Chapter 182 - 137: Setting Out
「Yong City, Prefectural Yamen.」
Lu Changfeng, clad in a purple robe, sat high upon the main seat.
Lining the hall on both sides were the Demon Sects and Demon Generals of the Saint Demon Sect, along with Grand Steward Lin Erfeng.
As Lu Changfeng conversed with the Demon Sects under his command, he continuously tempered his right arm with his Inner Strength.
He estimated it would still take over half a year for his newly grown right arm to recover to its former strength.
Soon, Lu Changfeng had laid out his next course of action.
In five days, once news of his battle in the Capital Region had spread, Lu Changfeng would personally lead the major Demon Sects and the army of the Saint Demon Sect north. The first battle would be to take Phoenix City.
The ultimate strategic objective was to bring the twelve cities in northern Yunyang Prefecture entirely under his control, completely trapping the Capital Region in the north.
Furthermore, with Fang Yuan’s death, the Bone-Eroding Demon Sect was now leaderless.
Lu Changfeng temporarily appointed one of Fang Yuan’s True Disciples as the Deputy Sect Leader.
This man, Ye Zheng, was a Martial Sect at the Bone Refining Fifth Layer, but he lacked a Demon Fiend Bloodline.
The Bone-Eroding Demon Sect’s Cultivation Technique was unique, with specific requirements for both Martial Talent and Demon Fiend Talent. Lu Changfeng would have to wait and observe before making a final decision on the official Sect Master.
"I have a question, and I wonder if you Demon Sects and Demon Generals can answer it for me." Once the official business was concluded, Lu Changfeng changed the subject.
Before the Demon Sects could reply, Lu Changfeng continued, "Do any of you know about the ’Outer Realm’?"
Upon hearing this, some of the younger Demon Sects and Demon Generals looked confused yet intrigued.
Only Xuansha, whose Demon Sect had a much older heritage and who had served as a Sect Master for a long time, replied, "Saint Master, the matter of the Outer Realm is recorded in the Secret Scriptures of the Dark Buddha Demon Sect."
Lu Changfeng nodded slightly. "Xuansha, tell me what you know."
Xuansha then began to explain:
"This world of ours has another name: the Profound Realm."
"And beyond the Profound Realm, above the Nine Heavens, there is another world known as the Outer Realm."
"Since Ancient Times, there have been occasional records of people from the Outer Realm entering our Profound Realm."
"The most recent case was a visitor from the Outer Realm three hundred years ago."
Xuansha paused. Seeing that Lu Changfeng and everyone else’s eager eyes were fixed upon him, he continued.
"That visitor from three hundred years ago was extraordinarily powerful. The moment he entered the Profound Realm, he sought to declare himself king. In the end, he was killed by the previous Saint Master."
"However, Saint Master Yang was gravely injured as a result. He was later defeated by the Song Imperial Court, who had allied with the Divine Sword Sect, and ultimately met a grim end in the Western Domain."
The real Yang Jingtian had been far more powerful than the Clone Lu Changfeng was now controlling.
Back then, Yang Jingtian’s power had reached the peak of the True Spirit Body, and his Martial Arts True Intent had been honed to an incredibly high level.
No one could last long against his Heaven-Slaying Blade.
Lu Changfeng frowned slightly. Xuansha’s words confirmed the existence of the Outer Realm.
The question was, what kind of world was the Outer Realm?
Why did people from the Outer Realm enter the Profound Realm, and didn’t the people of the Profound Realm want to leave?
Lu Changfeng voiced these questions.
Xuansha replied, "Saint Master, there are of course people in our Profound Realm who wish to go to the outside world. But according to the records, most who leave end up returning to the Profound Realm. As for the specific reasons why, I do not know."
"Furthermore, the Domain Membrane beyond the Nine Heavens of the Profound Realm is not easily breached. Each passage, in or out, requires a tremendous amount of effort."
"It is also said to cause the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy within the Profound Realm to weaken even further."
At these words, Lu Changfeng’s gaze sharpened. He had seized upon the crucial point.
’Could it be that the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy in the Outer Realm Space is even scarcer than in the Profound Realm?’
’If so, that would explain why those Human Race experts recorded in the Dark Buddha Demon Sect’s scriptures left only to return.’
’I have to understand the relationship between the Outer Realm and the Profound Realm.’
’I have to take a more long-term view.’
’Right now, I have the Longevity Sword Dao.’
’But if the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy in the Profound Realm continues to weaken, Martial Arts will eventually vanish from this world.’
’It might not disappear within a hundred or a thousand years, but what about in several thousand, or even tens of thousands of years?’
’Once Martial Arts are gone, people won’t even be able to reach the Blood Forging Realm. That means there will be no more Blood Forging Realm Sword Skills—the most basic requirement for my Longevity Sword Dao’s Devouring ability.’
’Without a new supply of Swordsmanship for the Longevity Sword Dao to devour, my path to Longevity will be for naught.’
’I want true, endless Longevity—not just to live for a few tens of thousands of years before I keel over.’
’I have a plan. After I unify the world, I must cultivate an interest in sword practice among the common people. I’ll turn the Song Country into a nation founded on the sword, and that way, they’ll create countless new forms of Swordsmanship for me.’
"In addition to collecting Swordsmanship, all sects are to pay close attention to any matters concerning the Outer Realm."
"The Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy is growing weaker by the day. In the future, our descendants may have to travel to the Outer Realm just to carry on the tradition of Martial Arts," Lu Changfeng said.
The assembled Demon Sects and Demon Generals all voiced their assent.
...
Over the next few days, news of Lu Changfeng’s battle in the Capital Region spread like wildfire.
In the Martial Arts Realm, in addition to traditional methods of communication like carrier pigeons and messenger hawks, some special Demon Fiend Bloodlines also allowed for long-distance message transmission.
This was especially true since the battle had taken place in the Capital Region, the very heart of the Song Country.
In truth, news had already reached various places on the day of the battle itself.
This included the territory of Daliang Country.
The Emperor of Daliang received the news immediately via his spies, making him one of the very first to learn of the battle in the Capital Region.
"Cancel the plan to raid Qin City." Upon learning the outcome of the battle in the Capital Region, the Emperor of Daliang immediately halted the plan his top general had recently prepared.