Chapter 33: The Federation of Inscription
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Zhang Ruochen retracted the Flash Shining Sword and quickly stabbed it out again. The sword pierced through the breach between the paws of that giant black cat and hit on its glabella. This made a metal crashing sound and some sparks struck out.
“Bang!”
The Flash Shining Sword was a Fourth Class Genuine Martial Arm. However, it could not break the cat’s defense.
“The cultivation of the cat isn’t that strong. It isn’t more powerful than a warrior in the Dawn State of the Yellow Realm. Why does it have such formidable defensive power?”
“Haha! Although I am one realm lower than you, my indestructibility, great martial technique, and spiteful means can help me defeat those who are three realms higher than me. With my current power, even a warrior in the Completion of the Yellow Realm can’t defeat me. Young man, go to hell! Meow!”
That giant black cat rushed at Zhang Ruochen again and jumped two meters high. It opened its big mouth and tried to bite Zhang Ruochen’s shoulder.
“Sacred Breaking Plum Sword!”
Genuine Qi was running through Zhang Ruochen’s entire body. He waved his sword at the cat. Meanwhile, the sword had broken out seven Sword Breaths.
When the Flash Shining Sword was right in front of the cat, the seven Sword Breaths gathered together and hit the cat’s chin.
The cat screamed again and fell to the ground, “Aww! That hurts! Young man, why do you have such strong power? You’re just in the Medium State of the Yellow Realm. How can you unleash the power of a warrior in the Completion?”
“Do you think you’re the only one who has a great physical quality? If we were in the same realm, I would probably be weaker than you. However, I have a higher realm than you now. You’re not capable enough to fight against me,” said Zhang Ruochen with his sword in his hand.
The cat was strong indeed. If they were in the same realm, Zhang Ruochen could barely defeat it because of its strong indestructibility. Being an immortal, there was no blade or spear that could cut through it.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen coming closer, it said, “Young man, as we both can’t defeat each other, why do we still have to fight? We will be wasting our time if we continue fighting each other. Why don’t we sit down and talk peacefully?”
The cat’s defensive power was so strong that even the Flash Shining Sword could not break the defense of its body. If they continued fighting, Zhang Ruochen could only defeat it rather than kill it.
Zhang Ruochen stopped and said, “If you can answer some of my questions, we can probably talk peacefully for now.”
The cat sat on the ground with its belly stuck out. It said comfortably, “Go ahead! I know everything from 100,000 years ago and can predict what will happen in the next 100,000 years. Whether you want to know something up in the sky or underground, or anywhere else on earth, there is nothing that I don’t know!”
“Why did Saint Monk Xumi seal you in the Yin-Yang Wooden Graph?” asked Zhang Ruochen.
“Well, that’s a long story! Back then, I had committed horrible crimes. Saint Monk Xumi thought I was sinful, so he sealed me up,” said the cat, with its big ears shaking slightly and eyes spinning.
“What kind of horrible crimes?” said Zhang Ruochen.
“I had killed millions of people, triggered human disasters, killed dragons and took out their gallbladders, set fires in the sky and oceans… Well, I think that’s it!” said the cat.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the cat’s fat body and said, “Well, you don’t seem like a killer!”
“Yes! You read my mind. That monk was unreasonable. He sentenced me incorrectly and sealed me in that graph. I don’t even know to whom to complain to!” The cat lay on the ground, shook its head, and sighed with its belly stuck out.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Those who don’t look like bad guys can sometimes turn out to be very bad. Likewise, those who don’t look like good people can do great stuff sometimes.”
“I’m just a cat, please don’t judge me or misunderstand me… Hey, young man, what are you doing?” asked the cat.
“Phew!” The cat had been sealed in the Yin-Yang Wooden Graph again.
“As expected, the power of the Yin-Yang Wooden Graph can keep you down. Now I am the owner of this graph, so as long as I want, I can seal you in the graph.” Zhang Ruochen smiled with the graph in his hand.
“Young man! You should stay calm and set me free me! I promise you that you’ll have my loyalty forever. If you ask me to catch fish, I won’t dare to catch a rat,” said the cat worriedly.
The cat had been sealed in the graph for 100,000 years and had finally regained its freedom. Undoubtedly, it hated to be sealed again.
Zhang Ruochen ignored the cat and put the Yin-Yang Wooden Graph aside. He started studying the eight basic Inscriptions of Space.
“Young man! If you want to carve the basic Inscriptions of Space, you must at least cultivate your Spiritual Power up to the 12th level. How old are you now? How can you possess such strong Spiritual Power?! Release me and I’ll teach you how to practice your Spiritual Power.” The cat’s voice came out of the graph.
“The 12th level? Well… my Spiritual Power has reached the 32nd level already. The basic inscriptions are not difficult to me at all.”
Zhang Ruochen sat on the ground with his legs crossed. He opened The Mystery of Time and Space , put it in front of him, and started studying.
“How can it be possible? The Spiritual Power of an ordinary adult is normally at the 10th level. It would be an outstanding achievement to reach a maximum of the eighth level for a young man like you. “Even those with great innate Spiritual Powers can only reach the 15th level at most. How can you reach the 32nd level?” The cat was doubtful.
Zhang Ruochen was not interested in talking to it any longer. He started practicing the first basic Inscription of Space, the Inscription of pointy.
The voice came out of the graph again. “Did you start practicing your Spiritual Power when you were a child? No! Even if you started practicing from an early age, you could only have reached the 20th level. How can you have reached the 32nd level? Young man, you are better at boasting than me!”
Warriors with their Spiritual Power higher than the 15th level would be able to carve basic inscriptions.
However, the basic Inscriptions of Space were special. They were more complicated and unstable than the basic inscriptions. Only warriors with Spiritual Power at the 20th level could possibly carve them.
“Boom!”
Zhang Ruochen pushed his Genuine Qi into his fingertip and reached out his finger. A light spot was formed. He wanted to carve the Inscription of pointy in the air.
He had tried more than 30 times and yet, none of them were successful.
“Haha! I knew it. You were totally boasting! Practicing Spiritual Power to the 20th level is as difficult as climbing into the sky for average warriors. And if they want to carve the basic Inscriptions of Space, that’s even more difficult.” The cat teased him.
Zhang Ruochen stopped and whispered to himself, “It’s my first time to carve it and it’s surely difficult. Let me practice with the Spiritual Paper and the inscription pen!”
When alchemists and weapon refiners first started practicing the inscriptions, they all practiced with the inscription pens and Spiritual Papers. It took them at least one year to practice before they carved their first inscription on the Spiritual Paper.
It was Zhang Ruochen’s first time to practice an inscription. Yet, he wanted to carve it in the air with his finger. It was not surprising that he failed.
Zhang Ruochen stood up and planned to purchase some inscription pens and Spiritual Papers.
“Young man, take me there as well! I promise that I won’t make any trouble. I will listen to you…”
Before the cat finished its words, Zhang Ruochen had put the Yin-Yang Wooden Graph back into his glabella and walked out the internal space of the Time and Space Spinel.
Then, Zhang Ruochen left the Royal Palace and walked toward the Martial Market.
Right after Zhang Ruochen had left the palace, a maidservant rushed to the palace where the queen lived and reported Zhang Ruochen’s activity to Han Qingluo.
“He’s finally leaving the palace? That’s wonderful! Get me a troop of soldiers, I’ll take them out of the palace. Tonight is going to be the last night for that genius,” said Han Qingluo with a cold gaze in her eyes. A hint of an evil smile played on her lips.
…
Zhang Ruochen had arrived at the Martial Market and walked toward the Federation of Inscription.
The Federation of Inscription was one of the strongest organizations in Kunlun’s Field, with a long history. Before the First Central Empire was formed, the Federation of Inscription had already been established.
There were four Alliances under the Federation of Inscription: Alchemist Alliance, Weapon Refiner Alliance, Tamer Alliance, and Union of Unusual Talent.
Inscription pens and Spiritual Paper could only be purchased at the Federation of Inscription.
The Federation of Inscription had a monopoly over these two goods. They could not be found in any other place.
In Kunlun’s Field, each city had a branch of the Federation of Inscription. The Yunwu Commandery was built magnificently, like a castle.
The traffic was always busy outside of the Federation of Inscription. There were warriors as well as alchemists in long blue gowns on the streets.
For the alchemists, a tripod was embroidered on the back of their gowns.
Other than the alchemists, there was a hammer embroidered on the back of the weapon refiners’ gowns.
Apart from the alchemists and weapon refiners, there were some tamers riding on savage beasts walking into the Federation of Inscription.
There was a middle-aged man wearing a weapon refiner’s gown. He looked like he was in his 30s, with his chest stuck out. He loftily walked toward the Federation of Inscription.
“My Lord Zuo En!”
The royal guards who stood outside the Federation of Inscription saluted with a gaze of respect in their eyes.
“Hmm!” Zuo En nodded. He walked into the Federation of Inscription without taking a glance at the royal guards.
“It’s Lord Zuo En, the weapon refiner! It is said that he is an amazing second-class weapon refiner with his Spiritual Power at the 26th level.”
“Lord Zuo En has altogether 17 disciples, eight of which have become first-class weapon refiners. There are countless warriors who want to be mentored by Lord Zuo En in all of Yunwu City.”
“I’ve heard that Lord Zuo En has a relatively high requirement for his disciples. Warriors will be rejected if either his Spiritual Power has not reached the 12th level, or is aged over 20.”
“It is almost impossible for warriors to cultivate their Spiritual Power up to the 12th level before turning 20 years old. Only the true geniuses can make it.”
…
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen saw two familiar figures—the Eighth Prince Zhang Ji, and the daughter of Master of the Red Cloud Sect, Shan Xiangling.
They had arrived at the Federation of Inscription as well.
After the Year-end Assessment, the status of Zhang Ji had greatly plummeted in the palace.
His biological mother, Concubine Xiao, had been banished to the cold palace. Meanwhile, out of the nine princes, he had become the prince with the lowest cultivation. He was so depressed due to these two blows.
He had accompanied Shan Xiangling to the Federation of Inscription, hoping that they could apprentice with Lord Zuo En, the second-class weapon refiner.
In terms of his Martial Arts talents, he could barely compare to Zhang Ruochen.
Therefore, he had to discover some way to surpass Zhang Ruochen so he could retrieve his status back.