After Fang Yun praised Wang Guodong, the Aspirational Literary Pages showered white light down once more, landing on twelve people's heads.
Previously, the white light had been roughly equal in density, but now the differences were plain to see. Some people's light ran dry after falling for only a breath or two.
This time, only four people formed a fifth lotus petal!
Yan Yukong of the Qing Kingdom, Sun Naiyong of the Wu Kingdom, Zeng Nianhai of the Ten Cold Ancient Land, and Fang Yun of the Jing Kingdom.
The moment their five-petaled lotuses formed, fierce winds five times stronger than before surged from the four of them, sweeping in every direction.
Those with four petals could still hold steady, while those with three were struggling. Yun Zi'e, who had formed only two petals, finally succumbed to the enormous three-petal gap and toppled into the Lotus Pond along with his lotus leaf.
Wind and waves ran rampant. Even though Yun Zi'e was a Metropolitan Graduate with a strong physique, he kept flailing and struggling as pond water poured into his nostrils, making him choke and cough.
No one went to rescue him. Everyone merely sighed softly.
This was the cruel side of the National Chief Contest. Anyone who failed was bound to suffer. If no National Chief emerged, those remaining at the end would likewise receive punishment in Cloud Sky.
This was a rule laid down by the sages, to teach everyone that unless they could surpass all others and become the true foremost figure of their generation, they would always face the possibility of failure and could never grow arrogant.
Some Zhuangyuan would fall silent for a time after failing in the National Chief Contest. Apart from one or two over the past century who never recovered from the