Signing a Divine Soul Contract with this kid really is a bargain for him.
Back in his prime, even humble Nascent Soul cultivators werenât qualified to sweep the floor for him.
Who would have thought heâd end up making a contract with someone like this today? Heavenâs will spins its wheel, thatâs for sure!
"Donât flatter me. Iâm the one restoring you to freedom! If it werenât for me, you might be trapped for who knows how longâyouâd probably never see the sun again for the rest of your life!"
Lin Changâsheng chuckled, then left the sheepskin scrollâs space immediately.
The next step, naturally, was to acquire the Sea God Tower.
Lin Changâsheng remembered clearly where the Sea God Tower was located, and arrived within a few days.
Woooâwoooâwoooâ
The Demon Evil Storms here were ferocious beyond compare; even Early Stage Nascent Soul cultivators dared not approach casually.
But Lin Changâsheng had mastered the Storm Array, and these violent tempests, upon seeing him, parted of their own accord.
"Sea God Towerâstep into the light once more!"
Lin Changâsheng murmured, then circulated his magical power within. The force of the storm gathered as howling winds surged all around, stirring the sea into a massive whirlpool.
The whirlpool expanded larger and larger, until the divine tower in the deep sea was revealed.
Beneath the sea, the Sea God Tower still glimmered with golden radiance.
Yet bizarrely, it was bound to the seabed by massive iron chains, and with only half its strength, it was nearly impossible to budge it.
But Lin Changâsheng commanded the might of stormsâeven iron chains, or mountain ranges, would be mere dust before him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Chain after chain shattered beneath the hurricaneâs roar, and the Sea God Tower slowly floated toward the surface.
As the chains binding the Sea God Tower snapped, the iron chains shackling the elder inside the sheepskin scroll broke one by one as well, returning him to freedom.
The next instant, he soared out from the sheepskin scroll.
As the elder emerged, he greedily gulped down the outside air, feeling instantly invigorated.
"Three thousand years! At last, I am free!"
The elder spread his arms wide, shouting loudly.
At once, heaven responded with an omen: dark clouds rolled across the sky, and streaks of silver lightning danced overhead.
As if a torrential downpour was imminent.
"Can you rein it in a little?"
Lin Changâsheng complained; he was at the critical moment of obtaining the Sea God Tower, and this old bastard just had to come out yelling, triggering omens from heaven.
Was he not disrupting Lin Changâshengâs acquisition of the Sea God Tower?
Still, it proved the elderâs cultivation was extraordinary, even with only his broken Primordial Spiritâs power.
Just a few words brought heaven and earth into tumultâhis cultivation was imaginable.
Lin Changâsheng guessed conservatively that the guy had at least reached the Integration Stage.
In other words, he was a full two great realms above Lin Changâsheng.
Integration Stage cultivators can live more than ten thousand yearsâno wonder signing the contract meant instantly sharing a thousand years of life force.
"Ahem, ahemâ"
The elder coughed heavily twice, trying to calm his excitement.
"This Sea God Tower is a Heaven-Reaching Immortal Treasure from the Immortal Realm. There are twenty-four layers of restrictionsâyou canât just take control. You have to refine the first layer of restriction before you can command it!"
Seeing Lin Changâsheng pull the Sea God Tower from the depths, the elder kindly advised him.
"No wonder itâs so hard to control. So, I need to refine the first layer of restriction?"
Lin Changâsheng was enlightened immediately.
Luckily, the Demon Evil Seaâs great powers had already been wiped outânobody would disturb him as he refined the Sea God Tower.
"You just focus on refining the restriction. Iâll stand guard for you!"
The elder replied generously. Out in the world again, he was in good spirits and no longer concerned over the contract with Lin Changâsheng.
With those words, Lin Changâsheng felt more assured.
Though the elder was just a Divine Soul now, his cultivation was formidable; ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators werenât even worth mentioning against him.
Even Lin Changâsheng himself didnât have much confidence if they faced off.
Lin Changâsheng sat cross-legged, began circulating his divine sense, and started refining the Sea God Towerâs first restriction.
...
A month flashed by.
Lin Changâsheng still hadnât refined the first layer of the Sea God Towerâs restriction.
This left Lin Changâsheng rather frustrated.
If the first restriction alone took a month, how long would it take to refine all twenty-four layers?
"Do not get impatient. Your cultivation is just at the Late Stage of Nascent Soul. To refine a Heaven-Reaching Immortal Treasure, even just the first layer of restriction, requires at least six months!"
The elder saw Lin Changâsheng getting worked up and offered a timely reminder.
A Heaven-Reaching Immortal Treasure was not so easy to win over.
"Six months?"
Lin Changâsheng couldnât help clicking his tongue.
Still, at least now he had something to aim for, rather than blind refinement with no end in sight.
Six months for a first-rate treasureâworth it.
Even in the Immortal Realm, this treasure would be renowned.
...
Three more months slipped by.
While Lin Changâsheng was busy refining the Sea God Towerâs restriction, the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm had fallen into chaos.
Because Situ Wu, in the Spirit-Seizing Land, had recovered thanks to Zhao Fuhuâs continual hunting and feeding him cultivators, healed enough to leave that place and begin massacring across the Southern Realm.
Slaughtering cultivators allowed him to absorb their blood and Divine Souls, boosting his cultivation.
Although Situ Wu escaped the Spirit-Seizing Land, he hadnât yet regained his peak power.
Heâd only nursed his injuries into decent shape, but deep ailments and Divine Soul wounds would need much more blood to mend.
So, after emerging, Situ Wu began wide-scale slaughter, throwing the Southern Realm into panic.
...
Immortal Ascension Sect.
At that moment, the Sect Leaders of the Four Great Immortal Sects had gathered in one hall.
Though the Fierce Sun Dao Venerable of Yin Yang Dao Sect perished, a respected Elder Qianyang was quickly chosen as Sect Leader.
"Fellow Sect Leaders, speak your minds freelyâif we come up empty-handed now, the Southern Realm is doomed!"
Liao Bugui looked deeply troubled.
He hadnât expected that taking up the leaderâs seat would bring him so many headachesâfar worse than anything Su Changkong had faced in his centuries of service.
"This manâs cultivation is monstrousâhe must be from the Immortal Realm. Even if we join forces, I doubt we stand a chance. I advise all sects to immediately evacuate your disciples: save whoever you can."
Ling Yue weighed the situation.
This adversary was many times past Nascent Soulâthe likes of them couldnât possibly deal with him.
"If we run, what will become of the people of the Southern Realm?"
Sect Leader Wang Chonglou of the Celestial Sword Sect was unwilling.
Since theyâd enjoyed the peopleâs respect, they must stand up when the Southern Realm faced dangerânot scurry away to save themselves.
Thatâs the way of a true cultivator, isnât it?
"Sect Leader Wang, I get where youâre coming from. But the gap between our strength and theirs is enormousâstaying behind wonât save the people, itâll just mean throwing lives away."
Ling Yue reminded him.
Did she not want to stay and protect the Southern Realmâs people?
Itâs just that the enemyâs cultivation level was out of their league.
"Leave if you wantâIâll never run. Iâd rather fight to the death!"
Wang Chonglou declared decisively.
The Southern Realm was his home. Death was nothing to fear.
"I support Sect Leader Wangâs view. Iâll stand and fight too!"
Qianyang Daoist of the Yin Yang Dao Sect also seemed to have made his decisionâtheir Sect Leader had perished here, they would not run.
Death means nothing.
"Sect Leader Ling, what are your thoughts?"
Liao Bugui looked to Ling Yue. If they all were staying, he couldnât be the only one to flee.
"Since both Sect Leaders are staying, of course Iâll join you!"
Seeing she couldnât convince them, Ling Yue simply let goâit was do-or-die now.
"In that case, Iâve no more to say. Iâll offer what little strength I can!"
Liao Bugui sighed helplessly.
Seems he couldnât run even if he wanted to.
"Hahahaâ"
Just as the Four Great Immortal Sects made their decision, a loud laugh echoed from across the sky.
"Still hoping to fight me to the death? What a joke! Since youâre all gathered here, I wonât have to hunt you down one by one!"
Situ Wuâs thunderous voice rolled in from the horizon.
Clearly, Situ Wu had come to this place.
Heâd probably gotten the location from Zhao Fuhu. Slaying powerful cultivators aided the recovery of Situ Wuâs wounds, so he decided to wipe out the Five Great Immortal Sects first.
Whoâd have thought, on arriving, heâd find the Four Great Immortal Sects all in one place.
"He came that quick?"
Ling Yue frowned, then joined the four Sect Leaders in stepping out of the hall.
Outside the hall, Situ Wu and Zhao Fuhu stood atop a huge ten-zhang-long blade.
"Call Lin Changâsheng outâletâs watch him die!"
Zhao Fuhu said coldly. This time, letâs see how Lin Changâsheng survives.