The Long Journey to Immortality

Huang Ziqiang spoke with great enthusiasm, believing himself to be the cultivator present who knew Han Lu's strength best.

But in reality, the Dragon Taoist, who knew more secrets, had been in a state of worry and taciturnity ever since he received the paper sword with the words "True Phoenix Fairy" written on it.

This secret naturally refers to Venerable Pot Lamp's search for Han Lu to seek revenge.

Five years have passed, and Venerable Hudeng has not returned, but Han Lu has returned from the wilderness and lived in the Zhengyi Sect for another two and a half years.

This situation naturally led Long Daoren to have wild thoughts, and he began to imagine that Han Lu had successfully countered Venerable Hu Deng's sneak attack and assassination attempt in the wilderness.

"If that's the case..." Long Daoren looked at Xuanfeng Daoren beside him, becoming increasingly uneasy.

He only hoped that he had misunderstood, and that it was not Venerable Pot Lamp who had perished because he was no match for Han Lu, but rather that he had been defeated by one of Han Lu's elders and had met an unknown end.

Otherwise, the contest that will take place tomorrow between the new core members from the North and South will lose its meaning.

Long Daoren did not believe that Xuanfeng Daoren beside him could defeat Venerable Hudeng, who was once a Nascent Soul cultivator and still possessed the strength of the top Golden Core mid-stage cultivator.

The cultivators of Xuan Yang Valley discussed for a full quarter of an hour, offering Xuan Feng Daoist many suggestions. Only then did Long Daoist choose a suitable moment to speak, ending this discussion that was destined to have no result.

He didn't say much, only instructing Venerable Xuanfeng not to be careless and to go all out during the sparring session.

Long Daoren did not want to reveal the "bad news" he knew, thus putting unnecessary pressure on Xuanfeng Daoren.

The elders dispersed, each with their own mindset, anticipating the next day's sparring match.

The next day, one quarter past the hour of Chen (7-9 AM).

The two groups, from the north and south, set off simultaneously and arrived at the agreed-upon sparring location.

A section of the Yuanshui River channel.

Because the river is exceptionally turbulent in this section, and there is no suitable place to build a port along the banks, the surrounding area is wilderness, uninhabited by mortals, making it a perfect place for Golden Core cultivators to fight.

There's no need to worry about the various techniques they employ affecting ordinary people, nor is there any need to worry that friendly exchanges between high-ranking Golden Core cultivators will be watched and commented on by mortals like a play.

The Golden Core cultivators, acting as spectators and cheering on the participants, stood in two separate groups, flying far away in the sky, waiting for the duel to begin.

Meanwhile, Xuan Chengzi and Han Lu, Long Daoren and Xuan Feng Daoren broke away from the group and came together to the sky above the surging source water.

Chapter 758 Grand and Impressive

In the Central Plains, where peace and development are the main themes of the times, openly vying for interests and waging war. Even cultivators who dislike politics and diplomacy understand how important it is to have a few more words exchanged and clarify certain points before the fighting begins.

In this pre-match setting, the two main characters who would be putting on a grand show later consciously stepped back a bit, giving the stage to the two sect leaders.

Xuan Chengzi and Long Daoren had met before, but opportunities to converse like this were rare, let alone discussing such important matters between the two sects in front of fellow disciples and no outsiders.

In situations like this, the two of them can speak with less restraint, less empty platitudes, and more genuine feelings.

Friendly greetings and symbolic pleasantries, tacitly declaring to the air and to each other the righteousness of this sparring match, temporarily downplay the reason for the battle over the spirit stone mine.

After completing these superficial formalities, the two brought up the upcoming technical exchange meeting.

Both leaders had only a superficial understanding of this area of ​​expertise, essentially engaging in nonsensical dialogue using "report summaries" written by their respective subordinates.

You say one thing, I say another.

Xuanfeng Daoist and Han Lu, two cultivators who also lacked technical knowledge, didn't quite understand what the two leaders were saying. They only knew that both sides they represented were very confident in the complete, efficient, and rapid extraction of the mineral veins beneath the source water.

In the very end, the two tried to warn each other, making every effort to downplay the potential damage this series of battles might cause to their relationship. They were practically ready to bluntly say that the deaths and injuries of Han Lu and Xuanfeng Daoist would not affect their relationship.

As leaders of their respective sects, both sides viewed this series of sparring matches as a good opportunity to release their hostility towards each other.

They spoke politely on the surface, but secretly revealed their true intentions.

After a symbolic handshake to show goodwill, Long Daoren and Xuan Chengzi flew away from the sky above the source water, leaving the battle stage to their two subordinates who were already prepared.

As they were leaving, Xuan Chengzi and Long Daoren simultaneously sent telepathic messages to Han Lu and Xuan Feng Daoren, giving them their final instructions.

Xuan Chengzi felt that Han Lu had an 80% chance of winning, so he naturally spoke harshly when giving her instructions.

"Elder Zhenfeng, you did your best in this battle and severely injured that Xuanfeng Daoist. After we return to the sect, I will give you another reward in private."

Elder Xuanfeng was not a prodigy like Han Lu, and Xuan Chengzi did not think it was worth the trouble of cleaning up the mess after killing him, which is why he issued the order to seriously injure him.

As for Daoist Long, he felt that Daoist Xuanfeng only had a 10% chance of winning, so his final words of advice were naturally tailor-made for him.

"Elder Xuanfeng, if you feel you are no match for him, it is fine to admit defeat. There are four more matches besides this one. Preserving yourself is the most important thing."

"But if you can seriously injure Fairy Zhenfeng and affect her future cultivation, even if you lose this battle, everything the sect promised will be given to you double."

In the end, Daoist Long disregarded empty words like "discouragement of confidence."

To speak frankly and clearly express one's thoughts, lest Xuanfeng Daoist be stubborn and seek his own death.

Long Daoren's words gave Xuanfeng Daoren confidence, and before his battle with Han Lu, he positioned himself as someone who could defeat someone of higher status.

Of course, his worries also swelled a little because of what Long Daoren said.

However, all things considered, Long Daoren's telepathic transmission still provided some positive assistance for the upcoming sparring match between Xuanfeng Daoren and Han Lu.

Once the two sect leaders returned to the ranks of the spectators, only Han Lu and Xuanfeng Daoist remained on the source water.

There are no specific restrictions on the battleground for this sparring match.

The opponent will be judged to have lost unless one of them flees with their head covered and crosses the "line" formed by the Golden Core Realm spectators from the North and South teams.

Otherwise, the nominal sparring session will only end when one side is beaten unconscious or surrenders voluntarily.

As is customary, the two cultivators would exchange a few words before the fight began to ease the tension.

At the very least, one should verbally proclaim "Friendship first, competition second" while secretly thinking, "I'll beat you to a pulp."

Han Lu was not good at chatting in this kind of situation, so naturally the first sentence was spoken by Xuanfeng Daoren, the Casanova.

"This fairy looks familiar. Have we met before?" Xuanfeng Daoist carefully examined Han Lu's face and asked.

Han Lu chuckled and replied, "Of course we've never met, but my mother is a young lady from the Han family of the Northern Dynasty. Could it be that one of Xuanfeng Daoist's confidantes is a member of the Han family?"

Xuanfeng Daoist clapped his hands and said, "No wonder, no wonder. Indeed, my predecessor was a member of the Han family, and there are several cultivators in the Han family who are my old acquaintances. No wonder I find the True Phoenix Fairy to be more and more familiar."

“Perhaps,” Xuanfeng Daoist said with a smile, trying to ease his anxiety, “I am related to Fairy Zhenfeng.”

Xuanfeng Daoist truly lived up to his reputation as a "love saint" jokingly referred to by the Zhengyi sect cultivators; he was indeed very adept at finding topics to talk about when interacting with the opposite sex.

However, Han Lu wasn't buying it.

She said seriously, "Perhaps, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng, if you want to fight me, you should be prepared to be seriously injured or crippled."

Han Lu's words were blunt, but in reality, she was indeed influenced by Xuanfeng Daoist's words, thinking that too much conflict with the North would affect her plan to bring her mother home.

In addition, Xuanfeng Daoist was not the kind of "genius" that the true senior had asked her to kill.

At this point, Han Lu had lowered her expectations for this battle of wits somewhat.

The plan was changed to lightly injure Xuanfeng Daoist and then destroy more of his magical treasures, making Xuanyang Valley look bad.

Xuanfeng Daoist couldn't understand Han Lu's unspoken message. He assumed that Han Lu had received Xuan Chengzi's order to "kill him" and already regarded him as a mortal enemy.

Although he lacked absolute confidence in victory, Daoist Xuanfeng was not a pushover to be easily manipulated.

He laughed twice and said, "I am different from Fairy Zhenfeng. If you want to fight me, you must be prepared to lose your life. I wonder if Fairy Zhenfeng knows the term 'dying young'?"

Han Lu was equally unceremonious, casually replying, "I've heard of it, so what? Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng, as the idiom goes, you can't let your spirit sword be any sharper."

In just a few words, the previously relaxed atmosphere suddenly became tense.

"We can talk about that later, Fairy Zhenfeng. Please enlighten me." Daoist Xuanfeng cupped his hands, indicating that he was ready.

“Alright, Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng, then I’ll be too polite.” Han Lu also cupped her hands in a gesture of respect.

As soon as Han Lu finished speaking, it was as if a bell had been tolled. The two cultivators made their move at the same time, thus beginning the struggle between the two major sects of the North and South for the source water vein.

Chapter 759 North-South Battle of Arts

As a cultivator who also possessed the attributes of the Daoist of Many Treasures, Xuanfeng Daoist naturally chose to take out the few magic treasures he was most comfortable with from his storage bag and use them to test Han Lu's strength as soon as the battle began.

Unlike the Seven Flower Fairy who made her fortune through her skills in weapon crafting.

The vast majority of Xuanfeng Daoist's magical treasures were inherited from his family's collection.

These are only temporarily his property.

Furthermore, these magical artifacts were not tailor-made for him; most of them did not match his attributes, and thus could not fully exert their functions when used.

Therefore, compared to the Seven Flower Fairy, Xuanfeng Daoist's title of Duobao Daoist is somewhat undeserved.

However, this does not mean that Xuanfeng Daoist is inferior to Seven Flower Fairy in terms of magical treasures.

After all, the quality of a magic weapon also has a great influence on its power.

The magical treasures that Xuanfeng Daoist "borrowed" from his family's collection were all top-quality items, plentiful and of excellent quality.

This is why he was able to stand out from the many Golden Core cultivators in Xuan Yang Valley who wanted to participate in this battle.

At the first moment, Daoist Xuanfeng took out two magical treasures in total.

A golden spirit sword, seemingly crafted entirely from gold, its grade unknown, but judging from its aura, Han Lu estimated it to be at least a mid-grade spirit weapon.

The second magical artifact is a brass wine cup.

It's covered in rust, as if it was just dug out of the ground recently. It looks old and has a long history, so it's not a newly made treasure.

The wine glass was not activated by spiritual power; its surface was dull and gray, making it impossible to discern its quality.

Han Lu, who was not good at appraising magical artifacts, could not determine the grade of this artifact, nor could she guess what kind of supernatural powers this wine cup could perform.

However, before the battle, Han Lu had already decided to rely on her strong abilities and remain unchanged in the face of any change, so she naturally didn't think too much about these questions that had no answers in the short term.

In front of all the Golden Core cultivators, she held nothing back, unlike when she sparred with her fellow disciples in the sect. She directly used the "True Phoenix Manual" to reveal her true spirit and true form.

Intense, iridescent light emanated from Han Lu's body.

In the blink of an eye, Han Lu, who had already transformed into a luminous form, expanded and transformed into the shape of a phoenix.

When the light faded, the four-winged true phoenix, unique in the human realm, appeared before everyone.

Although most of the cultivators present had never been to the Wilderness, they did not know how many kinds of phoenixes there were in this world.

However, this did not affect the Golden Core cultivators flying over the banks of the source water from observing the aura emanating from Han Lu's four transformed True Phoenixes, and they marveled at the extraordinary nature of the True Spirit.

Even Han Lu's opponent, Daoist Xuanfeng, was momentarily stunned when he saw the "Phoenix True Spirit," which he had heard about several times yesterday, reveal its enormous true form and felt its astonishing aura pressing towards him.