Translator: AnubisTL
The fat monk couldn't be killed; he had to appear after the grand exam.
To make the damned bald monk unable to defend himself, Gu Feng had to show up and play along in this act.
"We don't need trash here!" Dugu Ao, who had been fuming with anger, shouted.
"Trash? Hmph, take a look at your own face, covered in ancient characters all over the place. Do you think you're cultured or something?" Gu Feng retorted mercilessly.
These words instantly ignited Dugu Ao's rage. His eyes turned blood red, and his hair stood on end, making him look like a madman. "What did you say?"
"Alright, alright, since we've already promised Miss Chu not to trouble Sect Master Gu anymore, let's all take a step back and calm down!"
As the only sect representative present without ancient characters on his face, Zong Shixuan stepped in to mediate.
With a smile, he walked between the two, separating them. His gaze flickered toward Dugu Ao, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.
Dugu Ao had already replaced Duan Yansheng as the most pitiful person in the entire exam hall.
His forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, the top of his head, the back of his head, and even his neck were covered in crisscrossing ancient characters. At a glance, there were no fewer than twenty of them.
They basically included all the ancient characters from the Demon Subduing Pestle. As Gu Feng had said, he indeed looked very "cultured."
Seeing his miserable state, Hua Wenyue and the others felt much better, even secretly pleased.
Wu Sheng glanced at Dugu Ao's lower body and noticed his awkward walking posture. He immediately understood what had happened. His lips twitched, and his buttocks clenched as the nightmare-like pain resurfaced in his mind, lingering for a long time.
"Hmph—" Dugu Ao also knew that time was tight now, and it wasn't the moment to pick a fight with Gu Feng. Suppressing his anger, he stood to the side with a gloomy expression, not saying a word.
"The five great sects have gathered. Let's unify our battle strategy!"
"..."
The vast army of cultivators formed a long dragon-like formation, stretching across the entire exam hall. Starting from the outermost edge, they advanced one thousand meters at a time, pausing for Chu Youhuan to conduct her inspections.
"No findings, move forward!"
Chu Youhuan hovered at the very top of the formation, issuing commands to the five great sects, effectively becoming the leader of the group.
Her commanding and heroic demeanor left Wu Sheng and the others feeling frustrated but helpless. After all, among the million candidates in the exam hall, only she possessed such a talent.
The formation advanced quickly, sweeping through one-tenth of the exam hall in just two hours.
Gradually, doubts began to arise, and the group grew somewhat lax.
Gu Feng seized the opportunity and gave Chu Youhuan a meaningful look, which she understood.
"Found it, over there!"
"You little brat, daring to cause trouble in front of your Grandpa Gu? Prepare to die!" Gu Feng reacted the fastest, charging out like an arrow the moment Chu Youhuan spoke.
Roar—
The Jade Lion's Golden Roar was unleashed, and the deafening roar caused the cultivators near Gu Feng to feel their heads swell, their thoughts momentarily scattered.
"Five hundred meters to the left!"
"Got it, die!" Gu Feng's acting skills were in full swing as he unleashed the ultimate soul technique, Asura, into thin air.
The vast surge of Soul Power spread out, causing the pursuing cultivators to suffer another hidden setback.
"Hahaha, who would've thought the Myriad Tribulations Physique would also excel in soul attacks!"
"Your Young Master Gu has plenty of unique skills!"
Gu Feng played two roles simultaneously, attacking while engaging in dialogue. Due to his constant movement, no one noticed anything unusual.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Hua Wenyue and the others went wild, immediately unleashing their Nurtured Spirits with a majestic aura, charging forward with battle cries.
Gu Feng fled all the way to the back of a small hill that shielded them from view.
"Kid, lie down!"
Bang—
"Ow—"
Bang—Bang—Bang—
After a series of crisp collision sounds, the arrogant voice of the bald monk rang out!
"Gahaha—, I've had my eye on you, you fat sheep!" The voice gradually faded away.
Those who had initially prepared to give chase, like Duan Yansheng and the others, tacitly slowed their pace.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and chase him! He stole our Sect Master's Storage Ring!!" Chu Youhuan feigned urgency as she shouted.
"Ahem, we've already lost the initiative. His movement technique is too fast; we can't catch up!" Dugu Ao said arrogantly, a hint of satisfaction flashing across his brow.
"You... you all! Hmph!" Chu Youhuan stamped her foot in frustration, then rushed to Gu Feng's side, tapping him a few times. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Gu Feng slowly woke up.
"Damn that bald monk, how dare he steal my stuff!
That thousand-cursed bastard... may his children be born without assholes..."
Gu Feng cursed as he got up, and everyone noticed the three ancient characters on his forehead, breaking into satisfied smiles.
"What are you laughing at? The pot calling the kettle black!" Gu Feng said disdainfully.
"Hahaha, sorry, your Soul attack was quite fierce; it affected us..." Zong Shixuan chuckled softly.
"You're definitely doing this on purpose. With your strength, you're afraid of my Soul attack??" Gu Feng said with a mix of grief and indignation, then turned to Chu Youhuan.
"Let's go, we're done here!"
"Mm!"
Seeing that Chu Youhuan was also about to leave, the others immediately tried to persuade her, appealing to reason and emotion, and promised to go all out next time.
"These people are full of crap. Show some real action—make them pay more!" Gu Feng was still fuming.
"Right, I'll go after that bald monk, but you'll have to pay more!" Chu Youhuan said coldly.
"Fine, fine, we'll pay more. How about Natural Treasures worth 1.5 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones? Will that do?"
After witnessing Chu Youhuan's abilities, they were convinced that as long as they found the bald monk next time and went all out, they would surely bring him to justice.
A 50% increase, split among the over ten thousand Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators present, was just a few dozen extra Mid-Grade Spirit Stones each—a drop in the bucket.
Chu Youhuan and Yan Yexue smiled as they searched through the Natural Treasures for the items they needed.
After a while, the two were satisfied.
"You're really ruthless, hitting yourself three times!"
"That's the basic professionalism of an actor!"
Gu Feng and Chu Youhuan whispered to each other.
The goal of showing their faces had been achieved!
The carefree Gu Feng left the group, and as he departed, the others looked at him with disdain, not particularly concerned. After all, with so many people, one more or less didn't make a difference.
The large group continued their search!
Just two hours later, Chu Youhuan once again discovered the bald monk's trail.
The bald monk directly ambushed Zong Shixuan, who was currently the only one with points.
"Such audacity, daring to ambush me!!"
Zong Shixuan clutched his forehead, roaring in fury.
Although Chu Youhuan had already issued a warning and Zong Shixuan had unleashed his full strength, he was still caught off guard and struck on the head by the Demon Subduing Pestle.
Fortunately, there were many cultivators around, and the bald monk, seeing that the situation was unfavorable, fled immediately after the strike!
"Don't chase him! Just keep tightening the encirclement, and we'll definitely find the bald monk!"
"That's right! The bald monk took such a risk to disrupt our plans. Don't fall for it!"
"At most, it will take half a day to narrow the encirclement, and then he'll have nowhere to escape!"
"..."
Hua Wenyue and others promptly restrained the impulsive cultivators.
After paying Chu Youhuan for her services, they continued to advance.
As the encirclement tightened, the bald monk appeared more and more frequently.
Everyone's spirits were lifted. The bald monk's desperation was a sign of his last struggle—victory was within reach!
In just two hours, Chu Youhuan had collected fees over a dozen times, her face beaming with joy.
Meanwhile, the Heaven's Chosen from the five major sects wore grim expressions.
Finally, the moment had arrived. Without a doubt, the bald monk was within this mountain range!
"Have you found him?"
Everyone was fully focused, ready for the imminent battle.
"No!" Chu Youhuan said with a troubled expression.
"How is that possible? The diameter of this circle is only two kilometers. You're standing in the center—how could you not sense the bald monk?"
Chu Youhuan's words left everyone dumbfounded.
"I don't know why, but I just can't sense him!" Chu Youhuan frowned, clearly puzzled by the situation.
For a moment, silence fell, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"I know where he is!" Just as they were at an impasse, Yan Yexue, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.
"Youhuan's sensing has never been wrong—it's been proven. That means the bald monk must be within the encirclement!"
All eyes turned to the woman in the plain white robe, a hint of admiration in their gazes.
She pointed downward, and everyone suddenly understood.
One thousand meters—it didn't have to be on the ground; it could be underground.
The bald monk was no fool. After so many encounters, he must have roughly estimated the limit of Chu Youhuan's sensing range.
"What are we waiting for? Start digging!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Countless dazzling attacks tore through the ground, sending large chunks of soil flying and filling the air with dust.
Chu Youhuan covered her nose and mouth, descending deeper, followed by a group of cultivators.
"We've found it! There's an underground tunnel here!"
Zong Shixuan and the others immediately rushed down. Deep underground, they discovered a man-made tunnel leading to the rear of the encirclement.
Everyone was stunned. The five major sects had made such a huge commotion, spending nearly thirty million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, only for this?
The grand encirclement had failed!
At this moment, Zong Shixuan and the others were seething, their faces dark with frustration, unsure of what to do next.
"This isn't my fault. From the traces, the encirclement was correct, and my sensing was accurate too!" Chu Youhuan put on a pitiful expression, speaking weakly.
Although these Heaven's Chosen were proud, they were not unreasonable. Chu Youhuan's contributions along the way were undeniable.
In order to track down the bald monk, Gu Feng bravely charged at the forefront, gaining another ancient character on his forehead, yet he never complained, showing utmost dedication and responsibility.
"Don't lose heart, everyone! There's only one day left until the end of the exam. I'll help you sense that bald monk for free!!" Chu Youhuan once again boosted everyone's morale.
Zong Shixuan, standing to the side, curled his lips, not optimistic about their chances of success.
Thinking that he already had enough points, he decided not to bother with their antics and politely declined.
The other four major sects did not force the Blazing Light Sect either, merely expressing their gratitude to Chu Youhuan before the group swiftly departed.
"Senior Brother Zong, do you think they can catch the bald monk?" a Blazing Light Sect disciple whispered.
"Hmph, as if they could!" Zong Shixuan sneered as he watched the group's retreating figures.
"That bald monk is full of tricks. If he hides two or three thousand meters underground, can they really turn the entire exam site upside down?
It's destined to be futile!"
"The bald monk violated the exam rules and seized Natural Treasures. Unless he can consume all of them, his exam results will surely be canceled!"
"We have over thirty thousand points, enough to get all our disciples on the leaderboard, and I will undoubtedly become the top scorer!!"
At this, Zong Shixuan laughed heartily.
He had finally become the hero of the Blazing Light Sect, reclaiming the most important title of top scorer, and achieving the unprecedented feat of having all participating disciples admitted to the Grand Harmony Academy!
"Senior Brother Zong will be remembered for eternity!"
"The first in the history of the Grand Harmony Academy!"
"Our Blazing Light Sect is destined to be the only one!"
"..."
The other Blazing Light Sect disciples roared with excitement, their enthusiasm reaching its peak.
"Alright, let's keep it low-key. Let's find a place to wait for the exam to end!"
"Yes!"
Just then, a disciple's puzzled voice rang out, "Huh, who's so brave to have dug such a deep tunnel?"
Zong Shixuan followed the sound and looked down, seeing a bottomless tunnel stretching downward.
Instantly, his pupils contracted, and a terrifying thought flashed through his mind: "The bald monk didn't escape through the tunnel but has been hiding deep underground. This is a diversion to lure Chu Youhuan, who can sense him, away!
So, what is his goal?"
Sss—
At this thought, he couldn't help but gasp in shock!
A chilling sensation surged from the depths of his heart, spreading throughout his body.
No—
We've been tricked!
He immediately unleashed his aura, summoning the 'Demon Archer Ice Dragon' from his consciousness to protect himself.
However, he was a step too slow. Before his aura could fully coalesce, a flash of golden light appeared before his eyes, and an ancient bronze Demon Subduing Pestle loomed larger and larger in his vision!
Bang—
With a single strike, he was sent reeling!
Bang—
Bang—
Bang—
The Demon Subduing Pestle swung with afterimages, rhythmically pounding his skull. In less than a tenth of a breath, he lost all ability to resist and fell unconscious.
His points were wiped clean, and the Spirit Stones and Thunder Attribute Natural Treasures in his Storage Ring were instantly plundered!
After completing this, Gu Feng mimicked the bald monk's voice and sneered, "Keh keh keh, want to take the top spot? Did you ask the Buddha first?"
The Blazing Light Sect disciples, who had been celebrating moments ago, stood dumbfounded. Only when Zong Shixuan's body was thrown out did they snap back to reality.
"Senior Brother Zong!!!"
"Ah!!! The damned bald monk is here!!!"
"Everyone, come quickly, the damned bald monk is here!!!"
They caught Zong Shixuan while letting out piercing wails!
By the time the cultivators from the four major sects arrived, the damned bald monk had already vanished.
After a while, Zong Shixuan slowly regained consciousness. His face twisted with rage, and he roared, "Find him! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find that damned bald monk!!"
"What's the point of searching? The only points we had were stolen. That damned bald monk could be hiding anywhere underground. Who could possibly dig him out?"
"We've been outplayed this time, but since the damned bald monk broke the rules, there's bound to be a retest!"
"With the current conditions, it's impossible to catch that damned bald monk. Let's deal with it later!"
"..."
Everyone was disheartened and no longer in the mood to stir up trouble. Since all five major sects had suffered, they felt a sense of balance and decided to let it go.
The five major sects disbanded on the spot and returned to their camps, gloomily waiting for the end of the exam.
Gu Feng hurried to the spot where the Fat Monk was buried. He opened the monk's storage pouch and stuffed it with some female cultivators' embroidered bodices and undergarments. Then, he returned the Demon Subduing Pestle and the Kasaya.
Finally, he removed the seal on the monk and left with a swagger.
A few hours later, the Fat Monk opened his bleary eyes, sensing that the strange seal within him had disappeared. He was utterly confused.
Looking at the Kasaya and the Demon Subduing Pestle beside him, his confusion only deepened.
If it weren't for the fact that his surroundings were real, he would have thought he was dreaming!
After adjusting his breathing, a fierce aura emerged between his brows, like an angry Vajra, and rage surged through his entire body!
"Damn you, Gu Feng! I'll never rest until I've settled this with you!"
...
The next day, one hour before the end of the exam!
In one part of the exam grounds, the sound of a fight suddenly erupted.
After a while, Hua Wenyue and the others learned that the damned bald monk had appeared and was being surrounded by disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect!
"Disciples of the Flower Sect, attack!"
"All disciples of the Tyrant Body Sect, attack!"
"..."
The five major sects, along with some other examinees, shouted as they charged toward the location where the damned bald monk had appeared.
As the fierce battle came into view, everyone was stunned at first, but then their faces lit up with excitement!
The damned bald monk's Kasaya, which had been used for concealment, was now coated with a fluorescent substance, exposing his figure to everyone's sight!
"Kill!" The cultivators of the Tyrant Body Sect charged forward!
"Kill!" The cultivators of the Blazing Light Sect followed closely behind!
The Military Academy!
The Sword Gate!
They all charged simultaneously!
Only the disciples of the Flower Sect, who hadn't received the attack order, stood frozen in place.
Hua Wenyue stared blankly at the sky, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment.
She had once engaged in close combat with the damned bald monk. Even though she hadn't seen his face, she could still visualize his figure in her mind!
But the damned bald monk being beaten up in the sky above was fat, with a round face and a short, stocky build. He looked nothing like the damned bald monk she had encountered!
Is this the damned bald monk???
Can someone tell me what's going on here?!
Hua Wenyue's head was buzzing, and she felt like her intelligence was failing her.
(End of the Chapter)
📚 Read [FD] on Patreon.com/AnubisTL – Up to c292. [+2/4.2k]
☕ Support me and Read Ahead for just $5/mo.
🎯 Translated [2] Novels [745k+] Words and counting!