Supreme Emptiness

"First place!"

"Zero, exactly eight thousand merit points!"

The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master announced the results with a faint smile on his face.

What followed was a long silence.

The vast hall of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion echoed only with the immortal voice of the Pavilion Master.

Save for the four Vice Pavilion Masters, who had already expressed their astonishment.

The others, after a brief silence, erupted into an uproar of shock like a tidal wave crashing ashore.

"How much?"

"Eight thousand merit points?"

"Are we sure there isn't something wrong with the artifact used for testing?"

"A new team, eight thousand merit points?"

The stewards were utterly dumbfounded.

Mu Ying and the others gasped in disbelief.

Yu Tiandu, unable to accept this, exclaimed, "Impossible!"

"Eight thousand? Are you kidding me?"

"I don't believe it! There must be a mistake in these results!"

In truth, there were many who shared his sentiments.

Including Li Shangqiu.

Exactly as he had feared.

The first place also turned out to be a new team.

And they had achieved a record so astonishing it left him in the dust.

He spoke in a deep voice, "Pavilion Master!"

"As your disciple, I beseech you to reverify this team's identity token."

"Eight thousand is just too exaggerated!"

"I cannot accept this outcome!"

The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master glanced at him, then at the many stewards and disciples around.

In a calm tone, he said, "The four Vice Pavilion Masters have already reverified it."

"I too personally questioned the results."

"There is no error."

"Instead of being dissatisfied, perhaps you should examine your own shortcomings."

"A group of senior disciples, outdone by mere newcomers."

"If word gets out, even I would feel ashamed on your behalf."

Jiang Fan stood among the crowd, his lips twitching.

Are you lecturing the disciples or dragging me into trouble?

Why involve me?

Isn't this just painting a target on my back?

That one comment—"Senior disciples outdone by newcomers"—who knows how many people silently began holding grudges against him.

As expected.

No sooner had the words left the Pavilion Master's mouth than Jiang Fan heard a murmur of whispers.

"Who's the leader of Zero?"

"Looks like someone impressive, huh!"

"Usually, it's the seniors giving the juniors a hard time, but today the tables have turned."

"We haven't even met him, and he's already given us senior disciples a resounding slap in the face."

"I've got to meet him. I can't let this slap go unanswered."

…

"Little Junior Brother, you're a new disciple as well, aren't you?"

"Do you know who the leader of Zero is?"

Jiang Fan pointed honestly at Yu Tiandu not far away:

"There he is."

"I don't like him either. Feel free to punch him a couple of extra times for me."

Of course.

The more ambitious senior disciples, however, were truly fired up.

They all clung to a silent resolve, determined to reclaim their honor during the next exploration into the Underground World.

Beneath the shade of a tree.

The Yunyang Master clicked his tongue in amazement, "If I'm not mistaken, the leader of Zero is Fan Jiang, right?"

"He actually managed to fully explore that Yin Qi-filled hidden space."

"No wonder he's on the Dharma Seal Vajra's list of exceptional talents."

"Truly remarkable."

Suddenly.

He noticed Shang Shiqiu couldn't speak.

"What's wrong with you?"

At this moment, Shang Shiqiu's eyes were blank.

Others might not know, but how could she not know who had founded Zero?

Simply because Jiang Fan had too many companions, she had shut him out of her team.

Yet who could have guessed that Jiang Fan, having formed his own small team, would manage to rack up eight thousand merit points?

"M-Master, I want to ask for your advice on something."

"I have a… friend."

"Zero originally could have joined her team, but she declined. If you were her master, what would you do to her?"

The Yunyang Master replied earnestly, "I would advise your friend to buy herself an urn."

"Because, if it were me, I'd first sever the master-disciple relationship."

"Then beat her to death."

"Finally, I'd cremate her."

After a pause, the Yunyang Master added:

"Of course, I'm considered the most merciful among the ranks of stewards."

"Cremating her would suffice. If it were someone else, they might scatter the ashes."

"So, your friend wouldn't even need to buy an urn."

"She should just wait for her end."

So cold.

Shang Shiqiu felt like she had fallen into an icy lake in the dead of winter.

The chill froze her stiff.

The Yunyang Master stared at her curiously, "You're not suggesting that this friend is you, are you?"

Shang Shiqiu shuddered, quickly shaking her head like a drum:

"No, of course not."

"I really do have a friend like that."

The Yunyang Master looked at her with a sympathetic expression: "Your friend is truly pitiful then."

"Who knows what unlucky steward or Vice Pavilion Master has such a troublesome disciple."

"To think they turned away Zero's leader."

"Tsk tsk tsk, I almost feel sorry for their master spitting blood out of frustration."

Shang Shiqiu's face turned even more bitter.

Someone, save her!

Unfortunately, no one came to her rescue.

On the contrary.

The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master pulled out something that threatened her very life!

He unfolded a thick list of individual merit rankings.

He said, "I will only announce the names of the top ten."

"You can search for the rest later on your own."

"Tenth place: Yan Qiugui, 571 merit points."

"Ninth place: Zhao Diancang, 571 merit points."

"Eighth place: Xiong Xinyan, 571 merit points."

"Seventh place: Jiang Baihua, 571 merit points."

"Sixth place: Yu Tiandu, 571 merit points."

"Fifth place: Mu Ying, 571 merit points."

The bottom five places were all occupied by members of the expedition team.

Jiang Fan's eyes revealed a trace of surprise.

"How did they manage it? All their merit points are exactly the same?"

"Could it be that the area they opened up truly offered no substantial gains beyond simply charting an unexplored zone?"

"Fourth place: Ye Banxia, 900 merit points."

The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master continued reading aloud.

Jiang Fan was quietly in awe.

Ye Banxia acted alone with no team, yet the merit points she earned rivaled most team-based efforts.

Her strength must truly be incredible.

That time, she had been caught off guard.

If they were to clash head-on, this woman would undoubtedly be a formidable opponent.

"Third place: Wu Manyue, 1,000 merit points."

"Second place: Ren Guhong, 1,010 merit points."

The latter had a mere ten more points because of a single Dragon Blood Lotus seed.

A single seed earned only ten merit points.

It became clear just how minimal the value of treasures converted into merit points really was.

No wonder Jiang Fan's treasures, worth 4,000 merit points, had caused such a commotion.

The first place had yet to be announced.

But it was obvious.

The answer was none other than Zero's leader!

The stewards craned their necks, eager to know the specific name of this individual.

Among the newcomers, Jiang Fan, Liang Feiyan, and a few other female disciples were left.

Exactly which one of them it was remained uncertain.

Only the four Vice Pavilion Masters knew the truth.

They all looked toward the Yunyang Master.

Thinking about how soon the Yunyang Master would be proudly introducing this as his disciple made them uncomfortable.

You Yunzi sneered, "What a stroke of dumb luck!"

Gu Huaxi snorted softly, "Seems like the ancestral graves are smoking heavily."

Ye Cangyuan kept his face taut, "Guess all his luck for the next life is used up now."

Chen Zhengdao cast a sidelong glance and muttered, "Out of sight, out of mind."

The Yunyang Master seemed to sense something.

Looking puzzled, he remarked, "How odd."

"Why does Deputy Pavilion Master Chen look so unhappy?"

"If I had a disciple like this, I'd be jumping for joy."

"Yet he looks like someone owes him money."

Shang Shiqiu watched as the Pavilion Master was about to announce the name.

The truth that Jiang Fan was Fan Jiang was about to be unveiled to her master.

Initially, she had wanted to tease her master.

Now, it felt like gambling with her life.

Once her master found out she had rejected Jiang Fan, who then proceeded to bring other disciples to soar to great heights…

She might as well prepare to be cremated right now!

She could only confess honestly before the name was announced.

"Master, I have good news and bad news."

"Which would you like to hear first?"

Shang Shiqiu asked cautiously.