In Wang Yulou's mind, at least one of the three talisman makers sent by the Wang Clan to participate in the competition should have placed in the top three.
However, the results completely defied his expectations. Among the three, Chen Luwan ranked the highest, taking fifth place with her Clouds and Rain Transform Spring Talisman. The other two fell outside the top ten.
The poor performance of the Wang Clan's talisman makers was enough to cause even soone like Wang Xianmao, who had seen his fair share of storms, to lose his composure. His expression grew tight and stern.
Noticing Wang Xianmao's foul mood, that wretch Mu Changze hurried to kick him while he was down.
"Xianmao, your three competitors did quite well. Although their rankings vary, the gap between them and the champion isn't actually that large. Furthermore, since first place was taken by a disciple of Great Skymount Mountain, we can only concede defeat with utmost sincerity."
'We can only concede defeat with utmost sincerity.'
Mu Changze smoothly included Wang Xianmao in his statent, but the old Patriarch could only swallow his anger.
Clear Stream Market was tens of thousands of miles away from Great Skymount Mountain. For a disciple of Great Skymount Mountain to disguise themselves as a rogue cultivator just to crash Clear Stream Market's competition... this foreign fellow Daoist was quite impolite.
Yet, this cultivator from Great Skymount Mountain was indeed extraordinary. The Frost Sword Rain Talisman he crafted possessed both the sharpness of sword qi and the biting chill of ice. In terms of value and difficulty, it effortlessly crushed the other competitors by a wide margin.
When Mu Changze claid that the three Wang Clan talisman makers were comparable to the champion from Great Skymount Mountain, he was covertly mocking them.
"Young Daoist friend, what brings you all the way from Great Skymount Mountain to Red Lantern Illumination Sect territory?"
Wu Jinyan understood the situation perfectly and took the initiative to ask on Wang Xianmao's behalf.
"Seniors, I am searching for the opportunity to reach Foundation Establishnt. Thus, I have been traveling the world and happened upon this treasured land. Participating in the talisman-making competition was solely to test my own skills. I have no intention of claiming the rewards."
This kid really knew how to act. Seeing the three Foundation Establishnt cultivators staring at him, his eyes darted around, and he imdiately declined all the prizes.
'I just ca to test my skills and accidentally took first place. I can give up all the rewards.'
'Seniors, please don't target .'
For a cultivator reaching Foundation Establishnt, there was no qualitative difference between breaking through with or without pills. However, disciples of major sects preferred to let their cultivation run its natural course, waiting until their Qi Refining base was truly perfected to break through naturally.
Therefore, it wasn't uncommon to see disciples from large sects traveling the world in this manner. The three Foundation Establishnt cultivators didn't find it strange.
"There is no need to refuse. We will give you what you rightfully earned," Wang Xianmao said with a wave of his hand.
The most expensive part of the competition's prize pool was that low-grade spiritual artifact talisman brush, which cost only a few thousand spirit stones. The other expenses were rely accounting costs; they didn't require paying out a single actual spirit stone.
"Co, Yulou. You organized this competition, so co up and present the awards to the winners!"
Summoned by the Patriarch, Yulou quickly walked up to the stage, with Yu'an cleverly trailing right behind his older brother.
Many people in the racetrack hadn't been there the previous day, so they didn't recognize Yulou. Seeing this unfamiliar youngster take the stage, they began asking those around them for information about him.
After hearing Yulou's story, it was as if a silencing spell had been cast upon them. No one spoke.
Faced with Yulou's success, it was easy to feel that the gap between so people was wider than the gap between humans and dogs.
However, standing on the stage, Yulou felt a similar sentint.
Looking at the guest from Great Skymount Mountain—who possessed eyebrows like crescent moons, eyes like morning stars, and lips like blooming peaches—Yulou even felt a trace of envy.
A disciple of an Upper-Path Sect, traveling the world to seek the opportunity for Foundation Establishnt. He had just arrived at Clear Stream Market, casually entered a competition, effortlessly breezed through all the rounds, and easily claid first place.
All of the Wang Clan's calculations were useless against him. Completely useless.
First-class looks, profound cultivation, a young age, vast knowledge, and outstanding strength. Moreover, the foundation for all of this was an excellent background.
He hoarded all the good fortune to himself, reducing Chen Luwan and Hongi to re background characters.
Compared to this person, Yulou felt like a pathetic greenhorn.
In fact, looking closely at the script this person had played out in the competition, one would realize he perfectly resembled a legendary protagonist.
Entering obscurely, quietly advancing to the finals, and then, while everyone was completely oblivious, playing the pig to eat the tiger and securing a massive victory.
Yet, no one dared to dispute that this Great Skymount Mountain disciple deserved first place. The sheer power of that Frost Sword Rain Talisman already surpassed the power of spells cast by ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
This person was undoubtedly a heavenly genius as well, on par with or perhaps even greater than Wang Xianzhou.
"Senior, this is the reward for first place: a low-grade spiritual artifact talisman brush specially crafted by the Wang Clan. We only prepared one," Yulou said to the guest from Great Skymount Mountain, picking up the top prize from the wooden tray held by Yu'an.
"Haha, little brother, there's no need to call Senior. My surna is Guo, and my given na is Yaoyue. You can just call Brother Guo. As for this spirit brush, I have long admired the reputation of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom's spirit donkeys, so it would be disrespectful to decline."
Yulou stared blankly at the spirit brush in his hand, then looked at Guo Yaoyue.
Their eyes t. One was perplexed; the other was calm and assured.
'Didn't you just say you had no intention of claiming the rewards?'
'I was just being polite.'
Yulou was just thinking about trying to see if he could...
Then, he suddenly woke up with a start.
'What am I doing?'
The family rules and teachings of the Wang Clan echoed in Yulou's mind.
Even mories from his past life began to surface.
In countless stories and legends, how many massive families and powerful factions had perished because they underestimated the so-called weak?
The current script was: a sudden, inexplicably appearing child of destiny nad Guo Yaoyue plays the pig to eat the tiger and takes first place in the competition.
Yet, Wang Xianmao didn't step forward to present the award, instead having Yulou do it.
And Yulou, acting strangely as if possessed or delirious, actually considered embezzling this low-grade spiritual artifact talisman brush right in front of Guo Yaoyue.
Given Yulou's personality, was it possible for him to steal soone else's talisman brush?
Absolutely impossible!
In that instant, Yulou froze. He thought of a possibility.
He would embezzle the talisman brush. This suddenly appearing Guo Yaoyue would swallow his anger, then find a quiet opportunity to murder either him or Yu'an.
Once Wang Xianmao found out what Guo Yaoyue had done, he would seek revenge for Yulou—because Guo Yaoyue wouldn't be at Foundation Establishnt when he killed him.
But by the ti Wang Xianmao ca for revenge, Guo Yaoyue would have broken through to Foundation Establishnt.
This suddenly appearing child of destiny from tens of thousands of miles away in Great Skymount Mountain would turn the tables and kill Wang Xianmao.
After that, he would only need to find a way to take shelter under the Sky Serpent Sect.
Right now, the Sky Serpent Sect was eyeing Mang Xiang, trying to stop him from successfully attaining Golden Core. If Guo Yaoyue went there, he would receive their protection.
The Immortal Alliance could regulate the Sky Serpent Sect, but they couldn't micromanage everything...
Thus, starting with Yulou's delirious actions, everything would gradually plunge into chaos.
Holding the talisman brush, Yulou stood before Guo Yaoyue, motionless like a wooden puppet.
'A grand cultivator is altering my fate! A grand cultivator is controlling from the shadows!'
Yulou let out a long breath in terror. Under Guo Yaoyue's bewildered gaze, he shakily handed the talisman brush over.
Yulou had already noticed many anomalies. For instance, during the entire process of his delirious thoughts, the usually astute Wang Xianmao seed foolish, solely focused on chatting with the winning talisman makers, completely ignoring Yulou's interaction with the Great Skymount Mountain disciple.
This was not Wang Xianmao's normal pattern of behavior!
"Here is your talisman brush, along with the crafting thods for three high-grade talismans. Senior Guo, please leave as quickly as you can!"
Confused, Guo Yaoyue took the talisman brush and the jade slip containing the talisman crafting thods. He shook his head and walked out of the competition grounds.
After Guo Yaoyue left, Yulou continued to carefully hand out the remaining awards. He didn't even dare to speak a single word to the other talisman makers.
He was certain: either he had suddenly gone crazy just now...
Only soone completely mad, soone who managed stores that earned so many spirit stones, would suddenly be driven by greed over a talisman brush worth a re few thousand spirit stones.
...Or, soone was playing tricks. And a very powerful person, at that!
If a grand cultivator could alter the very rules of heaven and earth, why couldn't they alter an individual's fate and behavior?
Moreover, was there sothing wrong with Guo Yaoyue too?
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