Chapter 269: Semifinals

After fighting for a while, Zhao Guoping in the ink painting finally realized something was off.

However, by this time Liu Ruhua had already seized all the advantages; even though Zhao Guoping had fought for so long and his spiritual power showed no sign of waning, the superiority of the situation was clear at a glance.

Zhao Guoping was covered head to toe in ink-black by Liu Ruhua's technique, as if some kind of restriction had been placed on him.

When Liu Ruhua deemed it appropriate, she directly dispelled the ink painting scene, and only then did he appear before everyone.

Zhao Guoping tried to mobilize his spiritual power, but discovered he could not summon even a trace of it from his dantian.

Liu Ruhua covered her mouth and smiled: "Senior brother, don't waste your effort; your spiritual power must be the most troublesome heavy water type among water system spiritual powers, right? It seems you have also condensed some kind of spiritual water dissolved within it, so your spiritual power fluctuations are hard to detect. However, just as clear and turbid differ, once stained with ink it's not so easy to remove."

Zhao Guoping's expression changed, he took a deep breath: "I admit defeat!"

"The winner, Cultivation Technique Hall's Liu Ruhua!"

"Oh oh oh!!!"

"Junior Sister Liu is amazing, Senior Brother Zhao isn't even your match!"

"What kind of technique is that?"

The people present cheered and applauded, but many were also utterly puzzled.

After all, although Zhao Guoping is feared by everyone in the Azure Mountain Sect, he is no ordinary cultivator. His spiritual power is condensed yet unrevealed; in a real exchange, nobody could withstand several rounds against him.

Yet the technique Liu Ruhua displayed caused Zhao Guoping to stumble; one can imagine how exquisite the opponent's art is.

After Zhao Guoping stepped down from the platform decisively, Yan Buji stroked his chin and pondered carefully.

Thus, the semifinal quota was also born.

The morning duel ended, the semifinals began in the afternoon, and Yan Buji also had time to rest and consider strategies.

After a while.

Zhao Guoping suddenly found Yan Buji who was resting and said: "This Liu Ruhua uses a Literary Way technique."

"Literary Way?" Yan Buji looked puzzled.

"Literary Way.... is what the Confucians excel at, except that Liu Ruhua uses a method similar to a painting that isolates oneself from external perception, so I didn't react in time." Zhao Guoping said lightly.

Yan Buji was a little curious: "Come to think of it, I've never really come into contact with the Confucians, but I've also heard they must cultivate a mouthful of Haoran Qi, yet I sensed nothing of the sort from Liu Ruhua."

Zhao Guoping explained: "The Confucian method studies the sages' ultimate principle, entering the Dao through principle; thus most Confucian cultivators bear a gentlemanly demeanor, cultivating Haoran Qi, the most famous of whom is that Mister Mingyang. A mouthful of Haoran Qi, a thousand miles of swift wind. However, this also belongs to the Literary Way; the Confucian classics' meanings, methods and techniques all originate from the Literary Way, using literature to carry the Dao. Therefore, it's not only the path of cultivating Haoran Qi that can be taken; like Liu Ruhua's method, it should be entering the Dao through painting."

"Painting?"

Yan Buji became even more bewildered; he had never heard of these things, so naturally he didn't know whether they were true or false.

However, considering how Zhao Guoping was targeting Liu Ruhua, Yan Buji could likely guess that the other party was sincerely telling him the truth.

It's a pity that I already had a deal with Liu Ruhua; otherwise Zhao Guoping wouldn't have lost so quickly.

Zhao Guoping continued: "In short, if you face him, you must be careful of her painting technique. I think her other methods are just like copying a painting, using painting technique to simulate them!"

"Thank you, senior brother, for the information."

"Hmm, then I'll go inform the other two as well."

"Senior brother, take your leave."

Watching Zhao Guoping's departing figure, it's really unimaginable what he experienced in childhood to hate heretical path cultivators so much, but it's understandable.

Of course, I don't care about that.

Only profit matters; who would care what you've gone through?

One must know that the world doesn't give free gifts; compared to someday obtaining immense wealth, Yan Buji hopes more to steadily advance step by step.

Just as Zhao Guoping did all this, it's merely to confirm whether Liu Ruhua is truly a disciple of a heretical path sect.

Perhaps he also obtained some information, but under everyone's watchful eyes he couldn't act directly, so he had to prepare in advance.

Informing Yan Buji and them of this information is merely part of his plan.

Hu Bing walked over from the side, looking at Yan Buji: "The semifinals are about to start; do you have confidence?"

"As long as I don't face Liu Ruhua, the others are still simple." Yan Buji smiled.

"Indeed, Liu Ruhua's such methods are exceedingly rare." Hu Bing said solemnly.

Yan Buji thought for a moment and asked: "Senior Brother Hu, what assistance does the sect provide for disciples who are about to achieve Foundation Establishment?"

Hu Bing pondered: "If one relies on their own strength to achieve Foundation Establishment, they can directly become a sect steward. If they need to purchase Foundation Establishment Pills or other items, they can also apply to the sect and sign an agreement; after successful Foundation Establishment they must work in the sect for ten years before being promoted to steward; if they fail, they must repay a large debt."

Yan Buji nodded: "Oh, I understand."

"How so? Junior Brother Huang, are you starting to prepare for Foundation Establishment now?" Hu Bing laughed.

"Anyway, it's best to find out beforehand." Yan Buji smiled.

"It's still early; Junior Brother Huang's spiritual power is comparable to the peak of Qi Refining. But he's only at the eighth layer of Qi Refining; if he progresses step by step, having full spiritual power and no loss of essence, that condition can be met. As for Wandering Mind and Qi-Union Spirit Method, those can be learned by consulting more of the sect's skilled lecturers."

"Oh? Senior brother, do you have any recommendations?"

"There are a few; I'll give you a recommendation letter later."

"Alright, thanks, senior brother."

After chatting with Hu Bing for a while, Yan Buji saw that the time was approaching afternoon, so he excused himself and returned to the arena.

The semifinals begin!

Yan Buji's opponent is a dark horse, seemingly having arrived a few years earlier than them; normally no one in the sect has heard of this person, and the spectators watching the match aren't very familiar with him either.

"Spirit Medicine Garden's Ma Zhen versus Accumulation Device Peak's Huang Hao, match start!"

Ma Zhen's expression was stern; having fought to this point, he naturally didn't want to hide his strength and falter. However, he seemed to have seen Yan Buji's technique before; at the outset he produced a large number of battle flags, and as spiritual power was poured in, he scattered the flags around the platform, completely sealing the ground!

Unable to sense the Earth Vein Power, his earth-attribute spiritual power was also cut off, and Yan Buji's expression changed.

"What a formidable formation!"

"Junior Brother Huang, I know your earth-attribute techniques are formidable, but I'm not unprepared either!" Ma Zhen looked at him solemnly.

Yan Buji chuckled: "Senior brother, don't think I only know one method."

"I didn't think that either, but if you can't summon those powerful earth demon statues, for me it's also less of a threat."

In the midst of speaking, Ma Zhen suddenly produced a whip; the whip looked like a whole thorny branch, and with a crack it lashed like a poisonous snake striking at Yan Buji's face!

Really quite rare.

Yan Buji is also someone rarely seen using a whip well; it is a representative weapon that, to a great extent, fights at a distance to strike close and uses softness to overcome hardness. However, as a weapon, the whip does not inflict much damage; it mainly relies on, when lashing out, targeting the opponent's strike, aiming for a preemptive hit—ideally it can interrupt the opponent's attack, forcing them to dodge.

But if one encounters a cultivator skilled in defense, it's not so easy.

Yan Buji opened two kinds of spiritual shields before him, blocking the whip's lashing!

However, this whip is formidable; upon seeing Yan Buji's spiritual shields, Ma Zhen immediately increased his mana input, and in an instant the whip lashed out dozens of times, forcibly breaking Yan Buji's soft-water shield!