Someone overtook Jing Jiu and walked forward.
That person's body was very muscular, as if it had been chiseled by knives and axes, giving off a feeling that it was indestructible, as if it were made of steel.
Jing Jiu knew that this person was Bai Qianjun.
He was the distant nephew of Bai Zhenren, and he had been cultivating in a remote valley on the Cloud-Dream Mountain.
Like Zhuo Rusui, who stayed behind closed doors on the top of Tianguang Peak, he was highly regarded by the Cultivation sect.
However, Zhuo Rusui had stayed behind closed doors for more than twenty years. Though the whole world knew about him, few people knew of his existence, so he was even more mysterious and low-key.
It seemed that Bai Qianjun had a powerful energy, even more powerful than Lo Huainan's, so he should have formed the Yuanying.
Soon after, Xiang Wanshu, Tong Yan, Bai Zao and a few other names appeared on the cliff walls one by one.
Seven disciples of the Zhongzhou School, including Bai Qianjun, walked to the front of the valley.
Seeing this scene, the Cultivation practitioners couldn't help but discuss it. But this was the Cloud-Dream Mountain, and the Fairy Book was presented by the Zhongzhou School, so they didn't say anything. Even if the Zhongzhou School didn't limit the number of participants in the Dao Competition, other sects couldn't provide so many talented disciples.
Of course, this didn't include the Aoyama Sect.
Guo Nanshan, Gu Han, Jian Ruyun and the others stayed where they were, and Zhuo Rusui walked toward the front of the valley.
He crossed his arms with drooping eyelids, looking like he hadn't slept well. He exuded a cold intent from his body, giving off a feeling that strangers shouldn't get close to him.
The representative of the Guocheng Temple was a young monk with the Buddhist name of Cottage. Few people could recognize that he was He Zhan because his beard and hair were shaved clean.
Sensei's realm wasn't high enough, so no one from Ōzawa participated. No one from Western Sea Sword School came either.
The participant chosen by the Kunlun Sect was a middle-aged man who pretended to be a scholar while waving a fan. His demeanor was uninteresting, but it seemed that he thought himself quite interesting.
The participant in the Dao Competition in Yimaozhai was a true young scholar, wearing a simple cotton cloth. Instead of holding a fan in his hand, he held a book in his hand.
Seeing this young scholar, many people remembered that he was also a popular candidate for the Dao Querying this time, Xi Yiyun.
He was the personal disciple of Bu Qiuxiao, the Head of Yimaozhai. He had studied hard for twenty years, and it was said that he had been recognized as the owner by a certain treasure of the temple. Could it be the scroll in his hand?
As the winner of the last Plum Meeting, Que Niang of the Mirror Sect also obtained a spot.
Another winner of the Plum Meeting was a free-traveling practitioner.
It was not easy for a free-traveling practitioner to win the Plum Meeting without the guidance of a sect or a master.
The free-traveling practitioner walked to the front of the valley and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile after taking a look at He Zhan.
It was evident that the two of them knew each other, and they were even familiar with each other.
He Zhan had many friends, and he traveled the world as a free-traveling practitioner, so it wasn't strange.
The last participant was a disciple of the No-Mercy Sect. The Cultivation practitioners were a bit surprised.
This disciple of the No-Mercy Sect was very young, dark and thin, giving off a feeling of immaturity.
Mister Pei was defeated by the sword of the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean again and died suddenly. Didn't the No-Mercy Sect seal off their mountains in accordance with his will?
Why did the No-Mercy Sect send so many disciples to the Dao Querying Meeting this time?
… …
… …
More than forty young Cultivation practitioners stood outside the Huiyin Valley.
Besides Guo Nanshan and others of the Aoyama Sect, the strongest swordsmen of the young generation were all here.
Innumerable gazes fell on these young Cultivation practitioners, but where were their gazes?
Ahead of them was a couple in a white cloth.
These young Cultivation practitioners were fully aware that the final winner of the Dao Querying Meeting would be one of these two.
Jing Jiu had the highest Cultivation state among them.
Yet, in the Illusionary Realm of Cloud-Dream, the strongest Cultivation state didn't guarantee the final victory.
There were seven participants from the Zhongzhou School. The disciples of Zhongzhou, including Tong Yan and Bai Qianjun, would definitely support Bai Zao.
Bai Zao sensed those gazes, and knew that most of them were on Jing Jiu.
She glanced at Jing Jiu with a bit of pride and worry.
The early stages of the Dao Querying Meeting were easy for Jing Jiu, but it was a bit troublesome after entering the Illusionary Realm.
In her opinion, Jing Jiu could learn those tricks and schemes, but she was worried that he wouldn't bother to do them.
Yet, she couldn't give the Fairy Book to him in the end. It was left by her ancestors, so she had the responsibility and obligation to stay on the Cloud-Dream Mountain.
She looked at Jing Jiu and said with a smile, "I won't recognize you after I enter the Illusionary Realm."
This statement had several layers of meaning, and it was quite profound.
Jing Jiu said, "If I meet you, I will recognize you."
Bai Zao let out a charming smile, thinking that Jing Jiu's words were too blunt.
… …
… …
There was a building in the deep end of the Huiyin Valley. It was shaped like a hall, and the space inside was very spacious, enough to hold a thousand people.
Fifty Cultivation practitioners stood in the building, but it didn't feel crowded at all.
There were many chairs scattered in the building, and all kinds of tea and exotic fruits were placed on the tables. There was no caretaker or servant boy to serve them, so the participants could take whatever they wanted.
Some of the participants walked to the tables, drank the tea, and talked to each other in a low voice, either because they had a calm temperament or to conceal their nervousness.
Many of them were really nervous, standing on the same spots, not knowing what to do.
As Jing Jiu was about to take out a bamboo chair and lie down, he remembered Zhao Layue's reminder during the chess tournament of the Plum Meeting, so he pulled a chair to a corner and sat down.
Zhuo Rusui moved as well. He followed Jing Jiu to that corner and stood leaning against the door.
Zhuo Rusui's eyelids were still drooping, but he wasn't dozing off. He glanced at Jing Jiu once in a while.
If it were anybody else, they would ask why Jing Jiu had looked at them a few times, and then they would talk to each other.
Yet, Jing Jiu didn't pay any attention to Jing Jiu, thinking, "You can look at me all you want. The morning sunlight has dyed the mountain mist.
Jing Jiu didn't respond, but someone else did.
It was unclear why the thin and dark disciple of the No-Mercy Sect had come to the corner. He stared at Zhuo Rusui without blinking his eyes, full of vigilance.
The people had noticed the commotion in this corner, and started discussing in a low voice.
Tong Yan looked at them coldly. She didn't care about what they were discussing, but observed their expressions and movements.
In comparison to the Plum Meeting, the participants of the Dao Competition were much stronger. In order to ensure that his Young Sister could obtain the Fairy Book, he had to make the necessary preparations.
If he could recognize the participants earlier after entering the Illusionary Realm of Cloud-Dream, he would have a great advantage. In the Illusionary Realm, it was impossible to recognize the other participants by their appearances and magic treasures. Instead, he could only recognize them by their habits, which were the most difficult to change, like how many fingers they used to hold the tea, their standing posture, and the style of their hair bun …
Xiang Wanshu and the other disciples of the Zhongzhou School didn't know what Big Brother Tong Yan was doing, but they used their eyes to confirm with each other that they would recognize each other in the Illusionary Realm.
Bai Qianjun stared at a spot in the distant empty space with a cold expression on his face; it was unclear what he was thinking.
"Flutter! Flutter! "
The sounds of birds flapping their wings could be heard outside the building.
The people looked at the outside of the building.
The sounds suddenly became more frequent, and it was unclear how many birds there were.
The sounds of birds flapping their wings could be heard inside and outside the building like the wind, deafening to the ears.
Countless birds flew in from the outside of the valley, covering the sky and earth, blocking the sunlight. It was a formidable scene.
Some participants with a weaker mental state changed their expressions, looking around reflexively.
Even though most of the participants were curious, they thought this might be a test of the Dao Competition, so they didn't move.
Bai Zao thought that they had guessed it right. This was the first test of the Dao Competition, though the test was not those birds.
…
…
Tens of thousands of birds had dispersed.
A little girl appeared in the building.
She was indeed "small", only two feet long, but she could stand in the palm of an adult.
The little girl was very pretty, looking like a fairy from the Alien Land. Her skin looked like it was made of colored glass, giving off a feeling of being transparent.
Yet, her energy was very light, lighter than the water and lighter than the wind. If one closed their eyes, they wouldn't be able to sense her existence.
She had a pair of transparent wings on her back, which were flapping incessantly, bringing up a gust of gentle wind, giving off a refreshing feeling.
"What is this?"
Some Cultivation practitioners felt alarmed when they saw the little girl flapping her wings in the sky.
This was the Cloud-Dream Mountain, so they wouldn't strike recklessly; but nobody knew what the test of the Dao Competition was.
"She is the spirit of the Green Sky Mirror."
Bai Zao nodded to the little girl as a greeting, and then said to the crowd, "You guys can call her Qing 'er."
The crowd was startled; even Jing Jiu shot a glance at the little girl.
Only the heavenly treasure could give birth to a true spirit!
It was said that some true spirits of the heavenly treasures had appeared in the distant ancient times; some of them had ascended with the ancient immortals, and some had disappeared in the long river of time.
It had been a long time since anyone in Chaotian had heard of the true spirits of the heavenly treasures.
They knew that the participants would enter the Illusionary Realm of Cloud-Dream through the Green Sky Mirror in the Dao Competition, but they didn't expect the Green Sky Mirror to be a magic treasure of the Heavenly State and have a true spirit!
"The Illusionary Realm of Cloud-Dream is a world created by the Green Sky Mirror. Though it's not dangerous inside, the spiritual souls of the Cultivation practitioners will be affected by the mortal karma if they stay in the Illusionary Realm for too long, which will affect their Cultivation in the future, and they might even go mad. As such, Qing 'er will ask us some questions later to confirm whether we can enter the Illusionary Realm of Cloud-Dream."
As the crowd calmed down a bit, Bai Zao continued.
They were all the most talented young people in the Cultivation world, so they understood the reason.
The scholar of the Kunlun Sect took a few steps forward and said to Bai Zao, "Thanks for reminding us, Fairy Lady White."
It was a simple statement, but it sounded sincere and nauseating; it was obvious that he was trying to curry favor with Jing Jiu.
Bai Zao let out a faint smile, saying nothing.
Some of them displayed a mocking expression, thinking that the Fairy Lady White had devoted all her affection to Jing Jiu, but Jing Jiu was nothing to her.
The mirror spirit named Qing 'er flew to the front of Bai Zao and said innocently, "It's rare to see so many people, so I'm a bit scared."
Before Bai Zao could respond, the scholar of the Kunlun Sect interrupted, "Don't be scared, Spiritual Master. We'll wait for …"
It was evident that he was trying to curry favor with Jing Jiu.
Qing 'er suddenly clapped her hands.
The sound was crisp and clear.
In the next moment, countless residual shadows appeared around her, as if a thousand palms were clapping together. Pah!!!
Pah!!! The loud claps came out like a rainstorm, echoing in the building and the valley. The claps grew louder and louder, like the waves of the ocean.
The scholar of the Kunlun Sect couldn't finish his sentence. Some Cultivation practitioners with lower Cultivation states felt dizzy because their Dao Hearts were unstable.
It was so powerful just by clapping her hands.
Looking at the little girl again, no one thought she was cute, but rather terrifying.
Jing Jiu took another look at her and found that she was indeed a real spirit, but she was still a little bit weaker.
She was much stronger than the Lone Sword.
He had nurtured the Lone Sword for so many years, but it hadn't developed its spiritual intelligence, let alone manifesting its spiritual body.
The Thoughtless Sword was even weaker.
The other six swords had no hope at all. In Jing Jiu's eyes, they were even less promising than the iron sword on his back.
He didn't know when the Lone Sword would become sensible, and he hoped that it would make some progress by following Liu Shisui.
He heard that Zen Master had written a letter to Yimaozhai, and Liu Shisui would probably go there soon.
As Jing Jiu was thinking of all this, Qing 'er's hands had finally stopped.
The thousand hands had returned to her body.
The thunder-like claps dispersed, and the wind stopped as well.
Looking at the crowd below, she asked with a faint smile, "Can you concentrate now? Who will be the first? "
The atmosphere in the building grew tense.
Though it was just a matter of asking some questions, if she determined that they were not qualified to enter the Illusionary Realm of Cloud-Dream, they would be eliminated.
Someone asked, "Spiritual Master, how will the test be conducted?"
Qing 'er said, "It's simple. You have to give an answer in ten seconds; otherwise, you will be disqualified. Then I'll judge whether your answer is correct or not."
It was a simple rule, but nobody came forward.
Everybody could imagine that this test was not as simple as answering the questions.
The disciple of the No-Mercy Sect stopped staring at Zhuo Rusui and turned his head to glance at Jing Jiu.
Jing Jiu was puzzled, but he nodded in response to the other person's questioning look.
"Let me try."
The disciple of the No-Mercy Sect came to the crowd and raised his right hand.
"What's one plus one?" asked Qing 'er.
Upon hearing this question, everybody was taken aback.
Such a simple question must have a deeper meaning. What was the answer?
It was indeed the Dao Competition, where the path toward heaven was simple, but it was hard to get close to it …
Unexpectedly, the disciple of the No-Mercy Sect gave the answer without a second thought.
"Two."
There was an uproar.
Someone almost laughed out loud.
Unexpectedly, Qing 'er looked at the disciple of the No-Mercy Sect with an approving expression, saying, "Not bad. You can go in now."
It became deathly quiet in the building again. The crowd eyed each other speechlessly, wondering how it worked.
"Who will be the second?" asked Qing 'er.
The crowd eyed each other, but none of them came forward.
To be qualified to participate in the Dao Competition meant that one would be able to reach the State of the Undefeated or the Free Travel within a few decades of Cultivation, which meant that one would reach the State of the Golden Pill and the Yuanying State.
This kind of person might have a problematic personality like the scholar of the Kunlun Sect, but he wouldn't have a problem with his intelligence.
The mirror spirit must have appreciated the truthfulness of the disciple of the No-Mercy Sect, which was why she let him pass.
What if the next question was a very difficult one, or it was as simple as one plus one, but it required a different answer?
Many people felt remorseful, thinking that they should have been the first to come forward.
"Let me do it."
The second person to come forward was the Cottage Monk of the Guocheng Temple, He Zhan. He had lost all hope in this world, and had no desire for the Fairy Book. He merely came here to have a look, and he even had a desire to destroy himself. He didn't care even if he was eliminated.
"What's one plus four?" asked Qing 'er.
"Fourteen," He Zhan replied straightforwardly.
"It's interesting. You can go in now."
Seeing the dejected expression on his face, Qing 'er asked curiously, "Why do you look so sad?"
He Zhan was taken aback, and said, "Maybe it's because the fish on the Cloud-Dream Mountain don't taste good when roasted?"
Qing 'er said angrily, "If I asked this question, I wouldn't let you pass." … …
In the corner.
Zhuo Rusui yawned, and said, "Isn't this a joke?"
Jing Jiu didn't heed him.
Zhuo Rusui said, "If I were the Zhongzhou School, I would eliminate the two of us at this stage."
Jing Jiu thought that it was for this reason that they could pass the test.
Otherwise, the Zhongzhou School would be laughed at for hundreds of years.
Seeing Jing Jiu's expression, Zhuo Rusui guessed what was on his mind, feeling energized. "If so, I'll go in now," he said while rubbing his face.
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