Ten Thousand Sword Masters

After the second round, Xiao Ye ranked first with 136 points. Fan Ju ranked second with 130 points.

Zhong Yang scored 90 points on the quiz, and with the additional 20 points, his total score reached 128 points, making him fifth in the standings.

Jiang Xianxian scored nine points in the first round, ranking last. She scored eighty points in this round, plus the bonus of fifteen points for being the second to complete the round, for a total of one hundred and four points, which propelled her to eleventh place.

When the new rankings came out, Jiang Xianxian's hatred for Zhong Yang intensified, to the point that she wished she could rip out Zhong Yang's heart and feed it to the dogs.

"Brother Zhong, congratulations!" Xiao Ye congratulated Zhong Yang on his incredible performance in the second round, which earned him fifth place.

At this moment, Fan Ju, who was in second place, walked over and said, "The sect leader's personal presence must be due to his astonishment at Brother Zhong and Brother Jiang's speed. Why did the sect leader only praise Brother Jiang, while Brother Zhong was only mentioned briefly?"

Fan Ju's doubts were shared by everyone else, and all eyes turned to Zhong Yang.

"I'm sorry to bother you all, but my zodiac sign is Dragon, which prevents me from undergoing the blood transfusion. It was only through Senior Brother Lü Yao's mercy that I was able to participate in the final selection. I cannot pass this third stage, so I'm afraid my final ranking will be last."

Upon hearing Zhong Yang's words, everyone suddenly realized what was going on, and some of those who were behind Zhong Yang in line were overjoyed.

"Brother Zhong, what a pity," Fan Ju said to Zhong Yang. "With your talent, it's truly a shame you can't join the Five Grains Divine Sect."

Fan Ju was a straightforward young man, and Zhong Yang knew that he didn't mean to laugh at him; he genuinely felt sorry for him.

"It's nothing. Everyone is different, and everyone has their own path."

Seeing Zhong Yang's open-mindedness, Xiao Ye and Fan Ju were filled with admiration.

Jiang Xianxian, who was not far from Zhong Yang and the other two, heard Zhong Yang's words and snorted coldly, "Pretending to be something you're not."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was just enough for Zhong Yang and the other two to hear. Xiao Ye and Fan Ju exchanged an awkward glance. They didn't know how Zhong Yang and Jiang Hua, who had previously had a good relationship, had suddenly become enemies after passing the first challenge.

They didn't know, but if they did, they would definitely thank Zhong Yang. If it weren't for Zhong Yang's design in the first round that dragged Jiang Xianxian down, Jiang Xianxian would be in first place now.

The third stage is all about speed. The first person to complete the blood exchange will get 50 points, the second person will get 45 points, and so on.

If Zhong Yang can complete the blood transfusion first, his total score will reach 178 points. As long as Xiao Ye is not the second person to complete the blood transfusion, Zhong Yang will be in first place!

The third level begins, and the landscape painting reappears, prompting everyone to jump into it.

The crowd had all gone inside, but Zhong Yang remained in the same spot, gazing at the landscape painting.

"Could it be that Zhong Yang has given up on the third level?" The young man in black robes laughed, seeing that Zhong Yang was not entering the landscape painting for a long time.

Lu Yao stared blankly at Zhong Yang. He thought that even if Zhong Yang knew that he couldn't complete the third level, he shouldn't give up so easily.

Jiang Chengzi sighed, "Heaven is unjust. It gave Zhong Yang the awareness of a powerful expert, but only the talent of a mortal. There is no greater pain in life than this."

Just when the Five Grains Cult leaders thought Zhong Yang was about to give up, Zhong Yang took a few quick steps and leaped into the Mountain and River Map.

The movements were fluid and seamless.

Upon seeing Zhong Yang enter the Landscape Painting, Jiang Chengzi bowed and knelt before Hao Yun.

"I respectfully inform the Master that I promised Zhong Yang that even if he fails the selection this time, I would still accept him as my disciple. I hope the Master will grant my request."

Hao Yun looked at Jiang Chengzi and remained silent for a long time, while Jiang Chengzi remained kneeling and refused to rise.

"Fate is predetermined, and human effort cannot defy it. A bluefish swims in a shallow abyss, a breath away, a hand's breadth apart. A bird soars to the heavens, a breath away, a distance of ten thousand miles. A bird carries a bluefish, breaking through the clouds with a single movement, yet the bluefish dries up and dies." Hao Yun recounted in detail.

Upon hearing Hao Yun's words, Jiang Chengzi felt a pang of pain in his heart, knowing that the sect leader would not allow Zhong Yang to enter the Five Grains Divine Sect, even as a novice.

Hearing Hao Yun's words, Lü Yao and the other two felt a pang of sadness, feeling sorry for Zhong Yang. Zhong Yang and they were from completely different worlds, despite only having undergone blood transfusions.

"My Lord, please understand. I have already made a promise to be a human being and I do not wish to break it. I beg you to have mercy and allow Zhongyang to come under my wing. I will teach him for a period of one hundred days."

Seeing Jiang Chengzi's sincerity, Hao Yun didn't want to embarrass him, so he said, "Fine, let Zhongyang come to your place to be a hundred-day-old boy."

"Thank you, Master."

Jiang Chengzi slowly stood up, looked at the landscape painting, and fixed his gaze on Zhong Yang.

Suddenly, Jiang Chengzi felt an overwhelming urge for Zhong Yang to create a miracle! He knew that once inside the Mountain and River Map, the contestants' consciousness would detach from their physical bodies and enter the Illusionary Spirit Space. The Mountain and River Map would then conjure a demonic beast that would allow the contestants to complete their blood transfusion, based on their blood transfusion aptitude and the demonic beasts they meditated on.

"I wonder if Zhong Yang can conjure a dragon from the Mountain and River Map?" Lü Yao suddenly asked, inexplicably hoping that Zhong Yang could create another miracle. He didn't know if dragons existed in this world, but the Mountain and River Map could conjure some non-existent monsters.

When Yuan Yang underwent a blood transfusion, the Mountain and River Map combined with Yuan Yang's consciousness, resulting in the creation of an unknown monster. The sect leader even named that monster the Yuan Yang Beast.

Upon hearing Lü Yao's words, Hao Yun shook his head, "My version of the Landscape Painting is of a lower grade, so it cannot conjure a dragon."

As Zhong Yang entered the Landscape Painting, he felt a dizzying sensation, his consciousness blurred, and then everything went black.

After some time, he regained consciousness and found himself feeling lightheaded. He knew he had entered the Illusionary Spirit Space, and the body that carried his consciousness was an illusion.

After stretching his body, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate. Lü Yao had already told everyone that the Mountain and River Map would conjure up monsters based on their meditation.

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At this moment, Zhong Yang was troubled. He had never seen a dragon, and the images of dragons circulating in the world were also very diverse. He did not know which image to meditate on, nor did he know whether the Landscape Painting could be conjured up.

Seeing that everyone had begun to meditate, the young man in black robes was seized by a renewed gambling instinct.

"Senior Brother Jiang Chengzi, how about we all bet again on who will be the first to pass this level?"

Jiang Chengzi ignored him, his eyes fixed on Zhong Yang.

"Senior brother, are you going to surpass Zhongyang to become number one?" the young man in black robes asked.

Jiang Chengzi remained silent, handed over the Five Grains Blue Pearl, and uttered two words, "Zhongyang."

The young man in black robes happily accepted it; at this hurdle, Zhong Yang had no chance of creating another miracle.

The young man in black robes approached Lü Yao and Tan Yuan again, asking, "Senior Brother Lü and Senior Sister Tan, who do you intend to suppress?"

Lü Yao shook his head, and Tan Yuan sighed. They both exclaimed in unison, "Zhong Yang!"

Lü Yao and Tan Yuan looked at each other in shock. Lü Yao laughed and said, "I'm sorry, Junior Sister, I received a lot of money from Zhong Yang, and today I feel sorry for him. I bet on him because I was going to tell him the stakes later, hoping to offer him some comfort during this low point in his life. But I don't know why, Junior Sister?"

Tan Yuan didn't answer. She had no connection with Zhong Yang, but her reason for pressuring him was the same as Lü Yao's. After these two trials, she admired Zhong Yang's character and didn't want to see him fall into a low point in his life and sink into despair.

The young man in black robes, however, did not share the sentiments of Lü Yao, Tan Yuan, and Jiang Chengzi. Seeing that the three of them were all suppressing Zhong Yang, he was overjoyed and felt that he had made a profit today.

Just as the young man in black robes was overjoyed, Hao Yun's voice came, "Your senior brothers and sisters are quite magnanimous, but I am unwilling for you to gain this advantage so easily. In this test, I bet on Jiang Hua to be number one." As Hao Yun spoke, he took out a seven-colored light umbrella.

As soon as Hao Yun finished speaking, the young man in black robes turned purple and blue, wanting to say something but daring not to. He had originally intended to suppress Jiang Hua, who had displayed his talent fully in the second round.

The young man in black robes regained his composure and said awkwardly, "I didn't expect the sect leader to be interested in this as well. In that case, I'll bet on Xiao Ye, but the conditions need to be changed to a final ranking of first place. What does the sect leader think?"

The young man in black robes looked at Hao Yun nervously. Hao Yun stroked his beard and said, "You slippery fellow."

Inside the Landscape Painting, Zhong Yang meditated, the images of dragons flashing through his mind one by one, but the Landscape Painting did not react at all.

Zhong Yang opened his eyes, looking somewhat dejected.

"Why is my zodiac sign the Dragon? Why not the Tiger, the Wolf, or the Monkey?"

The Twelve Zodiac Animals: Dragon, Tiger, Wolf, Ox, Monkey, Horse, Rabbit, Tortoise, Eagle, Crane, Whale, and Shark.

Among them, the eagle, crane, whale, and shark are rare, one soaring through the heavens and the other swimming in the deep sea. And of these twelve signs, none have been known to have successfully undergone a blood transfusion.

"Look! Jiang Hua has conjured a demonic beast, the Yuanqi Green-Eyed Rabbit."

Jiang Xianxian's zodiac sign is Rabbit. She meditates on mythical beasts, and the landscape painting transforms into a vibrant green-eyed rabbit.

Seeing that Jiang Xianxian had meditated on a demon beast so quickly, Hao Yun was very pleased. While stroking his beard, he said, "It seems that Jiang Hua likes the Yuanqi Jade-Eyed Rabbit. If he is in the top three and enters my sect, I will personally catch a Yuanqi Jade-Eyed Rabbit for him."

Hearing Hao Yun's words, Lü Yao and the others were envious of Jiang Xianxian's good luck.

Zhong Yang shook his head, took a deep breath, and decided he couldn't give up like this!

Suddenly, he thought of Bai Shejun and the Void Dragon that Bai Shejun had mentioned, and his heart stirred!

At this moment, a demonic beast, the Six-Eared Macaque, appeared above the landscape painting.

"Oh, who is it that has conjured up the Six-Eared Macaque through meditation?" Hao Yun said, waving his hand. Instantly, the image of Xiao Ye conjuring up the Six-Eared Macaque appeared above the landscape painting.

"So it's this kid. Not bad, not bad."

Seeing that Xiao Ye had also summoned a demonic beast, the young man in black robes felt reassured, certain that Xiao Ye's first place was secured. He glanced at Lü Yao and the others, secretly delighted, "It's one thing for Jiang Chengzi to act foolishly, but I didn't expect Senior Brother Lü and Senior Sister Tan to act foolishly as well. I've really struck gold this time."

At this moment, the sun was shining brightly, and the weather was exceptionally clear.

However, in the vast starry sky, a star lit up, its light growing ever brighter.

When a star appears in broad daylight, the whole world is in an uproar!

"Oh no, there are two suns in the sky! Am I seeing things?"

"What is that? Why is it getting brighter?"

"Run, everyone! The world is going to end!"

The Five Grains Cult, including Hao Yun, was also shocked by the strange phenomenon in the sky and were all astonished.

Jiang Chengzi remained unmoved, still staring at Zhong Yang. At this moment, he vaguely sensed that something seemed to be changing in Zhong Yang.

Boom boom boom!

Suddenly, the landscape painting began to tremble violently.

Hao Yun hurriedly flew above the Mountain and River Map, chanted incantations, and formed hand seals, finally managing to stabilize the map.

"What happened to the Landscape Painting?"

"What just happened?"

Lu Yao and the others were shocked, as the Mountain and River Map had never encountered such a situation in all these years.

Hao Yun examined the landscape map one by one and found nothing unusual. The only difference was that Zhong Yang was meditating. While the other candidates were calm and unharmed, he was trembling all over and sweating profusely.

Suddenly, a soft, yet not loud, whistling sound came from within the landscape painting.

Hao Yun, his right hand trembling, pointed towards Zhong Yang's location. "What was that sound?"

Jiang Chengzi summoned the flying bronze crane and arrived above the landscape painting where Zhong Yang was. He suddenly wanted to cry, not for any other reason than for Zhong Yang's fighting spirit of "my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!"

Tan Yuan exclaimed in surprise, then stared wide-eyed and mouth agape at Zhong Yang's location in disbelief.

Lu Yao's eyes were slightly moist. He was over forty years old and had been through a lot in the world. His heart had long been numb, but now he was moved, moved by Zhong Yang.

When someone creates a miracle once, you might say they're lucky. Two miracles raise some doubts. But when they create a miracle a third time, all that remains for the world is awe!

The young man in black robes stared in disbelief. "How is this possible? How is this possible! I don't believe it, I don't believe it!" He twisted his body wildly, venting his disbelief.

"Virtual Dragon!"

Hao Yun trembled all over, pointed at Zhong Yang's location, and shouted out each word slowly and deliberately!

In the landscape painting, Zhong Yang stands proudly, gazing at the illusory dragon that appears before him.

Indeed, he remembered the illusory dragon Bai Shejun had mentioned, and thus began meditating on the demonic serpent and the dragon's life force. Clinging to this hope, he actually succeeded.

At this moment, Zhong Yang wanted to shout, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!"

Seeing Zhong Yang standing proudly with a solemn expression, Jiang Chengzi felt a tear slide down her cheek and began to mutter to herself.

"He has the ambition to encompass the world." Jiang Chengzi recalled Zhong Yang's lateness that day and then replied with the words, "To continue the lost learning of the past sages and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."

"He possesses unparalleled courage." He recalled Zhong Yangli slaying the demon serpent and defeating Bai Shejun.

"It contains the potential to encompass all things." He recalled how Zhong Yang shattered his mental illusions in an instant, was the first to step out of the Xuan Turtle Gate, answered the questions correctly, and got nine out of ten right, which alarmed the sect leader.

"He has an indomitable will." He looked at Zhong Yang, who stood proudly now, and at Zhong Yang, who, even though his zodiac sign was the dragon, still did not give up.

"This is a hero of our time, destined for great things!" Jiang Chengzi shouted loudly, wishing the whole world could see Zhong Yang at this moment!

Lu Yao excitedly punched the void. If he were ten years younger, he would definitely renounce his membership in the Five Grains Divine Sect, carry a sword, ride a horse, and have a pot of wine, following figures like Zhong Yang to roam the world. Only in this way would he have lived a worthwhile life.

Tan Yuan was once rumored within the Five Grains God Sect to have no interest in men and only had feelings for women. Even she herself wondered if there was something wrong with her, as she couldn't feel anything for men.

It should be noted that there are many young men in the Five Grains Divine Cult, including quite a few who are young and handsome, highly skilled, and extremely cultured. However, none of them have ever made her heart flutter.

Now she understands that it's not that there's a problem with her, or that she's not interested in men; rather, the men she's met before haven't been good enough.

At this moment, Zhong Yang within the landscape painting turned around, facing Tan Yuan directly. Tan Yuan actually turned her head away, her face slightly flushed. In reality, Zhong Yang within the landscape painting couldn't see the outside world.

The young man in black robes slumped to the ground, groaning. Suddenly, he stood up, wanting to curse Lü Yao, Tan Yuan, and Jiang Chengzi for their arrogance and bullying of Zhong Yang. He wanted to curse Zhong Yang even more for conjuring up a virtual dragon through meditation.

However, he held back and then comforted himself.

"It's alright, Zhong Yang definitely wouldn't dare to have a blood transfusion. Yes, he definitely doesn't have the courage. Even if he did dare, he definitely wouldn't be able to endure it, he wouldn't be able to bear the pain. Yes, that must be it."

I like the Ten Thousand Swords Master.