Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 564 Some people have a popularity of 1,300!

[You and Yuan Shujian made your way towards the arena on Crane Peak, led by the white crane maiden. Her steps were light, and her snow-white robes fluttered in the wind.]

However, she never dared to speak to you, but when she occasionally turned around, her eyes couldn't hide her excitement—after all, the person beside her was Yuan Shujian, the senior disciple of Dragon Head Peak.

They attracted quite a bit of attention along the way.

Upon arriving at the plaza of Danhe Peak, you were slightly surprised by the grand scene before you. You had assumed it was just a routine competition, but the plaza was unexpectedly bustling with people, disciples from all the peaks gathered there.

Ninety two-foot-high arenas were arranged in a circle, each only wide enough for one person to stand on, and each emanated a faint, jade-like aura.

[The ninety arenas correspond to the ninety disciples from the eighteen sects participating in the competition, making it a competition on the same stage.]

The white crane girl cupped her hands and said, "Please, senior brothers."

Many disciples in the arena recognized Yuan Shujian and came to greet him; he was extremely prestigious in the mountains.

Yuan Shujian wore a gentle smile, returning the greetings of each disciple who bowed to him. He was neither arrogant nor overly enthusiastic, displaying the demeanor of a senior disciple in every gesture.

Many disciples were eyeing you curiously, whispering among themselves, clearly quite interested in this unfamiliar face.

Many female disciples also looked at you with admiration.

The white crane maiden did not leave immediately, but stood aside to serve.

[Aside from the arena, the plaza is surrounded by spectator seating, divided into two levels—the upper level is reserved for elders, while the lower level is for ordinary disciples.]

[Danhe Peak truly lives up to its reputation as the wealthiest of the eighteen peaks; its arena is even more magnificent than that of Dragon Head Peak, and the tables in the spectator stands are laden with spiritual fruits and immortal wines, filling the air with their fragrance.]

Yuan Shujian politely declined the invitations from his disciples to sit with him, and instead went with you to a slightly secluded spot.

He picked up a cup of spiritual wine, took a small sip, and asked, "Junior Brother Zhou, how does it feel to be the center of attention?"

Yuan Shujian brought up the old story again, saying, "If it weren't for that incident in Qinghe County back then, we might already be fellow disciples of the same lineage."

You remained expressionless, simply saying, "Senior brother is joking."

Yuan Shujian seemed to understand his meaning and said nothing more.

[The white crane maiden He Xi'er, with her delicate hands, holds a wine pot to pour wine for you. Her lowered eyes and meek demeanor truly resemble a gentle crane.]

Your gaze swept around, noticing that many seats were attended by white crane maidens or celestial boys. It seemed that when He Xi'er stopped you earlier, she had this intention in forming a connection.

This arrangement was likely intentionally made by Danhe Peak.

[A little while later!]

[Light beams of light rained down across the plaza like a meteor shower. Disciples from various peaks arrived one after another, and the once empty spectator stands gradually filled with activity. You spotted many familiar figures in the crowd.]

Suddenly, a clear and cheerful greeting rang out—

"Junior Brother Zhou, I'm here."

Three figures arrived together, two men and one woman. "Senior Brother Yuan is here too."

[One is Qin Shi from Feilai Peak, a man of heroic spirit and sharp wit, the most outstanding disciple on the peak besides Chen Shichen.]

One of them is Yang Chen from Qi Yunfeng.

[Another one is Chen Yao from Dou Shu Peak. She is quite beautiful and possesses an elegant demeanor. She is the senior disciple of Dou Shu Peak.]

He Xi'er paused slightly in her hand holding the teapot, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She knew all three of them; they were all pillars of their respective sects, each possessing the early stage of the Heavenly Gate realm. They were figures she had always wanted to befriend, but had hesitated to do so.

Moreover, all three of them seemed to be very familiar with this Senior Brother Zhou Jing.

[Yuan Shujian is naturally a normal occurrence, but what is the background of Zhou Jing, who comes from the Xiaoqing Peak, the lowest of the Eighteen Families?]

[After the three people are seated.]

You asked with a hint of doubt, "I remember that only Senior Brother Yang Chen is participating in this competition, right?"

Aside from Yang Chen, the other two were met during the trials on the way down the mountain.

Qin Shi smiled and said, "Junior Brother Zhou and Junior Brother Yang are here to cheer us on, of course."

Chen Yao also smiled and said, "Yes, we made plans a long time ago. Junior Brother Murong and Senior Brother Zhu will be here soon too."

Yang Chen said with a wry smile, "You all just came to see me make a fool of myself... to see how Junior Brother Zhou outdos me."

The two just smiled and didn't say anything.

Yuan Shujian sipped his wine quietly, watching the group.

Chen Yao changed the subject, saying in a deep voice, "There are probably a few formidable opponents in today's competition."

"My senior classmate also participated."

Yang Chen was taken aback upon hearing this: "Senior Brother Sima?"

He frowned slightly. "With his mid-stage Heavenly Gate cultivation, competing for a top-nine spot shouldn't be difficult. How could he..."

Chen Yao sighed softly, "My senior brother comes from a prestigious immortal clan, the Langya Clan, and his personality is extremely eccentric. He's always either reading the Daoist Canon or on his way to read it."

A hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes, "Yet I see no sign of him cultivating, yet his cultivation level is advancing by leaps and bounds."

"Not only that, but both their cultivation level and knowledge are among the best in the mountains."

Yang Chen joked, "Reading the Daoist Canon every day, you're just like Junior Brother Zhou."

Qin Shi suddenly interjected, "Mingkong from Five-Colored Peak has also arrived."

Chen Yao was startled upon hearing this: "If that person hadn't been suppressed by Senior Brother Sun Miao of Tianfu Star, he should have been the senior brother of Fangcun Mountain?"

She frowned slightly. "Even he's participating in the debate."

As they were speaking, streaks of light appeared one after another across the square.

Everyone from Xiao Qingfeng had arrived, including the elder and Nie Qingzhu.

[Lu Qingyu, Xiao Wan'er, and their group, even Qi Ling and You Sanfeng, also arrived.]

Shen Qingxue and Shang Fang also came from the same place.

Also, what about the heroes who lost their matches yesterday?

[This scene involved almost the entire Xiaoqingfeng faction.]

You have already risen to greet him, after all, there are teachers and elders from your school present.

[It's just a bit frustrating that you, Xiao Qingfeng, are the only one participating, yet you've mobilized such a large force.]

"Greetings, Elder Nie, you are old."

Nie Qingzhu nodded gently, "Zhou Jing, just do your best."

The old man patted you on the shoulder and said, "Young Jing, today you've truly made a name for yourself on Fangcun Mountain."

[The old man and Nie Qingzhu ascended to the second-floor viewing platform.]

[Lü Qingyu intended to sit with you, but seeing that you were already surrounded by Yuan Shujian and a group of disciples, she had no choice but to sit in a nearby seat.]

[The hero strode forward, laughing loudly, "Senior Brother Zhou, today you will surely display the might of Little Green Peak!" His voice boomed, drawing the attention of the surrounding disciples.] [Not far away, Kosen stood with his arms crossed, a mocking sneer playing on his lips.]

He stared gloomily at you, surrounded by the crowd, inwardly scoffing, "What merits does Zhou Jing possess that warrants such a massive mobilization from the entire peak?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the barefoot girl, a flicker of jealousy crossing his eyes. "If it weren't for Senior Sister Wan'er, would I have come here to see you make a fool of yourself?"

[Kousen was defeated in one move in the ring yesterday and was filled with shame while unconscious from his injuries. But when he woke up today, he learned that Haojie, Shang Fang, Wen Lou, and others had all been defeated.]

The shame and anger vanished instantly; it turned out that everyone was weaker than the disciples from other factions.

[Zhou Jing's formation competition today has attracted so many disciples to watch; he will only lose face.]

Just you wait, Zhou Jing, this time you'll be utterly defeated.

As the sundial's pointer shifted, more and more disciples gathered in the plaza.

[Many familiar fellow disciples from various lineages have gradually come to your side.]

The Lin Shuang and Xue Ruyi sisters, along with three other women, arrived at this location to watch the battle.

Lin Shuang noticed that Xue Ruyi and her sister's gaze remained fixed on the figure ahead, and couldn't help but smile: "Ruyi, aren't you going to go and say hello?"

Xue Ruyi and the other woman quickly waved their hands, saying, "Our senior brother instructed us that unless it's urgent, we shouldn't greet people rashly when there are many people around."

Lin Shuang sighed inwardly as she gazed at the infatuated looks on Xue Ruyi and her sister's faces. Anyone with eyes could see the affection these two twin lotus blossoms held for Senior Brother Zhou Jing.

[But that Senior Brother Zhou—she had observed him closely, and he was truly like a veil of mystery, unknown and unfathomable. However, Zhou Jing would never linger for romantic entanglements.]

The two sisters will only be left with heartache.

Moreover, Senior Brother Zhou Jing is not well-known among the members of Little Green Peak, yet today quite a few people came to greet him, all of whom possessed exceptional cultivation and extraordinary bearing.

[Nie Qingzhu stood on the viewing platform, her gaze thoughtfully fixed on Zhou Jing among the crowd.]

This week, Jing seems to be quite popular with people on the outer peak!

Suddenly, the clear sound of bells and chimes could be heard; the appointed time had arrived.

[Ninety arenas in the plaza simultaneously emitted a radiant glow, the clear light rippling outwards like waves, enveloping the entire Danhe Peak in a hazy, ethereal atmosphere.]

A deep, majestic voice resounded through the heavens: "Disciples of each lineage, please ascend the stage in order, without fail."

"Cheating and making noise are strictly prohibited. Anyone found doing so will be disqualified from the competition and demoted to a lay disciple."

The presiding official was an elderly man with snow-white hair and beard, standing with his hands behind his back. His robes fluttered, revealing the distinctive dark cloud patterns of the Punishment Hall.

This enforcement elder, a Golden Core cultivator at the peak of his cultivation, possessed eyes as sharp as lightning and exuded a suffocating aura. As one of the Three Halls, surpassing the Eighteen Meridians, he answered only to the Sect Master.

[You and Yang Chen also walked out.]

[You are the "Twenty-Three" arena; the moment you step onto the platform, intricate array patterns light up.]

In an instant, the world spun around them, and the surrounding scenery was completely obscured, leaving only a shimmering mirror of water floating before their eyes.

Even with the Jade Emperor's Qi Observation Technique, you couldn't immediately see through the magic array unless you displayed some supernatural power, but even then, the caster would detect it.

The person who could create this magic array is no ordinary individual.

The presiding elder's voice, booming like a bell, echoed across the square: "On each arena, there is a sub-mirror of the 'Reflecting Water Mirror'."

"Thirteen hundred magical formations will unfold within the mirror. You must identify their names, explain their uses, and decipher their methods. Speed ​​is not the deciding factor; only depth matters. Within three hours, the one who recognizes the most formations and has the most complete solutions will be able to break through and escape. The first to do so will be the victor."

As soon as the words were spoken, a brilliant light suddenly burst forth from the center of the plaza, and a gigantic water mirror, spanning hundreds of feet, appeared in mid-air, its surface shimmering like flowing blue waves, reflecting the heavens and the earth.

This is the "Jellyfish Mirror," upon which golden seal script appears. The left side reads: "Maximum number of formations to identify: Zero," and the right side reads: "Minimum number of formations to identify: Zero."

[—By not revealing names, but only showing the best and worst numbers, fairness is demonstrated, and people are deterred.]

[Lu Qingyu and the others looked up and saw that all ninety arenas simultaneously emitted a clear light. As the array patterns flowed, the arenas slowly rose several feet into the air, and the figures on them gradually disappeared, leaving only a hazy halo that made them indistinct.]

The competition has begun!

A strange silence fell over the entire plaza. Unlike the usual clamor during duels, only the suppressed breathing and occasional whispers of the disciples could be heard.

On the second-floor viewing platform, many elders from various lineages had gathered, all focused on the jellyfish-viewing mirror.

Qi Ling followed Nie Qingzhu up to the second-floor viewing platform. Looking at the assembled elders, it seemed Fangcun Mountain was taking this competition very seriously.

[They didn't use anyone from Danhe Peak, but directly used elders from the Punishment Hall.]

[Could it be that Fangcun Mountain has learned something about the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Vault, otherwise they wouldn't have specially opened an extra category of competition.]

"Hey, look!"

[A few exclamations suddenly rang out from the disciples watching on the first floor, and everyone looked up in unison—on the majestic jellyfish mirror, the first line of golden characters suddenly rippled.]

["Maximum number of paths to identify formations: One"]

The characters, before they had even solidified, twisted and changed like flowing water, instantly transforming into the character "贰" (two). A murmur of surprise rippled through the spectator stands.

"Someone has already broken through two formations at the very beginning?"

"It's also possible that several people broke the formation simultaneously."

Before the discussions had subsided, the mirror's golden light flashed again.

【Three, four, five, six, seven.】

The handwriting moved with incredible speed, like a carousel, finally settling on the character "柒". This astonishing speed at which the formation was broken caused several elders on the second-floor viewing platform to involuntarily lean forward.

The second line below, "Minimum number of Dao points for array identification: zero," remained unmoved, reflecting a cold, clear light on the mirror.

This means that at least one of the ninety participants has yet to make any progress and has not been able to identify a single formation.

[Kousen from Xiaoqingfeng smiled on the viewing platform. It seemed that the person no one had recognized all this time was Zhou Jing.]

With so many people watching today, if someone truly couldn't recognize it in such a setting, they would likely become the laughingstock of the entire Fangcun Mountain.

As time passed, half an hour later, the glaring "zero" was still just as glaring.

And at this moment—

The line above has changed to "Maximum number of formations identified: 173."

The stark difference in skill caused the disciples in the spectator stands to burst into laughter, with whispers rising and falling. Some covered their mouths and chuckled, some shook their heads and sighed, and others pointed at the water mirror and laughed unabashedly.

The elders watching from the second floor exchanged bewildered glances and shook their heads, never expecting such an absurd scene to unfold in this battle formation competition.

The elder of the Punishment Hall, who was presiding over the competition, also frowned. These 1,300 formations were clearly arranged from simple to complex. Even a novice disciple should be able to identify the first few basic formations as easily as drinking water.

[Is this disciple really that incompetent? Wouldn't this make the Nine Righteous Sects laugh at us?]

You stand on the arena, gazing at the first magic circle silently floating on the water mirror before you, its surface shimmering with a soft, clear light.

The label says "zero" above.

P.S.: Guys, please be careful not to catch a cold, it's really awful!

(End of this chapter)