Chapter 139: Heavenly Mysterious Ranking

The Profound Gathering Pagoda stood at the very center of the inner palace. Its presence was visible from anywhere within the inner palace, so Yun Che didn't need any guidance and easily found its entrance.

The profound energy within the inner palace was already exceptionally dense, but the moment Yun Che stepped into the Profound Gathering Pagoda, a surge of profound energy several times more concentrated than outside washed over him, causing all 54 of his profound entrances to spontaneously expand in excitement.

"As expected, there's a natural profound vein beneath this Profound Gathering Pagoda. It's no wonder it became the location for a nation's imperial profound palace. If a sect were to be established here, it would develop from a small sect into a powerful and renowned one within three hundred years," Jasmine remarked.

Sikong Du had told Yun Che yesterday that his cultivation chamber was number 101, which meant the first room on the tenth floor. Just as Yun Che was about to proceed, he suddenly noticed a multitude of names densely displayed on the wall to his right. A thick profound energy aura emanated from the surface of these names, indicating they were sustained by profound energy and could be changed at any time.

"Heaven... Profound... Ranking?" Yun Che's spirit lifted as he read the three large characters at the top. He turned sideways and began to carefully observe the names. Exactly one hundred names were displayed on the wall, representing the one hundred disciples of the inner palace—the Heaven Profound Ranking of the Azure Wind Profound Palace, known to everyone.

Yun Che scanned each name from bottom to top. These one hundred individuals were the super-elite among the countless elites of the Azure Wind Profound Palace, figures revered by all profound palace disciples, and renowned even throughout the entire Azure Wind Imperial City.

Although there were one hundred individuals, their profound strength levels were quite concentrated. From the 100th to the 78th place, all had True Profound Realm Level 8 profound energy. From the 77th to the 41st place, all were at True Profound Realm Level 9. And from the 40th to the 4th place, all possessed True Profound Realm Level 10 profound energy.

At the 73rd position, Yun Che found Murong Yi's name:

Murong Yi: Twenty years old, True Profound Realm Level 9.

At the 39th position, Yun Che found Sikong Du's name.

Sikong Du: Twenty years old, True Profound Realm Level 10.

The age of both individuals indicated that this was their final year at the Azure Wind Profound Palace. The ages of these one hundred inner palace disciples were generally concentrated around nineteen and twenty, as, under otherwise equal conditions, profound strength was proportional to age. From the 100th to the 4th place, only two individuals were under nineteen, both eighteen years old, ranked 96th and 99th respectively—positions that were precarious on the Heaven Profound Ranking, vulnerable to being replaced by newcomers at any moment.

Yun Che's gaze particularly settled on the top three names.

Third place: Fang Feilong, twenty years old, Spirit Profound Realm Level 1.

Second place: Feng Bufan, twenty years old, Spirit Profound Realm Level 1.

From the third place upwards, strength suddenly ascended to an entirely new level, transcending from the True Profound Realm to the Spirit Profound Realm. Although, in terms of rank, it was only one level higher than the True Profound Realm Level 10 below, the difference in major realms meant this gap in strength was far from a simple one-level difference.

When looking at the first-place name, Yun Che's gaze lingered for a long time:

First place: Fen Juechen, seventeen years old, Spirit Profound Realm Level 2.

Yun Che was astonished.

His eyes quivered intensely as he looked at the name occupying the top spot on the inner palace's Heaven Profound Ranking. He was not surprised that this individual had surpassed the second and third places by another level, but rather... that Fen Juechen was only seventeen years old!

He was the only person on the entire Heaven Profound Ranking under eighteen, and astonishingly, he was also ranked first!

A seventeen-year-old Spirit Profound Realm Level 2!

What astonishing talent, what a monstrous genius, to reach the Spirit Profound Realm at seventeen! Although his profound strength level was only one level higher than the second and third places, his incredible age clearly demonstrated that his talent far surpassed theirs by a significant margin. Xiao Luocheng, the recognized number one genius of New Moon City, who reached the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm at sixteen, wasn't even fit to carry Fen Juechen's shoes.

Wait... Fen Juechen... Fen?

Yun Che's brow furrowed slightly. As far as he knew, the surname "Fen" was unique to the Burning Heaven Clan; only members of the Burning Heaven Clan used it. But how could someone from the Burning Heaven Clan enter the Azure Wind Profound Palace? The Burning Heaven Clan's cultivation techniques, heritage, and resources all far surpassed those of the Azure Wind Profound Palace. Not to mention that disciples of such transcendent sects were forbidden from ever betraying their sect; even if the Azure Wind Profound Palace actively invited them, Burning Heaven Clan disciples probably wouldn't even spare it a glance.

Could it be that "Fen" wasn't an exclusive surname of the Burning Heaven Clan after all?

At that moment, two figures walked into the Profound Gathering Pagoda's entrance side by side. The one on the right wore white robes, his handsome face carrying a hint of effeminate coldness. His eyes were half-closed, and his scattered gaze held a chilling air. Seeing Yun Che, he let out a frivolous whistle. "Oh! Look, a new face! Little brother, are you new here?"

Yun Che glanced over and saw Murong Yi standing beside the white-robed man. Murong Yi also spotted him, first startled, then bursting into contemptuous laughter. "Hahahaha, who do we have here? If it isn't that little mouse who was shouting about challenging me, hahahaha."

"Oh?" The white-robed man's eyes shifted, his gaze on Yun Che now carrying a hint of interest. "So, you're that Yun Che? Tsk tsk, you might have a good-looking face, but your brain doesn't seem to work very well. I wonder if your mother accidentally squeezed your head too hard when she gave birth to you."

The profound energy aura emanating from the white-robed man was clearly stronger than Murong Yi's, not just by a little, almost on par with Sikong Du. Though handsome, he gave Yun Che an extremely uncomfortable feeling, and his words were utterly malicious, causing Yun Che to frown and a reflexive surge of killing intent to rise in his heart.

"Feng Baiyi, watch your words!"

Sikong Du walked in from the Profound Gathering Pagoda entrance, his face clouded with anger.

Feng Baiyi? Hearing that name, Yun Che quickly recalled his position on the Heaven Profound Ranking... 36th place! Three ranks higher than Sikong Du.

Feng Baiyi turned around and smiled at Sikong Du. "Oh, isn't it Brother Sikong? I heard you picked up a little mouse outside and brought it in. Tsk tsk, you should keep a tighter leash on it. If a mouse runs loose in the inner palace, it's quite disgusting to us, isn't it, Brother Murong?"

Murong Yi grinned, shaking his head. "Speaking of which, I'm largely responsible for this mouse getting into our inner palace. Sigh, if I had known this would happen, I should have decisively crippled that mouse's legs yesterday... But since it's come to this, Brother Sikong, you should listen to my brother Feng and keep a close eye on your mouse. Don't let it run around dirtying our eyes and mood, hahahaha... Brother Feng, let's go."

With a contemptuous glance at Sikong Du and Yun Che, Murong Yi and Feng Baiyi laughed as they entered the Profound Gathering Pagoda.

Sikong Du let out a long breath, forcefully suppressing his anger, and walked up to Yun Che. He said calmly, "Don't mind them. This Feng Baiyi and Murong Yi's family are connected by marriage, so they usually act in unison."

Yun Che smiled faintly, indicating he didn't care. He then gestured towards the Heaven Profound Ranking with his eyes, asking with a perplexed expression, "Brother Sikong, what's going on with Fen Juechen, the top-ranked individual on the Heaven Profound Ranking? Isn't 'Fen' an exclusive surname of the Burning Heaven Clan?"

Sikong Du nodded. "That's right. Fen Juechen is indeed from the Burning Heaven Clan, and he's also the youngest son of Fen Duanhun, the current Burning Heaven Clan Master."

"Hmm?" Yun Che turned his head, a look of surprise on his face.

"As you might guess, Fen Juechen has currently left the Burning Heaven Clan," Sikong Du said slowly. "Fen Juechen has astonishing talent and is an undeniable genius, but he's also an extremely arrogant one who can't tolerate any failure. Last year, he suffered a crushing defeat and humiliation at the hands of his elder brother, Fen Juebi, who had just emerged from seclusion. In a fit of rage, he left the Burning Heaven Clan, vowing never to return until he defeated Fen Juebi. Even his father's persuasion was useless. Of course, this departure is not a betrayal; as the Clan Master's son, there's no question of disloyalty."

"Then why did he come to the Azure Wind Profound Palace?" Yun Che inquired.

Sikong Du glanced at Yun Che. "It seems you're quite unaware of the current situation surrounding the Azure Wind Imperial Family."

"The Azure Wind Imperial Family? What does that have to do with this?"

"Fen Juechen entered the Azure Wind Profound Palace, and is using this Profound Gathering Pagoda for cultivation, at the behest of the Third Prince, as a gesture of goodwill towards the Burning Heaven Clan," Sikong Du explained with a sigh. "Currently, the Azure Wind Emperor is gravely ill, and rumors say he won't live for more than three more years. Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo are vying for the throne, aligning themselves with the Xiao Sect and the Burning Heaven Clan, respectively. Cang Shuo, to gain more support from the Burning Heaven Clan, naturally tries to show as much goodwill as possible. Ah, in simple terms, that's how it is. Anyone with discernment can see that the Azure Wind Imperial Family, and indeed the entire Azure Wind Empire, is about to undergo a massive change. This inner palace is also gradually being drawn into these impending changes... Feng Bufan, ranked second, and Fang Feilong, ranked third, have both pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince and Third Prince, respectively. They are currently quite influential, so you absolutely must not provoke them. You wouldn't be able to handle it."

Yun Che pondered for a moment. "So, Brother Sikong, does that mean you've also been approached by the Crown Prince and Third Prince?"

Sikong Du nodded. "Over the past year, I've received no fewer than a dozen invitations to various banquets from both the Crown Prince and Third Prince. I reluctantly found excuses to decline them all... After graduation, I won't be able to stay in the Imperial City. I'll likely return to New Moon City as soon as possible. If you ever enter the inner palace, you'll also be courted by various factions. At that point, the choice will be yours."

"Go cultivate now. Three months is neither a short nor a long time. Every extra second you gain is another shred of hope," Sikong Du said, giving Yun Che a deep look before walking directly into the Profound Gathering Pagoda.

Yun Che followed him, arriving at the tenth floor of the Profound Gathering Pagoda. Sikong Du's mentioned profound chamber 101 was right in front of him.