How quickly the Dao Comprehension Pill started to lose its effects varied from person to person.

I still haven't taken anywhere near that many.

With that in mind, Lu Changsheng took a Dao Comprehension Pill, and before long, he slipped into a state of epiphany.

Buzz...

He manifested his Saber Intent. It was still in its earliest stage, with progress at only about one percent. Even with his Perception, turning that intent into a Domain would take months at best and years at worst.

Even so, that was already faster than most ordinary martial artists. Even Divine Treasury experts would need several years, or more than a decade, to evolve a new Intent into a Domain. That was why most Divine Treasury experts did not focus on Domain evolution: the process was simply too slow. If they relied on Domain evolution alone, they might only yield a few Domains in their whole lifetime. Expanding the Mind Space to one hundred li would be out of reach, let alone advancing to the Dao Foundation.

However, Lu Changsheng was different. His Perception was exceptional. He could comprehend Intent with ease, then use Dao Comprehension Pills to push it toward a Domain.

One percent, ten percent... twenty, thirty...

He advanced at a staggering pace, raising his Saber Intent by nearly ten percent every two hours. After ten hours, his progress had already reached fifty percent. By then, however, the effects of the Dao Comprehension Pill had worn off, as the limit was exactly ten hours.

So, he took another pill. His Saber Intent remained fully manifested, shifting and evolving without pause. The process continued for another ten hours.

Boom!

At last, the Saber Intent evolved into the Saber Domain!

I did it! I have a sixth Domain!

He was almost amazed at himself. It had taken him only two Dao Comprehension Pills and twenty hours to grasp Saber Intent and evolve it into a Domain. Once again, his Perception proved incredible. At this rate, he believed that no Divine Treasury martial artist could surpass him in this regard.

In theory, as long as I don't develop a tolerance for the pill, I'd only need two pills and one day to comprehend a Domain. One hundred Domains... in just one hundred days!

The idea of comprehending a hundred new Domains in a little more than three months was astonishing. Of course, things were not that simple. There was a good chance he would stop feeling the effects of the Dao Comprehension Pill by then. Moreover, comprehending a Domain did not mean he could materialize it. For that, he had to elevate each Domain to Perfection, which meant at least twelve pills per Domain.

If the Dao Comprehension Pills eventually lose their effects, it would be a waste to keep using them at this stage to bring Domains to Perfection. I need to make the most out of them, and that would be to evolve new Domains, not perfect them. Besides, now that I'm in the Divine Treasury Realm, I have other means to bring Domains to Perfection, namely the Mind Space.

With all that figured out, Lu Changsheng integrated his new Saber Domain into the Mind Space. This time, there was no reaction. The space did not expand as it had before.

So that's how it is.

It seemed that only Perfect Domain or certain special techniques could expand the Mind Space. A Perfect Domain required no nurturing; it could directly materialize through the Mind Space and display immense power. An imperfect Domain, however, needed to be slowly nurtured.

As for the speed of nurturing, it varied by individual. Lu Changsheng sensed it briefly. Within his Mind Space, almost nothing escaped his awareness.

Feels like it would take at least a month to nurture the Saber Domain to Perfection.

He frowned slightly, but in truth, taking only one month to nurture a new Domain to Perfection was already quite fast. Many martial artists needed several months. Of course, if they continued to refine their understanding while nurturing it, the process would naturally speed up.

One month to bring a single Domain to Perfection, and the Mind Space can only nurture one at a time... In theory, if I could evolve a hundred Domains, then just nurturing them to Perfection in the Mind Space would take over eight years.

That amount of time was not long at all. If Lu Changsheng could continue comprehending Domains month after month, then in just eight years, his Mind Space could reach one hundred li. At that point, he could refine a Mind Materialization Stone and build his Dao Foundation. In theory, this process could be astonishingly fast.

However, he was not happy with that. Eight years still felt far too long for him. Fortunately, he had heard that once a Mind Stabilization Stone was refined, the Mind Space would become much more stable, and that stability would also improve the efficiency of nurturing Domains. With that, he might no longer need a full month to perfect a Domain.

Two pills left... I'll comprehend another Domain. For the seventh, I'll go with Sword Intent!

Saber Intent, Sword Intent, and Fist Intent were among the most commonly comprehended Intents for martial artists. The reason for that was simple: there were countless saber, sword, and fist techniques out there. From their earliest battles, martial artists relied on those three above all else. Even now, Lu Changsheng still fought with a saber.

Another day passed by, and Lu Changsheng successfully comprehended Sword Intent and evolved the Sword Domain.

"Haa..."

With no pills left, he could not continue his cultivation for now.

Let's see...

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 4570 (Praised by All)

[Skills]

Heart Sword True Mantra: 1% (Jade Heart Sword)

Saber Domain: Nurturing

Sword Domain: Progress 1%

He still had the Storm Domain, the Wave Domain, and others, but he had hidden them away. They would appear whenever needed. After all, those Domains had already reached Perfection and could no longer improve.

Right now, I need more Dao Comprehension Pills... A lot more, in fact.

Regardless, he was in no hurry. After all, his Sword Domain was still waiting in line to enter the Mind Space for nurturing.

Nurturing one Domain took one month, and now he had two to nurture, which meant he had plenty of time to earn contribution points and exchange them for more Dao Comprehension Pills.

With that in mind, Lu Changsheng left the Transmission Hall. After a moment's thought, he headed for the Heavenly Lin Squad's pavilion.

"Captain," he called out. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Liu Yuan and the other members of the squad were inside.

"It's Senior Brother Lu."

"You mean, True Inheritor Lu!"

"Never thought Senior Brother Lu would become a true inheritor so soon..."

The members of the Heavenly Lin Squad greeted Lu Changsheng one by one, and he returned each greeting. They sat together for a while and caught up.

Although Lu Changsheng treated them as he always had, things were no longer the same. The others could not respond with the same ease as before. He was now a true inheritor disciple. There was now a huge gap in status, position, and strength that separated them. Even though he was still the same person, things could never be as casual as before.

"Captain, I am actually here to say goodbye. I've advanced to the Divine Treasury and become a true inheritor disciple. Even if I take missions, I won't be able to stay in the first layer anymore, and I'll have to go to the second. And the second layer is too dangerous for you."

Liu Yuan opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing. He understood how things were. The Heavenly Lin Squad could no longer keep up with Lu Changsheng, and there was no way Lu Changsheng would halt his cultivation just to remain in the first layer with them.

After all, if Lu Changsheng used his strength to suppress those in the Divine Fortification Realm there, he would be bullying the weak, and the forces behind those disciples would step in against him, justifiably so.

In the end, if Lu Changsheng wanted to earn contribution points, he could only go to the second layer.

"Sure, we understand." Liu Yuan nodded. "I hope that one day we'll see each other in the second layer. Maybe the Heavenly Lin Squad will get its chance to make it there, too."

Lu Changsheng rose with a smile and gave Liu Yuan and the others a long look. Then, he turned and left.

After leaving the pavilion, Lu Changsheng made his way to the Mission Hall. This was actually his first time there. In the past, he had always earned contribution points with the Heavenly Lin Squad. Liu Yuan handled the missions, so Lu Changsheng had never needed to come here himself.

Now, however, things were different. As a true inheritor disciple, Lu Changsheng would be venturing into the second layer on his own. Naturally, he had to start checking missions for himself.

Tasks related to the second layer...

Lu Changsheng swept his gaze across the mission board. There were not many tasks in the second layer, but the few ones each offered a generous amount of contribution points. Many involved capturing spirit beasts or slaying demons. Some demons made excellent materials for alchemy, while their bloodlines could also benefit the sect.

As for spirit beasts, every part of them was valuable. Even if martial artists had no use for them, they could be sold to Immortal Masters or Dao Lords. They were always highly sought after. However, the problem was their rarity. Compared to demons, they were far harder to encounter.

He did not rush to accept a mission. He was here to get a sense of what was truly valuable and which tasks offered the best rewards. That way, when he entered the second layer, he would not be walking in blind.

Wait... This mission to capture Five Element Beasts... It's a long-term task! A single-attribute beast is worth 10,000 contribution points, but if you can collect a full set of all five elements at once, you'll get 100,000 contribution points!

Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. He had some understanding of the Five Element Beasts. They came in five types: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Elemental Beasts were not particularly strong; they were roughly at the level of an average Divine Treasury martial artist, with a Mind Space of around two li. A single Material Domain would be enough to suppress them. However, their elemental affinity was extremely powerful, which made them very difficult to capture. One moment of carelessness was enough for them to slip away.

There was another problem: one could not use a Domain with a matching element against the beasts. If Lu Changsheng used his Wave Domain against a Water Element Beast, it would simply escape through the Domain itself. The best approach was to use a Domain unrelated to their elemental affinity. Once the Domain enveloped the area and trapped the beast, its escape techniques would no longer work.

A single beast was worth 10,000 contribution points, and capturing all five types, the reward rose to one hundred thousand. It was an extremely generous payout. If Lu Changsheng could secure all five, he would earn twenty Dao Comprehension Pills, which were enough to evolve ten new Domains.

However, Lu Changsheng did not rush to accept the mission. Instead, he studied its details. The escape techniques of the Five Element Beasts alone could not justify such a high reward. There had to be more to it.

I see...

As expected, there was an explanation below. The beasts had recently appeared near the Boundary Mountain in the second layer of the Ancient Region. The area was chaotic, with various forces and demons moving about. A moment of negligence could draw their attention and lead to a deadly pursuit.

That was the true difficulty of the mission. It was not just about capturing the beasts but doing so without being noticed. To force it through recklessly was not an option, as the danger involved would be overwhelming. Even Divine Treasury experts and Immortal Masters could easily lose their lives there.

Lu Changsheng's eyes flickered with interest. This mission might suit him perfectly. When it came to hiding, who could match his Sense Domain now? Now that he could materialize the Sense Domain, he gained an additional ability of concealment and suppression. As long as he released the Sense Domain and no one forcibly intruded into it, outsiders would not be able to tell what was happening inside. Lu Changsheng's aura would remain almost completely concealed.

With this advantage, he could avoid the dangerous demons and powerful spirit beasts on Boundary Mountain and target the Five Element Beasts straight. He might even be able to approach them silently without being discovered. By the time they noticed, Lu Changsheng would have already unleashed his Domain to suppress them.