Chapter 1014: The Backstage of Tofu Heavenly Venerable

Lu Yang decided to use his cheat ability: "Fairy, please take a look. What's the situation with these three people opposite?"

He didn't dare use his divine sense to scan the three novice monks, fearing that someone powerful might be behind them, which could alert the enemy.

"Let this fairy take a look... So that's how it is."

"What's the situation?"

"One of them has a cultivator hidden in his jade pendant, another has a cultivator hidden in his compass, and a third has a cultivator hidden within his body. Is this a custom of Xitian Temple? Should we consider ourselves 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'?"

"...I don't think Xitian Temple is aware of this particular custom."

Lu Yang thought to himself, 'Xitian Temple, can you please manage your novice monk courtyard? Every single one of these novice monks is extraordinary.'

The three novice monks, from the South, West, and North courtyards, each firmly believed they were the strongest and, by unspoken agreement, chose to fight alone.

Xin Ding had the lowest cultivation, so none of them took him seriously. Even if he had prayer beads, how much power could they unleash, and how could they compare to their own hidden trump cards?

" 'Carefree Steps!' "

" 'Bodhi Suppression Fist!' "

" 'Formless Divine Art!' "

Each of the three had unique fortuitous encounters, and the boxing techniques they used were not Bodhi Fist. Their powers varied, making it difficult to determine a winner in their fight.

Bodhi Suppression Fist and Formless Divine Art were fierce and powerful, while Carefree Steps was a movement technique that could evade most attacks.

Xin Ding's opponent was Xin Chen from the Southern Novice Monk Courtyard. Facing Bodhi Suppression Fist, Xin Ding dared not hold back any longer. He wrapped prayer beads around his right hand and directly unleashed Arhat Fist.

A hum resonated—

Their fists collided, and both retreated several steps before steadying themselves. Xin Chen retreated three more steps than Xin Ding!

The crowd erupted in an uproar. Xin Chen, who had a cultivation advantage and was highly anticipated, had actually been put at a disadvantage in the fight!

"That's Arhat Fist!" The monk presiding over the competition in the Warrior Monk Academy was astonished. He sprang to his feet, his face filled with disbelief. He had been fortunate enough to see grand figures like the head of the Warrior Monk Academy and Xitian Temple elders perform it. This was their Buddhist sect's renowned Arhat Fist, a technique that ordinary monks like him in the Warrior Monk Academy were not even qualified to learn!

"Senior Brother Zhiyuan, did you teach him?" If anyone here was most likely to teach Xin Ding Arhat Fist, it would be Zhiyuan, who was once a prodigy.

However, as far as he knew, Zhiyuan did not have the authority to teach Arhat Fist.

If the higher-ups were to find out, at best he would be expelled from Xitian Temple; at worst, his cultivation would be completely crippled!

Zhiyuan calmly shook his head. He had long since clarified how Xin Ding came to possess Arhat Fist.

"He found Arhat Fist in the Scripture Pavilion. Even I only have the first chapter of Arhat Fist, but he found the complete scripture in the Pavilion."

This alone proved it couldn't have been taught by Zhiyuan.

"The Scripture Pavilion, really? That kid's luck is truly astonishing." The monk from the Warrior Monk Academy envied Xin Ding. This was Arhat Fist, a technique usable even by cultivators in the Tribulation Crossing stage. Countless people outside the sect coveted the Buddhist sect's Arhat Fist.

Lu Yang knew Arhat Fist, and everyone he knew also knew Arhat Fist, so he didn't find it particularly rare. This was because his standing was too high; for ordinary Soul Transformation stage cultivators, Arhat Fist was an unattainable technique.

"I heard that the Scripture Pavilion also hides the Great Vajra Palm, the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Scripture, and even sariras, but unfortunately, no one has ever found them," the monk from the Warrior Monk Academy said with regret.

Xin Ding and Xin Chen were locked in a fierce battle. Even with a magic artifact, Xin Chen was no match for Xin Ding. He inevitably grew anxious, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He had been dreaming of winning the championship in one go, but now he couldn't even defeat someone with lower cultivation than himself?

"You useless trash, let me take over." A domineering voice echoed in Xin Chen's mind, and he instantly lost control of his body.

Xin Chen's fighting style suddenly changed. The Bodhi Suppression Fist, which he had previously used awkwardly, now became fierce and powerful, each punch heavy enough to explode a head.

The hidden soul within Xin Chen was overjoyed to see Arhat Fist. He had infiltrated Xitian Temple by possessing a novice monk precisely to find an opportunity to obtain Arhat Fist. He had expected a long period of lurking, but unexpectedly, Arhat Fist was right before his eyes!

Upon seeing this, Lu Yang immediately knew what was happening to Xin Chen.

"So you're the only one who can swap bodies, huh?"

"These juniors of later generations have no respect for rules. Little monk, let me fight for you!"

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Tofu Heavenly Venerable, who had extensive experience in being possessed, was extremely familiar with the intricacies of body snatching. He immediately possessed Xin Ding.

" 'Arhat Fist!' "

With Lu Yang controlling him, the Arhat Fist unleashed was even more extraordinary. Buddhist chants resonated within his body, surging like a tide.

He wasn't afraid of exposing his identity through Arhat Fist; Xitian Temple was full of monks, so there was no issue of losing hair.

Lu Yang punched "Xin Chen" in the lower abdomen, causing "Xin Chen's" eyes to bulge.

How come the opponent also had someone hidden within him?

And their combat power was terrifying!

After Lu Yang took over the fight, the situation immediately became one-sided, and "Xin Chen" had no power to retaliate!

The hidden souls within Xin An and Xin Ping, upon seeing this, both guessed what had happened on Lu Yang's side.

Since that was the case, there was no need to hide anymore. They should just swap bodies and fight!

Two powerful souls took over the bodies of Xin An and Xin Ping and charged towards Lu Yang and "Xin Chen."

The original two-on-two duels devolved into a true melee. Although all four were powerful beings, they were currently using bodies at the Qi Refining stage. No matter how extraordinary their techniques were, they couldn't fully unleash them.

Furthermore, with people from the Warrior Monk Academy watching, they couldn't fight too fiercely, lest their true nature be discovered.

"This won't do," Lu Yang muttered through gritted teeth. He wasn't afraid of the three, and his chances of winning if they kept fighting were quite high. But the problem was that Xin Ding was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and his body couldn't withstand constant proxy fighting.

"All of you, get in here!"

Lu Yang no longer occupied Xin Ding's body but returned to the Azure Edge Sword's small world. He opened the small world and sucked the other three powerful souls into it.

All three souls believed themselves to be the strongest and were not afraid of Lu Yang's methods. They allowed themselves to be sucked into the small world, thinking it would be a perfect opportunity to resolve the trouble once and for all!

Upon entering the small world, Lu Yang finally saw the true forms of the three.

An old man, a middle-aged man, and a young man.

"Who would've thought? I thought I was the only one infiltrating Xitian Temple this way, but unexpectedly, there are three more of you," said the soul hidden in Xin Chen's jade pendant, an old man.

"My name is Mo Xiaochou, and I'm at the mid-Soul Transformation stage. You should have heard of my name."

Mo Xiaochou realized that Xin Ding's Arhat Fist wasn't found in the Scripture Pavilion at all; it was taught to him by the person behind him.

He looked at Lu Yang: "I wonder if fellow Daoist would be willing to teach me a copy of Arhat Fist? The price can be discussed... You're Lu Yang!"

Previously, Mo Xiaochou hadn't paid much attention to Lu Yang's appearance, but this glance startled him greatly.

The person in front of him was actually the famous Lu Tianjiao, who punished evil and promoted good?

Why was he here?!

"It seems Daoist Mo secretly came to Xitian Temple to steal Arhat Fist," Lu Yang said with a half-smile, drawing his Chengying Sword as if he were helping Xitian Temple catch a thief.

Mo Xiaochou inwardly cursed. Even though they were both in the mid-Soul Transformation stage, he was no match for Lu Yang.

"Hey, why don't the three of us team up and take him down?" Mo Xiaochou called out. This was their only option now.

The young man hidden in Xin Ping's body paid no heed to Mo Xiaochou's suggestion.

"Lu Tianjiao? He's just a junior who loves to show off and fish for compliments," the middle-aged man hidden in Xin Chen's compass said coldly. "Since he's a prodigy trained by Wen Dao Sect, he should have quite a few good things. Leave your life and possessions here."

As the final word fell, an aura of the early Integration stage instantly erupted, directly forcing Mo Xiaochou to his knees.

"An early Integration stage cultivator who's only a soul dares to be so arrogant?" Lu Yang scoffed. All three were in soul form, their cultivation halved. With both his physical body and soul intact, he had no fear of the middle-aged man.

Not to mention, his soul's strength was comparable to a mid-Integration stage cultivator.

The middle-aged man was so incensed by Lu Yang's attitude that he laughed. "Arrogant? Today, I'll show you the difference between the Integration stage and the Soul Transformation stage!"

"Here, I lay down the rules:..."

" 'Immortal Slaying Sword Formation!' " Lu Yang instantly released Chengying Sword and the Seven Star Sword Set. Eight immortal-grade swords formed the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, appearing above the middle-aged man's head.

Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, it was as if a hundred thousand mountains crashed down, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

Lu Yang, moving like a roc, summoned Chengying Sword, imbuing it with True Samadhi Fire and Golden Bird True Flame. The Golden Bird True Flame, being pure and utterly yang, was potent against souls!

Not to mention, Lu Yang's soul body was powerful; he could suppress the middle-aged man even in a one-on-one fight.

Lu Yang transformed into a Sword Immortal. The sword light was chillingly sharp, and the sword qi accompanying each strike made the middle-aged man tremble with fear. He had no time to lay down any rules.

*Swoosh—*

Chengying Sword pierced through the middle-aged man's skull, pinning him to a large rock.

"Fighting above your realm, interesting junior."

The young man, who had remained silent, finally spoke. He clapped his hands lightly, looking at Lu Yang with appreciation: "A mysterious sword formation, the legendary Chengying Sword, and this small world—even I don't have such a deep family fortune as you."

A flicker of greed appeared in the young man's eyes. Lu Yang's possessions were even more valuable than what he had come to Xitian Temple to acquire. "Treasures belong to the fated. All of this is destined to be mine. Let them all come to me!"

With that, the young man no longer suppressed his aura. The aura of an early Tribulation Crossing stage cultivator burst forth, and an invisible pressure radiated rapidly outwards from him as its center!

Mo Xiaochou felt his soul being crushed, as if it would dissipate and perish in an instant!

"Early Tribulation Crossing stage, huh? Then I really can't win," Lu Yang said, sensing the young man's cultivation. He lowered his head and smiled helplessly, slowly putting away Chengying Sword and the Seven Star Sword Set.

"Fairy, I'm relying on you."