Chapter 625
Chapter 625
The transcendent powers—Floating Mountain, the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, the Sky-Sealing Pavilion, the Hanging Monastery, and others—were all gathered here. Each was determined to claim these ancient ruins, and this conundrum was the key to their strategic victory. They had spent more than half a year on this island, pouring their heart and soul into the effort, yet they still could not solve the puzzle.
Princess Ning Han was also there, currently wrestling with calculations on a piece of paper. Dozens of geniuses from the various powers were frantically working, racing against time. It was perfectly normal that they couldn't solve it. Even if they spent a year or two, they would never find the solution. On Earth, with its multitude of brilliant mathematicians, some problems had remained unsolved for over a century; it was impossible for them to crack it in just half a year or even a year.
But Shen Lang could solve it with ease. Because he was standing on the shoulders of giants. He had a computer in his head!
The dozens of people present were likely the pinnacle of this world. The masters of the transcendent powers, their successors, and their most brilliant minds were all assembled here. Shen Lang didn't know who they were, and no one bothered to introduce them. His arrival went completely unnoticed, even by Princess Ning Han, who didn't so much as turn her head. Shen Lang noticed about eight or nine people from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion. Zhang Yuyin was not among them; her status was not high enough to grant her entry here.
“You two wait here.”
Elder Gong of the Discipline Hall spoke. Shen Lang and Wu Daozi waited in place while the elder went to report.
*Is that the Villa Master of Floating Mountain? He looks remarkably young.*
After Elder Gong reported to the young man, the man glanced at Shen Lang and nodded. A moment later, Elder Gong returned.
“You will not go down. Solve it from here. I will give you paper and a brush.”
Shen Lang scoffed internally.
*Do all members of the transcendent powers look down on everyone else from their lofty perch?*
But on second thought, it was normal. In the eyes of these transcendent powers, they were representatives of an advanced civilization, while Shen Lang was merely a representative of a native one. If they treated him with the courtesy and humility reserved for a wise sage, that would be truly suspicious. Did they believe Shen Lang could solve the Four Color Theorem? That would be tantamount to overturning their entire worldview. The dozens of people here considered themselves the most intelligent beings in the world. A problem they hadn't solved in over half a year could be cracked by Shen Lang, a representative of a native civilization? They believed they had seen many geniuses like Shen Lang—those who took one look at the problem, thought it simple, and arrogantly claimed they could solve it. Their knowledge was so shallow that only when faced with the true problem did they realize its immense difficulty.
The Villa Master of Floating Mountain’s intention in giving him a piece of paper was to let Shen Lang try solving it on the side. Once he realized how difficult it was, he would retreat on his own. This was also a way to save Wu Daozi’s face. Otherwise, someone like Shen Lang wouldn't even have been qualified to set foot on this island. The Villa Master never once thought Shen Lang could solve this millennia-old conundrum. But how could Shen Lang afford to waste any time? Only a few days of Mulan's life force remained. He had to solve this puzzle within the hour and open the entrance to the ancient ruins.
Wu Daozi asked him.
“Shen Lang, did you get a good look at the map?”
“I did.”
“Are you certain you can solve it?”
“Of course. I can solve it within thirty minutes. If I fail, you can tear me to shreds.”
Wu Daozi nodded. Then, she no longer bothered speaking through Elder Gong and walked directly toward the Villa Master of Floating Mountain. Elder Gong moved to stop her.
“Move aside!” Wu Daozi said coldly.
Elder Gong’s expression changed, but with so many people from other powers present, he couldn't let them think Floating Mountain was disunited. He had no choice but to step aside. Wu Daozi walked up to the Villa Master.
“Villa Master, Shen Lang claims he can solve this puzzle within thirty minutes!”
Hearing this, the Villa Master of Floating Mountain frowned.
“Tell him to solve it by himself on the side. We can talk after he’s finished.”
“He says he will attempt it on the planetary map directly!”
Have Shen Lang solve the puzzle on paper and then hand it over to the people of Floating Mountain? He would never do that. There was no flair in it, no way to show off and make them lose face. It would be like a graduate student making a groundbreaking discovery, writing a paper to be published in the world's top academic journal, *Nature*, only to first show it to his supervising professor, resulting in the paper being published under the professor's name. Hearing Wu Daozi’s words, the Villa Master was taken aback.
*Shen Lang, does this brat know no bounds? Now that you are representing our Floating Mountain, if you go out there and fail to solve it, you will bring shame upon us all!*
The Villa Master said.
“Absolutely not! Rabbit, I am very happy that you’ve finally taken a disciple after so much difficulty. I don’t know what tricks he used to make you dote on him so, but if you’re going to be this irrational, tell him to leave.”
The Villa Master of Floating Mountain was genuinely angry.
*What kind of place do you think this is? Shen Lang, do you know who I am? Are you trying to use the same tantrums and brutish tactics you used in the State of Yue? Do you think I’ll just let you be, like Ning Yuanxian?*
Wu Daozi said to him.
“If Shen Lang fails to solve the puzzle and open the entrance within thirty minutes, I will resign my position as an elder of the Hall of Harmony. I am a woman of my word. Of course, if the Villa Master does not permit this, I will resign my position as an elder of the Hall of Harmony immediately.”
Hearing this, the Villa Master was stunned.
*Shen Lang, what has this pretty boy done to bewitch Wu Daozi so completely? In truth, letting him go up and try is fine. Failure won’t have any real impact, aside from a loss of face.*
In the first month after the ruins were discovered, the various powers had taken turns approaching the statue, trying again and again. But as they gradually realized the immense difficulty of the problem, they stopped making a spectacle of themselves. No one went up anymore. Everyone was focused on solving the problem on their own, intending to go up only after finding a perfect solution.
“Very well, Rabbit. Let him try. But if he cannot solve it within thirty minutes, you will expel him from the sect immediately. Our Floating Mountain does not accept such disciples.”
Wu Daozi nodded, then gestured for Shen Lang to come over.
“Come.”
Shen Lang walked over. Wu Daozi, treating everyone else as if they were invisible, lifted Shen Lang by the body and lightly leaped up onto the giant statue, climbing until they reached the giant’s hands.
“Shen Lang, if you cannot solve this puzzle within thirty minutes, I will have to resign as an elder of the Hall of Harmony, and you will be expelled from the sect.”
Ignorance is bliss, and in a sense, Wu Daozi was one of those people. She had no idea how difficult the problem was, nor did she care to know. Her life’s motto was: "Don’t be scared, just do it!" Shen Lang nodded and replied.
“No problem!”
The Villa Master of Floating Mountain said nothing, but Elder Gong beside him immediately lit an incense stick. It would burn for thirty minutes. The Villa Master of Floating Mountain then announced.
“Esteemed brothers, this Shen Lang is, for now, a disciple of our Floating Mountain!”
He added nothing more. But everyone present was a supreme master; they had all heard the exchange between Wu Daozi and Shen Lang, and they all had the same reaction.
*Another shameless, loud-mouthed, foolish genius has appeared. And Floating Mountain has taken on another temporary disciple.*
No one found this situation the least bit strange, because the same thing had happened several times over the past half-year. The transcendent powers had scoured the world for brilliant geniuses to solve the problem. Princess Ning Han, for example, had gone to find Shen Lang on behalf of the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, hadn't she? Of course, the main reason she sought him out was to prevent him from interfering in the struggle for the throne of Yue. These externally recruited geniuses would often take one look at the problem, deem it quite simple, and think they could solve it with ease. Shen Lang said he could solve it in thirty minutes, but another, more arrogant genius had once claimed he could do it in a mere moment. They had seen too many geniuses from the native civilization who were like frogs in a well, completely unaware of the world beyond. They were used to this sight.
The transcendent powers held a consensus regarding the abilities of these externally recruited geniuses. The truly brilliant minds of this world were all within their ranks, all having been influenced by the advanced civilization of antiquity. They could not be placed on the same level as the geniuses of the native civilization. And so, they all glanced at Shen Lang once before completely ignoring him and returning to their own calculations. They didn't want to waste time looking at a frog in a well.
Of course, Princess Ning Han felt the same. She had some knowledge of Shen Lang’s intelligence, perhaps even a deeper understanding than others. Shen Lang had solved the great conundrum issued by the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion and had even solved an inescapable Go puzzle. But to Ning Han, those puzzles were not problems at all; even Zhu Rong could have solved them in a very short time. And the inescapable Go puzzle? As it happened, that puzzle had been created by Ning Han and another elder of the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion. Thus, she still looked down on Shen Lang’s intellect.
*No matter how clever Shen Lang is, without the education of a higher civilization, he remains a representative of a primitive native culture. But the Four Color Theorem at the entrance to these ancient ruins isn't something that can be solved with clever tricks or wit. It requires massive calculations, the frantic mental effort of true geniuses.*
That was why she had refused when Shen Lang had previously approached her, offering to trade the solution to the millennia-old conundrum for the *Blood Scripture*.
First, Ning Han was arrogant.
*Our Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion does not compromise. Since we have designated you, Shen Lang, as an unwelcome party, we will not change our stance for any benefit.*
Second, Ning Han was proud of her own intellect. She had seen many geniuses like Shen Lang. His current claim to solve the puzzle in thirty minutes only further proved the shallowness of his knowledge. Thus, in everyone’s eyes, Shen Lang’s attempt was nothing more than a clown putting on another foolish display, just like the native geniuses before him. However, no one mocked him. People at the pinnacle of the pyramid wouldn't stoop to public ridicule. Such behavior would seem far too crass. It was enough to simply ignore him completely.