Lu Yang was famous far and wide, his formidable reputation renowned everywhere. Zhong Yi was no fool; if he went to fight Lu Yang alone, he would undoubtedly lose.
Upon hearing Zhong Yi's wish, the crowd below all looked up in unison, fixing their eyes on Lu Yang. Even those who wished to take Lu Yang as their big brother were no exception.
After all, this was the first-place winner's wish, and it had to be fulfilled.
Besides, when it came to taking him as big brother, they could still do that after the beating.
"Old Meng, what do we do?" Cold sweat poured down Lu Yang's brow. Bound to the chair, he felt like a fat white pig facing a pack of ravenous wolves.
Meng Jingzhou had anticipated this situation long ago. Gesturing for Lu Yang not to worry, he said, "Relax, I already filed with the authorities. Our event followed all the legal procedures and isn't considered an illegal public brawl. Even if a mass brawl breaks out, it's totally fine."
"...And what about me?"
"You fall under normal operating wear and tear."
"Screw your ancestors, Old Meng!" Lu Yang forcefully shattered the chair and ropes, turning on his heels and bolting. If he didn't run now, he wouldn't get another chance.
Seeing this, Meng Jingzhou sneered. He still remembered that One Meng Into Ten Thousand Mengs incident not long ago. That's what you get for helping my dad beat me up!
If he didn't pay him back for that, his conscience would never be at peace!
"Brothers, charge! Let's bring down Lu Yang together!" someone in the crowd shouted. In an instant, the young masters swarmed forward, hurling all manner of techniques at Lu Yang as if they cost nothing.
Lu Yang suspected the person who shouted that had been arranged by that bastard Meng Jingzhou.
The first stage of the First Lu Yang Championship had concluded, and the second stage officially commenced! All cultivators eliminated in the first stage were resurrected to participate in stage two!
"Shrinking the Earth!" Like diving into water, Lu Yang plunged headfirst into the soil, dodging the barrage. In Luotian Forest, towering ancient trees reached for the sky, their roots twisted and intertwined in a tangled network. Lu Yang hid within these roots, making him exceedingly difficult to locate.
"Where is he?!"
"Use divine sense to find him!"
"It's no use! His divine sense is too strong—he shielded himself, so we can't find him!"
Lu Yang was like a deep-sea shark, looking up through the water at these clueless tourists, who were completely oblivious that danger had already quietly descended upon them.
"Drawing a Prison!"
Lu Yang drew a circle underground, and a young master standing on the perimeter suddenly plunged into an earthen cage.
The young master was just about to scream for help when he heard Lu Yang's sinister threat: "Don't yell. Yell, and I'll hit you with the Arhat Fist."
Thanks to Daoist Buyu, Lu Yang's Arhat Fist was equally renowned.
The young master promptly shut his mouth and nodded vigorously to show his compliance.
Satisfied, Lu Yang swam off to seek his next target.
Two, three, four... More and more people were trapped underground by Lu Yang. Luo Wushuang was the first to notice something was amiss.
"Wait, several people are missing!"
"I heard Lu Yang obtained an ancient earthworm inheritance. Not only can he burrow underground, but he can also create subterranean cages!" Zhong Yi said gravely, spreading out his divine sense. Tense and vigilant, he stared at the ground beneath his feet, a drop of cold sweat rolling down his cheek.
If Lu Yang dragged him underground, it would be utterly humiliating.
Seeing that everyone had caught on to his scheme, Lu Yang temporarily ceased his actions.
"Forget it! Since he's hiding underground and we can't find him, let's just flip the entire ground upside down!" one of the young masters roared in anger, slamming a fist into the earth and splitting it into several fissures.
Seeing this, the others followed suit, using raw brute force or Earth and Wood elemental arts. Luotian Forest seemed to come alive as every inch of soil churned upward.
Lu Yang shrank into an inch-tall figure, hiding behind a clump of upturned earth. Even so, the sharp-eyed crowd quickly spotted him.
"Over there!" Sun Chuanxian pointed at the miniature Lu Yang and shouted.
"Ice Dragon Art!"
"Towering Timber!"
"Flying Sand and Rolling Stones!"
Seeing no way to evade, Lu Yang had no choice but to revert to his original size while simultaneously channeling both Three Flavors True Fire and Golden Bird True Flame. The two true fires fused into one, transforming into a wall of flame.
The ice dragon collided with the true fire, emitting a hissing burst of steam that obscured everyone's vision.
Lu Yang seized the opportunity to strike swiftly, taking down as many as he could.
"Arhat Fist!"
Sun Chuanxian was closest to Lu Yang, becoming the first to receive the Arhat Fist treatment.
"Not good!" Sun Chuanxian reflexively raised his arms to block, only to suddenly remember the horrifying effect of the Lu-Style Arhat Fist. He tried to switch from blocking to dodging, but it was already too late; taking Lu Yang's punch full-on, he was sent flying backward.
Flying backward alongside his body was his hair.
"Get away, don't let him touch you!" the others shouted, not daring to face him directly, scattering in all directions. Lu Yang was like a wolf among sheep; wherever he passed, the flock parted in retreat.
At the critical juncture, Zhong Yi stepped forward to take command: "Don't be afraid, everyone! I learned Buddhism's forbidden technique, the Longevity Art—I guarantee all your hair will grow back!"
Hearing this, the crowd regained their vigor, boldly resuming the battle against Lu Yang.
Lu Yang found himself in a tight spot. Strong as he was, he couldn't defeat so many people at once. These weren't rogue cultivators without background; their combat strength was exceptional for their realm.
Watching Lu Yang get beat up, Meng Jingzhou was thoroughly amused, cheering from the sidelines.
"Old Lu, left! Someone's attacking from the left... Hey, I warned you, so how did you still get hit?"
"Put some muscle into it! Did you lot skip breakfast?"
"Old Lu, don't just defend, go on the offensive!"
"Look at you bunch, you don't even know how to fight! How did you cultivate all that power? Put your backs into it!"
"Old Meng, you forced my hand!" Lu Yang roared in fury. Did you really think I had no way to deal with you?!
Lu Yang's style shifted. He no longer combined fist techniques and spells as before, but focused entirely on boxing. His boxing style changed as well, becoming sharper and more incisive than before, catching everyone off guard.
Meanwhile, the more Meng Jingzhou watched Lu Yang's movements, the more familiar they seemed.
Suddenly, Meng Jingzhou felt a portion of his power siphoned from his body, drifting toward Lu Yang as he battled in the crowd. Lu Yang's form shifted, transforming into Meng Jingzhou's exact likeness!
Meng Jingzhou Imitation Fist!
Meng Jingzhou instantly realized things had gone horribly wrong and turned to flee. But having assumed Meng Jingzhou's appearance, Lu Yang gave him no such chance, breaking through the crowd and rapidly closing in on him.
Seeing this, the cultivators preparing to attack hastily halted their moves, exchanging bewildered looks, unsure of which one to strike.
"Old Lu, you dare take my form?!" one Meng Jingzhou grabbed the other Meng Jingzhou's collar in fury.
"Bullshit! I am Meng Jingzhou! You're the shameless bastard trying to shift the disaster onto someone else!"
"I'm the real one!"
"I'm the real one!"
"Little Sister, I'm your brother!" one Meng Jingzhou leaped onto the treetop, crying out for help to Meng Jingyu, who was happily watching the show.
The other Meng Jingzhou also leaped onto the tree, speaking in a gentle, coaxing voice: "Little Sister, don't you recognize your own brother?"
Watching two identical brothers leap up before her, Meng Jingyu's little mouth hung open in shock for quite a while.
She looked at one brother, then at the other. Seeing that they were completely indistinguishable, she hesitated.
"Brother wrote in his letters that he often beats Brother Lu Yang. How about the two of you have a fight? Whoever wins is my brother!"
Chapter 912