Chapter 27: Black Hand!
Chapter 27: Black Hand!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The two figures darted backward sharply. Yet neither held anything back, simultaneously slapping the storage pouches at their waists.
Buzz buzz buzz!
After slapping his storage pouch, the youth in the grey robe instantly summoned a tiny yellow sword. As the little sword appeared, it emitted pulses of yellow light and let out a light hum, transforming into a streak of yellow sword radiance that shot toward the youth in the green robe.
Boom!
At the precise moment the tiny yellow sword flew out, the grey-robed youth stamped his right foot hard onto the ground. A visible shockwave of force then surged toward the green-robed youth.
“A top-tier cultivation art! Oh dear!”
Seeing how swiftly the opponent attacked, the green-robed youth’s expression fell, instantly recognizing that the other practiced a top-tier cultivation art. Due to his lowly status within the Tang Family, he could only cultivate a low-tier art. The disparity in strength was clear mere moments into the fight.
“Oh!”
“Hiss!”
“It’s actually a top-tier cultivation art!”
“That one practices a top-tier art!”
Many in the audience simultaneously discovered the grey-robed youth cultivated a Yellow Tier top-tier cultivation art, gasping in astonishment.
“He’s formidable!”
“To think he has a top-tier cultivation art!”
Likewise, the few youths standing near Tang Jinbiao all wore expressions of shock and awe.
“Hmm? What is it? Is a top-tier cultivation art that amazing?” Tang Jinbiao’s brow furrowed slightly, looking somewhat puzzled. To his eye, while the grey-robed youth was imposing, the tiny yellow sword’s speed and even that shockwave were only so-so.
Of course, Tang Jinbiao had been beaten up daily recently by Tang Huaxi and Tang Xingchi—both at the peak of Qi Condensation Ninth Layer. Moreover, these two were among the Tang Family’s geniuses who also practiced top-tier cultivation arts. A small cultivator at Qi Condensation Fourth Layer naturally didn’t impress him.
“Hiss, Brother Biao!” The other youths collectively drew sharp breaths, feeling they understood Tang Jinbiao less by the second. Yet this very reaction solidified their belief that Tang Jinbiao must be a second-order Body Refiner—how else could he speak so dismissively?
On the Divine Wind Continent, cultivation arts numbered far beyond millions. However, all arts fell within the four categories of Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. The lowest was naturally the Yellow Tier. Next came Profound Tier, then Earth Tier, then Heaven Tier. Furthermore, each tier was subdivided into Low, Mid, High, and Top grades. Typically, a Qi Condensation Fourth Layer cultivator practicing a Low Yellow Tier art could cast, at most, eight or ten simple fireballs at once. With a Mid Yellow Tier art, casting twenty or thirty per attempt wasn’t difficult. As for High Yellow Tier, forty or fifty was no issue. With Top Yellow Tier, a hundred or eighty was a trivial matter. Generally, the higher the grade of art, the thicker the cultivator’s spiritual energy reserves. Naturally, no pain, no gain—the effort required for higher-grade arts was extraordinary.
Profound Tier arts were in an entirely different league compared to Yellow Tier. If casting fireball frequency measured Qi Condensation Fourth Layer cultivators using Yellow Tier arts, then power gauged those using Profound Tier arts—the two had little comparability.
As for Earth or Heaven Tier? Best not even imagine it. Only fools would attempt such self-destructive arts during Qi Condensation Stage! It was digging one’s own grave. Persisting with Earth or Heaven Tier techniques during Qi Condensation meant watching peers who started cultivation alongside you reach Foundation Building and even Core Formation while you still struggled back at levels one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven of Qi Condensation.
“Wow!”
“So strong!”
Just as the younger boys looked at Tang Jinbiao with expectant gazes, loud cheers erupted within the arena.
“Kid, admit defeat! I practice a Yellow Tier top-tier cultivation art! My spiritual energy reserves are ten times yours! Continuing this fight will only humiliate you further!”
Though the grey-robed youth was young, his face brimmed with arrogance as he spoke, projecting an air of superiority. After all, his direct lineage status within the Tang Family granted resources far beyond his opponent, a mere branch family member.
Slash!
While speaking, the grey-robed youth didn’t cease his actions. He poured power into the tiny yellow sword. The small blade erupted with dazzling yellow light, transforming into a massive blade nearly ten feet long cleaving down toward the green-robed cultivator on the ground.
In just ten or so breaths, the green-robed cultivator was already injured. His aura grew faint and weak, appearing quite disheveled. Though also at the Qi Condensation Fourth Layer, it was clear his strength lagged far behind the gray-robed cultivator.
“I absolutely cannot lose! I must win!”
A ferocious expression twisted the green-robed youth’s face as he shouted, simultaneously pulling out a fiery red Talisman Paper.
Bang!
The green-robed youth violently channeled Spiritual Energy into the Talisman Paper. Instantly, it radiated an intense wave of heat. Then, with another Bang!, it transformed into a massive Fireball, hurtling toward the Flying Sword!
The Fireball was easily a meter in diameter. Not only incredibly fast, but it also caused the temperature on the Platform Stage to instantly spike to a scalding, suffocating level.
“Intermediate-grade Talisman Paper!”
“An Intermediate-grade Spirit Talisman!”
Many in the audience gasped in astonishment upon seeing the huge Fireball.
“Ah! Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!”
The gray-robed cultivator, who had worn an arrogant sneer, blanched instantly upon seeing the giant Fireball, his face turning deathly pale. Terror washed over him as he roared frantically and began scrambling backward, desperate to escape the Platform Stage.
He had believed his cultivation of top-tier techniques made him invincible among Qi Condensation Fourth Layer cultivators. He’d even thought he could hold his own against opponents at Qi Condensation Fifth or Sixth Layer! But the sight of that Intermediate-grade Spirit Talisman shattered his confidence instantly.
“Hm?”
Similarly, the elderly figures seated at the Great Elder’s position below the Platform Stage frowned almost imperceptibly upon seeing the giant Fireball. The Great Elder himself abruptly stood up. With a wave of his right hand towards the Restriction within the stage, a streak of green light shot out from his sleeve. While his fellow Elders noted it with subtle glances, this green gleam went unnoticed by the spectators below.
“Hahaha! Hahaha! You’re finished! I told you! I will win the championship! Only I am the Tang Family’s true genius! HAHA! DIE! JUST DIE!”
Seeing the terror on the gray-robed youth’s face, the green-robed youth, who had been on the defensive, became ecstatic. Drunk on his impending triumph, his expression twisted into a mask of maniacal glee as he roared and laughed wildly.
“I forfeit! I FORFEIT!”
Though he longed to study at the Divine Wind Academy, the gray-robed youth knew that preserving his life mattered far more. Retreating, he screamed surrender.
“Haha! So high and mighty, weren’t you? Thought learning some top-tier technique made you special? HA!”
The green-robed youth wore a vicious, abnormal smirk as he laughed. But his laughter abruptly choked off mid-roar – his face froze.
Bang!
The seemingly devastating Fireball suddenly burst apart with a Bang! It dissolved into countless tiny sparks, vanishing into nothing within a blink. What remained was simply an ordinary piece of Talisman Paper once more.
Bang!
The Talisman Paper drifted slowly downward. Yet, mere breaths later, with another Bang!, it crumbled into fine ash, completely dispersing in the air.
“Hm? What… what happened?”
The gray-robed youth, still backing away desperately, halted in confusion when the pursuing Fireball vanished without a trace.
“Huh? What just occurred?”
“Why did the Intermediate-grade Spirit Talisman suddenly fail?”
“What’s going on?”
The watching crowd was equally bewildered, murmuring in surprise.
“Huh? What?”
The youths beside Tang Jinbiao also stood frozen, baffled.
“It was him!”
Tang Jinbiao was startled too, but realization dawned almost immediately. It must be linked to the Elders – only the most powerful among them could have pulled this off seamlessly.
He’d only ever heard of Intermediate-grade Spirit Talismans but had never seen one before. These were special papers crafted by talisman masters. Their power varied greatly, primarily categorized into four tiers: Low, Intermediate, High, and Supreme. Low-tier Spirit Talismans, while relatively weak, could still be lethal to ordinary Qi Condensation Cultivators. Intermediate-grade ones were potent enough to threaten Foundation Establishment Cultivators. High-tier Spirit Talismans were fearsome, forcing even Core Formation Cultivators to tread carefully. As for Supreme-tier Spirit Talismans? A momentary lapse of caution could lead even a Nascent Soul Cultivator to utter ruin.
“Hah! Seems it’s destiny! Today, the loser is YOU!”
The gray-robed youth paused only for a split second before comprehension sparked. A savage grin spread across his face.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
No sooner had he spoken than the small, sheathed yellow Tiny Sword reappeared upon the gray-robed youth’s palm. It burst forth with a glaring yellow light once more, radiating intense killing intent. With a sharp “Shuoo!” sound, the Tiny Sword became a blur streaking towards the green-robed youth.
“Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE! The Intermediate-grade Spirit Talisman I sacrificed so much for… how could it…? No way…”
The green-robed youth remained paralyzed by disbelief. His secret weapon, his killer blow – an Intermediate-grade Spirit Talisman – had failed spectacularly without doing its job. It simply didn’t make sense. Who could have nullified it?
Thwack!
“ARGH!”
While he was still dumbfounded, the yellow Tiny Sword pierced straight through one of his arms! An agonized, piercing scream tore from his throat…