Chapter 55: The Witch-Ghost Emerges, the True Person Reels in the Line

Although Ming Chan was a rogue cultivator, he had inherited the teachings of the Shi Sect, so he understood Foundation Establishment True Persons quite well and was even more aware of how terrifying this realm was.

The term "Foundation Establishment" was merely the name used within the Immortal Sects; in the Shi Sect, it went by another name: "Lotus Throne." Cultivators of the Dao who built their Dao Foundation were titled "True Person," while those studying Buddhism who took their seat upon a Lotus Throne were titled "Arhat." Though the names differed, the result was the same, reaching the destination via different paths.

"An Arhat... Behind Skull Mountain, there is an Arhat!"

"Damn it, what opportunity! It's all fake! Clearly, an Arhat is luring people in; even if there truly was some opportunity, it has already been reserved by that Arhat!"

"Amitabha... Damn it!"

At this moment, Ming Chan had completely lost the appearance of a Shi Sect monk; evidently, panic had caused his old habits to resurface, and filthy language poured from him endlessly.

After all, before he cultivated Buddhism, he had originally been a mountain bandit.

It was rather amusing that every time he finished killing someone or robbing a traveler, he would bow before a Buddha statue; he never expected that one day he would actually receive a Buddhist opportunity.

The opportunity even stated that this was the merit he had accumulated over his previous few lives.

Thus, he laid down his butcher's knife and attained Buddhahood on the spot.

Since then, everything Ming Chan did went smoothly; he easily broke through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, standing only a step away from Foundation Establishment.

However, now he felt nothing but terror.

The merit of three lifetimes and the soaring fortune that had always worked in his favor seemed to have lost all effect at this moment, able only to frantically warn him from within the unseen forces of fate.

Danger! Certain death! Run!

As Ming Chan fled, he gradually slowed his steps; sweat poured down his bald head, and looking around, he realized the scenery was exactly as it had been when he first started running.

What kind of place is this?

Was I really fleeing just now?

"I..."

Filled with confusion, the Buddhist light in Ming Chan's eyes gradually extinguished; he unexpectedly suffered qi deviation, and the Dharma body he had painstakingly cultivated for decades thus lost all breath.

He was dead.

From start to finish, the Foundation Establishment True Person had never even appeared; merely by exerting a slight influence on the great web of karma, he caused Ming Chan to naturally and inevitably drop dead.

At the same time, outside the Skull Mountain market.

Yun Zhiqiu and Ouyang Feng were also drenched in sweat at this moment; they had not fled, not because their reaction was slower than Ming Chan's, but because they knew fleeing was useless.

Facing a Foundation Establishment True Person, do you think they would let you escape?

Rogue cultivators simply lack knowledge and experience.

Especially Yun Zhiqiu; as Lu Yang broke through, he felt his spiritual platform, previously clouded with dust, suddenly clear, followed immediately by a surge of intense terror rising in his heart.

What am I doing? What did I just do?

Just then, a figure quietly materialized.

It was a young man clad in black robes, with a gloomy countenance and a pale face; at first glance, he seemed like an ordinary Daoist priest commonly seen anywhere in the mortal world.

"... reetings, Senior!"

Without any hesitation, Yun Zhiqiu immediately sheathed his sword and bowed in respect.

True Person Yinshan paid him no heed, his gaze burning intensely as he looked down at Skull Mountain below, where a jet of black flame was slowly rising from the earth pulse.

On the other side, Lu Yang also suddenly felt enlightened.

"The Witch-Ghost Secret Realm..."

The unseen forces of karma and fate told him that as he broke through, his fortune rose to its peak, causing the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm to sense him and thus emerge to choose him.

"... o it really was fishing!"

The next second, the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm, which had continuously emitted a sense of affinity toward him, suddenly stalled; immediately afterward, intense anger and fear erupted.

These were the emotions of the Secret Realm spirit.

The fish had taken the bait.

"Come here."

True Person Yinshan spoke slowly; he displayed no divine abilities, yet with just this single sentence, the emerged Witch-Ghost Secret Realm flew toward him uncontrollably.

Then Lu Yang couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Damn it!"

Because within the opened Secret Realm, there was clearly a brilliant sword qi, coiled like a tiger and crouched like a dragon, seemingly waiting to deliver a fatal strike to anyone outside!

Zeng—!

The next second, Lu Yang's thoughts froze; within his line of sight was only a strand of sword qi that had locked onto him, as if his entire body had been seen through by it.

"Golden Core sword qi..."

True Person Yinshan took a step back, positioning Lu Yang in front of him; this was the reason he had always been unwilling to act personally, choosing instead to hide behind the scenes.

In an instant, True Person Yinshan's heart was full of relief; after all, if the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm had been opened by his own hands, the unlucky soul locked by the sword qi would likely have been him, and before Golden Core sword qi, there was no difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining—it was all a matter of one sword strike.

However, surprisingly, the sword qi did not slash out.

Lu Yang only felt his newly refined perfect true qi, the Third Grade "True Dragon Sha," tremble slightly, as if resonating with the sword qi inside the Secret Realm.

Both sides remained locked in a stalemate.

"... mm?"

Seeing this scene, even True Person Yinshan let out a soft exclamation of surprise, glancing at Lu Yang with some unexpectedness, clearly not anticipating such a variable.

It is unknown how much time passed.

Lu Yang seemed to have passed some kind of inspection by the sword qi; the opponent no longer struck but instead dissipated on the spot, transforming into rolling spiritual energy that returned to heaven and earth.

"Ugh!"

Only then did Lu Yang suddenly come to his senses; his stalled thoughts resumed functioning, and his entire body instantly became drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water.

"The Nine Transformations Dragon Art, the inheritance of True Person Panlong? Your luck is not bad; True Person Panlong was not a demonic cultivator."

"This strand of Golden Core sword qi specifically targets demonic cultivators; if you were cultivating my Holy Sect's techniques, you would have certainly died; fortunately, you cultivate the Nine Transformations Dragon Art."

True Person Yinshan examined Lu Yang with some surprise but did not pay it too much mind; after all, the quality of the bait was unimportant, and whether Lu Yang lived or died mattered little to him; the key was whether the fish had been caught, and since the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm had emerged, his objective for this trip was achieved.

It was time to reel in the line.

True Person Yinshan raised his hand and grabbed; the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm, which had just emerged with black flames shooting straight into the clouds, instantly vanished, transforming into a streak of light that fell into his palm.

"Good, good, good... Perfect Heavenly Corpse Sha!"

True Person Yinshan's expression was satisfied; cultivation at the Foundation Establishment realm held additional mysteries, among which was the need for Earth Sha qi, and Heavenly Corpse Sha was the highest grade among Earth Sha.

With this item in hand, his breakthrough to the Mid Stage of Foundation Establishment was as certain as a nail driven into a board!

Just then, Lu Yang stepped forward abruptly, dropped to one knee without a word, and proclaimed loudly: "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on obtaining this opportunity; from now on, the Great Dao is within sight!"

Not far away, Luo Wuya, the Second Senior Brother of the Sanhe Society, instantly changed color.

"Damn it, beaten to the punch!"

"No wonder this kid managed to stand out among the ordinary disciples; truly a disciple of my Holy Sect, a shameless sycophant..." While cursing Lu Yang in his heart, Luo Wuya hurriedly rushed forward as well: "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on an immortal lifespan of a thousand years!"

"Hahaha, a thousand years is the lifespan of a Golden Core; your humble brother cannot accept such praise, I really cannot..."

Although he said this, True Person Yinshan clearly enjoyed this treatment; while his mouth said it was unacceptable, in reality, he wished Lu Yang and Luo Wuya would offer even more.

In the end, even Yun Zhiqiu and Ouyang Feng forced themselves to offer a few words of congratulations.

However, upon hearing this, True Person Yinshan glanced at Ouyang Feng with amusement: "The Shenwu Sect openly provoked my Holy Sect, and you still dare to speak before me?"

Ouyang Feng instantly felt his scalp explode with fear; trembling, he stammered: "You can't kill me! I... my Shenwu Sect also has a True Person..."

"Not anymore."

True Person Yinshan casually spoke words that shattered Ouyang Feng's liver and gallbladder: "Since I am able to appear here, the Shenwu Sect's fortune is already exhausted."

"Th-this is impossible! My Shenwu Sect..."

Before Ouyang Feng could finish speaking, the qi and blood in his entire body inexplicably went berserk; yet, under shock and rage, his lost mental control was powerless to suppress it, and he could only widen his eyes—

Boom!!!

With a loud explosion, Ouyang Feng, a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, suddenly burst apart, transforming into a sky full of radiant rain that quietly merged into heaven and earth!

Only after the radiant rain subsided did True Person Yinshan shift his gaze; seeing this made Yun Zhiqiu, who hailed from the Yushujiange, drenched in sweat; however, in the end, he did not act against him, but merely waved his sleeve, taking Luo Wuya and Lu Yang as they vanished from the spot, leaving behind a Skull Mountain silent as a crow.

(End of Chapter)