Chapter 137 - 119: Entry
For the next month and more, Lü Zhong spent most of his time making Talismans and cultivating.
In his spare time, he also wrote his novels.
With Li Hejun and the other woman handling it, he didn’t have to worry about printing the books.
The income from the novels was a steady stream, so he no longer needed to go out and painstakingly tend a stall. He could now focus his energy on his cultivation, living the life he had previously envisioned in a completely unexpected way.
With his solid foundation in Talisman Making, he made steady progress in practicing the Golden Light Talisman.
At the same time, he didn’t neglect his preparations for his pack of Mechanical Beasts.
The Mechanical Beast bodies he had custom-ordered from the workshop were delivered on the agreed-upon date. After installing a Mechanical Soul into one, a Copper Leopard Mechanism Beast with combat power equivalent to an Early-stage Qi Refining cultivator was considered fully assembled.
Finding a spare moment, Lü Zhong sought out a nest of Water-Playing Beasts to practice on. He had accidentally discovered them while searching for a Soul Nourishing Land. Their lair was in a cavern at the bottom of the Great River, and he would have never found the Demon Beasts if he hadn’t happened to see the pack leaving to hunt.
Water-Playing Beasts are Tier One Demon Beasts that live in groups. An individual’s strength is comparable to that of a Copper Leopard Mechanism Beast.
In a single battle, he wiped out the entire nest.
The materials he obtained weren’t worth much when converted to Spirit Stones, only about a thousand in total.
Lü Zhong’s greatest gain wasn’t the Demon Beast Materials, but rather the combat experience of controlling a group of Mechanical Beasts at scale.
After that, he focused all his energy on practicing the Golden Light Talisman.
On the eve of the ranking tournament, he finally had a breakthrough.
After two months of dedicated, arduous practice, Lü Zhong had mastered the method for creating the Golden Light Talisman, successfully making his first one today. Although it might have just been a stroke of luck, it proved he was on the right path.
He was confident he could increase his Talisman Making success rate to thirty percent before the ranking tournament began.
And that was the minimum requirement to be considered proficient in a type of Talisman.
...
Nearly half a month passed.
The day of the ranking tournament arrived.
Lü Zhong rose early, just as the sky was beginning to brighten.
Outside, Li Hejun and Hong Fu were already waiting with hot water and breakfast, having been there for a long time. They had come to see their master off, a truly heartfelt gesture. After all, if Lü Zhong could really become an Outer Disciple of the Heling Sect, they too would benefit greatly from his success.
After washing up and eating the meat congee made with Spirit Rice, he finally headed out.
Perhaps because the ranking tournament was starting, the streets were much more crowded. Many of the people were cultivators who had reached Late-stage Qi Refining. Some walked in groups of three or five, while others, like Lü Zhong, were alone. All were heading toward the Heling Sect’s Outer Sect, where the tournament was being held.
When he arrived before the mountain gate, he saw that it had changed.
The normally pure-white White Stone Mountain Gate was now flanked by two long, tricolored banners. Each was woven from brocade, over three hundred feet long, and embroidered with the white, blue, and purple insignia of the Heling Sect.
This insignia had a grand origin; the Heling Sect called it the "Three Spirits Unification Seal."
It represented the three legacies of the Heling Sect and held an extremely special meaning.
Besides these two eye-catching banners, the sides of the road were also decorated with tricolored ribbons and pots of vibrant flowers.
Walking along this meticulously decorated path, all the cultivators participating in the ranking tournament felt a sense of being valued.
Following the path to its end led to a magnificent grand hall.
The hall stood over a hundred feet high, clearly taller than the surrounding buildings.
Its massive doors were currently shut tight.
Lü Zhong followed the crowd to the plaza in front of the hall. About thirty-odd cultivators in varied attire were there, some standing and others meditating. All were participants in the ranking tournament.
Perhaps because everyone had arrived, the hall doors slowly swung open, accompanied by the sound of drums and music.
A group of people emerged from the hall, dressed in Heling Sect robes of various colors. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a short beard who possessed a commanding presence, radiating a powerful aura.
"It’s a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!" someone in the crowd shouted.
Hearing this, Lü Zhong quickly deactivated his Qi Observation Skill, lest he be blinded again.
"The rules of the ranking tournament are simple," the short-bearded man announced, his voice booming like a great bell. "You will each draw lots to determine your opponent. Every match is a single, decisive bout. Winners advance to the next round until a champion is determined. You are permitted to injure your opponents, but you are forbidden from intentionally taking a life. Violators will be disqualified."
"Yes, sir!" the crowd below responded in unison.
"Very good!" The short-bearded man nodded in satisfaction.
The drawing of lots began immediately.
Lü Zhong and the others took turns drawing to determine their opponents.
Taking his lot, Lü Zhong glanced at it and saw the number "17."
A Heling Sect servant saw him and approached, his demeanor extremely respectful. "Immortal Master, your lot, number seventeen, is matched with Platform Nine. Please, follow this humble one."
Following the servant, he arrived at Platform Nine.
On the platform, a brawny, bushy-bearded cultivator dressed in a bearskin coat stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He turned his gaze toward Lü Zhong.
Seeing that Lü Zhong’s aura was weaker than his own, the man immediately broke into a confident smile. "Fellow Daoist," he proposed, "your cultivation is a level lower than mine. The way I see it, there’s no need for us to fight. Why don’t you just concede now?"
Lü Zhong chuckled and shook his head. "I wouldn’t be so sure."
Just then, a horse-faced Heling Sect disciple walked up from below the platform. Overhearing their conversation, he said coldly, "Cut the chatter. They’ve already finished two matches over at Platform One. Let me repeat the rules. In addition to what Senior Uncle Niu said about not taking a life, a match is decided when one party concedes. In other words, no matter what methods you use, as long as you make your opponent give up, you win. Do you both understand?"