RNP Page 152
Page 152
It is neither violent nor fierce, but carries a sacred aura as bright as the sun, purifying all things!
With speed and power far exceeding its previous strength, it tore through the seemingly invincible black lightning net in an instant, like an indestructible divine sword, before everyone's horrified eyes. With a crisp explosion, it solidly imprinted itself on Zhang Lingyu's chest.
Zhang Lingyu's body was struck as if by lightning. He flew backward like a broken sack, tracing a messy arc in the air before crashing heavily outside the arena.
A mouthful of blood gushed from his mouth, staining his snow-white robes crimson, a shocking sight.
He struggled to lift his head, looking at his hands in disbelief, then at Zhang Chulan on the stage, who was also panting heavily and pale-faced.
I actually... lost?
The whole place was in dead silence.
Back at her lodgings, Zhang Lingyu still couldn't accept the fact that she had lost.
He didn't care about winning or losing, nor did he care about the so-called position of Celestial Master.
What he cared about was that he had made such a ridiculously basic mistake as failing to gather Qi at the most crucial moment.
For him, this was a denial of his decades of arduous practice, a betrayal of his master's teachings, and an unforgivable disgrace.
He couldn't understand why.
Just as he was feeling lost and on the verge of a breakdown, the door was gently pushed open.
Zhang Zhiwei walked in slowly.
Looking at his disciple's deathly pale face and eyes filled with self-doubt and pain, he felt another sharp pain in his heart.
He knew he had to speak up.
He walked up to Zhang Lingyu, remained silent for a long time, and finally revealed the cruel truth.
"Lingyu, it is my fault."
His voice carried a barely perceptible hoarseness and weariness.
“Last night, I added a secret medicine to the tea you drank that can temporarily disrupt the flow of Qi.”
"The effects of the medicine are slow and subtle, and will only cause a slight stagnation the moment you push your cultivation to its limit."
"So... it's not that you're less skilled."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lingyu was struck dumb, and he abruptly raised his head, looking at his master in disbelief.
His expression shifted from initial shock to bewilderment, and then to confusion.
Finally, when he saw his master's eyes filled with guilt and reluctance, he suddenly understood something.
On that pale face, a relieved, even somewhat relieved, smile slowly appeared.
That smile was as pure as a child's.
"So that's it..."
He spoke softly, as if he had removed the heaviest shackles from his heart.
"I can rest assured that."
"I did not disgrace my master."
Chapter 178 The Heart of the Spirit Jade, the Daoist Master Relieved
Looking at the pure smile on his disciple's face, Zhang Zhiwei felt as if his heart had been squeezed tightly by an invisible hand.
He had imagined countless possibilities.
He thought Zhang Lingyu would be angry, would question, would roar, would be confused.
But I never expected him to react this way.
There was not a trace of resentment in that smile, only the relief of surviving a disaster and a heartfelt sense of ease, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
It was as if he wasn't the one who lost, as if he wasn't the one who was outmaneuvered.
It was as if that "unexpected defeat," which would have shattered the Dao heart of any genius, had become a fortunate thing in his eyes.
"You...don't blame your master?"
Zhang Zhiwei's voice was terribly dry.
Why should this disciple blame his master?
Zhang Lingyu shook his head. He propped himself up and tried to stand up to bow, but Zhang Zhiwei pressed him down.
He looked into his master's eyes, which were filled with remorse, and said earnestly:
"This disciple does not care about the outcome of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, nor does he care who will become the Heavenly Master."
"I am just afraid... afraid that my skills are not good enough and I will fail to live up to Master's twenty years of teachings. I am afraid that my meager skills will bring shame to Longhu Mountain and to you, Master."
"Since it's not that the disciple is less skilled, then it's alright."
His tone was calm and composed, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.
But these words, when they reached Zhang Zhiwei's ears, were more painful than any questioning, and caused him more heartache.
He taught him Taoist magic for twenty years and thunder magic for twenty years, but it seems he forgot to teach him how to fight for himself and how to live for himself.
He taught him to be the most perfect "work of art," the purest "jade," but in doing so, he also made him lose the edges and sharpness that a young man should have.
"...You...you foolish disciple..."
Zhang Zhiwei reached out his wrinkled hand, wanting to pat his head like he did when he was a child, but stopped in mid-air, and in the end it just turned into a long sigh.
He knew he had to give him an explanation.
An explanation that would be acceptable to his pure, almost obsessive, Daoist heart.
Zhang Zhiwei slowly sat down and recounted all his plans and painstaking efforts in detail.
From Zhang Chulan's earth-shattering secret of the "Qi Body Source Flow" to the deep-seated greed of the entire world of supernatural beings for the Eight Extraordinary Techniques.
From Zhang Huaiyi's entrustment back then to his current decision to use the magnificent shackle of "Celestial Master's Degree" to forever "trap" Zhang Chulan on Longhu Mountain and ensure his lifelong peace.
"The Celestial Master's Ordination is both an honor and a restriction."
Zhang Zhiwei's voice echoed in the quiet room, carrying a heavy, fateful tone.
"Once he inherits the title, he will be the 66th Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain."
With the protection of the Celestial Master's Ordination and the entire Longhu Mountain, those petty villains who coveted the Eight Extraordinary Skills dared not lay a finger on him.
"In this way, we can preserve the only bloodline of Senior Brother Huaiyi, and also keep the 'Qi Body Source Flow,' a source of chaos that could plunge the world into chaos, under the control of the Celestial Master's Mansion forever."
"This is the only way that I can think of that satisfies both sides."
"But this method is unfair to you."
Zhang Lingyu listened quietly, her expression gradually changing from initial confusion to understanding, and finally to a deep, unfathomable calm.
He didn't say anything, but after Zhang Zhiwei finished speaking, he slowly got off the bed and straightened the white clothes he was wearing, which were still stained with blood.
Then, he solemnly prostrated himself before his master.
"Master's painstaking efforts are understood by your disciple."
The grand Taoist ritual has finally come to a close.
The final result was no surprise.
Zhang Chulan won the final championship in a way that surprised everyone, yet they had no choice but to admit defeat, and is about to receive the inheritance of the Celestial Master's Degree of Longhu Mountain.
The name "Shameless" and his unpredictable white lightning magic resounded throughout the entire world of supernatural beings.
The award ceremony was held in the huge square in front of the Sanqing Hall.
When Zhang Chulan, dressed in a faded tracksuit and flip-flops, with an irritating expression that seemed to say, "Oh, I'm so sorry I actually won," received the token representing the Celestial Master's position from the Old Celestial Master, a complex murmur arose from the audience.
There was envy, jealousy, and resentment, but more than anything, there was a sense of helpless acceptance of the established facts.
As for Zhang Lingyu, the runner-up, under everyone's gaze, she received the jade slip containing one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, "Tongtian Lu," from Lu Jin, one of the Ten Elders, a man with a fiery temper but a flawless life.
He was still dressed in white, with a cool and aloof demeanor, as if the devastating defeat of the previous night had left no trace on him.
He simply bowed respectfully to Lu Jin, accepted the jade slip, and then quietly stepped aside, his expression serene.
It was as if that extraordinary skill, which could drive all the disciples of the talisman sect in the world crazy, was no different from an ordinary stone in his eyes.
The outcome is already decided, and everyone has their own thoughts and intentions.
Some people were shocked by Zhang Chulan's sudden emergence as a dark horse and began to reassess the strength of Longhu Mountain and "Na Du Tong" Company.
Some people lamented Zhang Lingyu's narrow defeat, but others felt a sense of balance because he was able to obtain the "Tongtian Lu" as an unexpected bonus.
Many others, however, turned their greedy gazes toward the two young men.
One, possessing the "Source of Qi," is about to be trapped on the mountain by the "Celestial Master's Salvation."
The other one possesses the "Tongtianlu" (a Taoist talisman), but is about to accept the Lu family's Taoist tradition and learn the Tongtianlu.
The real aftershocks of what appears to be a grand event that has already ended are only just beginning to spread.
On the mountain path, the various extraordinary people who came to witness the ceremony began to pack their belongings and prepared to descend the mountain in twos and threes.
Beneath those smiling or sighing faces lie countless untold schemes and murderous intentions, unknown to anyone.
Chapter 179 The Grand Luo Tian Ceremony Concludes, Undercurrents Begin to Stir
After the awards ceremony, the bustling square in front of Longhu Mountain, which had been noisy for several days, finally began to gradually quiet down.
Like the receding tide, various sects and factions of extraordinary individuals, each with their own thoughts, began to descend the mountain one after another.
Zhang Chulan won the championship of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony and is about to receive the Heavenly Master's ordination.
Zhang Lingyu was presented with the "Tongtianlu" (a type of talisman).
These two momentous events, enough to shake the entire world of supernatural beings, are like two giant stones thrown into a seemingly calm lake, creating waves that are spreading outwards from Longhu Mountain in all directions.
Countless gazes, some open and some hidden, filled with envy, jealousy, and undisguised greed, silently converged and collided in the air.
The Wang family was the first to set off.
With Wang Bing's help, Wang Ai boarded the car with a gloomy expression, remaining silent throughout the journey.