20: The list of prodigies! Top 100!
Myriad Manifestations Academy, Reception Plaza.
Voices surged, and Spiritual Qi steamed.
Major and minor forces, along with Loose Cultivator Geniuses, from Qingzhou and even the surrounding provinces, gathered here like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.
Various styles of clothing, Magical Artifacts, and Mounts were dazzling, and powerful auras rose and fell, filling the air with excitement, tension, vigilance, and eagerness.
The arrival of Lin Dao and his group did not cause much disturbance.
The name of the Lin Family of Qingfeng County was still obscure in such a setting.
Only the previous minor conflict with Liuyun City caused a few attentive people nearby to glance at them, but that was all.
A long queue formed at the registration office.
The person responsible for registration was an Outer Sect Elder of the Myriad Manifestations Academy, whose expression was indifferent and businesslike.
When it was the Lin Family's turn, Lin Zhen stepped forward and handed over the invitation card left by Azure Cloud Son.
The Elder took the invitation, verified it, and a flicker of subtle surprise crossed his eyes. He seemed not to have expected this inconspicuous small Family to obtain an invitation from the Academy's Special Envoy.
He took an extra look at Lin Dao, but only felt that the other party's aura was ordinary, deepening his confusion. However, his expression remained calm as he handed over four Jade Tokens.
“These are your identification Jade Tokens. With these tokens, you can enter the outer area of the Grand Gathering and the designated guest houses.”
“The Grand Gathering officially begins three days from now. During this period, private fights are strictly forbidden within the Academy grounds, and violators will be severely punished.”
The Elder instructed them routinely, then pointed to a massive Jade Wall next to him that flowed with wave-like light. “That is the ‘hidden dragon ranking.’ It records the basic information of all young talents under the age of thirty attending the meeting, and the rankings will be updated in real-time based on subsequent performance.”
“You may take a look.”
Lin Hao and the two others took the Jade Tokens, their gazes involuntarily drawn to the massive hidden dragon ranking.
On the Jade Wall, light flowed, and names, origins, and cultivation Realms constantly appeared and changed.
The names ranked at the very top shone brightly, their auras overwhelming.
“Look quickly!”
“Ranked seventh is the Sword Son of the ‘Canglan Sword Sect,’ Li Qingfeng!”
“It is said he is already at the Peak of the Spirit Sea Realm Ninth Layer, and his Sword Intent is profound!”
“Third!”
“Third is the Little Princess of ‘Lihuo Heavenly City,’ who possesses the Blazing Sun Spirit Physique, at Spirit Sea Realm Perfection!”
“My heavens, the first place is still him!”
“The Chief Disciple of ‘Myriad Manifestations Academy,’ Yun Jinghong!”
“Life Soul Realm!”
“A Life Soul Realm expert under thirty years old!”
“How can anyone compete with that?”
Exclamations and discussions constantly erupted around them.
Every Prodigy ranked high on the list was like a dazzling star, with a cultivation base of at least Spirit Sea Realm Ninth Layer, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
Lin Hao's gaze was fixed on the names in the top ten, especially the several Sword Cultivators. His hand unconsciously tightened around his Sword Hilt, and fierce Battle Intent burned in his eyes.
Ye Chen, meanwhile, licked his lips, staring at the Prodigies famous for Body Refining, his fists cracking audibly.
Lin Yun silently activated the Starry Sky Annihilation Pupil, trying to discern the deeper reality behind those names. His brow furrowed slightly, clearly feeling immense pressure.
Their own rankings were outside the top thousand, completely unremarkable.
Their cultivation Realm was a major weakness; in this place filled with Prodigies, the Spirit Sea Realm Middle Stage was indeed insufficient.
“Hmph, Country Bumpkins, eyes opened now, have they?”
A discordant voice sounded nearby. It was none other than the lingering Young City Lord of Liuyun City. He had also arrived before the ranking with his companions, his face full of ridicule,
“With your meager cultivation, just making it onto the list is good enough. You still want to get into the top hundred?”
“Dream on!”
The Youth surnamed Chen, who was at the Spirit Sea Realm Ninth Layer beside him, glanced over Lin Hao and the two others, a sneer twisting his lips. His ranking was around three hundred, which was already quite high.
Lin Hao withdrew his gaze, his eyes returning to calm. He ignored the provocation, merely stating flatly, “The ranking is static, but people are dynamic.”
“Stubborn fool!” the Young City Lord of Liuyun City sneered.
Just then, another, slightly smaller Jade Wall beside the hidden dragon ranking—one that exuded a more ancient and majestic aura of dark gold—suddenly hummed, bursting forth with a soft yet unignorable light, capturing everyone's attention.
“Look quickly!”
“The prodigy ranking is moving!”
“Is a new Prodigy being recorded?”
“Or has someone's Evaluation been raised?”
On the dark gold Jade Wall, which previously contained only a little over a hundred names, three new names slowly condensed and appeared at the very bottom, followed by simple Evaluations.
[Ninety-eighth: Lin Hao. Lin Family of Qingfeng County. Spirit Sea Realm Sixth Layer. Evaluation: Grade A-minus. Commentary: Clear Sword Heart, Sharp Edge Restrained, Pure Sword Intent, extremely high Potential.]
[Ninety-ninth: Ye Chen. Lin Family of Qingfeng County. Spirit Sea Realm Fifth Layer Peak. Evaluation: Grade A-minus. Commentary: Vitality like a Dragon, unparalleled Body, Suspected Special Physique, power reaching the extreme limit.]
[One Hundredth: Lin Yun. Lin Family of Qingfeng County. Spirit Sea Realm First Layer. Evaluation: Grade B-plus. Commentary: Extraordinary Pupil Technique, unique Divine Soul, Skilled in Illusion and Insight, excellent Growth Potential.]
Silence!
The previously noisy plaza fell silent for an instant! Everyone's eyes instantly snapped to the three newly appeared names, and then abruptly turned to Lin Hao, Ye Chen, and Lin Yun!
The prodigy ranking!
This was an official, highly credible ranking list determined by the Myriad Manifestations Academy!
It only recorded one hundred people. Those who made the list were without exception truly Prodigy-level existences, destined to reach at least the Life Soul Realm in the future, with Potential to reach Heavenly Soul!
Every name carried the weight of a thousand pounds!
And this obscure Lin Family actually had three people make the list at once?!
Although their rankings were low, the Evaluations of “Grade A-minus” and “Grade B-plus,” and the commentaries like “Clear Sword Heart,” “Special Physique,” and “Extraordinary Pupil Technique,” all signaled the terrifying Potential of these three!
Especially their cultivation bases!
Spirit Sea Realm Sixth Layer, Fifth Layer, and First Layer—how could they possibly suppress countless Geniuses at the Spirit Sea Realm Eighth or Ninth Layer, or even Perfection, to squeeze onto the prodigy ranking?!
This was simply unbelievable!
“This... how is this possible?!” The ridicule on the Young City Lord of Liuyun City's face instantly froze, turning into unconcealed shock and disbelief, his eyes nearly popping out.
The Youth surnamed Chen next to him also changed drastically, staring intently at the names and commentaries on the ranking. He could no longer remain calm, his eyes filled with astonishment and a hint of jealousy.
His own ranking was far from qualified to enter the prodigy ranking!
The surrounding crowd erupted.
“The Lin Family?”
“Qingfeng County?”
“Where is that?”
“Spirit Sea Realm Sixth Layer gets a Grade A-minus Evaluation?”
“Clear Sword Heart?”
“What kind of monster is this?”
“The one at Spirit Sea Realm First Layer can also make the list?”
“Grade B-plus?”
“Pupil Technique?!”
“Did the Myriad Manifestations Academy make a mistake in their assessment?”
Countless gazes—probing, shocked, curious, and even hostile—fell upon Lin Hao and the two others as if they were physical objects.
At this moment, the three of them had completely become the focus of the entire plaza!
Lin Hao and the two others were slightly startled themselves, not expecting the Myriad Manifestations Academy to possess such methods, having thoroughly investigated most of their background and given such high Evaluations.
Ye Chen scratched his head and grinned, “Heh, this ranking is interesting.”
Lin Hao took a deep breath, his eyes growing sharper.
prodigy ranking ninety-eighth?
This was not the end, but the beginning.
Lin Yun subconsciously lowered his head, seemingly unaccustomed to being watched by so many eyes.
Lin Dao stood to the side, his expression still calm, as if all of this was already expected.
He merely glanced briefly at the names at the very top of the prodigy ranking, especially the Life Soul Realm Prodigy named “Yun Jinghong” who was ranked first.
“Somewhat interesting,” he thought.
Amidst the uproar, a woman wearing the uniform of a Myriad Manifestations Academy Inner Sect Disciple, possessing a gentle temperament, walked over and bowed gracefully to Lin Dao. “May I ask if you are the Senior from the Lin Family of Qingfeng County?”
“The Academy has prepared a specialized ‘Prodigy Garden’ guest house for the talents on the prodigy ranking. The environment is secluded and conducive to preparation for battle. Please follow me.”
This was clearly treatment reserved only for high-ranking Prodigies.
The Young City Lord of Liuyun City and his group watched as the Academy female Disciple treated Lin Dao so courteously, then thought of how they were relegated to ordinary guest houses. Their faces turned sickly pale, looking extremely unpleasant.
Lin Dao nodded slightly. “Thank you for leading the way.”
Under the gaze of countless complex eyes, the four members of the Lin Family followed the female Disciple, leaving the noisy plaza and heading toward the depths of the Academy, toward the area specifically prepared for Prodigies.
After this incident, the name of the Lin Family of Qingfeng County, along with the names Lin Hao, Ye Chen, and Lin Yun, were bound to spread throughout the entire Heavenly Vault Grand Gathering at an extremely rapid pace.