18: Alright, then I'll just achieve the Nascent Soul stage!

On this day, the monthly minor Dao discussion assembly of the Sect was held at the Yanfa Terrace.

This was an occasion where the Canglan Sacred Sect encouraged Disciples to exchange ideas, spar, and showcase what they had learned. Many Outer Sect Disciples and inner Disciples would participate, and occasionally, Elders would even come to watch and provide commentary.

Dressed in extravagant robes and surrounded by a crowd of followers, Tang Wu arrived early at the venue. His gaze swept through the crowd before finally locking onto Lu Yu, who had appeared alongside Luo Qingxue and was standing a short distance away, observing.

A cold light flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled into a sinister smile.

The opportunity had come.

Halfway through the Dao discussion assembly, during the free sparring session, Tang Wu suddenly stepped out from the crowd. His voice rang out clearly, instantly attracting the attention of everyone present.

"I have heard that Divine Son Lu of the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect possesses a peerless Physique, profound cultivation, and mystical Daoist techniques. Tang is untalented, but I have recently gained some insights into the path of Water Techniques. Feeling an itch for a challenge, I would like to invite Divine Son Lu to step onto the field and offer some guidance. This would also allow the Disciples of my Canglan to witness the elegance of a Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect Prodigy!"

He spoke these words with high-sounding dignity, using the name of requesting guidance and sparring, but in reality, it was a public challenge meant to force his hand!

Under the watchful eyes of the public, if Lu Yu did not dare to accept the challenge, he would be seen as a coward, causing the Tianyan Divine Son to lose face. The previous rumors about his ill intentions would likely grow even more rampant.

If he did accept... Tang Wu's cultivation was at the Perfection of the Nascent Soul Stage. Lu Yu was only at the Perfection of the Golden Core Stage. There was almost no suspense regarding the outcome. When the time came, if he was heavily injured or even accidentally crippled, Tang Wu couldn't be blamed, as it was, after all, a fair spar.

What a poisonous plot!

This was an open scheme, forcing Lu Yu to make a choice.

The entire venue instantly fell silent as everyone's gaze focused on Lu Yu.

Luo Qingxue's expression changed slightly. She took a step forward and said coldly, "Senior Brother Tang, Fellow Daoist Lu is a distinguished guest of our Sect. How can we have a guest step down to spar? It is not in accordance with the rules."

"The Saintess is mistaken," Tang Wu said with a smile.

"Discussing the Dao and sparring, sharing what we have and what we lack—this is exactly the kind of story celebrated among us immortal Cultivators. Divine Son Lu has come from afar as a guest; surely he wouldn't be stingy with his guidance? Or perhaps..."

He drew out his words, implying something specific.

"Does Divine Son Lu feel that giving guidance to a Disciple of my Canglan is beneath his status?"

The pressure was now on Lu Yu.

Lu Yu looked at the smug Tang Wu in the center of the field, whose eyes were full of provocation, then glanced at the worried Luo Qingxue beside him, and suddenly smiled.

He patted the back of Luo Qingxue's hand to signal her to be at ease. Then, under the gaze of the entire assembly, he slowly paced into the center of the field, standing opposite Tang Wu from a distance.

"Fellow Daoist Tang has extended such a warm invitation; how could I, Lu, dare to decline?"

Lu Yu's smile was gentle, as if he truly had come for a friendly exchange.

"However, I wouldn't dare claim to give 'guidance'; it is merely a matter of mutual confirmation. But..."

He shifted his tone, his gaze sweeping over Tang Wu and the followers behind him whose eyes were flickering.

"My Cultivation Technique is unique, being of the utmost Yang and utmost rigidity. I fear it may be difficult to hold back during the fight. If I accidentally injure Fellow Daoist Tang, or... force out some things that Fellow Daoist Tang might not be very willing to reveal, I hope Fellow Daoist Tang will be magnanimous and not take offense."

He spoke these words lightly, yet they caused Tang Wu's heart to skip a beat.

Things he wasn't willing to reveal?

Was he referring to his Demonic Technique?

Is this kid threatening me, or is he just bluffing?

Tang Wu's gaze darkened. "Divine Son Lu must be joking. It's just a spar; we'll stop once the point is made. Please!"

In the center of the Yanfa Terrace, the two faced off.

On one side was the grandson of the Canglan Sacred Sect's Grand Elder, at the Perfection of the Nascent Soul Stage with a sinister Aura.

On the other side was the Divine Son of the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect, only at the Perfection of the Golden Core Stage, with a gentle smile.

The atmosphere suddenly tightened.

When Tang Wu's malicious and sinister smiling face loomed over, Lu Yu smiled.

He smiled from the heart. At this moment, his gaze turned toward Tang Wu, who had already stepped onto the Yanfa Terrace, and he no longer suppressed the feeling of swelling from the cultivation within his body!

Right now, his cultivation was like a leather bag filled with water that someone kept shaking; with two more shakes, there was no telling where it might burst out from.

This feeling traced its origin back to that business in the Tingtao Pavilion a few days ago.

Originally, his Realm had already reached the Perfection of the Golden Core Stage. That one session of Dual Cultivation with the Mahayana Stage Cultivator Leng Qingshuang a few days ago had caused his Realm to rise even further!

As a minor Cultivator at the Perfection of the Golden Core Stage, when he engaged in Dual Cultivation with a Mahayana Stage Cultivator, the one who benefited the most was naturally him. At that time, his Realm was already capable of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

However, he was a bit ambitious and wanted to compress it a little more, so that when he broke through to Nascent Soul later, he could use the accumulated strength to break through several layers at once!

Over these past few days, he had also been continuously refining the profound yin cold jade origin power within his body that belonged to Leng Qingshuang—which was to say, the Primordial Yin Origin of that Mahayana Stage Cultivator.

This had caused his cultivation to rise continuously over these days, but he had been suppressing it, waiting to break through only when it could no longer be contained.

His Nine Yang Haori Body was overbearing and fierce, and it was inherently the most compatible Dual Cultivation Physique with Leng Qingshuang's Nine Yin Cold Jade Body. Refining the Primordial Yin power of that Nine Yin Cold Jade Body's Aura was a natural process and extremely fast.

Along with it, his own cultivation had risen like a boat on a rising tide, long ago filling the small capacity of the Golden Core Stage to the brim, leaving him just one step away.

And now, it had reached the absolute limit. As soon as he made a move, the Aura of his cultivation would leak out, and he would inevitably have to undergo a Breakthrough by Undergoing Tribulation.

Facing Tang Wu's provocation now, he gave a cold laugh and stopped enduring. It was indeed time to break through!

Lu Yu felt the "miniature sun" in his Dantian begin to spin and expand wildly, an almost eager urge to break through its shell. He looked up at Tang Wu, who had a "you're dead" look on his face, and suddenly found it a bit funny.

"Sure."

He nodded, his tone as relaxed as if he were agreeing to go have a cup of tea.

"Since Fellow Daoist Tang wants to 'give guidance' so badly, then I'll... let you open your eyes."

"You provoke me like this, wanting to defeat me and trample me under your feet—isn't it just because you're certain my strength at the Perfection of the Golden Core Stage can't compare to your Perfection of the Nascent Soul Stage?"

"Fine then, I'll just become a Nascent Soul right now!"

Before his voice had even faded, an indescribable, parching pressure suddenly exploded from his body!

It wasn't Killing Intent, but a surging sign of a life-level about to leap forward, a power that could no longer be bound!

A vast Aura, as fierce as a blazing sun, soared into the sky, like a great sun rising, incandescent and violent!

The clear sky darkened almost instantly. Thick black clouds surged and gathered from all directions at an eerily fast speed. In the blink of an eye, they pressed down heavily over the Yanfa Terrace. Muffled thunder rolled within the cloud layers, and electric snakes darted about—a stance of heaven and earth being enraged, ready to strike down some calamity.

"Heavenly Tribulation?! He... he's going to break through?!"

"At a time like this?!"

The surrounding crowd suddenly erupted into an uproar.

No one had expected the plot to unfold in such a way!

The cruel grin on Tang Wu's face instantly froze, and his eyelids twitched violently.

Damn it, this kid is going to break through right before the fight?

But the scale of this Tribulation Cloud... isn't it a bit too exaggerated?

Looking at the clouds above that were so dark they were turning purple and so thick they seemed about to collapse, he felt inexplicably unnerved.