127: Chapter 25 Show Off Their âDivine Skills 127: Chapter 25 Show Off Their âDivine Skills Zhang Xiaomanâs thought had just formed when it was immediately snuffed out by someoneâit was none other than Pei Laoliu.
âHey, itâs hypnosis again.
This guy has been pulling the same tricks for so long.
It was already a close call for him to keep the tenth place last year, and this time, looks like heâs gonna be easily bumped off.â
âHypnosis!?â Zhang Xiaoman said with surprise as he turned to look at him.
Pei Laoliu curled his lips and said, âOf course itâs hypnosis!
What else did you think it was?
Donât tell me you actually took him for a Divine Monk?â
Master Liu said this as he poured himself a cup of tea.
The tea was green as the leaves, with a fragrance so rich and enticing, it made one yearn to drink it all in one gulp.
Just a whiff could enlighten oneâs heart and spleen; indeed, it was a pot of top-grade excellent tea.
Pei Laoliu grabbed the cup, blew on it twice with big puffs, and then, tilting his head back, gulped it all down.
After swishing it in his mouth, he spat out a small, emerald green leaf and once again fixed his gaze on the fat Monk who had just left the stage, saying:
âAlthough this guy ends up last here, donât underestimate him.
In his younger days, he was quite famous abroad, a first-rate master of hypnosis.â
âThen, why did he choose to become a Monk?â
âHeard he was cuckolded by his own wife and his child died in an accident.
Heâs been a follower of Buddhism ever sinceâŠ
Who knows, thatâs what everyone says, anyway.â
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman couldnât help but be inwardly astonished.
He hadnât expected this so-called cultivation exchange conference to actually have some substance to it.
Just the person in tenth place had such capabilities; it truly was a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
Compared to them, Master Liuâs Daoist cultivation likely wouldnât stand a chance here.
After the fat Monk stepped down, the host went up to praise his abilities, then quickly introduced the next Master.
The second to go up on stage was the manor owner of Fengxiang Villa, an old Taoist about the same age as Master Liu.
This man was dressed in an Eight Diagrams Green Robe with a Purple Silk Dragon Crown on his head; he held the Seven-star Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand and performed the Beidou Tiangang Step as he walked.
As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he flicked the yellow talisman in his hand, and amidst the ascension of flames, the talisman had already turned into a ball of firelight.
The Taoist smeared it on his treasure sword, and flames flared up all along the blade.
With a twirl of his sword flowers in hand, he performed a beautiful set of swordplay.
In an instant, the stage was ablaze with fire leaping up to the sky, and the swordâs song filled the air.
The scattered flames, like dazzling Sword Qi, made people want to shout out in applause.
After the old Taoist waved his treasure sword for a while, he suddenly shouted, âRetract!â
Nobody knew what method he used, but the fierce flames on the sword suddenly vanished, returning to their original state as he slung it behind him.
âWhew~â
The old Taoist took a few light breaths and then, bowing to the crowd around, said, âThis move, the Fire Phoenix Greets the Sun, is a recent creation of my humble self and I am glad to share it with my fellow Taoists on this occasionâplease forgive its inadequacy.â
Pei Laoliu shook his head and said, âThis Master Liuâs performance isnât up to snuff this year either.
Looks like the top ten ranks of this conference are going to see some major turnover.â
Subsequently, under the hostâs introductions, one after another, the esteemed masters all took their turns on stage to showcase their skills.
There was a Guardian Monk with a height of two meters, broad-shouldered and stout like a bear, as well as a Feng Shui Master who can predict fortune and misfortune with eloquent words.
Zhang Xiaoman realized that all these people were the best of the best in their field, or even in other industries.
Each of their unique skills was astounding, enough to have everyone slapping the table and shouting in admiration.
However, one thing was for certain: although each of them performed impressively, Zhang Xiaoman was sure they were all merely ordinary people.
Throughout the event, not a single instance of extraordinary means was witnessed.
The abilities those few displayed, while dazzling, did not exceed the bounds of what ordinary people could understand.
It was like watching a series of spectacular magic and acrobatic performances, rather resembling the finale of a talent show.
âHehe, did you see that âCounting Kingâ who just went down?
Heâs only about a decade older than you.
I heard heâs a psychology doctorate from American Stafford University.
Who knows what got into him, he actually started following his grandfatherâs footsteps and learned these tricks of deception.
Tsk tsk, if it were my grandson, Iâd beat him to death.â
Pei Laoliu routinely introduced Zhang Xiaoman to the information about the performers.
âOh?
And who is his grandfather?â Zhang Xiaoman asked.
Pointing at the elder who was slowly making his way to the stage, Pei Laoliu said, âWell, there he is â the current Sect Leader of Dragon Sleep Mountain, Mr.
Ye Cang, Elder Ye, who has always been ranked first in every generation.â
Zhang Xiaoman turned his head to look and saw an old man slowly walking up to the stage.
Like Master Liu, he wore a simple long robe, and he seemed entirely unremarkable compared to the other masters before him, almost inconspicuous like a random passerby, giving off a sense of returning to the basics.
Although the previous performers had differed in personality, from the flamboyant ones like the Guardian Monk to the low-profile ones resembling the fat Monk.
Yet the inherent âMasterâs demeanorâ that had become an instinct for them was all the same, hard to conceal.
But this old man in front of them seemed completely ordinary from inside out, as if he were a completely unrelated ordinary grandfather with no trace of a masterâs temperament.
Upon hearing Pei Laoliu mention his name, Zhang Xiaoman felt a bit puzzled because the name sounded familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldnât quite place it.
âElder Ye, please take your time.â
The host showed a rare sign of respect when he saw the elder approaching the stage.
Zhang Xiaoman could tell that the reverence shown by this guy this time was truly genuine.
The elder said something to him, and the hostâs expression changed immediately.
Then, with a slight bow, he hurried off the stage and said to an assistant handing him a towel, âXiao Wang, book the best liver disease specialist hospital in Dingxianghua City for me.
As soon as the event is over, weâll go right awayâŠâ
By this time, Mr.
Ye Cang had already taken a seat cross-legged on a cushion.
This time, he didnât come on stage with many Magic Artifacts, bringing only an incense burner and a whisk.
The elderâs movements were very gentle.
He took out a box of matches from his pocket and carefully lit one.
Then, he slowly extended the burning matchstick into the purple incense burner he held, lighting something inside that was unknown, just gently placing the incense burner on the ground in front of him and then began to close his eyes and meditate with the whisk in hand.
Afterward, as time passed for quite a while, the elder on stage remained seated cross-legged, showing no signs of movement.
Zhang Xiaoman was quite looking forward to seeing what kind of technique the man would display, but after a long wait, there was no change on the stage, leaving him somewhat bewildered as he glanced around.
However, to his surprise, all the people around were silently watching the elder on the stage, their eyes filled with a bit of expectation.
Even Master Liu beside him was holding his breath and focusing, showing no sign of impatience.
âHuh?
Whatâs going on here?
What situation is this?â
Zhang Xiaoman watched the behavior of the people in the venue, feeling even more confused.