Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 513

After he said that, all the gazes changed.

Lin Yunshao was stunned and incredulous, while those who had come to join him were bewildered and overjoyed, as if they had won the lottery. Those who had been Zhou You's enemies or had made things difficult for him were grieving as if they had lost their own father.
But in any case, Zhou You walked around in an ordinary way, sat down in an ordinary way, and listened to the lecture in an ordinary way.

Everything looked the same as before.

Just one day later, early in the morning, while Zhou You was still asleep, he was woken up by Master Chongxu.

It was just dawn, and the stars could still be seen hanging in the sky—normally, although the strange creature had already retreated, it was still not the time for it to come out and walk around. However, Master Chongxu still knocked on the door and then coldly uttered a sentence.

"follow me."

Zhou You naturally had no objection.

Or rather, the other party simply didn't give him any room to object.

The mountain air was exceptionally cold at dawn. Perhaps due to the strange phenomenon, the air even gave one the illusion that water would freeze instantly. Because of his haste in leaving home, Zhou You was only wearing a Taoist robe that had been issued a few days ago. His small figure looked as if he was about to freeze in the cold wind.

But he didn't complain at all, not even a hint of dissatisfaction. He simply followed behind Master Chongxu, his usual faint smile still on his lips.

I do not know how long it has been.

The lush green woodland gradually disappeared, replaced by dilapidated tiled houses. Then, the few buildings that had been neglected gradually disappeared, until finally it became an empty space with only a dark house standing in the middle of the square.

Zhou You did recognize this place.

—Ancestral Hall.

Except for the first time they entered the mountain, this place has always been a forbidden zone. Not to mention their group who came to bring good luck, even their fellow disciples were forbidden from stepping into this place.

And the punishment is also the most severe level.

—Those who disobey will be thrown into the mouth of the monster, and will never be freed for all eternity.

However, today, Master Chongxu brought him here again.

The house remained unchanged, showing no outward signs of anything unusual. However, at the doorway, Master Chongxu, who had remained silent until now, suddenly stopped, turned around, and gave instructions.

“Young man, although this time we are still paying homage to the ancestral master, it is different from last time. There are a few things I need to tell you.”

"Master, please speak."

Master Chongxu's voice was not stern, but the meaning of his warning was very clear.

"First, follow my steps closely, don't look around, and don't go beyond any of my footprints."

"The disciple understands."

"Second, be respectful in your actions. Although there are no set rules in the Ancestral Hall, its very existence is the greatest rule. Maintain good manners, be aware of your place, and do not overstep your bounds."

"Disciple understands."

"Third, whatever the sect leader says, listen obediently and don't disobey, but don't say a single extra word, understand?"

At this point, Zhou You suddenly looked up and asked.

"What if the sect leader asks a disciple a question?"

Upon hearing this question, the other party merely let out a sneer.

"It's only because of the dream of a 'lucky event' that he'll say a few words. Normally, with your status, you wouldn't be questioned by him at all. However," Master Chongxu snorted, "if you really do encounter such 'great luck,' then you'd better adapt to the situation. Just don't do anything that would anger the sect leader, otherwise even I can't protect you."

Zhou You lowered his head, and although he didn't say anything more, his posture had already given him the answer.

So, Master Chongxu took a deep breath, his face unusually solemn, and then slowly pushed open the door.

Nothing has changed.

The candlelight still flickered and swayed, and the space inside was much larger than outside, with the open ground occupying most of the field of vision—upon entering, it felt as if one had entered the belly of some kind of creature, giving one a creepy illusion.

Time seems to stand still here, or rather, it transforms into something eternal and unchanging, freezing everything in this moment.

Zhou You was slightly taken aback when he entered the house.

Besides them, several elders had been waiting here for a long time.

Moreover, compared to the last time, this time the view was much clearer.

Besides Yun Zhongzi in the alchemy room, there was also a drunkard he had met before, a woman he didn't know well but was extremely beautiful, and a tall, strong man who was almost eight feet tall and had bulging muscles all over his body.

And the most important thing is.

Uncle Chen from the library is also here.

But the disabled old man merely glanced at Zhou You casually, then turned his head away as if it were none of his business.

Including Venerable Chongxu, there were a total of five elders standing here.

Judging from their appearance, they all probably came for Zhou You alone.

—This is truly an overwhelming honor.

Just as Zhou You was secretly smiling bitterly, Master Chongxu stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the person behind the curtain.

"Sect Master, your disciple Chongxu has brought the sect's newly promoted top disciple to pay his respects to you."

No one answered.

The person behind the curtain seemed to be asleep. No, to be more precise, the person was like a dead person, simply lying there, with not even the slightest rise and fall of their chest.

However, no one dared to urge them, including Venerable Chongxu. These elders who usually acted arrogantly in the sect now only dared to hang their hands and wait quietly, just like those who were married off to bring good luck.

for a long time.

Then an old, hoarse voice rang out.

"I understand. Since a new person has come up, does that mean that little Xuancheng is dead?"

Master Chongxu was silent for a few seconds before answering.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, due to an unexpected incident, Xuan Cheng unfortunately passed away, and this disciple is deeply saddened by it."

Inside the curtain, the short figure sighed again.

"It's a pity. Although Xuan Cheng's temperament isn't the best, at least he's always been ambitious. If he hadn't taken this position by accident, he might still be alive."

Just like last time, all that could be heard in his words was sadness and pity, as if he were an old man hearing of the death of a younger generation.

Even so, no one dared to speak; everyone listened quietly until the old man finished his lament.

"You all keep saying he got lucky, but in my opinion, he's actually extremely unfortunate—because he got a position that wasn't rightfully his by chance, he'll ultimately suffer the consequences."

It seems that this statement refers to more than just Xuancheng?
Zhou You glanced up and noticed that, apart from Uncle Chen who was uninvolved, everyone else looked rather grim.

However, after saying this, the sect leader did not bring it up again. Instead, he turned his body with difficulty and continued.

"So this little guy is the newly crowned number one?"

Without waiting for Zhou You's reply, Master Chongxu spoke on his behalf.

"Yes, Sect Master."

The figure behind the curtain nodded with a hint of emotion.

"What a talent! I remember him. It's only been two months, right? He went from being a disciple brought in for good luck to becoming an entry-level disciple, and then from an entry-level disciple to a personal disciple. Now he's about to become the senior disciple of the sect."

"Sect Master, he was just lucky."

The figure waved his hand. "Although I'm old, I can still tell people apart. This kid is different from Xuan Cheng. His journey here can't be summed up with just a bit of luck."

The moment those words fell, Zhou You suddenly felt as if he were being 'watched'.

It wasn't just a casual glance; it was as if being scanned by an X-ray, with every bone, every blood vessel, and even every cell being carefully examined from the outside in, and then judged to be superior or inferior.

With a chill running down their spines, the Heavenly Dragon bloodline, and even the Divine Food Song Technique they had been cultivating during this time, all activated automatically, forcibly expelling that 'vision' from their bodies.

A soft hum suddenly came from behind the curtain.

Master Chongxu raised his head in confusion, but the old man immediately waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to worry about it.

"Since you've already recommended him, I won't say anything more. Let's proceed according to the procedure—do you have any objections to Chongxu being ranked first in this category?"

After a long pause, the fat man named Yun Zhongzi spoke first.

He patted his large belly and said happily.

“Junior Brother Chongxu has always been mature and prudent. His decisions must be reasonable. I have no objections.”

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded and then turned his gaze to the next person.

It was that drunken senior uncle.

Strangely enough, the sect had a rule prohibiting all drinking, yet this person drank himself into a stupor without any regard for the rules. Even in front of the sect leader, he was still sleepy-eyed and even let out a burp.

"I agree."

However, the old man didn't argue with him and simply turned to the next person.

The beautiful woman produced a fan from somewhere and chuckled.

However, these were words of disapproval.

"It's not that I'm against Senior Brother Chongxu, but I feel it's inappropriate to let such an important position as the head of a sect be held by a child who has only been a disciple for two months. Perhaps Senior Brother Chongxu can find someone else later. If there really isn't one, I have a few personal disciples here who I can reluctantly give up."

Master Chongxu slowly raised his head and looked at the woman with icy eyes.

But the woman didn't care at all, and even gave him a flirtatious wink.

Next up was the giant man who stood eight feet tall.

This person's throat appears to have been injured; their voice is very hoarse and unclear.

And he only said one sentence.

"I disagree."

As a result, the vote became two to two.

Finally, the old man looked at Uncle Chen.

Unlike the others, the old man spoke very kindly to this person, even with a hint of doting affection.

"Chen Wen, this kid must be working for you, don't you think?"

Chen Bo did not become complacent because of this special treatment. He supported himself with his crippled leg and then bent over deeply.

“Reporting to Master, I believe that although this young fellow is indeed still inexperienced, his abilities and character are outstanding. The sect has declined to such an extent that many rules are no longer properly applied, so it is not a problem to break an exception occasionally.”

Uncle Chen rarely spoke at such length, and after hearing his answer, the old man made a decision without further hesitation.

"Alright, from now on, this kid will be Chongxu's top disciple. By the way, Chongxu, have you given him his Daoist name yet?"

Chongxu reverted to his deadpan expression and answered respectfully.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, due to the suddenness of the event, there has been no progress yet."

"Alright, if you don't mind, I'll give him a Taoist name for you?"

"That's just the kid's luck. He'll follow the sect leader's orders."

Then, the figure behind the curtain looked at Zhou You again.

After a moment, he slowly opened his mouth.

“We don’t count by seniority in our temple, but according to the order, this kid should be called Ling Yuan. There’s a saying in the Taoist scriptures: ‘If a person can guard his original essence, he will relinquish it; if a person does not guard his original essence, he will relinquish it.’ So let’s call him Ling Yuan.”

Zhou You, who had been silent all along, was genuinely taken aback.

This Taoist name... feels very familiar.

—Isn't this what I casually called myself when I was pretending to be a Taoist priest?

Was it intentional, or just a simple coincidence?
But before he could figure it out, the old man had already waved.

"Ling Yuan, come here first, let your grandmaster take a look at you."

Zhou You looked up in surprise and glanced at Master Chongxu.

Master Chongxu, though somewhat experienced, still subtly instructed Zhou You with a glance.

—As I just said, adapt to changing circumstances.

So the person could only lower their head and slowly walk up.

half an hour.

A thin arm, covered in yellow spots, emerged from the curtain and laboriously landed on Zhou You's head.

It is alive, though the flame of life is barely perceptible, it still has body temperature, unlike the obsession of Empress Dowager Cixi.

This was Zhou You's first and only idea.

Soon, with the touch of that hand, he found that his body became stiff, and even his will froze.

However, the old man continued speaking.

In fact, she is even more kind and compassionate than before.

"Ling Yuan, you are among the most outstanding disciples of this batch. Our sect has been in decline for a long time, and it all depends on you new blood to revitalize it. I have nothing to entrust to you, the old man, but I hope you can work even harder and make our Five Elements Temple famous in the future. Is that alright?"

Zhou You struggled for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence.

"Disciple will do his best."

These six words alone made the old man suddenly laugh, but soon the laughter turned into coughing, and the coughing into labored panting.

After a long while, the withered arm finally swayed.

"Alright, now that the result is in, you can all leave. 'It' has never liked noise, and these two incidents in recent times have already greatly displeased it. As for Ling Yuan, you..."

"I won't say anything more. From now on, you will be the senior disciple of this sect."

however.

After the words were spoken, no one moved.

It wasn't that these elders suddenly developed a rebellious attitude; rather, the moment the old man finished speaking, the entire scene suddenly froze.

Immediately following was a broken, yet very familiar female voice.

—That mechanical female voice belonging to the system.

"Congratulations, player! You have achieved a breakthrough. The second chapter of the scenario 'Blood Rain Chronicles' is about to begin. Please prepare accordingly."

(End of this chapter)