Clashing

Boom—boom—boom— On the arena stage, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou traded blows and kicks with the roar of thunder. Their footwork and agility were refined to the pinnacle, evading incoming attacks with minimal shifts in posture. Their absolute control over their power made the Golden Core cultivators in the audience twitch and swallow nervously. In such an intense battle, not a single shred of force leaked outward. They could hardly believe these two were only in the early Golden Core stage. Or rather, was this level of control truly something achievable at the Golden Core stage? "You have the Bachelor Curse Fist! Taking on three at once definitely won't be a problem for you!" "Bullshit! My Bachelor Curse Fist only works on men, and after using it, it just multiplies their combat strength! You have the Lu-Style Arhat Fist, what are you afraid of three mere people for?" "Are you kidding? If I use the Arhat Fist, would Lan Ting ever let me off? The entire Moon Laurel Immortal Palace would hunt me down!" "Besides, didn't you want first place? I'm giving first place to you!" "No rush for that. First place is all yours!" They fought fiercely, competing for the runner-up spot. In a one-on-one duel, neither feared anyone. But when it came to fighting three alone—unless their brains had been completely replaced by an Invincible Core—neither would ever choose to take such a gamble. Lu Yang tried to leap off the stage, but Meng Jingzhou caught him by the shoulder and hauled him back. Meng Jingzhou tried to leap off the stage, but Lu Yang grabbed his wrist and flung him backward. Both scrambled desperately to jump off the stage, only to be blocked by the other. After a fierce struggle, restraining each other, they tumbled out of the arena together. Bai Ming rose and applauded. "A tie for first place! Let us give them a round of applause!" Skipping the post-match commentary entirely, Bai Ming brandished his white-gold patterned spear and leapt straight from the judges' seats onto the arena stage. Lan Ting and Yan Tianzhi followed immediately behind him. "Congratulations, Senior Brother Lu Yang, Senior Brother Meng Jingzhou! Who would have thought you would defeat so many genius Foundation Establishment cultivators to claim first place!" Bai Ming said with a cold face, barely able to suppress his gloating smirk. "I think there might be a misunderstanding between us. Lan Ting, you know me! I would never bully the weak!" Lu Yang cried out in protest. "Get them!" Bai Ming gave Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou no chance to speak. Having finally found an opportunity to spar, he had no idea when the next chance would come if he missed this one. As the most talented disciple of the Five Elements Sect, it was difficult for him to find suitable opponents. No one in the same realm could defeat him, while fighting those above his realm felt completely off. All things considered, only disciples from the other four immortal sects could serve as worthy opponents. His spear flicked upward, carving a white mark across the arena floor. Lu Yang raised his sword to block, deflecting the spearhead as if facing a mortal foe. "Not a bad thrust! When I was locked in that grueling battle with the Foundation Establishment cultivators just now, I didn't feel this kind of pressure at all!" Lu Yang grew intrigued, a restless glint flashing in his eyes. If they wanted a fight, then they would have a true fight. The original purpose of attending the Qingzhou Grand Meet was to test themselves against their peers anyway. Provoked by Lu Yang, Bai Ming ignited True Sunfire at his spearhead. The temperature across the arena surged instantly; even the spectators below could feel the scorching heatwave through the protective formation. Lu Yang raised an eyebrow. He remembered Bai Ming unleashing the Golden Crow Flame back in the Foundation Establishment stage. It seemed that after advancing to the Golden Core stage, his Golden Crow Flame had evolved as well, becoming True Sunfire, which rivaled Pure Yang True Fire. Of course, when it came to raw power, it certainly couldn't match Meng Jingzhou's Pure Yang True Fire. That was a True Fire bought with two Bachelor Golden Cores, after all. Across all generations, no one with a Bachelor Spiritual Root had ever dared to go to such extremes. "Break!" Lu Yang uttered a soft shout. The whistle of the Green Blade Sword cutting through the air echoed across the arena stage. Those of lower cultivation felt a stinging ache in their eyes, as if pierced by needles. "Sword qi!" a Golden Core cultivator in the audience cried in astonishment. He had long heard that once sword qi reached a certain realm, merely looking at it directly could injure the body. Yet he had never seen anyone cultivate sword qi to such a height. Who could have imagined that Lu Yang, at only the early Golden Core stage, had already attained the level where sword qi could wound onlookers? The sword qi ripped through the True Sunfire at the spear tip. Flames scattered onto the ground, burning small pit after small pit into the stone. Just moments ago, when Heir Yan and his team had clashed with Meng Jingzhou, not even the slightest scratch had been left on the arena. Lu Yang laughed heartily, filled with boundless spirit. "Lan Ting, join Bai Ming and come at me together!" Lan Ting smiled faintly. "Then I shall do as Senior Brother Lu Yang bids." Her dress ribbons took flight like swimming dragons, weaving around Lu Yang before tightening abruptly to bind him. "Shrinking the Earth!" Lu Yang had anticipated this. He dove straight into the ground, causing the ribbons to strike empty air. "This little lass is rather interesting. She has an Immortal Physique too. You've got your work cut out for you," the Immortal Fairy said, lying on her bed in the spiritual space and observing the outside world. "Lan Ting has an Immortal Physique as well?" Lu Yang had thought she had a single spiritual root. "Yes, she has the Primordial Chaos Immortal Physique. Legend says it was the very first Immortal Physique mastered by humanity. Before the cultivation system was established, the universal cultivation method of the human race was qi refining—drawing qi into the body and absorbing the various forms of qi in nature. Those who succeeded in drawing qi into their bodies were called qi refiners." "However, the qi refiners' method lacked universal applicability and was gradually phased out by humanity." "The founder of the qi refiners was someone with the Primordial Chaos Immortal Physique. He pioneered human cultivation, leading mankind against demon beasts and natural disasters, allowing the human race to gain a firm footing in the primordial era. At the dawn of primordial chaos, he was the first light of mankind—hence this physique was named the Primordial Chaos Immortal Physique." "How about it? Do you want me to fight for you?" "No need. I'll test out the Invincible Core." ... Yan Tianzhi walked silently up to Meng Jingzhou. A faint glow flickered across his back, spreading all the way to his neck. Only then did Meng Jingzhou notice a tattoo on him. The phantom image of a demon beast emerged behind him, bearing the body of a goat, tiger's teeth, and eyes beneath its armpits. It let out cries like an infant's wails, grating on the nerves and stirring up irritation. "A Taotie?" A commotion broke out among the crowd below, no one quite understanding what was happening. A deacon present to scout sect seedlings recognized the Taotie's origins and explained to those nearby, "That is the war tattoo of the Prison Suppressing Sect. Starting from the Foundation Establishment stage, they can tattoo images of fiends, demons, ghosts, and monsters onto their bodies to gain their power and divine abilities. For every realm they advance, they can tattoo one more demon beast." "Though tattooing a Taotie war tattoo at the Golden Core stage is something I've never seen before." "So you are a senior brother from the Prison Suppressing Sect! The elders of my clan hold your sect's war tattoo art in the highest regard. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation!" Meng Jingzhou cupped his fists firmly. "Dao Seeking Sect, Meng Jingzhou." "Prison Suppressing Sect, Yan Tianzhi." Yan Tianzhi opened his mouth, and the phantom Taotie behind him grew increasingly vivid, as if coming to life. "Heaven-Swallowing Earth-Devouring!" A gale swept across the arena, its terrifying suction making it difficult for Meng Jingzhou to hold his ground. "Heaven-Shaking Six Forms—Earth Moving Mountain Shaking!" Meng Jingzhou responded steadily. His punch boomed like muffled thunder as his fists struck the air, sending shockwave after terrifying shockwave rolling forward. They were sucked into Yan Tianzhi's stomach one after another, inducing a sharp pang of nausea in his gut that forced him to interrupt the Taotie divine ability. Meng Jingzhou primed his internal force to the brim, shaking heaven and earth amid howling gales and astounding momentum. Yan Tianzhi resembled a humanoid Taotie, devouring all things. Massive fists crossed paths. Every collision produced a heart-stopping roar. Sweat streamed down their foreheads, their faces alight with excitement. They moved so fast they turned into afterimages. Those with weaker eyesight could not even see a silhouette. The top eight contestants of the tournament could track them, but only barely; their minds could not keep up with their reflexes. "Is this truly the combat strength of the early Golden Core stage?" The Golden Core cultivators below the arena stared in disbelief, feeling as though their own Golden Cores had been cultivated in vain. "Just what kind of Golden Cores do they have... Right, isn't there a Golden Core Appraisal Convention? Call those people over to take a look!"