Chapter 144: Li Zhangsheng's Layout (Fourth update, for Divine Artifact Mengmengda)

Even the Eagle King, as strong as he was, has fallen; the danger of the Abyss Gate is evident from this. Compared to the Eagle King, they are nothing right now; there is absolutely no comparison.

Compared to them, Li Zhangsheng still maintained his confidence. He was not dejected, nor did he even harbor thoughts of giving up. He was different from others; with his special ability, the possibility of him becoming a King in the future was extremely high, and it was even possible for him to become an even stronger existence. This brought him a level of self-confidence far exceeding that of ordinary people. Not only did he not lose confidence, but he actually gained a bit more motivation.

Never before had there been a moment where he was so desperate for power!

However, Zhang Yi did not know this! Seeing Li Zhangsheng lost in thought, he subconsciously assumed that Li Zhangsheng was like everyone else, caught in self-reflection. Acting as a member of the Yuanling Three Musketeers, Zhang Yi kindly offered some words of comfort.

"Zhangsheng, I know you are under a lot of pressure right now. I was the same way back then, my heart filled with panic, feeling so suppressed I couldn't breathe, even having thoughts of giving up and becoming a weakling protected by others. With my family background, I could have completely stayed tucked away at home; it is very likely I would never have to face the Abyss Gate in my entire life, nor would I have to fight against cruel demons!

But you have also seen that the situation has deteriorated over the past few years, and the circumstances are very unfavorable for us. If another Abyss Gate appears in the Langya Kingdom, I fear we will not have enough strength to suppress it. Even if one does not appear, if everyone gives up on the idea of becoming stronger, I fear that in less than ten years, the Langya Kingdom might cease to exist!"

Seeing that Li Zhangsheng was listening, Zhang Yi paused and continued: "My grandfather told me that he and many other Stronger individuals had also once felt fear and panic, worried about not seeing tomorrow's Sun Banner, worried about never seeing their loved ones again. But they had no choice; they had to suppress the Abyss Gate. Even if they had to carry the burden forward, even if they were to die and fall, they had to support a sky for us as much as possible, giving us a relatively stable environment to grow up in.

I feel that, whether for ourselves or for others, only by working hard to become stronger can we better control our own destiny, rather than being ostriches with our heads buried in the dirt, waiting to be slaughtered!"

"Do I look like someone who would be crushed so easily by pressure?" Li Zhangsheng looked at Zhang Yi speechlessly, though a warm smile appeared on his face. Zhang Yi had taken the initiative to comfort him, and even if it was a misunderstanding, it made Li Zhangsheng approve of him a bit more.

Furthermore, he agreed with Zhang Yi's words: even if one must carry the burden forward, one must try their best to control their own destiny, rather than giving up on oneself—what difference would that have from waiting for death?

He could not be like a fish, where the living fish worries about troubles, and the dead fish finds peace!

Well, that is indeed how fish die!

"Alright, it seems I was worried for nothing!" Zhang Yi shrugged, wanting to return to the dormitory area with Li Zhangsheng.

"You go back first; I still have some things to handle!" Having crazily purchased eggs over the past few days, Li Zhangsheng had paid a large amount of resources for them, and combined with his expenses during this period, he was becoming increasingly short of money and could not hold out for long.

In order to obtain cultivation resources, Li Zhangsheng had the idea of selling High Quality Fairy again. Acting on the principle that charity begins at home and the desire to sell favors, he set his sights on the other three members of the Zhao Clan Four Heroes.

Whether from the perspective of common sense or sentiment, they were the best trading partners.

Firstly, they were of the same clan as Li Zhangsheng, and the relationship between the two sides was quite good; they watched over and helped each other. If their strength grew, it would also be of some benefit to Li Zhangsheng. If they could become members of the Newborn Elite Class because of this, that would naturally be even better. Secondly, given their strength, even if they obtained high-quality Demon Pet, they could not pose a threat to Li Zhangsheng. Thirdly, this could also be considered strengthening the power of his clansmen, which would certainly be of benefit to the family. Fourthly, since Li Zhangsheng was willing to sell to them first, they would, more or less, owe him a favor.

The hardest debt to repay in this world is a debt of favor!

Not long after, the Zhao Clan Four Heroes gathered once again. Because they were all of the same clan, the four of them always maintained contact, watching over and helping each other at the Yuanling Academy.

This time, Li Zhangsheng brought them to his own courtyard; this was also the first time Li Zhangsheng had brought outsiders into his courtyard.

Just as they stepped into the courtyard, Li Runfeng let out a slightly exaggerated sound: "Wow, Zhangsheng, your courtyard is truly grand; it is much better than our single dormitories!"

Although Li Tianyu and Li Jingyi did not say anything, they also revealed expressions of envy. Being able to live here was undoubtedly a form of enjoyment.

Because it was their first time visiting, the three of them kept looking around Li Zhangsheng's courtyard, much like Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.

Hearing Li Runfeng's words, Li Zhangsheng grasped the main point: "So, you're saying Jingyi succeeded in her challenge?"

Because her test results were quite average, Li Jingyi had initially been assigned to a double dormitory. As it happened, her roommate was a male who looked very ordinary and behaved in a very sloppy manner, so she naturally wanted to move out of the dormitory urgently.

"That's right, yesterday I initiated a Dormitory Challenge against a newborn in a single dormitory, and in the end, I successfully snatched his dormitory!" Li Jingyi replied. Perhaps it was because she had just moved into a single dormitory, but her mood was excellent, and she even spoke quite a bit more.

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

In this way, except for Li Zhangsheng, the other three had all moved into single dormitories. Although it was possible for them to be pulled back down by others, this also indicated their strength, ranking in the upper-middle among all newborns, giving them a chance to compete for a spot in the Elite Class.

While talking, Li Zhangsheng invited them into the living room.

Li Zhangsheng stated his intentions immediately.

"I called everyone here today mainly for two things. The first thing concerns the Elite Class. Currently, there are already over a hundred newborns signed up for the Elite Class, and by the time registration closes, I fear there will be hundreds. However, there are only 20 spots in total for the Elite Class. With many monks and little gruel, from a probability standpoint, the possibility of becoming an Elite Class Member is very low.

Judging by the current situation, the Academy will surely hold assessments or competitions just like in previous years, selecting the best from the good to screen the most outstanding newborns!

My idea is quite simple: if they use competitions to screen, then we can only rely on individual luck and strength; but if it is an assessment, as long as there is an opportunity, we can band together, watch over and help each other, avoiding the possibility of being picked off one by one by opponents, and increasing the success rate of the assessment. What do you all think?"

"I agree!"

"Seconded!"

Without hesitation, Li Tianyu and Li Jingyi raised both hands in favor. Li Zhangsheng's proposal could be said to be all benefit and no harm for them.

"I also agree, but with your strength, Zhangsheng, you will definitely be able to become an Elite Class Member. There is absolutely no need to go to such trouble; in that case, it would be us taking advantage of you instead!"

Unlike Li Tianyu and Li Jingyi, Li Runfeng said a bit more. If it were truly like this, they would inevitably owe a favor.

Hearing Li Runfeng's words, the other two revealed expressions of sudden realization. Although more and more newborns were advancing to the Second Rank, the number of Second-tier Student still had not reached double digits. With Li Zhangsheng's strength to defeat Luo Jie while only at the First Rank, it could be said that he had secured a spot in the Elite Class.

(End of chapter)