Chapter 436 - 155: Top Spot
The moment Yang Jing’s gaze fell upon the man, he sensed the other’s eyes turn toward him, landing precisely on his person.
The gaze was aloof and sharp, as if it could pierce flesh and sink straight into the marrow of his bones.
Just a moment under that stare made Yang Jing feel prickles on his back, as if he’d been targeted by a slumbering Ancient Fierce Beast. A cold sweat instantly broke out across his back, and he subconsciously held his breath.
Thankfully, the gaze didn’t linger for long. It soon shifted away, coming to rest on the judges’ area beside the Cyan Qilin Platform.
Only after the man retracted his gaze did Yang Jing let out a quiet sigh of relief, but his heart was still pounding wildly.
His mind reeled with shock and uncertainty. ’Who is that? How can he possess such a terrifying aura!’
Just then, Lin Ziheng, who stood beside him, also saw the gold-robed young man.
He retracted his gaze and turned to a bewildered-looking Yang Jing. He lowered his voice, a hint of awe in his tone as he asked, "Junior Brother Yang, do you know who that is?"
Yang Jing slowly shook his head.
Ever since joining the Xuanzhen Sect, he had focused wholeheartedly on his training. He spent his days either toiling away in the Training Room or honing his techniques in solitude. He knew very little about the sect’s people and affairs, so it was no surprise he didn’t know the identity of this gold-robed young man who looked so utterly extraordinary.
Lin Ziheng’s voice was a hushed whisper full of awe. He leaned in close to Yang Jing and said, "That’s Senior Brother Chu Yunhai, the most dazzling rising star in our Xuanzhen Sect right now. If nothing unexpected happens, he’ll very likely take the place of the Head Disciple of Celestial Derivation Peak and become the pillar of the sect’s next generation."
Yang Jing froze for a moment upon hearing this, his brow furrowing slightly.
’Chu Yunhai... That name sounds familiar.’
The next moment, it hit him in a flash of inspiration.
He remembered that when he’d gone to the Main Peak Steward Hall on an errand, he had seen two lists hanging on a wall. One was the Profound Truth List, which chronicled all the sect’s experts under forty. The other was the Hidden Dragon List, dedicated to disciples who had joined within the last three years.
And the name Chu Yunhai had been displayed prominently at the very top of the Hidden Dragon List.
At the time, he had even stared at the name for a few extra moments, thinking that anyone who could hold the top spot so securely must be no ordinary person. He never imagined he would see him in the flesh today.
Yang Jing looked at Lin Ziheng and raised an eyebrow, his voice filled with incredulous surprise. "He’s *the* Chu Yunhai, the one ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List?"
Lin Ziheng nodded gravely, his voice dropping even lower. "That’s right! The threshold for the Hidden Dragon List is extremely high, only including disciples who have joined within the last three years. Every single person who makes the list is an outstanding, top-tier genius."
He paused, then added, "You know Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang, right? Those two used to be on the Hidden Dragon List as well, but Gao Yang only ever made it to twenty-seventh, and Xu Ziqiang was even further back at twenty-ninth. They were automatically removed after the three-year time limit expired."
"The reason those two are so strong now, leaving the other disciples far behind, is not just the sect’s rewards from the Cyan Qilin Battle. The generous rewards from the Hidden Dragon List were also key to their rapid development."
Yang Jing was utterly stunned, a look of profound shock flashing in his eyes.
To him, the names Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang were practically legendary.
Those two had dominated the top two spots of the Cyan Qilin Battle for years. The other disciples didn’t even stand a chance to compete, forced to repeatedly vie for third place.
It was no exaggeration to say those two were like a great mountain pressing down on the hearts of all the Xuanzhen Sect’s Inner Strength Disciples, an obstacle so immense it inspired only awe and fear.
And yet, two people this terrifying were just scraping the bottom of the Hidden Dragon List!
’If Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang, who were ranked in the twenties, were already that formidable, then how terrifying must the power of Chu Yunhai, the one firmly at the top, be?’
Seeing Yang Jing’s shocked expression, Lin Ziheng was quite understanding. After all, when he had first learned this kind of information, his reaction had been even more exaggerated than Yang Jing’s.
He shook his head gently, his tone a mixture of wistful sighs and envy. "For true chosen ones like him, all people like us can do is gaze up in admiration. We aren’t even qualified to chase their shadows."
Lin Ziheng paused, then added with a sigh, "As long as nothing goes wrong, Chu Yunhai’s future achievements are limitless. The position of Head Disciple of Celestial Derivation Peak will be his, sooner or later. In a few more years, he’ll even have a chance at the seat of Celestial Derivation Peak’s Peak Master. He’ll even... be a strong contender for the Sect Leader’s position in the future."
Yang Jing’s heart pounded after hearing these words.
’I thought that by fighting my way through the Cyan Qilin Battle and making it to the championship match, I had already proven myself to be exceptionally talented and rapidly improving.’
’But compared to a true chosen one like Chu Yunhai, my meager accomplishments are simply not worth mentioning.’
In that instant, the restless pride that had swelled from his winning streak completely vanished.
The heady excitement of about to fight for the top spot cleared from his mind completely.
’You really do need to get out and see the world sometimes. Otherwise, it’s far too easy to let things go to your head.’
’There’s always a higher mountain to climb, and always someone better out there. How true that saying is.’
...
The break was soon over.
The clamor around the Cyan Qilin Platform died down abruptly. The once restless atmosphere quickly grew tense, and even the air seemed to stagnate.
The eyes of over a thousand Xuanzhen Sect disciples were all fixed upon the high platform, filled with anticipation and tension.
The Main Peak Steward presiding over the Cyan Qilin Battle strode onto the Cyan Qilin Platform once more.
He stood at the center of the platform and channeled his Inner Qi, his voice booming across the grounds. "The break is over! Next, we will conduct the most important match of this Cyan Qilin Battle—the battle for the top spot! The combatants are Yuwen Mingjue of Yunxi Peak versus Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak!"