Chapter 1626: Great Omen

Could it be that she's extending her affection to Zu An because of his relationship with Chu Chuyan? But that doesn't make sense. Given her usual temperament, it would be a wonder if she didn't actively oppose Chu Chuyan and Zu An's marriage, let alone protect him.

For a moment, the crowd was abuzz with speculation. While the grand figures of the various sects remained relatively composed, the younger generation grew restless. After all, the matter of Chu Chuyan and Zu An had caused quite a stir just two days prior. Now, with Daoist Master Yan's clear stance, could she actually be endorsing their relationship?

Oh, that pretty boy, what makes him so special?!

A massive wave of anger points surged from the numerous disciples...

In the crowd, Qiu Honglei said to Yun Jianyue, her voice filled with grievance, "Master, it seems our previous plan had no effect." And judging by Yan Xuehen's demeanor, she seems quite pleased with A'Zu as her disciple's future husband. If Zu An and Chu Chuyan were to truly reunite, then all her previous efforts would have been for naught, like shooting herself in the foot.

Yun Jianyue, too, was somewhat suspicious: "What's gotten into that Ice Stone Woman? This is completely out of character for her." Having contended with Yan Xuehen for so many years, she probably understood her better than anyone else alive. From every angle, it made no sense for her to vocally support Zu An right now. Could it be that after enduring that crisis together in the demon territory, she genuinely came to regard Zu An as a friend?

At that moment, Wang Wuxie cleared his throat. "Of course, Sir Zu is qualified to be a judge. This matter has already been decided and requires no further discussion. I suggest everyone focus on the upcoming competition." He reasoned that since Yan Xuehen was protecting Zu An, he should naturally show her some deference.

Wait, could it be that he's protecting Zu An out of respect for me? After all, I was the one who proposed inviting Zu An as a judge. The thought, though fleeting, caused his usually steadfast mind to waver slightly.

Lou Wucheng and the others wanted to speak, but ultimately dared not say another word. With two prominent figures like Wang Wuxie and Yan Xuehen openly backing him, further criticism from them would be nothing short of tactless.

Throughout the entire exchange, Zu An didn't even lift a finger, yet he reaped a substantial wave of anger points. He felt quite pleased, thinking, "Sister Yan truly still cares about me; she can't stand to see me bullied."

With Wang Wuxie taking his seat, Feng Wuchang, the Peak Master of Guansin Peak from the Zhengyang Sect, stepped forward to explain the detailed rules of the grand competition.

Since the Daoist sects comprise nine different schools, they were divided into nine groups. Within each group, members would compete in one-on-one matches. After a single round-robin, points would be calculated: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Ultimately, only the group winner would automatically secure a coveted spot in the Daoist Sect's secret realm.

The rules were thus exceptionally brutal; no one dared to lose a single match lightly, as it could easily mean elimination. To ensure fairness, the chief disciples of each sect were strategically placed into different groups, preventing them from clashing too early and ensuring that weaker competitors in other groups wouldn't inadvertently claim first place.

In addition, the eight best second-place finishers from all groups would enter a knockout round to secure four more spots. This, combined with the initial group winners, would result in a total of 13 individuals qualifying for the Daoist Sect's secret realm. In some respects, the struggle among these eight second-place competitors was even more intense, as it represented their final opportunity.

In fact, these conditions were already significantly relaxed for the current competition. In previous years, only one additional spot was allocated for all second-place finishers, meaning a mere ten individuals total gained entry to the Daoist Sect's secret realm, in addition to the nine group winners. Consequently, every year saw participants suffering broken limbs or even becoming permanently crippled. The intensity of these matches, in some ways, even surpassed that of the bouts for first place. However, this year, the major sects decided that it was overly brutal for nine second-place finishers to vie for just one spot in previous years. To better encourage talented disciples from all schools, the number of additional qualifying spots was expanded to four.

Hearing these familiar rules, Zu An felt a momentary sense of déjà vu. Qualifying rounds and calculating points under various scenarios were essentially the basic skills of every football fan in his previous life. Not much time left for the national team... Fortunately, in this world, he no longer had to worry about doing calculations for the national team.

At this point, Guansin Peak Master Feng Wuchang produced a transparent crystal and announced loudly, "To foster healthy competition among the disciples of the nine Daoist sects, everyone will now come forward, in order of the list, to have their cultivation levels tested, after which we will proceed with group assignments."

In every Daoist Sect Grand Competition, the final number of qualifying spots was just over ten. The vast majority were destined to be mere participants. Even with their utmost effort, they couldn't hope to defeat the legendary chief disciples. As a result, many who knew they stood no chance began to disengage, showing little enthusiasm for the competition and often holding back their true strength even when they did participate.

This entirely went against the original intent of the nine sects' elders, who wished to encourage their disciples' cultivation. Consequently, during one competition, someone devised a solution: a cultivation level test prior to the main event. While cultivation level doesn't always perfectly reflect true combat prowess, the two are positively correlated in the vast majority of cases.

With this somewhat ambiguous "ranking" list, disciples from all sects began to exert themselves fiercely. If they couldn't surpass the true prodigies, surely they could still outdo ordinary disciples like Zhang San or Li Si, who were of similar standing? Some would achieve high cultivation scores, while others, even if their current cultivation was low, might be very young, surpassing the cultivation levels of others at their age. In any case, it was something to be proud of.

While many ancient texts often preached the detachment from fame and fortune, wasn't the human existence largely driven by such desires? Who wouldn't want to make a statement within their community? Furthermore, if someone truly distinguished themselves in the test, even if they didn't ultimately qualify, they would likely gain the sect's recognition, leading to a greater allocation of resources in the future. While they might not currently match the chief disciples, who was to say they wouldn't eventually surpass them? Never underestimate a young man in his poverty!

Observing the disciples' eager expressions, the various sect masters nodded with satisfaction. Only by thoroughly motivating these disciples could the entire sect maintain its vitality. Of course, this measure served another purpose: it allowed for the creation of more balanced groups later on. This would prevent an accidental concentration of powerful individuals in one group, which could exhaust that group's chief contender and put them at a disadvantage when competing for a top-three finish against other chief disciples after qualifying. As for the possibility of a chief disciple failing to qualify, it was a scenario they hadn't even entertained. To be a chief disciple of a sect inherently meant being far superior to one's peers; failure to qualify was simply unthinkable.

"Zhengyang Sect, Zhang Xi!" Feng Wuchang began calling out names from the list. As hosts, it was only natural for their sect to present the first participant. They needed someone strong enough not to disgrace the sect's reputation, but also not their top ace, Wu Xiaofan, right away. Thus, Zhang Xi of Guansin Peak became the ideal choice.

Zhang Xi adjusted his attire and walked calmly onto the stage. Having served as a greeter at the mountain gate earlier, he was generally recognized by the crowd. Soon, the test results were revealed: Eighth Rank!

A small stir rippled through the entire square. The Zhengyang Sect indeed possessed profound reserves; even a gate-guarding disciple had attained the Eighth Rank. It was well known that over half the individuals present in the square were far from achieving such a level.

Zhang Zijiang's expression also grew solemn. He whispered to Zu An, "This person's strength is sufficient to serve as a city lord in the imperial court. I hadn't realized how much the martial arts sects' disciples have progressed over the years. I'll need to report this to the imperial court upon our return. If this trend continues, it truly bodes ill for the imperial court."

"Damn it, a young disciple's cultivation is almost on par with mine! How can this be tolerated?!"

Zu An said in a deep voice, "Don't worry. These sects have limited resources and can only focus on a small elite. Their overall talent pool and reserves are far inferior to those of the imperial court."

Only then did Zhang Zijiang's composure return somewhat.

Zhang Xi faintly overheard the murmurs around him and couldn't help but puff out his chest a little more. He imagined this would surely win him the favor of many junior sisters. "Still," he thought, "my heart belongs to Fairy Chu and Fairy Pei." Then, suddenly recalling the rumors he'd heard about Chu Chuyan in recent days, his expression involuntarily dimmed. "Never mind," he decided. "It seems Fairy Pei is my true love for this lifetime."

Subsequently, other disciples took their turns on stage, their cultivation levels noticeably lower. The majority were of the Sixth or Seventh Rank. Witnessing this, Zu An couldn't help but feel a touch of melancholy. Back at Bright Moon Academy, a Sixth Rank was already hailed as a recognized genius, yet here, it merely signified the lowest rung of the general populace. However, he also understood the phenomenon. In his previous life, any student from an experimental class in a prestigious provincial high school was practically the top scholar of their city or county school. Similarly, even the lowest-ranked student from Tsinghua or Peking University would likely have been the top scorer in some city.

"Bishui Palace, Pei Mianman." Feng Wuchang continued, calling the next disciple to the stage for testing.

At the sound of the name, Zu An's head snapped up. Simultaneously, a series of audible gulps echoed through the arena. Not only the young disciples, but even the various sect masters and elders couldn't resist taking extra glances towards the center of the arena. Even Master Jianhuang of Wuyou Temple, from the Carefree Temple, forgot to utter his usual "My sin, my sin," and involuntarily raised his head to gaze upon the arena. Instead, he mumbled, "A grave omen, indeed a grave omen!"