Chapter 148 - 117: The Holy City in an Uproar

Chapter 148: Chapter 117: The Holy City in an Uproar

In the outside world at this very moment.

Countless prodigies who had participated in the selection had already retreated to the registration area. However, the entire Holy City was boiling over, as if struck by a magnitude-twelve earthquake. Tens of millions of older and younger generation Cultivators looked up at the sky, staring blankly at the constantly changing Celestial List.

In truth, at the very beginning of the selection, no one had noticed the name with the alias Ghost-faced Asura. But as time passed, many Cultivators noticed a terrifying phenomenon. At some point, Ghost-faced Asura’s ranking on the Celestial List had quietly risen, and its ascent was shockingly fast.

"During the selection process, the rankings of all the prodigies are rolling. The talent and potential they show in the selection room will be reflected on the Celestial List."

"Some prodigies who were on the Celestial List one moment get pushed down by others the next. That’s the system of the Celestial List selection."

"Ever since the name of the prodigy with the alias Ghost-faced Asura appeared on the Celestial List, it hasn’t dropped a single spot. Instead, it’s been continuously rising. Just a short month ago, it had already surged to the middle of the Celestial List."

And two months later, Ghost-faced Asura directly climbed to the forefront of the Celestial List, appearing in the highest tier, trailing right behind the Saint Sons and Saintesses of Nanling who were exempt from the selection. Every time this alias rose a rank, it drew the attention of more Cultivators.

On this day, the alias directly surged into the first tier of the Celestial List, blending into the rankings of those Saint Sons and Saintesses. What was even more terrifying was that his ranking was still rising.

"Good heavens! Could it be that among this batch of prodigies participating in the selection, an existence capable of rivaling the Saint Sons and Saintesses of the various races has emerged?"

"A dark horse! This is the biggest dark horse in this term’s prodigy supremacy battle!"

"No, it’s the most terrifying dark horse in the history of all prodigy supremacy battles."

"Look quickly! His ranking has risen again! He’s already closing in on the Saint Race’s Saint Sons and Saintesses!"

"GASP—it rose again?"

Watching the once-again rising ranking, the entire Holy City practically exploded. Even countless terrifying figures from the Nanling Ancient Races made their appearances one after another.

"Ghost-faced Asura? Who is that?"

"Who is Ghost-faced Asura? To think they actually climbed into the first tier of the Celestial List?"

"Could it be a world-shocking figure from those barren lands?"

"Impossible. There’s no way an existence we don’t know about would appear on the prodigy registry. It’s even more impossible for children from those barren lands to possess such terrifying talent and potential."

For a time, the Holy City boiled, and Nanling was shaken. A hidden gem that had slipped through the cracks, capable of rivaling the Saint Sons and Saintesses of the Saint Race—just how terrifying was this talent? How could they have gone undiscovered for so many years?

Meanwhile, in an endlessly distant land of Nanling, at the very summit of a certain nine-tiered Divine Peak.

Two terrifying figures quietly watched a broadcast feed that was almost perfectly synchronized with the Holy City’s Celestial List. Their expressions varied. One of them, a stalwart figure resembling the ruler of the world, stood with his hands behind his back. Within his eyes, a boundless cosmos of swirling galaxies seemed to turn.

"Ghost-faced Asura? Could it be that child you brought back from Xingyue City’s Earth Realm?" the stalwart figure spoke indifferently. His every word and action was filled with boundless majesty, and his aura was so potent that it felt as if this world itself could barely withstand it.

Off to the side, another figure leaned diagonally against a Divine Stone. Upon hearing this, he casually took a swig of wine, leisurely wiped the liquid from the corner of his mouth, and glanced at the Celestial List’s rankings.

"If he can’t even reach the top of the Celestial List, how is he fit to be the disciple of Yan Nantian?"

"Are you really that confident? You have that much faith in him?" Having said that, the stalwart figure couldn’t help but turn to look at the lazy middle-aged man.

Evidently, the lazy and Carefree man was none other than the South Mountain Sword Saint, Yan Nantian. As for the other figure, it wasn’t hard to guess—it was undoubtedly one of the "Nine Great Saints Suppressing Nanling," one of the Nine Saints.

Faced with the other’s inquiry and doubt, Yan Nantian didn’t respond. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and hugging his wine jug, he fell right to sleep.

Seeing this, the former narrowed his eyes slightly and subconsciously gazed in the direction of the Holy City. His gaze seemed capable of piercing through endless mountains and rivers, reaching straight into the Holy City.

At the same time, at the selection grounds in the Holy City.

"An existence comparable to the Saint Sons and Saintesses of the Saint Race... Is such a person really a prodigy from our Xingyue City’s Earth Realm?" The silver-haired old man looked at the youth sitting cross-legged behind the stone door, his breathing becoming incredibly ragged.

The gray-haired old man wasn’t faring much better either. Compared to the endless Cultivators outside, the two of them were, in a sense, the first to know just how terrifying that youth was. Coupling the shocking changes of the stone door with the wildly surging rankings on the Celestial List, it wasn’t hard for them to guess that Ghost-faced Asura was absolutely the alias of the figure behind the stone door.

"The Eight Meridians and seven transformations of the spine... This is pure fantasy! Could such an unparalleled freak truly be born in that barren land?"

"Old fossil, I’m not dreaming, am I? Hurry up and slash me with your sword, let’s see if this is a dream."

SLASH!

"Argh! You old bastard, you actually slashed me?"

"Old friend, does it hurt? It’s not a dream. It’s really not a dream! Our Xingyue City’s Earth Realm has actually produced a peerless prodigy!" Tears streamed down the two old men’s faces. From now on, the youth inside would be the calling card of their Xingyue City’s Earth Realm—a calling card powerful enough to awe and echo throughout all of Nanling. They would be able to brag about this for a decade.

But just as the two were shocked breathless, in a sudden instant, Jiang Hao, who had nearly fully healed with the help of the stone walls, once again opened his eyes.

And the very moment Jiang Hao opened his eyes...

RUMBLE—!!!

The strange stone above his head erupted with radiant light once again, and the surrounding stone walls vibrated madly.

The next moment, a peerlessly magnificent figure in white clothing slowly materialized.