I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 172 - 170: The True Genius

The Ten Thousand Arrows Piercing Heart Stream was an offensive school of archery. Zhang Xiaojiang’s Arrow Technique was ordinary, his strongest move being the Bursting Heart-Piercing Arrow. But he had grasped the overall situation, controlling the rhythm of the battle.

Going head-to-head with a Bow Cultivator?

You’d get shot to bits!

Bursting Heart-Piercing Arrow!

Yao Yuan’s offense was completely suppressed. His Talismans were fully loaded, but he had no time to unleash them.

BOOM...

A Talisman exploded just before his Defense Array. ’This is bad,’ Yao Yuan thought, dodging instantly.

As expected, the very next arrow blasted through the Defense Array and pierced the spot where Yao Yuan had been standing.

Zhang Xiaojiang had been holding his breath, channeling his Elemental Qi. After that furious assault, he was panting with exhaustion; he was just too excited.

Excitement easily leads to fatigue. At the end of the day, it was still Zhang Xiaojiang doing the fighting, and the intensity was limited by his own strength.

The Thunderlight Hall disciples wrung their hands and sighed in frustration. He had been so, so close.

Yao Yuan climbed up from the ground, looking a little disheveled, but he seemed even more pleased, as if he hadn’t been the one taking a beating.

"Excellent Arrow Technique!"

As he spoke, he immediately cast a Defense Array. Yao Yuan gazed at Zhang Xiaojiang. Both had been through an ordeal, but by using the Hanging Talisman Compass, his own Elemental Power consumption was far lower. Although Zhang Xiaojiang had displayed some exquisite Intercepting Arrow skills, it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.

From their expressions and the fluctuations in their Elemental Power, everyone could tell that Zhang Xiaojiang had just overwhelmed his opponent with sheer momentum. It was a shame he’d fallen just short, failing to land the final blow. Now that Yao Yuan had recovered, things would be difficult.

But just then, Zhang Xiaojiang abruptly fired an arrow, a streak of light heading straight for Yao Yuan. Yao Yuan wasn’t worried in the slightest. ’His opponent’s Elemental Power is limited,’ he thought. ’After that last expenditure, it’s a miracle he can even stand. What kind of attack can he possibly muster?’

It had to be said that Yao Yuan was a chatterbox; he liked to express himself clearly. He just hadn’t expected Zhang Xiaojiang to suddenly fire such an arrow.

But then a thought struck him, ’This arrow can’t possibly break my defense. A spent arrow cannot pierce silk.’

But as the wind from the arrow washed over him, Yao Yuan felt a sense of dread and dodged instantly. The Defense Array... hadn’t worked. It was torn apart like a sheet of paper.

Zhang Xiaopang cracked a sly grin. He was a little tired, but not as tired as others thought. He didn’t know why himself. He’d been holding it in for too long; he needed a good, satisfying release!

After facing the Defense Talisman Formation several times, Zhang Xiaojiang had gotten a feel for it during his assault. It seemed it could be broken!

After dodging, Yao Yuan immediately cast another Defense Talisman Formation. Technique Cultivators didn’t have the defenses of a Body Cultivator or the Evasion Techniques of a Bow or Sword Cultivator. They had to rely on the Defense Talisman Formation.

But Zhang Xiaojiang fired another arrow, just an ordinary Heart-Piercing Arrow.

Yet, the moment the Heart-Piercing Arrow touched the Defense Talisman Formation, the formation was torn apart like paper once again.

The Heart-Piercing Arrow grazed Yao Yuan’s neck, drawing a line of blood.

Zhang Xiaopang was delighted. ’Holy crap, so that’s how it is! My feeling was right.’ Whenever he was fully focused, he could sense that the Defense Array seemed to have gaps. He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but upon trying it, he found it was actually true.

His repeated success left the onlookers stunned. This was a true counter!

Any array technique, especially a low-level array, has flaws. It’s just that these flaws aren’t fixed due to the movement of the array, making them difficult to discover in the middle of a battle. And...

To spot a flaw on the fly and attack it... a Bow Cultivator like that... was unheard of.

After it happened twice in a row, Yao Yuan knew things were bad. Now he had no choice but to use his trump card. The Defense Array was the armor a Technique Cultivator relied on for survival. If this supposedly sturdy armor was useless, he would be in great danger.

A flash of light, and a strangely shaped Crossbow appeared in Yao Yuan’s hands.

The entire audience immediately broke into whispers. Why was a Technique Cultivator holding a bow?

Zhang Xiaojiang was still immersed in the excitement of his performance. A more experienced fighter would have ignored his opponent’s gimmick and focused on taking him down first.

On the Thunderlight Hall side, Chen Haiguan and the others were anxious, wishing Zhang Xiaojiang would just shoot his opponent through.

Wang Meng, however, seemed unconcerned. ’Winning or losing is secondary. The key is for Zhang Xiaopang to find his own way.’

SWOOSH...

A streak of light shot out. It really was an arrow!

But looking at that light, there seemed to be something mystic about it.

POP...

The light exploded like a net. Oh my god???

An Array Technique!

The Trapped Dragon Talisman Array!

Zhang Xiaojiang gritted his teeth and dodged with all his might, but he was still caught by the Trapped Dragon Talisman Array. ’Damn it, that was too fast!’ If the Trapped Dragon Talisman Array had been thrown by hand, it wouldn’t have had this speed. This effectively reduced his time to dodge.

Zhang Xiaojiang’s linear movement was superb, but he was still grazed by the Trapped Dragon Talisman Array. Yao Yuan didn’t attack immediately. Using the time he’d bought, his Hanging Talisman Compass floated up again, and one Talisman after another flew out.

Just as Zhang Xiaojiang was about to break free of the restraint, another Trapped Dragon Talisman Array exploded beside him, trapping him again.

Meanwhile, Yao Yuan had nearly finished loading his Talismans. A brilliant smile spread across his face. "Junior Brother Zhang Xiaojiang, you should feel honored. You’re the first person to experience the newest Bow Talisman Array!"

At that moment, the hearts of every Technique Cultivator began to pound wildly. Yao Yuan’s Hanging Talisman Compass was already a very practical Magical Artifact, but it was nothing compared to this Bow Talisman Array. This would be a massive innovation that would change the world of Technique Cultivators.

If arrows could carry Talisman Arrays... how was that possible? How did he do it?

Yang Ying smiled faintly. "This must be Junior Brother Song’s secret weapon. It truly is extraordinary."

Yang Ying was genuinely surprised. Yao Yuan’s bow was clearly a Magical Artifact, different from a Bow Cultivator’s bow—it was small and swift. If he could launch an Array Technique in this way, the speed was much faster, making it significantly harder to dodge.

Song Zhong smiled faintly. "This is Junior Brother Yao’s great contribution to Technique Cultivators. I believe it will be a revolutionary contribution that will change the field. This is just the tip of the iceberg; I expect it will be developed even further in the future."

Yang Ying nodded. The situation on the battlefield had changed in an instant. No matter how fast Zhang Xiaojiang moved, he couldn’t escape the Trapped Dragon Talisman Array. The Talismans were almost fully loaded, and this time, Yao Yuan intended to end the battle in one go.

With the interference from the Trapped Dragon Array, once the Talismans on the Hanging Talisman Compass launched an all-out attack... it would be completely impossible to block!

Hearing Yang Ying’s agreement, Song Zhong couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. "The Holy Hall has countless geniuses. Some people accomplish some minor feat and immediately start asking for credit. We don’t acknowledge that kind of Elder. If someone can become an Elder just by refining a few Pills, then wouldn’t this great innovation that changes the path of Technique Cultivators be worthy of the title of Ancestral Master? Wouldn’t you agree, Senior Brother Mingren?"

Mingren smiled faintly. "This innovation is truly astounding. If developed further, it could become a revolution recorded in the annals of the Holy Hall. However, as for Elder Wang’s matter, Junior Brother Song, you don’t know the full details. It’s best not to jump to conclusions."

Lingyin Hall’s Talisman and Sword Dual Cultivation had also caused a sensation back in the day, but it later proved impractical for widespread adoption. ’Grasping for too much, one masters none.’ In the end, practitioners failed to master either path. It was only suitable for a few outstanding disciples. Some believed it was effective in the short term, but detrimental to cultivation in the long run.

But from what they were seeing now, this Bow Talisman Array was indeed having a miraculous effect. However, any innovation had to be tested over time. For now, it could only be considered a success due to its novelty.

Song Zhong gave a cold, arrogant smile. He knew Lingyin Hall had some screw loose, being on good terms with Thunderlight Hall.

"True gold fears no fire. Just you wait and see."

Song Zhong was incredibly ambitious. The Bow Talisman Array, combined with the Fire Cloud Hall’s unique advantage in Magical Artifacts—it was a perfect match.

Yao Yuan’s Hanging Talisman Compass was now full. He had also achieved complete suppression of Zhang Xiaojiang. It had to be said that no matter how hard Zhang Xiaojiang struggled, he couldn’t escape the Trapped Dragon Talisman Array.

A normal bow and arrow could intercept a Talisman, striking it down even if launched later. But his opponent’s Array Talisman Bow fired with incredible speed and didn’t require the complex lock-on of a normal Bow Cultivator.

Trapped by the Trapped Dragon Talisman Array, Zhang Xiaojiang could only watch helplessly as a barrage of Fire Talismans, Bursting Fire Talismans, and the Azure Fire Talisman Array flew toward him.

The Thunderlight Hall disciples wrung their hands and sighed. There was a moment, a real chance, but sadly, he hadn’t seized it.

The Fire Cloud Hall Disciples, on the other hand, were already starting to celebrate their victory. It had been a close call. Who would have thought that little fatty actually had a few tricks up his sleeve? If they had let him win, it would have been a huge loss of face.

Zhang Xiaojiang was frantic. The Trapped Dragon Talisman Array made it impossible for him to dodge. If he got hit by that combination of Fire Talismans, he wouldn’t have enough lives to survive.

Surrender?

No way!

’The awakened Master Zhang... is even more afraid of death! What do I do?’

Zhang Xiaojiang did not surrender, even at the very end. The Fire Talismans were already slamming into him, with more following right behind. At this point, even if the Trapped Dragon Array had lost its effect, the stricken Zhang Xiaojiang could only resign himself to his fate.

This was Yao Yuan’s talent—Magical Artifacts!

Yao Yuan’s research into Magic wasn’t focused on the techniques themselves, but on how to combine them with Magical Artifacts. This was a tradition in the Fire Cloud Hall, and Yao Yuan had taken it to a miraculous new level.

Song Zhong was very proud, but he could accommodate Yao Yuan’s talent. This was the pride of the Fire Cloud Hall. This year’s grand competition belonged to the Fire Cloud Hall!

It belonged to every single disciple of the Fire Cloud Hall!

RUMBLE...

The Fire Talismans crashed into him all at once. Liuu Mei was scared stiff, tightly gripping Ma Tian’Er’s hand. "That idiot! Why isn’t he surrendering? Why won’t he surrender!"

In contrast to the earth-shattering cheers from the Fire Cloud Hall, a somber mood fell over Thunderlight Hall. In truth, the cheers from Fire Cloud Hall weren’t about defeating Zhang Xiaojiang. Although Zhang Xiaojiang had shown talent, it was unfortunately nothing worth mentioning under the brilliance of Yao Yuan’s display.

They were cheering for Yao Yuan, cheering for his creation. He was going to usher in a new era for Technique Cultivators.

Regardless of whether he was the one to fully develop it, the name Yao Yuan would surely be remembered by future generations of Technique Cultivators.

Yao Yuan tilted his head back, breathing in this unique joy. This cheer of acknowledgment was what he had been waiting for.

In terms of Magic Techniques, he wasn’t particularly outstanding. Born into a carpenter’s family, he had loved building all sorts of fun things since he was a child. It wasn’t until his Life Mark appeared that he escaped the fate of inheriting his family’s trade and embarked on the path of cultivation in the Holy Hall. But compared to practicing Magic, he much preferred tinkering with Magical Artifacts. His fantastic ideas were often ridiculed. Especially in the Fire Cloud Hall, a place renowned for Artifact Refining, such "innovation" was seen as mere grandstanding. The son of a carpenter? Making Magical Artifacts?

Wasn’t that a joke?

But this was no joke!