Chapter 221: In Longhu Mountain, One Person Being Lazy Is Enough!
Zhang Yangqing and Ge Lieke were having it easy, after all, they were both experienced, fast, and steady.
As long as they didn’t act recklessly, they would get better and better at it.
Just like Ge Lieke now; whenever he didn’t know what to do in his mind, he would think about how ordinary Chosen Ones would handle these situations, and then he’d just follow the script.
But for the other Chosen Ones, this stage was fraught with danger.
The Chosen Ones could only go out when the other teams were fighting the Millennium Snow Python and the battle had reached its climax.
Lahman obtained the flute from the dead mouse, and indeed, when blown, it could interfere with the Millennium Snow Python, which seemed terrified of the sound.
Once he understood its use, he had his teammates focus on ambushing the other climbing teams while he kept the Millennium Snow Python occupied.
Just as his lungs were about to give out from blowing the flute, his teammates finally finished off all the other climbing teams.
They thought the danger was over, but that’s when the real danger began.
With the external enemies dealt with, it was time to settle the internal ones.
The Goateed Captain acted decisively this time. Before the Purple-Eyed Woman and the Gold-Rimmed Glasses Man could make a move, he struck first, hitting the Purple-Eyed Woman on the back of her head.
Seeing this, the Gold-Rimmed Glasses Man immediately launched an attack on him.
The Purple-Eyed Woman was severely injured, but she knew that if they didn’t kill this captain, they would all die.
The three of them were soon locked in a fierce battle.
The sudden infighting among his teammates startled the Man with the Slicked-Back Hair.
Not knowing what to do, he decided to sit back and watch the fight, hiding to the side and not helping anyone.
The Goateed Captain was incredibly strong. With a sneak attack already successful in a one-against-two situation, his victory was almost assured.
If the sneak attack hadn’t succeeded, the Goateed Captain would have had about a sixty percent chance of winning in a one-against-two fight.
But if the Chosen One failed to identify who the treacherous teammates were, the Goateed Captain would have to fight one against three, reducing his chances of winning to only forty percent.
If the Chosen One didn’t help, the final stage would be a death sentence.
As for how to help or what arrangements to make in advance, that depended on the individual skills of each Chosen One.
It could be said that this stage was extremely difficult, and most Chosen Ones had to fight until they were exhausted to win.
By this time, Zhang Yangqing was already having lunch in the backyard of Longhu Mountain.
The bizarre world of the snowy mountain did offer some unusual wild game not normally eaten, but as Senior Brother Su Muyu put it: “You never eat vegetables, so eat more now.”
Although Senior Brother always said he was too busy to pay attention to Zhang Yangqing, whenever he had free time, he would turn on the big screen in his room, afraid that Zhang Yangqing might run into trouble.
Zhang Yangqing didn’t argue this time. He would have liked to eat vegetables, but there didn’t seem to be any there—it wasn’t like he could go chew on tree bark!
Since he came out relatively early, he made it in time for lunch.
In the bizarre world, some Chosen Ones were still facing issues, but nothing too serious. Those who entered were all somewhat capable, so they should be able to resolve them soon.
Other Chosen Ones had already eaten the Glacial Berry but hadn’t yet initiated the settlement.
They wanted to go back and find that dead mouse to unlock that quest.
Ge Lieke had also thought of it, but he wanted to be the first to settle.
Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to be the first and also missed the chance to complete the quest for unlocking.
The other Chosen Ones who had already come out were just waiting for the final settlement.
It was noon at Longhu Mountain. Zhang Yangqing had indeed rested for a long time last night, and now he felt too embarrassed to slack off. So, he decided to complete his daily tasks as the Sect Master.
“Greetings, Sect Master!”
“Sect Master, you’ve worked hard!”
“Sect Master, would you like to see the fish I’m raising? They have the potential to leap over the dragon gate!”
“Sect Master, my talisman’s power seems off. Could you please give me some guidance?”
Whenever Zhang Yangqing passed by during his rounds, the nearby disciples would immediately stop what they were doing and greet him.
Zhang Yangqing responded to each one, as they were all his people—how could he possibly ignore them?
He sighed inwardly: “Ah, the more you reveal, the harder it is to slack off.”
Before, everyone thought he was too young and were afraid he’d make mistakes, so they wanted him to gain more experience for a few years.
Now, it seemed like everyone came to him for help with any problem.
However, with the sect growing larger and the back mountain still under expansion, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
In the past, the disciples were more relaxed, fewer in number, and everyone had their own responsibilities.
Aside from completing daily lessons, places like the training grounds were rarely crowded during other times.
At most, there would be three or four disciples putting in extra practice.
Now, the paths were filled with disciples, and the training grounds were bustling with activity!
The sounds of various energy collisions echoed one after another.
Before Zhang Yangqing even arrived, he could see rows of disciples in Daoist robes.
There were conservatively almost two hundred of them!
Far more than before.
After all, they now had resources, but Su Muyu believed that resources should be given to the diligent and ambitious disciples. Those who improved quickly would naturally get priority access to resources.
This was what was known as competition.
Moreover, the newly admitted disciples had all been carefully selected, each with better talent than the last, cultivating fiercely and with unwavering Daoist hearts—some were even admirers of Zhang Yangqing.
Once this kind of competition started, even the earlier disciples felt a sense of urgency.
So, as soon as they finished their own tasks, they would rush to the training grounds for extra practice.
If they wanted to achieve excellent results in the next assessment and obtain better resources, how could they not practice?
It’s worth noting that if they didn’t want to practice extra, no one would force them. Outside, there were hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people wanting to get in—and that was no exaggeration.
Longhu Mountain did not keep idle people.
In such a positive and upward environment, many disciples’ strength was skyrocketing.
Zhang Yangqing was actually quite happy to see this. As long as they didn’t bother him, and seeing how self-disciplined they were, he could continue slacking off!
His daily routine involved observing the disciples’ cultivation. If there were any mistakes, he would personally correct them—this was his duty as the Sect Master.
But today, shortly after he arrived, having greeted the disciples and told them to continue their training, one disciple walked over with a troubled expression.
Before Zhang Yangqing could say anything, the disciple suddenly knelt down, startling him.
When a disciple knelt, it meant big trouble.
Generally, only disciples who had made a fundamental mistake would do this.
To put it bluntly, it was a disciple who had caused a major disaster.
“Sect Master, I wish to leave Longhu Mountain.”
The disciple kneeling beside Zhang Yangqing spoke up.
Zhang Yangqing remembered this disciple—his name was Zhou Yuan, an honest and diligent disciple who had entered the sect relatively early.
Could he have made some mistake?
Though many thoughts crossed his mind, Zhang Yangqing still asked seriously, “Oh? Why do you wish to leave Longhu Mountain?”
If it really was a major mistake, then as the Sect Master, he would have to bear some responsibility to a certain extent.
He hadn’t inherited this position just as a title; there was so much more behind it, representing the legacy of dozens of generations of Sect Masters.
Of course, if anyone dared cause trouble for his disciples, they shouldn’t blame Zhang Yangqing for being ruthless.
“Disciple has made no progress in cultivation recently, failing to live up to the teachings of Sect Master and Senior Brother, and bringing shame to Longhu Mountain. I am deeply ashamed.”
After hearing this, Zhang Yangqing was speechless. He thought the disciple had killed a fellow Daoist and their family had come seeking revenge, but it turned out to be just this?
To put it simply, Longhu Mountain was now highly competitive, with too many people outside wanting to enter and cultivate. Many of the newly admitted disciples were “geniuses.”
The so-called geniuses naturally had exceptional comprehension, rapid cultivation speed, and received resource support.
This put a lot of pressure on Zhou Yuan, an honest person. He practiced whenever he had time, even skipping rest after meals to rush to the training grounds for extra practice.
He was obsessed with improving his strength, but the more obsessed he became, the less progress he made.
Watching the younger disciples who entered after him surpass him, he began to develop feelings of inferiority.
When he saw the radiant Zhang Yangqing today, his inferiority complex completely erupted.
He felt he was unworthy of cultivating, unworthy of being at Longhu Mountain, and even more unworthy of being near a deity like Zhang Yangqing.
He thought the best thing he could do for Longhu Mountain was to give up his spot so someone more capable could enter and cultivate.
Zhang Yangqing naturally understood his thoughts. With a smile, he helped Zhou Yuan up and brushed the dust off his robes.
This gesture flustered Zhou Yuan—how could he deserve such treatment from the Sect Master?
Just as he was about to say something, a gentle voice sounded in his ear.
“Do you truly not wish to cultivate the Dao?”
Hearing Zhang Yangqing’s words, Zhou Yuan shook his head.
If he didn’t want to cultivate the Dao, why would he have persisted for so long, been so obsessed?
It was precisely because he wanted it too much but saw no progress that he broke down.
Understanding Zhou Yuan’s feelings, Zhang Yangqing patiently explained, “Cultivating the Dao means recognizing your own abilities. If you constantly compare yourself to others, you will fall into confusion. If you overly pursue results, you will lose your path forward.
The reason you haven’t made progress is that you don’t accept your current strength. If you don’t even recognize yourself, how can you expect the Heavenly Dao to recognize you? Remember, you may see others as geniuses, but in their eyes, are you not one as well?”
Zhang Yangqing was telling him that any disciple who could enter the mountain had been carefully selected. He shouldn’t think too poorly of himself; he just hadn’t found the right method. Only by clearly understanding what he had could he take that step forward.
Many disciples at Longhu Mountain specialized in just one skill, right?
He just needed to play to his strengths and stop comparing himself to all-rounded geniuses.
Zhang Yangqing gave him full confidence. He wasn’t actually bad—he just needed recognition from a powerful figure.
After calming down, Zhou Yuan began to have an epiphany, showing signs of a breakthrough.
He thanked Zhang Yangqing repeatedly, grateful for his guidance.
Zhang Yangqing told him to go back and rest properly—haste makes waste.
As for leaving, that matter was dropped; it was just a momentary lapse.
Near the training grounds, the disciples were also witnessing such a patient and amiable Zhang Yangqing for the first time.
Usually, Zhang Yangqing was extremely dignified and a single glance from him would make them shrink back in fear.
Seeing this, the genius disciple Xiao Xuan, who possessed the Innate Mystical Thunder Physique, seemed to understand something.
Could it be that the Sect Master was soft-hearted but not easily intimidated?
So, he also walked up to Zhang Yangqing with a dejected look and said, “Sect Master, I feel my talent is too poor. Cultivating here is just a waste of the sect’s resources, and I’ve failed to live up to your and Senior Brother’s expectations. I’m even holding the mountain gate back.”
He said this, actually hoping for some comfort from Zhang Yangqing.
He wanted Zhang Yangqing to go easier on him during supervision of his cultivation.
However, Zhang Yangqing directly said, “Oh, so you finally realize how useless you are, right? Hurry up and leave the mountain. I know the owner of an electronics factory and can contact him right away to get you a job. You can go there and screw in screws, earning a few thousand a month—that should at least solve your food and clothing problems.”
With that, Zhang Yangqing was about to kick him out. Xiao Xuan immediately waved his hands and said with an apologetic smile, “No, no, thank you for your guidance, Sect Master. I’ve already come to my senses. I think I still have some talent. I’ll go and cultivate properly and not trouble you anymore.”
Zhang Yangqing didn’t give him a friendly look and coldly said one word: “Scram!”
“Okay, okay, I’m leaving right now!” Xiao Xuan said and immediately ran off, afraid Zhang Yangqing might catch him.
He had tried to act cute in front of Zhang Yangqing but ended up making a fool of himself.
It felt like if he had spoken any slower, Zhang Yangqing would have sent him to the electronics factory.
This comical scene made many nearby disciples stifle their laughter.
It showed that not only was he incredibly talented in cultivation, but he was also quite skilled in comedy.
But Xiao Xuan was capable and held a relatively high seniority, so ordinary disciples didn’t dare laugh.
The only one laughing heartily on the scene was Xu Xiu, one of the Old Master’s seven disciples, known for his exceptional swordsmanship. He laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, tears streaming from his eyes.
Seeing him show no respect, Xiao Xuan shouted, “Hey! What are you laughing at? If you have the guts, fight me for three hundred rounds!”
Xu Xiu didn’t go easy on him either, replying, “Bring it on! You think I’m afraid of you?”
After the two fought for a while, someone walked over to Zhang Yangqing’s side.
“You really don’t go easy on him, do you?” Su Muyu’s voice was always gentle.
Zhang Yangqing shrugged and said, “He’s just asking for it!”
Just like how Xiao Xuan understood that Zhang Yangqing went to the bizarre world to slack off,
Zhang Yangqing also knew that Xiao Xuan always wanted to slack off.
This was the mutual understanding between geniuses.
Zhang Yangqing felt that when it came to slacking off, one person at Longhu Mountain was enough.
If Xiao Xuan couldn’t beat him, then he had to listen to him.
That was the rule!
