Zong Chenli, who stood beside them, said, "Although I didn't take part in the wager, I should still avoid any appearance of impropriety."
"As you please." Fang Yun did not care.
Kong Yingnian said, "There are too many demon barbarians in front of the Dragon Gate. Let's wait a little longer."
The scholars waited on the bank for quite some time. Only after many demon barbarians had cleared the first Dragon Gate did they enter the water.
All the Grand Academicians stepped forward. With the combined power of their literary guts and literary qi, they walked across the water as though on level ground, their blue robes lending them an air of effortless composure.
Among them, Fang Yun could cross the water with ease thanks to both his Third Realm literary guts and his power as a Literary Star Dragon Noble. He strode over the ripples without wetting his shoes or socks, even more effortlessly than the Grand Academicians.
Neither the four members of the Lei Family who had yet to become Grand Academicians nor Yan Yukong could walk on water. After entering the river, they began swimming forward with all their strength.
Three li from the Dragon Gate, an invisible force appeared. Fang Yun and all the Grand Academicians dropped from the surface into the water. No longer able to walk over the ripples, they could only swim.
By now, few demon barbarians remained before the first gate, only around five thousand.
Fang Yun saw that the golden carp had already begun attempting Dragon Gate Ascension. Their bodies were small and weak, however. They repeatedly leaped out of the water and swung their tails with all their might, striking the air with a flurry of sharp cracks. But once they reached a certain height, their strength gave out, and