Chapter 468 - 164: Making the Hidden Dragon Ranking, Fame Spreads Through Xuanzhen
Yang Jing cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute, a gentle smile on his face. "Senior Brother Lin, I just finished up some business. I came here today because there’s something I’d like to ask you about."
Hearing this, Lin Ziheng immediately puffed out his chest, a confident smile spreading across his face. His tone was tinged with pride. "Junior Brother, you’ve come to the right person! Your Senior Brother Lin here can’t make many promises, but when it comes to the Xuanzhen Sect, there’s nothing I don’t know!"
As he spoke, Lin Ziheng stepped aside, warmly inviting Yang Jing into the courtyard.
The two of them crossed the small courtyard, where a few stalks of green bamboo grew, and entered the main house.
The room’s furnishings were simple. A wooden table stood in the center, flanked by two wooden chairs.
Lin Ziheng gestured for Yang Jing to sit on one side while he went to the table. He picked up the ceramic teapot and poured them each a cup of steaming hot tea. The fragrant aroma of the tea slowly rose and filled the room.
Lin Ziheng lifted his teacup, took a sip of the warm tea, and looked up at Yang Jing. A teasing smile played on his lips as he asked, "So, Junior Brother Yang, you came all this way to find me today. What did you want to ask?"
Yang Jing gently placed his cup on the table and looked at Lin Ziheng, saying with a smile, "Senior Brother Lin, I came today to ask about the Hidden Dragon List."
He paused for a moment before voicing the questions on his mind. "I want to know, how exactly are the rankings on the Hidden Dragon List determined? Also, what kind of rewards do you generally get for making the list? Are there any rewards in terms of contribution points?"
Hearing this, Lin Ziheng raised an eyebrow and gave Yang Jing a long, deep look. Then, he slowly nodded, a look of understanding appearing on his face.
He set down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Yang, you’re right to ask about this. With your talent and strength, taking first place in your very first Cyan Qilin Battle... if you continue to improve, you might just have a shot at competing with the likes of Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang."
Lin Ziheng stroked the short beard on his chin, his tone firm. "As long as you can reach the current level of Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang within three years of joining the sect, you’ll have a decent chance of getting on the Hidden Dragon List."
Yang Jing listened, just offering a faint smile without saying much.
He didn’t tell Lin Ziheng that he had already broken through to the Qi Eating Realm, far surpassing both Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang.
According to the Peak Master’s instructions, the Main Peak Steward Hall would be notified of his breakthrough to the Qi Eating Realm this afternoon. The Hidden Dragon List would naturally change after that.
Seeing Yang Jing just smile without speaking, Lin Ziheng assumed he was just being modest and continued, "Actually, the ranking rules for the Hidden Dragon List are simple, when you get down to it. There’s one core principle: the strength you display."
He counted on his fingers as he explained the details to Yang Jing. "For example, the strength you show when you duel someone on the sect’s public challenge platforms. Or your results in various sect-organized competitions, like the Cyan Qilin Battle. Also, the merits you earn and the level of strength you demonstrate while carrying out sect missions away from home—all of these are recorded by the Steward Main Hall and used as the basis for the Hidden Dragon List rankings."
Lin Ziheng’s tone grew serious. "To put it bluntly, as long as you can consistently display greater strength, you can get on the Hidden Dragon List, and you can climb your way up to a higher rank."
As Yang Jing listened, he slowly nodded. The confusion in his eyes gradually faded, and he thought to himself, ’So that’s how it is.’
’These ranking rules are quite consistent with my understanding of the Xuanzhen Sect’s style.’
’The sect wouldn’t bury a truly powerful disciple. Only by showing enough worth and enough strength will the sect take special notice of you, focus on your development, and shower you with abundant resources.’
Lin Ziheng took a sip of tea to wet his throat, then changed the subject. "Now, let’s talk about the rewards for the Hidden Dragon List."
He set down his teacup and said slowly, "Just getting on the Hidden Dragon List is enough to prove a disciple’s strength, talent, and potential. The sect will naturally place more importance on them, and there will be no shortage of rewards."
"However," Lin Ziheng paused, "the rewards aren’t one-size-fits-all. The rankings vary, so naturally, the generosity of the rewards differs drastically."
He began counting on his fingers for Yang Jing’s benefit. "Broadly speaking, the rewards fall into three categories: Elixir rewards, martial arts rewards, and contribution point rewards. The Elixirs are often rare treasures for Body Tempering or aiding breakthroughs. The martial arts are True Skills from the sect’s Talent Pavilion collection. And contribution points are tangible Cultivation Resources."
Lin Ziheng spoke at a leisurely pace while Yang Jing sat opposite him, listening intently and nodding slightly from time to time.
Lin Ziheng added, "Actually, aside from these three conventional rewards, the sect has something even more special, which we privately refer to as ’privilege rewards.’"
"Privilege rewards?" Yang Jing couldn’t help but repeat in a low voice, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"That’s right." Lin Ziheng smiled and explained, "These privilege rewards are on another level. They let you accomplish more with less cost. For example, it might cost another disciple a hundred contribution points for a meal of high-grade Exotic Beast Meat at the dining hall, but a disciple with privileges might only need to spend five."
He paused, then gave a few more concrete examples. "Or, for instance, you could be granted access to the fourth floor of the Talent Pavilion and exchange for the martial arts manuals inside for far fewer contribution points than other disciples. Or you could be allowed to train long-term in a Grade B Training Room, with the contribution points spent being much less than the normal rate for Cultivation Hours. These privileges are much more valuable than just being given resources directly."