195: The real goal of the game

Lu Ze's surging Spiritual Qi dissipated as he looked at Chi Tiandao, "It took this long just to decide who sits in one seat? I originally thought you'd do something different, but in the end, after all that buildup, I kicked out and scattered the seemingly solid background power behind you."

"All you wanted to do with this charade was to elevate yourself, right? Because I was proclaimed the new talent king, Qu Hongxi also lost to me, and while you couldn't beat Qu Hongxi in a straight fight, you weren't confident you could beat me either. So you used this opportunity to try and raise your own standing."

Lu Ze's gaze seemed to penetrate hearts, seeing right through Chi Tiandao.

"You wanted to step on everyone here to create a stepping stone for yourself, a stepping stone to the headquarters in Yanjing, didn't you?"

Chi Tiandao forcefully steadied his mind, but he still couldn't stop his eye from twitching, and the hand gripping the paper fan turned white.

This Lu Ze, he actually hit the nail on the head!

If there were no benefits, he wouldn't have bothered to bicker with Lu Ze and these other people.

Although Jiuli City had been officially incorporated into the Human Base, its Family members were also highly regarded.

But none of that had anything to do with Chi Tiandao!

When Jiuli was still under the rule of human demons, Chi Tiandao's parents relied on their good relationship with human demons to be highly favored within the Family. But now the situation had changed, and their backer was humanity.

His parents naturally failed to establish good relations with the Demon Subduing Division in Yanjing in time, and their Family's status plummeted within the entire Family. Even Chi Tiandao was looked down upon by his clansmen.

Some even threatened to expose past evidence, accusing his Family of colluding with human demons.

Chi Tiandao had also studied the laws of the Demon Subduing Division; if this crime were proven, his Family would be ruined!

And as many people from the Chi Family were promoted, those less intelligent than him, with lower cultivation than him, and even younger than him, were all promoted by the Demon Subduing Division and sent to Yanjing.

Among the younger generation, only he remained idle at home.

If it weren't for the fact that this entire generation of the Family had been transferred away, he probably wouldn't even have had the chance to come to Shennong City to participate in the Rookie Competition.

If he had just honestly participated in the Rookie Competition, he would likely be buried among the entire Gengsi Class. When he returned to the Family, he would still be an existence without any strength, unable to cultivate any influence.

Chi Tiandao understood too well that such a person, existing within the Family, would become a pawn that could be sacrificed at any time!

This Rookie Competition would be his only chance to seize!

He wanted to build momentum, build momentum for himself!

He wanted to stand above everyone, to tower over the entire Gengsi Class!

He wanted Yanjing to know of his existence, to see his talent!

Only then could he hold his life and destiny in his own hands!

But now, not only did he fail to stand above Lu Ze, he was also directly exposed by the latter's words.

Chi Tiandao calmed his mind, revealing a flawless smile, "Brother Lu, what are you talking about?"

Lu Ze sneered, glanced at the main seat not far away, then stepped forward, in the eyes of everyone, walking to the main seat.

This was the only chair in the entire hall with armrests; everyone else's seats were cushions, or they sat cross-legged, knelt, or, like Qu Hongxi, sat with one knee bent, leaning against the wall.

Lu Ze turned, facing everyone in the hall.

Chi Tiandao seemed to understand Lu Ze's intention. His figure flickered as he rushed towards Lu Ze!

Lu Ze acted as if he didn't see him, sitting down directly.

By the time Chi Tiandao reached Lu Ze's side, the latter was already seated properly.

His expression changed, and he reached out to pull Lu Ze up, but before his hand even touched Lu Ze's clothes, a surge of Qi came, and a strong, powerful hand gripped his, pinning his arm in place.

Qu Hongxi's voice also followed, "Chi Tiandao, Brother Lu sitting here is the will of the people! You shouldn't be standing here; the secondary seat below is your rightful place!"

With that, Qu Hongxi mobilized his Spiritual Qi, forcefully pulling Chi Tiandao down from the platform where the main seat was.

Leaving Chi Tiandao in the center of the hall, Qu Hongxi didn't bother with him, but he was also afraid this kid would cause trouble again, so he chose a secondary seat close to Lu Ze and sat down.

Qu Hongqing, at her brother's strong insistence, also dragged Xuan Yuan Dao Yi, who was still tied with golden ropes in the corner, over to them.

The two siblings thus settled down, holding Xuan Yuan Dao Yi.

Chi Tiandao stood in the central position, watched by everyone, a sense of humiliation rising from his heart.

In this confrontation, he didn't just lose; he was utterly defeated.

Not only did his own goal not materialize, but instead, Lu Ze stepped on him to firmly occupy the main seat. No one present refuted it; although they might not be sincere, at least on the surface, they all submitted.

Chi Tiandao looked at Xuan Yuan Daoxuan, who had previously promised to fully support his scheme.

But now, Xuan Yuan Daoxuan sat upright in her seat, a sarcastic smile on her lips, completely ignoring Chi Tiandao, who was left standing there.

Could it be that Xuan Yuan Daoxuan was playing him?

Qu Hongxi's voice rang out clearly, "Chi Tiandao, the Dao discussion is about to begin. If you don't find a place to sit, then leave."

Chi Tiandao snapped back to reality. He really wanted to just walk away, but he needed the Dao discussion to see if he could gain some cultivation experience.

After steadying himself slightly, Chi Tiandao found a seat next to Xuan Yuan Daoxuan and sat down.

Qu Hongxi also knew that Lu Ze might not know how to host the Dao discussion, so he spoke for him.

"Now, the Dao discussion begins. Let's discuss the first topic: the Dao of the Sword!"

After this announcement, and a moment of silence, someone stood up and began to speak about the Dao of the Sword.

Chi Tiandao took this opportunity to lean closer to Xuan Yuan Daoxuan and whisper, "You played me?"

Xuan Yuan Daoxuan's smile deepened, "Brother Chi, what are you saying? When did I ever play you?"

"You said you'd help me pull Lu Ze down, but now he's ascended to the main seat, and the forces behind me have all become his stepping stones! His prestige is even higher now!"

"So what?"

Xuan Yuan Daoxuan's smile suddenly faded, and her voice became even colder, "If you still want to make a comeback, shut your mouth. Look at yourself. You laid so much groundwork, and Lu Ze didn't say a single word, using stillness to control movement. With one strike, he directly defeated you. In terms of decision-making, you are already inferior to Lu Ze, and you are not steady, so you will definitely lose."

Chi Tiandao's face flushed and paled as he gritted his teeth, saying the last sentence, "Next time, you must help me win!"

Xuan Yuan Daoxuan turned her head, and Chi Tiandao's heart skipped a beat. Although the former's face was covered by a black cloth, in this moment, the former seemed to be able to see him.

"Chi Tiandao, you still haven't seen the situation clearly. You were defeated in one blow today; who else will stand by you now? I am your last possibility of winning. Now, your victory or defeat, your rise or fall, is all in my hands. If I help you, you still have a glimmer of a chance to resist. If I don't help you, you will be the laughingstock of the entire Gengsi Class."

"What do you mean?"

"Heh heh, Chi Tiandao, I want a map. As long as you give it to me, I will do my best to help you win."

Chi Tiandao's eyes narrowed, and everything became clear, "So, your true target for this scheme was me?"

Xuan Yuan Daoxuan also said frankly, "Naturally. After all, for Jiuli's bingzhu map, it's worth putting in some effort."