Great Progress

When he learned that Eldest Senior Sister had approved twenty percent of what he had painstakingly written, Lu Yang was ecstatic. Earning her approval was rare. Even if it was only twenty percent, that was already a commendable achievement and a wonderful beginning. It was far better than having everything completely rejected like last time. His half a month of tireless study in the Scripture Pavilion, followed by over two days of scratching his head and writing furiously, had not been in vain. If she approved twenty percent this time, next time it would be forty percent. Before long, he would be writing cultivation techniques on par with Eldest Senior Sister herself. The future was bright! Just as Lu Yang was preparing to modestly declare that he still needed to work harder, he heard Eldest Senior Sister continue: "The remaining twenty percent consists of lines you quoted from me, so I won't change them." Lu Yang: "..." *Eldest Senior Sister, could you please not take such a dramatic pause before finishing your sentence next time?* Inside the spiritual space, the Immortal Fairy was doubled over with laughter, rolling around on the bed with tears streaming down her face. Seeing her junior brother's visibly downcast expression, Yun Zhi offered comforting words: "It is already quite good. At least you quoted my sentences correctly." Lu Yang did not feel comforted in the slightest. Seeing that her junior brother remained disheartened, Yun Zhi realized she was perhaps not suited to comforting people. Back during the Five Great Immortal Sects competition, she had defeated every opponent to take undisputed first place. The sect masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects, hoping to knock her down a peg so she would not grow proud and complacent, attacked her under the guise of giving her pointers. The result went without saying: it was the five sect masters who received pointers, beaten black and blue by Yun Zhi. Defeated by a junior, the sect masters felt their dignity bruised, but mostly they were just thoroughly demoralized. Seeing how gloom-ridden they were, Yun Zhi tried to comfort them, saying, "My cultivation realm is merely somewhat higher than yours. If I suppressed myself to the same realm as you, I would not have been able to defeat you in a single strike." The sect masters' expressions turned even uglier. Seeing them humiliated, Daoist Buyu gloated openly from the sidelines. As Yun Zhi's master, he naturally understood his fine disciple's prowess. She was utterly invincible; whoever faced her was doomed to lose. The sect masters glared at Daoist Buyu. *We can't beat your disciple, but can't we beat the master?!* They swarmed him in a mob, thrashing Daoist Buyu soundly. In a one-on-one duel, Daoist Buyu feared no one. But who would duel him fairly when they could gang up on him? The Grand Immortal Sect Tournament thus concluded with Daoist Buyu covered in bruises. "Your understanding of cultivation techniques is not yet thorough, which is why you inevitably imitate others' arts," Yun Zhi said. "Yet those others also lack a thorough understanding. They believe they know everything, but in truth, they merely possess half-baked knowledge. "From the very beginning of your cultivation, I told you that the theme of the Art of Illuminating the Heart and Seeing Nature was your own creation, and an excellent choice. "A cultivator must not only focus on cultivation realm, but also cultivate their state of mind. Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, one might encounter the inner demon tribulation, which is a major hurdle for any cultivator. "Demons are born from the heart, and striking the heart is the supreme tactic—impossible to guard against. Countless cultivators are trapped at this barrier, their cultivation stagnating indefinitely. "Why do inner demons arise? Because one lacks a clear standard of judgment within their heart. Faced with a choice, one is torn: choosing the left while constantly wondering what would have happened had they chosen the right. "If your lover and your mother fell into a river at the same time and you struggled over whom to save, that indecision stems from lacking a clear standard of judgment. If you save your mother and your lover drowns, you will feel regret, and that regret becomes fuel for the inner demon tribulation. "Cultivating the Art of Illuminating the Heart and Seeing Nature will clarify your true nature, keeping you untroubled by inner demon tribulations." Previously, Yun Zhi had only said Lu Yang made a good choice without explaining why. Now, seeing that he had formed his Golden Core and stood as an extraordinary figure in the outside world, she revealed her reasoning to him. Hearing the topic, the Immortal Fairy also chimed in with a concise explanation: "To put it simply, you just need a healthy, positive, and cheerful heart. "If you're completely carefree and unbothered, where would an inner demon tribulation even come from?" Lu Yang stared speechlessly at the Immortal Fairy, thinking to himself, *You certainly don't look like someone who could ever have an inner demon.* "I will revise the technique for you and let you know once it is finished," Eldest Senior Sister left him with these words, turned around, and walked into her cave dwelling. After she left, the puppet poked its head out. It sized Lu Yang up and down and shook its head, seemingly dissatisfied with his cultivation progress. "Hey, you again!" The puppet was an indispensable presence on Lu Yang's cultivation path. From the very beginning, it had received orders from Eldest Senior Sister to spur his training forward. During those early days, Lu Yang had been brutalized by the puppet by day and tormented by nightmares of the Tofu Heavenly Venerable by night, living a truly miserable life. Back then, Lu Yang was only in the Foundation Establishment stage and completely helpless against the puppet. Now, he was a Golden Core powerhouse capable of battling Nascent Soul cultivators—a figure worthy of being revered as a clan forefather receiving worship out in the wider world. Lu Yang knew the puppet could speak; it simply remained silent because it disdained talking to him. "I'm not who I used to be! Just watch me defeat you today!" Lu Yang's fighting spirit soared. He felt invincible, confident he could swat aside a mere puppet with a flip of his hand! The puppet curled its finger provocatively, beckoning Lu Yang forward. Just as Lu Yang was preparing to strike, his Invincible Core issued a warning: *This is an opponent you cannot defeat. To preserve your win rate, you may choose to flee or commit suicide.* Lu Yang: "..." "Fairy, what kind of Invincible Core is this supposed to be anyway?! Since forming it, I haven't used it to win a single fight!" Lu Yang's only victory since forming his core had been his battle against Tao Yao, and on that occasion, the Invincible Core had merely advised him to use the Lu-Style Arhat Fist. The Immortal Fairy held up her hands innocently. "You can't blame me! Back in the day, with the Invincible Core's help, I could fight anyone I wanted through Foundation Establishment and Golden Core. Including Immortal Ying Tian, not a single person could beat me! "How was I supposed to know you'd be running into Body Integration cultivators or your own Senior Brothers and Sisters every time?" Lu Yang felt that belonging to a top-tier super sect wasn't entirely a blessing. If he were in an ordinary sect, senior disciples would throw their weight around, mocking Lu Yang for his humble origins and lack of backing. Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Lu Yang could use his early Golden Core cultivation to defeat late Golden Core seniors, stunning the sect elders and sect master, who would step forward to promote him to a core disciple on the spot. In the Dao Seeking Sect, however, such a scenario was impossible. There was one thing the Immortal Fairy had kept to herself: moments ago, it was the Invincible Core that had inflated Lu Yang with the unearned confidence to believe he could beat the puppet, only for the same core to immediately issue a warning that he couldn't. The positive and negative effects had canceled each other out. "Well, it's not a big deal," the Immortal Fairy muttered under her breath. Seeing that Lu Yang was not taking the bait, the puppet went on the offensive. Lu Yang spun on his heel and bolted. Knowing he couldn't win, only a fool would stand and fight. Nobody knew what tier the puppet was, but its speed was exactly one notch faster than Lu Yang's. No matter how desperately Lu Yang ran, he couldn't pull ahead. Just as Lu Yang was on the verge of giving up, the Invincible Core spun furiously, mobilizing his spiritual energy. His feet flew as if treading the wind, his speed surging higher and higher. "Wait a minute! Your Invincible Core is completely useless in combat, so why does it work so well for running away?!"