Chapter 1902: Zilu, Descendant of the Ancient Saint

Zhong Qing, a descendant of the ancient sage Zi Lu, was the Immortal Realm middle-aged man who announced the rules from the sky earlier. He is also the official in charge of the Great Confucian Hall for this elimination round.

Unlike the other teachers, he returned to his room after activating the mountain's formation, rather than waiting in the elimination zone. It was merely a new student selection; knowing the outcome was sufficient. Given his status, it wasn't worth constant attention.

He picked up a brush and slowly wrote on the desk. The air was filled with the fragrance of ink, and his handwriting was neat yet imbued with a profound elegance. It was evident that his state of mind was as serene as still water, completely unperturbed.

A figure appeared in the room. Seeing Zhong Qing leisurely writing, the newcomer's brows furrowed. "Brother Zhong, why are you still here? Please go take a look; something seems off with this assessment..." If Zhang Xuan had been present, he would surely have recognized the newcomer as his old friend, Nangong Yuanfeng.

"Yuanfeng, you're getting anxious again!" Zhong Qing said without lifting his head. "I've always told you your state of mind isn't stable enough, but you never believe me. It's just an assessment for the juniors; what's there to be so nervous about? If you can't overcome this tendency, in the long run, it will be almost impossible for you to advance further!" Without lifting his head, Zhong Qing knew who stood before him. His brush continued to move steadily, and his voice remained unhurried and calm.

"Brother Zhong is right to admonish me," Nangong Yuanfeng said quickly, "but I simply can't calm down right now! The elimination round has completely descended into chaos..."

"Chaos? What could possibly be chaotic?" Zhong Qing asked indifferently, still not looking up.

"Too many participants are being eliminated too quickly," Nangong Yuanfeng explained. "I'm afraid it won't last the full three hours. What's more, many strong candidates we previously favored have already been knocked out. The ones who remain might not even be among the top hundred in terms of actual strength..." Nangong Yuanfeng, who was present at the scene, had witnessed everything clearly. Even top contenders like Yan Yixiao had been eliminated, and many other experts they had favored had also fallen. The reason was always the same: they had encountered a descendant of the ancient sage Zi Chi. It had become an unwritten rule: anyone who encountered them would be eliminated. This meant that the selection of one hundred participants was no longer based on fairness but on whether one was lucky enough to avoid them. With the assessment devolving into such a state, how could Nangong Yuanfeng not be anxious?

"Oh? Isn't that even better!" Zhong Qing seemed to have already known this and showed no surprise. He dipped his brush in ink again, his strokes flowing powerfully. With a faint smile, he said, "The numerous descendants of the Hundred Schools of Thought are not significantly different from each other. We only require one hundred successful candidates. Who they are is not important! As long as they pass the assessment and receive training from the Great Confucian Hall, they will all go far..."

"That's true..." Seeing Zhong Qing's composure, Nangong Yuanfeng's nervous state of mind began to ease. They only needed the top one hundred; as for the specific individuals... did it truly matter? The elimination round was fair. If someone was eliminated, it only indicated insufficient strength, and no one else could be blamed.

"While that logic holds," Nangong Yuanfeng continued, "most of the cultivators are being eliminated by the same group of people, and their numbers are increasing. Those who have been eliminated have even formed a fraternity..."

"Eliminated by the same group of people? Who? Yan Yixiao, or Duanmu Xiao?" Zhong Qing inquired.

"Neither. It's the descendants of the ancient sage Zi Chi," Nangong Yuanfeng replied.

"Descendants of the ancient sage Zi Chi?" Clearly surprised, Zhong Qing paused for a moment. "Fan Xiaoxu, Fan Xiaofeng, and their group?" He had specifically reviewed the lists of candidates submitted by the Hundred Schools of Thought and remembered every participant's name.

"Yes..." Nangong Yuanfeng confirmed with a nod.

"The descendants of the ancient sage Zi Chi have never truly stood out before. Their ability to do so this time could be considered a breakthrough after years of quiet accumulation! Never mind, let them continue. Everyone has their limits; leading now doesn't mean leading indefinitely! All we need to do is observe; there's no need to interfere!" Zhong Qing sighed with emotion, yet his expression remained unchanged. His brush continued to move, and it was evident that a piece of calligraphy was nearing completion.

"Alright, since you're so confident and your state of mind is so stable, I have nothing more to say..." Seeing Zhong Qing so composed, Nangong Yuanfeng breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned back. "Oh, that reminds me, the president of the eliminated participants' fraternity, who was knocked out by the Zi Chi descendants, seems to be your own grandson, Zhong Zixun!"

*Swish!* The brush suddenly jabbed onto the white paper, leaving a dark ink streak. Zhong Qing sharply raised his head. His own grandson was also participating in this year's assessment, and Zhong Qing had fully expected him to last until the very end. But 'eliminated fraternity president'... what did that mean?

"He was eliminated?" Although he found it hard to believe, Zhong Qing maintained a composed expression as he couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, he was eliminated quite early, and he's apparently very proud of it," Nangong Yuanfeng explained. "Since he's one of the organizers, most of the members look to him as their leader!"

"That brat!" Zhong Qing clenched his fist. How could he have raised such a useless fellow? Not only was he unashamed of being eliminated, he actually took pride in it... He definitely needed a stern lecture when he returned home!

"Forget it, let him be," Anger flashed across Zhong Qing's face, but he quickly shook his head. "Anyway, I sent no fewer than eight juniors to participate in this assessment. This Zhong Zixun fellow has been spoiled by me, which is why he's acting so irresponsibly. The others certainly won't cause such problems..."

"The others?" Nangong Yuanfeng's mouth twitched. "Are you referring to Zhong Zifeng, Zhong Ziyu, Zhong Zixuan, and the others?"

Zhong Qing nodded. "Those few are known for their composure..."

"They were also eliminated long ago," Nangong Yuanfeng interjected. "In fact, they were among the first members to join the fraternity. If not for their votes, how could Zhong Zixun have become president...?" At this point, Nangong Yuanfeng sighed with admiration. "Honestly, your Zi Lu lineage is incredibly united, and their states of mind are remarkably stable. When others are eliminated, they feel sadness, but you all manage to organize a fraternity. I truly admire that..."

*Crack!* With a crisp *crack*, the brush in Zhong Qing's hand snapped. His face turned as green as grass. "A bunch of ungrateful brats! I'm going to beat them to death right now!" In an instant, Zhong Qing's figure vanished from the room.

"Uh..." Watching Brother Zhong, who had been as calm as ice moments earlier, explode with rage and dart away, Nangong Yuanfeng scratched his head, utterly speechless. After all that, it seemed his supposed stable state of mind only applied when things didn't concern him directly. When they did, he couldn't maintain it at all...

However, it had to be said, Fan Xiaoxu, Fan Xiaofeng, and Fan Xiaoxing were truly extraordinary individuals. Eliminating all eight participants from the ancient sage Zi Lu's lineage in one fell swoop, neatly and completely—that was truly remarkable! Furthermore, and most crucially, they showed no mercy. Regardless of who it was or their connections, if encountered, they were eliminated. By acting this way, were they truly not afraid of being targeted or making enemies once they entered the Great Confucian Hall?

It was important to remember that while the Great Confucian Hall was established by the seventy-two ancient sages working together, and each sage had descendants within it, their influence and power were not equally distributed. For instance, the lineage of the ancient sage Zi Lu, to which Zhong Qing belonged, wielded significant influence within the Hall and boasted numerous powerful figures. To eliminate people so carelessly and without regard... things would certainly not be so smooth for them later. However, judging by the behavior of these three, they didn't seem to fear repercussions. What would actually unfold was truly something to look forward to!