8: Chapter 8 Crisis

After the screening by the heart-questioning mirror, Ye Fan knew he had to leave.

Tian Xuanzi's fleeting glance felt like a thorn in his back. The heart-questioning mirror might not have seen through the Yin-Yang Dao Body, but that instant of "discordant ripple" had already caught the attention of the Sect's highest echelons. The shackles of suspicion were already around his neck, just not yet tightened.

Defecting directly was the worst move; it was as good as a confession. Applying to go out for tempering? Given his current status of "recovering from serious injuries and having a poor reputation," it wouldn't be his turn. Pretending to be in seclusion for recuperation? He would still be in the Sect, under surveillance.

He could only use the Chaos caused by the golden list to find an Opportunity while the higher-ups were overwhelmed.

Ye Fan took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the sky; the announcement of the golden list's top fifty was continuing.

41st Place: Heavenly Yao Physique, Little Golden Peng Demon King (Yao Race, Golden-Winged Great Peng Tribe), Low Grade God Rank.

40th Place: Five Elements Spirit Physique, Wang Teng (Central Region, Five Elements Sect), Low Grade God Rank.

The exclamations on the square were no longer as enthusiastic as before; the continuous God Rank potentials had raised everyone's threshold too high.

Ye Fan silently noted this information. His gaze involuntarily drifted higher—39th, 38th, 37th... they still hovered between Low Grade and Medium Grade God Rank, until the 36th place, where the characters traced by the Dao patterns took on a faint purplish-gold hue.

[36th Place: Innate Dao Fetus]

[Owner: Dao Yi (Mysterious origin, suspected to be a descendant of a hidden lineage of an ancient Daoist tradition)]

[Potential: High Grade God Rank]

"The aptitude of a Dao Ancestor!" A new wave of noise erupted on the square. High Grade God Rank had finally appeared.

But Ye Fan knew this wasn't the end. After a brief pause, purple Qi drifted from the east, and starting from the 35th place, the potential rating leaped to Saint Rank.

[35th Place: Indestructible War Physique — Zhan Wuji (War God Palace), Low Grade Saint Rank]

Saint Rank! A completely new level. The entire Cultivation World was in an uproar once again.

Next, from 34th to 32nd, all were Low Grade Saint Rank. 31st Place: Medium Grade Saint Rank, Nine Heavens Thunder God Physique. 29th Place: High Grade Saint Rank, Creation Immortal Physique, owner "Qing Li (suspected Immortal Realm Reincarnation)". 28th Place: Heaven-Swallowing Demon Physique. 27th Place: Eternal Divine Physique.

25th Place: Peak Grade Saint Rank.

[25th Place: Grandmist Purple Qi Physique — Immortal Master Ziyin (Penglai Immortal Sect), Peak Grade Saint Rank.]

The merit of creation, the foundation of becoming a Saint. Ye Fan understood clearly—his Yin-Yang Dao Body should be on the same level as this Grandmist Purple Qi Physique, and his ranking would likely be similar, perhaps even higher.

Top 24, twenty-four spots left.

The golden list didn't seem to intend to give the masses time to breathe. The 24th place slowly emerged, with chaotic Qi currents flowing over the characters.

[24th Place: Chaos Sword Physique — Dugu Baitian (Suspected Reincarnation of an ancient Sword Dao Supreme), Peak Grade Saint Rank, the pinnacle of offensive power]

23rd Place: Reincarnation Sacred Body. 22nd Place: Fate Void Physique, the owner's information was almost blank—"Unmeasurable, unknowable, an anomaly in the long river of fate." 21st Place: Space-Time Dao Body (Incomplete).

When the 20th place appeared, the purplish-gold radiance of the golden list erupted violently, and an aura transcending the Saint Rank permeated the air.

[20th Place: Heavenly Dao Sacred Body — Dao Xuan (Tiandao Sect), Low Grade Dao Rank]

Dao Rank! A brand-new rating surpassing Saint Rank, appearing for the first time!

The entire Cultivation World went completely mad. Ye Fan felt a sense of dizziness. Heavenly Dao Sacred Body, Low Grade Dao Rank, ranked 20th. His Yin-Yang Dao Body was at least Dao Rank, possibly even Medium or High Grade. Then what about the top ten? The top three?

He slowly lowered his head, no longer looking up. Those brilliant names now felt like swords hanging over his head.

On the high platform, Perfected Lingyun and the others turned pale. A Dao Rank Physique, the Tiandao Sect—those were existences they had to look up to.

Just then, rapid bell tolls rang out from the main peak. A transmission Talisman flew over. Perfected Lingyun scanned it with his Divine Sense and stood up abruptly, heading straight for the Discussion Hall with several Elders without saying a word.

Clearly, something more urgent than the golden list had happened.

Ye Fan felt a surge of joy. Chaos was his Opportunity.

He quietly retreated, taking advantage of the commotion in the square to quickly leave the crowd and head toward his small courtyard.

He would claim a "relapse of his injuries" and that he needed a specific Spirit Medicine found only in a dangerous place outside the Sect, using this as an excuse to apply to leave. That place was a minor Early Stage instance in the "original work" with moderate danger. It would explain his "minor" future progress in strength and be perfectly reasonable.

Back at the courtyard, Ye Fan dug out the low-level Talismans and Medicinal Pills left by the original owner, found a tattered Storage Pouch, spread out paper and pen, and began writing his application to leave the Sect. Just as he set pen to paper...

Tens of thousands of miles away, in a chaotic market where Loose Cultivators gathered, a young man wearing tattered martial attire, pale-faced but with fierce eyes, slowly stepped into the most lawless area.

Lin Feng looked up toward the Yuqing Sect and glanced at the golden list in the sky, which had reached the 19th place. A cold arc tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Ye Fan, I'm back."

"System, scan the vicinity and find tasks to quickly increase my strength!"

[Scanning... Optional task found: Clear out the 'Black Fiend Gang' in the east district of the market, destiny points +50. Lootable target found: Loose Cultivator 'Poison Hand' (Early Stage Foundation Establishment), destiny points +5~10. Potential Opportunity found: In the underground auction in three days, there is a tattered ancient Cultivator's relic, suspected to be related to the Dragon Fall Abyss.]

Lin Feng licked his parched lips, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.

"Very good, it starts here."

His figure flashed, blending into the dark alleyways as he crept toward the Black Fiend Gang's stronghold.

The hunt has begun.

The golden list hung high, illuminating this new era of hidden killing intent. Two venomous snakes raised their heads in the darkness, slowly closing in on each other.