Chapter 536

Fang Yu felt the Dao-debating rules of the Black and White Academy and found them truly excellent, giving him a real sense of a Mingmenzheng Sect.

In the Eternal Life Realm, at the Yuhua Sect's Elder Tian Xing platform, such Dao-debating sparring carried extreme danger—after one bout, Fang Yu could cripple a Jin Dan expert; after two, he could cripple a Heaven-Earth Manifestation expert.

Speaking of which, Meng Shaobai had arranged a duel with him a month from now, at which time Meng Shaobai would reach the Heaven-Earth Manifestation realm, and on the Elder Tian Xing platform, they would immediately enter a fight to the death.

Either I cripple you, or you cripple me.

Fang Yu believed the final outcome would be him crippling Meng Shaobai.

Of course, to be fair, the Yuhua Sect had no specially prepared sparring grounds—only venues for settling personal grudges, and the Elder Tian Xing platform was no place for sparring; it was for killing.

The Dao-debating hall was for Dao-debating.

The Yuhua Sect lacked a Dao-debating hall, which was very bad.

The Black and White Academy had a Dao-debating hall, where disciples did not fight directly but chose puppets to battle each other.

Beyond the side door of the Dao-debating hall lay a hall filled with hundreds of puppets, all carved from black, rock-like material, each with identical energy cores releasing the same level of Qianxiang Early Stage true qi.

That is to say, the Dao-debating hall truly was for Dao-debating—not for determining victory by raw power.

As long as one comprehended the Dao deeply enough, even a Purple Mansion cultivator could defeat a Qianxiang expert.

This was the true essence of the Dao-debating hall.

The puppets used for Dao-debating were numerous, each wielding different weapons—swords, spears, halberds, daggers, and more—and the debater could freely choose any puppet suited to their strengths.

Master Youchen had debated many times before and instantly selected his puppet; Fang Yu glanced around and chose one as well.

Inside the Dao-debating hall, the observing disciples—including Bu Ying, Jiulian, and others—were whispering among themselves.

"The stakes are so high—hundred Black and White Pills is one thing, but now a hundred jin of true qi fluid? That's too much."

"It seems he wants to see what kind of skill this Fang Elder really has."

"Let's watch and see."

The fellow disciples murmured among themselves.

At that moment, Master Youchen leapt across a hundred zhang and landed directly atop one of the Shi Zhu, then sat down.

So!

The puppet also leapt, landing on the combat arena below, where it stood silently waiting.

"He's out."

"Fang Elder is out too."

Soon, everyone saw Fang Yu emerge and select a puppet as well.

Fang Yu stepped forward and sat atop the Shi Zhu.

As for the puppet, he had already subjugated it; it now stood on the arena below.

The two Shi Zhu faced each other across a hundred zhang, and the two puppets below stood a hundred zhang apart.

This was the first time Fang Yu had engaged in combat without moving his own body.

Boom—

At that moment, a massive barrier rose from the arena below, completely sealing off the entire combat zone.

Fang Yu and Master Youchen were inside the barrier; all others stood outside.

"Please, Elder, instruct me."

Master Youchen bowed.

"Hmm."

Fang Yu nodded.

He felt this method of combat—this puppet duel—while safe, stripped away countless aspects of his strength: his body, comparable to a Dao artifact, was useless in such a battle; otherwise, he could have turned his body into a flying sword and unleashed Bai Di Jin Huang Zhan to end the fight instantly.

But to make the puppet perform Bai Di Jin Huang Zhan, its body's strength was utterly insufficient.

Before he could even reach a thousand times the speed of sound, the puppet would disintegrate.

The Dao-debating rules stated that if the outer protective layer of the puppet was breached, the user lost.

That meant if Fang Yu used his controlled puppet to unleash a supreme technique like Bai Di Jin Huang Zhan, he would instantly destroy himself.

Because the moment Bai Di Jin Huang Zhan activated, the intense resonance with heaven and earth would obliterate the puppet itself—and under Dao-debating rules, that meant he lost.

Even techniques like Da Ben Yuan Shu and Da Wu Xing Shu were difficult for him to use.

After all, this puppet had not absorbed countless Wu Xing true qi to condense a Five Emperor Canopy.

This puppet had not absorbed boundless starlight to forge a Wu Ji Book.

The Five-Colored Divine Light and Wu Ji Divine Light could hardly be manifested by this puppet.

The Dao-debating hall truly was for Dao-debating, nothing else.

Of course, Fang Yu didn't care much—even without these techniques, breaking Master Youchen's puppet was still very easy.

Fang Yu willed it, and a blade of light flowed across the puppet he controlled, shifting between two colors.

When wind and fire merged, it became the Wind-Fire Two-Phase Sword.

The Wind-Fire Two-Phase Sword sliced through the sky; wherever it passed, flames spread across the heavens, fueled by the wind, turning the battlefield into a sea of fire in an instant.

"No good."

Master Youchen's face paled—he barely managed to summon a Flowing Sword, summoning a stream of water in the air, its blade qi flowing—but it was instantly drowned by the Wind-Fire Two-Phase Sword, which surged forward and reached the puppet's face in an instant.

Hiss!

The Wind-Fire Two-Phase Sword cleaved through Master Youchen's puppet; its black rock outer layer shattered instantly, revealing the crimson inner core.

"Fang Yu Elder wins!"

The white-haired elder far away shouted loudly.

Master Youchen's face turned pale—he had not expected to lose so quickly.

He had barely stepped onto the arena when he was slain by a single sword strike.

Recalling what had just happened, he knew the Elder had used the Two Yin-Yang Sword from the Minor Five Elements Sword Scripture, but according to his knowledge, this Elder had only recently entered the sect—yet he had already mastered the Wind-Fire Two Yin-Yang Sword so quickly.

He himself had spent a full ten years to master these Two Yin-Yang Swords!

But even so, he hadn't even gotten a chance to use the Wind-Fire Two Yin-Yang Sword this time, because the opposing Fang Elder's sword technique was far too fast—he simply couldn't match it.

"Thank you, Elder, for your guidance!"

You Chen Dao Ren bowed to Fang Yu, then flipped his hand and produced two jade vials, handing them over.

"Elder, your Dao art is profound—I am far beneath you. Here are one hundred Black-White Pills and one hundred jin of Yuan Fluid."

Fang Yu grunted, took the jade vials, then turned his gaze toward the other disciples.

"Good. Next."

"Fang Elder, please guide me."

The young man in green robes, Bu Ying, leapt forward at once, his expression now reverent: "Elder, your comprehension is truly extraordinary. You've only just received our Black-White Academy's Minor Five Elements Sword Scripture these past few days, yet you've already mastered the Two Yin-Yang Sword—your comprehension is unparalleled in our Black-White Academy. This humble disciple has also trained in the Minor Five Elements Sword Scripture; please guide me."

"Good."

Fang Yu nodded.

Another disciple came to offer Yuan Fluid—he wouldn't refuse.

Moments later, Bu Ying sat cross-legged atop the Shi Zhu.

"Begin."

The Bai Fa elder cried out, and instantly the sealing formation reappeared.

"Elder, your strength is formidable—I shall strike first!"

Bu Ying, having learned from You Chen Dao Ren's mistake, decided to take the initiative. With a low shout, thirty-six flying swords shot out from behind the puppet beneath him, each inscribed with unique runes. As the thirty-six swords spun toward Fang Yu, he clearly saw that every six swords formed a foundation, creating the Six-Heaven Odd Formation.

Moreover, viewed as a whole, the entire formation had transformed into a massive wind wheel.

"Fire, rise!"

Bu Ying Dao Ren's expression became solemn; he focused again. As the wind wheel turned, a fire essence surged upward, turning the wheel into a Wind-Fire Wheel.

"Disciple Bu Ying, this is indeed the Wind-Fire Two Yin-Yang Sword—but your spiritual force is insufficient; you can barely unleash it."

Seeing Bu Ying also summon the Wind-Fire Two Yin-Yang Sword, Fang Yu shook his head. He shifted his intent, and another element appeared on his puppet's Wind-Fire Two Yin-Yang Sword.

Wood.

As wood entered the wind and fire, the power of the Wind-Fire Two Yin-Yang Sword increased several-fold—in that instant, it was no longer the Two Yin-Yang Sword, but the Three Talents Sword.

According to the rules of the Minor Five Elements Sword Scripture, a sword technique that fuses three true meanings of Dao is called the Three Talents Sword.

The Three Talents Sword has far more variations—it is no longer something an ordinary person can learn or comprehend.

Within the entire Black-White Academy, few who train in sword arts can comprehend the Three Talents Sword.

"What? Heaven, this is… the Three Talents Sword?"

At that moment, everyone's expressions changed drastically. Bu Ying, seated cross-legged nearby, turned pale, sighed, and offered no resistance—allowing Fang Yu's Wind-Fire-Wood Three Talents Sword to pierce straight through his puppet's defensive layer.