Immortals, standing at the pinnacle of the cultivation system, were often associated with words like invincible, supreme, and peerless.
An immortal's legacy was viewed as a priceless treasure across the Central Continent. Countless people sought immortal legacies and searched for immortal traces, eager to obtain even the slightest scrap of information about them.
Gaining an immortal legacy was fraught with obstacles. Growing stronger against stronger foes, fighting with greater vigor as the battle wore on, and being invincible among one's peers were merely the most basic prerequisites.
Beyond that, one had to pass the immortal's trials and satisfy all manner of unreasonable demands.
Lu Yang understood this intimately.
Out on the Martial Arts Square, Lu Yang was fought in turns by his senior brothers and sisters; inside his spiritual space, Lu Yang chased after the Immortal Fairy to demand she take responsibility.
"Huang Doudou, stop right there! They're looking for you, so why am I the one getting beaten up?!"
"I told you, this is an immortal's trial! I promise, as long as you survive tonight in one piece, I'll pass down a supreme divine ability to you!"
"I'd rather learn a supreme divine ability from Eldest Senior Sister than from you! Stand still! Today, I'll let you experience what a mortal's trial feels like!"
"You are being disrespectful to an immortal!"
The Immortal Fairy took to her heels, refusing at all costs to let Lu Yang catch her.
In reality, the various experts took Lu Yang—a favored child of heaven capable of challenging those above his cultivation realm—very seriously, using a gauntlet tactic to crush him over and over again.
Lu Yang calmly explained, "Senior brothers and sisters, I think there might be some misunderstanding between us. In truth, there is another powerful soul inside my body. Everything done during my time as Acting Sect Master was carried out while she possessed me."
The senior brothers and sisters sneered, not believing a word of Lu Yang's nonsense. Pretending to have a split personality now? Too late!
Although the senior brothers and sisters had come for revenge, they did not swarm him all at once. They were cultured individuals; swarming him was the way of barbarians. As civilized people, they queued up.
Below the stage, everyone conscientiously formed a long line.
"Hey, up front, be quicker with your strikes! There are still so many of us waiting back here!"
As the strongest of the Five Great Immortal Sects, the Dao Seeking Sect's might was unquestionable. Every disciple admitted was a genius and an outstanding talent. Having cultivated to the Golden Core stage or higher, they all held unique insights into combat styles, spiritual energy circulation, and the sequencing of spellcasting.
Battling them was conducive to rapidly increasing combat experience. That way, no matter what fighting style an enemy used in the future, one would be able to handle it with ease.
The disciples of the Five Elements Sect could attest to this: sparring with Dao Seeking Sect disciples provided tremendous improvement.
In the outside world, countless people yearned to exchange experience with Dao Seeking Sect disciples, envying Lu Yang for having such an opportunity.
Lu Yang, for his part, had absolutely no desire to be the object of their envy.
The brutal spectacle of the battles had Meng Jingzhou clapping and cheering from the audience below.
Still, Lu Yang had to admit that fighting his senior brothers and sisters was of immense help to both his combat experience and his cultivation realm.
After crushing Lu Yang with their respective supreme skills, the senior brothers and sisters would pinch his mouth open and feed him precious medicinal pills like Golden Origin-Solidifying Pills and Clear Wind Spring-Returning Pills, practically treating them as if they cost nothing.
These pills allowed his injuries to heal rapidly and consolidated his foundation, letting him face each subsequent battle in even better condition.
Through the cycle of repeated battles and consuming pills, Lu Yang's realm steadily rose—a cause for celebration.
He felt that breaking through to middle Foundation Establishment was merely a single thought away.
Moreover, during these showdowns against his seniors, he identified flaws and found solutions for spells like Three-Flavor True Fire, Shrinking the Earth, To Inches, and the Tree Planting Art, mastering their application all the more.
Perhaps this was what was meant by great opportunity lying between life and death; Lu Yang's potential was being ruthlessly squeezed out even further.
For example, Lu Yang could now spit Three-Flavor True Fire that burned only an opponent's interior without harming their exterior, taking his fire control to the next level.
He could freely adjust the spiciness level: mild, medium, extra spicy, and explosive spicy.
He could also freely adjust the saltiness: light, regular salty, fairly salty, and extra salty, though it was still far from the Immortal Fairy's level of saltiness.
For instance, Lu Yang discovered mid-battle that he could combine the three spells—Shrinking the Earth, To Inches, and the Tree Planting Art. By first using Shrinking the Earth, then To Inches, and finally casting the Tree Planting Art, the tree could grow three tiny Lu Yangs.
However, Lu Yang's mental power was still too weak to control three versions of himself at once.
"Huh? Ginseng Fruit?" The one fighting Lu Yang was Senior Sister Yi Jing. She looked in astonishment at the little bald Lu Yang dangling and swaying on the Bodhi tree, finding it utterly adorable.
"Could this be the origin of the legendary Ginseng Fruit?" a senior brother whispered in surprise. Ginseng Fruit had only ever existed in legends and had never truly appeared.
Another senior brother felt he was letting his imagination run wild. "Learning spells the way Junior Brother Lu does is unique across the ages. Rare as Ginseng Fruit may be, it isn't as rare as Junior Brother Lu."
Yet another senior brother chimed in, "I don't think that's how Ginseng Fruit came about either. I read in an unofficial history about the origin of Ginseng Fruit: it said that in ancient times, ginseng was rare, and a swindler claimed to have ginseng. When people asked where he found it, he claimed it grew on a tree, which was how the name Ginseng Fruit came to be."
"...That unofficial history of yours is truly wild."
"Did the book mention who the swindler was?"
"It said his name was Immortal Ying Tian."
Inside the spiritual space, the Immortal Fairy ran so fast that she lapped Lu Yang by an entire circle, until Lu Yang finally grabbed her wrist.
"Caught you at last!" Lu Yang smiled gently, looking like an educated scoundrel.
Back in reality, Lu Yang shouted, "Wait!" stopping a Soul Formation stage senior brother who was preparing to strike.
The Soul Formation stage senior brother stayed his hand, wanting to see what Lu Yang was up to.
Among the opponents the Immortal Fairy had challenged across realms was this very Senior Brother Wu of the Soul Formation stage. He had come for vengeance and had queued for half the day before his turn finally arrived.
Lu Yang took a deep breath and said slowly, "Senior Brother Wu, I advise you all not to push people too far. If you push me to the brink, there is nothing I wouldn't do!"
Senior Brother Wu was not intimidated by Lu Yang's bluff. He chuckled and asked, "And what if we do push you? Don't tell me you have a fourth Acting Sect Master experience voucher?"
Senior Brother Wu didn't believe Lu Yang had another one. If he did, he would have used it long ago; why wait until now?
"I don't have a Sect Master experience voucher, but I possess an ancient divine ability capable of slaying all foes! As fellow disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect, I would hate to start a slaughter within our sect!"
Senior Brother Wu didn't believe Lu Yang possessed such a divine ability. Wasting no more breath on words, he stepped forward to attack.
Seeing that persuasion had failed, Lu Yang had no choice but to deploy the technique he had just learned.
"Witness my ancient divine ability—Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers!"
Inside the spiritual space, Lu Yang forcibly handed bodily control over to Huang Doudou.
Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers meant letting the Immortal Fairy fight in his place!
This move was nothing short of extraordinary. Immortal possession—how invincible! Even back in ancient times, such a move was an earth-shattering existence, a taboo technique!
Looking at Senior Brother Wu striking toward her, the Immortal Fairy fell into despair. A Soul Formation cultivator attacking—how on earth was she supposed to fight this?!
"Lu Yang, you have no reverence for an immortal!"
Lu Yang sneered. Reverence? That was something he would only consider if he survived tonight!
Chapter 179