novelraw Chapter 160 - 158: This Is Hu Jing
Chapter 160 - 158: This Is Hu Jing
Seeing Hu Jing come up, Xu Song’s face showed a hint of interest. This Hu Jing had some skill, after all.
Overall, his assessment of the Thunderlight Hall disciples was that their talent was acceptable, but their fundamentals were shaky and their understanding of Professional Magic was terrible. It seemed Thunderlight Hall believed a single trick could conquer all.
"Three days ago, I witnessed Senior Sister Hu’s Combined Talismans. I’ve been wanting to test them out." Xu Song was quite high-profile. Coming from someone else, these words might have been acceptable—after all, momentum was crucial in the grand competition. But combined with Xu Song’s expression, it came across as an infuriatingly blatant disdain, no matter how you looked at it.
"Please!" Hu Jing couldn’t be bothered with his nonsense. She’d let her actions speak for her.
"Please!"
Jia Shidao was still beaming. He really didn’t know what to say. The bunch from Thunderlight Hall were just too inexperienced.
A half-assed Talisman Cultivator challenging a true elite Bow Cultivator. How amusing.
Hu Jing was a generalist Talisman Cultivator, not a dedicated Technique Cultivator or Pill Cultivator. She hadn’t practiced magic like the Poison Lotus Curse; she spent her time solidifying her Life Mark and basic Cultivation Techniques. Hu Jing was well aware that one can’t master everything by being greedy. The gap in specialization was obvious, and there was nothing to be done about it. In a few days, her future opponents might face the same problem she was facing now, but Hu Jing considered this valuable experience.
The battle began.
As a Bow Cultivator, Xu Song didn’t rush to attack like Zhang Xiaojiang. Instead, he waited with a faint smile for Hu Jing’s assault. The moment the battle started, Hu Jing’s Fire Talismans shot out. Control, like Lu Miaoyin’s, was a hallmark of Talisman Cultivators. In a fight like this, a Talisman Cultivator had to dominate the field to unleash the destructive power of their Combined Talismans. This time was different from before; after the battle with Hundred Herbs Hall, her opponents knew she possessed such high-powered Talismans.
But in the world of Cultivators, any move was just a move. No matter how powerful it was, it had to hit its target.
Xu Song was the model of an archer—handsome and sharp, clearly very agile at a glance.
Fire Talismans drifted through the air. Xu Song kept his hands clasped behind his back. His opponent was the Senior of Thunderlight Hall, yet Xu Song dared to be this arrogant.
Hu Jing had put a lot of work into her Fire Talismans. It was the most basic move for a Talisman Cultivator, but it could play a crucial role in many situations. No matter the type of magic attack, it had to be linked by Fire Talismans. Only through such suppression could one gain the precious time needed to unleash their ultimate killing move.
Hu Jing had worked hard on suppression, control, and especially prediction during her specialized training. This was fully demonstrated in her battle against Hundred Herbs Hall. Yet, her Fire Talismans were missing one after another.
Xu Song still looked relaxed, smiling as he dodged. "Senior Sister Hu, you seem to have misunderstood something. Not everyone is as pathetic as that trash from Hundred Herbs Hall. You’re not the only ones who value fundamentals, and you’re certainly not the only ones with talent."
Xu Song’s footwork was exceptionally light. His evasions were flawless, without a single wasted movement.
This was the gap in skill. There was a reason Zhao Ya had wanted to get rid of Zhang Xiaojiang back then. A Bow Cultivator’s body wasn’t as tough as a Body Cultivator’s, their attacks couldn’t be used defensively like a Sword Cultivator’s, and they didn’t have various Defense Magic like Technique Cultivators and Pill Cultivators. Therefore, a Bow Cultivator had to be agile. They had to cultivate the nimbleness to deal with all other types of Professional Magic attacks before they could find an opportunity to counterattack.
Surprise attacks and support were merely the basic requirements for a Bow Cultivator.
And obviously, for a fat person, agility was completely out of the question. If Zhang Xiaojiang had been eliminated back then, perhaps he wouldn’t have to suffer today’s humiliation. A moment of soft-heartedness might just allow this disgrace to continue.
Down in the crowd, Zhang Xiaopang’s face grew even paler. Lu Miaoyin had shown excellent control, winning her match with restraint. But the one who truly crushed Zhang Xiaopang’s spirit was Xu Song. *This* was a Bow Cultivator.
’But why? Why did Master never mention evasion to me? The Ten Thousand Arrows Kill Stream... you need a chance to even unleash that! Who would give someone like me that chance?’
Suddenly, Zhang Xiaojiang understood. He... he really wasn’t suited to be a Bow Cultivator. And if he couldn’t be a Bow Cultivator, he couldn’t be a Cultivator at all. Outside of a little talent with a bow, he truly had nothing.
’Was Master just taking pity on me?’
’And Brother Meng? Why did he always say I was destined for greatness? How could someone like me ever achieve greatness?’
Although Zhang Xiaopang often spoke of grandly dominating the Holy Hall, he actually had the least confidence of all. He just wanted to join in the excitement with everyone, to adventure together. That was his joy in life.
It turned out he was just a burden. Wang Meng and Hu Jing had been taking care of him all along...
He had to go back and find his master. He had to ask him why. Why had he lied to him!
Everyone’s attention was on the battle. Zhang Xiaojiang slowly backed out of the crowd.
Hu Jing’s Fire Talismans were basically unable to connect. It wasn’t that she didn’t predict his movements or lead her shots; it was that Xu Song was also predicting her attacks, and his agility was truly demonic.
"Senior, Junior Brother Xu is truly amazing. In just a few years, his footwork has already grasped the true essence of Flying Shadow. He’s truly a flying shadow—you can see it, but you can’t pin it down," An Yushu said with a laugh.
"That kid is in the real genius category. Aside from being a bit arrogant, he really has no other flaws."
Jia Shidao smiled happily. To be talented and willing to work hard... a bit of arrogance was a minor flaw, but also normal. As the Senior, he had enough magnanimity to tolerate that much.
Hu Jing had clearly noticed this as well. An ordinary Bow Cultivator could never achieve this. The fact that her opponent hadn’t even attacked yet put immense pressure on her. But this was a battle of wills. She had to keep attacking. If her momentum faltered, her confidence would be completely lost.
With no other choice, she could only forcibly use the Hundred Talisman Butterfly Stream, trying to hammer out an advantage with a surging Fire Talisman Array.
Their Elemental Power was also about the same, with no clear advantage on either side. In fact, this was a principle that all experts understood: once one’s Life Mark reached a certain level, the crucial factor for a long time was the comprehension and use of Magic. Only a fool would single-mindedly rush to raise their Life Mark Level.
Hu Jing had poured immense effort into her Hundred Talisman Butterfly Stream. A volley of more than ten Talismans seemed chaotic, but in reality, they were all meant to block Xu Song’s various escape routes. This method of expending a burst of Elemental Power couldn’t be sustained. She had to seize the advantage and unleash her killing move, or all would be for naught.
With Talismans filling the sky, any expert would have counterattacked by now. But Xu Song was the same as before, challenging the Talisman Array head-on. His body displayed an incredible flexibility. At times, the Talismans would skim past his body, a hair’s breadth from triggering, but that tiny gap was enough to prevent it.
It was an incredibly difficult feat, but for Xu Song, it was effortless. He even seemed a little excited.
On the surface, Hu Jing was calm, but the Hundred Talisman Butterfly Stream consumed a massive amount of power. What’s more, she had run into her nemesis. Her opponent’s perfect evasion gave her no chance to use her Ice-Fire Talisman.
Bursting Fire Talismans began to appear among the regular Fire Talismans. But the moment a Bursting Fire Talisman appeared, the rhythm of her attack faltered slightly. This was actually an opportunity for Xu Song to counterattack, but he was quite accommodating, seemingly wanting to experience the full extent of her abilities.
The Bursting Fire Talisman exploded near Xu Song, creating area-of-effect damage. Xu Song’s evasive movements became larger, and at the moment of detonation, his body swayed like a snake. The Elemental Power from the explosion seemed to be parted by his movement.
Yao Yuan and Fang Lufei were also a bit surprised. They knew the Beast Hall had produced a genius, but they hadn’t expected him to comprehend Flying Shadow to such a level. It wasn’t just evasive movement; his body itself could now use Elemental Power to dodge such explosive attacks.
One could only say he was a true Bow Cultivator genius. Compared to that fatty from before... the difference was like heaven and earth. Damn, the saying "don’t fear not knowing the value of goods, fear comparing them" was true.
Poor Thunderlight Hall. They must have used up all their luck in the battle against Hundred Herbs Hall. They had completely countered Hundred Herbs Hall last time, and now they were being completely countered by Beast Hall.
Running into Xu Song, one could only say that Hu Jing’s luck was bad.
When Xu Song completely dodged Hu Jing’s Bursting Fire Talisman, the entire Beast Hall section erupted in cheers. His use of Flying Shadow was truly sublime. Hu Jing’s Hundred Talisman Butterfly Stream wasn’t bad, she made no mistakes, and her timing was good.
But this was the world of Cultivators. Her opponent was simply stronger than her, no reason needed!
Hu Jing realized this as well. It was hopeless. The Elemental Power consumption was too great. This battle made her realize the severe consequences of having an insufficient repertoire of magic.
The only thing she could do now was to forcibly use the Ice-Fire Talisman and see if its power could turn the tide of battle.
Just when everyone thought Hu Jing was about to pull back, she launched an even fiercer attack. This was clearly a final, desperate assault. If he could block this wave, Hu Jing could just surrender directly to save herself from further humiliation.
The Hundred Talisman Butterfly Stream was ferocious, but Xu Song was even more stylish. The man was too clever. At first, he kept his arms pressed tightly to his body simply to make his evasion more extreme and perfect, without any interference. This had the same effect as clasping his hands behind his back, but clasping his hands had an additional effect: it provoked his opponent and unbalanced their state of mind.
This move was called attacking the mind!
What is a genius? *This* is a genius. Not those idiots who somehow managed to muddle their way up here.
"So naive. Does she really think getting closer will let her land a hit? She really doesn’t understand the power of Flying Shadow."
"She’s at her wit’s end."
The distance between Hu Jing and Xu Song grew smaller and smaller. This was no longer a reasonable distance for a battle between a Talisman Cultivator and a Bow Cultivator. The effect wasn’t good; Xu Song’s evasion was still impeccable, while Hu Jing was clearly a spent force.
But then, Hu Jing’s attack came to an abrupt halt. A Fire Talisman in her left hand, an Ice Soul Talisman in her right—they appeared simultaneously. Two different fluctuations of Elemental Power emerged as she thrust both hands straight forward, aiming for a spot less than ten feet away.
In an instant, everyone was stunned. They also understood Hu Jing’s objective. Her desperate advance wasn’t to attack her opponent, but for... mutual destruction!
Hu Jing’s beautiful eyes glinted with cold resolve. The Ice-Fire Talisman was something Flying Shadow absolutely could not evade. The problem was, her opponent still hadn’t attacked. If he attacked now, she wouldn’t stand a chance. Her only option was to close the distance, denying him that opportunity. But the result of closing the distance meant the caster would also be caught in the attack.
To find life in a dead-end situation—this was Hu Jing.