The Long Journey to Immortality

If you only touch on the surface, it won't have any effect.

His gaze swept over the other three, and he was just thinking about whether to drag Yi Qiyan into the mess and have a "husband and wife doubles attack" when Han Lu understood and took the initiative to help Lü Zhi come up with this interesting idea.

"Yi Qiyan, how about we join in?" Han Lu said. "A contest like this would be a fair fight."

Not knowing Lü Zhi's abilities, Han Lu's words were somewhat far-fetched and were merely said to fit the occasion.

However, Yi Qiyan did not dwell on this minor issue and readily agreed.

She hadn't sparred with Han Lu for a long time.

Although the mental barrier from back then had dissipated due to the huge gap between them, the thought of being able to defeat Han Lu even once still lingered in Yi Qiyan's mind.

This time, Yi Qiyan has the opportunity to join forces with Lü Zhi and outnumber Han Lu, increasing her chances of defeating her. It's a win-win situation for her.

Wen Erya, who was standing to the side, also wanted to get involved and see how much her strength had improved after her slightly changed state of mind following her battle with the White-bearded Hermit.

However, considering that Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi formed a "couple pairing," she wisely decided not to stand in the middle as a third wheel and obediently took on the role of referee with Kong Qiaosheng to ensure that this magical duel was "just a magical duel, without causing physical harm."

With no objections from any party, the matter was quickly settled amidst laughter and conversation.

Looking around, Han Lu said, "This place is not suitable for dueling. Lü Zhi, does the Immortal Pavilion have a good place specifically for Golden Core cultivators to practice their techniques and magical treasures, and to engage in duels and exchanges?"

"Yes, of course," Lü Zhi said, and then took the initiative to lead the way.

The Immortal Pavilion has a very wide range of businesses, and it is natural that it has shops serving cultivators operating in such an important region as the Dragon Head Islands.

In less than fifteen minutes, the five returned to the Dragon Head Islands and arrived at a large facility built on a small island on the edge of the islands.

This place is a training ground set up by the Immortal Pavilion, which not only provides a place for cultivators to practice and exchange skills.

By spending spirit stones, one can also find sparring partners and coaches to assist in one's cultivation.

When Han Lu and her group arrived, there were cultivators practicing in nearly twenty different areas, but the one area specifically prepared for Golden Core cultivators was empty.

Although there are many Golden Core cultivators in the East Sea, the vast majority of them are mediocre talents who advance using beast cores. They are unlikely to put in much effort to cultivate and train after advancing to the Golden Core realm.

On the Dragon Head Islands, most of the other Golden Core cultivators are divided into various factions.

It's normal that this place is empty; it's not that Lü Zhi used his special privileges to deliberately leave it empty for this battle.

However, since it was the young master of the Immortal Pavilion who had arrived, the person in charge of the place immediately stepped forward to receive him after learning that the cultivator who wanted to occupy the place was Lü Zhi.

After a few perfunctory words, the token controlling the venue came into Lü Zhi's hands.

Ignoring the gazes of the idle people looking around at this place, Lü Zhi activated the token and started the magic array here.

In an instant, the inner and outer spaces were separated by a magic array. From the inside out, one could see things, but from the outside in, one could only see darkness.

The higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the more they pay attention to the privacy of their cultivation.

This thoughtful arrangement and customer-centric philosophy is one of the reasons why Xiange has been able to grow its business so large.

Lu Zhi casually hung the token on his waist and said, "Han Lu, can we start sparring now? This is my first time competing against a True Spirit, and I'm really looking forward to it."

“However, I need to test the sword first before I can grant you this little wish,” Han Lu said, looking at Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi. “Don’t you two want to discuss this? It must be your first time working together in a magical duel.”

"More communication is essential for cooperation and collaboration."

"Your teamwork has brought out a combined force greater than two, which is why this test and exchange can truly be effective."

While Han Lu's words made a lot of sense, her real purpose was simply to encourage Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi to communicate more.

Hitting the target blindly not only makes things difficult but can also damage relationships.

Han Lu's battle of wits with the two men was aimed at bringing them together, not at truly "severing the lovers' relationship."

That makes sense, and I do indeed have a bit of a competitive spirit about this competition.

Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi then walked to the side and communicated with each other occasionally by speaking or by using telepathy.

Although it was only for a short while, less than a hundred breaths, the two of them did gain a lot of understanding of each other in the process.

Whether the feelings are deeper than before cannot be seen in a short time.

However, compared to before, the strength and combat power that the two of them could display when they cooperated in their battle against Han Lu were definitely much stronger.

The two sides separated by about two hundred meters, while Wen Erya and Kong Qiaosheng, who acted as referees, stood between the first and second array formations.

Although they were called referees, the two of them were more like spectators at that moment.

Kong Qiaosheng's attention was on Han Lu, hoping to witness the splendor of Fang Lin's "disciple" and the True Spirit Phoenix.

Wen Erya, on the other hand, hoped to see Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi work seamlessly together in battle.

Chapter 858 Enlightenment from the Sword Mark

Pre-war discussions naturally emphasize knowing oneself and one's enemy.

In a short time, Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi had many confidants, exchanging tips on the use of magical artifacts and spells.

Naturally, there was no shortage of discussion about Han Lu, their opponent in this sparring match.

Because she had two outstanding friends, when they initially had nothing to talk about, Yi Qiyan would often "show off" to Lü Zhi.

However, when they were showing off back then, they were definitely only talking about things related to daily life, and their cultivation and combat strength were only mentioned briefly.

At this moment, Yi Qiyan revealed most of Han Lu's secrets to Lü Zhi through telepathy, telling him all the methods she knew and Han Lu was familiar with.

Especially Han Lu's swordsmanship.

Although Yi Qiyan had not sparred with Han Lu for a long time, she had not even watched the battle.

But during the three years Han Lu was in seclusion, she and Wen Erya talked a lot about this formidable friend.

The verbal account contained errors and exaggerations, but it ultimately helped in this somewhat competitive exchange.

Listening to Yi Qiyan's description of Han Lu as seemingly omnipotent and comparable to the late-stage Golden Core cultivator, Lü Zhi did not doubt it at all.

Furthermore, because he had interacted with many powerful True Spirits and Demonic Beasts in the East Sea, Lü Zhi knew more about the power of True Spirits than Yi Qiyan did.

Only after hearing Yi Qiyan say that Han Lu had mastered multiple phoenix bloodlines and could use several phoenix supernatural powers did Lü Zhi admire her in his heart, sighing that "there are always people better than you," and truly placing Han Lu's strength in the late Golden Core stage in his mind.

"Just do your best anyway," Yi Qiyan concluded, trying to ease the already little pressure on the two of them.

Fighting side by side, and looking at them from afar, Han Lu noticed that Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi really did look a bit like a married couple.

Her mind wasn't on the magical duel, but rather on the pleasant thought, "It seems this marriage should work out."

Wen Erya and Kong Qiaosheng, who acted as referees and spectators, did not possess mind-reading abilities.

Seeing that Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi seemed to be ready, the two asked if they could begin their sparring match.

Yi Qiyan answered for Lü Zhi, "We are ready."

Han Lu nodded and hummed in agreement.

Before Wen Erya could even say "start" symbolically, Han Lu spoke again, "Although you're helping me test whether there are any changes when I unleash the spirit sword and display its sword intent compared to before, if you have the chance, please give it your all and don't hold back."

Upon hearing this, Lü Zhi and Yi Qiyan exchanged a few more words via telepathy before giving an affirmative response.

When friends sparred, and both were Golden Core cultivators, Wen Erya naturally refrained from uttering any more nonsense that they both knew perfectly well.

After decisively shouting "Start!", she returned to her role as an audience member, extending her divine sense to try and see all the details of the upcoming battle.

With her purpose clear, Han Lu didn't need to think much before summoning the Sword Pill Spirit Sword, which hadn't left her dantian to breathe fresh air for a long time.

Han Lu could sense the change in the sword pellet as soon as she summoned it.

Because one of the five pill patterns obtained through listening to the Dao, comprehending its meaning, and diligently cultivating it also has the effect of strengthening the sword pellet.

Therefore, the sword pellet spirit sword that Han Lu possesses at this time is comparable to a low-grade spirit treasure in terms of quality alone. Combined with Han Lu's understanding of swordsmanship and the incomparably sharp "Seven Kill Sword Technique", it is definitely not something that ordinary Golden Core cultivators can withstand.

Looking at her two friends, who were still at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, not far away, Han Lu pondered for a moment and murmured to herself, "I'll just use seven-tenths of my strength."

She was terrified that she might accidentally damage her friend's magical artifact with her unstoppable sword pellet.

Thinking of this, the golden light on the surface of the sword pellet that had just transformed into a spirit sword dimmed considerably.

Even so, the aura it exudes is comparable to that of the most top-tier spiritual artifacts.

It was just a friendly sparring session to test the spirit sword, so Han Lu naturally didn't launch a preemptive attack.

She was waiting for her two companions to be ready before unleashing her spirit sword and displaying its divine power on the battlefield.

Upon seeing the golden core transform into the shape of a spirit sword, Lü Zhi immediately recalled Yi Qiyan's introduction of Han Lu and understood what kind of powerful move this was.

A mirror appeared in his hand. He activated it with spiritual power, and this mid-grade spiritual artifact rapidly changed through more than ten forms in a single breath, eventually transforming into a giant shield that appeared in front of Lü Zhi.

As the young master of the Immortal Pavilion, Lü Zhi is also a Daoist with many treasures, and his storage bag is full of all kinds of magical treasures.

Unlike her, Yi Qiyan remained calm and composed, not even using any magical artifacts, leaving everyone wondering what she was up to.

After a short while, seeing that Yi Qiyan made no move, Han Lu stopped waiting.

With just a symbolic gesture, the spirit sword that had been floating beside him vanished like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan.

To Kong Qiaosheng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was watching from the sidelines, it was as if a beam of light had shot out, and the spirit sword had already moved from Han Lu's side to Lü Zhi's front.

Using the spirit sword briefly, Han Lu did indeed sense a feeling different from before.

A realization dawned on him, and he murmured, "Could it be that Senior Fang Lin's attack on Xuan Turtle Island wasn't a slash, but a thrust? The wound formed a sword mark simply because the attack was so powerful that the sword energy it generated destroyed the wound, resulting in that shape?"

Although she didn't understand "trace evidence analysis," based on her understanding of swordsmanship, Han Lu vaguely felt that she had grasped something.

Visualizing the sword mark, she saw scenes from the distant ancient cultivation era, which actually made her breakthrough in the "Stab Technique," which had been approaching the minor completion stage.

“That thing…” Han Lu murmured, “...seems to be explosive power?”

The key to success lies in wisdom and in leaving room for maneuver.

That thorn, the thorn of assassination, naturally requires an indomitable spirit, a determination to kill with one blow, and the explosive power generated by the large-scale use of spiritual energy in a short period of time.

This sudden realization gave this otherwise simple and unadorned strike, a test of the sword's quality, a different flavor.

This feeling was most clearly understood by Lü Zhi, who was facing the spirit sword.

At first, he only felt that the spirit sword in front of him was like a cat pouncing on him, and there was nothing too scary about it.

But the moment the spirit sword made contact with the shield formed from the spiritual realm in his hand, the cat transformed into a ferocious tiger, its aura and power completely different from what he had previously anticipated.

He had never faced such an aura before. He felt as if his heart was being gripped and held by an invisible hand, ready to be crushed or thrown to the ground at any moment.

Under Han Lu's control, the spirit sword did not accurately hit the giant shield controlled by Lü Zhi, but merely grazed past it.

Even so, the sword energy that surged from this strike shattered the giant shield that Lü Zhi's magic weapon had transformed into, returning it to its original mirror-like form.