Chapter 122: There Is No Mathematics in the Heavenly Martial Realm

Turning his head, he saw Changsun Puyu sitting to the side with his eyes tightly shut, his inner energy in complete disarray.

"Sigh, it was indeed too soon after all!"

Changsun Chengluo shook his head, reached out to rest a hand on his son’s shoulder, and channeled a stream of spiritual energy into him. With his father’s assistance, Changsun Puyu opened his eyes, only to immediately cough up a mouthful of blood. He looked exceptionally frail.

"Let’s go. You are already injured; there is no point in staying here any longer," Changsun Chengluo said.

"No," Changsun Puyu shook his head firmly. "I don’t want to leave."

"I can sense the presence of a senior’s power here—it is incredibly formidable. Even if I were to die, I would still want to comprehend a fraction of it."

Seeing his son’s unwavering determination, Changsun Chengluo did not know what to say. The young man’s heart was set on the sword path; forcing him to leave might well bring his journey of immortality to an end right here. After a moment of thought, Changsun Chengluo said, "If that is the case, then stay."

"But you must protect yourself. Do not push yourself too hard."

With that, Changsun Chengluo took one last deep look at his son and turned to leave. Soon, the various sect masters and heads of major powers followed suit, taking their own talented disciples away with them. The small village outside, which had been bustling with thousands of people just moments ago, was now completely deserted.

Inside Zhu Xiaoyuan’s courtyard:

"Master, thousands of people arrived these past few days, but not one of them could solve the problem."

"Most of them have given up, and by now, nearly everyone has left," Ruofeng reported the situation to Zhu Xiaoyuan.

As she spoke, she couldn't help but click her tongue in disbelief. She had seen all those people outside. Every one of them was a renowned figure—masters like the venerable Kong Ling and Changsun Chengluo—none of whom were small names. Yet, even such prestigious individuals had racked their brains and failed to solve the problem. It was clear just how difficult the question Zhu Xiaoyuan had posed truly was.

Zhu Xiaoyuan nodded upon hearing this. This was exactly the result he had wanted. He felt fortunate that he had set a problem; otherwise, if people who couldn’t even solve a simple geometry problem—the kind any elementary school student could handle—had come begging to be his disciples, how exhausting would that be? Not to mention, he already had Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran, two idiots who insisted on using chopsticks and fire pokers when they fought! He was already feeling quite weary.

But then again, was the problem he set really that difficult?

In the vast Tianwu Realm, not a single person could solve it? If this were the modern world, any elementary school student could have solved it with ease. And yet, thousands had come and gone, all while having the audacity to call themselves the elite geniuses of the Tianwu Realm! It was simply terrifying.

Zhu Xiaoyuan suddenly had a thought. He turned to Ruofeng and asked, "Ruofeng, let me ask you... does our Tianwu Realm have anything like mathematics or geometry?"

Ruofeng blinked, looking completely bewildered. "What is that?"

"What are mathematics and geometry? Master, I have never heard of them."

"Are they some kind of powerful cultivation technique? Perhaps our Tianwu Realm is at too low a level; we have never had such things!" Ruofeng said with complete certainty.

Zhu Xiaoyuan was stunned by this revelation.

*Damn it... the Tianwu Realm doesn't have mathematics!*

He had made a grave miscalculation with his problem! Who would have guessed that everyone in the Tianwu Realm was obsessed with cultivation and no one studied math? He had been judging these thousands of people as fools for not being able to solve such a simple problem, never realizing that they didn't even know what mathematics was in the first place.

"Master, what is this 'mathematics' you speak of? Could it be related to divination or destiny?"

"And what is geometry? It sounds even more incomprehensible than mathematics," Huanyue asked with a curious tilt of her head.

Zhu Xiaoyuan didn't know how to explain it to her, so he simply gave a vague, dismissive answer. He turned to Ruofeng and said, "Ruofeng, go and take down that problem from the entrance."

If it stayed there, he would never find a disciple—there was no point if no one even knew the method to solve it.

Upon receiving her master’s order, Ruofeng hurried to the village entrance. When she arrived, she saw the last two young people remaining; out of the thousands who had come, they were the only ones unwilling to leave. She let out a long sigh as she peeled the problem off the stone stele.

At that exact moment, the golden barrier surrounding the small village vanished. Chenchen and Changsun Puyu stared at the scene in astonishment, a wave of panic washing over them.

Why had the golden characters disappeared? And how could the barrier simply vanish like that?

"Wait, Divine Maiden!"

Seeing Ruofeng turn to leave, Changsun Puyu called out urgently. "Divine Maiden, may I ask, are you the disciple of that senior?"

Ruofeng nodded at him.

Changsun Puyu continued, "Your Highness, why did you take down the problem? Does the senior have other instructions?"

Chenchen also looked at Ruofeng with great anticipation.

Ruofeng hesitated for a moment before saying, "My master said that no one in the Tianwu Realm could solve it, because it involves the great paths of mathematics and geometry."

Hearing this, both Changsun Puyu and Chenchen were filled with confusion. What were mathematics and geometry? They had never heard of either.

"Divine Maiden, now that you have taken down the problem, do we still have a chance to enter and pay our respects to the senior?" Chenchen asked, feeling a bit sheepish. After all, he hadn't been able to solve the problem while it was still displayed.

Ruofeng was taken aback by the question; she didn't know the answer. Her master had only told her to take it down, not whether people could enter.

"My master didn't say."

Ruofeng told them the honest truth. Outside the village, Changsun Puyu and Chenchen exchanged glances, feeling lost. Should they enter, or should they not?

...

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the Tianwu Realm, where dark yellow clouds churned and mist billowed:

"News has arrived," Shen Bing said suddenly.

In an instant, all the black-robed figures nearby gathered around him.