"Lu Changsheng, do you want this position?"
"So, there’s no room for negotiation?"
Zhao Lingshu asked again.
"Lingshu Team, I know your strength. You can directly contend with martial artists of the Divine Storage Realm, and you’re faintly ranked as the top team in the first layer of the Ancient Domain."
"But this place—I’ve already decided to take it!"
Lu Changsheng stood alone in front of the five members of the Lingshu Team.
Even the other members of the Sky Dragon Team, who rushed over, could only stand behind Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng was very aware of the situation.
Once a battle broke out, he might not be able to fully protect the other members of the Sky Dragon Team.
So, if a fight truly began, he would go all out—one strike to kill!
He must not give the Lingshu Team any chance.
Lu Changsheng’s Heart Sword was even prepared to be unleashed at any moment.
"If you want this position, then take it."
Zhao Lingshu took a deep look at Lu Changsheng and then, without hesitation, waved his hand to signal retreat.
Lu Changsheng was slightly stunned.
He had been prepared for a fierce battle, even at the cost of everything necessary, to wipe out the Lingshu Team.
It was destined to be a brutal fight!
Yet the Lingshu Team actually backed down?
They retreated outright?
It was far beyond Lu Changsheng’s expectations.
He even suspected that there might be a conspiracy.
Thus, his Perception Domain extended to cover the surrounding area, firmly monitoring the movements of all members of the Lingshu Team.
If there was any unexpected move, Lu Changsheng would act immediately without any hesitation!
However, from start to finish, the Lingshu Team truly showed no anomalies.
Even when he extended his Perception Domain to envelop them—though they clearly knew it—they had no reaction whatsoever.
The Lingshu Team members directly moved to the fifth spot.
Although it was a relatively good position,
It happened to be not far behind Lu Changsheng.
The fifth team’s spot was occupied by the Heavenly Mechanism Team.
Their name sounded grand, and, indeed, the Heavenly Mechanism Team was quite powerful.
However, the Lingshu Team seemed very familiar with the Heavenly Mechanism Team.
As soon as Zhao Lingshu arrived before them, he spoke coldly: "Are you going to leave on your own, or should Dong Tianhua make you leave?" The source of thɪs content is ɴovᴇl(F)ɪre.ɴet
"Zhao Lingshu, you..."
The members of the Heavenly Mechanism Team immediately became enraged.
But they were quickly stopped by the captain of their team.
"Zhao Lingshu, you’re ruthless. We’re retreating!"
The Heavenly Mechanism Team also supported this decision immediately.
Clearly, they were well aware of the Lingshu Team’s prowess—especially Dong Tianhua’s strength.
If a fight really broke out, the Heavenly Mechanism Team would be eliminated!
When faced with matters of life and death, things like pride held little meaning.
The Heavenly Mechanism Team backed down instantly but moved to another position further back, driving away the team stationed there.
The Lingshu Team, having retreated voluntarily, pushed away the Heavenly Mechanism Team, seizing their spot.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Mechanism Team took yet another position further back.
This created a ripple effect throughout the area.
The entire Golden Swamp "shifted" restlessly because of these linked reactions.
Some teams with comparable strength gaps simply resorted to direct combat.
Oddly, the Sky Dragon Team and Heavenly Mechanism Team—the instigators—remained utterly unscathed.
This scene left every martial artist in the Golden Swamp absolutely dumbfounded.
"What is the Lingshu Team up to? They actually chose to retreat on their own, giving the best spot to the Sky Dragon Team—to Lu Changsheng?"
"Lu Changsheng is terrifying in power. Even the Lingshu Team probably doesn’t have absolute confidence in defeating him. Otherwise, why the concession?"
"The Lingshu Team likely wants to preserve their strength. Right now, vying for positions undoubtedly matters to some degree, but it’s also foolish. After all, the Golden Fruit hasn’t matured yet. It’s better to retreat for now, then go all out when the Golden Fruit ripens."
"No doubt about it—Lu Changsheng’s strength is unmatched. Even the Lingshu Team has no way to deal with him with certainty. Dong Tianhua, widely regarded as the First Divine Gang in the Ancient Domain, begs the question: Who is stronger, him or Lu Changsheng?"
"First Divine Gang...We’ll only know after they fight!"
"No matter what, today’s battle where Lu Changsheng slew Dong Mao has already proven his terrifying power, definitely comparable to Dong Tianhua."
"It’s a pity the Lingshu Team backed down today. It would’ve been amazing to witness the two of them clash. But soon, the Golden Fruit will mature, and then everyone will unleash their abilities to the fullest."
"Although the Sky Dragon Team has Lu Changsheng, the strength of the remaining members is rather average. Overall, their team isn’t very powerful. They might leap into the ranks of top-tier Divine Astral Realm teams, but contending for the Golden Fruit and managing to keep it—difficult!"
With the Lingshu Team’s voluntary retreat, many martial artists finally realized that Lu Changsheng’s power might be far greater than they’d imagined.
Even the Lingshu Team had no certainty of victory.
They’d rather avoid unnecessary losses, choosing retreat instead.
The name of Lu Changsheng had now spread thoroughly across the elite Divine Astral Realm teams in the first layer of the Ancient Domain.
He was being compared with Dong Tianhua from the Lingshu Team, hinting at the potential of disputing the title of First Divine Gang.
Of course, there had never been an official First Divine Gang in the Ancient Domain.
Even though Dong Tianhua was immensely powerful, no one had ever outright declared him to be the First Divine Gang.
The title of First Divine Gang wasn’t earned through talk—it was forged through combat.
If someone wasn’t truly invincible in the Divine Astral Realm, how could they dare proclaim themselves as the First Divine Gang?
At this moment, near the Golden Fruit Tree.
Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the ground.
He remained calm, relying on his Perception Domain to monitor the condition of the Golden Fruit Tree.
This allowed him to observe every detail about the tree.
He would absolutely not miss the moment when the Golden Fruit matured.
However, while Lu Changsheng appeared to be relaxed and focused solely on the Golden Fruit, the pressure on Liu Yuan and the other members of the Sky Dragon Team was far greater.