Lu Yang's ferocious reputation had grown so terrifying that, let alone the rising stars who had concealed their strength hoping to make a grand showing in this tournament, he had even overshadowed Yan Fei, the disciple of the Cult Master.
He had disguised himself as a Ginseng Fruit and fooled everyone, and later he wielded the demonic saber, hacking people down until chills ran down their spines. No one knew exactly what number was marked on his palm, but it was undoubtedly a terrifying figure.
Meng Jingzhou was truly capable, however, and had no fear of Lu Yang's sinister fame.
"Heh, I hear that anyone who sheds blood before your demonic saber must die. If that's the case, I just have to avoid getting hurt."
Lu Yang raised his eyebrows. "Such big talk! State your name!"
"Meng Jingzhou!"
"So it's you! I've long heard that you are invincible in the Foundation Establishment stage, having brought your body-hardening arts to the pinnacle, commanding the admiration of countless body cultivators!"
Meng Jingzhou gave a cold snort. "You're not bad yourself—Lu Yang, the Blood Sea Saber Demon, whose fearsome notoriety makes crying children hold their breath. Everyone claims your strength exceeds Yan Fei's, though I wonder if that's true!"
"Try me and find out!"
"Then let's see!"
As the two most eye-catching seeded contenders clashed, not only were the other participants secretly watching, but even the Immortal Cult's higher-ups were eager to see which of the two held the upper hand.
Was it the sinister and cunning Lu Yang, or the upright and open Meng Jingzhou?
From the shadows, the Cult Master and the Vice Cult Master both felt the corners of their eyes twitch. *If we didn't already know you two were in cahoots, we'd really think you were strangers meeting for the first time.*
*What a convincing act.*
Vice Cult Master Jin finally had to acknowledge the Cult Master's keen foresight. No wonder one had been evaluated as an innate demonic seed and the other as a Dao Demon Descended.
He wouldn't believe anyone who claimed these two were righteous sect undercover agents.
Oh right, and there was Man Gu, too.
Yan Fei, hidden in the brush, felt as though facing a mortal peril as he watched their battle. Both were qualified to be his rivals, posing a far greater threat than the deceased Wine and Meat Monk or Gu Zha.
Lu Yang swung the saber with sword techniques, his momentum irresistible; Meng Jingzhou had tempered his body down to the teeth, without a single flaw. When the two clashed, their prowess was enough to fight even Golden Core stage cultivators.
The watching participants trembled with fear, feeling that these two were absolute monsters.
In the end, Lu Yang proved superior and defeated Meng Jingzhou.
Knowing he was outmatched, Meng Jingzhou fled directly before sustaining any injury. The spectators sighed in regret; had Meng Jingzhou been wounded, they could have banded together to hunt him down.
Having slain Gu Zha and the Wine and Meat Monk and defeated Meng Jingzhou, Lu Yang's reputation reached an unmatched peak.
Lu Yang unleashed his saber arts once again, cutting down countless foes. Even Man Gu, who had never known what fear was, fled far away upon catching sight of Lu Yang, refusing to confront him head-on.
Just when everyone thought Lu Yang would become the unrivaled champion of the tournament, Meng Jingzhou came charging back.
Meng Jingzhou was glowing with vigor, showing not the slightest hint of being troubled by his previous defeat.
"Lu Yang, fight me again!"
Lu Yang sneered. "A defeated dog dares speak of fighting before me? Die!"
The demonic saber slashed down with tremendous weight and power, aiming to cleave Meng Jingzhou in two. The onlookers gasped—he was going all out right from the start!
Last time, Meng Jingzhou had fallen to this very move!
Just as everyone expected this single blow to decide the outcome, Meng Jingzhou defied all expectations and blocked the strike.
Realizing that Meng Jingzhou was different, Lu Yang reined in his arrogance and fought with everything he had.
Compared to their previous match, Meng Jingzhou's combat prowess had surged dramatically, allowing him to fight Lu Yang on equal footing.
"Hah... hah... you've had a fortuitous encounter!" Lu Yang suddenly grasped what was happening. This was the only explanation for Meng Jingzhou's sudden rise in strength.
This battle bolstered Meng Jingzhou's confidence immensely. "Just barely getting started is enough to make my power soar! As expected of the Six Harmonies..."
Meng Jingzhou realized he had slipped up and shut his mouth immediately.
Overhearing Meng Jingzhou's half-finished phrase, Man Gu fell into deep thought and muttered to himself, "Six Harmonies? Could it be the legendary *Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Immortal Art*?!"
The crowd frantically pressed Man Gu on what kind of art that was, but Man Gu gave no answer and slipped away like a wisp of smoke.
"*The Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Immortal Art*... Could it be the legacy of the Immortal Celestial?" the crowd murmured. With the word "Immortal" in its name, it was hard not to let one's imagination run wild.
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's battle ended in a draw. Knowing that continuing would yield no victor, both departed with tacit understanding.
After vanishing for a full day, Meng Jingzhou emerged once more, his momentum even more overpowering than before.
Meng Jingzhou went straight for the cloaked Lu Yang.
To everyone's utter shock, Meng Jingzhou's battle prowess skyrocketed yet again, and he defeated Lu Yang!
The Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Immortal Art was truly terrifying to such a degree!
"Die!" Meng Jingzhou roared, his palm punching clean through Lu Yang's chest.
Lu Yang coughed up blood endlessly, his life aura rapidly draining away.
With his tenacious vitality, Lu Yang did not die immediately, but his demise was a foregone conclusion, irreversible.
"Haha, wonderful! Well done, Meng Jingzhou! To think the greatest opportunity fell into your hands!"
Lu Yang's expression turned somewhat ferocious, seemingly unwilling to perish just like this.
He pulled a tattered book from his robes. Seeing this, Meng Jingzhou's pupils abruptly contracted.
"How could the immortal art be with you?! You stole it during our fight!"
An uproar swept through the onlookers. Lu Yang had stolen the immortal art mid-battle? What kind of method was that? Was it the legendary divine thievery?
Immediately after, hearts began burning with fervent greed. The immortal art was in the hands of a dying Lu Yang—didn't that mean anyone had a chance to obtain it?
Coughing blood, Lu Yang chuckled. "What a pity that I had the luck to steal the immortal art, yet no chance to cultivate it.
"In that case, I will make the immortal art public! Let's see what advantage you have left, Meng Jingzhou!"
Lu Yang hurled the immortal art into the air and, using blood for ink, condensed the full text of the technique midair!
A monumental opportunity!
Meng Jingzhou glared with eyes wide enough to split, hurriedly swatting the blood characters apart to prevent the immortal art from spreading.
Yet it was too late. All present were Foundation Establishment cultivators with photographic memory; a single glance was enough to memorize the entire contents.
Lu Yang burst into loud laughter, and then his breath ceased.
Meng Jingzhou was beside himself with fury, yet utterly powerless.
The onlookers scattered, intent on finding a safe place to cultivate the immortal art.
"Why haven't I gotten any stronger after practicing it?" someone wondered in confusion. Hadn't Meng Jingzhou grown dramatically stronger right after picking it up?
"Did I practice it wrong?"
In the depths of the forest, the trio gathered together. Closing their eyes, they sensed the positions of the other participants.
This was no immortal art at all; it was a tracking technique. As long as someone cultivated it, the three of them could pinpoint their location.
What was the biggest problem in a battle within a dense forest? Not knowing where the enemies were. Now that all the participants had scattered and hidden themselves, it was the perfect opportunity to pick them off one by one!
The three moved out together, working from nearest to farthest, killing every contestant they found. The numbers on their marks skyrocketed.
Yan Fei had not rushed to practice it. He had a nagging feeling that something was amiss. Tracking down Lu Yang's remains, he pulled back the hood, only to reveal a bald Lu Yang.
A Bodhi tree clone!
It was all fake!
He quickly reached a conclusion: "Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou are in this together!
"There is no Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Immortal Art at all! Man Gu is working with them, too!"
...
In the distance, the Cult Master, having witnessed the entire spectacle, wore a bizarre expression.
Even he, a chieftain of the demonic path, felt that these three were far too underhanded.
...
Inside the spiritual space, the Immortal Fairy noticed the Eldest Senior Sister lost in thought and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"
Yun Zhi sighed. "I'm wondering if those three really won't end up getting beaten to death."
Yun Zhi was not worried about whether Lu Yang and his companions could take first place; she was worried that before claiming the championship, they would be beaten to death.
Chapter 192