Chapter 546

Chapter 546: They Never Said We Can’t Ask Our Competitors
Nan Gong Yu was also smiling, his eyes full of appreciation. As a cultivator who had risen up from the Middle World, he naturally felt a special fondness for cultivators from the Middle World. Especially when he met someone as hardworking and gifted as this, it stirred his love for talent even more. He decided right then that after the selection ended, he would be the first to extend an olive branch to Yu Zhao. The other members of the Daqian Alliance had flickering eyes as well; clearly, they were tempted too.

Outside the Daqian Alliance’s area, Ancestor Sui Bian could not help slapping his thigh hard. The Old Black Daoist sitting next to him let out a miserable scream: “Ow!” He grabbed for Ancestor Sui Bian’s neck and cursed: “Damn old man, why don’t you slap your own thigh!”

Ancestor Sui Bian of course would not let the Old Black Daoist get his hands on him. He twisted his body and used a move like Monkey Steals the Peach in return. Huang Zhong, Old Jin, and the others were watching the scene with great interest; when they saw the two of them making such a racket, they turned around and glared at them fiercely: “All of you, shut up!”

In front of these Sovereign Seniors, Ancestor Sui Bian and the Old Black Daoist did not dare act up. They shut their mouths at once and shrank back like quails. Only then were Huang Zhong and the others satisfied.

Huang Zhong sighed with emotion: “This Yu Zhao child really is a surprise!”

Someone next to him echoed with regret: “Yes, yes. How come such a good child isn’t one of our Heavenly Sword Sect’s juniors?”

A Five Elements Dao Sect elder chuckled lightly and said: “Maybe our Five Elements Dao Sect is blessed and rich in spiritual energy, so talents appear one after another. This kind of thing can’t be copied just by envy.”

Another elder only snorted: “Heh!”

The others fell silent: “…”

Although the seniors of the cultivation world sounded like they were arguing with gunpowder in their words, in the end, they were all happy for Yu Zhao and proud of her.

Other people’s moods were not so good, especially those who had grudges with Yu Zhao. At first, their thoughts had all been that Yu Zhao would definitely die here, but by now they had quietly changed to [as long as we leave each other alone, we will be fine].

They had finally seen it clearly. Yu Zhao was a monster who did not follow common sense at all. Since they could not beat her to death, they absolutely could not keep treating her as an enemy. Besides, she was about to go to the Great World. Out of sight, out of mind. As long as they did not have to watch her jumping around right under their eyelids anymore, they could pretend nothing had ever happened.

Inside Painting Mountain, under the cover of the Heavenly Pillar Array and her Dual Dao Intent, Yu Zhao had already left that region far behind. Right now, the most important thing was to pass the Third Trial. All other grudges and debts were temporarily pushed to the back of her mind.

Through the clouds and mist, she looked at one floating island after another in the sky. The smile at the corner of her lips slowly faded. These mountains…

Yu Zhao had thought that since she cultivated both formations and Illusion Dao, she should be able to find the flaws in these mountains faster than everyone else. But no matter how she observed them, every one of these immortal mountains looked real. Not a single one seemed fake.

Unwilling to accept that, she flew to one immortal mountain and stopped in front of it. She spread out her divine sense and carefully felt it out. There was dense spirit power, the vivid breath of growing grass, trees, and rocks, and a heavy aura of the world’s origin…

It was exactly what a real immortal mountain was supposed to have.

She did not leave any divine sense mark there. Instead, she went on to the neighboring mountain. It was still the same familiar fluctuations, the same familiar aura.

The third mountain, the fourth mountain…

All the way to the nineteenth mountain.

Yu Zhao’s expression went completely numb.

[This isn’t right. This really isn’t right…]

Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted into her ears. Yu Zhao turned toward the sound and saw Du Wu Xiang staring wide-eyed at a demonic beast with a tiger’s head, dog’s ears, and a dragon’s body. The two of them were locked in a big-eyed stare.

Du Wu Xiang grabbed the demonic beast’s head and shook it hard as he demanded: “Did you look carefully or not? How could every single mountain be real?”

The demonic beast pushed his hand away in disgust, then gave a sure nod.

Du Wu Xiang was unwilling to accept it and argued: “But Senior said only eighteen immortal mountains are real!”

The demonic beast tilted its head in doubt for a moment, then nodded heavily again.

“No, that’s not right!” Du Wu Xiang refused to accept this reality and tried to force the demonic beast to help him look again.

But the demonic beast was very straightforward. With a soft bang, it turned into a wisp of smoke and vanished on the spot, going on strike and quitting its job directly.

Du Wu Xiang was so angry he almost exploded. He was just about to curse out loud when he looked up and met Yu Zhao’s teasing gaze. His expression changed at once. He forced himself to act calm, as if nothing had happened, and even greeted her.

Yu Zhao nodded and asked politely: “Du Fellow Daoist, did you run into some trouble?”

Du Wu Xiang had suffered losses in Yu Zhao’s hands before and did not want to let her see him make a fool of himself again. He forced a smile and said: “No, everything is going smoothly. I already have some ideas.”

Yu Zhao simply answered: “Oh? Then would Du Fellow Daoist mind sharing a bit of your experience with me?”

Du Wu Xiang seemed stunned by how thick-skinned Yu Zhao was. After a long moment, he finally said in a low voice: “We are competitors…”

Yu Zhao nodded as if it were only natural and replied: “Yes, but the rules of the selection never said we can’t ask our competitors for advice.”

Du Wu Xiang was left speechless.

If it were anyone else, he could have fobbed them off with a few casual sentences. But this was Yu Zhao!

This was Yu Zhao who cultivated Illusion Dao just like him, and was even better at it than he was! As long as he made up even one fake sentence, Yu Zhao would definitely catch all the mistakes in it.

But if he took back what he had just said, wouldn’t that be slapping his own face?

Du Wu Xiang struggled for a moment, then finally decided to grit his teeth and try to smooth things over. He put on a deep and mysterious look and said: “This Third Trial is indeed a bit difficult, but if you observe carefully, you can still find some connections hidden inside it.”

Yu Zhao answered very humbly: “Yu Zhao’s skills are shallow. Du Fellow Daoist, why don’t you explain those connections in more detail?”

In more detail?

If he went into any more detail, he would be completely exposed.

Du Wu Xiang grumbled in his heart, but his face had to stay calm and unfathomable. He lightly shook his head and said: “These connections can only be understood, not explained in words. I believe that with Fellow Daoist Yu’s talent, you will definitely be able to understand what I mean.”

Yu Zhao pressed down the corner of her lips to hide her smile and said: “Du Fellow Daoist is willing to give such guidance. Yu Zhao is impressed.”

Du Wu Xiang’s face grew a little hot. He felt that Yu Zhao was mocking him, but he had no evidence.

Just then, on a distant immortal mountain, a huge transparent barrier suddenly lit up. A layer of faint light flickered across the barrier. It was not blinding, but bright enough for everyone around to see clearly.

“Someone has chosen their immortal mountain,” Du Wu Xiang said in a low voice. A strong wave of nervousness rose in his heart without him realizing it.

The slower one chose, the fewer options they had left. If someone kept hesitating and could not make up their mind, then even if they finally found the real flaw and confirmed the location of a real immortal mountain, they might discover that it had already been marked by others.

By then, the result would be set in stone. Even if they saw through the mystery, they still would not be able to pass the selection.

So he had to speed up.

“Fellow Daoist Yu…” Du Wu Xiang suddenly realized something. Since Yu Zhao had just gotten some words out of him, why couldn’t he try to dig a clue out of her as well?

But just as he made up his mind and turned back, Yu Zhao was already gone.

He froze for a moment, then swung his fist in frustration.

[Damn it, Yu Zhao tricked me again!]

Yu Zhao did not know that Du Wu Xiang had already cursed her out a dozen times in his heart. Right now, she was rushing toward the first immortal mountain that had been chosen. Since that person could decide so quickly, they clearly had some confidence. She planned to go over and see the situation, and maybe pick up some useful clues.

She was not the only one who thought this way.

On the way, Yu Zhao ran into quite a few cultivators heading in the same direction. Luckily, she did not see Ye Cong Xin and her group among them.

When Yu Zhao arrived at the immortal mountain and looked through the barrier, she saw that the person inside was actually the Buddhist cultivator Zi Zai.