351: Chapter 351 First Place – Qin Yan of the Human Race!

The square was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Human Race, Liu Ruyan!"

"Boom—!"

The third light sphere exploded violently, transforming into a shower of light.

The light rain quickly coalesced, sketching the outline of a phantom that left countless beings holding their breath.

It was the figure of a woman with an upright posture, holding a crimson longsword, and possessing peerless beauty.

Although it was just a phantom, the sharp sword intent, reminiscent of a phoenix reborn from ashes, seemed ready to pierce through the image!

Human Race! Third Place!

"It's her! That Woman in Red Robes!"

"Who would have thought the red-robed woman from the rumors, the one who killed the Fire Lizard and confronted Long Yin head-on, was actually from the Human Race!"

"My heavens, the Human Race this time..."

Before the murmurs could die down, the old woman's voice rose once more:

"Second Place—"

"Dragon Human Race, Long Yin!"

The second light sphere exploded, revealing the figure of a man clad in dazzling golden armor, with majestic dragon horns, a stern and coldly handsome face, and an aura of faint draconic might swirling around him.

No cheers erupted from the Dragon Human Race's area.

In their view, Long Yin should have been the undisputed champion of this session; second place did not meet their expectations!

Standing at the forefront of his clan, Long Yin's face was deathly still, even tinged with a hint of green.

He clenched his fists tightly, his golden eyes now fixed unwaveringly on the yet-to-be-revealed first light sphere in the sky. He then shot a fierce glare at Liu Ruyan's phantom, the killing intent in his eyes almost solidifying into substance!

"If not for you appearing out of nowhere, taking the Fire Lizard's points... this first place should have been mine!"

Being overtaken by a suddenly appearing Human woman was, to him, a tremendous disgrace.

"First Place—"

The old woman's voice suddenly rose, drawing the focus of over a million gazes across the entire square!

The largest, brightest light sphere in the sky, resembling the core of a green sun, slowly rotated, emanating a heart-palpitating, vast fluctuation.

"Human Race, Qin Yan!"

"Hum—!!"

The light sphere did not explode but rather bloomed layer by layer like a lotus flower.

At the center of the light, a figure solidified from phantom to reality, standing clearly at the highest point!

It was a young man with an upright posture and handsome, resolute features.

He was not clad in magnificent battle armor, just a simple set of black martial attire, holding a long spear in his hand.

His aura was as steady as a mountain, yet vaguely exuding an indescribable depth and sharpness.

Qin Yan! Human Race! First Place in the Hidden Dragon Assembly!

The entire square fell into a moment of dead silence.

The next moment—

"Whoosh—!!!"

A tidal wave of sound erupted!

"Qin Yan?! That 'Spear Demon' Qin Yan who killed the Black Ancient Tree?!"

"He actually managed to suppress Long Yin and take first place? These points... are terrifying!"

"Qin Yan destroyed that ancient tree and seized Feng Jin' legacy, so surpassing Long Yin in points is understandable!"

"Didn't you see? Third place Liu Ruyan is also Human! The Human Race is defying the heavens this time!"

Su Zhiming stood at the forefront of the Human Race contingent, looking up at Qin Yan's radiant phantom high in the sky, a smile appearing on his face.

Yet, deep within his eyes, a look of concern grew even stronger.

Anya looked up at Qin Yan's phantom, a flicker of surprise also flashing in her eyes.

She had anticipated Qin Yan's ranking would be high, but first place... was indeed somewhat unexpected.

However, considering the holy grail of life and Feng Jin' legacy, it also seemed to make sense.

Her gaze then shifted subtly to Liu Ruyan, who stood calmly beside her, thinking: these two Humans had truly given her too many pleasant surprises.

Immediately after, her line of sight turned subtly towards Xue Liuli standing on the other side.

Xue Liuli was originally the hidden ace she had meticulously arranged and placed high hopes on.

Yet... she only ranked ninth.

As if sensing Anya's slightly scrutinizing and questioning gaze, an unusual trace of awkwardness and helplessness appeared on Xue Liuli's bewitchingly beautiful face.

But there was nothing she could do; she had also gone for the holy grail of life, but Qin Yan was just a step faster.

Only ranking eighth in points was also a matter of helplessness.

Who told her she had obtained the inheritance of Blood Absolute, that ancient titan.

To receive that inheritance, she had almost missed most of the hunting and competition opportunities in the latter half of the assembly, leading to a severe shortage of accumulated points and ultimately stopping at ninth place.

This wasn't due to lack of effort on her part; it was truly a matter of coincidence and unforeseen circumstances.

She shifted her steps, leaned close to Anya's ear, parted her red lips, and began to whisper in an extremely low voice.

She leaned in extremely close, her posture appearing very intimate.

Anya listened, her brows occasionally furrowing slightly, then relaxing.

Finally, it transformed into a hint of understanding and faint resignation. She nodded lightly and said no more.

High in the sky, Qin Yan's phantom shone brilliantly, receiving the gazes of myriad races—some shocked, some reverent, some filled with jealousy and hatred.

"This Xue Liuli... what exactly is her identity?"

"Her relationship with Lady Anya doesn't seem like a simple employer-contractor or partnership, but more like... old acquaintances."

Qin Yan himself, standing below in the square, glanced at the two women conversing not far away, the clouds of doubt in his heart thickening.

For someone of the Blood Race to enter Modu University of Martial Arts and receive the tacit approval of Vice Dean Su Zhiming, the forces behind her were definitely not simple.

Shifting his gaze slightly, Qin Yan's eyes fell upon Liu Ruyan, as cool as frost, beside him.

What kind of power lay hidden beneath her cool exterior?

Even Li Mu, who seemed like just an ordinary genius, being able to withdraw unscathed from the perilous Canglin Ancient Mountain Range, where prodigies fell like rain, was itself extremely unusual.

Either his luck was incredibly good, or... he possessed unknown life-saving trump cards or special methods.

At this moment, Qin Yan suddenly felt that these "teammates" who had set out from Blue Star with him might all harbor unknown secrets and stories.

What he had seen in their brief contact might only be the tip of the iceberg.

The world was far vaster than imagined, and the strong were far more mysterious than imagined.

Through this journey to the ancient mountain range, Qin Yan did not feel he had become stronger; instead, he became even more clearly aware of his own "insufficiencies" and "insignificance."

Compared to those ancient races with histories spanning thousands or tens of thousands of years, the Human Race's history and heritage (foundation/accumulation) were still shallow;

Compared to those prodigies blessed with heaven-defying bloodlines and possessing mysterious inheritances, his own path had just begun, and he hadn't even truly set foot in many fields yet.

This realization did not make him feel discouraged. Instead, it acted like a sobering tonic, dispelling some of the restlessness brought by being first in the Hidden Dragon Assembly.

The road ahead was long; only by walking tirelessly.

(Having a meal~ Tonight's update will be delayed a bit~)