Chapter 113: Immortal Fairy Awakens

"Dai Bufan must have given you some contribution points for your undercover mission, right?" Yunzhi asked after dinner.

"Yes, quite a few," Lu Yang replied, delighted. He had the most contribution points among his peers.

"In three days, the sect will hold a market. Most people will attend, and if you're interested, you can go browse. You might even find something you like."

Lu Yang nodded. He had long heard that the sect's internal exchange of goods was held in the form of a market. Previously, Yunzhi had prevented him from attending such events to ensure he focused on his cultivation. Now that Lu Yang had reached Foundation Establishment and made progress in his cultivation, there was no longer a need for such strict intervention.

The Ask-the-Dao Sect held a market every three months. It encompassed bartering, purchasing with contribution points, and various forms of entertainment. When Ask-the-Dao Sect disciples traveled far and wide for missions, they often encountered local specialties and novelties. After acquiring these, some chose to use them personally, while others brought them to the market to exchange for what they needed.

"Also, your master is meditating in peace, so don't go to her place recently," Yunzhi instructed.

Lu Yang didn't understand why, as he hadn't planned to visit his master anyway. He knew she would emerge in three days regardless.

"Oh." Regardless, following his senior sister's advice was always the right choice.

Three days later, the market opened as scheduled. The Ask-the-Dao Sect set up a martial arts arena, allowing disciples to spar freely. The arena was constructed from an indestructible, specially crafted stone and enveloped by an array to ensure that the aftermath of battles wouldn't affect spectators.

Currently, two Golden Core stage senior disciples were battling in the arena. Their Golden Cores were full and flawless, naturally formed—clearly the rare, top-grade Golden Cores that outsiders desperately sought.

"Moon-Shattering Slash!" one Golden Core senior disciple roared, swinging his broadsword, which resembled a crescent moon, down with brute force. Lu Yang's eyes twitched as he watched. If Chief Chu had possessed this senior disciple's strength back then, their chances would have been grim.

The other Golden Core senior disciple refused to be outdone. His entire body emitted a golden light, covering him in a thin golden film: "Buddhist Golden Body!" This senior disciple had learned the Buddhist Golden Body from an unknown source and had already achieved minor mastery, successfully withstanding the attack.

The two showcased exquisite swordsmanship and spells, switching between them with ease. Lu Yang watched intently, rarely having the chance to witness a battle between top-tier Golden Core experts. In truth, Lu Yang had witnessed higher-level battles: cultivators of immense power fighting immortals. Unfortunately, his senior sister's palm techniques were too overwhelming. The recently awakened Immortal Fairy Bu Si had no chance to retaliate, making it a one-sided battle where Lu Yang learned nothing.

"Immortal Fairy Bu Si isn't reliable," Lu Yang sighed. If only he could learn a move or two from his senior sister, wouldn't he be unstoppable among his peers?

"Wait, Senior Sister did teach me Spatial Shrink and Samadhi True Fire."

"Young man, I advise you to watch your words! What do you mean 'I'm not reliable'!" A female voice echoed in Lu Yang's mind.

"Senior, you're awake?" Lu Yang was surprised. Had Immortal Fairy Bu Si finally woken up after sleeping for several days?

"That 'Senior' sounds quite pleasant," Immortal Fairy Bu Si said lazily. Lu Yang imagined her stretching.

"Let me tell you, I'm far from my prime right now. I still need time to recover. That Yunzhi can only defeat me because of my current state. Once I regain my strength, I could let her fight with one hand tied behind her back, and she still wouldn't win!" Immortal Fairy Bu Si declared fiercely. She, Huang Dou Dou, had once dominated in ancient times; how could she possibly be defeated by a junior?

Lu Yang thought about it and felt Immortal Fairy Bu Si had a point. "I'll relay that to Senior Sister truthfully," he said.

"No, no, no, let's discuss things calmly," Immortal Fairy Bu Si's tone instantly softened.

Lu Yang: "...Senior, are you reliable or not?"

Logically, with an ancient immortal's soul within him, he should be able to vanquish gods and demons, attract endless opportunities, level up effortlessly, be unrivaled among his peers, and easily defeat opponents beyond his cultivation level. However, Immortal Fairy Bu Si's demeanor always gave him an unreliable impression. He felt it was better to cling to his senior sister's coattails.

"Heh. Who do you think I am? I am Immortal Fairy Huang Dou Dou!"

"How come I remember you referring to yourself as 'this esteemed one' before?" Lu Yang recalled the arrogant Immortal Fairy Bu Si from earlier.

Immortal Fairy Bu Si paused, then rephrased: "This esteemed one is Immortal Fairy Huang Dou Dou... No, calling myself 'this esteemed one' is too awkward." Immortal Fairy Bu Si explained, "Mainly, I heard others say that referring to oneself as 'this esteemed one' made one sound very powerful. When I first woke up, my mind was hazy, so I wanted to try it out. Now I find it too uncomfortable, so I'll just use 'I'."

Lu Yang asked curiously, "Who told you that?"

"Both Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators and immortals did. After finally cultivating to the highest realm, everyone preferred not to fight if they could avoid it. But without fighting, how could they know who was stronger or weaker? So, someone started it, speaking incredibly arrogantly to intimidate others."

"Then everyone thought this way of speaking was good. They'd constantly say things like, 'This esteemed one was born in response to Heaven,' 'Those who defy this immortal shall be slain,' 'How dare a mortal defy an immortal,' or 'This esteemed one possesses immense power; do not force me to break my seals,' and so on."

"Let me think who started it... Oh, right, it was Immortal Ying Tian!"

"At the time, I found their way of speaking quite interesting, so I wrote down all their phrases and compiled them into a small booklet called 'Quotations of Immortals.' I have no idea where that book is now."

Lu Yang: "..."

He felt he had found the reason why Immortal Fairy Bu Si was stabbed in the back.

"I'll show you some immortal abilities, so you don't think I just got by through luck." Immortal Fairy Bu Si felt it necessary to display some of her true power to earn Lu Yang's respect and make him view her more highly. "Come, hand over control of your body to me, and I'll let you experience what it's like to fight above your level."

This was Ask-the-Dao Sect territory, so Lu Yang wasn't worried about Immortal Fairy Bu Si taking advantage to seize his body. He willingly relinquished control.

At that moment, the arena was empty. Immortal Fairy Bu Si, controlling Lu Yang's body, leaped onto the platform, clasped her fists, and declared, "Esteemed elders, fellow heroes, I have had some insights in my cultivation today. May I ask if any senior brother or sister at the early Golden Core stage would be willing to offer some guidance?"

Immortal Fairy Bu Si explained to Lu Yang, "Ancient prodigies always acted like this—challenging everyone and forging their formidable reputations with their fists, laying the foundation for their path of invincibility. Today, I'll give you a demonstration; learn well!"

"I'll go!" A bald senior disciple leaped onto the stage, radiating golden light of merit.

Immortal Fairy Bu Si gasped, inhaling sharply. "A top-grade Golden Core, imbued with merit, possessed by an Arhat, with the Immeasurable Golden Body at minor mastery... How can I fight that?"

"Change, change to another one."

The bald senior disciple wasn't offended and chuckled as he jumped off the stage. Another Confucian cultivator senior disciple then stepped up. The Confucian cultivator wore a long gray robe, held a bamboo book, and wore a calm smile.

Immortal Fairy Bu Si froze again. "A natural-born Confucian cultivator, blessed by a great power, speaking with heavenly decrees, holding a supreme treasure... How can I fight this?"

"Change to another one!" Immortal Fairy Bu Si said through gritted teeth.

"I'll go." The Confucian cultivator stepped down, and a jovial, stout senior disciple stepped up.

Immortal Fairy Bu Si instantly saw that the stout senior disciple's Golden Core had formed the Five Energies, making it the highest grade. He was blessed with luck, protected by his bloodline, and practiced top-tier cultivation techniques with no discernible flaws.

Only then did Immortal Fairy Bu Si realize that she couldn't defeat any of the Golden Core stage cultivators present.