Top Three on the Ranking
Xu Tianran is a complex person, but in terms of Martial Soul talent alone, he is a genius that the Sun Moon Imperial Family has only seen once in a century.
His Martial Soul, the Purple Radiant Dragon, is a top-tier dragon-type Beast Martial Soul. It possesses dragon might and explosive power, and he was highly anticipated by the entire nation from a young age.
Unfortunately, he was betrayed by political enemies in his youth, suffering a severe poisoning that crippled his legs, damaged his meridians, and greatly affected his cultivation, making it impossible for him to reach the pinnacle through his Martial Soul again.
But his talent was never limited to cultivation. His political talent, strategic thinking, and vision were among the best of the younger generation on the entire continent.
After years of patient maneuvering and secretly plotting, he gradually consolidated the Imperial Family's power, supported the Ju Zi, won over Virtue Hall, and suppressed the military.
It was he who single-handedly united the fragmented Sun Moon Empire into a cohesive force, giving them the confidence to later unify the continent.
He was physically disabled, limiting his potential for cultivation, but he was the leader, the monarch who commanded a nation.
In terms of overall talent and influence on the Sun Moon Empire, he is easily among the top three.
Ju Zi paused slightly in her grip on the pen, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Whether now or in the future, her success is entirely due to Xu Tianran's appreciation and promotion.
"Although Xu Tianran deserves to die, his intellect is truly unmatched."
She murmured to herself, her tone tinged with complexity. "If it weren't for his physical limitations, the throne of the Sun Moon Empire should belong to him."
Shrek Academy, Inner Court Office.
Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly, her expression serious.
"Xu Tianran... this man is too cunning."
She said softly, "With him around, Sun Moon Empire will only become more and more difficult to deal with. An ambitious and cunning monarch is more terrifying than a hundred genius Soul Engineer."
Second place: Xiao Hongchen.
I actually had a fairly good impression of this person; in fact, I was quite impressed with him.
Why is that? Well, it's because these two siblings are always together, except when they're sleeping at night.
Those who know them understand they are siblings, but those who don't might mistake them for a couple.
It's because they appear on screen together so often that this person is quite popular.
He is the grandson of Jing Hongchen, the head of the Virtue Hall, and the older brother of Meng Hongchen. He is recognized as the number one genius among the younger generation of the Sun Moon Empire.
The Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul possesses the Ultimate Metal attribute, making it an extremely rare possessor of such Ultimate Attribute on the continent.
His Ultimate Attribute mean that, at the same level, his metal-attribute Soul Power far surpasses that of all ordinary metal-attribute Soul Master, and his control over metal-type Soul Tool is that of a born king.
[His talent in soul guidance is extraordinary. At a young age, he has already reached the threshold of Level-Seven Soul Engineer. His research and application of metal-attribute Soul Tool have even been praised by senior researchers at the Virtue Hall.]
Jing Hongchen groomed him as the successor of the Virtue Hall, providing him with all available resources, hoping that he would lead the Sun Moon Empire Soul Guidance Technology to a new level.
In terms of pure cultivation and soul guidance talent, he is undoubtedly the pinnacle of the younger generation at the Sun Moon Empire Academy, and may even have the potential to reach the level of Level-Ten Soul Engineer in the future.
However, its flaws are equally fatal: it is arrogant, haughty, unable to withstand setbacks, has a narrow perspective, and only cares about its own reputation as a genius, lacking the magnanimity to consider the nation and the world.
His talent was both his strength and his weakness; his overly smooth path to stardom ultimately limited his potential. Overall, he falls slightly short, ranking second.
Ma Xiaotao scoffed.
"So what if it's the Ultimate Metal? With such a weak mentality, it crumbles at the slightest setback."
She said dismissively, "For true strong individuals, talent is merely the foundation; character is the key. With this arrogant nature, they're bound to suffer a major setback sooner or later."
First place: Ju Zi.
This one was even more remarkable: the Crown Princess of the Sun Moon Empire, later the Empress of the Sun Moon Empire, and a top military strategist on the continent.
Ranking her first will definitely cause some people to disagree, after all, her Martial Soul is ordinary, just a food-type Orange Martial Soul. In terms of cultivation talent alone, let alone Xiao Hongchen, she may not even be better than Ma Rulong.
But talent is never just about Martial Soul and Soul Power. Considering her overall talent, growth potential, and influence on the era, she is in a league of her own among the younger generation of the Sun Moon Empire Sect.
Born into a commoner family, her father died in battle, leaving her destitute and alone. She gained the favor of Crown Prince Xu Tianran through her own efforts, rising step by step from an ordinary student to the pinnacle of imperial power.
He possesses exceptional talent in soul guidance and has profound expertise in the improvement and application of war-related Soul Tool.
What's even more terrifying is her strategic talent. She is a born commander who can perfectly combine Soul Guidance Technology with the art of war. She single-handedly created the Sun Moon Empire New Soul Guidance Legion, and in the war to unify the continent, she made the three great empires unable to raise their heads.
She is shrewd, strategic, resilient, and ruthless; she can endure what ordinary people cannot and do what ordinary people dare not.
She had no top-tier Martial Soul, no noble background, and not even the Ultimate Attribute; everything she had was earned through her own hard work.
From orphan to empress, her growth itself is a miracle.
In terms of pure cultivation talent, she might not rank in the top three, but in terms of overall talent and the heights she can lead the Sun Moon Empire to, she is undoubtedly the number one.
A person who can change the course of an era carries far more weight than a genius who only knows how to cultivate skills.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Female Dormitory...
Ju Zi paused for a long time, her hand holding the pen still.
"The first person..."
She murmured to herself, her eyes devoid of any joy, only filled with a heavy weight.
She thought of her loved ones who died in battle, the power struggles in the palace, and the flames of war on the front lines and the lives of countless soldiers.
She never wanted to be number one; she only wanted revenge.
As for the rankings, Ju Zi was quite surprised when she saw that she was ranked first.
After all, Lin Ye said that the ranking was based on talent.
What she considered talent, or what most people understood as talent, was actually cultivation talent.
Unexpectedly, Lin Ye considered talent not only in cultivation ability, but also in temperament, intelligence, and other aspects.
This would explain why Xu Tianran is also ranked in the top three.
Xu Tianran is indeed a genius, but it's unlikely that he'd rank among the top three in the entire Sun Moon Empire.
After all, many prominent figures have inherited the talents of their fathers or grandfathers, with some having innate Soul Power levels of eight or nine, or even Innate Full Soul Power.
Xu Tianran ranking third is indeed a bit high.
Moreover, even she, who later devoured the resources of the entire empire, was only Soul Emperor in cultivation. Her ability to be number one truly proves that talent, cultivation talent, is not the most important factor on this list.
They might not even make up half of it; what's more important are qualities like temperament and wisdom.
However, on the other hand, regardless of how inflated the rankings may be, being ranked number one is undeniable.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't secretly pleased or felt a sense of honor.
After all, she is not yet the future Empress of the Sun Moon Empire; she is just a young girl who is not yet 20 years old.