However, Chi Yuan's expression quickly changed as he realized that Han Xuanji's name was not even near his ranking.
His unease grew stronger.
What's going on? Not only have people in their thirties not found each other, but people in their twenties haven't either...
The more he looked, the more alarmed he became, until his gaze stopped on the eighteenth position, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
[18th place, Han Xuanji.]
He originally thought Han Xuanji would need more time to advance further, but he didn't expect his opponent to win so quickly.
Good news: Han Xuanji probably won't choose him as her challenger.
The bad news: because others can't even get a chance to rank up against him, and he can't even challenge them because the ranking gap is too big.
In that instant, Chi Yuan recalled the fear of being dominated by Han Xuanji.
He knew Han Xuanji was very strong, but he didn't expect the other party to have reached this position so quickly.
What chilled him to the bone was that Han Xuanji had already exceeded the ranking range he could challenge.
In other words, even if he wanted to challenge him, he couldn't reach him at all.
He suddenly recalled the feeling of being cornered step by step by Han Xuanji in the Ten Directions Immortal Hall.
No, it's even worse than that.
At that time, Han Xuanji was still traceable and willing to deal with you.
But now, they've almost lost the right to even fight each other.
Chi Yuan stood still, his fingertips icy cold.
Although he felt he had the ability to be in the top ten, he was definitely not as confident as Han Xuanji, who seemed to start challenging without thinking and directly reached the top of the rankings.
As Chi Yuan was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed that Han Xuanji's figure had reappeared in the Starry Sky Battlefield.
Without any rest or adjustment, he immediately began challenging the eighth-ranked expert!
"He's gone mad, he's really gone mad!"
Chi Yuan was incredulous.
It's important to understand that the Heaven's Chosen Ranking isn't randomly compiled; it's not something you can just pay to get on the list, or that paying more will result in a higher ranking.
If newcomers like Han Xuanji are ranked in the top 100 and have "popularity points" to back them up, then there's absolutely no doubt that they'd be in the top ten.
The difference in strength is significant for each place you advance.
Especially the top ten; the gap between the top twenty and the top ten might be even greater than the gap between the top one hundred and the top twenty.
The eighth place is not the bottom of the top ten or the goalkeeper, but a team that has steadily built its reputation with numerous achievements and honors.
For a moment, Chi Yuan was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
There was jealousy, envy, confusion, regret... and a hint of admiration he was unwilling to admit.
He really wanted to say, "Could you please not be so amazing?"
This makes him seem rather insignificant, given his past rivalry with Han Xuanji.
If Han Xuanji's previous battles only attracted the attention of a small group of people, this time, it caused a sensation.
On the screen, Han Xuanji's name suddenly lit up, listed alongside another name—eighth place, Xiao Jiuyuan.
The entire Galaxy Mountain was in an uproar because of this.
"Is he crazy? He just finished several matches, didn't even rest, and went straight to challenge the eighth-ranked player?"
Someone screamed.
"How long has Han Xuanji been fighting his way up? Is he completely disregarding the losses? That's Xiao Jiuyuan, who's ranked eighth! He's no pushover. He's been biding his time all these years. I even think he'll have a good chance against Lu Chenxing, who's ranked fifth."
The other person shook their head in disbelief.
The top ten positions on the Heaven's Chosen Ranking have always changed among these ten individuals, with the top three remaining constant while the others have experienced both successes and failures.
Xiao Jiuyuan was once ranked fifth, but now he has fallen to eighth. This does not mean that he only has the strength of the eighth-ranked person.
Not only ordinary viewers, but even the previously composed high-ranking officials all sat up straight.
Ying Jiutian of the First Sacred Hall, narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on the tall figure that appeared out of nowhere on the Starry Sky Battlefield.
Many powerful figures at the Holy Lord level also turned their attention to that direction.
No one cared about the other matches anymore; everyone's attention was focused on this one.
No one expected that such a heavyweight battle would suddenly break out, and that the challenger would be someone who had fought his way up from outside the top 100. This can no longer be described as a dark horse.
It can be described as a miracle, something no one expected before the selection process.
After all, the fact that Han Xuanji was ranked among the top 100 contestants already shows that the Sacred Court overestimated Han Xuanji performance.
If Han Xuanji's master wasn't the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord and his grandmaster wasn't the Holy Venerable Tianming, it would be impossible for a cultivator who had only broken through to the Eternal True God realm a few hundred years ago to rank so highly.
In this selection battle, it can be said that the cultivators ranked lower have virtually no chance of being among the top five. For them, participating is more of an opportunity to showcase themselves and prove themselves in the eyes of countless powerful figures.
At this moment, Han Xuanji's amazing performance undoubtedly attracted everyone's attention, while the battles of others seemed meaningless and were not taken seriously.
Of course, those ranked lower didn't have any objections, because they were also watching Han Xuanji's battle.
In a sense, Han Xuanji became a source of hope for those who ranked lower, as if Han Xuanji represented them.
In the Starry Sky Battlefield, two figures stood facing each other from afar.
Han Xuanji remained calm and composed, his blue robe fluttering slightly, his gaze clear and serene.
Standing opposite him was a young man dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit. His face was sharply defined, and his gaze toward Han Xuanji clearly carried a hint of displeasure, even annoyance.
You're challenging me?
Xiao Jiuyuan said coldly, "You'd better understand that the top ten and the top twenty are not the same thing."
Han Xuanji smiled:
"I know that, of course. But according to the rules, the highest ranking I can currently challenge is yours."
Xiao Jiuyuan frowned, his tone growing even colder:
"You mean you don't actually want to choose me? You want to choose Ying Yuan?"
"I have no choice but to try; I have to climb the ranks."
Han Xuanji shrugged, a frank smile on his face:
"If I could, I'd prefer to go straight for first place; it'd save me the trouble."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiuyuan laughed in anger:
"Aim for first place? Who do you think you are?"
He stared at Han Xuanji, his aura subtly surging, and said coldly:
"Then I'd like to see how you're going to get over me."
Han Xuanji did not reply, but simply nodded slightly to him and made a "please" gesture.
Xiao Jiuyuan gave a cold snort, said no more, and his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.
An extremely heavy sense of oppression surged in from all directions like a tide, as if the power of the entire Starry Sky was squeezing Han Xuanji.
The eighth-ranked prodigy is far superior to those who came before him.