Devour

Chapter 473 Loyalty and Filial Piety Are Difficult to Complete (Part 2)

Overjoyed, Wang Hong blurted out, "To obtain such a treasure without paying any price?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately realized that it was beneath his dignity and quickly changed his words with a sincere expression: "What I mean is that I am deeply grateful for this generous gift, and I am truly uneasy about receiving such a reward without having done anything in return. I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!"

"Of course there are conditions!" Master Li's expression turned serious, his eyes suddenly becoming deep, and his tone gradually rising. "Since the ancient times, the great emperors of each generation have ruled the universe, the path of immortals and sages has flourished, and the etiquette and laws of the human race have become popular. But in the ancient era of the end of Dharma, the sages retired, and the glory of the human world was gone. And all of you present here are the best of our human race from various branches."

Cheng Bai stole a glance at Wang Xiongwu and saw that the guy was listening with great interest, looking like he was a human being. He thought to himself, "The Master's definition of 'outstanding human being' is quite lenient."

Seeing all the prodigies holding their breath, Master Li felt gratified and continued, "In recent years, the forces of heretical races have risen, running rampant in the Cloud Realm, wantonly driving away and slaughtering various human races, and destroying the sacred laws and rituals."

"We are facing a severe situation, and we must take it upon ourselves to revitalize civilization, inherit the imperial throne, and unite all branches of the human race. If we wish to accomplish this great undertaking, the secret realm of the 'Lost Ocean' is the supreme opportunity to understand the mysteries of the ancient times."

He clapped his hands lightly, his voice softening: "These treasures in the Treasure Hall are both the key to joining the team and a deposit. Only those who obtain the treasures are qualified to join my elite team and venture into the Lost Ocean together! This journey requires everyone to work together to explore the secret realm and overcome all difficulties. All gains will be rewarded according to merit."

Master Li, beaming with pride, announced with great enthusiasm: "This group of twenty-eight will be led by a Confucian scholar. I hope you will all stand with me through thick and thin!"

These words stirred the emotions of everyone present, and ignited a flame of resonance in the eyes of several prodigies.

Wang Hong responded solemnly, "With the Master in charge, the overall situation is settled. Even if there are dangerous and mysterious places in the world, they are nothing more than the result of tempering and honing our skills."

Cheng Bai stepped forward, his eyes calm as a deep pool, and asked with composure, "Please enlighten me, Master. If multiple people are vying for the same treasure, or if someone fails and then repeatedly challenges the same treasure, how should this be resolved? Moreover, there are twenty-seven guests present, but why are there twenty-eight treasures?"

These few words directly point to potential loopholes in the details of the rules.

"Good question!" Master Li gave Cheng Bai a deep look, his eyes flashing with appreciation. "There are indeed supplementary rules: challengers answer first, first served, and each person can only challenge one treasure at a time. If the answer is wrong, the person will not only consume one card but also lose the qualification to obtain that treasure. But..."

Master Li deliberately drew out his words, making everyone tense, before slowly saying, "Heaven never forbids anyone from leaving! This scholar will offer a chance to redeem himself; someone else can provide another 'Question Card' to answer the question on his behalf. The one who answers correctly will receive the treasure; the one who fails will receive a different question. This treasure awaits the next destined one!"

Cheng Bai secretly praised: "This not only increases the success rate of answering questions, but also effectively curbs multiple people vying for the answer, and tests the strategic wisdom of everyone present. No one can guarantee that they will answer correctly. If someone rushes to answer but gets it wrong, they will only be doing the work for someone else."

Master Li stroked his beard and said, "The Dao Question Cards are a rare resource. Holding three cards grants three opportunities. Any cards remaining in the possession of the winner will be considered as an extra reward. Those who run out of cards and still haven't answered correctly have lost their chance at immortality, and can only lament in vain!"

He then changed the subject, saying, "However, treasures inevitably vary in value, and if they are distributed among you, someone will inevitably end up at the bottom. Therefore, the least favored of the twenty-eight treasures will be left for the scholars to recycle, as a way to mitigate the risk for everyone."

This spirit of willingly taking the last place made the several outstanding individuals present solemn and respectful.

Cheng Bai bowed and said, "Master, your considerations are very thorough, and I deeply admire you."

Ningxiang softly chimed in, "The event is magnificent, and the Master is wise. I believe the journey to the secret realm will be a resounding success!"

Chang Yufeng also came over to ask for confirmation: "Master, if I take a fancy to a treasure, can I answer the question immediately?"

"That's exactly right." Master Li nodded.

With the rules clarified, the atmosphere in the arena changed dramatically.

The prodigies who were just focused on socializing and chatting had no time to talk anymore, and couldn't wait to rush to the various magic arrays to examine the rare treasures. Some carefully examined the colors and textures, some calculated their origins with their fingers, and some simply took out ancient books to compare.

Regardless of the method used, everyone understands that whoever can identify and answer the questions first has a greater chance of obtaining the treasure, and if the treasure they desire is claimed by someone else, they cannot compete for it again.

Mo Ruo headed straight for the magic array at the back, thinking to himself, "Based on my deduction, the later the number, the higher the grade. I'll just start by appraising the last item. With the vast knowledge accumulated by my Longevity Society, I'm sure I can seize the initiative!"

Having received detailed instructions from Guo Xieke beforehand, Chang Yufeng was naturally clear about his goal. He took the lead and stood in front of Master Li, deftly handing over a question card.

"The students have given it careful consideration and have already made a suitable choice." Although Chang Yufeng's tone was steady, his suddenly accelerated heartbeat betrayed his barely suppressed excitement.

Master Li took the question card with great interest and asked with a smile, "Which treasure has Yu Feng taken a fancy to? Feel free to speak frankly."

Chang Yufeng secretly weighed his options: "Following Master's instructions, I will appraise each treasure one by one. High-grade spiritual essences are mostly unsuitable or unwise to touch, but the top five treasures hold hidden opportunities. Among them, the Brilliant Stone, ranked fourth, is the perfect choice to compensate for my weak divine sense. I am determined to obtain it!"

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and calmly said, "The student is interested in the treasure 'Brilliant Stone' of Formation Number Eighteen. This is a fourth-grade noble-quality rare stone, formed by the condensation of holy spirit energy over hundreds of millions of years. It was born in the ancient site of the great war between immortals and gods, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth and the will of heroic spirits. This treasure can help cultivators temper their divine sense and strengthen their mental power; it can be used by formation masters to set up powerful formations; and it is also a spiritual material for weapon refiners to forge high-grade magic weapons."

This description is detailed and accurate, clearly showing that Chang Yufeng did his homework and had a thorough understanding of the details.

The prodigies nearby, busy appraising treasures, couldn't help but turn their heads upon hearing the commotion. Some others, who had also taken a liking to the magnificent stone, immediately looked annoyed, lamenting that someone had beaten them to it.

Cheng Bai was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "Why did Chang Yufeng choose that spirit stone with hidden dangers? Although it's valuable, the consequences are unpredictable. Should I tell him the reason?"

He glanced at Chang Yufeng's expectant face, then at Master Li's calm expression, and hesitated, saying, "There's little point in reminding him now. The Inherited Cube has a better method for purifying spirit stones. Let's wait and see!"

"The Brilliant Stone is exceptionally precious, and the identification is correct." After saying this, Master Li waved his hand and randomly drew a jade slip from the Sumeru Mustard Seed, gently tore off the rune seal, unfolded it and read aloud, "Chang Yufeng, please listen to the question."

Although the prodigies lingered before the various magic arrays, they all listened intently. The emergence of the first challenger provided everyone with a perfect opportunity to test the depth of the puzzles.

Master Li's voice was booming and his words were clear: "If one day, your sect hopes that you will die to uphold the righteousness of the martial world, but your parents hope that you will live a life of survival and wander the world to avoid trouble, what choice will you make?"

As soon as the question was posed, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Bai immediately understood: "This is a classic case of 'you can't have your cake and eat it too.' The sect wants you to be loyal and righteous, while your parents only hope that you live peacefully. It seems like a simple choice between two options, but in reality, it's a life-or-death struggle between loyalty and filial piety, a struggle between righteousness and personal feelings that speaks directly to the human heart."

Chang Yufeng's expression also tightened slightly, realizing the pressure the problem brought.

He did not rush to answer. He first glanced at the time displayed on the celestial globe, then closed his eyes and pondered for a few breaths, recalling his years of experience in the martial world and the teachings of his mentor.

Guo Xieke once said: "On the path of cultivation, one should know when to advance and when to retreat, and understand gains and losses."

The rules of the Zhenyu Sword Sect clearly state: "The sword guards the abyss, and the heart upholds righteousness."

Chang Yufeng suddenly opened his eyes and answered seriously: "I believe that we should weigh the pros and cons. If sacrificing my life can fulfill the greater good, save the sect and liberate the people, I will die without regret. If the so-called 'righteousness' is nothing more than personal face or trivial matters of private morality, then I should prioritize the kindness of my parents, preserve my life, and wait to do something great in the future."

He paused, then continued, “The Golden Plum Sword Technique’s mantra states, ‘Extreme rigidity is easily broken, and extreme softness is easily bent.’ Therefore, when faced with such a crucial choice, one should not be bound by the notion of ‘certain death’ or ‘certain survival,’ but rather assess the situation and make a wise choice that considers the overall picture and is true to one’s conscience.”