Chapter 2: Pickle Armor

"Sister Ming, I envy your patience."

Meanwhile in the crowd made of two people.

"I told you it was worth it, Senior Brother Bai! Every time is a new experience. One day I coincidentally was passing by at the time of their competition, when the Sect Master arrived in the middle of their little show, I think it was the 4th or 5th edition, kidnapped the 'Pickle Lord' and Yi Ren and left them who knows where! They weren't seen until three weeks later! HAHAHAHA!

They were all covered up in wounds and bruises when they were seen again. It turned out that the elders thought they were using demonic methods and were spies sent by fiend sects!"

"What? How'd they convince the elders they weren't?"

"I don't know, I guess they showed them their methods thoroughly and resisted countless tortures without spilling the beans. Poor guys, they only wanted to host their little competition in the sect, but almost ended up dead."

"Did the sect apologize or something?"

"They didn't publicly. Very few people know what happened, so the sect told them to shut up and gave them the status of an official event of the sect –that's why their name is 'Outer Disciple's Talent Competition of Gray Grass Sect'. The name before the incident was 'The legendary legends of future legends and their talents', haha."

"That 's all?"

"Mm no, the prizes are also financed by the sect. The winner gets 10 low-grade spirit stones and a badge made by the inner disciples of the forging club. It's basically a piece of metal with some simple engravings, I know the guy who makes them. He spends like an hour or so and that's it."

"Do you think something will happen this time?"

"If the new guy doesn't die… I think there are some chances. Yi Ren always makes something explode, and Wang Fan, the Pickle Lord, well… He's the Pickle Lord. You'll see."

"AND WE ARE BACK FROM OUR LITTLE BREAK BROTHERS AND SISTERS! Brother Ling, do you feel any changes?"

"Give it a little more time, I'm almost there."

"Excellent! As we wait for the results of Brother Ling's Crazy Cultivation Pill, we're going to go to our next participant!

This participant is someone who has been through hell and has survived, someone who has been accused of using fiendish techniques to achieve what he has achieved. He's someone who doesn't bow down to injustice, our current champion of this competition… THIS IS THE LEGEND, THE MYTH; THIS IS PICKLE LORD!!!

"Cough, cough. Thank you, Brother Fang, for your nice words. I am indeed the only Pickle Lord there is. You see, I still have nightmares of that day, when I thought I wouldn't see the light of the day ever again. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, sweating or crying.

I have realized that at this pace –at this pace I will form internal demons, at this pace my cultivation will stagnate and my Dao Heart will break. So I have been thinking of solutions all these months."

"Oh, don't worry Pickle Lord, we're with you. What is your solution?"

"My –My solution… Well. You all know that everyone calls me by the name of Pickle Lord. It is indeed because I am very fond of pickles, searching for ways to use them in defense or offense. But my research is not unique to pickles, you see.

It works on plants and herbs of all kinds. I prefer pickles and I am better at their use, but they are not the limit to my abilities. I basically study plants' spiritual energy cycles and find ways to manipulate them in every kind of way.

With that said, the reason pickles are my favorite tool is mainly because of their texture, maneuverability and ease of handling. I will continue being the Pickle Lord until I find something better –something that can enhance my combat power overall.

My solution is not only something that can fix my trauma, but something that will improve once again the user's power!

I feel safe around pickles, they are my strength and the reason I'm almost invincible between First Realm cultivators. What can erase my fear? Defense! Protection! All of this can be achieved very easily!"

The skinny guy with a long nose and thin brows reached to his dark green box, but instead of opening it normally to take something out, he flipped it whilst shaking it to throw all its insides to the floor, revealing a small mountain of pickles.

"This is the future! No, this is salvation; my salvation! …PICKLE ARMOR!"

The pickles on the floor started to tremble, glowing from time to time as they swelled little by little, until one of them exploded, followed by another, and so on and so on. Pulp flew everywhere, sometimes hitting many of the people present.

Those small pieces of pickle that had found themselves in the face or clothes of someone suddenly shined and flew back to the long nosed boy, whose hands were now extended upwards and his brows were furrowed, as if he was carrying the world but his strength wasn't enough, only to stubbornly resist and fight against the laws of nature to save everything, but more so, to save himself.

Yes, he was The Pickle Lord. Pickle pulp flew to his robes and his skin, covering in a slow but rapid process. Those present were only capable of seeing how his figure turned greener and greener, until it reached a dark tone. His body was completely surrounded by pickle pulp, only his eyes were left alone. His robes were torn by the discharged energy, allowing the armor to resemble a human figure.

He calmly swept the surroundings with his sharp gaze, as he stood tall inside of his crude looking pickle armor which seemed to swallow the light of the sun, as if nothing outside of his armor could reach his being. He looked at everyone's expressions, only to find them all shocked, as he thought: 'Yes, I am the one and only, Pickle Lord'.

"Mmhmhmmm mhmmmm mmmm mhmhmhm!"

Strange sounds came out of his suit. He couldn't speak; there was no hole for his voice to escape.

Those in the crowd were trying their best to control their laughter. Those participating thought that the Pickle Lord had outdone himself once again. And those on the chairs couldn't help to look at each other as they didn't know how to grade such a thing.

"Well done, Pickle Lord! Cough, I didn't expect that, I really didn't. You have surprised us all once again!" Plummy Fang said as he had barely recovered from the hilarious shock. He was a professional, after all. His more than 12 months of experience had almost made him immune to this type of thing.

He cleaned the pickle juice that was flowing down his face and continued: "How's the durability, can we test it?"

"Puah. Mm, yeah sure." Pickle Lord responded after making a hole for his mouth and spitting out the pickle that managed to enter, taking deep breaths.

"Does anyone have a sword or something? I don't have a space pouch, so I let my stuff at my dorm."

"I don't have one either."

"I do. What do you want it for?"

"Well, obviously to test my Pickle Armor."

"Oh, ah, here, take it."

Ming Daiyu got up from her seat carrying a thin black sword in one of her hands and its scabbard on the other. It looked pretty luxurious as it shined along with her long black hair and dark silver robes, fluttering in the wind as she walked close to the 'Pickle Lord'.

She offered the sword to the immobilized figure, waiting, as both kept their gazes fixed on it.

"…"

"…"

"Do you expect me to attack myself?"

"Ah? Right! Y-Yes I will do it."

"Hurry up! I'm almost out of spiritual energy."

"A-Alright, I'll use a tenth of my strength first!" The silver robed girl took a stance and the energy of the air began to condense in her sword as light surged within. She swung it shortly after, leaving a trace of blinding light wherever it passed.

Everyone closed their eyes, excluding the guy with eye protectors, as the light of the sword seemed to have exploded when it made contact with the Pickle Armor. The dense light remained for a couple seconds until it was suddenly extinguished.

The ones of the crowd thought that the Pickle Lord wouldn't be able to make it as they wouldn't have another choice but to avoid that strike if they were in his position, but the ones who knew the Pickle Lord weren't worried in the slightest.

"As expected… The Pickle Lord has really outdone himself once again…" Yi Ren muttered; he was the only one who could see the situation clearly (he had sunglasses).

Ming Daiyu retracted her sword to its original position, sheathing it back to its scabbard in a swift motion. She flipped her hand and the sword disappeared into her space ring.

Wang Fan looked unfazed inside his Pickle Armor; his eyes were as calm as a frozen lake in winter, his mouth showed the smile of a winner. The previous attack had only caused a small scratch on the armor on his left forearm; he was perfectly okay.

"GEE GOLLY! THAT WAS UNEXPECTED! We must remember that Senior Sister Ming is a peak First Realm cultivator, only a step away from Second Realm and becoming an Inner Disciple of the sect! She is also a genius seen only in a hundred years!"

"Even if she used all of her strength she would've barely been able to reach Brother Wang's skin! Just… Formidable! Do you have anything else you want to add, oh great Pickle Lord!?"

"No."

"W-Well, excellent! Any words, judges?"

"Wang Fan, no, Pickle Lord, I hope to see you in the sect's 1v1 tournament in a few days. Let's test the limits of your Pickle Armor then…"

Ming Daiyu returned to her seat as she let those words linger in the air, reaching everyone's ears. Only her pleasurable scent remained in her previous position in the blink of an eye. It looked like she was walking but her speed was fast.

"OHHH! IS THAT A DIRECT CHALLENGE?!

OR IS IT A SUBTLE DECLARATION OF LOVE?!

A SARCASTIC REMARK?

OR A REQUEST FOR A DATE?"

Yi Ren who was watching by the side tightened his fists; his gaze behind the sunglasses was somber. "Tarnation you, Pickle Lord." He whispered as he started to get ready; he was the next to go.

"Anyways, we're going to continue with this… thing! Yi Ren, it is your turn. Pickle Lord, please step aside. Yi Ren, take his place."

"Actually, I… can't move." Wang Fan said hesitantly. He hadn't moved an inch since he activated his 'Pickle Armor'.

"Can't you dispel your Pickle Armor or something?" Plummy Fang inquired as he awkwardly played with his fingers.

"…"

"Alright, everyone, let's move two steps to the front!"