https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1002-Xuan-Character-s-Sword-Debate/13155007/
Chapter 1003: Taking Action
Chapter 1003: Taking Action
Ling Hu Xiao's expression turned cold.
Ou Yang Xuan's face was filled with ridicule.
Mo Hua, Cheng Mo, and Si Tu Jian all had subtle expressions.
The young man didn't say anything else. After leaving those harsh words, he gave Ling Hu Xiao a provocative look and then walked away with his head held high.
After he left, the arena fell silent for a moment.
Mo Hua gradually realized a problem and frowned, "He wants us to remember his name, but...didn't he forget to tell us what his name is?"
Si Tu Jian pondered, "Does he think that we should all know who he is?"
Cheng Mo also asked curiously, "Who is he?"
Mo Hua took out the Tai Xu Ling and found their opponent on the list. He scanned through the names of the five people across from them, and his mind stirred slightly. With a brief deduction, he found the young man's name:
"Wu Ming."
"His name is 'Nameless'?"
"Wu of the sky, the sun, and the moon."
"Oh...so he's from the Wu family," Cheng Mo said.
"The Wu family?" Mo Hua asked.
"A family specializing in making talismans, earning a lot of spirit stones, and very wealthy," Si Tu Jian explained concisely. "Their main family is in Kun Zhou, but there are Wu family clans scattered across the Nine Prefectures, making them a wealthy family."
"Are they very rich?"
"Yes, very rich," Si Tu Jian nodded. "Qian Zhou, due to its long heritage and openness to talents from all over the world, has produced many outstanding individuals, and thus, prestigious families gather there."
"Kun Zhou, on the other hand, has fertile land and abundant resources, making it the wealthiest of the Nine Prefectures. This has also given rise to numerous wealthy families and noble houses."
"The Wu family is one of the noble houses in Kun Zhou. Because of their wealth, they can afford to run the talisman-making business, which is known for 'burning money.' Talismans are expensive, and the talisman-making industry is also highly profitable. The Wu family's profits have grown, allowing them to expand their business even further..."
Si Tu Jian explained to Mo Hua.
He was a calm and thoughtful person, quick-witted and eager to learn. He knew a lot about the prestigious families, and Mo Hua's knowledge on the subject mostly came from him.
However, Mo Hua had a question:
"Why are talismans so 'profitable'?"
In his daily battles with other cultivators, he rarely saw anyone using talismans.
Talismans were only used as supplementary means, for emergencies or escaping. So far, he hadn't encountered any cultivators who relied primarily on talismans for combat.
Si Tu Jian explained, "There are many reasons for this: high production costs, Dao Ting's regulations, single-use consumption, and so on. Most cultivators won't overuse talismans."
"The more skilled the cultivator, the more advanced their Daoist techniques, and the less they rely on talismans."
"The greatest use of talismans is in Daoist wars and large-scale cultivator battles, where they are used for temporary fire suppression and pinpoint explosions."
"Daoist wars are all about burning spirit stones."
"If you don't burn spirit stones, you'll have to burn 'lives.'"
"In war, the best way to burn spirit stones is through 'array formations.'"
"But array formations are large in scale, complex, and rely on array masters for deployment. They are cumbersome to set up, difficult to maintain, require advance preparation, and have many limitations during battles, making them less effective."
"Aside from array formations, there are talismans. They are simple, direct, convenient, and powerful. Once unsealed, they can be used, and their destructive power is not to be underestimated."
"Generally, Dao Ting or some major powers will purchase large quantities of talismans at relatively favorable prices to use as 'military equipment' for large-scale cultivator battles."
"But producing talismans requires immense financial support. Only some extremely wealthy families in Kun Zhou, with good disciples, abundant spiritual energy, and rich resources, can engage in large-scale talisman production..."
Si Tu Jian explained to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua nodded, now understanding the situation.
Talismans were 'weapons.'
The prestigious families in Kun Zhou were the 'landlords.'
The landlords profited from selling weapons, becoming 'noble houses.'
Mo Hua lowered his head and glanced at the opponent list. Their opponent this time was one of the twelve factions, the Ling Fu Men.
"Ling Fu Men..." Mo Hua pondered.
"Ling Fu Men is a sect specializing in the art of talisman refining," Si Tu Jian explained. "Some of the major families in Kun Zhou don't expect their disciples to learn the traditions of the four major sects and eight major schools. Instead, they hope that they will systematically study some rare talisman refining techniques."
"Therefore, although Ling Fu Men is one of the twelve factions and skilled in talisman making, there are also some talented disciples within the sect."
"More importantly, Ling Fu Men is also very wealthy."
Mo Hua was curious, "How wealthy are they?"
Si Tu Jian replied, "It is said that they are wealthier than most of the eight major sects."
"Why?" Mo Hua didn't quite understand. "Do they have a talisman-making business? Do they sell talismans?"
Si Tu Jian nodded, "They should..."
But he didn't know the specifics.
At this moment, Ou Yang Xuan, who had been standing by with a stern face but secretly listening, spoke indifferently:
"Because they are supported by the noble houses of Kun Zhou."
"Supported by the noble houses of Kun Zhou?" Mo Hua was surprised.
Seeing that even the well-informed Mo Hua didn't know this, Ou Yang Xuan couldn't help but smirk and said, "Some noble houses in Kun Zhou, like the Wu family, will provide a large number of spirit stones and abundant resources to support Ling Fu Men in their research of talisman refining techniques."
"The talisman refining techniques developed by Ling Fu Men are then fed back to the noble houses of Kun Zhou."
"At the same time, Ling Fu Men will also reserve some 'special' enrollment quotas for the noble houses of Kun Zhou, maintaining a relationship of mutual benefit through inheritance."
"This portion of spirit stones is very substantial, even comparable to the share of the Ling Mine in Qian Long Mountain that the twelve factions receive."
"Therefore, Ling Fu Men, one of the twelve factions, is wealthier than most of the eight major sects.
"Most other sects primarily focus on pure inheritance systems, with a small portion of their operations dedicated to industry."
"However, the Ling Fu School operates on a system that integrates the sect and aristocratic families. They share cultivation techniques and resources, deeply intertwining their interests..."
The usually reticent Ou Yang Xuan spoke at length.
Mo Hua couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
The integration of sects and aristocratic families...
On the surface, it seemed like a mutually beneficial arrangement.
But at its core, isn't this a double "monopoly" over cultivation inheritance and resources?
In the end, the sects and aristocratic families join forces, growing stronger together to achieve ultimate dominance.
Who, then, will be the ultimate loser?
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then turned to Ou Yang Xuan, "How do you know all this?"
Ou Yang Xuan scoffed, his expression disdainful, but he answered Mo Hua's question honestly, "I overheard it when the Grand Elder was chatting with the Sect Master."
"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded.
If Ou Yang Xuan could eavesdrop on the Grand Elder's conversation with the Sect Master, it indicated that his status might be even higher than Mo Hua had previously assumed.
"The Fulu used in the Swordsman Competition, are they restricted?" Mo Hua asked Si Tu Jian again.
Si Tu Jian nodded, "After all, it's a competition. Just like formations, if Fulu can be used extensively, it would greatly affect the balance."
Especially for some "rich guys," with their vast wealth, they could use Fulu without regard for cost, which would be overwhelming for anyone.
"But the restrictions are only on the grade and quantity, not the type." Si Tu Jian added, "The Ling Fu School should have specially refined some rare high-grade Fulu for the competition."
"Mmm." Mo Hua slowly nodded, "It's fine, let's give it a try."
"Little Senior Brother..." Si Tu Jian paused for a moment before asking, "Are we still using the previous tactic?"
That most basic tactic was too crude.
After using it in so many battles, their opponents had surely devised countermeasures.
Continuing to use it might not guarantee victory.
Mo Hua smiled, "It's fine, let's use it one more time."
He glanced at Si Tu Jian, Cheng Mo, Ling Hu Xiao, and Ou Yang Xuan, and said with profound meaning:
"This is a 'weight-bearing' training for you, a competition-based practice to foster your innate chemistry."
"If I were to intervene, the situation would have been very different by now..."
Cheng Mo, Si Tu Jian, and Ling Hu Xiao were taken aback, but their eyes lit up, and they nodded in unison, "Yes, Little Senior Brother."
Ou Yang Xuan remained silent, but a deep sense of apprehension, or even fear, flashed in his eyes.
...
In the Swordsman Competition arena, the landscape was intricate.
Mo Hua and his group entered the field.
Outside the arena, Fang Tian Hua Ying's figure blurred for a moment, revealing the silhouettes of Mo Hua and his companions, which sparked a flurry of discussions.
Most of the comments were not flattering.
Many criticized, "Tai Xu Men is finished," "The Grand Elder is senile, the Sect Master is mediocre, and the elders are sycophants," and "The disciples are angry but dare not speak up."
Others expressed sympathy, "Poor Ling Hu Xiao," "Poor Ou Yang Xuan," "Poor Big and Dumb Guy," and "Poor Sword-carrying Young Man..."
There were also disparaging remarks, "How is this shameless Mo Hua still around," "I want to see how long he can last," "The shame of Tai Xu Men," and "Useless waste..."
These were all familiar words.
As the criticism swelled outside, the battle inside commenced.
This was still a five-person free-for-all battle.
The format of the competition remained unchanged, and Mo Hua didn't bother to switch tactics. Instead, he continued to use the most basic combat style, allowing Ling Hu Xiao and his three companions to fight based on their abilities, fostering some innate chemistry.
The arena wasn't particularly large, and Mo Hua's divine sense was exceptionally strong. With a quick scan, he could pinpoint the locations of their opponents.
However, he didn't speak up to remind them.
It wasn't yet time for him to employ some "underhanded tactics."
Both sides faced off.
Mo Hua's group consisted of Cheng Mo, the "Big and Dumb Guy," standing at the forefront, while the others positioned themselves for battle, forming the most basic formation.
Opposite them, the Ling Fu School's representative stood at the front, a majestic youth.
It was the same youth who had previously spoken harshly to Ling Hu Xiao, confident and arrogant.
He was Wu Ming, a member of the Kun Zhou aristocratic family, Wu Jia.
Wu Ming wore a gorgeous set of armor, his arms adorned with fiery red, lustrous armguards that exuded extravagance and grandeur, clearly indicating their high cost.
This set of armor was custom-made.
The armguards were also the embryo of his precious spirit tool, crafted with a hefty investment.
Aside from Wu Ming, the other four members of the Ling Fu School wore equally exquisite armor, radiating a "money is no object" aura.
Despite the Ling Fu School being a Twelve Streams sect, its members were either wealthy or of noble birth.
Just a glance at Wu Ming's group revealed that their equipment was all custom-made for the Swordsman Competition, with quality surpassing that of custom spirit tools from Gu Shan Lian Qi Xing by 20-30%.
However, the price was estimated to be ten times higher, if not more.
And they were still "consumables."
This was probably something only the Kun Zhou aristocratic family's offspring would be willing to spend spirit stones on.
Mo Hua watched, secretly amazed.
Normally, when the two sides met, they would immediately engage in battle without any unnecessary chatter.
But this time was different. Before the fight began, Wu Ming seemed to have something to say.
The Ling Fu School didn't make the first move.
Mo Hua also didn't signal for his team to attack, wanting to hear what Wu Ming had to say.
Wu Ming extended his arm, adorned with the dazzling, luxurious armguard, and pointed at Ling Hu Xiao, sneering, "Ling Hu Xiao, today, you will surely fall to my hands!"
"I will show Miss Lu that you, this so-called swordsman genius, are nothing but a coward, a loser, not even worth a glance..."
The latter half of the sentence was a bit abstract.
Mo Hua couldn't help but look at Ling Hu Xiao, "Who is Miss Lu?"
He had thought this would be a battle between geniuses, but he never expected it to be entangled in a tabloid scandal.
Ling Hu Xiao also seemed a bit dazed, not knowing what Wu Ming was rambling about.
His behavior infuriated Wu Ming.
Suppressing his anger, Wu Ming spoke in a cold voice, "Are you still pretending to be clueless here? You're truly a coward."
"Today, I'll let everyone know that you, this so-called swordsman genius, are nothing but a useless name!"
"I will use my family's Liuli Minghuo Quanfa to personally blast you to death!"
His words were quite imposing.
But Mo Hua didn't listen to what he said. Instead, his curiosity was piqued, and his eyes lit up as he whispered to Ling Hu Xiao, "Do you have a private relationship with this 'Miss Lu'?"
Cheng Mo and the others turned to look at Ling Hu Xiao, their eyes gleaming.
Even Ou Yang Xuan was filled with curiosity.
Ling Hu Xiao's face darkened.
If anyone else had asked this question, he would have already slashed them with his sword.
But since it was Mo Hua asking, he could only force a smile and say, "No... I don't even know who this Miss Lu is."
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Mo Hua nodded, feeling a bit disappointed.
No juicy gossip...
As they whispered among themselves, acting as if no one else was around, Wu Ming became even more annoyed.
"Kill!"
Wu Ming's cold voice echoed, and he began to channel his spiritual power, activating his arm armor and unleashing the Liuli Minghuo Quanfa. He charged forward, creating a surging wave of fire, and headed straight for Mo Hua and the others.
Cheng Mo swung his axe, directly engaging Wu Ming.
Ling Hu Xiao and the others also drew their swords.
Only Mo Hua took a step back, his agile figure gracefully moving away from the crowd, escaping the battle, and watching from the sidelines.
In front of Fangtian Huayin, his action of "fleeing in the midst of battle, letting his teammates take the lead" was clearly seen by everyone.
Immediately, a chorus of curses arose:
"Again?"
"Still not taking action?"
"Still watching?"
"His thick skin is truly astonishing."
Some tried to console him, "Don't be too hard on him. He doesn't know anything. How can he take action? If he does, he'll be exposed..."
"Have you seen his Lundao Jade? Its defense is so poor, it's unbelievable. He probably can't even take a single blow. He'll be 'slaughtered' as soon as he goes up."
"You've seen it all, and you're still expecting him to take action? I can only say, some people are so stupid, they can be fed to demons..."
...
Outside the arena, discussions were rampant.
Inside, none of the Ling Fu School disciples paid any attention to Mo Hua.
This was the case before as well; Mo Hua would just stand aside and watch, and no one needed to bother with him.
As long as they dealt with his four teammates, eliminating Mo Hua wouldn't require any effort.
Leading the charge, Wu Ming and the five disciples of the Ling Fu School began to surround Ling Hu Xiao and the others.
Wu Ming seemed like a hot-headed and impulsive disciple, but their tactics were carefully designed, and they gave Ling Hu Xiao the utmost respect.
They dared not let Ling Hu Xiao unleash his full power.
From the start, two body cultivators, one wielding a ground-slicing blade and the other using fine iron claws, stuck close to Ling Hu Xiao, preventing him from using his powerful sword techniques.
Ling Hu Xiao was unable to execute his deadly sword moves.
If he tried to force it, the body cultivators would interrupt him.
If he used his only Jin Shen Fulu to prevent his sword moves from being interrupted, the opponents would temporarily retreat, wait for the Jin Shen Fulu to disappear, and then return to continue wearing him down. This would result in him being "suffocated" to death.
This was a common tactic used in the Swordsman Competition Congress to target outstanding "Celestial Geniuses."
The precondition for this tactic was that the Celestial Genius needed to be a spiritual cultivator who required time to cast spells or a long-range swordsman.
His teammates couldn't help him either.
And now, with the Ling Fu School having more members, this tactic was perfectly applicable.
This tactic had been used against Ling Hu Xiao before by other sects.
But the Ling Fu School's disciples were stronger, and their spiritual equipment was better, making the tactic more effective.
Moreover, Ling Hu Xiao's team had won up to this point almost entirely on "brute strength," with four against five. Their tactics were skilled but basic, and with so many sects and eyes watching, they had been thoroughly studied.
Being thoroughly studied, they would be targeted everywhere.
Moreover, they were also one person short.
Ling Hu Xiao continued to be worn down by the two body cultivators.
Cheng Mo's physical strength was sufficient, but his combat ability was still inferior to that of the top geniuses, so he could only hold his ground against the Ling Fu School's disciples.
Si Tu Jian was a "jack-of-all-trades," but you can't run. In the Swordsman Competition Congress, with so many geniuses, his abilities weren't particularly outstanding. Despite having the upper hand, he couldn't win in a short time.
Ou Yang Xuan was fighting against Wu Ming.
Wu Ming's strength was average, but his spiritual equipment was simply too good.
Ou Yang Xuan had the advantage, but he couldn't defeat Wu Ming in a short time either.
During this time, the Ling Fu School also took turns launching offensives, relying on their numerical advantage and mutual cooperation among disciples to suppress their opponents.
The Tai Xu School, however, couldn't do the same.
Being outnumbered, they could only engage in passive combat, with no opportunity to turn the tide of the battle.
In this situation, Ling Hu Xiao's spiritual power was also being rapidly depleted.
Ling Hu Xiao's offensive power was formidable, but with high offensive power came high spiritual power consumption. In a one-on-two situation, he couldn't hold out for long.
Just as Ling Hu Xiao's spiritual power was almost depleted, Wu Ming sensed the right moment and his eyes lit up, "I'll take over!"
He left Ou Yang Xuan and switched to attacking Ling Hu Xiao.
The two who had been wearing down Ling Hu Xiao turned to restrain Ou Yang Xuan instead.
Cheng Mo and the others immediately understood what Wu Ming was up to.
He shouted about defeating Ling Hu Xiao, but his actual plan was to have his two teammates deplete most of Ling Hu Xiao's spiritual power, and then he would step in to "single-handedly" defeat the sword genius from Tai Xu Gate using this method.
It was indeed shameless.
But this was the Swordsman Competition, and if he truly won, no one would say anything.
Even if he stood on his teammates' shoulders and cut down Tai Xu Gate's genius, it would still count as a "win."
But that wasn't enough.
Wu Ming also took out a dark silver-colored flowing jade talisman, crushed it, and a layer of refined iron light quickly spread across his body, forming an "Iron Armor."
A high-grade Iron Armor talisman.
This was a rare talisman; after crushing it, spiritual power condensed into an iron armor, capable of defending against sword energy strikes.
Each Swordsman Competition disciple could only choose one talisman.
Ling Hu Xiao chose the "Golden Body Talisman," while Wu Ming selected the Ling Fu School's specially made "Iron Armor Talisman."
The purpose was to specifically target Ling Hu Xiao.
With the protection of the Iron Armor, he could significantly reduce the damage from Ling Hu Xiao's sword energy for a quarter of an hour.
Wu Ming wanted to use this quarter of an hour to decide the victor.
This was also his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
With all his spiritual power, he pushed his techniques to the extreme.
Each punch of the Liuli Minghuo Fist was accompanied by raging flames, one after another, like a rain of fire, heading towards Ling Hu Xiao.
Most of the fiery punches were neutralized by the sword light.
But a portion still hit Ling Hu Xiao, gradually seeping into his Lundao Jade.
Ling Hu Xiao gritted his teeth and endured.
However, Wu Ming's attacks became more ferocious, and his momentum was like a rainbow.
At this moment, most of the cultivators in the outer field, seeing this situation, had their hearts skip a beat.
Ling Hu Xiao was about to lose! They didn't like Tai Xu Gate, and many said that Tai Xu Gate was finished, mostly because of a certain undeserving Zhen Dao Kui Shou.
As for Ling Hu Xiao, who worked tirelessly and single-handedly carried the team forward, most cultivators still acknowledged him as a sword genius.
Now, seeing Ling Hu Xiao being beaten, they all felt uncomfortable.
When they thought of Ling Hu Xiao losing, they clenched their fists and felt distressed.
"Heaven envies the talented!"
"Born at the wrong time!"
"Such a good seedling, why did he have such bad luck and end up in Tai Xu Gate..."
Inside the arena, Wu Ming's expression became even more triumphant.
Being able to press down on Ling Hu Xiao, a genius, was enough to make him feel proud.
With the Iron Armor talisman's protection, continuing to fight like this would undoubtedly lead to Ling Hu Xiao's defeat.
If he used the Golden Body Talisman and fought with high-level sword techniques, Wu Ming wouldn't be afraid.
Not to mention that after depleting his spiritual power, he might not even be able to execute his killing move. Even if he did, the time it took to gather strength and condense energy would be enough for Wu Ming to blast him away.
The worst-case scenario would be both of them perishing together.
But with the Iron Armor protecting him for a short time, even if he took a direct hit from Ling Hu Xiao's sword, he might not die.
"I can kill him!"
With this thought, Wu Ming became even more excited, his offense more fierce, wanting to thoroughly defeat Ling Hu Xiao and make him die in frustration...
Just then, on the sidelines, Mo Hua sighed softly.
He knew that this was the limit.
This basic tactic could only go so far; after this, they would have to switch up their approach.
Mo Hua slowly raised his arm, and his fair palm finally emerged from his sleeve, extending two fingers.
Many sharp-eyed cultivators outside the arena immediately noticed this scene on the giant Fangtian Huayin.
They saw that Mo Hua, who had been watching from a distance, finally extended his hand from his sleeve.
Everyone's hearts jumped for no apparent reason.
"The Zhen Dao Kui Shou from Tai Xu Gate is finally making a move?"
"The first move in the Swordsman Competition?"
"With the situation at this point, what does he want to do? What can he do?"
Their hearts suddenly felt tense.
Inside the arena, Wu Ming, who was in the midst of a killing frenzy, also sensed this anomaly when Mo Hua raised his hand.
He merely "ignored" Mo Hua, but that didn't mean he's forgotten about him."
The Swordsman Competition was a contest among five people.
The Zhen Dao Kui Shou from Tai Xu Gate had been completely useless in the competition so far, like a "waste."
So everyone acted as if he didn't exist.
But at this moment, he actually raised his hand.
"What does he want to do?"
Wu Ming's heart felt a bit uneasy.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a firelight, saw the condensed basic technique, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Fireball Technique?"
"Just a Fireball Technique?"
"From so far away, he wants to use a fireball..."
But in just an instant, Wu Ming felt his mind explode with a "boom," as if a fireball had struck his head at an unimaginable speed, one that he couldn't even detect...
(End of Chapter)
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