Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

Lu Changsheng traveled at great speed and arrived at Gourd Mountain in just a few hours.

The mountain owed its fame to the Gourd Immortal Sect that called it home, and the sect, in turn, owed its name to a gourd-shaped enchanted treasure said to protect the sect—a thing of miraculous and unfathomable power.

A mountain-guarding formation surrounded the sect's grounds. Rather than force his way through, Lu Changsheng stopped at its edge and called out, "Lu Changsheng of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect has come to pay a visit!"

The echo of his shout had barely faded when a low hum answered him. The formation parted on its own, and a True One emerged.

"So it's the Venerable Lu himself, gracing us with his presence." The True One inclined his head, courteous. "Please, come in."

"How should I address you, True One?"

"My Dao name is Xuan Hu."

"So you are True One Xuanhu." Lu Changsheng asked nothing further and fell into step beside Xuan Hu, following him into the main hall.

As Lu Changsheng stepped into the hall, he saw a crowd of Divine Ability martial artists. "Huh, I didn't expect there to be this many Divine Ability martial artists here."

Using his Sense Domain, he quickly found out that there were thirteen Divine Ability martial artists in the hall with him.

True One Xuan Hu smiled and explained, "Ten years ago, when Void Spirit Mountain last opened, our sect went in poorly prepared and came away with little Core Dissolution Liquid to show for it. Because of that, even though we now have True Ones who have pushed the golden core to Perfection, they have been unable to dissolve their cores and form nascent souls. So this time, we recruited more martial artists. Including you, Venerable Lu, there will be fifteen in total. One more is still on the way, but they should be here within the next few days."

Lu Changsheng nodded. Fifteen Divine Ability experts... The Gourd Immortal Sect has clearly spared no expense this time around. Well, the more hands competing for the Core Dissolution Liquid, the better their odds.

True One Xuan Hu stepped forward and announced, "Venerable Lu of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect has arrived."

At once, every gaze in the hall swung toward Lu Changsheng. Upon hearing that title, everyone naturally assumed a Martial Venerable stood among them.

"A Martial Venerable!"

"Venerable Lu... Why does that sound familiar?"

"Could he be the Venerable Lu from Heavenly Sacred City? The one who killed Sword Venerable Chen Peng?"

"Yes, I remember now! Heavenly Sacred City is a long way from here, but killing Sword Venerable Chen Peng means he's not to be underestimated."

"True One Xuan Hu personally went out to receive him. That alone says a great deal. When we arrived, no True One came to greet us..."

"I heard the Gourd Immortal Sect is paying him fifty thousand spirit stones for every drop of Core Dissolution Liquid he brings in."

The moment those words were spoken, the way the Divine Ability martial artists looked at Lu Changsheng changed. Eyes narrowed across the hall, and all of them thought the same thing: Fifty thousand spirit stones for one drop of Core Dissolution Liquid? We are all Divine Ability Realm martial artists. We'd be risking lives in Void Spirit Mountain too, so why was his price so far beyond ours?

Even for a Martial Venerable, the usual price was only around forty thousand spirit stones, and that was for someone with a considerable reputation. A less famous Martial Venerable might only receive a little over thirty thousand. Lu Changsheng, however, was being offered a full fifty thousand.

Lu Changsheng could feel the scrutiny in their eyes, but his expression remained calm. He gave a slight bow to those in the hall. "Lu Changsheng of the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect greets the Sect Master, the True Ones, and fellow Daoists."

Everyone present was either a True One or a Divine Ability martial artist, each of them with status that demanded respect.

The master of the Gourd Immortal Sect smiled. "Excellent. With Venerable Lu joining us, this expedition to Void Spirit Mountain stands on far firmer ground."

His smile conveyed more than the words did. The sect master had clearly looked into Lu Changsheng well before this and had placed real confidence in what he found. Of course, securing Lu Changsheng's help was no easy task. Li Guang had reached out to several Immortal Sects before this. The Gourd Immortal Sect had not been the only one in the running, and they knew it.

Suddenly, one of the Divine Ability martial artists rose to his feet. "Sect Master, I've heard the Gourd Immortal Sect is offering Venerable Lu fifty thousand spirit stones for every drop of Core Dissolution Liquid. Is that true?"

At that, the entire hall fell silent.

The sect master frowned slightly, but he did not deny it. "It is true. Everyone here was offered a different rate according to their strength. Venerable Lu is a Martial Venerable, and an elite one at that. He has killed a Sword Venerable and condensed an immeasurable divine ability. His reputation speaks for itself."

The sect master's gaze swept across the hall. "Which Divine Ability martial artist here would dare claim they can defeat Venerable Lu?"

After a few moments of silence, the sect master continued, "The rates were set by our sect. If anyone is dissatisfied with their own offer, they are free to leave. No one here is forced to stay."

The sect master's tone was firm and commanding, leaving no room for arguing.

The Divine Ability martial artist's expression soured, but storming off in protest would only cost him the spirit stones he had come for in the first place.

"Do excuse me. I spoke out of turn," he said, backing off.

Lu Changsheng had been silent throughout that entire exchange. He was not surprised that some individuals were dissatisfied. After all, they were all risking their lives for the same thing, but most walked away with only thirty thousand spirit stones while he walked away with fifty.

On the surface, that looked grossly unfair. But once he entered Void Spirit Mountain, his odds of returning with a large quantity of Core Dissolution Liquid would dwarf anything the others could manage. By that measure, the price made perfect sense.

The sect master soon turned to Lu Changsheng with a smile. "Venerable Lu, please take your seat. There is still one fellow Daoist who has yet to arrive. They should be here within the next few days, so we will have to wait a little longer. In the meantime, here's some information about Void Spirit Mountain. Take your time to review it."

Lu Changsheng nodded and settled into his seat, turning his attention to the information on Void Spirit Mountain as he waited.

***

About three days later, True One Xuan Hu's voice rang through the main hall once more. "Venerable Huo Yun of the Flame Palace, please enter the hall."

Everyone immediately turned toward the entrance.

A martial artist flew in, his aura pressing outward like a wave of heat. The moment he entered, the temperature in the air seemed to rise.

"Venerable Huo Yun, from the Flame Palace! I didn't think the Gourd Immortal Sect could actually get him to come."

"He should have plenty of spirit stones already. Why would he bother joining the expedition for Core Dissolution Liquid?"

"Word is he's already begun forging his Saint Body. That's no easy task, especially for him. He has three major divine abilities that complement one another seamlessly, and when their power is stacked together, it becomes terrifying. Furthermore, he stands at the very peak among Martial Venerables, so forging a Saint Body will be even more difficult for him. The materials he needs are incredibly precious and hard to gather, so perhaps the Gourd Immortal Sect promised him some of those materials."

"That has to be it. Why else would a Martial Venerable of his caliber waste his time fighting over Void Spirit Mountain?"

"Venerable Huo Yun has killed nine Martial Venerables before. His reputation is fearsome throughout the Sacred Earth. I wonder what the Gourd Immortal Sect offered him?"

Murmurs quickly spread through the hall. The Divine Ability martial artists were especially curious about Venerable Huo Yun's compensation. Of course, it was very likely that he was not being paid in spirit stones, but in materials for forging his Saint Body. Even so, they wanted to know who the Gourd Immortal Sect valued more, Venerable Huo Yun or Venerable Lu.

"Ha! Venerable Huo Yun has arrived at last." The master of the Gourd Immortal Sect could not hide his delight. "With both him and Venerable Lu assisting us, success is guaranteed!"

Securing the service of both Lu Changsheng and Venerable Huo Yun had not been easy. Venerable Huo Yun in particular had demanded materials for his Saintly Body. And it was only because of the sect's deep reserves, and the fortunate fact that they happened to hold exactly what he needed, that had brought him through the door at all.

Venerable Huo Yun's eyes narrowed slightly as he crossed the hall and took the seat beside Lu Changsheng.

"Venerable Lu?" Venerable Huo Yun studied Lu Changsheng for a moment. "The one from Heavenly Sacred City? The one who killed Sword Venerable Chen Peng?"

Lu Changsheng nodded. "That would be me."

Unlike the other Divine Ability martial artists, Venerable Huo Yun did not show any hostility toward Lu Changsheng. Instead, he seemed rather friendly and even took the initiative to show goodwill.

"I've heard your name for some time now, Venerable Lu," Venerable Huo Yun continued. "They tell me you've condensed an immeasurable divine ability. In my younger years I tried to condense one myself, but I fell short in the end and settled for a major divine ability instead. For you to actually condense one... your talent is truly something else."

Lu Changsheng smiled. "You flatter me, Venerable Huo Yun. You yourself have three supreme major divine abilities that complement one another seamlessly, and they produce earth-shattering power when stacked together."

Venerable Huo Yun gave a smile in return. The two of them fell into easy conversation, trading words like old acquaintances.

As for the other Divine Ability martial artists, Venerable Huo Yun paid them no attention. Perhaps, in his eyes, only a Martial Venerable like Lu Changsheng was worth befriending.