On the main street, the sound of gongs and drums rang out.

Congratulations to Chen Xu for becoming the top scorer echoed from one end of the long street to the other, the entire scene bustling like boiling water.

Chen Xu sat in the inn's main hall, and indeed, there was no need to look at the rankings, for the congratulations naturally delivered themselves to his door.

He heard Cui Yunqi beside him exclaim joyfully, "Congratulations, Brother Chen, on another step on your path to glory."

Xu Wenyuan and others' envious voices chimed in, "Indeed, Brother Chen is this time's top scorer..."

Moreover, surging waves of Literary Qi invisibly rushed in as the congratulations arrived.

Chen Xu immediately felt the Literary Qi in his Ink Pool within his Sea of Literature rising steadily.

Although achieving the top spot in the academy trial is not as prestigious as passing the imperial exam, it still brings a significant increase in Literary Qi.

Amidst the various noises beside him, Chen Xu felt as if he were isolated in a distinct, strange world.

Everyone's faces seemed veiled in gauze, and the air felt inexplicably chilly.

Suddenly, a smiling figure parted the crowd and approached slowly.

It was Fang Ji.

He twisted his neck and, staring intently at Chen Xu, said, "Brother Chen, you've become a Scholar, top scorer, blessed with Literary Fortune, how wonderful."

Chen Xu noticed Fang Ji's voice was exceptionally clear, and the air grew even colder, a chill penetrating.

A sense of solemnity arose in Chen Xu's heart, prompting him to activate the Wu Hook within his Sea of Literature.

Yet, unexpectedly, everything within the Sea of Literature suddenly felt extremely heavy.

He found himself unable to mobilize his own Literary Qi.

Fang Ji continued, "You were quite obedient, not leaving the inn at all these days.

Staying at the inn prevents you from absorbing too much of the outside world's murky air, and you won't be startled by those goblins and ghosts. You're a well-behaved and sensible child.

Good child, come with me and your brother..."

As he spoke, Fang Ji gestured to Chen Xu.

To Chen Xu's horror, he found his body was indeed uncontrollably standing up!

At this moment, the Literary Qi in Chen Xu's Ink Pool continued to rise, and his Dantian was brimming with Innate Qi.

His strength was evidently intact, yet he couldn't control his own body.

Fang Ji beckoned, and like a marionette, Chen Xu not only obediently stood up but also followed Fang Ji out of the inn.

What, what is going on here?

Panic and fear would not solve the current problem. Chen Xu's mind raced, rapidly contemplating how to resolve the present crisis.

Outside the inn, the sound of gongs persisted.

Amidst the bustling chatter, no one noticed Chen Xu's strangeness, and even in the main hall, Cui Yunqi continued spiritedly:

"Brother Chen, your poem 'Knight's Journey' has now spread across the entire Seven Prefectures of the South, delighting poetry lovers everywhere.

However, a few of your poems have not yet spread widely.

I want to compile another poetry collection for you; what do you think?

By the way, Brother Chen,

it's been some time since you last composed a new poem, and although the ones from the exam room were very good...

Gradually, Cui Yunqi's voice faded away.

Chen Xu was already following Fang Ji onto the long street, crowded with people, yet no one bumped into Fang Ji as he walked ahead.

It was as if an invisible repulsive force field surrounded him, causing anyone who got close to automatically step aside.

Chen Xu carefully observed all of this, while calming his emotions, attempting to tap into his Netherworld's innate divine power to sense the Netherworld.

He discovered that his ability to sense the energy between heaven and earth was also diminishing.

The world before him seemed veiled with gauze, and even his own will and Divine Soul appeared to be shrouded in layers of thin silk.

But Netherworld is an innate divine power; the ability to sense the Netherworld, once awakened, is deeply ingrained in his Divine Soul.

Chen Xu thought rapidly: even if the world is isolated, his innate divine power shouldn't be isolated too.

He needed to remain calm and believe in himself.

In essence, tranquility leads to clarity, and clarity leads to returning to one's destiny.

Achieve utmost emptiness, keep undisturbed stillness, and all things rise together, observing the cycles...

The Firewood Splitting Knife Technique contained various Microscopic secrets that flowed through his mind.

Chen Xu felt the struggle of his own will, his eyes wide open, yet his Divine Soul seemed to harbor a blind eye struggling, searching for light!

Suddenly, Fang Ji stopped.

Marionette-like, Chen Xu stopped behind him involuntarily.

On the bustling long street, the small officials and soldiers delivering the good news passed by Chen Xu, beating gongs and drums.

Ahead, from the other end of the long street approached a person.

The person held a variegated oil paper umbrella, a fighting brush hanging from the waist, and their figure was graceful and robust, exuding an intense wild beauty.

She raised her head beneath the umbrella, the floral umbrella shielding the sunlight but casting half a shadow on her face.

"Pufeng Mountain, a nest of ghosts?" the woman under the umbrella coldly eyed Fang Ji.

A metallic voice resonated crisply across the long street.

Fang Ji tilted his head, speaking slowly: "Ah, the Prison Control Department's Yunjiang Xuanming Envoy. The Tribulation Abyss's ferocious winds rise again; I thought you were all busy rushing over there and would be tied up.

With the decline of literary standards, in recent years, Yunjiang Prefecture hasn't seen any real literary talents.

Alas, we, confined to the mountains, are also lonely.

This year, fortunately, the cultural tide turned, and during the prefecture and academy trials, a scholar emerged who could make even bookworms sound the bell.

My master's teacher wishes to meet this Mr. Chen.

Today's special order is to bring him, and are you as the Xuanming Envoy intending to stop me?

I do not wish to contest with you.

One, for fear that in a fierce fight, I might accidentally hurt Brother Chen.

Two, more so for fear that our battle might cause a tempest that harms innocent civilians..."

Before he could finish, the woman with the umbrella suddenly stepped forward and closed the umbrella.

Her movement was too swift, taking a step spanning dozens of feet, instantly reaching Fang Ji.

As she closed the umbrella, the surface resonated with the sound of wind and thunder, time surged like marbles —

Boom!

The umbrella transformed into a sword of thunder, slicing through the sky, and thrust toward Fang Ji.

The Xuanming Envoy said, "Nonsense, do even evil ghosts decorating their cannibalism?"

As she spoke, Fang Ji's entire body was pierced by the umbrella's frame.

Puff!

Fang Ji spurted blood from his mouth, yet simultaneously, another identical Fang Ji emerged from the injured Fang Ji's body.

The identical Fang Ji, light as smoke, swiftly floated to Chen Xu, grabbing him, attempting to take him away.

At this moment, Chen Xu could still not mobilize his internal energy, nor could he timely sense the Netherworld.

But perhaps due to the Xuanming Envoy's sudden strike, in a split second, Chen Xu's body regained a little movement.

Countless thoughts exploded in his mind, abruptly recalling Mr. Zhou on Little Peak Mountain, who once told him: biting the tip of your tongue and spitting blood can restrain ghosts.

Though Mr. Zhou also mentioned that ordinary ghosts can be subdued this way, truly malevolent or significant ghosts cannot be so easily restrained.

Given the perilousness of the situation, there was no choice but to try.

Chen Xu swiftly decided, biting the tip of his tongue, and as the evil ghost enveloped him, spitting out the blood from his tongue.

Fang Ji was caught off guard, sprayed with the blood, his face twisted for a moment, "You, ridiculous, just tongue-tip blood..."

The blood stained the ghostly body, suddenly bursting forth with a blue light.

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