Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 115 Dafu's "Changji Creek Pavilion at Dusk" suppresses all literary works outside the county!
"boom--!"

With the destination just two miles ahead, Captain Lei Wanting made a decisive move, stomping his foot on the deck and unleashing a burst of dark lightning from his wolf-hair brush.

With his hair and beard bristling, he wrote a seven-character quatrain that he had prepared long ago, his brush moving swiftly and gracefully across the river surface.

[Dragon Boat Race]

Dragon boats cleave the waves, drums beat, and crowds surge like thunder on both banks.

Flags unfurl amidst rosy clouds as they race swiftly, oars churn like snow-white silk as they seize the prize.

The spirit of Chu still lingers in the vast waves, while the customs of Qin leave only the old ramparts and bends.

Dare to laugh at a scholar's lack of strength? I'll only use my poetry to aid the champion!
The poem was completed and left the county!

A clear melody suddenly resounded between heaven and earth, and the fifty-six golden characters transformed into countless golden scales that disappeared into the water.

Every wooden oar of the government office's dragon boat was instantly coated with water ripples, and when it paddled, it even brought with it the sound of wind and thunder!

"Crack!"

The red-hulled canal boat beside it was suddenly thrown three feet to the side by the burst of literary energy, and a gap more than a foot long was torn open on the side of the boat with a "sizzle".

In an instant,
The government office's dragon boat, with its oars swirling like snow, has broken free from the chaotic struggle between more than ten large dragon boats, as if it were an arrow released from a bow!
It took the lead and instantly surpassed the other large dragon boats by more than ten zhang!
Wangjiang Pavilion.

Although this place was ten miles away from the finish line, Prefect Xue and other officials, scholars, ladies, and princes could no longer see with their naked eyes the details of the fierce competition at the dragon boat finish line.

However, they were prepared.

A huge gilded bronze mirror with a coiled dragon design stands in the main hall of Wangjiang Pavilion, corresponding to a bronze mirror at the finish line of the dragon boat race.

At this moment, dragon boats are racing on the Yangtze River ten miles away, and their images are reflected in the gilded dragon mirror with exquisite detail.

The mirror-like water rippled, and the government office's dragon boat, like a golden dragon breaking through the waves, broke through the encirclement, leaving the other boats several hull lengths behind.

"Ouch~!"

A young lady, her sleeves fluttering, startled the fan so much that it fell to the ground with a thud.

The Qingzhou government's Qingzhou boat is still trapped in the second echelon.

The white-clad boy they had been eagerly awaiting remained seated at the bow of the boat, unmoved!

"Look, the academy's dragon boat is trapped! Brother Xingzhou, hasn't he made a move yet?!"

The young girl, Zhou Yunyao, wearing an apricot-red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet.

The young ladies all gasped in alarm, worried that Jiang Xingzhou's dragon boat was still caught in a fierce battle between more than ten large dragon boats and could not break free.

The carved window frames of the attic rattled from the sound, and the pearl flowers in the girls' hair trembled.

Just at this time,

A ripple of blue light suddenly spread across the surface of the gilded bronze mirror with its coiled dragon design.

But then, a dazzling blue light shot into the sky from the dragon boat of the academy, which had been trapped for so long!

Dragon boat race at the academy.

The bow of the boat.

Jiang Xingzhou sat upright, as still as a deep pool. Upon hearing Wang Yizhou's words of instruction, his eyelashes finally trembled, and he opened his eyes to look at the great river where dragon boats were engaged in a chaotic battle outside the dragon boat.

When she looked up, it seemed as if there were stars flowing in her eyes.

"Please wait a moment, everyone!"

Jiang Xingzhou said calmly.

His movements with the wolf-hair brush were extremely light, yet they simultaneously transformed the waves within a ten-foot radius into thousands of crystal-clear jade beads.

"Zheng——"

Before the brush even begins to move, a clear, melodious sound can be heard.

Jiang Xingzhou held the brush as if plucking flowers and leaves; the moment the wolf-hair brush touched the Xuan paper, the entire sheet of paper floated three inches into the air on its own.

The ink flowed freely, and where the brushstrokes passed, there was a faint flow of starlight—

[A Poem in the Style of "Like a Dream" - I Often Remember the Sunset at the Stream Pavilion!]
"The government's dragon boat has broken through! We are surrounded by three dragon boats and have no way to break out!"
My talent is waning, I can't hold on much longer!

Xue Fu's voice was almost hoarse with anxiety.
His hand holding the pen trembled violently, and the ink at the tip of the pen was almost dry.

The [Wenxiang] level battle poem I just wrote,
However, its effect only lasted for a few breaths before it was transformed into specks of golden light and dissipated in the river wind during the violent collision.

"boom--"

A giant wave crashed down from the left like a collapsing mountain, and the crest of the wave even formed the shape of a ferocious dragon's head.

Han Yugui swiftly traced lines with his fingertips, using his azure talent as ink to write the two characters "遏浪" (Er Lang, meaning "Stop the Waves") in the void.

"Retreat!"

【Stop the Waves】transformed into a wall of golden light that filled the sky, and the surging, monstrous wave, several feet high, collapsed with a roar three feet from the ship's side.

Han Yugui slumped onto the deck, his fingertips still trembling slightly.

He stared at his pale, paper-white palms—the spark of talent that had once flowed there had now been completely extinguished.

"My talent has also dried up!"

He looked up at the white-clad figure who stood silently at the stern of the ship.

On the entire dragon boat of the academy,

The robes of the ten instructors were soaked with sweat.
The forty top scholars were all deathly pale, and some even had blood seeping from the corners of their mouths.

Their battle poems, written with all their might, could only keep the academy's dragon boat team struggling between third and fifth place.

Meanwhile, the government office's crimson dragon boat was already far ahead.

The river breeze swept past the nearly tattered college banner at the bow of the boat, making it flutter loudly.

All the hopeful eyes of everyone on the dragon boat in the manor unanimously turned to the young man, Jiang Xingzhou, whose expression remained indifferent, his left hand lightly resting on the sword sheath, and his right hand holding a pen hanging down.

Jiang Xingzhou was completely focused, his hand holding the pen as steady as a rock. The pen tip hadn't moved, but it was already tinged with a faint blue light.

The Xuan paper moved on its own without any wind, making a rustling sound.

His writing style is the unique "rapid writing technique" of a top student.

I often recall the sunset at the stream pavilion, so intoxicated that I forgot the way home.

Having enjoyed ourselves to the fullest, we returned by boat late, only to find ourselves adrift in a deep lotus blossom garden!
What would take an ordinary scholar twenty-five breaths to write, he could complete in just three breaths, as smoothly as flowing water.

The moment the last stroke was made, a hazy, clear light suddenly burst forth from the Xuan paper, like moonlight pouring down across the hundreds of feet of river surface.

The entire river seemed to be immersed in emerald-colored nectar, shimmering with a dreamlike blue glow.

"boom--"

Words formed in an instant

The world is silent.

The howling river wind suddenly froze, and the surging waves were frozen into a crystal sculpture.

The river surface, spanning hundreds of feet in circumference, transformed into a still, ink-wash painting at that moment.

Jiang Xingzhou stood at the bow of the boat, and a golden [wine pot] appeared out of thin air beside him.

Holding a pen in one hand and a wine pot in the other, he was completely drunk, his eyes glazed over, unaware of the way home. He loudly recited, "When the fun was over, I returned by boat late, only to find myself lost in the depths of the lotus blossoms!"

"Wow"

The waves on both sides of the dragon boat of the academy silently bloomed, transforming into thousands of dark lotus flowers.

In the seemingly delicate phantom of the lotus blossoms, the edges of each petal gleam with a chilling light—a sharp brilliance capable of cleaving the river wind!

In the blink of an eye, the hundreds of feet of river surface were covered with huge green lotus leaves.

The raging winds and waves that were just now raging on the great river have now been completely suppressed by this vast lotus pond, which is transformed by the spiritual energy of the river, and the wind and waves are now calm!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Hundreds of dragon boats, out of control, rushed into the depths of the lotus blossoms.

The oarsmen were horrified to discover that their oars were not cutting through the river, but through layers of thick, dark lotus leaves!
This rendered all the dragon boats unable to move an inch.

Each lotus flower that blooms is accompanied by a clear and melodious sword cry!

They had to carefully maneuver the dragon boat to avoid the blooming lotus flowers.

On the surrounding dragon boats, large and small, the scholars and literati all changed their expressions drastically—their proud literary skills, which had just been unleashed, vanished silently like snow meeting the morning sun.

"This is this?!"

Thousands of astonished eyes from the scholars and officials all turned to the dragon boat in the government office.

"Jiang Xingzhou actually wrote a poem about dragon boat racing—a piece of high-ranking official caliber? It's not like it's an omen of someone from a high-ranking official family; it wouldn't be this terrifying!"

A white-haired scholar's voice trembled.
What's even more alarming is that their previously boiling fighting spirit instantly quieted down amidst these elegant words.

All the dragon boats had now "strayed into the depths of the lotus blossoms."

Those seemingly gentle green lotus leaves and dark blue lotus flowers are now completely surrounding the dragon boats.
"Bang!"

On a dragon boat, a scholar gritted his teeth and wrote a poem he had treasured, titled "Leaving the County." His talent struck the lotus petals and shattered into starlight like glass falling to the ground.

He was so angry he almost spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

On the other boats, the four-character idioms and war poems that flew out were even worse; they disintegrated on their own before even touching the lotus pond.

[Dafu] suppresses everything below the county level, just as the bright moon hangs in the sky, naturally dimming countless fireflies!
Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, holding a pen in one hand. As his clothes fluttered, the entire lotus pond on the river seemed to glow and fade with his breath.

Every swaying lotus leaf is proclaiming!

This place has become the lotus-filled realm described in Dafu's poem "I Often Remember the Sunset at the Creek Pavilion".

Wangjiang Pavilion
Prefect Xue Chonghu held a teacup, his face showing astonishment.

"This is a dragon boat chapter of the highest caliber?!"

The white-haired scholar suddenly stood up, causing the rosewood chair to crash to the ground.

The faces of the distinguished guests in the pavilion changed drastically, and some even knocked over the inkstone on the table—the pitch-black ink spread like a splashed ink painting on the bluestone floor.

The people present looked at each other with horror on their faces!
The quality of poetry and prose has nothing to do with the rank or position of a scholar.

Although a scholar may be less talented, if he writes advanced poetry and prose, he can still suppress the lower-level poetry and prose of a successful candidate in the provincial examination.

Xue Chonghu stared at the bronze mirror, at the blue lotus pond reflected there, his Adam's apple bobbing: "The Iron Law of Literature—High-level literary arts suppress all low-level literary arts!"

But this scene is extremely rare!

After all, the [Dafu] chapter is too rare. Even these well-read scholars have only seen it a few times over the years—it mostly appears in the imperial examinations and literary gatherings.

Most of the time, the scholars would compete with each other in their essays on "leaving the county," and the contest was evenly matched. It was a contest of who could restrain whom, and there would never be a scene of one person suppressing the other!

Even articles that leave the county are extremely rare; most are low-level articles that merely visit towns or villages, resulting in literary clashes.

Or perhaps, it's a battle between four-character idioms.

These low-level literary arts are of similar quality and only have a generating and restraining relationship. For example, water literary arts restrain fire literary arts, and metal literary arts break wood literary arts. Naturally, it is difficult to see a shocking scene where one side completely suppresses the other.

Once this poem, "I Often Remember the Sunset at the Creek Pavilion," was unleashed, it ignored all other attributes and directly suppressed all low-level literary arts!
"Using a poem from the [Da Fu] court to suppress all the low-level literary arts of the other dragon boats is too extravagant!"

On the upper floor of Wangjiang Pavilion, the white-haired scholar's lips were trembling.

The canal transport dragon boat followed closely behind the academy's dragon boat.

"Jiang Xingzhou has made his move!"
It's time to go all in!

A cold glint flashed in Zhao, the scholar at the helm, and his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists.

He is Zhao Bingzhu's third younger brother and Zhao Zilu's cousin!
The best time to launch a surprise attack is while Jiang Xingzhou has already made his move, but the poem is not yet finished.

He stomped his foot suddenly and turned the helm with a ferocious grin, causing several fine cracks to appear on the dragon boat's deck.

Like a shark that has smelled blood, the canal dragon boat suddenly changed direction and crashed into the academy's dragon boat with tremendous force!

The iron dragon head at the bow gleamed coldly in the sunlight. This collision was clearly intended to destroy both dragon boats, resulting in mutual destruction!
In the Dragon Boat Festival races, collisions between dragon boats, resulting in boats being destroyed and people falling into the water, are common occurrences and no one can find fault with them.

Once the dragon boat is destroyed.

All the scholars and licentiates will inevitably fall into the water—the talents of everyone on the dragon boat of the prefectural academy have been almost completely exhausted in the first half of the journey, and this is when they are at their weakest.

Once you fall into the water, you're a lamb to the slaughter!

The rebellious scholars and aquatic demon generals, who had been lurking at the bottom of the river for a long time, were just waiting for Jiang Xingzhou to fall into the water, which would be the best opportunity to assassinate him.

At this moment,
Jiang Xingzhou flicked his wrist, and the wolf-hair brush traced one last sharp line on the rice paper—

"[Struggling to cross, struggling to cross, startling a flock of gulls and egrets!]"

"boom--"

The words were composed in an instant, yet the literary spirit soared to the heavens!
The illusory images of countless seagulls and egrets suddenly take flight and are reborn from among the lotus flowers and leaves!

Its snow-white wings blotted out the sky and reflected a dazzling golden light under the sun.

The entire dragon boat was lifted up by countless seagulls and egrets, shooting out of the sky like an arrow released from a bow!

"Strive to cross!"

"Strive to cross!"

Each clear shout caused a surge of literary energy, and the dragon boat in the mansion soared through the air for hundreds of feet, forcefully breaking free from the confinement of the lotus pond.

The boat's hull brushed against the lotus leaves, splashing not water droplets, but countless dark lotus petals flying everywhere!
"boom!"

The dragon boat of the academy, carrying ten instructors and scholars, crashed heavily onto the hundred-foot-deep river, splashing up countless water droplets, and left a trail of dust in its wake!
"Boom!"

The dragon boat carrying grain could not stop in time and crashed into the lotus pond.

Those seemingly delicate, dark lotus leaves clung to the boat like mud.

To Zhao's horror, the entire canal transport dragon boat was completely trapped by the heavy lotus leaves and mud, unable to move an inch among the lotus leaves!
"Gentlemen, you are too kind!"

Jiang Xingzhou smiled faintly, stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, and looked back, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

Behind him were the astonished scholars and officials of the imperial examinations, who were on dragon boats all over the river, and the defeated boats, a mess, trapped in the lotus pond and unable to move an inch!
"Come out!"

Wang Yizhou gripped the boat railing tightly, his knuckles turning white. The river wind whipped at his face, making his robes flutter loudly. The suddenly open river before him seemed like a victorious path cleaved open by the passing boat.

This gamble on Jiang Xingzhou, letting him take over the final sprint, was definitely the right move!
The scholars in the academy exchanged glances, and their tense faces finally broke into smiles.

Some couldn't help but raise their arms and shout, while others were so excited that their eyes turned red—the life-or-death escape they had just made had now turned into boiling hot blood in their chests.

"Our academy team is going to win!"

No one knows who shouted it first, but in an instant the entire dragon boat erupted in cheers, and the young scholars clapped and celebrated.

"We won! After ten years, Jiangzhou Academy has once again won first place in the Dragon Boat Race!"

Jiang Xingzhou was tossed high into the air by his cheering classmates, his blue robe fluttering in the wind.

"Oh no! The dragon boat from the government office has already crossed over!"

This year's dragon boat race first place will be taken by the Academy!

Lei Wanting's eyes were bloodshot, and he almost crushed the wolf-hair brush in his hand.

The scholars on the dragon boat in the government office, their veins bulging, frantically wielded their brushes, unleashing a torrent of poems that rained down upon the surroundings.

"Break! Break open this lotus pond for me!"

However, all literary works, upon touching the dark lotus leaves, melted away instantly, like snow meeting boiling water.

Those swaying lotus leaves seemed like an impenetrable barrier, silently extinguishing any talent that came its way.

"puff--"

An elderly scholar, furious enough to vomit blood, pointed tremblingly forward: "The literary aura of the Dafu level has already blocked the entire river surface. Unless another 'Dafu' is written!"

Before he could finish speaking, blood welled up in his throat again.

"It's over! The dragon boat race first place has been snatched away!"

Captain Lei Wanting slammed his fist on the ship's side, sending splinters flying.

He stared at the dragon boat from the Jiangzhou government office receding into the distance, his eyes filled with resentment. The strongest dragon boat team from Jiangzhou government had painfully lost first place!
Within this overwhelming array of ink lotuses,
Unless one can write a breakthrough article of the same caliber,

otherwise,

They don't even have the right to catch up!
The river wind howled softly, scattering the scattered Xuan paper across the boat.

Meanwhile, a hundred feet away, Jiang Xingzhou's dragon boat was already approaching the finish line!
As the dragon boat from the government office passed the finish line buoy.

"Dang~!"

"Fuyuan Academy Dragon Boat Team—Winner! First Place in the Dragon Boat Race!"

At the finish line, a gong shattered the river mist, and the crowds on both banks suddenly erupted in cheers.

The cheers on the shore rose in waves. An old man stroked his beard and laughed, children in straw sandals weaved and shouted through the crowd, and a flower girl tossed a whole basket of gardenias into the air.

"Jiang Lang! It's Jiang Lang!"

On the Wangjiang Pavilion,

The embroidered handkerchief fluttered like butterflies.

"Jiang Lang has won!"

Xue Lingqi's bright eyes smiled, her heart filled with excitement and pride.

"Sister Lingqi! Da Fu Poetry, he has written another Da Fu Poetry!"

Zhou Yunyao held a round fan, Shen Mingluo waved her handkerchief excitedly, and Chen Yuntang even peeked half of her silk sleeve over the railing—

The young ladies, disregarding their decorum, crowded around Xue Lingqi, their faces flushed, and squeezed in front of the carved window. In their eyes was the distant dragon boat and the golden-clad young man.

Unfortunately, they are too far away to know the contents of that dragon boat poem of such high rank!
At the end of the great river, beneath the undercurrents, the silt is as black as ink.

Ten rebellious intellectuals wearing bronze masks,

Ten demon generals, with blue faces and bristling armor, exuded a menacing aura.

They were now like rotting corpses, hidden in the silt at the bottom of the river.

The turtle demon's carapace was covered with algae, the crab demon's iron pincers were buried in silt, and the snake demon's vertical pupils appeared and disappeared among the water plants!
They concealed their demonic aura to the extreme, even their breath turning into tiny water bubbles, silently merging into the undercurrents of the riverbed to avoid being exposed.

The water at the finish line shimmered, reflecting the jubilant crowds on the shore.

Directly beneath this jubilant scene, the mud suddenly trembled slightly!
"Damn it!"

"Why didn't the canal boats sink the academy's dragon boat? Why didn't the river boat fall into the water? What a waste!"

The leader, dressed in black and wearing a bronze mask, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles cracked, cursing angrily.

Thanks to the meticulous planning of Zhao Bingzhu, Demon King Ao Li, White-Eye Marquis, and Imperial Fish Demon General, every detail of this assassination was calculated perfectly.

The canal dragon boat was tasked with deliberately "accidentally" capsizing the academy's dragon boat during the final sprint, causing Jiang Xingzhou to fall into the water.

At this point, Jiang Xingzhou and the scholars on the dragon boat had exhausted their talents and had almost no power left to resist.

Taking advantage of the confusion on the river's surface, they hid underwater and, taking advantage of the chaos, assassinated the scholar Jiang Xingzhou.

With the combined strength of their rebellious race and demon generals, this plan was virtually foolproof. They might even be able to quietly wrap things up and escape into the depths of the river without ever being exposed!

Unexpectedly, the canal transport dragon boat was still a couple hundred feet away, far from the academy's dragon boat.

The dragon boat from the academy has not sunk!
This forced them to surface and attack the people on the dragon boat in the mansion.

The underwater silt suddenly surged.

"puff!"

A snake's head suddenly emerged from the water, venom dripping from its fangs: "It's not too late to rush up now—any later, and they'll be on land!"

"Forget it, let's ignore this bunch of useless trash on the canal boat!"
I can't worry about that now!
If we miss this dragon boat race, we may never have another chance to assassinate him!

Get started!
He killed them in one fell swoop and fled a thousand miles down the river!

The masked leader in black let out a sharp whistle, his voice like tearing silk.

Ten rebellious scholars and ten demon generals broke free from the mud and transformed into streaks of green light, rushing swiftly toward the academy's dragon boat on the river.

"Crack-!"

Ten rebellious scholars and ten demon generals burst out of the water and surrounded the dragon boat of the mansion that had just crossed the finish line.

"kill--!"

The masked leader in black, upon recognizing Jiang Xingzhou as the man in the center of the dragon boat, immediately shouted angrily.

Ten rebellious scholars, their green robes billowing, their talents twisted, unleashed their evil swords, judge's pens, blood-stained inkstones, and rotten paper fans, transforming their literary arts into pitch-black chains that hurtled straight towards the dragon boat in the mansion!
The ten demon generals were even more ferocious and terrifying!

The turtle demon roared, its shell split open, and it shot out hundreds of bone spikes, combining offense and defense.
The crab demon crossed its iron pincers, cutting out a piercing metallic sound.

The snake demon moved with lightning speed, its fangs spewing out a foul stench!

The river surface was instantly dyed dark green by demonic energy, which soared into the sky.

"kill--!"

Using their powerful demon general bodies, they pounced directly on the group of people on the dragon boat from the academy.

"Damn it! It's a surprise attack by the demon race!"

"Protect the riverboats, form ranks and hold the line!"

The expressions of the ten scholars, including Wang Yizhou and Zhao Mengjie, changed drastically. They all drew their swords, their blades gleaming coldly.

However, their talents had long been exhausted, and although their swords were sharp, they no longer possessed much fighting power.

The scholars from all the academies turned pale, as if facing a formidable enemy.

They quickly shielded Jiang Xingzhou in the center of the dragon boat, forming a defensive formation back to back. Their writing brush and sword pointed outwards from the dragon boat, their sharp edges flashing, yet they couldn't hide their slightly trembling hands.

Although the rowers were exhausted, they gritted their teeth, raised their oars, and their eyes flashed with fierce light, determined to fight the attacking demon general to the death!
Just hold on for another ten breaths!

The scholars watching the game on the riverbank will surely come to their aid!

"Oh no! It's a sneak attack by the demon race!"

"There are traitors!"

The cheers on the riverbank suddenly froze, and the crowd scattered like a bursting honeycomb.

A terrified scream ripped through the air, and the once cheerful dock instantly descended into chaos.

The elderly, women, and children were swept away by the crowd and staggered as they fled.
The vendors' stalls were smashed to pieces, and fresh fruits rolled all over the ground, their juices splashing everywhere in the chaos.

"not good!"

"Quickly rescue the students of the university!"

"They're heading for Jiang Xingzhou. Send reinforcements immediately!"

The many scholars and literati watching from the shore suddenly changed color, and angry shouts rose and fell.

They never expected that during the Dragon Boat Festival, a time when countless scholars gathered, a demon general would dare to launch a sneak attack.

In an instant, hundreds of sword lights shot into the sky, like meteors piercing the air, cutting across the river surface, and rushing straight towards the dragon boat of the academy!

On the dragon boat.

Jiang Xingzhou's gaze turned cold as he swept around the dragon boat—ten rebellious scholars and ten demon generals, their killing intent palpable, surrounded him.

He frowned slightly, somewhat taken aback and puzzled, a sense of absurdity rising in his mind.

This group of traitors and demon generals are clearly here to assassinate him! Because the others are not worth such a large-scale attack by these traitors and demon generals!

But what makes them think they can succeed in a sneak attack?

Is it a gamble that he'll run out of literary talent?

Are the instructors and their classmates powerless to continue the fight?
Indeed, everyone's talent has been exhausted; though their swords are sharp, they are no longer supported by literary spirit.

But they overlooked one thing.

That poem by Da Fu just now only consumed half of his talent.

The remaining amount is enough to unleash another Dafu-level literary technique!

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Xingzhou's eyes, and the Xuan paper in his hand moved on its own without any wind—it was the Dafu Wenbao "I Often Remember the Sunset at the Creek Pavilion" that he had just written, and the whole page was full of rosy clouds.

He parted his lips slightly, his voice as clear as a spring:

"[I often remember the sunset at the stream pavilion, so intoxicated that I forgot the way home.]"

Having enjoyed themselves to the fullest, we returned by boat late, only to find ourselves lost in the depths of the lotus blossoms!

Before he finished speaking, the talent within his body surged into the literary treasure like a river bursting its banks!
"[Bound by the Crimson Lotus]—!"

"boom--!"

In an instant, a dazzling red light burst forth from his body.

A crimson beam shot into the sky, illuminating the entire river surface!
The red lotus petals unfold layer by layer.

The lotus petals, layer upon layer, each shimmer with a dazzling light.

In the blink of an eye, a giant red lotus, stretching for dozens of feet, stood proudly in the middle of the river, its petals enveloping the entire academy's dragon boat.

As the lotus petals unfurled, a surge of literary energy coursed through them, completely shutting out the approaching demonic aura!

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The turtle demon suddenly curled up, its body covered in hundreds of bone spikes, transforming into a ferocious demon ball that slammed down on the red lotus with immense force!

"Crack——!"

Amidst a deafening crash, a huge red lotus petal shattered, dissipating into countless crimson specks of light.

The crab demon crossed its iron pincers, their cold light flashing, and suddenly seized a lotus petal, tearing it off with its bare hands!

"Tsk-!"

The serpent demon bared its venomous fangs and bit down on the red lotus, spewing out foul-smelling venom that instantly corroded the petals, causing them to hiss and emit white smoke!
The rebellious scholars unleashed their evil magic, but the light of their magic vanished almost instantly—when it collided with the magic of the Dafu, all low-level magic was annihilated.

They were filled with shock and rage, and had no choice but to brandish the Evil Script Sword, the Filthy Wolf Hair Brush, and the Blood Ink Rotten Fan, and frantically slash at the Red Lotus!

However, to their despair, the giant red lotus was completely wrapped up, layer upon layer, seemingly endless!

They have already torn off dozens of layers of petals, and with each layer torn, new lotus petals emerge one after another, making it impossible to tear them all off!

The flying fragments of red lotus were like sharp blades, leaving bloody marks on their bodies!
On the dragon boat.

Wang Yizhou, Zhao Mengjie, and other scholars, holding their writing swords, looked up—

A crimson lotus, so large it blotted out the sky, enveloped the entire dragon boat. The flowing petals exuded a vast and elegant aura, isolating it from all the violence and chaos of the outside world.

Jiang Xingzhou held a page of the prestigious "I Often Remember the Sunset at the Creek Pavilion" in his hand, his expression calm.

His fingertips shimmered with literary brilliance, his talent flowing like a tide, continuously pouring into the red lotus.

—Although I have little talent left, I can hold on for another twenty or so breaths!

When that time comes, reinforcements from the riverbank will surely arrive!

Upon seeing this, the instructors and scholars finally relaxed.

"call--!"

Xue Gui let out a long sigh of relief, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the deck, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"That scared me to death! I almost thought I was going to die here!"

He muttered to himself, still shaken, then looked up at the towering red lotus above him. It was still intact, and only then did he feel completely relieved.

"clang--"

Wang Yizhou was the first to sheath his sword, shaking his head and chuckling, "We were overthinking it. It's been too long since we've seen the [Dafu] Wenbao! We've forgotten its power!"

Zhao Mengjie sheathed his sword, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He stroked his beard and laughed loudly: "Hahaha! How could a few demon generals easily break through Xingzhou's precious document?"

Unless the Demon General himself arrives, attempting to break through the [Da Mansion] literary treasure's red lotus protective shield within ten breaths is nothing but wishful thinking!
-
Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)