Lineage Heaven's Chosen Ranking

For this competition, the Lu Clan's upper echelon had spared no expense.

After all, the Lineage now had not only Ancestor Danyang, a ninth-grade alchemist, but also the Yellow Pill Grotto-Heaven, a secret realm of heaven and earth.

The Lu Clan's reserves of resources were now as deep as those of some long-established superpowers.

All manner of high-grade pills, powerful secret arts, and countless other resources were awarded to the thirty victors.

Those of the younger generation who had failed to make the top thirty were somewhat disappointed.

But that was reality.

If they wanted more resources, they could only demonstrate their worth.

Just then, the clan leader, Lu Qingshan, personally stepped forward and gave the thirty young Lu Clan geniuses some news. Before long, they would pay a visit to the Murong Clan, with Lu Fan, an elder of the academy, personally leading them.

"The Murong Clan?"

Some of the Lu clansmen looked puzzled.

They had only recently arrived in Central Province and were still unfamiliar with some of its powers.

But they soon learned that the Murong Clan was a superpower of considerable strength.

The young geniuses asked no further questions. In their eyes, Lu Qingshan was the Lu Clan's heaven; they would trust him unconditionally and obey his orders.

Still, this trip to the Murong Clan probably won't be as simple as an ordinary visit.

Lu Chong thought to himself.

Beside him, Lu Pengfei chuckled, a proud look appearing on his face. "Maybe the clan leader wants us to meet the Murong Clan's geniuses and let our Lu Clan show its might once again."

Hearing that, Lu Chong's heart stirred.

Lu Pengfei's guess was quite likely.

Of the three, only Lu Heiyu remained silent. It seemed he had never been one for talking.

"Elder Lu Fan, I'll leave everyone going to the Murong Clan this time in your hands."

First Elder Lu Guangyao had come to the Lu Clan academy and spoke to Lu Fan with a smile.

By now, Lu Fan's cultivation had long since reached the Saint Realm.

As a reincarnated Saint, he naturally cultivated far faster than ordinary people.

More importantly, he still had a grudge to avenge.

"Rest assured, First Elder. Leave the safety of these young people to me. I, Lu Fan, will not disappoint you."

Though he was not a true core member of the Lu Clan, he was an elder of the clan all the same and naturally knew some of the inside story.

The Time Blessed Land.

Unfortunately, he would not have the chance to go in and broaden his horizons.

Time flowed differently inside the Time Blessed Land than it did outside. A single day of cultivation within was worth several days, months, or even years of cultivation in the outside world!

However, living beings who entered the Time Blessed Land would also consume the laws within it, so it could not admit too many at once.

It could be said that the Murong Clan had shown considerable sincerity this time.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Lu Fan, Lu Guangyao left the academy.

At the Lu Clan academy, reaching the Spirit Master Realm generally counted as a full graduation.

Lu Clan geniuses such as Lu Chong and Lu Pengfei were all outstanding students who had successfully graduated from the academy.

Having Lu Fan lead them would also make things a little more familiar.

In a mountain range on the Lu Clan's Qiyun Mountain.

Lu Heiyu, third on the Lu Clan Heaven's Chosen Ranking, was concentrating on his cultivation there.

Just then, a black shadow suddenly approached Lu Heiyu without a sound.

Lu Heiyu's eyes flew open. He spun around and threw a punch.

Yet his opponent easily caught the blow, despite his having put nearly all his strength into it.

"You!"

Lu Heiyu's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the mysterious black-robed man before him.

"Your cultivation is good, but your attainment in the Darkness Dao is still lacking."

"I also cultivate the Darkness Dao, yet you didn't notice me until I was right behind you. Heh, third on the Heaven's Chosen Ranking isn't all that impressive."

Listening to the faint mockery in the black-robed man's words,

Lu Heiyu clenched his teeth and said in a low voice, "Who exactly are you?"

"You're not a member of the Lu Clan!"

He could not sense the slightest trace of the Lu Clan bloodline in the black-robed man.

Thanks to Ancestor Tianyan's methods, the Lu Clan bloodline had long since awakened, allowing the clansmen to draw on its power and become far stronger than ordinary people.

Yet he could not sense the slightest trace of the Lu Clan bloodline in the black-robed man before him.

Still, there were quite a few powerful people in the Lu Clan who were not clansmen. They were all outstanding experts the clan had recruited from outside.

But as far as he knew, he had never heard of an expert among them who cultivated the Darkness Dao.

Seeing that Lu Heiyu had grown somewhat flustered, the black-robed man smiled faintly and finally released him.

The next moment, Lu Heiyu quickly retreated.

The black-robed man stood where he was, hands clasped behind his back, bearing himself like a master. "Have you ever heard of the Shadow Division?" he asked calmly.

The Shadow Division!

At those words, Lu Heiyu was shocked once again.

Clearly, he knew something.

"Y-you're from the Shadow Division!"

There seemed to be a trace of excitement in Lu Heiyu's startled voice.

The black-robed man nodded slightly. "I am the leader of the Shadow Division. You have good talent, and I'd like to recruit you into the division."

The black-robed man got straight to the point.

Hearing that, Lu Heiyu nodded without hesitation. "All right, I'm willing!"

Lu Heiyu's eagerness took the black-robed man slightly aback, and he could not help reminding him, "You should know that once you join the Shadow Division, you can never again appear openly before your fellow clansmen. From then on, you can only live in the shadows, silently giving your all for the Lineage."

"I'm willing!"

Lu Heiyu spoke earnestly once more.

At that, the black-robed man gave Lu Heiyu a long look and nodded. "Good. I'll come find you again after you return from the Murong Clan."

With those words, the black-robed man turned into a mass of shadow and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Watching the black-robed man leave, Lu Heiyu still could not conceal his excitement.

The first time he heard about the Shadow Division, he had felt an inexplicable excitement.

It was as though he had been born to belong there.

Others might not be able to bear living forever in the shadows, but he liked it that way.

From then on, a voice had taken root in his heart.

He had to join the Shadow Division.

And now, the Shadow Division had come to him of its own accord.

His wish had come true.

Elsewhere in the Lineage.

After returning home, First Elder Lu Guangyao personally went to see his descendant, Lu Chong.

"Little Chong, you did very well. You didn't make a disgrace of your great-grandfather."

Looking at this descendant who ranked first on the Lineage Heaven's Chosen Ranking, Lu Guangyao beamed.

Lu Chong looked excited as well. "Great-Grandfather, now that I've taken first place and won so many resources, the people behind me are even less likely to catch up."

It was just like a snowball rolling downhill.

Seeing Lu Chong like this, Lu Guangyao nodded, then shook his head slightly. "Not necessarily. You mustn't grow arrogant."

"This time, you had the advantage in cultivation. Once you've all reached the peak of the Spirit Concentration Realm, that's when your true abilities will be tested."

"In that regard, those two youngsters, Lu Pengfei and Lu Heiyu, are no worse than you with your Lightning Dao."

One cultivated both wind and fire, while the other cultivated the Darkness Dao.

They were indeed troublesome.

After Lu Guangyao's reminder, Lu Chong quickly regained his composure.

"Yes, Great-Grandfather. From now on, I will make good use of the resources the Lineage awarded me this time and cultivate diligently."

But Lu Guangyao's next words shocked him once more.

"The resources the Lineage awarded you are nothing. The Murong Clan, where you're going next, is what matters most this time."

"If you make good use of the opportunity, you might be able to avoid decades of detours."

"What!"

"Brother Pengfei, congratulations! Second on the Lineage Heaven's Chosen Ranking—that's an immense honor!"

Several young Lu clansmen had gathered in a circle around Lu Pengfei, their faces full of admiration.

Lu Pengfei reclined in the middle with a stalk of foxtail grass between his teeth. "What good is second place?" he said dismissively. "It's not first."

He was actually rather upset about coming second this time.

He had thought that, with his mid-stage Spirit Concentration Realm cultivation and his mastery of both the Wind and Fire Daos, no one under thirty in the Lineage's younger generation could match him.

He had not expected Lu Chong to pop up with late-stage Spirit Concentration Realm cultivation.

Seeing that their boss was somewhat downcast, one of his underlings rolled his eyes, then stepped forward with a smile. "Boss, don't be discouraged. Didn't the clan leader say there would be another competition?"

"This time, Lu Chong had the advantage in cultivation. Once you and he have both reached the Spirit Concentration Realm, I don't believe you'd still lose to him at the same realm."

At that, the other underlings around them immediately chimed in. "That's right! Boss is invincible at the same level."

Their words brought a smile to Lu Pengfei's face.

"Heh, you lot really know what to say."