novelraw Chapter 1445 - 1444 - 8th Circle
Chapter 1445 - 1444 - 8th Circle
The weaving elimination round was quite different from the others. There were no tools at all, just materials. There was also one other difference. Aside from a staff member looking on, there were also 3 healers ready to assist if needed.
Unlike other contests, pushing the limits there meant true death. A husk would be left behind and nothing more.
It also protected the staff members and the other healers to have an expert on hand if the engraving got out of hand.
The final difference was in how the isolation wards worked. They still kept each contestant protected from outside interference but there was a last ditch cut off built into the weavings. Lind had used his Dao to make each one so no Immortal could theoretically resist.
If all else failed, that final failsafe would save all their lives.
The large chamber was not on the surface but displays lit up across the arena for experts or the common crowd could watch. Weaving could be quite entertaining in and of itself compared to any other profession.
Formations were a bit tedious until about ¾ of the way through.
Lind noticed he was given 3 different plates to engrave. Even before the goal was handed to him, he highly suspected what was about to happen.
Unlike other professions, trying to eke out more effects or push the limits of materials, weaving was solely on the cultivator themselves. Thus for the contest, it was not about individual creation but connecting complex weavings into a whole new array.
Meshing 2 weavings was difficult but 3 was definitely going to stress even him. His recent revelations with Forging would not help him either as it was just too different.
Further, just like the other contests, the restriction on Dao was in place. For all 6 elementals, that meant their harmony was effectively cut off. He already felt wrong, but it made things fair.
It had been damn tricky to restrict only the harmony and not his soul power for weaving. He had worried they would have to make a separate bracket entirely for 6 elementals until he got it to work.
The Harmonic Dragons allowed him to test it at all realms and now it worked perfectly.
His emerald eyes were not as bright but aside from that, he seemed fine.
[You have 1 week to mesh 3 weavings. A weaving for healing, a weaving for defense, and a weaving for enhancement.]
Lind felt a vein throb on his forehead. There were 2 of those that were actually fairly easy to mesh. Healing and defense were quite common combinations even on separate plates, but enhancement was too broad!
He could try to find something sympathetic to the other 2 but healing was not just about the physical. Grade 7 or Law Grade weavings should help heal a soul, body, and mind if they were that good. Defense was similar hence they were quite complementary to each other.
Enhancement, however, would throw that balance out of whack!
It was truly a good test. If they could not solve this puzzle successfully, elimination was expected. It also pushed the weavers in much safer ways than trying to brute force it as the solution was about finesse, now power.
Lind examined the various effects in his mind. He could be considered a peak expert in weaving as dying was not uncommon in the profession. He had long learned to simulate the sigils, traces, and materials in his head to see how it would go.
It did consume some of his stamina to do so as weaving was closely tied to his imagination. It was safer by far to do it that way first.
Lind frowned as the first 2 weavings went much as planned but the instant he tried to enhance any aspect of the cultivator, it caused the first 2 to collapse.
Even a simple aura improvement that should technically not interfere disrupted them. He felt frustrated. It was possible as he had tested it but he truly had not intended to take the easy way out.
There was an enhancement weaving that would work but it was just barely. All one had to do was create an enhancement weaving that worked solely on Qi flow. It worked because it acted to allow a cultivator to regulate the flow of Qi better than before.
The greater efficiency would reduce the cost of Arts, conjurings, and so forth. Thus it did not disrupt the other 2 but he refused to accept that as the only solution!
Weaving was about creating his imagination and he did not believe it to be restricted so easily!
"Doing them separately is not going to work. Layering them does not work. Trying to simulate all variables just leads me to dead ends." He stood up and looked at the 3 plates. A daring thought entered his mind but without his harmony it could be very dangerous.
Rather than trying to put them together like a puzzle, why not build them simultaneously?
It was not about parallel construction but integrated construction. He was planting the anchor into each plate and building up from that foundation simultaneously. In other words, he was going to not only build each weaving for their purpose but connect them in real time rather than at the end.
Part of the issue with the last weaving was how stable the first 2 were. Even if you switched up the order, the synergy between healing and defense would still go wild.
Instead of trying to force the 3 weavings together after they were constructed, he would connect the trace bridges as he went. He had never actually tried it before but he had thought about it.
Previously, he always made the separate weavings and either layered them together or connected them for whatever ultimate purposes he needed.
The arena wards, for instance, were at least 6 pairs of weavings with one triplet set up. The last one needed 3 synergistic weavings to work and he had found ones that did after many years of trials.
Still, they could all be counted on one hand.
The methods he had relied on did not work, so a new approach was needed! He smiled as his fingers glowed and his long mane of hair also lit up. His harmony might be sealed but his soul was just fine!
Golden sigils appeared to rise from each plate as traces connected them. At the same time, each new layer would have a corded set of traces mesh each weaving as it was built.
Sweat began to flow down his back but something in his soul shifted. He did not even sense it as a new circle appeared in his dantian. His crystal shimmered as the restrictions placed on it strained to contain his power.
A Law Grade weaver still only had 7 circles but the quality of that 7th circle was vastly superior to grade 7. Once it was mastered, the limit was raised like all the others but Lind did not notice he had finally made the next step to reveal the next circle!
The staff and healers were unable to stay near him as the power pushed them back by aura alone!
"What is happening?!" A young woman in the healer group asked the obvious question but no one could answer her as while the power was impressive, it was neither Dao nor harmonic.
Lind, lost in his concentration, could not spare a thought to anything outside his weavings. At first, it had been fairly easy but as he progressed, his mind began to ache. The concentration needed was quickly exceeding his ability.
His soul felt no danger, oddly, but that was likely because he had long stepped into the Dao so Law Grade was no danger to him.
Even so, if he lost control, he could wander into danger very quickly.
He slowed down and just engraving became a chore. He was trying to scale a mountain with only sneakers and hope!
The complex symbols were growing fuzzy in his mind. The traces were also feeling slippery as the glow on his fingers and hair weakened steadily. He became a machine that was just pushing forward a centimeter at a time.
Suddenly, he was sent flying as 3 massive weavings shone with incredible power! Blood flew from his mouth as he collapsed to the floor but his eyes still could perceive the settling of all 3 weavings!
Dizziness and completely tapped out dantian left him feeling hollow but the 3 plates shimmered with golden light as the 3 weavings collapsed into them. Then, as if pre-determined to do so, the 3 plates snapped together into a long metal slab!
The bright flash that followed blinded him but then as his vision came back, he saw the staff shakily walking forward and examining his results. Shock filled his face as the 3 healers evaluated him.
"What have you done?! Your dantian, meridians, and body are nearly wrecked!" A young woman berated him but Lind had no strength, or standing, to argue. He let them sooth his weakened body.
"T–t–true Lord Frey!" The staff member suddenly called out and held up his result.
{Peak Law Grade Weaving: 3}
{Divine Restoration Weaving}
{Divine Absolute Shield}
{Divine All Enhancement}
{Unable to evaluate effects}
{Result: Pass}
Lind felt shocked as he looked at the display. It was impossible. Law Grade and 'Divine' labels did not go together!
Divine titles were supposed to be grade 8! He had recovered enough to examine his dantain and when he did, his blood drained. A new circle! It was faint but it was undeniably there but unlike previous circles, he felt like Dao was leaking into his soul!
His harmony already started the process and now he was seeing the result. He could make Divine Weavings at Law Grade!