Arhat Fist, one of the supreme fist techniques of the Golden Buddhist Kingdom. When cultivated to its pinnacle, one could attain the Arhat fruition—though this existed only in theory, and Lu Yang had never heard of anyone actually mastering it.
Monk Fruit Fist, a fist technique created by an immortal. Going strictly by name, it was extraordinarily close to the Arhat fruition, differing by only a single character. Its effects: clearing heat, moistening the lungs, soothing the throat, and clearing the voice.
If evaluated purely by pedigree, the Monk Fruit Fist would undoubtedly be superior.
The problem was that the Immortal Fairy had created it.
"No need to practice it. Just from the name, I can already guess what it's for."
"Hey, hey, hey! What's with that look? The Monk Fruit Fist was personally created by this fairy—a bona fide immortal-grade fist technique! That Arhat Fist doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath!" The Immortal Fairy stomped her feet, feeling that Lu Yang was looking down on her.
"It's not that I'm looking down on it, Fairy, it's just that the name of your technique is... hard to describe. It doesn't sound powerful in the slightest."
"What do you know? Do you really practice fist techniques just to show off and fight people? No! What is the most important thing about fist techniques? Nourishing health!"
The Immortal Fairy lectured Lu Yang, correcting his misguided notions. "Isn't cultivating immortality all about living a better life? And what is the most important part of living? The body!"
"That's why I went out of my way to create health-nourishing fist techniques. There's the Monk Fruit Fist that clears heat, moistens the lungs, soothes the throat, and clears the voice; the Fennel Fist that expels cold, relieves pain, regulates qi, and harmonizes the stomach; and so on—well over a thousand styles!"
"Once you nourish your body to peak condition, why would you ever worry about not becoming an Arhat?"
"And if you can master all thousand-plus styles and synthesize them into one cohesive whole, then you can learn this fairy's supreme art—Fairy Boxing!"
Fairy Boxing: the very style the Immortal Fairy had used back in the day to pummel the Immortal Celestial black and blue, beating him until he scurried about holding his head in utter disarray.
"Well? Want to learn it?" The Immortal Fairy felt it was high time she showed off her abilities to Lu Yang, lest he constantly assume she had somehow bluffed her way into immortality.
As the head of the Five Ancient Celestials, how could she have possibly bluffed her way there?
"Not in the slightest," Lu Yang refused outright.
In reality, Old Turtle crawled out of the lake, his head still spinning.
Such power from a single punch! If they actually got serious, probably not many in the Golden Core stage could beat them.
Though the other youth hadn't struck, his combat prowess was definitely in no way inferior to this junior surnamed Meng.
Just what faction had raised such geniuses?
With that thought in mind, Old Turtle stopped trying to dissuade them and agreed to help find them opponents.
Old Turtle snapped off a tree branch and began drawing a map in the soft soil, starting with an irregular oval.
"This is where we are right now, by the lake. Ten li south of here, there's a black panther with a white patch between its brows. Extremely ferocious, possessing an ancient bloodline. Although it's only at the early Golden Core stage, even a middle Golden Core cultivator would suffer against it."
"South of the black panther is a pack of Moonshadow Wolves. Their cultivation is generally at the late Foundation Establishment stage, while the wolf king is at the peak of early Golden Core. They never act alone. Encountering a single Moonshadow Wolf means a large pack lurks nearby, so you must be exceptionally careful."
"To the east, there's..."
"To the west, there's..."
Old Turtle truly lived up to his status as one of the lake's five overlords, possessing an impressive wealth of intelligence.
"Little Eagle and his brothers know the exact locations. They can guide the two of you there." Old Turtle still needed to guard the lake; otherwise, he worried that after being away for ten days to half a month, his territory would be divided up and swallowed by the other four half-step Golden Core beasts.
Securing a lake as territory in the dense forest had been no easy feat.
"Demon beasts with fixed territories are fairly easy to deal with, since we know their background and habits. What you really need to watch out for are the ones wandering the forest without fixed territories. Those beasts are cunning, capable of taking human form, and relish ambushing and hunting your human race. I've seen no fewer than fifty people die under the fangs of such beasts."
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou thanked Old Turtle, then set off alongside the Five Heroes of Eagle Mountain toward the black panther's territory.
"Lu Yang, Lu Yang, can we discuss something?" The Immortal Fairy spoke with a rare hint of ingratiation in her tone.
"What is it?"
"How many days do you plan to stay in the forest?"
"At least five days, I'd say." Lu Yang calculated. Fighting various demon beasts and engaging in nighttime combat would hardly temper them if the duration were too short.
His and Meng Jingzhou's plan was to fight continuously in the forest, honing their combat experience and consolidating their cultivation. It would be even better if they could find an opportunity for Core Formation here.
The Immortal Fairy counted on her fingers for Lu Yang. "Look, I stay in the spiritual space every day doing nothing but eating and sleeping, or watching you guys fight. It's so boring."
"They say the meaning of life lies in movement. Don't you think I should go out for a stroll?"
"So, Fairy, you want..."
"Make me a Bodhi tree clone to use, pretty please?" The Immortal Fairy gave an ingratiating smile.
"Of course, if you really don't want to let me use one, I can't force you. But it'd be wonderful if you could give me a clone!"
Seeing the Immortal Fairy hesitating anxiously while wearing such an intensely expectant expression, Lu Yang couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you laughing at!"
"Nothing, nothing." Lu Yang tried hard to put on a solemn face.
"I can give you a Bodhi tree clone, but you have to behave in the forest. Don't go causing any huge messes. Also, you must return before Meng Jingzhou and I head back to the city."
"Absolutely no problem!" the Immortal Fairy promised solemnly. "My immortal sense has a massive range. I can find you anytime."
"Alright, then."
In reality, Lu Yang came to a halt.
"What's wrong?" Meng Jingzhou and the Five Heroes of Eagle Mountain were puzzled, wondering if Lu Yang had sensed some kind of danger.
"Nothing, just thought I'd send a clone to look around other parts of the forest."
"A clone?" The Five Heroes of Eagle Mountain exchanged glances, while only Meng Jingzhou understood what was going on.
Lu Yang held a Bodhi tree seed, used earth escape to slip into the ground, and cast the Tree Planting Art. A Bodhi tree sprang up from the soil, bearing two Lu Yangs.
Both Lu Yangs broke free from the tree's constraints at the same time. The true body remained in place, while the Immortal Fairy possessed the clone. The moment her feet touched the ground, she took off running—just like the legendary description of the Ginseng Fruit, vanishing the instant it hit the earth.
Watching this, the Five Heroes of Eagle Mountain nearly had their eyeballs pop out, their jaws hanging slack for a long while.
"A-a clone?!"
Forget Foundation Establishment, they had never heard of anyone even at the Golden Core stage knowing a technique like this.
"Just an unpresentable little trick, nothing worth mentioning." Lu Yang deliberately put on a humble front, prompting immense admiration from the Five Heroes of Eagle Mountain.
"Young Hero Lu, can you control this clone of yours?"
Lu Yang waved a hand. "No need to control it. The clone can move on its own."
"Then your clone should be careful. I've heard there are cultivators who specialize in ambushing solitary cultivators. Quite a few have gone missing."
"I-it probably won't run into anything like that, right?" Lu Yang felt a twinge of unease as he pictured the Immortal Fairy's carefree, scatterbrained face.
Chapter 242