Chapter 55: The Witch-Ghost Emerges, the True Master Reels It In

Although Ming Chan was a rogue cultivator, he had received the inheritance of the Buddhist sect, so he possessed some understanding of Foundation Establishment True Persons and knew even more clearly how terrifying that realm was.

The so-called "Foundation Establishment" was merely a term used within the immortal sects; in the Buddhist sect, it had another name: the "Lotus Platform." While cultivators of immortality build their Dao Foundation and are called "True Persons," those who practice Buddhism sit upon the Lotus Platform and are called "Arhats." Though the names differed, the two paths ultimately converged toward the same destination.

"An Arhat... there is an Arhat behind Skull Mountain!"

"Damn it, what kind of opportunity is this? It's all a lie! There is clearly an Arhat luring people in. Even if there truly is some opportunity, it has already been pre-selected by that Arhat!"

"Amitabha... fuck!"

At this moment, Ming Chan no longer bore any resemblance to a Buddhist monk. In his panic, his old habits resurfaced, and a stream of profanity poured from his lips.

After all, before he practiced Buddhism, he had been nothing more than a mountain bandit.

It was almost laughable; every time he finished a killing or a robbery, he would bow to a Buddha statue. He never expected that one day, he would actually receive a Buddhist opportunity.

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

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

From then on, everything Ming Chan did went smoothly. He broke through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement with ease, standing just one step away from Foundation Establishment.

However, now, he felt only terror.

The Three-Life Merit and the overwhelming providence that had served him so well in his daily life seemed to lose all efficacy at this moment, acting only to send frantic warnings through the void.

*Danger! Certain death! Run!*

As Ming Chan fled, he gradually slowed his pace. Sweat poured from his bald head. Looking around, he realized he was back exactly where he had started.

Where is this place?

Was I really running just now?

"I..."

Carrying this doubt, the Buddhist light in Ming Chan's eyes gradually extinguished. He "accidentally" suffered a cultivation deviation, and his dharma body, cultivated through decades of bitter practice, simply lost all signs of life.

He was dead.

From beginning to end, the Foundation Establishment True Person had not even appeared. He had merely exerted a slight influence on the web of karma, and Ming Chan had naturally died a sudden death as a matter of course.

Meanwhile, outside the Skull Mountain marketplace.

Yun Zhichiu and Ouyang Feng were also drenched in sweat. They had not fled, not because their reactions were slower than Ming Chan's, but because they knew fleeing was useless.

In the presence of a Foundation Establishment True Person, do you really think you can escape?

Rogue cultivators truly lacked vision.

Especially Yun Zhichiu; as Lu Yang broke through, he felt his originally clouded spiritual platform suddenly clear, followed immediately by a surge of intense terror.

*What am I doing? What did I just do?*

Just then, a figure quietly emerged.

It was a young man dressed in black robes, with a gloomy countenance and a pale face. At first glance, he appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary Daoist one might see anywhere in the mortal realm.

"...Greetings, Senior!"

Without any hesitation, Yun Zhichiu immediately sheathed his sword and bowed.

Yinshan True Person ignored him, his gaze fixed intently on the Skull Mountain below. Beneath the mountain, a plume of black flame was slowly rising from the earth's veins.

On the other side, Lu Yang also had a sudden realization.

"The Wugui Secret Realm..."

The mysterious threads of karma told him that as he broke through, his providence had reached its peak, causing the Wugui Secret Realm to sense him and emerge to choose him.

"...As expected, it's a fishing trip!"

In the next second, the Wugui Secret Realm, which had been constantly sending him a sense of familiarity, suddenly stalled. Immediately following this, an explosion of intense rage and fear erupted.

This was the emotion of the Secret Realm's spirit.

The fish had taken the bait.

"Come here."

Yinshan True Person spoke slowly. He did not display any divine abilities, yet with that single sentence, the newly emerged Wugui Secret Realm flew toward him uncontrollably.

Lu Yang couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Holy shit!"

Because within the opened realm, there was actually a magnificent sword qi, coiled like a crouching dragon, seemingly waiting to deliver a fatal blow to anyone outside!

*Zheng—!*

In the next instant, Lu Yang's thoughts froze. His gaze was locked onto a single strand of sword qi that had targeted him, as if his entire being had been seen through.

"Golden Core Sword Qi..."

Yinshan True Person took a step back, shielding Lu Yang in front of him. This was the reason he had been unwilling to act personally and had chosen to hide behind the scenes.

For a moment, Yinshan True Person felt a surge of relief. After all, if he had been the one to personally open the Wugui Secret Realm, the unlucky soul targeted by the sword qi would likely have been him. In the face of Golden Core Sword Qi, there was little difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement; it would only take a single strike.

However, unexpectedly, the sword qi did not strike.

Lu Yang only felt that his newly refined, perfected true qi—the third-grade "True Dragon Malice"—vibrated slightly, as if resonating with the sword qi within the realm.

The two sides remained in a stalemate.

"...Hm?"

Seeing this, even Yinshan True Person let out a soft sound of surprise. He glanced at Lu Yang with some astonishment, clearly not expecting such a variable.

After an unknown amount of time.

It was as if Lu Yang had passed some kind of test by the sword qi; the opponent no longer struck, 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 entire body was instantly drenched in sweat, as if he had just been fished out of water.

"The inheritance of True Person Panlong from the Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art? You are quite lucky; True Person Panlong was not a demonic cultivator."

"This Golden Core Sword Qi targets demonic cultivators. If you were practicing the techniques of my Holy Sect, you would be dead for certain. Fortunately, you practice the Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art."

Yinshan True Person sized Lu up, somewhat surprised but not overly concerned. After all, the quality of the bait was not important; Lu Yang's life or death was of little consequence to him. The key was whether the fish had been caught. Since the Wugui Secret Realm had emerged, his goal had been achieved.

It was time to reel in the line.

Yinshan True Person reached out his hand and grasped. The Wugui Secret Realm, which had just emerged with black flames piercing the clouds, instantly vanished, transforming into a streak of light that fell into his palm.

"Good, good, good! A perfect Heavenly Corpse Malice!"

Yinshan True Person looked satisfied. The cultivation of the Foundation Establishment realm possessed its own mysteries, one of which required Earthly Malice, and the Heavenly Corpse Malice was a top-tier grade among them.

With this item, his breakthrough to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment was now a certainty!

Just then, Lu Yang suddenly stepped forward. Without a word, he knelt on one knee and proclaimed loudly, "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on obtaining this opportunity! From this day forth, the Great Dao is within sight!"

Not far away, Luo Wuya, the second senior brother of the Three Rivers Society, immediately changed 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 my Holy Sect, a shameless flatterer...* While Luo Wuya cursed Lu Yang in his heart, he also hurried forward: "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on a thousand years of immortal longevity!"

"Hahaha, a thousand years is the lifespan of a Golden Core. I cannot possibly accept such praise..."

Despite his words, Yinshan True Person was clearly enjoying this. While he said he couldn't accept it, in reality, he wished Lu Yang and Luo Wuya would offer even more.

In the end, even Yun Zhichiu and Ouyang Feng bit the bullet and offered a few words of congratulations.

However, upon hearing this, Yinshan True Person gave Ouyang Feng a playful look. "The Divine Martial Sect openly provokes my Holy Sect, yet you still dare to speak in my presence?"

Ouyang Feng's scalp instantly tingled with terror. He trembled and said, "You cannot kill me! I... my Divine Martial Sect also has True Persons..."

"There won't be any more in the future."

Yinshan True Person spoke the words that shattered Ouyang Feng's courage with nonchalance. "Since this seat can appear here, the Divine Martial Sect's providence has reached its end."

"This... this is impossible! My Divine Martial Sect..."

Before Ouyang Feng could finish his sentence, his entire blood circulation went haywire for no reason. Under his shock and fury, his weakened mind could not suppress it, leaving him only able to stare with wide eyes—

*BOOM!!!*

With a loud explosion, Ouyang Feng, a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement, actually burst apart, turning into a rain of light that quietly merged into heaven and earth!

It was only after the rain of light ceased that Yinshan True Person shifted his gaze. Yun Zhichiu, who hailed from the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, was drenched in sweat. However, in the end, he did not act. Instead, with a wave of his sleeve, he vanished from the spot along with Luo Wuya and Lu Yang, leaving behind only the deathly silent Skull Mountain.

(End of Chapter)