Chapter 39: Assaulting the Human Ranking
SWOOSH!
In front of the Celestial List, Shangguan Qingmu gathered his power and then suddenly struck.
True Qi howled from his fingertip, transforming into a Sword Aura that shot directly toward the Celestial List before him.
The howling True Qi tore through the air. Its sheer force was terrifying, and Ling Fei and the others standing nearby felt their skin sting as if ravaged by Sword Qi.
'Is this Sword Qi?' Ling Fei's brows furrowed.
"He isn't using a sword, but his True Qi is like one! Young Master Shangguan is so powerful!" Wu Dapang was completely stunned.
BUZZ!
The sword-like True Qi pierced the Celestial List.
Then, Light Patterns flashed on the Crystal Stone-like stele. Ripples spread across its surface as it absorbed the Sword Qi, like a lake swallowing a stone.
This fierce strike had no effect on the giant stele whatsoever.
"Shangguan Qingmu!" At that moment, Shangguan Qingmu's gaze sharpened. Pointing forward, he used his True Qi as a brush to write his name.
BUZZ!
A flash of Light Patterns appeared, and the names on the Celestial List began to shift.
Then, everyone saw the name "Shangguan Qingmu" steadily climbing through the top 100 spots.
It shot all the way up, finally appearing near the top.
Twentieth!
Top Ten!
"Young Master Shangguan broke into the top ten!" Wu Dapang's eyes lit up when he saw this.
Then, the name continued to shoot upward, blasting past the others.
Finally, Shangguan Qingmu's name pushed down Han Jing, who was originally ranked seventh.
His name settled firmly in the seventh position.
However, after claiming the seventh spot, the glittering light around his name gradually dimmed.
Finally, it faded completely.
Shangguan Qingmu, ranked seventh!
'He's below Liu Yuan?' Seeing this, Ling Fei's brow twitched.
'It seems that Liu Yuan really is quite skilled!'
"The path of Martial Arts is vast and profound. A temporary ranking means nothing. As long as you have the will to improve and cultivate diligently, you will have the chance to surpass those before you!"
Shangguan Qingmu said.
Although he was currently ranked below Liu Yuan, he wasn't the least bit discouraged.
He remained as proud as ever, showing no sign of admitting defeat.
"That's right. A Martial Artist should be just so, possessing the heart of an expert." Hearing this, Ling Fei nodded repeatedly.
'If you become depressed over a single success or failure, how can you ever move forward?'
'My current Realm may be lower than Liu Yuan's, but I will surpass him one day.' Ling Fei's mind was crystal clear.
The negative feelings brought on by Liu Yuan's previous arrogance dissipated.
In his heart, only one goal remained: to become stronger.
Glancing at the ranking list, Huang Xiaoman's eyes narrowed, and she too walked forward.
Immediately, her jade-like hand moved.
WHOOSH!
True Qi burst from her jade-like fingers.
This True Qi was like a sword, yet also like water, seeming to contain some special Mental Realm.
Then, the True Qi struck the giant stele in front of her.
Light Patterns flickered and ripples spread. Huang Xiaoman used her hand as a brush to write her name.
BUZZ!
Light Patterns flashed on the stele, and Huang Xiaoman's name appeared.
Ninety-ninth!
Ninety-sixth!
...
Her rank continuously climbed.
'This girl actually made it onto the list.' Seeing this, Ling Fei was slightly taken aback.
There were nearly ten thousand students in each grade. How difficult was it to break into the top one hundred?
For Huang Xiaoman, a student from a Humble Family, to achieve such a result was truly rare.
"My sister is amazing." Huang Liang's eyes burned with passion, his face filled with pride.
Even he hadn't expected his sister to be able to leave her name on the list.
Sixty-eighth!
In the end, Huang Xiaoman's name stopped at sixty-eighth place.
"Sixty-eighth!" Huang Xiaoman's elegant brows knitted together, seemingly dissatisfied with this result.
Despite her usual fierce demeanor, she inwardly yearned to become stronger and surpass others.
'This crazy girl isn't bad at all.' Ling Fei nodded slightly.
"Sis, you're so incredible!" Huang Liang looked at her with admiration.
"The academy is full of geniuses. Since we come from a Humble Family, we have to cultivate even harder. If you can't make it into the top hundred on the Human List in the future, watch out, or I'll beat you." Huang Xiaoman's gaze shifted to her younger brother. Her fierce expression made Wu Dapang shudder in fear, and Zhao Fa offered a silent prayer for Huang Liang.
"The top hundred!" Hearing this, Huang Liang's face turned bitter. He frowned and said, "Sis, how about within the top eight thousand?"
"Eight thousand? Hmph! If you can't even get into the top thousand, see if I don't beat your ass raw!" Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaoman's gaze immediately turned ice-cold.
Her imposing manner terrified Huang Liang.
"Five thousand, maybe?" he whispered.
In return, however, he only received Huang Xiaoman's sword-like glare.
"Alright, I'll cultivate hard." Huang Liang finally accepted his tragic fate.
He knew that for the next year, he would most likely be in a state of frenzied cultivation.
Then, the group's gaze shifted to the Human List.
This time, it was their turn to be tested.
"I wonder what my rank will be?" Wu Dapang rolled up his sleeves, his face flushed with excitement.
Immediately, the youths walked over to the base of the Human List together.
"I'll go first!" Zhao Fa said, his face full of anticipation as he stepped before the Human List.
"Just strike the giant stele with your full power," Shangguan Qingmu said.
Zhao Fa then sank into a horse stance and channeled the True Qi in his body.
BANG!
He immediately threw a punch at the giant stele.
Instantly, ripples spread across it.
"Carve your name!" Shangguan Qingmu said.
Zhao Fa then used his finger to write his name.
The next moment, Light Patterns flickered.
But after two breaths, the Light Patterns dimmed.
Then, a line of text appeared on the stele.
Zhao Fa, Rank: 9,452!
With a flash of light, the ranking faded and disappeared from the giant stele.
"Outside the top nine thousand?" Seeing this, Zhao Fa frowned, his face crestfallen. 'Am I really that bad?' he muttered.
Back in Longtan Town, he was considered a genius!
"Haven't you always been this bad?" Wu Dapang said scornfully.
Then, he rolled up his sleeves and walked up as well.
He, too, struck with all his might.
The Light Patterns flickered, and finally, Wu Dapang's name appeared.
Wu Bi'an, Rank: 8,792!
"You're not much better," Zhao Fa said.
"At least I'm stronger than you!" Wu Dapang retorted with disdain.
Then, Huang Liang made his move.
8,999!
Seeing this, Huang Liang wanted to cry.
With this rank, could he even break into the top thousand?
"What are you moping for? I'll teach you personally from now on. Are you still afraid you won't be able to surpass others?" Huang Xiaoman scolded.
"That's true." Hearing that, Huang Liang breathed a sigh of relief.
With his sister's guidance, he believed he would improve quickly.
After all, his sister was an Innate Realm expert.
This was like getting private tutoring!
Chen Feng struck. Rank: 8,461.
"That's acceptable. You all must work much harder in the future and strive to step into the Innate Realm," Shangguan Qingmu said.
These were clearly words of comfort for the group.
"My turn!" At this point, Shangguan Yurou stepped forward.
Immediately, Zhao Fa and the others moved to the side.
"The people from the Shangguan Clan are so powerful, she should be able to make the top ten, right?" Zhao Fa, Huang Liang, and the others were filled with anticipation.
Her older sister, after all, was number one on the Celestial List.
Would this younger sister be any worse?
Ling Fei was also full of anticipation.
He had known Shangguan Yurou for some time now, but he never knew the girl's true strength.
Stepping before the Human List, Shangguan Yurou's gaze focused, and a sharp aura began to emanate from her.
In that instant, her gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a biting sharpness.
She was like a sharp sword, exuding a cutting edge.
This caused Wu Dapang and the others nearby to unconsciously take a few steps back.
WHOOSH!
With a focused gaze, a flash of light appeared in Shangguan Yurou's jade-like hand, and a Long Sword materialized.
The blade was sharp, and it radiated an aura of Sword Qi.
Then, she gripped the sword, her eyes fixed forward as a powerful force quietly gathered around her.
At that moment, the world seemed to fall silent.
Everyone could feel a kind of Sword Momentum gathering around Shangguan Yurou.
SWISH!
Just then, her hand moved, and the Long Sword thrust forward.
BUZZ!
In an instant, the Long Sword pierced the giant stele.
Ripples spread out. The sword was like a blade stabbing into the ocean; its sharp power was completely swallowed.
Then, Shangguan Yurou withdrew her sword and carved her name onto the stele.
By the time her name was carved, Huang Liang and the others were still in a state of shock.
Because Shangguan Yurou's last strike had been too fast.
The power contained within it was terrifying.
It was not hard to imagine: if they were to fight her, would they be killed with a single slash?
Thinking of this, the way they looked at Shangguan Yurou changed instantly.
'This is a momentum... Sword Momentum!' Ling Fei was also shaken. 'When Shangguan Yurou sparred with me before, she really wasn't using her full strength.'
Such a technique truly surpassed that of many Body Tempering Realm Cultivators.
Even some Innate Realm Cultivators might not have grasped Sword Momentum.
Amidst their astonishment, the group's gaze turned to the changing ranks on the Human List.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The Light Patterns flickered, and Shangguan Yurou's name shot upward.
Top Ten!
Soon, her name appeared in the top ten.
In just an instant, her name blew past the previous fourth place and stabilized within the top four.
However, after stabilizing at fourth, her rank could not advance any further.
In the end, Shangguan Yurou, Rank: Fourth!
'Ranked fourth!' Ling Fei's eyes flickered.
Such a result was very good.
There were, after all, ten thousand new students!
"Only fourth?" Wu Dapang, however, furrowed his brow.
How sharp had Shangguan Yurou's sword strike just been?
In his opinion, it was comparable to the Innate Realm.
And even with that, she was only fourth?
What kind of monsters were the top three?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and mutter, "The geniuses out here are truly terrifying!"
"Fourth... However, this won't be my limit. As long as I take another step forward on the Sword Dao, I can definitely surpass them."
Shangguan Yurou's gaze focused as she spoke in a low voice, a rare look of determination appearing in her eyes.
Clearly, she was also a Martial Artist full of self-confidence.
Her gentle side had completely vanished at this moment.
"Yurou has already condensed Sword Momentum while only at the Body Tempering Realm. When she reaches the Innate Realm, she will certainly be able to advance even further." Shangguan Qingmu was quite satisfied with this.
"Young Master Ling, it's your turn." Shangguan Yurou put away her Treasure Sword, then looked at Ling Fei with a smile.
It seemed she was also looking forward to Ling Fei's performance.
Shangguan Qingmu's gaze shifted, and he also looked toward Ling Fei.
'I wonder what rank this stinking brat will get?' Huang Xiaoman thought to herself.
She felt a mix of anticipation and worry.
If Ling Fei performed too well, he would undoubtedly become a celebrity in the academy.
At that point, who knew how many upperclassmen and underclassmen would fall for him.
Thinking of this, Huang Xiaoman's brow furrowed slightly.
'The Human List!' At that moment, Ling Fei's gaze also fell upon the giant stele.
The next moment, he strode forward and walked to the base of the giant stele.
