The sage was determined to die.

"He was eliminated just like that?"

Watching Chu Xi kill the fake brother, Ji Bai silently turned to look at Granny Tanxin, somewhat speechless.

"It is indeed a pity."

The old woman counted on her fingers and sighed, "What talk of brotherly love? They're just killing each other for Wenxin's sake."

"But I've been watching this kind of drama for so many years, I'm used to it," the old woman said with the air of someone who's been through it all.

Ji Bai looked at her with some disbelief.

He thought for a moment and said, "Is the challenge of this test simply to let them choose a path and then go down it to the dark?"

The old woman nodded mysteriously.

I don't really understand what Ji Bai means by what he said.

Unlike previous assessments, in this round, Ji Bai only had the power to choose the exam questions; the outcome was not up to him.

Ji Bai observed the different people's behavior in the illusion. Some were persevering, while others were gradually losing their way amidst repeated failures.

Ji Bai said somewhat helplessly, "I'm afraid it's not just that. It's probably not just about choosing the right path, but also having to follow that path to the very end in order to pass the test."

His words piqued the interest of the old woman.

"What do you mean?"

"Chu Xi was initially unwilling to kill his brother."

Ji Bai paused for a moment, then continued, "This is the path he chose, but in the end he still killed his brother, not for Wen Xin, but because he recognized that this imposter Chu Ze was a fake."

"What's the difference between the two?" The old lady clearly didn't understand.

The difference is huge.

Ji Bai thought to himself, but this also made him realize a certain idea.

"The software for Book Mountain has vulnerabilities, and they are quite significant."

Ji Bai narrowed his eyes slightly, silently thinking to himself, "Could it be that the Book Mountain can only judge a person's behavior, and cannot make further judgments based on the actual situation?"

Ji Bai shook his head and looked at the old woman who was talking to him. At this moment, he was extremely calm.

This old woman is very likely from the same place as him, but having lost her memory, she has long been assimilated by the mountain of books.

Yes, assimilation.

She has long lost the ability to perceive emotions like a normal person.

Ji Bai shook his head before replying, "It's nothing, I'll go in again."

In this isolated space, there were multiple screens in front of them, each broadcasting the candidates' exams live. The scene was quite similar to a surveillance room in a large shopping mall, and the two of them were security guards sitting inside.

The difference is that, as examiners, they can step in and intervene at any time.

Ji Bai reached out and covered his chest. The Wenxin, which was temporarily stored there, was burning hot, almost as if it were merging with his heart.

"Has the fusion process accelerated?" Ji Bai couldn't help but think of this unpleasant possibility.

……

"Damn it, they all deserve to die."

As soon as Ji Bai entered, he heard this curse.

He couldn't help but look at Gongsun Yang in front of him. He was much more disheveled than when he was mining. His clothes were tattered, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked almost like a vagrant.

No, actually he was worse than a homeless man; he was a fugitive.

As an examiner, Ji Bai still wielded some power. For example, unless he deliberately revealed himself, the person in front of him could not actually see him.

Ji Bai followed behind him openly, or rather, he was proctoring the exam.

Gongsun Yang was very confident when he first participated in the Wenxin assessment for the second time.

Compared to others, he clearly has twice as much experience.

As for the other scholars from small countries who had participated in the hidden assessment with him, he didn't take them seriously at all.

After obtaining this Wenxin, whose authenticity was unknown, he faced another crisis.

……

Gongsun Yang's assessment in this round was extremely similar to the one he participated in during the hidden assessment.

Unlike his previous arrogance, he became exceptionally cautious when participating in the Wenxin assessment this time.

No.

Gongsun Yang thought to himself, "This is completely against my nature; I'm being tolerant in every way."

When he saw Wenxin again, he couldn't help but become anxious.

But the next second, he regained consciousness.

"This is fake, just a test, not the real Wenxin."

Gongsun Yang swallowed hard. After several days of mining and three trials at the Book Mountain, he was covered in dust and dirt, looking disheveled, with his sleeves torn in half.

Despite his disheveled state, he underwent a transformation once again upon receiving Wenxin's power.

He lowered his head, his gaze piercing through his skin, locking onto the heart that was gradually turning green, and a power far beyond that of ordinary people made him completely immersed in it.

Gongsun Yang was completely lost in it.

Shushan told him that as long as he could guard this literary heart in the upcoming trials, the literary heart would be his.

Gongsun Yang was overjoyed.

He was no longer as flamboyant as before, but instead lay low and patiently endured everything, no longer making enemies.

During his subsequent journey through the mountains of books, he avoided danger whenever possible, and finally returned to his country with Wenxin without any major incidents.

Upon returning home, he immediately informed the king about Wenxin's situation.

Gongsun Yang's country bordered the State of Chu, but its territory was very small, even smaller than a single prefecture of Chu. It suffered from drought year after year, and in years of famine, the land was littered with corpses of the starving.

The king wanted to save his people, but he was helpless.

Everything in this world depends on the power of Wenxin.

Their country has no great scribes of its own.

The king treated Gongsun Yang like a son or nephew. Before he entered the Book Mountain, the king specifically instructed him that the journey to the Book Mountain was fraught with danger. Whether he could win the Literary Heart was not important; what mattered was that he returned alive.

Gongsun Yang felt extremely ashamed.

Upon receiving the literary talent, the king was overjoyed and immediately issued an edict granting him a noble title.

Gongsun Yang was overjoyed, but unsurprisingly, his joy turned to sorrow.

As a small country, they are not as well-informed as the larger countries, and are not able to communicate directly with the five great families.

They had heard of the existence of the powerful families of the immortal sects, but they regarded them as legendary figures.

And now, legend has it that he has come to find him in person.

In the not-so-spacious palace, Gongsun Yang stood there blankly, glancing at the king not far away.

Although the king was the master, he did not take a seat. He stood there in his casual clothes, his whole body tense, like a bowstring ready to be drawn. His suppressed anger made him lose sight of his target.

Gongsun Yang's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the person sitting in the main bathroom.

The envoy from Baiyujing was sitting with his legs crossed, in a carefree and unrestrained posture. He held a cup of tea in his hand, took a sip, and then spat it out with a bitter face.

The envoy casually spat twice and frowned, saying, "Your lives are too miserable; even the tea you serve to your guests is so unpalatable."

Gongsun Yang suddenly understood why this round of assessment required him to preserve his literary integrity.

"How about we make a deal?" the messenger said.