The trial was over.

At the same time, the bamboo baskets containing flowers on the backs of the cultivators on the mountain all flew toward the Taiyan Sect disciples on Wangxian Terrace without exception.

The baskets had the names of all the cultivators carved with Yuanli from the beginning, so there was no worry about taking the wrong one.

Immediately after, the mushroom mountain rapidly shrank. The cultivators still on the mountain hadn’t yet reacted when their feet had already touched solid ground.

The moment Zanxing stepped onto the ground, she was met head-on with a punch from Wang Shao, accompanied by his furious shout: “Bitch!”

This punch didn’t land on Zanxing. A sect disciple standing on Wangxian Terrace waved his sleeve, and Wang Shao fell flat on the ground. That sect disciple glanced this way and said indifferently: “No fighting or causing trouble in the trial grounds.”

This rule was quite good. Wang Shao dared to be angry but didn’t dare speak. He was helped up by Duan Xiangrao, who rushed over, and could only stare at Zanxing with a sinister expression. Zanxing wasn’t afraid of him at all.

On Wangxian Terrace, Zi Luo smiled: “The results will be announced in a quarter of an hour.”

The cultivators below the stage became lively again, whether they knew each other or not, all asking those around them: “How many did you pick?”

“Not many, not many, barely sixteen flowers.”

“So many? It seems fellow Daoists will be able to enter the sect.”

“You flatter me, you flatter me. I just picked them casually. What about you, brother?”

“Ah, I’m ashamed. Only eighteen flowers.”

“…”

It was just like the large-scale answer comparison scene after an exam.

Those who remained on the mountain and picked flowers could still hold onto anxious expectations, while those cultivators who fell midway or had their flowers stolen looked dejected. They didn’t need to wait for the results and left on their own.

When exam results were announced, there were always some happy and some sad. Hong Su stood outside the Yuanli Gate, waving at Zanxing from afar. She and Lao Niu looked like parents picking up examinees, bringing a touch of humor to the heartache.

Zanxing also saw an acquaintance, Mu Cengxiao. The young man stood to one side. He had no close friends around him, only Liu Yunxin standing outside waiting for him. Zanxing asked: “How many did you pick?”

Mu Cengxiao frowned: “None of your business.”

What a cold male protagonist. Zanxing didn’t continue trying to chat with him.

After an unknown amount of time, the sect disciples on Wangxian Terrace gradually stopped their movements. Zi Luo smiled slightly, walked forward, and said: “Now we begin announcing the results.”

She extended her slender jade finger and pointed casually. Immediately, a layer of water ripples appeared below Wangxian Terrace, as if a transparent mirror had suddenly appeared in the air. Then, countless golden lights flew toward the water mirror, forming glowing names on the mirror’s surface. From top to bottom, exactly one hundred and twenty names.

“You may all look for your names on the water mirror. Those whose names appear, from today forward, are all disciples of our Taiyan Sect.”

In an instant, the cultivators surged forward, all searching for their names on the water mirror. There were even some who couldn’t read, saying: “Is there any kind person who can help me look? I’m illiterate. My name is Tian Datou. Please help me see if my name is there!”

It was exactly like high school students checking their college entrance exam scores.

Zanxing also planned to go look, but after taking just one step, she was grabbed by someone.

Looking back, it was Wang Shao.

Wang Shao stared at her as if she were his father’s killer. He said, “Do you think your name will be on that list?”

“Why not?” Zanxing asked back.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Wang Shao roared irritably: “You’re just a waste who barely reached Refining Qi Stage First Level using my Spirit Stones and pills! Even if you refined that demon core and luckily entered the selection trial, you couldn’t possibly get into Taiyan Gate. I’m telling you, Yang Zanxing,” his gaze was somewhat crazed, as if he didn’t know whether he was trying to convince Zanxing or himself, “you caused me to fail to enter the sect. When I return to Yue City, I will make your entire Yang family pay a painful price. You will regret everything you did today!”

Zanxing looked at the crazed Wang Shao before her, a subtle feeling rising in her heart. These words, in the original story, were what Wang Shao said to Mu Cengxiao. And now, Wang Shao was saying them to her. The plot was still developing as before, but the target had changed to another person. In this case, had she changed the plot or not changed the plot?

Steadying herself, Zanxing looked at Wang Shao and said: “I heard that Yue City rarely produces a sect disciple in a hundred years. Once a sect genius appears, the entire city will exhaust all resources and energy to cultivate and protect them.”

“So what?”

“The reason you’re so prominent in Yue City isn’t just because you’re the city lord’s son, but also because you’re the first genius in Yue City to enter Foundation Establishment before age eighteen.” Zanxing’s voice was calm. “So the people of Yue City placed high hopes on you, but now you’ve been eliminated. If I enter the sect, Yue City will take pride in me, and you probably won’t be able to retaliate arbitrarily.”

“Easy words to say. Do you think that just because I can’t get in, you can?” Wang Shao retorted mockingly.

Zanxing said nothing, pushed through the cultivators who had gradually dispersed in front of her, and looked up at the golden characters floating in mid-air.

Li Er, eleven flowers… Duan Xiangrao, twelve flowers… Zhao Liu, seventeen flowers… Mu Cengxiao, twenty-three flowers…

Zanxing continued looking up unhurriedly. Wang Shao also unwillingly squeezed in and looked up with her.

…Yang Zanxing, twenty-one flowers, rank sixty-eight.

“Impossible… impossible…” Wang Shao was struck as if by lightning, his lips trembling as he couldn’t speak.

Zanxing turned around, looked at him, and said: “Now, do you still want my Yang family to pay a price?”

Wang Shao stared at the green-clothed young woman before him. Under the sunlight, the black marks on half her face seemed to be blurred by the golden light. At first glance, she looked no different from the charming young lady of the past, but looking carefully, she was completely different.

Yang Zanxing had entered Taiyan Gate. Regardless of her cultivation level, she now had a sect as backing, and all of Yue City would hold their heads high with pride for producing a sect disciple. No matter how dissatisfied or hateful he was, he couldn’t strike deadly blows against the Yang family. In a world where the strong were revered, this was how it was – might made right.

The young woman’s face carried a smile. She stepped forward, and Wang Shao instinctively stepped back. Her voice was also gentle, but within that gentleness was a layer of barely perceptible mockery.

“Young Master Wang, now I am the hope of the entire village,” she said. “You are eliminated.”