Chapter 144: Heavenly Pride is an Invincible Path!

The news of Lu Zhangsheng forcefully clearing the Twelfth Layer swept through the entire Qingning Prefecture like a hurricane.

It caused an uproar in the hearts of countless martial artists.

A large number of martial artists without tasks flocked to the square in front of the Tongtian Tower, one after another, like a tide.

Even the General Hall Master Liang Jinghui and some Innate-level foundations began to pay attention to this matter.

They all knew that the difficulty of clearing the Thirteenth Layer was not something that could be easily broken by the Heavenly Pride hurdle.

Some lower-ranked Deputy Hall Masters were even quite nervous.

This kind of strength already made them sit on pins and needles, as if a giant mountain were pressing on their heads, which was extremely uncomfortable.

A "Ye Wudi" had already made everyone breathless, and now Lu Zhangsheng seemed to have this sign again.

And the growth paths of the two were quite similar, both rising rapidly.

"Is it possible for Hall Master Lu to break through three layers in a row?"

"Hard to say; if he really breaks through again, it would be heaven-defying."

"That's right, this hurdle is not so easy to break; in the past few decades in the entire Qingning Prefecture, only that Lord Ye has done it..."

The crowd discussed fiercely on the square.

Qin Ruobing and the Fang family siblings were all full of excitement.

They hadn't expected Lu Zhangsheng to rise in the Prefecture City so quickly.

Having just gained a foothold, he could impact upward again, which made everyone feel as if they were dreaming.

Just as the outside world was surging.

Tongtian Tower, Thirteenth Layer.

Lu Zhangsheng only felt a blur before his eyes.

The scenery around him changed drastically.

He saw himself on a vast sea, with waves surging around and wild winds roaring.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, as if thunderclouds were shuttling through, and the atmosphere was quite oppressive.

"Is this the Thirteenth Layer?"

Lu Zhangsheng carried his hands behind his back, standing quietly on the waves, his expression as calm as water.

The wild wind and waves rolled his white long robe, and the whole person radiated a momentum that was difficult to shake, like a mountain.

At this moment, a line of information appeared in the void ahead.

Thirteenth Layer.

Challenger: Lu Zhangsheng.

Talent: Heavenly Pride (Quasi). Note: Within three hours, kill three projections; those who pass enter the next layer...

Lu Zhangsheng looked at the information ahead quietly, feeling that it was no different from the previous layers.

He didn't pay too much attention and waited peacefully.

A moment later.

"Hum..."

The void ahead rippled gently, and three white figures instantly appeared on the sea opposite him.

The three stood side by side, their momentum vast.

"This is..."

Seeing this, Lu Zhangsheng's pupils shrank.

These three looked exactly like him, and even the weapons in their hands were indistinguishable.

It was simply impossible to distinguish any abnormality.

"Could it be that each of these three is a perfect copy according to his own strength?"

He felt extremely solemn.

The Tower Spirit couldn't copy a defective product.

In other words.

To become a Heavenly Pride, one must defeat three "selves" at the same time within a certain time; this difficulty was simply heaven-defying.

No wonder very few people had been able to clear it for decades.

Except for some true monsters, some geniuses who came in were just looking for abuse.

Lu Zhangsheng didn't move immediately, thinking carefully.

At this moment, one of the copies on the left actually spoke:

"Haha... Are you thinking of temporarily retreating and coming back to challenge after your strength improves? Then you could easily defeat us."

The other two also looked at Lu Zhangsheng with a smile.

Hearing this, Lu Zhangsheng's expression paused.

The other party had such strong spirituality, completely guessing his own thoughts.

That's right, that was his plan.

At this moment, one against three was simply not something an ordinary person could accomplish.

The one on the left smiled faintly: "For countless years, you are not the only one to reach this layer; most of them thought this way, and they all failed. Do you know why?"

The one in the middle didn't beat around the bush either, smiling and talking: "The moment you step into this place, the Tower Spirit will automatically record it, and after more than a month, we will refresh."

"In other words, a month later, your strength will have improved, and we will also improve accordingly..."

Lu Zhangsheng felt a chill in his heart.

He knew things wouldn't be that simple.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been only one person who could clear it for so many years.

He didn't know how that "Ye Wudi" had done it.

This person was truly perverted to the extreme.

"Sigh..."

The third copy sighed gloomily.

"Heavenly Pride is an invincible path; without this kind of spirit, how can one compete with those top-tier Holy Sons and God Sons?"

"Breaking the barriers, turning the impossible into the possible—this is Heavenly Pride; only those who can compare to 'gods' with a mortal body and possess infinite possibilities can be called Heavenly Pride."

Lu Zhangsheng's expression shifted slightly.

It was rumored that in some small worlds, there were beings born of heaven and earth, which were "gods"; such creatures were born at the Innate realm and had extraordinary strength.

To compare to such creatures with a mortal body, one could imagine the difficulty.

Not to mention some Holy Sons and God Bodies passed down from ancient times.

This hurdle was also a must-pass for ordinary geniuses.

Only after passing it would the sea be wide and the sky high.

"Are you afraid?"

The first copy smiled slightly.

The three didn't rush to move, just looking at Lu Zhangsheng quietly, a mountain-like pressure suppressing Lu Zhangsheng.

"Afraid?"

Lu Zhangsheng laughed.

He had risen all the way, experienced countless bloody battles, and had never been afraid.

In this life, the most enjoyable thing besides drinking spirit wine was a hearty battle.

He had reached this step today by relying on his own earth-shattering talent; how could he be afraid? "Then let's fight."

He drew his long blade.

Since there was no way to avoid it, he would have a hearty fight.

Since his physical body broke through to the Innate level, he had never felt where his own limit was.

Seeing this, the three copies also drew their long blades and stood quietly on the sea.

The momentum of both sides collided in the void, kicking up a thousand layers of giant waves.

Whoosh...

The wild wind roared, and the waves surged.

Endless seawater poured back toward the four, all isolated by their body protection Gang Qi.

A great battle between the two sides was on the verge of breaking out.

The field was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder.

"Kill."

Lu Zhangsheng excited his own Qi and Blood to the limit, turning into a furnace standing above his head.

Then he slashed forward violently with one blade.

Swish...

The sea surface under his feet was cut several feet deep by this blade, which was extremely shocking.

This blade was already his own limit; the power of this blade technique, Sky-Splitting Strike, was fully manifested.

Plus his own essence blood and secret technique amplification, as well as four-tenths of Killing True Intent, the power of this blade likely approached that of a true Innate expert.

Seeing this, the three copies did not show weakness and also slashed forward with one blade.

Brilliant blade light flickered in the void, and the momentum was terrifying to the extreme.

The posture and angle of the three's blade strikes were exactly the same as Lu Zhangsheng's.

Both were Sky-Splitting Strikes.

This made Lu Zhangsheng's heart freeze.

He had guessed correctly; the strength of these three was almost exactly the same as his own.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

In an instant, both sides collided violently, and violent rumbling sounds resounded through the clouds.

Under a single strike.

After one strike.

"Zzz..."

Lu Zhangsheng suddenly retreated dozens of meters, and the Gang Qi around his body vibrated violently, emitting a harsh whistling sound.

His face turned pale, and he immediately operated the Indestructible Golden Body to suppress the surging Qi and Blood in his body.

One against three, he still couldn't avoid falling into an absolute disadvantage.

At this moment, he was even more wary of that mysterious First Deputy Hall Master.

The strength of someone who could clear this layer was absolutely terrifying. "Kill."

The three did not stop and rushed toward Lu Zhangsheng again.

In an instant, they arrived beside Lu Zhangsheng and surrounded him.

Lu Zhangsheng also rushed up with his blade.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Both sides launched an unprecedented bloody battle on the sea.

Sharp blade lights shuttled crazily in the void, like a giant net.

The four turned into residual shadows, colliding fiercely on the sea.

Each strike was close to an Innate expert's strike.

The momentum was fierce and peerless.

Outside, on the square.

The crowd on the field had already caused an uproar.

Countless people stared at the information in the void ahead, afraid of missing a thread.

Even several Deputy Hall Masters were clenching their fists tightly, their eyes full of shock.

Time had passed for more than half an hour, and the other party hadn't come out yet.

Clearly, he was fighting a bloody battle on the Thirteenth Layer.

Just looking at the challenge time, it had already surpassed the Second Deputy Hall Master, Wan Houyu.

This kind of strength could almost sweep away several of their Deputy Hall Masters.

Of course, except for that person.

Wan Houyu's shock was far beyond the crowd.

Among those present, only he knew what he would face on the Thirteenth Layer.

That was a hurdle that could only be broken by experts who were truly invincible at the same level, and the difficulty was perverted to the extreme.

Thinking that Lu Zhangsheng was fighting against it, and the time was so long, he felt a sense of chill in his heart.

"Is it possible for this person to break through to Heavenly Pride?"

"If he breaks through three layers in a row, it would be another Ye Wudi, and even refresh the records of the entire Prefecture City..."

Nan Gonglei's eyes were full of wariness.

At this moment, he was somewhat afraid in his heart.

His own status would not be guaranteed.

Another giant mountain would likely appear above their heads.

"Impossible."

Wan Houyu gritted his teeth and said firmly.

That kind of difficulty was definitely not something an ordinary person could break through.

The remaining Deputy Hall Masters were also very uneasy, and even began to pray silently for the other party's failure.

Inside the Demon-Suppressing Division's General Hall.

Liang Jinghui sat on a chair, quietly looking at the crystal ball ahead.

Inside was the scene of Lu Zhangsheng fighting a bloody battle.

Around him were several elders, their momentum extremely fierce.

Clearly, they were all Innate experts.

The ten Deputy Hall Masters were equivalent to the sect's true disciples.

Their status was not even inferior to some ordinary Innate martial artists.

"Congratulations, Lord Liang; this child is extraordinary and has a style of an ancient Heavenly Pride."

"I think he has some hope of breaking through this hurdle."

An old man stroked his beard with a smile.

"Hard to say; among us sitting here, no one was able to break through this hurdle when they were in the Tuotai realm."

Liang Jinghui smiled faintly.

A hundred years ago, he was only at the genius level, and he had reached today by relying on his tenacious character.

Many of those top-tier geniuses had turned into bones.

As for Lu Zhangsheng, in his view, he was still far behind.

The remaining few also nodded faintly.

They didn't think highly of Lu Zhangsheng being able to clear the level directly either.

This hurdle was the dividing line that truly separated geniuses from Heavenly Prides.

The difficulty naturally broke through the sky.

Only those with the talent to grow into god-like larvae could possibly break through; otherwise, it was just wishful thinking.

Lu Zhangsheng didn't know that his challenge had triggered a magnitude-10 earthquake in Qingning Prefecture.

The news that Qingning Prefecture was about to produce another Heavenly Pride spread to the entire Qingzhou, and even some rumors reached the capital.

Up to this point, Lu Zhangsheng's name officially began to spread throughout the entire Great Zhou.

At this moment.

Inside the Thirteenth Layer.

Lu Zhangsheng's face was pale, his long robe was damaged, and even his body was covered with bright red marks.

One could imagine the tragedy of the battle.

The long blade in his hand was still waving strenuously, like an undefeated god of war.

The three copies were also in tatters, but their momentum did not weaken in the slightest.

The decisive battle had been going on for more than an hour.

Lu Zhangsheng looked at the other party's aura that still hadn't dropped, knowing that it was impossible to exhaust them to death.

In this Tongtian Tower, the other party's Qi and Blood were likely endless.

He could only rely on absolute strength to kill the other party; besides that, he had no other choice.

Thinking of this, he shouted directly toward the void ahead: "Give up the challenge."

"Swish..."

As soon as the words fell, the three copies instantly disappeared.

Lu Zhangsheng was also teleported to the bottom of the first layer.

The information in the void above his head also changed.

Thirteenth Layer, challenge failed.

Lu Zhangsheng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, carried his hands behind his back, and walked toward the entrance.

With his current strength, it was not enough to kill the three perfect copies.

After giving up the challenge this time, he must have his strength skyrocket within a month.

Otherwise, everything would be wasted.

Break through to Heavenly Pride within a month.

Lu Zhangsheng made up his mind secretly.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

As the stone gate ahead gradually rose, Lu Zhangsheng lifted his feet and walked out of the Tongtian Tower.

Seeing this, the crowd on the field avoided him with awe.

The shock in their eyes lingered for a long time.

No one had expected Lu Zhangsheng to fight a bloody battle inside for more than an hour.

This kind of strength was already extremely close to a true Heavenly Pride.

"Fortunately, fortunately..."

Wan Houyu and several other Deputy Hall Masters looked relieved, feeling quite fortunate in their hearts.

If the other party directly became a Heavenly Pride, everyone would likely live in the other party's shadow in the future.

However, although that was the case, several people were still extremely wary.

With this kind of strength, except for the Second Deputy Hall Master, they were simply no match.

Lu Zhangsheng carried his hands behind his back and walked forward, the tragic killing aura around his body not yet completely dissipated, making the crowd around tense their bodies.

Amidst the fearful gazes of the crowd, he gradually drifted away.

The next day.

Early in the morning, Lu Zhangsheng left his courtyard and walked toward the Demon-Suppressing Division.

Yesterday, he broke through two layers in a row, and his salary also rose by twenty percent.

But this was not enough to make his strength skyrocket in a short time, and it could only be a long-term trickle.

The pangolin clone mining in the Shiwan Dashan could also hardly collect a large number of spirit objects in a month.

If he wanted to improve his strength rapidly, there was another path within the Demon-Suppressing Division.

That was to kill through the Trial Land.

It was rumored that quite a few Demon-Suppressing Envoys had their strength skyrocket after breaking through this place.

This was also Lu Zhangsheng's only opportunity.

Lu Zhangsheng was quite curious about this magical place; as long as he could increase his Killing True Intent by more than twenty percent, he would have a great chance of passing the Thirteenth Layer.

He walked through the bustling streets all the way.

The breeze blew his white long robe, and the whole person was like a peerless young master walking out of a painting.

A large number of figures on both sides avoided him, full of awe.

Lu Zhangsheng's name had long resounded throughout Qingning Prefecture.

Before long, Lu Zhangsheng arrived in front of a magnificent hall.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 145 =====