Chapter 153: Rules of the Contest

“Enough, I didn’t come here to chat with you.” Shen Qingyun waved his hand and said, “I want two quotas for the Tongsheng Road.”

“What!” Upon hearing this, Ye Zhongqi stopped and stood up angrily, glaring at Shen Qingyun. “Do you think the Tongsheng Road quotas are like cabbages growing in a field, just something you can take whenever you want?”

“Are they not?” Shen Qingyun rolled his eyes. Ye Zhong sat back down and spoke earnestly, “It’s not that I don’t want to give them to you. The Tongsheng Road quotas are for Outer Academy students to compete for; if we give them to you, they can only go to Inner Academy students. They also have to fight for these quotas!”

Shen Qingyun snapped back impatiently, “Cut it out. You two have had your eyes on me for a long time. I’ll agree to your demands, but I must have two—no, three—Tongsheng Road quotas.”

He, Feng Chuxun, two quotas, and just in case, the Big Black Wolf counts as one.

“How come there’s an extra one now?” Ye Zhong was taken aback.

“That’s none of your concern. If you agree to my demands, I’ll agree to yours.”

Ye Zhong and Cheng Feng exchanged glances, both seeing the hesitation in the other’s eyes. Ye Zhong said, “This is a bit complicated. You should go back first. I’ll discuss it with the vice dean.”

Shen Qingyun rolled his eyes again. “Just say yes or no. If you don’t give them, I won’t agree to your demands either.”

He had no intention of giving them a chance to add more conditions.

Ye Zhong spoke solemnly, “The matter of Tongsheng Road quotas is not to be taken lightly.”

“Fine, then I’ll give up on the quota competition. Just help me get into the Inner Academy.” Shen Qingyun waved his hand decisively.

“Hey hey, everything’s negotiable,” Ye Zhong immediately urged.

“Still negotiating?” Shen Qingyun asked sharply.

“No more negotiations,” Ye Zhong shook his head and sighed, completely cornered by Shen Qingyun.

Cheng Feng turned back to Shen Qingyun with a smile. “At least he’s the dean; leave him some face.”

Shen Qingyun curled his lips. “Face is earned, not given.”

“You rascal,” Cheng Feng laughed in mock reproach.

A breeze swept through the pavilion, and the atmosphere fell into silence. Shen Qingyun didn’t rush, patiently waiting for Ye Zhong’s reply.

“I can agree to your demands, but how many quotas can you actually win?” After a long pause, Ye Zhong looked directly at Shen Qingyun and asked.

Shen Qingyun smiled, his domineering intent plain as day. “How many do you want?”

Ye Zhong fell silent. What did he mean by “how many do you want”? The quotas allotted from the Holy Land were limited. After the various dynasties took their share, the remaining ones were divided among the three great academies to contest. Could Shen Qingyun possibly monopolize all those quotas alone?

“Maybe it’s actually possible,” a strange thought flickered through Ye Zhong’s mind before he quickly shook it off. What a joke—if one academy took all the quotas, not only would the other two be unhappy, but the Holy Land itself would grow suspicious. With thorough investigations, nothing could be hidden.

“I want seventy percent of the quotas. Can you make that happen?” Ye Zhong suddenly said.

Cheng Feng was amused by Ye Zhong’s guilty expression, but Shen Qingyun nodded confidently. “Yes, it’s doable.”

Looking deeply into Shen Qingyun’s eyes, Ye Zhong nodded. “Alright, I agree to your demands.”

“Then I have nothing more to say.” Shen Qingyun said and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Ye Zhong called out.

Shen Qingyun stopped and looked back. “Something else?”

“How long will you stay at the academy?” Ye Zhong asked.

“I already took the Tongsheng Road quotas. How long do you think I’ll stay?” Shen Qingyun countered.

“I thought you’d stay for a long time,” Ye Zhong said softly.

“No,” Shen Qingyun shook his head. “I have other matters to attend to.”

Ye Zhong paused, and Cheng Feng turned around, puzzled, asking, “What matters?”

“The nine strikes of the Dao Bell herald the arrival of a prosperous era, but who knows what it truly signifies?”

Hearing Shen Qingyun’s cryptic words, Ye Zhong and Cheng Feng grew even more bewildered, utterly unable to grasp his meaning. Yet, they felt the words likely concerned the fate of the world.

But now, Shen Qingyun was gone. They couldn’t call him back for a detailed explanation. Three hundred years was a long time; at their level, they could afford to wait.

Naturally, Shen Qingyun would never fully explain, and even if he did, they might not believe him.

Suddenly sensing something, Shen Qingyun’s form flickered, turning into a streak of spirit light as he swiftly returned to where he was staying. Under the Big Black Wolf’s puzzled gaze, he leapt onto the roof and gazed up at the sky.

His eyes brimmed with anticipation, as if waiting for something.

Far on the horizon, a flash of light darted across the clouds—a dark red glow streaked like a meteor.

A faint smile crossed Shen Qingyun’s lips. The Heaven-Sealing Halberd had returned!

“Master.”

A childlike voice echoed in Shen Qingyun’s mind, making his smile grow brighter.

“Heaven-Sealing Halberd, you can speak now,” Shen Qingyun replied mentally.

The Heaven-Sealing Halberd landed before him, bouncing like a joyful child. “Thanks to Master breaking through to Spirit Form, I can speak.”

Shen Qingyun laughed and asked, “You came back so quickly? I thought it would take about a month.”

“Sorry, Master. I didn’t go to Central Continent,” the halberd said apologetically. “I saw the Purple Bamboo Holy Land in the South Sea, so I hurried back to inform you.”

Hearing Purple Bamboo Holy Land, a rare flicker stirred in Shen Qingyun’s eyes. “The same Holy Land as before?”

The halberd replied, “I found the Holy Land’s ancestor. It turns out the little one named Zi Pu is the current ancestor. The others remain but are nearing the end of their lifespans and have fallen into slumber to slow their decline.”

“Zi Pu said they have lived until now just to wait for Master’s return, ready to serve at any time!”

“These folks…” Shen Qingyun smiled wryly. They really didn’t need to go through all this.

The halberd cautiously asked, “Master, should I still scout the situation in Central Continent?”

“No need,” Shen Qingyun shook his head. “The quota competition is about to start, and soon we’ll be heading to the Holy Land anyway.”

“Understood!” The dark red halberd transformed into a streak of light and shot into the clouds.

…

Purple Cloud Academy had been silent for half a month until news spread that sent both the Outer and Inner Academies into a frenzy.

The Holy Road quota competition was about to begin!

More excited than the Outer Academy was the Inner Academy, and not just excited but full of eager anticipation. How many quotas would the Outer Academy students bring back this time?

Originally, twenty-nine people plus one wolf could participate in the competition, but five had already given up, having entered Inner Academy cultivation half a month earlier.

This didn’t affect much—twenty-four people plus one wolf. For the first time in history, a demon beast would join the quota competition, making it a hot topic.

“Wishing all senior and junior brothers a triumphant return!”

Beneath the massive ark, many Outer Academy students stood on the plaza, saluting the ark in unison. Their mighty presence scattered the clouds above.

During this time, they had learned from some senior Inner Academy students about the quota competition. On the surface, it was a contest for quotas, but it held deeper meaning. The three great academies outwardly maintained equal prestige, but there had always been rivalry beneath the surface. The best way to prove one’s academy superior was to excel in events jointly held by all three.

This quota competition was precisely that—a ranking of the three academies. The academy that secured the fewest quotas would be at the bottom, and its students would feel inferior in exchanges with others.

It was a form of suppression.

On the ark’s class A deck, Ye Zhong stood with his hands behind his back, his gray robe fluttering. All the students participating in the competition stood neatly behind him.

Ye Zhong said, “In this competition, the three great academies will vie for sixty-three quotas. This is the most ever—one hundred sixty-three quotas in total. The various dynasties took one hundred quotas. We must fight for the remaining sixty-three.”

Turning to look over them, he said, “So this battle may be the fiercest in history.”

Seeing Ye Zhong’s stern expression, all twenty-four students except Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun wore solemn looks.

They were here to bring glory to the academy!

Shen Qingyun quietly calculated seventy percent of sixty-three.

“Thirty-six quotas,” he thought. Not too difficult.

Seeing their expressions, Ye Zhong nodded with satisfaction. An academy could endure and flourish only because of students like these.

Ye Zhong exhaled deeply and continued, “Now, I will explain the competition rules.”

“The contest takes place in a secret realm. You may form teams or act alone. Each person will receive a map of the realm. Your goal is to acquire as many core formations of strategic points as possible.”

“The core formations come in three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. When you find one, you can take it immediately, gaining corresponding points: one for basic, two for intermediate, and so forth. The more cores you have, the higher your score.”

“Within the rules, you may steal core formations from others. If successful, the victim loses half their points, but defense does not increase your own score.”

“You have one month to accumulate points. The top ten scorers proceed to the next stage. Points can be used once to enhance your spiritual power; everyone may participate.”

At the mention of rewards, a spark lit in the eyes of the twenty-four. The spring of spiritual energy last time had left them wanting more.

“The second stage is the real contest for quotas, attacking strategic points. Puppets guard these points, but quotas may not always be found there. You can also seize others’ quotas!”

Ye Zhong pointed to his forehead. “Your current quotas will be displayed here. The person with the most quotas will have their location shown on the map…”

“When the last quota is found, the competition ends and the third stage begins.”

Ye Zhong said, “The third stage is a gladiatorial battle among those still holding quotas. Quotas are the stakes; no rules apply—life and death are fate!”

A roar erupted. They had thought the first two stages posed little danger, and that the second required only acquiring quotas and hiding. But the third stage was the real beginning. Without sufficient strength, the stakes would be more than just quotas—it would be their lives.