Turning the Tables

Zhang Xuezhou sat by the lake.

The Emperor and others could see him, and he could also see the Emperor and Empress's tiny figures.

Zhang Xuezhou could also see the test takers at the entrance of the Wondrous Dharma Palace.

From initial panic to frantic checks, and then to calm and vigilance, the opponent's transition was extremely rapid, proving to be a seasoned and experienced adversary.

"Testers, start the battle now!"

Zhang Xuezhou's opponent was far calmer than he had imagined. Before he could even tie a rope to fish, his opponent had already regained his composure.

Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to start stirring things up again.

He even used a spell to make his body float.

To be honest, if Zhang Xuezhou hadn't deliberately tried to conceal it, Zhang Xuezhou flying skills wouldn't have been shameful. However, if he had used his superior Technique Within the Clouds, he would have inevitably been caught up in situations like traveling, ambushing, or escaping.

His Heavenly Robe returned to their original form, the wide sleeves giving him a dignified and elegant air. Once he unleashed his cloud-riding technique, he appeared as if he were a celestial being, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.

"Testers, start the battle now!"

Even as Zhang Xuezhou flew into the air, he couldn't help but continue to urge him on.

This caused his opponent, who was on guard at the Wondrous Dharma Palace, to glance at him from afar, before returning to his uneasy patrolling.

Zhang Xuezhou was unable to ascertain the test subject's combat abilities from the Emperor and Empress, but he learned from them that the other party was of low status and could only wait at the entrance of the Wondrous Dharma Palace.

Ultimately, it's their different identities in the Kunlun Sacred Land that determine their different fighting styles. Zhang Xuezhou dares to step onto the field and quickly switch identities, while his opponent may never have thought of such a thing, nor dare to do such a thing.

"Look, the Holy Son is getting close to his opponent!"

Beside the lake, the Emperor whispered something, which made the Empress open her mouth, wanting to refute but unable to find a way to do so.

Zhang Xuezhou used a clever trick to get close to Jiang Qi, whom she greatly admired, thus gaining the upper hand in a sneak attack.

If Zhang Xuezhou weren't too incompetent, this initial advantage would have been fatal.

A victory is a victory, and a defeat is a defeat. Even if Zhang Xuezhou's actual combat strength is inferior to Jiang Qi's, Zhang Xuezhou's victory is still a victory.

There aren't many fair competitions in this world; only those who survive can speak of fairness.

"Back then... it seemed to be the same. We were beaten and killed without saying a word. We were clearly stronger, but we still lost. Once Hongjun settled the Heaven and Earth, there was no room for struggle!"

The emperor was disheartened.

Without the Golden Crow Great Emperor by his side, he truly felt lonely and isolated, finding it difficult to muster the energy for anything.

The Emperor didn't even want to go to the brewery, lest he be reminded of his painful past.

He only gained a bit of energy from watching the test and the struggle, and was willing to say a few words.

Zhang Xuezhou's participation in the competition was not a head-on battle, which was completely different from the way many great gods in the Kunlun Sacred Land fought in the past, and it also made the Emperor recall some things from the past.

They clearly had a huge advantage at that time, and they had the right timing, location, and people, but they kept losing for various reasons.

Just like the current competition, back then they might have been Jiang Qi, whom the Emperor and Empress favored, while the Immortal Court was like Zhang Xuezhou.

Watching Zhang Xuezhou gracefully fly to the Wondrous Dharma Palace, the Emperor breathed a sigh of relief.

"With his current cultivation level, he can turn and turn back in mid-air; his flying technique is not bad," the Emperor said.

"We have not taught him the art of flying, it seems he is doing quite well outside," the Emperor and Empress said.

"Time stands still in the mountains, but a thousand years have passed in the world. No matter how advanced our advantages are, they cannot withstand the relentless march of time," the Emperor said. "The cultivation techniques we cherish may be nothing special in the outside world."

"Your Majesty, why indulge in such worrisome behavior? Although we haven't ventured out, it's not that no one has come to Kunlun. The great cultivators we've tested our skills with over the years have all had limited strength," the Empress said. "There may be some mysterious new techniques outside, but the fundamental level of cultivation remains here. This is an insurmountable chasm they can't overcome even with time. Lacking the longevity of life-sustaining techniques, very few can break through to the Ninth Realm. Even if they do reach the Ninth Realm, they will be ravaged by time, just like autumn harvest!"

"What a pity!"

The Emperor nodded.

The Yangtze River flows on, with each generation surpassing the last; this is almost a law.

However, the difficulty of achieving longevity in the Three Realms is extremely high. No matter how talented one is, one will inevitably perish at the threshold of lifespan.

Countless geniuses have emerged, while countless others have fallen in the long river of time.

Over the past thousand years, dynasties and powers have changed hands repeatedly in the Three Realms, but the Sacred Land that stand as the cornerstone of the Three Realms have remained largely unchanged, still dominated by the same group of people from the past.

The Emperor could only sigh in regret.

"Speaking of which, the Holy Son is human, and his glory has only lasted a few decades. Jiang Qi, on the other hand, is Ba Snake) species, and living for three hundred years is no problem. Your Majesty, this..."

He's not qualified!

The Emperor and Empress had repeatedly recommended Jiang Qi, but this time the Emperor refused even more decisively.

"No matter how long Jiang Qi lives, he will only live a mediocre life," the Emperor said. "Even if Zhang Xuezhou for decades, he might bring about different results. Don't forget how old Jiang Shang was when he rose to power, and don't forget who tampered with Zhang Xuezhou!"

"Yes!"

The emperor and empress frowned, but ultimately suppressed their resentment.

The Emperor judged that everything was based on past experience and deduced from Zhang Xuezhou's description of "Mr. Ren," thus placing his hopes on Zhang Xuezhou.

This was something the Emperor and Empress had been hoping for, and they were even very united in pushing this matter forward.

However, the Emperor's biggest mistake was cultivating a Mind Ape in its true form. This Mind Ape revealed all the things the Emperor had never said, making the Empress realize how slim the odds were of winning such a bet. In fact, after the Mind Ape revealed some things, it almost left everyone without any hope.

The emperor and empress believed that the rebirth of the Golden Crow Great Emperor might be related to these events.

This led the Emperor and Empress to consider a two-pronged approach, or even a three-pronged approach, to try every possible avenue.

Jiang Qi's testing of Zhang Xuezhou was clearly part of the process.

The Emperor and Empress gazed toward the Wondrous Dharma Palace.

At this moment, Zhang Xuezhou continued to leap and bound, his large sleeves fluttering as he flew to the Wondrous Dharma Palace.

"You scoundrel! You actually managed to fool me with your pretense! Take this!"

Jiang Qi's loud shout came from the Wondrous Dharma Palace, and the Emperor and Empress couldn't help but smile.

"The Holy Son tricked Jiang Qi, but Jiang Qi turned the tables and used the trick against him, luring the Holy Son to the Wondrous Dharma Palace... This..."

In terms of scheming and counter-scheming, the Emperor and Empress felt that Jiang Qi was superior.

Just as she thought a fierce battle was about to begin, she heard Zhang Xuezhou utter a word, and Jiang Qi lowered his head, even his grip on his sword became unsteady, and he directly chose to admit defeat.

"How?"

The Emperor and Empress stood up and gazed at each other.

She was watching from a distance and didn't even see clearly how Jiang Qi lost.