Water Avoidance Art

The *Taixu Alchemy Classic* was the most renowned and universally acknowledged authoritative text in the cultivation world. Right at its opening, the *Taixu Alchemy Classic* explicitly laid out the supreme method of alchemy: "Take the Great Void as the cauldron, Taiji as the furnace, purity as the elixir foundation, non-action as the elixir field, life and essence as lead and mercury, and the five viscera as fire." Samadhi True Fire originated from this principle, which was why alchemists universally revered it as the ultimate treasure of alchemy. Samadhi True Fire could refine heavenly materials and earthly treasures. In a certain sense, cultivators also fell under the category of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. If Samadhi True Fire came into contact with a cultivator, one could easily imagine the consequences. While Lu Yang's Three-Flavor True Fire was derived from Samadhi True Fire, and its power was slightly inferior, it was still not something to be underestimated. On the Martial Arts Square, Lu Yang's Three-Flavor True Fire surged aggressively, transforming into a flaming dragon that bit down on the Golden Crow and forcefully tore the Golden Crow Flame to shreds. Bai Ming could not believe his eyes. How could someone in the Foundation Establishment stage have learned a True Fire, let alone the renowned Samadhi True Fire? Having been pursued by praise and admiration since childhood, this was hard for him to accept. On the spectator stands, Qiu Jin'an had initially been slapping his thigh in excitement upon seeing his prized disciple Bai Ming unleash the Golden Crow Flame to dazzling effect. But seeing Lu Yang unleash a True Fire instantly wiped the smile off his face. "Is that Samadhi True Fire? No, but it's remarkably close!" Qiu Jin'an searched his mind for every known True Fire, yet none matched. A terrifying thought dawned on him: could this be a flame outside the one hundred and eight True Fires? Was it an unrecorded, undiscovered flame, or had it just been created by someone? "Sect Master Lu, what kind of True Fire is that?" The Immortal Fairy replied indifferently, "Nothing special, just a flame used for roasting skewers. No need to make a fuss, Sect Master Qiu." The Immortal Fairy's casual attitude only cemented Qiu Jin'an's suspicion, and he inwardly drew in a sharp breath of cold air. How could this Sect Master Lu be so terrifyingly powerful? Not only was he proficient in wood, earth, and fire spells just like Bai Ming, but he could even create new spells on top of them! Creating spells was one thing, but creating a True Fire?! Scorched by the Three-Flavor True Fire and struck in the chest by Lu Yang's follow-up punch, Bai Ming was sent flying, carrying with him the three flavors of sweet, salty, and spicy. His aura was faint, and he hovered on the verge of collapse. As he flew backward through the air, he knew the situation was beyond saving. Should he concede gracefully? Or stubbornly wait for the match result to be announced? Scenes flashed through Bai Ming's mind— Being brought up the mountain by his master as a child, growing up under the care of his senior brothers and sisters, reading extensively, and training diligently. During cultivation, his master would turn strict, scolding him to straighten his posture and attitude; after training, his master would apply medicine to his bruises and encourage him to persevere. He had trained until he was drenched in sweat, never slacking for a single moment. He had comprehended spells and endured the extremes of winter and summer, along with the loneliness. Through long preparation, he had grown rapidly, rising from the Qi Refinement stage to middle Foundation Establishment without suffering a single defeat. Bai Ming closed his eyes, reflecting on every moment of his battle with Lu Yang. Something seemed to sprout within his heart. He landed steadily on one foot, pressing his palms together. His aura grew increasingly vigorous. Bai Ming opened his eyes, exuding a power that surpassed his previous limits. "He broke through to late Foundation Establishment?" Seeing his young disciple break through, Qiu Jin'an was overjoyed. Bai Ming had stayed in middle Foundation Establishment for several months and was indeed due for a breakthrough, but Qiu Jin'an had never expected it to happen right now. Below the stage, the Five Elements Sect disciples buzzed with excitement. What a dramatic turnaround! Lu Yang had so many complaints he didn't even know where to begin. *Victory was right within my grasp, and you pull a breakthrough in the middle of battle?!* *Isn't that the kind of thing that's supposed to happen to me?* "Whatever. Let's keep fighting, then." Lu Yang raised the Green Blade Sword. He hadn't even brought out his real abilities yet; neither the Slash Formula nor the Break Formula had been used. He wouldn't use the Imitation Fist, though. That technique was far too absurd, and Lu Yang still had a bit of a conscience. "Lu Yang, Lu Yang, switch with me! Switch with me!" the Immortal Fairy called out to him. Seeing how lively the fight was, she felt an itch to jump in and play. In her immortal soul state, the Immortal Fairy was not bound by the twenty-meter limit. As long as Lu Yang agreed, she could send a wisp of her will into Lu Yang's clone at any moment. Lu Yang was a bit suspicious. *Is the Immortal Fairy reliable?* The Immortal Fairy put her hands on her hips and pointed at Lu Yang. "I am the Sect Master! You have to listen to me!" Lu Yang had no choice. Fine, since she had pulled out her status as acting sect master, he would humor her. If it looked like she couldn't win, he would just take back control. Having gotten her wish, the Immortal Fairy took control of the bald Lu Yang clone. She raised her right hand and extended a slender finger, her posture carrying a subtle, feminine grace. Bai Ming looked at Lu Yang with a bizarre expression. If Lu Yang had looked like a monk just a moment ago, now he looked like... a Buddhist nun? *Could he have a split personality?* Bai Ming had heard a saying in the cultivation world: "Without madness, there is no mastery." Throughout history, many who cultivated had developed split personalities, and those who managed to leave their names in history were undeniably formidable. *Could it be that Lu Yang is this strong because he has a split personality?* The more Bai Ming thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. The Immortal Fairy slowly lifted her finger, immortal arts swirling around its tip, and softly chanted, "Water Avoidance Art." An invisible barrier expanded, centered on the Immortal Fairy, repelling all moisture within its range. After the clash of the two flames, there had already been little moisture left on the stage. Now, not a single drop of water remained around the Immortal Fairy! That was not the most terrifying part. What was truly terrifying was that Bai Ming's body also contained water, and it was rapidly being drawn out of him! Lu Yang's body also contained water, but as the caster, the rate of moisture loss from his body was far slower than Bai Ming's! Bai Ming watched in sheer panic as his body began to wither rapidly. At a complete loss, he had no way to stop this technique—it lay entirely beyond the scope of his comprehension. The Water Avoidance Art produced no visual phenomena when cast. To an outside observer, it seemed as though nothing had happened at all. Only the person experiencing it firsthand could know what a terrifying art it truly was! "We concede!" Qiu Jin'an stepped onto the stage in person, halting the outward drain of moisture from Bai Ming's body before feeding him a pill to restore his physical condition. He shot Lu Yang a deep, meaningful look. Truly worthy of being an acting sect master: proficient in four of the five elements, skilled in water-attribute arts, and wielding a forbidden great divine ability recorded only in ancient texts! Lu Yang's eyes widened. *This is the Water Avoidance Art she described? The effect is this terrifying?!* The Immortal Fairy chuckled. "It's just so-so. Too bad your cultivation is too low right now. Plus, your senior brothers and sisters have plump Golden Cores that lock all moisture inside their bodies without leaking, so this move won't work on them. Once you reach the Golden Core stage and I cast it through your body, none of them will be a match for me!" "Can you teach me?" Lu Yang rubbed his hands together, eager to learn the move. The Immortal Fairy turned her head away. "You looked down on my legacy before. Not teaching you!" "Teach me, please, Fairy Sister." "Nope! When I say no, I mean no!" ... When Qiu Jin'an returned to the spectator stands, he discovered that Sect Master Lu was gone, and Yun Zhi was sitting beside him instead. Although he had indeed said he wanted someone else sitting next to him, he hadn't wanted that someone to be Yun Zhi. Qiu Jin'an felt the surrounding air drop several degrees. "Miss Yun Zhi, where did Sect Master Lu go?" Qiu Jin'an tried to find a topic to break the chilling silence. "There are a few guests outside the mountain gate who excel at grilling skewers. He went to bring them in." "Huh?"