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墨書 Inktalez
In this atmosphere of anxiety, the Arena Tournament arrived as scheduled. Thousands of cultivators participated, but there were only a few hundred arenas. Thus, the first round of matches was spread over several days.
Xunuo was fortunate to be assigned to Arena 36 on the first day of competition. Those who fought early had ample time to rest and heal, allowing for better preparation for the next match. This prolonged Arena Tournament was a torment for Xunuo, who did not possess an advantage in magical power.
The selection competition for the Cultivation Sect's Arena was extremely fierce. The disciples overseeing the matches only monitored for any violations. The outcome depended entirely on whether one side admitted defeat or fell incapacitated, making every match a life-and-death struggle.
Xunuo's opponent was a Loose Cultivator with Earth-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots. As soon as he stepped onto the arena, he summoned defensive spells: an earthen wall and a wooden shield. Xunuo, being cautious by nature, activated his Protective Shield while simultaneously casting the Vanteng Shield, just as a Hellfire spell surged forward.
The opponent's earthen wall was a full yard thick and easily blocked the Hellfire from reaching him. Xunuo then waved his right hand, sending down over ten Thunderballs from the Yi Wood Azure Thunder Technique. The wooden shield met them effortlessly, deflecting the Thunderballs with ease.
Xunuo's Yimu Qinglei should have been quite powerful; however, his opponent countered effectively with wood-based defenses that rendered Xunuo's Yimu Qinglei nearly useless. The earthen wall was incredibly sturdy, making it difficult for Hellfire to break through in a short time.
Seeing that his most effective spells were failing him, Xunuo had no choice but to try other spells in response. He unleashed Rocket Technique, Ice Spike Technique, and Earth Collapse Technique in succession. After attempting over ten different spells, he helplessly discovered that none could breach his opponent's defenses.
Meanwhile, his opponent maintained an impenetrable defense due to his Spiritual Root attributes. Their offensive efforts were limited to occasional Rolling Stones and wooden sword spells. These attacks barely scratched Xunuo’s Vanteng Shield, prompting him to consider dropping it to conserve mana for offense.
The greatest feature of the Earth-Wood Dual Spirit Root Cultivator was their abundant mana. While Xunuo's attacks left him exhausted, his opponent showed no signs of panic.
The disciple from Crimson Flower Sect overseeing the match grew increasingly grim-faced, his eyes blazing with barely contained fury. Both combatants felt this mounting pressure and quickened their pace of attack.
In truth, Xunuo had long since prepared Bloodstorm Gale as his trump card. However, due to his opponent's airtight defense, he needed to find an opportunity to unleash it; otherwise, his opponent would be on guard and strengthen their defenses even further. Xunuo believed that while Bloodstorm Gale was sharp, breaking through the earthen wall was beyond his capabilities.
At that moment, as his opponent intensified their offensive efforts, their defensive focus weakened. Xunuo ignited Hellfire beside them to divert their earthen wall and seized the chance to unleash Bloodstorm Gale. Realizing he had fallen into a trap, the opponent hurriedly activated their wooden shield to block it. However, the wooden shield's defense paled in comparison to the earthen wall and was swiftly cleaved apart by Bloodstorm Gale before striking against their protective barrier.
With a loud crack, the cultivator staggered back several steps. Their protective barrier only rippled violently but remained intact.
Xunuo felt as if his eyes were about to pop out in disbelief. He cursed inwardly: this guy’s Magic Shield is at least as strong as my Vanteng Shield and he still has an earthen wall and wooden shield? What is he—a turtle?
At that moment, the disciple from Crimson Flower Sect stepped forward and declared, “The match is over; Lu Zaisheng wins.”
The Earth-Wood Dual Spirit Root Cultivator immediately protested, “I did not admit defeat.”
The Crimson Flower Sect disciple could no longer contain himself and shouted at him: “You pathetic turtle spellcaster who can only take hits has the audacity to show your face here at Crimson Flower Sect! We recruit talents who look down upon the world—not useless trash like you who can only take hits.”
The Earth-Wood Dual Spirit Root Cultivator protested, "The Tournament rules state that a winner is only determined when one side concedes or loses their fighting capability. To declare me defeated goes against the Tournament's regulations."
A Crimson Flower Sect Disciple interrupted, "If you are dissatisfied, you can take it up with the higher-ups. Stop wasting my time here!"
Xunuo turned to look at the surrounding Arenas. Indeed, as the Crimson Flower Sect Disciple had said, battles were fierce and quickly resolved. Some powerful cultivators would dispatch their opponents in just a few exchanges. There was no back-and-forth of offense and defense; it was all about swift victories. However, Xunuo felt somewhat displeased that he had been dragged into this conversation.
Unexpectedly, the Crimson Flower Sect Disciple pointed at Xunuo and berated him further, "Are you still unwilling to accept it? You two are cut from the same cloth. One of you hides in your shell, while you can't even break through basic defenses. A slightly stronger opponent could easily shatter that earth wall technique of yours. Even if they were weaker, spells like Ice Seal or Earthquake combined with Earth Splitter would make breaking through that wall a piece of cake. How could you be so helpless? My intention wasn't to drive that turtle shell away but to tell both of you to get lost. Unfortunately, I don’t have that authority."
For the first time, Xunuo was scolded so harshly by a fellow cultivator of the same rank. He felt frustrated but had no retort. The other’s words, though harsh, held some truth. If his own power had been strong enough or his methods sharp enough, he wouldn't have been blocked by that shell.
After finishing his tirade, the Crimson Flower Sect Disciple announced the start of the second match in the Arena. Xunuo jumped down from the Arena with a flushed face and returned to his quarters feeling dejected.
Tang Chuanli was a leisurely person. He had come to the Red Flower Path Arena Tournament simply to experience the atmosphere. The Tang family had two Eleventh Layer Cultivators participating this time, primarily because one of them was a promising young talent at the Basic Skill Method's tenth layer who was competing in the selection for disciples under fifteen.
Tang Chuanli was chatting with this younger cousin when he saw Xunuo return and asked about the outcome. Xunuo admitted that he hadn't performed well today and realized his shortcomings in spellcasting.
To prepare for such selections, cultivation families would thoroughly study spell countermeasures—what kind of attack spells their opponents might use and how to defend against them. They would also analyze what defensive measures their opponents employed and how to break through those defenses with their own spells. They understood spell interactions deeply and had strategies for dealing with them, which was something Xunuo, an unanchored Loose Cultivator without any lineage, could not compare to.
Thus, when Xunuo recounted what had happened in the Arena, Tang Chuanli chuckled and briefly explained some countermeasures against spells.
Xunuo felt as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. After thanking Tang Chuanli profusely, he returned to his room to ponder over what he had learned.
Upon careful reflection, Xunuo began to appreciate the profundity of spellcraft. If handled correctly, even some less powerful spells could counter opponents with far superior magical power—and vice versa.
In past battles, Xunuo had focused heavily on life-and-death situations and thus placed great importance on magical artifacts. When it came to spell duels, however, he found himself inexperienced and immature. Now that he was scrambling to catch up at the last minute, it felt like closing the barn door after the horse had bolted.
Sighing inwardly, Xunuo felt increasingly disheartened about this Arena Tournament. After three days of studying spells and analyzing those he had practiced before, he managed to devise several combinations for practical use—though it was only a small gain.
One day, he suddenly noticed there were guests in the Small Building. Moreover, several cultivators from the Tang family hadn’t gone out today. Xunuo found this suspicious; even without his own match today, these individuals rarely stayed idle. They usually spent their time watching other matches or mingling among other cultivation families' disciples.
After thinking for a moment, Xunuo left his room to meet this visitor. The person wasn’t an outsider but rather a member of the Tang family who had entered the Crimson Flower Sect during its last recruitment through the Arena Tournament.
This individual had come to visit several younger cousins after Xunuo and others settled in and naturally recognized him.
After greeting each other respectfully, Xunuo took a seat beside him and inquired about today’s matches. The Crimson Flower Sect disciple replied, "Lu Daoyou should join us too; it's better this way. Today you must not go out—the Arena Tournament is on hold for a day due to some commotion within our sect. You all should avoid getting involved."
Hearing this, Xunuo suddenly felt an ominous premonition in his heart. He hurriedly asked, "What could cause the Crimson Flower Sect to be in such disarray that even the Arena Tournament has been suspended? Could it be that a strong enemy has invaded?"
The disciple from the Crimson Flower Sect shook his head. Mysteriously, he said, "Naturally, no one dares to invade the Red Flower Path Mountain Gate; rather, the Leaving Water Sword has resurfaced."
There was no need for Xunuo to ask further. "What is the Leaving Water Sword?" Tang Chuanli was the first to express curiosity. "Could it be a legendary treasure?"
The disciple from the Crimson Flower Sect lowered his voice and replied, "Not at all; this is a closely guarded secret of the Crimson Flower Sect."
"Do tell us," several disciples from the Tang family urged eagerly.
The disciple from the Crimson Flower Sect, feeling a bit gossipy, saw their curiosity and pretended to be profound as he revealed the matter.
It turned out that several years ago, two disciples of the Crimson Flower Sect went out for training. While passing through the Great Ten Thousand Mountains, they received a message from within the sect instructing them to retrieve a treasure nearby. However, they discovered that someone had gotten there first and stolen it. The two of them pursued relentlessly, but in the end, they lost contact entirely.
One of these two disciples was a descendant of a great elder of the Crimson Flower Sect. Moreover, it was said that the treasure they were supposed to retrieve was of considerable value. Logically speaking, with these two reasons combined, the Crimson Flower Sect should have made a significant effort to investigate this matter. Yet, they chose to keep things quiet and did not delve deeply into it, even refusing to mention it at all.
Only some well-informed disciples knew that the Crimson Flower Sect had dispatched several highly capable disciples to investigate this matter over several years. After failing to find any results, they gradually let it go.
However, yesterday, a conflict broke out at a market several hundred miles away from the Crimson Flower Sect. One side of the conflict summoned the Leaving Water Sword, bringing this matter back into light.
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