Chapter 183: Chapter 11: Taking the Stage to See the Beauty (2)

This was also related to the Lord of the Immortal City’s habit of taking on disciples; nearly a century separated the First Disciple’s and the Third Disciple’s acceptance into the sect.

Most of the time, it was the First Disciple who taught in their master’s stead.

Rumor had it that this Zhao Yang had feelings for the Third Disciple. Unfortunately, the barrier of their respective statuses had always prevented him from making his intentions clear.

Moreover, the Third Disciple had a wide social circle and scoffed at romance, leaving Zhao Yang to fret in vain.

Yet he had attended nearly every one of the Third Disciple’s Wine Immortal Pill banquets without fail.

Seeing he was about to intervene, Cen San Niang frowned. "It would be improper for you to go down there," she said. "Let one of the other Guests handle it."

Though she had joined the sect after Zhao Yang, her talent far surpassed his, and her Cultivation was considerably more profound. Otherwise, she never could have secured her position as the Third Disciple of the Immortal City.

She was perfectly aware of Zhao Yang’s actual capabilities; she just didn’t want him to lose face in public, which was why she had offered a polite excuse.

Zhao Yang, however, thought she was looking down on his Cultivation and underestimating his skills. A nameless rage flared within him. "Since this is a test for the Guests," he said coolly, "what’s wrong with a nephew acting on behalf of his Martial Aunt to size up an opponent?"

His gaze swept over the crowd on the Cloud Ascending Platform as he declared proudly, "This man is merely running rampant with a fast Escape Technique and brute force. My Ten Thousand Beasts Cloud Smoke Technique is the perfect counter for him. This will be a good opportunity to test his true strength."

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled in agreement. A few Cultivators who normally sought to curry favor with the First Disciple even spoke up, urging the Third Disciple to let Zhao Yang go down.

Seeing this, Cen San Niang said calmly, "Then I will have to trouble Nephew Zhao."

Zhao Yang gave a dashing smile and said to a nearby Maid, "Warm a pot of wine for me. I’ll drink it when I return."

The young Maid’s eyes sparkled. A look of adoration crossed her face as she gazed at Zhao Yang’s dashing and unrestrained figure. She nodded obediently and immediately began to warm wine for him over a small stove.

Zhao Yang turned and flew down from the Cloud Ascending Platform, landing gracefully on the second stone platform. Looking at Fang Cheng, he yelled, "I will exchange a few moves with you!"

As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, sending a patch of Gang Clouds drifting straight toward Fang Cheng.

Riding his giant tiger, Fang Cheng moved forward and shattered the Gang Clouds with a single strike of his Vajra Pestle.

In the next instant.

The Gang Clouds split apart, and a dozen or so winged, horned beasts resembling a cross between tigers and leopards rushed out. They were ferocious and terrifying, each one roaring like thunder.

These beasts were all condensed from Gang Clouds. They moved with incredible speed and contained an immense, formless power as they swarmed Fang Cheng, pouncing and biting at him.

Fang Cheng let out a surprised laugh. He circulated the Celestial Fire Body Forging Technique, and a wave of fiery power radiated from him like the scorching heat of a furnace, instantly blasting the Cloud Beasts away.

Then, the giant tiger beneath him roared, opening its mouth to unleash a torrent of Evil Qi that dispersed the dozen or so Cloud Beasts into mist.

Although these Cloud Beasts were incredibly fast, their power was nothing special. At most, they were on par with an Outer Disciple of the Yinluo Sect...

A trick like this was sufficient to bully a Sensing Realm cultivator.

But against him, it was frankly an insult.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Yang’s eyes. Seeing his attack had been useless, he gave a low shout and activated an ultimate technique.

A patch of Gang Clouds nearly an acre in size surged from the void, silently transforming into an enormous, one-hundred-foot beast that lunged forward to swallow Fang Cheng whole.

This Cloud Beast was at the level of the Early Life Talisman Stage. The instant it appeared, its gaping maw was already descending upon Fang Cheng’s head, making it impossible to guard against.

Within its great maw, Gang Qi swirled, brimming with killing intent. The clouds shifted between the corporeal and illusory, faintly imbued with the essence of sharpened steel.

Fang Cheng sneered and shattered the enormous Cloud Beast with a single strike of his Vajra Pestle.

The next moment, the Cloud Beast dispersed into a vast cloud of smoke, once again trapping Fang Cheng at its center.

The smoke obscured Fang Cheng’s vision and interfered with his Divine Sense. Several giant pythons formed from the Gang Clouds then lashed out, attempting to bite and ensnare him.

Just as Zhao Yang expected, his Cultivation Technique was a natural counter for Body Cultivators.

The Gang Clouds could gather and disperse without losing any of their power. They were ever-changing and incredibly fast, making them perfectly suited for grinding down a Body Cultivator’s stamina.

From a distance, one could only see an acre-sized mass of Gang Clouds enveloping Fang Cheng, churning endlessly. It subtly formed an array that trapped him within.

The massive, Life Talisman Level Cloud Beast silently coalesced once more. Seizing the opening created as the cloud pythons restrained Fang Cheng, it lunged down for another bite.

Fang Cheng patted the head of the giant tiger beneath him. The tiger leaped forward, breaking through the Cloud Beasts’ siege.

The Vajra Pestle in his hand shrieked, and a golden image of the pestle, powerful enough to shatter heavens and sunder the earth, was instantly unleashed, striking out with unstoppable force!

Having unleashed his ultimate technique, Zhao Yang was watching the Gang Clouds churn with a sneer. Suddenly, he saw the golden image of the pestle flying right at him, and the sneer froze on his face. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

His entire vision was filled by the golden image of the pestle, which seemed capable of shattering the very heavens. A feeling of absolute terror and despair surged through his heart. With a wild roar, he shoved both hands forward, conjuring layers of Gang Clouds to block the pestle’s image as he shot backward in retreat.

The next moment.

The Gang Clouds shattered. The image of the Vajra Pestle, carrying the force of ten thousand thunderbolts, tore through the air... only to tap gently against Zhao Yang’s forehead.

Even so, Zhao Yang’s body went rigid. A thin line of red appeared between his eyebrows as blood slowly began to seep out.

He knew the Fierce Tiger Taoist had pulled back his power at the last second; otherwise, he would never have survived.

’If he had really tried to kill me, would the Third Lady have just stood by and done nothing?’

’That’s it. She must have realized the Fierce Tiger Taoist wouldn’t kill me, which is why she didn’t even ask him to show mercy...’

But at this very moment, Zhao Yang’s mind was on something else entirely.

An immense sense of humiliation washed over him. He could already picture Cen San Niang’s look of disappointment and disdain.

At this thought, he shot Fang Cheng a venomous look, as if a seed of hatred had just sprouted in his heart.