Chapter 357: Chapter 356: Invincible Elixir: Never Fought Such a Wealthy Battle_1

“Six at Foundation Establishment Stage, two at Golden Core Stage, this lineup is…” Cultivators who were lucky enough to reach the quarterfinals showed troubled expressions.

According to the tradition of previous years, the top eight would battle it out on the arena, with rankings to be determined by the sequence of elimination.

So, they had made plans with the help of their sect elders, calculating how to knock out their opponents and stay alive as long as possible.

The strategies included but were not limited to: pretending to collaborate, backstabbing, playing the role of spies, turning their coats when it mattered the most…

Now, none of their plans would work. The only way to win was for the six cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage to join forces against Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

Just as the seeded cultivators were pondering their response, a steady voice rang out: “If you follow my command, we might still have a chance of victory.”

The cultivators turned to see that among them, the speaker was the only one in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

“Ah, it’s Young Master Yan of the Yan Family.”

The Yan Family was a large clan in Qingzhou with a history of six thousand years and a lineage that had never been broken. Among them were three elders in the Unification Stage. Even the Governor treated the Yan Family with politeness.

“If Young Master Yan gives the orders, that could work.”

Once someone took the lead, the other cultivators also nodded in agreement. Young Master Yan held the strongest cultivation level among them and had the support of the Yan Family, which gave him the highest prestige. Making him the leader was something they all readily accepted.

“Zhou Fangge, what about you?” Young Master Yan turned his gaze to the young man in the black robe.

“I have no objections.” Zhou Fangge grinned, “But I have one condition. The five of you deal with Meng Jingzhou, and I’ll take care of Lu Yang by myself.”

The group was furious, believing Zhou Fangge to be utterly arrogant. “Are you joking? With your mediocre performance thus far, you seriously believe you can defeat Lu Yang all by yourself?!”

In the current situation, the only hope lay in the six of them uniting to tackle Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. But this one man seemed to be calling for his own death, which infuriated them.

Suddenly, Zhou Fangge revealed his true cultivation level, which changed everyone’s expressions. His cultivation level was even more formidable than Young Master Yan’s.

“Late stage Foundation Establishment?!”

They hadn’t expected him to be late-stage Foundation Establishment; he had concealed that quite well.

If it weren’t for Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, this man would pose the greatest threat.

Think about it. In a chaotic eight-person melee, if Zhou Fangge revealed his true cultivation level at the critical moment, who could resist him?

Zhou Fangge had already anticipated their reactions and casually remarked, “Now, am I qualified to face Lu Yang alone?”

“Actually, I could’ve already formed my golden core, and it would have been an assured upper third-grade level one. However, I restrained myself because I want to form a first-grade golden core.”

Young Master Yan frowned, advising, “Forgive my straightforwardness, but even if you were at late-stage Foundation Establishment, your chance of defeating Lu Yang isn’t very high.”

Zhou Fangge showed a teasing smile, “Actions speak louder than words. If Young Master Yan doesn’t believe me, just wait and see.”

“All right, the final round is about to begin. Let’s head to the stage.”

Zhou Fangge laughed heartily and strode onto the stage.

Seeing Zhou Fangge’s confidence, Young Master Yan felt reassured. If the other was this certain, then he must have something to rely on. Regardless of what that was, as long as it could defeat Lu Yang, it was enough.

“As you all know, my family, the Yan Family, is most famous for its ‘Weapon Encyclopedia’, which boasts unparalleled offensive capabilities. I was instructed by my ancester since childhood and understand the ‘Weapon Encyclopedia’ best. I’ll initiate the attack.”

“Gu Qisheng, your Profound Yin Body carries three layers of coldness with every attack. Even if I were to face you, I might not have a good outcome, so you and I will attack Meng Jingzhou together.”

“Shi Xuan, you excel at Array Methods. Use them to disrupt Meng Jingzhou.”

“Yang Xianyi, you are a true successor in the art of Talismans. Depending on the situation, provide us support using talismans.”

“Sima He, your Clan is famous for the Sweet Dew Technique. In previous battles, your recovery speed was faster than the speed of your opponents’ attacks. Stand at the end of the line and help me and Gu Qisheng recover from our injuries!”

Young Master Yan made arrangements one by one, and swiftly, a small temporary team with clear tasks was formed.

…

“Senior Brother Meng, please provide guidance!” Young Master Yan clenched his fist in determination.

“Senior Brother Meng, please provide guidance!” The other four cultivators chorused.

Meng Jingzhou was a little taken aback. Before the match, he and Lu Yang had agreed to take on three opponents each, so why were there five on his side?

Without giving Meng Jingzhou extra time to think, Young Master Yan brandished a sword in his left hand and an axe in his right. His weapons whirled with astonishing speed, like a dragon darting through clouds and an eagle striking through the sky. Their ferocious and swift movements were impressive to witness.

Gu Qisheng tensed every muscle in his body, the tip of his spear trembled, and with a soft whistle, he thrust it at Meng Jingzhou. True Qi surged wildly, a gust of wind suddenly arose, and the scene was awe-inspiring.

The other three were also not idle. A dazzling array rose beneath Meng Jingzhou’s feet which made him feel as if he were sinking in a mire, immobilized.

Paper sparrows, folded from talismans, flew out from Yang Xianyi’s sleeve, blocking all possible escape routes for Meng Jingzhou.

Sima He whispered incantations that were then heard by Young Master Yan and Gu Qisheng. Their Lingtai were instantly cleared, their Spiritual Sense temporarily surged, allowing them to cast aside all distractions and focus wholeheartedly on the fight. The weapons in their hands became all the more powerful!

The seamless cooperation of the five cultivators attracted shouts of astonishment from the audience below the stage. The cultivators in the Golden Core Stage who were spectating even showed subtle changes in their expressions, believing this situation to be quite tricky, and fearing they wouldn’t be able to retreat unscathed.

For cultivators in the Golden Core Stage, being injured by those at the Foundation Establishment Stage was seen as quite a disgrace.

Lu Yang turned his attention away, looking at Zhou Fangge with a hint of confusion, “Is it just you? Aren’t you merely at the late stage of Foundation Establishment?”

Zhou Fangge was taken aback. This was the first time he had ever met someone who could see through his realm since he had begun his cultivation. But he remained unfazed, laughing coldly, “I alone will be enough.”

He had previously defeated a novice at the Golden Core Stage without even using his hidden tricks, relying on his solid foundation and skills to win. To face an elite cultivator like Lu Yang, he naturally wouldn’t be able to win as easily.

So he decided to use his trump card.

He understood the mentality of cultivators with higher cultivation levels: the higher their cultivation level, the higher their standards. They would only fight with cultivators of the same level and typically looked down upon those with lower levels. When their opponents were of a lower level, they would unconsciously let down their guard. That was the opportunity he was waiting for!

He wanted to show Lu Yang that cultivation level wasn’t everything! True strength was the key!

Seeing Zhou Fangge’s confidence, Lu Yang assumed he had some astounding methods up his sleeve, so he didn’t underestimate him. Taking out his Green Peak Sword from his Identity Jade, he prepared to respond at full strength. Then, he used the Invincible Elixir to find a countermeasure.

The Invincible Elixir sucked in a bit of Lu Yang’s spiritual essence and started spinning. It quickly gave an analysis.

“Your opponent is in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and there’s a slight gray tinge in his black pupils which is a characteristic of the Boundless Dao Body type. Boundless Dao Bodies have limitless resources, space without boundaries, their spiritual essence reserves are ten times that of those at the same level, and they excel at long-term battles. If the battle drags on, it will work against you. They rarely find matches at their own level and often challenge those in the higher levels.”

Lu Yang continued, “How should I fight then?”

“Just fight however you like.”