Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The subsequent semifinal match saw Jiang Ding defeat another contestant from No.7 High School in the Internal Qi Realm, who had reached the Great Perfection of Circle of Vital Energy, using the same method.

Despite having more profound inner Qi and even tempering over seventy thousand meridians, making their amount of incoming energy more than double that of an average practitioner at the Small Circle of Vital Energy, the contestant was miserably defeated by the sword.

At a similar time, Jiang Jinxian narrowly defeated his own opponent, a contestant whose meridians had been nurtured and tempered to over eighty thousand and was not far from reaching the Great Perfection of Circle of Vital Energy.

Everyone held their breath, quietly awaiting the emergence of the No.1 practitioner of the Internal Qi Realm Cold Weapons Exam from both schools.

Although most people had already foreseen the outcome.

”If it weren’t for my Qinghua Yunji Elixir, you couldn’t possibly have reached this level!”

Jiang Jinxian said unwillingly. He had put in all his effort to defeat his opponent, whereas the other side had killed with three strokes of the sword, the disparity was too apparent.

”Yours?”

Jiang Ding was taken aback, truly believing this was the case.

Just what had Jiang Chaoyang and his mother told him? It was a shameless breach of decency, fitting for the true embodiment of a treacherous and lewd actor.

”One sword.”

Jiang Ding felt disgusted and didn’t want to continue the conversation; he decided to end today’s Cold Weapons Exam.

”One sword?”

Jiang Jinxian was stunned, then his face flushed red as he reacted, ”You’re too arrogant! Today I’m going to make you pay!”

Clang!

The clear sound of a sword being drawn, a figure blurring into motion, and half-transparent ripples surged towards him at an astonishing speed.

Before even reaching him, seven chilling sword Qi had already formed, enveloping him; any one of them was comparable to a blow from an Internal Qi Realm warrior at the Great Perfection of Vital Energy.

The seven combined into an inescapable net of murderous intent.

”This is impossible!”

Jiang Jinxian’s scalp exploded, wave after wave of deathly crisis looming, each sword Qi terrifying.

But how could a martial artist at the Small Circle of Vital Energy muster such a powerful strike?

The Inner Energy wasn’t sufficient!

”Break!”

No matter what, Jiang Jinxian had to act, his silver spear bending severely as he built up Inner Energy and strength to their peak, abruptly drawing a sinuous arc to extinguish the seven dangerously feeling sword Qi, twice feeling the substantial sensation of contact with a real object.

Then, his eyes dulled.

He glanced down at the sword tip protruding from his throat, agony and weakness spreading throughout his body as he collapsed onto the snowy ground together with his silver spear, staining a large area red.

”The winner, Jiang Ding.”

The mechanical voice of the Array Spirit came belatedly.

Jiang Ding returned outside, took a glance at the scorecard—No.1 in Internal Qi Realm, twenty-five points.

That is the limit of mortals.

”Awesome!”

”I’m convinced, Brother Ding!”

The surrounding classmates cheered and clapped, and a few female students looked at him with even more admiring gazes, frightening Jiang Ding into quickly finding a place to conceal himself and cultivate.

In contrast, the atmosphere at No.7 High School was much more subdued.

Other areas might be discounted, but the Cold Weapons Exam in the Internal Qi Realm had been No.7 High School’s absolute strong suit for many years, always first among the schools of Rongcheng City. Today, that was all gone.

The next stage would be the Cold Weapons combat for the students in the Qi Practicing Realm.

Flying Swords swept through the air, shields clashed, and sets of turtle-shell Magic Tools spread out, forming impenetrable defenses. In terms of sound, light, and color, the battles in the Qi Practicing Realm were several levels more intense than those in the Internal Qi Realm.

The battle turned out just as expected, with the cultivators from No.1 High School overwhelmingly crushing those from No.7 High School.

Wu Tianli, Gongsun Ling, Ding Qi, and other cultivators at the Fifth and Sixth Levels of Qi Practicing relied on their stronger cultivation bases to beat the cultivators from No.7 High School so badly that they lost all sense of direction. Their proud combat strength at the same level showed not even a minute sign in the Qi Practicing Realm.

The only two Qi Practitioners at Level 5 were successively defeated, failing to enter the top ten.

Only the most pitiful Hua Bing was left taking a beating.

In the yellow sand map, Li Tie summoned a primordial magnet little mountain several meters high to guard in front of him, causing Hua Bing’s silver flying sword magic tool to wobble unsteadily as it approached; it took a great effort to finally break free.

”An extreme magic tool cast from artificially synthesized spirit magnet!”

A group of Qi Practitioners drooled over that little mountain, recognizing such brutish magic tools were powerful and simple to cast. The only downside was that they used too much material and were too expensive.

Such primordial magnet magic tools were very effective defenses against small magic tools like flying swords. On the battlefield, as long as they didn’t encounter a Foundation-building cultivator intent on killing, it was difficult for them to die; this compensated for the defensive frailties of Xianmen cultivators.

A bit further away, observing the battle with rapt attention, the Liyun Sect cultivators had flickering eyes, full of confusion and disbelief.

”Sister Li, the strength of the Xianmen envoy...”

A lean cultivator at Qi Practicing Level 8 asked the woman in blue beside him, voicing his confusion, ”Doesn’t seem very strong, is it because my eyesight is poor and I can’t discern the subtleties? Your master is a Golden Core Predecessor, do you know what he has discerned?”

He had thought that since they were Xianmen cultivators, they must be terrifyingly strong, even to the point where anyone among them could sweep all of them away.

But as it appeared, only the cultivator using the primordial magnet little mountain seemed strong, but not to an unimaginable level. It seemed a group effort could defeat the individual.

”I don’t know, my master didn’t tell me anything about the Great Void Mystery Realm.”

The woman in the blue skirt shook her head and then firmly stated, ”However, you must obey the commands of Xianmen cultivators, and don’t forget the Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall.”

”Junior brother understands.”

The lean cultivator’s expression became stern.

Boom!

The unlucky Hua Bing was flattened by the enlarged primordial magnet mountain, dissipating into a pool of white light and vanishing.

Li Tie had shown restraint, but since she always refused to admit defeat, it ended this way.

”The winner, Li Tie.”

Among the rankings of cold weapon combat among Qi Practitioners, Li Tie was now first, and Hua Bing second.

The other students looked at the two report cards with strange expressions, both sides having been infiltrated by the other in areas they were skilled in.

Ding!

”There are ten minutes remaining until the practical combat test. Please choose your Taoist Soldier Troop, all contestants.”

An introduction box appeared in front of everyone.

[Second Small World - Canglan Small World - Liyun Sect - Liyun Taoist Soldier]

[Taoist Soldier Positioning: High mobility, high burst, high concealment, suitable for both scouting and guarding.]

[Skilled in: First Order Liyun Life Gathering Formation, Effects: Acceleration, combined casting. A hundred Qi Practitioners in the mid-to-late stages can form a Second Order Liyun Gathering Magic Formation, which can temporarily hold off up to five standard Foundation-building cultivators for more than six seconds.]

[Taoist Soldier Team One, Team Leader Li Yunchen, Cultivation Base Qi Practicing Level 8, Middle-grade Magic Tool Liyun Sword, Liyun Robe, Liyun Shield, Stealth Spirit Robe, proficient in the magic Cloud Transformation Sword Technique, First Order Liyun Life Gathering Formation, Taoist Soldier One, Lower-grade Magic Tool Liyun Sword... proficient in coordinating with the First Order Liyun Life Gathering Formation...]

Jiang Ding’s gaze sharpened as he immediately understood the real purpose of these Liyun Sect cultivators was to be used in battle against Outer Realm Cultivators, forcing them to concentrate and then eliminating them with concentrated firepower.

It seemed suitable for internal battles between Xianmen factions as well.

At the same time, the Liyun Sect cultivators also received their instructions almost simultaneously. Ten cultivators in the later stages of Qi refining didn’t hesitate to come before Li Tie: ”Immortal envoy, we wish to serve under your command!”

Even though No.1 High School had twice as many Qi Practitioners, and on average stronger cultivation, they didn’t believe that having more early-to-mid Qi Practitioners would be of any use. With their lives on the line, they naturally did not dare to hesitate.

Hua Bing and the others felt their hearts sink but were unable to prevent the other side’s selection.

”Daoist Friend Li, Daoist Friend Zhou, and...”

Li Tie unapologetically chose the strongest four Qi Practitioners at Level 8 and their Taoist Soldier Teams, as well as one squad led by a Qi Practitioner at Level 7 with the deepest mana.

The remaining five, though disappointed, had anticipated this and, taking their subordinates with them, came before Hua Bing and the rest to pay their respects.

”Taoist Soldier selection has ended, practical combat examination begins, please respond to the test questions.”