A few days later, early in the morning.
Fang Han pushed open the wooden door of Room C-7 and took a deep breath of the air with the fragrance of morning dew.
After several days of consolidation and adaptation, the state of Eighth-rank early stage has been completely stabilized, and the skyrocketing Internal Qi and strength are also at the command of an arm, operating smoothly.
His eyes were calm and his steps were steady as he walked out of the room, heading towards White Jade Plaza in the center of Zi Courtyard.
Along the way, there were disciples who got up in the morning to practice or went to the canteen.
When seeing Fang Han, most people still subconsciously averted their eyes, or turned slightly sideways, or quickened their pace. The silent feeling of alienation has not weakened with the passage of time.
However, when some disciples noticed that the direction Fang Han was traveling was not the cafeteria or the usual training woodland, but the square, the low voices could not be suppressed.
"In that direction... is he going to Martial Dao Stele?"
"He has only completed the test for more than half a month, right? Has his strength improved again?"
"Isn't it possible? Those three in the top three are all real Eighth Grade Martial Artist. Their strength is leading by a gap. How can the gap be so easy to catch up with?"
"I don't think so. His ranking has improved in several tests. If he was not sure, how could he go there easily?"
Various speculations, some surprising, some denying, or carrying a hint of unnoticeable expectation, are like tiny ripples, quietly spreading in the early morning Zi Courtyard.
Fang Han ignored the discussion behind him and went straight to the open square.
As the morning sun rises, the golden light falls, making the majestic Martial Dao Stele even more shining and holy.
His eyes scanned the monument.
The three names Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, and Huang Ling'er are still firmly in the top three, exuding eye-catching light.
His eyes paused briefly on the third place "Huang Ling'er".
Immediately, he walked to a place about ten feet in front of the monument and stood still, closing his eyes slightly and adjusting his breathing.
After a few breaths, his eyes opened, and his eyes were filled with energy, without any hesitation.
"Ugh--!"
Azure Edge Sword was unsheathed in response, and the sword was flowing with pale golden morning light.
Eighth-rank early stage's powerful Internal Qi burst out instantly, Acupoints rushing out from all directions, infusing the sword body.
The "Wind Momentum" comprehended by <Wind Splitting Sword Technique> at the Proficiency Realm level is pushed to the extreme.
"Buzz!"
The sound of the sword echoed loudly, and the airflow in the square suddenly accelerated and spun around him, emitting a low whistling sound.
The air at the edge of the sword was highly distorted, causing the fallen leaves within a few feet around to fly automatically without wind.
"Grade Eight! This is the Internal Qi fluctuation of Eighth Grade Martial Artist!"
Not far away, a disciple who was practicing boxing lost his voice in shock and froze in place.
"He... he broke through to Grade Eight?!"
The exclamations were like pebbles thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the tranquility of the square.
All eyes, regardless of whether they had paid attention to Fang Han before, were all focused on it at this moment, full of incredible shock.
Under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, Fang Han slashed out with one sword!
This sword was so fast that it exceeded the visual capture limit of most disciples, and only an afterimage of cyan Internal Qi and pale gold morning light Void Sundering was seen passing by.
Wherever the sword light passed, the air seemed to be torn open with a tiny trace of vacuum, emitting a heart-stopping low hissing sound.
"Boom!!!"
A deafening loud noise suddenly erupted, far more violent than the last test.
Martial Dao Stele's whole body shone brightly, and the dazzling light made many disciples subconsciously squint their eyes.
On the surface of the monument, ripples rippled violently, and the name Fang Han, ranked fourth, began to beat.
Four... three!
The ranking surpassed Huang Ling'er and settled in third place!
Quiet!
A deathly silence enveloped the entire square.
Everyone stared at the dazzling number "three" with their eyes wide open, as if they wanted to see through the monument.
Just over half a month ago, Fang Han jumped from ninth to fourth place.
Now, in just over half a month, his ranking has improved again, surpassing Huang Ling'er, who was already Eighth Grade Martial Artist, to the third position!
What a terrifying speed of improvement is this?!
After a short period of dead silence, there was an uproar like a tsunami!
"Third, third!"
"Grade Eight, he has definitely broken through to Grade Eight!"
"Beginner stage was promoted from Ninth-rank early stage to Eighth-rank early stage in more than half a year. Are we really the same disciples of Beginner stage as him?"
There were exclamations, gasps, and helpless murmurs intertwined together.
Everyone looked at Fang Han, filled with extremely complex emotions.
There is admiration for genius, there is bitterness towards one's own mediocrity, but more importantly, it is an indescribable regret.
With such a talent, he should have a bright future, attracting everyone to befriend him.
But... he offended Chu Feng True Disciple, who is now in the ascendant and ranked Prodigy Ranking.
Under the huge shadow of Chu Feng True Disciple, people can't help but feel worried and optimistic about his future.
Fang Han slowly sheathed his sword and did not respond to the complicated looks in the square.
"Third place!"
He looked up at the third ranking on the monument. As expected, his ranking surpassed Huang Ling'er.
Huang Ling'er has just joined Grade Eight, so his background is still shallow, but with his Proficiency Realm level <Wind Splitting Sword Technique>, he has an advantage in terms of attack power.
As for Yun Qianyue and Li Feng, he had never thought that they were one year older than Huang Ling'er. Not only had their cultivation level reached the middle stage of Grade Eight, but their level of martial arts comprehension was also extremely high.
Li Feng Beginner stage already had inferior knife skills Perfection Realm, Yun Qianyue, and Beginner stage already had Medium Grade Sword Technique Proficiency Realm.
More than half a year has passed, and the level of understanding of martial arts between the two people will never stay where they are. They must have become stronger.
Even if we just talk about the level of martial arts comprehension, with his Medium Grade Sword Technique reaching the Proficiency Realm level, he should not be able to gain an advantage in front of the two of them.
He turned around and left the square with steady steps, leaving all the noise and all kinds of eyes behind him.
"What did you say? Fang Han broke through Grade Eight, surpassed me in ranking, and Martial Dao Stele ranked third?"
Huang Ling'er, who had just woken up, suddenly froze when he heard the news from the familiar female disciple.
She suddenly turned her head, her big bright eyes filled with disbelief.
"Yes, it's spread all over the square now..."
The female disciple said with shock remaining on her face.
Huang Ling'er The usual cheerful smile on her pretty face disappeared, replaced by a look of surprise and... a trace of imperceptible loss.
She has outstanding talent since she was a child, and Lineage placed high hopes on her. She joined Azure Profound Sect at a year younger than Beginner stage, but she was able to follow Yun Qianyue and Li Feng, firmly ranking third, and she is proud of herself.
Now, he was surpassed by a disciple Beginner stage whose initial cultivation level was far lower than his own...
"Am I... a little slack?"
Huang Ling'er pursed his lips, feeling a strong sense of urgency in his heart for the first time.
Fang Han is able to catch up from behind. In addition to talent, his undivided hard work is probably the key.
Have you been called a genius since Beginner stage? Have you lost yourself in the compliments and lost some of your energy and hard work?
An unwillingness to admit defeat surged up from the bottom of her heart, her eyes became firm again, she turned around and walked back into the house.
She must take back this third one!
Almost at the same time, two other places.
Yun Qianyue Wearing purple clothes, listening to the instructions of a female disciple, her cold eyes fluctuated slightly.
She looked in the direction of Martial Dao Stele, remained silent for a moment, slowly closed her eyes, and the aura around her became increasingly profound.
In an open space covered with knife marks, Li Feng slowly sheathed the knife.
He listened to the words of a male disciple, his eyes as sharp as a knife, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the handle of the knife, and a strong fighting spirit quietly filled the air.
Although the two of them did not talk, the same thought arose in their hearts.
Huang Ling'er has been surpassed, Fang Han's next target must be the two of them.
They have been dubbed geniuses since childhood, why would they want to become a stepping stone for others to rise?
The invisible pressure turned into motivation, and the two of them unanimously devoted themselves to more diligent cultivation.
It was almost noon, and the sun was getting stronger.
Fang Han pushed open the wooden door of Room C-7, stood in the shadow under the eaves, and squinted slightly to adapt to the light outside.
It has been nearly a month since I returned from my last mission to guard the mine.
In the past month, he has been focused on improving his footwork and cultivation, so that Medium Grade's footwork has broken through to Minor Accomplishment, and his cultivation has been improved to Eighth-rank early stage.
The improvement in strength is certainly gratifying, but the gap between the "13,230 silver" number on System Panel and the 100,000 taels needed to unlock the fifth level Talent Amplification reminds him all the time that he must work hard to make money.
"It's time to take on the mission."
Fang Han whispered to himself.
Resources will not come out of thin air, it is time to take on the task again and accumulate wealth for that huge goal.
After adjusting his cyan disciple uniform and wearing Azure Edge Sword around his waist, he walked out of Zi Courtyard with steady steps and walked towards the Mission Hall on the mountainside.
Mission Hall was still buzzing with people. Disciples from various schools shuttled around, either searching alone or discussing in groups. The air was filled with a restless rush for resources.
Fang Han stepped into the main hall, and his eyes habitually glanced in the direction of the familiar side hall.
In the past, the disciple named Li would always come to him immediately and introduce him warmly.
However, today, the disciple named Li was standing near the entrance of the side hall, talking and laughing with another disciple.
He clearly caught a glimpse of his figure from the corner of his eye, but he turned away suddenly, as if his eyes were attracted by something insignificant, and he turned sideways.
The voice of the conversation with his companions was deliberately raised a little, with a deliberate alienation.
Fang Han's face was calm, but his heart was bright.
Chu Feng came to Prodigy Ranking, and its influence has indeed penetrated to this point.
The convenience and enthusiasm that were due to Wang Miao's attention and his own talent in the past have disappeared in an instant under the shadow of Chu Feng, the new genius.
He didn't feel much anger, but more of a cold clarity. This is how the world is cold and warm.
He did not come forward to ask for trouble, but went straight to the main wall where a large number of wooden mission signs were hung.
His eyes scanned over the wooden signs, quickly selecting tasks suitable for him.
Escorting, collecting, assisting in patrols... the contribution value is not much, and most of them are collaborative tasks that take a long time or have many restrictions, which are obviously not high-quality tasks.
His eyes finally settled on a wooden sign. The writing on the wooden sign was dark and dark, exuding a chilling air.