The snake demoness could not understand. Her hiding place was exceptionally well-concealed, leaving no trail whatsoever to follow. How on earth had this fellow found his way here?
"Ah? Where did I find?" Daoist Xiantian was completely bewildered by her question. *If I knew where I'd ended up, would I still need to ask for directions?*
Hiding in the shadows, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged looks. How had he skipped the entire investigation process and barged straight into the enemy's lair?
All four present were thoroughly baffled.
"Little cultivator, come over and play with Big Sister." The snake demoness's silky white hair cascaded down, her seductive eyes as soft as silk. Breathing a delicate orchid scent, she crooked a slender finger to beckon Daoist Xiantian.
She possessed absolute confidence in herself. She was a beauty to begin with, and with her potent charm arts, no Foundation Establishment cultivator could resist such temptation.
She could tell he was merely a little cultivator who had just reached Foundation Establishment, and possessing delicate, handsome features, he was perfect to keep in captivity as a male plaything.
Her charm arts were exquisite; even Daoist Xiantian nearly succumbed. However, as an esteemed Body Integration grand cultivator who had dispersed his cultivation to cultivate anew, he naturally possessed his own methods for countering charm arts.
"Eyes of Suiyue!" He wiped his eyes, instantly neutralizing the charm art's effect.
"What are the Eyes of Suiyue?" Lu Yang started. Though he had never heard of it, judging by the name, it was related to Suiyue. Could it be an ocular technique capable of foresight, predicting the opponent's moves?
Meng Jingzhou shook his head; he had never heard of it either. Lu Yang had no choice but to consult the Immortal Fairy, and she indeed knew.
With a rare solemn expression, the Immortal Fairy explained, "It's an ocular technique connected to time that lets you see what the opponent will look like when they grow old."
Lu Yang: "..."
"Then Fairy, do you know how to use it?"
Lu Yang gave it some thought and felt that although the technique's practical effect was difficult to describe, it genuinely countered charm arts.
"Don't have it, don't know it, don't learn it," the Immortal Fairy refused flatly.
Daoist Xiantian flipped his palm, revealing a small golden seal engraved with the four characters: "Xiantian Asking Dao."
This was his natal magical treasure, originally a treasure of the Body Integration rank. Given that his current cultivation could not fully activate it, he had been forced to seal most of its functions, suppressing the treasure to a level he could wield.
"Go!" Daoist Xiantian shouted, hurling the small seal at the snake demoness.
The small seal flashed with golden light, dazzling her. She tried to twist her waist to dodge, but was a beat too slow. It grazed her waist, tearing open a massive gash that spilled demon blood.
"Little human cultivator, you court death!"
The snake demoness mobilized her bloodline power to temporarily halt the bleeding, though the wound did not fully heal.
With a twist of her body, she transformed into a bowl-thick giant white python with venomous fangs, opening her bloody maw wide as she lunged toward Daoist Xiantian.
"Merely a newly established Foundation cultivator, and you dare come alone!" Malice flashed across the snake demoness's eyes. Since he refused to be her plaything, he could stay behind forever!
How rich was Daoist Xiantian's combat experience? Calm and collected, he took a large leap backward. The spot where he had just stood was blasted into a deep crater by the snake demoness. Through that brief exchange, he determined she was at the early Golden Core stage. Seeing that she intended to snap at him again, Daoist Xiantian formed an incantation gesture with his right hand. The Xiantian Asking Dao Seal expanded instantly, jamming firmly in the snake demoness's mouth.
"Demon-Subduing Talisman!"
Bringing two fingers together, he swiftly drew a talisman in midair and struck it against the snake demoness's seven-inch mark. The snake demoness wanted to scream in agony, but with the Xiantian Asking Dao Seal wedged in her mouth, she couldn't make a sound.
"Shuang'er, I'll help you!"
A sharp cry came from the depths of the cave. Incredibly, it was another transformed snake demoness, and she looked identical to the one before him.
"Twins?" Daoist Xiantian had not expected an accomplice, and an early Golden Core stage one at that.
"To find the two of us sisters hidden all the way in here, it seems you have some skill. Why not stay behind and make merry with us too!"
"You hid in such an obvious place, and you blame me for finding you?" Daoist Xiantian realized by now that these two snake demonesses were the targets of his sect mission, and the vigorous young men sprawled haphazardly across the ground were the missing villagers from Wangjiagou.
The problem was, he had found this place just by wandering around at random. Why on earth did the two sisters think it was well-hidden?
The elder snake demoness struck the snake demoness named Shuang'er hard, forcing her to spit out the seal.
The elder sister also transformed into a giant white python. Connected in mind and spirit, the snake sisters struck together, circling around Daoist Xiantian.
Daoist Xiantian tried several times to break through their encirclement, but all his attacks bounced off their slick scales. He even came close to being ensnared multiple times.
He stopped targeting the seven-inch mark; the sisters were on guard against that now, making success impossible. Catching her off-balance, Daoist Xiantian gripped the seal and thrust out a palm strike aimed straight at the snake demoness Shuang'er's dantian.
This was a very common combat technique among Golden Core cultivators called "Golden Core Shaking." It could rattle the Golden Core, temporarily severing its connection to the body and exposing a vulnerability.
"Ah, you can fight like that?" Lu Yang was thoroughly surprised. Why had no one taught him to fight like this when battling Golden Core cultivators?
Had the Immortal Fairy not been explaining from the side, he wouldn't even know of this Golden Core Shaking method.
The Immortal Fairy rolled her eyes. "How many of your opponents have been in the Golden Core stage?"
Lu Yang thought about it. Indeed, he hadn't really fought many Golden Core cultivators.
"Wait, that's not right! When I was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, I went to the border forest and fought a whole pack of Golden Core demon beasts!"
That had been hordes of Golden Core demon beasts, yet the Immortal Fairy had never mentioned this Golden Core Shaking method.
The Immortal Fairy waved her hand, putting on a look of having Lu Yang's best interests at heart. "Golden Core Shaking is an opportunistic combat trick. Fighting like that won't cultivate an invincible momentum, let alone an Invincible Core."
"It's not like I was strictly pursuing an Invincible Core anyway..."
Though caught off guard by Golden Core Shaking, the snake demon sisters were not novices. They quickly stabilized their dantians to prevent Daoist Xiantian from launching another sneak attack.
The snake demoness Shuang'er whipped around violently, suddenly lashing out with her tail to strike Daoist Xiantian. Anticipating the move, Daoist Xiantian leaped upward, evading the blow.
Yet to his surprise, while he was suspended in midair and unable to maneuver, the elder snake demoness whipped her tail as well, slamming directly into Daoist Xiantian.
*Pfft—*
Daoist Xiantian was swept directly into the stone wall, emerging battered and coated in dust.
In single combat, Daoist Xiantian feared neither demon. But fighting together, as sisters sharing a mental synchrony, they kept him consistently on the defensive.
Several lacerations appeared on Daoist Xiantian's body. He attempted several times to break out of the cave and fight in the open, but the snake demon sisters blocked him at every turn.
"Haaah... haaah..."
Daoist Xiantian panted heavily as he created some distance between himself and the sisters. It seemed winning through his own means alone would be difficult.
From his robes, he retrieved a pill emanating warmth—the very Three Yang Power Pill he had exchanged for a hundred contribution points!
He swallowed the pill in one gulp. A warm current flowed through his body, coursing into all his limbs and bones.
*It truly works!* Joy surged in his heart as he felt endless power welling up inside him.
Yet immediately afterward, that power vanished, leaving Daoist Xiantian completely flabbergasted. The warm current flowed out of his limbs, dripped onto the ground, and formed a grand array.
A plume of dense smoke billowed above the array, within which two indistinct figures appeared. As the smoke dissipated, their true forms were revealed—none other than Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.
"Patriarch, you called for us?" Lu Yang feigned ignorance of what had transpired, his eyes full of confusion. Meng Jingzhou, who likewise didn't know the full details, looked on with clear, innocent eyes.
"Why are you two here? Where's my Three Yang Power?" Daoist Xiantian was dumbfounded. How had taking a pill summoned two people?
"We are it," Lu Yang said, pointing to himself. "I am one Yang."
Then he pointed to Meng Jingzhou beside him. "He has two Pure Yang Nascent Souls—that makes two Yangs!"
Chapter 887