Wei Yuan stepped out of the great hall's doors and saw Zhang Sheng and Sun Yu already waiting in the square.
Upon seeing Wei Yuan, Zhang Sheng reached out and grabbed him from mid-air, pulling him over and then disappearing.
Moments later, Zhang Sheng, holding Wei Yuan, appeared in a quiet side hall. He set him down, then walked around him, bent down to inspect Wei Yuan's pupils closely, and pinched him a few times in various places, incessantly asking, "Is there any hidden pain in your Primordial Spirit? Are you feeling restless or agitated? Are you seeing heart demons or strange, illusory scenes arise?..."
Zhang Sheng asked seven or eight questions in succession, to which Wei Yuan shook his head at each one. Still not reassured, Zhang Sheng shot a streak of green light from his fingertip into Wei Yuan's brow. As the Green Energy emerged, Zhang Sheng's face turned a few shades paler.
Sun Yu, witnessing this, asked, "Is there something you're worried about? My master, Master Ning Xi, is skilled in medicine. If it really comes to that, we can ask him for help when we return to the palace."
Zhang Sheng sat down and said, "This isn't something that can be remedied by medicine or herbs. The Outer Heaven Destiny I granted Yuan'er isn't enough to sustain the continued usage of the Heaven and Earth Madman. Yuan'er has used a little too much. It might be fine for now, but I worry that in the future there may be a backlash from the destiny, so I've placed a Sword Qi in his Sea of Consciousness. If there really is a backlash, it can at least provide some initial protection."
Sun Yu was greatly shocked and said, "You're taking the calamity upon yourself! How... How can you do this?"
Taking the calamity upon oneself was akin to defying the heavens, with the person who took it on potentially facing calamities several times worse than the one they're shielding, and a single misstep could result in death and the dissipation of their Dao. Hence Sun Yu's loss of composure.
Zhang Sheng raised his hand to stop Sun Yu and said, "I have already decided on this matter, there's no need for further discussion."
"But!..." A strand of green Sword Qi arose in front of Sun Yu, silencing the words that followed.
Sun Yu sighed and begrudgingly sat down, looking dejected.
Zhang Sheng flipped his hand, and a piece of Jade Paper appeared in it. He handed it to Wei Yuan and said, "This is your Dao Test Literary Test score, take a look for yourself."
Wei Yuan took the Jade Paper, and the score on it far exceeded his expectations. As for the Dao Test, Wei Yuan had always been confused and had no idea what the standards were for others, but he had expectations for the Literary Test. According to Zhang Sheng's previous teachings, Wei Yuan felt that his score should be near perfect, or at least twenty-eight or twenty-nine—not lower. The actual score saw a deduction of more than ten points, a difference between expectation and reality that was too great. Could it be... that Zhang Sheng had taught him wrongly?
Wei Yuan looked up at Zhang Sheng with suspicion.
Zhang Sheng, who had spent three years day and night with Wei Yuan, knew exactly what his glance meant and immediately flew into a rage: "Do you think I didn't teach correctly?!"
Wei Yuan quickly lowered his head: "This disciple wouldn't dare!"
"What do you mean you wouldn't dare! Clearly, that's what you think!" Zhang Sheng was even more infuriated.
Sun Yu stepped in to mediate: "Alright, alright, this child is Fengyuan County's number one! Counting previous sessions, this time our Fengyuan's comprehensive exam is probably unique in the whole Great Tang! Such an achievement that brings honor to you, and yet what more do you want? If you don't want to teach, why not just let me have him?"
"Keep dreaming!" Zhang Sheng bluntly rejected Sun Yu, then focused back on Wei Yuan, his face showing a hint of pain, "For this brat, I was fined three years' salary! Ah... my annual salary is actually quite high."
Sun Yu immediately sympathized deeply and said, "Indeed, my dear junior brother, please accept my condolences."
Zhang Sheng took back the Jade Paper from Wei Yuan's hand and asked, "Do you know why I showed you this score?"
Wei Yuan shook his head: "This disciple doesn't know."
Sun Yu also shook his head: "Always playing word games, can't you just speak plainly?"
Zhang Sheng suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed, coughed once, and said, "The Immortal Path is treacherous, not even slightly better than the Mortal World. The great disparity between the score you deserved and the final actual score is clear evidence. In the future, should you encounter an unsolvable predicament, remember not to show off your bravery recklessly, and when necessary, endure and restrain yourself. 'As long as the green hills last, there will be no lack of firewood.' This mortal wisdom remains relevant on the Immortal Path too. Take me for example, I have thoroughly grasped the essence of hiding one's capabilities and biding time, being able to bend and stretch. Back in the day..."
Sun Yu snorted with a cold laugh from the side, "You talk as if you've ever endured anything!"
Zhang Sheng acted as though he hadn't heard.
After Zhang Sheng finished giving his advice, Sun Yu, full of interest, asked Wei Yuan, "What's the deal with those wild boars?"
Wei Yuan honestly replied, "When using the Luck Technique, besides myself, I felt connections to many things around me that I could attach luck to. At that time, I was unable to move and needed a mount, so I tried attaching luck to a wild boar, and then it grew larger and could move according to my will."
"And the consumption?"
Wei Yuan pondered carefully, "It didn't seem to have any consumption; after the boar died, the attached luck returned on its own."
Sun Yu was taken aback for a moment before saying, "That doesn't conform with the grand Dao taught by the ancestor. How can there be no consumption when controlling Illusion Beast Puppets?"
But Sun Yu, knowing that the art of luck wasn't his forte, didn't dwell on it and turned to Zhang Sheng, saying, "This time Yuan'er ranked first, and that child from the East Sea Yan Family must have been bumped off. Brother, be careful in the days to come."
Zhang Sheng was unconcerned, "How few people have I offended this time? The Yan Family is just one more."
By now, it was already late, and Zhang Sheng asked Wei Yuan to rest. They would head to Taichu Palace early the next morning.
At this very moment, within a grand and ornate hall of the Red Tide Sect, Bao Yun sat in her chair, poised and serene, softly saying, "I don't care, I won't go to the Great Treasure Flower Pure Land. I want to enter Taichu Palace."
A young cultivator looked helpless, pleading earnestly, "Miss, this isn't something you can change just by saying so. Besides, you possesses innate wisdom, and the ready-made Dharma Image has been waiting there for you for a full seven years! If you switch to Taichu Palace, not to mention anything else, you'll have to suffer much more in your cultivation, and the Daoist Skill you cultivate will certainly not be as good as the Ruyi Glaze Dharma Image."
Bao Yun remained unmoved, "Father said that with my talent of the Double Heavenly Armor, whatever I cultivate will end up the same. I want to enter Taichu Palace."
The young cultivator could only offer a bitter smile, "This really isn't child's play, my Miss! If you're still hung up on that boy riding a pig, shall I find a way to capture him for you to beat up and vent your anger? You first enter the Great Treasure Flower Pure Land, and then everything is up for discussion!"
Bao Yun spoke softly without any change in her demeanor, "You can't even defeat his master, so don't lie to me. I want to enter Taichu Palace."
"I may not be able to defeat him, but I can ask Master to come forward."
"His master also has a master, and your Master is no match for Master Fen Hai."
"I have a grandmaster too!"
"He's no match for Xuan Yue True Monarch either."
Bao Yun shut down the young cultivator with a few sentences, then turned to an elderly man standing beside her and said, "Tell Father, I want to enter Taichu Palace."
The elder nodded, closed his eyes for a moment, and when he reopened them, he held a beautifully sealed Jade Letter in his hand and said, "The slot for Taichu Palace has been acquired, you just need to write your name and date of birth on it."