241: Chapter 240 Top of the List

The Inner Sect Minor Competition concluded, and the news swept through the entire Dragon Abyss Palace like a hurricane.

Top of the Red Fire Peak Inner Sect rankings.

Those words weighed heavily on everyone's heart.

It wasn't Heavenly Sword Peak, it wasn't Bibo Pool, and it wasn't Black Tortoise Peak—it was Red Fire Peak.

A newcomer who had joined the Sect less than half a year ago had defeated Ao Zhan, the number one Inner Sect Disciple of Heavenly Sword Peak, with overwhelming strength to reach the top of the Inner Sect rankings.

The shocking part of this news wasn't that he "won," but "how he won."

Ao Zhan unleashed fifty-three sword strikes, each one fierce and lethal. Jiang Hanzhou only struck once with his blade.

That single strike contained the perfect Fusion of three True Intents: Tide, Pure Yang, and Metal Sharpness, and it even hid the embryonic form of a fourth True Intent—Heavenly Fire.

More crucially, when that strike was delivered, Ao Zhan's Sea of Consciousness was struck by an invisible Divine Soul blade, causing a momentary lapse in concentration that ultimately led to his defeat at the final moment.

What did this mean?

It meant that Jiang Hanzhou not only crushed his opponent in the Fusion of True Intent but was also unfathomably deep in his Divine Soul cultivation.

An eighteen-year-old youth, possessing four True Intents within one body, condensing his Divine Soul into a blade, and possessing god-like saber techniques.

Such a person would be treated as a revered Prodigy in any Sect.

But Dragon Abyss Palace was no ordinary Sect.

With seven Peaks and twenty-four caves, each had its own factions and stances. How many carefully maintained balances had Jiang Hanzhou's rise shattered?

The day after the minor competition ended, the Elder of Bibo Pool, the Old Man of Jade Wave, sent someone with a generous gift.

Three Jade Wave Soul-Condensing Pills, a complete handwritten copy of the Jade Wave True Scripture, plus a Jade Wave Pool Inner Sect Guest Elder Token.

The Bibo Pool Disciple who delivered the message said respectfully, "Elder Jade Wave said that Junior Brother Jiang possesses extraordinary talent with four True Intents. Among them, your Tidal True Intent has reached the Peak of the third level. If you are willing to come to Bibo Pool to Cultivate, the Elder is willing to personally guide you in the Dao of Water True Intent to help Junior Brother Jiang break through to the fourth level as soon as possible."

Jiang Hanzhou glanced at the gift list and said calmly, "Please thank Elder Jade Wave for his kind intentions on my behalf. However, I am a Disciple under Elder Xue and have not yet finished my apprenticeship, so it is inconvenient for me to join another master."

The Bibo Pool Disciple was not surprised; he left the gifts and took his leave. However, Jiang Hanzhou didn't keep a single item and returned them all untouched.

When the news spread, the Old Man of Jade Wave didn't say much, only smiling faintly. "Young people having pride is a good thing."

But over at Heavenly Sword Peak, they weren't nearly as polite.

On the third day, the Heavenly Sword Peak Elder, Cold Frost Master, also sent someone. It wasn't to bring a gift, but an invitation.

"The Heavenly Sword Peak Inner Sect Disciple Sword Discussion Assembly specially invites Junior Brother Jiang for a visit."

The Heavenly Sword Peak Disciple who delivered the invitation was expressionless, and his tone betrayed no emotion. But Jiang Hanzhou keenly sensed a sliver of barely concealed hostility in the man's gaze.

A Sword Discussion Assembly. To put it bluntly, it was an internal sparring session for Heavenly Sword Peak's Inner Sect Disciples. Inviting a Red Fire Peak Disciple to participate was clearly an attempt to give him a show of force on the stage.

Jiang Hanzhou took the invitation, glanced at it, and then set it down.

"Please thank Elder Frosty Chill for me. However, I have been busy with my cultivation lately and have no time to attend."

The Heavenly Sword Peak Disciple's expression changed slightly. "Junior Brother Jiang, this was personally sent by Elder Frosty Chill—"

"I said, I have no time to attend." Jiang Hanzhou's tone remained calm, but within that calmness was an unquestionable power.

The Heavenly Sword Peak Disciple remained silent for a moment, let out a cold snort, and turned to leave.

That same night, rumors began to spread through Dragon Abyss Palace.

"Have you heard? That Jiang Hanzhou from Red Fire Peak used some sort of evil technique to defeat Ao Zhan with that single strike."

"Evil technique? What kind of evil technique?"

"A Divine Soul attack! Senior Brother Ao Zhan's Ice Soul True Intent is at the Peak of the third level, and his sword techniques are god-like. How could he possibly be defeated in one strike by a newcomer who hasn't even been here for half a year? He must have used some underhanded methods."

"I heard it too. Someone saw him surrounded by a dark golden light while cultivating. That light was incredibly eerie and didn't look like a proper Cultivation Technique..."

"Others say that when he was cultivating in the Ice Fire Two Energies Valley, he fought a Late Yuanxiang Stage Ice-Fire Black Tortoise and refined its Inner Core. The ice and fire energy contained in that core is extremely violent; a normal person couldn't possibly withstand it..."

"Tsk tsk, just what is this guy's background?"

The rumors grew more and more outrageous, going from "using evil techniques" to "cultivating a Demonic Technique," and even to "having ties with the Ten Thousand Gu Sect." In less than three days, Jiang Hanzhou had become an unpardonable evil cultivator in the mouths of some.

The Disciples of Red Fire Peak were fuming. Zhou Lie wanted to go to Heavenly Sword Peak to demand an explanation on the spot, but he was stopped by Liu Ningshuang.

"If you go, you'll be playing right into their hands," Liu Ningshuang said coldly. "Rumors like these only get darker the more you try to explain them. The best way is to ignore them."

Zhou Lie gritted his teeth. "Those bastards just can't handle losing!"

Liu Ningshuang didn't speak, only casting a glance at Jiang Hanzhou.

Jiang Hanzhou stood by the bamboo forest on Green Bamboo Island, hands behind his back, gazing at the churning sea of clouds in the distance. He had naturally heard those rumors. But he didn't care.

Rumors stop at the wise. And those spreading the rumors were doing so only because of fear.

Fear of a newcomer rising with an unstoppable momentum, fear that the status quo they had painstakingly built for years would be shattered, and fear—that the talent they were so proud of was worthless in the face of a true Genius.

He withdrew his gaze and turned back toward his cultivation chamber.

He had more important things to do.

On the fourth day, Great Elder Xuanjizi summoned him again.

When Jiang Hanzhou entered the Tianji Peak hall, Great Elder Xuanjizi was standing before a massive star map. The star map floated in mid-air, with dense stellar trajectories slowly flowing within it, each trajectory representing the operation of some power in the world.

The Grand Elder's figure was even thinner than their last meeting, but his eyes remained as deep as an abyss.

"Sit," he said without turning his head.

Jiang Hanzhou sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

Great Elder Xuanjizi turned around, holding a palm-sized compass in his hand. The compass was covered in intricate runes, which were currently flashing wildly. Red and blue lights flickered alternately, their frequency increasing.

"The dissipation of Dragon Qi from the ancient flood dragon remains is more violent than we anticipated," Great Elder Xuanjizi's voice was low. "Three days ago, the rate of dissipation was ten percent per day. Today, it has reached fifteen percent."

He waved his hand, and an image immediately appeared on the star map—it was the scene of the underwater cave in Fishing Ground No. 4.

In the image, those massive flood dragon bones still lay there, but the golden Dragon Qi between the bone joints was much thinner than when Jiang Hanzhou had last seen it. Deep within the chest cavity, that Dragon Essence was vibrating violently, and the seven cracks on its surface were growing deeper, with golden liquid faintly seeping out.

Within the Dragon Essence, that tiny flood dragon shadow was swimming several times faster than before.

Its eyes were still tightly closed, but with every movement, a visible wisp of Dragon Might dissipated from the Dragon Essence, causing fine cracks to appear in the surrounding rocks.