Chapter 16

Zhang Yan's words left no room for maneuver, and Shen Jingyue could not find the words to continue, but he was not angry. He smiled faintly and said, "Junior Brother Zhang, take care of yourself."

He turned and left the stage. Not long after, the plump figure of Zhang Zhen slowly ascended the earthen platform. However, he was not good with words. After performing a proper bow, he and Zhang Yan each took their seats.

Zhang Zhen looked at the first star stele, which was divided into nine sections and three chapters, with over ten thousand characters. He had secretly glanced at it a few times during the Dharma assembly.

Now, as he looked again, he found that the tiny characters, like ants climbing, made him feel nauseous and uneasy after just a few glances. He quickly took several deep breaths, trying to calm his mind. He took out a set of high-quality bamboo rods from his sleeve to begin his interpretation, but he inadvertently glanced at Zhang Yan and was startled.

He saw that Zhang Yan was already writing furiously on the desk. He couldn't help but wonder, "What is he doing?"

Not only was he puzzled, but the disciples of various sects sitting below, including Shen Jingyue, were also confused. They didn't understand what Zhang Yan was up to.

If Zhang Yan had already started interpreting the eroded text, they wouldn't believe it. He wasn't even using the bamboo rods and was writing so quickly that it didn't seem like he was interpreting the eroded text but rather copying something.

In fact, when Zhang Yan was interpreting the star stele, it was almost like he was copying something. This time, he had challenged the Guangyuan Sect alone, appearing calm and composed, as if everything was under control. However, in reality, he was far from relaxed. From the start, he had put in his full effort, immersing his consciousness into the fragmented jade body and interpreting at an extremely fast speed.

As soon as he gained some insight from the fragmented jade, the content flowed out from his pen. To outsiders, Zhang Yan's actions were simply incredible.

After watching Zhang Yan for a few moments, Zhang Zhen dared not look anymore. He suddenly thought that this might be Zhang Yan's strategy to disrupt his focus. He decided to ignore it, calmed his mind, and began to interpret the star stele using the Guangyuan Sect's method of calculation.

At this moment, Zhang Yan was also fully engrossed. After writing the first sentence, the qi in his body stirred and began to flow through his limbs. This feeling was very peculiar, as if he had merged with the heavens, and the star paths and the myriad changes were reflected within him. His expression became serious, and he became even more cautious.

However, after a short while, his reverence for the star stele diminished. He was no longer in a state of trembling fear and began to feel that it was "nothing special."

This wasn't because Zhang Yan was arrogant, but because through his interpretation, he had glimpsed some of the profound secrets.

When interpreting the star stele, the qi would change and move along with the eroded text. Once the qi started moving, it was extremely difficult to control. However, there was a challenge: if the qi had already moved to a certain point and the next step couldn't be interpreted in time, the qi would become disordered and chaotic.

This was like a galloping horse being driven forward, and you had to continuously lay the path and build bridges, without stopping.

For those with low eroded text skills, this was extremely dangerous. However, for those who could interpret the eroded text quickly, it wasn't a big issue.

Zhang Yan was particularly good at this. With the fragmented jade, he had almost no chance of miscalculation, and his interpretation speed was more than ten times that of ordinary people. Even when faced with challenges, he could overcome them smoothly.

In this situation, he could fully immerse himself in the wondrous feeling of the qi's movement. As he gradually became familiar with the patterns of the qi's movement, he also began to have his own insights.

It was said that the star stele's inscriptions corresponded to the celestial paths, but Zhang Yan didn't think so. In his interpretation, certain eroded characters appeared repeatedly, and each time they appeared, the qi movement was the same.

Based on this, it seemed that just visualizing and reciting these specific eroded characters could activate the qi movement.

As he thought this, a few of the eroded characters on the star stele began to brighten in his eyes. He suddenly realized that this wasn't about the celestial paths but rather an ancient text used to explain the connection between the eroded text and the Dao.

This meant that the legends were true: anyone who thoroughly understood the eroded text could ascend to the Dao and enter the Heavenly Gate.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yan became even more focused, determined to remember the qi paths corresponding to the eroded text for further study.

After about an hour, he had finished interpreting the first chapter, which had over three thousand characters. The qi in his body suddenly paused and returned to his dantian, indicating the completion of a cycle. If he continued, it would be the start of another. Even at this point, Zhang Yan still felt unsatisfied.

At this moment, he thought of his opponent, Zhang Zhen. Looking up, he saw that Zhang Zhen's face was pale, his breathing rapid, and his plump body trembling uncontrollably. He was struggling to hold the bamboo rods, which seemed about to fall at any moment, clearly unable to extricate himself.

However, what surprised Zhang Yan was that despite his precarious state, Zhang Zhen didn't fall and managed to complete the first chapter.

Zhang Zhen stood up, panting heavily. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and wanted to exchange his interpretation with Zhang Yan. However, he found that the first part of his interpretation was soaked with sweat, the characters blurred and indistinct, making him look embarrassed.

Zhang Yan, however, didn't mind. He smiled, took the interpretation, and handed his own to Zhang Zhen.

Zhang Zhen carefully examined it and found that the understanding and ease displayed in the interpretation were far beyond his own. The outcome was already clear, and he was even more impressed by Zhang Yan's ability to interpret the eroded text without using bamboo rods. He bowed deeply and said, "Senior Brother, your talent is far beyond mine."

After saying this, Zhang Zhen felt he had no face to stay on the stage and wobbled down. He almost fell at the last few steps but was caught by Qi Xuan, who said, "Senior Brother, be careful."

Zhang Zhen struggled to stand straight and, when he looked up, saw Wen Jun and Shen Jingyue looking at him with concern. He said apologetically, "Senior Brothers, I have failed you, I am ashamed."

Wen Jun comforted him, "Junior Brother, you have done well. Just rest and recover. I will test Zhang Yan in the next round."

Shen Jingyue was shocked. This was not the plan they had discussed. He wanted to speak but was interrupted by Wen Jun, "Junior Brother, Zhang Yan's strategy was to exhaust Zhang Yan's mental energy, but he still seems full of energy. If you go up now, you might not be his match. Let me go first, and then you can follow."

Shen Jingyue wanted to protest, but Wen Jun's expression turned serious, "I have made my decision. It will be as I say." He signaled to Qi Xuan, who understood and held back Shen Jingyue.

Shen Jingyue had never seen Wen Jun use his position as the senior disciple to pressure him. He couldn't think of a way to stop him and could only watch as Wen Jun ascended the stage, his eyes gradually showing a determined look.

"Junior Brother Zhang, I, Wen Jun of the Guangyuan Sect, greet you."

Wen Jun was already a member of the mystic sect, wearing a dark robe, a five-ridge cap, and high shoes. He was tall and handsome, exuding the air of a senior disciple.

Zhang Yan also bowed respectfully and said, "Please!"

The second chapter of the star stele was even more difficult to interpret than the first. Although Wen Jun's eroded text skills were not as good as Zhang Zhen's, he had reached the "Yuan Cheng Ru Zhen" realm, with abundant and refined yuan qi in his body. He could suppress the qi movement, even if the internal qi moved independently, and maintain a steady pace, which was much more stable than Zhang Zhen.

This was a common technique used by ordinary disciples when interpreting the eroded text. Although they couldn't speed up the interpretation, they could suppress the qi movement, preventing it from getting out of control. While this was more strenuous and offered no benefits, it was a good strategy for competition.

Therefore, in the competition of interpreting the star stele, if both sides had similar understanding of the eroded text, the remaining factor was their cultivation. This was why many disciples didn't have high hopes for Zhang Yan, but he had a divine artifact, making him unpredictable.

After sitting down to interpret, Wen Jun performed steadily, showing the demeanor of a senior disciple.

Zhang Yan, however, continued to write, and the disciples below were amazed again by his ability to interpret without bamboo rods. His writing was smooth and rhythmic, and his appearance and demeanor were impeccable, giving a sense of comfort and admiration.

However, more people were now focusing on Wen Jun, wondering if the senior disciple of the Guangyuan Sect could outperform Zhang Yan.

Unconsciously, everyone had placed Zhang Yan in a strong position, no longer underestimating him just because he was a nominal disciple.

Another hour passed, and Wen Jun's forehead was slightly sweating, but he was much stronger than Zhang Zhen. He remained seated, his hand steady, and successfully interpreted the second chapter.

At this point, he realized he had reached his limit and didn't dare to push further. He sighed and put down his brush.

When he looked up, he saw that Zhang Yan had already finished interpreting, and the ink on the paper had long dried. He shook his head, stood up, and said, "This round goes to Junior Brother Zhang."

The graceful and cultivated senior disciple of the Guangyuan Sect earned Zhang Yan's respect. He bowed solemnly and watched Wen Jun leave the stage.

The scene was the opposite of what the disciples had expected. Zhang Yan didn't retreat in disgrace but won two rounds easily, leaving endless speculation.

Shen Jingyue, watching from below, had a serious expression. He thought, "I underestimated him."

Thinking of this, he regretted it. No wonder Zhang Yan refused to join the Guangyuan Sect. He also wondered if the Lin family's information was false, and Zhang Yan was actually a secret disciple of the Fen Cang Sect.

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PS: First update is out early. Another update before 12 PM.