Chapter 529 - 181: Top 10
Seeing this, Xue Kun walked onto the arena and announced in a loud voice, "The fiftieth match: Lin Ziheng, disciple of Lingxi Peak, wins!"
With Lin Ziheng’s victory, all the matches of the second round had come to an end.
Xue Kun cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and continued to announce, "This concludes the second round of the Fushan Grand Competition! The third round of matches will begin tomorrow at 7:00 AM in Fushan Square!"
After he finished speaking, Steward Xue turned and walked off the arena. He hurried over to Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan, gathering with several other Main Peak Elders to quietly discuss the rankings for the next round.
They held a thin roster in their hands. Now and then, they would point to a name and whisper, their brows occasionally furrowing. It was clear they were carefully weighing and adjusting the rankings based on the disciples’ performances in the second round.
The moment Steward Xue stepped off the stage, Fushan Square instantly erupted into a clamor.
Disciples from the various peaks gathered in small groups, chattering away in heated discussion.
Some were discussing the disciples who had put on a dazzling show in the matches. For example, Lin Ziheng, who had just secured a narrow victory with his Body Technique, had left a deep impression on many of his peers.
Others were speculating on the upcoming changes to the rankings, debating who would make it into the top ten.
Still others were cheering on the disciples they supported or knew personally, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.
Before long, the Elders had concluded their discussion and finalized the disciple rankings after the second round of matches.
The names on the roster were re-inscribed, each new rank corresponding to their combat record in the arena and their evaluated potential.
Ouyang Jingxuan held the newly drafted roster and slowly walked up onto the high platform.
He first bowed to Sect Leader Cao Zhen, then reported the details of the list to him and the seven Peak Masters.
The figures on the high platform listened attentively. A Peak Master would occasionally raise a question or two, which Ouyang Jingxuan patiently explained, until finally, everyone nodded in agreement.
Once it was confirmed there were no objections, Ouyang Jingxuan walked down from the high platform and handed the roster to Steward Xue, who was waiting nearby.
Steward Xue took the roster, turned, and once more ascended the massive arena. He cleared his throat and announced the new rankings in a booming voice: "After deliberation, and taking into account performances in the second round, the latest rankings are hereby announced—
"First place, Chu Yunhai of Celestial Derivation Peak!
"Second place, Bai Ziyu of Thunder Peak!
"Third place, Lu Shaohua of Qingxu Peak!"
"Fourth place, Jiang Lin Yuan of the Main Peak!
"Fifth place, Cui Yuan of Zhenyue Peak!
"Sixth place, Gu Changfeng of Yunxi Peak!
"Seventh place, Li Cangwu of Fen Yang Peak!
"Eighth place, Su Muyuan of Celestial Derivation Peak!
"Ninth place, Lin Jinghong of Qingxu Peak!
"Tenth place, Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak!
"Eleventh place, Zhang Yunhao of Thunder Peak!
"Twelfth place, Meng Fan of the Main Peak!
"Thirteenth place, Shen Kuo of Zhenyue Peak!
"Fourteenth place, Han Lie of Fen Yang Peak!
"Fifteenth place, Cheng Guosheng of Zhenyue Peak!
"Sixteenth place, Yan Chenglong of Lingxi Peak!"
"..."
"Fiftieth place, Lin Ziheng of Lingxi Peak!"
The rankings for the top fifteen hadn’t changed much.
Yang Jing’s name had jumped from twelfth place to tenth.
Yan Chenglong’s rank had dropped by one, from fifteenth to sixteenth place.
As Steward Xue finished speaking, a low murmur of astonishment swept through the square. Many were clearly surprised by the rapid rise of this Lingxi Peak disciple, who had only recently broken through to the Qi Eating Realm.
Yang Jing stood among the disciples from Lingxi Peak. Hearing his rank announced, he nodded lightly.
’My quick victory over Huang Chao must have made the Sect Elders re-evaluate me. That’s why they raised my rank two places, squeezing me into the top ten.’
...
「Elsewhere in the crowd.」
Yuwen Mingjue’s brow was tightly furrowed, his expression so dark it looked like it could drip water.
He glared at Steward Xue on the arena, his heart filled with resentment and anger.
’I never thought Yang Jing’s rise would be so aggressive.’
’I originally thought that since he’d just broken through to the Qi Eating Realm, Yang Jing would be at the bottom of the pack, nothing to worry about.’
’But who could have predicted this? Since the Fushan Grand Competition started, Yang Jing has been on an unstoppable rise, his rank climbing higher and higher. Now he’s even broken into the top ten, becoming the most talked-about dark horse of his generation.’
’Of course, these rankings are only temporary. The Fushan Grand Competition is all about the final placements.’
’But there’s no denying it—this ranking still carries a lot of weight. It proves that Yang Jing’s current strength has earned the recognition of the sect’s leadership.’
Yuwen Mingjue let out a cold snort, his sinister gaze sweeping over Yang Jing in the distance.
’Be arrogant for now. Just wait until you face Chu Yunhai—he’ll put you in your place! The more smug you are now, the harder you’re going to fall!’
’He couldn’t wait to see Chu Yunhai beat Yang Jing on the arena until he was coughing up blood and begging for mercy.’
With the announcement of the rankings complete, the second round of the Fushan Grand Competition drew to a close.
Disciples from the various peaks began to collect themselves and leave Fushan Square in groups. Before long, the mountain path was filled with a bustling crowd.
Meanwhile, Yang Jing was chatting with Fang He and the others when his gaze swept across the area and he spotted Sun Ningxiang standing nearby.
He smiled and bid farewell to Fang He and the others, then strode quickly toward the lovely figure.