One person: Senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master begged me to descend the mountain.

Longhu Mountain, at the mountain gate.

A group of well-dressed but panicked elderly people were hurrying down the mountain.

Leading the way was Wang Ai, the head of the Wang family.

This man, who usually walks with an air of importance and sways with every step, was now acting as if his backside was on fire.

The dragon-headed cane in his hand tapped rapidly, making a rapid, thumping sound on the bluestone slab.

Those two not-so-nimble old legs somehow managed to project the aura of a race walking champion.

"Hurry! Where's the car?"

"Have the driver bring the car to the door! Now!"

Wang Ai, panting heavily, turned around and growled at his followers behind him.

Cold sweat streamed down his fat face, and he would occasionally glance back in fear at the towering gate of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Not only did that madman return, but he also caught us red-handed.

run!

Must run!

Once I get off this mountain and back to the Wang family's stronghold, he can't do anything to me!

Following behind him, Lü Ci also had a gloomy expression, his single eye scanning the surroundings warily, his steps no slower than Wang Ai's.

The two looked at each other and saw the fear and embarrassment in each other's eyes.

"Old Lu, we can't stay in Longhu Mountain anymore."

Wang Ai lowered her voice and said through gritted teeth:

"That madman is unpredictable; wait until he understands the situation."

"None of us old bones will have an easy time!"

Lü Ci nodded, his face ashen.

"Let's talk about it after we get down the mountain."

The group hurried along and soon arrived at the mountain gate.

Suddenly, a deafening roar resounded.

Followed by.

A dazzling golden light, like the Milky Way flowing backwards, crashed down from the sky!

The golden light was incredibly solid, like a towering golden wall that slammed down in front of the mountain gate.

The strong wind caused Wang Ai's expensive Tang suit to flutter loudly, forcing him to take several steps back and fall to the ground with a thud.

"Ouch!"

Wang Ai let out a scream and threw away the cane in her hand.

The others present were also terrified by this sudden turn of events, their faces turning pale, and they froze on the spot, unable to move.

On the golden wall, there was a dazzling array of light, and a vast expanse of Qi surged like a tsunami, completely sealing off the path down the mountain.

Let alone people.

Even a fly wouldn't be able to get past it.

"Who?!"

Lu Ci suddenly assumed a defensive stance, his single eye filled with horror.

Just then.

Suddenly, a piercing electrical sound came from the loudspeakers inside the Celestial Master's Mansion.

sizzle-

Then, a lazy, slightly mocking voice echoed throughout Longhu Mountain.

"Feed him/her?"

"Testing the sound, testing the sound."

"Hey you, turn the volume up, those old folks are hard of hearing, they can't hear you."

The moment I heard that sound.

Wang Ai and Lü Ci trembled violently, a shudder that came from the depths of their souls.

Then, the voice rang out again, this time with crystal clarity reaching everyone's ears:

"Hey Xiao Wang, Xiao Lü."

"What are you all doing here?"

"You've already freeloaded breakfast this early in the morning, and you haven't even had a chance to sit down properly before you're in such a hurry to leave?"

"Are you complaining that the food at Longhu Mountain is bad and the hospitality is inadequate?"

Wang Ai sat on the ground, her face as pale as paper, her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a sound.

The voice on the radio, though relaxed in tone, carried a chilling undertone.

"Today is the final of the Luo Tian Grand Ritual."

"All the extraordinary people in the world are watching."

"You're the Ten Elders, you're the seniors, and you're running away at a time like this..."

"Isn't this a bit too disrespectful to Zhang Taichu?"

The last sentence was uttered with a sudden rise in volume, like a thunderclap exploding in Wang Ai's ears.

The golden wall in front of them suddenly expanded by three feet with the sound, its golden light shining even brighter!

Threat!

This is a blatant threat!

This is like holding a knife to their throats, forcing them to go back!

Wang Ai swallowed hard, picked up his cane shakily, and stood up with the help of his attendants.

"Zhang Taichu..."

Wang Ai squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth, her facial muscles twitching wildly.

He turned around and looked at the long stone steps leading up the mountain, his eyes filled with despair and humiliation.

"go back……"

Wang Ai's voice sounded as if she had swallowed a fly, extremely uncomfortable:

"Back to the training ground!"

……

Nine o'clock in the morning.

The Longhushan Martial Arts Arena has already been urgently repaired.

The stands were already packed with people.

Although the news of Quanxing's attack on the mountain spread like wildfire last night, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the strange people to watch the excitement.

after all.

Today is the final of the Luo Tian Grand Ritual.

No one wants to miss this grand spectacle.

In the stands, the audience members whispered and discussed among themselves.

however.

The most eye-catching people are not the players off the field.

Instead, it was the highest point of the stands, the VIP seats that originally belonged to the Old Master and the Ten Elders.

The old master Zhang Zhiwei remained smiling, sitting calmly on the sidelines.

But beside him.

There's an extra armchair.

A young Taoist priest was slumped on the table without any regard for his image, holding a handful of melon seeds and cracking them open with great enthusiasm.

And in the position below them.

The usually imposing Ten Elders now had ashen faces, sitting there upright like wronged wives.

This bizarre scene left the surrounding audience stunned.

"Holy crap, isn't that Zhang Chu? Why is he sitting next to the Celestial Master?"

Just then.

On the referee's bench, Rong Shan glanced somewhat awkwardly at the empty entrance, then looked up at the old celestial master on the high platform.

"Master...this..."

"The auspicious time has arrived."

"Zhang Chulan has already entered, but what about Junior Brother Lingyu...?"

At this moment, in the center of the field.

Zhang Chulan, wearing his signature All-Tong uniform and with several band-aids on his face, stood there looking completely bewildered.

He looked left and right.

There wasn't a single ghost on the other side.

"Where's Zhang Lingyu?"

Zhang Chulan scratched his head and muttered to himself:

"Could it be that he overslept because he was too tired from playing last night?"

On the high platform.

Zhang Zhiwei turned his head slightly and looked at Zhang Taichu, who was spitting out sunflower seed shells next to him.

"Junior brother?"

"Um?"

Zhang Taichu patted the crumbs off his hands and slowly straightened up.

He reached out and took the microphone from in front of him.

"Feed—feed—"

Zhang Taichu cleared his throat.

His eyes swept across the entire room, finally lingering on the few upright-sitting Ten Elders for two seconds.

"Alright, stop arguing."

"Um... I have something to inform you about."

Zhang Taichu spoke into the microphone in a very casual tone.

"About this final..."

"Zhang Lingyu abstains."

boom!

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Forfeiting in the finals?!

What kind of international joke is this?!

"Why should I?!"

"We came all this way, we even took our pants off, and this is what you show us?"

"It's a cover-up! It's absolutely a cover-up!"

The audience was agitated, with shouts and curses rising and falling.

Zhang Chulan was also completely bewildered.

He looked up at Zhang Taichu on the platform, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

What is Uncle Master up to?

"Quiet!"

Zhang Taichu shouted into the microphone.

Although the lion's roar wasn't used, the trace of true qi mixed in with the sound made everyone's eardrums ache.

"What's the rush?"

"Let me finish."

Zhang Taichu curled his lip, looking at the excited audience below with disdain:

Why isn't Zhang Lingyu here?

"That was a work injury."

"Last night, when the Quanxing attacked the mountain, our Longhu Mountain fought a bloody battle."

"Especially Lingyu, who always charges ahead."

At this point, Zhang Taichu suddenly changed the subject, his gaze drifting almost imperceptibly to Lu Jin, who was sitting not far away, drinking tea with his head down.

"And then what happened?"

"Bad luck."

"I ran into a crazy old senior."

"Wow, that old veteran is really fierce, he bites anyone he can get his hands on."

"Lingyu is a kind-hearted child and couldn't bear to harm the elders, so she was accidentally injured."

"He's still lying in bed, wrapped up like a mummy."

puff--!

Lu Jin, who was drinking tea, suddenly spat out a mouthful of tea.

This is practically a direct roll call.

Although I did lose control a bit last night, I didn't beat Zhang Lingyu so badly that he couldn't get out of bed, did I?

Isn't this just blatantly trying to pin the blame on themselves?

But what could he say?

Jump out and refute?

He said he was stunned by Zhang Taichu's slap last night?

That would be even more shameful!

Lu Jin could only grit her teeth, bury her head even lower, and pretend she hadn't heard anything.

Seeing Lu Jin's embarrassed expression, Zhang Taichu's lips curled into a mischievous smile, and he continued speaking into the microphone:

So that's why.

"There's nothing we can do about it."

As for me...

Zhang Taichu pointed to himself:

"Although I also made it to the finals."

"But I'm so old, wouldn't it be bullying to fight a little kid?"

"If word gets out, people will say that I, Zhang Taichu, lack martial ethics."

"Therefore, I also abstain."

Done.

He waved his hand dismissively, his tone remarkably bold:

"Then, I hereby declare..."

"The champion of this year's Luotian Grand Ceremony".

"It's—Zhang Chulan!"

Whoosh—!

At this point, the situation completely spiraled out of control.

Countless mineral water bottles, rotten vegetable leaves, and even shoes flew out of the stands and crashed into the center of the field.

"Refund! Refund!"

"What kind of bullshit championship is this?!"

"Shameless! Get out of the world of supernatural beings!"

"Has Longhushan had any shame? How could someone like this be a champion?"

"All of you, shut the hell up, Master Dao!"

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control.

A roar, like a thunderclap from the heavens, suddenly exploded in the air above the training ground.

An indescribable, terrifying pressure swept across the entire training ground, centered on the high platform.

Those mineral water bottles and shoes still flying in mid-air.

Under this oppressive force.

It actually hovered in mid-air.

then.

Bang bang bang bang—!

A series of explosions rang out.

All the debris was instantly blasted into powder.

The thousands of spectators who had been shouting, protesting, and angry fell silent instantly.

On the high platform.

Zhang Taichu slowly stood up.

"This is Longhu Mountain."

"It's the Celestial Master's Mansion."

"My word is the rule."

Zhang Taichu looked down at everyone present.

"I said he's the champion."

"He is the champion."

"Who agrees?"

"Who objects?"

silence.

Of the thousands of people in the audience, not a single person dared to utter a sound.

Zhang Taichu turned his head and looked at the Ten Elders sitting next to him.

The gaze finally settled on Wang Ai and Lü Ci.

"Xiao Wang, Xiao Lü."

What do you think?

"Is this match result fair?"

Wang Ai's body trembled violently.

He raised his head and looked into Zhang Taichu's cold eyes.

The wound on my face was still throbbing.

he knows.

Zhang Taichu is forcing them to make a statement, forcing the entire world of supernatural beings to swallow their anger.

"Fair...justice."

Wang Ai squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

"Master Zhang handled it...very fairly."

"Zhang Chulan... truly deserves the title."

Lu Ci took a deep breath and slowly nodded, his voice low:

No objections.

Even the two toughest among the Ten Elders bowed their heads.

No one else dared to utter a single word.

Feng Zhenghao immediately stood up and said loudly:

"The real expert is brilliant! Congratulations to Zhang Chulan on winning the championship!"

Zhang Taichu nodded in satisfaction.

As I sat back down in my chair, the suffocating pressure instantly dissipated.

He turned back into that lazy Taoist priest.

He grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and gestured with his chin towards Zhang Chulan below.

"Alright."

"Let's present the awards."