Chapter 568 - 192: Renown in Jintai Prefecture, Miss Jinlian’s Thoughts

Just then, Steward Xue strode onto the stage, cleared his throat, and circulated his Inner Qi to announce in a booming voice, "The third match of the sixth round: victor, Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak!"

The moment he finished speaking, the square erupted in thunderous cheers once more.

Yang Jing respectfully cupped his fists toward Steward Xue, then turned and calmly walked off the stage, heading toward the Lingxi Peak disciples.

Along the way, many disciples from the other peaks cast admiring glances in his direction.

After Yang Jing stepped down, Steward Xue also left the stage. He hurried over to Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan, gathering with several other Main Peak Elders to discuss the new rankings in low voices.

This time, there was little dispute, and they reached an agreement with remarkable speed.

A moment later, Ouyang Jingxuan walked slowly onto the high platform, holding the new ranking list. He bowed to Sect Leader Cao Zhen and the seven Peak Masters, then announced the final three rankings.

...

Right now, a clamor of discussion filled Fushan Square, soaring to the heavens. Everyone was talking about the climactic duel between Yang Jing and Lu Shaohua.

Yang Jing’s performance, in particular—crushing Lu Shaohua so decisively after unleashing his true strength—had surpassed everyone’s expectations.

"With that kind of strength, Yang Jing might be on par with Chu Yunhai now, don’t you think?"

"Hard to say, but he definitely stands a fighting chance! Now we’re in for a real show!"

"The Hidden Dragon List is about to be turned upside down! The battle for the top spot is going to be incredible!"

A clamor of such voices rose and fell, creating a huge buzz.

Meanwhile, in the area where the Celestial Derivation Peak disciples were gathered.

Chu Yunhai stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture as straight and tall as a pine tree. He gazed calmly at the empty stage, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Every detail of the fight between Yang Jing and Lu Shaohua replayed clearly in his mind.

Chu Yunhai nodded slowly and muttered to himself, a hint of approval in his voice, "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Yang Jing’s performance—decisively defeating Lu Shaohua after revealing his true power—had indeed made him feel a sense of threat and pressure he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

’Even if I fought Lu Shaohua myself,’ Chu Yunhai thought, ’the best I could do is about the same. I might not even do it better than Yang Jing did.’

However, along with this sense of threat and pressure, Chu Yunhai felt an even stronger surge of confidence.

Yang Jing’s strength was formidable, but he, Chu Yunhai, had held the top spot on the Hidden Dragon List for this long for a reason—it wasn’t just an empty title.

As the publicly acknowledged number-one prodigy of the younger generation in all of Jintai Prefecture, he had the utmost confidence and power to face any challenge.

...

Over in the area where the Thunder Peak disciples were gathered.

Bai Ziyu stood amidst the crowd, his expression grave and somber.

He clenched his fists tightly, his brow furrowed. A storm was raging in his heart.

He knew his own strength was somewhat greater than Lu Shaohua’s, but only by a slight margin.

If they were to fight for real, it would take him at least a hundred moves to determine a winner. He could never achieve such a decisive victory, crushing Lu Shaohua in just over twenty moves from the moment he went all out, as Yang Jing had done.

In another corner of the crowd, Miss Jinlian stood on her tiptoes, her gaze following Yang Jing’s retreating figure. Her large eyes blinked with excitement, and an unwavering smile graced her lips.

Given her friendship with him, Yang Jing’s rise to prominence undoubtedly gave her a new, solid pillar of support.

The stronger Yang Jing became and the more brilliantly he performed, the greater the benefits would naturally be for her.

For instance, over the past two days, she had clearly felt a change in Wang Xiao’s attitude toward her.

Wang Xiao hailed from the prominent Wang Family and was a daughter of the main lineage. Although they had been friends, Wang Xiao had always subtly held the upper hand in their relationship.

But now, when Wang Xiao saw her, there was a new warmth in her tone. She would even take the initiative to consult her on matters. The dynamic of their relationship had already begun to subtly shift.

...

The area where the Lingxi Peak disciples had gathered was already a sea of jubilation.

Fang He, Yan Chenglong, Lin Ziheng, and the other Inner and Outer Sect disciples of Lingxi Peak all had their faces flushed with excitement, their shouts rising and falling in waves.

Yang Jing was an Inner Sect Disciple of Lingxi Peak. The more dazzling his performance and the more brilliant his achievements, the greater the glory for all of them—enough to let them hold their heads high in front of disciples from the other peaks.

Furthermore, his success would serve as a major factor when the sect allocated resources among the peaks. The emergence of a prodigy like Yang Jing was directly tied to the personal interests of every single disciple of Lingxi Peak.

Lin Ziheng clenched his fists, his face flushed with excitement. He leaned in toward Fang He and the others, exclaiming, "Senior Brother Yang is incredible! He beat Lu Shaohua so quickly! And think about it—Bai Ziyu is only a notch stronger than Lu Shaohua."

He paused, his eyes gleaming with fervent light. "With the strength Senior Brother Yang has shown, he should be able to beat Bai Ziyu too! In that case, he’s basically guaranteed second place in the Fushan tournament and is now contending for first!"

His words sent the surrounding disciples into an uproar, and their discussions grew even more fervent.

"Guaranteed second and fighting for first! My heavens, it’s been ages since our Lingxi Peak has had this much glory in the sect!"

"Now Lingxi Peak can finally hold its head high!"

Someone exclaimed in amazement, "The top two in the Fushan tournament don’t just get special cultivation support from the sect, they also get rewards like the Yunqiao Jade Marrow and a Grade B Training Room! At this rate, those treasures are practically guaranteed for Senior Brother Yang!"