Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

When Lu Changsheng made his appearance in the great hall, all eyes set on him. Martial Saints, Divine Ability martial artists, and even True Ones, were all eager to see the man who had already become a living legend throughout the Sacred Earth.

The speed of Lu Changsheng's rise to Martial Saint defied belief, so much so that many becoming a Heavenly Saint no longer seemed out of reach.

Still, for the time being, that possibility remained distant. Talent, Perception, and a powerful background alone were not enough to produce a Heavenly Saint. Fortuitous opportunities were equally important.

Throughout history, countless brilliant martial artists had spent their whole lives trapped at the Human Saint stage, never once finding a way past it. So, before Lu Changsheng could aspire to become a Heavenly Saint, he first had to complete the long and arduous journey through the Human Saint stage.

His future achievements were uncertain, but his present strength was not. Within ten thousand li, there was almost certainly no one who could rival him.

That was the true reason so many Martial Saints attended the banquet. They had not come merely to congratulate Lu Changsheng; they wanted to see for themselves whether he was truly as powerful as the rumors claimed.

Lu Changsheng understood their intentions and saw no reason to pretend otherwise.

"Thank you all for traveling so far to attend my Martial Saint Banquet. I imagine many of you came hoping to witness my Saint Body. Rest assured, none of you will leave disappointed today."

A Martial Saint Banquet was not merely a celebratory event but also an opportunity for a newly advanced Martial Saint to display his strength. Lu Changsheng knew the guests had come to judge how much strength he currently had, and he intended to give them a clear answer.

Lu Changsheng rose from the great hall and flew into the sky, coming to a stop high above the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect.

The guests quickly followed him outside.

"Quick, follow him out!"

"Is Saint Lu about to reveal his Saint Body?"

"I heard that he forged it using three immeasurable divine abilities as its foundation. Those divine abilities were already astonishingly powerful before his ascension. How terrifying must they be now that they are enhanced by a Saint Body?"

"We can't miss this!"

A crowd gathered below Lu Changsheng, who was hovering in the air with his hands clasped behind his back.

Buzz...

The Saint Body manifested, standing at more than a hundred zhang tall. The moment it appeared, the surroundings shook as though they could not withstand the tremendous power contained within the Saint Body. An overwhelming pressure swept across Heavenly Sacred City, bearing down upon everyone like a massive mountain.

Before the crowd could recover from the shock, Lu Changsheng raised his hand and pointed toward a mountain peak a hundred li away.

BOOOOM!

A thunderous roar rolled across the sky, and in an instant, the distant mountain peak disappeared. It did not shatter or collapse, nor did its destruction produce any violent tremors. One moment, it stood upon the horizon; the next, it had been completely erased, leaving no trace behind, as though it had never been there to begin with.

The eight Martial Saints stared at where the mountain peak had once been in stunned silence. They had witnessed countless powerful divine abilities throughout their lives, but none had ever instilled such fear in them. If Lu Changsheng could erase an entire mountain from a hundred li away with a single gesture, he could do the same to any of them.

"Saint Lu's divine ability is truly immeasurable!"

"With such tremendous power, who among the Human Saints could possibly oppose him?"

"We've seen or at least heard of powerful Human Saints, but I myself have never seen one with such fearsome divine abilities. I dare say there's no other Human Saint in the entire region who can rival him."

Excited chatter immediately erupted among the crowd. After all, Lu Changsheng belonged to Heavenly Sacred City, and his strength elevated the standing of every force within it. To them, his rise was not merely a personal achievement. He had become a symbol of Heavenly Sacred City's power.

"I see I've made a spectacle of myself," said Lu Changsheng with a faint smile. "Now, you have all traveled far to attend this banquet, so please do enjoy yourselves."

With that, he withdrew his Saint Body and returned to the great hall.

There was no need to display anything else. The single demonstration had already achieved the main objective of this banquet. After witnessing his strength, none of the nearby organizations would dare provoke the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect. Its merchant association would also be free to expand without interference.

As long as Lu Changsheng remained, the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect would possess three thousand years of stability and prosperity. Even if he failed to advance beyond the Human Saint stage and eventually reached the end of his lifespan, three thousand years would give the sect ample time to establish a deep foundation. By then, it might have produced a second Martial Saint, or perhaps even a third.

Li Zhenggang watched Lu Changsheng return to the hall and sighed. Lu Changsheng has firmly established his power and reputation. From this day forward, no one would question his position.

He then glanced at Li Guang and saw the excitement shining in his eyes, which brought a smile to his face. It was most fortuitous that the Li Clan, through Li Guang, had managed to form a connection with Lu Changsheng prior to his rise to power. No matter how powerful the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect became in the future, the Li Clan Merchant Association would benefit greatly from that relationship and share in its prosperity.

The Martial Saint Banquet continued for three days. When it finally came to an end, the guests offered their farewells and departed from the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect.

After the banquet, Lu Changsheng asked Li Zhenggang to remain.

"Fellow Daoist Li, the momentum provided by the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect is not enough to support my cultivation. Do you have any advice?"

Over the past month, Lu Changsheng had tested the matter repeatedly and had already reached a firm conclusion. Whether the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect expanded its influence ten times or even a hundred times over, the momentum it provided would probably remain insufficient.

Given enough time, the Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect could certainly accumulate an immense momentum of the masses. But that would take a long, long time, and Lu Changsheng had no intention of waiting hundreds of years just to make modest progress.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, your talent is extraordinary, so, of course, the pace of Human Saint cultivation feels slow to you. Unless I am mistaken, you have not yet reached a hundred years of age, have you?"

"That is correct," said Lu Changsheng. He was not merely younger than a hundred; he had not even reached forty.

Li Zhenggang let out a sigh of admiration. "To become a Martial Saint before the age of one hundred is an astonishing achievement... For someone like you, spending hundreds or even thousands of years making slow progress through the Human Saint stage would indeed be difficult to accept... Perhaps, Fellow Daoist, you might consider joining a sacred land."

"Sacred land?" Lu Changsheng frowned slightly.

He had already considered that possibility, but sacred lands were ultimately mysterious and difficult to approach. Countless Human Saints wished to draw upon their immense momentum, so there was no reason for them to accept every Martial Saint who came seeking entry. And even if he managed to join one, without rising to a position of authority or entering the core of the sacred land, Lu Changsheng still would not get a share of the momentum.

"Martial Saints are permitted to join sacred lands, but they must first pass an assessment," explained Li Zhenggang. "With your ability, entering one should not be difficult. However, how far you can rise afterward will depend entirely on you.

"The sacred land nearest to Heavenly Sacred City is the Heavenly River Sacred Land. Should you decide to pursue this path, that would be the most suitable place to begin."

Li Zhenggang then gave Lu Changsheng the exact location of the Heavenly River Sacred Land.

"Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Li," Lu Changsheng said.

After seeing Li Zhenggang off, Lu Changsheng stood before a map and studied the location of the Heavenly River Sacred Land. Although he had decided to make the journey, there were several unfinished matters that required his attention first.

The three year agreement with Zhang Shu can now be settled. And I should get Li Zhenggang the Heavenly Rain Creation Pill I promised; his injuries remain extremely severe.

Both matters required him to return to the Martial Saint Institute. The Institute possessed access to a vast range of cultivation resources, particularly through its outer division. There was a good chance that he could obtain the Heavenly Rain Creation Pill there.

Lu Changsheng did not delay. The next day he left Heavenly Sacred City behind and headed straight for the Martial Saint Institute.

Before long, he arrived at the Institute's inner division. However, just as he was about to enter, an invisible barrier of light appeared before him and blocked his path.

The artifact spirit's voice immediately resounded throughout the entire inner division. "Lu Changsheng, master of Cave Residence No. 1, has advanced to the Martial Saint Realm and is no longer permitted to enter the inner division. The temporary challenge mechanism has now been activated. Any inner division martial artist who wishes to claim Cave Residence No. 1 may submit an application to challenge for it."

Many martial artists in the inner division heard the announcement, and they were all stunned. They found it hard to believe that Lu Changsheng had already become a Martial Saint when he had not even been at the Martial Saint Institute's inner division for a full year.

Indeed, the one-year grace period had yet to expire, and yet, Lu Changsheng had already managed to forge a Saint Body and become a Martial Saint!