Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

Chapter 177.2: The Terrifying Power of Fused Domains; Lu Changsheng Kills Lei Tiandu In Front of Everyone! (II)

Time passed slowly. It was nearly noon, and still there was no sign of Lu Changsheng. Eventually, a figure emerged in the distance, from the direction of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. It was a young man, walking toward Tianlong Mountain at an unhurried pace, each step steady and deliberate.

It was not long before the crowd erupted once again.

"He's here! Lu Changsheng of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect!"

"Finally! Look at his demeanor. He's facing Lei Tiandu, the number one true inheritor of the Yellow Heavenly Sect, yet he doesn't seem nervous at all. That kind of composure in a situation like this is something most Divine Treasury martial artists could never achieve."

"So this is Lu Changsheng, the man whose name has shaken the Ancient Region. It's my first time seeing him...”

Although Lu Changsheng's name had spread across the entire Ancient Region since his days in the Divine Fortification Realm, few had actually seen him in person. Now, whether they were Immortal Masters, Divine Treasury martial artists, or even Dao Foundation experts, all were finally seeing him with their own eyes.

Lu Changsheng was approaching slowly, until he came to a stop when he was about ten zhang away from Lei Tiandu.

Lei Tiandu opened his eyes, and their gazes met. Contrary to the charged, confrontational atmosphere the crowd had anticipated, both men's eyes were perfectly calm, showing no flicker of emotion. This was their first meeting, after all; there were no grudges, no personal grievances between them.

Lei Tiandu spoke up first, his voice calm. "Lu Changsheng, your talent is astounding. If I had been born with your gifts, I would likely have forged my Dao Foundation long ago, rather than idling away my time until now."

Lu Changsheng looked at him. "You're not what I expected."

"What, did you expect arrogance? Thought I would look down on you and speak with disdain? No, I am not that kind of man. You see, I came from nothing, just like you. We both know how hard it is to reach this point, and how often we're left with no real choices in the path we walk. No, this battle of ours is not born from hatred... and yet we shall still fight to the death."

Lu Changsheng understood the meaning behind Lei Tiandu's words. Since Lei Tiandu had taken on this challenge, he would carry it through without hesitation. He would not show mercy, nor would he underestimate his opponent. Once the battle began, he would strike with everything he had.

A man like Lei Tiandu was far more difficult to deal with than Xu Haotian. However, Lu Changsheng had not come to Tianlong Mountain unprepared. He was ready for whatever came his way.

Gradually, a silence settled over the mountain. It was as though, between heaven and earth, only the two of them remained. Each had only the other in his eyes.

"Have you ever thought that your path might end here today?" Lu Changsheng asked, breaking the silence.

Lei Tiandu did not respond. The thought had never crossed his mind. He took Lu Changsheng seriously and would give his all, but defeat was something he had never considered. With one foot already in the Dao Foundation Realm, he was confident in his strength. If there was someone out there capable of cutting his journey short, Lu Changsheng was not one of them.

Seeing that Lei Tiandu was not going to respond, Lu Changsheng made his move. "Heart Sword! Sever!"

The Heart Sword, nurtured within his Mind Space, trembled. Dozens of jade-colored Heart Sword blades shot forth, streaking toward Lei Tiandu with a sharp, piercing howl.

"A mental secret technique, huh?" Lei Tiandu's lips curled into a faint smile. He possessed no such techniques himself, but he had absolute confidence in his own mind. Having risen step by step from humble beginnings, his greatest strength had always been his grit and willpower.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The blades from the Heart Sword pierced into his body and struck hard against his mind. The impact was fierce, yet Lei Tiandu's mind stayed as solid as rock. No matter how hard the blades battered his mind, they could not shake him in the slightest.

Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed. This was the first time his Heart Sword failed to affect his opponent. Even against Xu Haotian, who had a mind treasure, the Heart Sword had still taken effect; Xu Haotian had simply been able to recover instantly through the treasure's power. Lei Tiandu, on the other hand, had no mind treasure or any mental techniques of his own; he was simply withstanding the attack through willpower alone.

Lu Changsheng could not help but feel a sense of admiration for Lei Tiandu. How impressive! He's truly worthy of being the number one true inheritor of the Yellow Heavenly Sect.

Lu Changsheng understood how fearsome the Heart Sword was, and if it could not shake Lei Tiandu's mind, then there was no chance of using it to gain an opening before launching a proper attack. The only method left was to compete directly with Domains—the ultimate measure of a Divine Treasury martial artist.

In the next moment, both Lu Changsheng and Lei Tiandu manifested their Domains, then forced them to materialize. In a clash of Domains, there was no room for trickery, as it came down to pure strength and control, nothing else.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The collision sent devastating shockwaves rolling outward in every direction, leveling everything within several li of the two men at its center. Such was the destructive power of two supreme Divine Treasury martial artists with materialized Domains.

Lu Changsheng manifested his five-in-one Domain next. A five-colored radiance flickered as it emerged, enveloping Lei Tiandu immediately.

"A five-in-one Domain..." There was a trace of envy in Lei Tiandu's voice. "Your Perception is indeed extraordinary. In that regard, I cannot compare."

A low hum followed as he released his own Domain. It was a four-in-one Domain, his strongest. But the moment it made contact with Lu Changsheng's five-in-one Domain, it started to crumble. The difference of a single fusion seemed insignificant, but in truth, the gap was vast.

As Lei Tiandu's four-in-one Domain began to collapse, he immediately unleashed a second Domain, this time a three-in-one. The three-in-one Domain merged with what remained of the four-in-one, and together they pressed down on Lu Changsheng's Five Elements Domain.

Combined, the two carried the force of fifty layers of Domains, just enough to counter the forty-layer force of the Five Elements Domain. Although the Five Elements Domain sustained itself in a continuous cycle and resisted collapse, it was still being steadily forced back.

Lei Tiandu smirked, thinking it was only a matter of time until Lu Changsheng died by his hands.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept in, accompanied by towering waves. At the same time, darkness spread across the surroundings, as though the battlefield had been cast into the cosmos. Within the starry sky, a massive waterfall appeared, roaring loudly.

Lu Changsheng's Waterspot Domain and Starry Sky Waterfall Domain had descended. The two two-in-one Domains overlapped with Lu Changsheng's Five Elements Domain, creating the combined force equivalent to sixty layers of Domains.

The balance shifted at once. Lei Tiandu's Domains were now being pushed back, yet his expression did not change in the slightest.

Hmm... Four kinds of fused Domains. Interesting...

Without hesitation, he unleashed another three-in-one Domain, bringing his total power to the equivalent of seventy layers of Domains, and the advantage swung back to his side once more.

Blow after blow, the two kept stacking Domains as the pressure rose to a terrifying level. At this point, whoever commanded more Domains held the advantage. There were no techniques or tricks involved, only a direct contest of Domains.

Among Divine Treasury martial artists, once mental techniques lost their effect, battles often came down to this: a direct measure of how many Domains one could command. It was a simple, unembellished clash, yet there was nothing dull about it. The spectators watched in tense silence, their expressions tight as waves of shock surged through their hearts.

"Seventy layers... Lei Tiandu has the upper hand again."

"Eighty... no, ninety layers. Lu Changsheng has turned it back!"

"A hundred... no, a hundred and twenty layers! Is that Lei Tiandu's true strength? Who could possibly stand against that? Even the number one on the Dao Foundation Candidate List would struggle to match it."

"But look, Lu Changsheng is still standing! He now has eleven two-in-one Domains and a five-in-one Domain... that power is equivalent to the power of a hundred and fifty layers of Domains!"

"How insane! Lu Changsheng's Domains are suppressing Lei Tiandu's now. This is unbelievable!"

"What? Is Lei Tiandu going to lose...?"

Eyes widened across the crowd, disbelief plain on every face. Yet the outcome was undeniable. The moment Lu Changsheng unleashed eleven two-in-one Domains alongside his five-in-one, it was over.

Lu Changsheng's twelve Domains surged forward like an unstoppable tide. One after another, Lei Tiandu's Domains shattered under the pressure. A hundred layers, eighty, fifty, thirty, ten... they collapsed in rapid succession, and Lei Tiandu could only watch in disbelief.

Panic seized Lei Tiandu. He had never imagined defeat, let alone one this embarrassing. There was no room left to fight back. At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind.

I have to run!

As the number one true inheritor of the Yellow Heavenly Sect who was fighting an opponent below his level, fleeing would be a stain on his name—but with one foot already in the Dao Foundation Realm, he could not afford to die here. Defeat would not stop him from forging his Dao Foundation, but death would.

He took out his Teleportation Talisman, his lifeline. Top-tier Divine Treasury martial artists often carried one despite the cost, because even a materialized Domain could not block it from teleporting its user.

In previous battles, Lu Changsheng had been able to kill many powerful Divine Treasury martial artists because of the Heart Sword. The Heart Sword True Mantra could affect their minds and prevent them from activating their talismans in time. However, that method would not work against Lei Tiandu, as his mind was unshakeable.

Lei Tiandu crushed the talisman in his hand to activate it, and a surge of spirit energy wrapped around him.

No matter how powerful a martial artist is, if they can't reach the Dao Foundation, it means nothing. I've been defeated this time, but it won't be the end.

Even now, Lei Tiandu's confidence did not waver. He was tenacious; a temporary setback like this could not break him.

Lei Tiandu's figure flickered, but he remained where he stood. A trace of confusion crossed his face. "What’s going on?"

He lifted his head and looked toward the sky. At some point, a pale white light had spread across the battlefield.

All color drained from his face as realization hit him. This is... This is a materialized Mind Space!

A materialized Domain could not block a Teleportation Talisman, but a materialized Mind Space could. And since a technique like this was beyond the abilities of Divine Treasury martial artists, it could only mean one thing: a Dao Foundation expert had intervened.

At this moment, Huang Jiufeng's exasperated voice echoed through the battlefield. "Zhong Yu! Don't you dare!"

But it was already too late. Lu Changsheng's Domains surged forward, shattering the remaining of Lei Tiandu's Domains before descending upon him.

"No—" Lei Tiandu's cry rang out, sharp with terror and unwillingness.

In the next instant, the Domains fell, crushing him to dust.