Chapter 19: Prelude to the Battle!
Although the Weapon Hall was a feast for the eyes, all Xiang Shaoyun could do was watch sadly. He simply did not have the points required to purchase a weapon. Even tier-1 weapons cost at least 200 points. Even if he could get a 20 percent discount with his jade plate from the Hall of Limits, he would be extremely hard pressed and would have no points left to dine at the restaurant.
“Nevermind, I must have a weapon. At the very most, I’ll go to challenge the Hall of Limits’ second room.” In the end, Xiang Shaoyun decided that even if he had to use up all his remaining points, he would get hold of a weapon. Browsing through the section for tier-1 weapons, his eyes fell upon a saber.
Heavy Cleave Saber, a tier-1 saber. Weighing 139.2 kilograms, it was the heaviest weapon among all tier-1 weapons.
“Kid, this saber has been soaked in a small amount of blackiron. It’s just a pity that the quality of the blackiron wasn’t the best, or it wouldn’t have been a stretch to forge a tier-2 weapon. This weapon is extremely heavy; normal Basic Realm cultivators will be unable to wield this saber deftly.”
For a saber weighing close to 150 kilograms, anybody third-stage Basic Realm and above would be able to lift it. However, to become adept with the weapon, one required sufficient arm strength as well as an unyielding will. Most Basic Realm cultivators wielded weapons weighing at most 100 kilograms.
“Overseer is indeed correct. Most Basic Realm cultivators will be unable to use it well. However, it is suitable for me, Xiang Shaoyun, to use!” Xiang Shaoyun replied immediately.
“Oh? You’re that confident? Give it a try then! This overseer will give you a 10 percent discount,” the overseer said as his eyes sparkled.
“A discount of 10 percent? Great! Adding onto the 20 percent initial discount from the Hall of Limits, in total, I’ll get a 30 percent discount! I’ll have enough points then!” Xiang Shaoyun said joyfully.
The Heavy Cleave Saber was not a cheap weapon. Priced initially at 260 points, after a 20 percent discount, Xiang Shaoyun would still be short by a little over 10 points. However, with the additional discount from the overseer, he had just enough points to make it work—and even enough to live on for the next few days.
“Brat, your jade plate is actually from the Hall of Limits! You should’ve said so earlier! I’ll make a loss now,” the overseer cried out in surprise.
“How can you be making a loss? Whenever I dine at the restaurant, I always get a 40 percent discount while the Medicine Hall and Weapon Hall only give me a 20 percent discount.” Xiang Shaoyun was still slightly unsatisfied.
“What do you know? Food can easily be gotten anywhere! On the other hand, weapons and medicines aren’t that easily obtainable! A 20 percent discount is the most we give to all the personal disciples!” the overseer replied.
Lightly sneering, Xiang Shaoyun chose not to speak further, leaving the Weapon Hall with the Heavy Cleave Saber in hand. The Heavy Cleave Saber was his weapon of choice only for now. The stronger he grew, the more unsuitable the Heavy Cleave Saber would be for him.
Once again heading for the restaurant, Xiang Shaoyun exchanged all his remaining points for food in preparation for entering secluded cultivation to hone his saber techniques. This could be considered preparation for his battle with Wu Mingliang.
Among the five tier-1 battle techniques he had obtained from the outer court’s Battle Technique Hall, there was a technique called the Heavy Cleave Technique, which nicely corresponded to the Heavy Cleave Saber. This was the first and foremost reason why he chose the Heavy Cleave Saber as his weapon.
Maybe the Heavy Cleave Saber was forged to complement the Heavy Cleave Technique? The emphasis for the Heavy Cleave Technique was naturally on the word “heavy”. Only a saber heavy enough would be able to unleash the full potential of the Heavy Cleave Technique.
Images depicting the Heavy Cleave Technique flashed through Xiang Shaoyun’s mind. As he strung a few of them together, the imagery became much more vibrant, as if a saber user was demonstrating the technique right in front of him. Done with his imagery, he used the mantra for the Heavy Cleave Technique to begin his saber training.
Xiang Shaoyun’s comprehension of battle techniques was at a level others could not begin to fathom. As he sent out slash after slash, he quickly furthered his understanding of his saber technique. Just like that, he holed up in his personal compound for four days straight.
Eventually, the day of Xiang Shaoyun and Wu Mingliang’s arena battle arrived. Around the outer court’s sparring arena were seated more than 100 outer court disciples, each and every one of them eagerly antic.i.p.ating the start of the fight.
One of the partic.i.p.ants was the fourth-ranking outer court disciple whose combat power among Basic Realm cultivators was at the peak, and the other was the genius who had triggered five stars illuminating the sky; it was merely a pity in the eyes of others that he was only at the third stage of the Basic Realm.
No matter how one looked at it, everybody believed that the latter would most definitely lose.
“Look, look! Isn’t that Senior Mo Buhui? Practically n.o.body’s seen him ever since the day of the examination!” Everybody present gasped with surprise towards a certain direction.
In one corner, there was a handsome young man carrying a sword. He was much taller than most of his peers, making him seem like a crane among chickens. Furthermore, his eyes, filled with utter indifference, made him seem like an existence a thousand miles away.
This stalwart young man was Mo Buhui, the second-ranked Basic Realm pract.i.tioner in the entire outer court. It was confirmed that he was already a nominal disciple for one of the various elders.
Standing beside him was a girl with extraordinary looks dressed in floral clothing, and the various colors on her dress seemed to light up the scenery around her. She was Mei Lianhua, ranked third among all outer court disciples.
“Senior Sister Mei has come as well! Even the two of them want to know just how extraordinary this Xiang Shaoyun is!”
“Precisely! Wu Mingliang isn’t a match for either of them. They’re definitely not here to watch him!”
“Brother Mo, is it really worth our time to watch this match?” Mei Lianhua asked in a dignified manner as she tidied her fringe.
“I just wish to see how special the boy who triggered five stars illuminating the heavens truly is. Even daring to challenge the ninth-stage Wu Mingliang at merely the third stage...,” Mo Buhui indifferently replied.
Mei Lianhua gave her thoughts on the situation: “Even if he has an extraordinary physique, he would’ve been able to raise his cultivation by at most one stage. Unless the Purple Lightning Marquis used various spirit medicines to forcefully raise his cultivation several stages, he’s bound to lose this fight.”
“The Purple Lightning Marquis wouldn’t be so stupid so as to prematurely cut short the growth of a genius. That would be utter foolishness.” Pondering to himself briefly, Mo Buhui then added, “If he really is able to pull off the impossible, we should consider pulling him into our plans.”
“No way! Isn’t that just giving him a free ride there?” Mei Lianhua protested.
“The matter isn’t as simple as you imagine it to be. It’ll be hard for just the two of us to swallow the whole thing there by ourselves. Besides, pulling him into our plans may not be as straightforward as giving him a free ride,” Mo Buhui said, various thoughts flas.h.i.+ng through his mind.
“Young Master Wu is here!” With a single shout, the entire arena looked towards a direction.
Wu Mingliang and his lackeys swaggered into the arena. Arriving before the arena, Wu Mingliang leapt onto the arena platform. With a spirited expression on his face, he possessed an otherworldly aura.
“Xiang Shaoyun, get your a.s.s on the platform so that I can kill you!” Wu Mingliang mockingly shouted. His voice was particularly sonorous, his words reaching every corner of the outer court.
“Are you that eager to reincarnate? Let me help you then!” a distinct voice replied from a distance.
One could see Xiang Shaoyun sauntering over, the wound on his face already gone. He looked much more refined than when he had first arrived, having specifically combed his hair for the occasion, adding immensely to his heroic bearing.