Lu Zhiyun looked at the bloated behemoth before her, completely baffled.
Her opponent was from the Shenxing Sect, right?
Could anyone even run while dressed like that?
Just as Lu Zhiyun was wondering why Ye Taotao was wearing such an outfit, the chatter from the crowd below the platform made everything clear.
“That Shenxing Sect disciple is so pitiful. She was actually forced to arm herself like that just for one match!”
“No kidding! That set of armor is forged from Dark Iron Armor. It’s the same material used for high-end weapon refining, not some low-quality scrap. That whole set must have cost at least 50,000 Ling Stones.”
“Looks like the Shenxing Sect really went all out!”
“Well, since the opponent is from the Tianque Sect, it’s worth it! At least she can protect her life!”
“The Shenxing Sect has such great benefits! My master knew I was going up against someone from the Tianque Sect, so he specifically maxed out my medical insurance! He told me not to bring anything and just go onto the stage!”
“Huh? You can do that? Isn’t that insurance fraud?”
“I don’t think so? Anyway, I went up there without even wearing underwear!”
“Eww—you’re a pervert!”
***
‘Sigh, it’s all a certain Demon Cultivator’s fault!’
Lu Zhiyun deeply regretted her past choices.
If she had known this would happen when Lin Shu offered his guidance, she would have spoken up to stop him.
By the time Ye Taotao finished crawling onto the Martial Arts Platform and laboriously walked over to stand before her, the time it took for one incense stick to burn had already passed.
The referee scanned the opponent with his Spiritual Sense. After confirming that Ye Taotao wasn’t carrying any dangerous items, he announced the start of the match.
“Um… please… please give me some guidance!”
A youthful and shy voice drifted through the helmet, sounding muffled.
Lu Zhiyun looked at the shy eyes visible through the helmet and nodded.
Then, in a flash, she swung her first sword strike!
“CLOUD BREATHING! FIRST FORM, CLOUD-BRUSHING SLASH!”
Lu Zhiyun closed her mouth and began to greedily absorb the surrounding Spirit Qi, pouring the Spirit Qi within her body into the sword in a single breath.
In an instant, the blade became as ghostly and elusive as drifting mist, slashing straight toward Ye Taotao’s lower leg.
But with a loud *clang*, Lu Zhiyun was sent stumbling back by the defensive force of the armor. She nearly lost her grip on the sword.
Below the Martial Arts Platform, Lin Shu and the Three Pure Immortaless were eating grilled corn while critiquing Lu Zhiyun’s battle. Chang Jiujiu, due to her Stainless Immortal Body, was already starting to doze off.
“Is it really that hard?” The Three Pure Immortaless smacked her lips, looking at Lin Shu with disdain. “You didn’t forge that armor for them, did you?”
Lin Shu threw his hands up. “Please, check the facts, Immortaless! That armor has so many flaws. How could I have forged it?”
The biggest weakness of the armor was its bulkiness, which made significant movement difficult.
The Shenxing Sect had essentially imprisoned their own skills within that armor. It was undoubtedly an act of self-sabotage.
“Then why did they make it so big? *Yawn*—” Chang Jiujiu asked while yawning. She was truly too sleepy.
“I’m not sure, but doing this is clearly meaningless!” Lin Shu said thoughtfully.
In truth, what he didn’t mention was that members of the Shenxing Sect had approached him earlier—specifically, they had looked for “Jiang Shu.”
They had asked him to help forge a suit of armor that could ideally cover the whole body while allowing for free movement without affecting speed.
Following the principle that anyone who turned down easy money was a fool, Lin Shu had immediately calculated the costs.
Material costs, labor costs, and refining fees…
It totaled 500,000 Ling Stones!
The Shenxing Sect had naturally and decisively refused. The price far exceeded their budget, and for a single Audition Match, it wasn’t worth it.
Lin Shu regretted it now. If he had known this match would be their Tianque Sect versus the Shenxing Sect—and that they would be fighting his Junior Sister—he would have agreed to their terms regardless of the cost.
Not for the money, but simply so he could tamper with the armor and make things easier for Lu Zhiyun!
Just kidding!
Compared to doing something like that, Lin Shu believed that Lu Zhiyun could win without relying on such devious methods.
His Junior Sister had an overflowing sense of justice; doing something like that would only make her resentful.
“However, this match won’t be easy to win,” Lin Shu remarked. “Junior Sister’s sword techniques can’t break through that big iron shell. If she keeps fighting like this…”
At this point, both Lin Shu and the Three Pure Immortaless’s eyes lit up. They spoke in unison:
“The Shenxing Sect plans to use that to exhaust Junior Sister!”
“The Shenxing Sect plans to use that to exhaust Little Lu!”
Exactly!
The Shenxing Sect had felt Lin Shu’s price was too high, so they abandoned his proposal and forged a suit themselves.
Although this armor couldn’t utilize the Shenxing Sect’s speed-based Chengong, its defensive power was incredible. Furthermore, there were no gaps left anywhere. No matter what angle the opponent tried to find, they wouldn’t be able to break it.
If Lin Shu’s guess was correct, Ye Taotao planned to wait until his Junior Sister was exhausted before discarding the armor to deliver a finishing blow.
It wasn’t just Lin Shu; others had also caught on to the scheme and began to gossip.
“Why hasn’t the Tianque Sect disciple used any tricks yet? Drugging, poisoning, or throwing a few snakes would solve everything, wouldn’t it?”
“Brother, are you from the Tianque Sect? How do you know their moves so well?”
“Forget it. I experienced all three of those sets just the other day when I fought their sect. The insurance payout was 15,000 Ling Stones!”
***
On the stage, Lu Zhiyun calmly circled the giant iron shell, looking for a weakness.
“CLOUD BREATHING! THIRD FORM! CONTINUOUS CLOUD SLASH!”
Lu Zhiyun had realized this move by chance. Although a Sword Cultivator emphasized being neat and decisive—not moving unless necessary, but reaching the nine heavens once they did—she felt that she would eventually encounter difficult opponents and needed a way to handle them.
She couldn’t always hope to defeat an enemy in a single strike. While that idea was cool, it wasn’t stable enough!
The Continuous Cloud Slash was a sword technique suited for prolonged combat.
At that moment, dense strikes fell upon the armor like raindrops. Inside the armor, Ye Taotao could clearly feel the ingenuity of this sword technique.
Compared to the Cloud-Brushing Slash that Lu Zhiyun had used frequently before, this move seemed to consume less energy. Even Lu Zhiyun’s breathing was gradually becoming steady.
The most annoying part was that she could constantly move around, slashing at her without pause, forcing Ye Taotao to constantly monitor her movements.
But it was a pity!
Against absolute defense, this move was useless.
Lu Zhiyun, of course, knew this move wasn’t very effective. Its only purpose was to buy her time.
She had actually spotted a microscopic, nearly imperceptible gap at the waist joint of the armor. She could solve this by throwing in some poison, or more simply… by setting up a Tianque Sect brand Spirit Gathering Formation. Ye Taotao would be welded shut inside that big iron shell and could have a nice long nap.
But she couldn’t do that!
She had made a vow!
Tianque Sect’s reputation! I will be the one to change it!
‘There must be a scientific way to break this giant iron shell!’
Lu Zhiyun looked at the armor, and suddenly, an idea struck her!
Talismans!
When she had practiced introductory Talismans a few days ago, she had learned simple five-element Talismans. Now was the perfect time to test the results!
She sheathed her long sword, pinched her fingers together, and condensed an ice talisman and a fire talisman.
Then she began to move around, constantly striking the opponent with the Talismans.
“It’s… it’s no use! This armor can also defend against Talismans!” Ye Taotao reminded her.
She felt that Lu Zhiyun was putting in useless effort.
Below the stage.
The Three Pure Immortaless asked in confusion, “What is Little Lu doing? That magic treasure isn’t so weak that it can’t even block basic five-element Talismans.”
Although the Foundation Establishment Audition Match required Cultivators to only use Foundation Establishment-grade magic treasures, even a magic treasure of that rank would have some resistance against Talismans.
Lin Shu thought for a moment and then laughed. “I see!”
“What is it? Tell me!” The Three Pure Immortaless anxiously tugged on Lin Shu’s sleeve.
“The answer is simple! Science!” Lin Shu explained.
The Three Pure Immortaless was still confused, but in the next moment, a new development occurred on the stage.
Lu Zhiyun had unsealed her sword at some unknown point and attacked the area where she had thrown the Talismans. With just a simple thrust, she broke through the defense that had been unbreakable just moments ago.
The armor fell away with a loud *thud*.
Ye Taotao was shocked. She didn’t know how the opponent had broken her defense, but her reactions were quick. She immediately changed her plan and surged her Spirit Qi to shed the armor.
“ARMOR BURST!”
In an instant, the armor shattered and scattered in all directions, and a ghostly figure jumped out from within.
“I’ve been waiting for you!”
Lu Zhiyun channeled Lightning Magic through her fingertips and shocked the rear of her own shadow. A moment later, the “Shadow Lu Zhiyun” clutched its backside and chased after Ye Taotao.
How could a person’s speed compare to a shadow? Lu Zhiyun used a spell to swap places with her shadow, appearing directly in front of Ye Taotao.
To Ye Taotao’s shocked eyes, a long sword was held against her throat.
Sect Ranking, Foundation Establishment Stage Audition Match, round one.
Lu Zhiyun, first victory!