Chapter 55: You Have Finally Defeated a Heavenly Dao Protagonist, Kinomoto Sakura!

However, Li Syaoran also came from a very different background.

Unlike Sakura, who only encountered magic halfway through her life, Li Syaoran’s abilities were forged and cultivated through rigorous, down-to-earth training within his family since childhood.

Consequently, his practical combat capability was undoubtedly formidable.

Ye Hui estimated that even if his own talismans were more powerful, he might not necessarily triumph over Li Syaoran in actual combat using talismans alone.

"I suppose I'd better strive to be a stat-monster, relying on the overwhelming stats I grind out to defeat the talent-monster..." Ye Hui muttered to himself with a self-deprecating smile.

Although Syaoran's displayed strength in the anime didn't seem terrifying at first glance, a closer inspection revealed the truth.

He could leap freely across massive buildings...

He could fight disaster-class Clow Cards with just a sword...

He could shatter the Thunder Card with a single sword stroke...

It was simply because the anime lacked overly bloody imagery that the battle scenes didn't appear all that intense.

In reality, the actual power he exhibited was definitely formidable.

After reviewing the two advancement items, Ye Hui did not use them immediately.

Skill advancement would flood his mind with a vast amount of knowledge, so he decided to wait and see.

Compared to the two advancement items, what truly surprised Ye Hui were the two divine abilities.

"Taming Birds and Swordsmanship? These rewards must be the game's adaptation of the Earth-fiend divine abilities from classic literature. Although they are currently only lower-grade divine abilities, they are still extremely practical!"

This came as a pleasant surprise to Ye Hui.

After all, the strength of skills had an upper limit.

Divine abilities, on the other hand, functioned like personal innate talents—they had low energy consumption yet boasted a very high ceiling.

Furthermore, talents that included divine abilities could be used even when one's spiritual power was completely exhausted, draining only physical strength and stamina.

The Taming Birds ability allowed communication with avian creatures. Through mutual interaction, it fostered the growth of birds and enabled one to control them to serve as eyes and ears.

As it happened, Ye Hui actually possessed a young spiritual bird!

As for the swordsmanship ability, it was an advanced version of sword techniques from Chinese martial arts.

Fighting with a sword in hand, piloting a flying sword in combat, and even releasing sword qi using spiritual power...

Whenever sword-related skills were involved, this ability could assist or even replace them.

It was essentially equivalent to having an extra encyclopedia of swordsmanship!

"Since I happen to be proficient in Chinese martial arts as well, this further bridges one of my shortcomings in martial prowess..."

This could be considered an unexpected blessing.

Although this was a world of magic, the anime occasionally showcased other elements.

Aside from Nadeshiko's angelic persona, there was also martial arts.

This showed that the setting was not one where simply casting spells from afar could conquer the entire world.

Many characters practiced martial arts.

Take Meiling, for instance, who possessed absolutely no magical power.

Clearly unable to use spells the way Syaoran did, she could nonetheless fight the Clow Cards to a complete standstill purely relying on her own physical strength.

If not for the fact that Meiling was merely a mortal whose physical stamina inevitably had its limits, coupled with even a shred of magical enhancement, she might have truly knocked a Clow Card flat on its back in one fell swoop!

Ye Hui continued reading.

Intermediate spiritual stones.

Standard-issue supplies for immortal cultivators in games and novels.

They served both as currency in the cultivation world and as a source of energy.

Cultivators could absorb spiritual qi from them to aid their practice, or use them as a power source to keep formations running.

Speaking of formations, among the rewards this time was a sub-profession item related to formations.

Ye Hui put away the spiritual stones and turned his attention to the most important reward of this batch.

A damaged formation banner.

The tattered little banner looked as though it could snap at any moment, stained with ink runes and dark spots, appearing utterly unremarkable.

"System, use the 'Damaged Formation Banner'!"

[You enter the sect and are detected to possess a Water Spiritual Root constitution. Although it is merely an introductory spiritual root, you are already daydreaming about your future as an immortal, filling a thick notebook entirely with the witty one-liners you plan to use when acting superior!]

[You discover that another disciple entering the sect at the same time as you is Kinomoto Sakura, who possesses Heavenly Spiritual Roots. Given her extraordinary aptitude, you realize that an outer sect disciple might be your final destination, yet it is merely the starting point of her cultivation journey.]

[Smart since childhood, you understand when to retreat and dare not compete with Kinomoto Sakura. However, during the sect's junior sparring tournament, as you tumble down the stone steps and gaze up at the high-spirited Kinomoto Sakura on the stage, you suddenly yearn to defeat her just once, to shatter her arrogance!]

[What right did she have to be so arrogant, looking down on everything? You were determined to knock her down from the heavens and make her wallow in the mortal mud just like you!]

[You hear that the sect's formation masters can harness the power of heaven and earth; with sufficient knowledge and materials, they can alter the very fabric of reality!]

[Expending years of your savings, you exchange for a copy of "Elementary Array Dao" and begin delving into the study of formations. You feel the resonance of the ley lines—a power you had never imagined...]

[Consumed by your studies, you neglect sleep and food! One day, when sea beasts suddenly invade the Myriad Dharma Immortal Sect, you lead others in deploying a formation that effortlessly annihilates the intruders! Your talent for formations draws the serious attention of the sect...]

[You finally defeat the protagonist of the Heavenly Dao, Kinomoto Sakura! Even though it was achieved merely by relying on the minor arts of formations.]

[The sect establishes a dedicated hall for you, and you become the Master of the Formation Hall. Covered in glory yet never forgetting to study array knowledge, you finally ascend to the rank of a Grandmaster of Formations...]

[Your cultivation remains quite low. In the year your lifespan is about to expire, another wave of sea beasts invades the sect. You struggle desperately to set up formations, the blood you cough up staining the formation banner red... Ultimately, Kinomoto Sakura makes a move, and with a flick of her hand, countless sea beasts perish! You realize you still pale in comparison to a single finger of the Heavenly Dao's protagonist!]

[Furthermore, she turns out to possess an astonishingly high level of mastery in formations as well. Right before your eyes close in death, you witness her take over your formation banner, and with a wave of her hand, grand formations rise on all sides!]

[Filled with intense resentment, you die.]

[You use the "Damaged Formation Banner" and successfully unlock the sub-profession "Formation Master"! Detecting that you have already acquired the prerequisite skill Sealing Technique, you have obtained the lower-grade divine ability—"Array Deployment"!]

"What? The Formation Master's skills actually turned into a divine ability?"

Ye Hui was somewhat surprised.

This sub-profession seemed rather different from the usual!

Moreover, the version of Ye Hui in that system log was unusually powerful this time around.

Previously, he had only acquired sub-professions right before dying.

This time, he had actually gone all the way to become a Grandmaster-tier big shot in the Dao of Formations!

The most crucial point was!

The Ye Hui in this system log had actually managed to defeat Kinomoto Sakura, the protagonist of heaven and earth, for once!

Even though it was accomplished in the field of sub-professions, and he was stepped on again right at the end...

This still came as a massive surprise to Ye Hui.

A salted fish that finally flips over is, after all, still a salted fish.

Unfortunately, the system log could not alter the Formation Master rank he actually acquired.

He still had to start from an elementary Formation Master.

However, could it be that his talent for formations was genuinely high, just as the system log suggested?

Furthermore, because he had previously acquired the Sealing Technique—one of the skills of a Formation Master—he had unexpectedly unlocked a divine ability this time around. What a delightful surprise!

A truly joyous occasion, indeed!