Yang Jing stood among Lingxi Peak's competing disciples, his fingertips lightly rubbing his palm as he pondered in silence.
The rankings had been decided. The main rounds of the Azure Qilin Battle were about to begin.
The Azure Qilin Battle paired competitors from opposite ends of the rankings: first against last, second against second-to-last, and so on.
By that rule, he ranked seventeenth, so his opponent would be twentieth.
He silently recalled the rankings he had just heard. Twentieth seemed to be a Blazing Sun Peak disciple named Zhang Han. He had never heard the name before, let alone knew anything about him.
Still, Yang Jing did not take it too seriously. Not knowing him was no problem; most opponents in the Azure Qilin Battle were people he had never met.
His gaze slowly swept toward Yuwen Mingjue, Zhao Chong, and Qin Wenbao. He intended to watch those three fight closely.
He would commit their techniques and habits of exerting force to memory, preparing in advance in case he faced them later.
In the distance.
Several disciples were gathered at the spot reserved for Blazing Sun Peak's competitors, speaking in low voices.
One scrawny disciple said to a broad, burly man beside him, "Senior Brother Zhang, the rankings just came out. Your opponent is Yang Jing from Lingxi Peak. I heard he only recently entered the inner sect, and this is his first Azure Qilin Battle."
He paused, then added with a smile, "You clearly weren't using your full strength on the strength-testing platform. Beating a newcomer like him should be as easy as reaching out and taking him."
Zhang Han grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and said in a booming voice, "I wasn't using my full strength, but Yang Jing looked perfectly at ease on the