Chapter 145: Eager to get back and play mahjong!

The sudden appearance of the Deity of Beauty plunged the entire ruins into a dead silence for a moment.

Everyone's gaze was drawn to that woman, beautiful beyond the likeness of any mortal.

Who was she?

A Ling-generation disciple of Zhenlong Temple?

Since when did Zhenlong Temple have such a figure?!

The minds of the vast majority present went completely blank, utterly baffled.

Only three people here knew the truth.

Lu Yuan.

Shen Shulan.

Lu Yuan and Shen Shulan went without saying.

The two of them had experienced Luo Yan Slope together back then; Shen Shulan had witnessed the entire situation regarding this Deity of Beauty.

Shen Shulan was shocked, finding it hard to believe, staring at the familiar Deity of Beauty before her and murmuring in a voiceless whisper:

"How could it be her...."

As for Shen Jizhou, this man who had just won a brutal duel and was the foremost expert beyond the Great Wall.

The blood on his face seemed to crack slightly due to the stiffness of his muscles.

Shen Jizhou was just momentarily stunned before instantly realizing who this exquisitely perfect woman was.

Shen Jizhou didn't understand why this Deity of Beauty had suddenly appeared here now, and how she could appear here as a disciple of Zhenlong Temple.

When his own daughter had spoken of this Deity of Beauty before, she hadn't mentioned the Deity of Beauty having any particularly good relationship with Lu Yuan.

In fact, his daughter had even said that this Deity of Beauty seemed to pose a danger to Lu Yuan.

She had asked him to see if he could help out.

And now....

An object-turned-deity!

It was her!

That terrifying deity woven from countless resentments and objects, which his daughter had described in detail after returning from Luo Yan Slope!

Why was she here?!

And descending in the capacity of a Zhenlong Temple disciple.

This meant...

A cold, absurd, yet fatal thought, like a black bolt of lightning, instantly pierced through Shen Jizhou's mind!

He abruptly turned his head, his gaze sweeping past his daughter supporting him, past those concerned disciples.

Fixing dead on Lu Yuan, slumped against a giant rock in the distance!

There.

Lu Yuan was slowly lifting his head.

On his face, pale as paper and smeared with blood, there was not a trace of the dejection or unwillingness that follows defeat.

In its place, was a smile.

BOOM!!!

It felt as if a hundred million thunderclaps exploded simultaneously in Shen Jizhou's brain; the blood in his entire body seemed to freeze solid in that instant!

He finally understood.

He understood everything!

Why Lu Yuan had uttered that inexplicable statement earlier, that he had lost, but Shen Jizhou hadn't won either!!

That's right.

From the very beginning, Lu Yuan had never harbored the thought of being able to defeat four Celestial Masters by himself.

Perhaps.

Perhaps relying on the various top-tier Ritual Tools and other things bestowed by the system, Lu Yuan could have managed a surprise victory against one.

But...

How could he possibly win against four?

Many tricks, once used, become ineffective once others are prepared.

Just like this battle with Shen Jizhou.

As Shen Jizhou had just said, even if Lu Yuan could defeat Shen Jizhou....

How could Lu Yuan then defeat He Ming, how could he defeat He Cheng?!

Given this situation, whether it was He Ming or He Cheng, they definitely wouldn't waste words with Lu Yuan from the get-go.

And they absolutely wouldn't play games like using only one hand again.

They would surely aim to knock Lu Yuan out of the ring first, then talk about anything else.

Therefore, Lu Yuan couldn't possibly win.

At most, Lu Yuan could win once, but he would absolutely not win the entire "Questioning Heaven Challenge"!

Of course....

The current situation was that he hadn't even won once.

So, relying on Lu Yuan himself to snatch the Celestial Master title for the old man was, in three words, impossible!

This was something absolutely, categorically impossible.

Even if Lu Yuan didn't choose Shen Jizhou, but instead chose the weakest four current Celestial Masters to undergo the "Questioning Heaven Challenge," he still couldn't win!

Apart from the excessive disparity in strength, where a surprise attack could only work at most once.

There was another point: there simply wasn't enough time.

The rule of the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" was continuous challenges.

Today was Shen Jizhou, tomorrow would be Celestial Master He Xun, the day after Celestial Master He Ming, and the final day He Cheng.

Even if Lu Yuan had won today, given his current state.

He would still have to continue the challenge tomorrow. Regardless of whether he could recover or not, regardless of his condition, he had to take the stage again tomorrow.

If he couldn't take the stage to continue the challenge, then it was a failed challenge.

Of course, Master Uncle He Xun on the second day would go easy, wouldn't fight, would directly concede defeat.

But, with Lu Yuan in this condition.

Forget resting for one day, even if he rested for ten days, he still wouldn't be able to take the stage!

So even if Lu Yuan chose the weakest four, he still couldn't win.

Moreover...

Lu Yuan didn't want to choose that way either.

Lu Yuan wanted to choose Shen Jizhou!!

There was no other reason, just one reason.

There were only seven Celestial Masters.

If the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" could be won, it meant selecting one current Celestial Master to replace!

And the selection could only be made from the four successfully challenged!

What Lu Yuan wanted was to replace Shen Jizhou's Celestial Master position!

Therefore...

Lu Yuan wanted to choose Shen Jizhou!!

And he had to choose Shen Jizhou!

It wasn't targeting Shen Jizhou the person; Lu Yuan was targeting Shen Jizhou's whole doctrine of rules!

Since he both wanted to choose Shen Jizhou and win this "Questioning Heaven Challenge."

These two things combined were absolutely, utterly impossible to achieve!

Lu Yuan had known this, had been clear about it from the very beginning!

So, from the very start, Lu Yuan's aim wasn't to defeat Shen Jizhou himself!

Lu Yuan's aim was to use his all to weaken Shen Jizhou as much as possible, to exhaust his zhenran, to overdraw his spirit!

The reason Lu Yuan dared to do this was because he had studied the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" for a long time.

There was a rule within it: as long as one had a thousand jade beans, one could make the "Questioning Heaven" selection.

And as long as the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" was initiated, the seven current Celestial Masters had to accept!

They couldn't refuse, couldn't postpone, couldn't use any reason not to accept or to delay!

The patriarch who designed the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony hundreds of years ago set this rule precisely to prevent certain Celestial Masters from using various excuses to delay or refuse battle.

After all, if this mandatory rule wasn't set, then the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" would lose all meaning.

A current Celestial Master could use all sorts of reasons to not engage.

Leg hurts today, back hurts tomorrow, butt hurts the day after.

Delay for a day today, delay for ten days tomorrow.

Dragging on like this, what meaning would the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" have?

Delay until the next ceremony is almost upon them?

Therefore, the rule of the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" is: as long as someone disagrees with the selection of these seven Celestial Masters, as long as they have a thousand jade beans, they can apply for a challenge.

And these seven current Celestial Masters cannot use various reasons to refuse the challenge.

Even if you're halfway into your coffin, even if you're like Shen Jizhou now, who, forget accepting a challenge, needs someone to support him just to stand up.

Even in such a state, you must still accept the challenge.

If you don't accept, it's an immediate forfeit!

As for whether...

This is unfair?

Anyone who thinks that is really worrying too much.

The challenger must defeat four Celestial Masters consecutively to succeed; isn't that too unfair to the challenger?

Furthermore, the challenger needs to defeat four Celestial Masters consecutively to succeed, and also must have a thousand jade beans to apply for the challenge.

This was precisely designed to prevent attrition warfare.

So, this rule is very fair!

From the very beginning, what Lu Yuan intended to do wasn't to defeat Shen Jizhou!

But to do everything in his power to reduce Shen Jizhou to his current state!

This way, the Deity of Beauty would have the opportunity to easily defeat Shen Jizhou!

Judging by the current situation, Lu Yuan had done a splendid job!

So splendid he almost finished Shen Jizhou off!

Of course, it wasn't just Lu Yuan's scheming; Shen Jizhou's arrogance played a huge part too.

He simply hadn't taken Lu Yuan seriously at all.

First letting Lu Yuan have three moves, then using only one hand.

Most importantly, after finally letting Lu Yuan have those three moves, he didn't hurry to throw Lu Yuan out of the ring.

Instead, he kept dragging it out, wanting to see what other top-tier Ritual Tools Lu Yuan could bring out.

If not for these reasons, Lu Yuan really might have struggled to achieve the current outcome.

Of course, one could also say these were things Lu Yuan had calculated.

At the very least, Shen Jizhou's fondness for top-tier Ritual Tools was something Lu Yuan had factored into his calculations.

Given the current situation, how to put it...

The Deity of Beauty wouldn't need to do anything; a mere puff of breath could blow Shen Jizhou off the ring.

Though, there's no ring left now.

And all of this, with the descent of the Deity of Beauty, Shen Jizhou had completely figured out, had completely understood.

Now, Shen Jizhou's face was filled with utter horror.

Shen Jizhou truly had never dreamed that he...

He had been schemed against by Lu Yuan from the very beginning...

He had actually been dragged by Lu Yuan to the point where his life force was utterly exhausted!

Dragged to the point where he couldn't even stand steady!

And then...

The real assassin, made her entrance!

"You were quite right, I lost...."

"My 'Questioning Heaven Challenge' is also over..."

"But....."

Lu Yuan looked at Shen Jizhou's face, which had shifted from shock to horror, and finally turned ashen, his voice suddenly rising.

".....But the matter of snatching the Celestial Master title for my family's old man has only just begun!"

Pfft—

A mouthful of rebellious blood, no longer suppressible, violently sprayed from Shen Jizhou's mouth!

His body shook violently; if not for Shen Shulan holding onto him tightly, he would likely have collapsed to the ground again.

Meanwhile, Celestial Master He Xun beside Lu Yuan was utterly dumbfounded.

Celestial Master He Xun looked at Lu Yuan, then at that woman who emerged from the ruins' light and shadow, making the entire world seem to pale in comparison.

His brain completely short-circuited.

No!!!

What the hell is going on?!

Who the hell is this woman?!

And... she's...

Zhenlong Temple??

Ling-generation?

Ling Mei??!

Celestial Master He Xun's memory bank frantically searched. There was indeed something terrifyingly powerful in Zhenlong Temple, but that was an Evil Entity!

This one before him...

There wasn't the slightest trace of evil aura on her; on the contrary... she was so pure it seemed otherworldly.

That kind of aura, pure, vast, carrying an aloofness that looked down upon all living beings.

Huh??!!

For a moment, Celestial Master He Xun felt his brain throbbing in pain.

What the hell is all this?!

Where the hell did Lu Yuan get such a good-looking, powerful woman from?!

And, the key point was...

How does this kid always manage to get such women to help him?!

With the appearance of the Deity of Beauty, the entire ruined city completely sank into an eerie, dead silence.

The wind stopped.

The dust also seemed to solidify in the air.

Everyone's gaze was firmly nailed to that figure, unable to look away even slightly.

She stood there.

Standing at the edge of the ruins, at the boundary between the afternoon sunlight and the vast dust.

Sunlight projected from behind her, casting a hazy golden rim around her body, yet unable to penetrate the faint, almost imperceptible mist surrounding her.

That mist was extremely faint, so faint it was almost invisible, yet it truly existed, separating her from this world by an unseen distance.

Her countenance was indescribable.

Any language attempting to describe it would be a desecration.

It was a beauty that transcended words.

Not the beauty a mortal woman could possess, not the beauty a painted fairy could attain, but—

The beauty of a deity.

So perfect it seemed almost false, so exquisite it seemed carved.

Yet, she stood there so undeniably real, so real it made one's heart palpitate.

Her eyes were lowered, her eyelashes casting faint shadows on her eyelids.

Her lips were slightly pursed, bearing no smile, no expression, only a transcendent, aloof indifference that looked down upon all living beings.

She just stood there quietly.

Yet, on the entire ruins, everyone's breathing halted at that moment.

The Deity of Beauty moved.

She took steps, one by one, walking towards Lu Yuan.

Each step seemed to tread upon the heartstrings of everyone present.

Making everyone's hearts contract heavily, once, once, in rhythm with her pace.

Lu Yuan simply watched quietly as the Deity of Beauty walked towards him.

Speaking of which, Lu Yuan felt this whole thing was initially thanks to the old man.

The old man accepting her as a disciple to allow the Deity of Beauty to freely enter and leave Zhenlong Temple...

That could practically be called the greatest maneuver in the history of the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony!

The rules of the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" have been said countless times; the most important thing is having jade beans.

Without a thousand jade beans, you cannot initiate the "Questioning Heaven Challenge."

And the Deity of Beauty, having become the old man's disciple, is a disciple of Zhenlong Temple.

As a disciple of Zhenlong Temple, she can use the jade beans Zhenlong Temple obtained in the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony to issue a challenge.

This single point practically filled the last remaining loophole in the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" rules!

The old man, magnificent! No further words needed!

Finally, the Deity of Beauty gracefully arrived before Lu Yuan.

Stopped.

Lowered her head.

Looked down at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan raised his head and looked at her.

Their eyes met.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still.

No one dared to speak.

No one dared to move.

Only the afternoon wind gently blew through the ruins, stirring up fine dust.

The Deity of Beauty leaned forward slightly, extending that jade-white hand, gently, gently, placing it on top of Lu Yuan's head.

Her movement was very light, very soft, as if caressing an injured young animal.

Then, she parted her red lips slightly.

Her voice, clear and cold as an icy spring, ethereal as heavenly music, yet carrying an indescribable tenderness:

"You alright~"

Lu Yuan looked up at the Deity of Beauty and said:

"Don't worry, it's just my zhenran being exhausted. No tendons or bones were injured, nothing serious. A few more days of rest and I'll be fine."

The Deity of Beauty nodded seriously, her slender finger gently poking Lu Yuan's cheek, her tone tinged with a bit of urgency.

"If you're fine then hurry up!"

"Tell them to start quickly! I'm missing one over there; Meiqin and Qiao'er are both waiting!"

"I'm in a hurry to go back and play mahjong!"

Lu Yuan: ...

"Got it!"