MTLNOVEL Chapter 317: Public Duty for Private Gain?
"Ready?"
Lin Xueru had her hands behind her back, fingers intertwined, smiling sheepishly on her bright and jade-like face as she said, "I didn't prepare anything."
Indeed, she didn't know what to prepare.
Even though Chen Yi had secretly told her beforehand that the second test was set by the Huangshan Taoist with the keyword "experience," she still didn't know what to prepare.
In fact, that night, Lin Xueru had pulled along Xiao Xuanzhen, Hua Xianzi, Hua Youxiang, and Du Yan to secretly study the so-called "experience" content and asked them what she should prepare.
As a result, when she counted on her fingers and mentioned "cultivation," "techniques," elixirs, and magic artifacts one by one, Xiao Xuanzhen and the others' faces turned quite strange.
Especially Xiao Xuanzhen, who was the first to break her facade, saying in her words, if someone as strong as Lin Xueru still needed to "patch up the gaps," then she might as well find a block of tofu to run her head into.
To this, although Hua Xianzi, Hua Youxiang, and Du Yan didn't speak, they nodded vigorously in agreement.
But Lin Xueru truly didn't feel she should prepare anything—her cultivation had just broken through to the Upper Rank of the Second Grade Divine Travel Realm, and the Eight Techniques of Taixu were only cultivated to the Transparent Realm. There was still a long way to the Divine Power Realm.
"Eight Techniques to the Transparent Realm..."
After listening, Chen Yi's gaze towards the little girl became quite complicated.
With such high talent, it's no wonder Xiao Xuanzhen lost her composure and had been in seclusion these past few days.
This is eight techniques, not merely simple fist techniques, footwork, palm techniques, or physical body training. It requires integration with the Path of the Grand Void, merging each technique with true intent.
Like the Shock Thunder Skill is a fist technique following a vigorous route, the Dui Ze Technique refines the flesh body to enhance True Yuan and the body's strength and recovery speed, the Kan Water Technique is a palm technique emphasizing overcoming hardness with softness, the Kun Rou Technique is footwork... and so on.
Despite the lower difficulty of each individual technique compared to single fist dao or flesh body dao, cultivating all eight together and bringing them to the Transparent Realm in a short time, achieving the Eight Techniques of Taixu·Transparent Realm, is an incredibly challenging feat.
Moreover, it's foreseeable that—Lin Xueru is likely to become the first Great Power to possess eight Divine Power First Realm techniques just after breaking through to the Divine Power Realm!
"Once the gathering ends, I'll find some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for you so you can quickly elevate the Eight Techniques of Taixu to the Divine Power Realm."
Thinking like this, Chen Yi felt much more at ease about the little girl's future safety and smiled:
"In the future, you can protect me."
"No problem!"
Lin Xueru's eyes immediately brightened up, her smile blossoming like a flower as she looked at him.
It turns out Brother Yi hasn't forgotten the vow she made when she was little, so she must work even harder to protect Brother Yi.
Even though Brother Yi's current cultivation is higher than hers and hasn't given her the opportunity to protect him, she can wait.
If that day ever comes, she hopes very much to stand in front of Brother Yi just like he stood in front of her when she was young, to protect him.
Chen Yi affectionately pinched her nose, feeling the softness in his hand, signaling:
"The second round of the competition is about to start, go and meet up with Senior Sister Xiao and the others first."
"Mm-hmm..."
Lin Xueru lightly tapped him, then shyly ran off, her steps light yet seeming slightly flustered, diving straight into the group of Xiao Xuanzhen and the others, not daring to lift her head.
Xiao Xuanzhen, seeing this, teased her about being bold, saying there were many spectators around.
Hua Xianzi was full of envy, but her gaze skipped over the group of geniuses, looking towards Chen Yi from afar.
Erhua and Du Yan, along with others, smiled and stepped in front of Lin Xueru, blocking the view of other geniuses and martial world guests.
In fact, at this time, the venue for the second round of the gathering had moved to Qu Pond, and the crowd on both banks far exceeded the number at Dakong Temple, reaching an astonishing five hundred thousand.
Not only were the stands built on both banks filled to capacity, but also hundreds of tall and grand floating pavilions were sailing on Qu Pond, prepared especially for aristocratic families, nobles, and sect Holy Land visitors, indeed a grand gesture.
It's said that to build these pavilions and stands on both banks, the Ministry of Industry worked overnight to enlist artisans from Kyoto Prefecture and three surrounding prefectures, and even temporarily called on a thousand Qimen Lineage Taoists specializing in arrays through the Night Watch Department, only then managing to prepare everything in just five days.
The most luxurious pavilion was where Emperor Wei and numerous imperial relatives, court ministers, and their families were, not only offering a broad view but also having the highest specifications in terms of interior decoration and array protection.
Therefore, the scene on the stage floating on Qu Pond in the middle, where Lin Xueru just approached Chen Yi, was clearly seen by tens of thousands of people.
"Oh, Senior Sister, I know I was wrong, please don't talk about it."
The little girl blushed, burying her head into Xiao Xuanzhen's shoulder, like an ostrich not daring to lift her head.
Although the world knew she had a marriage contract with Chen Yi, decorum still mattered, and doing such things in the spotlight of so many was indeed quite bold.
Fortunately, she herself was the first in the first round of this gathering, and her betrothed was the newly glorified Heroic Marquis Chen Yi, so there were only bursts of teasing and laughter around, without any old hardliners lamenting the decline of manners and morals.
Chen Yi watched for a moment, and upon seeing the Huangshan Taoist flash and stand on the stage, he took a step forward, going directly to the pavilion where Emperor Wei and the others were.
As soon as he appeared, he was greeted by several people's promotional smiles, among which his future father-in-law Lin Hansong glared at him, with a bit of a wry smile on his face.