Chapter 3720 — The Defense Competition
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
One thing worth noting during those three days was that the ten spirit jades Wei Zhao had received as the additional reward for placing first in the rear-mountain trial were immediately besieged by the other newcomers after Li Zhengming had led the way. They swarmed around him like sharks that had scented blood, and within a mere three days, they had traded away every last piece of discarded jade.
Adding in the results of the ore he had secretly mined and pocketed over the past few days, Wei Zhao now had nearly four hundred and fifty spirit jades in hand. That was still some distance short of the thousand-jade price of the Star Ink Stone, but there was still a fair while before the next opening day of the Inner Street, so Wei Zhao was not especially anxious.
In fact, even if he came up short when the time came, he had a way to make up the difference. Of course, it would be ideal beyond measure if he could save up enough spirit jades before then.
In any case, that rare Star Ink Stone, obtainable only by the merest stroke of fortune, was something Wei Zhao was determined to have.
The three days passed in a flash. Once again, all the newcomers of the Three-Storied Pavilion gathered in the main hall of the Newcomer Welcoming Pavilion, each rubbing his fists and brimming with ambition. Unlike the first stage, the test of resisting oppressive force, this second stage required them to go nowhere else. It could be completed right there on the Newcomer Welcoming Pavilion's own grounds.
Before learning how to strike, one must first learn how to take a blow. Otherwise, no matter how formidable one's strength, one's development would be lopsided, leaving one a cripple liable to have one's fatal weakness seized. Even street thugs understood this principle, let alone these lofty cultivators present here.
Yet understanding the principle, however clearly, did not mean they were willing to work hard at it. The reason was simple: from every angle, this was unquestionably a thankless, laborious undertaking.
Never mind that high-grade defensive martial techniques were scarce to begin with. Even if they were fortunate enough to obtain one, they might not be willing to spend immense effort and pay a tremendous price to cultivate it. At the end of the day, defense was passive. If no one came to attack you, then no matter how heaven-defying your defensive ability was, it amounted to nothing more than a useless ornament.
After all, defensive ability was far less intimidating than powerful offensive ability. Two experts of the same level, once one of them had mastered a formidable offensive martial technique, could kill for treasure, venture into secret realms, acquire more cultivation resources, and rapidly advance even further, creating the legendary snowball effect.
But what could a defensive expert do? Apart from being somewhat harder to kill, nothing at all. Against a stronger opponent, of course, the situation was hopeless; but even when facing an expert of the same level, he could only find himself in the awkward position of passively taking a beating.
His sole advantage was no more than being able to endure a few more blows than others. But if he encountered a stronger opponent, what use would that vaunted defense be against a more advanced level of overwhelming offense? Even a tortoise shell would be smashed apart one day. The only difference was whether that day came sooner or later. Nothing more.
This was not merely a matter of whether one could save face. More importantly, it was all too easy to fall behind and become a stepping stone for other experts who had once stood at the same level.