Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

Lu Changsheng and Sword Venerable Chen Peng faced each other on the martial ground.

The two men looked straight at each other, and it felt as though their gazes collided and stirred up ripples in the air. Two fearsome auras stood opposed, both unyielding and each to each other.

Shing!

Chen Peng was the first to draw his sword.

It had been a very long time since Lu Changsheng had encountered a swordsman, especially since becoming a Dao Foundation martial artist. Swordsmen were even rarer in the Divine Ability Realm.

Now, at last, Lu Changsheng was going up against a Divine Ability swordsman, and one that had condensed a Sword Dao major divine ability, no less.

"Divine ability, Heavenly-Gate-Opening Sword!" Chen Peng's voice thundered through the air.

Lu Changsheng saw what seemed like a colossal sword in the air, sharp as though it cut a hole in space itself.

In truth, there was no such thing as a sword opening the heavenly gate; it was merely a legend. And yet, Sword Venerable Chen Peng had taken inspiration from that legend to condense his Sword Dao major divine ability. Wherever the sword's edge pointed, all gave way before it.

Even Lu Changsheng himself found it hard to imagine who could withstand such a fearsome ability.

No wonder he's gone over a hundred battles without defeat.

Among the martial artists watching, many were seeing Chen Peng's Sword Dao major divine ability for the first time, and even those who had already witnessed it had done so long ago, as the Sword Venerable rarely took action anymore. Still, witnessing this formidable divine ability a second time was no less awe-inspiring than the first time.

"Incredible... This Sword Dao major divine ability is truly something inconceivable."

"As expected of Sword Venerable Chen Peng! I myself am a swordsman, but I don't think I could even draw my blade against a major divine ability like that..."

"This single strike is what won Chen Peng over a hundred battles. Can Lu Changsheng fare better than any of his previous opponents?"

"I'm not sure he can do anything against that..."

Only those who had witnessed Chen Peng's Sword Dao major divine ability truly understood how insignificant they were before him. One could not comprehend just how formidable such a divine ability was without seeing it for themselves.

And those people were merely spectators, whereas Lu Changsheng was about to taste the blade's sharp edge himself!

This has to be the most powerful divine ability I've seen so far... Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

Faced with this formidable divine ability, Lu Changsheng was convinced his challenge was not in vain. Sword Venerable Chen Peng truly lived up to his name. Just from the power of this one divine ability, Chen Peng was a Sword Venerable beyond all dispute.

However, it was most unfortunate that he had crossed paths with Lu Changsheng.

There was not the slightest sign of panic on Lu Changsheng's face, no fear or even nerves.

Rumble!

The martial ground shook. The people in the crowd raised their heads, only to realize that the surroundings had gone dark at once.

"What's happening? Why has the sky gone dark?"

"Above us... Why is there a black hole over our heads?"

"What's that thing?! Feels like something's suppressing my very thoughts, crushing them... Agh, so dreadful!

"Wh-What divine ability is this?! We're only feeling the slightest fraction of its power, and I already feel like I'm going to collapse... The pressure borne by Sword Venerable Chen Peng must be unimaginable..."

"Agh, it feels like my very thoughts are being sucked by the black hole..."

"Could this be the immeasurable divine ability?"

Lu Changsheng's black hole had fallen in a flash, leaving Sword Venerable Chen Peng no room to dodge.

A profound sense of danger surged up within Chen Peng as the Mental Black Hole enveloped him almost instantly.

"My heart of sword is clear and bright, my true self united! Suppress it!"

Chen Peng realized at once that Lu Changsheng's divine ability was a mental one, and he immediately rallied his mind, guarding it with all he had.

Even so, the Sword Venerable had still underestimated the Mental Black Hole. One simply could not resist or block an immeasurable divine ability.

Enveloped by the Mental Black Hole, Chen Peng felt his mind, his consciousness, and his heart all devoured by it. Every one of his senses sank into darkness. Even his Sword Dao major divine ability and his Sword Dao Principle, in that moment, seemed beyond his ability to sense. All he could sense was boundless, endless darkness.

"How is this possible?! My heart is sharp like my blade! Shatter, shatter, shatter!" Chen Peng roared again and again, but it was no use.

The darkness kept encroaching, his senses growing weaker and weaker, until at the last he could sense nothing at all.

In the outside world, everyone witnessed a scene of utter astonishment. The terrifying black hole released by Lu Changsheng had fallen straight upon Chen Peng, and then vanished into his body.

In that moment, the colossal sword summoned by Chen Peng collapsed with a thunderous roar, scattering completely as though it had never been there in the first place. Chen Peng, meanwhile, did not stir.

Thud!

A moment later, Chen Peng collapsed as well. The dignified Sword Venerable had been utterly powerless against Lu Changsheng's divine ability, his lifeless body crashing to the ground before everyone else.

The Myriad Sword Manor was plunged in a deathly silence. The spectators stared with blank expressions, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Everyone had expected an earth-shaking duel and a formidable performance from Sword Venerable Chen Peng.

What they got instead was Lu Changsheng slaying Chen Pen, a true, genuine Martial Venerable, in an instant.

Both combatants had unleashed their divine abilities. Chen Peng's Heavenly-Gate-Opening Sword had indeed lived up to its name, while Lu Changsheng's immeasurable divine ability had proven unfathomable, its divine might overwhelming everyone present.

As it seemed, no matter how strong the Sword Dao major divine ability was, it proved to be insignificant before an immeasurable divine ability. Ultimately, it was that immense gap that had sealed the fate of the Sword Venerable.

Really? He still couldn't withstand it... Lu Changsheng shook his head as he glanced down at Chen Peng's lifeless body.

He had held nothing back, going all out to unleash the Mental Black Hole. The black hole had descended and enveloped Chen Peng, devouring his mind and consciousness outright.

Chen Peng's heart had been like a sword, sharp and clear, his mental fortitude formidable, far superior to everyone else at the manor—yet it had been of no use. The Sword Venerable had been utterly powerless against Lu Changsheng's immeasurable divine ability, his fate sealed the moment the Mental Black Hole descended upon him.

"Chen Peng..."

The manor lord of the Myriad Sword Manor rushed over almost at once, his face ashen, his hands shaking badly. He stared at Chen Peng in disbelief, his eyes wide with horror. It was as though he had been struck by a lightning bolt from a clear sky.

When Chen Peng and the other experts of the manor discussed the duel, they came to the conclusion that even if Chen Peng somehow lost, they would simply jump in and save his life. None of them could have predicted that Lu Changsheng would kill him with one strike. It was simply absurd.

Regardless, no one could change the facts. Sword Venerable Chen Peng had suffered a shocking defeat, and with his death, the Myriad Sword Manor had just suffered a tremendous blow.

The martial artists of the Myriad Sword Manor ground their teeth, their glares converging on Lu Changsheng. In a fit of rage, they all charged straight at him.

The death of Sword Venerable Chen Peng was too great a blow, for he had been the very symbol of the Myriad Sword Manor. It was only natural that his death would trigger such a reaction.

"Stop!" Chen An gave an angry shout.

As the lord of the Myriad Sword Manor, he had to consider the bigger picture. Now that Chen Peng was dead, what use was there in another confrontation? Given Lu Changsheng's tremendous power, a single misstep could lead to the annihilation of the entire Myriad Sword Manor.

"A duel is a duel, and the loser must submit to the victor! Venerable Lu has won this duel. The Myriad Sword Manor's spirit stone mine is hereby formally handed over to Venerable Lu." Chen An spoke each word loud and clear for everyone to hear.

"Venerable Lu," he went on, "please send people to take possession of the mine as soon as possible."

As his voice fell, the crowd stirred. They could not believe that the Myriad Sword Manor had actually conceded. Then again, it made sense, for what else could the manor do now? Swarm Lu Changsheng? No one in the Myriad Sword Manor would fare better than Chen Peng against Lu Changsheng's divine ability. If the Mental Black Hole fell again, the Myriad Sword Manor would be no more.

The outcome of the duel had dispelled any doubts about Lu Changsheng's divine ability. Even the most skeptical martial artists were now convinced that Lu Changsheng had indeed condensed an immeasurable divine ability.

"How incredibly powerful was Chen Peng's Sword Dao major divine ability? Merely feeling a sliver of its sharp edge sends a shiver down your spine, as though you're about to be sliced in half. And yet, that terrifying sharpness was utterly useless against Venerable Lu's divine ability! There's no doubt about it. That was an immeasurable divine ability."

"An immeasurable divine ability... That Mental Black Hole is absolutely incredible. Even from a distance, I thought I was going to die... Who could stand against such a divine ability?"

"I guess no one will ever doubt Venerable Lu ever again. Even Sword Venerable Chen Peng was no match for Venerable Lu. In all of the Heavenly Sacred City, Venerable Lu may well be the number one man below Martial Saints!"

"Without a doubt, Venerable Lu is now the strongest Divine Ability martial artist in the Heavenly Sacred City. I'd even go so far as to say that there might be no one in all of the Sacred Earth who could match Venerable Lu. Perhaps only some monstrous geniuses deep within the sacred lands could be stronger than him..."

Those who had recovered somewhat from the shock were talking excitedly among themselves. As they gazed at Lu Changsheng's figure, their eyes were filled with a tangle of dread, admiration, and envy.

None of them had ever imagined that one day they would witness with their own eyes the legendary immeasurable divine ability. Even though the duel had ended very abruptly, coming to the Myriad Sword Manor to watch it had been well worth it!