Chapter Ninety-Eight

Chapter Ninety-Eight

At this point, those who were waiting to reap the benefits without effort could no longer sit still.

Having waited for so long, already restless, they watched as Shen Wang, like a treasure chest, kept throwing out one talisman after another endlessly.

While others were laboriously pounding on the protective barrier with their fists, Shen Wang stood there effortlessly, not even shifting his position.

Forgetting the dignity of the reputable clans, one after another began to make their move, but without exception, they were all blocked by a talisman casually thrown by Shen Wang.

The eager crowd: "!!!"

"How many more talismans does this guy have?!!!"

In a fit of rage, more and more people joined the attack, a variety of techniques and weapons crisscrossing in the air, dazzling to the eyes.

The onlookers couldn't help but feel tense: "Such a wide-scale powerful attack, it could lead to fatalities!"

Shen Wang merely glanced at them. With a flip of his hands, his slender and strong fingertips pinching several talismans, he tossed all of them into the air. A burst of nearly blinding white light was accompanied by a crackling sound.

It was like rain and hail striking an umbrella, then scattering onto the ground.

"He can block that too?!"

"Which sect does he belong to, to be so outrageously extravagant?!"

"So many talismans, why not save them for later in the competition? Using them in the preliminary round is such a waste!"

Everyone couldn't help but question their life choices.

The audience outside the stage was cheering and jumping for joy, the atmosphere incredibly lively. If it weren't for the judges present on stage, someone might have even stripped off their clothes and run around the venue!

A chubby middle-aged man couldn't stop smiling, his face glowing with pride: "See that plump kid next to Shen Wang? That's my son! My son!"

"Shen Wang is a talisman master himself, how could he possibly lack talismans!"

"To stand his ground against so many, truly worthy of Shen Wang!"

"The power of his talismans surpasses many veteran talisman masters. I wonder where one can buy them..."

Upon hearing this, those who had been paying attention to Shen Wang immediately recommended: "You can check out his online store. I was lucky to grab a talisman once, its spiritual energy was so rich, truly worthy of Shen Wang! I haven’t dared to use it yet, it's enshrined at my home."

"The strength of his talismans comes from the new type of talisman paper he uses. That paper is really good. After I used it, my success rate in talisman drawing has increased significantly."

Thus, without Shen Wang even knowing, his casual online store suddenly experienced a surge in followers.

Even the store selling talisman paper by Xiao Heige was recommended through word of mouth. Many planned to buy that talisman paper after the competition.

Compared to the jubilant atmosphere of the common cultivators, the judges’ faces were much more solemn.

In previous competitions, although the rankings might vary, the champion had always been from one of the sects. For them, this competition was more of an internal struggle.

Now, an unexpected dark horse like this was bound to displease anyone.

They stared at the big screen with grim faces, a thought suddenly crossing their minds: This competition might take an unexpected turn.

Among the judges, only the elderly man in the middle and Gu Dongting remained composed.

The elder, looking at Shen Wang, spoke thoughtfully: “Did he draw these talismans himself?”

Gu Dongting nodded slightly, proudly: "Indeed, he is a talisman master."

The elder nodded, unable to suppress a smile: "It's rare to see such an exceptionally talented young man. If I were not a talisman master myself, I would have wanted to take him as my disciple."

Seeing such a talented young man, the elder couldn't help but be excited, even considering introducing this young man to his talisman master friends to prevent his talent from being buried.

Hearing the elder's words, the judges were all shaken, with someone exclaiming, "Elder Bai!"

Seeing their reaction, Elder Bai waved his hand nonchalantly, "Just a casual mention."

But a casual mention by Elder Bai could never just be a casual mention. The other judges had varied expressions, internally commenting on the situation.

It's known that the Bai family has the most complete alchemical lineage in the metaphysical world, and Elder Bai is the patriarch of the Bai family. He is gentle, highly skilled in alchemy, and highly respected in the metaphysical community. Anyone who meets him must bow respectfully and address him as Elder Bai.

Now that Elder Bai showed his undisguised appreciation for Shen Wang, the judges who harbored various thoughts had to reconsider.

Among them, the judge from Baiyun Temple was the most severe. He frowned with a sinister look: Even if Elder Bai protects him, he planned to make that brat pay after the competition for embarrassing Baiyun Temple in public.

Amidst the light-hearted atmosphere outside, Shen Wang stood within the impenetrable defensive talisman array, indifferent to the attacks, casually asking, "Are you buying or not? If not, let's forget it."

It had been a while, and no one had broken his defense or participated in his auction, making Shen Wang somewhat impatient.

If these people were unwilling, Shen Wang wouldn't force a sale. By collecting all the demons into his ghost bag, he could finish the competition with an astonishingly high score.

As for others being eliminated with zero points?

That's their own weakness, what does it have to do with me? Shen Wang thought, feeling justified.

Noticing Shen Wang's motion to collect ghosts, a cold voice interrupted, "Wait!"

Shen Wang paused, looking towards the speaker, slightly raising an eyebrow, "Yes?"

The man was dressed in a suit, dark silk shirt, and his hair slicked back, looking refined yet slightly rogue: "May I ask... how do you wish to sell them?"

The people standing beside him looked at him in surprise.

Who is this pretentious guy? Shen Wang was also surprised. Dressing like this in the wilderness was... taking pretentiousness to a whole new level.

"He's from the Metaphysical Association's Imperial Capital main branch," someone behind quietly explained. "His name is Bo Yu, and the one next to him is Wushu. They're both prominent young members of the Metaphysical Association."

"In the young talent rankings of the metaphysical world, he ranks second."

Shen Wang reflexively retorted, "Then who's the first?"

Shi Yan, who was enlightening Shen Wang in secret: "..."

He was at a loss for words with Shen Wang, painstakingly explaining, "Have you forgotten about Elder Brother Gu?"

Shen Wang suddenly realized and belatedly remembered that although Gu Dongting was the number one figure in the mystical studies realm, he was still a young man in his twenties and indeed should be ranked in the youth rankings.

He clicked his tongue lightly, helplessly saying, "It's all because your Elder Brother Gu is too outstanding, protecting you all under his wings like a mother hen, I forgot that he's about your age."

"Even though he's a peer, he's practically living like an elder," Shen Wang didn't know what to say.

Although they lowered their voices, Bo Yu, who overheard their conversation clearly, was speechless: "..."

Being perennially the second best, Bo Yu hated this topic the most. If someone else had brought it up, he would have given them a thorough 'care', but it was Shen Wang who had said it.

Shen Wang, hidden within his defensive talisman formation like a turtle in its shell, left Bo Yu powerless and silently fuming.

Knowing who it was, Shen Wang thought for a moment and asked, "What are you offering to buy it with?"

Seeing his reaction, Feng Ju and Lu Tingchun from the special department changed their expressions and quietly reminded, "He's from the Mystical Studies Association!"

"So what if he's from the Mystical Studies Association? We're open for business; all are welcome as long as it's fair and square," Shen Wang waved his hand and said with a sense of justice.

Bo Yu thought for a moment and presented a small bottle, "This is the Rejuvenation Pill that can restore magical power. There are three pills in total. Let me know how many points they can be exchanged for."

Rejuvenation Pills, huh? Shen Wang's eyes gleamed with interest. Although useless to him, they could serve as small treats for his Xuan Yu Immortal Tome.

"Three little ghosts, take it or leave it," Shen Wang stated bluntly.

Someone exclaimed in shock, "These are Rejuvenation Pills! Do you know how precious they are? And you're only exchanging them for three little ghosts! That's just thirty points!"

"It's a robbery!"

Shen Wang smiled slightly, "I said, take it or leave it."

Bo Yu's expression shifted several times, silencing the discontent behind him, "Deal!"

Everyone present ceased their attacks, watching tensely as Bo Yu and Shen Wang negotiated, eagerly anticipating the outcome.

Shen Wang promptly selected three little ghosts, walking towards Bo Yu with them.

Standing outside the protective talisman array, Bo Yu held the small bottle containing the Rejuvenation Pills, while Shen Wang approached him with easy strides.

As Shen Wang's steps brought him closer to the edge of the talisman array, the tension among the spectators heightened.

The moment he stepped out of the array, a surge of attacking light erupted, followed by a scream!

"Was it a sneak attack on Shen Wang?" The crowd was startled and looked intently, only to be stunned.

They saw a person dressed in black lying on the ground, as if struck by lightning, with hair standing on end and black smoke billowing from their body.

But this person was not Shen Wang.

Shen Wang sighed, looking down at the person on the ground with pity: "I have so many defense talismans, did you really think I wouldn't have attack talismans?"

Bo Yu's pupils shrank: "It's a Thunder Talisman."

With such powerful attack talismans, how many did Shen Wang have? What if he had as many as his defense talismans?

With the power of the Thunder Talisman, he didn't need to aim deliberately. In such a crowded situation, scattering them randomly would knock out most of the people around.

Bo Yu bit his lip secretly, abandoning the idea of attacking during the trade. He observed Shen Wang with a complex gaze: "Fellow Daoist, you truly keep your abilities hidden."

Such a person, previously unknown in the metaphysical world, made Bo Yu believe that he had been hiding his strength, waiting for the right moment to emerge and shock the entire metaphysical community.

"Oh, not at all," Shen Wang responded nonchalantly to his thoughts, hurriedly completing the transaction with a particularly sincere smile, "Thanks for your patronage, dear, do visit again."

Bo Yu exchanged with medicinal pills in compliance, while others looked at each other, hesitating. Then, a monk stepped forward: "I have a blessed prayer bead, how much can I exchange for it?"

Shen Wang glanced at it and noticed that not only was the bead blessed, but it had also been worn and prayed over daily, faintly emanating a Buddhist light: "Ten for this, but are you sure you want to exchange it?"

The bead was genuinely valuable, and using it in such a place seemed like a waste.

The monk, with a gentle expression, replied, "Let's exchange it for that."

With the monk insisting, Shen Wang didn’t persuade further. He counted out ten little ghosts, muttering to himself, "Monks these days are so materialistic, using such items for points..."

The monk stored the little ghosts in his bag, and the leaderboard updated with him at the top, exactly one hundred points.

Hearing the mutterings, several people looked concerned. The chubby one hesitated for a while before reminding Shen Wang, "Brother Shen, he is a master from Arhat Temple, and the senior brother of Xiao Hui Ping."

Shen Wang was surprised, "Xiao Hui Ping, one of our plastic teammates, the bald little monk who's just a few years old, a prodigy with a baby voice."

"That explains it." Shen Wang realized, smiling at the senior monk: "Thank you for your patronage."

With the initial two taking the lead, others also realized that defeating Shen Wang for points was nearly impossible, sparking excitement among everyone.

Those with items began searching their belongings, eagerly presenting their items for exchange.

Those without anything showed frustration, attempting to bargain with Shen Wang: "Fellow Daoist Shen, can I write you an IOU? I’ll give you the items once we leave the competition..."

With only a limited number of ghosts and points available, being too slow could mean elimination, which was a risk not worth taking.

Everyone was incredibly excited, transforming the previously stagnant atmosphere into one of intense enthusiasm.

Shen Wang, smiling broadly, welcomed all customers, skillfully collecting items. The plump ghost efficiently organized the newly acquired ghosts.

"Small business, cash transactions only, no credit," Shen Wang said cheerfully, thinking initially these people wouldn’t have much to offer, just plucking a few feathers.

To his surprise, they brought quite valuable items, making him unable to stop smiling. He couldn’t help but think, "As expected of disciples from major sects, so wealthy."

As for offering credit? That was a joke. Doing business with them here was one thing, but expecting them to acknowledge the debt once outside was another.

Even if they were willing to pay, their sect elders were not to be trifled with.

As Shen Wang conducted his auction, the leaderboard continuously changed, infuriating the live-streaming judges: "Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"

"What does he think the Metaphysical Contest is!"

"Using such tricks at the Metaphysical Conference to cheat our sect disciples of their possessions, utterly lawless!"

"He’s turned this Metaphysical Contest into a complete mess!"

When they heard Shen Wang was holding an auction, the judges thought he was just a clown, soon to be defeated and eliminated by their sect disciples.

But as Shen Wang remained undefeated against their onslaught, they realized something was amiss, yet felt helpless.

Now, seeing their disciples in the crowd, hustling like in a noisy marketplace, offering their treasures to Shen Wang, the judges were nearly apoplectic.

"He's not using defensive talismans now, don’t they know to sneak attack!" someone exclaimed in frustration.

The next second, as expected, someone took advantage of the chaos and drew a sword to stab at Shen Wang!

Before the judges could show their pleasure, Shen Wang, without turning his head, flung out a talisman. With a thunderous roar, the attacker was struck by the Five Thunderbolts, convulsing on the ground, his body blackened.

The judges: “...”

Damn it, this Shen Wang, where on earth did this freak come from?!

The number of little ghosts behind Shen Wang decreased, while the items in his hands increased. When he could hold no more, the chubby one offered his coat to hold everything.

Those who exchanged for little ghosts hurriedly left, and Shen Wang noticed that many were followed by others with ill intentions.

Indifferently withdrawing his gaze, Shen Wang paid no mind; his only responsibility was to sell these items. Once sold, they were no longer his concern.

After the last little ghost was allocated, the surrounding crowd dispersed, leaving as they had come.

Some, unwilling to leave empty-handed, hid in the forest, attempting to ambush Shen Wang's teammates.

But no matter how well they concealed themselves, the moment they attacked, Shen Wang reacted as if he had eyes on the back of his head, timely flinging out a talisman.

Seeing that Shen Wang’s side was impervious, those who had gained nothing looked at him resentfully before leaving in anger.

The surroundings returned to calm, and the few people present exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

Even Xie Qingming laughed: “I’ve never seen a Metaphysical Contest like this before.”

Unheard of, unseen before.

But he had to admit, watching Shen Wang play everyone in his palm, he felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

The chubby one and others were not as reserved as Xie Qingming, laughing and saying, “I swear, Brother Shen, after this competition, you will definitely become famous throughout the metaphysical world!”

“Brother Shen, you are amazing!”

“Did you see Bo Yu's face? His pretentious airs are nothing in front of you, Brother Shen, you’re the real deal!”

Feng Ju and Lu Tingchun from the Special Department Headquarters also smiled: “Shi Yan, where did you find such a strong ally?”

With such a powerful ally, Feng Ju and Lu Tingchun couldn’t help but feel ambitious, even beginning to envision a top-three finish in the competition.

The group completely relaxed, some sitting, some standing, chatting and laughing, enjoying a light-hearted and comfortable moment.

At that moment, the forest suddenly rustled, causing everyone to pause and look towards the source of the noise.

When both parties faced each other, they were all momentarily stunned.

Shen Wang narrowed his eyes meaningfully: “So it’s you guys.”

The group was indeed Zhao Hang and Tang Jiu among others.

Zhao Hang, slightly disheveled, scanned the group with shining eyes, his expression filled with an unusual excitement: “It’s you!”

Tang Jiu timely reminded him from behind: “Those are the people.”

As soon as Zhao Hang could not wait any longer, he pointed his sword at Shen Wang and the others, "Hand over all your points, or don't blame me for being rude!"

Zhao Hang expected them to either tremble in fear or stubbornly resist. To his surprise, the expressions on their faces were oddly sympathetic, as if they pitied him.

Shi Yan struggled to maintain composure, but couldn't help revealing a subtle smile, "You have no idea what just happened, do you?"

Zhao Hang, frustrated and infuriated, snapped, "I don't care what happened! Hand over your points, or don't blame me for being rude!"

Not long ago, under Tang Jiu's lead, Zhao Hang and his group had been searching for Shen Wang and his companions, only to unluckily stumble into a formation.

Zhao Hang and his team wrestled with the air, taking a long time to realize it was an illusionary formation.

He couldn't understand why the illusionary effects in the competition field were so lifelike, almost real. If not for Tang Jiu's realization, they would still be trapped, battling non-existent evil spirits.

It was also Tang Jiu who accidentally found the formation's core and broke it, enabling their escape.

Once out, Zhao Hang found that his first place ranking had vanished, replaced by a new set of names on the scoreboard, pushing him far down the list.

Suffering continuous setbacks, Zhao Hang's temper worsened, making others wary of approaching him, except for Tang Jiu who could still communicate with him.

Finally encountering Shen Wang and his group, Zhao Hang's spirits lifted: if he could seize their points, he could return to first place!

Zhao Hang never considered why each member of this team confidently held thirty points, enough for advancement. Nor did he ponder why those with such high points were openly gathered here, unafraid of being robbed.

All he saw were points, countless points! And the admiration and envy he would receive after winning the preliminary round as the first-place finisher.

Shen Wang's eyes briefly lingered on the sword in Zhao Hang's hand, his tone meaningful, "I heard that competition and rivalry are allowed, right?"

Shi Yan nodded in agreement, "Yes, as long as it doesn't lead to malicious incidents or endanger the lives of the participants, all competitive actions are legitimate."

Shen Wang nodded, "That's good."

Unaware of their implied meaning, Zhao Hang sneered, "Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit, this is your own doing!"

Having disliked Shen Wang for a while, Zhao Hang gestured, and his group charged forward!

His gaze fixed on Shen Wang, filled with a chilling malice: "Dare to defy me? I'll break your legs this time, make you kneel and beg for mercy!"

"Let's see how sharp-tongued you can be then!"

As they charged fiercely, Shen Wang and his companions remained unmoved, just quietly watching them, and then...

A bolt of purple lightning struck from the sky, hitting Zhao Hang right on the head, leaving him seeing stars and collapsing straight to the ground, eyes rolling back.

The others, affected by the aftermath of the purple lightning, weren't as severely hit as Zhao Hang but still found themselves numb and awkwardly tumbling to the ground in a heap.

Shen Wang slowly approached them, looking down on them with disdain, "Trying to steal my points?"

Under Shen Wang's cold and contemptuous gaze, those who attempted the robbery but got counterattacked finally panicked, begging for mercy one after another.

"It was Zhao Hang, it was all his idea to attack you. We were just following orders!"

"We're not from Baiyun Temple. We were just sent here to serve the young master, to be cannon fodder. Zhao Hang was the one giving orders!"

When Zhao Hang was conscious, they were his most loyal henchmen, ready to strike wherever directed. But now, facing danger, they didn't even care for the still unconscious Zhao Hang, instead starting to blame each other.

Shen Wang, having seen plenty of such turncoats, coldly shifted his gaze away, landing on Tang Jiu with a surge of murderous intent.

"Everywhere I go, there he is, like a cockroach that can't be killed, disgusting," Shen Wang thought, his fingertips summoning a talisman. He looked at Tang Jiu, his eyes icy.

As soon as Zhao Hang was attacked, Tang Jiu immediately reduced his presence, blending into the crowd.

Just as he was thinking of escaping, a sudden sense of crisis overwhelmed him. Without hesitation, he rolled to the side, a clumsy move that just narrowly avoided the purple lightning aimed straight at him.

As he turned back, seeing the purple lightning, his pupils shrank: he had a feeling that the energy within the lightning was formidable, even capable of killing him on the spot!

That feeling wasn't an illusion. Shen Wang really wanted to kill him!

Tang Jiu's heart raced as he scrambled up and ran without hesitation.

As Shen Wang's strike missed and he prepared to attack again, Tang Jiu's fleeing figure was suddenly blocked by someone: "How dare you!"

Regretfully withdrawing his gaze, Shen Wang mused, 'The protagonist is indeed the protagonist. He even dodged a close-range purple lightning talisman. Anyone else would have been dead by now.'

Just as he was about to strike again, someone else emerged to interrupt… It seemed like fate truly favored Tang Jiu, blessing him with an abundance of luck.

'Son of Destiny, the protagonist,' Shen Wang sneered inwardly, his gaze on Zhao Hang filled with impatience: "So you want to steal my points, right? Hand over yours now."

Zhao Hang struggled to his feet, incredulous, and tried to argue, only to be stunned by Shen Wang's words: "What did you say?"

Shen Wang repeated coldly, "I said, hand over your points, don't make me act."

"You want my points?" Zhao Hang was almost amused, his head still buzzing from the lightning strike. He pointed at himself, then at Shen Wang, "Do you know who I am? I am from Baiyun Temple..."

Before he could finish, he was sent flying back, tumbling several meters before crashing to the ground.

Shen Wang approached and took out the only little ghost he had in his ghost bag, transferring it into his own.

Seeing his points increase by ten while Zhao Hang's dwindled to zero, Shen Wang sneered, "You refused a toast only to drink a forfeit. You brought this on yourself."

Sudden pain shot through Zhao Hang's abdomen as he was kicked away. Despite the sturdy physique of cultivators, he remained conscious, glaring furiously at Shen Wang.

Shen Wang glanced at him, then suddenly bent down to pick up Zhao Hang's sword lying nearby, "Remember our wager?"

Zhao Hang's pupils shrank.

The loser had to kowtow three times, run around the building shouting their organization was trash, and also, forfeit their sword.

"As expected, you lost. Now, your sword is mine," Shen Wang said, holding the sword between his finger and thumb, his expression laced with mockery.

Zhao Hang struggled, trying to stand, "No, no, that’s mine!”

Just struck by lightning, his body charred and his hair reeking of burn, Zhao Hang struggled to stand after being kicked harshly, only managing to glare in impotent fury.

Shen Wang chuckled lightly, "I once desired your sword, but not anymore."

Zhao Hang's eyes flickered, hastily reaching out to retrieve his sword.

"That damned Shen Wang, still afraid to provoke Bai Yun Guan!" Zhao Hang thought bitterly, vowing to make Shen Wang pay once he left this place.

The next second, Shen Wang swiftly drew his sword, holding the hilt between his left thumb and forefinger, and pinching the blade between his right thumb and middle finger, slightly bending the pristine blade into an arc.

Eventually, under the strain, it shattered into two pieces.

With a clang, the scabbard and broken blade were tossed to the ground, as Shen Wang declared, "Your belongings are of no interest to me."