Conflict

By now, quite a few people in the Heavenly Court had been stirred into a frenzy. A One-Star Heavenly Soldier with a Grade A rating had appeared on the Heavenly Soldier Ranking in the Heavenly Court Hall. What drove them wild, though, was that this newly ranked Heavenly Soldier was only at the second layer of Qi Refining.

Many people heard the news and hurried to the Heavenly Court Hall to take a look. In no time, the entire hall was packed with people. Those who wanted to go in couldn't get inside, and those who wanted to leave couldn't get out.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Soldiers from the Heavenly Court Hall came out to restore order and projected the Heavenly Soldier Ranking into the air above the hall, allowing the many cultivators to see it directly.

Only then did everyone slowly disperse, gathering outside the Heavenly Court Hall and looking up at that miraculous achievement.

The One-Star Heavenly Soldier's name had been erased, because Chen Fan had chosen not to make it public. Even the person who issued the Recording Stone at the Heavenly Court Hall didn't know the soldier's surname.

The people had no way to guess who it was. All they could do was stare blankly at that heaven-defying "Grade A" and the glaring words "second layer of Qi Refining."

By the time Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng arrived, order had already been restored at the Heavenly Court Hall, and most people were gathered outside.

The two looked up and saw the Heavenly Soldier Ranking with their own eyes. They couldn't help gaping in shock.

"It really is a Grade A rating, and the person is only at the second layer of Qi Refining. What kind of young genius could they be?" Chen Jingjing murmured in astonishment.

"With talent that defies the heavens, could they be an immortal reincarnated?" Zhang Rumeng covered her little mouth and widened her eyes.

"Most of the cultivators active in Lingxiao City are only in the Qi Refining Realm, Qingqing. If news of this rating gets out, countless Foundation Establishment Realm powerhouses will surely come and take that person as a disciple."

"That's right. The second layer of Qi Refining—how did they manage it? The Heavenly Court oversees this test. There's no way anyone could fake it." Chen Jingjing nodded.

"Qingqing, I think we should hurry up and apply to take on the challenge. If we succeed, we might come into great fortune." Zhang Rumeng seemed to have thought of something, and her expression grew animated.

"Hm? Why do you say that?" Chen Jingjing asked, puzzled.

"Think about it. Before long, countless Foundation Establishment Realm powerhouses will come here. But there's only one heaven-defying genius, so plenty of them are bound to come up empty-handed. If our names are on the Heavenly Soldier Ranking by then, maybe they won't want to leave empty-handed and will take some of the cultivators on the ranking as disciples too." Zhang Rumeng beamed.

Chen Jingjing smiled bitterly and shook her head, patting her on the head. "Even if you have a point, do you really think we're at a high enough cultivation level to get past the First Layer of the Heavenly Court? Even Senior Brother Wang Feng, as powerful as he is, only won by a hair."

"Oh, right. I got so excited that I forgot." Zhang Rumeng rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly.

"It's a shame that person didn't choose to make their challenge public. Otherwise, we could take a look at the records now and maybe learn something." Chen Jingjing said.

"If you ask me, if they'd made the challenge public, their name would have been revealed too. We should just go find them and ask them to share some pointers and experience." Zhang Rumeng clenched her little fist.

"Let's head out. It's getting late, and we should go down the mountain and make dinner." Chen Jingjing nodded.

"Now that you mention it, I'm actually a little hungry. No, I'm coming over to your house for dinner tonight."

Zhang Rumeng tugged on Chen Jingjing's hand and wheedled. Her adorable look drew the heated gazes of many male cultivators nearby.

Chen Fan had already risen from the open ground. He was at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, having advanced two full stages. That was already the limit of what he could manage for now.

He understood all too well that haste made waste. If he kept pushing his cultivation higher like this, there was no guarantee his foundation would be sound. Only by building a solid foundation could he achieve greater things in the future.

Most of the Outer Court disciples had already left through the mountain gate. Chen Fan brushed the dust from his clothes and set off as well.

When he reached the boundary between the Outer Court and the Inner Court, he remembered Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng.

→

After hesitating for a while, Chen Fan decided to wait there for the two of them.

Just then, a voice dripping with mockery rang out beside him.

"Well, well, isn't this the great hero Chen Fan? You went alone into Demon King Valley and came back alive. So, how was it? Didn't get scared witless, did you? Hahaha."

A richly dressed young man strolled out from the direction of the Outer Court, holding an old-fashioned paper fan. He was accompanied by two beautiful young women, one of whom, a woman in white, had an especially otherworldly air.

Chen Fan frowned slightly and didn't respond. He simply ignored the young man.

"Hmm? You're ignoring me? Looks like becoming a great hero really has gone to your head. You won't even acknowledge Miss Nalan now?" The young man snapped his fan shut and sneered at Chen Fan.

"How noisy!" Chen Fan flicked his sleeve, shooing the young man away as if he were a fly.

But the young man seemed to have been ready for it. He immediately dodged backward, his expression darkening as a flicker of anger appeared in his eyes.

He'd thought Chen Fan would lose his temper and come at him with fists and feet, flailing wildly as he attacked. He hadn't expected to be shooed away like a fly instead. Worse, he'd jumped back on his own, making himself look all the more like one. The humiliation left him furious and disgruntled.

"Chen Fan, you're putting on quite a show. Why didn't you come over to tell Miss Nalan a joke today?" A woman in yellow spoke up with a mocking smile.

"Nalan Yun?" Chen Fan glanced at the woman in white, as if something had occurred to him.

"Chen Fan, who do you think you are, daring to call me by my name?" The woman in white's expression instantly turned icy as she glared at Chen Fan.

"Boy, you've really grown wings, haven't you? Looks like you're planning to roll down the mountain today." The young man with the paper fan sneered, seeming ready to make a move.

"Wait." Nalan Yun suddenly spoke, stopping the young man. Then she looked at Chen Fan with a frosty expression.

"Chen Fan, tell me: how did you return from Demon King Valley that day? Was it as the rumors say—that Senior Brother Mo Bai rescued you? Did he ask you anything?"

"Yunyun, don't worry. I heard from the other disciples that when Senior Brother Mo Bai found him, he was already unconscious. It's just that..." The woman in yellow looked at Chen Fan again, pointing at him as she continued.

"Remember this: if Senior Brother Mo Bai asks you anything, choose your words carefully. If you ruin the impression Yunyun has made on Senior Brother Mo Bai, we won't let you get away with it. Got that?"

At that, everyone turned to look at Chen Fan.

But Chen Fan kept looking toward the Inner Court and paid them no attention.

"Hey, did you hear me or not?" The woman in yellow grew furious and pointed at Chen Fan, shouting.

Only then did Chen Fan turn to look at her again. His brow furrowed, as if he found the group of them extremely annoying.

Nalan Yun and the others' expressions changed at once. Chen Fan's look made them feel as if he were staring at a swarm of bothersome flies.

"Chen Fan, what do you mean by this? You didn't go down the mountain, but waited here for me, only to pull that face? What are you trying to do?" Nalan Yun asked coldly.

Chen Fan glanced at her again, bewildered. After a few seconds, he finally replied, "You're reading too much into it. I'm waiting for my younger sister."

"Chen Fan, how dare you!" Their faces darkened, and the woman in yellow pointed at him and scolded him again.

Chen Fan abruptly turned around. His expression icy, he fixed his gaze on the woman in yellow and said indifferently, "If you still want to keep that finger, you'd better pull it back."

"Courting death!" the young man barked. Killing intent flashed in his eyes as he gripped the paper fan and thrust it at Chen Fan.

"Chen Fan, look out..." Just then, a woman's voice rang out from the direction of the Inner Court.