I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 277 Trial
Inside the Qian Yuan Hall, a curtain hangs in front of each seat, displaying a light and shadow that clearly shows the scene inside the Merit Pagoda.

The seats for the Duke of Jingguo's family were very close to the front. Gu Haochuan was there on behalf of the Duke of Jingguo. His apprentice, Gu Zhengshan, sat on one side, and the eldest daughter, Gu Yurong, sat on the other.

All three of them looked up at the screen, where Chen Ming, facing the group of "Great Wei" generals, actually fled without a fight.

Gu Yurong frowned slightly. "That's just a third-rank military officer. Why doesn't Xiao Qi dare to fight him?"

With his second-rank strength, killing a third-rank soldier plus a dozen or so regular soldiers wouldn't be difficult.

He actually refused the merit offered to him right in front of him?

This Pagoda of Merit is a rare treasure, containing a vast universe within, preserving the heroic spirits of many soldiers from previous dynasties. It is specifically used to hone the younger generation.

Inside this Pagoda of Merit, one can experience a real battlefield and fight against soldiers from the previous dynasty.

Later, Emperor Taizu of the Jin Dynasty designated this Merit Tower as a trial for the Ghost Festival banquet, opening it once every twenty years. This was also the only way to gain military merit when not on the battlefield.

Killing the heroic souls of Wei soldiers inside the Pagoda of Merit will earn you battle merits.

This trial is a test of who has more battle achievements.

Therefore, it's not just about physical strength, but also about strategy.

Gu Haochuan was quite satisfied with Chen Ming's response; the kid was indeed clever. Even in a new and unfamiliar place, he remained cautious.

He's just a little too smart.

He didn't tell the boy the details of the trial at the Ghost Festival banquet beforehand because he had some concerns.

With this kid's agility, as long as he's careful, almost no one on this battlefield can stop him, unless he can reach the seventh level and encounter a heroic soul at the Divine Treasure Realm level.

However, if he really makes it to the seventh level and performs too brilliantly, catching the eye of the Empress Dowager or the Emperor, that would be bad news.

In the five hundred years since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, during the more than twenty Mid-Autumn Festival banquets, only two people have ever managed to enter the seventh level.

Later, both of them became very famous figures.

Gu Haochuan had mixed feelings. On one hand, he was worried that his son would slack off and cause the Gu family to miss out on a spot in the Immortal Abode.

On the other hand, there's the worry that he might perform too well and become uncontrollable.

Therefore, he simply didn't tell the kid the details of the trial, lest the other party have a plan in advance.

Gu Haochuan could not voice his plans, but simply said, "It's better to be cautious on the battlefield."

Suddenly someone exclaimed, "Look! Wang Jinhu's merits have exceeded one hundred!"

The group turned to look at a screen in the middle, which displayed a list of names. It was a real-time ranking, showing the names of the top twenty people in terms of merit points.

At this moment, Wang Jinhu's name was at the very top of the list, already over a hundred.

This means that he has already beheaded a third-rank military officer.

Inside the Tower of Merit, slaying a hero of rank seven or below earns one merit point.

From the sixth rank to the fourth rank, ten merit points are required.

Rank 3, 100 points.

Second rank, two hundred points.

First-class item, 300 points.

They were on the first level, and the highest level among them was only third rank.

Then, the rankings kept changing, and soon, Duan Sijue and Ling Qingying's names jumped into the top three.

As for Gu Xianyu's name, he didn't even make it into the top twenty.

Miss Gu was getting a little annoyed. "Why hasn't Xiao Qi made a move yet?"

……

Those on the royal side have a different perspective than the contestants.

You can choose any image of a participant in the trial.

At the banquet in the Prince of Yan's residence, Madam Xia whispered to her daughter, "Don't forget your promise."

Xia Mudan nodded silently.

Therefore, Madam Xia switched the painting to Gu Xianyu's battlefield.

In fact, among those present, they weren't the only ones paying attention to Gu Xianyu.

The eldest princess and Princess Mingyu are both watching him.

The so-called Ghost Festival banquet is a grand event for those participating in the trials.

For these viewers, it was a rare and wonderful program.

The emperor turned to the sullen empress and asked, "Who does Your Majesty think will win first place in this trial?"

The Empress's mind was not on these trials. Upon hearing this, she shook her head and said, "This concubine cannot guess."

"What was the Empress looking at just now?"

"No."

The Empress forced a smile to hide her unease and suggested, "Your Majesty, how about we make a bet?"

The emperor's attention was indeed diverted. "Oh? What kind of bet?"

"I bet that you, young lady, will win first place. If I win, I will take Your Majesty's painting of spring flowers and autumn moon."

"Alright. Then I'll suppress Wang Jinhu."

Seeing that she had finally taken an interest, the emperor made a bet with her, asking, "If I win, what should I ask for?"

At this moment, the eldest princess, who was sitting next to him, interjected, "Royal brother, I also want to participate."

The Empress asked with a smile, "Oh, Zhaoyu, who do you favor?"

The eldest princess said, "I'll bet on Gu Xianyu." The empress asked in surprise, "That seventh son of the Duke of Jingguo's family? You have so much confidence in him?"

The eldest princess said, "That's for sure."

The emperor laughed and said, "Alright, I'll take your bet."

After saying that, he waved his hand, and three curtains fell in front of him at the same time, showing the scenes of Ling Qingying, Wang Jinhu, and Gu Xianyu passing through the challenge.

……

Chen Ming was unaware of the situation outside. After avoiding the small group of troops from the Great Wei, he first explored the surrounding area.

It was soon discovered that the area, which was only a few square kilometers in size, had boundaries that could not be crossed by the mountain walls.

He already had a guess in his mind that this place must be a secret realm.

It's somewhat like that ink-wash painting-style secret realm in Xiazhou City Prison.

In this space, there was only that small army that called itself the Great Wei Warriors, totaling twenty men.

One was a third-rank official, three were fifth-rank officials, and the rest were seventh-rank officials or below.

He poses no threat.

"So that's what the Merit Pagoda means?"

Chen Ming recalled what the eunuch had said earlier and now understood what this so-called trial was all about.

Killing these Wei soldiers will earn you merit. In the end, the five with the highest merit will receive a place in the Immortal Abode.

That's fair enough.

The only problem was that he didn't know how much credit others would ultimately receive.

"It seems the only option is to try and accumulate as many merit points as possible."

Chen Ming thought to himself, "I'll spend as much as I can."

He's an expert at this kind of thing; he's been grinding experience points every day lately and has already mastered it.

To gain as much merit as possible, one must be meticulous and control the consumption of vital energy.

So he began his hunt, using his superior cultivation and agility to kill all twenty of the Wei soldiers with almost no effort.

You have killed a level 30 enemy and gained 10,000 experience points.

You have killed a level 50 enemy and gained 30,000 experience points.

You have killed a level 70 enemy and gained 80,000 experience points.

【…】

Killing these Wei soldiers here actually gives you experience points?
Chen Ming was pleasantly surprised; even a mosquito bite is still meat. Experience points are a valuable resource, and every little bit helps.

For the past two weeks, he's been going to "Qingwei Heaven" every day to kill those ghosts; he's almost wiped them all out. This thing isn't a real game, though; the monsters don't respawn.

……

"clever."

After witnessing Gu Xianyu kill the souls of those warriors, the emperor couldn't help but praise him.

This wasn't the first time he'd witnessed the trials of the Tower of Merit, so he knew the first level wasn't difficult. In reality, the biggest limitation of this trial was actually one's spiritual energy.

Inside, the recovery of one's internal energy is very slow. To gain as much merit as possible, one must carefully control the use of every bit of internal energy.

So far, only Gu Xianyu has been able to do it.

As for the other two, Wang Jinhu didn't care about them at all.

Ling Qingying had this awareness, but she couldn't do it to the same extent as Gu Xianyu.

The Emperor laughed and said, "Zhaoyu's judgment has always been excellent. Duke Jingguo is very fortunate to have such a fine son."

The eldest princess said, "Has Your Majesty not heard of this person's deeds?"

After she finished speaking, she felt several gazes directed at her from all around. Even a gaze came from behind the curtain of the dragon throne.

The emperor said, "Indeed, no."

"Him..." The eldest princess's lips curled into a smug smile, "He was ostracized by his brothers and didn't even dare to stay in the capital. He volunteered to go to Xia Prefecture and even joined the Six Doors."

The emperor was somewhat surprised, "Is that so?"

The Duke of Jingguo's family was not considered one of the most prestigious noble families, and their scandalous affairs would not reach the emperor's ears.

The eldest princess continued, "After this person went to Xia Prefecture, he was like a dragon returning to the sea, and he did several earth-shattering things. He killed two first-rank members of the Nine Nether Sect and also beheaded a first-rank purple-robed member who had betrayed the Six Doors."

The emperor was somewhat moved, "He is indeed a young prodigy."

This Gu Xianyu is only a second-grade cultivator, yet he has already killed three first-grade cultivators. It's simply unbelievable.

He looked at Gu Xianyu on the screen again, and the more he looked, the more pleasing the person seemed to him.

Perhaps it was his experience at the Duke of Jingguo's mansion that shaped his cautious personality?
The eldest princess smiled and asked, "Brother, have you decided what you're going to lose to me?"

The emperor didn't care about winning or losing the bet; making the empress and his sister happy was more important to him. He said, "It's too early to talk about winning or losing now. Gu Xianyu's cultivation is still shallow, and he may not be able to beat Wang Jinhu."

"Then we'll see."

The princess felt those strange gazes recede, and she chuckled inwardly. She wasn't stupid; how could she possibly expose that matter herself?

That would do her no good whatsoever.

These things are only interesting when the people involved tell them themselves.

She was now very much looking forward to the day when Gu Xianyu won first place and told her brother about it in person. She wondered what the reaction of those who had plotted this would be.

That would be absolutely amazing!
The eldest princess looked up at the curtain and watched as Gu Xianyu was teleported to the second level to face even more enemies. She thought to herself with delight, "Kid, you better not disappoint me!"

(End of this chapter)