Do I know this Xiaopang in front of me?
Ziyue looked at the other person with suspicion. This Xiaopang looked to be under twenty years old. She had tried to avoid the influence of the Celestial Master Mansion and stayed far away from Cloud Capital all these years. How did she know this little guy?
Could it be that I've actually been to Cloud Capital these years, and then forgotten?
That shouldn't be the case. Even if that were the case, shouldn't my memories have returned now that I'm in Cloud Capital?
Seeing Ziyue's puzzled look, the Xiaopang gave a wry smile, "It seems that Lord Ziyue really doesn't remember me. Well, it would be strange if someone like me were remembered."
" Little Celestial Master is too modest," Chen Baifeng replied with a smile. "To be chosen by the Celestial Master Mansion as one of the four successors at such a young age is truly remarkable."
"I didn't," the Xiaopang said, scratching his head sheepishly, looking quite shy.
Chen Qing and the others smiled but remained silent, their eyes filled with wariness. This Xiaopang was no ordinary person; he was definitely not as simple as he appeared.
He had studied the four candidates designated by the Celestial Master Mansion. The first one was Zhang Zhiyun, who was said to be the eldest grandson of the current Celestial Master Mansion. It was rumored that forty years ago, a certain warlord overestimated his abilities and led a large army to besiege Cloud Capital. It was Zhang Zhiyun who personally annihilated them all with the Heavenly Thunder Curse.
Rumor has it that the warlord was once very powerful, supported by dozens of bloodline families and commanding 400,000 mercenaries. He was considered one of the top two warlords at the time, but that time, not a single one of them returned alive, and his power was instantly dismantled by the families under his command.
It was precisely because of the sudden demise of that great warlord that the King of Qin's family and the Xiao Household were able to rise to power, become new warlords, and later establish the Great Jin Dynasty.
This Zhang Zhiyun has both status and achievements, making his appointment by the Celestial Master Mansion perfectly legitimate.
The second one is Murong Ziyi. It is said that he was born with the power of thunder magic and is the most talented inheritor of thunder magic in Cloud Capital in ten thousand years. Even the bloodline of the Zhang Family is inferior to him. At the age of five, he mastered the Five Thunder Mantra of the Zhang Family and defeated a direct descendant of the Zhang Family at that time. His talent was so terrifying that many people rumored that he was the reincarnation of the sorcerer emperor of that time.
Today, Zhang Cloud Capital has a group of very loyal supporters, whose popularity is no less than that of the deeply rooted Zhang Zhiyun.
As for the third one, Ziyue, although it was a bit abrupt, it was somewhat understandable. For twenty years after the Great Jin, Ziyue was recognized as the strongest sorcerer in the court. Even Liu Yu, the Duke of Song, who had a very high status back then, did not deny this.
Given her status, even though her selection might seem surprising, it's not entirely unacceptable, considering her reputation and abilities.
But the one in front of me...
They don't seem to have any connection with the three mentioned above at all.
Chen Qing frowned. As the master of the Divine Path Style, he was most sensitive to the energy of heaven and earth. In theory, no one could hide their power in front of him, not even Transcendent beings. For example, Kagura, although he did not know how she descended to the mortal world, the energy in her body was extremely unstable and seemed to float around. However, he could occasionally feel the terrifying power that she occasionally revealed.
The Xiaopang in front of me was completely different; I couldn't see any strength in him.
He was curious: what would this Xiaopang use to cope with the election?
But there was one thing that Chen Qing found a bit strange: this Xiaopang didn't seem to be afraid of them at all.
Logically speaking, it's quite an achievement that a kid with no strength like him can sit so comfortably and happily among them, like an ant next to a group of ferocious beasts.
"I'm just here to make up the numbers," the Xiaopang chuckled. "I'll probably have a tough time guarding the gate. Many people in the family oppose my grandfather's decision, but he has a lot of authority, and no one can oppose him."
"The gatekeeper?" Chen Baifeng became interested. "Is that the gatekeeper in the historical records of the Celestial Master election?"
"Yes." Zhang Xiaoyun nodded, her mouth glistening with oil as she ate a piece of lion's head meatball.
"What kind of gatekeeper?" Chen Qing asked curiously.
"The Celestial Master selection will begin with the Four Symbols Gate as the first test," Ziyue stated directly. "Each of the Four Symbols Gate will be guarded by four individuals appointed by the previous Celestial Master. The Four Symbols Gate are equipped with various mechanisms and sorcerer formations to assist in guarding them. The remaining contestants will focus on breaking through the gates; anyone who fails to enter the Four Symbols Gate will be eliminated."
Chen Qing was taken aback. "So, the four candidates are the first round of examiners?"
"That's roughly the idea," Ziyue said.
"Is that fair?" Chen Qing asked, somewhat taken aback.
Given the scale of the competition, all the major families can recommend their scions, meaning there must be over a thousand participants. They're all extremely talented young men, and some of the older generation might even join the fray. At that point, how strong must the gatekeepers be to face so many people?
"There are auxiliary tools," Ziyue said calmly. " The Celestial Master Mansion stores the most artifacts and magic arrays in the entire Warlock Dynasty. In the days leading up to the competition, you can enter and be chosen at will to set up the mechanisms for your sect. Moreover, you will only be responsible for the test; you won't need to personally face those people. You can even choose to lie down and let everyone pass."
"Um, is this okay?" Chen Qing felt that this rule was a bit ridiculous.
"You may choose to lie down, but the other contestants might not be so willing," Ziyue sneered. "When entering the Four Symbols Gate, if a sorcerer doesn't want to immediately join, they can follow the mechanisms to find you. If they can defeat you in the Four Symbols rounds, they will take your place as a candidate and directly enter the top eight. So the Four Symbols Gate's test is not only a test for the many sorcerers in the preliminary rounds, but also a test for the candidates. If you can't hold your own, things will get very interesting."
Chen Qing: "."
This really is something only someone with exceptional skill and daring can do.
Chen Qing looked at the Xiaopang curiously. If this rule were followed, the gate he was guarding would probably be bustling with Xiaopang, right?
"Oh, I'm really troubled too." Zhang Xiaoyun said with a tearful face, her chubby face scrunched up like a dumpling. "If I just lie down and admit defeat, it'll be too embarrassing for Grandpa. But if I stubbornly resist, what if someone gets beaten up?"
Chen Qing: "."
Chen Qing couldn't explain it clearly. The Zhang Family's decision to have this kid guard the gate was definitely not simple. Those who were fixated on appearances would probably suffer a great loss.
Chen Qing then looked at Ziyue: "So, you'll also be choosing mechanisms and formations later?"
"That's roughly the idea." Ziyue rested her chin on her hand, a hint of dazedness flashing in her eyes. She did recall a scene from a Celestial Master election; what was she doing back then?
Oh right, it serves as a magical weapon for a certain sorcerer, guarding the White Tiger Gate.
Oh right, who was it again?
"Won't this be a huge disadvantage for you?" Chen Qing frowned and said, "You probably haven't even touched those formations and tools of the Zhang Family, have you? Compared to the Zhang Family members and that Murong Ziyi, they've long been familiar with those magical artifacts and mechanisms. Can you handle it in just a few days?"
Of course!
Before Ziyue could speak, Zhang Xiaoyun excitedly exclaimed, " Lord Ziyue Lord Ziyue the top weapon master! Back when she guarded the White Tiger Gate, not a single candidate could pass her test. The scene was truly tragic. Tsk tsk tsk, it remains a disastrous chapter in the history of the Celestial Master selection."
Everyone: "."
Even Chen Baifeng was stunned this time, looking at Ziyue. " Lord Ziyue has this kind of history?"
No wonder the Lord King of Qin treated him with such respect in the past.
Chen Qing stared blankly at the other person, having never heard of the glorious history of Ziyue.
Ziyue seemed reluctant to recall the past, frowning as she said, "That's all ancient history. Back then, I wasn't the one guarding the White Tiger Gate; I was just a tool."
"But it was you who did it!" the Xiaopang exclaimed excitedly. "It's said that back then, the current Celestial Master and the Emperor were summoned, and a huge meeting was held to decide whether to destroy Lord Ziyue."
"You seem to know quite a lot," Ziyue said coldly, looking at the other person.
"Hehehe," Zhang Xiaoyun chuckled, scratching his head and guiltily avoiding Ziyue's gaze, "I secretly looked through some ancient history books in the house, hehe."
Chen Qing looked at the other person with interest. This little guy was acting strangely. Family history was usually only accessible to the heir, right?
With Zhang Zhiyun being so high-profile, could it be that the heir is actually this Xiaopang in front of us?
That's interesting.