As a level-one Mage, Senior Quan was better than most people in Green Abyss when it came to mathematical abilities.
But he was completely overwhelmed when he read the top-tier question. He did not know where to begin to answer it!
After studying it for a while, he had a feeling that he couldn't solve it even if he were to spend the rest of his life considering the question!
However…
The phony that everyone despised was writing swiftly and non-stop… Although it was hard to decide if his answer was correct, the steps he had written had nothing wrong.
Many of the formulas were so complicated that even he had to ponder for a long time to figure them out.
However, Shen Zhe looked as if he didn't need to think. He was even faster as he wrote on.
Senior Quan frowned.
"Why? Is it incorrect?"
The old man who talked to him before approached him.
Everybody else looked at them.
The challengers present were mostly Green Abyss' super geniuses who knew each other very well.
Senior Quan was definitely among the best of them.
"No, it's not incorrect. It's just that… I can't follow it now…" said Senior Quan in embarrassment.
The steps at the beginning could be easily confirmed, but as Shen Zhe wrote on, a lot of the content was already beyond his comprehension.
"If even Senior Quan can't understand it… he can't be writing nonsense, can he? It seems to me that all he cares about is speed…" someone else in the crowd proposed.
Even a level-one Mage couldn't understand it. Who could ensure that it was correct?
Besides, the answer was given by a guy who had a cheating record.
"I don't think it's correct, either!" Someone else agreed with him.
Even though the steps at the beginning were correct, it was still far from solving the top-tier question.
Besides… The guy who had covered his face had left them too bad an impression to be trusted.
"In fact… While we can't tell if it's correct, some people certainly can…"
Seeing that everyone grew excited as they discussed, Senior Quan suddenly opened his mouth.
"Are you talking about HIM, Senior Quan?"
"Isn't he… attempting to reach level two in seclusion?"
"I don't think so. He's too old to reach level two now. However, he's still very good…"
Everyone was stunned, but someone realized whom Senior Quan was talking about.
"That's right. I'm talking about Qiao Zimu, Senior Qiao!"
Senior Quan stopped riddling and gave them the name.
"He used to be a deputy dean at the Green Abyss Academy, known as the best rapid calculator. He could solve the arithmetics of more than ten digits without any paper. Many people admired him for that!"
"I grew up listening to his classes. In my opinion, he's still invincible to this day…"
Everybody clamored in excitement.
Senior Qiao might not be as good as Xiao Jin and the Ninth Princess due to his old age, but he was still one of the most extraordinary people in Green Abyss.
Everyone revered him!
He was most famous for his mental calculation abilities.
However…
"I know what you're thinking. To tell you the truth, Senior Qiao is not in seclusion. We had tea yesterday. His residence is not far away; he should be able to come soon…"
Smiling, Senior Quan asked a servant to invite him.
Everyone was relaxed after knowing that the famous expert would be invited. They watched the wall with less excitement.
It was because the formulas and theories were too enigmatic for them!
"This is the collection of laws revised this year…"
Soon, someone fetched dictionaries and classics of laws to consult them.
The more they searched, the more confused they were.
The steps in Shen Zhe's answer were too intricate to be imagined.
Many of the laws and theorems were applied in the most unbelievable way.
Right when everyone was at a loss, someone said in satisfaction, "The questions of the tertiary tier are already too difficult for Green Abyss, and you're telling me that someone is working on the top tier? Are you kidding me?"
His voice was old but powerful, a telltale of his capabilities.
Everybody looked back and saw an old man whose face had a healthy red hue.
His specific age was a mystery. His hair, beard and eyebrows were white, but his skin was as elastic as a young man's.
"Here comes Senior Qiao…"
Everyone greeted him with excitement.
He was exactly Qiao Zimu, the best mental calculator, and a Mage close to level two!
"Brother Qiao…"
Delighted, Senior Quan approached him.
"Okay!"
Qiao Zimu waved his hand and looked at Shen Zhe who was writing on the wall. He laughed and said, "Is this the challenger of the top-tier question?"
Senior Quan nodded.
"He doesn't know what he's doing… Let me tell you, the Ninth Princess showed me the top-tier question once. I studied it for ten days and knew that I couldn't solve it, so I forfeited!"
Qiao Zimu sniffed and said, "Are you implying that this random guy is better than me?"
"You worked on this question before, Senior Qiao?"
Everyone was stunned.
They had thought that it was the first time the question had been shown, but Senior Qiao had worked on it before and failed!
"Even Senior Qiao couldn't work it out. Was this guy really writing nonsense?"
"The part that we can understand has been confirmed to be correct…"
Knowing that Qiao Zimu was suspicious, Senior Quan explained.
"Your disciple told me about it when we got here. How can he answer such a difficult question when he couldn't solve a much simpler one? I'm going to expose him right now…"
Shaking his head, Qiao Zimu stood still and stared at what Shen Zhe wrote.
His Immense mental pressure awed everyone into silence.
"Huh?"
Qiao Zimu read the words on the wall and calculated quickly. Very soon, his contempt was gone, and he was more and more grave and uptight.
Zi! Zi! Zi!
Sweat popped up on his forehead; due to his fast thinking, it was vaporized before it dripped.
Qiao Zimu slowly roamed in special rhythms.
"He's walking the Eight Trigrams Gait…"
Senior Quan swallowed.
He knew his old friend very well. The only reason his friend was walking the Eight Trigrams Gait was because he was utilizing all his mental power!
His friend had never seemed so overwhelmed!
He was about to ask about the result, when his friend frowned and stepped back with a pale face.
Exhaling, Senior Quan said, "Give me a brush!"
"This guy has forced the best master of mental calculation to use a brush. Even if he's wrong, it's still a great achievement!"
"That's right… I've never seen him use a brush…"
Everyone was shocked.
They all knew Senior Qiao's abilities in mental calculation very well.
Most of the questions he met could be solved without any aid. It was beyond their imagination that he had asked for a brush.
Hu!
Qiao Zimu wrote fast. More and more paper was filled up.
He started to sweat more intensely as he wrote. Hot air was surging out from him as if he were a mobile steamer.
Pu!
Spewing out a mouthful of blood, Qiao Zimu stepped back as if he were greatly wounded.
"Brother Qiao…"
Senior Quan hurried to approach him.
Devouring a pill and breathing quickly, Qiao Zimu had finally recovered. He turned around and said, "Bring me my abacus…"
"He can't keep up with that guy even with paper and brush?"
…
The man in the long cloak had been writing on the wall without stopping. Everyone's eyes bulged as they looked on in utter silence…