Chapter 358: Arranging a Battle

Prompted by a gathering of cultivators from both the Jiuhua City and Half-City shops, a QQ group named the "Advanced Artifact Masters Exchange Group" was quickly established.

Jun Yangzi: "Greetings, fellow Daoists."

Duan Yue: "Greetings, Daoists of Jiuhua City. I heard you have been researching runic magic and the realm of technology over there? I wonder what fruits your labors have borne?"

Li Haoran: "It is incredibly badass!"

Duan Yue: "..."

Jun Yangzi: "... (fuming) Could you mind your language? Use fewer of those crude curses from Grand Theft Auto!"

"It just slipped out..." Li Haoran muttered, his face awash with embarrassment.

As the chief manager of the Yuanheng Pavilion, a shop renowned for reselling rare and exotic treasures, Tang Yuan was himself an artifact master of already considerable renown: "How do you intend to conduct your research?"

Not only Tang Yuan, but many other cultivators within Half-City who possessed high attainments in artifact crafting and played games in the shop actively applied to join the group. Coupled with the likes of Gongyi Xiu from the Cloud-Yunnan Region who brazenly sneaked in, the number of artifact masters in the group was clearly substantial.

Perhaps this was the very first time so many artifact masters spanning two vast regions had been gathered together at once.

Jun Yangzi: "We have already categorized our various researches into three major types: daily life, warfare, and magical combat. Currently under study are spirit crystal energy cars, new communication jades, the magic related to Harry Potter... as well as some firearms and enchantments. We already have relatively mature finished products now."

It was clear that the Wuwei Daoist Alliance, having entered every field exceptionally early, had gradually begun some rather profound research.

Watching Jun Yangzi list a vast array of projects in grand style, the artifact masters of the Half-City shop appeared thoroughly astonished: "Fellow Daoist Jun Yangzi, if we wish to research the Heaven-Revealing Mirror now, or the arrangement of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array from Legend of Chusen, how should we begin?"

"What I mean to say is..." Duan Yue inquired with utmost caution, "many sects on our side intend to invest heavily in this research to forge a high-quality imitation of the Heaven-Revealing Mirror. Is there any hope?"

Jun Yangzi: "For this, you can refer to the artifact-crafting methods of the Shushan Sect. After this old man's meticulous observation, the two share certain similarities in the Dao of artifact crafting, which may well be drawn upon for reference."

Duan Yue: "The problem is, The Legend of Sword and Fairy hasn't been released on our side yet!"

Jun Yangzi: "I have asked the shop owner, and it should be coming soon. Before its release, if you have any questions, I can answer one or two for you."

Duan Yue: "Then I am truly most grateful!"

Jun Yangzi chuckled: "No need to be polite. Your noble sect's attainments in the Dao of artifact crafting are far superior to ours. We hope for much guidance in the days to come."

"How is it?" At this moment, a crowd of sect masters and grandmasters surrounded Duan Yue from behind.

"Mm!" Duan Yue leaned back in his computer chair, staring at the screen. "Though they fight and kill against us all day long in Legend, this group of people is actually quite decent—straightforward. When the time comes, we will share our research data, learn from each other's strengths, and our progress shouldn't be too slow."

After all, these people were separated by vast distances. Aside from the fighting and killing within the game, they shared truly no other conflicts of interest. What was more, some of them did not even play Legend; instead, they drove cars together in Grand Theft Auto V, playing with fiery enthusiasm.

"Excellent!" the old Daoist Tian Xu praised, clapping his hands in delight. "When that day comes, we shall have a Heaven-Revealing Mirror for every single hand!"

Duan Lei's face twitched violently: "It is merely an imitation version, and the resources consumed will absolutely not be few!"

"For such a badass thing, who cares about what resources are consumed?" Wang Lingxiao sneered with disdain.

Then, he suddenly realized that everyone was staring at him with wide eyes.

Wang Lingxiao: "Why are you looking at me? Did this seat say anything wrong?"

Everyone: "Sect Master Wang speaks rightly. For such a badass thing, who cares about what resources are consumed?"

They nodded their heads in succession.

"First join the QQ group, and tomorrow we shall watch The Legend of Zu together again!"

Your online time limit has been reached.

Duan Yue patted his buttocks and stood up: "Let's go, let's go."

"They won't even let us stay a bit longer, honestly!"

...

As a warrior, Nalan Hongwu had to watch specific episodes of Wind and Cloud every day, such as the episode where the Sword Saint unleashed Sword Twenty-Three, or the two episodes where Wuming restored his cultivation and learned the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to their Ancestor.

At this moment, in the courtyard of the Nalan family, Nalan Hongwu held two fingers together like a sword. A domineering and pervasive sword qi instantly erupted from his body!

Within the spacious courtyard, an air of solemn desolation reigned.

"The Heavenly Sword realm is far too profound. With this old man's attainments in the Dao of the sword, I fear it will be difficult to attain Wuming's realm where ten thousand swords submit. As for Sword Twenty-Three, to comprehend a sword technique that cannot exist in the mortal realm is perhaps far too perilous..."

He held his fingers as a sword, and the sword qi surged throughout the courtyard. The razor-sharp sword qi instantly shredded all the flowers, plants, and trees in the entire courtyard into dust!

Sword One.

Sword Two.

Sword Three...

One form after another of the Sacred Spirit Sword Technique was executed fluidly through his hands.

The sword qi grew faster and faster, and the turbulent energy caused the courtyard walls to nearly collapse, while deep sword gashes appeared one after another upon the ground.

...

And at this very moment, in the Morning Star Sea Realm, the cultivators other than the artifact masters were likewise not idling.

In the sea region outside Half-City, dark clouds densely covered the sky, and beneath the vault of heaven, a massive number of cultivators hung suspended in the air.

"Old Daoist Tian Xu!" Wang Lingxiao floated in mid-air with his hands behind his back. "Our previous exchange cannot be considered finished. Since we cannot go online now anyway, this seat can only use facts to tell you whether the Nanming Li Fire Sword is superior, or the Heaven-Thunder Twin Swords!"

On the other side, the Sect Master of the Haoran Sect similarly hovered in mid-air, gazing coldly at the gathering of Half-City cultivators: "Heretical paths, learning nothing but heterodox arts! Who was it just now that refuted this seat, calling my Haoran Righteous Qi garbage and claiming the Underworld Blood Demon is the most badass? Step forward for this seat!"

The Half-City cultivators fell utterly silent. After all, many of them were only in the early or mid-stages of the Divine Ocean Realm, and they were not those old monsters of the inner city; how could they contend against the Sect Master of the Haoran Sect?

Even Black Demon, who had shouted the loudest earlier and had already simulated a fraction of the Blood Demon's might, now wore a face of awkwardness.

Right at this moment, a soft, jade-like chuckle drifted into everyone's ears: "Sect Master Xie, what skill is there in bullying a few early and mid-stage Divine Ocean cultivators? Why don't I, your elder sister, exchange a few moves with you? It is perfectly fine if several elders of your Haoran Sect come at me together."

The Haoran Sect Master, Xie Longchi, altered his expression slightly: "How did this witch end up here as well?"

Seeing that they now had a backer, Black Demon and the others instantly regained their confidence: "I said Youquan is the most badass, so what of it?"

...

An hour later.

Wang Lingxiao, Old Daoist Tian Xu, and the others looked thoroughly disheveled, their hair either half-singed or their robes shredded into tatters: "Daoist... Daoist Wang! Wait until this old... old Daoist rests a moment before I reason with you again!"

"How can this old Daoist's understanding of the mysteries of Yin and Yang be so profound?" Wang Lingxiao was also panting heavily. "Humph, we shall stop here for today. Fighting to a draw with you is not because the Heaven-Thunder Twin Swords are stronger, but because this seat has not yet fully comprehended them! Tomorrow, after this seat finishes watching the movie, I shall come back to settle scores with you!"

On the other side, the Sect Master of the Haoran Sect shouted with a dust-covered face: "May the Noble Spirit endure forever!"

"Tomorrow... if you have the ability, do not run after going offline! This seat merely lacked sufficient comprehension today; it does not mean I lost to your heterodox arts!"

Watching the Sect Master and elders of the Haoran Sect flee the scene, Ning Bi narrowed her eyes slightly. Her fair hand gently wiped away a streak of blood that had appeared on her cheek at some unknown point, and soon, it restored to its original state: "Those little fellows of the Haoran Sect have made quite some progress lately. Interesting."

She murmured softly: "It seems I must also work hard to obtain the manual for the Sunbeam as soon as possible... Otherwise, if I were to lose to these fellows, wouldn't it be immensely humiliating?"