Fighting the Ranking

The next day, the sun blazed overhead~~~

Today, the Dragon Ranking Tournament officially entered its second stage. Over the next two days, the three hundred students on this year's Dragon Ranking would make a final push to improve their positions.

Never underestimate these rankings. Sometimes, even if you're only one place below someone else, the difference in the resources you receive can be enormous.

Take Yang Chengzhi, for example. The first year he broke into the top hundred on the Dragon Ranking, the Spirit Crystals the academy provided him alone amounted to tens of thousands. But later, when he fell to the very bottom of the ranking, the academy gave him only a thousand Spirit Crystals a year. The difference was so great it was almost unbearable to look at.

Besides Spirit Crystals, the academy also rewarded students on the Dragon Ranking with cultivation techniques, martial skills, and spirit weapons. Of course, these rewards were tied to their rankings, and the lower a student ranked, the fewer rewards they received.

So for the students on the Dragon Ranking, the battle for positions in this second stage was especially important. It could be said to determine how far they would advance in their cultivation.

On Jiaolong Plain, three hundred students stood on the arena, watched by more than two hundred thousand spectators in the stands.

The second stage was once again hosted by Vice Dean Zhou Wuji. This time, he didn't fly into the air. Instead, he stood on the ground facing the three hundred students and said with a smile, "First, congratulations to everyone for successfully passing the first stage. Next, you'll face the second-stage Ranking Challenge. Let me briefly explain the rules for this stage~~"

"Since its founding, Zhenguan Academy has stood for five thousand and eighteen years~~~~" What followed was a one-man performance by Zhou Wuji. He finally stopped his long-winded speech after about ten minutes.

"I wish you all good results in the Ranking Challenge. All right, I now declare the second stage of the Dragon Ranking Tournament officially open."

After speaking, Zhou Wuji returned to the stands to keep the distinguished guests company. Just then, an old man in a white robe walked from the edge of the arena to the center. A fully bloomed peony was embroidered on his sleeve.

It was the insignia of an academy instructor.

He looked at the three hundred students and spoke in a voice like a morning bell. "Will anyone challenge the rankings?"

"Ranked two hundred and ninety-first, student Zhao Minggang, challenging for ninety-ninth place."

"Ranked two hundred and eighth, student Qian Long, challenging for one hundred and forty-ninth place."

"Ranked one hundred and sixtieth, student Sun Ganglie, challenging for forty-ninth place."

"..."

Across Jiaolong Plain, the calls announcing ranking challenges continued without end.

Each declaration rang out loud and clear, echoing across the entire plain.

"This is so thrilling!" Ma Feifei couldn't help exclaiming from the stands.

It was the first time Ma Feifei had felt, deep down, the appeal of this other world. The declarations before each match were like rousing music; every call struck Ma Feifei to the core, making his heart tremble along with them.

The more than two hundred thousand spectators in the stands, regardless of their cultivation levels, were all deeply moved by the declarations. They watched the arena with solemn expressions.

It was as if everyone could feel, through the students' declarations, the five thousand years of glory of Zhenguan Academy—and sense generation after generation of young students striving tirelessly to pursue their lifelong dreams.

That was the appeal of the Dragon Ranking Tournament.

As the declarations rang out, students who wanted to challenge the rankings leaped onto the platforms occupied by their opponents, and the second round of ranking challenges began.

The rules for the second stage were actually simple. If a challenger won, they took over their opponent's current place in the ranking. If they lost, they could keep challenging other people as many times as they wanted, right up until the end of the competition. If a title-holder lost, they automatically swapped places with the challenger. But that wasn't their final ranking either: they could still become challengers and take on other title-holders for the rest of the competition, again with no limit on attempts.

So overall, the second-stage Ranking Challenge was even more chaotic than the first-stage title defense. But precisely because there was no limit on the number of defeats, it was also especially exciting. After all, if you lost, you could just pick someone else and try again. So everyone might as well start by challenging title-holders ranked a little higher. Maybe they'd get lucky and win. Who could say?

Even Xiaoyaozi, ranked first, had a challenger at that moment.

Of course, some students were more cautious. They started with title-holders ranked close to themselves and worked their way up step by step, steadily and surely.

Whatever their approach, the rules of the second stage had turned the competition into a chaotic free-for-all. Everyone was like one of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing off their own abilities.

But amid all the excitement, one person was bored out of his mind: Yang Chengzhi!

It wasn't that Yang Chengzhi wanted things this way, but there was nothing he could do. His ranking was three hundredth! Who would be full enough to come challenge him?

And what would they gain by challenging him? Could anyone rank lower than Yang Chengzhi? Any one of the other two hundred and ninety-nine students on the platform ranked above him.

Losing would be even more embarrassing. If you couldn't even beat the person in last place, how could you justify ranking above him?

So, year after year, as long as the student ranked three hundredth on the Dragon Ranking didn't challenge anyone, no one challenged him.

Yang Chengzhi lounged on the platform, while Ma Feifei in the stands had plenty to keep him occupied. He was filling in the rest of Yang Chengzhi's Revenge Chronicle.

"After a month, Chengzhi's cultivation soared. He returned to the academy to compete in the Dragon Ranking Tournament. In the first round, he easily defeated a Peak Spirit Master Stage Nine opponent beneath the platform. The second stage began, and battles erupted across the other platforms. Only Chengzhi's platform remained unchallenged."

"Big Brother Ma, why did you put Yang Chengzhi in your book?" Zhou Zhuling asked curiously. For the past few days, Ma Feifei had kept writing and scribbling with pen and paper. Zhou Zhuling, who often stayed by his side, had caught a glimpse of his work and discovered that Yang Chengzhi was the protagonist of the story he was writing.

Ma Feifei didn't even look up. He continued writing as he replied, "It's nothing, really. I just think his experiences are pretty inspiring, and they're a lot like the story I want to write. So I decided to use him as the inspiration for the main character."

Zhou Zhuling seemed to understand. She glanced at Ma Feifei's pen and paper and asked curiously, "Then are all the books in the bookstore yours?"

The books in Ma Feifei's store were all signed with names she'd never heard of.

Hearing her question, Ma Feifei stopped writing and tilted his head as he thought it over. "I guess you could say that."

How was Ma Feifei supposed to explain? If he said no, those books really had been written by him, and the system had given them special abilities. Without the system, they would have been no different from ordinary books. But if he said yes, the contents of the books weren't actually his original work.

But since he was in another world now, and he was the only person in the world who knew the truth, there wasn't really anything wrong with reluctantly claiming he'd written them.

Although Zhou Zhuling had always believed that Ma Feifei wrote all those books, hearing him confirm it still made her happy. Since ancient times, talented women had admired talented men; no place was exempt.

"Big Brother Ma, your books are really good. I especially love My Fair Princess. Little Swallow is such a lovable character," Zhou Zhuling praised.

"I think Ziwei is the best-written character. She seems delicate, but she's strong inside, a little like my older sister." Zhou Guanyu had read My Fair Princess too, and couldn't help chiming in.

"Hehe~ Is that so~" Ma Feifei felt a little awkward. He could admit to having written the books, but discussing the characters as though he were their author left him at a loss. It wasn't just that he was bashful. Most importantly, he hadn't written those characters! How was he supposed to know what angle Aunt Qiong Yao had in mind when she created them?

"Tsk, tsk. I'm starting to wonder whether the shopkeeper based Ziwei in My Fair Princess on his older sister." Zhou Guanyu teased.

Well, he certainly had quite an imagination.

Zhou Zhuling said nothing. She lowered her head shyly and quietly watched Ma Feifei's reaction.

Ever since she'd met Ma Feifei, lowering her head had become second nature to her, and blushing was the norm.

"Look! It seems like someone's going to challenge Yang Chengzhi."

A commotion suddenly broke out at the back of the stands.

Since their section of the stands was closest to Yang Chengzhi's platform, they could quickly spot anything happening over there.

Ma Feifei looked up in surprise. Someone was challenging Yang Chengzhi, even with his ranking?

Someone really was heading toward Yang Chengzhi's platform—and it was a woman.

She wore the white robe of an academy student, with a peony of three blossoms embroidered on her sleeve. She was in the same year as Yang Chengzhi.

"Yun Chang, ranked fifteenth!"