Techniques and Dao

Chapter 14 The Heavenly Eye Trial (2)

When Taishang Xiaojun uttered those four words, Hua Sheng vaguely sensed that it was a competition in the Xiyuan Academy and asked, "What is this Tianmu Trial about?"

"This is a large-scale competition held annually within the Academy of Arts and Sciences, hence its name, the Heavenly Eye Game. It is a free assessment of the disciples by the academy's Heavenly Masters. However, not all disciples participate."

"Why does it sound to me like only people who have both beauty and talent are qualified to participate?" Hua Sheng had a bad feeling.

"No, no, Xi Academy did not set any threshold for registration. But because there can only be one winner in this game, the competition will be very fierce, which will cause those who think they are not good enough to not actively register."

"So, if it's a contest of immortal power, it seems even if I participated, I wouldn't be a match for Tianjizi?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun shook his head: "The reason I call this an opportunity is because it's not a test of immortal arts, but a test of comprehensive abilities. That is to say, in addition to immortal arts, the test taker must also possess extraordinary intuition, wisdom, and analytical skills, and even some luck."

"I think I heard you mention 'luck' just now?" Hanamori frowned. "So who won last year?"

"Tianjizi".

"The year before last."

"Tianjizi".

"And what about the year before last?"

“It’s still Tianjizi,” Taishang Xiaojun added. “He has been the number one student every year for the past nine years since Tianjizi enrolled.”

"Then why doesn't this Heavenly Eye Trial just change its name to 'Heavenly Extreme Game'?" Hua Sheng muttered. "Anyway, he's the only one playing it."

"Because this competition has been going on for over five hundred years at the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Even if a disciple wins the championship for many consecutive years, he will eventually leave the academy," said Tai Shang Xiao Jun.

"So, it's very likely that Tianjizi will achieve a tenth consecutive championship this year?"

"So you were able to stop him, that's quite a show of force."

"This is the opportunity you're talking about?"

"Isn't this an opportunity?" Taishang Xiaojun retorted.

"Haven't you heard the saying? Opportunity only exists when you are prepared."

"Young man, you must have confidence."

"Why does it sound like mockery?" Hua Sheng said with a wry smile.

"To be honest, I've never bothered with extracurricular competitions that have nothing to do with me. But since my roommate is participating, I'll join you this time." Tai Shang Xiao Jun said with a serious expression. "And you have to remember that this isn't just about the level of magic, so those who aren't good at magic aren't necessarily without a chance."

"Now that you've said that, I feel a bit more confident."

"But this year's competition is the most intense in the past decade."

"why?"

“Every four years, the Tianmu Trial takes place in a big year. In addition to the glory of winning the championship, the Academy of Arts and Sciences will also prepare a prize.”

What are the prizes this year?

“Victorious Buddha’s Path Guide”.

"The guide to the Victorious Buddha? Which Victorious Buddha?"

"It is the Victorious Fighting Buddha."

Upon hearing these words, Hua Sheng's hair stood on end, and he shouted, "You mean Sun Wukong?!"

"Yes. This Victorious Buddha's Path Pass is a document and talisman that allows one to meet the Victorious Fighting Buddha, Sun Wukong."

"That's awesome! I've been a fan of Sun Wukong since I was a child! Who isn't a fan of him!" Hua Sheng jumped up.

"Therefore, this year's competition is particularly fierce. Although the Academy of Arts and Sciences has always paid attention to the safety of its disciples, because of this competition of immortal arts, fists and feet have no eyes, and there is inevitably a certain risk of injury."

Rather than waiting to be defeated, Hua Sheng thought it better to take the initiative. First, he wanted to give Tian Jizi a hard time. Second, Hua Sheng realized that he, this "lowly creature," was not to be trifled with. If he swallowed his anger now that he had just arrived, how long would he be bullied in this Xiyuan Academy?

Just as Taishang Xiaojun had said, within two days Huasheng saw several notices in the Shudao Academy announcing the registration for the "Tianmu Trial." The "Shengfo Road Pass," the prize, was prominently featured on the notices. The notices only stated that registration for the Tianmu Trial was open on the day of registration and would not be accepted afterward, but did not specify the exact start time and location.

Below each notice was a desk, about the size of a mat. On the left side of the desk was a transparent glass box, within which burned a blue flame. On the right side were the Four Treasures of the Study: paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.

Whether in the dining hall or the corridors of the academy, one could hear disciples discussing this year's trial everywhere. Clearly, as a competitive event, whether it was called a "game" or a "trial," the male disciples seemed to have a greater interest in it.

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang Xiao Jun arrived at a notice board beside the Ling Tian Sacred Path. Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, "This is where you register for the Heavenly Eye Trial. Are you ready?"

Hua Sheng nodded without hesitation and asked, "What are the rules of the trial?"

"The projects are different every year. Just like the exam papers are different every time. The only thing we know is that the competition between disciples about 'Heavenly Eye' can be understood as an assessment of immortal skills and intuition."

"After registering, when will the trial begin?"

"The notice states that it will be held within three days. Once registration closes, the trials may begin at any time, and only the participants will know the time, location, and rules of each trial."

"It could start at any moment?"

"at any time."

"How do I know whether I advance or am eliminated in each trial?" Hua Sheng asked.

"You'll find out once the trial begins."

Despite deciding to go, the uncertainty of what and where the competition would take place left Hua Sheng feeling somewhat apprehensive.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun stood at his desk, picking up a sheet of Xuan paper. The brush and inkstone were already prepared. He dipped the brush in ink and wrote his name on the paper. Then he folded the paper in half, then in half again, and tossed it into the glass box. The Xuan paper touched the azure flame within the box and instantly vanished into ashes, turning into a wisp of smoke without a trace.

"that's it?"

"that's it."

Hua Sheng also stepped forward, lightly dipped a brush in ink, and wrote his name on the rice paper. Imitating Tai Shang Xiao Jun's movements, he folded it neatly and gently placed it into the glass box.

The paper emitted a soft whoosh, then turned into a wisp of blue smoke and disappeared.

Then, a beam of light suddenly appeared on the pulse point of my left wrist, revealing a string of characters. Each character was only about the size of a fingernail.

Hanamori raised her left hand and examined it carefully. It turned out to be a string of numbers written in Chinese.

"991248"

Hua Sheng was examining his wrist when he heard Tai Shang Xiao Jun say, "There will be a string of numbers on each arm. These numbers appear randomly and are the trial participant's identification number."

He raised his wrist and said, "But only the trial participant can see this string of numbers. The size and even the number of digits are random."

"Even though it's a random number, it's not a ranking of abilities, is it?" Hua Sheng couldn't help but complain. "It definitely isn't a ranking of abilities," Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, counting on his fingers. "East of Sheng Ping Ning, where the Magic Dao Academy is located, is a place called Lingwei Yangzhou, or Lingzhou for short. It has about a million people, and I'm afraid you're not that high up."

"Aren't you undermining people's confidence?"

"The number doesn't matter. If you want to boost your confidence by using numbers, just treat it as a competition of size," Taishang Xiaojun replied nonchalantly.

Before Hua Sheng could reply, a large group of people approached from afar. The noise was deafening, interspersed with sharp screams from girls. As they drew closer, the screams of the female disciples could be heard.

"Wow! Tianjizi is so handsome~~ I'm going to faint~~"

"You'll definitely be number one again this year when you participate in the Heavenly Eye Trial!"

"You're definitely going to be number one! We'll all go cheer you on!"

The two then realized that the group of female disciples, of varying ages, were all surrounding a handsome young man. This young man was the one they were calling Tianjizi.

Since their last meeting was at midnight, Hua Sheng was able to see clearly under the bright sunlight that Tian Jizi was indeed exceptionally handsome. Not only was he tall, but his features were also sharply defined, making him a true heartthrob. His physique and appearance also perfectly complemented the elegant style of the Taoist robes worn by the Shudao Academy.

Hua Sheng couldn't help but feel ashamed of her own appearance, thinking that descendants of immortals like Tianji Zi and Taishang Xiaojun were truly the face of the disciples of the Daoist Academy. Only today did she truly see Tianji Zi's face clearly; he was indeed exceptionally handsome, befitting his position as the registrar of the disciples' council. Indeed, he seemed perfectly suitable.

Before Hua Sheng could even take a closer look, she was already pushed aside by the female disciples surrounding Tianjizi.

Tianjizi picked up a brush and wrote his name on the Xuan paper. This drew exclamations of admiration from the female disciples around him, praising the beauty of his calligraphy. Then, when the Xuan paper was folded and placed in the glass box, another round of screams erupted.

"These characters are so beautiful! Truly a masterpiece!"

"Wow! These flames are burning so beautifully!"

Feeling annoyed, Hua Sheng couldn't help but say, "Are all these female disciples brainless fans? Aren't they annoying?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun murmured, "What a coincidence, what a coincidence. Of all the registration points for the Heavenly Eye Trials at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, you all happened to come here at this very moment."

"Pah! What fate? It's clearly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road!" Hua Sheng said.

The conversation between the two caught the attention of Tianjizi, who was about to leave. Seeing that it was Taishang Xiaojun beside him, he slowly walked over.

"Isn't this Taishang Xiaojun? I thought you weren't interested in joining the Disciples Association or the Tianmu Trial, which are similar academy activities. Do you have the leisure to join everyone in some games this year?" Tianjizi's expression suggested that he had long wanted to compete with Taishang Xiaojun.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun seemed completely unconcerned, saying, "I'm not here to participate in the game, I'm just here to be a bodyguard."

This answer surprised Tianjizi slightly. He saw Huasheng standing to the side and asked, "Could it be that you are this person's bodyguard?"

Hua Sheng looked displeased, thinking to himself that he absolutely couldn't lose face at this moment: "So? Tianjizi, I'm here to compete with you for the Victorious Buddha's Path Pass!"

These words elicited mocking laughter from the female disciples around them.

"Who is this idiot?"

"Dare to compete with our 'husband' for first place in the Heavenly Eye Trial?"

"That's hilarious, doesn't he even look in the mirror?"

Tianjizi, however, spoke in a very calm tone, slowly asking, "Oh, so you wish to compete for first place. May I ask, have we met before? Who are you?"

Hua Sheng was furious and roared, "I am Hua Sheng! Didn't we just meet a couple of nights ago?!"

Tianjizi's eyebrows twitched slightly as he said, "Oh, I usually don't remember people who aren't very important. Now I remember, it was that ant I encountered that night... that little disciple."

"Wait for me!"

"Of course we'll be waiting."

Tianjizi turned around gracefully and said to Taishang Xiaojun, "Why is it that you gifted people like you always hang out with ants? Do you want to watch the weak make fools of themselves?"

Taishang Xiaojun also said in a leisurely tone, "Don't you think you should be the one worried?"

"Oh?" Tianjizi stopped the step he had just taken.

"He may only have a one in ten thousand chance of winning, but you should worry about that one in ten thousand. Because he can afford to lose, but you can't."

Tianji Zi smiled slightly and said, "Supreme Lord, you've made two mistakes in your short statement. First, he doesn't even have a one in ten thousand chance of winning. Second, he can't afford to lose, because losing to me would not only be another humiliation for him, but also mean leaving Weiyu, wouldn't it?"

I never expected Tianjizi to suddenly mention Weiyu.

Tianjizi continued, "You mere mortal, coming to participate in the Heavenly Eye Trial, hoping to win first place. Aren't you here specifically to teach me a lesson, to make me take back what I said that night? Isn't that right?"

Hua Sheng hadn't expected that Tian Jizi would guess his purpose in participating in the Tianmu Trial.

"Since that's the case, let's make a bet this time. If you can beat me this year, I will no longer restrict the Deputy Registrar's freedom as the Registrar. Otherwise, you'd better think twice. Spend more time on your cultivation and don't harbor any illusions about Weiyu. What do you think?"

"Let's bet!" Hua Sheng dared not back down in front of everyone.

"With so many witnesses, I hope you will not break your promise." After saying this, Tianjizi turned and left without looking back.

"You have to keep your word!" Hua Sheng shouted.

Tianjizi laughed loudly, "Hahaha! Even such a trivial matter is none of your business to remind me."

The group of female disciples surrounding her also swarmed away like a gust of wind.

Hua Sheng clenched his fists, standing still and staring at Tian Jizi's back.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun patted Hua Sheng's shoulder and looked at Tian Ji Zi's back just like him, and said leisurely, "Guess what Wei Yu will say when she finds out? She will say: You are so naive. I am not a bargaining chip for the two of you to bet on."

“I didn’t gamble with Wei Yu.” Hua Sheng didn’t laugh. “I gambled on whether I had that kind of fate.”

"So, you're serious about the conditions Tianjizi proposed?"

"I have to beat him! I absolutely have to beat Tianjizi!" Hua Sheng gritted his teeth.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun sighed softly, "Alas, why bother with all this?"

"Of course it's necessary. If I can't even protect the people I want, how can I be considered a man?"

"Pitiful."

"What? I'm not a pitiful person."

"I wasn't talking about you. I'm the one who's being pathetic," Tai Shang Xiao Jun murmured. "This is my first time participating in the Tianmu Trial. I was just skipping class to give myself a break, treating it as a game to play with you. Whether I teach Tianji Zi a lesson or not is up to fate. But now you've dragged me into this, and I have to help you win. Tell me, aren't I pathetic?"

"It sounds like you'd be in a worse situation if I lost?"

"That's for sure. We live under the same roof. If your roommate loses out to someone else for his girlfriend, how will Tai Shang Xiao Jun ever face anyone again?"

(End of this chapter)