Glancing at the sword in his hand, Lin Jiu realized it was time to look for a weapon more suited to him. Given how rare growth weapons were, it wouldn't be easy to find one, so he didn't set his expectations too high—he just needed something he could use temporarily.
"Why is my class-bound equipment a broken disk? Wouldn't a sword be so much better?"
Lin Jiu grumbled for what wasn't the first time about the broken disk that was the Reincarnation Disk.
After taking a hit from Xiao Xiao's soul-breath attack, Lin Jiu retaliated with a sword strike, and their turn-based exchange of blows ended the battle fairly and swiftly.
Zhang Chulan and a few others then headed to the next arena to watch the match between Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye. Compared to Lin Jiu's simple and direct style, the battle between the two Taoist sorcerers blew everyone's minds.
Unlike typical sorcerers, Zhuge Qing was the most talented person from the century-old, ancient martial arts family known as the Wuhou Qimen, and Wang Ye was the inheritor of the Eight Mysterious technique—Feng Hou Qi-Men. Their fight completely overturned people's understanding of sorcery.
After watching the match, Zhang Chulan took out his rarely used phone, which only had one contact: Lu Liang from the Quanxing, who had sent him one message.
"Off to bury someone, huh?"
Lin Jiu noticed Feng Baobao coming out of the arena, carrying a shovel and humming. He waved at her and greeted her.
Feng Baobao sized him up, figuring she couldn't bury him, nodded in response, and went off to find her target.
In the next match, Lu Linglong, who wasn't up against Zhang Lingyu, successfully defeated her opponent, advancing to the next round. The old Heavenly Master was spared from another beating.
Next came the match between Zhang Lingyu and Long Dan, the contractor who used divine weapons. This contractor had strong attack power but relied too heavily on his divine weapon. In Lin Jiu's eyes, he had less potential than the shield warrior Us, who had been eliminated by Feng Baobao earlier.
Although Zhang Lingyu had a hard time, he didn't need to use his Thunder Law to defeat Long Dan.
"Leader Red, the old Heavenly Master requests your presence!"
As night fell, a Taoist priest approached Lin Jiu. After getting his agreement, he led Lin Jiu to the old Heavenly Master's resting quarters.
Lin Jiu thought about this for a moment. At first, he suspected the old Heavenly Master wanted to sabotage him, as Zhang Chulan's chances of winning against him were slim. But on second thought, the old Heavenly Master was shrewd. He wouldn't use underhanded tactics unless he planned to kill Lin Jiu outright. Otherwise, he knew it would bring endless trouble to Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Given the old Heavenly Master's reputation as the head of the righteous path, it was unlikely he would stoop to such measures—maybe when he was younger, but not now. Lin Jiu agreed to the meeting, knowing he could always abandon the mission and return to Reincarnation Paradise if things went south.
"Greetings to the old Heavenly Master!"
Lin Jiu bowed slightly upon entering the room. He took a seat, looking at the elderly master and waiting for him to speak, knowing the master didn't summon him without reason.
"Ahem, young friend, I apologize for disturbing your rest," the old master cleared his throat, squinting slightly as he spoke.
Lin Jiu, who preferred straightforwardness, cut through the pleasantries and said directly, "Old Heavenly Master, this is about Zhang Chulan, right? I'm a simple man, motivated by profit."
The old Heavenly Master chuckled. He had been around the world of Outcast for so long, and the only person who reminded him of this young man was the madman Lu Ci—decisive and straightforward. But even Lu Ci wasn't as formidable at this young man's age. The old master was curious about what had shaped such a powerful, cunning, and free-spirited individual.
Lin Jiu: Ever heard of forced execution in Reincarnation Paradise?
"Well then, I'll be frank. I hope you can go easy on Zhang Chulan. As compensation, I'm willing to teach you a martial art that I created myself. It may not compare to the Heaven Communicating Talisman Art, but I can confidently say it's quite good."
As soon as the old Heavenly Master finished speaking, Lin Jiu's eyes lit up—this triggered a side mission.
[Side Mission: The Old Heavenly Master's Request]
Difficulty Level: Lv.6
Mission Description: A request from the head of the righteous path, the 65th Heavenly Master of the Zhengyi Sect, one of the Ten Elders, known as One Supreme and Two Heroes. Decades ago, he was already recognized as a top expert, his strength immeasurable.
Mission Info: Due to being coerced by the Ten Elders, the selection process for the Heavenly Master candidate has been extended to the entire world of Outcast. Out of care for Zhang Chulan, the old Heavenly Master asks you to go easy on him in the finals.
Mission Deadline: Before the end of the Raten Taishouy.
Mission Reward: Skill Scroll [Quiet Insight].
Mission Punishment: Forced execution.
Lin Jiu squinted his eyes. If his guess was correct, the reward of this mission, the skill scroll, would be more valuable to him than one of the Eight Mysterious.
From the name of the skill scroll, it seemed likely to be an ability similar to Su Xiao's [Meditation], an ideal passive ability for those who specialize in techniques like himself. With this skill, he could better adjust his state of mind, avoiding being overwhelmed by his killing intent.
"No problem."
Lin Jiu accepted the mission without hesitation. It seemed simple enough, but the prerequisites for triggering it were high.
One needed to be stronger than Zhuge Qing, giving Zhang Chulan little hope of victory. Even with Zhuge Qing's strength, the old Heavenly Master had considered sabotaging him, so it was crucial to be powerful enough that the old master wouldn't dare resort to underhanded tactics.
"Ho! Young friend, you're giving me face!"
The old Heavenly Master hadn't expected Lin Jiu to agree so easily. After all, with his strength, the Heaven Communicating Talisman Art was within reach, and the old master couldn't have forced him to comply.
For Lin Jiu, obtaining Heaven Communicating Talisman Art was just a way to replace the Mysterious Mechanism Converts All Art and complete his main mission. Now, with the Soul Seizing technique as a backup, this mission reward was more valuable to him. Choosing between the two wasn't a difficult decision.
As Lin Jiu left, the old Heavenly Master sighed, "Chulan, oh Chulan! You're so lucky, yet so unlucky at the same time. First, you face all these monsters, but then someone always steps in to help you. Either they deal with your opponents or willingly agree to go easy on you..."
First, Wang Ye from Wudang helped him with Zhuge Qing, and now the young leader of the Reincarnation Sect gave up an easy win and one of the Eight Mysterious for him. The old master couldn't help but feel relieved.
Meanwhile, the old master's helper, Wang Ye, was currently in the moonlight, tied up by a woman and nearly buried.
Although adept in sorcery, Wang Ye wasn't about to let Feng Baobao bury him that easily. He quickly escaped, but no matter what techniques he used, he couldn't seem to faze her. Even the Heavenly Master's famed Golden Bell spell was useless.
As he frantically fled, Wang Ye could only think to himself, "What kind of monster did I run into?"