Chapter 1301: Lu Yang vs. Wu Yao

"Tribulation Transcendence Peak?" Wu Yao was astonished that Lu Yang's cultivation realm had surged instantly, reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Peak without any sign of an unstable foundation.

What a profound secret technique. Is it similar to the Demonic Disintegration Great Law? However, these are merely clever tricks. No matter how profound a secret technique, it comes with a time limit and side effects. For one that seemingly stabilizes a cultivation increase, the backlash will only be more severe. Ultimately, this is a temporary measure that won't last.

"So what if you strike first? Do you think reaching Tribulation Transcendence Peak makes you my equal?" In Wu Yao's view, Lu Yang was merely expressing impotent rage and was not a threat.

*Boom—*

Both simultaneously made their move. Wu Yao had intended to strike first, but Lu Yang had the same idea. The two clashed in interstellar space, their figures blurring as if thousands of phantoms were battling there. Their auras transformed into vast, boundless galaxies, constantly colliding and showcasing peerless divine might. Stars trembled, and cultivators and warships, like schools of fish caught in a powerful tide, could only drift uncontrollably.

Shi Wumian was horrified. Since His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor began his reign, he had never faced an opponent worthy of a second move. Even the terrifying strength displayed by the cultivation world seemed vastly inferior to the Heavenly Emperor's power in his eyes. Yet, now the Heavenly Emperor had encountered an equally formidable opponent.

Shi Chan and the others were equally astonished. They had been fortunate enough to witness clashes between Tribulation Transcendence Peak experts before, but the current scene was far more profound and shocking. This was truly a battle of Half-Immortals.

"Quickly contact the elders!" Shi Chan urged. This was no time for awe; the priority was to call for reinforcements.

The Tribulation Transcendence stage seniors stationed at the second line of defense received the distress signal, but no one could pinpoint their exact location. Body Integration stage cultivators could tear open wormholes because they typically pursued fleets immediately, using lingering spatial fluctuations to find wormhole entrances. However, too much time had passed, and these fluctuations had vanished. Moreover, the stars used for navigation had already altered their trajectories due to the ongoing battle. Unable to find their way, they could only observe the battle through quantum communicators, utterly marveling at what they saw.

"Is this truly a Tribulation Transcendence stage battle?!"

"Every aspect has been honed to perfection."

"This is probably what the so-called 'perfected cultivation' state looks like before immortals attain enlightenment."

"Heavenly Gang Emperor Fist!"

"Arhat Fist!"

Behind them, faint phantoms of a Heavenly Emperor and an Arhat appeared. The Heavenly Emperor held the sun, moon, and stars in his palm, while the Arhat recited primordial Buddhist scriptures.

Then, Wu Yao discovered his hair was falling out in clumps.

"Greetings, Bald Heavenly Emperor." Lu Yang bowed respectfully, as if in genuine homage.

"You seek death!"

Wu Yao flew into a rage. He always valued his dignified appearance, and becoming bald was worse than death for him, especially with his subordinates watching and even the cultivation world observing through their communicators! Wu Yao's black hair danced wildly, and to Lu Yang's great surprise, he regrew it.

Lu Yang's Arhat Fist had been enhanced by the proto-form of the Dao Fruit of Tracing Origins. To counteract its effect and regrow hair, one would need to employ a proto-form of a Dao Fruit. This implied that Wu Yao certainly possessed a proto-form of a Dao Fruit.

Lu Yang wasn't surprised that Wu Yao possessed a proto-form of a Dao Fruit. Wu Yao was an immortal who had re-cultivated, proficient in countless immortal arts, with a legendary and rich life experience. It would have been more surprising if he hadn't condensed a proto-form of a Dao Fruit. However, Lu Yang still couldn't determine the specific effect of Wu Yao's Dao Fruit proto-form. It couldn't possibly be *just* about regrowing hair, could it?

"Well done, Little Yangzi! Just keep hitting him like that!" The Immortal Fairy cheered Lu Yang on from the mental space, waving invisible flags and even punching the void twice with "hey-ha" sounds. Wu Yao had been rude to "Little Yangzi," and she had long disliked him. He deserved it.

The Immortal Fairy's attire was more revealing than usual, unlike the style of the cultivation world, resembling a cheerleader from the Interstellar Alliance. While Lu Yang learned about the basic situation of the Interstellar Alliance in its library, the Immortal Fairy wasn't idle either, specifically picking magazines with fewer words and more pictures to read.

It was unclear whether the Immortal Fairy's cheering had an effect or if Lu Yang was simply in high spirits during the battle, but his combat became increasingly fluid and smooth.

"Refine!"

Wu Yao summoned stars from across the sky and, using artifact-forging techniques, refined them into immortal treasures. Repeating an old trick, he used them as array nodes to construct a double-layered gravity formation, trapping Lu Yang immovably in the center. Then, stars fell layer upon layer, suppressing Lu Yang once again. Few in the world could seamlessly integrate artifact forging and array formations with such natural fluidity.

Wu Yao had already discerned the limits of Lu Yang's fist technique's power. Clashing fists again would damage his image, so it was better to suppress him with an array formation. The Star Gravity Array was even more powerful than the previous formation, making it impossible for the Arhat Fist to pierce through it.

"Be careful!" the Tribulation Transcendence stage seniors instinctively cried out upon seeing this. This move was extremely profound; perhaps only someone proficient in array formations and artifact forging, or a pure body cultivator, could break the seal. However, Lu Yang specialized in neither.

Yet, Lu Yang appeared completely unaffected by the seal, actually swimming around within the star formation as if he were an earth elemental spirit, born from and naturally attuned to the soil. Wu Yao frowned, somewhat unable to comprehend how Lu Yang achieved this. The "Shrink Earth" spell allows free movement through soil, preventing confinement.

A golden crow's cry echoed through the galaxy. Threads of true fire emanated from the seal's surface, coalescing into a golden divine bird phantom in the sky, which then landed on Lu Yang's shoulder, resembling an extinct Golden Crow. The golden divine bird divided into two, then four, and in the blink of an eye, transformed into a swarm of firebirds. They formed an impenetrable net of fire, melting stars wherever they passed.

"Three Thousand Weak Waters." Facing the true fire, Wu Yao raised his hand and summoned weak water. Waves surged, forming dragon-shaped roars that lunged at the golden divine birds. The dragon-shaped weak water was instantly cut into countless tiny droplets by the fire net, scattering throughout the cosmos, only slightly delaying the firebirds' advance.

Wu Yao was startled; the power of the golden divine bird's flames far exceeded his expectations. By the time he realized this, the golden flames incinerated the sky, engulfing him and burning him until his skin split open. Wu Yao used a 'golden cicada shedding its shell' technique, casting off his outer skin to narrowly escape death. He stared at Lu Yang, no longer underestimating him.

"It seems I underestimated you. Are you a Half-Immortal who has condensed the proto-form of the Yin-Yang Dao Fruit?"

At these words, everyone was shocked, looking at Lu Yang in disbelief. In their perception, Lu Yang was an unparalleled genius who had cultivated to the middle Tribulation Transcendence stage and possessed temporary means to elevate himself to the peak. But no one had imagined that he had quietly condensed a proto-form of a Dao Fruit. Many Tribulation Transcendence cultivators were stuck at the Dao Fruit proto-form hurdle, living out their lives in frustration. Given Lu Yang's displayed talent, everyone believed he would eventually become a Half-Immortal, but they never imagined he already was one! The veteran Tribulation Transcendence cultivators felt that, compared to Lu Yang, they had simply wasted thousands of years in cultivation!

Lu Yang stared at Wu Yao, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I didn't expect that even after I deliberately concealed my Half-Immortal identity, Senior still discovered it. Senior has excellent insight." Since he was exposed, Lu Yang simply admitted it generously: "That's right, I am a Half-Immortal who has condensed the proto-form of the Yin-Yang Dao Fruit!"