Chapter 178: Marvelous Reaction

After the banquet, Yan Buji also obtained some information about the Human Smoke Pavilion; although not much, he roughly knew which day it would open.

More information could not be easily told to him by either Hu Zhenfeng or Lidao Ren.

"Cultivation depends most on experience; experienced Daoists always have various channels to obtain information."

Yan Buji pondered for a while; this is also the only operation he currently cannot complete in the short term.

After all, gathering information requires a lot of time and manpower, so he has always wanted to join a cultivation force to avoid this preliminary preparation.

But upon further thought, joining the forces of the Gen Dao Territory is too difficult; he estimates he has no such chance.

Moreover, once his dual identity is exposed, death is certain; thus serving anyone is just serving, and Yan Buji does not care who his master is.

The amount given is what determines his choice.

"So one must strive to demonstrate one's value."

Yan Buji chuckled; the dueling platform is a good place, and while completing the Emperor Baocheng's task he also obtained information about the Human Smoke Pavilion; no matter how much profit this brings him, it always shows that Yan Buji is steadily advancing.

Strong ones do not care about external things, but Yan Buji does.

Because he is not a strong one.

Afterwards, Yan Buji continued to fight on the platform according to his plan.

After fighting battle after battle, Yan Buji finally touched the end of the dueling ranking with a record of fifty consecutive wins, and formally launched an assault on the ranking.

During this period, Yan Buji gained fame while also attracting considerable attention.

"The victor is Huang Hao! Current record: fifty-three straight wins!"

"Oh oh oh oh!!!"

With the referee's command, today's record of Yan Buji's dueling matches was announced.

"How impressive, Huang Hao!"

"This kid is truly a dueling genius! A few days ago he was just like that, but now he keeps getting stronger!"

"Yeah, if he weren't at the Lianqi Fourth Layer, dealing with late-stage Lianqi cultivators would be a breeze!"

"Can techniques really be used with such exquisite precision, down to the finest detail? It's amazing!!"

Yan Buji's dueling level is visibly growing stronger, although without considering the platform factor, he might indeed suffer from low cultivation in actual combat.

But looking now, his techniques are so proficient that even if his strength is slightly lower, he might still be able to compete with the cultivators at the bottom of the ranking.

Yan Buji bowed his fists to the audience below and laughed as he left.

"In ten days it will be the day the Human Smoke Pavilion opens; these few days I must rush the ranking, and if I encounter a cultivator from an external force, my task will be considered complete." Yan Buji smiled.

His plan is quite simple: provoke conflict between local and external forces through the dueling platform, essentially targeting those dueling cultivators.

These young cultivators are full of fiery tempers; if not for the elders in their families constantly watching, they would have already caused trouble.

But after all, the platform is a place to compare strengths; throwing some trash talk to provoke the opponent is not excessive, right?

As long as he steps onto the platform, Yan Buji is confident he can grasp the situation.

However, the cultivators on the ranking are indeed formidable; after fighting this long, I've discovered that the stronger they are, the more hidden tricks they have, and several times I nearly capsized in a gutter due to my own overconfidence.

If not for having more hidden moves, I might truly not be able to tell who would win.

"If I want to rush the ranking, I first need a good placement. But I'm only at the Lianqi Fourth Layer; trying to deal with late-stage Lianqi cultivators is indeed quite a stretch."

In the situation where Yan Buji cannot use his Martial Dao cultivation, relying on the spiritual power of his Lianqi Fourth Layer to compare with late-stage Lianqi cultivators, the quality may be similar, but the opponents have far more comprehensive techniques and spells, and they also possess accumulation devices, while Yan Buji has nothing else to offer besides his deep spiritual power.

But for now, Yan Buji has just stabilized his Lianqi Fourth Layer realm; the use of his spiritual power in repeated duels has become second nature, adapting to his current strength, making it truly unsuitable to continue raising his realm.

Even though only the final stage of the Basic Five Elements Technique remains before he could immediately reach the Lianqi Fifth Layer, Yan Buji dares not lightly cross that step.

Nothing else; his Five Elements Technique is self-constructed, using his current perspective and knowledge to adapt to the technique he built, and whether he can complete the final step of the Five Elements Mutual Generation remains a question, requiring a period of trial and error.

If, when attempting to breakthrough to the Lianqi Fifth Layer, he fails to master the final Water System Basic Technique, it would not merely be a simple retreat of spiritual power; his realm could even plummet, causing instant severe injury.

"Moreover, the refinement of the Heart-Protecting Mirror has only just turned the second material into an accumulation; there's still a long way to go. The ways to boost combat power in a short time are basically just those; do I really expect someone to send me an accumulation device?"

Yan Buji frowned; on the platform he clearly realized that a cultivator without an accumulation device, relying solely on their own techniques and spells, truly finds it hard to achieve victory.

Just as among mortals, a martial artist wielding divine weapons is certainly stronger than an unarmed fighter; even with other circumstances, most of the time a good weapon provides a huge boost to combat power.

Compared to that, Yan Buji also does not know which type of accumulation device suits him; defensive accumulation armor is definitely his first choice, but its value can be even more expensive than accumulation weapons.

How to obtain an accumulation device?

Yan Buji pondered; although he knows the accumulation devices he refines are the best, having a handy weapon at hand is better than fighting barehanded.

"But I don't have anything valuable on me...."

Yan Buji thought; the medium-grade spiritual stone he obtained from Hu Zhenfeng is reserved for his attempt to breakthrough to the Lianqi Fifth Layer, and he cannot move it.

The remaining items are also partly what he will need in the future, plus some...... (unspeakable things).

Yan Buji flipped through his storage ring, searching for a long time.

Hmm?

?!

When did the Youming Scripture start reacting with the stone ball obtained from Huang Songshan's cave abode?

Yan Buji stared; he had not noticed before, but after sorting through his belongings for a while, he discovered that the Youming Scripture and the stone ball placed together mutually influenced each other, actually emitting a faint glow!

Yan Buji took out the two items and placed them on the floor to examine them carefully.

Yan Buji had examined this stone ball many times before, but he never knew what it did; on the contrary, infusing his spiritual sense into it was like a stone sinking into the sea, producing no ripple at all.

So he soon stopped caring about it, but he never expected that placing it together with the Youming Scripture would cause a reaction.

"Could this stone ball come from the Youming Realm?!"

Yan Buji carefully picked up the Youming Scripture and the stone ball, releasing his spiritual sense to investigate.

Still, he could see no clue.

After wrestling with it for a while, Yan Buji suddenly shut both eyes, then abruptly opened his mutated left eye!

In an instant, as Yan Buji channeled spiritual power to activate the Three Flower Pupil, he witnessed a scene he never imagined!