Chapter 306: Meng Jingzhou's Arena Enlightenment

"You fought well. I thought that after you advanced to the Golden Core stage, your sword basic skills might not keep up with your current cultivation level, and I was going to remind you. Now it seems I worried unnecessarily."

"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Senior Sister."

Lu Yang wouldn't dare slack off on his basic skill training. He remembered back when he first started cultivating; to train his fundamentals, Senior Sister would have him train with tofu during the day and take scalding hot baths at night. If it weren't for the ample supply of elixirs and miraculous medicines, whether he would have survived is debatable.

If Senior Sister found out his basic skills were not solid, and made him go through that again... Lu Yang shivered just thinking about it.

He absolutely couldn't go through that again!

"Xiao Tao, it's good that you comprehended the Yin-Yang transformation Golden Core from the Twin Lotus and linked it with illusions. But don't forget that you are also an Ethereal Immortal Body; don't neglect developing it."

"Yes, Senior Sister!"

"Alright, you two can review this battle later. For now, let's watch Xiao Meng and Xiao Man's fight."

"They've been fighting for so long?" Tao Yaoye was surprised. Her fight with Lu Yang had lasted quite a while, but she didn't expect Meng Jingzhou and Mang Gu to be even more persistent.

"Both are body cultivators, so it's hard to distinguish a winner," Lu Yang said, unsurprised. Meng Jingzhou's Golden Core had miraculous effects against demons and monsters, but it was useless against Mang Gu, who was also a body cultivator.

Mang Gu held a monster's leg bone, a trophy he acquired from the dense forest, taken from a Nascent Soul stage monster he and Tao Yaoye had jointly killed.

Mang Gu swung the monster leg bone, howling and shouting like a savage, his eyes filled with madness and savagery.

Lu Yang was puzzled; he had never seen Mang Gu in this state before, and this fighting style didn't seem to match Mang Gu's usual personality.

Mang Gu usually fought with brute force, but he had never been this wild, like he was hunting monsters in the wilderness.

Meng Jingzhou was also startled by Mang Gu's appearance, losing the initiative in the fight. He was suppressed from the start, spending most of his energy on defense and rarely attacking.

Furthermore, although Mang Gu's fighting style seemed wild, upon closer inspection, it revealed a subtle sophistication, combining offense and defense. It appeared to be a technique honed through countless trials and improvements.

"Huh, this fighting style looks familiar! It's just like those barbarians I've met, swarming forward with rocks and bones, smashing their enemies' brains out!" The Immortal Fairy was quite excited to see something familiar.

Lu Yang was surprised: "Is this an ancient barbarian fighting style? But I heard that the ancient barbarians' fighting methods were lost."

The issue of barbarian historical discontinuity was also severe, with very few records from ancient times.

"Did you forget? Mang Gu's bloodline was blessed by me. If monsters can transmit innate divine abilities through their bloodlines, then I, an Immortal, can naturally do the same!"

When a monster reaches a certain cultivation level, the inherited power hidden within its bloodline awakens, allowing it to learn its innate divine ability.

The "Devour" ability of the Taotie clan and the "Charm" ability of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan are examples of this.

The purer the bloodline, the earlier the inherited power awakens.

"By the way, what kind of Golden Core did Mang Gu form?" Lu Yang turned to ask Tao Yaoye. There was no need to keep it a secret now, was there?

"It should be like mine, a previously unknown Golden Core. It's called something like 'Ancestral Spirits Core,' which allows the spirits of his ancestors in heaven to possess him and aid in battle."

"That powerful?!" Lu Yang was greatly astonished. "Doesn't that mean the souls of the ancient barbarians are still around?"

Yun Zhi slowly shook her head. "It's not what you think. For souls to not dissipate for three hundred thousand years, only Immortals possess such a capability."

"Then what's happening with Mang Gu?"

"Although Mang Gu's ancestors' souls dissipated and returned to the heavens, there's a bloodline connection between them and Mang Gu. Sensing the continued existence of the barbarian race, the ancestors reassembled a portion of the souls that had vanished into the world, and descended into Mang Gu's body through the ancient barbarian bloodline. However, this form of possession is primarily driven by instinct and lacks sentience."

Lu Yang recalled the Immortal Fairy; this method was somewhat similar to hers, but far less heaven-defying.

"So, Meng Jingzhou's opponent isn't just Mang Gu, but an entire ancient barbarian tribe?" Lu Yang felt that Meng Jingzhou would have a difficult time in this match.

The ancient barbarians were a race that followed the Immortal Fairy, fighting as frequently as they ate. Their combat experience was incredibly rich. How could Meng Jingzhou be a match for them?

On the arena, Meng Jingzhou was steadily forced back. Neither his Arhat Fist nor his Six Heaven-Shaking Forms were effective.

Mang Gu's eyes were dull, completely taken over by his ancient barbarian ancestors, fighting purely by instinct.

In terms of physical strength, Meng Jingzhou was slightly stronger than Mang Gu, but he couldn't contend with Mang Gu's extensive experience.

The combined combat experience of the ancient barbarian ancestors amounted to hundreds of thousands of years. How could Meng Jingzhou compare with that?

Although Mang Gu had the upper hand, constantly pressuring Meng Jingzhou, he couldn't truly defeat him in the short term.

"Doesn't Meng Jingzhou look a bit off?"

Meng Jingzhou felt himself enter a strange state. Inside his body, his two 'Single Golden Cores' sensed Mang Gu's Golden Core. They began to spin uncontrollably, as if enraged, like two small suns, warming his body. His body became transparent, his acupoints opened, and each acupoint absorbed and released spiritual energy.

As the two Golden Cores spun, Meng Jingzhou's mind emptied, and his past experiences flashed through his mind one by one.

His past experiences condensed to their extreme, then suddenly, his mind roared and exploded.

Meng Jingzhou's head shook, and he felt as though the world had become clearer than ever before.

"Did I just achieve enlightenment and comprehend a new set of fist techniques?"

Meng Jingzhou clenched his fists, a hint of disbelief in his expression.

He had heard that the state of enlightenment was rare and sought after, something most cultivators wouldn't encounter even once in their lifetime. Yet, he had achieved enlightenment at the Golden Core stage?

And judging from his recent experience, were his two 'Single Golden Cores' helping him achieve enlightenment?

"I knew my 'Single Golden Cores' were invincible!"

Meng Jingzhou mentally practiced the fist technique he had just comprehended, his expression peculiar.

"This fist technique seems to be..."

"Stop!" Meng Jingzhou extended his hand, halting Mang Gu's attack.

"I just comprehended a new set of fist techniques, ancient barbarian ancestors! If you insist on continuing this fight, then don't blame me for using this technique!"

Mang Gu froze in place, seemingly waiting to hear what else Meng Jingzhou had to say.

"The fist technique I comprehended involves the power of karma, the power of curses, and carries the accumulated resentment of my bachelor lineage!"

"Anyone struck by my fist will be just like me for the rest of their life: forever single. This is a karmic curse!"

"I call it the 'Single Curse Fist'!"

"This must be the innate fist technique bestowed by my Twin Single Golden Cores!"

"If you're willing to let Mang Gu take this punch, then feel free to continue attacking me!"

The ancient barbarian ancestors, controlling Mang Gu's body, quickly jumped off the arena and conceded defeat.

Their instincts told them that Meng Jingzhou was telling the truth!