Chapter 193: The Path of the Grandmaster!

The next day.

Early in the morning, Lu Zhangsheng passed through the prefectural city's teleportation array and arrived outside the Qingzhou Zhen Yao Si Office.

He looked up and saw a magnificent great hall towering among countless buildings, glittering in the sunlight.

Around him, a group of ZhenYaosi all wore respectful faces as they stared at Lu Zhangsheng.

The crowd had long been familiar with this top‑tier genius whose name reverberated throughout Great Zhou.

"Your Excellency Lu, the master of the Qu Hall is waiting for you inside the hall."

At that moment, a middle‑aged man in black stepped forward, bowed, and spoke with great reverence.

"Hmm."

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He stepped forward.

"Subordinate bows to you, Lu, just step directly into the teleportation array."

"Hurry and grow, time is running short."

He had also gathered much information; the others were all divine sons of Qingzhou, the woman named Wang Yiqiu, who, like him, was a commoner genius.

"Since the ancient Dragon Court fell, the lineage was severed, and even those Divine Bodies can no longer break through to Grandmaster."

Qu Changning's tone was faint, his eyes somewhat desolate.

The elder examined Lu Zhangsheng closely, his face full of approval.

That is his confidence.

"Not bad."

Lu Zhangsheng wore a puzzled expression.

Lu Zhangsheng's demeanor grew solemn.

He did not expect that the dignified Grand Hall Master of the Qingzhou DemonSubduingOffice would possess demonic power within his body, and be so formidable.

Seeing Lu Zhangsheng still somewhat puzzled, he smiled and said, "Are you wondering how the court, lacking Grandmaster‑level strongmen, can match those top‑level demonic beasts?"

Lu Zhangsheng suddenly uttered this sentence.

A surge of evil energy erupted wildly from his body.

Qu Changning's gaze was dim, as if he saw the future of rumors.

Looking at the pale teal liquid in the bottle, his complexion flickered slightly.

Everything is obtained according to ranking for cultivation resources.

"Surprising, isn't it? This is the court's DemonSubduingOffice's ultimate method against demonic beasts."

"Wang Yiqiu, Third Rank Wood Divine Heart, 20%, mid‑stage Grandmaster."

…

Zhou Chuanmao's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Zuo Qiuhuang, Second Rank Mixed‑Cavern Divine Heart, 20%, mid‑stage Grandmaster."

Lu Zhangsheng gave a faint smile, appearing modest.

"Lu Zhangsheng just arrived; per the rules, he ranks fifth, and everyone behind moves back one spot."

A few breaths later, when he stepped into the great hall, he found Qu Changning with his hands behind his back, smiling broadly at him.

He naturally felt goodwill toward Lu Zhangsheng.

As the formation was triggered, the surrounding space began to ripple gently.

"We understand."

But the absence of Grandmaster‑level masters stationed at the court was evidently odd.

Leaving the DemonSubduingOffice, Lu Zhangsheng walked along the tidy avenue, his thoughts heavy.

Lu Zhangsheng was the junior he had taken an interest in, which is why he said so much.

It is said that two bottles of this spirit milk appear each month.

"Do these demonic transformations also have strength differences?"

"Coincidentally, that little world is almost completely plundered."

Qu Changning said with a face full of approval.

The other party was clearly a marquis‑rank strongman.

A strong, fresh fragrance wafted instantly.

However, doing so surely carries a hefty price; in the world, there is absolutely no method to boost strength without injury.

Chang Huayu, who ranked first, stepped forward immediately.

A massive empire comparable to Great Zhou was on the brink of collapse.

At that moment, he turned his gaze to the two porcelain vials on the central stone table.

According to the display panel, the Killing Divine Heart still had great room for improvement.

The elder smiled modestly.

He was not a fellow traveler on the same path.

In an instant, he landed not far from Lu Zhangsheng.

He just hadn't expected the situation to have reached such a point.

"First‑rank Divine Heart is almost a legend."

Lu Zhangsheng's face showed surprise.

He had never heard of this before.

"Not bad; once a grandmaster reaches perfection, if one chooses to merge with demonic power, one can further enhance one's strength."

He wore a long green robe, his bearing refined and scholarly.

Lu Zhangsheng also covertly sized up the nine figures.

A few months ago he had made a trip to the outskirts of the Great Zhou, so he naturally knew these cruel truths.

As a result, afterward no one dared to charge ahead.

Among them, three with second-grade divine hearts were the most eye-catching.

At that moment, a black-clad old man flew down from the mountaintop.

"More than ten years ago, our news with Chen State could no longer get through; it's said their surroundings have all become demon breeding farms, leaving only some prefectures near the Capital City still clinging to survival..."

This added another striking entry to his résumé.

"Thank you, Hall Master Qu, for the explanation."

In the void, only a sigh remained.

Among the nine, there were eight young men and one woman in purple robes, all turning their gazes toward Lu Zhangsheng.

Moreover, throughout history, no one has achieved grandmaster-level strength merely through pointers.

Furthermore, he sensed that Qu Changning bore an aura that made one's heart tremble, filling him with deep apprehension.

At that very moment, from the nine palaces to the side, a group of figures suddenly flew out, their auras immensely powerful.

Otherwise, others would hardly be worthy to see him.

The opponent probably now possesses a fraction of a grandmaster's might.

Lu Zhangsheng nodded calmly, then proceeded toward the main hall.

At that moment, two armored men stepped forward, looking at Lu Zhangsheng with awe.

At that moment, from the central palace, a black-clad old man slowly emerged.

A rash merger would at most achieve only a second-grade divine heart.

The old man was tall and sturdy, his aura deep as an abyss.

"Ah... you know the overall situation of the Great Zhou; it's reached a point of utter chaos."

"Lu Zhangsheng, a third-grade slaughter divine heart, one-tenth completion, early grandmaster stage."

"Sir, do you know of Chen State?"

Among all the divine sons present, none could compare to himself.

The rest were mostly scions of top aristocratic families.

This hall surely stands atop the core of a spirit vein.

In the blink of an eye, it landed before Lu Zhangsheng.

After Lu Zhangsheng approached, he picked up one of them and opened its mouth.

The outside world had already passed through layers of checkpoints; the two were well acquainted with this newly promoted divine son, so they saw no need for further questioning.

Clearly surpassing an ordinary grandmaster's perfection.

Qu Changning's eyes narrowed, his tone tinged with surprise:

According to his guess, the first person likely had at least four bottles of spirit milk.

As he spoke, his face was full of pride.

Seeing that Lu Zhangsheng showed no arrogance about his achievements, Qu Changning admired him all the more.

Afterwards, the two exchanged a few more words, then Lu Zhangsheng turned and walked out of the hall.

Qu Changning let out a soft sigh, then began to speak gently to Lu Zhangsheng.

"Second-grade spatial divine heart, one-tenth completion, late grandmaster cultivation."

"Do you know about this?"

Soon, everyone stepped forward to report their own information.

When he stepped into the hall, a rich spiritual energy rushed toward his face.

In his view, the Great Zhou has hundreds of millions of martial artists, among whom grandmaster-level experts are not few; even if the path to grandmaster is extremely arduous, it's impossible that no one could break through.

"Even one's lifespan would be greatly increased."

"Perhaps the path of the first grade will thus be cut off."

Qu Changning stood with his hands behind his back, a desolate expression on his face.

One could only settle for second best, choosing to merge with demonic power.

Lu Zhangsheng suddenly inhaled several breaths, feeling his spirit become much clearer.

At that moment, Lu Zhangsheng shifted the conversation, turning his head to ask.

"Is this demonic power?"

Only that woman showed a hint of curiosity in her gaze.

"Whoosh..."

"Hall Master Qu, you overpraise me."

"Wan Qilei, second-grade world divine heart, two-tenths completion, mid-grandmaster stage."

Everyone spoke up in response.

At that moment, Lu Zhangsheng voiced the doubt he had long held.

At this rate, he could advance a level in just a few months—truly frightening....

"Hard to say; perhaps ten years? Or maybe twenty?"

Then he spoke again: "Today I summoned you mainly because Qingzhou has decided to launch a new round of divine son cultivation plans; this is also a great opportunity for you."

He understood this perfectly, and would only cultivate according to his own path.

Obviously, only some top-level high-ranking personnel can know.

From now on, there will be an evaluation every month; those who rank last for three consecutive months will be automatically demoted.

Lu Zhangsheng was in fifth place, and he also arrived at his residence.

The solitary path of slaughter can absolutely be cultivated to the limit.

Perhaps not long from now, the demon army will aim its target at our Great Zhou.

Soon after, the two landed in front of a huge palace.

I am merely a guide; I cannot be your teacher.

Afterwards, Zhou Chuanmao explained some questions to everyone, then returned to the main hall.

The martial arts lineage has been cut off; it's understandable that no one dares to rashly rush toward becoming a Grand Master.

Lu Zhangsheng lightly nodded.

Hum...

Thud thud thud...

Lu Zhangsheng, right? Not bad, his divine light is restrained, and his foundation is deep.

As for you who cultivate one of the five elements or the path of slaughter yin-yang, it's best to unify the five elements, or fuse with other divine hearts, and metamorphose it into something higher.

This situation is clearly extremely abnormal.

Without the imperial court's dragon luck suppressing them, countless demons will swarm forth.

If this continues, the fall of Great Xia is merely a matter of time.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhangsheng's heart tightened.

Follow me up the mountain.

Senior, are you the teacher for this Divine Son plan?

This is only ranking fifth; the spiritual aura of those ahead is probably even richer.

He never thought about fusing any demonic power.

This is definitely not something an ordinary Grand Master perfection can achieve.

I am Zhou Chuanmao, and I am also your teacher.

A white robe fluttered in the breeze, appearing especially unrestrained.

What astonishing spiritual aura.

It can greatly increase cultivation speed.

Zhou Chuanmao spoke to everyone with a stern expression.

Lu Zhangsheng paid no heed to the few people's intentions of exclusion; he discovered that Zhou Chuanmao also had a faint aura.

We will divide these strong ones into marquis rank, king rank, and emperor rank...

Lu Zhangsheng clasped his fists, full of gratitude.

At this moment, Lu Zhangsheng's heart suddenly began to radiate light.

Thud thud thud...

You did well in Qingning Prefecture; you have displayed the might of our DemonSubduingOffice.

Shortly after, Lu Zhangsheng arrived before a side hall according to the address provided by Qu Changning.

He naturally would not be so foolish.

The eyes held scrutiny, doubt, and a hint of coldness.

Let alone for the sake of increasing lifespan and strength, polluting the flesh will surely lead to regret.

Lu Zhangsheng's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.

【Source Energy Points increased by 500000】

Space is king; it's not just empty talk.

As the Prefecture City Hall Master, Lu Zhangsheng naturally understands these predicaments.

Lu Zhangsheng smiled slightly, and he didn't beat around the bush.

Only Lu Zhangsheng harbored some doubt.

Moreover, advancing further on the Martial Saint's path is nearly impossible.

You all, report your cultivation and divine heart.

Qu Changning knows no bounds in speaking, and is quite patient.

If one cultivates here for a long time, the benefits will be profound.

When demonic power is developed to the limit, one can break the shackles again, but this increase in strength is extremely difficult, a hundred times harder than for ordinary martial artists.

We understand.

He had already prepared for the worst.

The consequences are extremely dire; even he is not sure whether he can fight his way out of the encirclement.

Why is this so?

Everyone then went their separate ways toward the side hall.

Moreover, there are eminent teachers giving guidance, places to comprehend the Dao, battle halls, and so on, all-around enhancing their strength.

Hmm.

These resources even stirred some desire in him.

His resources in hand surged sharply, making him quite pleased.

Lu Zhangsheng also closely followed behind.

Lu Zhangsheng lightly nodded, then walked straight into the teleportation array.

Afterwards Lu Zhangsheng no longer hesitated, immediately began to absorb.

Over countless years, many top talents have attacked the Grand Master and failed, turning into piles of withered bones.

"This is, ten-thousand-year spiritual milk?"

"Sir, do you know if the Great Zhou still has a Grand Master?"

"I hope you have the chance to break the Grand Master's shackles and open a bright path for later martial artists."

"Not only must we face the pressure of numerous holy lands and top sects, but also the Tianyao Gate traitors who stir up trouble in the shadows."

"Chang Hua Yu and the two others are all second-grade Divine Hearts; wholeheartedly comprehending them is the heavenly road."

"The court's experts are already stretched thin; as early as several decades ago, they began to have this plan."

"Wherever the gaze passes, it is all lush and verdant forest."

He guessed that the other party might be a marquis-level expert.

"Using demonic power to fight demons, one cannot help but say it is a great sorrow."

Warnings kept flashing in his heart.

However, he didn't ask further, instead quietly waiting for the other's answer.

"Each grade difference in Divine Heart is a world apart."

That is demonic power.

Lu Zhangsheng also went unnoticed among them, receiving little attention.

When Qu Changning erupted with demonic power, Lu Zhangsheng sensed an extremely terrifying threat.

Those whose rankings dropped had somewhat unsightly expressions.

I never expected that Great Zhou had decayed to such an extent.

【Source Energy Points increased by 500,000.】

Watching Lu Zhangsheng's gradually receding back, Qu Changning's eyes flickered uncertainly.

Wang Yiqiu and the others quickly echoed.

They were also trying to fuse a stronger Divine Heart.

"Whoosh……"

At this moment, Qu Changning's qi and blood suddenly erupted throughout his body.

"Sigh…… The martial path has been completely cut off; for hundreds of years, Great Zhou has seen no Grand Master appear."

Only by holding a high position can one truly understand the predicament the court faces.

In an instant, blood-red patterns began to cover his face, extremely eerie.

Under his governance, Qingzhou gained another divine son, which made him overjoyed.

Qu Changning directly spoke up to explain.

"How long can the court still hold up?"

At this moment, Zhou Chuanmao began to comment on everyone, his tone very solemn.

If that day comes, the entire Great Zhou will likely fall into great chaos.

"Since there is no way ahead, let us ourselves create a flourishing martial era; the path of the Grand Master is inevitable."

Having said that, he leapt up and flew toward the mountain peak.

In the distance, several li away, a towering mountain stood majestically, atop which eleven splendid palaces still stood.

As for Lu Zhangsheng, this parachuted civilian talent, everyone deep down was not very willing to associate with him.

The Grand Master is probably still some distance away.

"Divine Son cultivation plan?"

After fusing the demon heart, we not only have to endure torment, but also guard against inner demon invasion, which would turn us into soulless killing machines.

Although he also did not hold high hopes for Lu Zhangsheng's success, he still spoke to encourage him.

When Lu Zhangsheng opened his eyes again, he found that the surrounding environment had already changed greatly.

The court's this-time divine son cultivation plan is indeed a grand undertaking.

The DemonSubduingOffice Heavenly Palace took years of development before discovering this method.

These ten-thousand-year spiritual milks have arrived just in time.

…………

Over the next few days, Lu Zhangsheng remained in the hall, cultivating wholeheartedly.

The taste of this gradually strengthening power made him quite fascinated.

(End of chapter)