Chapter 194: Enlightened Path! Two-Tenths Divine Heart!

Time flowed slowly.

Peaceful days passed in a blink, and a month had gone by.

Soon came the day to verify each divine child's cultivation progress.

That day, at dawn, the morning sun rose.

Lu Zhangsheng left his attic and strode toward the Summit Hall.

Threads of golden light shone on his body, making him look somewhat radiant.

In these days, he also came to understand much of the Divine Child Cultivation Plan.

Besides the monthly Spiritual Milk, the Dao Stele and the Battle Pavilion were most important.

The former could greatly enhance a martial artist's comprehension of the Dao.

It is said that this object was obtained by a certain powerhouse hundreds of years ago in a secret realm, and has remained in Qingzhou.

Now we take it out to cultivate Lu Zhangsheng's group of divine children.

According to Lu Zhangsheng's own ranking, he can only contemplate for ten hours each month.

Just from this, Lu Zhangsheng's Divine Heart has improved considerably, and reaching two-tenths is within reach.

Presumably the person ranked first can contemplate for more time.

Lu Zhangsheng, thinking along the way, soon arrived at the square in front of the hall.

At this time, Chang Hua Yu and others had already arrived at the open space.

A group of people were looking eagerly into the hall.

In their eyes appeared a hint of anticipation.

Today is indeed the day for re-ranking.

After a month of cultivation, many felt they had made great progress and could obtain a higher rank.

After all, those Spiritual Creatures are genuine benefits.

However, these rankings are temporarily unrelated to Lu Zhangsheng.

According to the rules, as a newcomer, he has three months of cultivation time, and his rank will not be downgraded.

If he performs well, it also does not affect his rank advancement; this is also a benefit for every newcomer.

So, several other divine children chose to ignore Lu Zhangsheng.

Just then.

Zhou Chuanmao, holding a milky-white cylindrical stone with both hands, walked out of the hall and strode toward the square.

Soon he came before Lu Zhangsheng and a few others, his gaze scanning the whole field.

"Not bad, full of vigor; this month nobody has been lax."

He first spoke encouragingly.

Then he placed the cylindrical stone on the ground, producing a rumbling sound.

"This stone is called the Spirit-Testing Stone, half a person tall, emitting white light all over, very miraculous."

"Its function is specifically to test each divine child's progress in the Divine Heart."

"Everyone was also used to it."

"Lu Zhangsheng had never seen it before, but was somewhat interested."

"Next, Chang Hua Yu strode forward toward the round stone."

"Soon he arrived at the Spirit-Testing Stone, extending his right hand to probe it."

"As he activated his spatial Divine Heart, the stone suddenly burst forth with brilliant light."

"Below the stone, a red thread extended upward more than an inch."

"One-tenth spatial Divine Heart, quite progress."

"Zhou Chuanmao, seeing this, smiled and nodded, giving affirmation."

"Although still one-tenth, it's not far from two-tenths."

"The Spirit-Testing Stone showing two inches of red light indicates the two-tenths Divine Heart realm."

"Chang Hua Yu, hearing this, arrogantly scanned the whole field."

"As a second-grade spatial Divine Heart, it is extremely difficult to cultivate."

"He has always been ranked first, and has not looked upon others."

"Other divine children also lack the qualifications to be his opponents; in his view, they are merely making up numbers."

"Afterward, everyone took turns to come up for testing."

"Zu Qiuhuang, second-grade Mixed Aperture Divine Heart, slight improvement..."

"Wan Qilei, second-grade World Divine Heart, no improvement..."

"..."

"Wang Yiqiu, third-grade Wood Divine Heart 'two-tenths', Metal Domain (six-tenths), Fire Domain (four-tenths)... obvious progress."

"Shan Zhenhai, third-grade Metal Divine Heart, Fire Domain (nine-tenths), Wood Domain (six-tenths)... obvious progress."

Zhou Chuanmao gave quick comments.

For those divine children with considerable progress, he gave affirmation.

Obviously, under his guidance, some third-grade Divine Heart geniuses are also attempting to fuse Divine Hearts.

The five elements united can also achieve a second-grade Divine Heart.

When reaching the peak of the Grand Master, after incorporating demonic power, the combat power gap between third-grade and second-grade Divine Hearts becomes extremely obvious.

Soon, after everyone else finished testing, it was Lu Zhangsheng's turn.

Wang Yiqiu and others were eagerly watching Lu Zhangsheng.

Regarding this rumored commoner genius, they were quite curious.

Lu Zhangsheng walked forward with a calm expression.

Upon reaching the stone tablet, he immediately extended his right hand.

After he fully activated the Slaughter Divine Heart, a warm current surged toward the stone tablet, and the entire stone wall suddenly burst into intense light.

A red light nearly two inches appeared at the base of the stone tablet.

Besides that, there were no other colors.

"Third-grade Slaughter Divine Heart (one-tenth)."

Zhou Chuanmao saw this and furrowed his brows.

Although a divine heart nearing twenty percent is not bad for a newcomer.

But last month, I had once given pointers to Lu Zhangsheng.

I hope he can also cultivate the Path of Destruction, merging it into a second-grade "Extreme Point" divine heart; only then is it the Heaven-Reaching Great Dao.

I never expected Lu Zhangsheng to completely disregard the idea.

He hasn't even cultivated the Domain of Destruction, clearly not heeding my guidance.

"I have told you before that a second-grade divine heart is far stronger than a third-grade one, especially after you become Hou Rank powerhouses."

"If you have the chance, you must strive; otherwise you will regret it later..."

While speaking, he glanced at Lu Zhangsheng.

This meaning is clear; it is another admonition directed at Lu Zhangsheng.

"We understand."

A group of third-grade divine heart cultivators shouted loudly in unison.

They also have their own pursuits, all diligently cultivating other divine hearts in hopes of fusing into a higher-quality existence.

Regarding Lu Zhangsheng's "slacking off" behavior, many felt a bit of schadenfreude.

Wang Yiqiu and Shan Zhenhai also looked at Lu Zhangsheng with puzzled expressions.

In their view, Lu Zhangsheng did not seem like someone who lacks ambition.

Even they are wholeheartedly practicing the Five Elements United to lay a solid foundation for the future.

"After all, those who can become Divine Sons possess top-tier talent."

Lu Zhangsheng's expression remained calm as water, without offering any explanation.

Having practiced martial arts for many years, he had long since firmly set his own path.

In his mind, the Path of Slaughter can likewise be cultivated to the peak, and he will not choose to fuse other divine hearts.

If purity is lost, forever stopping at second grade would be a loss not worth the gain.

Moreover, a second-grade divine heart is far from his goal.

Of course, if others knew his thoughts, they would surely mock Lu Zhangsheng for overestimating himself.

For countless years, no one has ever heard of anyone cultivating a first-grade divine heart.

Second grade has already become the dream realm of other martial artists.

Afterwards, Zhou Chuanmao gave guidance to each Divine Son in turn, then left the plaza.

……

In the blink of an eye, another two months passed.

These days, Lu Zhangsheng has been diligently cultivating daily; the Slaughter Divine Heart continues to steadily rise, having officially reached the twenty-percent stage.

Since he steadied his path, his understanding of slaughter has become ever clearer, as if he had glimpsed an ocean of the "Dao" in the darkness.

It made him utterly immersed in it.

At the same time, after three months of cultivation, Lu Zhangsheng also officially left the newcomer stage.

Soon came the day for re-verification.

That day, at dawn.

Lu Zhangsheng left the attic, hands behind his back, and walked slowly toward the mountain peak.

At that moment, a man and a woman walked toward each other on the side mountain path.

The man was extraordinarily suave, the woman graceful and charming—indeed Shan Zhenhai and Wang Yiqiu, both smiling as they approached Lu Zhangsheng.

"Brother Lu, do you still have good wine?"

Shan Zhenhai spoke first, eyes full of craving fixed on Lu Zhangsheng's waist-worn wine flask.

"Haha... plenty of good wine."

Lu Zhangsheng laughed heartily, his tone very refreshing. Over these three months, the two have engaged in many Dao discussions and become quite familiar.

Since both enjoy fine wine, they have become drinking buddies.

Although he comes from a minor clan, he has no arrogant demeanor; instead he is very generous and gets along well with Lu Zhangsheng.

As for the other woman, Wang Yiqiu, being the sole commoner, it is hard for her to blend into that group of aristocratic youths.

Moreover, since the two both cultivate the Five Elements Path, the three often gather to exchange ideas.

Their friendship has also grown deep over time.

"Brother Lu, are you still not considering fusing your divine heart?"

Wang Yiqiu spoke solemnly to advise.

In her view, merging the Slaughter Divine Heart to form a second-grade divine heart is the wise course.

Just as she and Shan Zhenhai cultivate the Five Elements United.

Even Shan Zhenhai beside them looked puzzled.

While he and Lu Zhangsheng drank and chatted, he had repeatedly tried to persuade, only for Lu Zhangsheng to deliberately change the subject each time.

Obviously, Lu Zhangsheng has already prepared to "slack off" to the end.

This makes him unable to understand it no matter what.

"Throughout history, has any master ever been able to mass‑produce top‑tier strongmen?"

Lu Zhangsheng gave a faint smile.

He offered no explanation.

In all the ancient biographies he had read, none had reached the pinnacle by following someone else's path.

Take Wang Yiqiu and the other as an example; they were not steadfast in the Way of the Five Elements, but merely pursued its power blindly.

Such a mindset can never cultivate the Five‑Element Divine Heart to its peak.

It is not the two's "Dao" either, but rather the strongmen mass‑produced by Zhou Chuanmao.

Shan Zhenhai and the other froze in expression, their eyes showing a hint of contemplation.

They were also somewhat confused; when cultivating other domains, the difficulty is extreme and it is truly "painful".

Nevertheless, they grudgingly persisted according to Zhou Chuanmao's idea.

The Second‑grade Divine Heart was also their ultimate aspiration.

At this moment, they completely extinguished any thought of consoling Lu Zhangsheng.

Lu Zhangsheng's insistence on the Killing Divine Heart moved the two's hearts and earned a touch of respect.

The path of utmost sincerity is nothing beyond this.

The three talked all the way and soon arrived at the summit plaza.

Before long, the Ten Great Divine Sons also arrived one after another.

A group of people looked at Lu Zhangsheng with a hint of schadenfreude.

Today Lu Zhangsheng will begin re‑ranking.

In the past few months, Lu Zhangsheng's repeated "slacking" has utterly angered his mentor, and this time he is likely to have bad luck.

Chang Huayu also stared at Lu Zhangsheng with a grim, fierce expression.

He has always been pursuing the woman Wang Yiqiu.

Unexpectedly, she completely ignored him, causing him to lose face.

Moreover, she kept gravitating toward Shan Zhenhai and Lu Zhangsheng, which he found hard to accept.

Today, he wants Wang Yiqiu to know that Lu Zhangsheng and Shan Zhenhai have no right to be his opponents.

Embracing oneself early is the proper path.

While everyone's thoughts diverged, Zhou Chuanmao emerged carrying a Spirit‑Measuring Stone.

"Clang…"

The stone tablet was gently placed on the ground.

Immediately after, the crowd proceeded one by one toward the Spirit‑Measuring Stone.

"Chang Huayu's Spatial Divine Heart is at two percent, with obvious progress…"

As Zhou Chuanmao pointed it out, the onlookers gasped repeatedly, their faces full of envy.

They hadn't expected the other to breakthrough so quickly.

Chang Huayu then swept the entire scene with a smug grin.

His gaze at Shan Zhenhai and Lu Zhangsheng was full of provocation.

It was as if a proud victor were looking down upon the two.

Lu Zhangsheng was too lazy to bother.

Everyone present understood his intentions.

It was nothing but to strike the two, make Wang Yiqiu witness his strength, so she would see the error of her ways and return to him.

Wang Yiqiu frowned slightly, feeling a bit displeased.

At this moment, the remaining few stepped forward to test again.

"Zuo Qiuhuang's Mixed‑Cave Divine Heart is at two percent, with slight progress…"

"Wan Qilei's World Divine Heart is at two percent, with slight progress…"

……

The crowd surged forward, and soon it was Lu Zhangsheng's turn.

"Lu Zhangsheng, Killing Divine Heart at two percent, slight progress…"

Seeing that Lu Zhangsheng still had not cultivated other domains.

Zhou Chuanmao no longer offered counsel, directly abandoning him.

A hint of mockery appeared in the eyes of those around.

In their view, Lu Zhangsheng had already lost the qualification to compete with them.

Everyone present was striving wholeheartedly toward the Second‑grade Divine Heart, while Lu Zhangsheng merely stood still.

Clearly, he was preparing to give up.

Wang Yiqiu and Shan Zhenhai felt a ripple stir in their hearts.

Lu Zhangsheng's purely Killing Divine Heart, containing no trace of other domains, was truly unique on the scene.

Recalling Lu Zhangsheng's words, the two also had an additional thought in their minds.

"Could pure killing truly reach the pinnacle?"

After months of interaction, the two had come to understand Lu Zhangsheng fairly well.

His mind was meticulous; he was certainly not a reckless person.

Chang Huayu's eyes were full of contempt.

"Junior Sister Wang, you should still interact more with us; some people have already given up."

He spoke with a haughty expression.

He didn't even glance at Lu Zhangsheng.

"Hmph… No one has the right to interject in my affairs."

Wang Yiqiu let out a cold snort, his face full of displeasure.

Chang Huayu heard this, his face turned cold, and he no longer spoke.

Yet in his heart he bore a grudge against these few people.

Soon, all ten Divine Sons had finished their tests, and Zhou Chuanmao began announcing the rankings.

"Chang Huayu first."

"Zu Qiuhuang second."

……

"Lu Zhangsheng tenth."

As expected, no one else moved; only Lu Zhangsheng was placed in last position.

At this rate, he's probably destined to be the perpetual tenth.

However, Lu Zhangsheng had no thoughts of it, and had no intention of withdrawing from the Divine Son cultivation program.

Those Spiritual Creatures shouldn't be wasted for nothing.

From now on, he will only become more resolute in his own path.

First-grade Divine Heart, the path of the Grand Master is sure to proceed.

He will absolutely not consider merging demonic power into his own cultivation.

Afterward, Zhou Chuanmao gave everyone some guidance, then turned and left.

Lu Zhangsheng returned once again to his attic.

As soon as he stepped inside, he found Qu Changning sitting in the hall, drinking spiritual tea, waiting for him.

"Ah… I've also heard about your situation; just accept being tenth, but please don't withdraw."

Qu Changning sighed, seeming somewhat regretful.

He had once held great expectations for Lu Zhangsheng, but also respected his choice.

"I hope you can forge a different path."

"For years, merging divine hearts has become the mainstream."

"Perhaps precisely because of this, it has also limited the development of Heavenly Pride."

"The spiritual energy here is excellent; I will not withdraw for the time being."

Lu Zhangsheng gave a faint smile.

He also didn't elaborate further.

Cultivation is always an intensely personal matter; what is a Grand Master? One who establishes a sect and truly understands his own path is a Grand Master.

Having reached this point, hardly anyone can teach him.

After all, every Grand Master's cultivation path is unique; how could one teach it? Those who can be mass‑produced as strong individuals ultimately fade into obscurity.

(End of chapter)