Chapter 19: The Challenge
Chapter 19: The Challenge
Li Yi held a wooden stick, somewhat absent-minded, casually sketching and drawing on the sandy ground, light and effortless.
Where the stick passed, the marks left behind resembled bird tracks, fish traces, tortoise patterns, dragon shapes, mountains, and rivers. They looked ancient and seemingly clumsy, yet carried an otherworldly air.
As the turmoil gradually subsided, life returned to peace. As usual, he busied himself between the Butian Pavilion, the Bleeding Cave, and the Meditation Chamber, spinning like a top.
Unfortunately, the mastermind behind the scenes did not surface.
However, given this disturbance, things should quiet down for a while.
For some reason, Li Yi felt a sense of loss, as if he had thrown a punch into cotton, leaving him somewhat dissatisfied.
He took a deep breath, brushed away the distracting thoughts in his mind, and continued drawing.
As his hand rose and fell, the strokes were swift and powerful, penetrating the sand and stones.
What he was drawing had an impressive origin: they were nine Great Dao Runes.
The Great Dao Runes were created by Cang Jie. They were the origin of all runes, also known as the Primordial Runes.
These nine runes, modeled after the traces of birds and fish, the patterns of dragons and tortoises, the shapes of rivers and mountains, and the lines of fingers and palms, contained the supreme Great Dao within them.
Back then, there was no rune ink, nor were there Demon-Sealing Brushes. Cang Jie used only a tree branch to write on the ground, yet it caused hundreds of ghosts to wail and grains to fall like rain. It was truly a feat that could shake heaven and earth and move ghosts and gods!
The various runes that emerged later, each displaying their own unique abilities, and even the distinctive Talismans, all originated from this.
Copying these nine runes served two purposes: first, he had indeed used up all his face and was too embarrassed to continue wasting rune materials; second, these nine runes were the ancestors of all runes, the condensation of the “Dao.” Though outdated by the times, they still had great use. Their lofty conception might help Li Yi comprehend the beginning and end of runes.
Li Yi’s way of doing things was out of sync with this era. He liked to think, summarize, and outline, never blindly following tradition.
The more he copied, the more he felt that these nine runes encompassed everything, yet seemed somewhat incomplete.
However, it was just a faint feeling; he couldn’t grasp any clues.
“Sigh, what a pity…”
Li Yi let out a light sigh, a touch of regret floating in his heart.
If he could personally complete a single rune, his understanding of the runic path would be worlds apart, no longer just theoretical knowledge like it was now.
He had the entire runic system, its various rules and principles, firmly in his mind, but he himself lacked the capability.
The biggest problems were finger control and mana diversion.
When drawing a rune, with each stroke, from start to finish, the intensity of the force and the concentration of the mana had strict requirements.
Especially mana control—this was his major weakness!
Li Yi possessed a body full of abundant mana, along with the heaven-defying Dragon-Turtle Qi and Ancient Alligator Qi, yet he sorely lacked control. Every time mana flowed out, it burst forth like a flash flood, directly generating a storm of arcane energy that destroyed the rune.
“I still need to accumulate more…”
Li Yi, neither arrogant nor impatient, murmured to himself. While comforting himself with these words, he knew in his heart that this shortcoming was not something that could be solved simply by “accumulation.”
“I heard Senior Brother Qin Yun is back?”
Suddenly, a conversation reached his ears.
The disciples in the Butian Pavilion didn’t think much of Li Yi and never spoke to him. However, when chatting, they didn’t avoid him either—in short, they treated him like air.
“I heard that too. He returned at the beginning of the month, but he’s been in seclusion for practice and hasn’t shown himself. I think, nine times out of ten, he’s sorting out and consolidating what he gained during his travels!”
“Before the New Year, he was the most promising among the three disciples! Now that he’s back from his travels, having read ten thousand books and traveled ten thousand miles, perhaps he has experienced ‘Sudden Enlightenment’ and reached ‘that’ realm!” One person slightly raised his voice, as if full of longing, his tone tinged with envy.
“Sudden Enlightenment? You mean he’s already a genuine Armament Master apprentice?”
“Very likely!”
The voices gradually faded away, becoming almost inaudible.
“Qin Yun?”
Li Yi’s narrowed eyes murmured the name. He had indeed heard of this person.
Among Wu Yi’s three disciples, the most outstanding and acclaimed as a genius was the youngest third disciple, Qin Yun, definitely not the self-boasting Yan He.
This person had remarkable talent and was diligent and disciplined. He had deep attainments in runes, magic arrays, restrictions, and Rune Matrices, with no obvious weaknesses.
Even Su Xuan’er, possessing the “Spirit-God Aperture” and the ability to act as she wished, had looked up to him for a long time.
The only thing he lacked was that connecting thread called “spiritual inspiration.”
It was said that in search of that elusive thread of spiritual inspiration, he had gone out to travel and temper his mind for an entire year!
However, all this had little to do with Li Yi.
His fingers grew sore and could barely hold on. He put down the wooden stick, took out a book titled “Fuxi’s Sacred Tome of Magic Arrays” from his waist, and began studying.
Being all alone, no one disturbed him. He focused entirely, and when he came across something that resonated with him, he even felt a sense of contentment.
“So you’re the new disciple Master took in, Li Yi?” A voice as sharp and strong as metal rang out.
Li Yi was a bit surprised. He couldn’t help but look up. In front of him stood a lean and wiry dark-skinned man with an unfriendly expression.
He had a robust build. Even a mage’s robe looked angular and sharp on him. His pupils were like those of a fierce beast, exuding an intimidating aura.
“That’s right,” Li Yi didn’t need to think to know who it was. Not daring to be negligent, he quickly put down the book and saluted. “Greetings, Senior Brother Qin…”
“Senior Brother?” Qin Yun frowned upon hearing this, his voice icy and aggressive. “First, I am not your senior brother. Second, now that I’m back, you can leave.”
Before the words faded, the surrounding gazes drawn by Qin Yun immediately filled with schadenfreude and ill intentions.
Many people didn’t like Li Yi.
“Leave?” Li Yi’s face darkened slightly. Of course, he understood the meaning of “leave.” Since they were tearing off all pretenses, there was no need for courtesy. “I remember, you are just a disciple… I was recruited by Master Wu Yi. If anyone is to drive me out, it should be him.”
“No wonder you managed to sneak in. Sharp-tongued, huh!”
Qin Yun snorted lightly. In the void, it seemed as if a thunderclap resounded, a Psychic Blast, with ripples spreading out.
“Hmm…”
Li Yi grunted, his gaze blurry. It took a while before he gradually regained clarity.
“Oh? You do have some skill…” A flicker of surprise passed over Qin Yun’s face. His original intention was to stun the youth in front of him and throw him out. Unexpectedly, this youth’s mental resilience surpassed his imagination.
However, Li Yi wasn’t feeling great either.
Though he had been nourished and tempered by “Prison Dragon Flesh” and “Balor’s Skull,” and repeatedly forged by the Alligator-Resting Art, as a Half-Step Mage, the gap in mental power between him and a formal Mage was still enormous.
“Do you know why, with your meager ability, Master Wu Yi summoned you here?” Qin Yun sneered, his eyes filled with utter contempt. “I can’t deny you have some cleverness, but without a pair of steady hands, you’re just water without a source, a tree without roots…”
“What are you trying to say?” Li Yi lowered his eyes, neither confirming nor denying.
“His intention was to use you as my whetstone!” Qin Yun’s voice was sharp and forceful.
“Whetstone?”
“That’s right!” Qin Yun’s gaze was like a torch, his words barbed. “The teacher feared that even after my travels, I still wouldn’t achieve Sudden Enlightenment. So, he brought you in to be my whetstone! However, he underestimated me. Over the past year, I’ve experienced many things and believe I’ve achieved Spiritual Resonance! Your usefulness is now gone…”
“Empty words, you can say whatever you like…” Li Yi pondered briefly and said calmly, “It’s still the same old saying: to drive me away, unless it’s Master Wu Yi’s order! Whetstone? Can I say that your existence is merely my stepping stone?”
“Still being stubborn?” Qin Yun’s brows furrowed slightly, and he sneered arrogantly. “In that case, how about a contest? I won’t take advantage of you. The scope of our competition will be limited to what you’re best at—the Armed Equipment system! If you lose, pack your things and leave on your own!”
“Not interested!” Li Yi refused without hesitation. He wasn’t foolish enough to do something with no benefit.
“Oh? Then this Crane-Luan Brush should spark a bit of interest in you…”
Qin Yun smiled. A glimmer of light arced from his fingertip, and a bright silver Demon-Sealing Brush appeared.
Its shape was graceful, formed by several feathers gathered in a ring, with elegant curves, indescribably beautiful.
Instantly, it attracted numerous eager gazes. The sound of swallowing saliva echoed around.
“The Crane-Luan Brush? That’s a mid-grade Demon-Sealing Brush! Could it be something Senior Brother Qin Yun obtained during his travels?”
“Yes! I heard the Crane-Luan Brush is made from the feathers of the ancient beasts ‘Sky-Soaring Crane’ and ‘Void-Breaking Luan.’ It possesses immense spiritual nature. When drawing runes, it seems to require no effort, as if aided by spirits!”
“Senior Brother Qin Yun is indeed generous, willing to put even this up as a wager. What a grand gesture…”
“So, shall we have a go?”
To be honest, although the Crane-Luan Brush was a rare treasure, his interest was lacking. But since Qin Yun was willing to offer such a treasure, he was probably determined to win. If he continued to refuse, he didn’t know what methods this person might resort to.
Given the current situation, it was clear things couldn’t be resolved peacefully. So, bring it on!
Li Yi’s nature seemed gentle, but there was also a hidden pride like a needle in cotton.