The Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Captured the Villainous Demon Venerable - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Star Shift Array, Activate!

 

Although Mo Xun successfully unleashed killing intent, time was insufficient for her to channel it into the sword.

 

She and Yun Wushang flew side-by-side to the mountain peak hosting the Immortal Sect Tournament.

 

The first match today was her versus Hua Baixiang.

 

By the fourth round of the tournament, 42 people had been eliminated, and fewer cultivators were watching from below the arena.

 

But not only was the eliminated Yun Wushang present, but Chu Jiuchu, who had been granted a bye by the two sect masters, was also there.

 

Mo Xun: …Wait, why does that sound so familiar?

 

It wasn’t just Chu Jiuchu; the discussions among the other cultivators below the arena also sounded quite familiar.

 

Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect:

 

“There shouldn’t be much suspense in this match.”

 

“Senior Sister Hua probably doesn’t even have her opponent in mind.”

 

“Whether it’s cultivation or spiritual root, she can’t compare to our Senior Sister Hua. The only one in the Water Moon Immortal Sect qualified to fight Senior Sister Hua is Chu Jiuchu.”

 

Water Moon Immortal Sect:

 

“Although Junior Sister Mo is strong, her chances against Hua Baixiang are slim.”

 

“I wonder if she can last three moves.”

 

“The championship this year should be contested between Senior Sister Chu Jiuchu and Hua Baixiang.”

 

This time, however, Mo Xun’s heart was calm. She even agreed internally: You are all correct.

 

In the original book, the championship was indeed contested between Chu Jiuchu and Hua Baixiang. They fought for three days and three nights before a winner was decided, their strength being neck and neck.

 

After defeating Yun Wushang, Mo Xun had planned to concede gracefully when facing Chu Jiuchu. She hadn’t expected to face Hua Baixiang first.

 

Since they were matched, she didn’t want to bring shame to the Water Moon Immortal Sect, disappoint her Master, and, most importantly… be looked down upon by Yun Wushang.

 

Thinking of Yun Wushang, Mo Xun couldn’t help but glance in her direction, just as Yun Wushang looked her way.

 

Their eyes met, but separated instantly. Her heart suddenly sped up a little, she didn’t know if it was due to nervousness or something else.

 

Her gaze swept past Chu Jiuchu, and she felt nothing particular.

 

Chu Jiuchu saw Mo Xun looking at her and quickly gave her a fist-clenched salute, cheering her on.

 

“Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect inner disciple, Hua Baixiang, great perfection of the Golden Core stage,” Hua Baixiang saluted. “This is my last time participating in the Immortal Sect Tournament. The first-place prize is mine! Furthermore, let me be clear: I will use this battle to settle the score for the injury inflicted upon my Junior Sister by you and that person named Yun!”

 

Mo Xun: ?

 

I understand everything else, but why is Yun Wushang’s feud with your Junior Sister also counted against me?

 

Just because I defeated Yun Wushang?

 

Hmm… I guess that makes sense.

 

In the end, Mo Xun didn’t argue and responded with a salute: “Water Moon Immortal Sect inner disciple, Mo Xun, late Golden Core stage. Please advise.”

 

Upon hearing this, the arena burst into an uproar.

 

“She’s already at the late Golden Core stage? Wasn’t she at the mid Golden Core stage yesterday?”

 

“What? Wasn’t she at the early Golden Core stage?”

 

“She was indeed at the early Golden Core stage during her first match. How did she jump to the late Golden Core stage in just a few days?”

 

“Breaking through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul within 80 years is considered extraordinarily talented. She, on the other hand, gained the cultivation of 20 years in one night.”

 

“We truly underestimated her.”

 

On the high viewing platform, the Sect Master of the Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect couldn’t help but sigh: “The younger generation is formidable… Mu Qing, you have three good disciples.”

 

Bai Muqing, the Sect Master of the Water Moon Immortal Sect, nodded without speaking, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

 

This talent, this aura… is that really Mo Xun?

 

“The match begins!”

 

With the Elder of Instruction’s command, Mo Xun attacked first again. Her sword unsheathed and charged straight at Hua Baixiang!

 

Counter-flow is good, but a one-wave attack is better. Speed is always the core of battle!

 

However, her opponent was always slightly stronger than her, so winning in one move like with Yun Wushang was ultimately wishful thinking.

 

Hua Baixiang raised both hands, quickly forming seals. A large tree sprouted from the ground, blocking Mo Xun’s sword. Then, she flew onto the tree, looking down, and pointed her sword at Mo Xun.

 

Under the control of her spiritual energy, the tree branches snaked toward Mo Xun like living things.

 

Mo Xun quickly recalled her sword, chopped the branches, then grasped the hilt, allowing the sword to carry her toward Hua Baixiang.

 

“Repeating the same trick? You wish!” Hua Baixiang formed seals again, wrapping the branches around herself, enveloping her tightly.

 

She clearly thought Mo Xun intended to continue the tactics from the previous match, silently approaching her using the Water Moon Sword Art. Therefore, unlike Yun Wushang, she didn’t just defend against attacks from one direction, but instantly erected an all-around shield.

 

The shield blocked both sides’ view, but it couldn’t block their divine senses; both knew exactly where the other was.

 

Mo Xun: Hiding like a tortoise, are we? Perfect for practice!

 

Mo Xun maneuvered her sword beneath her feet, flying up into the air. While dodging the branch attacks from Hua Baixiang, she calmly began setting up a formation.

 

Using the tree branch beneath Hua Baixiang’s feet as the array center, and the Big Dipper as the nodes.

 

Mo Xun formed seals with both hands. Seven water balls of varying sizes floated around her. Under the control of Mo Xun’s divine sense, they flew toward Hua Baixiang at an extremely fast speed, slipping through the gaps in the branches, arranging themselves into the Big Dipper, and settling at the base of Hua Baixiang’s feet.

 

Spiritual energy rippled out, causing a violent fluctuation in the air on the arena. In the next instant, Hua Baixiang’s body abruptly disappeared from the shield of branches, flashing into existence right in front of Mo Xun.

 

Hua Baixiang looked bewildered. Mo Xun leaped from her sword and attacked with it!

 

Hua Baixiang immediately reacted, drawing her own sword to block.

 

Mo Xun: Such a fast reaction, worthy of Hua Baixiang!

 

Mo Xun praised her inwardly, completely unaware that the shocked gaze of the spectators below was directed entirely at her.

 

“What was that just now…”

 

“Spatial magic?”

 

“No, it’s a formation!”

 

“How is that possible? Formations take time to set up. I didn’t see her do any setup!”

 

On the viewing platform, Bai Muqing stared at Mo Xun for a while, then shifted his gaze to Yun Wushang, frowning slightly.

 

It was indeed a formation…

 

Could it be that the Compendium of Formations he gave Yun Wushang has once again fallen into Mo Xun’s hands?

 

When did the relationship between these two become so good?

 

Or did Mo Xun obtain some leverage over Yun Wushang?

 

Mo Xun didn’t know that her overly brilliant performance had aroused her Master’s suspicion. Unable to win in a single move with the Star Shift Array, she had to seek another opportunity.

 

Hua Baixiang repeated her previous tactic, wrapping herself in branches and manipulating them to attack Mo Xun.

 

The dense branches were unavoidable. Mo Xun recalled her sword, held it vertically in front of her, grasping the sword with her right hand and tightly pressing her left palm against the blade.

 

Using the sword as the array center and the Taiji Yin-Yang as the nodes, the Damage Reflection Array, activate!

 

A black hole suddenly opened up in front of Mo Xun’s palm. Spiritual energy circulated clockwise, drawing the branches in, and then circulated counter-clockwise, reflecting all of Hua Baixiang’s attacks back!

 

Then, before the spectators below could gasp in astonishment, she activated another Star Shift Array beneath her feet.

 

Hua Baixiang’s wood shield was under attack from her own technique, and she was focused on blocking it when she suddenly sensed an abnormal spiritual energy fluctuation nearby, inwardly crying out in dismay!

 

Just as she was about to counterattack with her sword, before she could make a move, a cold sensation appeared on her neck.

 

Mo Xun’s sword blade was pressed against Hua Baixiang’s neck. Mo Xun’s voice came from behind her, the three cold words: “You lost.”

 

Hua Baixiang still raised her sword, recklessly twisting and swinging it behind her!

 

Mo Xun let go of the sword, leaned back, and nimbly dodged.

 

However, just as Mo Xun thought Hua Baixiang was being a sore loser and planned to continue attacking her, Hua Baixiang sighed dejectedly, dispersed all her spiritual energy, and allowed the surrounding branches to turn into dust and dissipate.

 

“I lost,” Hua Baixiang landed on her sword, looking at Mo Xun with complex emotions. “Water Moon Immortal Sect is truly unfathomable.”

 

Leaving this phrase, she flew away on her sword without looking back.

 

“The fourth round, match one: Water Moon Immortal Sect’s Mo Xun wins!”

 

The Elder of Instruction announced the result. Mo Xun was momentarily stunned, then immediately looked at Yun Wushang below the arena.

 

Yun Wushang’s lips seemed to curve up slightly, but it was fleeting, making Mo Xun doubt if she had seen correctly.

 

Yun Wushang was indeed happy for Mo Xun, as Mo Xun’s victory had partly been due to her own contribution, but…

 

She was mid Golden Core stage yesterday, and late Golden Core stage this morning.

 

She received the Compendium of Formations yesterday and performed silent, instantaneous casting in actual combat today.

 

The Water Moon Sword Art and Imperial Sword Art were also steadily improving.

 

It seemed that no matter what was given to her, she could learn it in an extremely short time. Her comprehension ability far exceeded all cultivators in the same realm.

 

Even better than I was back then…

 

She was stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage for nearly 40 years, yet after advancing to Golden Core, her progress has been astonishingly rapid, as if reborn.

 

Is it because she formed a ninth-grade Water Spiritual Golden Core?

 

But Chu Jiuchu, who also formed a ninth-grade Water Spiritual Golden Core, is not as amazing as her, using one sword technique from beginning to end.

 

If Chu Jiuchu had faced Hua Baixiang, even if she won, it would definitely not have been so easy.

 

Under Yun Wushang’s contemplative gaze, Mo Xun flew down from the arena on her sword, landing steadily in front of her.

 

Their eyes met. This time, Mo Xun didn’t shy away from her gaze, smiling at her: “Wasn’t I cool?”

 

Yun Wushang: “…”

 

Mo Xun: “I think I was incredibly cool! Did you see the bewildered… confused look on her face after I teleported her?”

 

“I saw it,” Yun Wushang admitted that she, too, had been surprised like the surrounding cultivators when Mo Xun used the teleportation array. Her expression at the time was probably not much better than Hua Baixiang’s.

 

However, she would never let Mo Xun know that.

 

“Lending the Compendium of Formations to you was the right choice,” Yun Wushang said calmly. “Once you learn more formations, teach them to me as well.”

 

“Okay, I can teach you that!” Mo Xun agreed without hesitation. “Consider it payment for guiding me to unleash my killing intent.”

 

Yun Wushang raised an eyebrow: “Isn’t it because you like me?”

 

Mo Xun: “Ah… um.”

 

I almost forgot that setting.

 

Just as Mo Xun was sweating, trying to figure out how to smooth over that remark, Chu Jiuchu suddenly approached the two.

 

Mo Xun quickly turned to face her and bowed: “Senior Sister.”

 

Chu Jiuchu nodded to her, then addressed both of them: “Junior Sister Yun, Junior Sister Mo, Master has something to discuss with you. Please follow me to the viewing platform.”