Chapter 1065: Immortal Craftsmanship
Originally, Lu Yang had thought it was a great pity that despite the vast starry sky and the mysterious universe, the cultivators of the box world could not harness the power of the stars.
But after hearing the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s account, he suddenly felt that the Big Dipper wasn’t such a big deal after all.
“Were the Heaven Mandate Immortal and the others really that idle?” Lu Yang couldn’t help voicing his true thoughts. If the four of you truly had nothing to do, why not figure out how to achieve Transcendence?
“How could that be? They were very busy. Every day, they were either giving lectures on the Dao or reshaping the terrain. When I invited them to my place for a meal, they never came. It was Little Ling, Lianyi, and the others who were quieter. They didn’t have that many things to do and came every time.”
Lu Yang thought it was understandable that the Heaven Mandate Immortal and the others were a bit busy.
“After the landforms were all built, cultivators became very cautious when fighting, afraid of damaging the painstaking work of the Heaven Mandate Immortal and the other three.”
In the real world, Sect Leader Kong watched his industrious disciples and gave out instructions. He couldn’t help but feel moved.
“Little Lu, Little Meng, look how beautiful this mountain range is. This mountain range resembles an ox’s head; here is the body, and that mountain range over there is like the tail. That’s why it’s called the Qingniu[1] Mountain Range.”
“Every time I see such sights, I marvel at nature’s divine craftsmanship, its ability to create such mystical and beautiful scenery.
“This is also why I chose to join the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect back then. I couldn’t bear to see cultivators destroy nature’s masterpieces.”
Lu Yang stood behind Sect Leader Kong, wanting to speak but hesitating. He wanted to say that these were not nature’s masterpieces but the Four Ancient Immortals. However, he was worried that telling the truth would break Sect Leader Kong’s heart.
Senior Brother Dai is one thousand years younger, yet he can’t even handle a few words from me. Sect Leader Kong is over two thousand years old. His mental fortitude should also be average, right?
“It’s not divine craftsmanship—it’s immortal craftsmanship.[2] The Heaven Mandate Immortal carved all of this with one axe, swing after swing.”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy felt that Sect Leader Kong was truly uncultured. He doesn’t even know how to use chengyu idioms. Xiao Yangzi is still the cultured one.
For instance, I’d only said “axe” just now, yet Xiao Yangzi knew I meant a wide axe.
In contrast, this Kong fellow may look refined and scholarly, but he exposed himself the moment he spoke. Compared to Xiao Yangzi, the difference is immediately apparent.
The preliminary preparations were complete, and the two Advanced Divine Transfiguration cultivators finally arrived at the Qingniu Mountain Range.
They were stunned to see Sect Leader Kong. Initially, they were surprised that a cultivator of his caliber would come. But they quickly made sense of the reason and were secretly pleased.
Who would have thought our fame is so great that even Sect Leader Kong has specifically come to watch our battle?!
“Little Jin, what are the backgrounds of these two combatants?” Sect Leader Kong called over his eldest disciple.
“These two are the old ancestors of nearby millennium-old ancestral clans. One is Song Junhao, and the other is Ning Zihao. In their youth, they joined forces and made a name for themselves, known as the ‘Two Hao Prodigies.’
“Now, people refer to them by the honorific title of ‘Two Old Hao Prodigies.’”
Sect Leader Kong hesitated. “Are you sure that’s an honorific title?”
“At least locally, it is.”
“Fine.”
Sect Leader Kong made no further comments. He waved his hand, signaling everyone to stand away. They were here to clean up and shouldn’t interfere with the Two Old Hao Prodigies’ battle.
Upon learning that Sect Leader Kong was present, the Two Old Hao Prodigies felt as if they had returned to their youthful, spirited days. The speed of cosmic loop circulations was noticeably faster than usual.
“Old Song, make your move!”
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. Hidden Dragon Be Patient!”
“Azure Wandering Waves Mantra!”
The two veteran Advanced Divine Transfiguration cultivators unleashed extraordinary moves. An earth dragon emerged from underground, its roars reverberating through the mountains, causing the lake waters to churn endlessly.
Perhaps spurred on by Sect Leader Kong’s presence, the two felt their state was better than ever. Their thinking became more agile, and their techniques came effortlessly, perfectly countering each other’s moves. Behind every strike lay deep calculation, which emphasized paving the way to victory with every step, fully displaying their scheming nature.
The magical artifacts they produced had unique features, capable of producing unexpected effects at critical junctures.
They fought a hundred rounds to their hearts’ content but still could not determine a victor.
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou secretly yawned as they watched the battle. The Two Old Hao Prodigies’ combat methods were neither innovative nor powerful. Our fights at the Advanced Nascent Soul were far more entertaining.
Finally, at the three hundredth round, Song Junhao experienced a breakthrough in his mental state at a critical moment, touching the threshold of the Void Refinement Stage and reaching the Half-Step Void Refinement Stage.
“I’ve lost.” Ning Zihao conceded defeat dejectedly.
Song Junhao said coldly, “As agreed, the repair costs for this battle will be borne by your Ning Family.”
Ning Zihao let out a long sigh. This is going to cost me dearly.
The Two Old Hao Prodigies wanted to ask Sect Leader Kong to offer his critique, but after looking around, they couldn’t find anyone from the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect. They had no choice but to give up and return to their respective clans.
After the battle, the members of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect emerged from the shadows. They had concealed themselves to avoid interfering in the battle.
The Qingniu Mountain Range was a scene of devastation. Its peaks were leveled, its lakes flowed backward, and countless trees had collapsed. Even someone familiar with the mountain range wouldn’t recognize it at all.
This was where the disciples of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect demonstrated their value. They produced their recording orbs and restored the mountain range according to its appearance before the battle.
Some disciples cupped their hands to lift the lake water that had seeped into the soil and returned it to the lake, then placed the fish and shrimp that had been swept onto land back into the water. However, some had died, and for those, they released the fry and shrimp larvae to replenish the population.
Other disciples carried shovels to dig out broken tree roots, then pinched seeds between their fingers and flicked them into the pits dug beforehand. Under the influence of the Tree-Planting Mantra, the seeds grew with the wind, instantly becoming towering trees. Lu Yang watched the authentic version of the Tree-Planting Mantra with envy.
Such level of proficiency clearly indicates that they have mastered it with great success.
Sect Leader Kong noticed Lu Yang’s abnormal gaze and asked with a smile. “What, want to give it a try?”
“What do you need me to do?”
Sect Leader Kong pointed to a mountain range that had shifted over ten meters. “Sword cultivators excel at sword flight. Proficiency in manipulating swords indicates proficiency in manipulating objects. You can try to move that mountain range back to its original position.
“Actually, the best method would be to use Heaven-Earth Dharma Manifestation or a dharma manifestation, but you’re only at the Advanced Divine Transfiguration Stage. It’s not yet time for you to master such supreme divine abilities...”
Then, Sect Leader Kong witnessed an unbelievable sight. He watched as Lu Yang transformed into a wisp of pure energy and floated into the air. This scene is filled with divinity, resembling the legendary feathered metamorphic ascension!
After that, he felt the surrounding spirit qi vanish instantly. Heaven and earth seemed to come alive, channeling the power of the cosmic loops to sustain Lu Yang.
Following that was a deafening boom. A perfectly dressed Lu Yang, hundreds of zhang tall, landed on the ground.
The giant Lu Yang flashed a grin at Sect Leader Kong. “It so happens that I know Heaven-Earth Dharma Manifestation.”
The commotion from Lu Yang was so huge that it was impossible not to notice. Every disciple of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect stared at the titan Lu Yang with their mouths agape, momentarily wondering if they were hallucinating.
“W-Wasn’t it said that even among Fusion cultivators, few can master Heaven-Earth Dharma Manifestation? Senior Brother Lu is only at the Divine Transfiguration Stage!”
“That’s right. Senior Brother Fang mastered it at the Basic Fusion Stage and was already hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius.”
Fang Jin stared at Lu Yang incredulously. The fact that Lu Yang knew Heaven-Earth Dharma Manifestation was already surprising enough. What surprised him even more was how Lu Yang made his clothes enlarge along with his body.
He couldn’t help but question what he had learned. “Could it be that the Heaven-Earth Dharma Manifestation I learned is the incomplete version, while Junior Brother Lu’s is the complete version?”
1. The “niu” in “Qingniu” refers to a cow, an ox, or a buffalo. You get the idea. ☜
2. To be more accurate, the idiom includes the word for “axe,” so once again, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy is interpreting it literally. ☜
