560: Chapter 560 The Ranking of Prodigies

Looking at the woman kneeling before him, Fang Bai was bewildered.

Wait, weren't you just acting like a high-and-mighty celestial maiden? Why are you kneeling already?

The surrounding crowd also cast strange glances.

Elder Qiu watched this scene without much surprise; clearly, this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.

Qian Ye stole a glance at Fang Bai and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he had no killing intent.

Then, she bowed deeply: "Young Master, this is all a misunderstanding."

Fang Bai raised an eyebrow with a half-smile: "A misunderstanding? You just said you were going to kill me."

Qian Ye's lips twitched: "I was rude just now. Please forgive me, Young Master."

As she spoke, she bowed deeply again.

Through their brief clash, she knew she was no match for Fang Bai.

This seemingly ordinary young man was actually powerful to such an extent.

Qian Ye felt a bit depressed; she was a prodigy of the Star Domain Alliance, after all. She never expected to be suppressed to this degree by a peer one day.

What a massive loss!

Seeing her sincere attitude, Fang Bai found it hard to strike.

If you were a bit more arrogant, I could just slash you, but you freaking caved so fast...

"Forget it. Since it's a misunderstanding, let's leave it at that." Fang Bai waved his hand.

This was the Star Domain Alliance after all, with countless experts. Although he was at the peak of the Tenth Rank, there were still Quasi-Saint Realm experts above him.

Joy flashed in Qian Ye's eyes as she quickly bowed: "Thank you for your mercy, Young Master."

Fang Bai nodded slightly: "The person who stole your things was a cripple; it has nothing to do with me."

Qian Ye hurriedly said: "I understand! That lecherous thief deliberately framed you! I will definitely not let him go!"

Fang Bai nodded, then looked at Elder Qiu and said, "Elder Qiu, let's go."

Elder Qiu nodded slightly: "Alright."

The two of them left calmly.

Qian Ye watched their retreating figures with a complex gaze.

A young man this powerful yet unknown—it wasn't normal.

At this thought, Qian Ye frowned: "It seems the winds of change are blowing through the Alliance!"

With that, she turned and left.

She didn't care about the surrounding gazes at all.

If a cultivator cared about such looks, they might as well go live in a ditch!

At least they'd stay alive!

On the other side, Elder Qiu smiled at Fang Bai: "I didn't expect young friend Fang to possess such strength."

Fang Bai smiled modestly: "It was just luck."

Elder Qiu chuckled: "That's no luck. To reach this stage, one must be a dragon among men, one in ten thousand. In the entire Alliance, there are probably only one or two in your generation who can compare to you."

Fang Bai asked curiously: "Was that woman just now always... like that?"

Elder Qiu said slowly: "Her name is Qian Ye. She's a super genius from the Hundred Immortals Star Domain and its representative figure. She's also highly ranked in the Alliance, though this is the first time she's knelt so quickly."

"?"

Fang Bai was somewhat speechless.

Elder Qiu smiled: "Actually, she's done many similar things before. When she realizes she can't win a fight, she'll surrender or run away. She lacks the demeanor of a powerhouse, which has led to a poor reputation within the Alliance."

Fang Bai commented: "Her strength is quite decent, though."

Qian Ye's strength was actually quite formidable; the only reason she knelt so quickly was simply because he was too strong.

Conservatively estimated, Qian Ye's strength was slightly greater than Yao Yuan's.

Elder Qiu's expression turned solemn as he said, "Indeed. After all, Lady Qian Ye is ranked sixth on the heavenly pride list."

"heavenly pride list?"

Fang Bai was a bit puzzled.

Elder Qiu smiled: "Young friend Fang might not know, but there's a specific ranking in the Alliance to categorize the strength of the younger generation. The heavenly pride list has a total of one hundred spots. Those who make the list are the cream of the crop among geniuses."

"They must stand out among tens of thousands or even more peers to secure one of those hundred spots. Even after taking a seat, they face constant challenges from others. It's quite ruthless."

"At the same time, these ranked geniuses receive focused cultivation from the Alliance, with resources skewed in their favor. Not only that, but the top ten receive additional, extremely generous rewards!"

At this point, Elder Qiu's eyes burned with a hint of fervor; even he coveted those resources.

Fang Bai asked in surprise: "One can challenge them and take their place?"

Elder Qiu chuckled: "Of course. It's called 'kicking the rank.' Naturally, the challenger must not be on the list. If it's a challenge between those already on the list, it requires the attention of the higher-ups to preside over it."

Fang Bai smiled: "Interesting."

Elder Qiu asked with a smile: "Does Young Master Fang wish to kick the rank?"

Fang Bai looked at him: "Are there any benefits?"

Elder Qiu smiled: "If young friend Fang wants to kick the rank, then the timing is perfect."

Fang Bai was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

Elder Qiu explained: "The Star Domain Alliance holds a Heavenly Pride Competition every three years to update the heavenly pride list. Every time the list is refreshed, the top ten receive a substantial reward."

"Besides receiving a Dragon Qi Baptism, they also gain eligibility to enter the Void Abyss Battlefield."

Hearing this, Fang Bai was puzzled: "Dragon Qi Baptism? Void Abyss Battlefield?"

Elder Qiu continued: "The Dragon Qi Baptism is, simply put, irrigation and tempering using the spiritual energy of a source vein. However, it's not an ordinary source vein, but a top-grade one. Furthermore, it's a combined irrigation from all the Alliance's source veins. Even for those in the Quasi-Saint Realm, it's a very rare opportunity."

"Three years ago, many prodigies broke through on the spot thanks to a Dragon Vein Baptism."

Hearing that, Fang Bai became quite curious.

If it was truly as Elder Qiu described, he wondered if he could break through to the first level of the Quasi-Saint Realm...

"As for the Void Abyss Battlefield, it dates back a thousand years." Elder Qiu's gaze deepened as he said slowly, "It's a ruin. A great war broke out there a thousand years ago, with countless casualties. Saints fell, and even Quasi-Saints were mere fodder in that meat grinder. Even after a millennium, the blood qi hangs in the air, refusing to dissipate."

"Saints?!"

Fang Bai said in surprise: "Isn't it said that this civilization hasn't produced a Saint for a long time?"

Elder Qiu nodded: "Indeed, no new Saint has appeared for a thousand years. But a millennium ago, this civilization... was incredibly glorious. If not for that great war, we would likely be a Level 3 civilization by now!"

Fang Bai asked: "Was the opponent in that war a Level 3 civilization?"

Elder Qiu shook his head: "I don't know either. Although the Alliance's history records events from a thousand years ago, they aren't detailed. All we know is that there are great opportunities within the Void Abyss Battlefield!"

Fang Bai frowned. He hadn't even dealt with the Evil Demon Clan yet, and now a Level 3 civilization had popped up?

"Fall of Saints..."

"What a niche term."