Chapter 24: Spell Techniques
Chapter 24: Spell Techniques
“I didn’t know Senior Brother was coming. I’ve been disrespectful.”
“No need to be polite. I came because I heard about your match with Hu Wang. You handled the situation just now quite well.”
Leng Wuya nodded with some approval.
“Hu Bugui is a True Disciple of our sect, a peak Sixth Rank expert. If handled poorly, you could have offended this powerful figure in the sect, which would be bad news for both of us. However, you handled it very well indeed. You preserved Hu Wang’s dignity while also showing your own strength, so you weren’t looked down upon. In any case, the outcome was much better than I expected.”
Lu Hangzhi remained silent, but he felt somewhat moved inside.
If Leng Wuya was afraid of offending Hu Bugui, he could have just disowned me. There was no need for him to personally come to Daoshan Peak. This trip definitely wasn’t just to watch my match; he probably also intended to protect me…
“Your mastery of the Sharp Gold Sword Qi is quite good. I can see you haven’t been slacking off these past two weeks.”
Leng Wuya changed his tone and nodded, “However, relying on just this to fight a Third Grade Cultivator would still be difficult.”
“…”
“I observe that your Second Rank Peak aura is becoming increasingly solid, and your accumulation has reached a bottleneck. It’s clear you’re ready to break through at any moment.”
Lu Hangzhi nodded.
“Actually, the scale of my Spiritual Power Pool has already reached Early Third Grade. Right now, I’m just lacking Third Grade spells to fully establish my Third Grade strength. I humbly ask Senior Brother to bestow upon me Third Grade spells.”
“Heh.”
Leng Wuya laughed, “Why do you think I specifically waited for you? Here, take this. With this, you should have some confidence to compete with Hu Wang on the day of the Sect Grand Competition. As long as your luck isn’t too bad, getting into the top ten is practically guaranteed, and the top three are very promising.”
He flipped his hand and took out a Memory Crystal, handing it over.
Lu Hangzhi happily received it. A strand of Magic Power flowed into it, and then his eyes lit up.
Five Third Grade spells!
As expected of Senior Brother Leng, he’s indeed wealthy and generous!
It not only contained the Fierce Gaze Golden Aura that Hu Wang had used, but also the Sword Control Art that he had been dreaming of, as well as three other Third Grade spells. Each one was practical, and if placed in Violet Cloud Town, they would be spell manuals that even major families would go crazy fighting over.
“Thank you, Senior Brother!”
“In five more days, the Outer Sect will begin preliminary selections. At that time, each Outer Sect peak will choose one hundred disciples to compete in the grand competition. The top ten can enter the Inner Sect. It’s up to you now.”
“I will definitely live up to Senior Brother’s expectations.”
With Third Grade in sight, Lu Hangzhi’s eyes were filled with confidence.
Leng Wuya nodded and then left gracefully.
At the same time, Zhu Fuqin finally received news that the match at Daoshan Peak had been interrupted midway. She was first stunned, then let out a long sigh of relief.
It was good that nothing bad happened!
“However…”
“They say True Disciples are all extremely arrogant, and Hu Bugui is especially protective of his own. Why was his behavior so strange today?”
Zhu Fuqin was puzzled.
“Forget it. Since nothing happened, and Hu Wang was taken away by Hu Bugui, Junior Brother Hangzhi is temporarily not in danger. I also need to focus on my cultivation and strive to surpass that detestable Xiao Shan on the day of the Sect Grand Competition.”
As she spoke, her aura surged. The cultivator’s energy was turbulent and mighty, clearly she had already broken through to the Fourth Grade level!
…
After Leng Wuya left, Lu Hangzhi did not rush to immediately practice the Third Grade spells. Instead, he recalled the entire process of his fight with Hu Wang.
Third Grade defensive spells were indeed domineering. They withstood multiple of his Second Rank Peak spells and still had strong defensive capabilities. This showed that as long as one mastered a Third Grade defensive spell, dealing with Second Rank cultivators would be basically effortless.
However.
Hu Wang, although a bit arrogant, was still a decent person.
Lu Hangzhi murmured to himself.
“At least he didn’t use his cultivation to bully the weak. After the Sect Grand Competition, if there’s a chance, I could befriend him.”
More friends meant more paths.
In this world, he knew too few people, and even fewer whom he could trust.
After tidying up his scattered thoughts, Lu Hangzhi calmed his mind and refocused his attention on the five inherited spells in the Memory Crystal, wholeheartedly contemplating them.
Days passed one by one.
The matter of Hu Wang challenging Lu Hangzhi was like a small, insignificant interlude amid the intense preparations, quickly forgotten by the Outer Sect disciples.
The selection battles were about to begin!
In front of the Training Rooms, there were lines at all times.
As long as one entered the top hundred of their peak, they would receive a certain amount of Spirit Stone resources each month, and also a certain proportion of Training Room usage time each month. The treatment far exceeded that of ordinary Outer Sect disciples.
For Outer Sect disciples, this was the first bridge.
Once crossed, there was a chance to become a Third Grade cultivator!
Day and night, the competition arenas were bustling, with people challenging each other to matches at any time.
Lu Hangzhi, however, was completely unaware of this, continuing to wholeheartedly comprehend the Third Grade spells.
Compared to Second Grade spells, Third Grade spells had more complex structures and consumed more Magic Power. Even inside Cultivation Chamber One, it was no longer possible to practice as freely as before.
However, over the five days, he still basically mastered the five Third Grade spells. The only things lacking were proficiency and combat skills.
“Look!”
“The match schedule is out!”
“Wow, this year Daoshan Peak has two thousand seven hundred disciples, four hundred more than last year. The competition is definitely going to be more intense.”
The match schedule was arranged by registration number. Those ranked earlier fought those ranked later, first eliminating the newer disciples, then conducting several elimination rounds among the Outer Sect disciples who had been there longer and had a solid foundation.
Lu Hangzhi had only recently entered the Xuanxin Sect, so he was placed in the first match of the first round, against an Outer Sect disciple named Huang Tie, who had Second Rank Peak strength and had been on the mountain for five years.
After receiving Elder Mu’s notification, Lu Hangzhi decisively stopped his cultivation. After swallowing a Spirit Fruit, he walked out of the Training Room full of energy.
Huang Tie was over thirty years old, but the Years had left marks of hardship on his face. His bronze skin was covered with intersecting wrinkles, making him look like a middle-aged or elderly cultivator in his forties or fifties on the decline.
In contrast, Lu Hangzhi.
Not yet fifteen, and due to long periods without sun exposure, his delicate features and somewhat pale skin formed a sharp contrast with Huang Tie.
“Interesting. On one side, a thirty-year-old Second Rank Peak, on the other, a fourteen-year-old Second Rank Peak. I didn’t expect the first match to be such an evenly matched fierce battle.”
The Outer Sect disciples below the stage immediately became excited, speculating whether the older one’s rich combat experience would win, or if the younger one’s advantages would prevail.
“Hmph.”
“Meeting me, just consider yourself unlucky.”
Huang Tie was quite confident in his own strength.
Fifteen years of cultivation, countless battles, he had already made it into Daoshan Peak’s top hundred several times in a row, participating in the sect’s Outer Sect disciple grand competition. His best ranking had reached the top thirty, just one step away from stepping into the Xuanxin Sect’s Inner Sect.
Lu Hangzhi immediately sensed the intense fighting spirit and confidence coming from his opponent and grew slightly wary.
“First match!”
“Huang Tie, versus Lu Hangzhi.”
Elder Mu was responsible for maintaining the arena rules and announced publicly:
“I will repeat the rules of the Sect Grand Competition. Lethal moves are not allowed. Stop at the appropriate point. During the process, you can use at most three Talismans. Anyone who exceeds this will be considered defeated.”
Lu Hangzhi nodded to show he understood.
Then, Elder Mu stepped down from the arena, raised the Defensive Barrier, and announced the start of the match.
As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Tie already revealed a sly, triumphant smile. His hands formed seals, the talisman flashed with light, and a sword gleam shot straight toward his face.
What a cunning guy.
The audience below immediately erupted in uproar.
During duels, almost all opponents would first activate defensive art techniques before engaging. No one expected Huang Tie to exploit people’s habitual thinking, directly using a talisman as a killing move to launch a surprise attack and seize the initiative.
Lu Hangzhi reacted extremely quickly. Similarly, his talisman flashed with light, and the Mystic Armor Art materialized, blocking the sword gleam that was nearly upon him just in time. His back was already soaked in cold sweat.
The Mysterious Armor shook violently, its glow dimming slightly.
The opponent had actually used a Second Rank Peak spell as well. Just one more strike would shatter the defensive art technique.
He had been careless!
Lu Hangzhi’s brow furrowed tightly.
He hadn’t expected that his desire to avoid revealing his advancement to Third Grade in the very first match would instantly put him at a disadvantage.
The Sect Grand Competition was truly full of hidden dangers; one couldn’t afford to be careless.
Huang Tie’s surprise attack didn’t succeed, but it had forced out his opponent’s defensive talisman. He quickly activated his own Mystic Armor Art for protection and grinned.
“Little junior brother, it’s still not too late to admit defeat now.”
“Hmph.”
Lu Hangzhi calmly took out a second talisman.
Huang Tie was taken aback.
So wasteful.
This is the Sect Grand Competition, not a talisman-throwing contest!
Lu Hangzhi remained expressionless as he formed hand seals. In an instant, the ground of the arena turned muddy. Huang Tie’s body swayed, sinking slightly, and a strange expression crossed his face.
Mire Art?
Why such a useless spell?
Floating Fire Art.
The talisman flashed with light, and a stream of floating fire over ten feet long roared into existence above the arena, snaking toward Huang Tie, who wasn’t far away.
Trapped in the mire, Huang Tie’s movement speed was greatly reduced. Faced with such a slow-moving spell, he actually couldn’t dodge and had no choice but to grit his teeth and counter with a spell of his own.
“Let’s see whose defensive art breaks first!”
Sharp Gold Sword Qi!
However.
Blocked by the over-ten-foot-long fiery snake, the Sharp Gold Sword Qi “miraculously” missed its target and slammed into the Defensive Barrier at the edge of the arena.
Huang Tie could hardly believe his eyes.
How was that possible?!
He had aimed properly, hadn’t he?
Yet…
The fact remained.
As soon as the Sharp Gold Sword Qi missed, the Floating Fire Art struck the Mysterious Armor head-on. The powerful impact instantly evened out the defensive strength of both combatants.
Not only had Lu Hangzhi recovered from his disadvantage, but he also casually summoned another Floating Fire Art, which roared forth.
Huang Tie grew nervous, sweat beading on his forehead.
Non-attack spells were incredibly annoying!
The ground under his feet was boggy, his body constantly tilting and sinking, severely affecting both his spell-casting speed and his calm mindset. The earlier miss of his Sharp Gold Sword Qi had further unsettled him, and he could only watch helplessly as another Fire Stream Art took shape and flew toward him.
Crack!
Crack!
Both of their Mysterious Armors shattered in succession.
Elder Mu announced the end of the match…
“First match, winner: Lu Hangzhi!”
Huang Tie’s face turned pale.
For the first time in fifteen years, he had been defeated and eliminated in the first round.
But he accepted this loss wholeheartedly.
The Mire Art had affected him too much…
He lost all his early advantages, his later spell missed, his casting speed fell behind, and he was left wide open. Even a simple First Grade spell could have finished him off.
Lu Hangzhi didn’t say anything. After Elder Mu’s announcement, he turned and left the arena, heading straight back to seclusion without delay to await the second round of battles.