Shi Huagu possessed a special secret technique that allowed him to discern whether someone was telling the truth or lying. Relying on this ability, he had rooted out countless undercover spies planted in his ranks by other vice cult masters.
Although this secret technique could not determine truth from falsehood with one hundred percent certainty, it still boasted an accuracy rate of eighty to ninety percent.
Channeling the technique placed exceedingly high demands on both Dharmic powers and mental energy. Powerful as Shi Huagu was, even he could not maintain it indefinitely, but keeping it active throughout a conversation with Lu Yang was no problem at all.
Furthermore, he was adept at reading facial expressions, knowing that people inevitably displayed subtle shifts in demeanor when telling lies.
With the two factors combined, almost no one could successfully lie in his presence.
This was precisely why the Cult Master had dispatched him here.
To cooperate with the Heavenly Court Cult, the very first thing to verify was whether their counterpart truly was the Heavenly Court Cult.
A confident smile curved the corner of Lu Yang's lips. Taking a light sip of tea, he spoke with a slightly boastful tone, "I wonder if Cult Master Shi knows of Immortal Ying Tian and Immortal Kirin?"
"Naturally, I have heard the venerable titles of those two ancient immortals." The Nine Nether Cult possessed quite a few ancient texts, which recorded the immortal titles of the Four Ancient Celestials.
"I hear that nowadays, when people praise an exceptional prodigy, they are fond of saying he possesses the talent of a youthful immortal. You all assume a youthful immortal is invincible and unbeatable, but let me tell you: when Master was at the Golden Core stage, she once fought one against two, taking on Immortal Ying Tian and Immortal Kirin simultaneously. The two youthful immortals unleashed method after method, yet they were still no match for Master!"
"When Master was at the Golden Core stage, she was truly invincible!"
The pupils of the three Nine Nether Cult members constricted slightly, deeply shaken.
The implication of having the talent of a youthful immortal was absolute invincibility among peers of the same realm, completely unmatched. Each had pushed that stage to its absolute limit, leaving no room for further improvement.
If two youthful immortals clashed and insisted on deciding a victor, they would surely exhaust all their trump cards and drain their spiritual energy before barely determining a winner. There was simply no other way; the gap between them was just too minuscule.
Yet Dou Tianzun had actually defeated two youthful immortals single-handedly while in the Golden Core stage—what staggering talent must that be!
She reigned supreme over all immortals!
No wonder she was the first to achieve immortality in the ancient era!
Zhou Shan steadied himself and asked again, "I wonder if Young Cult Master Lu has heard of the Final Dragon-Phoenix Battle of antiquity?"
Lu Yang pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are you referring to the Dragon-Phoenix Battle where rebirth through fire was used?"
"No. The prodigies of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans had clashed numerous times in their pursuit of immortality; that entire series of conflicts is known to history as the Dragon-Phoenix Battles. What Young Cult Master Lu mentioned was the penultimate clash between the dragon and phoenix. What I speak of is the Final Dragon-Phoenix Battle—the very last fight."
Lu Yang smiled. "It seems I am unfamiliar with the names used by later generations. Please, do elaborate."
At the mention of that battle, a lingering dread surfaced in Zhou Shan's heart. Just from the descriptions in the books, one could imagine how terrifying it must have been.
"Ancient texts record that in the ancient era, there were two demon beasts whose cultivation was a mere half-step from immortality—a dragon and a phoenix. They were formidable rivals of Immortal Kirin. Even after Immortal Kirin attained immortality, the dragon and phoenix continued to battle.
"That was the final battle ever recorded, and the conflict originated from an immortal fruit of unknown origin.
"Presumably, that immortal fruit contained an immense opportunity, leaving no room for either side to concede even an inch.
"To vie for this immortal fruit, the dragon and phoenix engaged in a ferocious battle. Their auras were so terrifying that heaven and earth lost their luster, space churned violently, Dao patterns blanketed the sky, and when the true flames of the dragon and phoenix collided, even the stars trembled in fear.
"Present at the time were Immortal Kirin, Immortal Ying Tian, Immortal Jiuchong, and Immortal Suiyue. Yet even with four immortals before them, they were still powerless to stop the Dragon-Phoenix Battle!
"Immortal Kirin was the first to step forward to mediate. Favoring neither side, he sought to halt the hostilities, but the dragon and phoenix refused to listen and even shouted him back.
"In the end, the curtain fell on the Dragon-Phoenix Battle in a draw, and no one knows into whose hands that immortal fruit ultimately fell!"
In the spiritual space, Immortal Fairy found this style of storytelling rather familiar. *I remember now! Ying Tian loved speaking like that. He said it made immortals sound more imposing!*
This was the first time Shi Huagu had heard this legend. From just those few sentences, he could sense how overwhelmingly powerful that dragon and phoenix were.
No wonder both the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan remained so formidable to this day; their foundations were simply too deep.
Shi Huagu observed Lu Yang and was astonished to find that Lu Yang's expression had not changed in the slightest, with even a trace of amusement lingering at the corners of his eyes.
Could it be that even a battle of this caliber was "nothing special" to him?
Was the disciple of an immortal truly this terrifying?
Lu Yang chuckled softly. "So later generations refer to that battle as the Final Dragon-Phoenix Battle of antiquity."
When Immortal Kirin got married, the Fairy had sent over an immortal fruit, declaring it was for the most beautiful person present. Both the dragon and phoenix prodigies demanded the fruit. Immortal Kirin had a massive headache and could hardly stop them. Only after Immortal Ying Tian and the other two peacemakers pleaded and persuaded at length did they manage to turn the martial brawl into a culinary showdown, with Immortal Ying Tian and the other two serving as judges.
Yet what Immortal Ying Tian and the others did not know was that the culinary skills of the two prodigies had been taught by Immortal Fairy herself...
"I know a bit of the inside story regarding that battle. In truth, the entire incident was sparked by an idle move on Master's part.
"On that occasion, Immortal Kirin hosted a banquet and broadly invited his friends, including countless cultivators at Tribulation Transcendence, as well as three immortals including Immortal Ying Tian. Out of wariness toward Master, he did not send her an invitation.
"Upon learning of this, Master was not angered in the least. Returning kindness for slight, she casually sent over an immortal fruit endowed with her blessing.
"An immortal fruit blessed by Master possessed wonders far too numerous to count.
"Needless to say, the fruit was not enough to make the four immortals fight for it, so those most qualified to vie for it among the entire gathering were that dragon and phoenix.
"The stakes surrounding this immortal fruit were so immense that even someone as mighty as Immortal Kirin did not dare rashly declare who was most deserving of it.
"Thus, the dragon and phoenix had no choice but to battle. However, it was Immortal Kirin's banquet after all; an outright martial brawl was improper, so it was changed into a contest of True Flames."
Zhou Shan was startled. This was the detail he had deliberately omitted just now! What was recorded in the ancient text was that after Immortal Kirin stepped aside, three immortals—Immortal Ying Tian, Immortal Jiuchong, and Immortal Suiyue—stepped in to mediate and proposed deciding the matter through a True Flame duel.
The specifics of the True Flame duel were unknown; all that was recorded was that during the duel, even the three immortals including Immortal Ying Tian suffered injuries.
A True Flame duel!
The world knew that the Final Dragon-Phoenix Battle of antiquity had been sparked by an immortal fruit, but precious few knew that the duel had taken the form of True Flames!
Zhou Shan had obtained a rare ancient volume containing this very record. Its author was none other than Immortal Ying Tian, making its contents absolutely authentic and reliable!
Unaware of what Zhou Shan was thinking, Lu Yang continued, "The criteria for the True Flame contest included the degree of torment inflicted upon living beings, the level of control over the True Flame, proficiency in handling blades, and so forth.
"In the end, the three immortals tasted the fruits of the True Flame contest, suffered a mental attack, and their spirits were shaken to the core."
"A single immortal fruit ultimately forced Immortal Kirin to retreat and dealt a mental blow to three immortals including Immortal Ying Tian. For Dou Tianzun to harbor such scheming depth—how utterly terrifying!" Shi Huagu marveled, thoroughly shaken by Dou Tianzun's calculating mind.
*She must never be made an enemy!*
Within the spiritual space, Immortal Fairy knitted her brows slightly. She felt Shi Huagu was talking about her, yet also not about her. "Am I really like that?"
Taking the cue, Lu Yang immediately said, "Fairy, your wisdom is as deep as an abyss, unfathomably profound! A mere mortal like Shi Huagu was so astounded by your brilliance that his words simply tumbled out!"
Immortal Fairy came to an understanding. "That makes sense. After all, I am very smart!"
In the real world, Zhou Shan transmitted his voice to Shi Huagu: *My Lord, with this person privy to so many ancient secrets, he must be an ancient figure beyond any doubt!*
Shi Huagu nodded slightly. *I think so as well.*
Chapter 328