The Clear Sky Sect.
Tang Xiao stood before the hall with his hands behind his back, staring at the line of golden text on the Sky Screen. For a long time, he said nothing.
Behind him, the elders sat on either side of the hall. The atmosphere was so heavy it felt as though you could wring water from it.
"Now," Tang Xiao said slowly, his voice low and grave, "the Spirit Hall, Heaven Dou, Star Luo, the Seven Treasure... Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Shrek Academy, Skywater Academy, Blazing Fire Academy... all have people on the list."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. His eyes were filled with weariness and confusion.
"What path should the Clear Sky Sect take?"
The great hall fell utterly silent.
The First Elder sighed. "Sect Master, honestly... those girls Brother Cao raised are all Soul Douluos or Titled Douluos. Qian Renxue is even level 97. This force is already beyond what any single sect can withstand."
The Second Elder chimed in. "Exactly. And Brother Cao himself is even more unfathomable. He slapped Golden Crocodile Douluo flying, and even Qian Daoliu admitted he was no match for him... His strength may already have surpassed the realm of Limit Douluos."
The Fifth Elder gave a bitter smile. "Our Clear Sky Sect has always been famed for its martial prowess. But now... we don't even have a single girl on the list. Yuehua is certainly beautiful, but she's already past twenty-five. Who knows if Brother Cao would even take an interest in her..."
Tang Xiao waved a hand, cutting him off. "Let's set Yuehua aside for now. What I'm worried about is..."
"Who exactly is at the top of the list?"
Indeed, the second-ranked person was already Qian Renxue, a level 97.
What sort of being could the top-ranked person be?
Level 99? Or... had they already surpassed the limits of mortal beings?
More importantly, could the person at the top also belong to Brother Cao?
If so...
Then Brother Cao would command a terrifying force made up of nearly ten Titled Douluos! Add his own strength, which surpassed the limits...
Such power was enough to overturn the balance of the entire continent!
Tang Xiao closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
"Pass down the order," he said, his voice weary yet firm. "All disciples of the Clear Sky Sect are to pull back our defenses from this day onward. Do not clash with anyone on the list."
"Also," he paused, "find a way to contact Yuehua and have her... get ready."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi stood in the center of the great hall, radiant with vitality.
Ever since his Martial Soul evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, his aura had grown far stronger than before, and he looked several years younger.
"Haha, so what if Qian Renxue is level 97?" He clapped his hands and laughed. "My daughter Rongrong is the only sect heiress on the list! Brother Cao certainly has a good eye!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin stroked his beard and smiled. "The Sect Master is right. Now that our Rongrong is on the list, Brother Cao will have to show the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect some respect."
Bone Douluo Gu Rong nodded. "Indeed. And the Sect Master has taken an Immortal Herb, evolving his Martial Soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Advancing to Titled Douluo will be no problem. The future of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is bright!"
Ning Fengzhi burst into hearty laughter, his voice brimming with delight.
A moment later, he looked out the window. The golden Sky Screen still hung high above, and the information about the top-ranked person had yet to be revealed.
"Who... could be at the top?"
At that moment, countless factions and powerful figures throughout the continent were asking the same question.
The final moment of the Genius Ranking was about to arrive.
As everyone on the continent waited in anticipation—
Boom!!!
An unprecedented radiance burst from the center of the Sky Screen!
It was no longer pure gold. Like a kaleidoscope, it shimmered with seven-colored light, bathing the entire continent in a dreamlike glow!
Amid the radiance, a completely new scene slowly took shape.
It was an ancient, imposing fortress. Three old-fashioned characters could just be made out above the entrance: Ye Family Fortress.
The scene slowly moved forward, passing through courtyard after courtyard, before finally stopping inside an elegant side room.
A breathtakingly beautiful face appeared on the Sky Screen.
Her water-blue hair cascaded down her back. Her brows were like distant mountains brushed with dark green, her eyes rippled like autumn waters, her cheeks were as fresh as new lychees, and her nose was smooth as goose fat.
She had both a young girl's innocence and a married woman's allure. The two utterly different qualities blended perfectly within her, creating an extreme contrast.
She stood silently by the window, looking up at the Sky Screen, her expression as calm as still water.
Xiao Cui stared blankly at her young lady's face on the Sky Screen and stammered:
"M-My lady... you're in first place?"
Her voice trembled, and her eyes were filled with disbelieving delight!
"I knew it! My lady is peerlessly beautiful. How could she not be on the list? So she was saved for last! She's at the top! Hahaha!"
Xiao Cui was so excited she flung her arms about and spun in place three times.
"My lady, you're amazing!"
She chattered on, completely unaware that her young lady did not seem very happy.
Ye Lingling's expression remained calm as she looked up at the Sky Screen. Her water-blue eyes revealed no trace of joy or anger.
At last, the top-ranked person's information appeared in full on the Sky Screen:
[The Genius Ranking, First Place: Ye Lingling.]
[Identity: Heir to the Nine Hearts Begonia Family.]
[Strength: Level 99 Titled Douluo.]
[Technique: Nine Turns Sacred Heart Art.]
[Rewards: Youth-Preserving Pill, which can preserve one's youth forever; Teleportation Talisman ×5, which can transport the user to any location on the Douluo Continent; Kun-Kun Defensive Array, which can cover an area with a radius of one thousand meters; Death-Substitution Puppet ×1, which can take one death in the user's place.]
Boom!!!
The entire continent erupted!
"A level 99 Titled Douluo! My god!"
"The Nine Hearts Begonia Family? I can't believe it's the legendary Martial Soul, Nine Hearts Begonia! It's the continent's number-one healing Martial Soul! Her talent is terrifying!"
"Talent, my ass! I get it now. Brother Cao likes this sort! Just look at her looks and her bearing, tsk, tsk..."
"Didn't you notice? The technique she cultivates isn't the Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique!"
"Holy crap, you're right! What's this Nine Turns Sacred Heart Art? I've never heard of it!"
"Could it be... she's different from the other girls? She's completely on her own? Brother Cao never gave her any guidance?"
"Hiss! That's even more terrifying! She surpassed all those cheat-code users entirely through her own talent!"
Countless voices of discussion crashed across the continent like a tidal wave!
Everyone had assumed the top-ranked person would be like all the others, someone Brother Cao had raised.
After all, the fourteen girls ranked from fifteenth to second had all cultivated the Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique and received Brother Cao's guidance.
No one had expected the first-ranked person to be an exception!
She cultivated a different technique and might not even have anything to do with Brother Cao!
"Level 99! That's the limit for human Soul Masters! How old is she? She looks barely over twenty!"
"A level 99 Limit Douluo in her early twenties? That's even more outrageous than those who relied on Brother Cao!"
"Could it be... that there really are peerless geniuses in this world who can surpass everyone without cheating?"
To reach level 99 in her early twenties through her own talent alone—
This was unprecedented and would never be surpassed.
She deserved her place at the top of the Genius Ranking.
At that moment, every faction across the continent was plunged into profound shock and confusion.