Chapter 430: List Ranking Is Off

She felt as though only a day had passed in a cave, yet a thousand years had elapsed in the world outside, leaving her with a profound sense of temporal displacement. When did Jiang Fan become such a prominent figure?

Jin Zhongming also felt a similar sense of unreality. He gazed at Jiang Fan, who was encircled by elite disciples such as Xia Chaoge, Liang Feiyan, Hua Xiangchen, Li Shiqian, and Xie Liushu, like stars revolving around the moon. The sight was particularly jarring to him. Previously, in any setting, at any time, that position belonged to him. Since when could an unknown junior from the Qingyun Sect usurp his standing?

He strode forward, dragging his halberd behind him. The piercing scraping sound interrupted the group's conversation. Only Xia Chaoge remained unfazed, continuing to inquire about Jiang Fan's trip to Taihu Lake with keen interest. Liang Feiyan and the others, however, grew uneasy upon seeing Jin Zhongming's aggressive demeanor. Disciples from the Giant Sect were notoriously overbearing, and as their chief disciple, Jin Zhongming exemplified this trait. Everyone was wary of him.

"Kid, you seem to be in quite a good mood!" Jin Zhongming declared, approaching menacingly.

Jiang Fan calmly replied, "It would be even better if you kept your distance."

A low hum reverberated. The halberd vibrated, a result of Jin Zhongming tightening his grip. He narrowed his eyes, fixating on Jiang Fan like a predator. He resembled a fierce tiger poised to strike at any moment. The tension made everyone uneasy.

Liang Feiyan, gathering his courage, interjected, "Brother Jin, let's discuss this calmly. If there's any misunderstanding between you and Junior Brother Jiang, I'd be happy to host a gathering so we can clear the air. How does that sound?"

As someone known for his excellent rapport within their circle, Liang Feiyan typically commanded respect. Jin Zhongming shot him a sidelong glance. "What, looking to make a name for yourself? Then you can take his place and have your limbs broken and your tongue cut out?"

Liang Feiyan was left utterly mortified. Jin Zhongming, who was usually courteous to him, was now showing him no respect at all. What kind of deep-seated animosity could there be between them?

"Junior Brother Jiang, what exactly happened between you two?" Liang Feiyan whispered.

Jiang Fan calmly replied, "Nothing much. He simply can't handle losing."

*Buzz—*

Jin Zhongming's face hardened. He raised his halberd and pressed it against Jiang Fan's neck. "Who are you calling a sore loser? You merely got lucky, avoided danger, and narrowly completed a rescue mission. If you had been assigned my mission, you wouldn't be alive right now! Yet you claim I can't handle losing? Laughable!"

Staring at the impossibly sharp halberd, everyone's eyes widened. They quickly urged Jin Zhongming to calm down, telling him not to harm Jiang Fan. Only Jiang Fan remained unperturbed, picking up the halberd with two fingers and examining it with keen interest.

"It's cold to the touch, likely forged from cold iron with added special materials, and remarkably heavy," he mused. "It's a fine weapon. I'll take it!"

He then flicked his finger. The massively heavy halberd was effortlessly flicked away. Caught off guard, Jin Zhongming nearly dropped his weapon. He was a mix of shock and rage. He was surprised by Jiang Fan's immense strength, given his seemingly slender build. He was enraged that he had almost been humiliated in front of so many people!

Just as he was about to erupt in anger, several figures emerged from the command center. The first to appear was Ye Cangyuan. Closely behind him were two powerful individuals dressed in the robes of the Tianji Pavilion. A man and a woman, each standing half a step behind Ye Cangyuan.

The moment Ye Cangyuan appeared, the entire area fell silent. It was as if boiling water had suddenly been doused with ice, instantly calming.

"Allow me to introduce them," Ye Cangyuan announced. "These two are special envoys, dispatched by the Tianji Pavilion Master, to announce last month's merit list and oversee the prize redemptions: Commissioner Luo Dongcheng and Commissioner Lin Yuheng."

The disciples in the area watched Luo Dongcheng with eager curiosity. In his hands, he held a bright yellow scroll, reinforced with seals. Without a doubt, this was the much-anticipated merit list.

Luo Dongcheng stepped forward, smiling. "Last month, a total of four hundred and fifty-one disciples undertook missions. Due to time constraints, I will only announce the names of the top ten disciples. Disciples whose names are not mentioned can find their names on this list at the notice board later."

Liang Feiyan took a deep breath. The moment of truth had finally arrived. The nine sects constantly engaged in rivalry. However, never before had the top elites from each sect gathered in such numbers, eagerly competing to complete missions. This list, while seemingly individual, was more than that; in reality, it was a competition among the nine sects. Whichever sect had disciples performing more prominently on the list would undoubtedly bring great honor to their own sect. Thus, rather than being merely a personal ranking, it was more of a sect competition ranking.

The Giant Sect, Taishang Sect, and Ten Thousand Swords Gate had always been known as the Upper Three Sects. If their disciples performed poorly, they would easily become the subject of ridicule from the other six sects. However, he was confident. Among all nine sects, he believed it would be difficult for anyone to surpass his rank, with the exceptions of Xia Chaoge and Jin Zhongming. Third place, he felt, was certainly within his grasp.

*Rip—*

As Luo Dongcheng tore open the seal, it signaled the unveiling of the list, personally ranked by the Tianji Pavilion Master, a list no one had seen beforehand. For the very first time, it was revealed to the public.

Elite disciples like Liang Feiyan and Xie Liushu were naturally tense. Those who knew they had no hope of making it into the top ten, however, were much more relaxed. They chatted excitedly, making guesses.

"Come on, place your bets! Let's guess the rankings."

"I bet the top three are from the Upper Three Sects. If I lose, all the spirit stones are yours. If I win, just give me a little something, hehe."

"Do you think I'm running a charity? Do the top three ranks even need guessing? Who else could it be but the Upper Three Sects? Let's guess the next seven places instead..."

As for the top three, everyone considered them undisputed. The real suspense lay in the rankings that followed. It remained to be seen how many positions the other six sects could secure.

Xia Chaoge remained tranquil and silent, occasionally glancing at the list, then at Jiang Fan. She appeared utterly unconcerned with the rankings.

Jin Zhongming stood with his arms crossed, an air of immense confidence exuding from him. He was as steady as Mount Tai regarding his second-place finish. No one could possibly challenge him. He also occasionally glanced at Jiang Fan, his gaze lingering on his limbs, as if pre-planning his attack.

The list unfurled. Luo Dongcheng's gaze fixed on the tenth name, which he then read aloud:

"Tenth place: Hua Xiangchen, three successful First-tier Mystic-grade missions, one failed First-tier Mystic-grade mission, three hundred merit points."

As soon as the tenth place was announced, the disciples throughout the hall frowned. They found the ranking somewhat unbelievable.

"That's not right! Hua Xiangchen's ranking is too low!"

"Tenth place, really?"

"With three first-tier missions completed, he should at least be in the top six, right?"

Hua Xiangchen himself was greatly surprised. It was no secret which elites were present in Sunset City, or how many missions they had successfully completed. His achievements should have placed him much higher. How could he have almost fallen out of the top ten? The significant discrepancy left him momentarily unable to accept it.

Luo Dongcheng continued, "Ninth place: Liu Qingxian, three successful First-tier Mystic-grade missions, one failed First-tier Earth-grade mission, three hundred merit points."

This announcement did not cause much of a stir. Everyone had witnessed how diligently Liu Qingxian had worked since her arrival in Sunset City. Her ranking above Hua Xiangchen was understandable. This was because her failed mission was the Taihu Lake patrol, which was an Earth-grade mission. Therefore, despite having the same merit points, her ranking was higher than Hua Xiangchen's.

"Liu Qingxian's achievement truly reflects her efforts."

"Indeed, it's impressive. A new cultivator who just reached the Core Formation stage, a female disciple no less, has surpassed the older generation Core Formation cultivator Hua Xiangchen. That's no easy feat in any respect."

Liu Qingxian's eyes welled up. A month of hard work had finally paid off. She had effectively secured a spot for the Qingyun Sect ahead of time. It was just a pity her ranking wasn't higher.

Jiang Fan smiled, "Congratulations, Senior Sister. Everyone in the Qingyun Sect is proud of you."

Jin Zhongming scoffed dismissively, "So delighted with just the ninth place. Truly impressive. My junior brother is ranked much higher than you."

No sooner had he spoken than Luo Dongcheng announced, "Eighth place: Xue Wanzhong, three successful First-tier Mystic-grade missions, one successful Second-tier mission."

Jin Zhongming's eyes immediately bulged. "Eighth?" he exclaimed. "How is that possible?"