https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-54-When-Fortune-Turns-Heaven-and-Earth-Unite-in-Strength/13504894/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-56-Without-Foundation-Building-One-Remains-a-Pawn/13504896/
Chapter 55: The Wugui's Rebirth, the True Man Reels In
Chapter 55: The Wugui’s Rebirth, the True Man Reels In
Mingchan, though a solitary cultivator, had inherited teachings from the Buddhist sect. He understood much about the Foundation Building Realm cultivators—and knew precisely how terrifying they were.
While “Foundation Building” was the term used among Daoists, the Buddhist equivalent was “Lotus Stage.” Dao cultivators who solidified their Dao Foundation were titled “True Men,” while Buddhist practitioners who sat upon the lotus were called “Arhats.” Though named differently, both represented the same pinnacle of power.
“An Arhat! Skull Mountain has an Arhat behind it!”
“My mother’s curse! All this talk of fortune? Lies! Someone’s been luring us all along. Even if there were genuine opportunities, they’ve already been claimed by that Arhat!”
“Amitabha! Damn it!”
Mingchan, no longer resembling the composed Buddhist monk he’d become, had regressed to his old ways—spewing curses like the mountain bandit he once was. Before embracing Buddhism, he’d been a ruthless outlaw, slaughtering and plundering without mercy. Ironically, after each massacre, he’d kneel before a Buddha statue and pray. Who knew those prayers would one day grant him a genuine Buddhist opportunity?
The chance even claimed his merits from three past lifetimes were the reason he’d abandoned his blade and achieved enlightenment.
Since then, his path had been smooth sailing. He’d effortlessly reached Refining Qi Perfection, teetering on the edge of Foundation Building. Yet now, sheer terror gripped him.
The extraordinary fortune from his past lives, the merits that once shielded him, felt useless. His instincts screamed warnings: Danger! Certain death! Flee!
He ran—then halted, sweat drenching his bald head. Looking around, he realized he’d circled back to where he’d started.
Where was this? Had he truly been fleeing?
The golden light in his eyes dimmed. Suddenly, he “accidentally” succumbed to a backlash, his decades of cultivation extinguished in an instant.
He died.
The Foundation Realm cultivator hadn’t even appeared. Merely a ripple across the karma net had sufficed to end him.
Outside Skull Mountain Bazaar, Yun Zhiqiu and Ouyang Feng stood drenched in cold sweat. Unlike Mingchan, they hadn’t run—not out of courage, but because they knew escape was futile.
Against a Foundation Realm expert, could one even dare flee? Solitary cultivators like Mingchan simply lacked the insight.
Yun Zhiqiu, in particular, felt his mind clear as Lv Yang broke through to Golden Core. But clarity brought horror. What have I done? What just happened?
Then a figure materialized—a black-robed youth with a pale, shadowed face, indistinguishable from an ordinary Daoist at first glance.
“…Greetings, Senior.” Yun Zhiqiu bowed instantly, sheathing his sword without hesitation.
True Man Yinshan ignored him, his gaze fixed on Skull Mountain. From its base, an obsidian flame now rose, searing the heavens.
Lv Yang, too, suddenly understood.
The Wugui Secret Realm…
The karmic threads binding him confirmed it: His breakthrough had triggered the realm’s resonance. It had chosen him.
So it was fishing after all!
As if on cue, the Wugui Secret Realm’s warm, inviting aura toward him vanished. A surge of fury and dread erupted—not from mortals, but from the realm itself.
The fish had bitten.
“Come.”
True Man Yinshan spoke softly. No grand display of power, yet the nascent Wugui Secret Realm hurtled toward him, helpless to resist.
Lv Yang nearly cursed aloud. Within the realm’s entrance loomed a blazing Sword Qi, coiled like a dragon ready to strike.
Golden Core Sword Qi.
True Man Yinshan stepped back, shielding Lv Yang. This was why he’d stayed hidden—letting others test the waters first. Had he activated the realm himself, he’d be the one locked in the Sword Qi’s gaze. Against Golden Core Sword Qi, even a Foundation Realm expert couldn’t claim invincibility. One strike, and both would be equal in death.
Yet the Sword Qi hesitated.
Lv Yang felt his newly refined True Dragon Sha tremble, resonating with the ancient Sword Qi. The two forces froze in a silent standoff.
“…Hmm?”
True Man Yinshan raised an eyebrow, glancing at Lv Yang with faint surprise. Variables like this were unexpected.
Time stretched.
Then Lv Yang’s body slackened—the Sword Qi had tested him, found him worthy, and dispersed into the heavens.
“Haa!”
His thoughts unfroze, drenched in sweat as if pulled from icy waters.
“Nine Metamorphosis Dragon Art… the Coiling Dragon Cultivator’s inheritance? Your luck is extraordinary. The Coiling Dragon wasn’t a devil cultivator.”
“Golden Core Sword Qi targets devil cultivators. Had you practiced our Holy Sect’s techniques, you’d be dead. Fortunately, you cultivate the Nine Metamorphosis Dragon Art.”
True Man Yinshan appraised Lv Yang, intrigued but indifferent. Bait quality mattered little—whether Lv Yang lived or died was irrelevant. The Wugui Secret Realm had surfaced. His mission was complete.
Time to reel in the catch.
With a wave, the obsidian flame vanished, condensing into a radiant stream within his palm.
“Perfect… the Celestial Corpse Sha. The pinnacle of Earth Sha.”
Foundation Realm experts required rare Sha for advancement. The Celestial Corpse Sha was the rarest of all. With this, his breakthrough to Foundation Realm’s middle stage was assured.
Suddenly, Lv Yang knelt. “Congratulations, Senior Brother! May your path to immortality be unimpeded!”
Nearby, Luo Wuya—Second Disciple of the Three Rivers Association—cursed inwardly. Beaten to it!
Of course this brat rose through the ranks—every Holy Sect disciple knew how to flatter. Gritting his teeth, he rushed forward. “Congratulations, Senior Brother! May your longevity rival the heavens!”
“Haha! Longevity? That’s a Golden Core’s blessing. I dare not dream so high…”
True Man Yinshan feigned humility but basked in their praise. Even Yun Zhiqiu and Ouyang Feng forced out compliments, though their voices trembled.
Yet Yinshan’s gaze turned to Ouyang Feng, sharp as a blade. “The Divine Martial Gate dares provoke our Holy Sect. You dare speak here?”
Ouyang Feng’s blood ran cold. “You can’t kill me! My Divine Martial Gate has True Men too!”
“No longer.”
Yinshan’s voice was ice. “I stand here. Your sect’s fate is sealed.”
“This… impossible! My Divine Martial Gate—”
The unfinished cry exploded into silence as Ouyang Feng’s body detonated, blood mist scattering into the wind.
Only when the crimson haze faded did Yinshan turn away. Yun Zhiqiu, sweating furiously, vanished with Luo Wuya and Lv Yang in a flash of jade light, leaving Skull Mountain in hollow silence.
(End of Chapter)
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