Free Web NovelChapter 316: Noble arts
Among all the powerful tools cultivators could wield, magical items had the most unique and striking advantages.
First of all, magical items virtually required no preparations. In most cases, cultivators only had to bind them, not even needing to master their functions to wield them properly.
Then, there were the effects. Magical items could come in all shapes and natures, benefiting from a flexibility that even alchemy couldn’t match.
Another advantage over alchemy was in the magical item’s reusability. Some were disposable like alchemical products, but others could be permanent tools capable of accompanying cultivators even after their level surpassed their rank.
Lastly, there was the magical items’ power. They could be both weak and strong enough to be the most fearful aspect of a cultivator’s arsenal. The Black Bow was one of such cases for Liam.
Of course, due to all those advantages, magical items were not only among the most expensive products on the market. Useful, powerful ones were also exceedingly hard to find.
However, that changed when it came to inscription masters. Just like Liam could accumulate an otherwise unthinkable number of alchemical products out of virtue of his mastery in his noble art, so could Julian.
Liam couldn’t help but halt his assault at the sight of the three hexagonal shields that hovered over Julian. Possessing so many rank 2 magical items was incredible for a lone cultivator, and the feat gained even more value due to their function. freewebnσvel.cѳm
All things considered, Liam wasn’t short on magical items, but he had very few that were battle-related, and they definitely couldn’t cover all his needs. He hadn’t been at liberty to choose them, either, most of the time.
Instead, Julian could inscribe magical items himself, according to his needs, gaining access to methods that complemented each other and improved his overall power by leaps and bounds.
One hexagonal shield had already come close to completely countering Liam’s Black Bow. Still, three rendered it useless in ways that no amount of Lightning Steps and archery skills could overcome.
Moreover, the shields looked to be of the passive kind. They didn’t need Julian’s direct control, and the Qi they radiated implied far lower energy consumption compared to the Black Bow.
That was another advantage magical items could have. They could be dirt-cheap in terms of Qi consumption, making them more reliable than martial arts in prolonged battle.
Clearly, something had to give for that advantage, but it seemed Julian’s shields had retained power anyway. As for how, Liam didn’t know. Reason told him that Julian had compensated for it somehow, but Liam’s limited knowledge of inscriptions stopped him from making assumptions.
A mere fraction of a second could make the difference between life and death in a battle among rooting experts, especially capable ones. Liam couldn’t pursue guesses. Testing them even looked to be more expensive in terms of Qi for him, so he just avoided that train of thought entirely.
Instead, Liam considered something else. Julian was playing to his mastery, and he could do the same, benefiting from his own noble art’s unique advantages.
Liam believed inscriptions and alchemy were similar in terms of preparations and cost. After all, Julian couldn’t possibly build magical items out of thin air. He had even hinted at the need for specific materials, and creating his humanoid blood bags had still taken time, on top of having lackluster results.
However, alchemy had the advantage of having no Qi consumption at all once the products were completed. frёewebnoѵēl.com
Moreover, no matter how passive, magical items enforced a level of mental weight. Even if Julian had somehow managed to inscribe hundreds of them, he could only use a limited number at the same time, and Liam’s alchemical products didn’t have such a weakness.
It seemed the only viable solution was to turn that battle into a clash of noble arts, and Liam wouldn’t shrink back from it. Refusing it would be akin to bringing shame to his great Master, and he would rather die than disappoint him.
If anything, proving that alchemy was superior would bring honor to Horace Rauret’s teachings, and Liam had been waiting for a chance to do so. He actually hadn’t realized how desperate he was for that opportunity until it had presented itself.
"Fellow Daoist," Julian called, his elegant attire and hairstyle completely unharmed by the quasi-direct explosion, his glowing blood vessels nowhere to be seen. "Our grudge isn’t irreconcilable nor deep. We can still stop this."
But Liam completely disagreed. Not only was it too late to make friends. He had to kill Julian quickly to avoid the chance of seizing the inheritance slipping between his fingers.
So, Liam prepared accordingly. He stored his bow on his shoulder before summoning a quiver with a series of Qi-enhanced arrows, some white, coming from the Trial of Greed.
Then, Liam sneakily summoned a series of pills, keeping them under his long, ample sleeves.
Truth be told, Liam would change to preserve his Master’s cloaks, but that would be a battle as a poison master. He had to look the part. His Master had taught him as much.
Julian didn’t stay still at that display. He couldn’t see everything Liam was doing, but responded in kind, summoning two more flying items. They were rank 2 black daggers radiating the same reddish shades, which hovered at his sides, joining the shields’ defensive formation.
The five flying items seemed to resonate with each other. A scarlet halo began to shine from them, enveloping Julian with that light and adding something else.
The faint scent of blood invaded the crossroad, permeating that very reddish light, but Liam’s senses excluded the possibility of additional effects. It was just a trait that had become more evident now that the five items had joined their forces.
At most, Liam could connect that stench to Julian’s seemingly unique inscriptions due to what he had done with the corpses. Yet, that was beside the point.
The preparations were complete, so Liam’s feet released a thunderous noise that sent broken tiles flying everywhere, and the redness soon was no more since yellow smoke covered the entire crossroad.
