I Can Fix My Talent in Hundred Lives-Chapter 407 - 334: The First Battle

The light from the Golden Scroll’s checkpoint illuminated the sky like a curtain hanging from the heavens.

The brilliance of the duels on the hundred battle platforms sparkled like stars, with two beams of light reflecting off the Yun State’s sky, casting shimmering colors throughout the Martial Arts Arena.

The spectator areas on the outskirts were already packed to the brim, and all nine hundred and ninety-nine levels of the Cloud Tower were filled to capacity. Cultivators from various state mansions either leaned on the railings to gaze afar or took out Crystal Spirit Mirrors to watch.

Every time a clash of Dao Principles came from the battle platforms, waves of astonishment surged through the Cloud Tower, with sonic waves rolling over the Martial Arts Arena.

"Quick, look at platform seventeen of group B! That yellow spiritual light belongs to Liu Xuan, the array enthusiast from our Zhang State Prefecture!"

On the third floor of the Cloud Tower, a cultivator in a cyan robe spoke, surrounded by dozens of Zhang State Prefecture cultivators, all their gazes locked on the figure in the Eight Trigrams Daoist Robe within the spiritual mirror.

The cyan-robed cultivator’s voice was full of proud confidence:

"Liu Xuan is the pride of the prefecture competition, identified arrays at the age of three, set up the Seven Stars Array to trap and kill Demon Beasts at seven. In the last prefecture competition, he easily trapped and killed a Daoist Soldier with the Nine Bends Yellow River Array, its array pattern so ingenious that even the Mansion Master couldn’t help but praise it!"

The spiritual mirror shifted to the other side of the platform, focusing on a cyan-robed cultivator standing with hands behind his back, an unadorned longsword at his waist—it was Chen Sheng.

"His opponent is the Venerable of Life-Annihilating from Jiuli Mansion, second in the prefecture competition, rumored to confront Daoist Soldiers head-on with Sword Dao. One is an Array Dao genius, the other a Sword Dao prodigy; this battle promises excitement!"

Just as the words fell, a clear and resonant bell rang out from the spiritual mirror—the duel on the battle platform had officially begun!

In the center of the battle platform, Chen Sheng and Liu Xuan faced off from a distance.

As soon as Liu Xuan received the signal to start, he stepped forward, his feet firmly landing on the central hub of the twelve array hubs on the platform.

His hands abruptly formed complex Seal Techniques, thumbs and index fingers forming the "Array" seal, the remaining three fingers changing like lightning, while he uttered an esoteric array spell:

"Heaven and Earth Profound Sect, origin of ten thousand Qi, cultivating boundlessly, manifesting my Divine Techniques..."

As soon as the incantation ended, it transformed into golden runes that merged into the battle platform’s ground, the previously concealed protective array patterns instantly lit up with a yellow spiritual glow.

The twelve array hubs erupted with dense spiritual power like fountainheads, weaving and intertwining in the air, producing a sizzling sound akin to molten metal.

In but a breath, these spiritual powers coalesced into an Array Map, where majestic mountains stood like ink and rivers flowed like ribbons.

Banners fluttered atop the city walls, with faint roars of golden warhorses emanating from the depths of the Array Map, even tinting the air with a menacing aura.

As Liu Xuan’s Seal Techniques shifted, the Array Map quickly expanded, eventually transforming into a colossal phantom covering half the battle platform, its edges swirling with countless intricate array patterns.

Each array pattern released the Dao Principle pressure of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator as it circulated.

"Fellow Daoist Life-Annihilating, this is my Mountain and River Micro Array Map, which I crafted over a millennium of effort!"

Liu Xuan’s voice came through the phantom of the Array Map, carrying the unique pride of a master of Array Dao.

The city gates within the Array Map suddenly opened wide, and a squad of spiritual power soldiers clad in Profound Iron Armor charged out, their spear tips glistening coldly, carrying the pressure akin to Daoist Soldiers.

More startling was the multitude of Bronze War Chariots following the soldiers, their wheels causing the battle platform’s array patterns to tremble as they rolled across:

"There’s an inner chamber of three thousand Killing Arrays, rotating through Soldier Array, Illusion Array, and Maze Array without pause—beware!"

Chen Sheng clasped the hilt of the Cyan Nether Sword tightly in his right hand; his array skills had only reached Tier Four, well aware of the terror of a High Tier Array Dao.

This Mountain and River Micro Array Map was far from a mere stacking of Killing Arrays; each array pattern was intricately linked with Liu Xuan’s Primordial Spirit.

The three thousand Killing Arrays were interlocked, one broken, and three more replaced it—the slightest mistake could ensnare one in a slaughter composed of Dao Principles, possibly shredding even the Primordial Spirit.

"Fellow Daoist Liu’s Array Dao indeed is extraordinary."

Chen Sheng slowly drew the Cyan Nether Sword, its blade flashing with a cold arc under the sunlight:

"Yet my Sword Dao can break all methods!"

As he finished speaking, the Cyan Nether Sword erupted with an ear-splitting hum, its blade initially surrounded by Black and White Qi, circulating like Tai Chi.

Next, beams of blue, red, yellow, and blue floated up in succession, fusing with the Black and White Qi into a six-colored stream of light.

Within the stream of light were faintly visible Five Elements Runes and the Yin Yang Fish spinning, a testament to the perfect fusion of the Power of Yin Yang and the Five Elements.

He stepped forward and pointed the sword tip towards the ground, an icy intent of Annihilation emanating from him.

Strangely, as soon as this Annihilation intent appeared, the rivers within the map came to an abrupt halt, and the charging spiritual power soldiers were briefly stalled—Annihilation Dao Principle, specializing in neutralizing all life forces, even those spiritual power constructs manifest from Array Dao would be suppressed by it.

Liu Xuan’s heart trembled, his Seal Techniques hastening by a fraction: "I underestimated your Dao Principle!"

"Yin Yang Reversal, Five Elements Return to Silence—begin!"

Chen Sheng let out a low shout, flipping his wrist vigorously, and the Cyan Nether Sword shot out like a stream of light.

Black and White Qi intertwined at the sword tip, forming a Tai Chi Illusion, with the four-colored radiance swirling around the Tai Chi, instantly becoming a Five-Colored Giant Dragon. Its head high, it let out a thunderous dragon roar, snowflake-like Annihilation Runes falling, directly crashing towards the Mountain and River Micro Array Map.

"Killing Array Rotation, Golden Fire Devouring Dragon!"

Liu Xuan, unfazed, shifted his Seal Techniques abruptly: flames suddenly ignited on both sides of the city within the Array Map. The fire was no ordinary flame but Spiritual Fire containing the Heaven-Burning Dao Principle, expanding with the wind to form a vast sea of fire.

Millions of Golden Arrows appeared floating in the air, engraved with Armor Breaker Runes, moving with the flame like a storm towards the Five-Colored Giant Dragon.

The Spiritual Fire scorched the air, the Golden Arrows tore through the wind, both Dao Principles weaving into a terrifying Killing Bureau, the protective array patterns of even the battle platform began to gently tremble.

"Boom!"

The deafening crash echoed as the Spiritual Fire and Golden Arrow struck the Five-Colored Giant Dragon. The dragon’s body was scorched by the Spiritual Fire, rendering it somewhat illusory, while its body was filled with Golden Arrows. From the peeled-off dragon scales, a six-colored radiance continuously seeped out.

...

Time quietly slipped away amidst the intertwining attacks and defenses. On the Battle Platform, the roar of spiritual power collisions and the hum of Array Pattern operations mingled into one.

Liu Xuan’s figure flickered continuously behind the illusion of the Array Map. The speed of his hand seals grew increasingly faster, and his previously calm expression gradually turned somber, his brows knitting into a furrow.

The Mountain and River Micro Array Map he prided himself on had already rotated through seven hundred and twenty kinds of Killing Arrays. From the soldier arrays of iron and steel to the illusion arrays intertwining water and fire, then to the illusion arrays trapping spiritual power.

Each Killing Array was exquisite beyond measure, but Chen Sheng, on the other side, was like a stubborn stone tempered by a sword. No matter what deadly move came, he could always cut out an appropriate Sword Technique with that Cyan Nether Sword.

Using the "Life" of the Wood Dao Principle to break the "Illusion" of the illusion array, using the "Intense" of the Fire Dao Principle to counter the "Cold" of the water array, using the "Reverse" of Yin Yang Qi to reverse the "Flow" of the Array Patterns.

What startled Liu Xuan even more was that Chen Sheng’s Sword Techniques grew increasingly fluid and sharp, even able to predict the flaws of his next Killing Array.

Just as he was about to activate the Bone Corrosion Poison Array, Chen Sheng had already preemptively cut out the Sword Gang of the Gold Dao Principle, shattering the Array Patterns of the Poison Array.

"This kid... could he be using my arrays for Sword Refining?"

A surge of frustration rose in Liu Xuan’s heart, his fingers hesitated with the Seal Technique, and suddenly, countless stone cones rose from the Array Map, engraved with "Zhong Mountain" runes, striking towards Chen Sheng like a torrential rain.

This attack was not a killing move but a probe tinged with a bit of anger—he could clearly feel that Chen Sheng’s Sword Dao was advancing at a visible rate.

With each dismantled Killing Array, the six-colored radiance on the sword condensed further, and the sense of annihilation became increasingly heavy.

The feeling of being used as a "whetstone" made this Array Dao prodigy of Zhang State Prefecture feel incredibly stifled.

Another incense stick of time passed quietly. The Protective Array Patterns on the Battle Platform’s edge began to show faint cracks due to continuous shock, their light flickering.

Liu Xuan took a deep breath, a flicker of determination flashing in his eyes, and forcefully formed seals with both hands, pouring all his Primordial Spirit Power into the Array Map:

"Nine Heavens Thunderfall Array!"

Above the Array Map, dense thunderclouds gathered in an instant, purple Thunder Arcs writhing like snakes within, each arc containing the Heaven and Earth Thunder Power that Liu Xuan had borrowed—this was his ace in the hole.

Chen Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, the Cyan Nether Sword in his hand traced a smooth arc, intertwining six-colored radiance into a Yin Yang Diagram, barely blocking the first wave of falling thunder.

At the instant the Thunder Arcs exploded, he keenly caught a fleeting trace of agitation in Liu Xuan’s eyes.

"Now’s the time!" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Chen Sheng roared inwardly, hesitating not at all.

He fiercely bit his tongue, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the Cyan Nether Sword. The six-colored radiance on the sword surged instantly, and a wave of annihilation gushed forth like a tide, dimming the surrounding Thunder Arcs.

"Terminate!"

He leaped, melding his form with the five-colored dragon head phantom entwining the sword, transforming into a Six-Color Sword Rainbow that spanned the Battle Platform.

The front tip of the Sword Rainbow condensed into an ancient "Annihilation" rune, piercing through the thunderclouds with the momentum of thunder, directly targeting the core Array Hub of the Mountain and River Micro Array Map.

"Not good!"

Liu Xuan’s expression changed drastically, his soul nearly departing from shock.

The speed at which his hands switched Seal Techniques was now so rapid that afterimages appeared, as he attempted to mobilize the remaining two hundred and eighty Killing Arrays to form a final defense line.

But the annihilation intent on the Six-Color Sword Rainbow was too domineering—a terrifying force capable of severing Dao Principle connections.

Where the Sword Rainbow swept past, the Array Patterns shattered like fragile silk, the surging spiritual power turning into void instantly, even the Thunder Arcs were directly annihilated.

"This sword... how could it be!"

Liu Xuan exclaimed in disbelief, piercing pain emanating from his Primordial Spirit. He could distinctly feel his spiritual connection with the Array Map being rapidly severed.

"Boom——"

In the instant the Six-Color Sword Rainbow precisely pierced the Array Map’s core, the entire Mountain and River Micro Array Map collapsed with a roar. Earth-yellow spiritual power exploded like fireworks, dispersing on the Battle Platform, turning into specks of Spirit Light and fading away.

Liu Xuan staggered back two steps, his face as pale as paper. Before he could steady himself, a cold touch was already at his throat.

The tip of the Cyan Nether Sword stopped steadily at Liu Xuan’s neck, the remnant sense of annihilation on the sword seeped through his skin, making him feel as if his blood was about to freeze.

Liu Xuan lowered his gaze at the ancient yet terrifying long sword, finally sighing in resignation, his voice full of unwillingness and relief:

"Your Sword Dao can reverse the Five Elements, annihilating Dao Principles. My loss is not unjust."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft white light emerged at the center of the Battle Platform, enveloping Liu Xuan’s figure, and in the next moment, he had already been transported off the platform.

Chen Sheng spat out a mouthful of turbid air laced with faint blood, reflecting inwardly:

"At last... it’s over!"

In this battle, he exhausted all his techniques. Although the pressure Liu Xuan exerted wasn’t as great as Venerable Wuyue’s, it wasn’t far off.

However, unlike Venerable Wuyue’s perfect Secret Techniques, Liu Xuan’s arrays allowed Chen Sheng not to be completely suppressed.

From the start, Chen Sheng realized his swordsmanship was ineffective against the opponent, forcing himself to hone his Sword Dao in the duel to seize a slim chance of victory.