Chapter 257: After becoming an immortal, do you still need to pretend to be dead?

As Lu Yang listened to Mang Gu's grand vision, a scene involuntarily formed in his mind:

Under the night sky, it was pitch black and silent. In the desolate, dense forest, the crackling bonfire was the only source of light, its sounds further emphasizing the profound quiet. A goat, disemboweled with its organs removed, was smeared with strange herbs. It stood over the bonfire, performing an inexplicable dance, resembling a sacrifice to an evil deity. The scene was undeniably bizarre, far exceeding humanity's current appreciation for art.

"What a brilliant idea! Truly worthy of the Barbarian Clan; their way of thinking is already very similar to their ancestors!" Immortal Fairy exclaimed excitedly, slapping her thigh. She vaguely saw the shadow of an old acquaintance in Mang Gu.

"You know, for all their muscle-headedness and lack of intellect, the Barbarian Clan actually has a lot of creative ideas when it comes to food!"

"Mainly, the Barbarian Clan has a strong sense of initiative and is very creative. Of course, I'm not taking all the credit, but I did contribute a tiny bit," Immortal Fairy said, indicating a small amount with her thumb and forefinger.

Lu Yang thought Immortal Fairy was being far too modest, considering she was the very instructor who enlightened the ancient Barbarian Clan.

"Fairy, do you know any spells that control corpses?"

Immortal Fairy thought for a moment. "Does the 'Feigned Death Technique' count? It's an immortal art that both the Dragon and Phoenix Clans eagerly sought to learn, conservatively usable up to the Tribulation Transcending stage."

"...No, it doesn't."

"Then I don't."

Lu Yang then had another question. "Fairy, have you ever used the Feigned Death Technique after becoming an Immortal?"

He assumed the Feigned Death Technique was something Immortal Fairy would have used when she was weaker. After all, didn't she claim to be the foremost of the Five Ancient Immortals once she ascended? She shouldn't have needed it then.

"Yes, I have."

"Huh? You feigned death even after becoming an Immortal?"

When this topic arose, Immortal Fairy uncharacteristically blushed, chuckling awkwardly.

"You know I can't hold onto money; I spend lavishly. Back then, I quickly ran out of spirit stones and was destitute."

"I also felt too embarrassed to ask my followers for spirit stones; after all, I was their faith."

"So, what was I to do without money? I quickly devised a plan."

"I used the Feigned Death Technique, pretending to be dead. Ying Tianxian and the other four would then come to pay their respects and give me spirit stones, which meant I'd have money."

"I used this trick several times, and it was quite effective."

Lu Yang was speechless. The entire situation was so full of absurdities that he didn't even know where to begin to comment.

"There's one more thing: can Mang Gu's ancient Barbarian Clan bloodline be temporarily sealed? This time, we were fortunate to only attract Golden Core stage demonic beasts. Next time, our luck might not hold, and it would be disastrous if we drew Nascent Soul stage demonic beasts."

Lu Yang was worried. If they truly encountered a Nascent Soul stage demonic beast, even Huang Doudou's fists might not be enough to hold the line, and the four of them would have to use directional teleportation talismans to return to Monster Suppressing Pass.

"It's fine; Mang Gu doesn't need to temporarily seal his bloodline. Didn't you notice towards the end of the battle that he could already suppress the armored demonic beasts with his bloodline?"

"This means Mang Gu's ancient Barbarian Clan bloodline can suppress demonic beasts at or below the Golden Core stage. Golden Core demonic beasts wouldn't even have time to flee if they encountered him. However, Nascent Soul stage demonic beasts won't be affected by his bloodline."

"However, if Mang Gu advances to the Golden Core stage, it would be a different matter entirely."

Immortal Fairy's analysis was insightful and logical. When it came to professional matters, she never faltered, after all, she had single-handedly founded the ancient Barbarian Clan.

Lu Yang sighed in relief, a burden lifted from his mind. Otherwise, he would have been constantly on edge for the next few months in the dense forest.

"Do you want to grow out your hair? I have a method," Immortal Fairy said with a grin.

"What method?"

"I have a set of 'Ginger Fist Art.' Once you learn it, you'll grow a head of lustrous black hair!"

To be honest, Lu Yang was tempted, but considering Immortal Fairy's unreliability, coupled with the equally unreliable name of the fist art, he couldn't help but feel there was something amiss.

"Never mind, my hair will grow back in ten to fifteen days anyway."

Normal hair doesn't grow this quickly; Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou stimulated their scalps with spiritual energy every night to accelerate hair growth, achieving significant results.

In reality, the four were eating freshly roasted lion meat. Mang Gu was gnawing directly on the lion's head.

"As expected of Golden Core stage lion meat, it's incredibly tender and juicy."

"Lu Yang's true fire technique is also excellent. Normally, with this kind of barbecue, the outside gets crispy while the inside remains undercooked. But under Lu Yang's precise control, the true fire simultaneously sears the exterior and cooks the interior, ensuring uniform doneness throughout. In this aspect, he surpasses me," Meng Jingzhou analyzed, acknowledging his inferiority to Lu Yang when it came to wielding true fire. Since he hadn't mastered even one type of true fire, he certainly couldn't compare to Lu Yang.

In fact, a solitary spiritual root inherently possesses a type of true fire called Pure Yang True Fire, which counters all ghosts and phantoms and can be automatically mastered upon reaching the Golden Core stage. This was originally a formidable talent, but in comparison to Lu Yang, it seemed less extraordinary.

Having eaten their fill, the four prepared to rest.

"How about Tao Yaoyao and I take the first half of the night watch, and Meng Jingzhou and Mang Gu take the second half?"

"Agreed."

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had experience spending nights in dense forests, so it was imperative they take separate night shifts. If Tao Yaoyao and Mang Gu were left together, and an unexpected event occurred, such as an ambush by demonic beasts or even humans, they might not be able to react quickly enough. In the dense forest, the dangers extended beyond demonic beasts; humans posed a threat as well. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had experienced human ambushes firsthand when they spent a night in the dense forest with the Five Hawks of Eagle Mountain. Fortunately, their opponents' cultivation levels were mediocre, and Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou swiftly dealt with them.

As the night watch began, Lu Yang noticed Tao Yaoyao immediately extending her divine sense to probe their surroundings. He cautioned her, "Don't keep your divine sense spread out constantly. If you use it like that, it will quickly deplete."

"The night is still long; how long do you think you can maintain that?"

Not only could Tao Yaoyao not use her divine sense in such a manner, but even Lu Yang, whose divine sense rivaled that of a Golden Core cultivator, wouldn't dare to use it this way.

"Then what should I do?" Tao Yaoyao obediently withdrew her divine sense.

"Use your eyes to see, your ears to hear. Engage all your five senses to observe your surroundings."

"You might find it unfamiliar at first, but try it a few more times. With your talent, you'll easily master this method."

"Once you master it, it will also be very useful in combat."

"Don't over-rely on divine sense; it's easy to fall into an opponent's trap if you do." This warning, originally taught to Lu Yang by Immortal Fairy, was now passed on to Tao Yaoyao.

Tao Yaoyao nodded, then focused on observing her surroundings according to Lu Yang's instructions. Neither of them spoke again; they simply sat in silence.

When the second half of the night arrived, they exchanged shifts. Tao Yaoyao hopped onto a tree, lay flat, and drifted to sleep in a remarkably relaxed posture. Witnessing this, Lu Yang couldn't help but recall his first mission with Tao Yaoyao, dealing with a painted-skin ghost. They had stayed overnight at the Shang family's home, and Tao Yaoyao had complained that the bed there wasn't as comfortable as the ones at the Dao Sect, preventing her from sleeping.

"It's not just me who's growing."