The Times Have Changed, and They No Longer Dared Call Themselves Prodigies

As the duel between Zhao Xin and Xiao Ran came to an end, the onlookers dispersed like a tide.

Only Wei Jiaming, Chen Xingci, and Wang Ruoyao remained, gazing at the sky in a daze.

Chen Xingci broke the silence first, his tone full of self-deprecation:

"Now I finally understand why there are so many talented people in the Eastern Desolation."

This Fairness System is simply a miraculous wonder that can turn the impossible into the possible; with enough Energy Points, anything is possible.

I used to think I was fairly well-off, but now I realize I'm completely broke, penniless.

Wei Jiaming's face was also full of bitterness, his brows furrowed in a frown:

"Yes, we are all short of Energy Points. Without Energy Points, many system functions cannot be used."

Moreover, the competition that follows will be truly deadly.

Previously, our opponents were at most some cultivators with Heavenly Spirit Root, and their numbers were limited;

Now, things are really messed up; we have to compete with everyone.

Those people on the current Combat Power Ranking, aren't they all ruthless characters who fought their way up from among billions of ordinary people?

Each and every one of them was an overwhelming force, possessing unparalleled combat prowess.

We will have to compete against these monsters in the future, and even face many more rising stars.

Climbing the Combat Power Ranking is incredibly difficult, and it will only get harder in the future!

Moreover, I just saw on TikTok that Wang Zechuan couldn't withstand more than a few moves from Chen Jie before being killed on the spot; Li Yanzhou was also directly suppressed by Bai Qianqian.

They even managed to escape from the pursuit of a Void Return Realm expert.

As for Liu Yi, he was even more terrifying. A Void Return Realm was like an ant in his hands, easily crushed.

The prodigies on the Combat Power Ranking are truly terrifyingly strong.

He sighed deeply, "Now I finally understand why Zheng Siqi and Lin Jing never considered themselves geniuses."

Compared to those freaks, we're just ordinary cultivators. I won't dare call myself a prodigy anymore.

Wang Ruoyao nodded slightly, her tone serious. "That's right, the competition has become ridiculously fierce."

With our current strength, let alone breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm Combat Power Ranking, we can't even get close to it.

Furthermore, I learned from browsing TikTok and forums that as more and more people bind their accounts to the system, the competition will only become more intense.

When everyone on the entire Azure Firmament Continent is bound to the system in the future, they will be directly competing with all the geniuses on the continent. Just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle.

Moreover, the system's spread is an inevitable trend; even if we wanted to monopolize it, we couldn't.

After saying this, the three of them looked at each other, their bitterness deepening.

Let alone standing out from the entire continent, they couldn't even reach the threshold of the current Combat Power Ranking. With an uncertain future ahead, their confidence sank.

Chen Xingci was the first to recover, a smile returning to her face, her tone becoming lighter:

"Let's not be so discouraged. Now that we're bound to the Fairness System, we'll have the opportunity to improve our strength through it in the future, and we might still be able to climb the Combat Power Ranking."

Even if they don't ultimately ascend, their strength will be far greater than before, wouldn't their chances of becoming immortals be much higher?

This in itself is a fantastic thing.

Of course, the most important thing right now is to earn Energy Points. Without Energy Points, there is no strength and no future.

"Should we go back to the Central Continent first, sell the Cultivation Method in our sect's library, and then go to the Dissemination System to earn Energy Points?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruoyao glanced at him in surprise, nodding in agreement while also showing some hesitation:

"You're right, with Fairness System, the chances of becoming an immortal have indeed increased significantly."

"But... but wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to directly sell the Cultivation Method from the sect's library?"

Chen Xingci said, "Even if we don't sell them, others will sell the Cultivation Method in the Scripture Pavilion after they bind to the system."

Rather than letting someone else beat us to it, let's strike first and earn Energy Points.

He paused here, his brow furrowed slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, he continued:

"Should we also tell our own sect about the Fairness System?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Jiaming and Wang Ruoyao fell silent instantly.

If the entire sect is bound to the system, their original advantages will completely disappear.

Competition within the sect will only intensify, and their current positions as Holy Son and Holy Daughter will be challenged.

The duel between Xiao Ran and Zhao Xin was just before our eyes. Who can guarantee that someone in the sect won't suddenly unleash their power after binding with the system, and their cultivation level will directly surpass theirs?

At that point, their position will be in jeopardy.

The three exchanged a glance, understanding each other's thoughts, and tacitly stopped discussing the topic.

Wei Jiaming broke the silence first, suggesting, "Since we've come all this way to the Eastern Desolation, why don't we take a trip to the mortal realm first?"

"Let's see what this mortal world, where everyone can cultivate, looks like now."

"That suits me perfectly. To be honest, I'm quite curious too." Chen Xingci and Wang Ruoyao nodded in unison.

"I just checked the system map. The nearest major city in the mortal realm is the capital of the Great Ming Fortune Dynasty. Let's go check it out."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Jiaming transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the capital of the Great Ming Dynasty.

Chen Xingci and Wang Ruoyao followed closely behind, and the three figures quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Half an hour later, Wei Jiaming and his two companions arrived outside the capital of the Great Ming Fortune Dynasty.

Gazing at the magnificent, sprawling city stretching to the horizon, the three were filled with awe.

They had never seen a city of such scale before; it was both immense and exquisitely beautiful, dozens of times larger than any city in the cultivation Immortal Realm.

Today, the Great Ming Dynasty has expanded twenty times compared to when the dynasty was founded.

As various inventions, Law Technique, and martial arts techniques are integrated into all aspects of life, the city appears increasingly magnificent.

Wei Jiaming's mouth dropped open, his voice filled with astonishment:

"What a magnificent city! Compared to it, Yuntian City and Flying Immortal City are like small towns."

Are all cities in the mortal realm of the Eastern Desolation this grand?

Chen Xingci's gaze fell on the city gate, where he saw people riding flying Law Treasure and mythical beasts.

Or perhaps it was people who flew directly through the air, raining down on the city gate, which startled him.

"If I hadn't known beforehand that this was a city in the mortal realm, I would have truly believed I had arrived at the holy city of the Central Region."

Now that I've seen this city with my own eyes, I truly feel that times have really changed.

"I've seen cities in the mortal realm of the Central Continent before; they were dilapidated, with dirt roads all inside."

The people mostly lived in thatched huts, and they were all emaciated and pale, wearing coarse linen clothes that were full of patches.

Wang Ruoyao flew towards the city gate first, saying, "Let's go into the city and take a look. I'm curious to see what it's like inside."

The three landed at the city gate and followed the flow of people entering the city, slowly walking towards this magnificent city that overturned their understanding of what a city could be.

Wei Jiaming's gaze swept over the majestic city wall, where he saw that the wall surface was covered with intricate array patterns, and many strangely shaped War Weapons even he could not understand stood there.

Although the principle behind it is unknown, the danger sensed from the device indicates that it is not just a decorative ornament, but a deadly weapon.

He immediately transmitted his Divine Sense, his tone full of emotion. "This city wall is actually covered with array patterns. The scale of this project is simply terrifying!"

Even my Yuntian City only set up one Yuntian Grand Formation, and I didn't inscribe array patterns so meticulously on the city walls.

Looking at those War Weapons, I sensed a dangerous aura emanating from them; they clearly posed a threat to us.

Chen Xingci followed his gaze, his eyes lingering on the War Weapons for a moment, his tone tinged with apprehension:

"It definitely exudes a sense of danger. Moreover, the material of this city wall is unusual; it looks to be the same as the material beneath our feet. I wonder what it is?"

Wang Ruoyao softly took over the conversation, explaining, "I learned about it while browsing TikTok and forums before."

This material is called cement, and it comes in different types depending on its intended use.

And look at those people entering and leaving the city gates—they're all so well-behaved and orderly; they seem to have exceptionally high standards of conduct."