Before Yu Qingtang even made it fully onto the platform, the underworld killing aura rolling off Ye Chenyan hit him head-on. His legs nearly gave out, and he almost tumbled straight back down.
He barely set foot on the edge of the martial platform before recoiling as though the floor had burned him. Without hesitation, he turned to jump back down—
Only for Ye Chenyan to catch him around the waist and drag him back.
Yu Qingtang panicked. “What are you doing? What are you doing?”
Surely Ye Chenyan was not actually going to beat him up in front of everyone?
He had not blown his cover or anything!
“What else would I want after calling you onto the martial platform?” A flicker of amusement passed through Ye Chenyan’s eyes as he deliberately frightened him. “I want to test my spear against your Lotus Realm.”
Yu Qingtang stared at him in disbelief.
This guy was really that heartless?
He immediately opened his mouth to concede.
“I—”
The moment Ye Chenyan saw him open his mouth, he guessed what he was about to say. He covered Yu Qingtang’s mouth with one hand, and they shouted at almost the same time.
“I concede!”
One declaration rang loud and clear. The other came out muffled, yet stubbornly forced its way through Ye Chenyan’s fingers.
The crowd below erupted.
For one breath, Yu Qingtang wondered whether he had shouted too loudly and drowned out Ye Chenyan’s words. Otherwise, why had he heard nothing but the echo of his own “I concede”?
He stared blankly at Ye Chenyan and asked for confirmation, “What did you say just now?”
“I said...” Ye Chenyan laughed. At last, he released the arm around Yu Qingtang’s waist and stepped back, smiling at him. “I concede.”
“Y-you... Why are you conceding?” Yu Qingtang’s thoughts were already a tangled mess, and this only made them worse. “I conceded too! I shouted it before you did!”
“I think I said it first.” Ye Chenyan tilted his head back, waiting for the golden ranking board to change.
But after a while, it did not react at all.
He raised an eyebrow. “Is it broken?”
Yu Qingtang looked up with the weary air of someone who had seen too much.
Perhaps it was not just the academy ranking board that had broken.
Maybe even the Heavenly Dao had been scared senseless.
A Long Aotian had actually conceded defeat!
Thinking about it carefully, he should never have expected a Long Aotian, someone who never admitted defeat, to yield to a monk from Dharma Academy.
But why was he conceding to Yu Qingtang now?
Even in the original novel, Ye Chenyan had never yielded to any of the female leads.
He had been so absurdly competitive that, compared to winning and losing, he would not even give the female leads an inch. Readers had mocked him for surely not having a girlfriend—otherwise, he would know that if he dared be that stubborn with one, she would knock his dog-brain clean out of his skull...
Yu Qingtang’s gaze went vacant.
Could that idiot have gotten a girlfriend? Had the entire novel been rewritten? Would that plot hole finally get resolved?
At the very top of the golden ranking board, the name Ye Chenyan flickered, as though someone had added an overly flashy special effect to it.
Then, at the very bottom, Yu Qingtang’s name began flashing as well.
Their names blinked in answer to one another from opposite ends of the board, yet neither position changed.
Scholar Xiao tapped his folded fan lightly against his palm and smiled.
“Oh dear. It seems the academy spirit has been put in quite a bind.”
“The academy spirit?” Chi Yantian asked curiously. “What is that supposed to be?”
“Only a conjecture.” Scholar Xiao did not hide it. “Based on the ancient records that remain, we believe Sage-Hearing Academy itself is an enormous first-rank spiritual artifact.”
“It has no notable power in other respects, but it can open a world of its own, preserve awareness, and operate according to certain rules.”
He smiled and pointed at the golden board.
“But I imagine it has never encountered a scene like this before.”
Outside the Ancient Academy Realm, the great experts watched the academy ranking board flicker erratically, each wearing a somewhat complicated expression.
“How strange.” Mister Qingzhu narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “It cannot determine who spoke first?”
“Heh heh.” Tianji Zi smiled pleasantly at the unmovable name Yu Qingtang at the very bottom of the board. “It is a first-rank spiritual artifact, after all. Perhaps it has a temper of its own and simply does not wish to indulge a few juniors playing around.”
“Or perhaps it has fallen into disrepair after so many years. Once you get old, there are always little problems here and there.”
He put on a show of rubbing his lower back.
“Ah, my poor old back has been acting up these past few days...”
Academy Head Wen gave him a half-smile. “Your spiritual power is completely contained, and you have made progress again in recent days. Why are you pretending to be old?”
Tianji Zi opened his mouth to retort, but Academy Head Wen glanced meaningfully at the Flying Immortals Ranking and added with a smile, “Besides, a first-rank spiritual artifact may not be the only thing making mistakes.”
Tianji Zi promptly closed his mouth again. He only gave two quiet chuckles and pretended not to understand the implication.
“Oh?” Elder Green Snake asked with interest. “What else is making mistakes?”
Academy Head Wen smiled, withdrawing his gaze. He pointed at Yu Qingtang in the image.
“The qin he carries.”
Then he lifted his hand toward Jin Yangzi.
“The mirror he carries.”
He was about to point elsewhere in the image when someone behind him gave a quiet cough in warning. Academy Head Wen smiled and closed his mouth instead.
Elder Green Snake pressed, “Why did you stop? What is wrong with them?”
Academy Head Wen laughed. “For the details, please wait for this year’s Anecdotes from the Golden Core Competition.”
Elder Lieyang spoke coolly. “Just do not write everything. You should all understand that some matters...”
“Brother Wen naturally knows the limits,” Tianji Zi said with a pleasant smile. “Four Books Academy has spent so many years poking trouble everywhere without being wiped out. Of course it knows what may be written and what may not.”
Academy Head Wen’s smile did not fade. “Of course. Of course.”
While they traded veiled barbs outside the Ancient Academy Realm, Yu Qingtang was inching sneakily toward the edge of the platform.
“If it does not change, that means I was the first one to concede.”
“Conceding and begging for mercy are Biehe Sect’s ultimate life-saving technique. I win this round.”
“Since there is nothing else, I’ll just...”
Ye Chenyan caught him by the shoulder again.
“Something is wrong.” Ye Chenyan looked up at the golden ranking board, refusing to let him slip away. “This ranking board...”
At last, the solemn voice spoke again, though it sounded rather exasperated.
“Nonsense! Utter nonsense!”
“This is the academy’s great exam. How can you treat it so frivolously?”
“If neither of you wants first place, then neither of you shall have it!”
Ye Chenyan frowned, about to answer, when the entire Sage-Hearing Academy began to tremble.
He grabbed Yu Qingtang at once, guarding against the academy suddenly turning hostile.
Outside the Ancient Academy Realm, Tianji Zi raised an eyebrow. One hand hidden beneath his broad sleeve formed a hand seal, and the jade token at Yu Qingtang’s waist trembled faintly.
But with the entire academy shaking, no one noticed that tiny change.
Only the Esoteric Sect old man seemed to sense something and glanced in that direction.
Tianji Zi had already withdrawn his hand. He gave an exaggerated yawn, as though trying far too hard to look innocent.
Inside the Ancient Academy Realm, Yu Qingtang’s name—which had remained immovably anchored in last place—suddenly moved.
And once it moved, it did so spectacularly.
It shot past the names of countless prodigies like a rocket, soaring all the way to the top of the golden board, where it came to rest beside Ye Chenyan’s name.
Both names shone brilliantly.
Yu Qingtang’s mouth fell open. He looked down at the jade token at his waist, then back up at the ranking board.
What is going on?
Ye Chenyan sensed that something was slightly off. But since events had developed exactly as he wanted, he pretended not to notice. He withdrew his gaze and even shifted subtly to shield the jade token at Yu Qingtang’s waist.
The moment the names changed, the violent trembling of Sage-Hearing Academy stopped as well.
The solemn voice that had been furious only moments before sounded baffled.
“Hm?”
“Huh?” Scholar Xiao also looked up in surprise. “A tie for first?”
“Since when is there such a thing as a tie for first?” Li Ling’er’s eyes widened. “A match must determine victory or defeat! Since the Golden Core Competition began, when has there ever been a tie for first?”
“Heh heh.” Scholar Xiao smiled with profound mystery. “Miss Li, that is where you are mistaken. It is rare precisely because it is precious.”
He waved his folding fan.
“Love must be heart-stopping and one of a kind. It must pass through twists, coincidences, and mistaken timing before finally ending in a match made in heaven.”
“That is what sells...”
“Oh—I get it!” Chi Yantian smashed his fist into his palm. “Yu Qingtang’s turtle shell must be too hard for Ye Chenyan to break.”
“But aside from that turtle shell, Yu Qingtang does not have any other moves. He cannot beat Ye Chenyan, either.”
He suddenly understood. “So it can only count as a draw!”
Scholar Xiao stared at him.
“Brother Chi, you truly are...”
“Impressive, right?” Chi Yantian grinned proudly. “That shaking just now must have been caused by your academy spirit using spiritual power to simulate their fight. Then it came to this conclusion.”
He sounded so confident that, at first hearing, it actually seemed somewhat plausible.
Scholar Xiao wore an odd expression. If he had not known a little more than most, he might have believed him.
Yet aside from Scholar Xiao, Chi Yantian’s explanation persuaded quite a few people.
Monk Baoding nodded devoutly.
“Our Buddhist sects’ secret Lotus Realm, even at the first stage of mastery, makes one as indestructible as vajra.”
“Miss Yu has achieved such attainments in only a few days. She truly must share an affinity with this secret inheritance.”
“In any case, it is far more formidable in Miss Yu’s hands than it would be in Dharma Academy’s.” Tianhui smiled at Yu Qingtang. “The Buddha guides those with affinity. It seems the Lotus Realm belongs with Miss Yu.”
The solemn voice fell silent for a moment. The entire golden ranking board flashed once as it rechecked itself.
But in the end, it found no anomaly. It could only announce:
“First place has been decided. Does anyone else object?”
There was almost a note of anticipation in its voice.
Yu Qingtang also looked down expectantly.
Behind him, Ye Chenyan narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze across the other competitors with a faintly threatening air.
No one dared answer.
Yu Qingtang’s eyes slowly widened in disbelief.
Ye Chenyan had already become this intimidating?
Smiling, Ye Chenyan placed a hand on Yu Qingtang’s head and turned him back around.
“Looks like we were destined to share first place.”
“Hmph. Fine!” the solemn voice snapped. “Come in!”
Light flashed across the martial platform, and the two of them vanished.
“The matches on the other platforms will continue!”
Yu Qingtang and Ye Chenyan entered an ethereal immortal realm.
Before them stood a phantom figure with the bearing of an immortal sage. In its palm rested a miniature sapling.
Yu Qingtang recognized it at once.
It was the legendary Mind-Sea Bodhi Tree.
A bodhi tree that could be planted within one’s mind sea and aid one’s understanding of the Dao. It was even more advanced than the one he had seen at Ascension Tower in Qingzhou.
This was the treasure Ye Chenyan should have received in the original story.
And now...
“There was only meant to be one first place, and only one supreme treasure,” the solemn voice said. “This Mind-Sea Bodhi Tree, the two of you...”
Yu Qingtang immediately took a step back.
“Give it to him! I do not like cultivating, but he does. And you cannot even eat Bodhi fruit, so it would be useless to me. Give it to him!”
Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “Then what does he get?”
The solemn voice asked, “What do you want? A cultivation method, a divine ability, a magical artifact... I will make an exception and allow you to choose once more.”
Yu Qingtang hesitated, looking slightly embarrassed. “Anything?”
“Hmph.” The solemn voice snorted irritably. “It must be of equal value to the Mind-Sea Bodhi Tree.”
Ye Chenyan chuckled, encouraging him. “Go ahead and say it. At worst, if it says no, we can discuss something else.”
Yu Qingtang cleared his throat.
“Then I’ll say it.”
Still a little embarrassed, he gathered his courage. Looking at the phantom with open expectation, he asked sincerely:
“Do you have... a divine ability that lets you get rich after cultivating it?”
The solemn voice and Ye Chenyan both let out the same bewildered sound.
“Huh?”
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