Gu Hai opened his eyes slightly. Some light seemed to shine into his eyes.
“He’s awake! He’s awake! Brother-in-Law is awake!” Long Wanyu cried out excitedly.
“It has been ten days and ten nights! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Bing Ji said excitedly.
“Mister Gu is awake! Quick, look! Mister Gu is awake!”
“He is truly awake! This is great. Some nonsense Myriad Age Daoist Sect!”
“If not for His Holy Eminence’s benevolence, they can forget about participating after harming Mister Gu like that!”
The entire Heavenly Yin City broke out in a loud commotion.
Gu Hai was still in a daze. Although he had opened his eyes, the scenes from Qingyang Palace still flashed in his mind.
Qingyang Palace? I once went there with my mother when I was young. However, I don’t remember seeing Li Er there.
Li Er? He passed me the Classic of the Dao and Virtue?
Earth? Flying saucers? Aliens? Earth is a cage?
Gu Hai found the various scenes strange.
Was that a dream? However, why was that dream so strange? Or did I really return to Earth earlier?
Why did the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal in my forehead space not react?
“What happened to me?” Gu Hai rubbed his head.
“Brother-in-Law, you finally woke up. It would have been bad had you not woken up. Sima Changkong can’t hold on for much longer!” Long Wanyu said anxiously.
Gu Hai rubbed his temples as he looked to the center. He saw the Grand Mohist there with an unfurled scroll above her. A huge pillar of light connected the sky and the ground where the scroll was.
This was not the small pillars of light from the recommendation talismans but a huge, translucent pillar of black-and-white light. Encased in holy light, the gorgeous Grand Mohist looked even more radiant.
The pillar of light had large tentacles coming out of it, each one like a towering whip that swung in the surroundings. It was like a spread-out web that shook space.
Every tentacle seemed to be giving off the sound of someone reading segments of scriptures. Each tentacle was like a line of scripture, spewing out endless noble spirit. This encased the entire Heavenly Yin City—even the thirty-three layers of heaven—in vast noble spirit.
“That is the Supreme Ascendant Scripture.” Bing Ji pointed to the scroll above the Grand Mohist.
Sima Changkong stood opposite the Grand Mohist. He had three pillars of light around him—one red, one green, and one yellow. However, the light from these three pillars was much weaker than the one from the Supreme Ascendant Scripture. These three pillars of light also had tentacles. However, most of them had already withered and were drooping, apparently at death’s door.
There was a scroll in each of the three pillars of light.
“Those are Mister Sima’s three scriptures, the Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture, the Clear Sky Scripture, and the Blood River Scripture. The Clear Sky Scripture is the one with the blue Dao and laws. That was the one obtained in Major Metropolitan City. However, it got torn in half by him and Gongyang Sheng; hence, it has weakened significantly. Now, it is just at the level of a quasi-holy Dao scripture. The Blood River Scripture is a holy Dao scripture, but it is far weaker than the Supreme Ascendant Scripture. The laws of the Blood River Scripture and the Clear Sky Scripture clashed with the Supreme Ascendant Scripture’s laws and were nearly completely crippled before they gained three recommendation talismans, just three! Now, it is the Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture clashing, and several segments have been destroyed already. Even so, it does not show any progress,” Bing Ji said bitterly.
“Brother-in-Law, quickly go and teach her a lesson. They had taken all the music Dao and painting Dao recommendation talismans!” Long Wanyu exhorted incredibly anxiously.
Gu Hai rubbed his temple, becoming a little more clear-headed.
“Mister Gu, you are awake?” Gongyang Sheng called out anxiously.
Gu Hai stood up and took in his surroundings with some confusion.
Many voices were shouting his name in the surroundings.
To the Qian Nation citizens, these ten days and ten nights were like a nightmare. Earlier, Gu Hai had easily gained recommendation talismans. The Qian Nation citizens had only felt happy, nothing else.
However, these citizens had discovered how much they needed Gu Hai over the past ten days.
The three holy lands fought against the Qian Heavenly Dynasty here. Since Gu Hai was the hall master of the Qian Heavenly Dynasty’s Elite Hall, he naturally represented the Qian Heavenly Dynasty, represented them.
They did not feel this much during the first round. However, the second round was practically the home ground of the three holy lands.
The three holy lands were all existences equal to the Qian Heavenly Dynasty. Furthermore, they had been inherited for tens of thousands of years. Their accumulations from their great age were horrendous.
During the music Dao segment and the painting Dao segment, the Supreme Genesis, the Grand Mohist, and the Future Buddha casually took out a piece of work from their past, possibly even their past lives.
Although the Qian Heavenly Dynasty was no weaker than the three holy lands, it was still lacking in accumulations.
Sima Changkong had already done his best. Many people could tell that Sima Changkong was much more capable than most of the participants in the first round. Furthermore, he had the things that the Qian Heavenly Dynasty had collected. Even so, he could not compare to the three holy lands.
Since Gu Hai fell asleep, Sima Changkong had repeatedly suffered defeat. As Gu Hai’s assistant, he naturally represented the Qian Heavenly Dynasty and the surrounding Qian Nation citizens.
After seeing one of their own lose repeatedly, how could the Qian Nation citizens not be anxious?
At the same time, the Qian Nation citizens scolded and insulted the Grand Mohist, saying that the three holy lands were shameless and made Gu Hai faint because they could not defeat him.
This was too much, simply cheating.
If not for the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s pardon, the Qian Nation citizens would even have wanted to drag the three holy lands away.
Ten days and ten nights. The Qian Nation citizens suffered from ten days and ten nights of pent-up frustration. Who could bear it?
Only when they felt the frustration did they start to feel how precious Gu Hai was and how important Gu Hai was.
During the first round, Gu Hai had gained countless recommendation talismans by greatly frustrating the sages. Most of the Qian Nation citizens had been happy. However, some people still had not thought much of it, believing that Gu Hai used excessive means to win, displaying a lack of integrity.
However, what was integrity to the Qian Nation citizens now? What was the use of it? Could it be eaten and fill the stomach? Mister Gu, quickly wake up!
Countless people stared at Gu Hai.
The instant Gu Hai woke up, countless citizens naturally started cheering.
Although they knew that the Supreme Ascendant Scripture was ridiculously incredible, Gu Hai’s achievements gave the Qian Nation citizens a sliver of hope. Now, nearly everyone cheered when Gu Hai woke up.
“He woke up? It’s too late. That is the Supreme Ascendant Scripture. Ten days and ten nights have passed. There is no more chance.” Emperor Kong narrowed his eyes slightly.
“All Gu Hai could fight for was the painting Dao and the music Dao. However, those are over already. Now, only the calligraphy Dao is left. The calligraphy Dao? How could the other holy Dao scriptures in the world compare to those from the three holy lands?” The Azure Emperor narrowed his eyes as well.
Where the Qian Heavenly Emperor was in the north:
“He finally woke up!” Lifespan Beiming said after taking a deep breath.
“However, Eminent Father, there are already no more opportunities for the music Dao and the painting Dao. Only the calligraphy Dao remains. Just by revealing only five lines, the Supreme Ascendant Scripture already defeated the Clear Sky Scripture and the Blood River Scripture. Although the Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture is incredible, it might not be effective,” Long Shenwu said with a frown.
“Third Crown Prince overpraises this official. There is still much to perfect. That Supreme Ascendant Scripture has been passed down since ancient times, continuously being perfected all the while. Perhaps my Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture might follow in the Clear Sky Scripture’s steps,” Sima Zongheng said with a bitter smile while shaking his head.
While Sima Zongheng was proud of the Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture, he did not dare to compare it to the Supreme Ascendant Scripture.
“No wonder Old Mister Guan Qi did not dare to touch the calligraphy Dao segment one thousand years ago. He only participated in the music Dao, Go Dao, and painting Dao,” an official at the side said with an unsightly expression.
“Although Gu Hai can write excellent compositions like ‘Bring in the Wine’ and the ‘Great Compassion Mantra,’ those are just songs or poems. They are just minor offshoots of the calligraphy Dao. Scriptures are the true mainstay of the calligraphy Dao, yet…,” another official said with a bitter expression.
“Although Gu Hai woke up, it’s too late already!” Long Shenwu sighed.
“What are you worried about? The competition is not over yet!” the Qian Heavenly Emperor said in a deep voice.
“Don’t speak so fast. Did you forget that the prediction is for Gu Hai to enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace?” Lifespan Beiming said indifferently.
“Huh?” The surrounding officials felt startled.
Then, they recalled Long Wanyu saying this, saying that Gu Hai would go in.
However, could Gu Hai enter, given the situation? Could he save the situation?
“Can Gu Hai write a scripture that is no weaker than the Supreme Ascendant Scripture?” Long Shenwu narrowed his eyes.
“Humph! Why do you think His Holy Eminence permitted the Supreme Genesis, the Supreme Ascendant, and the Future Buddha to continue participating after their earlier audacious actions? Gu Hai will enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace; that’s why he let the Supreme Ascendant Dao’s Grand Mohist knock Gu Hai out. Otherwise, His Holy Eminence could make sure they never leave this place, even if they come from the three holy lands. Even if we have to start a war with the three holy lands, the Qian Nation’s prestige cannot be trampled on,” Lifespan Beiming said coldly.
“Yes!” the worried officials immediately answered.
The Qian Heavenly Emperor stared at the plaza. Although he trusted Long Wanyu’s prediction, he still felt somewhat worried. Can Gu Hai pull off a miracle?
In the plaza, the Supreme Genesis and the Grand Mohist saw Gu Hai wake up.
“It has been ten days and ten nights. The painting Dao segment and the music Dao segment are already over. What is the point of waking up now?” the Supreme Genesis said with a cold smile.
The sages in the sky mocked Gu Hai too. “He is awake. Even so, what is the point? Hahahaha!”
“What is the current situation?” Gu Hai took a deep breath, slowly regaining mental clarity.
“Your Majesty, you slept for ten days and ten nights. The music Dao segment and the painting Dao segment have already ended. Unfortunately, the three holy lands took all the recommendation talismans. As for the calligraphy Dao, the sages gave their recommendation talismans to the people of the three holy lands. Just two days ago, the Future Buddha and the Supreme Genesis transferred all their recommendation talismans to the Supreme Ascendant Dao’s Grand Mohist,” Bing Ji said with a bitter smile.
“The Supreme Genesis and the Future Buddha gave up on the competition?” Gu Hai asked, his voice sinking.
“Yes. They transferred their recommendation talismans to the Grand Mohist to allow her to enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace. Among the one hundred other participants from the first round, ninety are from the three holy lands. Now, there are ten independent cultivators with one recommendation talisman each for a total of ten, Your Majesty has three thousand four hundred three recommendation talismans, and the Grand Mohist has six thousand five hundred eighty-seven recommendation talismans,” Bing Ji replied bitterly.
“Mister Gu, in accordance to His Holy Eminence’s order, I managed to help you delay for ten days. I can no longer carry on. Mister Gu, please make your move,” Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile, anxiety filling his face.
