Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

While the members of the Li Clan were ecstatic about the partnership with the Deep Space Merchant Association, Lu Changsheng remained calm.

"Our first priority is still to confront the Black Light Merchant Association and make our position clear. We must make sure they'll think twice before interfering with the Li Clan Merchant Association again. In the end, we cannot depend on another association's goodwill. We must resolve this ourselves."

Business partnerships and friendly gestures could relieve some of the pressure, but they could not tackle the crisis at its core. Only by forcing the Black Light Merchant Association to back off could the Li Clan Merchant Association finally escape its current predicament.

"Young friend Lu is right. We must rely on ourselves," Li Zhenggang agreed. "Now, there's no reason to delay any longer. Let us set out for Heavenly Light City at once."

A group of twenty to thirty people soon set out for Heavenly Light City, most of them Divine Ability experts. The Sacred Earth Heavenly Sect had sent several elders, while the Li Clan had gathered its own Divine Ability martial artists and Martial Venerables to accompany Li Zhenggang and Lu Changsheng.

Heavenly Light City was not far from Heavenly Sacred City; for Divine Ability martial artists, the distance was nothing.

Before long, the city's landscape emerged ahead of them.

Li Zhenggang looked toward the city with a grave expression. "We should assume the Black Light Merchant Association already knows of our arrival."

"It doesn't matter," said Lu Changsheng. "We came here openly, so there is no reason to conceal our auras. Let us go directly to the Black Light Merchant Association."

His body trembled as an overwhelming aura erupted from him and surged toward Heavenly Light City like a tidal wave. The other martial artists immediately released their own auras, allowing their combined pressure to sweep across the city without restraint. Only Li Zhenggang kept his presence concealed.

However, even without the aura of a Martial Saint, the pressure they produced was terrifying. This many Divine Ability martial artists, each at the peak of the realm, together with the Li Clan's Martial Venerables, created a pressure fearsome enough to feel like a violent storm. Their collective aura rolled across Heavenly Light City like a violent storm, startling everyone within its walls.

Countless people raised their heads and stared toward the approaching group.

"What's going on? What's with that terrifying aura...? It's coming from supreme Divine Ability experts, and Martial Venerables... and something beyond a Martial Venerable. There must be nearly thirty people out there!"

"Look over there. They're coming straight toward the city."

"Nearly thirty Divine Ability martial artists, along with several Martial Venerables..."

"Where did they come from? Arriving in Heavenly Light City and openly revealing their auras like that... They're clearly not here on friendly terms."

"These people... They look like martial artists from the Li Clan Merchant Association of Heavenly Sacred City."

"The Li Clan Merchant Association? Aren't they the ones the Black Light Merchant Association has been targeting as of late? I heard they've been in a tough spot. And now they dare to come to Heavenly Light City?"

"Their target is clearly the Black Light Merchant Association. Something major is about to go down in Heavenly Light City..."

At first, many in the crowd were shocked, but once word spread that those martial artists were from the Li Clan Merchant Association, the shock faded fast.

The Black Light Merchant Association had been relentlessly aggressive, and everyone knew how far it had pushed the Li Clan Merchant Association. Now that the Li Clan had arrived with numerous experts, it was clear they had not come merely to make a show of force.

The arrival of the Li Clan threw Heavenly Light City into an uproar. Countless eyes followed Lu Changsheng and his companions, but none of them paid any attention to the commotion around them. Without slowing down, they headed straight for the headquarters of the Black Light Merchant Association.

At the entrance, several Divine Ability martial artists on guard called out, nerves plain in their voices. "Halt! Who goes there?"

Li Chengwu stepped forward with a cold laugh. "Inform your association that Li Chengwu, patriarch of the Li Clan and chairman of the Li Clan Merchant Association, has come to pay a visit!"

When the guards realized that the Li Clan patriarch had come in person, they exchanged uneasy glances.

"Wait here. We will report your arrival..."

"What's there to report?" Lu Changsheng cut them off. "Step aside. We're going in. Anyone tries to stop us, they die."

His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. In his mind, the two merchant associations were already engaged in a violent struggle, so there was no point preserving empty formalities.

"You..." The expressions of the guards changed drastically, and they moved at once to unleash their divine abilities.

However, Lu Changsheng had already raised his hand.

Buzz...

A low hum filled the air as his Five Elements Decomposition erupted. A terrifying five-colored light descended enveloped the five martial artists guarding the entrance. Their bodies stiffened, and in the next moment, they decomposed. Their divine abilities had collapsed before they could do anything.

Lu Changsheng's horrifying show of strength stunned everyone watching.

Many people were more or less familiar with Lu Changsheng's fearsome reputation, but very few had actually witnessed him fight. They had merely heard rumors of "Venerable Lu." But now, having witnessed Lu Changsheng casually erase five Divine Ability martial artists, they realized that the stories about him were not exaggerated. If anything, they were watered down.

"They're dead... Five Divine Ability martial artists killed just like that?"

"What is the Li Clan Merchant Association trying to do? This is the headquarters of the Black Light Merchant Association, and a Martial Saint oversees it. How dare they kill its people here?"

"Do they think they'll leave Heavenly Light City alive after this?"

"No matter how powerful a Divine Ability martial artist may be, they are still nothing before a Martial Saint. What gave the Li Clan the courage to act like this?"

For a moment, countless onlookers stood dumbfounded. Lu Changsheng had mercilessly killed five members of the Black Light Merchant Association at its own headquarters, and every one of them had been a Divine Ability martial artist. Such an act of hostility openly challenged not only the Black Light Merchant Association, but also the Martial Saint who presided over it.

No one could understand how the Li Clan Merchant Association had suddenly become so bold. The Black Light Merchant Association had forced it to retreat at every turn, yet now, they had begun killing people before even entering the association's headquarters.

Even the Li Clan Merchant Association's martial artists stared at Lu Changsheng in shock. They thought he had come to negotiate with the Black Light Merchant Association, but now they realized they were way past that.

Many of the Li Clan's martial artists started whispering among themselves.

"It seems as though Venerable Lu intends to wipe out the Black Light Merchant Association..."

"But the Black Light Merchant Association has a Martial Saint. Is he really strong enough to go up against a Martial Saint?"

"Well, we have a Martial Saint as well..."

The Li Clan's martial artists turned toward Li Zhenggang, but he merely shook his head without offering an explanation. Left with no other choice, they hurried after Lu Changsheng.

As Lu Changsheng's group marched through the Black Light Merchant Association's headquarters, dozens of Divine Ability martial artists rushed out and surrounded them. Among them were also three Martial Venerables.

"How dare you!"

"This is the Black Light Merchant Association! Do you really think you can kill our people here and walk away with no consequences?!"

"This isn't Heavenly Sacred City. This is Heavenly Light City! How dare you act so recklessly here? Since you've come, don't expect to leave..."

The fact that the Black Light Merchant Association possessed three Martial Venerables demonstrated the depth of its power. Even without the Black Light Martial Saint taking action, those three experts could bring most major factions to their knees.

Lu Changsheng glanced at the three Martial Venerables, clasped his hands behind his back, and said coldly, "None of you have the authority to make any decisions. Tell the Black Light Martial Saint to come out."

His dismissal further infuriated the three Martial Venerables.

"There is no need to bring out the Martial Saint. The three of us are more than enough to annihilate all of you."

"We were going to spare you some dignity, but you seem determined to throw your life away."

"Since you've delivered yourselves to our doorstep, don't blame us for showing no mercy!"

The three Martial Venerables, along with dozens of Divine Ability martial artists, glared with palpable killing intent, as if ready to wipe out Lu Changsheng and his entire party in one fell swoop.

Lu Changsheng, however, was unfazed by their threats. "Black Light Martial Saint, do you intend to hide while all your subordinates are slaughtered? Very well. If that is your choice, then so be it..."

His gaze turned cold as he raised his hand. "Divine Ability, Mental Black Hole."

A massive black vortex immediately formed in the sky, spreading an oppressive force that weighed upon the minds of everyone below.

As it hung high in the air, every martial artist beneath it, Martial Venerable and ordinary Divine Ability Realm cultivator alike, felt terror settle over their hearts, heavy and suffocating, as though some great calamity loomed just above them.

"A divine ability..."

"What kind of divine ability is this?"

"Who exactly are you?"

The expressions of the three Martial Venerables changed drastically.

Each of them had supreme divine abilities of their own, yet in this moment, seeing Lu Changsheng's Mental Black Hole, they could tell that if the Mental Black Hole descended, their divine abilities would not be able to withstand it. In fact, they would die if that black hole fell upon them.