Chapter 358: Exchanging Blows

Upon the martial stage, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou clashed in a furious exchange of fists and kicks, their blows resounding like cracks of thunder. Their footwork and movement techniques had reached a pinnacle of sublime perfection; the slightest sliver of a shift was all it took to evade an oncoming strike.

Their mastery over their own strength caused the Golden Core cultivators below the stage to twitch their eyes in sheer disbelief, swallowing hard. Amidst such a tempestuous battle, not a single shred of errant energy leaked outward. It beggared belief that these two were merely at the early Golden Core stage.

No, rather, was this truly a level of control a Golden Core cultivator could possess?

"You have the Single Curse Fist! Taking on three at once is definitely not a problem for you!"

"Nonsense! My Single Curse Fist only works on men, and once used, it actually multiplies their combat prowess! You have the Lu Family Arhat Fist, what do you have to fear from a mere three people?"

"Are you joking? If I use the Arhat Fist, Lan Ting will never let me off, and the entire Laurel Celestial Palace will hunt me down!"

"Besides, didn't you want to take first place? I am gladly conceding the top spot to you!"

"There is no need to be in such a hurry. You had better be the first place winner."

Thus they fought, fiercely contesting the position of second place.

In single combat, neither feared anyone. But to take on three simultaneously? Unless one's brain had been entirely replaced by an Invincible Pill, no sane soul would choose such an overwhelming confrontation.

Lu Yang attempted to leap off the stage, only for Meng Jingzhou to press down on his shoulder and drag him back. Meng Jingzhou tried to dive off the platform, only for Lu Yang to seize his wrist and hurl him backward.

In their frantic scramble to leap from the arena, each was thoroughly thwarted by the other.

After a chaotic struggle, they constrained one another completely and tumbled out of the ring at the exact same moment.

Bai Ming rose to his feet, clapping his hands. "A tie for first place! Let us applaud and congratulate them!"

Skipping the post-match commentary entirely, Bai Ming gripped his platinum-patterned spear and leapt directly from the judges' bench onto the stage.

Lan Ting and Yan Tianzhi followed closely behind.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Lu Yang, Senior Brother Meng Jingzhou. To think you have defeated so many talented Foundation Establishment cultivators to seize the crown!" Bai Ming spoke with a frosty countenance, though a look of gloating schadenfreude was already dancing at the edge of his lips.

"I believe there might be a misunderstanding between us. Lan Ting, you know me—I have never been one to bully the weak with superior strength!" Lu Yang cried out, pleading his innocence.

"Attack!" Bai Ming gave Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou no chance to speak further. Having finally obtained an opportunity to trade blows, missing it would mean not knowing when they might clash again.

As the most gifted disciple of the Five Elements Sect, it was difficult for him to find a suitable opponent. None within the same realm could best him, and fighting those of higher realms lacked the proper tactile satisfaction.

By all accounts, only the disciples of the other four Immortal Sects could serve as his true rivals.

The long spear thrust upward, tracing a white score across the arena floor.

Lu Yang raised his sword in a block, deflecting the spearhead, instantly alert as if facing a mortal foe.

"An excellent strike! I felt no such pressure even when I was locked in bitter struggle against the Foundation Establishment cultivators just now!"

Lu Yang’s interest was piqued, a restless glint flashing within his eyes. Since they wished to fight, then they would have a true and proper battle.

The original purpose of participating in the Qingzhou Grand Gathering was, after all, to exchange arts with his peers.

Incensed by Lu Yang's words, the tip of Bai Ming's spear erupted with the True Solar Fire. The temperature within the arena soared instantly; even the spectators below could feel the scorching waves radiating through the protective barrier.

Lu Yang arched an eyebrow. He recalled Bai Ming using the Golden Crow Flame during his Foundation Establishment stage. It appeared that upon advancing to the Golden Core realm, the Golden Crow Flame had also undergone a metamorphosis, transforming into the True Solar Fire, which shared an equal renown with the Pure Yang True Fire.

Of course, if one were to compare their raw might, it could scarcely match Meng Jingzhou's Pure Yang True Fire—a true flame forged at the steep cost of two Single Golden Cores.

Throughout the generations, no possessor of the Single Spiritual Root had ever dared to play such an extreme game.

"Break!" Lu Yang shouted softly. The whistle of his Azure Peak Sword slicing through the air reverberated across the entire arena. Those of weaker cultivation felt a stinging ache in their eyes, as though pricked by needles.

"It is sword intent!" a Golden Core cultivator below the stage cried out in horror. It had long been rumored that when sword intent reached a certain height, merely gazing upon it would inflict bodily harm.

He had never before witnessed anyone capable of cultivating sword intent to such a profound state.

To think that Lu Yang, a mere early Golden Core cultivator, had already achieved the realm of wounding others with sword intent alone.

The sword intent tore through the True Solar Fire upon the spear tip. The true fire scattered onto the ground, burning small pits into the floor one after another.

When Prince Yan had previously formed a team to battle Meng Jingzhou, not a single scratch of damage had been left upon the stage.

Lu Yang laughed heartily, filled with a lofty, heroic spirit. "Lan Ting, come at me together with Bai Ming!"

Lan Ting offered a faint smile. "Then it shall be as Senior Brother Lu Yang commands."

Her sashes flew wildly like swimming dragons, circling about Lu Yang before abruptly tightening, seeking to bind him fast.

"Shrink Earth!"

Anticipating the move, Lu Yang dove beneath the earth, leaving the sashes to strike empty air.

"This little girl is rather interesting; she also possesses an Immortal Body. You have a proper fight on your hands," the Immortal Immortal remarked from within the mental space, lounging upon her bed to observe the outside world.

"Lan Ting also possesses an Immortal Body?" Lu Yang had always assumed Lan Ting merely possessed a Single Spiritual Root.

"Indeed. Hers is the Grandmist Immortal Body, rumored to be the very first Immortal Body mastered by the human race. Before the system of cultivating immortality was established, the universal method of the human race was the Qi Refining Method—drawing Qi into the body and absorbing the various elements of nature. Those who successfully drew Qi into themselves were known as Qi Refiners."

"However, the cultivation method of the Qi Refiners lacked universal applicability and was gradually discarded by the human race."

"The pioneer of the Qi Refiners was precisely a possessor of the Grandmist Immortal Body. He forged the path of human cultivation, leading mankind to resist demonic beasts and natural disasters, allowing the human race to secure a firm foothold in the savage eras. As the primordial chaos first split, he was the dawning light of humanity; hence, this Immortal Body was named the Grandmist Immortal Body."

"Well, then? Do you need me to fight for you?"

"No need. I shall try the Invincible Pill."

Yan Tianzhi walked silently before Meng Jingzhou. A faint light flickered across his back, spreading all the way to his neck. Only then did Meng Jingzhou notice that the other man bore a tattoo.

The phantom silhouette of a demonic beast manifested behind him. It possessed the body of a sheep and the teeth of a tiger, with eyes beneath its armpits. Its cry resembled the wailing of a human infant, irritating the mind and unsettling the spirit of all who heard it.

"A Taotie?" A commotion rippled through the crowd below, none understanding what was taking place.

A deacon who had come to select promising seeds for his sect recognized the origin of the beast and explained to those around him, "That is the Battle Tattoo of the Prison Suppressing Sect. Beginning from the Foundation Establishment stage, they can tattoo the likeness of demons, ghosts, or monsters upon their bodies to gain their strength and divine abilities. With every advancement of a major realm, they can add another beast tattoo."

"Though, it is the first time I have ever seen someone manifest a Taotie Battle Tattoo while only at the Golden Core stage."

"So you are a Senior Brother of the Prison Suppressing Sect. The elders of my clan hold the Battle Tattoo technique of your sect in the highest esteem. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its grand reputation!" Meng Jingzhou cupped his fists with great force.

"Meng Jingzhou of the Dao Seeking Sect."

"Yan Tianzhi of the Prison Suppressing Sect."

Yan Tianzhi opened his mouth, and the phantom of the Taotie grew increasingly distinct, as if coming to life.

"Devouring Heaven and Earth!"

A tempestuous gale erupted upon the stage. The terrifying suction force made it difficult for Meng Jingzhou to stabilize his posture.

"Six Styles of Heaven Shaking—The Earth Moves and Mountains Shake!"

Meng Jingzhou responded with calm resolve. His fist resounded like muffled thunder as he struck the air, generating terrifying shockwaves. One after another, they were sucked into Yan Tianzhi’s belly, causing him a sudden, sharp ache within his stomach and forcing him to abort the Taotie divine ability.

Meng Jingzhou amassed his internal energy to its peak, shaking the heavens and moving the earth. The wild winds howled with astonishing momentum. Yan Tianzhi resembled a human Taotie, devouring all of creation.

Massive fists crossed paths, each collision producing a soul-shaking boom. Sweat rolled down their foreheads, their faces flushed with absolute exhilaration.

They moved so swiftly they turned into blurred afterimages. Those with weaker eyesight could not even discern their forms. The top eight of the grand tournament could see them clearly, but it was merely seeing; their minds could scarcely keep pace with the fighters' reactions.

"Is this truly the combat power an early Golden Core cultivator should possess?" The Golden Core cultivators beneath the stage watched in utter disbelief, feeling as though their own hard-won Golden Cores had been cultivated entirely in vain.

"Just what kind of Golden Cores do they possess... Right, isn't there a Golden Core Appreciation Assembly? Call those people over to take a look!"

The second update will be at eleven o'clock.