chapter 27
27. No Money-Throwing Combat Allowed
While Lin Dongming was still lost in thought, the competition was about to begin.
Song Yumian, dressed in purple, walked to the front of the hall, cupped her hands in greeting to her opponent, then quickly attacked.
Song Yumian primarily cultivated Phantom Sword Peak’s Phantom Flow Sword Art, specializing in illusion and clones. But like Lin Dongming, she was a registered disciple of many elders, knowing a bit of everything, so she couldn’t be treated as a pure Phantom Sword Peak disciple.
“Senior Sister Song’s opponent… is their surname Su or Bai?” Lin Dongming leaned lazily against a pillar. “If they think Senior Sister Song only knows illusions, they’ll be in for trouble.”
Zhong Ziyu beside him awkwardly added: “Little senior brother, her surname is Ouyang.”
Lin Dongming: “…Oh, doesn’t matter anyway. She’ll lose quickly.”
But unexpectedly, that disciple’s weapon was actually a long halberd.
Lin Dongming’s expression stiffened: A Fang Tian painted halberd—specialized in stabbing foster fathers? Could this guy be a spy?
Little junior sister Zhong Ziyu was also puzzled: “…Doesn’t Wenxin Heavenly Sect emphasize ‘substituting culture for martial arts’? How are they now directly ‘substituting martial arts for culture’?”
Zhaoyue didn’t even lift an eyelid: “Wenxin Heavenly Sect’s characters have special effects. If they can write them on weapons, they can attach these effects to weapons for added power. So there are quite a few disciples in Wenxin Heavenly Sect who use weapons other than spirit brushes.”
Senior Sister Ouyang quickly advanced, thrusting her long halberd three times in succession at Song Yumian. But all three times only pierced Song Yumian’s illusions, not hitting her real body.
Senior Sister Ouyang clicked her tongue: “…Void Escape Swift Talisman.”
This was a relatively precious escape talisman. Though only third-grade, it had effects comparable to fourth-grade talismans. Quite cheating but also quite rare.
According to competition rules, talismans, weapons and various auxiliary tools were allowed, but items exceeding one’s cultivation level couldn’t be used.
But Song Yumian’s money-throwing behavior was essentially operating in a gray area, depending on how the elders viewed it.
Senior Sister Ouyang wasn’t particularly bothered: “Though the third-grade Void Escape Swift Talisman is good, its duration is limited. The effect will disappear soon.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Song Yumian said playfully, “I just got it a few days ago and couldn’t resist trying it out.”
“No problem, I don’t mind either.” Senior Sister Ouyang thrust with her halberd, penetrating Song Yumian’s phantom: “Divide!”
The halberd’s body split out a sharp blade tip, stabbing toward Song Yumian’s real body in mid-air.
Unfortunately, it was still an illusion.
“I still have Phantom Clone Talismans.” Song Yumian smiled.
Everyone present was sweating profusely: Come on, sister, you can’t play like this! Constantly using precious talismans—how is the opponent supposed to win? Isn’t this just throwing money around?
Senior Sister Ouyang snorted coldly in displeasure: “Bind.”
The blade tip suddenly sprouted countless pitch-black vines, attacking Song Yumian and binding her tightly.
After smoke cleared, the Song Yumian bound by the black vines had turned into a wooden dummy, with her real body appearing behind.
“Substitute Talisman, thanks.” Song Yumian smiled lightly, and everyone present didn’t want to complain anymore.
Then the two pulled apart again. Song Yumian threw out a “Clear Mind Calming Talisman” and assumed a sword-sheathing stance.
Lin Dongming blinked: “Isn’t that my Heavenly Mirror Heart Technique?”
Sword Immortal Zhaoyue’s temple veins bulged: “It’s mine! I created it!”
But in just the moment of master and disciple’s banter, victory was decided.
Song Yumian’s long sword had already knocked away her opponent’s halberd.
Senior Sister Ouyang was somewhat stunned: “I… lost?”
Then she laughed helplessly: “Senior Sister… I lost to your talismans.”
All the disciples sighed helplessly. She had definitely lost, and no rules were violated. Besides, if this were a real battlefield, enemies wouldn’t follow rules with you—if they could defeat you by throwing talismans, could you say they won dishonorably?
Lin Dongming once again witnessed the power of money. This scene was remarkably similar to Han Xiangjun’s earlier victory over the demonic cultivator using talismans.
However… a sigh came with a figure appearing before Senior Sister Ouyang, apparently an elder from Wenxin Heavenly Sect: “You lost. The last talisman didn’t increase her speed or power, it just cleared her mind and helped her better control her technique’s power.”
In other words, even without the last talisman, Song Yumian would have won, though she might have been more seriously injured.
Zhaoyue nodded: “This girl has decent talent too. Though she’s only imitating the sword technique without practicing the mental method, she learned quite well.”
The Heavenly Mirror Heart Technique consisted of both sword techniques and mental methods. The mental method was the most difficult to practice—even naturally gifted individuals like Zhong Ziyu and Yuan Jianyi couldn’t learn it in just a year or two. But to predict enemy movements and sword techniques, one had to learn the mental method.
Wenxin Heaventy Sect’s sect master Mo Wencheng looked quite embarrassed. Though Song Yumian had thrown many precious talismans, she still easily crushed her opponent, making Wenxin Heavenly Sect lose face.
So he turned to their sect master: “Sect Master Baili, competitions focus on testing—letting disciples realize their cultivation shortcomings so they can improve. Over-relying on talismans… probably isn’t good.”
Sect Master Baili nodded: “Sect Master Mo makes sense. Jianyi, Xiangjun, don’t use rare talismans in the upcoming matches.”
“Yes.” Yuan Jianyi and Han Xiangjun bowed.
This had no impact on the former—Yuan Jianyi rarely used talismans anyway. But for Han Xiangjun, this was somewhat troublesome. After all, like Song Yumian, she loved throwing money at people in various battles.
Simply because it was convenient.
If this weren’t a public setting where she couldn’t curse, Han Xiangjun would probably have complained bitterly to Song Yumian ten thousand times over.
The second match: Tianji Sword Sect’s Han Xiangjun versus Wenxin Heavenly Sect’s Lingshuang.
Only then did everyone realize that Lingshuang’s displayed cultivation wasn’t mid Core Formation, but late Core Formation! She had caught up to the cultivation progress of Han Xiangjun and Mo Qingxue.
—This will probably put even more psychological pressure on Han Xiangjun.
Lin Dongming silently complained internally. Originally Han Xiangjun was Tianji Sword Sect’s second against Wenxin Heavenly Sect’s third, with slightly superior cultivation. Unexpectedly, her cultivation advantage was now gone too, leaving only technique and combat experience.
The two walked to the main hall, cupped hands in greeting, and Han Xiangjun drew her sword.
“Little senior brother, little senior brother,” little junior sister asked curiously, “Do you think Senior Sister Han can win? Her opponent’s cultivation seems pretty good.”
Lin Dongming watched Han Xiangjun and Lingshuang’s battle lazily: “She definitely has a chance to win, just depends on whether Senior Sister Han can tough it out.”