Lu Ziyin was very self-aware, a skill he had honed since childhood.
He sighed, his tone heartfelt.
It seemed he had no chance of making it into the top three.
With Helian Danya’s needle-sharp, discerning, and disingenuous gaze on his back, and the expectant eyes of acquaintances on his face, Lu Ziyin appeared resigned to his fate. He said gravely, “I forfeit my next challenge.”
Danya still needed one more win, so he had set his sights on Lu Ziyin, who had only won one match.
But he hadn’t expected him to simply concede.
He chuckled, “Young Master Lu, you jest?”
“No,” Lu Ziyin implored earnestly. “I am tired. Let the rest of the glory be written by you.”
There was a moment of silence.
Danya slowly asked, “You’re tired after just one match?”
Lu Ziyin mustered his last bit of energy to explain, “Sometimes, a weary spirit is more tiring than a weary body. I’m weary of the pursuit of fame and fortune.”
Danya nodded, acknowledging his words.
He had only been gone for twenty-eight days, and the illustrious Lu Residence of the Southern Sea had already fallen so low. It was likely doomed to destruction sooner rather than later.
While Lu Ziyin wasn’t as arrogant and self-important as Yan Tianjiao, he had, after all, grown up being praised and spoiled. Naturally, he had acquired a few arrogant flaws.
Therefore, admitting defeat in public was somewhat humiliating and difficult, and he had to utter some pretty, face-saving words to get by.
He had grown up in an environment of deception and intrigue. He knew better than anyone how to adapt and weigh advantages, and he wouldn’t do anything pointless or foolishly rush into danger.
Despite the discomfort, a person’s pain is always relative. The moment he thought of Yan Tianjiao ranking even lower than him and losing even more miserably, Lu Ziyin’s slightly wicked heart felt a sense of contentment.
In this year’s “Newcomer Rankings,” the top ten predicted in the preliminary rounds had mostly been unexpectedly eliminated. Only Chenghong from the Mahāprajñā Temple was holding up the reputation of their twenty-eight-day-old esteemed sects. Otherwise, if only a pair of unknown sect disciples from eleven days ago remained to hold the fort, the influential guests from the cultivation world present would have been utterly embarrassed.
Although the situation hadn’t improved much, after Lu Ziyin, who appeared to be a graceful young master but was actually a two-faced charlatan, made his exit, there was a moment of unspoken silence, as if by unspoken agreement, he was completely ignored.
Lu Ziyin was right; it wasn’t just that people’s pain was relative, but people themselves could also be compared.
They instantly felt that Mahāprajñā Temple’s environment was truly nurturing. Look at Chenghong, radiating righteous dignity, his simple robe more impressive than the ostentatious silks of others.
Chenghong would be the hope of their twenty-eight days.
Rulan stood with the defeated disciples, watching the martial arena, awaiting the final results of this year’s “Newcomer Rankings.”
She never expected to see Lu Ziyin, like a coward, forfeit without a fight.
To put it nicely, this was him being “wise enough to know when to quit,” not making a futile sacrifice. To put it bluntly, it was like “a coward joining the army—incapable of going into battle.”
When she had fought him earlier, witnessing his serious side, she had felt a moment of self-reflection, thinking perhaps she had misjudged him due to her perception of his outward appearance.
But the facts proved her judgment correct.
The thought that she, who trained diligently in the heat of summer and the cold of winter, had lost to such a person made Rulan cover her face in embarrassment. She felt utterly humiliated.
Among so many people, only those from the Lu Residence of the Southern Sea felt their young master had done the right thing.
Their Lu Residence of the Southern Sea merely intended to send their young master to the Void Gate’s “Newcomer Rankings” to gain some fame, polish his reputation, and then return. Achieving a place on the rankings was sufficient; winning first place was not essential. The Lu Residence of the Southern Sea was renowned everywhere and didn’t need the title of “Newcomer Rankings” champion to solidify its status.
It was said that birds of a feather flock together, and people of the same kind congregate. Lu Ziyin’s mindset was entirely a product of the Lu Residence of the Southern Sea’s upbringing.
Among the disciples in the “Newcomer Rankings,” he was arguably the one who had it easiest from start to finish, ultimately securing a respectable fourth place.
Had he encountered Yan Tianjiao or Ghost Infant on the twelve platforms earlier, he would likely have been eliminated. However, these individuals had not chosen him as an opponent. Instead, Rulan, who seemed shrewd but was actually a bit simple-minded, had used him as a stepping stone and ended up harming herself.
Time and fate.
Therefore, when it came to luck, that mysterious and unfathomable thing, it truly did have its uses sometimes.
Speaking of luck, Gu Junshi’s playful gaze shifted from Lu Ziyin to Chenghong.
Chenghong, blessed with “merit points,” was undoubtedly the one with the greatest luck among them.
However, as the Son of Heaven’s Will, Liu Jiang Fusheng, was directly protected by the Heavenly Dao. If these two were to face each other, who would emerge victorious?
Besides them, there was another person whom Gu Junshi had identified as a “variable”—Danya.
She had seen him peel back his layers one by one before her eyes, each layer revealing an increase in his monstrous power. However, Gu Junshi clearly recalled that in the early stages of the original plot, Danya did not exist, nor did Ghost Infant.
In the Great Evolution Sect, Long Aotian was merely entering the “newbie village.” Although he would encounter many trials and tribulations, they were all minor skirmishes that couldn’t cause significant damage.
In the original plot, the Great Evolution Sect had only one respected “senior brother” who, out of jealousy because his beloved fancied Long Aotian, frequently played both sides and framed Long Aotian. There was also a “junior brother” who, envious of Long Aotian, constantly made small moves to harm him. These were minor setbacks, but none were crippling.
This “senior brother” and “junior brother” would also be unceremoniously cannon-foddered when the “Newcomer Rankings” plot arrived.
However, in reality, the plots involving this “senior brother” and “junior brother” had ceased to exist. Instead, Danya and Ghost Infant had tacitly taken on the roles of these original plot characters, though not entirely the same.
Gu Junshi had re-experienced so many lives, and Danya was a character she had no recollection of. Ghost Infant, on the other hand, had risen from a minor figure to eventually gain prominence.
It could be said that Danya, a person unwilling to settle for mediocrity and adept at climbing the ladder, would have secured a solid place as an antagonist in the original plot. The various incidents where he targeted her little husband were indicative of this. Yet, in the original plot, the antagonistic presence of the two towards Long Aotian had been downplayed.
Therefore, had the original plot undergone a qualitative change unnoticed, or… Gu Junshi speculated whether the so-called “original plot” was merely a predetermined trajectory, with details and the deepest interpretations of some characters sometimes being uncontrollable.
For instance, the character of the “vicious senior brother” could be Danya, or it could be someone else. In this life, which she and her little husband were reliving, everything was arranged randomly. The “vicious senior brother,” whether through the deduction of the “original plot” or its setting, would inevitably follow this path of opposing the protagonist Long Aotian.
However, as the person playing the “vicious senior brother” materialized into a specific character like Danya, who was a real person formed by various complex conditions, how he would navigate this path, or whether this path would ultimately collapse, was something the “original plot” could not precisely determine.
She thought this way also because Gu Junshi harbored doubts. Had she been reliving each life, or was she actually continuously transmigrating to parallel spaces in different realms? Otherwise, how could she explain that in so many of her “rebirths,” the trajectories of many people were not entirely the same?
Previously, she thought it was a consequence of her “rebirth,” but did she truly have such a significant impact?
Currently, these thoughts lacked concrete evidence, but Gu Junshi believed she would eventually clarify these doubts.
Returning to the matter at hand, Danya was now a “variable” worth assessing. He portrayed the role of the “vicious senior brother” so well that she even considered recruiting him to her side.
Not out of admiration, but for control.
After Lu Ziyin forfeited, the top three spots in the “Newcomer Rankings” were successfully decided.
What followed was the main event. While others sought only the final outcome, for the Great Evolution Sect, regardless of the result, it was more than enough. The current achievement alone was enough to make them ecstatic.
Having two disciples in the top three was an occasion for universal celebration for any sect.
Daoist Wumei trembled with excitement, his face flushed and complexion ruddy, his small, shifty eyes darting with brilliance.
He had a premonition, a very, very strong premonition.
His little disciple, Fusheng, was about to experience the saying: “This child was not meant to be confined to a mere pond; given the right wind and clouds, he will transform into a dragon!”
According to the rules of the martial arena, since Liu Jiang Fusheng was the first to ascend to the first platform, he would temporarily be granted a bye for one round. The other two would have their match, and the winner could then challenge him.
Thus, Danya and Chenghong became opponents on the martial arena.
Frankly speaking, most of the disciples in the finals intentionally or unintentionally tried to avoid Chenghong. It wasn’t for any other reason than that he was an insurmountable presence. In the cultivation world, everyone knew the “three untouchables”: the fierce ruthlessness of sword cultivators, the immense wealth of alchemists, and the terrifying persistence of Buddhist cultivators.
Once entangled with a Buddhist cultivator, it meant perpetual unrest. They could excel in martial or literary arts, but you would still be unable to defeat them.
Danya’s ink-colored pupils had a cold sheen under the light, yet he possessed a face as warm as April sunlight. He looked at Chenghong and smiled faintly, “Master Chenghong, we meet again.”
His words carried a profound meaning.
The scene of their first meeting was still vivid in his memory, and their interaction had been far from friendly.
“Lay disciple Tan,” Chenghong gently parted his lips, his mouth forming a perfect shape.
The moment Danya saw Chenghong, he couldn’t help but recall how Chenghong had broken his barrier, disrupting his rare solitary time with Gu Yi. Honestly, Danya’s heart had long since rotted, and he detested seeing these bald monks who preached detachment from worldly desires.
Chenghong, the cherished Buddhist prodigy of Mahāprajñā Temple, should have stayed in his temple and communed with Buddha, instead of venturing into the mortal world to stir up worldly affairs.
“What would Master like to say?”
Seeing Chenghong’s contemplative gaze, as calm as a deep, flowing river, Danya’s lips curved slightly into a faint smile. He was curious to hear what Chenghong had to say.
Chenghong, seeing his主动 inquiry, asked gently and readily, “Lay disciple Tan, do you often feel a heavy, chilling sensation on your back?”
These words struck a chord in Danya’s heart. He stared intently at Chenghong.
From his gaze, Chenghong sensed an undisguised sharpness and acuity within.
Gu Junshi, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, raised an eyebrow at Chenghong’s astonishing remark. A fleeting, dark smile crossed her dark eyes as she looked at him.
It seemed that what she could see from Danya, Chenghong could also perceive.
Danya paused, his expression unchanged, and asked with feigned confusion, “What do you mean, Master Chenghong?”
Chenghong closed his eyes, clasped his hands, and recited a Buddhist mantra. When he reopened his eyes, his gaze was as sharp as tempered steel. He spoke slowly and deliberately, “Lay disciple Tan, the blood debt you carry will eventually become retaliatory karmic force, should you persist on this path of slaughter.”
Danya had long known that the Buddhist prodigy before him had perceptive eyes. He also knew what kind of person he had become due to his past actions.
He noticed Chenghong’s gaze frequently flicking towards his back, which inexplicably reminded him of Gu Yi… When they first met, she had also glanced at his back so casually…
No, not just the first time; it happened many times afterward. Occasionally, he would notice it and wonder with suspicion what she saw behind him.
Now he knew… Danya was stunned into silence.
Impossible. She wasn’t Chenghong, nor was she a Buddhist prodigy. How could she see it…
“What did you see?!” he suddenly demanded, fixing his gaze on Chenghong, his eyes filled with malice and madness, unable to conceal his emotions.
Chenghong saw that Danya, who had always been indifferent, even somewhat mocking of the world, had finally changed his expression, revealing sharp claws like a trodden-upon cat.
“Whatever your heart is, it will manifest as such.”
Danya: “What is it like?”
Chenghong looked up and said bluntly, “A giant black shadow, ugly, a monster fused from hatred, darkness, and blood…”
Danya’s soul felt as if it were laid bare. His face turned pale.
Did she… did she really see it?!
No, it couldn’t be.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth.
If she truly saw something so disgusting…
If she had seen it from the beginning, it was no wonder she looked at him that way.
No wonder, no matter what he did, she wouldn’t show him any favor.
This disgusting and filthy him…
Chenghong said, “Not only can I see it, but there is another person. She is special, and you cannot deceive her.”
“Why did you say it…” Danya looked up, glaring at Chenghong, and said fiercely, “Why…”
To shatter his delusion.
Why?
Chenghong: “Lay disciple Tan, if you do not cleanse yourself and attempt to grasp what you should not, then eradicating demons is our duty.”
Danya chuckled. The lonely and elegant man, his robes imbued with melancholy, was noble and aloof. “I see it in your eyes… Chenghong, you are not fit to judge me.”
On the other martial arena, Liu Jiang Fusheng listened to the two of them exchanging veiled words, full of malice.
But he was happy to see them fight.
One coveted his beloved wife, and the other sinisterly wished to persuade his beloved wife to cultivate Buddhism. Neither was a decent person. If these immoral third and fourth parties were to beat each other to death, it would be one less for the righteous path of humanity.