Chapter 429: The Great Jiang Fan Surrounded by Stars

Sunset City Plaza.

It wasn't dark yet, but the disciples had already arrived early. Except for those still on missions and not yet returned, all the disciples in the city were present. After all, it was the first time the Merit Ranking List was being announced, which made it exceptionally significant.

Liang Feiyan led Ling Guihai and several other elites from the Myriad Sword Sect, waiting in front of the command post.

"Senior Brother Liang, you've been on missions for the past month, barely resting," Ling Guihai complimented. "If you don't get first place on the Merit Ranking List, I'll be utterly unconvinced."

Liang Feiyan shook his head. "How could first place be so easy? Not to mention Xia Chaoge, that mission fanatic who's even more dedicated than I am, Jin Zhongming also hasn't rested for a month. Moreover, they both have a track record of completing Heavenly-tier missions. You should know that one Heavenly-tier mission is equivalent to four Profound-tier missions. The highest-tier mission I've completed so far was only Earth-tier." Liang Feiyan had a clear understanding of his own abilities. "First and second place will definitely go to Xia Chaoge and Jin Zhongming. I... I might just manage to rank third."

Just then, Liang Feiyan spotted Jiang Fan and Liu Qingxian arriving from a distance. He was slightly surprised. "Liu Qingxian? She's back? Jiang Fan succeeded in his rescue mission?" The disciples behind him knew about it. "Senior Brother Liang, you wouldn't know, but Jiang Fan not only rescued Liu Qingxian but also brought back the other four disciples completely unharmed. Deputy Pavilion Master Ye praised him greatly and credited him with full merit." Liang Feiyan was so astonished his mouth hung open. He had thought it would be good enough if Jiang Fan merely returned alive.

"Fortunately, the Heavenly-tier mission he completed this time will only be counted next month, and won't appear until the next list is announced," Liang Feiyan continued. "Otherwise, my third place this time might not be secure." Ling Guihai dismissed this. "Senior Brother Liang, aren't you overestimating him too much? As far as I know, that guy was previously doing logistics missions. At first, he was even doing Level 3 missions, which shows his strength is quite limited."

Naturally, Ling Guihai had a strong impression of Jiang Fan. Back in Qingyun City, Jiang Fan had indeed made him lose face. Liang Feiyan was shocked again. "What did you say? He used to do Level 3 missions? Could it be that he offended some important figure in the Azure Cloud Sect? Why would they suppress him like that?"

Remembering Jiang Fan effortlessly defeating Little White, Liang Feiyan's mouth twitched. He realized it was fortunate that Jiang Fan had been suppressed; otherwise, his third place would definitely not be safe. Collecting himself, he waved from afar. "Junior Brother Jiang!"

Hearing him, Jiang Fan walked over. Liu Qingxian was startled. "You know the chief disciple of the Myriad Sword Sect?" She was a bit confused. Liang Feiyan was a truly elite disciple, his strength ranking among the top five of his generation across the Nine Sects' Lands. When had Jiang Fan started associating with such disciples? "We're sort of friends," Jiang Fan replied. Liu Qingxian looked bewildered. "Sort of?" Yet, looking at Liang Feiyan's friendly smile, he seemed to genuinely regard Jiang Fan as a friend.

As the two approached, Liang Feiyan exclaimed, "As expected of you! To actually complete a mission like that! Senior Brother, I wouldn't even dare to accept it." Jiang Fan cupped his hands. "You flatter me, Senior Brother Liang. It was just luck." Luck? Liang Feiyan felt an urge to punch him. Wasn't that too modest? That was a mission even Xia Chaoge had deliberated over before deciding to give up. How could mere luck be enough?

Ling Guihai scoffed disdainfully, "At least you know your place. Good that you admit it was luck; don't get cocky." At these words, Liang Feiyan's face instantly turned stern. He spun around and snapped, "Impudent! How dare you speak to Junior Brother Jiang like that?" Jiang Fan's strength was something he himself couldn't match. Had Ling Guihai lost his mind? Offending someone without cause. If he truly angered Jiang Fan, Liang Feiyan wouldn't be able to protect him. Ling Guihai was startled; Liang Feiyan was usually very gentle and rarely lost his temper. He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Junior Brother Jiang, I'm sorry." Liang Feiyan huffed, "If you ever show disrespect to Junior Brother Jiang again, I'll be the first to deal with you!" Then, with an apologetic expression, he cupped his hands towards Jiang Fan. "Junior Brother Jiang, please be the bigger person and don't bother with him."

Jiang Fan glanced at Ling Guihai. Naturally, he didn't want to waste words on such a person. He nodded slightly and then chatted desultorily with Liang Feiyan. Liu Qingxian watched, secretly astonished. What was going on? Ling Guihai was the Myriad Sword Sect's second-ranked elite disciple. Yet, Liang Feiyan wasn't protecting him; instead, he was scolding him, seemingly afraid of offending Jiang Fan. But Jiang Fan was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Was all this really necessary? Ling Guihai, too, was seething with indignation. Had his Senior Brother taken the wrong medicine? Treating him like this for a useless person without a spiritual root?

"Oh! Junior Brother Jiang, you're here too!" Hua Xiangchen and Li Shiqian spotted Jiang Fan from a distance and hurried over. Li Shiqian, especially, approached with a joyful expression. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Jiang, on completing the fourth Heavenly-tier mission in history!" Jiang Fan looked at her in surprise. "You... you're still here?" Wasn't she stripped of her mission-performing qualifications?

Li Shiqian said somewhat awkwardly, "The Sect Master brought me to plead with Deputy Pavilion Master Ye. Since I sincerely repented, Deputy Pavilion Master Ye allowed me to continue on probation. I can perform missions for now, but if I act presumptuous again, my qualifications will be permanently revoked. Junior Brother Jiang... you don't mind, do you?" she asked nervously. Jiang Fan smiled faintly. "That's for the best. If you take good care of the weaker disciples in the future, Deputy Pavilion Master Ye will surely forgive you completely." The other party had already been forced to kowtow and apologize to him twice. How could Jiang Fan still hold a grudge? Li Shiqian's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. "Mhm, mhm, I'll listen to Junior Brother Jiang."

Liu Qingxian, standing nearby, was full of suspicion. What was going on? If she remembered correctly, this Li Shiqian wasn't an easy person to get along with. She had even had conflicts with this woman when she first arrived in Sunset City. Li Shiqian then noticed Liu Qingxian was present and quickly apologized to her too. "Junior Sister Liu, I was often rude to you before. Please be the bigger person and forgive your Senior Sister." Liu Qingxian momentarily doubted if the person before her was truly the arrogant and domineering Li Shiqian. Apologizing to her? She said in a daze, "Oh, no, it's fine, it's all in the past."

At this moment, Hua Xiangchen also hurried over. He simply nodded at Liang Feiyan, then clasped his hands and bowed to Jiang Fan. "Junior Brother Jiang, you're quite the celebrity in Sunset City now. Congratulations!" Liu Qingxian was truly bewildered. The chief disciple of the Grand Supreme Sect, actively showing goodwill towards Jiang Fan? No way. Why was Jiang Fan deserving of such courtesy from all of them?

But it wasn't over yet. Just as Jiang Fan finished exchanging pleasantries, Xie Liushu, in elegant attire and with a handsome face, also offered a polite smile. "Junior Brother Jiang, I've just arrived in Sunset City, and I hear your name being discussed everywhere. Senior Brother is quite envious!" Liu Qingxian was utterly stunned. The chief disciple of the Joyous Harmony Sect? What exactly were all of them doing?

What left her even more dumbfounded was this: Amidst a series of gasps, Jin Zhongming, rarely seen with a full smile, approached, accompanied by a strikingly beautiful female disciple with a serene, unsmiling face. "Junior Sister Xia, you've completed another Level 1 mission?" he said with a wry smile. "You're not leaving me any chances, are you?" He had thought he could contend with Xia Chaoge, but then Xia Chaoge completed yet another Level 1 mission, completely widening the gap between them. Xia Chaoge gently shook her head. "Until the very end, who wins or loses remains unknown."

Suddenly, as she looked up, she noticed a crowd gathered three layers deep around the center of the plaza. From experience, there must be a highly important disciple present, with the others naturally gravitating towards them. She genuinely disliked such attention and was about to find a quiet corner when she abruptly realized the center of the disciples' attention was actually Jiang Fan! Her bright eyes immediately shone. Leaving the increasingly stiff-faced Jin Zhongming behind, she joyfully ran over, holding up her skirt, and chirped like an oriole, "Uncle-Master, Uncle-Master, you're back!"

Liu Qingxian simply couldn't believe her eyes! Xia Chaoge? The foremost prodigy of the Nine Sects' Lands! She... she was actually so affectionate with Jiang Fan? Liu Qingxian felt a wave of dizziness. Jiang Fan's immense transformation plunged her into deep self-doubt: "Did I really only spend ten days in the glacier? Or was it a whole year?"