Chapter 192: Sound the Drum, Call for the Elder
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Elder Request Drum!
Formality decreed that only Armament Soldiers could sound the drum. w.a.n.g Baole was already an Armament Soldier, so he had the right!
In reality, the reason that only Armament Soldiers could sound the drum was that the drum stick had to be crafted on the spot, and the drum stick was a third-grade Numinous Treasure.
w.a.n.g Baole possessed such capabilities as well!
The crowd watched as w.a.n.g Baole raced towards the Elder Request Drum. The look on their faces s.h.i.+fted; their eyes widened, and astonishment rose within them.
“The Elder Request Drum! This w.a.n.g Baole is so sure of his chances?”
“Every Armament Soldier only has one chance in his entire life to sound it. He’s going for broke!”
“It’s been a few years since someone’s sounded the Elder Request Drum!”
The other examinees stood stunned as the crowd fell into a heated discussion. Lin Tianhao gasped in shock. His anxiety began to grow. He knew, deep in his heart, that w.a.n.g Baole’s Numinous Treasure was better than his.
He was surprised to find the Pavilion Head unfl.u.s.tered.
The Pavilion Head of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion was indeed composed. He remained unruffled as w.a.n.g Baole marched towards the Elder Request Drum and scorned him inwardly.
Childish. Even if this w.a.n.g Baole manages to sound the drum, he’ll only get an Elder. The four elders in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion may seemingly be cordial to one another, but in reality, they are all vying for the position of Grand Elder. Someone will naturally use this to their advantage!
Unless he manages to invite the Grand Elder, but alas, there is no Grand Elder in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion Head at the moment! Hands behind his back, the Pavilion Head watched coolly as w.a.n.g Baole approached the Elder Request Drum.
Rage burned inside w.a.n.g Baole. He was sure of the Pavilion Head’s ill intentions. He knew that they were past the point of civility. He would either walk away without being awarded first place or… call forward someone great who had the final say, who would reverse the final a.s.sessment and supersede the Pavilion Head!
The crowd watched as w.a.n.g Baole stood before the Elder Request Drum, took a deep breath in and, gritting his teeth, raised his right hand and pressed it onto the drum. ( Boxno vel. co m )
A loud boom sounded, and the Elder Request Drum started to exude an oppressive aura as a spell ripped outwards. Materials started flying out from within the drum and floated before w.a.n.g Baole.
There were Spirit Stones, a jade slip doc.u.menting the inscriptions and the crafting method, as well as a large quant.i.ty of materials.
w.a.n.g Baole’s eyes flashed. He grabbed hold of the jade slip and infused it with Spirit Qi, causing the refinement method to appear in his mind instantly. He swept his hand across and caught the Spirit Stones, and started to carve the inscriptions.
The drum stick had a hundred thousand inscriptions. It was a Numinous Treasure, and crafting it wouldn’t be a minor feat. However, it was nothing to w.a.n.g Baole. He sent both hands to work, and as he ran the formulaic deductions in his head, he rapidly carved inscription after inscription onto the Spirit Stones.
Waves of spells and Spirit Qi surrounded w.a.n.g Baole, and interwoven within seemed to be patches of light and darkness. Translucent inscriptions flashed into being before they were eventually fused within the Spirit Stones.
Everyone was transfixed by the scene before them. The debating voices grew softer, and many people started posting on the Spirit Intranet.
“w.a.n.g Baole is crafting the Elder Request Drum drum stick!”
“Quickly, to Middle Peak! Something big’s happening. w.a.n.g Baole and the Pavilion Head are at loggerheads. He’s going to sound the Elder Request Drum!”
The news spread like wildfire. Everyone who heard was reeling with disbelief. Chen Yutong, who had been handling some administrative matters at the College Administrative Department, was one of the first to know. He was instantly alarmed and raced towards Middle Peak.
There were many like him who rushed towards Middle Peak from all four corners of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion. They soon reached the Middle Peak and saw w.a.n.g Baole standing before the Elder Request Drum. He had completed the inscriptions, and his right hand rose into the air, a flame appearing within his palm.
w.a.n.g Baole was going to use Heated Burst mystic technique to fuse the materials and craft the drum stick directly!
There wasn’t one disciple who remained unaffected as they witness the scene before them. Gasps of surprise and sighs of envy rose in the air.
“Heated Burst! That’s the mystic technique the college rewarded w.a.n.g Baole with a while ago!”
“Not only is this mystic technique lethal, but it also suits Dharmic Armament cultivators very well. Dharmic Armament cultivators can refine artifacts without a smelting furnace!”
“Goodness, that’s just too cool!”
The entire crafting process went smoothly and without a hitch. It was perfect; there were no mistakes or blunders made. It made the crafting of the drum stick seem like an art performance!
The crowd watched, transfixed. Fierce jealousy flashed across Lin Tianhao’s eyes, and his breathing became uneven. As for the Pavilion Head, his pupils contracted ever so slightly, but his composure remained calm.
As the crowd engaged in hushed discussions, more people came rus.h.i.+ng from afar. Time pa.s.sed steadily. It was an hour later before w.a.n.g Baole abruptly waved his right hand. The flames within his palm spread out and vanished in an instant, and a green-colored drum stick appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Crimson tendrils were still wrapped around the drum stick, but they disappeared swiftly. It had clearly been freshly crafted and was still scorching to the touch. w.a.n.g Baole disregarded the heat; the Heated Burst mystic technique had increased his tolerance towards high temperatures. He lifted his right hand and grabbed hold of the drum stick, turned around, and gave the Pavilion Head a frosty glare. w.a.n.g Baole s.h.i.+fted his eyes, tightened his grip on the drum stick, and hit the Elder Request Drum!
Boom!
The crowd who had been watching the entire process were geared up for that moment. Nevertheless, when the war drum thundered, they were still shaken to their core. The cacophony of noises—the heated debates and discussions—disappeared. A loud buzzing echoed in everyone’s heads.
The sound was so loud, it resonated across Middle Peak, rippling across the entire Dharmic Armament Pavilion and resounding across the heavens!
It seemed to contain within itself w.a.n.g Baole’s aggrievement and his rage. It was as if he threw his entire fury behind the hit. The entire Dharmic Armament Pavilion was stirred. Those who had no idea what had happened received the shock of their lives.
“What’s going on!”
“What’s that sound!”
All of a sudden, figures were das.h.i.+ng out and about. After some asking around, they found out that w.a.n.g Baole was sounding the Elder Request Drum. Before they could form further thought on the matter, the drum was sounded a second time!
Boom!
The resulting thundering was greater than the first. As it spread out to all corners, w.a.n.g Baole’s body started shaking, and his breathing had quickened. He finally realized why the Elder Request Drum had never been sounded more than five times at one time in the past, why the most anyone could achieve was three hits.
The Elder Request Drum had a harsh set of requirements on the construction of the Numinous Treasure-grade drum stick. That, however, was not the key challenge. In principle, as long as one could craft the drum stick, he could sound the drum as many times as he wanted. In reality, how many times he could hit the drum depended on his body’s resilience!
After the first hit, w.a.n.g Baole felt a strong backlash. It flowed from the drum sticks into his body, coursed within his body, and sent quakes throughout. He felt as if his organs had been smashed together. His joints chattered as his body shook. He seemed to feel the toxins in his body shattering as he shook.
The backlash from the second hit intensified. When it lashed back at him, the toxins that had broken down surged out from his pores.
Such a deeply cleansing tremor was a boon to a cultivator. However, the pain that one had to endure was equally great. The counterforce to the hit intensified with each hitting of the drum. Most people wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.
At that moment, w.a.n.g Baole had just sounded the drum the third time. His body shook fiercely. Dark spots appeared in his vision. His strength seemed to leave him; be it spiritually or physically, he seemed to have reached a peak where his entire body was taken over by the vibrating force.
With three hits, one can call upon an Elder, but that’s not enough. Even if I manage five hits, to call upon the Grand Elder, it would still not suffice. That’s because the position of the Grand Elder in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion is currently vacant. I can only continue sounding the drum, and call upon someone higher up! w.a.n.g Baole panted heavily. He let loose a low howl and, with all his might, hit the drum a fourth time!
Boom!
The war drum trembled, and the drum sticks almost slipped from his fingers. w.a.n.g Baole’s body was contorted into an odd twist as he shook. His face was ashen. The vibrations within his body intensified multiple folds. He felt as if his bones, his meridians, his flesh, and his blood had undergone a baptism by storm. He could hardly stand, his body on the verge of collapse.
The crowd held their breaths. Everyone was overwhelmed and gasping in shock.
“That’s the fourth hit. Another hit and that’ll be the highest number of hits anyone has ever managed to reach… the fifth hit!”
Lin Tianhao sucked in a nervous breath of cold air. The expressions on the faces of the Pavilion Head and his deputies displayed different degrees of shock. The Pavilion Head of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, especially, was frowning. His eyes revealed a hint of amazement.
However, w.a.n.g Baole had reached his limits. His quavering arms could barely carry the weight of the drum sticks.
Is this my limit? How did the person who hit the drums five times do it… I won’t lose to him. w.a.n.g Baole gritted his teeth. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. The devouring seed in his body suddenly exploded into life, and with its suction force, it controlled w.a.n.g Baole’s body and achieved the impossible. His hand held the drum stick in a stiff, deathly grip, and swung towards the war drum, hitting it again!
It was as if he was a puppet and the devouring seed’s suction force invisible strings tugging his entire body. Boom—the fifth hit landed. The invisible strings that were the suction force tugged fiercely again. He felt his vision blurring. He grew dizzy and was on the verge of blacking out. The suction force tugged, struggling, and landed the sixth hit on the drum!
As the cry of the war drum resounded in the heavens, the crowd was sent into a complete shock. Lin Tianhao started hearing white noise in his head. His face was drained of blood, and he stumbled back.
The Pavilion Head’s face had never looked so somber.