freenovelworld Chapter 232 - 160: Defeat Everyone
Chapter 232 - 160: Defeat Everyone
After handing the items to Jiang Man, Su Qinya took her leave.
Her mission was to capture his heart.
It was a troublesome task.
It was tantamount to making him fall for her.
This went beyond mere beauty; she needed to make him feel something entirely different.
A woman’s charm was the cheapest of commodities.
Within the Sect, as long as someone cared about their appearance, none of them were unattractive.
Each had their own unique appeal.
And those who could play to their strengths would naturally draw more attention.
But such a conquest was superficial. Easy come, easy go.
A man who was poor yet talented needed more than just a pretty face. He needed validation and mutual support.
Constantly taking would only drain the relationship. Knowing when to give and when to take gently was the right approach.
Su Qinya sighed.
’I don’t understand why they’re in such a hurry to make a move. The effects of pulling all-nighters to cultivate are significant. Is it really worth sacrificing me to win him over this early?’
’Perhaps his value will plummet after this competition.’
Although she was carrying out her mission, she still looked down on Jiang Man for his all-night cultivation sessions.
Of course, she acknowledged his strength.
But strength came at different costs.
Some people depleted their Spiritual Source, while Jiang Man was gambling his future for present strength.
It was an inferior path.
And a person like him needed validation above all else.
When everyone else doubted him, her validation would win his favor.
This was one of her tactics.
During the upcoming competition, people would surely mock Jiang Man’s strength because of it, and she would be there to validate him and stand firmly by his side.
That was how she would get close to him and ultimately capture his heart.
It took tactics and schemes to win a man’s heart.
No matter how much you did for someone behind the scenes, it was all for naught if they couldn’t see or feel it.
The path to success was to soothe his heart at a critical moment, leaving a lasting impression.
Anything else was just tedious and inefficient.
Of course, she couldn’t rush things. It had to be a gradual process.
Otherwise, it would backfire. If the mission failed, she would be the one to suffer the loss.
————
Meanwhile, Jiang Man was examining the book Su Qinya had delivered.
It contained the basic rules for the competition, along with some hidden ones.
Although the rules occasionally changed, the general outline was likely correct.
"Aren’t you afraid of falling into her trap?" the Old Yellow Ox asked.
Jiang Man shook his head. "What kind of trap could be in a book? It’s obviously just a pretext to make contact. But the more harmless it seems, the more troublesome it becomes. It’s impossible to guard against completely."
The Old Yellow Ox watched Jiang Man in silence.
Then it said no more.
Jiang Man, however, focused his attention on the rules.
He discovered that the competition for the First, Second, and Third Courtyards covered an incredibly vast area.
Ordinary Body Skills were completely inadequate; one would need to use Sword Flight.
’What a coincidence.’
A smile spread across Jiang Man’s face.
He had been worried his Sword Control Technique would have no opportunity to be used.
The competition between the First, Second, and Third Courtyards would indeed be his time to shine.
Aside from this rule, Jiang Man paid little attention to the others.
For instance, participants first had to fight against people from the Third Courtyard. A swift defeat meant elimination.
Only those who endured could then form teams and officially participate in the main competition.
Most of the disciples from the Third Courtyard were in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, so he wasn’t concerned.
Having grasped the general rules, Jiang Man began his Cultivation.
With a little over a month left, he figured he could get his Cyan Smoke Melody to around the Tenth Layer.
「One day later.」
Cyan Smoke Melody, Sixth Layer.
「Two days later.」
Seventh Layer.
「Sixteen days later.」
Cyan Smoke Melody, Tenth Layer.
「Thirty days later.」
Cyan Smoke Melody, Eleventh Layer.
Cyan Smoke Melody left traces, but the higher the layer, the fainter they became.
After the Thirteenth Layer, almost no one in Foundation Establishment could perceive the traces, save for a few exceptional Sword Cultivators.
The Eleventh Layer was a step down, but it would have to do.
At the very least, it would be difficult for anyone outside the top fifty to notice the traces.
’Seven days left. The ninth Spirit Gourd is full. All that’s left is the Physical Body.’
Because his physical cultivation was not a Top-grade Skill, it couldn’t be tempered with a Hundred Refinement Stone. He could only practice it normally, so progress was much slower.
He now had seven days and six thousand Spiritual Source, enough to purchase ten Nourishing Essence Pills.
’The progress won’t increase by much.’
’But I can’t give up either.’
Additionally, he would need to spend an hour on the final day getting reacquainted with his Sword Control Technique.
「Five days later.」
The fifteenth of the eighth month.
The Nourishing Essence Pills had all been consumed.
Today was the last day of lessons in the courtyard.
Jiang Man chose to continue his Cultivation, not once leaving.
「Two days later.」
The seventeenth of the eighth month.
Jiang Man let out a long breath.
Watching the sunrise, he remarked with a sigh, "Old Huang, I’m not in my best shape."
The Old Yellow Ox didn’t deign to reply, simply continuing to eat its grass.
Jiang Man continued, "I wonder what my chances are of making it into the top fifty."
He truly couldn’t be sure.
Those in the top fifty would have certainly cultivated their Cultivation, Physical Body, and Spirit to the stage of Great Success.
His Physical Body, however, was still lacking.
In his current state, breaking into the top fifty seemed like a daunting task.
He was six or seven years behind them and lacked their vast resources.
A gap in power was now unavoidable.
If he had obtained a Top-grade Cultivation Method from the very beginning, he wouldn’t have this weakness.
Afterward, Jiang Man began to practice his Sword Control. He activated the freshly wiped Spirit Sword and landed lightly on its blade.
He then flew off on the sword.
At first, he circulated his Sword Control Technique just a little, but after getting used to it, he began to accelerate.
As the wind howled around him, Jiang Man pushed his Sword Control Technique to its limits, wanting to see just how fast the Ninth Layer could be.
But he had only flown a short distance when he felt the Spirit Sword was unable to bear the strain.
He stopped at once.
Upon inspecting the Spirit Sword, he discovered a faint crack had formed within it.
Jiang Man was speechless.
He asked the Old Yellow Ox and came to a conclusion.
Such an ordinary Spirit Sword could only withstand the power of the Third Layer of his Sword Control Technique. Anything higher, and it would easily break.