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Chapter 429 - The Nine-star Which Is Close At Hand!!!
Chapter 429 - The Nine-star Which Is Close At Hand!!!
429 The Nine-star Which Is Close At Hand!!!
Tian Du City.
The Sword Card Master Association.
Maintaining the perfect posture, Lu Ming finished the injection and put down the garage kit.
“Your posture doesn’t seem too appropriate?”
Xiao-Xiaojian became sullen.
Unknowingly, it could clearly sense a gush of lascivious aura pouncing at him when he saw Lu Ming placing Onion Miku’s garage kit in front of him and injecting it...
He was too much!
Onion Miku was so adorable!
“What?”
Lu Ming felt ridiculous.
“What kind of posture should I use to carry out an injection then?”
“Well...”
Xiao-Xiaojian hesitated for a moment. “There is no need to inject that area?”
Lu Ming felt even more strange. “Hospitals do this all the time. Is there a problem?”
Xiao-Xiaojian fell silent instantly.
Hospitals...
Oh.
It is true that hospitals inject in the bottom.
“What were you thinking of?”
Lu Ming glanced at Xiao-Xiaojian suspiciously and furrowed his brows instantly. “Stop having such dirty thoughts in your mind! You’re a sword spirit, can’t your heart be slightly purer?”
Xiao-Xiaojian was speechless.
Who is the impure one?!
Lu Ming sighed.
Sword spirits nowadays...
“True enough, the Senior Lu Xun [1. Lu Xun was the pen name of Zhou Shuren, a Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic.] was right. Some people think of dolls and inflating them the moment they see garage kits. Their thoughts run wild and then it is over.”
Lu Ming was filled with emotions.
Xiao-Xiaojian became sullen.
Hey! Clearly, you are the impure one!
And...
What is this Lu Xun?
According to rumors, in a faraway land near the southern pole, lives the Lu Xun race. Don’t tell me that Lu Ming has interacted with the elders of the Lu Xun clan before?
Hehe.
Lu Ming could not be bothered with it.
He placed the garage kit on the testbed carefully. Right now, the garage kit had a large amount of liquid energy injected into its body.
Xiao-Xiaojian lunged over curiously.
It was usually bored. If an adorable virtual idol such as Onion Miku could keep it company...
O huo!
“Hurry up and give it a try.”
Xiao-Xiaojian was filled with anticipation as it glanced at the site of the injection. It hurried Lu Ming, “Hurry, some of it is flowing out.”
Lu Ming turned sullen.
He ignored Xiao-Xiaojian’s ‘dirty’ words and took out the Will-O-Wisp Card.
Buzz—
Lights flashed.
The flames were activated!
Of course.
After many experiences, Lu Ming was now able to control the area of coverage with precision. As such, he restricted the area covered by the Will-O-Wisp Card to the vicinity of the garage kit.
Buzz—
Faint energy flickered on the garage kit.
After a long while...
It disappeared quietly.
The garage kit...
It was not moving at all.
“Another failure?”
Lu Ming was disappointed.
“Is it because of insufficient energy?”
Xiao-Xiaojian guessed.
“That is possible.”
Lu Ming injected energy and tried again.
Failure!
Failure!
Lu Ming tried a few more times but to no avail!
What was happening?
Lu Ming frowned.
After failing a few times, he paused for a while and simply looked for and inquired with the golden cow. In the end, the golden cow stared at Lu Ming for a long time, as if the latter was an idiot...
Damn!
Was I defeated by these two idiots?!
“What are you staring at?!”
Xiao-Xiaojian was furious.
After pausing for a moment, the golden cow sighed. “This is because Onion Miku is not a bull... Although I don’t know how you guys did it, only bull species were awakened.”
It remembered very clearly that its subordinates were stir fried tripes, cumin beef tenderloin and other beef dishes... Although the numbers seemed huge, they were all beef-based!
None of the pickles, braised lamb and tender pig trotters in the canteen came alive!
Lu Ming pondered deeply for a moment.
Bulls...
Oh, right.
How could he have forgotten about this!
Although the Demolition Card series had powerful effects, there had never been an exception. Bovine lines were the foundation of these cards. Therefore, bulls would definitely be the ones summoned!
Well....
Why didn’t he find a bull and give it a try?
Of course.
He was not going to consider food.
Lu Ming searched and found a garage kit of a cartoon female bull. After he injected a huge amount of energy into it, he tried but it failed again!
Oo...
It seemed that this would not work on garage kits.
Perhaps it was because the plastic did not contain the genes of a bull?
Well....
That was possible!
Anyway.
After many trials and errors, Lu Ming finally figured out the card.
——
Name: Will-O-Wisp Card
Level: Five-star
Effect: Expedite the birth of a spirit body in the corpses of all bull-like objects!
——
“It’s a pity.”
Lu Ming felt a little regretful.
He had thought that he could create a large army for the Sword Card Master Association. Now, it seemed that he could only create bull type spirit bodies!
Well....
If he were to create all the spirit bodies himself, there would be numerous little male and female bulls in the spirit body department.
It was a fascinating experiment...
Forget it.
Lu Ming sighed. He would wait for spirit bodies that were born in the wilderness.
The energy consumption required for the birth of the spirit body was too terrifying and it was not worth the effort. Furthermore, the Sword Card Master Association was not lacking spirit bodies currently. He would create them if the association was to run out of them in the future.
Although the process was arduous, the outcome... was still considered successful.
Hence...
Lu Ming took down the notes about the Will-O-Wisp Card seriously and then put them aside. Afterward, he would write about his greatest gain during that trip and also his foundation —
The Original Card!
Or perhaps, the Sky Water Sword!
“How’s your research going?”
Lu Ming glanced at Xiao-Xiaojian.
“There is some output.”
After contemplating, Xiao-Xiaojian said, “Let’s give it a try.”
“Okay.”
Lu Ming nodded slightly.
“First of all...
“Cultivate normally.”
Xiao-Xiaojian told Lu Ming to begin cultivating.
“Okay.”
It was rare that Lu Ming cooperated with Xiao-Xiaojian.
Buzz—
Lights shone.
Lu Ming entered his cultivation state.
He could clearly sense the Sky Water Sword emerging on his forehead again, flickering like a breathing light. Energy was flowing into him like a river.
Such was the cultivation state of the Original Card!
During cultivation, a large amount of energy was surging into his body and the Sky Water Sword would automatically appear.
“What happens afterward?”
Lu Ming was doubtful.
“Nothing else,” Xiao-Xiaojian said earnestly.
“That’s it?”
Lu Ming was doubtful.
“Well...”
Xiao-Xiaojian nodded.
“What’s the use of this thing then...”
Lu Ming pointed at the Sky Water Sword on his forehead.
“It looks good.”
Sounding bold and righteous, Xiao-Xiaojian said, “Don’t you find it very dashing to have a flickering golden sword on your forehead?”
Lu Ming was dumbstruck.
D-dashing?!
Damn!
Don’t tell me the outcome of your research is a marquee light?!
Lu Ming felt ridiculous. In his eyes, looks were something that he did not need to enhance.
Am I not dashing enough?!
This is ridiculous!
“Is there anything else?”
Lu Ming looked at Xiao-Xiaojian expressionlessly.
“Y-yes,” Xiao-Xiaojian said hurriedly.
“The image of the Sky Water Sword will emerge on your forehead when you cultivate. However, I know that this is of no use to you normally.”
Xiao-Xiaojian explained, “Therefore, I did some more research.”
“Speak.”
Lu Ming’s expression became slightly better.
“I came up with other functions.
“After my deliberate and careful research, analysis and deductions, I invented a new ability. When I cultivate, the Sky Water Sword will emerge on the Original Card!
“Look!”
Xiao-Xiaojian drifted up smugly.
Buzz—
Energy flowed across the Original Card.
On the Original Card, a Sky Water Sword condensed by lights and shadows began to flicker like a breathing light.
Lu Ming was silent for a long time.
He suddenly regretted bringing it back...
Damn it! Who told you to research marquee lights?! Do you know about light pollution?! Do you think you are Xiao-Xiaoshé?! That guy is a reincarnation of the lightning snake. What about you?!
“Why isn’t this working?”
Xiao-Xiaojian felt unsettled.
Lu Ming was expressionless. “Is this the outcome of your research?”
“Not really.”
Xiao-Xiaojian lowered its head in despair. “I have tested the talent methodology of the Sky Water Sword many times but it is no different from before. I don’t know how to carry on my research anymore.”
“Oh?”
Lu Ming’s heart stirred. “There is no difference?”
“Yes.”
Xiao-Xiaojian sighed. “In theory, the Art of Equalization’s methodology of increasing talent is completely different from that of the Sky Water Sword! However, thousands of deductions, I realized that the outcome is similar. You can’t tell the difference on the surface.”
“Is the data the same?”
“It’s the same!”
“Really?”
Lu Ming pondered deeply for a moment.
After a long while...
He looked at Xiao-Xiaojian. “Tell me the basics.”
“Okay.”
Xiao-Xiaojian then said gingerly, “The Art of Equalization uses a traditional methodology. It is easier to increase the talent in the early days and harder later on. As one advances, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so!
“I’m sure you are already experiencing this.
“During the early days, the association has a small population and we are able to apply it easily. However, as the association grows and things become more complicated, the speed of improvement decreases. Every talent who joins us has to drive the advancement of the entire association! Therefore, it is extremely difficult to progress!
“As such...
“The essence of the Art of Equalization is to equalize!
“It can make a good-for-nothing possess extraordinary talent but that’s all. In order to become stronger and to achieve a genius level...
“It is almost impossible!”
Xiao-Xiaojian said.
“I know.”
Lu Ming understood this in his heart.
This was the greatest weakness of the Art of Equalization!
It could not drive progress!!!
Furthermore, the greatest joke was... If you were to recruit disciples today and the association’s average talent increased tomorrow, these disciples would become children from the previous marriage!
As such...
It was impossible to become an unrivaled genius with the Art of Equalization!
The pavilion master of the Breeze Pavilion did not succeed. Otherwise, why did the Breeze Pavilion disappear from history? Similarly, Lu Ming would not be able to do it!
“On the other hand, the talent methodology of the Sky Water Sword is completely different.”
Xiao-Xiaojian analyzed, “Its effect is not as powerful as the Art of Equalization. It involves the pure killing of the opponent and obtaining the other party’s talent to increase one’s talent!
“If the opponents are very powerful, the Sky Water Sword will absorb a substantial amount of the other party’s talent!
“If the opponents are weak, there will also be a slight increase in talent!
“There is no reduction.
“There is only an increase!”
Xiao-Xiaojian explained.
“Devouring talent?!”
Lu Ming was shocked.
Was such an ability possible?
This was not a divine sword but a demon sword?!
Xiao-Xiaojian coughed. “During ancient times, powerful figures ruled. There was no concept of heresy. Of course, ethics or moral reasoning did not exist.”
“Is that so?”
Lu Ming was very doubtful.
“Of course.”
Xiao-Xiaojian sounded assured and righteous. “During the primitive era, men didn’t wear clothes. Are you going to say that they were shameless?”
Lu Ming was actually at a loss for words.
Wait a minute.
He suddenly came to his senses. Therefore, this guy’s so-called increase in intelligence was with regards to arguing?
“Focus on the talent!”
Lu Ming said unhappily.
“Anyway...
“Absorbing talent is the methodology that the Sky Water Sword uses to increase its talent.
“However, because the Sky Water Sword is broken and rusty, the effect of this function has been greatly affected. That is why the elder was thinking of ways to activate the Sky Water Sword,” Xiao-Xiaojian explained.
“What about now?”
Lu Ming squinted his eyes.
Sky Water Sword...
He looked at the sword which was shining faintly in the middle of the Original Card. Killing people to attain talent... He was afraid that this Sky Water Sword was destroyed many years ago because it had incurred the wrath of the masses...
“There is nothing else.”
Xiao-Xiaojian sighed. “It has integrated with the Art of Equalization. I don’t know what the situation is now.”
It had already made countless deductions.
However...
Besides concluding that the ‘enhanced talent by the Sky Water Sword’ had a slightly faster cultivation speed than the ‘enhanced talent by the Art of Equalization’, it did not have any other findings.
“I understand now.”
Lu Ming pondered deeply for a moment.
After a long while...
He raised the Original Card. “Let me try it.”
Shush!
The energy in his body flowed into the Original Card and activated the talent methodology of the Sky Water Sword. He was shocked to discover many invisible red lines floating in the void.
Buzz—
Buzz—
The red lines flickered.
The red lines drifted out of the Original Card and connected to some people.
This was...
Lu Ming’s gaze followed the red lines.
These red lines were linked to the disciples of the Sword Card Master Association. Each red line amount of talent increase was displayed clearly before his eyes.
That feeling...
Buzz—
Buzz—
Lu Ming told Xiao-Xiaojian to cultivate.
Right then...
He could clearly see bouts of energy traveling through the red line and finally gathering in his body. This resulted in a massive cultivation speed!
This was true.
This was the talent methodology of the Sky Water Sword!
Improvement!
After integrating with the Art of Equalization, the Sky Water Sword also used the Sword Card Master Association as the core and included all the disciples in its algorithm!!!
It was no longer killing someone and absorbing their talent!
Now, it was similar to the Art of Equalization!
What if he were to dismiss one of his disciples?
Shush!
Lu Ming dismissed Li Ergou from the association.
Buzz—
Energy circulated.
Lu Ming felt his talent reduce slightly.
Well....
The increase which came from Li Ergou was gone.
“I see.”
Lu Ming completely understood this now.
The improvement in cultivation speed from the Sky Water Sword was Lu Ming’s own speed + the increase brought by every disciple of the association! This would constitute his final talent!
Buzz—
Buzz—
The Original Card shone.
Lu Ming could clearly sense the increase in talent from every disciple.
The effect was very weak.
Perhaps it was because the talent methodology resulted in a permanent effect that the increase from every disciple was very little. Nevertheless, he could feel its presence!
It was very mysterious and real!
This was the Sky Water Sword!
Lu Ming was stunned.
Although the cultivation speed did not seem too different, the change in the talent methodology made Lu Ming realize something. A spacious and unobstructed path had formed beneath his feet!
In that case...
If he were to increase the number of disciples of the Sword Card Master Association to billions, then he would become a divine talent?!
“That was right!”
Xiao-Xiaojian felt thrilled as well.
It had never expected the integration of two talent methodologies to result in such an astounding effect!
“I feel that... I am going to become amazing!”
Lu Ming was very emotional.
He suddenly had a hunch that he was going to rise to power!
With the current fame of the Sword Card Master Association, as long as they opened up the registration and allowed all the cultivators to join them, they could immediately recruit over tens of thousands of people!!!
Each person only needed to ‘supply’ a bit of talent and his cultivation speed would increase a hundred, a thousand or even ten thousand times!
By that time...
Hehe!
Seven-star was reachable!
Eight-star was not considered too far away!
Nine-star was also close at hand!
He would become a legend!
I am so amazing!
Xiao-Xiaojian was also trembling with excitement.
Haha!
This is heaven’s blessing!
True enough, the Sky Water Sword was destined to be mine!
Look. Although I integrated with the Original Card after I was shattered, I am still amazing! If Lu Ming’s cultivation speed can be multiplied a hundred or thousand times...
I will also be able to break through at any point in time!
At that time...
Hehe.
Perhaps, a certain...
Cough.
Xiao-Xiaojian’s heart trembled and it stopped fantasizing immediately. No matter what, the Sky Water Sword seemed to have revived its lost hopes!
“Hurry!
“Let’s do some calculations,” Xiao-Xiaojian hurried Lu Ming.
“Well...”
Lu Ming was full of smiles.
Thrilled, a man and a sword began to calculate the effect of the talent increase.
Their calculation method was very simple. Through Lu Ming’s current energy capacity, they would calculate the effect of the increase brought by every disciple.
Well....
The first red line that met their eyes belonged to Ye Liangfei.
It was good.
They would calculate using Ye Liangfei’s data.
After all, Ye Liangfei was a gifted student of The First Academy. He was the genius in the eyes of ordinary people. During each cultivation, he contributed a proportion of 0.1%???
Lu Ming was shocked.
Xiao-Xiaojian was also slightly taken aback.
The data...
Wait a minute.
What about the rest of them?
They calculated the talent proportion of the rest of the people during cultivation. Amongst them, Li Haoran: 0.04%, Zhao Yunshan: 0.02%!
What kind of proportion was that?
Although everyone normally complained about Zhao Yunshan’s lack of talent, that was relative to the top-tier team, alright? He was also considered a genius in the eyes of ordinary people!
Therefore...
Putting aside the talent quality...
Lu Ming calculated in detail. If he wanted to double his cultivation speed, he would need to recruit 1,000 top-notch genius graduates of The First Academy like Ye Liangfei, 2,500 Li Haorans or 5,000 Zhao Yunshans...
Shush!
There was dead silence in the association.
It seemed...
It was rather different from what they had imagined?
Was this a joke?!
These people were already the best talents!
Damn it! Even if he were to search the entire world, would he be able to find 1,000 of them?!
“Calm down!”
“Calm down!”
Xiao-Xiaojian had integrated with the Sky Water Sword and it calmed down very quickly. “It’s alright. Although everyone just provides a slight increase, we can focus on the quantity!”
“You’re right.”
Lu Ming was calm.
Quantity...
He heard that the Energy Warrior Association had more than ten million members!
This was also an opportunity!
Of course, if they were to focus on quantity, certainly, it would not be that easy to control their talent level.
Hence...
He simply included the cleaners of the association and ordinary two-star cultivators and then calculated the increase in the talent. It was 0.0001%!
Shush!
There was dead silence in the association.
A man and a card glanced at each other and suffered from an emotional breakdown.
Damn!
The data...
The Sword Card Master Association had to recruit a million of such talented disciples before they could double their talent?! What about the dreams of multiplying their talent a hundred or thousand times?!
“Calm down!
“Perhaps it’s because this auntie’s talent is too poor!”
Xiao-Xiaojian reminded Lu MIng.
“That is possible.”
Lu Ming calmed down and looked for the aunt who served food at the canteen.
Well....
The aunt was a peak three-star. As she often came into contact with food that had energy, she progressed faster and her talent was slightly better than the cleaners.
In that case...
Lu Ming had a brief discussion with the aunt and then recruited her to the Sword Card Master Association. He cultivated and Xiao-Xiaojian immediately calculated the increase in the talent — 0.00011%!
Shush!
There was silence in the association again.
Lu Ming’s face was ghastly pale. What the hell was this kind of data?! What was the difference between this and the one that included the cleaning auntie?!!!
“Are your brains damaged?”
Lu Ming highly doubted Xiao-Xiaojian’s calculations.
“That is impossible!”
Xiao-Xiaojian was furious.
It had advanced after the integration and was akin to a walking calculator now. It would not make a mistake with such simple calculations!
This data... was a joke!
“In that case...
“When can we increase our talent by a thousandfold and reach seven-star, eight-star and nine-star?!”
Lu Ming was lost.
Xiao-Xiaojian calculated and was dazed too. “We probably need 100,000 Ye Liangfeis, 250,000 Li Haorans or 500,000 Zhao Yunshans?
“Or perhaps 10,000,000 cleaning aunties?”
Shush!
The man and the card looked at each other, their eyes filled with despair.
The data...
How could it be improved?!
It was impossible to recruit 100,000 Ye Liangfeis. Even if one were to search the entire world, there would not be that many Ye Liangfeis! It was in fact easier to search for the cleaning aunties!
After a long while...
Lu Ming suddenly spoke, “How about changing the Sword Card Master Association to a housekeeping business?”
Xiao-Xiaojian was speechless.