Chapter 350: Engaging in Combat

Boom! Boom! Boom!

On the arena, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged blows, their fists and feet clashing with thunderous sounds. Their footwork and movement techniques were incredibly refined, allowing them to dodge attacks with minimal shifts.

Their control over their power made the Golden Core stage cultivators watching from below twitch their eyes and gulp. Such an intense battle, yet not a single bit of power leaked out. They couldn't believe these two were only in the early Golden Core stage.

No, or rather, could this really be the level of control a Golden Core cultivator should possess?

"You have the Single's Curse Fist; taking on three people should be no problem!"

"Nonsense, my Single's Curse Fist only works on males, and after using it, it will actually double their combat power! You have Lu's Arhat Fist; what's there to fear from a mere three people?"

"Are you kidding? If I use the Arhat Fist, Lan Ting won't let me off, and neither will the entire Moonlit Immortal Palace!"

"Besides, don't you want to be first? I'll let you have this first place!"

"It's not that urgent. You can be first."

They began to fight, vying for the second-place position.

In a one-on-one fight, they feared no one. But to suggest one person fight three—unless their brain was completely replaced by an 'Invincible Pill'—no one would choose such a challenge.

Lu Yang tried to jump off the arena, but Meng Jingzhou pressed down on his shoulder and pulled him back. Meng Jingzhou tried to jump off, but Lu Yang grabbed his wrist and threw him back.

Both eagerly tried to jump off the arena, but each was stopped by the other.

After a struggle, they mutually restrained each other and simultaneously fell off the arena.

Bai Ming stood up and clapped, "Tied for first place! Let's give them a round of applause!"

Bai Ming skipped the post-match commentary, leaped directly from the judging panel onto the arena, holding a platinum-patterned spear.

Lan Ting and Yan Tianzhi followed closely behind.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Lu Yang, Senior Brother Meng Jingzhou! Who would have thought you'd defeat so many talented Foundation Establishment cultivators and claim first place!" Bai Ming said with a straight face, though a look of schadenfreude was almost impossible for him to suppress.

"I think there might be a misunderstanding between us, Lan Ting. You know me; I've never done anything to bully the younger generation!" Lu Yang protested.

"Attack!" Bai Ming gave Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou no chance to speak. It was a rare opportunity to spar, and if he missed this one, he wouldn't know when the next would be.

As the most talented person in the Five Elements Sect, it was difficult for him to find suitable opponents. No one at the same cultivation level could beat him, and fighting against those of a higher level didn't feel right.

All things considered, only the disciples from the other four immortal sects could be his true opponents.

His spear swept upwards, leaving a white mark on the arena.

Lu Yang raised his sword to block, deflecting the spear tip, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"A good spear strike. I didn't feel this kind of pressure even when I was fighting intensely against Foundation Establishment cultivators on the arena earlier!"

Lu Yang became interested, his eyes showing a restless spirit. Since they wanted to fight, they should have a real fight.

The original purpose of attending the Qingzhou Grand Gathering was to exchange ideas with peers.

Bai Ming was enraged by Lu Yang; the tip of his spear ignited with Solar True Fire, causing the temperature on the arena to soar. Even the audience below, protected by formations, could feel the heat waves from the stage.

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow. He remembered Bai Ming had used Golden Crow Flame during his Foundation Establishment stage. It seemed that after ascending to the Golden Core stage, the Golden Crow Flame had also evolved, becoming Solar True Fire, a flame as renowned as Pure Yang True Fire.

Of course, in terms of power, it definitely couldn't compare to Meng Jingzhou's Pure Yang True Fire, which was obtained from two "Single's Golden Cores."

No one with a single spirit root throughout history had dared to go to such an extreme.

"Break!" Lu Yang lightly shouted. The sound of his Azure Edge Sword slicing through the air resounded throughout the entire arena. Those with lower cultivation felt a stinging pain in their eyes, as if pricked by needles.

"It's sword qi!" A Golden Core cultivator below was startled, having long heard that when sword qi reached a certain level, even looking directly at it could harm the body.

He had never seen anyone cultivate sword qi to such a degree.

He couldn't believe that Lu Yang, despite being only in the early Golden Core stage, had already reached the level where his sword qi could harm others.

The sword qi pierced through the Solar True Fire on the spear tip. The true fire fell to the ground, scorching small pits.

When Prince Yan's team fought Meng Jingzhou earlier, there wasn't even a trace of damage on the arena.

Lu Yang laughed heartily, full of ambition, "Lan Ting, you and Bai Ming, come at me together!"

Lan Ting smiled faintly, "Then it shall be as Senior Brother Lu Yang says."

Her skirt sashes fluttered, like swimming dragons, moving around Lu Yang, then suddenly tightening, trying to entangle him.

"Ground Shrink!"

Lu Yang had anticipated this. He burrowed underground, causing the sashes to miss.

"This little girl is quite interesting. She's also an Immortal Physique. You're in for a fight," the Undying Immortal Fairy commented from her bed in the mental space, observing the outside world.

"Lan Ting is also an Immortal Physique?" Lu Yang had thought Lan Ting had a single spirit root.

"Yes, she possesses the Primordial Immortal Physique. Legend has it this was the first Immortal Physique mastered by humanity. Before the cultivation system was established, the universal cultivation method for humans was Qi Refinement, drawing Qi into the body and absorbing various types of natural energy. Those who successfully drew Qi into their bodies were called Qi Refiners."

"However, the Qi Refiner's cultivation method wasn't universally applicable and was gradually phased out by humanity."

"The founder of the Qi Refiners was a Primordial Immortal Physique. He pioneered human cultivation, leading humanity to resist demonic beasts and natural disasters, allowing them to establish a foothold in the desolate era. At the dawn of creation, with humanity's first light, this Immortal Physique was named the Primordial Immortal Physique."

"So, do you want me to help you fight?"

"No need, I'll try the Invincible Pill."

Yan Tianzhi quietly walked up to Meng Jingzhou. A faint glow flickered on his back, extending up to his neck. Only then did Meng Jingzhou notice the tattoo on him.

A spectral image of a demonic beast appeared behind him: a sheep's body with tiger's teeth, eyes under its armpits, and a cry like a wailing infant, vexing and irritating.

"Taotie?" The crowd below stirred, confused about what was happening.

An elder who had come to select sect disciples recognized the origin of the Taotie and explained to those around him: "This is a Battle Tattoo from the Prison Suppression Sect. Starting from the Foundation Establishment stage, cultivators can tattoo images of demons and monsters onto their bodies to gain their power and divine abilities. For each cultivation realm ascended, one can tattoo an additional beast."

"However, this is the first time I've seen someone manifest a Taotie Battle Tattoo at the Golden Core stage."

"So it's a Senior Brother from the Prison Suppression Sect! Our clan elders speak highly of the Prison Suppression Sect's Battle Tattoo method. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation!" Meng Jingzhou clasped his fists firmly.

"Dao Seeking Sect, Meng Jingzhou."

"Prison Suppression Sect, Yan Tianzhi."

Yan Tianzhi opened his mouth; the spectral image of Taotie became increasingly clear, as if coming to life.

"Devour Heaven and Earth!"

A hurricane swept across the arena, and a terrifying suction made it difficult for Meng Jingzhou to steady himself.

"Six Shaking Heaven Styles — Earth Quake and Mountain Tremor!"

Meng Jingzhou responded calmly. His punches sounded like muffled thunder, his fists striking the air to create terrifying shockwaves, one after another. These were absorbed into Yan Tianzhi's abdomen, causing him a sharp pain and forcing him to interrupt his Taotie divine ability.

Meng Jingzhou gathered his inner strength, shaking heaven and earth. The winds roared, creating an astonishing momentum. Yan Tianzhi was like a humanoid Taotie, devouring everything.

Massive fists clashed, each collision producing a terrifying roar. Sweat dripped from their foreheads, and their faces were filled with excitement.

They moved so fast they were almost blurs. Those with weaker eyesight couldn't even see their figures. The top eight contenders of the grand competition could see them, but only just; their minds couldn't keep up with the speed of their reactions.

"Is this really the combat power a Golden Core early-stage cultivator should have?" A Golden Core cultivator below the arena asked incredulously, feeling as though his own Golden Core had been cultivated in vain.

"What kind of Golden Cores do they even have... Oh, right, isn't there a Golden Core Appraisal Conference? Let's call those people over to take a look!"