Chapter 737: Chapter 736: The Contest

“Old Lu, don’t worry, I won’t let you lose too badly,” Meng Jingzhou said, indicating he would preserve some dignity for Lu Yang with a brotherly concern.

Lu Yang’s face darkened. “Meng Jingzhou, do you have no shame at all? I can’t use my Seven-star Sword Array or Village in the Palm, so am I supposed to just spew Three Flavored True Fire at you until you die?”

The Seven-star Sword Array and Village in the Palm were techniques associated with his identity as Young Sect Master Lu, definitely not to be used in front of a crowd.

The Immortal-slaying Sword Array was also reserved for Young Sect Master Lu, so that was out as well.

Against other cultivators of the same level, Lu Yang was confident he could win without resorting to these trump cards.

But Meng Jingzhou was a different story; without getting serious, he couldn’t be defeated.

...

“How about I take a step back and promise not to use Single Curse Fist, how does that sound?” Meng Jingzhou generously suggested.

Lu Yang suspected the reason no one dared to fight Meng Jingzhou was that they were terrified of being struck by Single Curse Fist.

If that hit them, their life would become as wretched as Meng Jingzhou’s own sad fate.

Of course, Lu Yang wasn’t much better off; his Lu’s Arhat Fist was equally fearful to others.

“…How about you don’t hold back, and you try using it on me, see who’s tougher,” Lu Yang, who had faced the trials of Immortals without dying, didn’t believe that Single Curse Fist could harm him.

Meng Jingzhou pretended not to hear Lu Yang’s words.

He wasn’t stupid. Lu Yang, that rascal, was constantly causing trouble and stumbling upon opportunities. Who knew if he might end up marrying a Semi-Immortal or Immortal one day? He dared not use Single Curse Fist on Lu Yang.

“Old Lu, if you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as your agreement to our fight!” Meng Jingzhou said with a cold smile. Once the fight started, it didn’t matter whether Lu Yang agreed or not—it would be considered agreement!

…

“Junior Sister Tao, it’s been a year since we last met. I’m curious how far your cultivation has progressed—or has there been no progress at all?” Lan Ting flicked her fingertips, releasing countless whirlwinds. They seemed weak, but any mid-stage Nascent Soul who met them would be gravely injured.

Tao Yaoye twirled her umbrella and spun on her toes to ward off the whirlwind attacks from all directions with a dance-like grace.

“Junior Sister Lan has taken the trouble. In cultivation, persistence is key. With long-term commitment, there’s bound to be some reward. There are so many people in this world who yearn for cultivation but don’t get the chance. Compared to them, I’m already very fortunate.”

Lan Ting chuckled softly, and with a light step on the platform, faint lights illuminated, forming several intricate arrays.

“Junior Sister Tao seems content, which is good. Speaking of which, Junior Sister, you managed to invent something as wondrous as the Dream Mirage, which is very popular in the mortal realm. Seeing how rapidly Dream Mirage has developed, you must have devoted a lot of effort. If you had focused that effort on cultivation, perhaps you could have achieved even greater success than now.”

Tao Yaoye smiled sweetly, her movements not a moment too slow. She closed her red umbrella, transforming it into a spear, and struck at the Array Eye of the large formation.

“The Dream Mirage is a combined effort of wisdom between Elder Brother Lu Yang and me. The name was even his idea. How could I not put in some effort on it and honor the hard work we both shared?”

Lan Ting engaged in combat with the sash of her dress, moving between illusion and reality, with softness overcoming strength.

“I have also experienced the Dream Mirage a few times, especially the part in ‘Eternal Love’ where fellow disciples become a couple and live happily ever after, evoking the envy of many outsiders.”

“Illusionary Realms are like dreams, Junior Sister Tao. You created such heartfelt illusions; I wonder how many times you’ve experienced them in dreams. I’ve heard that those who attain mastery over Illusionary Realms often struggle to distinguish between the illusion and reality. Junior Sister, you must not follow in those footsteps and trap yourself in an Illusionary Realm.”

Tao Yaoye smiled sweetly, “First, I’d like to thank Junior Sister Lan for her concern, but it seems she has little contact with Elder Brother Lu Yang and may not know that his specialty is breaking through illusory realms. With the Elder Brother here, there will be no danger of getting trapped in illusions.”

“If I really get trapped in an illusory realm, Elder Brother Lu Yang will also come to my rescue.”

As Lan Ting tried to hook away Tao Yaoye’s red paper umbrella by wielding the Nascent Soul with the primal chaos Yin and Yang as a weapon, she said,

“Elder Brother Lu Yang has a heart for the world, and if Junior Sister Tao is in trouble, of course, he will lend a hand. However, there are so many in the world facing dangers; I’m afraid that when the time comes, Elder Brother Lu Yang might be too preoccupied to attend to Junior Sister. It’s still wiser for Junior Sister to learn to save herself.”

Tao Yaoye moved gracefully, her wrist turning to dodge the attack of the primal chaos Yin and Yang and enshrouded Lan Ting in an illusionary realm.

“I’ll travel the world with the Elder Brother, punishing the wicked and rescuing those in need. Should I encounter any difficulties, Elder Brother will naturally help me. Junior Sister Lan, being an outsider, I’m afraid you won’t witness such scenes.”

…

As someone born with a Five Elements Immortal body, Bai Ming’s Nascent Soul was unique to the Five Elements; it appeared in five colors.

The five-colored Nascent Soul clasped its tiny hand, summoning the five elemental magic skills of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth for an attack.

“Go!”

The five-element magic skills blasted toward Li Haoran simultaneously. With the screech of the Golden Crow’s True Flame, the heat blurred the vision. Within the True Flame, multiple flying knives were enveloped, with Weak Water enhancing the Golden Crow’s True Flame. Walls of earth sprang up on all sides, trapping Li Haoran inside, while infinite trees emerged from beneath the ground, their branches poisoned and bristling with spikes, untouchable.

“The reputation of the Five Elements Immortal body truly lives up to its name,” Li Haoran said, facing the five different attacks with composure, and summoned a flame in his palm to strike back at Bai Ming’s Golden Crow True Flame.

He collected the Weak Water released by Bai Ming with a replica of a jade bottle, smashed the earth walls in front of him with a sledgehammer, refined the incoming flying knives into a weapon for his own use with his skill of artifact refinement, and cut down the continuously emerging trees with a Bodhi arm, leaving the disciples below in awe.

Facing the five different attacks with divided and calm processing showed how composed Li Haoran was in combat.

“What’s the point of launching five attacks at once? I can launch six!” Li Haoran chuckled and urged his Nascent Soul.

An explosive bang sounded, and Li Haoran was blown to pieces, which truly startled Bai Ming, who thought Li Haoran had made a mistake in his cultivation.

“Look, Elder Brother Li can still move!” someone shouted excitedly from below.

Amidst the dust, six objects moved at high speed—Li Haoran’s head, torso, and four limbs.

Bai Ming’s eyelid twitched as he watched; even when fighting with members of the demonic sect, he had never encountered such an unorthodox combat style.

Li Haoran’s head spat out Six-C Divine Fire, his torso lunged straight at Bai Ming, his hands held gourds refined to expel Yin and Yang energies capable of seizing souls, and his boots were studded with poison-coated iron spikes that would burst out instantaneously if blocked, catching one off guard.

Six attacks were launched simultaneously!

Bai Ming and his Nascent Soul struggled to respond to these attacks, barely keeping up with the various Divine Abilities and magic skills. The hidden mechanisms in the various magic artifacts often plunged him into peril.

Suddenly, Li Haoran’s hair flew out, each strand stiff as steel needles, forming a whirling disc that sped towards Bai Ming!

“You’ve been wearing a wig this whole time?!”

Bai Ming cast an envious glance toward the neighboring platform. Why were Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting’s fight so harmonious, while his own was fraught with deadly traps everywhere.