Chapter 17

As Shen Jingyue was about to step onto the stage, he silently took out a bottle of pills from his sleeve and swallowed them when no one was paying attention.

This bottle of pills was called "Jusheng Powder," which could stimulate one's mental capacity in a short period, maximizing one's computational ability. However, this pill was as toxic as a tiger or wolf to the body, equivalent to exhausting one's essence to unleash potential, and even if there were no immediate consequences, one's lifespan would be significantly shortened.

However, the third match was of utmost importance to the Guangyuan Sect. Shen Jingyue was willing to sacrifice his lifespan to give it his all.

He tidied his clothes and bowed to Wen Jun, saying, "Senior Brother, I'm going."

Hearing the ominous tone in Shen Jingyue's words, Wen Jun frowned slightly and comforted him, "Junior Brother, don't worry too much, just do your best."

Shen Jingyue smiled faintly and slowly walked up to the platform.

Zhang Yan met him again, not wanting to say much, and merely nodded in greeting.

Shen Jingyue, however, stood still, looking at Zhang Yan and said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Zhang, I underestimated you before." He paused and smiled slightly, "But what I said earlier still stands."

Zhang Yan did not respond and directly said, "Senior Brother Shen, please proceed."

Shen Jingyue sneered, walked a few steps to the table, and sat down. His eyes scanned the star monument, and the previously chaotic etchings now appeared clear to him. Even without using the bamboo rods, the result seemed almost certain.

He calmly spread out a piece of paper and began writing.

Suddenly, a chorus of exclamations came from the audience. They were already shocked by Zhang Yan's ability to deduce the star monument without bamboo rods, and now they were surprised to find that Shen Jingyue was also hiding his true abilities!

Zhang Yan frowned slightly. He had already overestimated Shen Jingyue's computational ability, but he did not expect him to be even more skilled than Mo Yuan.

However, he had anticipated that the third match would be a tough battle, and overthinking it would be futile. Moreover, the Guangyuan Sect had undoubtedly sent their most proficient disciple in etchings, indicating that winning this match would secure a significant victory. He smiled slightly, lifted the hem of his robe, and sat down gracefully, picking up a brush and focusing on the third chapter of the star monument.

As the two were competing, not far from the venue, three junior disciples of the Lingcang Sect were gathered on a mountain path.

"If Zhang Yan wins against the Guangyuan Sect, he will most likely become a junior disciple, which will certainly hinder our plans..."

Lin Yuan, with a cold gaze, suddenly said, "This person cannot be left alive!"

In the lower academy, disciples relied on the upper academy for elixirs, books, and other resources. The upper academy had been in constant conflict with the Three Lakes' demons over the clam beds for the past decade, and the situation was worsening. The resources granted by the upper academy were gradually decreasing. With twenty-eight of them already struggling to make ends meet, adding one more person would undoubtedly reduce their existing quotas.

This was not the main issue. Once Zhang Yan became a junior disciple, opening his meridians was almost certain, meaning he would continue to compete with them even in the upper academy, where they would have little control over him.

Over the years, they had already formed several interest groups regarding the distribution of cultivation resources, and the internal families had already reached agreements. Adding one more person would disrupt the existing balance, potentially ruining their previous arrangements.

Lin Yuan looked at Chen Lan and Hu Shengyu, "What do you two think?"

Chen Lan was skeptical, "Will the Master really accept Zhang Yan as a junior disciple?" A mere registered disciple with no background, why would the Master take him in so easily?

Lin Yuan snorted, "You saw Zhang Yan's talent, it's not inferior to ours. Seeing him overpower the Guangyuan Sect alone, how could the Master let him go?"

To strengthen his argument, he continued, "The origin of Zhang Yan's computational method is unknown, and he didn't show his true abilities until now. Perhaps he has already been noticed by the Master but was held back due to our presence. Today, he made a name for himself, leaving us no grounds to object."

Chen Lan's expression changed. Lin Yuan's words seemed far-fetched at first, but upon reflection, they made sense. Zhang Yan could indeed be taken in by the Master. Removing him would be the safest option. A hint of cruelty appeared on his face, "In that case, Zhang Yan must be eliminated!"

"Good!" Lin Yuan was delighted and turned to Hu Shengyu, who had not spoken, "Senior Brother Hu, what do you think?"

Hu Shengyu said indifferently, "A registered disciple, kill him if you must." Zhang Yan was not a junior disciple, and with the influence of their families, they could act together, and even the Master would be powerless to stop them.

Chen Lan suddenly remembered something, "But Ai Zhongwen seems to be on good terms with Zhang Yan. He is from the Anfeng Ai family, which could be a big problem."

Hu Shengyu said coldly, "No problem, I'll take care of him."

"Since Senior Brother Hu is handling it, it will be safe." Hu Shengyu was always proud and would not fail. Lin Yuan was reassured and looked around, "If Zhang Yan loses, we won't go too far, just try to drive him out of the Lingcang Sect. If he wins, we must act quickly!"

At that moment, no one on the platform realized that the competition was unprecedentedly intense. The two had already deduced up to the third monument, leaving the audience in awe, wondering where their limits lay.

It was known that only six monuments had been deciphered so far, all of which were present here.

At this point, even Zhang Yan felt the pressure intensify. He could no longer focus on the flow of qi and devoted all his energy to deciphering the etchings. His consciousness seemed to split in two, one part rapidly deducing in the jade fragment, and the other part continuously writing on the paper.

Shen Jingyue was also under immense pressure. As the effects of the pill wore off, his mental exhaustion became severe. For someone who had forcibly stimulated his brain to enhance his computational ability, the pressure was like a thousand-pound burden on his back, leaving no room for relaxation.

Soon, his vision blurred, and he paused at a difficult point. His qi flow became chaotic, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the paper. He paid no attention to his own condition but regretted the soiled paper.

He could not stop now. He straightened his body, swallowed another mouthful of blood, and continued writing.

After completing another section, Zhang Yan briefly glanced at Shen Jingyue and noticed the bloodstains on his collar and the strands of white hair at his temples. Seeing his condition, Zhang Yan knew he could not hold on much longer.

He shook his head and sighed, "Senior Brother, why push yourself so hard?"

Shen Jingyue did not have time to answer. Suddenly, he felt another surge of blood rising in his throat, his vision went black, and he could no longer hold back. With a few more mouthfuls of blood, he collapsed beside the table.

"Junior Brother!"

Wen Jun rushed to the platform, grabbed Shen Jingyue's wrist, and his expression darkened.

Shen Jingyue's condition was dire. His qi flow was chaotic and had spread to his internal organs. He seemed to have taken some medication, and his heart pulse was weak, his brain severely exhausted. Without timely treatment, not only would his foundation be destroyed, but his life would be in danger.

Shen Jingyue opened his eyes slightly, grabbed Wen Jun's wrist with difficulty, and said, "Senior Brother, if I die, please tell my elder brother not to seek revenge on Zhang Yan. He is a talent, and if there is an opportunity, he should be taken in to strengthen our Guangyuan Sect."

Even at this moment, he still had hopes for Zhang Yan. It was not just because of Zhang Yan's abilities, but perhaps because of his desperate effort, he had touched upon a hint of destiny, sensing that Zhang Yan had a unique aura.

Wen Jun's eyes welled up, and he choked, "Junior Brother..." He knew Shen Jingyue was the second son of the family, with an elder brother, Shen Juefeng, a Xuan Guang stage expert in the upper academy, known for his temper. He was both proud and ashamed of Shen Jingyue's concern for the sect.

Wen Jun handed Shen Jingyue to Qi Xuan, who had just arrived, and went down to the platform to face Zheng Xun, the senior disciple of the Lingcang Sect's lower academy. He bowed deeply and said, "Junior Brother Mo is young and ignorant. I hope Senior Brother will not hold his recent behavior against him."

The audience was stunned. This statement meant that the Guangyuan Sect had officially conceded.

Zheng Xun, with a kind expression, helped Wen Jun up. As a senior disciple of another sect, he did not want to appear petty, so he said, "Junior Brother Wen, Junior Brother Mo is young and playful. I wouldn't hold it against him. Let's put this behind us, and our two sects should continue to interact."

Wen Jun smiled bitterly. This Dharma Assembly had ended in failure, and it was disheartening that even the Nanhua Sect did not speak up for them. He sighed and sent someone to call Mo Yuan, then quietly led the Guangyuan Sect away.

On the other side, Lin Yuan and the others appeared by the platform and called out to Zhang Yan, "Zhang Yan, come here."

Ai Zhongwen, seeing this, stepped in front of Zhang Yan and whispered, "This is Senior Brother Lin, be careful!"

Zhang Yan nodded slightly. He had heard of Lin Yuan's reputation and knew it was not a good sign. He walked forward and bowed, "Greetings, Senior Brother Lin."

Lin Yuan sneered and said sternly, "Zhang Yan, do you know your crimes?"

Zhang Yan remained calm, "I do not know what crimes I have committed."

Lin Yuan's face darkened, "You provoked a fellow disciple without cause, causing a rift between our two sects. You deceived the senior disciples and incited others to support you. Your intentions are despicable!"

He expected Zhang Yan to be flustered, but Zhang Yan remained calm and said, "Senior Brother Lin, Mo Yuan blocked our path, preventing Lingcang Sect disciples from reaching the summit for three days. As a registered disciple, I know shame. Blocking the Guangyuan Sect was to protect the Lingcang Sect's reputation from being tarnished by others."

Lin Yuan shouted, "Enough! The senior disciples had a plan, how could you act recklessly! Fellow disciples, seize him!"

Ai Zhongwen was furious. He was about to speak when he felt a sudden pressure in his chest, unable to move. Hu Shengyu had grabbed his wrist, and a surge of energy blocked his pulse, preventing him from speaking. He was both shocked and angry, his face turning red.

Zhang Yan glanced around and saw that several junior disciples had surrounded him, and the mountain path was blocked by over a dozen disciples. He sneered inwardly and was about to act...

At that moment, a clear bell and drum sound echoed from the Dangyun Peak, and everyone looked up.

A young Daoist child appeared on a nearby rock and called out, "Where is Zhang Yan? Master Shi Shoujing, He Shouxuan, and Zhen Shouzhong have ordered the registered disciple Zhang Yan to enter the Shan Yuan Temple for the ceremony."

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PS: I've tried to post this several times, but it wouldn't go through.

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