Chapter 283: Equivalent Exchange Technique

Lu Yang leaned back slightly, as if startled by Meng Jingzhou's Golden Core.

Two "single" Golden Cores—even Daoist Shendu wouldn't dare try something like that. It truly was an unprecedented Golden Core.

He mentally organized his words and said tactfully, "Are you sure having two 'single' Golden Cores won't make you even more perpetually single?"

Meng Jingzhou waved his hand dismissively. "You don't understand this. As the saying goes, 'when things reach an extreme, they reverse course,' or 'when sorrow reaches its limit, joy comes.' When something reaches its peak, it naturally transforms into its opposite extreme. My Golden Core is the same. Having reached the pinnacle of being single, it's time for a positive change, to become popular with women. This was already evident on my way back here by flying boat."

"What happened?"

"While I was on the flying boat, there was some bumpkin upstart from who-knows-where, flaunting his petty cash and bullying people. I couldn't stand it, so I casually revealed my identity as the Young Master of the Meng family. He was so terrified he knelt and begged for mercy. At that moment, several rather attractive women gathered around me, drawn by my personal charm."

"...You're quite adept at self-hypnosis."

Meng Jingzhou acted as if he hadn't heard Lu Yang's sarcastic remark, his eyes sparkling as if a bright future lay before him. "In short, I've broken the curse of the perpetually single spiritual root that plagued my ancestors, and I'm about to embrace a new beginning!"

"Oh, this little guy's Golden Core is rather interesting," Immortal Fairy's voice chimed in at just the right moment, successfully capturing Lu Yang's attention.

"Fairy, what do you mean?" Lu Yang wondered to himself. Could it be that Meng Jingzhou, this grandson of a turtle, had really managed to break the ancestral curse of the single spiritual root?

"Have you heard of a certain type of curse spell?" Immortal Fairy asked mysteriously.

Lu Yang shook his head. Other than the Fairy placing a hex on the ancient barbarians, he hadn't heard of any curse spells.

"This spell, though called a curse, is actually a form of exchange, or rather, a rule. Some call it the 'Equivalent Exchange Technique.' When you use this type of spell, whatever you lose, you gain something else in return."

"For example, you, Lu Yang, are very intelligent, right? You could use the Equivalent Exchange Technique to decrease your intelligence in exchange for unparalleled combat power!"

"That's incredible!" Lu Yang was quite surprised.

Immortal Fairy was very pleased with Lu Yang's expression. "Hehe, see how knowledgeable I am? I bet people in your era don't even know about this spell. You're the first one in your time to learn about it!"

"Does Fairy know this spell?" Lu Yang became deeply interested in the technique. If he could learn it, wouldn't he be able to exchange anything he wanted and become invincible?

Immortal Fairy shook her head, pouring cold water on Lu Yang's enthusiasm. "No one can learn this spell. Or rather, those who wish to learn this spell can never learn it."

Lu Yang was confused by this strange logic. Those who want to learn it can never learn it, so does that mean those who *don't* want to learn it *can*?

"Yes, those who don't want to learn it can."

Immortal Fairy continued, "The 'Equivalent Exchange Technique' doesn't require learning. When the opportunity arises, it manifests naturally."

"And those who cast the spell often don't even realize they've used it."

"It's like the very first person in human history to cast a spell. They didn't deliberately learn or try to use it; rather, various factors converged, and the spell was naturally released."

"I see." Lu Yang was clearly a little disappointed; he had thought he could learn another new spell.

Immediately, Lu Yang realized something was off. The conversation had drifted far off topic. "Wait, weren't we discussing Meng Jingzhou's Golden Core? How did we get to the Equivalent Exchange Technique?"

"We haven't drifted. It wasn't obvious before, so I didn't think about it this way. But now that I see it, this young Meng fellow has already used the Equivalent Exchange Technique."

"How so?"

Immortal Fairy analyzed seriously, unraveling the secret of the single spiritual root. "The single spiritual root is powerful because it sacrifices one's single status in exchange for powerful cultivation talent and combat ability. This is a genuine Equivalent Exchange Technique!"

"If an ordinary single spiritual root were to have relations with a woman, the price would be the breaking of their pure yang body, and their cultivation would no longer advance. But now, with two single spiritual roots strengthening him, if he were to have relations with a woman, his cultivation would plummet!"

"This young Meng fellow has reinforced the single attribute of his spiritual root. With the courage of burning his bridges, he has exchanged it for peak combat power. Among all single spiritual roots throughout history, he should be the strongest!"

Lu Yang's eyelids twitched. He thought to himself that if Meng Jingzhou ever found out about this, he'd probably be sick with regret. So, he kindly asked, "Is there a way to break it?"

"Yes. The Equivalent Exchange Technique cannot manifest in Immortals. The young Meng fellow just needs to become an Immortal."

Whether Meng Jingzhou could become an Immortal aside, even if he could, when would he ever cultivate to immortality? Only five Immortals appeared in the Great Ancient Era. He didn't know how many had appeared in the past 300,000 years, and his senior sister wouldn't tell him. Becoming an Immortal was harder than reaching the heavens.

Lu Yang mused, "So, Meng Jingzhou exchanged his happiness in the lower body for power in the rest of his life."

Impressive.

"Hmm, why are you looking at me like that?" Meng Jingzhou felt Lu Yang's gaze was strange, difficult to describe. It was like... pity?

Meng Jingzhou stretched. "I just formed my Golden Core, and fighting in the dense forest wasn't enough. Watch me go get some action in the arena."

Having formed the unprecedented double "single" Golden Cores, he absolutely had to show them off.

Before Lu Yang could react, Meng Jingzhou paid his bill and walked off towards the bustling arena nearby.

At that moment, the battle in the arena had just ended. As both combatants stepped down, Meng Jingzhou leaped onto the platform, radiating light like a small sun. "Haha, I've just formed my Golden Core. Which senior brother or sister would like to offer some guidance?"

Meng Jingzhou thought to himself that he was previously in the Foundation Establishment stage and couldn't defeat his senior brothers and sisters, but now that they were all in the Golden Core stage, could he still not beat them?

"I'll go," a bald senior brother, who appeared to have achieved minor success with a Buddhist Golden Body, jumped onto the stage and smiled honestly. "Junior Brother Meng, please go easy on me."

The bald senior brother was named Zheng Jing, a late Golden Core cultivator, not particularly conspicuous among the other Golden Core senior brothers.

"Haha, Senior Brother, don't hold back. I'm not who I used to be," Meng Jingzhou laughed heartily.

Soon after, Lu Yang used his Wood Clone to carry Meng Jingzhou off the stage on a stretcher.

"Such a decent person, why does he always seek out trouble?" Lu Yang sighed, grateful that he had the Invincible Pill, which let him know who he could defeat and who he couldn't. Otherwise, he would end up like Meng Jingzhou, being carried off.

If Meng Jingzhou had still been in the Foundation Establishment stage, Senior Brother Zheng wouldn't have been so harsh. But now that Meng Jingzhou had formed his Golden Core and had strong resilience and recovery, the blows naturally became heavier.

Just as Lu Yang was preparing to carry Meng Jingzhou back, he saw three figures block his path.

Lu Yang looked up; they were familiar faces: Master Liu and Master Gao from the barbecue shop.

"Please come with us."