Chapter 446 - 158: Ranking Update, Peak Master Zhenyue’s Daze
The crowd continued to discuss the rankings on the Dragon and Tiger List for a while. Some praised Yang Jing’s talent, while others lamented the difficulty of the Qi Eating Realm.
Gradually, as the sun climbed higher in the sky, everyone had their own cultivation to attend to and began to disperse.
Lin Ziheng folded the last Dragon and Tiger List scroll, stuffed it inside his robe, patted his clothes, and turned to head back to his residence for some rest.
As he walked, he couldn’t help but sigh to himself.
’Senior Sister really has a sharp eye for talent!’
’Back when Junior Brother Yang was first promoted to the Inner Sect, he was just an obscure newcomer.’
’His cultivation was steady, but there was nothing particularly eye-catching about him. And yet, Senior Sister somehow saw his potential.’
’Looking at it now, Senior Sister’s judgment is scarily sharp!’
Just as he was lost in thought, Lin Ziheng suddenly spotted two familiar figures walking toward him on the mountain path ahead—it was Zhang Hengyi and Zhao Xuexiang.
"Senior Brother Zhang! Senior Brother Zhao!" Lin Ziheng called out.
Hearing his voice, Zhang Hengyi and Zhao Xuexiang looked up. When they saw it was Lin Ziheng, they smiled and quickened their pace, heading toward him.
Lin Ziheng went up to meet them, pulled the last Spirit Tide Dragon and Tiger List scroll from his robes, and held it out to them. He said with a smile, "Congratulations, Senior Brothers! Our Spirit Tide Dragon and Tiger List has been updated. Take a look!"
At his words, Zhang Hengyi and Zhao Xuexiang glanced at each other, both shaking their heads with wry, resigned smiles.
They had both long expected this change in the rankings.
Yang Jing had been so dazzling in the Cyan Qilin Battle, overpowering Yuwen Mingjue to seize first place. The top spot on the Dragon and Tiger List was bound to be his, and their own ranks would inevitably be pushed down.
Zhang Hengyi took the scroll and slowly unrolled it, his gaze falling on the rankings.
Sure enough, at the very top, the name "Yang Jing" was written fair and square. His own name had dropped from first to second, while Zhao Xuexiang was pushed from second to third.
Looking at the new rankings, neither of them felt the slightest bit of resentment.
Yang Jing’s strength was undeniable. After a performance of such crushing dominance in the Cyan Qilin Battle, he was more than worthy of the top spot.
Zhao Xuexiang rolled up the scroll, tucked it into his robes, and asked as if he’d just remembered something, "Oh, right, Junior Brother Lin, do you know what Junior Brother Yang is busy with now? The Cyan Qilin Battle just ended. Isn’t he resting?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Ziheng couldn’t help but shake his head, his tone a mixture of admiration and exasperation. "Rest? I think he’s forgotten how to even spell the word! I saw him heading straight for the Training Rooms at the crack of dawn this morning. He must be going to use his access to the Grade B Training Rooms. That guy is an absolute training maniac. He has no idea how to enjoy life!"
Zhang Hengyi and Zhao Xuexiang were both stunned for a moment. Then they exchanged wry smiles, a mix of awe and respect rising in their hearts.
’Junior Brother Yang’s strength already far surpasses ours, yet he’s still so diligent and hardworking, refusing to slack off for even a moment.’
’Such talent, combined with that level of effort... it’s both admirable and utterly demoralizing.’
...
「On Zhenyue Peak.」
The Inner Sect Disciple living quarters, located halfway up the mountain.
The courtyards were scattered in a pleasing, irregular pattern, crisscrossed by winding paths paved with bluestone slabs. On either side grew several gnarled pines and cypresses that rustled whenever the wind blew.
Gao Yang had just returned to the sect from a mission. Still covered in the dust of his journey, he first went to the Zhenyue Peak Internal Affairs Hall to submit his mission report and collect his contribution points, only then did he leisurely stroll back to his own small courtyard.
He had just sat down by the stone table and poured himself a cup of warm tea to soothe his dry throat when the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.
An Inner Sect Disciple from Zhenyue Peak who knew him well strode in, his face alight with the excitement of someone eager to share gossip. He gave Gao Yang a familiar fist-and-palm salute. "Senior Brother Gao, I finally caught you! You just got back to the sect, so you probably haven’t heard the exciting news from the Cyan Qilin Battle, have you?"
Gao Yang lifted his gaze to glance at him, gestured to the stone stool opposite, and said coolly, "Sit and talk."
The disciple didn’t bother with pleasantries. He plopped right down on the stone stool and, with spittle flying, recounted everything that had happened on the Cyan Qilin Platform in vivid detail.
He described everything: from how Yang Jing cut down opponent after opponent, defeating Zhou Tong and Zhao Chong in succession, to his final, desperate battle against Yuwen Mingjue for first place.
And he finished with a flourish, vividly describing how Yang Jing had beaten Yuwen Mingjue until his bones were broken and his tendons torn, leaving him sprawled on the platform like a dead dog, completely unconscious.
Gao Yang’s hand, which was raising his teacup, paused mid-air. After hearing the disciple’s tale, he was stunned. His brow knitted in a barely perceptible frown.
’He never imagined that Yuwen Mingjue would actually lose. And to an obscure newcomer, of all people.’
"Useless!"
Gao Yang couldn’t help but curse under his breath, his tone filled with contempt. He slammed his teacup down on the stone table, splashing a few drops of tea.
’To secure first place in this Cyan Qilin Battle, Yuwen Mingjue went to great lengths. He offered up resources and promised all sorts of favors, using every trick in the book just to convince me and Xu Ziqiang to leave the sect for a few days and sit this one out.’
’And what happened? The idiot not only failed to take first place, but he also got thrashed by a newcomer. He’s a complete disgrace. All that effort just to pave the way for someone else.’
Gao Yang leaned back in his stone chair, his fingers tapping gently on the tabletop. His eyes narrowed, and a cold glint flashed within them. "This newcomer certainly isn’t shy about showing his strength... to beat Yuwen Mingjue so badly."
He mused for a moment, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint smirk. His voice was filled with confidence. "In next month’s Cyan Qilin Battle, I’ll have to personally see what this kid is made of."