Chapter 470 - 469: Cutting Out a Little Bit of Starlight

To cut a Flash Star Fruit and create the effect of a starry sky, you first need to understand the fruit well enough.

Jiang Zuo didn't know if anyone present understood the Flash Star Fruit well enough.

But understanding was just the first step.

That was merely the theory; the actual cutting was what was truly crucial.

Jiang Zuo would bet that not a single person here possessed that level of skill.

Moreover, the steps for cutting it were also very important.

This was a truly magical fruit.

It was just that most people didn't truly understand it.

Of course, if a Daoist were to try, Jiang Zuo would have no objections.

However, not every Daoist could succeed.

Because the first step in cutting a Flash Star Fruit is not to use Spiritual Qi to probe its interior.

The moment you did, the final effect would vanish.

A Daoist's Dao Realm perception, however, was fine.

"Alright, we'll start a three-minute countdown. After three minutes, the person whose Flash Star Fruit shines the brightest will be the champion of this competition.

The countdown begins now."

As the host's voice faded, many people started cutting.

Even those who had no idea what to do picked up their knives.

Jiang Zuo didn't move. Instead, he watched the others, curious to see how they would attempt to cut the fruit.

He had suffered a great deal when he first learned how to cut them.

It was a true test of one's understanding and mastery of the blade. He had cut them using the perception and strength of an ordinary person.

Only in that way could he create that kind of Blade Skill.

Otherwise, how could his Seven-Form Blade Skill border on the Great Dao?

As for what came after, that depended on the individual.

The Great Dao was near. Everyone would have a different answer for how to walk that path.

That was why he had only created seven forms.

It was an open path, not a fixed one.

Jiang Zuo glanced at a Cultivator beside him. The man held his knife hesitantly, unsure of where to make the first cut.

Seeing Jiang Zuo, he couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Daoist, why haven't you picked up your knife?"

Jiang Zuo looked back at him. "And why aren't you cutting?"

The male Cultivator looked at Jiang Zuo and gave a wry smile. "The Fairy I admire is watching from the audience, and I was pretty much forced to participate. If I just cut it directly, it'll look too crude. I can't bring myself to do it.

And you?"

Jiang Zuo said, "I'm not worried. We're already married."

"Congratulations, then," the male Cultivator said, holding his knife in a gesture of congratulations.

This Cultivator looked very young and wasn't bad-looking either.

After all, unless a Cultivator deliberately tried to be ugly, they generally weren't.

This person's Cultivation was only at the 1.7 level. In theory, even with his terrible aptitude, he should have already reached Tier Two.

'A man held back by love.'

"If you want to cut the Flash Star Fruit, you can't try to sense what's inside it. Have you already done that?" Jiang Zuo suddenly asked.

The Cultivator was stunned for a moment before shaking his head.

"The core of the Flash Star Fruit is very small and usually right in the center. If you want it to look good, I suggest you start shaving it from the surface, little by little. But whatever you do, don't stop. You have to finish within a minute. It's fine even if you hit the core," Jiang Zuo said.

The Cultivator looked at Jiang Zuo in disbelief.

He didn't know if Jiang Zuo was telling the truth, but since he had no idea where to start, having some instructions was better than nothing.

Just then, the Array covering the entire venue suddenly activated, and the sky seemed to plunge into darkness.

"Fellow Daoists, please don't be alarmed. To better witness the effects of the Flash Star Fruit, we have simply enclosed the area. No light can get in, but there are no restrictions on entering or exiting," the host immediately explained.

The area around Jiang Zuo also went dark.

Only the tabletops glowed faintly, but the light was enough for them to see what they were doing.

It didn't really affect either the audience or the contestants cutting the Flash Star Fruits.

However, because the light was so weak, the contestants were almost invisible.

Jiang Zuo examined the Array and saw that the host hadn't been lying. It really did just block out the light.

The Cultivator beside him spoke up. "The organizers must have done this on purpose, right? You can't see any of the contestants, so whoever cuts well and makes their fruit shine will be revealed in the spotlight for everyone to see."

Jiang Zuo said nothing. It had nothing to do with him.

The Cultivator held his knife and asked, "Aren't you going to cut?"

Jiang Zuo shook his head. "It's not time yet."

The Cultivator nodded and then began to cut as Jiang Zuo had instructed, shaving it away bit by bit without the slightest pause.

Just then, Jiang Zuo saw a light flicker in the arena. It was truly just a brief flicker.

That meant the person had finished cutting, but the light produced wasn't even as bright as a camera flash.

"Any contestant who has failed to meet the basic requirement may leave the stage," the host's voice announced once more.

One minute had passed since the start, and there had already been many such flashes of light.

Without a doubt, all of these contestants had to leave the stage.

So far, not a single one had managed to stay.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zuo still hadn't moved.

Su Qi only had eyes for Jiang Zuo, so of course she could see him. She just didn't understand why her husband still hadn't moved.

'Is it because he doesn't know how?'

'But then why is he so casually watching everyone else?'

'Is he looking at the Fairies?'

Su Qi quickly dismissed that possibility. It was too dark over there to really see anyone.

Besides, Jiang Zuo was watching the other contestants cut their Flash Star Fruits.

Then Su Qi thought of a possibility. 'Could my husband be observing how the others are cutting theirs?'

Well, regardless, Su Qi didn't see any sign of anxiety or unease from Jiang Zuo, which put her at ease.

As for the result, it really wasn't important at all.

Just then, an intense light suddenly flared up on the competition stage.

Unlike the previous ones, this light didn't vanish in a flash but lingered for a long time. Not only that, but under its glow, tiny points of starlight actually began to appear throughout the pitch-black venue.

A Cultivator stood in the center of this light.

This Cultivator wore a shocked expression. It was the very same man who had been sitting next to Jiang Zuo and had received his advice.

Despite his shock, he still found the Fairy he admired in the crowd and couldn't help but look her way.

With just that one glance, the Cultivator felt his trip to the Sea of Seven Emotions had been worth it. He had caught the gaze of the Fairy he admired, and it was different from before. This time, he saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Then, the light faded.

Everything vanished.

The host's voice followed. "Congratulations to contestant number ninety for successfully qualifying! That was quite astonishing—starlight actually appeared! I imagine this is the first time any of you have seen that, yes?

It's a first for me, too. If there are no other surprises, this contestant is very likely to be our champion."

Contestant Ninety knew he wouldn't be the champion. He couldn't be. He turned to Jiang Zuo and cupped his fist. "Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist."

'It was a simple piece of advice,' he thought, 'but there are some things you'll never figure out unless someone tells you—like how you can't stop once you've started, no matter what you cut into.'

Jiang Zuo said nothing. He had only offered the advice out of boredom. He couldn't have cared less whether the other man succeeded or not.

But just as the light from contestant ninety's fruit faded, an even larger beam of light suddenly appeared. This light, however, wasn't as blinding.