In the center of Cloud Mist City, ten thousand li away.
A white jade stele suddenly rose from the ground, cracking countless blue bricks around it.
"What happened?"
"How could this happen?"
The disturbance in Cloud Mist City drew the attention of countless cultivators. In fact, it would have been difficult not to notice such a commotion.
For afterward, the entire city began shaking uncontrollably.
A thousand-foot stele burst out of the earth, and an invisible stream of Dao Qi shot into the heavens, churning the white clouds above the city.
Cloud Mist City was home to many cultivators. Upon noticing the disturbance, quite a few took to the air and gathered at the city center.
"Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking!"
The name was inscribed across the white jade stele in bold, powerful characters. A faintly imposing air lingered in the brushstrokes; no one knew which master had written them.
But the name left the assembled experts thoroughly puzzled, and they all looked farther down.
One unfamiliar name after another appeared before them, but the words "Affiliated faction" that followed made quite a few experts' pupils contract!
The Valley of Devouring! Saint King Yunteng's Tomb!
One was a forbidden ground, the other a perilous land. Rumor had it that even Radiant Body Mirror experts could barely manage to enter them, and few could glimpse their true appearance!
"No one has entered the Valley of Devouring in who knows how many years! How could their disciples be listed here?!"
"Saint King Yunteng's Tomb is truly a perilous place, not somewhere ordinary people can go. I once saw a Spirit Light Mirror expert's soul scatter while trying to enter!"
"There are actually sects in there? I thought not even a blade of grass grew in those places!"
"Hehe, the vast world holds every conceivable wonder. Only true mighty figures could establish sects in such perilous places." A voice rang out behind them with a hint of laughter.
"Greetings, City Lord!"
The newcomer wore blue robes embroidered with cloud patterns. A smile graced his face, but an indescribable majesty emanated from him.
He was none other than Cui Yunlan, the lord of Cloud Mist City.
Seeing the city lord arrive in person, the cultivators all bowed and spontaneously cleared a path for him.
Cui Yunlan smiled at the sight. "Friends, there's no need to stand on such ceremony."
He gently raised his hand, and an invisible force curled around the wrists of several nearby cultivators, lifting them upright.
"City Lord, do you think this ranking is genuine?" someone asked curiously.
Still looking utterly unruffled, Cui Yunlan leisurely stepped forward, paced a couple of steps, and studied the ranking before him with interest.
"Never mind you-even I didn't know there were forces in such perilous places." Cui Yunlan paused before continuing, "If this ranking is true, then the younger generation really is to be feared!"
As Cui Yunlan spoke, his gaze swept rapidly downward, and Que Ling, ranked forty-ninth, soon caught his attention.
"Haha, to think a mere eighteen-year-old Rogue Cultivator could rank above those from the light and dark factions. I wonder what special physique this person has."
"You're right, City Lord. Whether this ranking is genuine or not, this Que Ling is probably in for trouble!"
A cultivator chimed in, gloating.
The Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking listed only a hundred people and did not contain much text, so Cui Yunlan soon reached the bottom.
But after seeing the ninety-fifth entry, Cui Yunlan's demeanor abruptly changed!
The ever-gentle, refined Cui Yunlan no longer wore even a trace of a smile. An indescribable pressure spread around him.
It bore down on the nearest cultivators, making them stagger in midair.
The Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking plainly read:
[Name: Cui Rufeng, age: twenty-one, realm: Middle Spirit Condensation Realm, affiliated faction: son of the lord of Cloud Mist City.]
Clearly, Cui Yunlan was not the only one who had noticed Cui Rufeng's information. Quite a few cultivators had seen the name before he arrived.
Now that Cui Yunlan stood silently before them, the cultivators naturally dared not say anything more.
Who did not know that Cui Yunlan, the lord of Cloud Mist City, practiced a special cultivation technique that required his heart to remain like still water, tranquil and without ripples?
For precisely that reason, Cui Yunlan had remained celibate for years and had no children at all. Moreover, to keep his cultivation from regressing, he would not have any in the future either.
Unless he was willing to destroy his entire cultivation for the sake of having children.
This had always been an open secret in Cloud Mist City, understood but never spoken aloud. Yet now, as though mocking him, this Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking actually stated that he had a son!
The cultivators waiting to watch the spectacle instantly felt that this ranking's credibility amounted to little after all!
Cui Yunlan himself looked ashen and grave, his expression unspeakably ugly.
Making a fool of him was bad enough, but doing it in front of so many people!
Boom...
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Cui Yunlan slashed his palm toward the white jade stele, whipping up a fierce gust.
His situation was a topic of conversation among Cloud Mist City's cultivators, but was it not also his own source of pain?
Normally, out of respect for his ability, all the cultivators would show him some consideration. Never mind discussing his affairs in front of him-they rarely did so even within Cloud Mist City.
Yet this white jade stele openly mocked him. How was that any different from courting death?
The formidable power of the Radiant Mirror poured onto the white jade stele. Even that was not the end of it: Cui Yunlan struck three times in succession, every palm landing in the same spot.
Hum...
The white jade stele trembled slightly, a blending radiance rippling across its surface. Before it, Cui Yunlan's formidable palm winds were simply dissolved like a spring breeze turning to rain.
Cui Yunlan's expression changed, and he struggled to save face. The cultivators present were likewise stunned by the sight.
Just what material was this stele made of, to remain completely unscathed under a Radiant Realm expert's attacks?!
"Could it be made from saint-grade material?"
One cultivator asked in a low voice. Who knew how many years it had been since a magical treasure made from saint-grade material had appeared in the world!
"Huh? There's another line at the bottom!"
Soon, the cultivators discovered a line of small regular-script characters in the lower-right corner of the white jade stele: "Produced by the Primordial Hall."
"Is the Primordial Hall a faction in the Eastern Wasteland? How come I've never heard anyone mention it before?"
"A magical treasure made from saint-grade material, suddenly placed right in the center of Cloud Mist City. No matter how you look at it, this is no simple matter."
"Surely it isn't meant as a show of force?"
"A magical treasure made from saint-grade material could destroy Cloud Mist City without difficulty!"
"Then could the rankings on the list actually be true?"
"Heh, just rest assured. Before long, the people on this ranking will verify it for us themselves."
"Anyway, whether this ranking is real or fake, those heaven's chosen of the Eastern Wasteland certainly won't be able to sit still. We'll have quite a spectacle to watch!"
For a time, opinions flew thick and fast.