Chapter 488: Lu Yang's Three Trump Cards

Lu Yang had three trump cards he rarely used.

The first was Senior Sister's Pictographic Fist, which summoned Senior Sister. The second was the Immortal Medium, inviting the Immortal Fairy to possess him. The third was the Invincible Pill, capable of devising a winning strategy.

Any one of these three trump cards would be a devastating blow to cultivators of the same realm. Lu Yang would only reveal a trump card if his opponent was exceptionally strong or if they resorted to underhanded tactics first. Kong Hao fell into the latter category.

The power Kong Hao displayed clearly didn't belong to him; it was likely due to a powerful soul entity within him. This tactic was all too familiar to Lu Yang, as he had one inside himself too. This made the fight unwinnable. That powerful soul entity was, at minimum, at the Body Integration stage, and Lu Yang couldn't possibly contend with it. He decisively used the Invincible Pill, and its answer was clear, just as he had anticipated: report it to the referee.

"Is this what they call a genius, fighting me with external aid?" Young Sect Master Lu sneered. "If you let this slide, I still have magic treasures bestowed by the Sect Master and my master. Even cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending stage couldn't withstand a single blow from them." He continued, "Considering the treasures are too unconventional, I haven't used them in this fight. But if Kong Hao isn't penalized for cheating, then I won't hold back either."

The referee was stunned when he heard Lu Yang's report, unable to react immediately. Despite his vast experience, he had never witnessed someone fighting by leveraging the power of another soul within their body. Only after Lu Yang spoke did he realize something was amiss with Kong Hao's power; it was clearly not his own. Of course, this constituted a foul.

"The loser is Kong Hao."

Just as Kong Hao was about to use his new power to fight, he heard the referee declare the match results and dejectedly stepped off the stage.

As soon as he stepped down, he was not greeted by the Sect Master of Flying Waterfall Sect, but by various Tribulation Transcending stage ancestors. "Step aside, let me see who's inside this child's body." "I formulated the 'Soul Seizure Art'; I'm an expert in this field. Let me go first." "My cultivation is the highest, let me do it." The Sect Master of Flying Waterfall Sect intended to step forward, but he was quickly pushed to the back by these powerful figures.

"That aura resembles one of the Four Fiends," remarked Venerable Yiqi, who was most sensitive to auras, making the first judgment. "Boy, don't resist. I'm going to check your Spirit Platform." With that, a small figure flew out from Venerable Yiqi's Spirit Platform and entered Kong Hao's. "Hoh, it's a big one!" Kong Hao's Spirit Platform was much larger than those of cultivators in the same realm, not due to cultivation but because it was stretched by the colossal entity within him. An iron barrier divided the Spirit Platform into two; the smaller section was Kong Hao's activity space, and the larger was the colossal entity's sealed ground. The iron barrier was reinforced with nine layers of seals, making it unbreakable. The colossal entity stared intently at Venerable Yiqi, its beastly eyes revealing a barely perceptible trace of fear.

The colossal entity was a lion the size of a small mountain, with a long, white mane that resembled drifting snowflakes, rising and falling with its breath. Its two upward-curving tusks were like gleaming broadswords, and its tail was as long as its body. "So it's an old Taowu," Venerable Yiqi scoffed. This old Taowu was no simple creature; its Tribulation Transcending stage cultivation would be enough to make it a chieftain of the Taowu clan. He wondered why it was sealed here. "Isn't this Ji Xiong? I thought you were eliminated after losing the clan leader competition. Never expected to find you here." One after another, Tribulation Transcending cultivators flew into Kong Hao's Spirit Platform. Such cultivators were rare, and soon someone recognized the old Taowu's identity.

Kong Hao had never seen so many Tribulation Transcending cultivators in his life. He was shocked when he learned of the old Taowu's cultivation level and identity. He had always thought the old Taowu was at the Body Integration stage, not the terrifying Tribulation Transcending stage. He was an orphan. Ever since he gained consciousness, the old Taowu had been sealed within his body, though he didn't know by whom. Kong Hao had always feared revealing the old Taowu's existence, worried that powerful individuals would covet him. This was why he had joined the inconspicuous Flying Waterfall Sect, a mere second-grade sect. But now, unexpectedly, the matter was exposed. How would these powerful cultivators treat him?

Expecting the old Taowu to tell the truth was impossible. The Tribulation Transcending ancestors questioned Kong Hao about what he knew, then combined that with their own knowledge of the old Taowu, piecing together the general outline of events: After losing the clan leader competition, the old Taowu was hunted down. Its physical body was destroyed, its soul was damaged, and it fled all the way to the territory of Great Xia. There, a peak Body Integration cultivator skilled in sealing arts sealed the old Taowu inside Kong Hao's body.

From the extent of the seal, it appeared the peak Body Integration cultivator had benevolent intentions towards Kong Hao: as Kong Hao's strength steadily increased, he would be able to gradually unseal the old Taowu and use its power.

"You have two choices," Venerable Yiqi told Kong Hao. "You can unseal it, and we will capture the old Taowu. In return, we'll provide you with suitable compensation, including rare treasures, spiritual artifacts, and elixirs—consider it payment for acquiring it. This is the safest option." While the old Taowu at the Tribulation Transcending stage was indeed formidable, everyone present was also at that stage. If they all attacked at once, the old Taowu would have no choice but to take a beating. "Alternatively, you can continue to keep the old Taowu sealed and gradually unseal it as your strength grows. However, during this process, you run the risk of being possessed." "Which do you choose?"

While the Tribulation Transcending cultivators observed the old Taowu as if it were a rare animal, the competition proceeded methodically. Lan Ting, fearing Meng Jingzhou's Bachelor's Curse Fist, fought hesitantly and was defeated by him. Meng Jingzhou secured his place in the finals.

Following his master's teachings, Yan Tianzhi fought fiercely against anyone from the Five Elements Sect, defeating Bai Ming and successfully advancing to the semifinals. "Punishment Sect, Yan Tianzhi." "Heavenly Court Sect, Young Sect Master." Lu Yang and Yan Tianzhi met in the semifinals.

Behind Yan Tianzhi, Taotie battle patterns and Azure Dragon battle patterns shimmered, and the indistinct phantoms of the two great demonic beasts emerged, exuding immense pressure. This was the unique battle pattern cultivation method of the Punishment Sect, a technique pioneered by its founding patriarch. Seeing the two battle patterns, Lu Yang clapped and praised, "Finally, I've encountered an interesting opponent! I've long heard that the Punishment Sect's battle pattern system is unique, and even the Sect Master speaks highly of it. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation."

Lu Yang continued, "In ancient times, our human race had the custom of painting patterns on our faces. When drawn correctly, these patterns could grant infinite power and were our earliest method of dealing with floods and fierce beasts. The Sect Master thought this pattern art had been lost, but unexpectedly, in this new era, someone innovated upon these patterns and created the battle pattern cultivation method." He added, "The Sect Master said that the person who created this cultivation method possessed great talent, but unfortunately, they were born at the wrong time, during the transition between the Great Yu and Great Xia dynasties. If they had lived in ancient times, they surely could have vied for an immortal fruit and achieved a brilliant future, their name echoing through history!" Lu Yang sighed, still seemingly lost in thought, as if savoring the Sect Master's evaluation of the Punishment Sect's founding patriarch.

On the judges' panel, Qiu Jin'an and Luo Hongxia looked at Yang Ding in surprise. "They never said this match would happen! That kid Lu Yang is practically praising your Punishment Sect's founding patriarch to the heavens." Yang Ding scratched his head awkwardly. "I was just trying to take this opportunity to promote our Punishment Sect, you know."