Chapter 44: [On the Right Track]


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    The wind continued to blow, and Lu Xun sat still, brush in hand.


    It’s not that he was putting on airs, but because the mental exertion was too great and he was a bit dazed. He needed to adjust.


    To be exact, if his left hand hadn’t been supporting him against the table, his legs would likely have gone weak on him.


    At present, he could level up as he still had a decent amount of experience points. Unfortunately, while leveling up would restore his health and energy to full, it couldn’t remedy his mental exhaustion, so he decided not to level up for now.


    Besides, he was so drained that he could barely stand. If he broke through to a new rank under these conditions, it would be too suspicious.


    After all, a man losing hisposure once in a while is nothing to be ashamed of!


    Elder Qiu Shui, as the leading figure among the Outer Sect Elders, was perceptive. She noticed that Lu Xun was not in a good state and led him to a nearby spot to rest.


    Seeing the overworked state of their young elder, the Outer Sect Disciples suddenly understood the standard for the current trial – to paint to exhaustion, just as he had!


    Lu Xun didn’t realize that him setting an example had apparently led the trial down an unexpected path.


    Usually, everyone would just stop once they had done enough painting, but seeing the young elder push himself so hard made everyone feel like they were being ckers unless they painted until they fainted.


    Next, it was Ji Li’s turn to perform.


    Lu Xun found a spot to sit down. If it were any other time, he might have slumped on the ground like a mud puddle.


    He took out two jujubes that Mao Nanbei had picked from his storage ring. After eating them, he felt refreshed and his dizziness eased a bit.


    He watched as Ji Li picked up the brush, dipped it in ink… Her hand didn’t even shake!


    As expected of the mighty maiden, she was indeed strong!


    This little girl was not only strong but also had great endurance. It would be a waste if she didn’t be a ‘perpetual motion machine.’


    As Lu Xun had thought, Ji Li with her Innate Divine Strength definitely had an advantage in this trial. At least, she felt no burden when she first picked up the brush and dipped it in the ink.


    Next, it would be seen what she intended to draw.


    Ji Li took the brush and walked beside the enormous talisman paper. Without even thinking, she chose a spot right next to where Lu Xun had painted.


    She intended to im the spot closest to Lu Xun’s painting first, ideally drawing a circle around it to monopolize it.


    The moment the brush tip touched the talisman paper, Ji Li trembled slightly.


    Only after experiencing it herself did she realize the difficulty of painting with this brush.


    She started to move the brush, but her strokes were inconsistent and disconnected, even making it challenging to draw a continuous line.


    Only then did the Outer Sect Disciples realize that the trial was perhaps even more challenging than they had imagined!


    After all, Ji Li was an exceptionally talented cultivator with eight ripples of power. If even she found it hard, it was clear to see the difficulty of the task.


    The Disciples couldn’t help but nce at Lu Xun again. The young elder had managed to create calligraphy that flowed like a dragon or snake on the talisman paper!


    A sense of admiration welled up in them once again.


    While keeping an eye on Ji Li, Lu Xun was resting and was surprised to find that his “Reputation Value” was slowly rising again!


    “What’s going on? I’ve already stepped off stage to recover, so why is my Reputation Value still increasing?” Lu Xun was a little confused.


    Time ticked by. Ji Li exerted an immense amount of effort to draw a continuous line. Taking a page from Lu Xun’s book, she attempted to draw a straight line first, but the line she ended up creating was rather twisted, resembling a worm.


    Indeed, Ji Li, as an amusing girl who sacrificed her intelligence for physical growth, gave up on trying to draw straight lines. Instead, she focused on making the lines as long as possible, aiming to encircle everything that Lu Xun had drawn!


    Such damnable possessiveness!


    Watching her movements, Lu Xun gradually understood her intentions. He involuntarily pulled a face at her silliness, feeling speechless. As Ji Li continued to draw her whole body started to sway until she finally created a twisted image that enveloped what Lu Xun had drawn.


    Sheughed stupidly, filled with a little bit of pride and was satisfied with her achievement. The next moment she copsed backwards, cking out. With a flick of Elder Qiu Shui’s sleeve, Ji Li floated in the air andnded next to Lu Xun.


    Lu Xun quickly took out two dates and stuffed them into Ji Li’s mouth, causing her cheeks to bulge.


    She looked like a little hamster.


    Luckily, she had only depleted her physical energy and spiritual power. As a strong woman, she still had the strength to chew slowly. Then she murmured in her heart: “—It’s so sweet.”


    A cool sensation swept across her whole body and her energy slowly recovered, but she just didn’t seem to notice.


    She simply felt how sweet it was.


    Ji Li had drawn for about twenty minutes or so. It was a good performance, and if it was a task, she’d be close to achieving 100%pletion.


    The remaining Outer Sect Disciples watched as Ji Li almost fainted. Each one took a deep breath before going on stage, like going to a guillotine.


    Lu Xun set the bar high, Ji Li followed suit. What the remaining Outer Sect Disciples had figured out, was to draw until it killed them; they mustn’t stop until they’ve fainted!


    —No fainting, no quitting!


    A good old test for the Outer Sect became twisted due to Lu Xun. The Disciples began challenging their limits. One by one, Elder Qiu Shui caught the falling bodies, and was rendered somewhat speechless.


    Shen Yan, who was at Evergreen Peak with the other Peak Masters, watched with bewilderment. The point of the test was to let the Disciples understand what subtlety is. Why had things suddenly be so “brutal”?


    Xu Zhongcheng, who had achieved the same eight swirling ripples, didn’t want to lose to Ji Li.


    Unfortunately, his talent for subtlety was just equal to Ji Li’s. But Ji Li was a strong woman, giving her a little advantage. Despite struggling to carry on, he didn’tst as long as Ji Li and ended up foaming at the mouth towards the end!


    Elder Qiu Shui:


    Could it be that these Outer Sect Disciples have all gone bad…


    Whereas Lu Xun, who was enjoying the show from the back, had a constant smile on his face. His eyes were filled with encouragement, looking every bit like a handsome, kind-hearted, and perfect senior,pletely oblivious to his own culpability in all of this.


    Even if some Outer Sect Disciples didn’t perform well, he would still say a few encouraging words. His voice was maic, but his tone was as gentle as a spring breeze, making them feel his care instantly.


    The Young Elder himself did so well, and I did so poorly… The Young Elder is such a good person!


    – Their reverence was about to explode!


    It’s just reputation value, right? Take it! Take it!


    Lu Xun looked at the Disciples in front of him, and felt they were quite cooperative.


    Isn’t it just about faking a smile and saying a few encouraging words? It’s like hosting a signing event. What’s so hard about that?


    Increasing reputation value is the way to go!


    Wait till the day when all the disciples of the Demon Sect be my loyal fans, my reputation value will probably overflow!


    Besides, it’s also beneficial for the Outer Sect Disciples. They really need encouragement.


    Right! Even though I fake smiles and give empty promises to win over fans, I know I’m a good ancestor.


    “I think I’m on the right path.” The smile on Lu Xun’s face suddenly became more radiant.