Chapter 24: A Practitioner Who Cannot Fly
Hence, Zhu Yao, who had accumulated impurities for thirty-three years, squatted in the toilet for an entire day. Even if she possessed the cultivation level of a Foundation Paragon, she could barely stand still after the entire thing. When she returned to the courtyard while leaning against the wall, the moon was already glowing and the stars were already shining bright in the sky, and her master had long disappeared.
Zhu yao mustered the last bit of strength she had in her, and headed to the pond at the peak of the mountain to bathe, before crawling back to her own room. This Body Purity Art almost killed her.
From tomorrow onwards, she would refrain from eating. That was Zhu Yao’s firm decision when she got back to her own room.
She slowly closed her eyes. Oh right, I seemed to have forgotten something today? Ah, whatever, let’s sleep for now.
If there was one achievement Zhu Yao made in the last five years, it’s that she had memorized all the Arts under the Azoth-stage that she could train in. As someone who had experienced an examination-oriented education, and had crossed over that difficult path, memorizing them was simply too easy. And, master had often explained to her the principles of these Arts, so she had accumulated five years of basic theoretical knowledge.
And with her current cultivation level, when she tried to apply them practically, she was evidently able to use them easily. She basically managed to learn how to control them after a few dozens of tries. Occasionally, when there were a few difficult ones, her master would advise her at the side, and she would be able to comprehend them after that. Hence, in the next three months, Zhu Yao had been desperately learning the Arts she had fallen behind on.
However, there was one Art, that she could never conquer. And that was the Flying Sword Art.
Looking at his disciple who had once again fallen from not even a height of four meters from the ground, Yu Yan heaved a long sigh.
Zhu Yao felt like crying. Crawling up, she picked up the long sword which had fallen beside her, and showed a face of defeat. No matter how strong a deity practitioner she was, she could not conquer her fear of heights!
That’s right. Zhu Yao was afraid of heights. Just by being a little high up, her legs would turn jelly, let alone standing on such a thin sword, and flying around on it. It’s really scary, alright!?
“Master, can I not use a sword?” As a deity practitioner, it was indeed embarrassing not being able to fly. However, her fear of heights was something she could not deny. “I’m really afraid of heights, just by standing on the sword, my legs will turn jelly. Switching it with a broader weapon is fine as well.” At the very least, she would feel safer.
Yu Yan looked at her, and began to seriously ponder about this problem. Actually, in Ancient Hill Sect, there were indeed many different types of weapon users, and the weapons they used to fly varied as well. However, swords made up the majority, as, swords had the strongest attacking power out of all weapons. And, Ancient Hill Sect was famed for its sword techniques as well. Yu Yan himself, practiced in the ways of the sword.
“What kind of weapon do you want to use?”
“My requirements aren’t high. As long as it’s a little broader, convenient to use, and can be used to attack and defend. It’s best if it’s easily retractable too.”
Those aren’t high requirements, you say? Yu Yan heaved a sigh, and deeply pondered for a moment. “I will think of something regarding your weapon. In the next few days, practice more on the rest of your Arts. In a month’s time, you will be following me to participate in the Inter-Sect Tournament.”
“Inter-Sect Tournament!” This meant that she could leave the mountain. Wait a minute. “I’m… I’m participating as well?” She could not even fly with a sword, even if she went, she would probably be disintegrated in a second, right? Was it not the top three winners in the Intra-Sect Tournament who would be participating?
Yu Yan looked at her indifferently. “It’s fine if you just watch.”
“…” So she was simply going there to spectate. Why did she feel oddly irritated at her master’s expression?
“Although you have already built your Foundation, your advancement in cultivation level was too quick, and you’re still not familiar with the usage of many Mystic Arts. You will benefit from watching the fights of others.”
Zhu Yao nodded. Indeed, her actual combat experience was equal to zero. Although she learnt the Mystic Arts by memorizing and cramping everything her brain, being able to apply them, was an entirely different matter. Even if her opponent’s cultivation level was much lower than hers, once they were to start dueling, she might not be able to obtain victory.
This could be compared to when one first begins to learn the multiplication table. Anyone is capable of multiplying up to nine times nine, and anyone can simply blurt out the answer to the multiplication of single-digit numbers. Everyone knows that two times two equals to four, but what about twenty-two times two? To calculate it in the quickest time possible, it depends on one’s experience and the method to derive the answer.
Mystic Arts were the same as well. Although there were differences in the amount of spiritual energy in every person, the speed of casting Mystic Arts, and the methods of using Mystic Arts were different for everyone as well. These were the keys to obtaining victory. And, in these aspects, she was just at the entry-level.
“Master, I understand.” Zhu Yao tightened the grip in her hands. This was the first time she had treated cultivation seriously, ever since she had crossed into this world.
Yu Yan nodded, and once again began to explain to her the essentials of some Mystic Arts, before turning to leave.
Zhu Yao began to seriously practice these Mystic Arts as well. Most of the Arts she were learning were Lightning Mystic Arts, and their attack power were extremely strong. For example, the Lightning Guiding Art, as the name suggested, once the Mystic Art activates, a strike of lightning would be gathered using spiritual energy. Master had said that, once she formed her Azoth Core, she would be able to comprehend the Great Lightning Guiding Art. When that time came, what would be emitted would not be just a single lightning strike, but tens and thousands of them. There was another Art called Heavenfall, which was the strongest out of all the Mystic Arts she knew of currently. With her current spiritual strength, she could barely cast it once. The difference between the Lightning Guiding Art and Heavenfall, was that, the Lightning Gathering Art used her own spiritual power to form lightning, while Heavenfall, was to directly guide a Heavenly Lightning to descend unto her target. However, a Mystic Art like that would deplete her entire spiritual power with just a single cast, and, if she were to miss, in the next moment, she would simply be lying on the ground as she waited for her death.
Of course, other than these, she knew of other types of Mystic Arts as well. However, she would have to change the lightning spiritual energy in her body to correspond to the type of spiritual energy needed to activate those Arts, before she could use them. For example, she would require to first change her lightning spiritual energy to fire spiritual energy, before being able to activate the Fire Ball Art. Not only was this time-consuming, it was very tedious as well.
However, a deity practitioner could not simply use a single type of Mystic Arts. Master had told her not to simply concentrate on a single type. As a Lightning Spirit Vein holder, she would only be well-recognized if she was able to master all of the other types of Mystic Arts.
A month later. The day of the Inter-Sect Tournament.
Ever since three days ago, Zhu Yao was able to feel the atmosphere around the sect was different compared to before. There were even more disciples passing by the cold and quiet Jade Forest Mountain as well. Although they were unable to enter the mountain, with Zhu Yao’s current divine sense, she was still able to sense them.
Zhu Yao could feel a large wave of festivities approaching, however… she was unable to leave.
Ever since her spiritual energy went berserk, her master once again reinforced the formation, and this time, not even a paper crane could fly in. When she found out this truth, tears flowed out of Zhu Yao’s eyes.
Her master had promised to bring her to watch the competition, however, in these last three days, she could not even find his figure at all. She had flipped the entire Jade Forest Mountain, and his figure was still nowhere to be found.
No, to be exact, she had not seen her master for an entire month. Ever since he explained to her about some of the Mystic Arts, he disappeared. Although he had often disappeared without even notifying her in the past, he had never been gone for this long before. If not for the fact that she was unable to leave the mountain, she would have already went to the Sect Master to file a missing person report.
Master, hurry back and fetch your disciple! I want to leave!
Zhu Yao waited bitterly for an entire morning, and only at noon, did her master, who had been lost for an entire month, finally return. Zhu Yao could not restrain herself from shooting him with a resentful stare with a magnitude of a hundred thousand electrical volts.
Unfortunately, the certain master ignored her.