Chapter 13: Eldest Senior Brother Teaches Well!

As spiritual energy continued to surge, the image displayed by the Shadow Recording Stone became ever clearer.

Within the image, a sea of cultivators surrounded a vast square, but only two cultivators stood at the center’s martial platform.

One of them wore the pale white Daoist robe of the Tianque Sect, exuding an extraordinary bearing and looking at his opponent with utter disdain.

Lu Zhiyun recognized that robe as belonging to Tianmen Peak of Tianque Sect, though she had never seen this senior brother before.

Standing opposite him was a robust, imposing man, his face calm, dressed in a luxurious Daoist robe of dark yellow and light gray.

Lu Zhiyun recognized him—he was a disciple of a first-rate sect, the Zhanpo Sect.

Among the first-rate sects, Zhanpo Sect ranked near the top.

Its main cultivation techniques focused on defense and specialized in body refinement, emphasizing the principle of remaining unmoved like a mountain, seizing the initiative only after the enemy.

At this moment, Lu Zhiyun realized that this was the great tournament Tianque Sect faced after ascending to Super-Grade Immortal Sect, accepting challenges from other sects.

To become a Super-Grade Immortal Sect, not only must one meet all the criteria, but they must also convince the other sects—hence, such a competition was arranged.

“That Tianmen Peak disciple is called Yebufan. He’s a three-spiritual-root cultivator—earth, wood, and water,” Wu Qinglong explained.

“His opponent in this round is Qishan of Zhanpo Sect, with a single gold spiritual root, quite the standout among his peers. Both of them were at Jindan Stage back then.”

In the image, both appeared full of pride, radiating the aloofness of chosen geniuses.

“Qishan, don’t blame me for not warning you. Step down now while you still can—you’ll leave with dignity!”

Yebufan taunted.

“Hmph! For the honor of my sect, I will not retreat!”

Qishan’s gaze was firm, his stance growing even steadier.

Who was the villain here?

Even Lu Zhiyun couldn’t tell anymore.

Still, she was eager to see this battle—three spiritual roots versus a single spiritual root, a matchup that should be utterly one-sided and without suspense.

What sort of twist would there be?

The instant the match began, Qishan’s entire body radiated golden light.

His bronze skin appeared as if plated with golden armor.

“Goodness, he started off with his ultimate move?”

Yebufan spat on the ground, grumbling.

Lu Zhiyun’s eyes widened in shock at the dazzling golden armor.

She had heard storytellers describe it before—Zhanpo Sect’s “Fujin Reverse Body Technique” was a technique that could rebound all attacks.

By maximizing one’s defense, a cultivator could withstand all enemy blows for a period, then reflect them back double.

Moreover, as long as one wasn’t attacked, this technique could be maintained almost indefinitely.

How would Yebufan deal with such a nearly unreasonable technique?

Lu Zhiyun tried putting herself in Yebufan’s shoes—if it were her, it seemed utterly unwinnable.

Among Yebufan’s three roots, none could effectively counter the gold spiritual root.

In fact, wood was even restrained by gold.

Yebufan appeared to feel the pressure as well. Facing Qishan, who loomed like a mountain, he began to dart quickly around Qishan’s massive form, searching for an opening.

“Eh? If his opponent relies on a reactive technique, then just keep moving and don’t attack. Wouldn’t that work?”

Lu Zhiyun asked curiously.

Exactly!

While the opponent’s technique was special, it greatly slowed his movement.

In the same realm, he was almost sluggish.

“What you can think of, they’ve definitely thought of, too.”

Lin Shishu continued explaining: “This match has a time limit. If the Tianque Sect disciple doesn’t defeat his opponent in time, Tianque Sect loses. Likewise, if he’s defeated, they lose.”

This competition wasn’t fair from the start.

The other side deliberately sent a sect specializing in defense, almost to disgust Tianque Sect.

To win, only real strength would suffice.

After all, how could ascending to Super-Grade Immortal Sect be easy?

Lu Zhiyun stuck out her tongue and continued to watch.

Yebufan had circled Qishan over ten times now but still didn’t attack, seemingly deep in thought.

At this moment, as Yebufan faced the mountainous opponent before him, he recalled the words his eldest senior brother had once written on his cultivation technique: “Bufan, think carefully why the ‘Sanqing Unified Qi Method’ is called ‘Sanqing Unified Qi’? Is it really meant for the roots to be used individually, or could they be combined?”

Combined?

Yebufan’s mind cleared.

Previously, he had only ever switched between his roots—countering earth with wood, for example, always targeting his opponent’s weakness.

That was the basic intent of the “Sanqing Unified Qi Method,” but his eldest senior brother had given him a new perspective—what if they could be combined for special effects?

Earth for stability, water for vitality, and wood for life!

Ever since then, Yebufan had awakened, delving day and night into combinations of the three roots!

Today, sent by his master to represent Tianmen Peak and Tianque Sect, he, too, like Qishan, had reasons he couldn’t lose.

Was it time to use that move?

Qishan! Don’t blame me for showing no mercy!

Prepare for my self-created technique!

When she opened her eyes again, Lu Zhiyun saw Yebufan transformed—his gaze resolute, as if ready to sacrifice all.

He began forming seals with both hands, channeling spiritual energy.

In an instant, the energies of all three roots surged from within him, gathering around him into moist, sticky clumps of earth.

Here it comes!

Lu Zhiyun clenched her small fists in excitement.

“By the way, Xiaolu, have you had lunch yet?”

Lin Shishu suddenly asked.

“Not yet! Why, Senior Brother?”

Lu Zhiyun was confused—why ask now, right before the action?

“No reason! Good that you haven’t!”

Despite his words, Lin Shishu kindly handed Lu Zhiyun an empty bag.

Facing Yebufan’s technique, Qishan stood immovable, merely watching.

No matter what attack came, he could endure it; he was confident.

Moments later, Yebufan, moving like a wandering ranger, began pelting Qishan with clumps of earth as he darted about.

The moist earth clung to Qishan’s body on impact, stubbornly sticking and refusing to fall away.

“Useless trickery!”

Qishan sneered.

This attack was no better than a child throwing mud.

His technique hadn’t even reacted, which meant the attack did no damage at all.

“Heh!”

Yebufan shook his head with a smile, then said, “Take a closer look. What’s hidden inside?”

Qishan was startled, hastily crushing one of the mud balls. Inside, he found a seed.

What was this?

Even if it was a product of the wood spiritual root, didn’t he know that gold restrains wood?

As Qishan hesitated, the wooden seed suddenly exploded like gunpowder, releasing a familiar gas.

“You! You! You—!”

Qishan’s expression twisted with rage, eyes nearly murderous.

That smell—he’d encountered it before, back when he hadn’t started taking Bi Gu Dan!

Wait, moist earth and this strange smell?

“You bastard!”

Qishan roared in fury.

He was being pelted with…poop!!!

“Heh! That’s not all!”

Yebufan grinned, “Are you feeling a bit dizzy now? Limbs weak? Wanting to sleep?”

With that, Qishan’s calf trembled.

He fell to one knee, glaring at Yebufan with gritted teeth.

Outside the image, Lu Zhiyun hugged the empty bag and gagged.

There was no smell, but she somehow felt as if she’d shared in that despair through the river of time.

The fight was clearly not over; after all, Qishan hadn’t truly collapsed.

“Heh! Don’t be proud. No pills allowed in this match—unless you can withstand the poison gas too!”

At this moment, both Yebufan and Qishan were enveloped in the toxic cloud.

As a body cultivator, Qishan’s willpower was surely strong—why should a technique cultivator like Yebufan outlast him?

If even he could be poisoned, and Yebufan couldn’t use pills, Yebufan should fall first.

All Qishan had to do was endure.

Time passed—one incense stick, then two, then three…

The time limit was almost up.

Yebufan still gazed calmly at Qishan, smiling serenely.

Qishan, on the other hand, had collapsed fully, only his eyelids still fluttering.

“Why… you’re not taking any pills…”

He gasped his final question, unable to continue.

Yebufan simply shook his head and revealed the truth:

“What do you know! Is cultivation as simple as your childish body refinement?”

“Of course I know the power of this technique! To develop immunity, I begged Lin Shishu for a year’s worth of her cooking!”

“A whole year! Do you know what I’ve been through this year!!!”

Then Yebufan fell to his knees, weeping tears of a victor amid the scene of carnage.

Lu Zhiyun’s mind was blank.

No!

What was there to be proud of here?!

Well, maybe it did count as a skill!

No, wait!

If that’s all, what does it have to do with the “Sealed Eldest Senior Brother’s Version” of the technique?

She glanced at Lin Shu, while Wu Qinglong seemed to catch on and quickly moved Lin Shu’s tea tray out of the way—it was a pricier one.

In the image, facing a Xiuxian Daily reporter, Yebufan was delivering his victory speech.

“Daoist Friend Ye, how did you come up with such a… such an unexpected technique?”

Yebufan smiled, “It’s all thanks to the comments from my Eldest Senior Brother! His inspiration sparked my creativity. Without him, there’d be no such technique—there’d be no me today!”

He finished with a proud, toothy grin for the camera.

Outside the image, Lin Shu gnashed his teeth and shattered the tea table with a palm strike.