The sage was determined to die.

Chu Ze regretted it as soon as he learned the grade of this literary heart.

If this is a third-grade literary talent, he can use it to continue concealing his shortcomings.

If this is a second-grade literary talent, although it is eye-catching, it may not be impossible to keep it.

As a prince of the Chu Kingdom and the next ruler of Chu, he had access to far more inside information than ordinary people.

He knew that although the various kingdoms were prosperous and powerful, in terms of actual status, they were nothing more than bait raised by the immortal sects, and the five great families had never taken them seriously.

To climb the social ladder in this world, one must possess literary talent.

But Wenxin's rank is too high, it's like a child holding gold in the middle of a bustling city, even if you have it, you may not be able to keep it.

He can strive for the second rank, but what about the first rank?

Wenxin's rank cannot be concealed.

"This is a first-class literary talent."

The envoy from Baiyujing said to him, clicking his tongue, "Chu Ze, if you were born in Baiyujing, to have such good fortune at such a young age and to obtain a first-grade literary heart would make you a genius even in Baiyujing."

"Unfortunately, if I were to take your literary talent today, even if you were exceptionally gifted, you would only become a useless person."

Chu Ze squinted; even at such close range, he still couldn't make out the person's face.

It's ridiculous.

He couldn't even see the other person's face clearly, yet the other person could treat his literary talent as something they could easily possess.

The messenger formed a hand seal, and a spiderweb-like web formed between his ten fingers. The web devoured his flesh and blood, yet it was exceptionally clear and translucent.

Chu Ze watched all of this coldly.

Only Wenxin could deprive Wenxin of his heart; he knew who the visitor was.

"If I die one day, I'll probably go to the eighteenth level of hell."

The envoy seemed oblivious to pain, and scoffed, "So many geniuses have been ruined by my hand; a single spit from each of them could kill me."

"Chu Ze, how about I make an exception and give you a chance?"

The envoy looked at Chu Xi, who was half-dead from his own beating, and suggested, "Kill your brother. He's just an ordinary person without any literary talent. Kill him and sever ties with the Chu Kingdom. I'll secure you a chance to enter Baiyujing."

"Once you become a member of Baiyujing, no one will stop you from possessing a first-grade literary talent, and you will be able to maximize the value of this talent."

Chu Ze laid down Chu Xi, who had already closed his eyes, tore open a corner of his outer robe, and carefully wrapped it around his wound.

He slowly rose, drew his sword from his waist, and without the slightest hesitation, thrust it towards the other man's neck.

To the envoy's disbelief, he severed the man's head with a single sword stroke, the warm blood splashing into his eyes and staining his clear black and white eyes red.

He pierced the opponent's heart again and again with his sword.

"This is just a test."

Looking into the other person's unseeing, lifeless eyes.

Chu Ze smiled, somewhat sarcastically, and said, "This is just a test. In reality, I wouldn't be able to kill you at all."

"No," he said with a self-deprecating laugh, "could I really kill you?"

……

Do you think you can win?

Ji Bai sat on the tree trunk, picked a fruit at random, and took a bite. It was bitter and astringent.

He forced himself to remain calm, swallowed the fruit expressionlessly, and then tossed it to Chen Ji, hitting him squarely on the head.

Chen Ji's face turned a deep purplish-red.

He was standing in the pool, the water covering most of his body. He was like a heater, trying to cool himself down with the water, but instead he boiled the water.

"If you continue like this, you'll die," Ji Bai sighed.

Chen Ji's third round of assessment was very simple, it could be summed up in one word: patience.

"You two will absorb this literary heart at the same time. Whoever absorbs it to the end will own it."

Chen Ji already possessed a literary talent, and now he wanted to forcibly take in another one.

The scene is like two children racing. One is healthy and carefree, while the other has to carry a heavy load. It's hard to even reach the finish line, let alone win.

Chen Ji turned to look at another pool of water, but through the thick mist, he could only make out a blurry outline.

"Who is my opponent?" After holding back for almost an hour, Chen Ji finally spoke.

Ji Bai looked at Chen Ji, who was clearly about to collapse.

He said slowly, "Your opponent is just a scholar from a small country; he has nothing special about him."

"Impossible," Chen Ji denied. "How could his progress be faster than mine?"

"Because you don't know how to choose."

Ji Bai leaned against the tree trunk with his arms crossed, his legs swinging back and forth. He said, "You already have one Wenxin, yet you dare to dream of having another. You should know that yourself, right? Your body simply cannot hold two."

Chen Ji's eyes were already somewhat unfocused.

He forced himself to endure the pain and gritted his teeth, saying, "What do you know? I'm different from those mortals. How can they compare to me?"

The two hearts collided within Chen Ji's heart, and he spat out a mouthful of thick blood, mixed with fragments of internal organs.

He wiped his mouth with his hand, his eyes unfocused, but his will was firm: "Only the most outstanding geniuses can be chosen by the Immortal Sect. I will go to the Immortal Sect to kill demons."

After saying that, Chen Ji dragged his heavy legs, trying to pull himself out of the pool.

But those two legs seemed to be welded to the spot, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't budge them an inch.

Ji Bai clapped his hands at him.

He hit the nail on the head, pointing out the point the other person cared about most.

"Kill demons? Aren't you only good at killing people?"

Chen Ji paused upon hearing this.

He glared fiercely at Ji Bai, only to see the other point a finger. He looked in the direction the finger pointed—

Ji Bai said, "Look, he's about to overtake you."

……

"Don't you think this assessment is taking a little too long?"

Grandma, tired from eating melon seeds, was sipping her tea and complaining to Ji Bai, "You scholars always seem to procrastinate."

"In previous years," the old woman said smugly, "we would have just locked them in separate dark rooms, with no sound, no sight, and no one around. Who wouldn't go crazy by the end? We could have just given Wenxin to him."

Ji Bai: "..."

Isn't this pure mental torture?

However, he was genuinely curious about this and asked, "What was the longest you've ever endured such a period?"

The old woman glanced at him and cleared her throat twice.

Considering that the other person was from his hometown, Ji Bai took a handful of sunflower seeds out of his pocket and placed them in the other person's hand.

After accepting the bribe, the old woman who had been talking to him said, "He only spent a moment outside, but he endured fifty-seven years inside."

Ji Bai: "...Is he not crazy?"

The old woman pointed at Chen Ji and the others and said, "No, that person was quite excited when he came out, much more energetic than these good-for-nothings."

Ji Bai hesitated for a moment before asking, "Such a ruthless person, do you still remember his name?"

He said his surname was either Xu or Xu (许).

The old woman shook her head. "She was just an insignificant person. I can't remember her."