The entire sect is obsessed with love, but I'm the only one who's truly insane.

Even as the Central Plains Grand Competition was fast approaching, the team members to be sent for the individual youth competition had not yet been decided.

As the saying goes, "In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second." In individual battles, each sect divides the arena according to its cultivation level. Each sect can send one person to each cultivation level. Before the Central Continent Grand Competition, other sects will hold a sect competition to determine the number of people they can send.

Xia Tianwu, Lin Du, and Yuan Ye were all categorized as not being good at fighting, while Yan Qing was only at the early stage of the Cloud Reaching Realm.

Unfortunately, the difference in combat power between the Great Perfection of the Cloud Soaring Realm and the early stage is enormous, roughly the same as the difference between Mo Lin before he lost his spiritual bone and Lin Du before he learned physical techniques. Therefore, Yan Qing is at a complete disadvantage when he goes out to fight.

But clearly, apart from Jin Xuan, no one from the Supreme Sect is capable of participating in the Qin Xin Jing competition this year.

Lin Du had something to say, but Feng Chao anticipated it.

No, you can't.

"I'm not a child anymore! Let me try!" Lin Du forced a coquettish act.

Feng Chao shook off a shiver of goosebumps; she was now immune to Lin Du's face... or so she thought.

Lin Du lay on her desk, his chin resting on the surface, his eyes fixed on her expectantly, as if he wouldn't leave until she agreed.

Feng Chao cleared his throat. "Did I make you copy the Heart Sutra for nothing?"

"What?" Lin Du said, his chin still resting on the table, his words somewhat muffled. "How can you call this a waste of time copying? It's piled up to six feet high. I'm using it as scratch paper for calculations now, and after I'm done, I can even use it to power the boiler."

Feng Chao remained silent. "If you get injured, you'll need to recuperate for two or three years after you come back."

Lin Du tilted his head. "But the prize for this individual competition is the Boundless Dragon Bamboo and one hundred spirit crystals."

"The Wuding Dragon Bamboo is also known as the Bone-Breaking Supplement. In the past eight years, Mo Lin has broken a bone on average once a month. Let's make him feel a little involved."

Feng Chao: ? What do you call this sense of participation?

She didn't say anything for a moment, and the person opposite her easily found the list of participants for the Central Plains Grand Competition and filled in the blank space with the name Lin Du.

Lin Du stood up. "Then it's settled. Defaulting means agreeing. Don't worry, I'm a formation master."

"You're currently in the mid-stage of the Cloud Ascension Realm," Feng Chao kindly reminded her. "Someone at the Great Perfection of the Cloud Ascension Realm could knock you off the stage in one move."

Lin Du crossed his arms and didn't turn his head, saying, "I have my own brilliant plan."

Feng Chao covered her head, "From now on, stay away from the theater! And don't you dare read those ridiculous stories!"

Lin Du has long since disappeared.

A group of people began to prepare intensively for the Central Plains Grand Competition, listening to Lin Du analyze the annual secret realm assessment and military strategy sand table exercises on an empty stomach every day before meals.

The Natural Dining Hall doesn't have a sand table; instead, the soups, rice dishes, and steamed buns become mountains, hills, and outposts...

Yuan Ye suddenly felt as if he had returned to the time when he watched the Grand Tutor teach in class. However, Lin Du never mentioned it as a sand table exercise. He only said that there were a total of nineteen large steamed buns, and they only had one of them. How were they going to steal the remaining eighteen steamed buns?

It's like coaxing a child!

As a result, when he went back to his dreams, the sand table in which the Grand Tutor was arranging troops turned into individual steamed buns, and the Mercury River turned into egg drop soup.

Before leaving, the group went down the mountain together, ostensibly to purchase supplies needed for the competition, but in reality, they were hoarding food.

"I bought plum blossom cakes, ghee-fried abalone and snails, pea flour cakes, dried meat, dried duck legs, shredded beef... and what else was there?"

Ni Jinxuan unfolded the shopping list in her hand. "It seems we're out. I'll make some new orange candy for Junior Uncle when I get back, that will be enough!"

"It's alright, Fifth Senior Brother will make the candy. Anyway, we can't bring any talismans, array plates, or magic artifacts that weren't made by us into the secret realm, so we can just bring some food with us."

The orange candy is pretty good, but it sticks to your teeth. It'll be a bit embarrassing if it sticks to your teeth when the secret realm is being broadcast live to so many people.

Moreover, Jiang Liang knew about her sweet tooth. Maltose was used to regulate the body and replenish deficiencies, while cane sugar was used to soothe the body and relieve urgency. Whenever Lin Du practiced her martial arts, he would boil sugar next to her. If Lin Du made a mistake, he would add strange drugs that Lin Du disliked the most to the sugar.

However, this time Jiang Liang had a change of heart and only added mint, which Lin Du liked.

The once-in-a-century Central Plains Grand Competition, eagerly anticipated by the Wushang Sect, has finally arrived.

The Central Plains Grand Competition was held on Zhengde Mountain. When the group from the Supreme Sect arrived, there were already many people in the square.

Aside from the participants, the densely packed audience seats resembled those of the ancient Roman Colosseum, filled with a noisy and bustling atmosphere. Around the center, there were eighteen seats, which were the locations of the three sects, six factions, and ten schools. The Supreme Sect had fewer people, so they sat on the same side as the Salvation Sect. Behind these eighteen seats were some small sects that had come to fish in troubled waters and had almost no name.

Several masters led a group of children to the central seat bearing the emblem of the Supreme Sect. Then, a group of boys behind them exclaimed, "Wow, so many people!"

Cang Li slapped him across the face. "You're supposed to be a prince, how can you be so ignorant?"

Yuan Ye looked at his master innocently, "It was Junior Uncle who led the way."

Cang Li remained unfazed. "How can your junior uncle be compared to you? She's young and hasn't been down the mountain much in eight years."

Yuan Ye's eyes widened. "She went down the mountain to southern Yunnan eight years ago! I haven't been down the mountain in recent years, except for competitions!"

"Didn't you play the zither for the funeral of someone in the sect's territory?" Cang Li crossed his arms. "And you even made a coffin for them."

Yuan Ye looked up at the sky. "Really?"

Yan Qing patted his shoulder, "Alright, sit down. Someone's already yelling at you for blocking their view."

Yuan Ye turned around. "Is there anyone else in front of me? Who could be blocking my way?"

"Junior Uncle... what else?" Yan Qingchong, a member of the Guiyuan Sect sitting next to him, bowed respectfully, his mouth still running, "They're all waiting to see who's number one on the Qingyun Ranking. Didn't you hear the bunch of people behind them shouting 'Lin Du'?"

Yuan Ye: ? Why didn't you call me?

Lin Du, being of a higher seniority, sat at the front with several senior brothers. He was currently giving his opinions, saying, "Why do other sects all have disciple robes? They look so neat and tidy, giving them a prestigious air."

The number of people from other sects in the seats alone was three or four times that of the Supreme Sect, including those participating in the competition and those observing.

The disciples of Guiyuan Sect wear robes with platinum auspicious beast patterns, while those of Jishi Sect wear robes with water-colored silver patterns. Other robes are also varied but neatly arranged, forming a whole spectrum of patterns, which is very cool.

However, the Supreme Sect was a motley crew, with no two members wearing the same color, showing a complete lack of organization and discipline.

"It's alright," Feng Yi comforted her, "Our faces are the best representation of the Supreme Sect."

"Is our Supreme Sect a legitimate sect?" Lin Du asked in a low voice, his hands clasped behind his back.

Cang Li: ...Good question.

He didn't know if it was proper or not, but since he was already there, he didn't care.

Before the official start time, Yan Qing returned from the Guiyuan Sect next door to reunite with his relatives and shared the news with the group: "I heard that the Guiyuan Sect spent a full eight thousand spirit stones to buy news of Junior Uncle."

"Am I really worth that much now?" Lin Du's eyes widened.

"Because Junior Uncle has been out of touch for eight years, not only have they failed to ascertain your exact cultivation level, but they don't even know if you're still alive."

Yan Qing whispered, "The others at least have competitions every year."

Lin Du handed him a mint candy made by Jiang Liang, which was said to refresh the mind, clear the heart, and detoxify. "Good boy, have some candy."

She was satisfied.