Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

"Withdraw," Lu Changsheng muttered. With that, the massive black hole vanished.

As the divine ability sank into his body, he could clearly feel his physical form being altered bit by bit, reshaped into a body suited to wielding a divine ability.

This was the way of it: a martial artist first attained a divine ability, and only then, under its influence, did the flesh gradually and imperceptibly transform, extending the martial artist's lifespan.

A Divine Ability martial artist lived for eight hundred years, only two hundred less than a Golden Core True One.

Once a martial artist achieved a divine ability, he stood as a true equal to the immortal cultivators. In raw combat power alone, a martial artist in the Divine Ability Realm was generally even a touch stronger than a Golden Core True One.

The Golden Core True Ones were superior only in terms of the sheer variety of their arsenal, composed of formations, enchanted treasures, and spells. And yet, no matter how many tools they had at their disposal, none of it counted for much against a Divine Ability Realm martial artist, who needed only a single strike of his divine ability to end the matter.

In the end, a divine ability is like an overwhelming force that can break through anything unleashed by a Golden Core True One. Even if you throw a thousand things at me, my divine ability wins!

Swoosh!

It was True One Cui Xuan. He rarely left the long-distance teleportation formation, yet now he had come of his own accord to see Lu Changsheng. This only showed just how great the commotion had been, enough to startle even True One Cui Xuan.

"Daoist Lu, congratulations on condensing a divine ability and advancing to the Divine Ability Realm."

"Thank you for standing guard over me, True One," said Lu Changsheng, inviting True One Cui Xuan to sit.

True One Cui Xuan looked Lu Changsheng over from head to toe. He could only sense that Lu Changsheng had indeed advanced to the Divine Ability Realm. However, he hadn't the faintest clue what kind of divine ability he had condensed. After all, there was no way True One Cui Xuan could see through Lu Changsheng's depths at a glance.

One would either have to ask Lu Changsheng about it directly or get him to reveal the divine ability in battle.

Unable to hold back, True One Cui Xuan asked, "Daoist Lu, was what you condensed just now a major divine ability? Even I was startled by the commotion. There is no way your divine ability is a minor one."

Lu Changsheng neither confirmed nor denied it. Though he trusted True One Cui Xuan, the matter of his Immeasurable Divine Ability was still not something to be exposed lightly.

After all, he still had two Divine Ability Dao Fruits that had yet to transform. With only the Mental Black Hole transformed, even Lu Changsheng himself did not know which tier it stood at among the many supreme Divine Ability martial artists.

"True One Cui Xuan, my divine ability is somewhat unusual. Why don't you see for yourself?"

Lu Changsheng intended to reveal his divine ability in a friendly sparring session. In truth, he also wanted to know just how formidable the power of his Mental Black Hole really was, and just how wondrous the Immeasurable Divine Ability could be.

"Very well. I shall give it a try."

True One Cui Xuan waved his hand, layering several defensive spells over himself. He also brought out an enhanced treasure, an exquisite little pagoda that hung across the space above his head, seemingly to shield his entire body. Moreover, the spirit of a Golden Core True One was incomparably solid, fused as one with the Golden Core itself, and to shake the spirit of a Golden Core True One was no easy thing.

Clearly, True One Cui Xuan had more or less guessed that the divine ability Lu Changsheng had condensed was most likely tied to the mind, and so he was trying to shield his mind as much as possible. His entire stance was purely defensive.

"Daoist Lu, please release your divine ability," True One Cui Xuan said when he was ready. He would try to withstand Lu Changsheng's divine ability head-on.

"True One Cui Xuan, my divine ability is somewhat unusual," Lu Changsheng warned once more. "You best be careful."

With that, Lu Changsheng unleashed his Mental Black Hole.

Boom!

At once, an enormous black hole stretched across the space before True One Cui Xuan. It appeared only for a split second, and yet True One Cui Xuan felt as though his Golden Core were violently trembling. The next moment, the mind condensed as one within the Golden Core actually began to collapse and scatter.

"Wh-What...?" True One Cui Xuan murmured with wide eyes.

"Withdraw." Lu Changsheng immediately drew his divine ability back.

Just like that, the outcome had been decided in an instant. Had Lu Changsheng pressed on, True One Cui Xuan might have actually died. That was what Lu Changsheng's immeasurable divine ability, the Mental Black Hole, was capable of.

"T-This is a... major divine ability?"

True One Cui Xuan was understandably shaken. He had only ever known that major divine abilities were tremendously powerful, but he had never experienced one firsthand, nor even witnessed one—until now.

Lu Changsheng's Dao Fruit had only just transformed, and yet the moment he unleashed the divine ability, he could have killed True One Cui Xuan right then and there.

Despite the frightening display of the divine ability, True One Cui Xuan gathered himself and even burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Indeed, a divine ability is like an unstoppable force that breaks through anything!"

Of course, a minor divine ability could not be described as such. Only a major divine ability was worthy of being called "an unstoppable force". Just now, True One Cui Xuan's spells, formations, and even the enchanted treasure had all been useless against Lu Changsheng's divine ability.

Lu Changsheng nodded to himself, having more or less grasped the power of his Mental Black Hole. Clearly, as an Immeasurable Divine Ability, the power of the Mental Black Hole was outstanding, capable of slaying a True One in the blink of an eye. By extension, Lu Changsheng could also kill nearly any expert who had condensed only a minor divine ability.

Having only just reached the Divine Ability Realm, Lu Changsheng had vaulted at once into the ranks of the supreme divine ability experts. Given that his divine ability was an immeasurable one, this was only natural.

"Daoist Lu, stabilize your realm first. I will not disturb you any longer." True One Cui Xuan rose and took his leave.

With that, Lu Changsheng immediately called up his Status Panel.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 260,800 (Praised for a Hundred Generations)

Mental Black Hole: Immeasurable Divine Ability

Five Elements Decomposition: Divine Ability Dao Fruit (Not Transformed)

Four Symbols Prison: Divine Ability Dao Fruit (Not Transformed)

The Status Panel revealed that Lu Changsheng's Perception had already surpassed 260,000. Moreover, Lu Changsheng could confirm that his Mental Black Hole had indeed transformed into an immeasurable divine ability. Now, there were no doubts left.

However, there were two divine abilities left that had yet to transform. Given that those were compound divine abilities, condensed from several Principles, Lu Changsheng felt that they had even more potential than the Mental Black Hole. Of course, that also meant they would likely require more than one hundred drops of Heavenly Spirit Water.

Lu Changsheng happened to have exactly one drop of Heavenly Spirit Water left. His Mental Black Hole had taken a full hundred drops to transform completely into a divine ability, and the Five Elements Decomposition and the Four Symbols Prison would likely demand even more.

"Heavenly Spirit Water..."

He needed more of it. Earning that first hundred drops had taken a tremendous, grueling effort, but now, Lu Changsheng was a Divine Ability martial artist. His strength had soared significantly, and his standing and status had surely risen as well. Acquiring Heavenly Spirit Water ought to be easier than before.

So it still comes down to Li Guang, huh? Now that I've finally reached the Divine Ability Realm, it's time I paid him a visit.

Lu Changsheng made up his mind to see Li Guang. After all, he still owed him four hundred thousand spirit stones.

And so Lu Changsheng rose and left the Vast Immortal Square, making his way toward the headquarters of the Li Clan.

A great matter had recently arisen within the Li Clan. Li Guang, the heir of the patriarch Li Chengwu, had suddenly declared that he would join the contest to determine the patriarch's successor. The news swept through the entire Li Clan at once, and even spread throughout the Li Clan Merchant Association.

However, Li Guang was considered by many to be a wastrel scion. He was hardly talented, and he had long been a profligate young master, spending his days indulging in booze, delicacies, and entertainment, scarcely ever putting his hand to anything worthwhile. Worse, Li Guang would likely never attain a divine ability.

Naturally, were he not a direct-line son of the clan, Li Guang would never have qualified to enter the contest for the patriarch's successor. But who could change the fact that Li Guang was Li Chengwu's son? Li Chengwu had quietly forced the matter through, and it had taken a great deal of effort, but in the end he had managed to get Li Guang into the running.

That was as far as it went, though. Whether Li Guang could actually succeed and become the patriarch's successor would still come down to Li Guang himself.