Book 5: Chapter 86: Sharing First Place
The cultural battle ended. Gu Hai obtained five thousand recommendation talismans. A well-deserved first place.
“Elite Hall! Elite Hall! Elite Hall!”
“Mister Gu!”
“First place! First place!”
Naturally, the Qian Nation citizens cheered happily. From Gu Hai’s unbridled challenge to the sages to his face-slapping of the Myriad Age Daoist Sect after the Grand Mohist knocked him unconscious for ten days and ten nights, all these events made Gu Hai the hero of the Heavenly Yin City citizens.
As for the other cultural cultivators, they no longer underestimated Gu Hai. They no longer thought he took first place by cheating.
That was the
Supreme Ascendant Scripture
, a powerful holy Dao scripture of the cultural Dao. While it was not the strongest, it was definitely top-tier. It had been passed down since ancient times, perfected through the ages. It was practically unrivaled. This could be seen from when Sima Changkong used the
Clear Sky Scripture
, the
Blood River Scripture
, and the
Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture
to battle it. Even ordinary holy Dao scriptures were not even worth a strike before it.
However, Gu Hai managed to do it. A scripture that he composed on the spot overwhelmed the
Supreme Ascendant Scripture
. Who would dare to underestimate Gu Hai in the cultural Dao?
Several people suddenly started looking at the
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
with fervent gazes.
That was a holy Dao scripture that could surpass the
Supreme Ascendant Scripture
. Even before it was presented fully, it already displayed overwhelming might. Gu Hai was just a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. He could not protect it.
Even Gongyang Sheng and Sima Changkong felt tempted.
“Hahaha! Brother-in-Law, we won! You are really incredible!” Long Wanyu cried out excitedly.
Gu Hai nodded and smiled faintly.
“Your Majesty!” Bing Ji looked at Gu Hai with awe and reverence in her eyes.
Gu Hai smiled faintly and extended his hand to retrieve the
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
.
“Mister Gu!” Gongyang Sheng suddenly called out.
“Huh?” Gu Hai looked at Gongyang Sheng.
“Mister Gu’s
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
has never appeared in the world before. Since it was composed at the Ten Thousand Sages Convention, it naturally should be presented to the world. How about I take responsibility for showing it to the world as the imperial academy’s chancellor? You can leave it with me for safekeeping!” Gongyang Sheng offered.
“Mister Gu, my Sima Clan has many academies in the Qian Nation. We are not as effective as the imperial academy, but how about you leave it with my Sima Clan for safekeeping?” Sima Changkong cried out as well.
Gu Hai looked at the
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
, with its purple-gold words, and shook his head. “There’s no need.”
“Mister Gu!” Gongyang Sheng and Sima Changkong felt anxious.
“I am the one who authored the
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
, and it is my person who wrote it,” Gu Hai said indifferently.
The expressions of Gongyang Sheng and Sima Changkong turned stiff before they showed faint, bitter smiles.
The two finally understood why Gu Hai had asked Bing Ji to write instead of Sima Changkong.
Gu Hai gently picked up the
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
. The scroll gave off dense energy, clearly something extraordinary.
The
Classic of the Dao and Virtue𝚏𝘳𝑒𝑒𝙬𝒆𝙗n𝙤vel.𝑐𝙤𝘮
attracted the gazes of many cultural cultivators. Emperor Kong, the Azure Emperor, and the Supreme Genesis all stared at the
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
until Gu Hai waved his hand and put it away, making it vanish from everyone’s sight. Only then did the greed in their eyes disappear.
Now, the sages no longer looked at Gu Hai with their earlier arrogance. They naturally understood how strong the
Supreme Ascendant Scripture
was. Yet, it still lost to the
Classic of the Dao and Virtue
. What was there to doubt about Gu Hai’s cultural Dao? They could only feel depressed.
“Mister Gongyang, can we continue?” Gu Hai looked at Gongyang Sheng.
“That’s right, that’s right. Mister Gu takes first place. He holds five thousand recommendation talismans and overwhelms all other participants. He can enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace,” Gongyang Sheng said excitedly after startling to his senses.
Many Qian Nation officials smiled.
“Wait!” A voice suddenly called out.
Everyone looked over. It was the Supreme Genesis who had interrupted Gongyang Sheng.
“Supreme Genesis, you have already transferred your recommendation talismans and forfeited the competition. You have no right to question the results,” Gongyang Sheng said.
The Supreme Genesis smiled faintly and said, “I am not interfering with the Ten Thousand Sages Convention. I am just stating a fact. Gu Hai takes first place, overwhelming all participants? That is not the case, right?”
“Huh?” Gongyang Sheng raised his eyebrows.
“Supreme Genesis, this is the Qian Nation, not a place where you call the shots. Gu Hai obtained five thousand recommendation talismans. Of course, he takes first place,” Gongyang Sheng said coldly.
The surrounding citizens turned quiet as they looked at the Supreme Genesis coldly.
“I did not say that Gu Hai is not first place. However, Gu Hai might not have overwhelmed all the participants,” the Supreme Genesis said.
“Amitābha! The Supreme Genesis is right,” the Future Buddha said gravely.
“Gu Hai obtained five thousand recommendation talismans, the Supreme Ascendant Dao’s Grand Mohist obtained four thousand nine hundred ninety, and there are ten independent cultivators with one each. How is that not overwhelming the other participants?” Gongyang Sheng questioned coldly.
“It is not over yet!” The Supreme Genesis smiled coldly as he turned his head to look at the ten loose cultivators.
“Independent cultivators, do you know who I am? Transfer your recommendation talismans to the Supreme Ascendant Dao’s Grand Mohist, and I will permit you to take a look at the Supreme Genesis Scripture. There are also countless treasures in my treasury; you may each take one treasure from there. Otherwise…hah!” The Supreme Genesis smiled at the ten independent cultivators.
The Supreme Genesis’s words were full of menace.
“Amitābha! The same goes for me. Independent cultivators, quickly make your choice!” the Future Buddha said.
“How bold of you! How dare you disrupt the proceedings of the competition, issuing threats to force the participants to hand over their recommendation talismans?” Gongyang Sheng glared.
The surroundings erupted with loud complaints. However, the Supreme Genesis and the Future Buddha paid no heed to these. They had to let the Grand Mohist enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace this time.
“The Future Buddha? The Supreme Genesis? What exactly is in the Cultural Dao Sage Palace to make them care so much about it that they are willing to fall out with the Qian Nation?” Emperor Kong narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Pressuring them with words? What a coincidence! If the Grand Mohist obtains those ten recommendation talismans, she will rank first together with Gu Hai,” the Azure Emperor said with slightly narrowed eyes.
The ten independent cultivators frowned, but they did not look at the Future Buddha or the Supreme Genesis.
“Huh?” The Supreme Genesis raised his eyebrows.
He suddenly saw the ten independent cultivators bow respectfully to the Qian Heavenly Emperor.
“Your subjects have held the recommendation talismans to the very end. Will Your Holy Eminence give us further instructions!” the ten independent cultivators said together as they bowed.
This set the surrounding spectators abuzz.
Even Gongyang Sheng and Sima Changkong goggled. To think that these ten were Qian Nation subjects? They had not known about this before.
These were people that the Qian Heavenly Emperor planted long ago, intending to use them to great effect at the very end?
“How…how can this be?!” The Supreme Genesis’s expression changed.
The Future Buddha sighed softly, “Amitābha! The Qian Heavenly Emperor is very well prepared. We have been impetuous!”
“Cough! Cough! Cough! The Qian Nation’s men?” The Grand Mohist showed uncertainty in her eyes as she coughed blood.
How much did the Qian Heavenly Emperor prepare for this? To think that he even prepared these ten independent cultivators?
The Qian Heavenly Emperor stood on the platform with all his officials standing behind him.
“The Qian Heavenly Dynasty hosted the Ten Thousand Sages Convention, engaging the world with culture. Since the three holy lands came all the way here, we will not let you return with nothing. I’ll bestow the ten recommendation talismans on you,” the Qian Heavenly Emperor said indifferently.
“What?” This development slightly startled the Grand Mohist.
Is Long Zhanguo that kind, giving me the ten recommendation talismans?
“Yes!” the ten independent cultivators answered.
Gongyang Sheng looked at the Qian Heavenly Emperor in shock. Eventually, he nodded and shouted, “Participant Wang Tianming, Zhao Wuji…these ten participants are willing to transfer their recommendation talismans to the Grand Mohist. Will heaven enact this?”
Buzz!
The light from the ten recommendation talismans immediately left the ten independent cultivators, suddenly shifting to the Grand Mohist.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!” Confusion flashed in the Grand Mohist’s eyes.
However, the Future Buddha and the Supreme Genesis showed sullen expressions because of the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s phrasing: “I’ll bestow the ten recommendation talismans on you.”
Bestow? Since when did we require your Qian Nation to bestow anything on us?
Furthermore, it now seems like the representatives of the three holy lands can enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace due to your Qian Nation’s grace.
Find the original at h*sted novel.
The spectators appeared confused.
Emperor Kong and the Azure Emperor felt puzzled as well.
Now, out of ten thousand recommendation talismans, Gu Hai and the Grand Mohist held five thousand each. They shared first place and could both enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace.
“Mister Gu, please go over to His Holy Eminence. His Holy Eminence has some instructions for you. You will be entering the Cultural Dao Sage Palace soon,” Sima Changkong said gravely.
Gu Hai nodded.
Then, he stepped forward and flew to the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s platform.
Whoosh!
Gu Hai landed before the Qian Heavenly Emperor in the blink of an eye.
Previously, when Gu Hai looked at the Qian Heavenly Emperor from afar, the Qian Heavenly Emperor seemed as powerful as heavenly might, looking down on the world. Now that he stood before the Qian Heavenly Emperor, he felt immense pressure.
The Qian Heavenly Emperor did not emanate any aura. He just had the natural air of a sovereign, an unrivaled air.
“Han Nation’s Gu Hai, Elite Hall’s Gu Hai, greets the Qian Heavenly Emperor!” Gu Hai bowed slightly.
This bow was not that of a subject to a sovereign but one of equals.
The officials behind the Qian Heavenly Emperor goggled, apparently upset with Gu Hai. However, the Qian Heavenly Emperor did not care. Instead, a gentle look flashed in his eyes.
“Gu Hai? A dragon among men, indeed. We have paid attention to you for a long time already,” the Qian Heavenly Emperor said.
“Oh?!” This slightly startled Gu Hai.
Then, the Qian Heavenly Emperor waved his hand.
Whoosh!
A thick mist enveloped the two, immediately isolating them from the outside world.
In the next moment, the scene around the two changed. Everyone else vanished, and the two were standing on the summit of a mountain, gazing at the distant sunset.
“Is this an illusion?” Gu Hai frowned slightly, somewhat shocked.
This illusion seemed too realistic.
The Qian Heavenly Emperor looked at the distant setting sun and said, “You did very well in this Ten Thousand Sages Convention, defeating the three holy lands in the cultural Dao and saving us from having to resort to extreme methods.”
“Extreme methods?” Gu Hai’s pupils suddenly constricted in shock.
“You are indeed an intelligent man, understanding with just a hint. This makes speaking to you easy,” the Qian Heavenly Emperor said with a faint smile.
“If I had not raised sufficient recommendation talismans, you would have used martial means to force them to transfer the recommendation talismans? Completely falling out with the three holy lands? You are already prepared for a war with the three holy lands?” Gu Hai goggled in shock.
“After you enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace, the three holy lands will no longer be qualified to fight us,” the Qian Heavenly Emperor said indifferently.
“Oh?”
“You did pretty well. Hence, we brought in a guide for you. After the Grand Mohist enters the Cultural Dao Sage Palace, just closely follow her. We permit you to keep everything you obtain in the Cultural Dao Sage Palace. We will also protect your physical body,” the Qian Heavenly Emperor said.
——
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