NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 842: Ranking
Chapter 842: Ranking
In the spectator square, when Fu Feng and the other three old-timers of the True Immortal Realm sensed the depletion of spiritual energy in the Divine Source Mystic Realm, they finally tore open a void portal with great force.
When they discovered Xuening’s awakening, they realized that the Divine Source Mystic Realm was beyond salvation.
Their primary goal then became to rescue the disciples trapped inside.
Of course, they still didn’t know the exact situation inside the Divine Source Mystic Realm, and they didn’t know how many of the participants were still alive.
The four of them worked in unison, and the void portal they created was incredibly stable, continuously rotating in the void.
Soon, a large number of figures hurriedly escaped from it.
Upon sensing the familiar energy outside, the participants of the Four Waters Martial Arts Competition felt a wave of deep gratitude that they could hardly express.
It was the joy of surviving a catastrophe.
If they had been sucked into the spatial storm, those cultivators in the Unity Realm and the Tribulation Realm wouldn’t have known how they could survive.
Endless numbers continued to pour out of the portal.
Before long, over 20,000 to 30,000 people had appeared in the square.
As they came out, everything that had happened inside was quickly spread.
“What did you say? That girl, Dantai Xuening, caused this?”
“Who exactly is she? Which great figure’s reincarnation is she?”
“Regardless of who she is, since she destroyed the foundation of my Divine Realm of Four Waters, there will surely be consequences.”
“What? You’re saying that Su Jingzhen and Qiu Yaoyao have entered the portal and might be able to acquire all the divine sources born within the Mystic Realm?”
“Ah, so it was the Heavenly Dragon Race that was causing all this trouble…”
Countless factions questioned their disciples, and after learning the truth of what had happened inside, everyone cast dark, unfriendly glances at Fu Feng and the Heavenly Dragon Lord.
Even though they knew that Xuening must be the reincarnation of some ancient powerful figure with an identity that could be terrifying, it didn’t matter to them.
They couldn’t argue with someone who had fully awakened and risen to an unattainable level.
The losses they had suffered were real.
They had to find a way to make up for it.
The Divine Source Mystic Realm had been destroyed, and although they couldn’t undo it, they would certainly demand compensation from the Heavenly Dragon Race.
The atmosphere in the auditorium changed abruptly as Fu Feng and the other three old-timers continued to maintain the portal.
In less than an incense’s time, tens of thousands of people had been successfully evacuated from the Divine Source Mystic Realm.
When the final group emerged, all eyes once again turned toward them.
This last group was none other than Xuan Jin, Han Qianxue, Jian Ling, and the others.
At this moment, Jian Ling and Yan Xia had over one hundred Divine Source Marks above their heads, giving them a striking, standout presence.
“Xuan Jin, Qianxue, Jian Ling, you can be considered the top figures of the younger generation in this Four Waters Martial Arts Competition.
And since you were the last to show up, you must be the most familiar with the situation in the Divine Source Mystic Realm. What exactly happened there?”
The Heavenly Dragon Lord, Ouyang Changjian, and the others all focused their serious gazes on Xuan Jin and the others.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the group darkened.
“All the spiritual energy and divine sources in the Divine Source Mystic Realm have been absorbed by the space at the cliff.
The Divine Source Mystic Realm has now collapsed.
Behind this portal is a vast, chaotic void-just the ruins of a destroyed space.
The Divine Source Mystic Realm, the moment we left, became a part of the Four Waters Divine Realm’s history.”
Xuan Jin spoke calmly, carrying a hint of regret in his voice.
Upon hearing his words, the spectator square fell into an immediate silence.
As their gazes shifted toward the Void Portal that still hovered in the air, the assembled crowd couldn’t help but wonder what the future of the Divine Realm of the Four Waters would be like without the Mystic Realm of the Divine Source.
It was possible that the realm might never recover, and its downfall seemed imminent.
After a brief moment of silence, the auras of many factions from the Four Water Region began to rise, and their gazes locked onto the higher-ups of the Heavenly Dragon Race standing in the void.
“The Divine Source Mystic Realm is the foundation of the Four Waters Divine Realm. It is precisely because of this realm that the Four Waters Divine Realm has been able to stand tall on the Zhongzhou continent for so many years without falling.
Now, the most important foundation has been destroyed by the Heavenly Dragon Race, and they must give us all an explanation.”
“In fact, the Divine Source Mystic Realm was not the private property of the Heavenly Dragon Race. It belonged to all of us in the Four Water Region.
Now that it has been destroyed because of the Heavenly Dragon Race, if they don’t give us an explanation, it will be hard for this matter to end peacefully.”
“…”
Most of those speaking out were the first- and second-tier factions from the other three regions, especially those who had been defeated by Su Jingzhen and his group in the past.
They didn’t dare use the deaths of their disciples as an excuse for revenge, but standing on the moral high ground, their words sounded reasonable.
Fu Feng and the Heavenly Dragon Lord remained calm, showing no reaction to the people who had stepped forward. To them, these individuals were nothing more than clowns.
Their attention turned to those who were at the same level as them.
“Do you all agree with this?” the Heavenly Dragon Lord asked calmly, turning his gaze toward the leader of the Eternal Water Immortal Sect, Ouyang Changjian, and the other three.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Ouyang Changjian and the others showed a hint of a wry smile.
“Everything in the world has its beginning and its end. The Divine Source Mystic Realm has nurtured our Divine Realm of the Four Waters for countless years.
Although its departure this time was rather abrupt, we all knew from the start that this day would come eventually. Did we not?”
“So how can we ask the Heavenly Dragon Race for an explanation?
But after Xuening, Yunmeng Goddess, and Qiu Yaoyao and Su Jingzhen come out, whatever they have gained can serve as compensation for the various factions in the Four Water Region.”
Ouyang Changjian said with a smile.
These old-timers knew very well that asking the Heavenly Dragon Race for compensation was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Even if the Heavenly River Sect, the Eternal Water Immortal Sect, and the Shangling Sword Sect went to war directly with the Heavenly Dragon Race, they wouldn’t be able to force them to compromise.
Moreover, such a conflict would surely lead to the collapse of the Divine Realm of the Four Waters, which might no longer be able to maintain its status as a middle-tier divine realm.
It would probably be divided and swallowed up by the surrounding divine realms.
This was not what they wanted to see.
Now that Xuening was the reincarnation of Yunmeng Goddess, they also knew a little about her formidable reputation in the previous era.
However, just because she had awakened, it didn’t mean that she was immediately powerful.
If they could bring her into their camp, the rewards might far exceed what a single Divine Source Mystic Realm could offer.
After all, they knew that since the Divine Source Mystic Realm was the place of her awakening, it must have been something she had left behind from her previous era.
Helping her grow during this lifetime would likely enable her to build not one, but ten Divine Source Mystic Realms when she reached the peak of her power.
Upon hearing Ouyang Changjian’s words, the leaders of the Eternal Water Immortal Sect and the Heavenly River Sect silently nodded, showing their agreement.
“These words make sense. We are not unreasonable people. Whoever caused the trouble should be the one to compensate,” the Heavenly Dragon Lord sneered coldly.
He understood what these old-timers were plotting, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
After all, even though Xuening was their first sequence member of the Heavenly Dragon Race, once she fully awakened as Yunmeng Goddess, what could they or anyone else do to stop her?
“Since that is the case, we will wait here. When they emerge, you may hold them accountable as you see fit,” the Heavenly Dragon Lord said, his voice calm and betraying no emotion.
As Fu Feng and the other three elders remained silent, their gazes fixed on the void portal before them, they noticed that no more participants from the Four Waters Martial Arts Competition had emerged.
The aura emanating from the other side of the portal was filled with violence, seemingly confirming what Xuan Jin had mentioned earlier.
The four elders, their vast divine consciousness probing intensely, tried to gain insight into what was happening, but despite their best efforts, they couldn’t gather any useful information.
“The Divine Source Mystic Realm has already been destroyed. This is an undeniable fact. However, the cliff room should still exist.
It is probably floating in the chaotic void. Would any of you like to explore the void?” Fu Feng asked with a smile as he looked at the other three elders.
They quickly reached an agreement.
Fu Feng extended his hand, and with a simple gesture, a rift in the void appeared before them.
Without hesitation, the four elders stepped through it and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
As they left, the portal they had used to let Xuan Jin and the others leave slowly began to dissipate.
The Extreme Ice Envoy returned to the side of the woman in white, a trace of concern flickering in his expression.
“Master, do you think the awakening of Yunmeng Goddess will be successful this time?”
The woman in white smiled calmly, her lips curving slightly.
“The Divine Source Mystic Realm has collapsed, so hasn’t she already succeeded?
However, we cannot predict the extent of her recovery upon her return. Moreover, she made many enemies in her era, but also formed numerous alliances.
News of her return has already spread, and it is likely that the Four Waters Divine Realm will soon become a bustling place.
This Four Waters Martial Arts Competition may seem like the worst one yet, but it is also an opportunity for these young ones.
Now go. Let the Four Waters Martial Arts Competition be complete.”
Upon hearing her words, the Extreme Ice Envoy nodded in understanding, stepping into the sky once more without hesitation.
He surveyed the representatives from the Super Divine Realms and all the factions in the Four Water Region, his True Immortal Realm aura spreading throughout the area.
After Fu Feng and the others had left, the Extreme Ice Envoy was undoubtedly the strongest figure left.
Even Xu Shouyi from the Martial God Hall couldn’t help but show a slight change in his expression. He was not sure what this old man was up to.
“This year’s Four Waters Martial Arts Competition has certainly taken some unexpected turns, but all the disciples have completed the entire process,” the Extreme Ice Envoy announced.
“So it’s time to finalize the rankings, wouldn’t you agree?”
At these words, the entire venue fell silent.
Many of the elder figures looked rather displeased when they noticed that their disciples lacked the Divine Source Marks above their heads.
In truth, only about one or two thousand people in the audience had received those marks, and most of them had barely earned a single one.
Even if Su Jingzhen and Qiu Yaoyao had not yet emerged, it was already clear who the top two spots in the competition would belong to.
The rankings were quickly determined, and as expected, Yan Xia took first place, followed by Jian Ling in second, and Xuan Jin in third.
Despite the obvious unfairness of this result, especially considering the chaotic circumstances of the competition, no one raised any strong objections.
After all, it was the result of an established process.
There was a brief moment of uncertainty as some wondered if this year’s Four Waters Martial Arts Competition could really be considered valid given the circumstances.
“This… does this Four Waters Martial Arts Competition really count? Isn’t it a bit unfair?” someone asked.
“Everything was decided before the competition started. It would be inappropriate to disregard it now,” came the response.
The debate rumbled through the crowd, but eventually the decision was made to proceed according to procedure.
The Extreme Ice Envoy’s announcement had caused some dissension, but the leaders of the various factions, including Heavenly Dragon Lord and Ouyang Changjian, merely exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Even Ouyang Changjian, whose disciple Jian Ling had secured the second place, seemed satisfied.
After all, coming in second was still quite an achievement.
“Indeed, the competition had its unexpected turns, but we must follow the process,” Ouyang Changjian said with a hearty laugh.
After a short pause, the leaders agreed to continue.
The rankings were finalized: Yan Xia was first, Jian Ling was second, and Xuan Jin was third, followed by Han Qianxue, Xuan Su, and other top contenders from the younger generation.
Although the rankings were set, there was an unmistakable sense of unease in the air.
Especially among those from the Luo River region, some were celebrating, while others were clearly disappointed.
At Dongxuan Academy, a group of white-haired elders wore somber expressions.
Dongxuan Academy had long been a respected force in the Luo River region, and they rarely interfered in the power struggles of the region.
But this time, their disciple Zhen Bufan, who was narrow-minded and overly competitive, had led the academy into a difficult situation.
The top ten contestants were awarded generous prizes, but despite receiving the most coveted rewards, Yan Xia did not seem overly excited.
Her gaze occasionally drifted toward the now-vanished portal, her expression filled with a complex mix of emotions.
After the award ceremony ended, the representatives from the Super Divine Realms began to move around with renewed interest.
They were all well aware of the legendary reputation of Yunmeng Goddess and the potential fortune that awaited those close to her upon her return.
They knew that when great figures in the cultivation world reincarnated, they often brought immense luck with them, and those aligned with them could experience significant changes, including improvements in their talents and potential.
Still standing high in the sky, the Extreme Ice Envoy looked down at the top-ranked disciples, including Yan Xia, Jian Ling, and others, his voice carrying the weight of a proposition.
“Yan Xia, Jian Ling, Xuan Su, Han Qianxue, Ning Yao… would you be willing to join my Frozen Ice Domain?”