Chapter 724: Contest

"Don't worry, Old Lu, I won't let you lose too badly." Meng Jingzhou, ever loyal to his brother, promised to save Lu Yang enough face.

Lu Yang's face darkened. *Meng Jingzhou, you have no shame! I can't use my Seven Star Sword Formation, nor my Village in the Palm. Am I supposed to just incinerate you with my Samadhi True Fire?*

Both the Seven Star Sword Formation and the Village in the Palm were techniques he had used as Young Sect Master Lu, so he certainly couldn't use them in public. The Immortal Slaying Sword Array was also reserved for Young Sect Master Lu, so that was out of the question too.

Against any other cultivator of his level, Lu Yang was confident he could win without resorting to these ultimate trump cards. But Meng Jingzhou was different; he couldn't win without fighting seriously.

"Alright, I'll compromise," Meng Jingzhou said grandly. "How about I promise not to use the Bachelor's Curse Fist?"

Lu Yang suspected that the reason no one dared fight Meng Jingzhou was precisely because no one dared to face the Bachelor's Curse Fist. If hit, one's entire later life would be condemned to a miserable fate, just like Meng Jingzhou's. Of course, Lu Yang wasn't much better; his Lu Family Arhat Fist was equally notorious.

"…How about you don't back down, and you try it on me? Let's see who's tougher," Lu Yang challenged. He had endured countless trials from immortals and survived, so he didn't believe the Bachelor's Curse Fist could truly harm him.

Meng Jingzhou pretended not to hear Lu Yang. He wasn't stupid. This grandson Lu Yang was always causing trouble and constantly encountering opportunities; who knew when he might form a romantic bond with a demigod or an immortal? He wouldn't dare use the Bachelor's Curse Fist on Lu Yang.

"Old Lu, if you don't say anything, I'll take that as your agreement to our fight!" Meng Jingzhou smirked. As long as the fight started, whether Lu Yang agreed or not, it would be considered an agreement!

"Junior Sister Tao, it's been a year since we last met. I wonder how far your cultivation has progressed? Surely you haven't made no progress at all." With a flick of her fingers, Lan Ting unleashed countless swirling vortices. These vortices appeared harmless, but in reality, an average Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator would be severely wounded upon contact.

Tao Yaoye spun her parasol and twirled on her toes, deflecting the vortex attacks from all directions. Her movements were graceful, like a dance. "Thank you for your concern, Junior Sister Lan," Tao Yaoye replied. "Cultivation requires perseverance, and long-term practice always yields rewards. There are countless people in this world who long to cultivate but have no opportunity. Compared to them, I am already very fortunate."

Lan Ting chuckled softly and lightly stepped. Faint lights illuminated the arena, forming several interconnected arrays. "Junior Sister Tao is truly content with her lot. Speaking of which, it's impressive that you invented a marvel like the 'Dream Bubbles', which is so popular among mortals. I see 'Dream Bubbles' is developing rapidly; you must have put a lot of effort into it, Junior Sister. If you were to focus that attention on cultivation, who knows, you might achieve even greater accomplishments than you have now."

Tao Yaoye smiled sweetly, her movements showing no delay. She closed her red paper parasol, transforming it into a spear, and struck the eye of the array. "'Dream Bubbles' is the crystallization of my and Senior Brother Lu Yang's wisdom. Senior Brother Lu Yang even named it. If I didn't put some effort into it, how could I justify our combined efforts?"

Lan Ting used her sash to counter, fighting with a blend of illusion and reality, using softness to overcome hardness. "I've also watched 'Dream Bubbles' a few times, especially 'The Immortal Bond,' which depicts fellow disciples happily marrying and staying together eternally. It certainly makes many envious. Illusions are like dreams. For Junior Sister Tao to conceive such a heartfelt illusion, I wonder how many times you must have experienced it in your dreams. I've heard that those who master illusions often struggle to distinguish between illusion and reality. Junior Sister Tao, please don't fall into that trap and become trapped in an illusion."

Tao Yaoye smiled sweetly, "Thank you for your concern, Junior Sister Lan. However, perhaps because you've had less contact with Senior Brother Lu Yang, you might not know that he is most adept at discerning illusions. With Senior Brother present, there's no danger of being trapped in an illusion. If I were truly trapped in an illusion, Senior Brother Lu Yang would come to rescue me."

While urging her Nascent Soul to wield the Primordial Chaos Qi as a weapon, attempting to snatch away Tao Yaoye's red paper parasol, Lan Ting said: "Senior Brother Lu Yang has the world in his heart. If Junior Sister Tao were in trouble, he would naturally help. But there are so many people in distress in the world; I fear Senior Brother Lu Yang might not be able to attend to you at that time. It would be best for Junior Sister to save herself."

Tao Yaoye moved lightly, a flick of her wrist evading the Primordial Chaos Qi attack, and enveloped Lan Ting in an illusion. "My Senior Brother and I journey across the world, wielding our swords to punish evil and eliminate wickedness, jointly rescuing those in distress. When I encounter difficulties, my Senior Brother will naturally help me. As an outsider, Junior Sister Lan, I fear you won't experience such a scenario."

As a Five Elements Immortal Physique, Bai Ming condensed a unique Five Elements Nascent Soul, which glowed in five colors. With a clenched miniature hand, the five-colored Nascent Soul summoned five types of elemental spell attacks: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. "Go!" The five spell attacks simultaneously hurtled towards Li Haoran. The Golden Crow True Flame let out a cry, blurring the vision with its scorching heat. Within the true flame, several flying daggers were enveloped. Weak Water assisted the Golden Crow True Flame, and four earthen walls rose from the ground, trapping Li Haoran within them. Countless trees then burst from underground, their branches poisoned and covered in barbs, making them untouchable.

"The Five Elements Immortal Physique truly lives up to its reputation." Li Haoran faced the five different elemental attacks calmly. A small flame appeared in his palm, which he then launched towards the Golden Crow True Flame unleashed by Bai Ming. He used a replica Jade Purifying Vase to collect the Weak Water summoned by Bai Ming, shattered the earthen walls blocking him with a heavy hammer, refined the incoming flying daggers into his own use with artifact forging techniques, and severed the continuously emerging trees with his Bodhi Arm. The disciples below the stage watched in awe. His calm handling of the five disparate attacks, without the slightest hint of panic, demonstrated how incredibly composed Li Haoran was in battle.

"What's so impressive about casting five attacks simultaneously? I can cast six!" Li Haoran chuckled, activating his Nascent Soul. With a loud bang, Li Haoran exploded into pieces, genuinely startling Bai Ming, who thought Li Haoran had suffered a cultivation deviation. "Look, Senior Brother Li can still move!" someone excitedly shouted from below the stage. In the dust, six objects moved rapidly: Li Haoran's head, torso, and four limbs.

Bai Ming's eye twitched. He had never encountered such an unorthodox fighting style, not even when battling demonic cultists. Li Haoran's head spewed out Six Ding Divine Fire, his torso rammed directly into Bai Ming, his hands held refined gourds that exhaled Yin and Yang Qi capable of ensnaring souls, and the boots on his feet were covered in poisoned iron spikes that would instantly shoot out if blocked, catching the opponent off guard. Six attacks unleashed simultaneously!

Bai Ming and his Nascent Soul simultaneously fended off these attacks, struggling to keep up with the myriad divine abilities and spells, while the hidden mechanisms within Li Haoran's various magic treasures frequently put him in a difficult position.

Suddenly, Li Haoran's hair flew out, each strand stiff and straight like a steel needle, collectively forming a rapidly spinning disc that lunged at Bai Ming! "Were you wearing a wig all this time?!"

Bai Ming looked enviously at the adjacent arena. Why were Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting fighting so harmoniously, while his own fight was fraught with lethal intent at every turn?