I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 303 - 292: Maddeningly Cool

Ge Mang was clearly taking this battle extremely seriously, setting aside plenty of time for "Master" to study him. But for Wang Meng... ’Damn, one little snack isn’t going to fill me up.’

A random match.

The attention "Master" received from a true powerhouse like Ge Mang instantly boosted his profile, making him famous in the levels between the Twenty and Thirtieth Layers. The fact that he had managed to pique Ge Mang’s interest in his control over Magic was particularly intriguing to several factions. Still, rumors were just rumors, and no matter how outrageous, they had to be verified in person.

There were plenty of well-known figures between the Twenty and Thirtieth Layers. For example, every battle featuring the newest generation’s Yan Yuyue, Ma Tian’Er, Du Ziyu, and Gong Yunluo would draw the attention of numerous Cultivators.

In the past, Ge Mang had been in a similar position to where Yan Yuyue was now. The only difference was that with the kind of talent people like Yan Yuyue possessed, it was almost certain they would advance beyond the Thirtieth Layer within five years. Once their mastery of Magic reached a certain point, promotion would become inevitable.

When the opponent appeared, everyone was stunned. It was Du Ziyu!

So far, the four great experts of the new generation had all maintained perfect win streaks—an utterly extravagant and brilliant record. However, since these four also initiated random matches, they had yet to face one another. Among them, one belonged to the Dragon King Faction, one to the Empress Faction, and two to the Celestial King Faction, a testament to their status and strength.

And now, things were getting interesting. The popular grassroots "Master" was up against a true celebrity: the "Little Separation Sword," Du Ziyu.

Coming from a Sect ranked in the top fifty of the Star Alliance, Du Ziyu was, in the eyes of the Cultivation Academy’s Cultivators, from a truly prestigious lineage. Although many from famous Sects failed to adapt to the Cultivation Academy, if you showed you could handle it, the subsequent support you received was something ordinary Sects could never hope to match.

This battle would be the true test of "Master’s" mettle. Would we see a mule or a thoroughbred?

The so-called Curved Sword Skill and other such tricks probably wouldn’t pose a challenge to an expert like Du Ziyu. The real question was, why would a senior expert like Ge Mang choose Master over them? Did that mean Master was actually stronger?

When Du Ziyu saw his opponent, he couldn’t help but smile. ’Speak of the devil. To think I’d find him without even trying.’ If he defeated Master, he would be very interested in taking on Ge Mang’s challenge. The outcome of a single battle didn’t matter; the experience gained from dueling an expert was what was truly priceless.

’Curved Sword Skill? He actually has the gall to show off such a basic Sword Technique? It’s only good for bullying the weak.’

Cultivators were divided by levels, and at the Cultivation Academy, those divisions became even more pronounced!

This was an unexpected encounter.

Du Ziyu sized up the opponent who dared not reveal his true face, a provocative look in his eyes. As someone from a prestigious Sect, he had no patience for such pretentious opponents. ’For someone like this, I’ll just have to teach him a lesson with a completely overwhelming attack!’

"Kill!"

With Du Ziyu’s furious roar, the Magical Combat began. With a mere thought, he channeled his Sword Formulas, and his Long Sword unleashed a volley of Sword Qi blasts at Wang Meng.

Wang Meng’s figure weaved through the Sword Qi, searching for an opening.

A cold sneer formed on Du Ziyu’s lips as he pressed his advance step by step. His Sword Form suddenly shifted, and shining arcs appeared amidst the Sword Qi.

He had unleashed the Curved Sword Qi!

And unlike Master’s singular Curved Sword Qi, Du Ziyu’s attack contained both curved and conventional Sword Qi, which meant his Life Mark was extremely versatile when it came to switching and combining methods.

"Ge Mang, looks like our dear Master is in for a tough fight. If he loses, would you be interested in that kid, Du Ziyu?"

Mo Wuzheng said with a grin.

The Cultivation Academy was truly a place where the new generation constantly overtook the old. Seeing how exquisitely Du Ziyu used his Sword Formulas, even they could feel the pressure.

While having more time on the path of Cultivation offered an advantage, it was by no means the ultimate factor in deciding victory or defeat.

"This Du Ziyu is from the Yunxiao Sect. His fundamentals are solid. Coming from a top-fifty Sect, his ability to adapt to the Cultivation Academy is far greater than that of those from ordinary Sects. It’s not surprising that Du Ziyu can perform at this level."

"Master has met his match this time."

"I’m more interested in whether Master is just pretending to be weak to lure in his prey. Is his Elemental Power really only at the Twenty Layers?"

Within the void, a large crowd of spectators had already gathered. For Cultivators below the Thirtieth Layer, this battle was clearly a massive draw. Du Ziyu was an absolute standout, a celebrity among the new generation of Cultivators. Some people were destined for a brilliant future from the moment they arrived; he might not pay attention to others, but that didn’t mean others weren’t paying attention to him.

Du Ziyu’s Sword Technique was sharp and fierce. He continuously pressured Master by combining his Curved Sword Qi with conventional Sword Qi. Master fought back with his own Curved Sword Qi, but for Du Ziyu, who had also comprehended it, a simple stream of Curved Sword Qi wasn’t very difficult to handle.

Master, on the other hand, was clearly struggling to keep up. If he could use the Double Arc Sword Qi, it would be a decent counterattack. However, such a counter was often fraught with danger. It had to be a one-hit-kill. If Du Ziyu dodged it, he would leave himself wide open. It was a finishing move you used when it was do or die.

"Looks like Du Ziyu doesn’t plan on giving Master any chances. His Sword Technique is just too solid!"

Mo Wuzheng chuckled. "In comparison, while Master’s Sword Technique is fierce, it feels incomplete. Ge Mang, you know he’s doing this for you."

Ge Mang didn’t look at Mo Wuzheng. "I have no interest in Du Ziyu."

It wasn’t that Ge Mang thought Du Ziyu was weak. In fact, he could certainly recognize quality when he saw it. Comparing Du Ziyu to Master, the former was clearly a cut above. Moreover, Du Ziyu was also controlling his Elemental Power, keeping it below the Twenty-Fifth Layer to ensure he could perform optimally while still displaying his full range of Skill Techniques. He was calm and very pragmatic.

But Ge Mang had no interest in this person. He wanted to fight Master because of the *feeling* of battling him—a sensation he craved. If he were just looking for an opponent, he had no interest in bullying a junior.

"Master is steadily losing ground. He either uses the Double Arc Sword Qi or gets killed by Du Ziyu."

"That guy’s luck has been too good recently. It’s about time things went south for him."

The spectators saw things with perfect clarity. Master was actually quite good, but his style was too one-dimensional. The moment he encountered a true expert, his shortcomings were glaringly obvious.

Du Ziyu’s Sword Qi controlled the flow of battle. Finally, the time had come to make his move.

Rings of Elemental Power surged up his Long Sword. Du Ziyu’s eyes remained fixed with a sharp killing intent—"Now!"

BOOM...

A dazzling blast of Sword Qi shot out, carving two beautiful, curving arcs through the air as it instantly closed in.

The whole process took but an instant. Master was completely on the defensive. He had just dodged the previous attack when the ferocious Double Arc Sword Qi was already upon him.

He himself had used it before, so he was perfectly clear on the power of the Double Arc Sword Qi.

Du Ziyu stared at the tip of his sword, savoring the thrill of unleashing such a powerful attack. Instantly blasting out the Double Arc Sword Qi brought an indescribable sense of satisfaction to any Sword Cultivator.

It was a Sword Technique akin to a work of art.

It’s over!

The Double Arc Sword Qi slashed toward Master’s waist. At that moment, just as Master seemed to be at his wit’s end, the brilliant light in his eyes flared up again.

His body suddenly began to spin. His Long Sword danced along with the movement, diverting the Sword Qi. The Double Arc Sword Qi that Du Ziyu had launched began to revolve around Master’s body.

Everyone was dumbfounded. Was Master trying to redirect his opponent’s Sword Qi?

Redirecting normal Sword Qi wasn’t too difficult, but this was the Double Arc Sword Qi.

Master’s body swayed like a phantom, his Long Sword flashing up and down, leaving a trail of afterimages.

BOOM...

The Long Sword swung out...

A dazzling blast of Sword Qi shot out. A savage grin spread across Du Ziyu’s face. ’I’ll be damned.’ He had actually managed to block his Double Arc Sword Qi. But to think he could win just like that was pure fantasy.

Du Ziyu had a much deeper understanding of the Double Arc Sword Qi. Under the training of his Sect’s elders, he knew better than anyone how to dodge it.

The instant Master broke the technique, Du Ziyu immediately executed the Seven-Star Step. The Double Arc Sword Qi had blind spots, but one had to anticipate them in advance and have a deep understanding of the technique itself.

Not many could do it, but he was one of them!

Mingyue, who had been silent all this time, showed a cold smile. "Ge Mang, it looks like you’ll have to consider finding a new opponent."

"That guy Ge Mang just loves to make things complicated. Why go to all this trouble..."

While everyone was still marveling at Du Ziyu’s exquisite Seven-Star Step, they noticed the Sword Qi transform. It let out a flash of light that seemed to defy all principles...

The Seven-Star Step should have been enough to dodge it, yet in that split second, a flash of light—a life-stealing arc—curved around Du Ziyu’s neck. Du Ziyu’s body froze mid-motion.

At the same time, the discussions in the void also came to an abrupt halt.

What was that???

The Double Arc Sword Qi was already the limit, but just now?

Du Ziyu clutched his neck, the shock in his heart far outweighing the pain. In that instant... ’The Double Arc is the limit!’

A Triple Arc Sword Qi???

The Cultivation Academy had no such Sword Formula! None of the Sects had ever heard of it!!!

THUD. Du Ziyu collapsed to the ground. Master merely gave the sword in his hand a detached glance, just as he always did, before his figure gradually faded until it vanished completely.

Mo Wuzheng slowly clicked his tongue. "Mingyue, your eyes are the sharpest. That couldn’t have really been a damn Triple Arc, could it???"

Mingyue, who always remained unfazed, had a strange look on her face this time. She nodded. "To be precise, he borrowed Du Ziyu’s power. Now this is truly interesting."

That one sword strike was truly blinding. If people had all sorts of speculations about this Master before, this single strike shattered every single one of them. They were all wrong.

No matter how strong someone was, they could not transcend the scope of the Cultivation Academy’s Magic. You could cultivate more profound and powerful Magic within the Academy, pushing it to its limits, but no one had ever broken past those fundamental boundaries. Until now.

And this time, the victim was Du Ziyu, one of the top figures among the new generation of Cultivators.

Somewhere in the Cultivation Academy, a roar erupted, followed by a CRASH. Du Ziyu couldn’t believe he had been defeated like this!

’How is that possible?’ Just redirecting the Double Arc Sword Qi was unbelievable enough, but someone could actually borrow its power completely? ’What kind of Sword Technique was that? And what kind of Cultivation Technique???’

Master had won again, just as "unremarkably" as ever. It was the same unremarkable way he had lost, match after match, last year.

When he lost, Master’s style was simple. When he won, his style was still just as simple. Still so incomprehensible. So... infuriating!

(Author’s Note: Finally feeling a bit better today. I feel like a good long sleep will get me 70-80% back to normal tomorrow. To all my dear readers, I’ve been slacking off and haven’t properly asked for votes for a few days. Please show your support for Skeleton! Sigh, I went out today and ran into an acquaintance, and the first thing they said was, "You’ve lost weight again." Damn, that hurts! I need to eat more, exercise more, and eat even more!!!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)