Chapter 52: Match Commentary
The match was about to begin.
First to enter the arena was Dao Sect’s Bai Hongtu. As a Tribulation Stage cultivator, what kind of performance would he deliver? Let’s wait and see.
Alright, we can see that despite being in the Tribulation Stage, Bai Hongtu shamelessly chose Confucian Sect’s leader, contestant Dong Zhongren, as his opponent—who is only in the Soul Formation Stage!
Contestant Dong Zhongren ignored Bai Hongtu’s challenge. What would Bai Hongtu do now…? He provoked him! Bai Hongtu is taunting contestant Dong Zhongren!
His words are utterly infuriating! As the commentator, if someone said that to me, I’d fight him too!
How will the Confucian Sect leader, known for his ability to cultivate patience, respond?
Indeed! We can see contestant Dong Zhongren trembling with rage… Contestant Dong Zhongren has accepted the challenge! He has accepted the challenge!
Bai Hongtu’s tactics are incredibly low-level, yet strangely effective!
Let’s all applaud contestant Dong Zhongren for his courage!
Jiang Li suddenly clapped, startling Holy Maiden Jingxin beside him.
Jiang Li continued his internal commentary.
It looks like today, we’ll be lucky enough to witness the legendary Great Scholar’s Manuscript from the Confucian Sect!
Contestant Dong Zhongren has brought out the Great Scholar’s Manuscript! It’s the real thing! A true immortal artifact!
Both contestants are now airborne. Contestant Dong Zhongren is trying to reason with Bai Hongtu, persuading him to give up the fight. Let’s listen in on their conversation.
“This is the Immortal Artifact Appreciation Assembly. You’re supposed to use an immortal artifact in battle. The only immortal artifact the Dao Sect has is currently on display. What are you planning to fight with?”
“That’s not the way to look at it. This is a Dao Sect-hosted event—how can the Dao Sect not participate? That would make us seem insignificant. Here, I won’t bully you. I won’t use any weapons. I’ll fight you barehanded while you wield an immortal artifact.”
Contestant Dong Zhongren is still trying to reason with contestant Bai Hongtu—wait! Bai Hongtu has no sense of honor! He launched a sneak attack! The match hasn’t even officially started! He, a Tribulation Stage cultivator, ambushed a Soul Formation Stage opponent!
Please allow me, as the commentator, to say this:
Bai Hongtu, you ********
Contestant Dong Zhongren has started writing in the Great Scholar’s Manuscript!
He wrote the word “Begone”!
He’s trying to stick it onto Bai Hongtu! He succeeded!
How will Bai Hongtu respond…? He’s stripping! He’s stripping! He took off his Daoist robe!
Bai Hongtu’s robe flew away! But Bai Hongtu himself remains unharmed!
Spectacular! Absolutely spectacular!
We ask all cultivators in the audience not to fight over Bai Hongtu’s Daoist robe. Dao Sect disciples, please maintain order. As embarrassing as it is, that robe is actually an immortal artifact. Please retrieve it.
Now, back to the match—contestant Dong Zhongren has written another word and stuck it onto Bai Hongtu!
Bai Hongtu took off another robe! Just how many layers is he wearing?! It seems he came well-prepared today!
Did contestant Dong Zhongren fail this time?
No! Something’s wrong! Bai Hongtu’s discarded robes have taken a battle stance—they’re attacking him!
It turns out contestant Dong Zhongren wrote the word “Battle”!
The “Battle” character manuscript can make anything fight for its owner!
Contestant Dong Zhongren presses the advantage, writing three “War” characters in succession!
We can see that these three “War” characters have transformed into three golden-armored warriors, each at the peak of the Soul Formation Stage!
Let me explain to everyone—the Confucian Sect’s golden-armored warriors are sect protectors. Every Confucian disciple who breaks through to the Soul Formation Stage leaves a shadow imprint in the Great Scholar’s Manuscript. When a “War” character is written, these imprints manifest as sect protectors to defend the Confucian Sect.
Alright, we see that the battle is getting intense. Bai Hongtu is at a disadvantage! He’s being surrounded by his own Daoist robes and three golden-armored warriors wielding longswords! And he still has to watch out for contestant Dong Zhongren!
Bai Hongtu is starting to cough up blood! He’s getting badly beaten!
But don’t worry, everyone—Tribulation Stage cultivators can be reborn from a single drop of blood. Bai Hongtu’s injuries are all superficial.
Bai Hongtu is fighting back! He’s kicked one of the golden-armored warriors away! He’s injured contestant Dong Zhongren!
The battle is brutal! A friendly reminder—underage cultivators should watch under the supervision of an adult cultivator.
How will contestant Dong Zhongren respond? He wrote the “Revert” character! He has returned to his original state!
Bai Hongtu is using Daoist techniques now! A rolling river has appeared in the sky!
It’s the Dao Sect’s Boundless River Surge!
The raging river is rushing toward contestant Dong Zhongren! The power is terrifying! But contestant Dong Zhongren has sealed it away using the “Absorb” character!
The battle is incredibly fierce! Bai Hongtu keeps using Daoist techniques, while contestant Dong Zhongren counters them with manuscript characters! It’s an intense back-and-forth exchange!
Please forgive the commentator’s lack of vocabulary.
Contestant Dong Zhongren has written the “Death” character! He’s placed it directly on Bai Hongtu’s forehead!
Bai Hongtu’s Yang Spirit has left his body! He’s attempting a soul attack! Can contestant Dong Zhongren withstand it?!
Alright, it seems both contestants have realized that this is just a friendly match, and their previous moves may have gone too far.
We now see both contestants shaking hands in reconciliation…
Wait, their handshake is lasting a bit too long.
It looks like Bai Hongtu’s veins are bulging, while contestant Dong Zhongren is clutching a “Strength” character.
The contestants have finally let go! The first round of matches has officially concluded!
“I feel like your inner thoughts were really active just now.” Holy Maiden Jingxin looked at Jiang Li in confusion. She had no concrete evidence, but she trusted her intuition.
“Not at all.” Jiang Li replied, completely expressionless.
“If they had kept fighting, who would’ve won?” Holy Maiden Jingxin decided to let it go.
“Dong Zhongren went all out, but Bai Hongtu was still at ease. He didn’t even use runes or formations. Their battle experience is on a completely different level—Dong Zhongren can’t compete with Bai Hongtu.”
“I thought immortal artifacts could bridge the gap between Soul Formation and Tribulation Stage?”
“You’re talking about offensive immortal artifacts, like Taishan Stone from Penglai Immortal Island. If the Penglai Island Lord were wielding Taishan Stone, Bai Hongtu would have no choice but to take a beating.”
“The Human Sovereign thinks so highly of me?”
The voice came from beside them. They weren’t speaking in hushed tones, so Penglai Island Lord Mo Ruoyu had naturally overheard their conversation.
Mo Ruoyu was a stunningly beautiful woman with a graceful figure and a tear-shaped mole at the corner of her eye. She had already been the Penglai Island Lord back when Jiang Li was still in the Qi Refining Stage. Now, she was at the peak of the Soul Formation Stage.
“Oh, not at all. Just speaking the truth.” Jiang Li replied casually. “I wonder, Mo Island Lord, are you planning to challenge the Brahma Tower of the Buddhist Sect, the Wishful Gourd of the Tianyuan Dynasty, or the Ancient-Modern Sword of the Great Zhou Dynasty?”
“The Old Buddha isn’t here, and I’ve fought the Wishful Gourd many times. But I’ve heard that the Ancient-Modern Sword can distort time and space—I’ve never fought against it before.”
“Ji Zhi, let me challenge Great Zhou’s Ancient-Modern Sword!” Mo Ruoyu stood and called out to Ji Zhi.
Ji Zhi naturally accepted.
Here in the Dao Sect, even with national fortune boosting him, he could only reach the peak of the Soul Formation Stage—just right for a fight against Mo Ruoyu.