Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

Chapter 174.1: Dao Foundation Candidate List Experts Join Forces! (I)

"O-okay... Okay!" Gu Chen blurted out. "We were wrong. We were wrong!"

Lu Changsheng looked at the defeated faces of his Senior Brothers and finally withdrew his Domains.

Liu Pu steadied himself and drew a slow breath. "If I'm not mistaken, that was Junior Brother Lu's five-in-one Domain. That was really impressive. Even among the experts on the Dao Foundation Candidate List, very few can manifest one."

Before this, Liu Pu had his doubts about Lu Changsheng. He assumed Lu Changsheng had killed Xu Haotian through tricks, or perhaps sheer luck. Too many disciples carried reputations that far exceeded their ability, men who built their names on nothing but boast and bluster, and he had taken Lu Changsheng for one of them.

After experiencing the Five Elements Domain for himself, those doubts vanished completely. The five-in-one domain truly lived up to its reputation.

Lu Changsheng did not respond to Liu Pu's comment. Instead, he talked about the Azure Cloud Fruits. "At least how many Azure Cloud Fruits do you want?"

Gu Chen thought for a moment. "Minimum three each."

Lu Changsheng nodded. "Once we seize the Azure Cloud Fruits, each of you will get five. The rest will be mine, no matter how many there are. Any objections?"

Lu Changsheng's voice was not loud, yet it carried unmistakable authority. Among the disciples of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, there was likely no one who could match him in either strength or status at this moment, so such confidence came naturally to him.

Gu Chen exchanged a glance with the others. "Five Azure Cloud Fruits can expand the Mind Space by five li. That's more than enough for me."

"I agree," Liu Pu said.

"I agree as well," Han Tianyun added.

The Three Swordsmen of the Heavenly Sect all nodded in agreement. They only wanted three each, so being offered five left no room for complaint.

Lu Changsheng smiled, satisfied with the arrangement. Each Azure Cloud Fruit could expand the Mind Space by one li, so he wanted as many as possible. If they could really get fifty fruits in the end, he would walk away with more than thirty after the others took their share.

Truth be told, he would take all the fruits if he could do so. However, he still needed to give the Three Swordsmen a share of the profits. Without them, he would not even find the Azure Cloud Fruits, and when the time came, they would be valuable allies against the supreme Divine Treasury experts who were bound to appear.

"When do we set off?" Gu Chen asked.

"Now. No point in waiting." Lu Changsheng did not want to linger a moment longer. "The Azure Cloud Fruits could ripen at any moment now. The sooner we reach the site, the better we can prepare."

Gu Chen, Liu Pu, and Han Tianyun all nodded.

"Let's move then," Gu Chen said, "I'll lead the way."

Just like that, the four martial artists left the base of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect and headed straight for the second layer of the Ancient Region.

It was not Lu Changsheng's first time there. His previous visit had taken him to Boundary Mountain, but that was only one corner of the second layer.

Lu Changsheng followed closely behind the Three Swordsmen. They did not disclose the exact location of the Azure Cloud Fruits to him, and he did not ask. That was simply how things were done.

As fellow true inheritor disciples, they shared a certain level of trust, but not enough for complete openness. With something as rare as Azure Cloud Fruits at stake, caution was simply part of the game.

The three of them led the way without a word. They traveled until they reached a mountain range, then pressed on through the mountains for another three days.

Suddenly, Gu Chen came to a stop. "We're here!"

Lu Changsheng nodded. The truth was, he already knew that they had arrived before Gu Chen even spoke. His Sense Domain had already detected many powerful auras ahead.

"Why are there so many people?" Liu Pu asked.

"There weren't this many when we left," Gu Chen added. "I didn't expect the crowd to have grown so large."

Han Tianyu sighed. "The news of the fruits must have spread. This complicates things."

The four of them continued walking forward, and when the scene opened up before them, the Three Swordsmen were dumbfounded. They had never seen so many Divine Treasury martial artists gathered in one area before, and among them were a few supreme experts on the Dao Foundation Candidate List.

The Three Swordsmen exchanged glances, the shock in their eyes quickly settling into grim understanding. With so many Divine Treasury experts here, competing for the Azure Cloud Fruits was not going to be easy.

Lu Changsheng studied the crowd and felt a sense of familiarity. When he fought over the Golden Fruits at the Golden Swamp, the Divine Fortification martial artists had gathered in the same way. Back then, however, they had formed teams and surrounded the swamp in groups. Here, many of the supreme Divine Treasury experts stood alone, while only the ordinary martial artists clustered together.

Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. "Where are the Azure Cloud Fruits?"

Gu Chen pointed ahead. "Three li further. That tree with the umbrella-shaped canopy is the Azure Cloud Tree, and the fruits hanging from it are the Azure Cloud Fruits. The tree only blooms and bears fruit once in its lifetime. Once this chance passes, it will slowly wither and die."

Lu Changsheng nodded. Knowing this could be his only chance at the Azure Cloud Fruits, he was even more determined to make it count.

Lu Changsheng quickly used his Sense Domain to examine the fruits, then said to the Three Swordsmen, "Judging by the appearance of the Azure Cloud Fruits, they'll ripen within three days."

While they waited, the number of martial artists continued to grow. But not many crowded near the Azure Cloud Tree. For Divine Treasury experts, who already had Domains that could expand several li, being closer to the Azure Cloud Tree offered little advantage. They could simply strike from afar if they wanted.

The ones closest to the tree were mostly ordinary martial artists, while the supreme experts, those listed on the Dao Foundation Candidate List, were more likely hidden within the crowd, quietly waiting for the right moment.

"Junior Brother Lu, what should we do?" Gu Chen asked. The Three Swordsmen of the Heavenly Sect were visibly unsettled. This was not what any of them had planned for.

Lu Changsheng remained composed. "No need to rush. Sit down and wait."

In response, the four of them took their seats on the ground and waited in silence.

One day passed, then another, and then another. In what felt like the blink of an eye, three days passed by. The Azure Cloud Fruits were clearly on the verge of ripening, perhaps that very night or the very next day. As the moment drew closer, the atmosphere changed. The Divine Treasury martial artists grew restless, and their anticipation became hard to conceal as they prepared to fight for the fruits.

Even Gu Chen fidgeted, his eyes drifting to Lu Changsheng again and again. But Lu Changsheng had not moved. He sat like a mountain, perfectly still, perfectly calm. Watching him, Gu Chen, Liu Pu, and Han Tianyun gradually settled back down as well.

Time crept on. Then, without warning, a martial artist in white robes stepped out from the crowd and walked toward the Azure Cloud Tree. Each step he took drew more attention until all eyes were fixed on him. When he reached the tree, he turned to face the crowd.

A murmur spread through the crowd as people recognized him.

"It's Lan Tianxiao! He's ranked forty-eighth on the Dao Foundation Candidate List!"

"I didn't think he'd show up! To be ranked within the top fifty of the Dao Foundation Candidate List and have a Mind Space of over ninety li, his strength must be on another level!"

"What is he doing in front of the tree, though? Does he plan to take the Azure Cloud Fruits for himself?"

"Unlikely. He's strong, but there are plenty of experts on the Dao Foundation Candidate List here. Taking on all of them alone would be foolish."

"Yeah, that's right. It doesn't make sense to draw all this attention now. What is he planning?"

In a situation like this, most martial artists would stay quiet and avoid standing out. Anyone who attracted too much attention risked becoming the target of the entire crowd. But for some reason, Lan Tianxiao had decided to draw all eyes to him.

Lan Tianxiao looked over the crowd, his expression carrying a trace of disdain. "We are all here for the Azure Cloud Fruits, but there are far too many of us. I suggest that those on the Dao Foundation Candidate List should join forces and thin out the competitors by driving off the other Divine Treasury martial artists. When the fruits ripen, we'll then compete amongst ourselves. What do you say?"

Lan Tianxiao's words immediately caused an uproar among many Divine Treasury martial artists.

"What is Lan Tianxiao trying to do? How dare he suggest the experts on the Dao Foundation Candidate List join forces and drive us off?"

"Damn it. He wants to get rid of those who are not on the list entirely. Does he think only those on the Dao Foundation Candidate List are worthy of competing for the fruits?"

"This sucks! His proposal will probably appeal to plenty of experts on the list. Fewer competitors mean better odds for them. Of course, they'll agree to it."