Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 498 It's you again, Yu Ding, who ruined my plans.

While introducing the backgrounds of the three candidates, Venus also approached the White Emperor and whispered something to him.

"Ningzhe, the Great Qian Kingdom, Xiniu Hezhou..."

A glint flashed in Yu Ding's eyes. So, is this person related to the West?
When the human race was first born, the primordial world was still one piece. Later, the primordial world was split apart in the decisive battle between the witch race and the demon race. The largest part of it was known as the Four Continents.

Beyond the four continents, there are some smaller landmasses, known as the Ten Continents and Three Islands, among which the three islands are the legendary Penglai Islands.

For this reason, the human race is widely distributed across the four continents, but the Southern Continent has the largest population and produced human sages such as the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, thus making it the ancestral land of the human race.

Today, the Great Shang is the legitimate dynasty of the Southern Continent's human race and the source of their destiny. Therefore, only the Great Shang can be called a dynasty, while the others are states.

Apart from the Great Shang Dynasty, all the other so-called kingdoms were actually just cities where people lived.

For example, Ji Chang, one of the four great vassal states, was enfeoffed to Xiqi by his ancestors. They established their state in this city and later developed it into one of the four great vassal states.

The origins and information about this Ning Zhe are recorded quite clearly, after all, it should be able to withstand scrutiny.

The territory is Xiniuhezhou.

"Da Qian Guo?"

On a mountaintop, a scholar in a blue robe stood gazing into the distance; he was the closest clone to the so-called Great Qian Kingdom.

Although Yu Ding lost all his previous clones after his long journey, it seemed as if a new world had opened up for him after he attained the Great Luo Dao Fruit.

Previously, he created his clones one by one by casting spells, but now he can create as many clones as he needs with a thought.

It is no exaggeration to say that Yu Ding has reached a new level of mastery in the art of clones and incarnations.

The scholar in the green robe vanished from his spot in a flash, and a short while later, he appeared in the so-called Great Qian Kingdom and began his investigation.

heaven.

Tongming Hall.

While Venus and the White Emperor were discussing the matter, the immortals' discussion about the candidates gradually subsided.

There was nothing we could do; Prince Longji and the others were just too familiar with each other. Only the chieftain and the prime minister were somewhat worth discussing.

"Alright, now you all probably have some understanding of the backgrounds of these three candidates."

Seeing that the immortals had stopped, Venus said, "There are three candidates this time, but how to ensure that the result is fair, just, and transparent and can convince the public is a big problem. Upholding the attitude of being responsible for heaven and earth and all living beings, after discussion between myself and the White Emperor, we have decided to set up a test."

This was a desperate measure he came up with after suffering a loss at the hands of the Fishing Emperor last time.

He already knew that Zhang Youren was the reincarnation of the Jade Emperor. That Heavenly Emperor was not only irresponsible, but also... so he felt that he had to investigate and appoint him to the position.

As for whether it will pass... that's not something he should be considering. This time, he's truly thinking about the well-being of Heaven and all living beings.

"test?"

What will be on the test?

Longji, Zhang Youren, and Ning Zhe exchanged a surprised glance.

Yu Ding smiled and said, "The selection is for the Heavenly Emperor, so naturally it's about how to govern the prehistoric world. It's not like selecting a guardian deity, where we just compare who is better."

"What Immortal Jade Cauldron says is absolutely right!"

Taibai laughed and said, "We will prepare an exam paper later, which will be divided into two parts. The first part will be worth six points, and the second part will be an essay on the topic of governance, worth four points. Finally, all the immortals present will evaluate it."

"Exam paper?"

"Make a fuss about it?"

Zhang Youren looked at Longji in bewilderment, while Longji looked at Yuding. No, this is something Master didn't teach!

Then the two looked at Ning Zhe; this guy had really gotten a great deal.

Ning Zhe, who was standing nearby, stiffened upon hearing Tai Bai's words, but Long Ji and Zhang Youren coughed and pretended to be nonchalant.

"This is not fair!"

Long Ji said, "This man was once a prime minister. How can we compare to him when it comes to writing essays?"

"The matter concerning the Heavenly Emperor is of great importance, and we must be cautious. Please forgive us, Fairy."

Taibai shook his head and said, "The test will be held in the Baoguang Hall ahead. Please prepare yourselves and then enter the hall to answer the questions."

Longji pondered for a moment and said, "Is this considered a contest of words? After the contest of words, is there a contest of martial arts?"

The immortals' mouths twitched. "Granny, with the skills you displayed in Heaven last time, which of these two mortals is your match?"

Venus coughed lightly: "Fairy, you are joking. The Heavenly Emperor only needs to govern the prehistoric world well. His cultivation level is irrelevant. After all, who can harm the Heavenly Emperor?"

Longji said quietly, "That's hard to say. What if someone else storms the Heavenly Court and wreaks havoc in the Heavenly Palace? What if you can't protect the Heavenly Emperor, and the Heavenly Emperor is powerless to defend himself and gets killed?"

Upon hearing this, the immortals' expressions immediately changed, and they looked at Longji with a somewhat disgusted expression.

No, if you can't speak properly, you can just stay silent. Isn't this just slapping them in the face in public?

Ning Zhe then said, "That is not true. Before I came here, I was already prepared to die for all living beings, to dedicate my life to them, and to disregard life and death!"

Upon hearing this, some of the immortals' eyes lit up, sparking a discussion.

Venus nodded in approval.

"They do know how to win people's hearts..." Yu Ding smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

Longji's gaze turned cold as he looked at Ning Zhe, and Zhang Youren muttered, "That's a very eloquent way to put it."

"You three don't need to be so nervous."

Yu Ding gave Taibai Jinxing a deep look, then smiled at the three of them and said, "Just do your best and write down what's in your hearts. Leave the rest to fate and the judges."

The three nodded and, led by the spirit official, left the Tongming Hall and went to the Baoguang Hall.

Then Venus and several other immortals gathered together, and soon produced an exam paper which was taken to the examination hall.

Li Jing frowned and asked, "Aren't there any examiners?"

Venus smiled and said to the White Emperor, "May I borrow Your Majesty's treasure for a moment?"

The White Emperor nodded, raised his hand and pointed, and a beam of white light flew out and transformed into a precious mirror, as if it were cast from platinum.

The scene flashed and Longji Zhang's friend appeared. The three of them sat in a row behind a desk, frowning as they looked at the exam papers that had just been handed out.

"This is the Mirror of Heaven, please witness it together!" Venus laughed.

A spirit official lit a stick of incense on the table in front of them to keep track of the time, and said, "This test is limited to one stick of incense. Please keep track of the time."

Then the examiner was about to leave. Zhang Youren hesitated for a moment, then quickly asked, "Isn't there an invigilator?"

Longji and Ningzhe also looked surprised.

"I don't know, this wasn't in my mission." The spirit official shook his head and left.

They had no choice but to start looking at the exam papers, but the more Longji and Ningzhe read, the uglier their expressions became, while Zhang Youren, sitting on the left, held his head and looked utterly hopeless.

"Venus, your question wasn't too difficult, was it?" Li Jing asked, raising an eyebrow.

Venus coughed and said, "It's very difficult!"

Yu Ding asked, "Was it intentional or accidental that it was so difficult?"

One of the immortals panicked: "Taibai, don't cause trouble, or you'll anger Fairy Longji again..."

Venus smiled confidently, “Don’t worry, the fairy is not an unreasonable person, especially since Immortal Jade Cauldron is here this time.”

The immortals glanced at the jade cauldron and, as expected, felt relieved and calmed down.

"The incense has burned almost a third of the way and they still haven't made a move..." Ao Guang muttered.

The White Emperor laughed and said, "Taibai deliberately set the questions so difficult but did not set up any examiners. His intention was not only to test their talents but also their character, to see if they were honest and whether they would cheat."

The immortals suddenly realized what was happening and praised Venus for his wit.

Venus laughed and said, "You understand me, you immortal! Look, they've started writing."

Everyone looked over and saw that Longji in the middle and Ningzhe on the right had started writing, but it seemed that they were writing the final chapters.

Only Zhang Youren was still frowning and biting his pen, looking like he didn't know how to start writing, which made all the immortals shake their heads.

Finally, he sighed and forced out the first sentence.

However, as soon as he wrote that sentence on the paper, Zhang Youren blinked and was stunned. He felt as if a second sentence had appeared out of nowhere, and after writing the second sentence, the third sentence also seemed to have a place in his mind...

In an instant, Zhang Youren felt a surge of inspiration and began to write rapidly, as if divinely inspired.

Longji and Ningzhe looked over upon hearing the sound and couldn't help but show surprise, somewhat taken aback by Zhang Youren's sudden behavior.

Of course, they weren't the only ones surprised by Zhang Youren's performance; Venus and the Divine General Kun were also astonished.

However, they were not surprised, but delighted.

Especially the Kunzhong Divine General, this friend was the first one he found. If the candidate he found becomes the Heavenly Emperor, he should at least get the credit!

Perhaps he has secured the position of General of the Curtains!

The former Curtain-Raising General was said to have suffered severe psychological and physical trauma when he was knocked into the sky by someone, making him unable to perform his duties and thus forced to retire. He was supposed to succeed the position, but the Heavenly Emperor was reincarnated and went to undergo tribulation.

Despite his name, General Curtain Roller is responsible for the daily guard duties of the Heavenly Emperor.

But what use is the Curtain-Raising General now that the Heavenly Emperor is gone?
So he was put on hold, but he couldn't be idle, so he was assigned to guard the South Heavenly Gate.

He had held out at Tianmen for so long, not for any other reason than to wait for an opportunity, and this time... he finally got the opportunity and seized it firmly.

Soon, more than half of an incense stick's time had passed.

After finishing his article, Zhang Youren went back to answering the questions from before.

Longji and Ningzhe looked furrowed, their eyes darting around, constantly glancing at the other two.

"That's right!" Longji suddenly remembered Yu Ding's instructions, and his brows gradually relaxed. He calmed down and began to unleash his full potential.

Although she wasn't a professional, as the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, how could she not have received some kind of training?
To be honest, the fact that her father pursued his hobbies whenever he had free time was largely due to what her aunt Yunhua taught her.

Damn it… Ning Zhe looked at the two people next to him who were writing with great enthusiasm, lowered his head and began to answer, but no one noticed that his eyes were shining.

Soon, the incense stick burned out, and the spirit official collected the exam papers and led the three composed-looking people to the Tongming Hall.

Venus began reviewing the scrolls with the other immortals.

Yu Ding walked up to the three of them and asked Zhang Youren with a smile, "How are you feeling?"

Zhang Youren chuckled dryly: "So-so!"

Yu Ding patted Long Ji on the shoulder and asked, "And you?"

Longji said, "It's alright!"

Yu Ding nodded, walked up to Ning Zhe, and smiled, "And you?"

Ning Zhe pondered for a moment and said, "It's alright!"

"What do you mean 'ordinary'? Fellow Daoist's cheating methods are so ingenious that not only did they deceive my disciple, but even the White Emperor's treasure mirror failed to detect them. You are truly awe-inspiring." Yu Ding smiled and put his hand on Ning Zhe's shoulder.

Ning Zhe's expression changed almost imperceptibly as he asked, "What do you mean by that, Immortal? Could it be that you intend to take advantage of your position to eliminate an opponent for your disciple?"

His voice grew louder, attracting a crowd of immortals to watch.

Yu Dao smiled and looked at him slowly, saying, "I have already investigated in the Great Qian Kingdom. There was indeed a prime minister named Ning Zhe. He was indeed exceptionally talented. Under his rule, the Great Qian Kingdom became the most powerful country in the vicinity. It's a pity that he is already dead."

Ning Zhe angrily asked, "Immortal, what do you mean by this?"

Yu Ding stared at him and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist's transformation technique is indeed ingenious, but unfortunately, I still managed to see through some of its flaws."

He probably reached a certain level in the incarnation technique; in any case, he sensed something was wrong after seeing Ning Zhe.

He sent his clone to the human world to investigate, and the information was all true. However, such an outstanding person had just been stumped in the exam and looked like a complete failure.

This only proves that... this Ningzhe is not the same as that Ningzhe.

Ning Zhe exclaimed in shock, "Immortals, Jade Cauldron Immortal has slandered my innocence out of thin air in order to eliminate a rival for his disciple. Please, Immortals, do justice for this lowly person!"

At this moment, Yu Ding made a hand seal and pointed, and a point of divine light flew out from between his eyebrows, transforming into a jade cauldron that radiated divine light, about to suppress Ning Zhe's head.

Upon seeing this, Ning Zhe's expression suddenly turned ferocious. He transformed into a golden light and shot up like a blazing sun, roaring furiously, "Yu Ding, you've ruined my plans again?!"

"It's you again, you sixth brother?!"

Yu Ding looked at him and laughed, shaking his head and saying, "You've been silent for so many years, but you still couldn't help but show up this time. However, you don't have the destiny to become the Heavenly Emperor, and what you do goes against the will of Heaven, so you're bound to encounter many setbacks."

This guy was originally the sixth prince of the Demon Court. After the Demon Court collapsed and the remaining forces retreated to Beiju Luzhou, they also served him as their master.

But this kid is dishonest. He was frightened by the Immortal Slaying Sword Qi during the Battle of Heaven, and out of fear of death, he abandoned his followers and fled. He probably has no face to face the elders of the demon race again. Anyway, his whereabouts have been unknown since then.

Even a virtuous, powerful, and all-powerful immortal like Master Yuding would avoid the position of Heavenly Emperor like the plague. Who would have thought that this sixth brother would suddenly reappear today, trying to take advantage of the chaos to run for Heavenly Emperor...

Why should he?
It's truly... laughable to think about!