Chapter 833
Who in the world doesn’t recognize you?
Two figures, like birds with broken wings, spiraled and fell from the sky. The world had never been so quiet, except for the howling wind.
The cultivators watching the battle stood up in varying degrees, their eyes fixed on the two figures, their mouths agape, silently expressing the shock in their hearts.
Before attending this grand event, no one expected that a competition between young cultivators would be so fierce.
In the previous rounds of competition, all the contestants gave their all, even at the cost of injury. They thought that this was the limit. They never expected that the final would be even more ruthless, with some even risking their lives, ultimately resulting in a lose-lose situation.
After the two fell out of the arena at the same time, Zhuang Yuechan and Qin Zhengdao leaped up and transformed into streaks of light to catch them steadily.
The onlookers, seeing the two unconscious men, felt a mix of shock and complex emotions.
At this point in the battle, winning or losing was no longer important. They had witnessed a brilliant star fall from the sky, and the one who accomplished all of this was just an unknown nobody.
Moreover, he was only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. To challenge someone of higher cultivation from a lower level is never an easy task, but Song Changsheng did it. He did everything perfectly and delivered the most amazing result.
"Ji Liangyu, Long Han, and Ling Xiao, three top contenders, did not make it to the end. The one who faced Zhao Yin was actually an unknown nobody."
Moreover, even the pre-match consensus champion encountered unexpected twists and turns, making the trip truly worthwhile. I haven't witnessed such a stunning match in ages.
"He's still an unknown nobody now, but he won't be after today. His name will surely spread throughout the entire southwest, and even to more distant places. Wanxiang Palace has truly struck gold." A True Person in the spectator stands exclaimed sincerely.
"As far as I know, this child is not a disciple of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, otherwise there would have been no way that no information had been leaked."
"Hey, so what if it isn't true? This kid almost lost his life for this competition. How could the Myriad Manifestations Palace treat him badly?"
Over time, they became inseparable. If Song Changsheng were to break through to the Nascent Soul realm in the future, this friendship would be a great help to the Myriad Manifestations Palace.
"In comparison, I am more curious about the outcome of this competition. How should the result of the competition be determined in the end? The Five Academies Competition has been held for so many sessions, but there has never been a tie."
"Does this mean we'll have to play an extra match?"
"If the first match ends like this, and there's to be a tiebreaker, it might even result in deaths. Neither the Myriad Manifestations Palace nor the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty would agree to that. The loss of either of these two would be a loss for the entire human race."
Just as everyone was discussing heatedly, the True Lord from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion stroked his beard and looked at the True Lord Yingyue beside him with a smile, saying, "It seems that all of you fellow Daoists here are very interested in the final result. I wonder how you will pronounce your verdict?"
As the sole referee of the Five Academies Grand Competition, True Monarch Yingyue can directly decide the outcome of the competition. Unless it is too outrageous, no one will overturn her decision, because her status represents absolute authority.
True Monarch Yingyue stood up, but instead of announcing the results directly, he said in a loud voice, "Because the situation is rather special, the final result of the competition needs to be discussed and decided together with the five deans. Please be patient, fellow Daoists."
As soon as the words fell, the True Lords gathered together and used their spiritual power to construct a spiritual world to communicate. No one could know the content of their discussion, and no one knew how the final verdict would be.
Ji Shinian carefully examined Song Changsheng, his brows furrowed. The injuries on his body were truly horrifying. His sternum and ribs had been shattered by Zhao Yin's final counterattack, and his internal organs had also been affected. There were over a hundred scars all over his body, with hardly any unscathed flesh.
There was also a strange power raging wildly within his body.
If it were an ordinary person, such a severe injury would have already brought death to them, but apart from being severely exhausted, none of Song Changsheng's injuries posed a threat to his life.
Moreover, he is recovering rapidly. Even without human intervention, his injuries can be fully healed, which is an abnormal recovery ability.
"Fellow Daoist Zixu's injuries are not serious; he will recover after some rest."
"This is the [Shangqing Yuhua Pill], which has miraculous effects on healing this type of injury. Once Fellow Daoist Zixu's injury has stabilized a bit more, you can dissolve it in a mild spiritual wine and feed it to him." Ji Shinian took out a jade bottle from his robes and handed it to Zhuang Yuechan.
The [Shangqing Yuhua Pill] is a top-grade fourth-tier pill. For Golden Core cultivators, it is no exaggeration to call it a holy product for healing. Its refining process is extremely complicated, and only a long-established power with a profound foundation like the Myriad Manifestations Palace can produce it.
"Thank you, Master." Zhuang Yuechan accepted the jade bottle, looking at Song Changsheng's blood-stained face with deep sorrow. He had paid far too high a price in this battle.
"Senior Brother, is Fellow Daoist Zixu's injury really not serious? Why don't you take a closer look? If it's really not good, we can ask the masters from Baiding Pavilion to take a look. Li Yufeng still owes Fellow Daoist Zixu a favor, so we can't refuse to help with this small matter, can we?" Li Yunxuan's face was full of distrust towards Ji Shinian.
Upon hearing this, Ji Shinian said irritably, "This matter is of great importance. If I didn't have a certain degree of certainty, why would I make a conclusion so quickly?"
Once the True Lords have reached a conclusion, the Supreme Elder will naturally come to treat the patient personally; why would there be any need for the Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion to come?
Besides, you're already reassured about entrusting Fellow Daoist Zixu to their treatment; the outcome isn't certain yet.
Liu Yunxuan chuckled and scratched his head, saying, "That's true."
But he quickly realized what Ji Shinian meant by the last sentence and said in a deep voice, "Does Senior Brother mean that there is still a possibility of a tiebreaker?"
"It's not impossible. In short, we need to help Fellow Daoist Zixu recover as soon as possible."
At the same time, several True Lords were also having a heated discussion in the spiritual world. Apart from True Lord Longxiang and Grand Master, who did not speak because their own contestants were involved, the other three Deans had different opinions.
Tianpeng Zhenjun of the Beast Taming Sect believed that although both sides were injured, based on the order in which they fell out of the arena in the clouds, Song Changsheng fell out earlier than Zhao Yin. According to the rule that leaving the arena automatically results in a loss, Zhao Yin should be judged to be the winner.
However, his view was quickly refuted by the Thousand Refinement True Monarch of the Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion: "Fellow Daoist, have you forgotten that there is another rule in the competition that if a contestant falls unconscious during the competition, he is considered to have lost. Zhao Yin fell unconscious earlier than Song Changsheng. According to this rule, Song Changsheng should be judged to have won."
"Fellow Daoists, whether you fall unconscious first or leave the arena first, it will not change the final result of mutual destruction, nor should it be a factor affecting our judgment."
First, we should clarify beforehand what the original intention of holding the Five Academies Grand Competition is. We are not just looking for a champion, but also a guide and spiritual leader for all young students and mentors of the Five Academies for the next six hundred years.
This person not only needs to possess exceptional strength and talent, but also influence and personal character are extremely important factors.
Both Song Changsheng and Zhao Yin were impeccable in their talents and conducted themselves fairly and squarely during the competition, so these two points are considered equal.
"But in terms of influence, Zhao Yin, who has already made a name for himself, is far superior to Song Changsheng. I believe that Zhao Yin should be judged the winner to inspire the students of the Five Academies," said Xuanji Zhenjun calmly.
Upon hearing this, True Monarch Qianlian immediately objected: "What you said is all correct, but there is only one wrong point. If we want to establish a role model, wouldn't it be better to choose Song Changsheng, who comes from a humble background?"
Among the five academies, apart from your Tianshui Academy, most are cultivators from independent sects or small families. Song Changsheng is similar to them, and compared to the First Prince, he can undoubtedly have a better motivating effect.
His words went beyond simply defending Song Changsheng; they carried a hint of sarcasm. Among the cultivators from the five major academies participating in the competition, even the Beast Taming Sect, which claimed to only recognize bloodlines and not personal relationships, included cultivators from outside the four major families.
Only the Ji family of Tianshui, from field B to field A, is entirely composed of people with the surname "Ji". The Tianshui branch is a purely Ji family branch, which has long since ceased to exist in name only.
Under such a distorted management system, they naturally cannot understand what kind of spiritual leader the students of the five colleges should need.
Just as Xuanji Zhenjun was about to retort, the old national teacher, who had not spoken until now, suddenly interjected: "Since you fellow Daoists each have your own opinion, in my opinion, we should respect the contestants' own wishes."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yin, who had taken the elixir, slowly awoke from his coma.
In terms of injuries, he was actually more seriously injured than Song Changsheng, but his injuries were mainly physical, while Song Changsheng was mainly due to excessive consumption of energy and the shock to his soul caused by his final counterattack. He would need at least several days to wake up.
However, he can maintain a clear mind.
"It seems the outcome is quite obvious. If it were a life-or-death battle, Song Changsheng would have been dead the moment Zhao Yin awoke," Tianpeng Zhenjun said calmly.
"That's not how it works. Who knows if Song Changsheng held back in the end? You all witnessed the power of that formation firsthand," Qianlian Zhenjun retorted, not to be outdone.
Ignoring their argument, Yingyue Zhenjun came to Zhao Yin and said, "You and Song Changsheng are both injured, which means the outcome is still uncertain."
According to the competition rules, either of you can choose to play an extra match to re-determine who will be the first-place winner.
The tiebreaker can be conducted in another form. Song Changsheng is currently in a coma, so you can make a decision first.
After listening quietly to Yingyue Zhenjun's words, Zhao Yin said almost without hesitation, "No need. He has won this battle."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear, so clear that everyone could hear it.
An uproar erupted immediately, and the cultivators of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty found it even more unacceptable.
In their view, Song Changsheng was able to do all this because he had used a clever trick to catch Zhao Yin off guard.
If a tiebreaker is played, Zhao Yin is prepared and can definitely win, keeping the honor of first place in Dazhen.
What does he mean by this now? Is he admitting defeat?
Zhao Yin said calmly, "He is in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm, while I am in the late stage. Our cultivation levels are not equal. If I cannot win, it is a failure. Even if I win another match, it will not be glorious."
I, Dazhen, have always acted with integrity. It was just a failure. What's wrong with accepting it humbly?
Gentlemen, let us not allow our comrades present to underestimate the integrity of our dynasty.
His voice, though soft, was deafening, directly calming the turbulent emotions of everyone present from the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty.
"Your Highness acted somewhat impulsively. However, it would have surprised me if he hadn't done so," Qin Wuwei commented on Zhao Yin's choice, taking a sip of his fragrant tea.
"Knowing what to do and what not to do is Your Highness's style. It's just a title and a [Earth Infant Fruit], and it's not worth it to be looked down upon by the world for it."
Admitting defeat did not cause Zhao Yin's image to collapse in the eyes of the military and the cultivators of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty; on the contrary, it made him even more compelling.
"Is this your choice?" True Monarch Yingyue asked again.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Yingyue Zhenjun nodded, then turned to the crowd and said, "In the final of the Five Academies Grand Tournament, Song Changsheng, the instructor of the Wanxiang Palace branch, defeated Zhao Yin, the instructor of the Zhulu Academy, and won the first place in this Grand Tournament ahead of schedule with a total of six points."
You will receive two [Earth Infant Fruits], two million academy contribution points, be promoted from branch honorary mentor to honorary elder of the five academies, and be enshrined in the Hall of Glory of the five academies, your name echoing far and wide!
After those words were spoken, Song Changsheng's position as the top scholar was unshakeable.
For a time, almost everyone was chanting Song Changsheng's name.
The people of Wanxiang Palace were stunned. Before the competition began, they had fantasized about this outcome, but when Ling Xiao was defeated in the competition, this "wish" was ruthlessly extinguished.
But Song Changsheng defied all the impossibilities and succeeded in doing just that!
Even though Ji Shinian and the others had experienced many ups and downs, their hearts still skipped a few beats when they heard the result.
The last time Wanxiang Palace won first place was thousands of years ago.
Compared to their calmness and reserve, the younger generation present were not so reserved and could freely express their joy. In their eyes, Song Changsheng's image at this moment was even taller than a giant.
The Song clan cultivators couldn't help but straighten their chests, calmly welcoming the gazes from all directions.
From this day forward, the name of the Song family, Wangyue, will spread far and wide along with Song Changsheng's glorious achievements.
[The Embroidered Banner] What Song Changsheng could never do in his entire life, he did!
Born into such a family, all they could feel was endless glory.
Of those present, only one person felt an immense pressure: Zhuang Yuechan.
As Song Changsheng's Daoist partner, she was also the focus of everyone's attention.
These gazes, filled with scrutiny, were undoubtedly a source of pressure for her.
But she will not back down under pressure; instead, she will become stronger under pressure and silence all doubts!
...(End of chapter)