Chapter 120: Painted Talisman Spirit Brush

"A strong start, a weak finish." After watching the two subsequent duels, the representatives from the Daoist academies and schools shook their heads, their faces betraying unconcealed disappointment.

The first duel, between Chen Mobai and Gong Xiangyu, saw the weaker contestant defeat the stronger, overcoming an opponent of a higher cultivation level.

In that duel, Chen Mobai displayed tactical awareness and combat experience, along with a comprehensive system of spells and talismans.

Among all the Qi Cultivators they had ever witnessed, he could easily rank among the top three.

As for Chen Mobai's opponent, Gong Xiangyu, he had mastered the Spirit Control Art while still at the Qi Cultivation stage, which was exceedingly rare.

If Gong Xiangyu had truly won the championship in this competition, Lan Haitain would have been willing to admit him into Kunpeng Daoist Academy.

The second duel was, in terms of spectacle, the most intense of the competition; both the in-battle breakthrough and the channeling of lightning into one's body were legendary feats.

"There are only five people left. Do we need another draw?" Shang Qing asked the Crimson-robed True Person in front of him. The latter shook his head.

"No, we'll stick to the current upper and lower bracket matchups. Kong Feichen and Yang Jing are in the upper bracket, while Yan Feng, Xue Luan, and Chen Mobai are in the lower bracket."

"If there are three people in the lower bracket, how will the matches be played?" Shang Qing was quite perplexed, as he had never seen such a matchup format before.

"Xue Luan won't be able to compete," Ning Anning interjected at that moment. "He'll have to rest in bed for the next six months."

As the doctor who had personally treated Xue Luan's injuries, he was highly confident in his assessment.

"Perfect, then we'll have two-on-two matches." The Crimson-robed True Person clapped his hands, seemingly satisfied, and instructed the referee teacher from Danzhu Academy to bold the names of the winners on the matchup list.

"The semi-finals will be in three days. The four of you, don't disappoint us!" After hearing the Crimson-robed True Person's words, Chen Mobai looked at his opponent.

Yan Feng. He was a stern-faced youth, dressed in the uniform of Yuheng High School, surrounded by his schoolmates. Their gazes met, and sparks seemed to fly.

"Hey." Just then, Kong Feichen's voice rang out beside him, and Chen Mobai turned his head to look at him.

"We agreed to meet in the finals."

"Yes, see you in the finals." Chen Mobai nodded heavily.

Yan Feng scoffed, then, amidst the righteous indignation of his surrounding schoolmates, he turned and left.

"That guy has some skill; you should be careful," Kong Feichen said suggestively, pointing at Yan Feng's retreating back.

"Hmm, I actually feel he might be a bit stronger than you, possibly the most formidable one in this competition," Chen Mobai stated forthrightly, causing Kong Feichen to tsk.

"The most formidable one is right next to me, actually," Kong Feichen said, pointing to Yang Jing beside him, uttering words that left Chen Mobai bewildered.

"She can't reveal her true power. In the semi-finals, she'll deliberately lose to me. It's a shame, though; I originally planned for her to fight you, which would save me the trouble."

Chen Mobai found this even stranger.

"Are you so confident she could defeat me?"

"She cultivates a very peculiar technique that makes her invincible at the Qi Cultivation stage. However, using that technique causes her immense pain, and it would also draw the attention of the Immortal Sect's relevant departments. That's why we decided she should lose to me in this competition."

Kong Feichen's words made Chen Mobai frown; the former's description reminded him of something.

"She hasn't, by any chance, cultivated a forbidden art, has she?"

"Oh! You actually know about forbidden arts!" Kong Feichen's expression was astonished, as if Chen Mobai had hit the nail on the head.

"Let me tell you something: Lan Haitian came to Danxia City this time specifically to apprehend someone who cultivated a forbidden art. If you don't want her to be arrested and imprisoned, it's best not to expose this matter further."

Although Chen Mobai and Kong Feichen were opponents, their first meeting had been quite pleasant, so he offered a well-intentioned reminder.

"You don't need to trouble yourself with that. The forbidden art Yang Jing cultivates is permitted by the Immortal Sect."

Hearing this, Chen Mobai narrowed his eyes slightly, but he didn't say anything more.

"If she's invincible at the Qi Cultivation stage, then why don't you lose to her and ensure her spot in the finals? That way, neither I nor Yan Feng would likely be her match."

"I don't want her to suffer, and besides, the four major Daoist academies wouldn't accept her." Kong Feichen looked at Yang Jing beside him, whose face was half-hidden under a wide-brimmed hat; she showed no unusual reaction to his words.

"Then shouldn't I be thanking you for stopping such a powerful opponent in the semi-finals?"

Chen Mobai's words made Kong Feichen shake his head slightly.

"Either way, you're going to lose, so there's nothing to thank me for." The two engaged in another brief verbal spar, then simultaneously turned and walked away.

On his way back to his rented cave-dwelling, Chen Mobai encountered a few presumptuous Yuheng High School students who blocked his path and provoked him. However, before he even had a chance to act, members of Danzhu Academy's student council intervened, suppressed all the provocateurs, and expelled them from the area.

One of them was someone Chen Mobai knew well: Chansi.

Beside her was that wealthy senior student.

"The principal specifically ordered us to ensure you prepare in the best possible condition for the semi-finals in three days." The leading student council president, a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a gentle expression and calm demeanor, explained. Chen Mobai politely thanked him after hearing his explanation, and was then escorted back to his cave-dwelling.

"The academy has already upgraded the spiritual energy in your cave-dwelling to low-grade second-tier, free of charge." After escorting Chen Mobai, the student council president swiped his card to upgrade the spiritual energy for Chen Mobai, then left with his people. However, Chansi and Shen Juanxiu stayed behind to chat with him for a while.

"Oh, right, isn't Danzhu Academy famous for its talismans? Senior sisters, do you happen to have any discarded spirit brushes?" Chen Mobai remembered that after the duels, he needed to start preparing to make talismans.

Talisman paper could be bought, and he had a good idea of the machines needed to prepare talisman ink, but he still hadn't found a suitable spirit brush for drawing talismans.

The shopkeeper of the Wood Spirit Talisman Shop had said that his spirit brush was passed down from his ancestors and he had used it since he was a child.

In the Immortal Sect, the best place for spirit brushes was naturally Weiyu Grotto-heaven, but Chen Mobai was just beginning his journey and wouldn't need such high-grade items yet.

If he were to buy online, local stores generally had only a handful of orders, and their reviews were mediocre, making him hesitant to commit.

"I have a top-grade first-tier green bamboo brush. If you want it, I'll give it to you," said Shen Juanxiu. This senior student came from a mining family that specialized in selling a type of spirit sand produced in Danxia City, possessing astonishing wealth.

"No, that won't do, it's too valuable," Chen Mobai immediately refused, shaking his head. A top-grade first-tier spirit brush for drawing talismans would cost at least 100,000 merit points on the market. He wasn't one to accept something for nothing.