Chapter 127
Chapter 127: Yu Ruan Ruan’s Good Luck
Yu Ruan Ruan twirled a gorgeous flourish with her spirit sword, then feigned calm as she sheathed it and said to the opponent she had forced off the platform: “Fellow Daoist, thank you for letting me win.”
The opponent who had been driven down from the stage still had not fully reacted; yet seeing that he had indeed fallen and lost, he could only swallow his unwillingness and accept the fact.
Yu Ruan Ruan’s crowd of fanboys, seeing her take another victory, scattered praise as if it cost nothing: “Senior Sister Yu is incredible, she actually defeated a mid-stage Foundation Establishment senior brother across realms,” “With Senior Sister’s strength, entering the top hundred is surely a done deal,” “What a pity; if Junior Sister Yu were already late-stage Foundation Establishment, she might even vie for the top ten,” “…”
Basked in adulation, Yu Ruan Ruan put on a modest face and said: “It was all luck, merely good fortune.”
Inside, however, she was far from as composed as she looked. [I almost lost that match… if not for…]
She appealed inwardly to the System: [“System, there are two matches left, and the rest should all be mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. You must help me make the top hundred.”]
[System: It’s possible, but the fortune you drew from Yan Zi Mo is running low.]
[That’s easy; I’ll just find chances to approach Yan Zi Mo a few more times.]
At that thought, Yu Ruan Ruan’s gaze dimmed slightly. She remembered again the heaven-favored one she had searched for many times without success. If she could find that person, she would not have to worry about lacking fortune; she could break through to mid-stage Foundation Establishment, perhaps even late-stage, and shine alone in the sect’s grand competition. But now she had to scrape and scrimp, unwilling to waste even a single wisp of fortune. The fortune on Yan Zi Mo, while greater than the average person’s, was still far from enough for someone like Yu Ruan Ruan who wanted first place.
Yet no matter how she racked her brains, she would never have guessed that the heaven-favored one she yearned for was nearby—and in the hands of the very Rong Shu she disdained.
From a distance, Rong Shu watched Yu Ruan Ruan at the center of everyone’s praise and replayed the recent fight in her mind, a faint sense of strangeness growing. At the start, judging by Yu Ruan Ruan’s expression, she had not yet figured out the opponent’s weakness. The mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator’s assault had been like a storm, wide-open and unrestrained; Yu Ruan Ruan had looked about to fail in her defense when, all of a sudden, as if a blocked channel had been cleared, she unerringly found the opponent’s weak point and then… won?
Rong Shu was baffled. If it were only once or twice that someone spotted a flaw in a technique, it could be chalked up to luck or keen observation. But to do it repeatedly—such formidable insight could not come from eyes and luck alone. It required an enormous reservoir of knowledge, because only when you thoroughly understood a host of arts and techniques could you, when others employed them, discern where their execution still lacked heat and where their cultivation had not yet reached perfection.
After all, these were merely Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators; none had attained flawlessness, and having shortcomings was normal. Only—seeing where a weakness lay was hard. Seeing it and then exploiting it was harder still. Once a weakness was known, the user would guard it tightly and leave no opening for outsiders.
After watching Yu Ruan Ruan’s match, Rong Shu left. On the other side, there was also Cheng Bu Fan’s bout, and his opponent too was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. When she watched Cheng Bu Fan win, the strangeness in her heart deepened.
Cheng Bu Fan’s cultivation was inferior to his opponent’s, but as the son of a Peak Master he lacked neither superior weapons nor high-grade arts. Relying on a top Mysterious-grade metal-element technique, the Prajna Great Golden Palm, he struck more than a dozen palms in succession. Forcing himself through exhaustion, he finally wore his opponent down.
After winning, Cheng Bu Fan collapsed on the stage, panting hard. He lay there quite a while, then only recovered after taking two Spirit Gathering Pills.
Seeing Cheng Bu Fan dog-tired, Rong Shu did not go over. This fellow loved his pride; she would simply pretend she had seen nothing.
For several days in a row, Rong Shu kept to her three-point routine: Dragon Ridge Palace, the dueling grounds, and the Alchemist Sub-Guild. In secret, she also began taking on the kinds of tasks expected of a proper Demonic Cultivator.
Once Little Hamster’s leg had fully healed, Rong Shu brought him along too. She promised Little Hamster that when no one was around she would let him out of the Beast Taming Pouch, and this time Little Hamster agreed.
At night, after disguising herself, Rong Shu began her diligent surveillance work as a Demonic Cultivator. The job was simple: watch the movements of the righteous sect members within her assigned zone and record every detail, no matter how small.
Days slipped by, and the month-end arrived. The last day of the month was the Alchemist Sub-Guild’s assessment day, so Rong Shu went early and, using her Trainee Alchemist certificate, registered for the First-Grade Alchemist exam. The assessment went smoothly; the pills required were all ones Rong Shu knew well. In the end, she obtained her First-Grade Alchemist certificate without a hitch.
Walking out of the Alchemist Sub-Guild, Rong Shu glanced at the certificate in her hand, her mood lightened a shade. It was a pity she could not test for both First-Grade and Second-Grade at once; the Second-Grade assessment would have to wait until next month.
After leaving the Alchemist Sub-Guild, Rong Shu swung by the sect’s grand competition. The elimination rounds had reached the battle for the top hundred, and the team events had begun as well. In these top-hundred matches, both Cheng Bu Fan and Yu Ruan Ruan were no longer having such an easy time. Both were at early-stage Foundation Establishment, and both had only recently broken through; it was unlikely they would advance to mid-stage in the short term. Among the top hundred, only a few were still at early-stage Foundation Establishment; most were late-stage, and even mid-stage was rarely seen.
Yu Ruan Ruan’s situation was a little odd; Rong Shu could not pin it down. Cheng Bu Fan, however, would likely be eliminated in the coming days. Still, that he had made it this far with only early-stage Foundation Establishment and even entered the top hundred was already an admirable feat.
Leaving the Foundation Establishment Stage arenas, Rong Shu watched several Golden Core Stage matches, one of them Feng Lin’s. Setting aside their enmity, Feng Lin’s talent was indeed excellent. With only mid-stage Golden Core cultivation, he relied on exquisite swordsmanship to contend evenly even against late-stage Golden Core opponents.
After a match, Rong Shu had watched with relish. The two of them were a hair’s breadth from tearing their masks off; one of these days, Feng Lin might make a direct move against her. To know the enemy and know herself, Rong Shu needed to understand Feng Lin’s strength ahead of time and look for any weaknesses.
After watching, she was all the more certain that she must not reveal her true talent and strength yet. Feng Lin was ruthless; he would surely realize that if Rong Shu ever gained power she would come for him. Until she had enough strength to utterly crush Feng Lin, she could not show even a glimmer of exceptional talent.
[Yu Ruan Ruan took five years to reach the seventh layer of Qi Refining, six years to Foundation Establishment… and here I am at the fourth layer of Qi Refining after just one year. That’s a bit conspicuous, isn’t it?] As she walked out of the arena, Rong Shu muttered inwardly.
[Ranks piled up with secret-realm resources will hit a long stagnation afterward; not being able to break through for quite a while is perfectly normal, right?]
Her plan was set. Within two years, she would hold at her current fourth layer of Qi Refining. That level conveniently allowed her to accept sect-outside assignments on her own. Once the grand competition ended, she would go into seclusion outside and return only after reaching Foundation Establishment. In two years, the dual-spirit-root disciples who had entered the sect alongside her should have reached at least the fourth layer of Qi Refining; at that time, she would use the excuse of insights from tempering herself to “break through” to the fifth layer. Not outstanding, not eye-catching, but not trash either.
Rong Shu proceeded by the book for another day. The following night, she once again changed her appearance and headed to the surveillance zone where she operated as “Xu Liu.” As she moved, a little head that always referred to itself as your servant poked out from inside the collar at her chest. Lowering her gaze, Rong Shu saw Little Hamster’s bright eyes darting about, and she reached up to scratch his small head.
She had sewn a small pocket into the inner side of her outer coat, just big enough to hold a Little Hamster, and these days she kept him nestled there. When the night wind blew and she did not use spiritual energy to shield herself, she could still feel a thread of chill—except for the small warm spot at her chest. A little fellow was always there, keeping her company. Rong Shu found she rather liked the feeling.
Arriving in her assigned area, Rong Shu hid in her usual spot. There was an inn nearby; for convenience she had even rented a room, though she had barely used it. She expected another ordinary night. But after she quietly made a round of the area, she ran into a Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Cultivator.
He appeared directly before her, and the faint corpse-qi coiling around him was the best proof of what he was. Suppressing her surprise, Rong Shu clasped her fists to the newcomer and said: “Sir.”
In the Soul Severing Sect, strength was everything; anyone whose cultivation surpassed yours was addressed as “sir.”
The Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Cultivator did not see through her disguise. In a cold voice he asked: “Anything unusual lately?” Rong Shu shook her head and said: “None.” He then asked where it was more secluded and told her to lead the way.
Halfway along they ran into several sect disciples clearly out for a night-market stroll, wearing conspicuous sect robes. Rong Shu glanced once; they looked familiar, possibly from some third-rate sect. At the sight of them, a trace of bloodthirst and amusement flashed in the Demonic Cultivator’s eyes. Rong Shu’s heart tightened. Was he planning to make a move on those disciples? She kept her face blank and said in a low voice: “Sir, we’re almost there—just ahead.”
At that, the Demonic Cultivator clicked his tongue and said: “Forget it, business first.” A few ants; once the grand plan succeeded, they would die without burial anyway.
Rong Shu continued to lead on, alarmed beneath the surface. These Demonic Cultivators were growing more brazen; even a Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Cultivator wanted to lay hands on sect disciples. Was the Demonic path plotting something new?
“We’re here, sir.” After bringing him to the spot, Rong Shu deliberately withdrew to a distance. She watched as the Demonic Cultivator took out a Formation Disc and began laying a formation. From the leakage of his aura, Rong Shu determined that he was early-stage Foundation Establishment. Seeing that he was alone and only early-stage, an impulse stirred faintly in her chest. Only one person… merely early-stage Foundation Establishment…
[Should I try it? I’ve already reached perfection in the Qi Refining Stage… try?]
The thought barely rose before Rong Shu crushed it. Her expression hardened. How long had it been, and already a whiff of arrogance? She had not even reached Foundation Establishment, and she was thinking of killing an early-stage Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator across a major realm. The idea was utterly unacceptable—far too risky. Those who became Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators were usually several decades old; their years of crawling and fighting through the cultivation world had honed methods and experience she, a Little Bai of less than two years’ standing, could not match. Cross-realm kill? Try it and die.
Once calm, she stood honestly to the side. When the Demonic Cultivator finished with the Formation Disc, he beckoned her and said: “You, come here. Remember: do not let anyone approach or damage the Formation Disc.” Rong Shu bowed her head quickly and said: “Yes.”
After the Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Cultivator left, Rong Shu dutifully guarded the installed Formation Disc, her mind churning ceaselessly.
[Why are Demonic Cultivators installing a Formation Disc in Cloud Link City? Are they about to act against the righteous sects?]
[Judging from the inscribed lines on this disc, it looks incomplete… like one of those large arrays Senior Brother mentioned before, distributed across several Formation Discs.]
Very likely, Demonic Cultivators had placed other discs elsewhere in Cloud Link City. What kind of formation was it? A trapping array to lock everyone inside the city? A killing array to slaughter all within?
Whatever it was, Rong Shu felt she could not let it be activated. After all, she stood with the righteous sects now. If the righteous path could not defeat the Demonic schools and were even wiped out, a mere Heaven’s Evolution Sect disciple like her would not fare any better.
[We have to sabotage the array without the Demonic Cultivators noticing.]
The thought rose, and with it a headache. She was not good at this.
[Should I ask Senior Brother?] she muttered inwardly. Senior Brother Lin Dao seemed to know a bit of everything; perhaps he would have a way.