"Fellow Daoist Luo, how are you?" Yang Ding was startled. He had just declared that Luo Hongxia would surely achieve complete victory over Lu Yang, so how had she been knocked out so quickly?
Her posture was far from dignified. Her mouth was full of withered yellow leaves, and quite a few twigs and leaves clung to her hair, making it look as though she had crashed headlong into a tree.
"*Ptui!* Nothing serious, I just accidentally got clobbered by a tree." Luo Hongxia spat out the leaves from her mouth. Her injuries healed as she left the treasure box, and she returned to the Body Integration stage.
"Clobbered by a tree?" Qiu Jin'an was baffled. Ordinary trees could never harm Luo Hongxia. Had Lu Yang used the Tree Planting Art to attack with trees?
Qiu Jin'an knew that Moon Laurel Immortal Palace had a tradition of fighting with moon laurel trees, and he was well aware of their astonishing defensive power. It never even crossed his mind that someone could perform the feat of uprooting a moon laurel tree in the middle of battle.
"That junior named Lu Yang is rather bizarre. I was careless and fell for his trick," Luo Hongxia said resentfully. If the moon laurel tree hadn't suddenly withered, she would never have lost so quickly.
"That formidable? Couldn't it just be that you underestimated your opponent and let a junior seize the opportunity?" Yang Ding looked at Luo Hongxia suspiciously. In her younger days, Luo Hongxia had a habit of underestimating her opponents and had capsized in the gutter more than once.
"If you're so capable, why don't you go try!" Luo Hongxia flared up in rage.
"Try it I will!" Yang Ding refused to believe it. Luo Hongxia might have a habit of underestimating opponents, but he certainly did not.
Besides, war tattoos were things one grew more proficient with over time. Using Golden Core stage war tattoos now, his tactical variations, responsiveness, and striking power surpassed even those of sword cultivators!
A beam of light shot out from the treasure box and enveloped Yang Ding. Knowing how the Light-Confining Treasure Box functioned, Yang Ding did not resist, smoothly entering the box and regressing to the Golden Core stage.
"Fellow Daoist Yang should be able to win." Emperor Xia nodded. Unlike Moon Laurel Immortal Palace, which remained half-secluded from the world, disciples of the Prison Suppressing Sect spent their years outside punishing evil and promoting good. Having weathered countless clashes of all sizes, his combat experience was a tier above Luo Hongxia's.
Combined with his unique war tattoo cultivation method, the more Yang Ding suppressed his realm, the higher his combat prowess became.
"Indeed, that should be so." Qiu Jin'an remained very confident in Yang Ding. No matter how strong Lu Yang was, he wouldn't be able to defeat Yang Ding.
Among those present, only Master Jiesha and Eldest Senior Sister remained silent.
*Whoosh—*
The treasure box trembled slightly, and Yang Ding tumbled out. Unable to even maintain his balance, he smashed headfirst into the ground.
"Dammit, what kind of fighting style was that!"
Yang Ding cursed loudly in indignation. In all his life, he had never fought a battle so stifling. It was as if the opponent had calculated everything beforehand; his every step had been foreseen. As the fight dragged on, he fell completely into the other party's rhythm. Under such circumstances, defeat was only natural.
"Where's your hair, then?" Qiu Jin'an had an odd look on his face. When Yang Ding went in, he possessed a full head of black hair, but when he came out, all that was left was the bare head.
He was asking despite already knowing the answer, having been present when Lu Yang used the Arhat Fist against Huang Ming.
"I've never seen such a wicked fist technique! Hitting people is one thing, but making their hair fall out too?!"
Yang Ding rubbed his shiny, polished dome in utter fury.
Paired with the tattoos covering his body, he looked just like a prison boss fresh off an escape. Even if every conceivable crime were pinned on him, no one would think him innocent.
"That is the Arhat Fist imbued with the unity of fist and spell," Eldest Senior Sister explained from the side, causing Master Jiesha's eyes to light up.
*The Arhat Fist, and with the unity of fist and spell at that? An Arhat Fist that causes hair loss?*
*Why didn't such fine prospective talent come to my Hanging Temple, only to be scooped up by that beast Daoist Buyu instead?*
"The unity of fist and spell... No wonder." Yang Ding felt chagrined. Thinking back, it truly did resemble the unity of fist and spell, except the spell's effect was so absurd that he hadn't reacted in time.
"By the way, Old Qiu, Lu Yang clamored that you should go in and take a beating too." Yang Ding remembered something and grinned maliciously at Qiu Jin'an. "That kid Lu Yang said you only have a higher cultivation realm to show for yourself. If you were at the same level, he'd beat you like a grandson."
"He's sick of living!"
Qiu Jin'an was furious. With the cautionary examples of Luo Hongxia and Yang Ding before him, even he wasn't confident in beating Lu Yang, and he hadn't intended to step forward.
Yet now that Lu Yang had said such a thing, could he still refuse?
He, Qiu Jin'an, was a man who valued his face!
A beam of light shot out from the box, and Qiu Jin'an entered.
***
"Why did Sect Master Yang Ding suddenly appear?" Lu Yang wondered. Just now, after using his body to defeat Luo Hongxia, the Immortal Fairy had been recovering her physical stamina in place when Sect Master Yang Ding descended from the sky demanding a duel.
The Immortal Fairy simply made use of the Invincible Core, following its advice to beat Sect Master Yang Ding into steady retreat. In the end, she even followed the Invincible Core's suggestion to hand control of the body back to Lu Yang so he could execute the Arhat Fist, achieving the effect of a double blow to body and spirit.
"Come to think of it, how do we actually get out?" Having defeated two people in a row, it was time to leave, and Lu Yang was looking for an exit.
"Lu Yang, you brat, what audacity you have to clamor and challenge me!" Qiu Jin'an roared as he too descended from the sky, leaving Lu Yang completely bewildered.
"Come, come, come! Let this immortal handle it!" The Immortal Fairy exercised her sect master authority once more and seized control of Lu Yang's body.
***
*Whoosh—*
The treasure box trembled, and a battered, bruised Qiu Jin'an stumbled out.
"Old Qiu, are you all right?!" Yang Ding hollered in alarm, hurriedly stepping forward to support him.
Qiu Jin'an glared viciously at Yang Ding. Only by the end of the fight had he realized that Lu Yang hadn't uttered any harsh words at all—it was all fabrications spread by this old bastard!
He shoved Yang Ding aside as his cultivation and injuries recovered simultaneously.
"Nothing serious. That kid Lu Yang really has skill, but what he said at the end was grating to my ears."
"What did he say?" Yang Ding's eyes lit up as he asked.
"He said things like the Five Elements Sect and the Hanging Temple aren't even enough for him to take on alone!" Qiu Jin'an slapped his thigh, gnashing his teeth.
Master Jiesha's hand twirling his prayer beads came to a halt, his eyes gleaming brightly.
Everyone had taken a beating, and face had to be reclaimed no matter what. Those Body Integration cultivators were young, impetuous, and lacked experience, but a veteran Tribulation Transcendence cultivator like Master Jiesha returning to the Golden Core stage would definitely beat Lu Yang!
Master Jiesha said no more. With steady steps, rising momentum, and a resolute gaze, he stepped into the treasure box.
Soon afterward, Master Jiesha tumbled out of the treasure box in disarray, bearing a thick, glossy head of dark hair.
His appearance was better than the previous three, but only by a limited margin.
Master Jiesha cast an unfriendly glance at Qiu Jin'an, having learned from the battle just now that Lu Yang hadn't uttered a single boast.
"*Cough, cough.* Now everyone has witnessed Lu Yang's combat strength. Fellow Daoist Luo, let him out." Qiu Jin'an coughed twice. Now that everyone had made a fool of themselves, his sense of balance was restored.
Luo Hongxia rolled her eyes. She had wanted to let Lu Yang out long ago, but these fellows had charged in one after another to feed him victories, completely unstoppable.
Silently chanting the incantation, she opened the lid of the treasure box, releasing the Immortal Fairy.
"Eh? That's it? Isn't there still an Emperor who hasn't been beaten yet?"
The Immortal Fairy scratched her head, not yet satisfied.
Emperor Xia: "..."
Chapter 471