Painting of the Nine Immortals

Back at the residence, Xiang Ru Gu bowed at Ling Xian. His delicate face that all women would be jealous of was full of thankfulness.

“There is no need to thank me. I merely helped casually.” Ling Xian smiled lightly, indicating to him that there is no need to be so polite.

“To you, it might’ve been nothing. But to me, you saved my life.” Xiang Ru Gu didn’t stand up. Instead, he bowed two more times.

“I don’t need your thanks.”

Ling Xian shook his head. Remembering how pained Xiang Fu Gu looked, he laughed. “You sure are stupid. You knew the inner demon was after your life, but you continued to breakthrough rather than repressing it.”

“I have my own reasons.”

Xiang Ru Gu spoke softly, his handsome face was extremely calm and there was no telling his emotions.

“The reason for it must be related to your inner demon.” Ling Xian’s eyes flashed with curiosity.

Inner demons are normally formed from stubborn thoughts and the chances of them ever forming is extremely low. Only to people with things they just cannot let go of, does the inner demon ever form.

In other words, Xiang Ru Gu has something that he just cannot let go.

“There is no need for you to worry about that.”

As if Ling Xian had stabbed him where he was sensitive, Xiang Ru Gu’s face turned cold immediately. His frowning face was somehow even more good looking.

“It seems like you have a past that you do not want to revisit.”

Sighing, the corner of Ling Xian’s lips curled up. He teased, “This is the attitude you show towards your savior?”

“Hmmph, you said you didn’t need my thanks.” Xiang Ru Gu hissed.

“I don’t need them. But at the very least, you should treat me nicer.” Ling Xian grinned. “Alright, I won’t ask anymore.”

Hearing this, Xiang Ru Gu softened. “Don’t worry. I will remember what you did for me and I will repay you.”

“Save it, I don’t need it.”

Ling Xian brandished his hand. “I have been in isolation for 10 years. Tell me, what kind of big events happened during my isolation.”

“Nothing big.”

Xiang Ru Gu thought about it, “But during these years, Elder Dong Fang visits every other day to ask if you have returned.”

“Dong Fang Bi?”

Ling Xian shook his head with a smile. He didn’t think that the elder would be so determined to visit every other day.

“Also, Professor Dong Fang Yu has almost gone completely crazy.”

Xiang Ru Gu’s expression was complex and he couldn’t guess just who Ling Xian was to be able to contain his inner demons and to have garnered so much interest from Elder Dong Fang.

“Oh?”

Ling Xian frowned, “Didn’t she agree that I no longer need to go to class? Why would she still go crazy?”

Hearing this, Xiang Ru Gu’s expression showed traces of helplessness. “She did say that you no longer needed to attend classes, but she never said you could skip the exams as well.”

Ling Xian raised an eyebrow to show he wasn’t aware of this.

“Every two years, the students from the Path of Crafts have to go to under an exam. Those who pass level up, those who don’t stay in their current grade.”

Xiang Ru Gu continued to look helpless, “During the 10 years you were gone, you have missed five tests. Why wouldn’t Professor Dong Fang go crazy?”

Ling Xian had a look of awkwardness. “Then, yes, I would go crazy too.”

At this, Xiang Ru Gu suddenly felt it was funny and continued, “After those five exams, everyone in our class has passed. In other words, you are the only person who has to stay behind. You are the only person in the history of craftsmanship to be studying for 10 years but still in the first grade.”

Ling Xian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He didn’t think he would end up being the last of his year. The last out of everyone in 10 years.

However, he didn’t think much about it. So what he was last? His knowledge with craftsmanship was not something that could be measured with ranking.

He merely thought it was funny, “Anything else? Other than those two?”

Xiang Ru Gu thought about it. “Nothing really while you were gone. But in the coming three months, something big is going to happen.”

“What is it?” Ling Xia was very interested.

But after hearing Xiang Ru Gu’s answer, all of his interest disappeared.

“The Competition of the Four Paths that happens every decade.”

Xian Ru Gu’s gaze was heated, “This is a competition targeted towards the descendants who joined the Sect these past 10 years. They are, cultivation, arrays, craftsmanship, and finally alchemy. All descendants who joined within the past 10 years are allowed to participate. There are no limits.”

“If one can prove oneself during the competition, not only will one acquire glory, one will also acquire many rewards. It is a competition that everyone looks forward to.”

Xiang Ru Gu’s face was flushed and he continued to speak. He did not realize that Ling Xian had lost all interest after his first sentence.

Ling Xian wasn’t listening to anything he was saying.

He knew about the competition. But because he knew about it, he was utterly uninterested.

To put it bluntly, it was a competition amongst the descendants. With his capabilities, if he attends, it would be the same as bullying the other competitors.

Therefore, he couldn’t find the desire to care.

What Xiang Ru Gu said next, however, brightened his eyes.

“This competition is different than prior years. Nobody knows why, but the rewards this year is a lot better than the other years.”

Xiang Ru Gu’s face was passionate. “I heard that the first prize winner gets 50,000 contribution points. It is the most generous award ever.

“As much as 50,000 points?”

Ling Xian’s eyes brightened. The only thing he needed in his life was contribution points.

Though he was earning points at an extremely fast speed, thinking about the astronomical figure required to get the Technique of Shang Qing, he got a headache. Even with his abilities and speed, he needed a very long time to earn them all.

Based on his memories, normally, during this competition, the first prize winner only gets 10,000 points. The other times, the winner normally gets 2,000 or 5,000.

Thus, he was wavering.

“That’s right. The reward is large this year.”

Xiang Ru Gu had high expectations. “50,000 points… if I get them, I can exchange them for a lot of treasures.”

Hearing this, Ling Xian’s eyes became dense with passion.

It was obvious that he was wavering

Winning one path could earn him 50,000 contribution points. If he gets the winning title of all four paths, then he will get 200,000 points?

If that’s the case then why wouldn’t Ling Xian consider?

Luckily, nobody could hear his thoughts. If they knew that he was going after all the winning titles, people would be laughing at him.

There are many talents inside the Shang Qing Sect. To be able to get one winning title was already unbelievable, let alone getting all four.

Doing so would require extraordinary abilities in cultivation, arrays, craftsmanship, and alchemy!

To know that it was already extremely rare for someone to be achieved on just two paths, how could someone be a master at all four?

“It looks like I will have to participate in this year’s competition.” Ling Xian held a faint smile and made his decision.

It wasn’t for anything else. Just for the 200,000 contribution points, he must participate!