The midday sun shines through the sparse clouds and shines on the bluestone path of the Azure Profound Sect Zi Courtyard, with a bit of blazing heat.
Fang Han finished his morning practice and stood up with his sword put away. There was a slight sweat on his forehead, but his breath was long and his eyes were bright.
He habitually patted the non-existent dust on his clothes and walked towards the cafeteria.
However, after taking a few steps, he noticed something strange.
The disciples I met along the way, whether they were acquaintances or strangers, all had an indescribable weirdness when their eyes fell on him.
It was not the curiosity, awe or envy of the past, but a mixture of exploration, alienation, and even a hint of fear and avoidance.
When he glanced over, those people quickly looked away, pretending to talk to their companions, or speeding up their pace, as if they were afraid of any interaction with him.
Fang Han was puzzled and frowned slightly.
I had just achieved fourth place in the Martial Dao Stele test. It stands to reason that even if the attitude of my classmates is not more warm, they should not be so shunned.
"Excuse me..."
He tried to walk towards a familiar disciple who had known him before, and wanted to ask.
Seeing him approaching, the disciple's face changed slightly, and as if he was avoiding the plague, he suddenly turned sideways, almost jogging around him, and disappeared around the corner of the road.
Fang Han's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his brows furrowed even more tightly, and the bad premonition in his heart gradually became clearer and magnified.
At this moment, he saw two familiar figures appearing at the end of the corridor ahead - Chen Ying and Zhao Li, who had escorted supplies and experienced life and death with him.
Fang Han felt relieved, stepped forward to greet him, cupped his hands and said, "Chen Ying, Zhao Li."
Chen Ying still looked calm and taciturn. When he saw Fang Han, he paused slightly and nodded in response, but his eyes flickered a little, not as magnanimously as before.
A hint of imperceptible embarrassment flashed across Zhao Li's delicate face, and she forced a smile.
"Fang Han."
Fang Han noticed the difference in the expressions of the two people and was about to directly ask the reason, "You two, I wonder what happened in the hospital today? Why do I feel..."
Before he finished speaking, Chen Ying interrupted.
"Fang Han, I suddenly remembered that the things Deacon told me have not been completed yet. I need to go immediately and say goodbye."
After that, without waiting for Fang Han to react, he left in a hurry, even with a somewhat hasty pace.
Zhao Li saw this and quickly responded.
"Ah, me too. I still need to go to the Library Pavilion to check some information. Fang Han, let's take a step first."
Before he finished speaking, he turned around and quickly followed Chen Ying.
Fang Han stood there, looking at the backs of the two people who could be said to be running away, and his heart completely sank.
Even Chen Ying and Zhao Li, who had fought side by side and had a fairly good relationship, had this attitude. Things were by no means simple.
A chill quietly rose up my spine.
He was silent for a moment, suppressed the confusion in his heart, and continued to walk to the cafeteria.
No matter what, you have to eat. Maybe when you go to a crowded place, you can hear some rumors.
As soon as he stepped into the cafeteria door, the originally noisy sound suddenly dropped, as if being strangled by an invisible hand.
Countless gazes came over and focused on him.
Those eyes were exactly the same as those encountered on the road: curiosity, scrutiny, alienation, schadenfreude... all kinds of emotions intertwined, forming an invisible network, making Fang Han feel an inexplicable depression.
Without changing his expression, he went straight to the window where the meal was served, ordered his meal, and then found an empty table against the wall and sat down.
Wherever he passed, the nearby conversations were deliberately lowered. Occasionally, there were whispers, but the specific content could not be heard. He could only feel those eyes as thorns on his back.
Just as he was dining alone, not knowing what to eat, a figure sat down opposite him.
It's Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen was holding the dinner plate with a normal expression, as if he was completely unaware of the strange atmosphere around him.
He took a mouthful of rice and looked at Fang Han.
"What? You don't look well."
Fang Han raised his eyes and looked at the only friend opposite whose attitude had not changed. His heart felt slightly warm, but more filled with doubts and heaviness.
He put down his chopsticks and spoke in a low voice, with a hint of astringency that was barely noticeable.
"Brother Xiao Chen, do you know... what exactly happened today? Why do I feel that my fellow students in the courtyard are all avoiding me like a snake or a scorpion?"
He glanced around.
"Even Chen Ying, Zhao Li and the others..."
Xiao Chen paused while picking up the food, put down his chopsticks, sighed, and lowered his voice, with a bit of solemnity.
"Fang Han, you don't know yet? This morning, the latest ranking of Prodigy Ranking was sent back to the sect."
"Prodigy Ranking?" Fang Han's heart moved, and he vaguely grasped something.
"Yeah." Xiao Chen nodded with a complicated tone. "Chu Feng True Disciple... is on the list, ranking Prodigy Ranking's 100th."
Upon hearing the news, Fang Han's heart shrank suddenly, as if it was being held by a cold hand.
He instantly understood the origin of all the strange looks.
Chu Feng! The True Disciple disciple Chu Feng who had a problem with him actually boarded the Prodigy Ranking which symbolizes the highest honor of the younger generation of Qingyang Prefecture!
And it is precisely because of the other party's inclusion on the list that he is now in a situation of alienation.
"Now, I, Azure Profound Sect, have nine disciples ranked Prodigy Ranking."
Xiao Chen continued.
"These nine people are respectively, Senior Brother 'Azure Cloud Sword' Luo Yuntian, ranked sixth by Prodigy Ranking."
"Second senior sister 'White Glow Sword' Yun Muyao, ranked eighteenth. Oh, by the way, second senior sister also has another identity, she is the sister of Yun Qianyue."
"Third senior brother 'Mountain-Severing Axe' Mad Butcher, ranked Prodigy Ranking thirty-eighth."
"Fourth senior brother 'Phantom Leg' Chen Wuhen, ranked Prodigy Ranking's fiftieth."
"Fifth senior sister 'Drizzle Sword' Su Yuwei, ranked Prodigy Ranking sixty-third."
"Sixth Senior Brother 'Mad Scholar' Mo Chen, ranked Prodigy Ranking seventy-fourth."
"Seventh Senior Sister 'Misty Rain Saber' Liu Ruyan, ranked Prodigy Ranking eighty-two."
"Eighth Senior Brother'Flowing Water Spear'Wang Miao, ranked Prodigy Ranking ninety-third, but it is already ninety."
"The last one is Chu Feng, ranked 100th among Prodigy Ranking."
The influence of a disciple of Prodigy Ranking is far beyond that of ordinary True Disciple.
The sect's resources will be greatly tilted, Elder will pay more attention to it, and their voice will also increase.
It is no secret within the sect that Fang Han and Chu Feng are at odds with each other.
Now that Chu Feng has ascended to Prodigy Ranking, his voice in the sect will be very different from now on. These disciples who are acquainted with Fang Han are naturally eager to draw a clear line for fear of being implicated and liquidated.
It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.
"I actually boarded Prodigy Ranking..."
Fang Han's face was extremely solemn.
Before, Chu Feng was just an ordinary True Disciple, and his influence within the sect was limited.
But things are different now. When you log in to Prodigy Ranking, your status within the sect is completely different, and your influence will inevitably increase.
For him, who has a bad relationship with Chu Feng, this is not a good thing, but an extremely bad thing.
An unprecedented huge pressure, like an invisible mountain, crashed down on his heart, suffocating his breath.
The cafeteria is still quiet. Although many eyes are not looking directly at this place, their ears are probably perked and they are paying attention here.
Fang Han can feel the silent scrutiny and distance.
He was silent for a moment, looked up at Xiao Chen, and asked another question in his heart.
"Brother Xiao Chen, then... why don't you avoid it?"
Xiao Chen heard this and grinned, showing his white teeth. There was a bit of his unique open-mindedness and stubbornness in his smile.
"I'm a straightforward person, and the friends I choose are my friends. I can't do that kind of thing, and I can't do that kind of thing. Besides,..."
He paused and his voice was low, but with determination.
"I believe you, Fang Han, with your talent, you may not be able to board that Prodigy Ranking in the future!"
Fang Han looked at Xiao Chen's sincere and slightly stubborn eyes, and a warm current surged in his chest, dispelling some of the chill.
"I'll lend you some good words!"
He nodded solemnly and said nothing more. Everything was said without saying anything.
The two ate the rest of the meal in silence, without saying much, but a stronger friendship was formed silently.
After leaving the cafeteria, Fang Han came to the secluded open space behind Zi Courtyard where he usually practiced.
The afternoon sun shines through the dense branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground. The surroundings are silent except for the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.
However, at this moment Fang Han, his heart could not calm down as quickly as before.
The news that Chu Feng had boarded Prodigy Ranking was like a huge stone thrown into the lake, causing huge waves in his heart.
True Disciple, who had a bad relationship, suddenly became the most popular talent of the sect, and the pressure this brought was real.
He seemed to be able to feel that a large invisible net was slowly tightening, and the road ahead seemed to be filled with more thorns and dangers.
He took a few deep breaths and tried to suppress the uneasiness and anxiety, but his thoughts were like a mess.
The cold and arrogant eyes of Chu Feng flashed in my mind, the faces of Song Xiang, Chu Chong and others flashed through my mind, and the avoidable eyes in the cafeteria flashed...
"Hoo, ho--"
Fang Han forced himself to stop meaningless thinking, closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and his chest rose and fell violently a few times before slowly calming down.
If Chu Feng can board Prodigy Ranking, he will definitely be able to do so in the future!
With System Panel, he believes that he will be able to climb Prodigy Ranking in the future, or even reach the top of Prodigy Ranking.
Now I should turn the pressure brought by Chu Feng into the motivation to climb up, and motivate myself to practice crazily and keep getting stronger!
"Turn stress into motivation!"
Thinking of this, Fang Han's eyes glowed with sharp light again, and the uneasiness caused by the sudden bad news was gradually replaced by determination.
Fear cannot solve the problem. Only by becoming stronger can we deal with the storm that may come next.
In the days that followed, Fang Han became even more reclusive.
Except for the necessary Instruction Hall lectures and dining in the cafeteria, he devoted almost all his time to cultivation.
Room C-7 and Forest Clearing have become the places where he spends most time.
He worked harder than before, often practicing until late at night, and did not rest until Internal Qi was exhausted and exhausted.