Chapter 151: Sixth Elder

Wuchen Peak was the domain of the elegant Sixth Elder.

It bore a striking resemblance to the Laurel Fairy Palace, accepting only female disciples; it was a sanctuary of graceful maidens, a constellation of beauties where the fairest of them all was undoubtedly the Sixth Elder herself.

Rumor whispered that the Sixth Elder and the Palace Master of the Laurel Fairy Palace were bound by the closest ties of friendship.

Lu Yang had heard his senior brothers speak of the Sixth Elder countless times, each warning that one must not lose their composure upon seeing her, for she was a woman whose beauty was truly suffocating.

"Lu Yang? What brings you here?" At the foot of Wuchen Peak, Lu Yang chanced upon Tao Yaoye.

Tall, slender, and radiant with youth, Tao Yaoye stood out effortlessly within any crowd.

Lu Yang produced an ancient tome. "The Eldest Senior Sister instructed me to deliver this book to the Sixth Elder."

"Master has stepped out on business and won't return for about another half-hour. Why don't you come inside and sit for a while?" Tao Yaoye invited.

Lu Yang wore an expression of eager yet hesitant reluctance. "That hardly seems proper. I am a grown man after all..."

"It is quite alright, really. In any case, you and I possess the lowest cultivation levels on Wuchen Peak; no harm could possibly come of it."

Lu Yang sighed and followed Tao Yaoye forward, while she turned her head away, a sly smile dancing upon the corners of her lips.

"Oh, right. I still owe you five contribution points. Let me return them to you now." When Lu Yang bought the Elixir of Ten Bulls' Strength, he had fallen short by five points and borrowed them from her.

The Elixir of Ten Bulls' Strength had proven rather effective, offering Lu Yang significant aid.

"You still remember that? I had completely forgotten," Tao Yaoye giggled.

"Speaking of which, doesn't this immortal also possess a vast wealth of contribution points?" The Immortal Fairy suddenly recalled that she was now an honorary guest elder of the Dao Sect and had even slain a Fusion Stage cultivator, for which Yun Zhi had rewarded her handsomely.

"Lu Yang, Lu Yang! I want to exchange them, I want to exchange them!"

As the Immortal Fairy clamored noisily, Lu Yang could not help but mutter internally, "Once we leave Wuchen Peak, I shall take you to the contribution exchange board. You may purchase whatever your heart desires."

"That is more like it," the Immortal Fairy nodded with satisfaction, deeming Lu Yang a malleable talent.

"You must be careful over there. Absolutely do not venture near it," Tao Yaoye warned, pointing toward a certain mist-shrouded pool.

The water was veiled in dense vapor, obscuring whatever lay within, though the sound of laughter like tinkling silver bells echoed from it.

"My senior sisters enjoy bathing there. A few years ago, a senior brother, relying on his superb escape arts, sneaked into Wuchen Peak with the intent to spy on them. Shortly after, his bloodcurdling screams resounded."

"Where is that senior brother now?"

"His escape arts were indeed profound; he has vanished entirely from the face of the earth."

Good heavens, Wuchen Peak was a perilous place.

Lu Yang rejoiced in the fact that he was a man of impeccable virtue.

Tao Yaoye led Lu Yang to her usual training grounds. "Care for a sparring match?"

"Very well," Lu Yang agreed readily, drawing his Qingfeng Sword. Only then did the Immortal Fairy remember that Lu Yang possessed a Sword Spiritual Root and was, theoretically, a swordsman.

Since her resurrection, she had yet to see Lu Yang employ a sword.

"Senior Brother Lu, watch yourself. I have learned something new these past two months." Tao Yaoye unfurled her red paper umbrella.

With a twist of her wrist and a slight relaxation of her palm, the red paper umbrella began to spin, scattering peach blossoms like a flurry of rain and snow, obscuring Lu Yang's vision.

Sword light flashed through the sky, the howling wind of its passage attempting to sweep the peach blossoms away.

Behind Lu Yang, the falling petals gradually coalesced into a human silhouette. Tao Yaoye snapped her paper umbrella shut and delivered a horizontal slash.

As though he had long anticipated her movement, Lu Yang held his sword behind his back with a single hand, blocking the strike perfectly.

The red paper umbrella was crafted from an unknown material, capable of clashing head-on with the Qingfeng Sword without sustaining a single scratch.

The sword light flared instantly; Tao Yaoye had not expected Lu Yang’s blade to be so swift.

"The Pointing Technique!" Lu Yang’s gaze narrowed slightly as he thrust mercilessly toward Tao Yaoye's chest.

Tao Yaoye let out a soft laugh, her steps retreating backward as the tip of her umbrella collided with the tip of his sword, attempting to disrupt his form. Yet Lu Yang's hand remained steady without the slightest tremor, pursuing her relentlessly.

Amidst the rain of peach blossoms, the Qingfeng Sword clashed repeatedly against the red paper umbrella. The two moved with agile grace, flickering past each other so swiftly their forms became blurs.

They traded advantages back and forth, yet neither could find the perfect opportunity to deliver a decisive blow.

Suddenly, Lu Yang's eyes flashed; he had spotted a flaw in Tao Yaoye's stance. The Qingfeng Sword glided like a swimming fish through the floral rain, coming to rest gently against Tao Yaoye's throat.

"I yield," Tao Yaoye raised her hands in helpless surrender.

Lu Yang's stance shifted once more, thrusting his blade toward an seemingly empty space. The real Tao Yaoye stared in astonishment at the gleaming tip of the sword pointed directly between her brows.

This time, Tao Yaoye truly surrendered. The rain of peach blossoms vanished, and the version of her that had just yielded dissolved into nothingness—it had all been an illusion.

"How did you discern where my true self was?" Tao Yaoye did not mind the loss, as she excelled at gathering experience from her defeats.

"The technique I cultivate is the 'Mantra of Clarifying the Mind and Perceiving True Nature.' It pierces through illusions; it is your natural counter."

"The Mantra of Clarifying the Mind and Perceiving True Nature? I have never heard of it."

"I wrote it myself," Lu Yang beamed with pride. Composing one's own cultivation technique was no simple feat.

Tao Yaoye was about to speak further when she looked up and saw a streak of crimson mist flying overhead.

"Master is back."

Tao Yaoye escorted Lu Yang to the Sixth Elder's abode. Just as his senior brothers had claimed, the Sixth Elder possessed an ethereal beauty. Unlike the frost-like coldness of the Eldest Senior Sister, the Sixth Elder bore a gentle smile, resembling an understanding older sister who radiated warmth.

Gasp— Gasp— Gasp—

Lu Yang suddenly found it difficult to breathe, as if all the oxygen in his surroundings had vanished. He gasped desperately, attempting to squeeze air from the atmosphere, but to no avail.

"Yaoye, did you not tell him about my condition?"

Tao Yaoye slapped her own forehead. "I forgot."

She quickly dragged Lu Yang to a considerable distance away from the Sixth Elder. Lu Yang looked like a fish returned to the sea, breathing heavily.

"Gasp— Gasp— What on earth is going on?"

Tao Yaoye offered an apologetic smile. "My mistake, I forgot to mention it. My master possesses the Immaculate Celestial Physique, which repels all dust and impurities. It automatically displaces the surrounding air, and she cannot control it herself. Consequently, anyone who approaches her experiences a sense of suffocation. You simply need to hold your breath and you will be fine."

Lu Yang was speechless.

No wonder everyone said the Sixth Elder was a woman whose beauty was suffocating.

Is everyone in the Dao Sect this literal? Do you not use metaphors at all, only the absolute, literal truth?

Holding his breath, Lu Yang approached the Sixth Elder once more.

For a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Stage, temporarily refraining from breathing was of little consequence as long as one was prepared. By the time one reached the Golden Core Stage, the body could sustain an internal cycle, making breathing entirely unnecessary.

"Lu Yang pays his respects to the Sixth Elder," Lu Yang bowed respectfully. "My master spoke of you to me, saying he has always regarded you as his own elder sister."

While aboard the flying carriage, Daoist Buyu had recounted his relationship with the Sixth Elder in a manner so touching that both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had been deeply moved.

The Sixth Elder sneered. "Is that so? I have always regarded him as my own grandson."

Lu Yang was left entirely tongue-tied, silently debating whether he should only invoke the Eldest Senior Sister's name when traveling in the future. His master's disgracefully trouble-attracting name was best left unmentioned.