I can't keep a low profile when cultivating immortality; the sixth one is actually myself.

The first round of poetry duel has now come to an end.

The remaining 70 talented men and beautiful women were all in high spirits and full of energy.

At this moment, Assistant Minister Gao Hao once again stepped onto the Gathering of Worthies Platform.

He then said, "Congratulations to all the talented men and women present for winning the first poetry contest."

Next, we will begin the second session of our poetry gathering: a battle of wits.

The rules for the ci (lyric) competition are similar to those for the poetry competition. Participants must compose a new poem on the spot, and there are no restrictions on the ci form. The time limit is two incense sticks.

The theme of this word battle is the bright moon.

Twenty works will be selected for inclusion at the discretion of the editor.

I now declare the second session of the poetry recital officially open.

Upon hearing Gao Hao announce the start, the remaining 70 talented men and women became tense again, racking their brains for ideas.

Meanwhile, Toyokawa, who was still sitting in the corner, began to wield his brush on the Xuan paper.

Upstairs at Juxian Tower, several pairs of eyes were secretly watching him.

Although Toyokawa had some idea, he had no time to think about it now.

He focused all his energy on writing lyrics.

Having learned his lesson last time, he completely abandoned his plan to show off this time.

No more pretending, I’m showing off my cards!

I am a seasoned veteran who has lived two lives. If I can't even win a small imperial poetry gathering, how can I face my many talented ancestors from my previous life?

So when he heard Gao Hao mention a poem with the theme of "bright moon," he knew without a second thought which master's work to choose.

Who else but Su Dongpo, the renowned Su Shi of the Song Dynasty, one of the three famous Su brothers, who is also listed among the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties and known as the "Immortal Su"?

That's right, this time Toyokawa directly quoted the timeless masterpiece "Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Moon Be Bright?"

Although the literary style of Dali was extremely popular, he still believed that this piece would definitely shock the entire audience and silence any dissent.

Among the talented men and beautiful women present, none dared to claim the title of number one.

He completed it in one go very quickly.

It must be said that Toyokawa, who has been known as a child prodigy since childhood, is also a force to be reckoned with in the art of calligraphy.

Just by taking out this one piece of calligraphy, one could easily live a life free from worries about food and clothing.

After finishing the lyrics, Toyokawa sat calmly to the side.

This aura isn't invincible, it just means: everyone here is trash!

Wow, I give that a perfect score for showing off!

Time passed slowly, and soon the two incense sticks burned out.

At this moment, more constables came and collected the works of each talented scholar and beautiful woman.

Next came the tense review period.

They still went on stage to perform entertainment programs.

Although the talented men and beautiful women weren't really interested in watching, the audience outside the venue was thoroughly entertained, cheering enthusiastically.

However, at this moment, a gasp of surprise suddenly rang out inside Juxianlou.

"A masterpiece, a timeless classic!" exclaimed a court official.

His loud exclamation interrupted the thoughts of the other examiners and scholars.

They all looked over curiously.

Then, one, two, three. Before long, all the examiners and renowned scholars had gathered around.

After everyone watched it once, they were unconsciously immersed in it.

What a beautiful scene it was! It left one speechless for a long time.

Only when the officials who had gone upstairs inquired about the situation did a servant come down, interrupting the imaginations of the group of officials and scholars.

Then, the others quickly went to review the other works.

But after reading that one, the other works suddenly seemed rather dull.

It looks completely ordinary.

Alas, what a tragedy! How can they possibly appreciate other poems now that this has happened?

However, all the renowned officials and scholars possessed exceptional mental fortitude. They patiently selected half of the better works and sent them upstairs.

After the artwork was submitted, they began discussing it amongst themselves. Where was their usual composure and calmness?

Everyone is speculating about the impact this timeless masterpiece will have after its release.

At that moment, the same scene played out again upstairs.

It wasn't until the people on the top floor came down to urge them that the officials and scholars in the middle building hastily concluded the meeting, just as they had gone downstairs.

Twenty of them were selected and hastily sent to the top floor.

Then the middle building was once again engulfed in heated discussion.

At this moment, a bizarre scene unfolded on the top floor.

The two prime ministers, who had always been at odds, were now each holding the same sheet of Xuan paper, intently studying the poem before them.

It wasn't until others reminded them that the two came to their senses.

Then they presented this timeless masterpiece to the eldest princess who had ascended to the throne.

The princess was still pretending to be reserved, but in her heart she had long been eyeing that young master's work.

Upon taking a look, it turned out to be the work of that young master.

He then began to read it carefully.

But without realizing it, the eldest princess fell into it.

The third princess found it strange that he hadn't come to his senses for a long time, so she went to check on him.

Then, just like the eldest princess, she also fell into the trap.

He was only woken up when his other brothers got impatient.

Then, the eldest princess looked at the two prime ministers and asked, "I wonder what the two prime ministers think of this excellent piece of work!"

"Your Highness, this old minister has never seen such a masterpiece before. Congratulations, Your Highness!"

"This is what the Left Chancellor He Zhizhang said."

Then, Right Chancellor Luo Qingling also offered his congratulations.

The eldest princess was puzzled, not understanding why the two of them were offering their congratulations.

"Oh? I wonder what brings you this joy?"

"Haha, Your Highness. If this poem were made public, it would surely become a masterpiece for all time."

Under the guidance of the Princess, a masterpiece will be created. The Princess's virtuous reputation will surely spread far and wide, becoming a celebrated story!

"How could we not congratulate Her Highness?" Right Chancellor Luo Qingling replied.

"Haha, I really didn't expect that this poetry gathering would produce such a masterpiece!" the Princess said.

"Indeed, once this piece is published, all other poems will immediately pale in comparison! Alas, the talented men and beautiful women of Dali are likely to suffer a great blow this time!" said Left Prime Minister He Zhizhang with concern.

"Haha, it's alright. Our Dali has always placed great importance on literary style. The publication of this piece is also an encouragement!" the princess replied calmly.

"Alright, now that the top 20 works have been selected, let's announce them!"

Then a constable took all the poems to the middle level.

Immediately, people began to sing towards the window.

At this moment, the talented men and beautiful women in the room, who had been waiting impatiently, finally focused their attention.

"When will the bright moon come? Ask the sky for wine.

I don’t know what the palace is, but what year is it.

I long to ride the wind and return, yet I fear the jade palaces and towers, where the heights are unbearably cold.

Dancing clear shadow, like in the world.

Turn Zhuge, low tenants, and sleepless.

There should be no hatred, why is it going to other times?

People have sorrows and sorrows and joys, and moons have yin and qing, which is difficult to complete.

May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, even though we are thousands of miles apart.

As each line of poetry was recited, the entire square fell silent.

Everyone was immediately captivated by the beautiful imagery of this poem, unable to extricate themselves.

Even after the entire poem was recited, the square below remained so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A moment later, the entire square erupted in uproar again.

"Holy crap, whose lyrics are these? A masterpiece for all time, destined to become a masterpiece for all time!"

"Yes, what beautiful lyrics, what a beautiful imagery! I feel as if I'm right there in it, and I want to dance along!"

"Give me a break! With your physique, I really can't imagine how cringeworthy it would be if you went in and started dancing! It would be unbearable to watch!"

"Hmph, what do you know? I'm talking about artistic conception. Do you even understand artistic conception?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant by the artistic conception! Such a beautiful artistic conception, if you were to barge in recklessly, who knows what kind of mess you would make of it!"

"Hmph, I can't be bothered with you. Why can't I go in? Such a beautiful scene should be enjoyed by everyone!"

"Hey, stop arguing! Can't you leave me a little bit of hope?"

"Yeah, running into you two was such a downer!"

Then everyone moved away from the two people who had just been arguing.

Then, I tried to relive the beautiful scene I'd just experienced in my imagination. But I kept unconsciously projecting myself onto the two burly men dancing gracefully. Suddenly, all my desire to fantasize vanished.

So everyone glared at them menacingly.

But the burly man who had just refuted him felt wronged.

"I was trying my best to hold onto that sliver of hope. What did I do wrong? Why are you targeting me too?"

Suddenly, he felt the intense malice the world held towards him.

The person reciting the lyrics upstairs deliberately paused for a moment.

After everyone came to their senses, they began to read other excellent works.

Unfortunately, with such a gem preceding it, even though the later ones were also quite good, they all felt somewhat lacking in quality and ultimately tasteless.

Thus, the top 20 works were selected by the judges once again.

The remaining 50 people left the stage dejectedly, but they showed no signs of discouragement.

It's not that they don't have good works, it's just that their competitors are too strong.

It's as if they were all defeated by that timeless masterpiece.

They actually left completely convinced.

But is something wrong? Something doesn't feel right.

If Toyokawa had known that the person leaving had this mindset, he would have definitely given them a word of advice.

'It wasn't me who defeated you! It was that twentieth one!'

However, no one cares what Toyokawa says.

Because everyone would agree that Toyokawa was the one who defeated him, because Toyokawa was too strong!

Toyokawa expressed his helplessness, saying, "I'm already in first place, and I'm still being dragged into this. What kind of world is this?!"

At this point, there were 20 players remaining on the field, including Toyokawa.

But apart from Toyokawa, everyone else is under immense pressure; they've met their match this time!

Why am I so unlucky? I finally managed to attend a poetry gathering, and suddenly a dark horse emerged, and he's incredibly talented!