330: Chapter 330 Gathering of Heroes

Ye Tian saw his name near the front of the bronze thread rank, and the commentary was quite cautious.

In the Liuli Xuan Sect, apart from Yun Wuji who ranked second on the golden gate list, Feng Xuan and Yu Miaoqing were on the silver glow list, and the remaining direct Disciples and individual inner sect elites were mostly on the bronze thread rank. Their overall strength was evident, but in terms of top-tier levels, excluding Yun Wuji, they did not seem to be fully regarded as a top-level threat.

"Brother Ye, you're on the list!" Lei Zhen pointed at the list, feeling a sense of pride.

"bronze thread rank..." Luo Qiushui frowned slightly, feeling the evaluation was too low.

Liu Ruyan said gently: "This list is only a prediction, based on past overt battle records and intelligence from various parties. Senior Brother Ye has risen rapidly, and the outside world knows little of him. Being able to enter the 'needs attention' category is already enough to show his weight. True gold must be tested by fire; on the arena, there will naturally be a public verdict."

Leng Feng stared at the unfamiliar names on the list, his eyes filled with pure Battle Intent: "The more experts, the better."

Ye Tian looked calm, his gaze slowly sweeping over the names and commentaries on the golden gate list and silver glow list. "Sea Transformation First Layer... Divine Fire Heavenly Favor... Innate Sword Heart... Xuanming True Meaning..."

The talent and strength represented behind these terms were enough to make any peer feel pressure.

But what welled up in his heart was anticipation.

Only by colliding with true Prodigies could he reflect on his own shortcomings and sharpen his edge.

Discussions from Disciples of other forces drifted over sporadically.

"The Liuli Xuan Sect is making quite a splash this year, one on the golden gate list, two on the silver glow list, and several on the bronze thread rank."

"That newly listed Ye Tian, I heard he killed an Elder of the Sword Pavilion at the Huahai Realm? Is it true or false?"

"The news from the Northern Territory seems to be true. However, the Huahai Realm also has ranks; perhaps the opponent was too weak, or he used special means. The commentary on the bronze thread rank is very cautious: 'Battle record in doubt, wait and see', which shows that the Kuitian Pavilion doesn't fully believe it either."

"Forget it, it's just the bronze thread rank. Our Young Sect Leader is in the forefront of the silver glow list. If we really meet, we can test his quality in a few moves."

Ye Tian acted as if he hadn't heard, just watching the list quietly.

This calmness made a few people nearby who noticed him feel slightly surprised; this young man was indeed composed.

Just then, the crowd stirred slightly again.

A group of people walked over from another luxurious courtyard not far away. The leader was a young man wearing crimson gold robes, with a handsome face and a burning noble aura between his brows.

He walked leisurely, invisible heat waves swirling around him, causing those who approached to subconsciously retreat a little, but his aura was somewhat floating, at about the Seventh Stage of True Martial Realm.

It was the Nangong Family Disciple who had attracted attention at the city gate earlier, Nangong Yu, the cousin of Nangong Chi from the silver glow list.

Nangong Yu walked straight to the jade stele, his gaze sweeping over the silver glow list. Seeing his cousin Nangong Chi's name, the corners of his mouth curled into an arrogant arc.

He lowered his gaze, swept across the silver glow list, and lingered slightly on the bronze thread rank. When he saw "Ye Tian" and his commentary, his eyebrows twitched.

He then said to his companion beside him: "bronze thread rank... it's quite lively. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry with a bit of movement can get on it to claim a name."

He didn't name anyone, but given the context of where he was looking, anyone could hear who he was referring to.

The surroundings quieted down for a moment, and many eyes moved covertly between Nangong Yu and Ye Tian.

Lei Zhen's face sank, Luo Qiushui frowned slightly, and Leng Feng's hand had already subconsciously pressed against his sword hilt. Liu Ruyan shook her head gently, signaling to calm down.

Ye Tian, however, seemed unaware. His gaze didn't even move away from the jade stele as he replied in a calm and clear tone: "The stele is a dead object; people are alive. Being on this stele doesn't mean anything. Not being on this stele also doesn't prove anything. In the battle of the Dao, one must ultimately rely on one's own skills and the path beneath one's feet."

The casual expression on Nangong Yu's face stiffened slightly. He slowly turned his head, casting his gaze on Ye Tian for the first time.

After a moment, Nangong Yu suddenly twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing an ambiguous smile: "Interesting. Then I hope that on the arena, your skills are as hard as your mouth. Don't shatter at the first touch, failing to live up to this 'needs attention' evaluation." After speaking, he didn't look again, as if saying another word to Ye Tian would be beneath his status, and left with his attendants.

The surrounding crowd murmured in low voices, their eyes lingering on Ye Tian for a moment, each with their own thoughts.

"Brother Ye, this guy is too arrogant!" Lei Zhen was still a bit indignant.

"It doesn't matter." Ye Tian withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards the courtyard. "A war of words is insignificant. Let's go back; we still need to register tomorrow."

The next day, inside the Liuli Xuan Sect courtyard, the Disciples participating in the Supreme Ranking gathered on time.

After a night of rest, everyone was full of energy, with anticipation and solemnity between their brows.

Elders Xing Tiexin and Qinglan stood in front of the team, gave a few simple instructions, and led everyone onto the small reception cloud platform exclusive to the courtyard.

The cloud platform was shaped like a disk, with Spirit Stones embedded in the edges. Under the urging of the Elders, it slowly rose into the air, and then followed the established "chariot path" of flowing light in the imperial capital's sky, flying towards the core area of the imperial capital.

The further they went towards the center, the larger the floating landmasses below became. Occasionally, spirit trees hundreds of feet tall could be seen piercing the clouds, surrounded by spirit birds.

Higher up, the seven-colored "Heavenly Dome Imperial Array" flowed with light, illuminating the entire Sky City like a fairyland.

After flying for about half an hour, a huge circular square with a diameter of over ten miles appeared in their field of vision.

The square floor was paved with whole pieces of sky-blue jade, reflecting the floating clouds in the sky, with hidden runes.

Around the square stood nine coiling dragon jade pillars over a hundred feet tall, with golden dragons circling the pillars.

This was the highest place for the Great Yan Dynasty to hold national ceremonies, martial arts demonstrations, and sacrifices -- Huangji Square.

At this moment, on the square, young Geniuses from various states and counties of the Great Yan Dynasty, surrounding Dynasties, and hidden forces gathered in their respective areas under the leadership of their teachers and Elders.

Looking around, there must have been tens of thousands of them!

The lowest cultivation level was at the Peak of Ningyuan, with the vast majority being in the True Martial Realm. Among them, auras of the Seventh Stage of True Martial Realm and above were everywhere, and occasionally a few deep auras swept by; those were the younger generation of the Huahai Realm!

"Is this the place where the heroes of the world gather..." Lei Zhen muttered, clenching his fists.

"So many people..." Luo Qiushui took a light breath.

"Such a grand occasion, this trip was worth it." Feng Xuan sighed with emotion.

Yun Wuji stood with his hands behind his back at the front of the cloud platform, his black robes unmoved in the morning breeze. His gaze swept calmly over the crowd below, and finally landed on the magnificent palace with nine stories and chime bells hanging from the eaves on the north side of the square -- the Huangji Palace.

That was the true main stage for today.

The reception cloud platform landed in an area marked "Liuli Xuan Sect" on the west side of the square. Everyone got off the platform, and under the leadership of Elder Xing Tiexin, they lined up and waited for further arrangements.

"Look, the people from the Liuli Xuan Sect have arrived."

"Is that Yun Wuji? Indeed, his bearing is extraordinary."

"Feng Xuan and Yu Miaoqing are also there... Eh, is that young man in green the Ye Tian who had a war of words with Nangong Yu on the viewing platform yesterday?"

"The one newly listed on the bronze thread rank? He looks quite steady."

Discussions came from all around, and most of the gazes were focused on the several direct Disciples.

Ye Tian felt several spiritual senses with curiosity and even hostility sweep over him. His expression remained unchanged, and he just stood quietly, observing the surroundings.

The forces from all sides on the square arrived one after another.

The Disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect were all like swords, their auras sharp.

The area where the Xuanming Way was located was full of Yin Qi. The leader was a woman in black robes with a light veil over her face and a slender figure, standing quietly. A layer of faint black mist surrounded her, making it impossible to see her face. She was the Ghost Girl, fifth on the golden gate list.

She seemed to notice Ye Tian's gaze, tilted her head slightly, and made eye contact with Ye Tian for a moment across a long distance.

Ye Tian felt a chill in his mind, as if an ice shard had grazed it, but the chaos bead moved slightly, and the feeling disappeared.

The Ghost Girl seemed a bit surprised, took a deep look at Ye Tian, and then withdrew her gaze.

Qin Pojun, the heir of the Zhenbei Princes Mansion, did not appear, but dozens of young soldiers under his command in black battle armor with murderous auras lined up neatly, full of Killing Intent. They were clearly elite veterans. One of them had a hidden aura, which was likely Qin Pojun himself or his body double.

In the area where the Nangong Family was located, Nangong Yu was surrounded by a group of family Disciples, chatting and laughing. His gaze swept over the Liuli Xuan Sect side from time to time, especially lingering on Ye Tian, with a sneer at the corners of his mouth.

Today, he had changed into a more luxurious crimson gold-inlaid jade brocade robe. His cultivation at the Seventh Stage of True Martial Realm was not outstanding among the group of Late Stage True Martial Realm Disciples around him, but that prideful air of a family scion was particularly striking.