flstandardbreds Chapter 952 Ranking Battle (5)
Chapter 952 Ranking Battle (5)
Chapter 952 Ranking Battle (Part 5)
“There’s no other way. Our school’s ranking is low, so we’re unwilling but have no choice,” Gao Jue said with a wry smile. “I remember Brother Han said last time that he had only recently joined the school. What? Are you going to participate in the competition as well?”
"Be careful not to be fooled. Although the battle is conducted through a projection of the soul, not the physical body, an accident can still cause severe physical damage. Damage to the soul will also be reflected in the physical body; it's not as safe as you think."
"I know," Han Yi said with a faint smile. "Circumstances are beyond our control. Sometimes, many choices are made out of necessity."
"That's true." Gao Jue felt a sense of shared misfortune and patted Han Yi on the shoulder with some sympathy.
"Let's form a team and go together. Let's keep a low profile and stay in the competition longer. Maybe we can get a ranking. How many points we can get depends on luck."
Han Yi was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
His intention was to say that he wasn't interested in the ranking competition and that participating was just a formality.
As it turned out, the other party seemed to be overthinking things, mistakenly believing that he was forced into this situation.
The two chatted as they followed the procession and soon entered the main hall.
"Senior Brother Gao!" The crowd parted, and a woman with a beautiful face, dressed in a light green dress, and with a pure temperament walked towards Gao Jue.
"Oh? You're here too?" Gao Jue led Han Yi to greet them. "This is Zi Teng from the Qi Mu lineage, and this is Han Yi from the Wan Xiang lineage. We're both going to participate in the competition, so it'll be good to have someone to look after us later."
Han Yi glanced at the wisteria.
Her aura was pure and natural, brimming with vitality. Her green dress bulged out from the edges, revealing faint tendrils of vines, like a hibernating snake swaying in the wind.
This woman is clearly not an ordinary human; she is of a different race.
"Wisteria belongs to the Wood Spirit race, and her healing talent will definitely play a significant role in the competition," Gao Jue said, seemingly understanding Han Yi's thoughts.
“Qimu Valley, Wisteria,” Wisteria said calmly. “Which school of thought? What are they good at? Tell me in advance so we can coordinate our studies.”
She glanced at Han Yi but found nothing special about him; he seemed quite ordinary. So she took the initiative to ask him something.
"Me? Han Yi of the Myriad Manifestations School." Han Yi smiled faintly. "The sword. I am skilled with the sword, at the Profound and Out-of-Body level."
"I see." A hint of disappointment flashed in Zi Teng's eyes.
Knives are too common and too ordinary.
A person from an unknown elementary school, wielding a knife, and only recently breaking through to the Profound Realm... his strength can't be that great.
She turned her head and started discussing with Gao Jue.
Although Gao Jue wasn't particularly strong, he was rich.
He spent his days doing brokerage-like business, buying and selling, and tinkering back and forth. Although he wasn't exactly wealthy, in the eyes of the lower-level disciples of the minor schools, he had extensive connections and a substantial fortune.
Han Yi didn't mind, so he simply followed behind the two of them, strolling around leisurely and observing his surroundings with great interest.
I waited a little while longer.
Two elderly men emerged from the hall. One was tall and the other short, both dressed in pale yellow robes. Judging from their attire and clothing, they were elders of the Thousand Spirits Hall of the Demon Saint Palace.
"Those who are not involved, please leave. Those who are members of the school, please stay." One of the elders stepped forward, his voice booming.
"Alright. Keep quiet. Those whose names are called, come forward and line up." Another tall elder announced loudly, "The competition is about to begin. The two of us will be responsible for distributing Divine Intervention Talismans and Identity Tokens to everyone. Please keep them safe."
"Identity tag?" Han Yi frowned slightly.
He knew about the Divine Separation Talisman; it was a method used to separate the soul, protect the physical body, and project it into the body.
But this identity tag…
Why didn't he hear Lin Mu mention this?
"It refers to the initial identity of the participants in the ranking competition. It's one of the innovative competition methods that the Holy Palace has introduced recently," Gao Jue explained from the side.
"Generally speaking, those with noble status and high position have more resources at their disposal in a contest. Their advantages and the ease with which they can use their methods naturally increase their chances of winning."
Of course, once the competition begins, identities can change at any time; adaptability and personal combat strength are the keys to victory.
"One of the innovations? There are several different ways to compete?" Han Yi asked, frowning. The Myriad Manifestations School has not participated in the ranking competition for a long time, and it is closed off and backward. I'm afraid Lin Mu's information has long been useless.
"Quite a few: faction battles, sieges, chasing spirit treasures... all of these have appeared in the competition," Gao Jue casually remarked. "The ranking competition areas are usually set up in the Garden World. So, regardless of the method, in this world with its clear hierarchy, the importance of having a good starting identity is self-evident."
"Understood." Han Yi nodded, his expression strange.
No wonder he vaguely saw the people in front of him handing something to the tall elder while receiving their identity tokens…
Even if you can't get a good identity, at least it can't be too bad, a disastrous start.
During the short time the two were talking, the group moved forward quickly, and soon it was Han Yi's turn.
"The Iron Wing School," the tall elder uttered a name.
"Yes, yes!" Gao Jue said with a smile, and ran over in small steps. "Elder, do you still remember..." As he spoke, he took out a roll of Star Gold Notes from his pocket and secretly slipped it over.
The tall elder, with an upright and righteous demeanor, swiftly reached into his robes, and the star gold vanished without a trace.
“There are three of us…we hope the elders will be lenient…” Gao Jue pointed to Han Yi and Zi Teng behind him.
The elder remained expressionless, and it was unclear whether he had heard or not. He waved his hand, signaling the two to follow.
After taking the Divine Dividing Talisman and Identity Token, Han Yi arrived at the hall behind the elder.
At this moment, more than thirty people stood scattered in the hall. They were all the members of the schools participating in the ranking competition. Most of them had solemn expressions and their faces showed some tension.
Only a very few people strolled around leisurely, with relaxed expressions.
The two people at the very front of the group were the most eye-catching.
A man and a woman. The man on the left has a broad forehead and piercing eyes. He seems to have a reserved temperament, but the depth and arrogance between his brows cannot be concealed. He is clearly an extraordinary and courageous genius.
The woman on the right was enveloped in a white halo, obscuring her face. She had a slender figure and exceptional temperament, which, combined with her mysterious aura, made her even more alluring.
At this moment, the woman tilted her ear slightly, as if listening to the man tell some interesting story, and occasionally shook her head slightly to indicate her objection.
“People are different…” Gao Jue remarked from the side, “Mo Shaoming from the Yunfeng lineage and Luo Bingxianzi from the Lingxin lineage are both strong contenders for the championship in this competition…”
If we were forced to participate in the ranking competition, we had no choice but to... They... are truly the chosen ones... just to improve themselves...
“The primary school faction has its advantages, and the university faction has its own troubles. At least we have less responsibility, don’t we?” Wisteria said dismissively. “They want to go further and win, while we just want to maintain our ranking. There’s really no conflict.”
"That's true," Gao Jue nodded. "I wonder what the rules are for this competition..."
He looked around and suddenly asked in confusion.
"Huh? Young Master Tengyun of the Tianhu School... why isn't he here this time? It's said that he has already broken through and even declared that he will win the championship in this competition?"
"Given the size of the Tianhu School, which is almost at the middle level three, what's the point of Lou Tengyun not participating in the competition?" Zi Teng shook her head and said, "You should know that even if the Yunfeng School and the Lingxin School are combined, they may not be able to compare with the Tianhu School."
“That’s not necessarily true.” A red-haired man turned around and leaned closer, saying quietly, “I heard that Lou Tengyun seems to have disappeared. It seems that there has been no news of him for a long time. It’s hard to say whether he is still alive.”
Upon hearing this, the group immediately looked over. "I just heard it. Don't take it seriously," the red-haired man waved his hand, speaking casually, and turned to leave.
Han Yi's heart stirred slightly, but his face remained calm and expressionless.
Once all those participating in the ranking competition had gathered, the palace doors slowly closed.
A series of footsteps sounded, and soon guides appeared, leading everyone present to line up separately and walk deeper into the main hall.
Not long after.
A semi-transparent light gate, shimmering with a pale white-golden glow, appeared before everyone.
Guided by the staff, the group formed a long, serpentine line and entered the portal in an orderly fashion, their figures slowly fading and disappearing.
The team moved forward very quickly without any delay. After activating the Divine Separation Talisman, they patted it on their bodies and then walked in. The process was not complicated.
Han Yi continued forward with the group. As Gao Jue and Zi Teng stepped into the light gate, he followed closely behind.
Snapped.
A hand reached out and gently blocked Han Yi's path.
The arms were thick and muscular, covered with numerous scars—knife marks, burns, frostbite—enough to show that the owner of the arms was no ordinary person.
"The School of All Things? You are Han Yi?"
Look towards the sound.
What Han Yi saw was a tall man with fierce eyes and a gloomy face. A cross-shaped scar on his face was clearly visible, with a glimmer of fire within it.
The man wore a waist tag and insignia representing an elder. He was very tall, much taller than the average person, and was comparable to Han Yi.
"You are...?" A hint of doubt flashed in Han Yi's eyes. He didn't recognize this person and had never seen him before. "I am Lou Wujiu, Lou Tengyun's uncle." The man smiled.
The laughter was cold, cruel, and devoid of emotion, filled with deep malice, and the eyes revealed undisguised resentment.
"Oh? So it's Elder Wujiu. My apologies for my rudeness." Han Yi cupped his hands and said casually. "What is the meaning of this, Elder? Why are you blocking my way? Do you intend to disrupt the ranking competition?"
"A sharp-tongued little fellow..." Lou Wujiu chuckled softly, like a viper flicking its tongue.
"Alright, alright, after hiding for so long, I've finally found you. Tell me, where is Lin Mu? Where is Teng Yun? Don't tell me you don't know! He disappeared from your school in the end!"
"What are you talking about?" Han Yi frowned. "Are you going to move aside or not?"
His voice suddenly rose, immediately attracting the attention of many people around him.