Chapter 384: Chapter 274: Ding Xiang’s Movement Technique, Ban Xianfu’s Knife! A Technique of Absolute Excellence, Aspiring to the Earthly List! [2nd Update!]_2
This was a glance.
Another shock.
"Mao Character, Jing Bao!"
"Chen Character, Hu Fenglan!"
"Si Character, Peng Fannian!"
"Not a single one changed?"
"All maintained their positions?"
Yan Chuan had been focused on the ’Xu Character’ arena, concentrating on the epic battle between Ding Xiang and Ban Xianfu, and on the explanation of Ban Xianfu’s saber skill and Ding Xiang’s movement technique, when he finally saw the other three arenas and found that the defenders were still familiar faces.
These were competitors from three unremarkable academies, with two of them not even making the "Hidden Dragon" or "Chufeng" lists.
Two hours.
Facing challenges from three teams one after another, they actually managed to hold out?
Yan Chuan was stunned.
Nearby.
Wang Zhengyi paid slightly more attention to the other three arenas: "Because they’re not from the Ten Great Academies, because Jing Bao is positioned at the end of the ’Chufeng’ list, Hu Fenglan and Peng Fannian aren’t listed at all, we underestimated these three!"
Wang Zhengyi hadn’t focused on these three arenas previously either.
Not until Ding Xiang’s movement technique showed breakthroughs and was gracefully executed, did he take a moment to look, and the first arena he saw was the ’Mao Character’ arena.
"Ninety-fourth on the Chufeng list, Jing Bao, known as ’Guan Sha Guan Mai’, has a unique weapon, wielding a Crescent Moon Spade, with both ends of the shaft fitted with blades, the front end a crescent-shaped spade, concave, with the crescent facing outward; the rear end a blade-like spade handle, sharpened at the tip."
The nickname ’Guan Sha Guan Mai’ for Jing Bao comes from her weapon, the Crescent Moon Spade.
In the first battle at Cang Mountain.
Jing Bao was fierce.
With a single Crescent Moon Spade, her moves were ever-changing, highly disciplined, tightly linked, and truly formidable.
"During the two-hour period, three teams challenged the Mao Character arena."
"The first two were ordinary teams from Central State, their members didn’t even make the ’Hidden Dragon’ or ’Chufeng’ lists, and they were easily defeated by Jing Bao."
"The third team, led by ’Flying Cranes in the Snow’ Liu Guanlan, ranked thirty-eighth on the ’Hidden Dragon’ list, with remarkable ’Flying Crane Skill’. Alongside four teammates who weren’t on the two lists but weren’t much weaker than list members either, they assaulted the arena together, yet Jing Bao, by herself, swept Liu Guanlan and the other four off the arena with her spade!"
Wang Zhengyi was amazed.
Yan Chuan, upon hearing this, was equally astonished: "The outcome was decided already?"
"Yes!"
Wang Zhengyi nodded.
Gasp!
Yan Chuan blinked.
Yan Chuan was somewhat familiar with Liu Guanlan’s strength. During the race to ascend earlier, Yan Chuan had explained Liu Guanlan’s cultivation in the ’Flying Crane Skill’, which was highly accomplished and strong, rightfully ranked thirty-eighth on the ’Hidden Dragon List’, not undeservedly.
Such a person, when compared to the top ten in the "Hidden Dragon" or "Chufeng" lists, isn’t far behind. Even for those in the top twenty of the "two lists," defeating Liu Guanlan isn’t easy, let alone winning within just two hours.
And it wasn’t just Liu Guanlan.
Liu Guanlan had four helpers.
Five teamed up!
This added another level, possibly even surpassing some within the top ten on the "Hidden Dragon List" or "Chufeng List."
For instance, the tenth in the ’Chufeng List,’ Shen Xia.
For instance, the ninth in the ’Hidden Dragon List,’ Ying Jifeng.
Faced with the siege led by Liu Guanlan, they might not be able to win.
But Jing Bao—
"Single-handedly beating all five? Really?"
Yan Chuan turned his head, looking towards the ’Mao Character’ arena, where he assumed Jing Bao, who was thought to have become the arena master by fluke, stood with her petite figure holding a Crescent Moon Spade, a stark contrast almost comedic, but considering her battle accomplishments and imagining her prowess, he had to take her seriously.
Yan Chuan gazed.
Jing Bao seemed to sense it, leaning on her Crescent Moon Spade, grinning at Yan Chuan, and then her small mouth opened and closed, though no sound came out, by lip-reading one could tell she was saying—
"Master Yan’s words were good. When there’s time later, please offer more pointers."
...
"This Jing Bao!"
Yan Chuan’s heart shook once more.
While Yan Chuan was deeply immersed in explaining and giving pointers to Ding Xiang and Ban Xianfu on the ’Xu Character’ arena, he was too dedicated to be distracted.
Yet Jing Bao could maintain her battle stance in the intense arena attack and defense, still listening to Yan Chuan’s explanation of the ’Xu Character’ arena?!
This was terrifying!
This meant, in the battle against Liu Guanlan’s team, Jing Bao likely hadn’t even exerted her full power.
"If so, Jing Bao’s strength might nearly reach that of Ban Xianfu using the saber, and Ding Xiang exercising the movement technique!"
Despite being at the end of the Chufeng list!
Just beginning to reveal hidden strength!
Could she also be a contender for a seat on the ’Earthly List’?
"Cang Mountain Sword Discussion!"
"Concealed talents revealing themselves!"
This was true insight for Yan Chuan.
...
Compared to Jing Bao, Hu Fenglan and Peng Fannian’s performances weren’t as impressive. They were lucky, facing teams not as strong as Liu Guanlan’s team.
Peng Fannian even resorted to trickery by wrestling with the first weaker team for an entire two hours, so the two other teams drawn for the ’Si Character’ arena couldn’t get a chance to compete, drawing lots for nothing.
But undeniably, Peng Fannian was also using the rules sensibly within the permitted scope. As long as the first team to challenge the arena wasn’t too strong, the defender could stabilize the situation through intentional delay, smoothly passing the two-hour period and maintaining his position.
Based on all these rules.
This is why the initial batch of arena masters had a significant advantage, one of the main reasons why Tan Dou, Ban Xianfu, and others among the top contenders fought tooth and nail to ascend first.
And after ascending, once the twelve arena masters were in place, they rested for an hour.
Now it’s been another two hours of battle.
Add in the over two hours spent climbing and competing to be first.
It’s now noon.
Those ordinary teams and players who considered themselves incapable of climbing absolute cliffs and unworthy of competing first, taking another path around the north to climb, the vast majority had already reached the Immortal Chess Stone and the twelve arenas.
More competitors!
More teams!
Also more weak competitors!
The participation of these weak teams in arena challenges and lotteries increased the chance of drawing weaker opponents, which was another great boon for the twelve defending teams!
For instance, on the ’Hai Character’ arena where Yan Chuan stood, unlike the previous round, this two-hour period involved thirty-two teams attempting lotteries for the challenge, but the three teams drawn to compete were all from the Lower State, being weaklings!
Not only Yan Chuan’s team.
Most of the other eleven arenas also drew weak teams.
For instance, the three teams drawn for Peng Fannian’s ’Si Character’ arena were also weak teams from the Lower State. Among these three weak teams, the second to take the stage was none other than—
The Jian Province team!
The Zhou Family Sisters!
...
"Many strong teams participated in this round of ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion,’ but the number of weak teams is greater still."
"Junior, Wang Ge, Yun Zhan."
"Next, when facing weak teams, any of you three can fight alone or all rush together, don’t worry about winning or losing, focus on honing martial arts and improving mastery."
"With Old Wang holding the fort, fight freely."
"Don’t worry about losing."
"Nor about getting injured."
"We have Mirage Pearls, and with the mist together, there’s plenty of time for recuperation."
On the Xu Character arena, Yan Chuan made arrangements for arena defense.
Yan Chuan’s team, with Yan Chuan having the strongest strength, Wang Zhengyi second, both truly having a foundation in the "two lists," could rank in the upper middle among the thousands of participants in the Cang Mountain Sword Discussion.
But the other three—
Chen Ze!
Wang Ge!
Fu Yunzhan!
They were lacking.
Thus, Yan Chuan intended to use these weak teams to further hone the three of them—
"Yun Zhan, your ’Evil Exorcism Sword Skill’ has matured, the time has come for intense battles to continue refining in combat. ’Evil Exorcism Sword Skill’, despite being a quick-to-learn skill, is profound and comprehensive, containing numerous martial arts subtleties and ultimate principles of swordsmanship, you must carefully study them in actual combat."
"Wang Ge, in this Sword Discussion, use the ’Seven Injuries Fist’ to your heart’s content, don’t worry about the consequences. With me to back you up, after each use, I can resolve seventy to eighty percent of the aftermath. After the Sword Discussion, this fist will be sealed, and you can expect significant improvement in both boxing and inner strength."
"Junior, while studying ’Quanzhen Swordsmanship,’ don’t forget the new ’Jade Maiden Swordsmanship’, which I’ve created with great ingenuity. Once mastered, it will possess unbelievable power."
Yan Chuan imparted absolute skills based on the individual talents and conditions of the three.
Even ordinary cultivation was already progressing rapidly.
This time in the Sword Discussion.
With experts everywhere.
In constant duels with various masters, coupled with Yan Chuan’s continuous guidance, the trio’s mastery of absolute skills and their own strength would undergo revolutionary changes.
Being slightly weaker in cultivation is nothing to fear, for there are absolute skills to compensate!
...