Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 300 Do You Know Water and Fire?

Just as Yuan Muyu and Pei Chuyun were locked in a clash of epic proportions, Lu Xingzhou had been trapped in the icy abyss for a long time.

"The Heavenly Yao Holy Land is truly not destroyed. I am neither a Soul Banner evil cultivator nor a spy controlled by the Charming Maiden Mystic Art. Believe me, senior."

"There's someone who complains every day about why the Tianyao Holy Land hasn't been destroyed yet, and right now she's being protected like a treasure in the Ten Thousand Swords Tomb. I'm much better off than her. I hope the Tianyao Holy Land will last for thousands of years."

"You can't distinguish between loyalty and treachery!"

"Holy crap!"

The ice crystals weren't just frozen solid; they also represented an increasingly frigid extreme cold and a barrage of icy spikes, completely contradicting the "benevolent trials of our ancestors." Lu Xingzhou dodged and weaved awkwardly until he was poked in the buttocks, at which point he finally lost his temper and went berserk.

"I just don't want to get serious with you guys. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"

A lotus-shaped flame suddenly appeared in his palm, which he slammed heavily against the ice wall in front of him.

The soul sea seemed to hear a soft "Eh," then fell silent. The lotus fire slammed into the ice wall, seemingly unable to melt the frost due to its temperature, but the burst of destructive power within the flames forcefully shattered the ice wall.

Taking advantage of the situation, Lu Xingzhou rammed into the ice wall, causing it to crack like a spider web. The ice wall could no longer hold him, and he was thrown out of the wall.

Before them stood a tombstone frozen solid, with a magical artifact shaped like a teapot hanging in front of it.

"Crimson Lotus Calamity Flame, Destroying Golden Fire... Fiery Prison Sunset." The voice asked in confusion, "Since you possess the Fiery Prison Sunset, you must be a disciple of our sect; and since you possess the Crimson Lotus Calamity Flame, why bother cultivating the Soul Banner?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "This is the Human Emperor's Banner. Senior has been sleeping for too long and has mistaken it for something else."

Ancient Soul: "?"

It was just a remnant soul, retaining only its extremely strong cultivation knowledge and fighting instincts from its previous life, but it really didn't have much consciousness to think. After being told this, it really started to doubt itself. Could it be that it had made a mistake?
The main reason is that it genuinely didn't sense any malice from the newcomer, and even after being trapped for so long, it didn't get angry.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Xingzhou took out three incense sticks from somewhere and respectfully lit them on the tombstone.

The remnant soul's brain was burned out.

He suddenly realized that very few of the disciples who came here for the trials were there to offer incense; they all seemed to be hoping to gain some insights from their seniors or fragments of magical artifacts.

Although burning incense may not seem to have any practical meaning for them... it makes them feel better, doesn't it? So why don't the disciples do it? Those who cultivate immortality are not superstitious.

Seeing that Lu Xingzhou was about to leave after respectfully offering incense, Gu Hun suddenly called out, "You're also here for the trial, why don't you even glance at me?"

Lu Xingzhou: "Huh?"

You're an ice mage, right? Little White Hair would be more suitable for this. Lu Xingzhou has always been a fire mage, and he's never really studied water magic since childhood. Even now that he has the Water Bone skill, he uses it infrequently and hasn't really thought about it much. The fact that he chose the healing and support tree after obtaining the skill book speaks volumes.

And what this person said was so hard to keep up with, it sounded a bit resentful, like you were just poking my butt...

Gu Hun didn't say anything more. He actually had a hard time organizing his thoughts, so it was better to use imagery.

The scene in Lu Xingzhou's eyes changed the next moment.

It seems as if one is facing a breached riverbank, confronting a flood that is beyond human control.

This doesn't really need to be explained; anyone who cultivates water-based magic knows this principle: water-based magic may seem harmless in everyday life, mainly benefiting endurance, but when it truly erupts, it's like a river bursting its banks or a tsunami raging—absolutely extraordinary. However, the problem is that to unleash power like a river bursting its banks requires a very high level of cultivation. If you can make your opponent feel the pressure of a tsunami, generally speaking, your cultivation level already far surpasses theirs. Doesn't that seem a bit pointless?

At most, one could learn the kind of techniques that involve accumulating power before unleashing it, which is recorded in the Yin Yang Extreme Intent Technique, and Lu Xingzhou learned it quite well.

Therefore, water-based cultivators mostly choose to go for ice-based cultivation. Ice can cause far more damage than water. Even this ancient soul itself cultivated ice, didn't it?
Just as he was thinking this, the torrent surged onto his body but he did not feel any impact. Just when Lu Xingzhou thought it was just an illusion and would not cause any harm, his feeling changed.

That feeling of having your breath and every pore on your body sealed off... well, once you reach the third rank, you don't really care about it anymore, but it's incredibly effective against lower-level enemies, commonly known as suffocation. This is especially useful when dealing with a large group of low-level enemies ganging up on you.

Furthermore... even when you hold your breath, the water still seeps in silently through your pores and enters your bloodstream without a sound.

Lu Xingzhou's heart finally stirred slightly.

In particular, this is cultivation, not just ordinary people being invaded by water in their blood. After the water spirit enters the body, it can achieve many damage modes. If it resonates with you, it can guarantee to make the other party feel like they are dying of pleasure, and they won't even know how they died.

This attack method is insidious and effortless, which seems to suit me perfectly.

The key is that it also complements the newly learned "Clear Water Cleanses Dust" skill, making it easy to utilize.

Lu Xingzhou thought he had found something good and his face lit up with joy, but a disappointed sigh came from the ancient soul in his soul sea.

"You have reached the third rank." The ancient soul's voice finally came again: "Upon entering the Cloud Ascension stage, one should explore the mysteries of immortality, rather than merely considering how to generate damage as in the early stages. The Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords emphasizes sword intent, not learning sword techniques. The Ruins of the Five Elements also have their own meaning of the five elements. Do you know water and fire? When you know water, how can you not use the water element within your opponent's body?"

Lu Xingzhou remained silent for a moment, then bowed again to the tombstone: "I humbly accept your teachings."

"Go." The ancient soul seemed utterly exhausted, leaving behind its last two words before falling silent.

Lu Xingzhou stood silently for a long time, then suddenly decided he didn't want to visit the other tombs.

Just this one question, "Do you know about water and fire?", is enough for me to digest for a long time.

If we apply this to other situations, there's also the question, "Do you even know anything about martial arts?"
Swords have their own intent, but are fists and feet only about learning techniques? They have their own intent, though I've never been able to come into contact with them. However, the techniques of the Flaming Sun are already imbued with some "intent." If I could comprehend more of them, it would be better than anything else.

Indeed, you can find all the insights that align with your "intentions" in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords and the Ruins of Five Elements. Even if you were taught by the greatest master in the world, you might not be able to achieve such a perfect match.

Lu Xingzhou silently sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes to sense the water essence that had lingered around the tombstone for thousands of years, and entered a state of deep meditation. High in the sky, Feng Ziliu sighed softly: "Truly a genius. When I came to the Five Elements Ruins back then, I was spanked countless times before I could understand its meaning, and this is only his first time here."

Ye Tinglan stepped out from behind and said calmly, "Grandmaster Feng seems to care about him particularly? Is it really because of that brief encounter in the Scripture Pavilion?"

Feng Ziliu thought to himself, "What do you know about men's affairs? Do you think I'd talk to you about the 'Enchanting Women' discussion?"

He said, "Isn't it enough that it pleases your eye? The sect leader's carefree and elegant air is fading more and more."

Ye Tinglan was silent for a moment: "If you were the sect leader, you would probably be the same."

"That's true." Feng Ziliu smiled. "It's still better to stay in the Gaosi Tower."

Ye Tinglan said, "But if everyone is like Grandmaster Feng, possessing extraordinary skills but not contributing to the sect, what kind of cohesion will the sect have?"

Feng Ziliu shook his head: "Everyone has their own ambitions... If the sect leader needs me to die, just give the order and I will die to repay the sect."

"The sect raised you, not so that you would die."

"But it's so that I can die when I'm needed to fight desperately."

Ye Tinglan remained silent.

"Sect Master, there is no need to worry too much. Ten thousand years ago, there was no Tianyao Holy Land in the world, and ten thousand years from now, Tianyao Holy Land may not exist either. The way of heaven is constant. In the Supreme Lord's view, these are all just delusions, nothing more than a ripple in a great wave."

“If you had said that when you first entered the sect a thousand years ago, your master would have thrown you out.”

“Haha…” Feng Ziliu laughed, “At least I’m better than some people… I don’t take up resources.”

Ye Tinglan remained silent.

That's true. Many old zombies are indifferent to everything, only focusing on their cultivation breakthroughs. They're said to be the foundation of a sect; their existence would be extremely useful in the event of a catastrophic disaster, but in daily life they're worthless, only a drain on resources. The Holy Land's top-tier resources are stretched thin, which is the biggest reason I'm so exhausted.

That's why Ye Tinglan said these things to Feng Ziliu, implying that since you're so strong, why don't you stop living in seclusion and come and take on some responsibilities? Feng Ziliu thought that at least he didn't take up any resources, and he would contribute when it came to a life-or-death battle. To put it bluntly, being a librarian is at least doing some work, isn't it? It's much better than those who not only don't contribute but also take up resources, so why bother me?

Ultimately, they couldn't force him, and had nothing more to say.

However, he couldn't help feeling disappointed. Even an outsider like Lu Xingzhou was willing to lend a hand, while those within his own sect always acted on their own.

In the cultivation of immortality, as one progresses, one either forgets everything else or focuses on breaking through to the next level. So, what kind of existence is a sect in the end?
Ultimately, there are very few land-based boats in the world.

Just as they were sighing, a calamity cloud suddenly rose in the distance.

Even Feng Ziliu, who seemed unaffected by anything, had a slight change in expression: "How come someone else has broken through? There are so many people at the peak of the fourth rank in the Holy Land? How come I didn't know?"

When it comes to understanding the younger disciples, Sect Master Ye Tinglan might not even be as knowledgeable as the librarian. In Feng Ziliu's mind, no one in the Tianyao Holy Land should be breaking through in the short term, but Lu Xingzhou broke through during the day, and another one came at night.

"That direction is... the Jade Pool Secret Realm?" A strange expression appeared on Ye Tinglan's face as she thought of a possibility: "Lu Nuonuo?"

Feng Ziliu: "..."

Both of them glanced at Lu Xingzhou, who was meditating below, and then simultaneously launched themselves, heading straight for Yaochi.

Under normal circumstances, no one can interfere with a tribulation, but at least they can prevent others from disturbing it and provide timely protection and treatment if the person undergoing the tribulation is injured. Therefore, a protector is usually needed. Ye Tinglan was very anxious. This was the little thing who called her "mother." Even if she didn't truly love her, she couldn't let anything happen to her here, could she?
Arriving at the scene at breakneck speed, they saw a shadow as large as a mountain descending from the sky, as if the heavens had unleashed a Heaven-Turning Seal, pressing down on the small figure below.

This is a very special kind of tribulation, perhaps it could be called the "tribulation of power"?
Then you see a chubby little fist pointing skyward.

With a loud "thud," the giant mountain shattered, its power spreading in all directions, causing the disciples who had come to watch to fall to their deaths.

The next moment, a strong wind swept in, and a tornado surrounded Ah Nuo in the center.

The power of wind is also a contest of strength; those who lack the strength will naturally be blown away or even swept into the sky. At the same time, wind blades are also a challenge to the physical defense of cultivators; some are so steadfast that they cannot be moved by the wind, yet they can still be torn to pieces.

Ye Tinglan's heart was in her throat.

Then Ah Nuo kicked out a small foot.

The entire tornado was kicked away, spinning in the sky and disappearing with a "biu," much like how Lu Xingzhou was kicked away by himself.

Ah Nu clapped her hands, shading her eyes with her hand as she looked up at the sky: "That's it? Waaah, that's it?"

Ye Tinglan: "..."

All Tianyao disciples: "..."

What else do you want?
The first tribulation was one thing, but that wind tribulation was clearly a second tribulation. So you're now in the third tribulation. What else do you want?
Surely you're not so young as to want to have some kind of inner demons, are you? What kind of inner demons could someone this young have? Does your master also push his child too hard, and beat you if you don't pass the exam?

Just as I was thinking this, I saw Ah Nuo's chubby face twitch, as if she had really encountered her inner demons.

Then, hands on his hips, he shouted, "Get out! This bun is mine!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

PS: I'm home, I'm home! I'll start extra updates tomorrow~ First, I'm asking for some monthly votes to soothe my wounded heart after being sodomized, or 2
(End of this chapter)