piratefiction Chapter 30 Twin Swords
Chapter 30 Twin Swords
The pills needed for cultivation in the physical realm are called Qi Gathering Pills.
It is made primarily from demon cores, mixed with various medicinal herbs, and a bottle of five is worth three thousand taels of silver.
A first-tier longsword, whether made from rare ores or from the body of a demon beast, costs over a thousand taels of silver!
Tier 1 armor, due to the large amount of materials used, is generally worth more than three thousand taels of silver.
It's not exactly expensive, but it's definitely 90% exploitative.
It is said that in the hands of an alchemist, a first-order demon core mixed with medicinal herbs can be refined into at least a dozen Qi Gathering Pills, with a cost of no more than 1,500 taels. Each pill can be resold for 600 taels, and ten pills would be worth 6,000 taels, which is a profit of more than double.
Needless to say, the longswords and armor are materials from the monsters Mo Zheng just killed, still fresh from the battle. Each one sells for an average of five hundred taels, but after some processing, the profit doubles!
As for why it's nine-tenths black-hearted, it's because there are ten-tenths black-hearted ones out there!
Putting everything else aside, just considering weapons, a first-tier longsword would cost at least 1,500 taels of silver in Shangyin County, without any haggling.
There's no way around it, I have to buy it even if it's expensive.
Mo Zheng chose a soft armor to wear underneath, a first-tier longsword made of sea-dwelling cold iron, and two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills. Four thousand plus one thousand eight hundred plus six thousand, and eleven thousand eight hundred taels of silver were spent in one go.
After deducting 10,000 taels of silver notes, and exchanging 100 taels for 1 contribution point, I only managed to exchange for 72 points.
Mo Zheng suddenly understood why he had to hunt two demonic beasts every month, which cost about three thousand taels of silver, enough to buy a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills.
You can't even afford to cultivate without killing demonic beasts!
No wonder Yu Yang, who came to assassinate him from Shangyin County, chose to become a notorious bandit. Compared to killing monsters, robbing local tycoons for money was much easier.
Who would want to risk their life for no reason?!
Seeing Mo Zheng's somewhat distressed expression, the disciple in charge smiled and comforted him, "Junior Brother Mo, relax. You're much better than many new disciples. They might not even be able to scrape together enough money to buy so many things in their first six months!"
"But these contribution points aren't even enough to conquer the Tower of Ascension," Mo Zheng said, pursing his lips.
To become an inner disciple or a true disciple, simply hunting monsters is not enough; you must also conquer the Tower of Ascension!
One attempt earns 100 contribution points.
Mo Zheng now has seventy-two points.
"Junior Brother Mo, why are you in such a hurry? Among these outer disciples who entered the sect half a year earlier than you, not a single one has yet passed the Tower of Ascension."
"They haven't accumulated enough contribution points yet?"
"That's not it. There are a few people from aristocratic families who directly exchanged silver for it, but they still couldn't get past the first level because their strength wasn't enough."
The disciple in charge exclaimed, "Not everyone is like Lan Jun, the master of the deadly spear, who is born with extraordinary talent and can multitask, wielding two sets of spear techniques with his left and right hands simultaneously. Tsk tsk tsk, that's equivalent to two masters at the microscopic level attacking one person, greatly increasing their combat power."
"Among the disciples recruited in these three years, he was the only one who succeeded on his first attempt at the Tower of Ascension. He's truly enviable."
"Indeed, his simultaneous attack with two guns was like two masters striking together."
Mo Zheng had witnessed it firsthand and wholeheartedly agreed with the words of the steward disciple.
This is undoubtedly a great deal.
But who can say for sure about talent?
Some people possess bloodlines, some are born into prestigious families, and like Mo Zheng, he also possesses mental powers.
If it really comes down to a life-or-death battle, since Lan Jun has not yet broken through the Bone and Tendon Realm, don't be so confident in your two flying knives; you might just be able to break his twin spears.
Huh? Two throwing knives!
At this thought, Mo Zheng's eyes suddenly lit up!
"I'm so stupid!" Mo Zheng suddenly cursed.
"What's wrong, Junior Brother Mo?" The disciple in charge looked puzzled. Why did he suddenly ask that?
"It's alright, it's alright!"
Mo Zheng suppressed his surging emotions and said, "Senior brother, if there's nothing else, I'll head back."
He was eager to go back and verify his thoughts.
"Oh, alright, here's your waist token. You can keep this blank recording stone. Just submit two videos of hunting monsters by the end of next month," the disciple said.
Mo Zheng thanked him, took the waist token, the photo stone, and other items, and quickly walked towards his courtyard.
After putting his things away, he couldn't wait to find his longsword made of refined steel.
"I can manipulate two throwing knives simultaneously with my telekinesis, so there's no reason I can't manipulate two swords at the same time. I can multitask too!"
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! How could I not have thought of that!"
Mo Zheng slapped his forehead, picked up the first-tier cold iron longsword and the fine steel longsword, and walked into the courtyard.
He can simultaneously control two throwing knives to launch different attacks, and naturally, he can do the same with two longswords.
Moreover, he wields two swords with perfect coordination, achieving a synergy greater than the sum of its parts.
As a result, it is common for them to fight against opponents of higher levels.
call out!call out!
Two sword lights appeared, one carrying a faint tremor of thunder, the other as swift as the wind, its shadow barely visible—the Thunderclap Sword Technique and the Wind Shadow Sword Technique.
"Haha, I'm getting the hang of it! I can control two swords at the same time!"
"However, left-handed swordsmanship is still somewhat obscure."
"Try it a few more times."
The key to being able to multitask is that first sword strike. If you can use different sword techniques with your left and right hands at the same time, it proves that it is feasible. If you can't, then it is not. Mo Zheng undoubtedly has this talent. All that's left is to practice.
The two longswords within the courtyard sometimes transformed into two bolts of silver lightning, sometimes into two gusts of wind, and sometimes into a tangle of lightning and wind, making them unpredictable yet incredibly sharp, leaving sword marks on the ground.
He practiced for about half an hour before stopping, his face full of joy.
Although he wasn't entirely comfortable wielding the two swords, he could generally use both sword techniques. With more practice, his combat strength would definitely see a qualitative improvement!
This is undoubtedly a significant advantage when hunting monsters.
Practice! Keep practicing!
It will take a very long time for the Wind Shadow Sword Technique to improve from the Subtlety level to the Unity level, just as it takes a long time to temper the flesh and skin. But this ability to multitask can improve one's skills immediately. Mo Zheng is very envious of the way Lan Jun uses the Deadly Spear to kill monsters.
Robbery? Who wouldn't like that?
They practiced until it was pitch black.
Just as Mo Zheng was sweating profusely and still enthusiastically practicing his dual swordsmanship, a voice suddenly came from outside:
"Huh, there's movement. Looks like Mo Er is back!"
"I haven't seen him for several days, let's ask him to come along!"
Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong.
Upon hearing the voices, Mo Zheng immediately recognized the people speaking outside and stopped, saying, "Senior Brother Wang, Senior Brother Zhao, is that you? Please come in and have a chat."
With that, he flicked his longsword, and a surge of sword wind instantly lifted the bolt and opened the door.
"Hahaha, Mo Er, you have such sharp eyes and ears!"
Wang Yuan pushed open the door and followed Zhao Tong inside.
"So you were practicing your sword. We haven't seen you in a long time," Wang Yuan said with a smile.
"It's been five days, and you haven't even gone to the classes at the Daoist Temple. Mo Er, could something have happened at home?" Zhao Tong asked with concern.
Mo Zheng didn't speak, but simply smiled and took out his identity token representing an outer disciple.
Upon seeing the waist tag, Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong were immediately stunned.
They certainly recognized the identity badge; it represented the status of an outer disciple of the Martial Arts Hall. It might not mean much to others, but to Mo Zheng—
Keep in mind, this kid has only been a student for a month!
What can you do in a month?
How can one go from having a great accumulation of Qi and blood to having perfect Qi and blood in just one month?
He even completed the task of hunting down demonic beasts, which is an astonishing speed of cultivation!
Generally, newly admitted disciples of the Martial Arts Hall have already reached the level of perfect Qi and Blood, and there are even many who have entered the realm of martial arts.
Even so, the group faced numerous dangers during their first monster hunting mission, and one member of their cohort died.
Mo Zheng not only broke through, but also successfully completed the mission and obtained the outer disciple's waist token, which greatly exceeded their expectations.
"Well done, Junior Brother Mo. You've truly been hiding your abilities. You even kept your breakthrough in cultivation a secret from us?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's not fair! You have to buy us drinks! You just hunted a monster, you must have some money!"
Once you break through to the perfect level of Qi and Blood Realm, you no longer need to abstain from alcohol and sex. After all, your Qi and Blood cannot grow any further, and the little bit of Qi and Blood lost due to alcohol and sex can be quickly replenished.
"Please, of course, please. There's no time like the present, so how about today?" Mo Zheng said with a smile.
These two senior brothers shared a lot of cultivation experience with him over the past month or so, and also told him about many things in the martial arts hall. They cared for and loved him very much.
Now that he has not only become an outer disciple, but has also mastered the technique of the Twin Swords of Divided Mind, such a joyous occasion deserves a celebration.
"Not today. We've already agreed to go to the training grounds to practice today. Why don't you come with us, Junior Brother Mo?" Wang Yuan invited.
"Exactly, that's the only place in our martial arts hall where we can freely spar. If you're willing to spend contribution points, you can even fight to the death."
Zhao Tong smiled and said, "Junior Brother Mo hasn't been there yet, has he? Fighting with martial artists is a completely different experience from killing demonic beasts."
Monsters do not know any martial arts techniques, nor are they as intelligent as martial artists.
Mo Zheng's eyes lit up, and he said with great interest, "The martial arts arena? I've seen it in the introduction to the martial arts hall. It seems that there is a treasure there called the Yuanling Pearl. Once you enter it, the power of a martial artist will be suppressed to a certain limit."
Within the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall, disciples are strictly prohibited from fighting each other; any violation will be severely punished.
The training ground was an unexpected surprise; it was specially built by the Martial Arts Hall with precious artifacts, a place for disciples to spar and fight, and it was truly magical.
Mo Zheng was busy with his spiritual practice and had never been there before.
"Exactly!"
Wang Yuan nodded and said with a smile, "Let's have a spar together. I've been here for so long and have never fought you before."
Mo Zheng replied, "Then the two senior brothers will go ahead first. I'll change my clothes and then go over."
He practiced with both swords all afternoon, and was exhausted and covered in sweat. He needed to take a bath, change his clothes, and eat something to replenish his strength before heading to the training ground.
Seeing that Mo Zheng agreed, the two said no more and immediately took their leave.
The training ground is indoors.
A vast hall was divided into three areas, each for disciples of different statuses—outer sect, inner sect, and true disciple—to spar and fight.
As Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong entered, they immediately felt a powerful force rushing towards them, as if they were carrying a huge boulder on their backs.
"The power of the Yuanling Pearl is truly formidable!" Wang Yuan exclaimed.
"That's natural. However, this Yuanling Pearl only comes from the young Yuanling Beast. It is said that even a master of the Visceral Realm can only exert a force of one thousand jin within a one-mile radius of an adult Yuanling Beast."
Zhao Tongdao said, "Let's stop talking about that and get started."
Wang Yuan nodded, and the two of them, each holding a weapon, found an open space and prepared to spar.
With their power suppressed by the Yuanling Pearl, all they could compete in was their external martial arts skills.
There were naturally more than just them in the Martial Arts Hall. Apart from a very few previous year's disciples who had not yet passed the first level of the Tower of Ascension, most of them were disciples who had entered the Martial Arts Hall this year. There were about thirty or forty of them scattered around, and they were connected to each other, so it was not crowded.
However, just as Zhao Tong and Wang Yuan were practicing earnestly, a voice suddenly came from somewhere.
"Hey, have you thought about what I told you guys last time?"
Upon hearing this, the two looked closely and saw several figures surrounding them, all of whom were people who had entered the Martial Arts Hall in the same year as them.
"Li Chong, didn't I tell you this last time?"
Wang Yuan frowned and said, "We two only want to focus on our cultivation. We don't want to get involved in your so-called Hidden Dragon Society."
The young man named Li Chong's expression immediately changed.
He squinted at the two of them and sneered, "It's fine if you don't want to join. I told you last time, as long as you speak to Senior Brother Tongyou, we won't cause you any trouble."
"Since Senior Brother Keyou didn't tell us, then please leave. And please don't let us meet here in the future."
Senior Brother You...
Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong exchanged a glance, both of their eyes flashing with anger.
Among the thirty people who entered the martial arts hall, the most outstanding was this Senior Brother You.
He comes from a prominent family in Liangzhou with a rich family background. He is also very talented and his martial arts skills are improving rapidly. He is about to break through the first level of the Tower of Ascension.
He ambitiously established the Hidden Dragon Society and recruited the disciples who joined at the same time.
This is quite common; many senior students have formed their own small circles so that they can help each other after leaving the martial arts hall.
But this Senior Brother You is different; if you don't agree to join, he will make things difficult for you in every way!
Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong had been harassed several times because of this incident, and now they were even barred from the martial arts arena!
"Hmph, why? This is the martial arts training ground, not You Benchu's private residence. Why can't we come here!" Zhao Tong angrily questioned.
"Just because of it!"
A burly young man standing to the side roared, and a dark shadow hurtled towards the two of them with a whooshing sound.
Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong hurriedly dodged, and with a 'clang,' the dark shadow landed, piercing through the bluestone, sparks flying everywhere. It was clearly a long spear with a red tassel, the shaft still humming and vibrating.
"Junior Brother Luo, don't be impulsive. We're all brothers; it wouldn't be good to ruin our harmony."
Li Chong laughed and said to Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong, "Please come in, my fellow disciples have some bad tempers. With Senior Brother You not here, no one can control them."
Several people beside him stepped forward with mocking expressions and surrounded Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong even more closely.
……