Free Web NovelChapter 268: Chapter 266: Pheasant Father, Phoenix Child
The Celestial, Earth, and Human Rankings of the Thunder Saint Academy were finalized every six years.
During this period, however, the rankings updated once a month, coinciding with the distribution of rewards.
This day happened to be when the rankings were scheduled to change again.
In the square, students gathered and gazed up at the ranking lists.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, although there were changes across all three rankings, most of them were minor.
After more than two years, everyone already had a basic idea of who was strong and who was weak.
But today, a shocking change occurred on the Earth Ranking!
Fang Yang’s name had soared up the Earth Ranking, leaping from twenty-fifth all the way to thirteenth—a conspicuous jump of twelve places.
At that moment, everyone stared up at Fang Yang’s new rank.
As if by unspoken agreement, one person after another activated their arts to connect with the Earth Ranking and view Fang Yang’s public information.
[Earth Ranking: 13]
[Name: Changkong Fang Yang]
[Age: Twenty-three]
[Spirit Body: Carp Eagle Spirit Body]
[Realm: Tier Four High-Grade]
[Accomplishments: Slaying the Stone-eating Scorpion Ten Thousand Beasts King, suppressing Muri Tianxiu of the Celestial Ranking...]
Instantly, a series of sharp gasps echoed through the square.
"Everyone in the top fifty of the Earth Ranking is at Tier Four Peak, aren’t they? To think Fang Yang could secure a spot in the top twenty with just a Tier Four High-Grade realm."
"Is this what a young Great Saint is like? It’s truly terrifying."
"Hiss... If Dongfang Qianmo hadn’t left for the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life, I’d even suspect Fang Yang could have defeated him and broken into the top ten..."
An uproar erupted in the square, forming a storm of discussion that quickly spread outwards and showed no signs of calming down.
The sheer scale of Fang Yang’s growth and transformation sent a powerful shockwave through the crowd, leaving them trembling in astonishment.
"Sigh, there are only three years left until the rankings are finalized. It looks like Brother Dongli has met his match," Murong Cairen sighed, deciding she wouldn’t be the one to tell her older sister, Murong Caiwei, this news.
’Thirteenth on the Earth Ranking... incredible...’ Fang Hao looked up. Beyond the joy on his face, a bitter taste filled his mouth.
He could already feel the immense pressure from Fang Yang.
If he didn’t start giving it his all, he was afraid Fang Yang would surpass him and become the Changkong clan’s Dao seed first.
If that happened, he wouldn’t be able to reclaim the Carp Eagle Blessed Land ahead of schedule.
That was something he could not tolerate!
’Why is breaking into the top fifty of the Celestial Ranking as hard as climbing to heaven...’ Fang Hao’s brows furrowed deeply, and a gloomy look darkened his features.
「Elsewhere.」
「Bai Zhi Dojo.」
In a medicinal garden, Sen Hui, dressed in simple linen clothes, carried a basket as she selected Spirit Grass.
A gentle breeze blew past, and a ball of white mist drifted by.
In an instant, the white mist took shape, solidifying into the graceful figure of Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint.
Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint smiled. "Xiaohui, Fang Yang has reached thirteenth on the Earth Ranking. That’s quite an achievement. You’ll have to perform well at the Refining Dao Conference in a month, you hear?~"
Hearing this, Sen Hui’s face bloomed into a smile. "Ah Yang is amazing, hehe... Yes, I’ll do my best too."
...
The silver moon hung high in the sky, its brilliant light spilling down, making the stone pavilion in the mountains glow.
A cool night breeze rustled past a tall, ancient pine. A clear spring trickled over the stones at its roots, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.
At this moment, numerous members of the Changkong clan were sitting cross-legged under the moonlight.
They were gathered in small groups of three and five, chatting with one another and exchanging information.
This was the Changkong clan’s gathering!
Whenever there was a festival, Sen Wei would call upon all the young men and women of the Changkong clan cultivating at the Thunder Saint Academy to assemble.
And now, Fang Yang, having found some free time, was among them.
Lin Tianxue clasped her hands in congratulation. "Brother Fang, congratulations on your breakthrough and this new achievement, leaping into the top twenty of the Earth Ranking."
"Truly impressive." Qing Xixi’s beautiful eyes twinkled. "You’re growing way too fast. You’ve already left a senior like me in the dust."
Beside them, Yu Yiming remained silent, but he too watched Fang Yang with a sigh of admiration.
Unlike Sen Wei, this group of seniors had actually competed against Fang Yang before.
That was precisely why they were so astonished by the speed of his growth.
In response to their congratulations, Fang Yang met them with a smile and a clasp of his own hands.
Breaking through to a new realm, leaping into the top twenty of the Earth Ranking... these were certainly things to be happy about.
But for him, he wanted even more: to break into the top ten, or even claim the number one spot on the Earth Ranking.
Only by doing so could he obtain the Golden Sun Wind Roc Wings, a Sacred Material, and get one step closer to attaining the Kunpeng Spirit Body!
Fang Yang said, "...I wonder how seniors like Ji Juyun and Sen Cangba are doing in the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life."
The moment he mentioned the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life and the collection of Dream Worlds, the atmosphere in the pavilion instantly became livelier.
Right now, if one had to name the hottest topic in the Thunder Saint Academy, it would undoubtedly be the Dream Worlds!
Lin Tianxue sighed mournfully. "Sigh, the Dream Worlds are no easy place to venture into. I heard my cousin, Lin Shenghuang, was too reckless and her foundation was damaged. Now she has to spend a year in seclusion to recover."
Yu Yiming first nodded, then shook his head. "Dongli was unlucky too. He wasn’t reckless, but the Dream World he entered was overly vicious and it injured his soul."
"Hehe..." Upon hearing that, Qing Xixi revealed her canines. "I bet you guys don’t know, but Ji Juyun and Erzhu Fei are still tangled up with each other..."
One story after another.
Fang Yang pricked up his ears and listened intently.
When he heard the surprising news of Lin Shenghuang’s and Dongli’s misfortunes, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly in private delight.
Especially Dongli!
The Dream World Dongli had experienced was apparently overly vicious because, according to him, there was a strange person there obsessed with forcing others to succeed.
If a dream adventurer failed to achieve the goal of "breaking the array" within the specified time, they would be obliterated by that strange person.
The strange part was, the dream adventurers had nothing in their hands.
Furthermore, the strange person offered no help whatsoever; the adventurers were expected to complete the task entirely on their own.
In other words, it was like a pheasant father trying to raise a phoenix child with nothing but empty words!
Beyond that, Ji Juyun’s experience was even more bizarre.
Because even inside a Dream World, Erzhu Fei, driven by sheer obsession, was somehow still pestering Ji Juyun.
’So, some special Dream Worlds can even be multiplayer...’ Fang Yang was inwardly surprised.
That was something he hadn’t really considered.
This clan gathering made him feel that his horizons had broadened once again.
The light of dawn pierced through the dark clouds.
With the arrival of morning, the clan gathering came to an end.
Fang Yang, Qing Xixi, and the others walked side-by-side down the mountain peak.
The mountain peak was tall, and at its base grew all sorts of strange Spirit Plants, including no shortage of bloodthirsty ones shaped like man-eating flowers.
Whenever they reached this point, Fang Yang and the others didn’t even have to act. The White Feathered Eagle would release a trace of its aura, scaring away the numerous bloodthirsty Spirit Plants.
This scene immediately drew a look of envy from Lin Tianxue. "I never would have thought your White Feathered Eagle battle pet was so powerful."
"Power is temporary, but loyalty is what matters most," Yu Yiming said, his eyes filled with appreciation.
After all, those bloodthirsty Spirit Plants were not to be trifled with, yet in front of the White Feathered Eagle, they were as meek as blades of grass—completely harmless.
Hearing this, Fang Yang stroked the White Feathered Eagle’s wings, causing it to chirp with cheerful satisfaction.
His tone was profound as he said, "Indeed. Combat strength is easy to come by, but a loyal subordinate is hard to cultivate, to say nothing of a battle pet with the potential to enter the realm of Desolate Beasts."
