Seven days.
On the training grounds of the Folk Research Association, a large stage was erected.
Every day, Long Feicheng would stop and stare at the stage as he passed by.
After understanding the pros and cons of Yan Shouyi's plan, Long Feicheng suddenly began to worry about his brother Yan. After all, this battle was a gamble of their lives.
If successful, Yan Shouyi and the Folk Research Association would flourish together.
If they failed, Yan Shouyi and the Folk Research Association would suffer together.
If Yan Shouyi died, the Folk Research Association would undoubtedly be disbanded.
This was because Yan Shouyi was the backbone of everyone. They had all chosen to follow him because they respected his character. Without him, no one else could bear this responsibility.
Lin Zitong, upon learning that Yan Shouyi had decided to set up a challenge to fight the Chihua Association, was briefly stunned but quickly regained her composure.
She understood Yan Shouyi intimately and knew that there were only two things in this world that were most important to him.
First, her, Lin Zitong.
Second, the folk sects.
She would not interfere with Yan Shouyi's decision. To help him maintain a good state of mind, she would offer her full support, without revealing her worries.
What was the Chihua Association of Yuzhou to her man? It was nothing!
Yan Shouyi was in seclusion in a courtyard of the research association. For seven days, not even Lin Zitong was allowed in. However, the dog Taoist and the monk Miaoji were occasionally able to enter, presumably to guide Yan Shouyi.
Wang Jiwang was also not idle. Wu Tianfeng had been quiet these past few days, no longer intercepting the newly joined disciples of the folk sects.
In seven days, Wang Jiwang had received six new members. Combined with the previous ones, the total number had exceeded double digits, which was a cause for celebration. Da Feng Novel Network.
At the same time, a piece of news, spread by storytellers, traveled throughout the Xuanmen world.
Yan Shouyi, the Lu Ban successor of the Folk Research Association in Rongcheng, was going to hold a challenge to fight Wu Tianfeng of the Chihua Association in Yuzhou!
The Chihua Association had a considerable reputation among the folk sects. Some might not know the Xinxuan School, but they would likely know the Chihua Association.
As for what the Rongcheng Folk Research Association was, people didn't understand, so they began to investigate.
The more they investigated, the more astonished they became.
Yan Shouyi, the president of the Folk Research Association, was the son of Yan Chou, a Lu Ban successor, and the grandson of Yan Baixiang.
Though young, he possessed numerous accolades: he was married to the sect leader of the Lushan School, he had eliminated the Ghost King family in Rongcheng, he had a considerable reputation in Qiantang, and Li Zhongxi, the tomb keeper of Chang'an, spoke highly of him…
However, these accolades were secondary. Most importantly, this young man had participated in the Luotian Great Ceremony this year and carried the secret inscriptions of the Dragon and Tiger. He had almost snatched the position of the contemporary Celestial Master, Yu Luming, becoming the first person in history from a folk sect to lead the orthodox lineage!
Some accolades only evoked envy and jealousy.
But this particular accolade could only elicit sighs, as everyone knew their own limitations and understood that throughout the five thousand years of history, Yan Shouyi was the only one who had achieved such a feat.
Especially for the disciples of folk sects, who were looked down upon by the reputable sects due to their humble origins, which prevented them from achieving much and made them seem unsophisticated.
Although they would claim to disdain participating in the Luotian Great Ceremony and call the disciples of the reputable sects bookworms and hypocrites, deep down, weren't they filled with a sense of bitterness?
Also, being ordinary people, the disciples of reputable sects enjoyed blessed lands, grand mountain gates, and the adoration of the common people, receiving incense from myriad households.
In contrast, the folk sects often struggled to get enough to eat, starving for three days and eating for nine, often sleeping under bridges with a thin blanket, crying into it.
Yan Shouyi's emergence, along with the glorious accolades he carried, directly refreshed everyone's perception of folk sects.
If he could reach the ninth level, why couldn't they reach the fifth or sixth?
Furthermore, if they joined the Folk Research Association founded by Yan Shouyi, reaching the seventh or eighth level might not be impossible.
Moreover, although Yan Shouyi was young, he had the backing of Yan Baixiang, who had once traveled the world and made many friends, and Yan Chou, who had once been renowned in the Xuanmen world. These were all guarantees!
Considering all these reasons, within a mere seven days, the Xuanmen world's attention to the challenge match between the Folk Research Association and the Chihua Association reached its peak.
Countless people flocked to Rongcheng just to see Yan Shouyi in person and witness if he was truly as powerful as the legends claimed.
More disciples of folk sects, however, were unable to travel to Rongcheng due to various reasons, lamenting their misfortune and regretting that they would miss this spectacular challenge match.
Later, a mysterious link began to circulate among the folk sects.
It was said that on the day of the challenge match, this link would provide a full live broadcast of the event!
The source of this news was still the storytellers, and its credibility was extremely high. In fact, if people clicked the link now, it would already display a promotional interface for the Folk Research Association.
The webpage introduced the location, environment, foundation, background, and other information about the Folk Research Association. It even provided several contact methods.
These were the contributions of Lin Yu and Lin Yin.
It could be said that due to the momentum built by Wang Jiwang's leadership, coupled with the operations of Lin Yu and Lin Yin, the topic of the challenge match in the Xuanmen world continued to climb, even reaching its zenith.
If the Xuanmen world had a forum, this challenge match would undoubtedly occupy the top spot on the trending list!
The Chihua Association also received the news.
Yuzhou, a famous mountain city, is also known by netizens as a "7D magical city." Here, there are light rail trains that shuttle between buildings, hot pot that makes mouths water, and the famous Hongyadong and the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.
In a mountain view residence in Yuzhou, a middle-aged man flew into a rage, smashing the walnuts he had been playing with for years onto the ground!
The walnuts, polished to a mirror shine, shattered on the spot, and two deep pits were gouged into the floor.
"Well done, Yan Shouyi! Well done, Folk Research Association! You're using our Chihua Association as a stepping stone to boost your presence in the Xuanmen!"
The middle-aged man was the president of the Chihua Association, Wu Tianfeng's father, Wu Jianchou.
Initially, upon learning that his subordinate, a disciple of a folk sect, wanted to defect to the Folk Research Association, he was already very displeased and intended to prevent the person from leaving Yuzhou City.
However, his arrogant and overbearing son volunteered to handle the matter. Wu Jianchou, considering that his son had grown up and should gain some experience to inherit his legacy in the future, agreed.
Later, he learned that his son had gone directly to Rongcheng and repeatedly provoked the Folk Research Association. Although Wu Jianchou felt it was inappropriate, he didn't say much, as he was confident in the Chihua Association's strength and believed they were not afraid of the Folk Research Association.
Subsequently, after the Right Protector was killed, Tian Jue'er was snatched, and Yan Shouyi directly issued a challenge to the Chihua Association, Wu Jianchou began to sense that something was amiss.
By the time he fully realized it, he suddenly discovered that at some point, their Chihua Association had been manipulated, and the Folk Research Association, through this yet-to-be-fought challenge match, had become widely known. The public opinion in the Xuanmen world was all in support of Yan Shouyi.
And his Chihua Association had inadvertently become a stepping stone for the Folk Research Association to gain prestige!