Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 230 - 193: You Started This Arms Race First (Double-Length)

This Lu family kid really knows how to play!

After Lu Feiyu's tower defense strategy failed yesterday, everyone thought Lu Fangchen would learn a lesson and no longer rely on such an unusual tactic, focusing instead on the magical bloodline of the Primordial Inheritance, the Yin Yang Pupils.

Only by fully utilizing the power of the Bloodline Divine Techniques would he have a chance to defeat this dark horse with Immortal Treasure in hand; tower defense strategies are meant for weaker ones like Lu Feiyu with insufficient bloodline power.

Who knew that Lu Fangchen's approach was entirely different? What everyone sees as a priceless Bloodline Divine Technique is just a convenient tool to him, with no need for obsession.

33 defense towers, what a feat... 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

As Li Jinglun was in utter shock, his partner Zhang Zhixi asked in disbelief, "Master Jinglun, yesterday you mentioned that, although this tower defense strategy involves some tricks and loopholes, it's essentially no different from those puppet masters who control mechanical puppets in battle. These towers require cultivators to maneuver with Divine Sense; the limit for an average Cloud Surge Realm cultivator is about 10 towers, Lu Feiyu managed 13, which is already impressive, but Lu Fangchen deployed 33 right off the bat..."

"Because he optimized the magic for controlling the towers based on Lu Feiyu's foundation," Li Jinglun casually replied, "Lu Fangchen has always been talented in spell research. Previously, everyone's attention was mostly on Li Wanqing and Qian Ye, not focusing enough on him. But in the academic world, he's known as quite the prodigy. For him, this is achievable... especially with the solid support of the Lu Family Mansion."

"I see, then this surprise tactic of Lu Fangchen today must be intended to win decisively, right? After all, yesterday Qingming took quite an effort to dismantle 13 towers. Today not only has the number of towers nearly doubled, but their strength is also evidently different from yesterday."

"Yes, the towers Lu Feiyu held were clearly mass-produced. Lu Fangchen's 33 towers, however, all appear to have been handcrafted by cultivators above the Rain Cover Realm, with undeniable quality differences. Hmm, if I were to judge, the overall strength is at least ten times that of Lu Feiyu's yesterday... it's beyond what ordinary people can handle. Honestly, by my calculations, even Qian Ye and Li Wanqing would stand no chance against such a formation."

"Does that mean Lu Fangchen is already assured victory? Isn't that a bit too simple?"

"There's no way around it; the rules don't clearly prohibit such tactics. So, as the first party to employ the strategy, enjoying the benefits of the rules is only natural," Li Jinglun said. "Moreover, I'm speaking purely theoretically; theoretically, Lu Fangchen has a lock on the championship, but there is always a big gap between theory and reality. Without actually fighting, who can really say what the outcome will be? Maybe Shen Qingming also has a trump card for this match."

——

The conversation at the commentary desk went on, yet on the field, Shen Qingming's situation became increasingly dire.

Or rather, it was precarious.

Lu Fangchen is the type who, if he decides to do something, ensures it's done thoroughly. From the start, he unleashed full power, with 33 towers unleashing incredible firepower, shaking the entire arena. The destructive power was nearly ten times stronger than Lu Feiyu's 13 towers from the day before!

Yesterday, Lu Feiyu's towers each operated independently, while Lu Fangchen's towers now had the ability to cooperate with each other, moving as dexterously as living beings.

The only flaw was that each tower's tier was still relatively low. Even though their combined forces could amplify each other multiple times, their strength level remained at the Cloud Surge Realm standard. If faced with a Cloud Flipping Realm opponent, they might easily be overwhelmed with more advanced power.

However, against opponents of the same realm, 33 towers could present a crushing advantage.

If it weren't for Shen Qingming's nearly supernatural evasive maneuvers, often narrowly avoiding the barrage, she would have lost at the very start. But anyone could see that such intensely focused and rapidly explosive evasive actions couldn't last long, and mere evasion wouldn't lead to victory.

How could there be a chance of winning by enduring against the durable defense towers?

At the commentary desk, Zhang Zhixi regrettably remarked, "It seems Shen Qingming is under immense pressure; she hasn't found an opportunity to retaliate until now. Since the start of the Cyan Cloud competition, except for that odd opening match, she's never been overwhelmed at the start. She's always been the one striking first, leaving her opponents struggling to breathe. This time, it really looks like Lu Fangchen's strategy is going to succeed."

In the audience seats, many of Shen Qingming's supporters began chanting "Lu Family shameless" and "inept hosts," claiming that such a tactic of overwhelming with towers is a disgrace to the Immortal Cultivation Realm, and that the Lu Family should be permanently disqualified...

Yet, in front of the podium, several Lu Family Elders finally revealed a relieved expression.

It seems that Fang Chen was right; Shen Qingming wasn't prepared to handle the enhanced tower strategy, resulting in her being caught off guard once the match started.

As long as this momentum can be maintained, Lu Fangchen's victory will be indisputable.

Moreover, with Lu Fangchen's meticulous nature, in addition to the tower swarm, he had two aces up his sleeve: an emergency repair kit capable of restoring destroyed towers ten times instantly and a self-destruct core, causing a catastrophic explosion to injure opponents when a tower is forcibly destroyed.

All these combined strategies form a seamless plan, leaving one to wonder how Lu Fangchen could possibly lose.

Meanwhile, Wang Jiu, after having Shen Qingming evade the seventeenth barrage wave, finally spoke, "All right, the opponent's attack pattern has been fully deciphered; it's time for a counterattack now."

"Finally, a counterattack?" Shen Qingming sighed, "I was nearly suffocated... Well, let me see what functions this big toy of yours really has."

"Heh, prepare to bask in the brilliance of my genius. Didn't you once question why my intelligence index is 9? Now..."

Shen Qingming continued, "Now I can understand the huge difference between 3.3 and 9?"

"No, with an intelligence level of 3.3, you'd at most grasp 8. Beyond that, it would surpass your comprehension limits, like how summer insects can't understand the concept of ice..."

"Shut up and make your move! I'm no longer interested!"

"Fine," Wang Jiu replied, not holding high expectations for a mildly intellectually challenged person's desire for knowledge, especially since the competition wasn't the ideal setting for teaching.

All that's needed next is for him to do his job.

Win this match.

In the following moment, as the 33 defense towers focused around one of the Fire Ring Towers, unleashing a ten-zhang high fire wave covering the entire field, Wang Jiu seized the opportunity to deploy the massive equipment from Shen Qingming's storage bag.

Afterwards, Li Jinglun, Zhang Zhixi at the commentary table, dozens of elder-level Great Cultivators on the podium, thousands in the main arena's stands, and tens of thousands in the plaza outside Aozora Martial Arts Arena... all witnessed this incredible scene.

A more than seven-zhang tall humanoid mech, made entirely of metal, stood proudly on the ground!