“My brother-in-law is so incredible? Even more recommendation talismans than what the demonic phantom predicted? Didn’t the demonic phantom say that my brother-in-law would get only one thousand four hundred recommendation talismans in the first round? My brother-in-law got one thousand nine hundred!” Long Wanyu looked at the plaza excitedly.
“Huh?” The Qian Heavenly Emperor suddenly frowned at Long Wanyu.
“Old fogey, what are you looking at me for?” Long Wanyu immediately yelled.
At the side, Lifespan Beiming asked anxiously, “Princess Wanyu, what did you say? Gu Hai got five hundred more recommendation talismans than you predicted? What do you mean? Was there something wrong with your prediction?”
“You are the one with something wrong. I only predicted that Brother-in-Law would eventually enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace. When did I predict one thousand four hundred?” Long Wanyu rolled her eyes.
“But, didn’t you…,” Lifespan Beiming said.
“Aren’t you a lifespan cultivator? Don’t you know that there are many uncertainties with the future? I’ll repeat myself; I only predicted the final result for Brother-in-Law, not the details of the process. The demonic phantom is the one who tried to predict the process. It’s one thing for him to do that, but he even ended up fainting. He is still unconscious!” Long Wanyu rolled her eyes again.
“The demonic phantom made a wrong prediction?” Lifespan Beiming said in puzzlement.
“Of course. You have no idea how difficult this prediction was.” Long Wanyu nodded.
“Then, try predicting again. Why is the result different? How many recommendation talismans Gu Hai will obtain in the second round?” Lifespan Beiming said worriedly.
Long Wanyu rolled her eyes at Lifespan Beiming. “Do I look stupid to you?”
“Huh?” Lifespan Beiming felt slightly startled.
“That ridiculous demonic phantom fainted because of his prediction, taking me down with him. Yet, you want me to make another prediction? Dream on!” Long Wanyu said with a glare.
Lifespan Beiming: “…”
“Wanyu, is the outcome certain? Gu Hai will enter?” Long Zhanguo asked.
“Of course. Don’t you believe me?” Long Wanyu immediately retorted.
“However, why was the demonic phantom’s prediction wrong?” Long Zhanguo asked.
“How would I know? He has fainted.” Long Wanyu shook his head.
“That’s right. What is happening now? Why has the second round not started yet?” Long Wanyu asked.
No one dared to say anything before Long Zhanguo.
“Little Sima, you speak!” Long Wanyu pointed at Sima Changkong.
Sima Changkong smiled bitterly. My father is here. His Holy Eminence is here as well. Why did you call me out?
Sima Changkong looked at Long Zhanguo and Sima Zongheng. Long Zhanguo did not say anything. Sima Zongheng turned to Sima Changkong and nodded.
“Princess, we are currently picking assistants for Gu Hai,” Sima Changkong explained.
“Assistants? I’ll go! Old fogey, I’ll be Brother-in-Law’s assistant! Let me go!” Long Wanyu immediately said excitedly.
“What are you going for? Are you skilled in cultural cultivation?” Lifespan Beiming asked with a frown.
Nothing could go wrong with this Ten Thousand Sages Convention. Naturally, Lifespan Beiming could not let Long Wanyu cause trouble.
“With Brother-in-Law around, it will be fine. What are you afraid of? I’m going!” Long Wanyu insisted.
The Qian Heavenly Emperor glanced at Long Wanyu and nodded. “Wanyu, go on, then.”
“Ah? Your Holy Eminence!” Lifespan Beiming, Sima Zongheng, and the officials immediately felt anxious.
“Haha! Old fogey is the best!” Long Wanyu said happily.
“Sima Zongheng, there’s no need for you to go. Let Sima Changkong go. There happen to be two more spots to fill. Wanyu and Sima Changkong will fill them,” Long Zhanguo said indifferently.
“Your Holy Eminence…yes!” Sima Changkong wanted to object but did not in the end, merely nodding.
When Long Zhanguo decided something, no one could change his mind.
Long Wanyu rushed happily towards Gu Hai and Bing Ji. Sima Changkong also headed to the plaza’s center while carrying a pile of things.
“Brother-in-Law, I’ll help you in the second round!” Long Wanyu called out excitedly.
When Gu Hai saw Long Wanyu coming over, he gaped slightly. The Qian Heavenly Emperor sent Long Wanyu to be my assistant? Isn’t his trust in me too much?
“Wanyu, you are awake?” Gu Hai said with a bitter smile.
“Yes. I took a nap and am all better now. Brother-in-Law, I heard that you knocked up the sages?” Long Wanyu said excitedly as she looked at the unconscious sages in the sky.
Gu Hai: “…”
What do you mean I knocked up the sages?
“Your Majesty, this official is limited in her ability and fears holding back Your Majesty. How about Your Majesty use one of the Qian Nation’s civil officials?” Bing Ji suggested in a pleading tone.
The Supreme Genesis’s eyes turned cold as he snorted coldly.
He had given Bing Ji some instructions. By trying to pull out, Bing Ji was spoiling his plan.
“The Qian Nation officials are outsiders, after all. You are one of our own. Don’t worry. I’m here,” Gu Hai said.
You are one of our own?
Upon hearing Gu Hai’s words, Bing Ji teared up for some reason.
“Yes! This official will do her best!” the teary-eyed Bing Ji said.
“Brother-in-Law, am I one as well?” Long Wanyu called out proudly.
“You? Is there even a need to ask?” Gu Hai rolled his eyes.
“I just knew that Brother-in-Law is the best to me.” Long Wanyu smiled.
“Mister Gu, this humble one is untalented. I will do whatever you say,” Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile.
“Mister Sima, sorry to trouble you,” Gu Hai said with a smile.
Sima Changkong nodded.
“Look! Mister Gu found three assistants already! Mister Sima? He nearly became the top scholar previously. Picking him is the right decision. That woman must be someone Mister Gu brought. She is called Bing Ji, I think. Her cultural cultivation is alright. Ah! There’s Princess Wanyu!” The cries of the citizens rang out in the surroundings.
As the citizens discussed, Long Wanyu felt extremely excited.
This was because most of the voices were praising Gu Hai as well as her. With hundreds of millions of people praising her, she felt like she was on cloud nine.
However, Gu Hai’s lineup confused the people of the major factions.
The Azure Emperor rubbed his thumb ring as he frowned slightly. “The Qian Nation’s imperial tutor, Sima Zongheng, is not participating? Is Long Zhanguo that arrogant?”
Emperor Kong narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at Bing Ji.
The Grand Mohist, the Supreme Genesis, and the Future Buddha showed cold and indifferent expressions.
“Two hours have passed. The Ten Thousand Sages Convention will begin. Inviting the participants from the Solar Divine Palace, Myriad Age Daoist Sect, and Spirit Mountain Holy Land in!” Gongyang Sheng shouted.
“Amitābha!” The Future Buddha said a Buddhist greeting as he waved his hand, bringing three bodhisattvas with him as he flew to the plaza’s center. One of them was Bodhisattva Zi Zhu, whom Gu Hai shot in Heavenly Mao City.
Bodhisattva Zi Zhu followed behind the Future Buddha, looking at Gu Hai coldly.
“Hah!”
The Supreme Genesis smiled and flung his sleeves out as he flew slowly to the plaza’s center with two six-winged angels and Yehua in tow. Yehua snorted as he looked at Gu Hai coldly.
The Grand Mohist flung her sleeves out and flew to the plaza’s center with a white-clad man with a Taiji diagram embroidered on the front. As they flew over, the Grand Mohist glanced at Gu Hai coldly.
There were already one hundred participants in the plaza. They now split into four groups around Gu Hai. Three of the groups headed towards the Supreme Genesis, the Grand Mohist, and the Future Buddha. The last group had ten people standing alone. These one hundred participants had not sought out assistants.
“Salutations, Veritable Lord!” Thousands of sages in the sky immediately bowed respectfully to the Supreme Genesis.
“Salutations, Lord Future Buddha!” Thousands of sages bowed respectfully to the Future Buddha.
“Salutations, Grand Mohist!” Thousands of sages bowed respectfully to the Grand Mohist.
This was the reverse of what happened earlier.
Previously, it was two thousand sages being aloof, looking down on everyone. Now, the eight thousand sages were extremely respectful to the leaders of the three holy lands.
“What are they doing? Why are they bowing? Are they really sages?” Long Wanyu appeared upset.
At the side, Sima Changkong smiled bitterly. “Princess, you don’t know this, but these sages were from the three holy lands when they were alive. The Supreme Genesis, the Grand Mohist, and the Future Buddha are the most respected people in the three holy lands. No matter how old the sages in the sky are, it is pointless.”
“Why?” Long Wanyu asked with a frown.
“Let’s take the Supreme Genesis, for example. He might be less than ten thousand years old, but his earthly soul reincarnates every ten thousand years. He would be found, and his memories, restored. Since ancient times, the Supreme Genesis has been him. It is just that he endlessly reincarnates. The sages might be very old, but they are all the Supreme Genesis’s juniors. Some of them are even the Supreme Genesis’s disciples,” Sima Changkong explained.
Gu Hai recalled that he had once saved a snake spirit, Xiaorou. She was the reincarnation of the Supreme Wa’s earthly soul. Later on, she merged with the Supreme Wa’s body, heavenly soul, and mortal soul.
“So, it is a bunch of old farts!” Long Wanyu suddenly understood.
“How rude!” Yehua shouted furiously nearby.
“Humph!” Long Wanyu snorted coldly, ignoring Yehua.
“The three holy lands are different from each other. For the Spirit Mountain Holy Land, they are reincarnations of buddhas. The Future Buddha is still the Future Buddha. Only the Myriad Age Daoist Sect’s Supreme Ascendant is different. She might not be the first-generation Supreme Ascendant. That’s why they address the Supreme Ascendant as Grand Mohist,” Sima Changkong explained.
“Oh? Why?” Long Wanyu asked, feeling puzzled.
“I’m not sure. I only heard my father say that the Supreme Ascendant is not a person but a mental state. Anyone who gains this mental state can be the Supreme Ascendant. This generation’s Grand Mohist should be the person with the closest mental state. That’s why she was chosen to be the Supreme Ascendant but is addressed as the Grand Mohist. She is not the Supreme Ascendant yet. She can only be addressed as the Supreme Ascendant once her mental state is fully in conformity,” Sima Changkong explained.
“How complicated!” Long Wanyu shook her head, indicating that she did not understand.
Sima Changkong smiled bitterly.
“The participants are already here. For the Ten Thousand Sages Convention’s second round, I—Gongyang Sheng—will host the calligraphy Dao segment, Host Founding Dynasty will host the music Dao, Host Liu Nian will host the painting Dao, and Host Guan Ninth will host the Go Dao. Right, Guan Ninth will start the Go Dao segment!” Gongyang Sheng shouted.
“Gu Hai, step forward!” Ninth Young Master called out.
Gu Hai slowly took a step forward.
“Again?”
“Hahaha! It was Gu Hai who went first during the first round. He drew an egg and made the sages pregnant!”
“Again? Gu Hai is going first again? Is he going to draw an egg again?”
“That’s not right. This is the Go Dao segment. What can he do in the Go Dao segment?”
The spectators discussed this.
Gu Hai took a deep breath and said, “Participant Gu Hai has some minor accomplishments in the Go Dao. I would like to wager my recommendation talismans against the sages’. I challenge the sages to a battle in the Go Dao. Will the host permit it?!”
Challenge the sages?
Gu Hai shouted, and the surroundings fell quiet. Many people goggled.
