Dragon's Origin

## Chapter 523: Entanglement (Part 2)

The incense was readily available, a timekeeping incense from the centuries-old brand, Pinxiangju, which exclusively supplied incense to the Lao Jun Temple. Lighting any two sticks simultaneously guaranteed they would extinguish at the same time, with a maximum error of just a finger flick. The burning speed was consistent, and many experts used this type of incense as a timer during their cultivation.

This was a fair arrangement for both sides. Moreover, half a stick of incense was roughly fifteen minutes. If one couldn't make a choice in fifteen minutes, then more time certainly wouldn't help resolve the hesitation.

While they were talking, the old Daoists had already sorted about one-third of the scrolls. Everyone watched intently, afraid that the people from Lao Jun Temple might embezzle any of them.

Fortunately, the old Daoists of Lao Jun Temple were all experts with extremely high Daoist mental states and cultivation levels. Influenced by Wang Sheng and Elder Ling Xu, they really didn't care much about these scrolls. They simply picked up each scroll, shook off any wood shavings, and then passed the name upwards to Elder Ling Xu. Elder Ling Xu, in turn, quickly placed the scrolls into the designated grids on the ground, name facing up, without any other consideration.

Except for Wang Sheng, no one knew what criteria Elder Ling Xu used to differentiate the scrolls' quality. However, one thing was certain: they could distinguish between cultivation methods, combat techniques, alchemy recipes, and formations. Sometimes the distribution wasn't perfectly even; it depended on what you wanted to choose and which aspect you focused on.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the old Daoists finally finished sorting all the scrolls, a process that took more than a day. After finishing, the old Daoist clapped his hands and announced loudly, "There are a total of twelve thousand one hundred and some scrolls, all here."

The old Daoist had already retreated from the grid area. Each grid contained about sixty scrolls, arranged neatly. Each grid was large enough to allow people to move around easily without being affected.

"Everyone, step back!" Seeing that everything was ready, Wang Sheng shouted and took the initiative to retreat a certain distance.

Everyone knew it was time to start choosing, and they tacitly followed their respective Grand Elders, retreating behind the line where Wang Sheng was standing.

"Let's get the unpleasantries out of the way first," Wang Sheng turned around and said loudly to everyone, "There's enough space over there, so you can walk around and see clearly. But, remember one thing."

This must be Wang Sheng setting rules to prevent accidents. Everyone perked up their ears, listening carefully.

"No matter who goes in to choose, they can look around, but they can't touch anything. As soon as you touch anything, it means you've chosen the contents of that grid," Wang Sheng looked at everyone, with a warning in his eyes, "Once you've chosen, take the contents of the chosen grid and bring them out on this animal skin. But, don't touch any scrolls that aren't from the grid you've chosen."

"You are all Legendary experts, don't tell me you lost your balance and fell or something. That's meaningless and pointless," Wang Sheng's voice grew colder, already tinged with killing intent, "If anyone breaks the rules and touches something they shouldn't, don't blame everyone here for attacking simultaneously. Elder Gan, Elder Shi, do you agree?"

"Agree!" Why wouldn't they agree with a rule that ensured fairness for everyone? The two answered in unison. Elder Shi even turned around and shouted loudly to the Shi family disciples, "Did you hear that? Don't try any tricks, take things honestly, or I'll be the first to kill him, even before Changsheng Gong takes action!"

The Shi family disciples responded in unison. Elder Gan next to him wasn't willing to be outdone and shouted loudly to his family disciples, "Changsheng Gong's meaning is my meaning!" The Gan family also responded loudly, just waiting to start choosing.

"Everyone, spread out, keeping this distance as the limit," Wang Sheng instructed everyone, "Keep your eyes wide open and watch the people inside choosing, don't let them move around randomly."

This was another insurance for the two families. As soon as Wang Sheng finished speaking, both families nodded secretly, this was the right way, they had to keep a close watch at all times.

"One person at a time," Wang Sheng watched everyone spread out, able to keep an eye on the inside, and then said loudly, "Elder Shi, you can send your family's people in now. Everyone starts from here with me, and timing starts from the departure."

"Thank you, Changsheng Gong! Thank you, Elder Gan!" The Shi family's Grand Elder cupped his hands towards Wang Sheng and the Gan family's Grand Elder, and laughed loudly, "I'll go in first, Changsheng Gong can start timing!"

After speaking, Elder Shi strode towards the grid area, holding a torch. The three old Daoists from the Qing generation, without waiting for Wang Sheng's instructions, had already lit a timing incense stick each. The three flickering embers were clearly visible to the people nearby.

Seeing this scene, the Gan family's Grand Elder also nodded secretly. Lighting three timing incense sticks simultaneously made it impossible to manipulate the timing incense. Wang Sheng was truly thorough and meticulous. People like this should be befriended if possible, and never made into enemies!

The Shi family's Grand Elder had exchanged a 10% share of their gold for the qualification to choose first. You must know that a 10% share of gold here was worth about 100 million gold coins outside. If they couldn't choose the best cultivation method first, the Shi family could be said to have suffered a huge loss.

One hundred million gold coins for one choice. Apart from the Grand Elder, which of those experts could withstand such psychological pressure? Even among the peak Legendary experts, how many of them had personally earned 100 million gold coins?

Even the Grand Elder wouldn't have such confidence if he didn't know anything and was completely clueless. Fortunately, some secret records passed down by the Shi family seemed to record some of the cultivation methods of that peerless expert from the Lin family. Although a few words were missing, finding something similar would be enough.

This was why the Shi family's Grand Elder was willing to give up 100 million gold coins to compete for this first opportunity. However, even with such records, he was still shocked when he personally walked into the grid.

The latest novel is available at 69shu.com!

More than ten thousand scrolls, and Elder Ling Xu had arranged them neatly, seemingly to make it easier for everyone to choose. However, when all the scrolls were arranged neatly with their names facing up, waiting for people to see, the feeling was completely different.

Everyone can imagine the neat bookshelves in a library. Could you see all the book titles just by walking past? Moreover, this wasn't a brightly lit library, but a dim underground space lit only by torches.

Almost instantly, the Shi family's Grand Elder broke out in a cold sweat.