“I really don’t know what Chu Liuyue is thinking by participating in the competition at this time. There are only two hours left. What can she do?”
“Yeah! The remaining competitors—Sheng Yiming and Su Bai, who are genuine talents—have spent nearly a day to solve the fourth Xuan formation and enter the final stage. Isn’t she just going to be a joke by coming here now?”
“Aish… You should think about Tian Lu Academy! They only have Chu Liuyue now!”
“Only Chu Liuyue? You make it sound like she’s really going to win. Haha!”
Almost everyone thought badly of Chu Liuyue. Even Tian Lu Academy’s students were worried. Although they never said anything, the atmosphere was stiff.
It was even more so when they saw Si Ting come back.
Even the talkative Si Yang did not dare to say anything randomly. He could only quietly stay at the side and try hard to minimize his existence.
With Big Brother’s current mood, I can’t offend him at all… Si Yang clasped his hands together and prayed in his heart genuinely. Sick pervert, you must get first! You must get first!
Suddenly, a commotion was heard from the competition venue.
Si Yang turned around in shock and saw people staring at Chu Liuyue with strange expressions. He followed their gazes and immediately saw a star light up on the stone table in front of Chu Liuyue.
What the heck! Si Yang rubbed his eyes with much force and closely stared at the stone table again. That’s right! Chu Liuyue has truly solved the first Xuan formation, and she’s on the second stage! I-isn’t this too fast? I called her a sick pervert, but she’s actually this abnormal?!
Not only Si Yang, but everyone in the square was stunned by Chu Liuyue’s extraordinary speed.
“Wait a minute! Am I seeing things? Chu Liuyue actually already solved the first Xuan formation!”
“T-that’s right! That’s what I see too! I think it’s true!”
“That can’t be it! Didn’t she just head into the arena? Even though the Xuan formations’ difficulty gradually increases, the first stage isn’t so easy to solve, right? Didn’t it stump quite a few people previously?”
“How exactly did she solve it…?”
The commotion also attracted Sheng Yiming’s and Su Bai’s attention. Both of them turned around to look at Chu Liuyue.
A star had indeed lit up on the stone table in front of her.
Moreover, Chu Liuyue looked very calm and composed, as if she did not notice how shocking her actions were.
If she can be so calm, it is either because she is too focused, or… she is very confident! Su Bai found her interesting, but he looked more serious.
Sheng Yiming slightly furrowed his brows, feeling more frustrated. He had always been the first to solve the Xuan formations from the first stage to the fourth, but even he had used a full hour to solve the first Xuan Formation.
However, Chu Liuyue seemed to have only taken one look at it and solved it.
Chu Liuyue was just a stage-two Xuan Master. Logically speaking, she would not be this fast.
Could it be that the first stage’s Xuan formation is one she has seen before? It seems like this is the only reason why she can solve the first Xuan formation so rapidly. Sheng Yiming suppressed his irritation and smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Perhaps I’m really too nervous.
Even if Chu Liuyue managed to solve the first Xuan formation, she still has to solve the second, third, and fourth Xuan formations next! She definitely won’t be able to catch up with me in the last two hours.
Sheng Yiming felt slightly more at ease when he thought of this.
…
But after a while, a familiar sound rang again.
Bang!
It was the sound of a Xuan formation being solved!
Sheng Yiming’s heart tingled, and he almost turned around instinctively. As expected, he saw a second star light up on the stone table in front of Chu Liuyue.
Chu Liuyue had actually successfully passed the second stage!
The crowd broke into more heated discussions.
The first stage was simple, so they could understand her solving speed. But how did she also solve the second stage so quickly?
This speed had won against all the people who had competed today!
Cheng Han already felt that something was amiss, and he could not help but look at Sun Zhongyan. Cheng Han’s face was filled with doubts. “How can a mere stage-two Xuan Master solve the Xuan formations so quickly? Could it be that she coincidentally saw similar Xuan formations?”
Sun Zhongyan naturally could tell his implied meaning, so he looked very stern. “Why? Brother Cheng Han, are you suspecting that I leaked the questions?”
“Of course not. Brother Zhongyan, you’ve always been honest, so why would you do such a despicable thing? I was just curious as to why Chu Liuyue is so successful.”
Sun Zhongyan was so angry that he laughed and said loudly, “Even though Tian Lu Academy provided the chessboards for the Xuan Master competition, the five Xuan formations used in the competition were decided by all three academies. There might be a possibility if you say that I leaked the questions, but… Brother Cheng Han and Brother Yunshan, I don’t think either of you can absolve yourselves from the responsibility, right?”
Fu Yunshan immediately said, “Brother Zhongyan, don’t misunderstand me! I don’t mean it in that way! However… I’m also curious as to why Chu Liuyue can solve the Xuan formations so quickly.”
Sun Zhongyan coldly laughed. “What else can it be? It’s obviously because she’s talented!”
This answer was too righteous and straightforward, which made Fu Yunshan and Cheng Han not know what to say for a short while.
Seeing that the two of them wanted to argue even more, Sun Zhongyan shook his clothes. “Your students can’t do it, but does that mean other people can’t?”
His single sentence thoroughly shut the duo’s mouths.
…
One hour passed very quickly.
Bang!
A familiar sound rang again!
The crowd looked over and saw a third star light up on the stone table in front of Chu Liuyue.
The originally noisy crowd gradually quietened down. At this point, they finally realized that Chu Liuyue did not rely on luck to solve the first two Xuan formations so quickly.
Sun Zhongyan’s words are true. Her talent is truly very rare!
Chu Liuyue calmly looked at the moving pieces on the chessboard in front of her.
Very quickly, the fourth Xuan formation appeared.
At this point, all those people who doubted her were absolutely quiet. If Chu Liuyue isn’t counted as talented, perhaps nobody will be considered a talent!
They were all concerned about one thing now—could Chu Liuyue solve the fourth and fifth Xuan formations in the final hour and take first place?
Su Bai’s smile disappeared from his face at some point.
Sheng Yiming’s hand—which held the chess pieces—also started to tremble slightly.
Even though they did not turn around, they could already guess what had happened. Now, they both hoped that Chu Liuyue would not catch up—
Da!
Chu Liuyue placed a chess piece down.
Both of them were stunned. She’s starting to solve the fourth Xuan formation so quickly?
Following which, the sounds of pieces landing on the chessboard were repeatedly heard.
Chu Liuyue’s actions were very smooth, and every single sound was like a call of death. It continuously rang in Sheng Yiming’s and Su Bai’s ears.
If one took a close look at them, they would see the duo’s foreheads covered with tiny droplets of sweat.
No… No… I must quickly solve the last few steps!
But the more they thought of this, the harder it was for them to succeed.
On the other hand, Chu Liuyue paused in her actions and quietened down.
Sheng Yiming and Su Bai looked at each other before turning around in unison.
Chu Liuyue held a piece in her hand and looked at the duo with a smile. “Sorry for the wait.”
Then—
Pak!
The piece was set down on the chessboard.
Bang!
Following the sound, the fourth star lit up.
