Chapter 1894: Harsh Survival Rules

The moment he reappeared behind a rock and steadied himself, he felt a cold glint skimming the ground, striking directly at the jade plaque on his chest. If it hit, he would be immediately eliminated. It seemed those who had entered earlier had already set up an ambush, just waiting for newcomers to fall into their trap.

"Quite fast!" Zhang Xuan said with a light smile. He extended a finger to meet the attack. The cold glint was blocked by his finger, unable to advance an inch further. Though the power he currently wielded was only at the Saint 9-dan realm, with his eyesight and reflexes, even Great Saints would find it hard to resist. How could this attacker before him, who was merely an ordinary Void-realm cultivator, possibly succeed?

After blocking the sneak attack, Zhang Xuan looked up to see a young man in black. Seeing his attack so easily parried, the young man's eyes showed fright. Not daring to make a second move, he turned and fled, evidently having recognized Zhang Xuan's strength and knowing that if he didn't escape, he would be eliminated.

"Quick reaction, but it's too late to run..." With a look of approval, Zhang Xuan pointed his finger again and commanded, "Freeze!"

As if water had instantly frozen, the young man in black instantly stiffened in mid-air, unable to move.

"Spatial Lock..." the young man in black exclaimed, filled with horror. "For a Saint 9-dan cultivator to comprehend such an ability... He must be among the top few descendants of the Seventy-Two Ancient Sage Clans. How could I be so unlucky as to encounter him directly?"

"Friend," he pleaded, gritting his teeth, "I was deluded and attacked you. Please be magnanimous and spare my life..." His strength was top-tier even within his own clan. He had originally thought that if he just stayed hidden, he could easily hunt down other examinees. He never dreamed that his very first attempt would lead him to such a tough opponent. If he had known this, he would have just hidden. Why had he bothered to make a move?

"It's not impossible to spare your life!" Zhang Xuan said.

"What are your conditions? Please speak!" The young man in black gritted his teeth. "I can offer treasures for my life, but you should know that everyone in our clan has a fixed quota of resources. I don't have many good things..."

"I don't want your things," Zhang Xuan said. "I'll give you two choices. First, crush your jade plaque and be eliminated! Second, tell me what I want to know..." Zhang Xuan looked at him. "Don't worry," he added, "what I ask won't involve clan secrets, nor will it put you in a difficult position!"

"I choose the second option!" Without much hesitation, the young man in black spoke. To have reached this point, he had consumed an unknown amount of his clan's resources. If he couldn't enter the Grand Scholar Hall, all resource supply would cease, and further advancement in cultivation would be almost impossible! Under no circumstances could he give up this opportunity.

"Very good!" Zhang Xuan said, looking at him with a calm expression, his hands clasped behind his back. "From the moment you began cultivating, how did you progress step by step to your current level? Include every trial and assessment! I want to know in great detail!"

"This..." He had thought Zhang Xuan would ask about something else, but upon hearing this seemingly common knowledge question, the young man in black was taken aback. Though full of questions, he still answered truthfully: "Since I began cultivating, I've undergone twenty-seven assessments, almost one every year! Each assessment eliminates many people in the same age group. Those eliminated have their resource and cultivation technique supplies cut off and are expected to peacefully manage the family businesses..."

Soon, the young man in black recounted everything he had experienced. Zhang Xuan listened, his brows furrowing.

Just as he had guessed, the competition among the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was extremely brutal. Assessments began from the very start of cultivation: pass, and you received subsequent cultivation techniques and resources; fail, and you could no longer cultivate. This was no longer about nurturing descendants, but about raising Gu worms. It was said that those who practiced Gu-raising would raise tens of thousands of Gu worms, then let them fight each other to the death, with the sole survivor being the strongest.

It seemed the Seventy-Two Ancient Sage Clans were doing just that. All those who could come here to participate in the Grand Scholar Hall assessment had endured countless hardships to stand out from the countless young people within their clans. No wonder he had noticed earlier that these people all had cold eyes, somewhat similar to those of Combat Masters. With such experiences, humanity within their hearts must have long become as indifferent as a discarded piece of paper, ready to be abandoned at any moment. It was also no wonder that Yan Xue and others could collaborate with the Spirit Tribe without any qualms. In their hearts, perhaps only victory and defeat mattered, having long lost the moral principles unique to Master Teachers.

"It seems the Hundred Schools of Philosophers truly adhere to the principle of might makes right, and survival of the fittest..." Reflecting inwardly, he looked at the young man before him again. "You just said there's a fixed quota for resource supply. What does that mean?"

"As a clan descendant, you don't know?" The young man in black was again filled with doubt, but knowing he was at Zhang Xuan's mercy, he replied, "The amount of resources allocated is fixed based on what cultivation level you reach and what assessments you pass. As far as I know, it's the same for every clan; no one is an exception!" After speaking, he explained further for a while.

After listening to his explanation, Zhang Xuan gasped, finally understanding the precise operating model of the Ancient Sage Clans. In the beginning, all descendants were chosen to cultivate. If they didn't reach a specified level within a set time, they would be eliminated, losing access to resources and cultivation techniques. This happened every year. To receive cultivation techniques and resources, one also needed to undergo various assessments and achieve certain accomplishments. It could be said that this world's control over resources was terrifyingly precise!

"Can't you search for ruins or treasures?" Unable to hold back, he asked. Cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent didn't have abundant resources either, but they would search for special ruins or treasures. Even if they faced danger, a successful venture would provide enough for long periods of cultivation. Why didn't people here do the same?

"Where are there any ruins or treasures?" the young man retorted. "After a cultivator dies, all their resources are reclaimed by the clan! For example, even if you kill me now, you can't take my resources. Everything I carry when I leave the clan is registered. If anything is missing after my death... they'll trace it back to your clan and demand it from you!"

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows twitched. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers, as descendants of Confucius, controlling resources in such a manner... What exactly were they trying to achieve? Could it be that resources in this world were so incredibly scarce?

After asking a few more questions and clarifying everything he wanted to know that the other party understood, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and the young man in black collapsed to the ground.

"You will wake up after I leave," Zhang Xuan said. "When you awaken, you will have forgotten everything that just happened!"

With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and darted straight ahead, disappearing from the spot in the blink of an eye. With his cultivation at this level, he could easily erase a person's memories. Although what he had asked just now wasn't crucial, it would certainly cause trouble for Fan Xiaoxu later. Since that was the case, preemptively erasing it would reduce future complications.