A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. Duobao rubbed his cheeks and handed Guang Chengzi the answer sheet filled with answers.
Guang Chengzi skimmed through it at a glance, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Passed."
At once, Duobao shed tears of excitement. No one knew how he had spent those hundred years just to finish those thousands of questions.
He let out a breath of Turbid Qi and looked up at the sky, feeling that everything now looked so pleasing.
Then he looked at Huanglong beside him, who was still chewing on his pen and looking at him with pleading, envious eyes. Duobao shrugged, wearing an expression that said he could do nothing to help.
It was no wonder Huanglong was envious. Those thousands of questions were not something one could complete simply by filling in answers.
They also had to be demonstrated on the spot and mastered completely.
Fortunately, Duobao's comprehension was quite good, and he had completely mastered them in just a hundred years.
Huanglong, whose comprehension was just a little worse than his, was not so fortunate.
But when he thought about how Bai Ze would have to go through the same process after entering the mountain gate—
For some reason, Duobao suddenly felt a bit gleeful at the prospect of seeing Bai Ze's little brother's frustrated expression.
Thinking of Bai Ze, Duobao greeted Guang Chengzi and headed toward the mirror.
There, Bai Ze sat cross-legged within the Array Formation, his body half-illusory and half-solid.
Duobao raised his brows at the sight. He was all too familiar with this.
Wasn't this his Innate Divine Ability?
Seeing Bai Ze in the midst of cultivation, Duobao could not help but wonder:
"Bai Ze, why have you suddenly started cultivating your divine ability?
Hurry up and comprehend the Array Formation!"
After watching for a while, Duobao shook his head. Though puzzled, he was not worried at all. There was plenty of time.
With two thousand years, Bai Ze's talent was more than enough to comprehend it completely!
Another five hundred years passed. Huanglong had long since finished answering the questions, and Duobao emerged from seclusion. Looking at Bai Ze within the Array Formation, he frowned slightly.
"Why is he still comprehending his divine ability?!"
At that moment, Bai Ze sat cross-legged with a stretch of void behind him. He appeared to be within the Array Formation, but in truth, he occupied a different space from it.
Duobao scratched his head, filled with confusion, but he did not say anything.
After all, only six hundred years had passed. There were still fourteen hundred years left. He could afford to wait!
A thousand years slipped quietly away. Looking at the mere four hundred years remaining, Duobao stared wide-eyed.
Anxiously scratching at his head and ears, he shouted, "Bai Ze, what are you doing? Comprehend the Array Formation! Stop focusing only on your divine ability!"
In a fit of anger, Duobao sat before the Array Spirit. Seeing Bai Ze still comprehending his divine ability, he felt utterly hopeless.
He stared blankly at the heavens, his eyes hollow, and roared unwillingly:
"Two thousand years! A full two thousand years! All spent comprehending a divine ability! Bai Ze, you've ruined your big brother!"
Seeing Duobao in such a state after emerging from seclusion, Guang Chengzi patted him on the shoulder, barely holding back his laughter.
"Junior Brother, a bet is a bet. It isn't that your senior brother refuses to go easy on you. Your luck is simply terrible!"
Duobao slapped Guang Chengzi's hand away and said darkly, "Don't get smug. He still hasn't broken through to the Middle True Form Stage. Have you prepared that True Phoenix Blood Essence?"
Seeing Duobao like this, Guang Chengzi chuckled. "It's merely a matter of stepping outside. But Junior Brother, have you prepared the Acquired Spirit Treasure?"
Duobao's breathing hitched, and his heart ached so badly that he could barely breathe.
Only after a long while did he say, "Hasn't he failed yet? Once he succeeds, I'll offer it with both hands."
Seeing Duobao stubbornly refuse to admit defeat, Guang Chengzi laughed inwardly. "Very well. Then I shall wait for the Lingbao you refine, Junior Brother."
Duobao snorted and turned to leave.
Guang Chengzi hurriedly asked, "Where are you going, Junior Brother?"
Without looking back, Duobao replied, "Out to find materials. My Master is far too stingy. If I don't go out and find materials, where am I supposed to get what I need to refine an Acquired Spirit Treasure?"
Guang Chengzi covered his mouth and laughed. Watching Duobao suffer a loss differed somewhat from what he had expected, but the result was the same. Seeing Duobao so dispirited, he knew this lesson had been well worth the price!
Still, teasing was one thing. Duobao was his junior brother, so he could not go too far.
"Wait, Junior Brother. I have a few materials here. They are just sitting around anyway, so I'll give them to you."
Duobao looked at the Cosmos Bag floating toward him, and a smile immediately appeared on his face. "Senior Brother, what are you doing? How could I possibly take your things?"
As he spoke, he swiftly opened the storage bag to inspect it. Once he saw what was inside, the smile on his face deepened.
Without another word, he quickly tucked it away into his Treasure Cave.
Guang Chengzi shook his head and laughed at the sight. "You, honestly. If I say I'm giving it to you, then it's yours. I'm not going to ask for it back.
But don't rush off just yet."
Hearing this, Duobao immediately relaxed and asked, "What else is it, Senior Brother?"
Guang Chengzi pointed at Bai Ze in the Array Formation and said thoughtfully, "Junior Brother, don't you find Bai Ze's divine ability somewhat familiar?"
Duobao was unconcerned. "Oh, that? Bai Ze is currently cultivating my Innate Divine Ability.
But this was a fair exchange between us. Senior Brother, do you think there is a problem?"
Guang Chengzi immediately understood why Duobao cared so much about Bai Ze, though he did not pay it much mind.
Shaking his head, he said, "I have seen your Innate Divine Ability before, but what Bai Ze has displayed is vastly different from what you use."
"Is that so?" Duobao scratched his head, then began to activate his divine ability. In an instant, a crude space appeared behind him.
Compared with the vast space behind Bai Ze, it seemed as though Bai Ze's was the true Innate Divine Ability.
Duobao's, on the other hand, looked like a clumsy imitation.
"Do you see the problem now?"
Duobao watched for a moment, then nodded. The difference was far too obvious!
It was no wonder he had only realized it now. Throughout these two thousand years, he had remained fixated on the wager and had overlooked the divine ability Bai Ze displayed.
Now that Guang Chengzi had pointed it out, he immediately understood.
"Bai Ze, no wonder he's spent every day of these two thousand years comprehending Spatial Divine Ability. So this divine ability can actually be used like this!"
Guang Chengzi was left speechless. "I pointed it out so you would not merely marvel at it."
Duobao chuckled. "I understand what you mean, Senior Brother. But Bai Ze spent two thousand years comprehending this. If I secretly learned it without his permission, wouldn't that be far too shameful?"
Guang Chengzi looked at Bai Ze within the Array Formation. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Junior Brother, do you think Bai Ze knows that we can see him?"
"Hm?" Duobao's eyes widened at once. He had also comprehended the Array Formation, so he naturally knew it extremely well.
Especially since Bai Ze had already mastered nine hundred zhang of it—how could he possibly not know what this Array Formation could do?
"Senior Brother, you mean... he deliberately let me see it?"
Guang Chengzi nodded slightly. "You and I have both comprehended this Array Formation. Once one controls nine hundred zhang of it, aside from the final hundred zhang concerning the Array Spirit, how could one not know that this formation possesses the ability to observe others?"
Duobao's feelings immediately became complicated. His gaze at Bai Ze filled with guilt and gratitude.
After a long while, he sighed and smiled bitterly:
"Bai Ze really is something. To spare my pride, he actually chose such a tactful way to remind me.
He could have simply told me. It's not as though I would have minded."
"Ah! Now I owe Bai Ze another huge favor!"
Guang Chengzi looked at Bai Ze, who was cultivating, then at Duobao, who was steeped in guilt and gratitude. His gaze deepened, and an imperceptible smile curled his lips.
"This Bai Ze is quite an interesting fellow."
Hearing Guang Chengzi's murmur, Duobao looked up in confusion. "Senior Brother, what did you say?"
Guang Chengzi shook his head. "Nothing. Go comprehend it properly!"
Before you continue