Chapter 360: Long Spring Merit

"How are your hands?" Qi Huanzhi asked Lu Qiulong on Daye Island.

"They're alright, just can't muster any strength," Lu Qiulong replied, sitting on his spirit beast. He looked at his hands, bandaged by the Imperial Medical Academy and suspended in slings across his chest, and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"That person's sword is truly terrifying," said Lou Fengcheng. He opened his right palm, and golden lines continuously flickered, forming a tangible 3D image of Chen Mobai. A green lightning bolt and a small flying sword also transformed into symbols, flashing around him.

"We've found a way to deal with his lightning spell; now, if we can counter his sword light, we can defeat him completely," Xiahou Weihuan said, his face cold. He had come today too. Even after watching videos of Chen Mobai effortlessly defeating four opponents in a row, he remained confident in himself. However, after two defeats, he had acquired something called patience, which was why he was here to join the "Defeat Chen Mobai" alliance, hosted by Lou Fengcheng.

"The sword light is fire-attributed, and it seems to have incorporated some powerful spirit fire as its foundation. Water-attributed defensive spells and artifacts would be best; earth-attributed ones would also work, as long as they're not metal or wood-attributed." This was precisely where Lu Qiulong had been defeated. He had believed that after merging with the Supreme Ferocious Tiger, he could control platinum airflow to block tier-three lightning spells and fight Chen Mobai fairly. Little did he know, he encountered the Azure Sun Fire Sword Light and was completely countered. His formidable blood essence and strength, supposedly the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment realm, were overwhelmed before he could even unleash them, defeated by two sword strikes. It was a more decisive and quicker defeat than when he was in the Lesser Scarlet Heaven.

"For the next match, Wenren Xuewei's Evergreen Art perfectly counters his fire-attributed sword light. If she also has a defensive artifact that can withstand lightning spells, the two should have an intense dragon-phoenix battle." Tao Mingqing was the most composed person present. He wasn't particularly fixated on winning or losing against Chen Mobai. He joined this alliance, firstly, because of the good relationship between Taiyuan Academy and Butian Daoist Academy, and secondly, because he thought it would be quite interesting if he could defeat Chen Mobai. For Tao Mingqing, who now only harbored thoughts of forming a Golden Core, finding something to do or setting a goal during the long wait at the peak of Foundation Establishment would make life more interesting.

"He also possesses a Spirit Eye technique," Qi Huanzhi spoke. Having cultivated the "Candle Dragon Divine Eye Technique," he keenly grasped this subtle yet crucial piece of information: Chen Mobai had precisely used his Five Elements Sword Light to shatter the dozens of critical acupoints in Lu Qiulong's overloaded body after his spirit-beast fusion.

"Then, when engaging him, we'll need to use a talisman beforehand to conceal our vital energy and spiritual power circulation." Lou Fengcheng nodded. After further refining Chen Mobai's 3D model with the Inches of Space Book, he set up a tactic to counter the Spirit Eye technique.

"Should we send the information we've gathered to Wenren Xuewei?" Tao Mingqing suddenly made a suggestion.

"No need. Let them have a peak confrontation first; no matter who wins or loses, it benefits us," Xiahou Weihuan suddenly spoke, a cold glint in his eyes. "On the contrary, I hope that kid wins. That way, I can personally deliver his most decisive defeat in front of the world."

The group quickly reached a consensus. After all, Wenren Xuewei had actively rejected them, so there was no need for them to pursue her further. Besides, Jumang and Wuqi Daoist Academy were already aligned. They also didn't trust Wenren Xuewei much. Now that the two were fighting among themselves, they should be pleased.

"Good luck," Qing Nü said, squinting her eyes and making a fist, as she spoke to Chen Mobai, who was preparing to leave the alchemy room.

"What do you want to eat today?" Chen Mobai asked, standing at the doorway and stretching.

"Yesterday's roasted meat was quite good."

"Alright, but I might be back late today."

"It's fine, my cultivation technique comes with a fasting capability, so I can endure hunger well."

"Haha, it'll just be a bit late; I won't let you starve." Chen Mobai laughed heartily as he left, brimming with confidence. Although the Evergreen Art was indeed formidable, his Pure Yang Scroll was also a Divine Transformation cultivation method. If push came to shove, he could detonate an Azure Flame Sword Aura; he had enough Azure Sun Fire left to condense another one anyway.

The offline sparring session was scheduled for ten days, and today was precisely the fifth day. On this very day, at Lake Island, over a hundred Foundation Establishment true cultivators from the Four Great Daoist Academies and Ten Major Academies had all gathered, but no one stepped forward to spar. Everyone was waiting for what might be the confrontation between the two strongest individuals in this offline session: Wenren Xuewei, the first person from Jumang Daoist Academy in the last five hundred years to master the Evergreen Art, and "Battle Victor" Chen Mobai, who had restored the glory of Wuqi Daoist Academy, swept through all his peers, and was even close to completing the entire Foundation Establishment realm.

In the past, most people would certainly have believed Wenren Xuewei would win. After all, the reputation of the Evergreen Art was simply too immense. However, over these past five days, Chen Mobai had demonstrated an invincible dominance, leading many Foundation Establishment true cultivators of this generation to believe he would be one of the future pinnacles of the Immortal Sect. Moreover, Chen Mobai had yet to display his true strength in the offline sparring sessions so far. His position as number one on the Foundation Rank was now considered well-deserved by everyone.

Naturally, Xiahou Weihuan also came today. He had already helped Sima Xingyu stabilize his injuries and didn't want to miss this peak confrontation. Although he believed that his Pure Yang Scroll combined with the Yuan Yang Sword Art was no worse than the Evergreen Art, Xiahou Weihuan acknowledged Lan Haitian's strength. Since Wenren Xuewei could fight him to a draw, she was clearly also at the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment realm. Perhaps she even possessed tier-three abilities.

At the customary 9 AM, Chen Mobai arrived gracefully. He was slightly surprised to see not a single person on any of the ten arenas on Lake Island, but he immediately realized why.

"Did everyone have breakfast?" Chen Mobai first went to the Wuqi Daoist Academy's platform, handing the breakfast he bought to Zhuang Jialan and asking her to distribute it to the others from their academy. The food from Jumang Daoist Academy was quite good; though the flavors leaned towards the light side, it had a unique, elegant taste. These past few days, under Qing Nü's guidance, he had practically eaten his way through half of Wood God Island for his three daily meals, and naturally, he hadn't forgotten to bring food for his fellow academy members. Although cultivators' desire for food significantly decreased at higher cultivation levels, Chen Mobai still maintained this habit.

"Do you need me to wait for you?" Wenren Xuewei's voice came. She stood on Jumang Daoist Academy's platform, a faint smile on her face.

"No, I've already eaten on the way here," Chen Mobai shook his head. Then, he waved to Zhuang Jialan and the others and descended onto the lake surface with Wenren Xuewei. Neither of them caused even a ripple on the water as they stood within a pentagonal arena.

"Your tier-three lightning spell is formidable, so I borrowed a tier-three defensive artifact." As Wenren Xuewei spoke, she raised her jade-like right hand, revealing a wooden ring on her slender middle finger. The ring was golden yellow throughout, yet it rippled with faint watery patterns. At a glance, it looked like the shimmering sea under a clear blue sky. "This ring is called 'Tonghai' (Connecting Sea) and is made from the Great Toon Tree wood, possessing both water and wood attributes." Wenren Xuewei gave a brief introduction. Chen Mobai, using his years of knowledge in appraising treasures, examined it and determined it was likely a low-grade tier-three defensive artifact. Although top-tier Foundation Establishment cultivators like them could wield tier-three artifacts, using higher-grade ones would feel like a frail youth swinging a great hammer—extremely difficult. Therefore, Foundation Establishment cultivators generally opted for low-grade tier-three artifacts, as they were easier to control and placed much less burden on their spiritual power. While Wenren Xuewei was very confident, she still did not wish to directly withstand a tier-three lightning spell with her own strength and body.

"This sword is named 'Feique' (Flying Sparrow). It's also made from a type of spirit wood and possesses both fire and wood attributes." Since his opponent was so candid, Chen Mobai reciprocated with equal respect. For the first time, he deliberately drew the Flying Sparrow Hairpin from his high ponytail, held it between his thumb and forefinger, and, holding it horizontally before him, publicly announced the name of this exquisite flying sword. "Although this Flying Sparrow is only a tier-two flying sword, it's a perfect match for you, as if made by heaven." Wenren Xuewei seemed to possess knowledge in treasure appraisal as well; her eyes lit up, and she instantly discerned the grade and true nature of the Flying Sparrow Hairpin. However, Chen Mobai had already used this flying sword when fighting Lu Qiulong, so it was also possible that it had been photographed then and later identified by someone. In contrast to Wenren Xuewei, who had to use a tier-three artifact for defense against the tier-three lightning spell, Chen Mobai's flying sword was a high-grade tier-two artifact, perfectly matched to his cultivation level, allowing him to unleash its full power.

With a whoosh! Chen Mobai said no more to Wenren Xuewei. He immediately raised the Flying Sparrow Hairpin in his hand and unleashed a streak of Azure Sun Fire Sword Light towards her. This sword light had effortlessly defeated the incredibly powerful Lu Qiulong yesterday. Although Wenren Xuewei had mastered the Evergreen Art, she had no intention of directly taking the blow. With her bare hand, she made a grasping motion towards the lake surface. Several streams of water, spiraling and intertwining, condensed in her palm into a dragon-like water whip, which she swung down towards the Azure Sun Fire Sword Light. With a "bang," the water light exploded, and the intense heat evaporated Wenren Xuewei's water whip into a sky full of steam. A misty veil shrouded half the lake surface. At this instant, the figures of both Chen Mobai and Wenren Xuewei flickered simultaneously.

The roars of water dragons echoed across the lake. The water surrounding the Lake Island seemed to gain sentience, transforming into translucent water dragons that burst forth from the mist, carrying the wild and vast power of surging waves. Like colossal waves crashing against the shore, they turned in mid-air and surged heavily towards the red and black figure within the mist. Amidst the surging sounds, a clear, arcing sword light swiftly cut out around the red and black figure. The three water dragons that had just descended were instantly vaporized into a sky full of mist upon contact with the sword light. Yet, the water dragons seemed endless. Under Wenren Xuewei's control, they rose one after another from the lake surface like puppets on strings, continuously crashing down on Chen Mobai.

Zzzzt! A faint electrical crackle sounded in the ears of the spectators, followed by a clap of thunder from a clear sky. A thick green lightning pillar, as wide as a water bucket, shot up into the sky, resembling a colossal lightning sword. As Chen Mobai waved his left hand, it completely vaporized the twenty to thirty water dragons Wenren Xuewei had amassed. The lightning, like a sword pillar, after annihilating the group of water dragons, then descended like a toppling tower, striking down towards the veiled maiden standing amidst the lake mist. However, a clear water ripple shimmered on the golden ring on her fingertip, resembling the boundless sea merging with the sky, glinting under the morning sun. The Yi Wood Divine Thunder struck the ripple and was silently and completely swallowed by the "sea."

At this moment, a blue-gold light point flared in the very center of the mist. Then, like a bullet fired, it traversed the entire arena in the blink of an eye. Taking advantage of the brief delay as Wenren Xuewei had just controlled the tier-three artifact and her spiritual power circulated slightly slower, it pierced the green-robed maiden's right shoulder. Upon being stabbed by this sword, Wenren Xuewei's body seemed to suffer a tremendous impact, and she plunged violently into the lake, sending water splashing everywhere. Without the spiritual power enhancement of the Evergreen Art, the mist shrouding the arena could no longer be maintained, revealing Chen Mobai's figure in the center, flicking his flying sword with his right hand. However, after this sword strike connected, his expression showed no joy of victory. His eyes seemed to hold confusion and bewilderment.

"What's going on?" "Another quick defeat?" "No, that's not right. If he had won, Battle Victor wouldn't conceal his emotions." "So, he hasn't won yet? But that sword clearly pierced Wenren Xuewei. Did some life-saving talisman block the strike?" As the spectators discussed amongst themselves, Lou Fengcheng's Inches of Space Book was already in operation. With Chen Mobai in his left eye and Wenren Xuewei in his right, he was simulating their peculiar exchange that had just occurred. Among those present, only Ding Chunzhi showed surprise and realization on his face.

"Is this the Evergreen Art!" Beside him, the Divine Mechanism Pavilion successor, now dressed in the Star-Gazing Academy's uniform, murmured to herself. She, too, had seen the hidden clues.

"What happened?" At this moment, Chen Mobai spoke. He looked at Wenren Xuewei, who had been struck by his sword and plunged to the bottom of the lake, and with a flick of his right finger. The Flying Sparrow Hairpin, which he had long since refined to obey his will, glowed with a blue-gold light, slowly lifting Wenren Xuewei, who was still impaled on the sword, out of the lake. The Flying Sparrow Hairpin had indeed pierced Wenren Xuewei's right shoulder. Her green dress on the shoulder was burned away by the Azure Sun Fire that accompanied the sword light, revealing a segment of her fair, round, jade-like, fragrant shoulder. Yet, there was no blood. The Flying Sparrow Hairpin was still clearly lodged in Wenren Xuewei's shoulder!

"My Evergreen Art has only reached its first stage; it can only maintain a state where the physical body is constantly unharmed." As Wenren Xuewei spoke, she reached out and pulled the Flying Sparrow Hairpin from her right shoulder. At this moment, everyone finally saw the flash of blood at the wound after the sword tip was withdrawn. But immediately, as if time had flowed backward, the wound vanished, and the skin where the sword mark had been became smooth and delicate once more. If they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that she had been stabbed by Chen Mobai just moments before.

"If that sword strike just now had pierced your brain, would you also be able to recover?" At this moment, Chen Mobai asked, full of curiosity.