Although Ming Chan was a Rogue Cultivator, he had received an inheritance from the Buddhist Sect, so he had some understanding of Foundation Establishment Daoist Masters and was even more aware of how terrifying this realm was. The so-called "Foundation Establishment" was merely the term used in immortal sects. In the Buddhist Sect, it had another name: "Lotus Platform."
Cultivators of the Immortal Path established their Dao foundation and were called "Daoist Masters," while followers of Buddhism sat upon a Lotus Platform and were called "Arhats." Although the names were different, the results were ultimately the same.
"An Arhat... there's an Arhat behind Skull Mountain!"
"Damn it all, what immortal destiny. It's all fake! It's clearly an Arhat luring people in. Even if there really was some kind of opportunity, it's already been claimed by that Arhat!"
"Amitabha Buddha... Fuck!"
At this moment, Ming Chan had completely lost the demeanor of a Buddhist monk. In his panic, his old habits had clearly resurfaced, and an endless stream of profanities poured out. After all, before he started cultivating Buddhism, he was just a mountain bandit.
It was laughable, really. Every time he finished killing people and robbing travelers, he would kowtow to a Buddha statue. He never imagined that one day he would truly obtain a Buddhist immortal destiny.
The immortal destiny even said that this was merit he had accumulated in his past few lives. Thus, he laid down his butcher's knife and became a Buddha on the spot. From then on, whatever Ming Chan did, it went smoothly.
He easily broke through to the Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm, just a single step away from Foundation Establishment. Now, however, he only felt dread. The merit of three lifetimes and his overwhelming fortune, which were usually invincible, seemed to have lost their effect at this moment.
They could only frantically warn him from the unseen world.
Danger! Certain death! Run!
As Ming Chan fled, he gradually slowed to a stop. His bald head was drenched in sweat. He looked around and found that his surroundings were exactly the same as when he had just started running.
Where is this place? Was I really running just now?
"I..."
Filled with confusion, the Buddhist light in Ming Chan's eyes gradually faded. He 'unexpectedly' suffered from cultivation deviation, and the Dharma body he had painstakingly cultivated for dozens of years fell silent. He was dead.
From beginning to end, the Foundation Establishment Daoist Master had not even shown himself. Merely with a slight influence on the great net of karma, he had died a perfectly natural, explosive death. At the same time, outside the Skull Mountain Market.
Yun Zhiqiu and Ouyang Feng were also drenched in sweat. They had not run, not because their reactions were slower than Ming Chan's, but because they knew running was useless. How could you possibly escape from a Foundation Establishment Daoist Master standing right before you?
Rogue Cultivators were truly clueless. Especially Yun Zhiqiu. As Lu Yang broke through, he felt the dust on his spiritual platform suddenly clear, followed by an intense sense of dread welling up in his heart.
What am I doing? What did I just do? Just then, a figure quietly appeared.
It was a young man in a black robe, his face gloomy and pale. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary Daoist one might see anywhere in the mortal realm.
"... Greetings, Senior!"
Without any hesitation, Yun Zhiqiu sheathed his sword and bowed. Daoist Master Yinshan ignored him, his gaze fixed intently on Skull Mountain below. At the foot of the mountain, a black flame was slowly rising from the spiritual vein.
On the other side, it was as if a sudden realization struck Lu Yang.
"The Witch Ghost Secret Realm..."
The karma and fate in the unseen world told him that as he broke through, his fortune soared to its peak, causing the Witch Ghost Secret Realm to sense him and choose to emerge for him.
"... It really was fishing!"
In the next second, the Witch Ghost Secret Realm, which had been sending him waves of warmth, suddenly froze. Immediately after, an intense surge of anger and fear erupted from it. This was the emotion of the secret realm's spirit.
The fish had taken the bait.
"Come here."
Daoist Master Yinshan spoke slowly. He did not display any divine abilities, yet with just this one sentence, the emerging Witch Ghost Secret Realm flew towards him uncontrollably. Then Lu Yang could not help but curse wildly in his heart: "Fuck!"
Because within the opened secret realm, there was a magnificent sword qi, lying in wait like a crouching tiger and a circling dragon, seemingly ready to deliver a fatal blow to whoever was outside!
Zheng!
In the next instant, Lu Yang's thoughts froze. All he could see was a sword qi locked onto him, as if it had seen through his entire being.
"A Golden Core sword qi..."
Daoist Master Yinshan took a step back, putting Lu Yang in front of him. This was precisely why he had been unwilling to act personally and had chosen to hide behind the scenes. In that moment, Daoist Master Yinshan's heart was filled with relief.
After all, if he had personally opened the Witch Ghost Secret Realm, the unlucky one locked onto by the sword qi would probably have been him. And in the face of a Golden Core sword qi, there was no difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining. It would all be over in a single strike.
Unexpectedly, however, the sword qi did not strike. Lu Yang only felt the perfected True Qi he had just refined, the third-grade "True Dragon Killing Qi," tremble slightly, as if resonating with the sword qi in the secret realm from afar. The two sides remained in a stalemate.
"... Hmm?"
Seeing this, even Daoist Master Yinshan let out a soft sound of surprise, glancing at Lu Yang with some astonishment, clearly not expecting such a turn of events. An unknown amount of time passed. It was as if Lu Yang had passed some kind of test from the sword qi.
It no longer tried to strike, but instead dissipated on the spot, turning into rolling spiritual energy that returned to heaven and earth.
"Ugh!"
Only then did Lu Yang snap back to his senses. His frozen thoughts resumed, and his whole body was instantly drenched in sweat, as if he had just been fished out of water.
"The Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art... Daoist Master Panlong's inheritance? Your luck is good. Daoist Master Panlong was not a demonic cultivator."
"This Golden Core sword qi was aimed at demonic cultivators. If you were cultivating our Saint Sect's techniques, you would have undoubtedly died. Fortunately, you cultivated the Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art."
Daoist Master Yinshan sized up Lu Yang, somewhat surprised, but he did not pay it too much mind. After all, the quality of the bait was not important. Lu Yang's life or death was of little consequence to him.
Whether the fish was caught was the key. Since the Witch Ghost Secret Realm had emerged, his goal for this trip was achieved. It was time to reel in the line.
Daoist Master Yinshan raised his hand and grabbed. The Witch Ghost Secret Realm that had just emerged, its black flame shooting into the sky, instantly vanished, turning into a stream of light that landed in his palm.
"Excellent, excellent... perfect Heavenly Corpse Killing Qi!"
Daoist Master Yinshan looked pleased. The cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Realm held its own mysteries, one of which required Earthly Killing Qi, and this Heavenly Corpse Killing Qi was of the highest grade among them. With this item, his breakthrough to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment was a certainty!
Just then, Lu Yang suddenly strode forward, dropped to one knee without a word, and proclaimed loudly, "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on obtaining this immortal destiny! From this day forth, the Great Dao is within your sight!" Not far away, the Second Senior Brother of the Three Rivers Society, Luo Wuya, had a sudden change of expression.
Damn it, he beat me to it! No wonder this kid managed to stand out among the ordinary disciples. As expected of a disciple of our Saint Sect, a shameless bootlicker...
While Luo Wuya cursed Lu Yang in his heart, he also scurried forward without delay.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on a thousand years of immortal life!"
"Hahaha, a thousand years is the lifespan of a Golden Core. I am not worthy, not worthy at all..."
Although he said this, Daoist Master Yinshan was clearly enjoying it. His words said he was unworthy, but in truth, he wished Lu Yang and Luo Wuya would lay it on even thicker. In the end, even Yun Zhiqiu and Ouyang Feng steeled themselves and offered a few words of congratulations.
However, upon hearing them, Daoist Master Yinshan glanced at Ouyang Feng with a playful look.
"The Divine Martial Sect openly provoked my Saint Sect, and you still dare to speak before me?"
Ouyang Feng's scalp instantly went numb. He trembled and said, "You can't kill me! I... my Divine Martial Sect also has a Daoist Master..."
"Not anymore."
Daoist Master Yinshan nonchalantly spoke words that made Ouyang Feng's heart pound with terror.
"Since this master can appear here, the Divine Martial Sect's fortune has run out."
"This... this is impossible! My Divine Martial Sect..."
Before Ouyang Feng could finish, his qi and blood all over his body inexplicably went berserk. Unfortunately, his mind, which had lost its composure in his shock and anger, was powerless to suppress it. He could only watch with wide eyes— Bang!
With a loud explosion, Ouyang Feng, a cultivator at the Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm, suddenly burst apart, turning into a rain of light that filled the sky and quietly merged back into heaven and earth!
Only when the rain of light subsided did Daoist Master Yinshan shift his gaze, causing Yun Zhiqiu from the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion to break out in a cold sweat. In the end, however, he did not act.
Instead, with a wave of his sleeve, he disappeared from the spot along with Luo Wuya and Lu Yang, leaving behind a deathly silent Skull Mountain.