Chapter 263: Lu Yang's Changes

Wielding a red silk ribbon, the awe-inspiring Immortal Fairy effortlessly dispatched a Core Formation stage demon beast with a single casual strike. Her beautiful brows were slightly furrowed.

It was Lu Yang's first time witnessing the Immortal Fairy's combat prowess. Her seemingly casual strike, in reality, concealed profound depth. To Lu Yang, the strike showcased the Immortal Fairy's precise control over her power, with not a single trace of energy wasted.

It was important to remember that the Immortal Fairy was using Lu Yang's clone, which only possessed eighty percent of his full strength. Had it been Lu Yang himself, he could have also slain the Core Formation stage demon beast in a single blow, but he would never have achieved the Immortal Fairy's level of finesse, wasting considerable energy in the process.

*Swish!* The red silk ribbon moved like a flood dragon in the sea, each strike claiming another Core Formation stage opponent. In a mere moment of distraction, two Core Formation stage demon beasts and one Core Formation stage cultivator were sliced in half by the red silk ribbon.

If any Core Formation stage attacks came her way, the Immortal Fairy could skillfully manipulate the red silk ribbon to shield herself, and any blow striking it left not the slightest mark. The red silk ribbon was on par with the immortal treasures acquired by the Immortal Sect; let alone Core Formation cultivators, even Body Integration stage experts couldn't inflict the slightest damage on it.

"Who are you?!" Mu Tiancao demanded, startled and sensing trouble as it witnessed the Immortal Fairy's relentless attacks. Just moments ago, the outcome had seemed certain, with Lu Yang doomed to die, yet now an unexpected variable had emerged! It had distinctly seen Lu Yang employ a cloning technique, creating a separate Lu Yang. But why had the clone's appearance drastically altered, transforming into a woman whose incredibly arrogant tone was utterly unlike Lu Yang's usual demeanor? Did this "Lu Yang" possess a dual personality, or was there some other explanation? Mu Tiancao couldn't fathom the reason for a moment.

The Immortal Fairy sneered, dismissing Mu Tiancao's challenge with disdain: "A mere weed that has gained sentience, manipulating a swarm of reeking corpses, dares to ask who I am? Before I ascended to immortality, I don't know how many like you I eliminated!"

"Boastful nonsense! They're just two Foundation Establishment cultivators, attack together!" Mu Tiancao, enraged by the Immortal Fairy, noted that the red silk ribbon's strike had not exceeded the Foundation Establishment stage, implying its opponent had merely gone from one Foundation Establishment cultivator to two. With seventy Core Formation cultivators here, how could they possibly fail to defeat two Foundation Establishment cultivators? With both cultivation realms and numbers clearly in their favor, there was no deceptive way to bridge such a gap.

The Immortal Fairy faced the swarm of Core Formation cultivators without a shred of fear, as if such scenes were commonplace to her. The red silk ribbon *swished* forth, coiling around the demon beast Lushu just as it prepared to attack. Lushu struggled and tore with all its might, but could not break free from the restraint. The Immortal Fairy gripped the other end of the red silk ribbon and violently slammed Lushu onto the ground, the immense impact causing the earth to tremble slightly. Other Core Formation cultivators attacked from all directions—some from the air, some from underground—their target clear: to eliminate Lu Yang's clone!

The Immortal Fairy then used the red silk ribbon to envelop Lushu, transforming the ribbon into a makeshift meteor hammer. After spinning it at high speed, she powerfully swung it towards the mass of Core Formation cultivators.

*Boom—Boom—* Each of the Immortal Fairy's strikes landed like a cannonball. Those struck were either severely wounded with broken limbs, even if they didn't die, making it difficult for Mu Tiancao to control them to stand.

However, as more and more Core Formation cultivators joined the encirclement, the red silk ribbon's movements became severely restricted, no longer able to swing freely and fell enemies. The Immortal Fairy immediately changed her combat approach. She dropped the now-mangled Lushu and wrapped the red silk ribbon around her entire body. This clone was not as robust as Lu Yang's main body and would be unable to withstand the ensuing high-intensity close quarters combat; thus, it needed the red silk ribbon to envelop and protect its entire form.

A Core Formation stage body cultivator charged forward. The Immortal Fairy's elegant brows furrowed, and she struck him across the face with a palm.

"Hah!" With a delicate shout, the palm strike gained even more power, slamming the Core Formation stage body cultivator directly into the ground.

"Roar—" As the demon beasts and human cultivators launched a joint attack, the Immortal Fairy took half a step forward with her left foot, settling into a combat stance.

"Fairy Fist Art!"

Her delicate fists rained down like a storm; seemingly graceful, their power was terrifying, creating the illusion that her opponents faced not mere punches, but immense rivers descending from the heavens, utterly irresistible and unstoppable. The Fairy Fist Art was so swift it left afterimages, each punch precisely striking the dantian of the Core Formation cultivators, severing their connection with Mu Tiancao.

"If all of them were late-stage Core Formation cultivators, this body would indeed be unable to cope," she mused. "But alas, you are not." Most of these Core Formation cultivators were in the early or mid-stages, with late-stage cultivators being a minority.

Lu Yang was captivated by the Immortal Fairy's fist art; it was only his second time witnessing the Fairy Fist Art in action. The previous occasion had been when Huang Doudou had brutally thrashed the Immortal Venerable, who, as the third-in-command of the Immortal lineage, was inherently suppressed by the Immortal Fairy. Back then, no matter what techniques Huang Doudou employed, she could suppress the Immortal Venerable, which meant the profound intricacies of the Fairy Fist Art weren't fully demonstrated. This time, however, was different. The Immortal Fairy was confronting opponents a full major realm above her. In this scenario, Lu Yang immediately recognized the Fairy Fist Art as an absolutely top-tier technique, brimming with endless mysteries.

With his current capabilities, he found it challenging even to grasp the superficial aspects of this fist art. Yet, this didn't deter Lu Yang from attempting to comprehend it.

"So that's it," Lu Yang mused, "During combat, one must pay attention to power distribution and the rhythm of the battle; it's not simply about how heavy the punch is…" He pondered thoughtfully, gaining some initial insights.

"Lu Yang, be careful! Some Core Formation cultivators have gotten through!"

"I see them!"

Lu Yang had already anticipated this. Over seventy Core Formation cultivators couldn't possibly attack the Immortal Fairy simultaneously; their own attacks would clash before even reaching her. Furthermore, Mu Tiancao couldn't control such a vast number of cultivators simultaneously. It hadn't fully matured yet, and its limit was controlling ten Core Formation cultivators; if all were late-stage, that number would drop to eight. Currently, four to six Core Formation cultivators were attacking the Immortal Fairy simultaneously, while the others served as reserves, with new cultivators stepping in whenever one was defeated or knocked away by the Immortal Fairy.

Mu Tiancao's objective was clear: bypass the Immortal Fairy and encircle Lu Yang. Thanks to the recent turn of events, Lu Yang had seized the opportunity to fully recover his strength and was utterly unafraid of these Core Formation cultivators.

Lu Yang channeled sword qi into his Azure Edge Sword, containing it internally so that it no longer appeared as dazzling as before.

"Come on!"

Mu Tiancao, controlling the Core Formation cultivators, initially seemed unimpressed, but as soon as they clashed, it realized Lu Yang was completely different from moments ago. Though the Azure Edge Sword seemed devoid of sword qi, in reality, whenever it clashed with a Core Formation cultivator, the sword qi would surge, catching Mu Tiancao off guard. Then, just as Mu Tiancao braced itself to counter the sword qi, it would vanish, rendering its efforts futile!

He had actually elevated his control over power to a new level in such a short time! While this newfound control was not yet perfected, it was undeniably a mastery of a different caliber! This couldn't continue. They had to finish the battle quickly, or complications would arise!

Unaware of Mu Tiancao's decision, Lu Yang once again entered that familiar state: a mist lay before him, and beyond it, an indistinct halo of light.

"Hmm?" The Immortal Fairy noticed Lu Yang's transformation and blinked.