I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

Having finished reciting the poem, Ye Yong fell silent.

He had indeed memorized the plot, but he did not recall every detail. It was not entirely the Heavenly Dao’s fault; it was akin to him standing at the door of the Heavenly Dao, proclaiming grand ambitions, and the Dao, upon hearing him, thought, “This young man speaks quite well,” and thus offered a slight response.

In this regard, he was not as perceptive as the old Immortal, who believed everything was a scheme of the Heavenly Dao. It was as if the Dao had anticipated his anticipation; Ye Yong gambled that the Dao’s gun was empty, only for the Dao to discard the pistol and pull out a machine gun, firing it all at his face.

No matter what, the events that had transpired could not be changed. Ye Yong remained relatively optimistic. He was grateful that he had initially adopted the persona of a genius; the public’s expectations were already high, and now they had merely risen a notch, not to the extent that they would be driven by jealousy to send assassins after him.

The phenomenon caused by his recitation of poetry indicated that he had a talent in this area, suitable for cultivating the path of literature, and would attract the attention of institutions like the Holy Academy. However, if it had been a breakthrough in cultivation that caused such a phenomenon, the consequences would have been far more severe.

Speaking of the Holy Academy, Ye Yong suddenly thought that this development might not be a bad thing; perhaps he could seize the opportunity to make early contact with that talented female scholar…

Ah ha! Heavenly Dao, you surely didn’t expect that in trying to harm me, you inadvertently helped me, did you?

At this moment, the crowd, still in shock, began to react, cheers and applause erupting in a continuous wave.

Even some elders backstage were whispering, discussing the lines of poetry Ye Yong had just recited.

No one knew that Ye Yong was merely a conveyor of culture. In their minds, to evoke a resonance with the heavens and earth meant that Ye Yong must be the first to voice it. As for being the first to speak, if it wasn’t original, could it be knowledge pilfered from another’s mind, then spoken out first? That was inconceivable.

Overall, the truths contained within the poetry and the impact of the resonance with the heavens and earth had already elevated the crowd’s emotions

Leaves rustled as Ye Yong spoke a few words, imparting the essence of diligent cultivation as a disciple of Tianluo Sect. Even if growth seemed scarce at present, the heavens were ever-watchful, ready to reward the industrious with their due—such was the heartwarming wisdom he shared. Amidst a thunderous applause, he descended from the high platform, and the swirling vortex in the sky dissipated, leaving behind a clear expanse, unblemished and serene, as if nothing had ever transpired.

The closer disciples, drawn to the rich spiritual energy that had gathered, settled down cross-legged, eyes closed, absorbing the essence that enveloped them.

As soon as he stepped down, Ye Yong found himself encircled by the sisters of the Yinhua Hall, a protective barrier formed around him, leaving no chance for the alluring figures outside to intrude.

“Ye Shidi, you’ve brought us such honor! The Hall Master will surely be delighted!”

“Ye Shixiong, you can’t be much older than us, right? Where does this life wisdom come from? Ah, I’m not doubting you, just amazed at your strength! Compared to you, I feel like a newborn babe, utterly clueless.”

“Exactly! Don’t think it’s just the younger ones; even we, a bit older, feel utterly inferior.” A sister in her two-hundreds chimed in, a Golden Core cultivator.

What could Ye Yong say? He could only smile, attributing his insights to the many books he had read.

At a distance, Qin Shidream watched Ye Yong, pride and joy swelling within her. Yet, as she observed him surrounded by women, a flicker of displeasure ignited in her heart.

If Qin Shidream concealed her emotions, leaving others guessing her thoughts, Liang Xiaorou wore her feelings openly. The brilliance Ye Yong had displayed on stage had thrilled her, but now? There was no trace of joy; instead, her cheeks puffed, fists clenched, and she exhaled repeatedly, as if bearing a great grievance.

—

The new representative had finished speaking, and the presiding elder briefly outlined some important points. The competition was officially underway.

With over ten thousand new disciples, ninety percent participated, necessitating preliminary selections to identify the more capable contenders.

Ye Yong, as a seed-level contestant, was exempt from the tedious preliminaries. He would directly enter the ranks of the top hundred, alongside forty-nine other gifted newcomers, including Qin Shidream.

Battles among cultivators rarely lasted long unless the opponents were evenly matched; the truth of their strength revealed itself within mere exchanges. Thus, the pace of the preliminaries was swift. Divided into over a hundred groups, the contests began in the afternoon and continued until noon the following day.

One advantage of being a cultivator was the ability to recover one’s spirit through meditation. When fatigue set in, one could simply close their eyes and circulate their energy; hunger could be quelled with the swallowing of grain pills, sparing the need for meals and sleep, allowing time to be utilized fully.

Ye Yong sat in the stands, surrounded by the sisters of Yinhua Hall, forming an invisible iron wall that kept all at bay. He relished the tranquility, feigning meditation while actually focusing his attention on the sounds around him, listening intently to the live commentary of the matches.

“That outer disciple, Long Tian, is quite fierce! Didn’t they say he was only at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment? How is he easily defeating those at the eighth level?”

“Just sheer luck.”

“Why don’t you give it a try?”

“During the competition at the Sword Pavilion, Long Tian, with the strength of a fourth-level Foundation Establishment, defeated a sixth-level. He’s a five-colored Foundation Establishment; it can only be said that as a loose cultivator before, he had no resources. After entering Tian Luo Sect, he received the resources provided by the sect each month, which allowed him to grow.”

“I’ve heard he had a conflict with Bai Shao.”

“It seems his cousin, Bai Gui, was killed by a spirit beast in the Hundred-Year Secret Realm. Bai Song believes Long Tian is the murderer. It even caused a stir at the Law Enforcement Hall, but without evidence, it was left unresolved.”

“If the young master of the Bai family really died at the hands of a loose cultivator, can the Bai family just let it go?”

“The Bai family holds power and influence outside, but they can’t interfere in the internal affairs of Tian Luo Sect. Since they can’t produce evidence, even if Long Tian is an outer disciple, he can’t be easily taken down. The deceased Bai Gui is inconsequential; Bai Song’s words are merely one side of the story.”

“Long Tian’s next opponent is Ma Bi from the Battle Axe Hall. This Ma Bi is Bai Song’s new lackey, a tenth-level Foundation Establishment. There’s a good show to watch.”

Ye Yong found it amusing to stand by and listen to the comments of the onlookers about the protagonist. As for Ma Bi, he didn’t care at all. After all, Long Tian was playing the pig to eat the tiger; he must have at least a third-level crystallization. It would be a miracle if he lost to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even if their cultivation levels were swapped, the protagonist’s halo would guide Long Tian to victory.

Sure enough, not long after, someone from the group of talking cultivators let out a gasp.

“How is this possible! Ma Bi actually lost to Long Tian!? What level of cultivation is this Long Tian?”

These country bumpkins, having never seen the world, were destined to remain mere extras for their entire lives.

Ye Yong disdainfully shook his head. Some things lose their novelty once the freshness wears off. He no longer focused on the discussions of the bystanders about Long Tian but instead listened here and there until the preliminary selection ended.

The preliminary selection was merely an appetizer, allowing the senior brothers and sisters to get a rough idea of which newcomers had decent strength. The subsequent Hundred Strong competition and the final contest for the champion were the main courses.

When it came to the Hundred Strong competition, it was no longer conducted in many small groups. After all, the young people all wanted to showcase themselves, and with only a hundred left, the numbers were few enough to compete group by group.

After the preliminary results were announced, the managers used a drawing method to list the Hundred Strong.

As Ye Yong listened to the manager read the list, he discovered he was actually placed in Group 19, while Long Tian was in Group 20.

Just like the plot of a novel! Danger!