Translator: AnubisTL
On the second-to-last day before the grand examination, the entire Tranquil Sky City had grown quiet. Even the cultivators walking the streets were few and far between, as everyone was making their final preparations.
"What's going on? Why is it so noisy outside?"
Around noon, groups of cultivators from major sects appeared on the streets. Their expressions were grim, their steps hurried, and they occasionally pulled aside nearby vendors, whispering questions.
"Boss Gu, haven't you heard? Last night, a Taoist showed up at the inns where the major sects were staying and swindled them out of 500 million low-grade spirit stones!" Wu Qi chuckled.
Huh?
Gu Feng's interest was immediately piqued. Swindling spirit stones from major sects? That took some serious guts!
"How did he do it?"
"It's related to you!" Chao Yuan replied with a mysterious smile.
"Do tell!"
After the disastrous defeat in the Innate Realm Peak Challenge, although the sect didn't overly blame them, those Heaven's Chosen disciples were still seething with resentment.
So, they wondered if it was possible to find a cultivator at the peak of the Innate Realm who could defeat Gu Feng, to salvage some of their pride.
As if answering their prayers, a Taoist, who seemed to have come out of nowhere, boldly approached them.
After demonstrating some astonishing combat prowess at the peak of the Innate Realm, he earned the admiration of those Heaven's Chosen disciples from the major sects.
Somehow, the Taoist managed to effortlessly strike a deal with them: once he defeated Gu Feng, they would fund the construction of a Taoist temple for him, but they had to pay 500 million low-grade spirit stones upfront.
The Taoist repeatedly assured them that the 500 million spirit stones weren't a deposit or a commission, but rather a wager for the challenge against Gu Feng.
Overconfident, the Heaven's Chosen disciples believed that with the backing of their major sects, no one would dare to pull off such a scam. Plus, the Taoist was genuinely strong, giving off an aura as if Gu Feng himself had arrived.
And so, after the Taoist uttered a famous line, "I'm not taking your money; I'm using your money to handle your affairs!" the Heaven's Chosen disciples scrambled to pool together 500 million low-grade spirit stones and handed it over to him. They agreed to meet at the entrance of the Bamboo Mountain Inn this morning to challenge Gu Feng.
However, after waiting all morning, the Taoist never showed up. Only then did they realize they'd been scammed, leading to the current city-wide manhunt.
Hearing this, Gu Feng's expression turned odd. These Heaven's Chosen disciples from the major sects were truly foolish and rich.
After losing 10 billion, they could still scrape together another 500 million? What big spenders!
"If I'd known, I would've added fifty more matches!"
Gu Feng muttered under his breath, then stopped paying attention. He looked out the window and saw a portly monk, resembling the Laughing Buddha, passing by on the street.
Dressed in gray robes and holding an ancient bronze demon-subduing staff, the monk waddled along with a beaming smile.
"Have you seen a Taoist?"
"Amitabha, this humble monk has not seen a Taoist."
Even as the disciples from the major sects grabbed him by the collar, the fat monk remained unperturbed, still smiling as he responded.
"Let's go, search the next street! If we don't find that Taoist today and give him a good beating, I won't be able to calm my anger!" A group of Heaven's Chosen disciples stormed off with menacing expressions.
Just as Gu Feng was about to look away, the fat monk pursed his lips, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
Gu Feng chuckled, finding the monk quite amusing.
His right eye flickered, and a dark green light appeared. In the next moment, his heart skipped a beat—this monk was no ordinary figure.
At the peak of the third level of Spirit Nurturing, beneath his plump exterior, streams of Spiritual Power surged, dazzling in their intensity. His meridians were robust, and his Dantian was far larger than that of an ordinary person. With just a quick glance, Gu Feng knew that this unassuming, chubby monk was more powerful than Chu Youhuan.
More importantly, the monk seemed to have cultivated a technique to conceal his aura. On the surface, he appeared to be only at the first level of Spirit Nurturing, with an ordinary and unremarkable presence.
"This monk is someone to watch out for—he's definitely a master at deceiving others!"
Gu Feng kept a mental note of the monk's appearance, vowing to be extra cautious if they crossed paths during the exam.
It was a strange feeling, perhaps a resonance between two tricksters.
Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the exam.
A large number of cultivators left Tranquil Sky City and gathered in front of the mountain range a hundred kilometers away.
Looking out, the sea of heads was overwhelming. Preliminary estimates suggested that the total number of examinees across all venues exceeded a million.
"It's truly like a thousand troops trying to cross a single log bridge!" Gu Feng sighed.
"Sect Leader Gu, you've certainly made a name for yourself these past few days!" Lin Xinhua approached with a smile.
"Not at all, just some small achievements," Gu Feng replied modestly.
"You gave us quite a scare! Thankfully, you only challenged a thousand Heaven's Chosen, or we would have lost fifty billion for nothing!" Patriarch Bao Tian also walked over.
"My abilities are limited. I would have liked to challenge five thousand Heaven's Chosen, but my strength doesn't permit it," Gu Feng said humbly.
"Sect Leader Gu, you're too modest!" Yan Hanyun chimed in, accompanied by the Yan sisters. After a brief exchange with their father, they returned to the Sunset Glow Sect's camp.
By noon, all the examinees had entered, and the gathering of a million cultivators created an awe-inspiring spectacle.
In the afternoon, the chief examiner arrived with a team of several hundred invigilators.
Following the usual procedure for the grand exam, the chief examiner gave a speech, followed by a representative from the examinees. The main focus was on exam rules, such as the prohibition of pills like the Explosive Qi Pill, which temporarily boost combat power but are harmful to the body.
"Each examinee is only allowed to bring two Spirit Artifacts. Please ensure your sects conduct self-checks to avoid any unpleasant incidents."
"One special note, a new rule for this year's exam: examinees are not allowed to rob each other of their belongings! Certain cultivators, please keep your hands to yourselves—the exam is not a place for theft!"
As Ouyang Qi spoke, he glanced subtly in the direction of the Sunset Glow Sect. All the examinees turned their eyes toward Gu Feng, and scattered laughter broke out.
Thanks to the Image Stone recordings of Gu Feng's life, almost everyone knew that this guy was notorious for his excessive robberies—he would take Storage Rings, weapons, accessories, and even robes and boots.
Gu Feng pursed his lips, looking helpless. He had indeed planned to rob both points and items.
"Good thing I have the Three-Mouth Incense Burner, a Mystic Artifact, and Thunder Spirit Grass!"
Rules couldn't restrain him. Gu Feng decided that during the exam, he would only rob Spirit Stones and Thunder Attribute Natural Treasures. The former would be fed to the Three-Mouth Incense Burner in his sea of consciousness, while the latter would be directly given to Zhu Qingyan.
This way, even if someone reported him, there would be no evidence.
The chief examiner's speech was standard and concluded in the time it took to burn an incense stick.
When the representatives from over a hundred sects took the stage, the crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheers.
This was a showcase of the sects and a prelude to the grand exam, a process that would last for about two hours.
"The strongest disciples from these major sects are only at the peak of the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm?" Gu Feng asked in surprise, seeing that all the Heaven's Chosen on the stage were disciples at the peak of the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm.
"The Spirit Nurturing First Examination Hall is the most fiercely competitive. These disciples are young, have broken into the Spirit Nurturing Realm, possess formidable strength, extraordinary talent, and have limitless potential.
This examination hall is also the one that the Grand Harmony Academy values the most!" Lin Xinhua explained.
Seeing that Gu Feng was still a bit confused, Yan Hanyun added from the side.
"Most cultivators above the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm have likely already participated in one major examination. Except for some peerless prodigies who cultivate at an extremely fast pace, most of them are candidates who failed the previous examination, so the value isn't as high.
The Grand Harmony Academy places even less importance on the second and third level Spirit Nurturing Examination Halls than it does on the first and second level Innate Examination Halls!"
With this explanation, Gu Feng immediately understood. Thinking about it, it made sense. No wonder the disciples representing the candidates on stage were all at the peak of the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm.
"Heh, the top scorer in the Spirit Nurturing First Examination Hall is also considered the most valuable top scorer, and the competition is extremely fierce!" Bao Tian said in a low voice.
"Ah, the disciple speaking now is from the Flower Sect. They were the sect that produced the top scorer in the previous Spirit Nurturing First Examination Hall!" The Cloud Prefecture Prefect said with some envy.
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he casually asked Gu Feng, "Which examination hall are you participating in?"
"The Spirit Nurturing First Examination Hall!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Xinhua and the others' eyes lit up with excitement, and they surrounded Gu Feng, leaving him utterly bewildered.
"Gu Feng, are you going to undergo a tribulation later?"
"Yes, after most of the candidates enter the examination hall, I will begin my tribulation. This open area is just perfect for it!" Gu Feng didn't hide it.
"Then... then you!"
"What 'then'? Just say it! Old Guo is asking on behalf of everyone if you're willing to make a small bet?" Bao Tian glared at the shareholder surnamed Guo and said softly.
"What are you all scheming?" Gu Feng's mind stirred, and he asked warily.
"Don't be afraid. With your strength, entering the Innate Second Examination Hall would indeed be like bullying children. The Spirit Nurturing First Examination Hall is where you belong.
Even if Sect Leader Gu has just broken through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, making it onto the list is a certainty. You might even take the top spot!"
"That's right, Sect Leader Gu's ability to challenge across levels is outstanding, and his mind is meticulous. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against a peak third level Spirit Nurturing cultivator would be as easy as reaching into a bag!"
"..."
Lin Xinhua and the others didn't explain why, but from the start, they lavished praise on Gu Feng.
Gu Feng was truly overwhelmed by their flattery and couldn't help but grin. "If you have something to say, just say it directly. Why beat around the bush?"
They exchanged glances, a hint of amusement flashing in their eyes.
"How about putting up a small share as a stake and making a bet?"
"How do you want to bet?" Gu Feng's expression turned strange. He felt that these people were a bit foolish. Earning their Spirit Stones wouldn't showcase his abilities at all—it would be like picking up money, with no sense of accomplishment. His interest waned.
"Your Sunset Glow Sect has five hundred Heaven's Chosen entering the Spirit Nurturing Second Examination Hall this time. We won't be unreasonable—let's bet on a hundred of them getting into the Grand Harmony Academy. If you can do it, the few of us will give you five percent of our shares. If you can't, you only need to give up three percent of your shares!
How about it?" Yan Hanyun spoke expressionlessly, representing the group.
Gu Feng turned to look at Yan Yexue and Yan Xixi, the two sisters, his eyes seeking their opinion.
Seeing the two women's indifferent expressions, Gu Feng couldn't help but pout!
"Betting like this, you're bound to lose!"
"It's fine, winning and losing are common in life," Lin Xinhua smiled nonchalantly.
"The shares you hold aren't much to begin with. Losing another five percent would make it even less, right?" Honestly, Gu Feng didn't really want their shares.
Because once their shares became too small, their interest in Swamp Fortress would wane, and they might slack off when it came to handling matters. This was not what Gu Feng wanted to see.
"Heh, is Sect Leader Gu lacking confidence in himself?" Bao Tian provoked with a few words.
"Of course, I have confidence, it's just..." Gu Feng hesitated.
"Just bet, your shares are plenty. Three percent is nothing to you, right?" The Cloud Prefecture Prefect also chimed in to persuade.
"Alright then! Let's change the bet.
If I lose, I'll give you five percent of my shares. If I'm lucky enough to win, I hope to get three percent of the shares from your respective sects and merchant guilds!"
To be fair, Gu Feng's bet was somewhat excessive.
In fact, he didn't expect them to agree.
However, as if they had taken some kind of drug, their eyes lit up, and without hesitation, they agreed, even urging Gu Feng to sign the agreement and make the Heavenly Dao Oath.
"Wait—you're really agreeing? This bet is very unfair to you!"
Gu Feng exclaimed in surprise. How could five percent of Swamp Fortress's shares compare to three percent of their respective sects, forces, and merchant guilds' shares!!!
"It's fine, it's fine, we're all allies. Letting you have a little advantage is no big deal."
"We've already signed, and the Heavenly Dao Oath has been made. You can't go back on your word now."
"Sect Leader Gu, what are you hesitating for? Show some leadership and sign it quickly."
Everyone assumed a stance of not letting him leave without signing, almost ready to physically press Gu Feng to sign.
Gu Feng was utterly speechless. Since everyone was being so straightforward, it would be impolite not to accept.
He promptly signed the agreement and made the Heavenly Dao Oath.
Looking at the jubilant and spirited crowd, Gu Feng shook his head with a bitter smile: "Rushing to give away money, can't even refuse it. What can you do!"
(End of the Chapter)
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