315: Special New Year's Greeting from the Sect (Part 1)

The next day, Sect Square.

“Another year has passed, and today a new year begins a magnificent chapter. Dear Disciples and Elders, Happy New Year!”

A burst of warm applause rang out from below the stage, but those clapping were mostly new Disciples; the veteran Disciples had already begun to look troubled.

Zhou Yan, mingling in the crowd, took all of this in.

After meeting that Senior Brother with the quite shocking name, Fan Wujiu, yesterday and learning the time and location of the event, he had rested and recharged for the night before arriving early at the Sect Square.

By the time he arrived, many people had already gathered. He even spotted a worried-looking Wang Yao in the crowd, who was still at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

He also saw a high-spirited Long Tianxing, who had actually broken through to Core Formation. It seemed his trip to the Small World had yielded significant gains.

However, looking around, he didn't see Shi Suiyan. He didn't know if she was in seclusion or busy with something else; come to think of it, he hadn't seen her for quite some time.

While Zhou Yan was lost in thought, the Elders arrived one after another.

The first to speak was the Grand Elder, who briefly summarized the Sect's situation over the past year and looked ahead to the coming year.

His tone was concise and the data was clear. Although there wasn't much new, it was quite organized; even someone like Zhou Yan, who rarely concerned himself with administrative affairs, could understand it.

After the Grand Elder finished, the other Elders took turns reading their greetings as a mere formality.

Next, Sect Master Immortal Master Qingxu took the stage to give his greetings and prepare for his formal speech.

“Tsk, I wonder what that Soul Transformation rank treasure actually is...” Just as Zhou Yan was thinking this, he heard Immortal Master Qingxu speak.

“I'll just say a few brief words.”

“Oh no!” Zhou Yan’s eyes instantly widened. He had almost forgotten that this Sect Master was no easy character. Had he known, he should have used his Saint authority to take a seat in the Elders' section, but it was too late now.

“I am talking nonsense, I am talking nonsense.”

“These words are useless, these words have no substance, these words sound quite nice to me...”

Only half an hour into the speech, some new Disciples below the stage already sensed something was wrong. Their scalps felt numb, their pupils dilated slightly, and their fingers couldn't help but tremble.

The voice on the high platform paused for a moment. Just as everyone thought it was over, they heard a light cough.

“Ahem, I have a few more points to add.”

“Aaaaah!”

“Kill, kill, kill!”

“I’m a little kitty, picking your nose, meow meow~, picking your nose, meow meow~.”

“Hmph, the speech is acceptable, but if it were me speaking, it would surely be a cut above. By the way, where did Zhou Yan go? Why can't I see him?”

With a darkened face, Zhou Yan completely withdrew all the Power of Law around him.

Since mastering the Power of Law, he had been able to stop hearing those heart-voices filled with stray thoughts; normally, he only needed to protect himself with the Law.

But Immortal Master Qingxu’s antics had actually managed to stir up all the suppressed malice in the Disciples. The crowd was like a collective Heart Demon outbreak; even though Zhou Yan was protecting himself with the Law, he could still hear the chaotic heart-voices.

The Power of Law was like a flame meeting fuel; the more he heard, the wider it spread. Even some inner thoughts that weren't malicious became clearly audible.

He had no choice but to completely put away the Law to avoid hearing things he shouldn't.

He had long expected the Sect Master might pull this stunt again, but he hadn't expected the speech to be so unbearable.

If it were just long-winded, it wouldn't matter; everyone present was a Cultivator, and standing for several days and nights would be no problem.

But Zhou Yan really didn't understand why the man who could originally recite such a grand opening poem could make a long speech so 'stinky'?

Yes, to describe his speech, Zhou Yan could only use the word 'stinky'—long and stinky.

Each sentence was acceptable on its own, but together they made one feel dizzy and nauseous, yet the speaker seemed quite pleased with himself.

Only now did Zhou Yan understand why the start time was set for the Hour of the Tiger.

He had originally thought it was just the different time concepts of immortal practitioners, but seeing the horizon gradually turning pale, he now knew the real reason.

“Gibberish, gibberish.”

“Gaga gaga, gaga ga.”

“Alright, I'll stop here for now.”

“Next, I'll ask the Third Elder to explain the details of this event. Everyone, please give her a warm welcome.”

Finally, after speaking from the Hour of the Tiger to the Hour of the Dragon—a full four hours—Immortal Master Qingxu finally stopped.

As Immortal Master Qingxu's speech finally ended, thunderous applause erupted from below the stage.

Amidst the applause, the Third Elder stepped onto the high platform like a savior.

“I won't bother with pleasantries; this event is very simple.”

With a gentle wave of her hand, countless small Talismans scattered toward the stage, accurately landing in the hands of every Disciple.

Some were still looking at the platform waiting for an explanation, while others had already begun to study the purpose of the Talisman.

“This Talisman is a small map and also a scoreboard, marking the areas I have designated.”

“Various treasures are buried within these areas; some can be dug up directly, while others require certain conditions to be met.”

“Anyone who obtains a treasure owns it; others may not snatch it, nor may they use spells to interfere with or take it from another's hands.”

“All areas in the event are equipped with Divine Sense shielding, so you can only rely on luck, wisdom, or endurance to find them.”

“Of course, if you have enough strength and perseverance, it's fine to flip the entire area over like a plow, as long as you don't violate the basic rules.”

“Now, you may set out.”

“Hooray!”

“Long live the Third Elder!”

“Are you stupid? This isn't the mortal world. Saying ‘long live’—isn't that cursing someone to an early death?”

“Hahaha, the treasures all belong to me, Iron Palm Water Drifter! Who can match my escape speed? I'm off!”

“I'll be!”

Just as the crowd was buzzing and preparing to move, a Disciple was the first to take to the air, racing toward the distance.

However, just as his figure was about to vanish, a rope suddenly looped around his waist, and then another Disciple used the momentum to be pulled along through the air.

“Damn it, you're cheating!”

The leading Disciple’s face turned ashen as he turned back to shout angrily.

The latecomer gripped the rope tightly and grinned.

“The rules only forbid fighting; they didn't say anything about not hitching a ride.”

“Your escape speed is the fastest, so let me borrow a bit of your light.”

Such shameless behavior made everyone frown and look toward the high platform.

The Elders, however, remained silent, clearly regarding this as a compliant move.

Consequently, everyone's expressions became subtle.

The Morality Contest has now officially begun.

“Crow Sits on Airplane!”

“You bastard, you're going too far!”

“I'm just riding on your head, I haven't broken any rules.”

“One Thousand Years of Death!”

“Ah!”

“I study the Dao of medicine; I'm just helping you clear your anal passage. This time it's a free consultation, so I won't charge you any Spirit Stones.”

“Groin-Ripping Kick!”

“You beast, this is direct fighting!”

“Who said that? I'm simply beating you up; I haven't fought you before you got a treasure. If you're so upset, go ahead and report me to the Law Enforcement Hall after the event.”

Before the square could descend into a full-blown brawl, Zhou Yan summoned a breeze and quickly left the scene.

“A bunch of animals... If it weren't for this, I'd almost have thought this was a normal Sect.”

He wiped away non-existent sweat and was about to find an area to start exploring when he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.

“Senior Brother, it's me.”

“Could I trouble you for a moment?”

Zhou Yan sighed and turned around; he had already sensed with his Divine Sense that it was Wang Yao.

He didn't want to be distracted right now, as the competition was underway and Long Tianxing was also in the field. What if that damn Luck Emperor found all the prizes in just a few tries?

But seeing the other man's terrible complexion and the aura of a nascent Heart Demon lingering around him, Zhou Yan ultimately couldn't ignore it.

Wang Yao never asked for help; if he was speaking up, he must have encountered a real difficulty.

Zhou Yan also remembered that the man had been a bit strange since returning from Zombie City, but he had been too busy at the time to look into it. Thinking about it now, there really seemed to be a problem, especially combined with his stalled cultivation.

“Tsk.”

“Let's find a quiet place first.”

Seeing Zhou Yan agree, Wang Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

If it were just a small matter, he wouldn't mind asking for help, because he would repay any favor he owed many times over.

But this matter was no small thing. He had originally wanted to ask his Master, but his Master told him to ask Zhou Yan, saying that Zhou Yan could give him the answer.

Therefore, he had been very conflicted.

He already felt he owed Zhou Yan a lot, and now with this major issue bothering him, he hadn't dared to take the initiative to go to Holy Son Peak.

Having happened to run into him this time, he finally made up his mind to follow.

He didn't intend to cause trouble at this time, but seeing that Long Tianxing had already reached Core Formation, his heart grew increasingly anxious.

Originally, Long Tianxing's cultivation had lagged behind his, especially after undergoing the training led by Zhou Yan and attending that banquet.

He should have been far ahead, but because of his own problem, he was consistently unable to cross the final step.

Originally he could have accepted it and researched it slowly on his own, but he had been stuck at the Foundation Establishment Stage for longer and longer—first Yuan Chenling reached Core Formation, and then Long Tianxing.

If he didn't solve the problem soon, he was afraid a Heart Demon really would take root.