Many people were stunned when they saw the name of the second place winner, their eyes filled with obvious doubt.
"Who is this? And, the Primordial Holy Heaven...?"
"Is this the Primordial Holy Heaven I'm thinking of?"
Which of the Ten Institutes Grand Competition from the Primordial Holy Heaven?
But it was precisely this Primordial Holy Heaven that they simply couldn't believe was truly one of the other's people.
At that very moment, a person slowly walked out from the teleportation portal of the Heavenly Abyss Secret Realm.
He walked slowly, covered in blood, his aura fluctuating as if he had just experienced a great battle, but his spirit was strong, his eyes resolute and sharp, like a drawn sword, unstoppable and invincible.
The young man stepped out of the secret realm gate, casually lifted his eyelids, wiped the blood from his face, revealing the familiar face of everyone in the Primordial Holy Heaven.
Shentu Feng.
Nothing around him mattered to Shentu Feng.
He simply raised his head almost stubbornly, looking at the stone tablet, searching for his name.
This time, even though it was only the first round, he was extremely eager to prove himself.
Therefore, he fought almost to the death to kill demons, bordering on madness.
He wouldn't even accept fortuitous opportunity that was offered to him.
To seize fortuitous opportunity is to waste time!
He wants to win!
Not only must we win the final match, but we must also be the winner of every round, completely cleanse the stains on the Primordial Holy Heaven, get rid of the past stigma, and prove that the Primordial Holy Heaven, and ourselves, are absolutely no worse than anyone else!
He's willing to give up everything for this!
Moreover... giving up fortuitous opportunity isn't all bad.
A glint suddenly flashed in Shentu Feng's eyes.
At this moment, although he had not gained any fortuitous opportunity or gains, there was no denying that he felt joyful and happy. If he were not on the field, he would have wanted to let out a long roar to express his excitement.
Simply because he broke through.
After three days and two nights of bloody battle, he successfully broke through in this round, further enhancing his strength and increasing his confidence in advancing to the Primordial Holy Heaven.
After he casually wiped the blood off his face, some of the surrounding students gasped in surprise when they saw his face clearly.
"Hiss? Shentu Feng!?"
"He's out!"
Many people still remember Shentu Feng and Jin Buhuan Huan from the farce at the exchange meeting, even though they were neither the strongest nor the most outstanding talents.
At that moment, someone who recognized Shentu Feng called out his name, immediately attracting countless curious glances from those who were curious about him because of his inclusion on the list.
At that moment, almost everyone dressed up on the field turned their gazes toward them, their eyes filled with a mix of curiosity, inquiry, and complex emotions.
A cacophony of voices erupted.
"Is this Shentu Feng from the Primordial Holy Heaven?"
" The Primordial Holy Heaven, the second... that bottom-ranked Holy Heaven, actually has such a powerful expert?"
"It seems the Primordial Holy Heaven is not content to remain at the bottom forever; this competition may be different from previous ones..."
"Heh, what do you know? Neither Feng Wuji nor Shentu Feng are anything special. It's just the first round. The real powerhouses wouldn't even bother competing for this ranking."
"The most important thing is to see how it goes in the second round!"
"That's right, I agree. What's the point of competing for fame and fortune in this first round if there's no real reward? It's all futile and a waste of effort!"
"But regardless, being on the list is proof of strength, and Feng Wuji and Shentu Feng should not be underestimated."
"..."
A large group of people were bustling around, saying all sorts of things.
However, the most excited were none other than the students of the Primordial Holy Heaven itself.
"Senior Brother Shentu!"
"Senior Brother Shentu! That's great, you're second!"
"Senior brother, that's amazing! That's amazing! We're second!"
Upon seeing the stone tablet, the students of Primordial Holy Heaven couldn't contain their emotions. Now, seeing Shentu Feng emerge, they immediately surrounded him, all of them excited.
They never expected that the runner-up in the first round of the Ten Institutes Grand Competition would be from their own Primordial Holy Heaven.
Shentu Feng actually managed to get a top-three ranking!
Before this, although Shentu Feng had encouraged everyone, the students of Primordial Holy Heaven were still somewhat demoralized because of the exchange meeting.
But now, seeing Shentu Feng's name appear directly on the list, surpassing all the geniuses of the top Holy Heaven, they were immediately overjoyed and felt that what Senior Brother Shentu said that day was true, and that their Primordial Holy Heaven still had hope!
The Holy Masters of the Primordial Holy Heaven also showed expressions of appreciation towards Shentu Feng's return.
"Good job, Shentu Feng, you did very well."
"As expected of the chief of the Ten Saints of the Primordial Holy Heaven."
Each sentence elevates Shentu Feng to a high position, but considering what he has actually accomplished, it's not really flattery.
Even though many prodigies weren't focused on the rankings, Shentu Feng's ability to reach second place among so many people already proved that he was indeed very strong.
This was exactly what Shentu Feng wanted to hear.
The gloom that seemed to have been hanging over him ever since he arrived here completely vanished.
His face was filled with a reserved smile, and the gloom between his brows melted away, leaving only self-satisfaction and excitement.
Surrounded by the crowd, he basked in the glory of his victory.
Behind him, Wan Renshan, dressed in an inconspicuous gray robe, stepped out of the secret realm gate, casually tidied his increasingly disheveled long hair, and glanced at him indifferently.
"Boring."
The next moment, Shentu Feng seemed to sense something and turned his head to look.
But all he could see were the backs of countless prodigies emerging from the secret realm's gate and returning to their positions in the Holy Heaven Realm; nothing else.
After the first round of the Ten Institutes Grand Competition concluded, the second round did not begin immediately.
What followed was a three-day rest.
Rest, adjust, prepare for battle.
That was the purpose of these three days.
Some of the most talented individuals chose to stay indoors, carefully reviewing their gains and preparing for the second round of the competition three days later.
However, many more prodigies chose to take these three days to explore Holy Heaven City thoroughly.
This is the Holy Heaven City.
Countless holy masters are stationed here, and powerful figures abound.
Almost all of their most trusted masters, teachers, seniors, and academy directors were here.
For these three days, they can indulge themselves as they please without worrying about any safety issues.
No Outer Dao could harm any of the students from the Holy Heaven Association and the powerful members accompanying the Ten Great Saint Heavens.
Students from various Holy Heaven gathered in this bustling place.
There was a gathering of relatives and close friends.
Of course, there are also those who are particularly hostile when they meet.