Free Web NovelChapter 6: Chapter 6: The Minor Dharma Combat Assembly (Part 1)
Seeing the crowd below was eager to start, Jiang Han wasted no time. With a flick of his sleeve, a small stone platform flew out. It grew in the wind, transforming in an instant into a Dueling Platform dozens of yards across.
Before the platform could even land, Jiang Han opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of mist onto its surface. The mist spread out thinly, revealing interwoven runes within the haze. As the white fog expanded, it firmly supported the Dueling Platform, holding it suspended in midair.
"Would any fellow Daoist like to be the first?" Jiang Han scanned the hall, his gaze lingering on the members of the three major sects and six major schools.
It was obvious that while any Dao Foundation Realm cultivator among the guests could participate, the main event was still the disciples of major powers like the three sects and six schools. These disciples already knew about today’s dueling assembly and were raring to go. Several of them were already preparing to stand.
Just then, someone from the crowd suddenly leaped onto the Dueling Platform. The few disciples who had been about to move exchanged glances and stepped back. Holding themselves in high regard, they only considered their peers from the nine major factions as worthy opponents and disdained sharing the stage with cultivators from lesser sects or Loose Cultivators.
The man steadied himself, clasped his hands in a salute to all four directions, and announced in a clear voice, "Shen Xiujin of the Xiangshan Sect. I ask for your guidance."
"Excellent. Fellow Daoist, your courage in being the first is commendable." Jiang Han’s eyes showed his approval. With a flick of his finger, he sent a grain of Jade Sun Divine Sand into Shen Xiujin’s hand. He had actually bestowed a reward simply for being the first to step forward.
"What? He got a reward just for being the first one on stage?!"
The hall immediately erupted in an uproar. Countless people regretted not being that "early bird." Even the disciples of the three sects and six schools couldn’t help but feel restless. In the next moment, another figure flew onto the stone platform, landing to reveal a lean, middle-aged man.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, what incredible luck. You received such an opportunity just for being one step ahead." The middle-aged man said with a beaming smile, "This humble cultivator, Li Feiyuan, greets you. That Jade Sun Divine Sand would be of great use to me. I don’t think I have any chance of winning first place, so I’d like to propose a wager. If I’m fortunate enough to defeat you, would you be willing to give that grain of Jade Sun Divine Sand to me?"
Shen Xiujin sneered inwardly but said coolly, "Oh? You may say so, but this Jade Sun Divine Sand was a gift from a senior. I’m not at liberty to dispose of it."
"Since I awarded it to you, it is yours. How you dispose of it is no concern of mine," Jiang Han said noncommittally. "During this assembly, I will have separate rewards for the winner of each duel to encourage all fellow Daoists to participate enthusiastically."
"Since the senior has said so, I suppose I can agree to your wager," said Shen Xiujin. "But if I’m putting up the Jade Sun Divine Sand, what are you offering as a stake, fellow Daoist?"
Li Feiyuan’s mouth twitched. After a moment’s thought, he pulled a small jade vial from his sleeve and said coldly, "Fine. I’ll put up a prize as well. This is a Three Orifice Purifying Pill. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. To us Foundation Establishment Cultivators, its value is no less than that of the Jade Sun Divine Sand. This way, you youngsters can’t say I’m taking advantage of you." He no longer bothered to maintain his false smile.
’It’s that thing.’ Shen Xiujin raised an eyebrow. The Three Orifice Purifying Pill was one of the more precious Miracle Elixirs even among orthodox celestial sects, as it helped one condense the auras of purity and turbidity.
Most miraculously, it could help a cultivator break through the bottleneck in the number of pure and turbid auras they could condense. With enough Purifying Pills, even a pig could likely achieve the perfect count of eighty-one auras, putting it on par with those cultivation geniuses and disciples of great houses.
Such Miracle Elixirs had always been monopolized by the major orthodox sects. Even among the three sects and six schools, it was a rare and coveted item that everyone needed. Therefore, it seldom circulated in the outside world. In terms of value, it was indeed not much inferior to a grain of Jade Sun Divine Sand.
"Excellent! Since you have put up a prize, fellow Daoist, I accept this wager. I ask the senior to bear witness."
"In that case, let the duel officially begin."
The moment Jiang Han’s voice fell, Li Feiyuan exploded into action. He summoned a large black banner into the air, and billowing black smoke surged toward Shen Xiujin.
Jiang Han couldn’t help but frown. However, his senses told him that although the banner produced billowing black smoke, it didn’t carry any vicious or malevolent energy. Though it was from an unorthodox path, it couldn’t be classified as a demonic Magical Artifact.
’Nice try!’ Shen Xiujin thought. ’I absolutely cannot get caught in the black smoke of his Magical Artifact, or he won’t give me a chance to turn the tables.’ With a sharp cry, he sent several Spirit Talismans flying out.
One Spirit Talisman formed a halo of light that pulsed outward, trying to push the black smoke away. Another Spirit Talisman transformed into sparks of fire that fell into the smoke, seemingly trying to ignite it, but the flames only licked across the surface. At least it managed to keep the smoke about ten feet away. The final Spirit Talisman, with a deafening RUMBLE, turned into a bolt of lightning that struck straight at Li Feiyuan.
Seeing the lightning descend, Li Feiyuan condensed a wisp of black smoke to block it. With a flicker, he plunged directly into the billowing smoke and vanished. "Haha, do you think such petty tricks can break through my Black Cloud Banner?"
Before his voice faded, balls of smoke shot out one after another, flying toward Shen Xiujin.
"Hmph, an unorthodox Magical Artifact is something to show off? You think this is all I’ve got?!" Shen Xiujin bellowed. His hands formed a series of Magic Formulas. With a continuous RUSTLE, sheet after sheet of talisman paper flew from his sleeve. A quick glance revealed at least thirty or forty of them, each glowing with spiritual light and inscribed with runes. Faint flashes of lightning danced on them; they all seemed to be the same Thunder Talismans he had used before. "Small Thunder Talisman Array, go!"
"Not good!" Li Feiyuan’s voice had just come from within the black smoke when thirty-six Thunder Talismans swirled into an array formation, layering on top of one another. As Shen Xiujin pointed with a Magic Formula, dozens of lightning bolts rained down incessantly into the smoke. After a series of crackling explosions, the smoke completely dissipated, revealing a golden light protecting the terrified Li Feiyuan and his tattered black banner.
"Shen Xiujin wins." Jiang Han’s calm voice rang out. As it turned out, Shen Xiujin’s Small Thunder Talisman Array would have burned Li Feiyuan and his Magical Artifact to a crisp. The victor had already been decided. Since this dueling assembly was merely a side entertainment for Qiao Feifeng’s Golden Core Grand Ceremony, a death would be inappropriate, so he had intervened to save the man.
"What just happened?"
Many in the hall hadn’t yet grasped the situation. On the Dueling Platform, the atmosphere had been so tense. How had a winner been decided in the blink of an eye? Li Feiyuan’s Magical Artifact had looked quite extraordinary; how had Shen Xiujin broken through it so easily, nearly taking his life in the process?
Amidst the clamor, Li Feiyuan had already left the stage, his eyes filled with deep unwillingness and regret. Shen Xiujin, now in possession of a Three Orifice Purifying Pill, had an unconcealable look of joy on his face. After bowing to Jiang Han, he turned to the crowd below and asked, "Is there another fellow Daoist who wishes to offer guidance?" He looked quite triumphant.
"I, Long Tao, will face you!" As his voice fell, another person flew onto the stage. "Fellow Daoist Shen, I won’t wager any prizes with you. I only ask for your guidance." Despite his words, if he were to win, Jiang Han had already promised another reward. There was no need to voice this thought aloud.
"Alright! Let’s see what you’ve got!" Shen Xiujin didn’t hold back. With a pinch of a Magic Formula, another thirty-six Thunder Talismans flew up. As the saying goes, one good trick is all you need. He immediately started with the Small Thunder Talisman Array. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"Don’t look down on me!" Long Tao roared. He flipped his hand to open a jade umbrella and exhaled a stream of glistening pure aura to empower it. The umbrella immediately burst with brilliant light, forcefully withstanding the lightning strikes. "Now you take a move from me!"
He pointed a finger, and a ball of fire shot out. He then exhaled again, sending a stream of dense, turbid aura into it. Instantly, the fireball began to burn violently, swelling to a size of seventy or eighty feet in diameter. The scorching air visibly distorted as it hurtled toward Shen Xiujin, trailing thick smoke.
In a single defensive and offensive exchange, he had already used both a pure and a turbid aura to empower his Magical Artifact and his Spell. Clearly, despite his modest words, his actions were incredibly decisive.
"What?" Shen Xiujin clearly hadn’t expected his opponent to be so decisive and was caught off guard. As he watched the fireball crash down, the intense heat already made his skin feel like it was burning. In his haste, he flicked his hands repeatedly, sending out countless Spirit Talismans. Water arrows and ice pellets flew out in unison but failed to hinder the fireball in the slightest.
A grim look appeared on Shen Xiujin’s face. Another Spirit Talisman flew out as his hands formed rapid incantations. A stream of glistening pure light also shot out from his Dantian. He too was using the auras of purity and turbidity to face his enemy!
The most crucial aspect of cultivation in the Dao Foundation Realm was condensing these two auras of purity and turbidity, and finally merging them to form Magical Power. Without completing this step, the energy within the bodies of Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment cultivators could only be called Spiritual Power, not Magical Power.
The step of forming Magical Power could be called the key point where geniuses truly pulled away from ordinary people. The auras of purity and turbidity were not easy to refine, and once used, they were gone. Every single aura that was lost needed to be cultivated all over again.
Ordinary cultivators—whether due to impatience, insufficient talent, slow cultivation speed, an inability to refine many auras, or limitations from their Cultivation Technique—were prone to rushing this step. They would merge their pure and turbid auras to form Magical Power prematurely. Once Magical Power was formed, there was no way to remedy the situation without a special opportunity.
For all these reasons, the auras of purity and turbidity were incomparably precious to Dao Foundation Cultivators! Now, these two combatants were fighting as if a spark had lit a wildfire, both using their pure and turbid auras right from the start. The duel was so intense that all the cultivators in the hall held their breath, watching with rapt attention.
Forced into a corner, Shen Xiujin released a stream of pure celestial aura into a Spirit Talisman. The talisman abruptly unleashed a halo of light. It was the same talisman spell he had used to repel Li Feiyuan’s black smoke, but its power was now on a completely different level.
Empowered by the pure aura, the Spirit Talisman’s halo expanded ferociously as it flew out. Like a gale-force wind, it not only dispersed the fireball but also battered Long Tao’s jade umbrella, causing it to sway uncontrollably, just like a mortal holding an umbrella against a raging storm.
"Small Thunder Talisman Array! Go!" Without pausing for breath, Shen Xiujin sent another RUSTLE of talisman paper flying from his sleeves, preparing to cast the Small Thunder Talisman Array again. Long Tao was still channeling his Spiritual Power to stabilize his jade umbrella. Seeing this, he glanced at the fading pure aura empowering his umbrella and hesitated for a fraction of a second.
In that single moment, he lost his chance to counter. Shen Xiujin’s Thunder Talismans had already formed their array, and dozens of lightning bolts rained down, delivering the final blow to the faltering jade umbrella. The Magical Artifact was knocked aside, and the lightning struck down directly upon him.
The victor was decided!
Lin Ling leaned close to Lin Shanshang’s ear and whispered, "Junior Sister, this Shen Xiujin’s mastery of talisman magic has some solid foundations. That Small Thunder Talisman Array seems to have a hint of the Jade Pivot Divine Thunder Array in it."
Lin Shanshang looked at Lin Ling’s somewhat surprised face and said softly, "Senior Sister, the Xiangshan Sect has been a vassal sect of our Yuxiao Sect since ancient times."
"Ah? So that’s how it is..."
Hearing this, Xuzhuang couldn’t help but glance back, taking in Lin Shanshang’s prim and proper expression and the two faint blushes that appeared on Lin Ling’s cheeks.
