Chapter 445 - 158: Ranking Update, Peak Master Zhenyue’s Daze
It was fair to say that Yang Jing’s victory in the Cyan Qilin Battle had stirred up quite a commotion on Lingxi Peak.
It gave the previously subdued Inner Strength Disciples of Lingxi Peak an unprecedented sense of confidence and pride.
Now, they could walk through the sect with their backs held a little straighter.
Just then, a tall, imposing figure approached at a leisurely pace.
The man wore a moon-white robe, his frame tall and slender. He carried himself with a steady, composed air, exuding an extraordinary presence at first glance.
When the surrounding Inner Sect Disciples saw him, they quieted down, politely stepping aside to bow. "Greetings, Senior Brother Fang!" they called out respectfully.
This was Senior Brother Fang, whose full name was Fang He. He was one of the Inner Sect Disciples from Lingxi Peak who had broken through to the Qi Eating Realm.
The Inner Sect Disciples of the Xuanzhen Sect’s various peaks were divided into two levels—the Inner Strength Level and the Qi-Eating Level.
The vast majority of disciples were fated to remain at the Inner Strength Level for their entire lives. Only a rare few, blessed with both talent and opportunity, could break through the bottleneck and step into the Qi Eating Realm.
Once a disciple stepped into the Qi Eating Realm, they were considered a cut above the ordinary Inner Sect Disciples. They typically spent their days either immersed in cultivation or participating in major sect affairs, rarely bothering with the squabbles and trivialities of the Inner Strength Disciples.
This time, however, the news that Yang Jing, a disciple of Lingxi Peak, had crushed the competition to claim first place in the Cyan Qilin Battle had even caught the attention of these senior brothers in the Qi Eating Realm.
Fang He walked straight over to Lin Ziheng. His gaze fell upon the scroll in the younger disciple’s hands, and a faint smile touched his lips. "Ziheng," he said, "let me see that Spirit Tide Dragon and Tiger List of yours."
Seeing it was Fang He, Lin Ziheng quickly and respectfully offered the scroll with both hands. "Senior Brother Fang, please take a look. I just drafted this new list. I’d be honored if you’d offer some guidance."
Fang He accepted the Dragon and Tiger List scroll. He held the edge of the fine paper between his fingers and slowly unrolled it.
His gaze swept over the name "Yang Jing" at the top of the list. He gave a slight nod. "Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang didn’t participate in this Cyan Qilin Battle," he said in a measured tone, "so there was certainly a bit of luck in Junior Brother Yang taking the top spot. But then again, first place is first place. His battle record speaks for itself, and he’s brought great honor to our Lingxi Peak."
Hearing this, the surrounding disciples all nodded in agreement.
Fang He’s gaze returned to the scroll. "With the strength and talent Junior Brother Yang has displayed, his future achievements are bound to be extraordinary. Once he has some time to consolidate his gains and build a deeper foundation, I believe he won’t be the slightest bit weaker, even if he faces the likes of Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang."
Lin Ziheng smiled and nodded from the side. "Senior Brother Fang is right! Junior Brother Yang only just became an Inner Sect Disciple, yet his foundation is already so solid. Give him a little more time to build on it, and his future strength will definitely be no less than that of Gao Yang or Xu Ziqiang!"
Fang He nodded, handing the Dragon and Tiger List back to Lin Ziheng. He stroked his chin, a hint of wistfulness in his tone. "Next, Junior Brother Yang will probably start trying to break through to the Qi Eating Realm. That’s a difficult barrier... I wonder how long he’ll be trapped by that bottleneck."
At the mention of the "Qi Eating Realm bottleneck," the smiles on the faces of the surrounding disciples faded, and their expressions grew heavy.
Most of them had been stuck at this very bottleneck for years. The barrier to the Qi Eating Realm was like an impassable chasm that had stopped countless talented disciples in their tracks—and they were among them.
If they could break through this bottleneck and step into the Qi Eating Realm, they would become elite disciples, a class above the rest.
Not only would they receive personal guidance from the Peak Master and Elders, they would also be allocated a greater share of the sect’s resources. Their futures would be boundless.
But if they failed, they could only languish day after day in the Inner Strength Realm, eventually fading into the crowd and becoming just another unremarkable member of the sect.
Fang He didn’t notice the dejected mood of the others. Lost in thought, he added, "If Junior Brother Yang can break through to the Qi Eating Realm within three years, he should be able to make it onto the Hidden Dragon List."
At his words, the surrounding disciples were stunned for a moment before sighing to themselves.
’Breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm... it’s so hard!’
The Hidden Dragon List only included top geniuses who had been in the sect for less than three years. The entry requirements were incredibly high; countless geniuses could only look upon the list and sigh in despair.
The Hidden Dragon List was established by the sect itself. Compared to it, the Spirit Tide Dragon and Tiger List was like the difference between the clouds and the mud—their prestige couldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath.
These Inner Strength Disciples all felt a great deal of pressure and despair when it came to breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm.
But on second thought, Yang Jing was the champion of the Cyan Qilin Battle. He was exceptionally talented and absurdly powerful. Perhaps breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm within three years wasn’t entirely impossible for him.
Fang He muttered to himself, "I’ll have to find a chance to meet this stunning new junior brother. If he gets stuck at the bottleneck while breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm, or has any questions about his cultivation, perhaps I can lend him a hand."
When the surrounding disciples heard this, their eyes flashed with deep envy.
Fang He was a senior brother in the Qi Eating Realm, after all. Receiving his guidance would be an immense help to one’s cultivation.
But not just anyone was worthy of Senior Brother Fang’s special consideration.
Having said his piece, Fang He spoke no more. He gave a slight nod to the crowd, then turned and walked away at a leisurely pace.
His moon-white robe brushed across the plaza’s flagstones, his posture erect, carrying the steady, composed air of a disciple from the Qi Eating Realm.
Only when Fang He’s figure had completely vanished at the end of the mountain path did the Inner Strength Disciples let out a collective sigh of relief.
A moment ago, while Fang He stood there, his invisible aura had been so oppressive that no one dared to even breathe too loudly.
Now that he was gone, the atmosphere in the plaza finally became lively again.