Chapter 162: Lu Yang Goes to Battle

The next match: Li Haoran of the Dao Seeking Sect versus Long Xiang of the Five Elements Sect.

"Is Li Haoran a fire spirit root?" Qiu Jin'an suddenly asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Interesting. Our sect's Long Xiang is a water spirit root. This will be fire against water."

On the training grounds, Li Haoran and Long Xiang cupped their fists in greeting.

"Please enlighten me."

"The honor is mine."

Both fell silent, speaking no more.

As the match began, Long Xiang made the first move. He seemed like a dragon leaping into the sea, evoking a sense of surging waves. Wielding two ice blades, he released layers of chilling air, causing the temperature across the entire training grounds to drop.

"Flying Dragon Strike!"

Long Xiang bellowed, met by Li Haoran's fist.

Lu Yang frowned. Li Haoran wasn't a body cultivator, so why was he fighting bare-handed without any weapons? Even Mang Gu knew to use a weapon in combat.

Unaware of Li Haoran's true intentions, Long Xiang found nothing amiss and slashed his blades at him.

Li Haoran's body erupted with rings of fire. He pointed at Long Xiang and uttered "Go," and the fire rings encircled Long Xiang.

"Water Rise, Surging Waves!"

Long Xiang unleashed his technique, conjuring a phantom image of ocean waves behind him. Those in the audience could faintly hear the sound of crashing water.

The phantom waves dissipated the fire rings. Seeing this, Li Haoran strode forward, landing red fist prints on Long Xiang one after another.

Magma surged beneath Li Haoran's feet, a result of soaking himself in lava for a year.

The magma collided with the waves. Although the waves were merely a phantom image, they created steam upon contact with the magma, shrouding the arena in a thick mist. Figures were indistinguishable; only the sounds of Li Haoran and Long Xiang clashing could be heard.

Li Haoran's boxing technique was astonishing, completely unlike his usual demeanor. Long Xiang was not skilled in close combat and struggled to cope, taking several hits.

Fortunately, Li Haoran's attack power wasn't strong enough to cause significant injury.

Long Xiang raised his hand, gathering the arena's thick mist into a water pillar and smashing it towards Li Haoran.

Li Haoran couldn't dodge and was struck by the water pillar, becoming completely drenched.

Li Haoran engaged Long Xiang again, but this time, Long Xiang had the upper hand. For some reason, Li Haoran's movements had become sluggish.

Li Haoran frowned, realizing the problem.

Long Xiang burst into laughter. "Brother Li, you're clever to realize my trap so quickly, but it's too late. You're drenched by the water pillar, and I can control the water's weight. You're fighting with added burden now, so naturally, your movements can't be as light as they were initially. You've lost!"

To his surprise, Li Haoran offered a slight smile. "Oh? I don't think so."

Long Xiang tried to raise his hand to attack but found he couldn't move.

"What did you do?!" Long Xiang's eyes widened. He completely failed to grasp what was happening.

Flames rose from Li Haoran's body, evaporating the water vapor. He slowly walked up to Long Xiang and said, "Your clothes have been refined by me."

Only then did Long Xiang realize that the numerous punches Li Haoran had landed weren't meant to cause injury but to refine his clothes. He had refined them into an iron barrel, and Long Xiang himself was the trapped prey within, with no escape.

Your Dao Seeking Sect's combat methods are all so bizarre!

Is this a fighting method a human could even conceive of?!

Li Haoran further explained, "I heard Senior Brother Lu Yang say that during combat, one could use a storage ring to take an opponent's clothes. At that time, I wondered, if one can take their clothes, why not refine them? It seems my idea was correct."

Qiu Jin'an stared at Lu Yang in surprise, wondering how such a shameless combat method could have been devised.

"Oh right, this is the Dao Seeking Sect. That explains it."

With three consecutive victories, the triumph for the Foundation Establishment group was already a certainty.

However, since this competition was an exhibition match, the remaining two rounds still had to proceed, even though the outcome was decided.

The fourth match featured Tao Yaoye. Her Ethereal Immortal Physique was rarer than a single spirit root and possessed terrifying power. In a one-on-one fight, she was even slightly stronger than Li Haoran.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, Tao Yaoye lost.

The one who defeated Tao Yaoye was a white-robed youth, at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and a year older than her.

Tao Yaoye was currently still at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Her spiritual power was slightly inferior to that of the white-robed youth, and her combat experience also lagged behind.

"Next," the white-robed youth said indifferently. He didn't step down, choosing to continue fighting.

Qiu Jin'an's chosen fifth disciple, seeing the white-robed youth's formidable strength and knowing his consistent dominance, said nothing and voluntarily forfeited the match.

Tao Yaoye was somewhat unwilling to accept this. She had always been first since childhood and had never lost. The opponent's techniques were incredibly refined; she had lost even before she could fully utilize the advantages of her Ethereal Immortal Physique.

Someone behind her patted Tao Yaoye's shoulder.

Tao Yaoye's eyes welled up with tears when she saw the person. "Senior Brother, I lost."

The person wiped away Tao Yaoye's tears and comforted her, "Your cultivation isn't high enough, your experience is insufficient, and you're a year younger than your opponent. Besides, Senior Sister told me that the Ethereal Immortal Physique doesn't have a significant advantage in the early stages."

"Since you call me Senior Brother, I must defeat him."

Seeing that they had finally won a round, Qiu Jin'an smiled and introduced, "This is my youngest disciple, Bai Ming, and also my most accomplished. He has mastered three of the five elemental techniques, and his fire-attribute techniques are close to producing true fire. In the sect's grand competition, he swept through the Foundation Establishment stage, claiming the top spot."

Cultivating Five Elements techniques is extremely difficult, as the spells can conflict with each other, and a slight error can ruin one's cultivation. For Bai Ming to master three elemental attribute spells at the Foundation Establishment stage is truly rare.

Bai Ming's presence bolstered Qiu Jin'an's confidence. "If you ask me, it wouldn't matter who we sent."

Although they had lost three matches, Bai Ming's overwhelming victory left Qiu Jin'an beaming.

"I wonder who your esteemed sect will send for the next match?"

"I will."

Immortal Fairy spoke for Lu Yang.

On the training grounds, a figure slowly approached, with steady, unhurried steps. It was indeed Lu Yang.

However, this Lu Yang had a bald head and a benevolent expression, starkly different from the impression he usually gave.

Bai Ming's indifferent expression broke, replaced by utter disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost.

He, of course, knew Lu Yang—the acting sect master of the Dao Seeking Sect, currently seated in the stands. So, who was this person standing before him?!

"A clone!" Qiu Jin'an's discerning eye immediately saw through the identity of the Lu Yang standing on the training grounds.

But this was even more impossible. Lu Yang was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage; how could he possess a clone?

In his understanding, no cultivation method or spell could achieve this!

"More precisely, it's a clone of the Bodhi Tree," Immortal Fairy added.

Lu Yang had used the "Tree Planting Art" to plant himself, and two figures grew from the Bodhi Tree: his true self, and a bald clone.

"A clone from the Seventy-Two Great Divine Abilities?!" Qiu Jin'an was aghast. Apart from Yun Zhi, how could any other Foundation Establishment cultivator learn such a spell?

"No, that's not right... it's a wood-attribute clone!" A storm surged within Qiu Jin'an's mind. Such a spell had never existed before; this was the creation of a new spell!

Who could it be?!

Was it Yun Zhi, or perhaps...

Qiu Jin'an's gaze shifted to Lu Yang, his eyelids twitching slightly. He had previously heard people from the Dao Seeking Sect say that Lu Yang had challenged cultivators beyond his cultivation level, and he had assumed it was due to some trick.

If this spell was truly created by this person, then perhaps the claims of challenging higher levels were not exaggerated at all!