Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Reeling in the Catch
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Though Ming Chan was a rogue cultivator, he had received a Buddhist inheritance, so he knew something about Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings and understood just how terrifying that realm was.
The term "Foundation Establishment" was merely a name used by immortal sects; in Buddhism, it had another name: "Lotus Throne." Cultivators established their Dao foundation and were called "Perfected Beings," while followers of Buddhism sat upon the Lotus Throne and were called "Arhats." Though the names differed, the outcome was ultimately the same.
"An Arhat... there's an Arhat behind Skull Mountain!"
"Damn it all, what fortuitous encounter! It's all fake! It's clearly an Arhat luring people in. Even if there was a real opportunity, that Arhat has already claimed it for himself!"
"Amitabha... Fuck!"
At this moment, Ming Chan had completely lost the appearance of a Buddhist monk. In his panic, his old habits resurfaced, and a stream of profanities poured from his mouth.
After all, before he began cultivating Buddhism, he was just a mountain bandit.
It was rather amusing; every time he finished killing and robbing, he would pray to a Buddha statue. He never imagined that one day he would actually receive a Buddhist fortuitous encounter.
The fortuitous encounter even told him that this was merit accumulated from his past lives.
So he laid down his butcher's knife and became a Buddha on the spot.
From then on, everything went smoothly for Ming Chan. He easily broke through to the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, just a step away from Foundation Establishment.
Now, however, all he felt was terror.
The merit of three lifetimes and his overwhelming luck, which had always been invincible, seemed to have lost their effect at this moment. They could only issue frantic warnings to him from the unseen world.
Danger! Certain death! Run!
As Ming Chan fled, he gradually slowed to a stop. Sweat poured down his bald head as he looked around, only to find that he was still in the same place where he had started.
Where is this place?
Was I really running just now?
"I..."
Filled with confusion, the Buddhist light in Ming Chan's eyes gradually faded. He 'accidentally' suffered from cultivation deviation, and the Dharma body he had painstakingly cultivated for decades fell silent.
He was dead.
From beginning to end, the Foundation Establishment Perfected Being had not even appeared. With just a slight influence on the great web of karma, he had naturally and deservedly died a violent death.
Meanwhile, outside the Skull Mountain market.
Yun Zhiqui and Ouyang Feng were also drenched in sweat. They hadn't fled, not because their reactions were slower than Ming Chan's, but because they knew it was useless.
With a Foundation Establishment Perfected Being right there, how could he let you escape?
Rogue cultivators were just ignorant.
This was especially true for Yun Zhiqui. As Lu Yang broke through, he felt his spiritual altar, once covered in dust, suddenly clear, followed by an intense wave of panic flooding his heart.
What am I doing? What did I just do?
Just then, a figure silently appeared.
It was a young man in black robes with a gloomy face and a pale complexion. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary Daoist one might see anywhere in the mortal world.
"...Greetings, Senior!"
Without any hesitation, Yun Zhiqui sheathed his sword and bowed.
Perfected Being Yin Shan ignored him, his gaze fixed intently on Skull Mountain below. At the foot of the mountain, a black flame was slowly rising from the earth's veins.
On the other side, Lu Yang also had a moment of inspiration.
"The Witch Ghost Mystic Realm..."
The unseen karma and fate told him that as he broke through and his destiny reached its peak, the Witch Ghost Mystic Realm had sensed it, emerged, and chosen him.
"...They really are fishing!"
The next second, the Witch Ghost Mystic Realm, which had been sending him waves of familiarity, suddenly froze. Immediately after, intense anger and fear erupted from it.
These were the emotions of the mystic realm's spirit.
The fish had taken the bait.
"Come."
Perfected Being Yin Shan spoke slowly, revealing no divine ability, yet with that single word, the newly emerged Witch Ghost Mystic Realm flew uncontrollably towards him. Then Lu Yang couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Fuck!"
Because within the opened mystic realm, there was a brilliant sword qi, coiled like a crouching tiger and a coiling dragon, seemingly waiting to deliver a fatal blow to whoever was outside!
Clang—!
The next second, Lu Yang's thoughts froze. All he could see was a sword qi locked onto him, as if it had seen through his entire being.
"Golden Core sword qi..."
Perfected Being Yin Shan took a step back, placing Lu Yang in front of him. This was why he had been unwilling to act personally and had chosen to hide behind the scenes.
For a moment, Perfected Being Yin Shan's heart was filled with relief. After all, if he had opened the Witch Ghost Mystic Realm himself, he would have been the unlucky one locked onto by the sword qi. Before a Golden Core sword qi, there was no difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining; both would be finished in a single strike.
Surprisingly, however, the sword qi did not strike.
Lu Yang only felt the perfected true qi he had just refined, the third-grade "True Dragon Baleful Qi," tremble slightly, as if it were resonating with the sword qi in the mystic realm.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate.
"...Hmm?"
Seeing this, even Perfected Being Yin Shan let out a soft sound of surprise. He glanced at Lu Yang, clearly not expecting such a turn of events.
An unknown amount of time passed.
It was as if Lu Yang had passed some kind of test from the sword qi. It no longer tried to strike but instead dissipated on the spot, turning into surging spiritual energy that returned to the world.
"Ugh!"
Only then did Lu Yang snap back to his senses. His frozen thoughts began to move again, and his entire body was instantly drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water.
"The Nine Transformations of the Dragon Art... Perfected Being Panlong's inheritance? Your luck is good. Perfected Being Panlong was not a demonic cultivator."
"This strand of Golden Core sword qi targets demonic cultivators. If you were cultivating our Saint Sect's techniques, you would have undoubtedly died. Fortunately, you practice the Nine Transformations of the Dragon Art."
Perfected Being Yin Shan sized up Lu Yang, somewhat surprised, but he didn't pay it too much mind. After all, the quality of the bait wasn't important. Lu Yang's life or death was of little consequence to him. Whether the fish was caught was the key. Since the Witch Ghost Mystic Realm had emerged, his goal for this trip was accomplished.
It was time to reel in the line.
Perfected Being Yin Shan raised his hand and grasped. The newly emerged Witch Ghost Mystic Realm, its black flames soaring into the clouds, instantly vanished, transforming into a streak of light that landed in his palm.
"Good, good, good... Perfect Heavenly Corpse Baleful Qi!"
Perfected Being Yin Shan looked satisfied. Cultivation in the Foundation Establishment Realm held other mysteries, one of which was the need for Earthly Baleful Qi, and Heavenly Corpse Baleful Qi was of the highest grade among them.
With this item, his breakthrough to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment was practically guaranteed!
Just then, Lu Yang strode forward, dropped to one knee without a word, and said in a loud voice, "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on obtaining this fortuitous encounter! The Great Dao is now within your sight!"
Not far away, the second senior brother of the Three Rivers Association, Luo Wuya, his expression suddenly changed.
Damn it, he beat me to it!
No wonder this kid could make a name for himself among the ordinary disciples. A true disciple of our Saint Sect, a shameless bootlicker... While Luo Wuya cursed Lu Yang in his heart, he hurried forward as well: "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on a thousand years of immortal life!"
"Hahaha, a thousand years is the lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator. This humble brother is not worthy, not worthy..."
Though he said that, Perfected Being Yin Shan clearly enjoyed it. His words claimed unworthiness, but in reality, he wished Lu Yang and Luo Wuya would lay it on even thicker.
In the end, even Yun Zhiqui and Ouyang Feng forced themselves to offer a few words of congratulations.
Hearing this, however, Perfected Being Yin Shan shot Ouyang Feng a playful glance. "The Divine Might Sect openly provokes our Saint Sect, yet you dare to speak before me?"
Ouyang Feng's scalp instantly went numb. He stammered, "You can't kill me! My... my Divine Might Sect also has a Perfected Being..."
"Not anymore."
Perfected Being Yin Shan nonchalantly spoke words that shattered Ouyang Feng's courage: "Since I can appear here, the Divine Might Sect's destiny is already severed."
"This... this is impossible! My Divine Might Sect—"
Before Ouyang Feng could finish, the qi and blood in his body went into a frenzy. His mind, lost in shock and anger, was powerless to suppress it. He could only stare wide-eyed—
Boom!!!
With a loud bang, Ouyang Feng, a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, exploded, turning into a shower of light that silently merged back into the world!
Only when the shower of light faded did Perfected Being Yin Shan avert his gaze. Yun Zhiqui, from the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, was drenched in sweat from watching. In the end, however, Yin Shan did not act against him. With a wave of his sleeve, he vanished from the spot with Luo Wuya and Lu Yang, leaving behind a deathly silent Skull Mountain.