The two-day "challenge" phase had ended, and the top three hundred of the new Dragon Ranking had been settled.
It had to be said that this year's Dragon Ranking competition had brought one surprise after another, starting with Yang Chengzhi, who had been judged to have no chance of making the ranking from the very beginning.
In the first phase, the three hundred challengers defending their spots had been swept away. More than half of them had failed to protect their positions; four of the top ten on the Dragon Ranking had been knocked down, and all of them had been replaced by newcomers.
Everyone now agreed that it was impossible to predict who would ultimately claim the top ten spots on the Dragon Ranking. In particular, Xiaoyaozi, who had occupied first place for two consecutive terms, might not even be able to hold on to his position.
The newcomers were fierce! The newcomers hailed as the strongest batch in a thousand years had lived up to their reputation and swept through the entire Dragon Ranking!
Aside from the newcomers, Yang Chengzhi, who ranked at the very bottom of the Dragon Ranking, had also become one of the uncertain factors in this ranking battle.
"I heard that Yang Chengzhi's cultivation had only been at the Spirit Master Sixth Stage a month ago. Who would have thought that he'd break through to the Spirit Grandmaster Realm in just a month? I wonder what kind of great opportunity he encountered."
The Imperial Capital at night was as bright as day, with thousands of homes lit up.
The spectators who had finished watching the first-stage "defense" battles during the day dispersed throughout the Imperial Capital—to taverns, entertainment venues, and other crowded places—where they discussed the state of this year's Dragon Ranking competition in groups of three or five.
The subject of discussion was still mostly Yang Chengzhi. This notorious good-for-nothing from Zhenguan Academy had made a stunning debut in this Dragon Ranking competition.
After all, a loser making a comeback was far more interesting to discuss than some genius.
"Who knows? Maybe he found the tomb of some powerful expert and obtained that expert's inheritance."
"Tsk, tsk. Then that powerful expert must have been at least a Spirit Emperor or above! Otherwise, how could Yang Chengzhi have broken through from the Spirit Master Sixth Stage to the Spirit Grandmaster Realm in a month?"
On the path of cultivation, aside from diligent training, opportunities could indeed determine to some extent whether one could go further. But in the thirty thousand years since the ancient era, no one had ever heard of an opportunity that could make someone's cultivation rise so quickly! This wasn't cultivation anymore—it was like drinking water, advancing one level every few days. He had even broken through the bottleneck between the Spirit Master and Spirit Grandmaster realms.
An ability like that was something even most powerful experts truly could not achieve.
"I'm rather envious of him. If only I could have such an opportunity." A cultivator gazed into the distance wistfully. There were quite a few dreamers in this world.
"Brother, do you want to become like Yang Chengzhi?" Suddenly, the cultivator felt someone pat him on the shoulder. When he turned around, he saw a young man smiling at him. Behind the man stood two breathtakingly beautiful women and a young man in white robes.
It was Ma Feifei and his group.
The cultivator had originally wanted to nod, but after seeing the two women beside him, he completely forgot what he had been thinking. He straightened his clothes, adjusted his hair, tossed his head, and revealed a confident smile. "Yang Chengzhi merely relied on luck. How could we cultivators depend on opportunities? We should keep our feet on the ground, rely on our own efforts, cultivate until we become immortals, and follow the righteous path."
After he finished speaking, the cultivator saw Ma Feifei curl his lips. Behind him, one of the women covered her mouth and chuckled, while the other studied him with a curious gaze, seemingly very satisfied with what he had just said.
The cultivator's confidence soared. He looked radiant and flamboyant as he very showily produced a white folding fan from thin air.
"Snap~"
Despite the early-winter weather, he forcefully opened the folding fan and fanned himself.
"Brother, that isn't what you said just now." Ma Feifei felt he should give the man another chance and kindly reminded him.
Who would have thought that the cultivator would glare and turn around to scold the friend who had been chatting with him? "Li Beiguo, were those words just now yours?"
Li Beiguo froze and was just about to open his mouth.
"No need to explain. We cultivators hold the heavens above our heads and the earth beneath our feet. We cultivate the Method of Becoming an Immortal and walk the path of righteousness. How could we be like you, making no effort, relying on luck, and daydreaming? I, Lin Wuchi, am ashamed to call you my friend!"
"I—"
"You need say no more. From this day forth, we sever our friendship and cut all ties." Lin Wuchi raised his head toward the sky, lifted his sleeve, and wiped at his eyes, looking utterly righteous.
"Pfft!"
Zhou Zhuling finally could not hold back and burst out laughing. She immediately felt that it was inappropriate, quickly quieted down, lowered her head, and glanced at Ma Feifei from the corner of her eye.
"Brother, I admit defeat. Sorry for the trouble." Ma Feifei clasped his fists. He could not take it anymore and was preparing to leave.
"Wait, brother!" Lin Wuchi swiftly grabbed Ma Feifei's arm and said enthusiastically, "Brother, I feel an extraordinary sense of familiarity with you. Why don't we sit down and enjoy some wine together?"
"I don't think that's necessary~~" Ma Feifei's brows nearly knit together as he spoke awkwardly.
"Hey~" Lin Wuchi blocked Ma Feifei, snapped open his folding fan, and said, "Could it be that you look down on me, Lin?"
"No, no." Ma Feifei shook his head.
Lin Wuchi glanced at Zhou Zhuling, smiled faintly, and put away his folding fan. He opened his left palm, and a necklace instantly appeared in it.
The beads were purple, ninety-nine in total, and faint spiritual energy fluctuations radiated from them.
"This is a Third-tier Spirit Artifact, the Youthful Appearance Pearl. As long as you wear it, it can make your skin as smooth as jade and preserve your appearance forever." Lin Wuchi shook the Youthful Appearance Pearl in his palm. Under the lamplight, it emitted a crystalline glow.
Upon hearing that it could make one's skin as smooth as jade and preserve one's appearance forever, Zhou Zhuling's eyes lit up slightly. Yun Qingyang still looked half-dead as usual, standing there with her sword in her arms.
When Ma Feifei saw Lin Wuchi take out the Youthful Appearance Pearl, how could he not know what the man was plotting? He immediately became unhappy. MMP. I was planning to help promote you, but you're trying to steal my girl!
He was just about to ask Yun Qingyang to beat the man senseless when Lin Wuchi was kicked from behind. He dropped directly to his knees in front of Ma Feifei, and the Youthful Appearance Pearl slipped from his hand and landed on the ground.
"Lin Wuchi, didn't you tell me that you hadn't taken this Youthful Appearance Pearl out of the tomb? Why is it in your hands now?" Behind Lin Wuchi, Li Beiguo glared at him furiously. He held a large saber in his hand, faint arcs of lightning dancing across it.
When Ma Feifei and the others heard this, they thought, Well, this is interesting. There's quite a bit of information here!
Lin Wuchi had been kicked to his knees, and his expression was extremely ugly. Li Beiguo was truly asking for death—he had actually made Lin Wuchi lose face in front of the beauties.
At that moment, Lin Wuchi could not even be bothered to pick up the Youthful Appearance Pearl. He rose and shouted at Li Beiguo, "You brute! Aside from having some Superpower, what else do you have? I painstakingly searched for that tomb and broke through its formations. What's wrong with taking a little extra? Huh?"
"Bah! If I hadn't protected you, would you have been able to come out of that tomb alive?" Li Beiguo spat on the ground and barked.
"With that little cultivation of yours, do I need your protection? How laughable." Lin Wuchi sneered.
"Ahhhhhh!" Li Beiguo roared furiously. He stared at Lin Wuchi and said, "I'm going to fight you to the death."
"Come on, then. Who's afraid of whom?"
"Let's go!"
The two traded one sentence after another, then shoved and jostled their way out of the tavern to settle things in a one-on-one fight!
"Brother, your Youthful Appearance Pearl." Watching the two men leave, Ma Feifei picked up the Youthful Appearance Pearl by his feet and said softly.
"I asked him. He doesn't want it." Ma Feifei turned to Zhou Zhuling and spoke with great seriousness.
Zhou Zhuling nodded, confirming Ma Feifei's statement.
"If he doesn't want it, then it's mine." Ma Feifei glanced at the Youthful Appearance Pearl, held it in his palm, and extended it toward Zhou Zhuling. "I'm giving it to you now."
Zhou Zhuling's face instantly flushed red. Her small hand clung to the hem of her clothes, while her feet fidgeted restlessly, her toes playfully tracing circles on the floor.
This was the first time Ma Feifei had given her something.
Thank you, Big Brother Ma.
"Ugh, I can't take this anymore." Zhou Guanyu, who had been an extra all night, finally got a line. Faced with Ma Feifei and his sister's shameless display, he was ultimately defeated. He patted his forehead and walked out.
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