine Ability martial artists and Golden Core True Ones within it. His bearing was arrogant, and his voice was cold as he said, "These must be the strongest the Ancient Region has to offer. I'd bet that seventy or eighty percent of its supreme experts are gathered here at the Vast Immortal Sect.

“Once we break the Vast Immortal Sect, the entire Ancient Region will practically be ours for the taking! True One Wu Xu, that mountain-guarding formation of the Vast Immortal Sect below. Have you found a way through it?"

The True One Wu Xu in question had, in fact, been trying to break the formation for some time, but there had been too little time. And as a formation master, he had seen at a glance just how formidable this formation was.

"A formation like this can only be broken if no one is presiding over it or through raw, brute force. There is no other way. Since the Vast Immortal Sect's Golden Core True Ones are presiding over it now, it seems brute force is the only option," True One Wu Xu said gravely.

Many formations simply had no flaws to exploit. Even a formation master had no better answer for them.

"Break it with brute force, is it? Fine, then I will break it with force!" Ouyang You stepped forward with a cold sneer. "You think this turtle shell will stop my Black Light Merchant Association? Ignorance! You have no grasp of the sheer might of a major divine ability!"

He wasted no words on threats. There was no point. If anyone here had been willing to submit to the Black Light Merchant Association, they would have done so long ago. The people gathered at the Vast Immortal Sect clearly still clung to some unrealistic hope, some fantasy. In that case, he would shatter it for them.

In the next instant, Ouyang You unleashed his divine ability with a loud boom. A dreadful storm materialized in the void, blotting out the sky and stretching for several li, as if heaven and earth themselves were being churned. A terrifying pressure bore down on them all.

A major divine ability! This was a major divine ability. Its might was world-shaking, and a minor divine ability could simply not compare to it.

"Mountain-guarding formation, activate!" The Vast Immortal Sect's sect master activated the formation at once.

The sect's Golden Core True Ones all joined in controlling it as well, ready to meet Ouyang You's major divine ability head-on with the formation's power.

"Major divine ability, Hurricane!" Ouyang You roared.

Instantly, a monstrous hurricane came sweeping in like a tide. Anything in its path, even a mountain peak, would likely be swept away. It seemed like nothing could possibly stand against it.

With a rumble, the hurricane crashed down and collided with the Vast Immortal Sect's formation. The formation shuddered violently. The several Golden Core True Ones clearly felt the enormous pressure as the mountain-guarding formation's light flickered without pause.

It looked like it would collapse entirely at any moment. However, the mountain-guarding formation had been refined by the Vast Immortal Sect over countless years and had become one with the sect itself.

With several Golden Core True Ones presiding over it together, its power flowed on, steady and unbroken. Against all odds, it actually withstood Ouyang You's major divine ability.