I and countless versions of myself simultaneously travel through time.

Chapter 77, Section 76: Unlucky Good Fortune

Chen Taihe laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder, and said with the air of an experienced man, "Young people are hot-tempered, I understand, I understand." Ye Yan smiled along.

Yes, these are all good things.

The two rose into the air, two streaks of light piercing the sky.

Lady Ruoxiang stood by the window, looking up at the fading light, her smile gradually fading.

She lowered her head, glanced at her still unconscious daughter, and whispered, "Shuqian, this is all I can do for you."

Finally, she walked out of the room.

Outside the window, the morning breeze swept across Butian Peak, the sea of ​​clouds surged, and the sunlight shone on Madam Ruoxiang's face.

There was no tenderness in her eyes, only the calm after her calculations had been satisfied.

Chen Shuqian opened her eyes.

"What are you pretending for? Bah!" Chen Shuqian cursed inwardly, then went to sleep contentedly.

Zhao Xuhe was covered in blood, his eyes filled with madness.

His opportunity to become a Panlong Zhenren was stolen, his position as a son-in-law was snatched away, and even his sect treated him coldly. The source of all his misfortunes was Ye Yan.

He hated it so much that he was willing to take out a loan to contribute points and join forces with other disciples to kill one of Ye Yan's close associates to vent his anger.

But he never expected that Lü Yang, who was at the fifth level of Qi Refining, would be so troublesome.

Lu Yang was surrounded by a blood-red aura that soared into the sky. A blood-red demonic pill spun rapidly above his head, emanating a murderous aura that caused the air to freeze.

This is a wicked cultivation technique that he obtained by risking his life in the Skull Market of the Mountain and River Society. When cultivating it, one must feed the demon pill with one's own blood essence. If one is not careful, it will backfire and cause one to become insane.

Once mastered, its domineering power makes it virtually unmatched among those of the same level.

Zhao Xuhe unleashed seven sword strikes in succession, but each one was blocked by the blood-red light of the demonic orb, making it impossible for him to advance an inch.

"The trump card Ye Yan gave you is nothing more than this!" Zhao Xuhe roared hoarsely, thrusting his sword toward Lü Yang's throat.

Lu Yang smirked, took out an array plate from his robes, poured spiritual energy into it, and the array plate shone brightly.

He said softly, "Four Symbols Annihilation Formation, activate."

Before the words were even finished, the world changed color.

Four beams of spiritual light flew out from the array plate, transforming into the illusory images of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, trapping Zhao Xuhe in the center.

As the four elements rotated, the killing power layered upon layer, and Zhao Xuhe's protective aura shattered like paper, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.

Lu Yang stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Zhao Xuhe screaming in agony in the midst of the battle, and shook his head: "Senior Brother Zhao, what good is your strength? To survive in this world, you need a background."

Zhao Xuhe unleashed a sword beam with all his might, striking an illusory image. The image swayed slightly before returning to its original state.

He discovered in despair that the power of this formation far exceeded his imagination; it was not something a Qi Refining cultivator could have set up. It was Ye Yan's doing.

Xiao Shiye stood aside, watching this scene, and couldn't help but clap his hands and chuckle: "Brother Lü, what skill! Senior Brother Ye's formation is truly worthy of its reputation."

His tone was relaxed, but there was no smile in his eyes.

He wondered, if Ye Yan were to attack him one day, how many breaths could he withstand?

Moreover, this formation can destroy those in the late Qi Refining stage.

Lu Yang retrieved the array plate, watched Zhao Xuhe turn into a cloud of blood mist within the array, and replied calmly, "Brother Xiao, you flatter me. One must always learn to leverage external forces."

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth; it was the backlash from activating the Demon Orb. The battle was won brilliantly, but the price was high.

Zhao Xuhe died, dying from hatred and resentment.

Xiao Shiye originally wanted to form hand seals, his fingertips flashing with spiritual light—he was about to detonate his spiritual treasure and fight to the death, because other disciples were also coming to attack.

Lu Yang made up his mind and was about to coordinate with him to launch a pincer attack when suddenly his eyes widened and his pupils contracted sharply.

Xiao Shiye's body froze on the spot, the spiritual light dissipated, the precious light extinguished, and he collapsed softly as if his soul had been drained.

His face still held a resolute expression, but his eyes had lost their sparkle.

When good fortune arrives, everything else vanishes into nothingness.

Lingbao was gone, and so was the person; there wasn't even time to let out a scream.

"?" Lu Yang let out a soft "hmm," his voice filled with confusion and unease.

"well--"

The next instant, a sigh came from the void. The sigh was very soft, but it felt like a mountain pressing down on Lü Yang's heart.

His expression froze on his face, and his thoughts were also frozen.

That was an irresistible force, an absolute crushing of a Foundation Establishment cultivator by a Qi Refining cultivator. He didn't need to lift a finger, or even look at him; a mere sigh was enough to obliterate him.

The man slowly emerged from the void, draped in a crane-patterned robe, a smile playing on his lips, and a feather fan gently waving in his hand.

He had a handsome face, exquisite features, and a free and unrestrained temperament. A crane-patterned robe fluttered in the wind, and he stood with a feather fan in his hand, smiling.

At first glance, he seems to be just a young master from a noble family taking advantage of the spring scenery for an outing, gentle and harmless.

But with his appearance, the whole world seemed to lose its color; the mountains and rivers dimmed, and the sun and moon lost their light. Only where he was did everything become the center of all things.

He is like a favorite child sculpted by the heavens, embodying all the blessings, wealth, and good fortune in the world; he himself is a walking auspicious omen.

But precisely because of this, everyone who sees him can't help but feel jealousy and resentment. Why?

Hongyun Zhenren.

The Golden Core True Monarch who perished before the Great Calamity of a Thousand Years, the mortal enemy of True Man Chongguang, and an unparalleled hero who cultivated the Dao of Destiny to a divine level.

Lu Yang was stiff all over and couldn't even move his eyes.

He could feel his body being eroded by an invisible force, the suppression of Hongyun Zhenren's fortune. He didn't need any magic; his mere "existence" was enough to crush anyone with a lower cultivation level than him.

"Is that all?" Hongyun Daoist sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over Lü Yang. There was no killing intent or disdain in his eyes, only a faint disappointment.

It's like a hunter coming to hunt, only to find the prey too weak, and losing all interest in even trying.

He raised his hand, tapped his feather fan lightly, and a ray of spiritual light condensed in the air, falling towards Lü Yang's brow.

Just then, a loud shout rang out from afar.

"Hongyun Daoist, are you eating shit?!" Ye Yan's figure tore through the void and strode out from the spatial rift.

He held a jade slip in his hand, which transformed into a stream of light. Countless misfortunes, bad luck, and calamities surged out like a tide, raining down on the Taoist Hongyun.

Those were all "unlucky things" that Ye Yan had collected over the years: the resentment of the dying, the ashes of those who failed their tribulation, and the aura of those abandoned by the Heavenly Dao. Each item contained intense misfortune.

Master Hongyun is an expert in the way of fortune, and the more so a person is, the more afraid he is of things that are purely contrary to fortune.

This is not a contest of strength, but a restraint of rules.

The smile on Hongyun Daoren's face froze for a moment.

He waved his feather fan, trying to brush away the gloom, but found that it was like a persistent infection, impossible to shake off once it touched him.

His luck was momentarily disrupted upon contact with these misfortunes.

For Master Hongyun, this was more deadly than any attack.

Ye Yan landed on the ground, stood with his hands behind his back, blocking Lü Yang. He glanced back at his junior brother who was unable to move.

She raised her hand and patted his shoulder, thawing his frozen thoughts and body.

Lu Yang gasped for breath, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to his knees.

"Senior brother—" Lu Yang's voice trembled, his teeth chattering, as if he had just been pulled out of an ice cellar.

Ye Yan patted his shoulder, his tone as gentle as if he were coaxing a child: "Good junior brother, you've worked hard."

Lu Yang was shocked beyond belief, his face turning extremely pale. This was a Foundation Establishment True Person from the cultivation world?

A single sigh could freeze his soul, leaving him no room to struggle.

Doesn't that mean that I'm not even an ant in front of these old monsters?

What puzzled him even more was how Ye Yan, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, could so easily break free from the suppression of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's divine power.

Could it be that Ye already possessed the strength of the Foundation Establishment stage, but had been hiding it all along?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, cold sweat poured down Lü Yang's back, soaking his entire Taoist robe.

The waters of this world run very deep.

He thought he had figured it out, but now he realizes he hasn't even reached the door.

"Hongyun, you're bullying the younger generation again." An old voice came from the void. Chen Taihe descended with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering, and stared at Hongyun Daoist across the void.

The auras of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators collided in mid-air, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to surge like a tide.

Hongyun Daoist's face darkened. His once spotless crane cloak was now stained with mottled, unlucky things that even heaven and earth despised, making him look extremely disheveled.

He glanced down, his throat bobbed, and he couldn't help but gag.

"What—what did you add? It even affects a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

His voice was trembling; this wasn't just dirty, it was a sin against the will of Heaven.

"Father-in-law, is it possible that my cultivation and magical power have already surpassed the Foundation Establishment stage?" Ye Yan smiled slightly.

Chen Taihe scanned the area with his divine sense, his pupils contracting slightly. The faint power within Ye Yan's body was indeed beyond what a Qi Refining cultivator could contain.

He paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, the sound echoing throughout the world.

"Indeed, you possess the potential of a great master!"

While laughing, Chen Taihe subtly moved a few steps to the side, distancing himself from the vomiting Hongyun Daoist.

Hongyun Daoist's face was pale when he saw Ye Yan's expression.

"Your name is Ye Yan, right? I'll remember you. Ugh, no wonder you're a disciple of my Holy Sect." Hongyun Daoist put away his fan; he couldn't keep this outfit.

"Even a reincarnation of a Golden Core cultivator is nothing more than this." Chen Taihe shook his head, then looked at Ye Yan with newfound respect.