Pudu All Sentient Beings:
"You're unreasonable! Completely unreasonable!"
He didn't send another message after that.
It seemed the monk was both furious and speechless.
Li Er:
"Hahaha… that was satisfying. He's totally delirious now."
Spirit of the Demon Sword:
"He had it coming. Always going on with 'the poor monk this' and 'the poor monk that'… it's exhausting just to read it. Yesterday he said I had demonic energy. Hah! Even if I am a demon—before the God, I still bow my head and kneel like everyone else."
Ninja Scientist:
"Solanum's getting more badass by the day."
Junior Brother Dazhufeng (Zhang Fan):
"Seniors, may I ask… I've shared the meditation technique with my fellow disciples. Is that okay?"
Tanjiro:
"It's fine! The more people practicing it, the better."
Young Master Murong:
"That's a good start. Get more people involved and build up your faith quickly—but don't forget, your first sacrifice is crucial."
Chu Dashan:
"Yeah, since you've shown up, here's some advice from a brother: it's okay to share the technique with others, but don't forget to offer sacrifices to our god."
Junior Brother Dazhufeng:
"If… I mean if I didn't offer a sacrifice—what would happen?"
Suddenly, the group went silent.
Zhang Fan felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Uh-oh… did I just touch on a taboo?
He hurried to clarify that it was just a question, not a declaration of intent—but the next responses made his blood run cold.
Chu Dashan:
"Heh… what's this? You trying to freeload, kid? Don't be like that. Either use the technique with sincerity, or don't touch it at all. Otherwise, you'll end up like Pirates of the Caribbean."
Spirit of the Demon Sword:
"Ah, that guy… tried to scam the god. You want to know the result? Fine—he got castrated. Three hundred years of spiritual emasculation. That's what 'repaying grace with betrayal' gets you."
Young Master Murong:
"There's no such thing as a free lunch, kid. You want power? Pay the price."
Pirates of the Caribbean:
"Why do you guys beat me up every day? Huh?! Is it fun?! Is it really fun?! (sob.jpg)"
Junior Brother Dazhufeng:
"⊙﹏⊙) … I-I was just asking. I swear I wasn't planning to skip the offering! Zhang Fan would never forget to repay kindness!"
Ninja Scientist:
"You'd better mean that. The Eternal God is all-seeing and all-powerful. If you spread His methods without sacrificing in return… careful—your entire world might collapse."
Gulp.
Zhang Fan swallowed hard, cold sweat trickling down his back.
Damn… I need to prepare a sacrifice ASAP!
At that moment, a soft moan beside him snapped him out of his panic—
Tian Ling'er had awakened from her meditation.
Her blank expression quickly shifted into wide-eyed joy.
"I broke through… I really broke through!"
Though she kept her voice low out of respect for the gathering, the joy in her eyes was unmistakable.
Everyone from Dazhufeng turned to look.
Senior Brother was the first to ask:
"Junior Sister… did you advance?"
Tian Ling'er nodded eagerly, holding up five fingers.
The others inhaled sharply.
Fifth level of Yuqing?!
Just from one meditation?
It was terrifying.
No wonder Zhang Fan could fly so steadily after a single night of cultivation.
"Not only that," Tian Ling'er added, "but my true essence feels five times stronger than before. No wonder Zhang Fan didn't even waver mid-air."
She turned to Zhang Fan and flashed him a smile—sweet and warm.
But this time, the look wasn't that of a sister.
There was affection in her eyes.
Zhang Fan's heart skipped a beat.
Soon after, Su Ru also opened her eyes from meditation, having broken through by one level herself.
Feeling the power coursing through her body, she turned to Zhang Fan.
"Child, when it's your turn, go all out. Don't hold anything back."
"Yes, Madam."
Then the bells rang.
It was time for the competition draw.
Su Ru activated her artifact to notify her husband.
The lottery process was quick.
Once the pairings were set, the competition began.
During a break between matches, Zhang Fan reunited with his old friend Jingyu.
But unlike before—now, Zhang Fan stood taller, prouder, and stronger.
In the first round, Zhang Fan was matched against an opponent at the fourth level of Yuqing.
He didn't even use a magic weapon—he simply flew forward and knocked his opponent out cold with one clean blow.
His speed was unreal.
The referee stood frozen, unsure what to say.
Jingyu stared at him in disbelief.
Elsewhere, Qi Ritian frowned.
"How the hell did that loser get this strong? He was nothing two years ago!"
Jingyu shook his head.
"I don't know… he's different now. He used to be timid. Now he's like a sword drawn from its scabbard."
The matches continued.
Whether it was Zhang Fan or Tian Ling'er, both dominated their opponents with overwhelming power.
From the grandstand, the Sect Leader watched with furrowed brows.
"Tian Buyi… these two disciples of yours are very powerful. Why have we never heard of them before?"
Tian Buyi bowed stiffly.
"This… Headmaster, there's a reason. Please, allow them to finish their matches first."
Some nearby elders looked displeased.
As the peak leader of Dazhufeng, why was he being so vague?
Cang Song wanted to speak, but was stopped by the Head.
Finally, Zhang Fan was matched against Jingyu.
One held the fearsome Dragon-Slaying Sword.
The other… a plain old hatchet.
Zhang Fan's "weapon" caused an uproar of laughter in the crowd.
But after three moves, Jingyu—one of the most watched talents—was downed.
Zhang Fan's flame technique devastated the arena.
Half the dueling field was scorched to ash.
Even the Spirit Beast Qilin, resting nearby, woke up from its slumber and let out a thunderous roar.
The Sect Leader rose from his seat, eyes wide.
"Tian Buyi! What is going on here?!"
"How can a disciple at the sixth level of Yuqing unleash an attack at the Super Qing level?!"
Even worse—Zhang Fan wasn't out of breath.
His face was calm.
His energy wasn't depleted.
There was no backlash.
It was as if he'd just cast a basic move.
Tian Buyi clenched his jaw, then knelt.
"Reporting to the Head… Last night, something miraculous happened. This child received a divine revelation. A powerful god chose him as His emissary… that's the source of his strength."
Su Ru quickly knelt beside him.
"I too tried the meditation technique. Just one incense stick's worth of time, and I advanced by a level—without any side effects."
Everyone looked at one another.
Suddenly, continuing the competition felt pointless.
Instead, a new consensus formed:
Let's skip to the believer recruitment ceremony.
As long as they could receive blessings from that divine being…
Their sect could soon rise to become number one in the world.
Cang Song finally spoke up:
"Headmaster, may I suggest calling that boy up and asking him directly before we proceed?"