Silk to the End, the Treasure Armor

In truth.

If Gui Xuanling went all out and played every trump card he had,

he might climb a few places, inching his way up to seventeenth.

But what was the point?

Green-Haired Turtle had a bad feeling. If he did not work hard to earn money for medicine, Li Xiuwen really would leave him behind.

Then he would not just be playing the turtle.

He would be one!

After the Ranking Placement ended,

just as everyone was about to leave,

two young men in short-sleeved shirts and athletic pants strode into the square with easy confidence, their steps carrying the bearing of dragons and tigers.

Li Xiuwen's expression shifted.

The two had an air of effortless grace, as though they stood apart from the world.

They were nothing like Fragrant Sea's rough-edged geniuses.

The two young men spoke.

"I am Zhang Lingxuan, a disciple of the Zhang Family of Vault Mountain!"

"And I'm Zhang Huang!"

Tiger Granny had appeared at some point.

She glanced over the bewildered Azure Hall disciples and smiled faintly. "Mr. Ming arranged for these two to come from Vault Mountain to study and exchange ideas at the Learning Society. You'll be seeing them every day for the next year. Vault Mountain's Zhang Family is affiliated with Dragon-Tiger Mountain, and we're on good terms with them."

The disciples were stunned.

"Vault Mountain? Prosperous State? Dragon-Tiger Mountain?"

Everyone had always known that the Martial Way of Prosperous State far surpassed Fragrant Sea's, but no one knew by how much. Dragon-Tiger Mountain's fame, however, had spread across the land. Even many disciples who had never visited Prosperous State had heard of it.

For Vault Mountain's Zhang Family to be affiliated with it,

they had to be a major power by Fragrant Sea's standards.

Wang Daorong's eyes narrowed.