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Chapter 154: Chapter 154: It\'s You Again

She had thought she would never encounter this man again. Maybe in a few more years, she could truly forget about him! Was it heaven\'s jest? Why, why had he appeared again?

Elder Zi Xun closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them again, she would find that she was mistaken. But when she opened her eyes, he was still there.

Why him? How was he here? In the Kaiyang Sect? Ten years? Could someone with such poor aptitude reach the Golden Core stage in just ten years?

Zhong Shan swaggered out of the smoke, but as soon as he emerged, he stiffened and widened his eyes.

Hundreds of people on the square below Kaiyang Peak were giving him their full attention.

Tian Sha, Nan Ba Tian, Xuan Xinzi, Gu Shuangzi, and... there she was...

Ten years later, he finally saw her in the Kaiyang Sect. Zi Xun Fairy.

However, Zhong Shan only glanced at Zi Xun Fairy briefly before looking away. The events of that day were just a memory now, a one-night stand without preamble or aftermath.

To describe it with a poem: "The matter ended, I brushed off my clothes, concealed myself, and my name."

Of course, Zhong Shan had another consideration: a woman\'s dignity. If Zi Xun Fairy chose to preserve her purity and stabbed him with a sword, it would not be worth it. Zhong Shan wasn\'t so conceited as to think he could win over a woman based solely on one night of forgotten intimacy.

Zhong Shan immediately put away his broadsword and looked at the more than five hundred people gathered in the square with great confusion. Sect Master Xuan Xinzi immediately walked towards Zhong Shan.

Elder Zi Xun had been staring at Zhong Shan all along, her brows furrowed. Because of her extra attention to Zhong Shan, she noticed his momentary reaction when he looked at her. However, that gaze lingered on her for only a moment before shifting away.

Elder Zi Xun knew she had been recognized. Remembering the events in the forest back then, she blushed slightly at first, then suddenly burst into a chill. However, as Zhong Shan shifted his gaze away, the chill vanished in an instant.

Elder Zi Xun felt a bit flustered and hesitant. Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her inner turmoil and looked at Zhong Shan coldly. The initial chill dissipated, replaced by a coldness that seemed to treat him as a stranger. But in the eyes of everyone present, Elder Zi Xun and Zhong Shan were indeed strangers.

In the short time it took, Sect Master Xuan Xinzi had already walked up to them and explained the situation briefly.

"Is it true, Sect Master?" Zhong Shan looked at Xuan Xinzi in astonishment.

"Yes, you two go stand at the back. Don\'t delay the selection by the three elders," Xuan Xinzi immediately said.

"Yes," Hong Niu responded promptly.

Zhong Shan also nodded and walked towards the back row of Golden Core disciples. In Xuan Xinzi\'s view, no matter how Elder Zi Xun chose, she wouldn\'t pick Zhong Shan and Hong Niu. After all, these two were at the bottom of the Golden Core stage, especially Zhong Shan, whose aptitude made Xuan Xinzi feel a pang of heartache just from looking at him. Could someone with such aptitude be chosen by Elder Zi Xun? Standing at the back was just going through the motions. They shouldn\'t disturb the selection by the three elders; there were still hundreds of Golden Core disciples waiting.

zhongshan walked to the back row, his eyes fixed on the front. Nan Ba Tian and another man had been chosen, leaving one last chance, which now rested in Elder Zi Xun\'s hands.

Who would she choose?

Zhong Shan didn\'t dare to hope that their past night of passion would make Elder Zi Xun open doors for him. After all, he had chosen to forget that night, so it wasn\'t something he cared about. But the allure of a fifth-ranking official position in the Heavenly Dynasty was too great.

Zhong Shan didn\'t just want to improve his luck, he wanted to join one of the Heavenly Dynasties. Even back in the Lingchao Cave, Zhong Shan had this idea. After reaching the Golden Core stage, he would go to the Divine Continent to broaden his horizons and sharpen his cultivation. He knew that the larger the dynasty, the harder it was to control luck, and he needed to learn how to grasp the overall situation, to layout strategies for the world. This required continuous learning. With Hidden Body in charge of the Great Rong Dynasty, his main body could go and observe and learn, so that when the Great Rong Dynasty upgraded in the future, he could adapt quickly.

A fifth-ranking official position in the Heavenly Dynasty was the best shortcut. Moreover, it came with a large amount of luck, which would greatly accelerate his cultivation.

Zhong Shan\'s brows furrowed into a gully as he stared at Elder Zi Xun through the crowd of senior disciples. There was no desire or emotion in his gaze. Everything was fate. If she chose him, he would owe her a favor. If not, he wouldn\'t overthink it.

"Elder Zi Xun, the disciple who just came out of the Lingchao Cave, you can continue," Sect Master Xuan Xinzi said to Elder Zi Xun.

The other two elders nodded, showing they didn\'t mind. Elder Zi Xun also nodded.

Standing in front of over five hundred Golden Core disciples, Elder Zi Xun took a deep breath. All the Golden Core disciples looked at her with anticipation. Each one stared at her. In the past, Elder Zi Xun wouldn\'t have cared. After all, she had experienced all kinds of situations. However, among all these gazes, there was one pair that, though not particularly intense, seemed to radiate a starry brilliance that overshadowed everyone else\'s eyes.

Through the crowd of Golden Core disciples, standing at the very end, was him!

Feeling something amiss, Tian Sha frowned. After the two men came out earlier, Elder Zi Xun stopped paying attention to him. She had previously been looking at him, ready to choose him.

Was there a problem?

Tian Sha stared anxiously at Elder Zi Xun. "Elder, have you made your choice?" Sect Master Xuan Xinzi asked Elder Zi Xun.

Elder Zi Xun glanced at the Golden Core disciples, then at Zhong Shan, and finally, after some thought, she took a deep breath and pointed her finger at Zhong Shan\'s direction. "It\'s the one who was holding the knife just now."

The one holding the knife just now!

After Elder Zi Xun spoke, the Golden Core disciples erupted in astonishment. However, after the initial shock, they quickly fell silent, wearing expressions of disbelief as they looked at Zhong Shan, who was the last one in line.

"Zhong Shan, come forward," Sect Master Xuan Xinzi said excitedly.

Perhaps due to the association, Zhong Shan, Tian Xingzi\'s disciple, Tian Xingzi\'s son-in-law, the person closest to Tian Xingzi after Tian Ling\'er, came to mind. As Sect Master Xuan Xinzi felt happy for Zhong Shan, he silently mourned Tian Xingzi in his heart.

Zhong Shan? His name is Zhong Shan? Elder Zi Xun coldly stared at Zhong Shan in the distance, pondering.

Looking at Elder Zi Xun in surprise, Zhong Shan couldn\'t believe he had such charm. What was Elder Zi Xun thinking? Why would she choose him, the \'weakest\' among the more than five hundred Golden Core disciples?

With doubts in his heart, Zhong Shan slowly walked to the front amidst the puzzled gazes of everyone present.

Zhongshan couldn\'t quite fathom why Elder Zixun had chosen him, but an opportunity was an opportunity, one he couldn\'t afford to pass up. Slowly, he advanced to the forefront.

Nan Batian wore a pleased expression as he looked at Zhongshan. Within the Kaiyang Sect, Nan Batian had only two friends: Tian Ling\'er and Zhongshan. Tian Ling\'er was elusive, but regarding Zhongshan, Nan Batian hoped for the best.

Most disciples displayed despondent expressions, some showed jealousy and envy, and one even harbored a resentful glare.

Tian Sha\'s gaze bore into Zhongshan. Seeing Zhongshan being chosen, something that should have belonged to him, Tian Sha felt robbed.

"Robber! You\'re a robber!" Tian Sha suddenly yelled. His eyes turned red, his forehead mark emitting a faint crimson glow, gradually transforming into a crimson flame that danced above his brow.

Tian Sha\'s eyes reddened, a sign of impending demonic possession.

"It\'s you again! Why do you always oppose me? You trash, you thief!" Tian Sha screamed, almost capturing everyone\'s attention. All eyes turned to Tian Sha, filled with shock. What was the senior brother doing? What was his intention?

Zhongshan walked to Nan Batian\'s side, hearing Tian Sha\'s furious roar behind him. His heart clenched, a sense of imminent danger creeping over him. Not good, Tian Sha harbored murderous intent towards him.

So many disciples of the Kaiyang Sect, the three elders, and the Sect Master were present. Would Tian Sha dare to strike against him?

Swiftly turning his head, Zhongshan saw a pair of menacing red eyes and the eerie crimson flame above Tian Sha\'s brow, exuding a peculiar aura.

Yet, what Zhongshan found most dangerous wasn\'t Tian Sha\'s gaze but his right hand reaching for the hilt of his black sword, forming a peculiar gesture.

The Heaven-Cleaving Sword Technique!

Was Tian Sha going to unleash the Heaven-Cleaving Sword Technique against him?

"Whoosh~" Without hesitation, Zhongshan drew his nightmare-like greatsword, pointing it directly at Tian Sha.

Possessed by evil, Tian Sha\'s hand gripped the sword\'s hilt, poised to execute the Heaven-Cleaving Sword Technique. The moment hung on a thread between life and death.

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