Chapter 724: Opening

Chapter 724: Chapter 151: Opening

Yue Mengsheng’s expression shifted slightly. He tapped the Light Screen, and legends about Zhang Deming’s ‘profound background’ began to appear on everyone’s screens.

Many were taken aback. Seeing the information and noticing Zhang Deming’s deliberate gesture of pinching his ear, many of the Outer Sect Cultivators also broke into smiles, getting the joke.

“Whoa, why are all you Senior Uncles looking at me with such gleaming eyes? It’s honestly making this disciple a little scared. One background is more than enough for me in this lifetime!”

“Hahaha…”

“This guy…”

Zhang Deming paused, then said, “This disciple came down because I saw all you Senior Uncles were getting tired of lecturing. I thought I’d come chat for a bit and help you all relax.”

The atmosphere certainly grew cheerful, but quite a few Cultivators frowned.

Zhang Deming didn’t continue trying to liven things up. Instead, he said, “Since this is a chat, I’ll need a disciple to come down and chat with me, someone to banter with, to be my foil, you know?

So, are there any disciples willing to kiss my ass? Willing to spend five points—a fortune that could otherwise buy you a heaven-sent opportunity—to come down and ‘refute’ my points, all for the sole purpose of kissing my ass?”

Many had been eager to jump at the chance, but after Zhang Deming’s last words, they all shrank back. The High-Tier Cultivators, in particular, would never take him up on such an offer now.

Zhang Deming had expected the stage to go quiet, but to his surprise, right after he finished speaking, a figure emerged. Qin Shizhong appeared before him.

Up in the sky, Pei Xiaoxiao, Yang Guangfu, and the others looked furious, cursing themselves for not being faster.

“Look, everyone, look! Nowadays, even the ass-kissers are willing to spend this much!” Zhang Deming said to the crowd of Cultivators in the sky, looking at Qin Shizhong.

“Hahaha…”

Hearing this, Qin Shizhong looked slightly awkward for a moment before his expression went blank.

“Come on, tell us. Why were you willing to spend so much? You passed on the chance to discourse on the Dao earlier, but now you’re paying a fortune just to chat with me?” Zhang Deming asked Qin Shizhong.

Qin Shizhong was a sharp one himself. He had a good grasp of Zhang Deming’s current routine and replied with a deadpan expression:

“It’s mainly because this disciple belongs to the Flying Spring Waterfall Tower and serves you directly, Senior Uncle. If you were left hanging and went back in a bad mood, I’m afraid this disciple’s next ten days would be miserable! Besides, these five initial points were a free gift because of my position anyway.”

“So you’re saying the wool comes from the sheep’s back, so it’s no big deal to come down here and kiss my ass a bit?” Zhang Deming said, looking as if he were questioning his very existence.

Qin Shizhong was a good actor, too. He kept a straight face and nodded solemnly.

“Hahaha…”

The disciples filling the sky erupted in even greater mirth. The scene, like something out of a comedy sketch, made many of the Great Cultivators frown in unison.

Just then, Zhang Deming’s expression suddenly changed. His tone shifted, and he said with utmost seriousness, “What I was just lecturing on was the Communication Dao. Have any disciples grasped it?”

As soon as he said it, the Cultivators in the sky all froze, their faces a picture of utter confusion and bewilderment.

Zhang Deming paused. “Let me put it another way. Did you all hear what I just said? Did you all understand it?”

Zhang Deming’s words left many Cultivators completely stunned. The Spiritual Power of some even began to surge, and a few scattered individuals experienced minor breakthroughs in that instant.

Although Zhang Deming didn’t get a reply, he saw their reactions and said with a smile, “It seems there are quite a few with a strong Wisdom Root.

But, this is a cultural exchange. We need communication between our two worlds, so I can’t just speak entirely in such riddles, can I?

Oh, right. What I just said is also the Communication Dao. Well, to be precise, it’s closer to the Celestial Universe’s version of the Communication Dao.”

More disciples were left completely lost, but Shang Tingjie’s eyes showed a flicker of confusion before he realized something, nearly jumping up from his meditation cushion.

Yuu Guang, looking bewildered and frowning, was a pure native of the Celestial Universe and completely unaccustomed to such riddles. He looked at Shang Tingjie and asked, “Captain, what’s wrong?”

“Did we give Hongmeng the foundational core knowledge of our Celestial Universe’s communication protocols?” Shang Tingjie asked gravely.

Yuu Guang shook his head. “I don’t think so. For much of the knowledge we’ve exchanged, we only gave them the surface-level basics. It looks complete, but we seem to have held back all the most fundamental parts.”

Shang Tingjie’s eyes flickered. “Then we’re in trouble. If he really managed to understand our data and reverse-engineer our communication protocols from it, that kind of talent… If he’d been born in the Celestial Universe, he would be no less than a Dr. Einstein!”

Yuu Guang paused, astonished. “Captain, you think he can reverse-engineer our technology? Then this person…”

“I’m not worried about the reverse-engineering anymore,” Shang Tingjie said grimly. “What I’m worried about is that the task of introducing and explaining this Dao, which should have been ours, might have just been snatched away by someone else!”

Yuu Guang frowned slightly. “Captain, are you saying he’s going to explain the essence of communication protocols? Is that… even possible?”

“Heh… is it possible?” Shang Tingjie said grimly. “Think back and forth about the difference between his last two statements. Then consider the two main communication protocols today. For us, his ‘riddle’ was actually quite direct.”

Yuu Guang’s eyes flickered as he thought it over. He was suddenly alarmed. “This… Captain, don’t you think you might be overthinking it?”

“I hope so. We’ll know if we keep watching. In any case, we’re powerless to stop it now, aren’t we,” Shang Tingjie said, looking down below.

After that, the two fell silent. The few core members around them who had overheard their conversation also turned their gazes downward.

…

Below, Zhang Deming looked at the vast majority of disciples still looking dumbfounded, smiled, and continued, “A lot of you disciples who were laughing so happily just now are probably completely bewildered.

Some of you are probably already complaining in your heads, like: ‘What the hell? Weren’t we just chatting? How is the Dao lecture suddenly over? Did you even say anything besides joking around?’

That’s right. I was just joking around, but you all laughed. And with that, my ‘communication’ was complete.”