Chapter 720: Chapter 720

As the challenges were issued one after another, people immediately began to send messages to inquire about the attitudes of those being challenged.

Under normal circumstances, if the ranking gap between the challenger and the challenged was too large, or if the challenged felt that the challenger's reputation or strength was insufficient, they had the right to refuse.

This was a reasonable rule; otherwise, those with higher rankings would be overwhelmed by endless challengers every day, not to mention the nuisance of dealing with every Tom, Dick, and Harry trying to make a name for themselves. How could one live like that?

However, this time the challengers were of special status, all young talents from the Immortal Dynasty, Demon Dynasty, or other countries, with considerable strength and reputation, unlike challengers in the past. The probability of the challenged accepting the challenge was quite high.

Such excitement was rare and not to be missed.

In no time, those who were merely passing by the arena were reluctant to leave, calling their friends and acquaintances to come and watch the spectacle.

Soon, the news of young talents from multiple countries coming to challenge spread like wildfire in Xinping Town, drawing more and more people to the arena, making it increasingly lively.

One of these teahouses was rented at a high price by a group of merchants from the Demon Dynasty who had traveled a long distance.

Outside the teahouse, a team of guards exuding demonic energy stood casually, seemingly relaxed but actually guarding the main entrance, side doors, and any possible exits, keeping unrelated people at a distance.

Many people instinctively avoided them, seemingly unwilling to provoke the people from the Demon Dynasty.

Although the relationship between the Immortal and Demon Dynasties was not what it used to be, and exchanges and trade had been opened at the national policy level, the inertia of years of thinking was not so easily broken. Most people instinctively were somewhat reluctant to deal with people from the Demon Dynasty.

Among this group of Demon Dynasty merchants was an elder dressed rather modestly.

This elder was dressed like an ordinary shopkeeper, with graying hair and shrewd eyes, looking no different from a regular guild shopkeeper.

On the surface, he was the shopkeeper of a large guild in the Demon Dynasty, but in reality, he was the Demon Emperor in disguise.

With multiple experiences of "private visits," the Demon Emperor's disguise was so effective that even Wang Shouzhe might not recognize him in person.

"Oh dear~ Ancestor, I didn't expect the Immortal Dynasty to have the same idea as us." The Blood Sea King, also disguised as a caravan manager, frowned, showing a bit of concern between his brows, "Challenging the ninth on the Celestial Ranking right off the bat, they're coming in strong~"

"What are you afraid of?" The Demon Emperor glared and said, "The Immortal Dynasty is strong mainly because of Mu Yun and the number of high-end combat forces in the True Immortal Realm. In terms of overall heritage and the potential of the younger generation, we're not far behind."

"Your Majesty is right," Elder Shi said solemnly, "We are well-prepared this time, bringing young talents from all over the dynasty to broaden their horizons. Our goal is clear: to occupy thirty spots on each ranking list and suppress the Immortal Dynasty's arrogance."

While Elder Shi was making bold statements, the first arena match had already begun.

The first to accept the challenge was the ninth-ranked on the Celestial Ranking, Gongsun Chaoye.

Gongsun Chaoye happened to be nearby, and upon hearing that the challenger was an elite from the super-grade Wu Clan, he not only didn't back down but accepted the challenge with excitement.

Gongsun Chaoye was a top-tier young talent meticulously cultivated by the Shanyang Gongsun Clan, embodying the clan's resources, with a bloodline level reaching the great prodigy A-grade.

The Gongsun Clan's expectation for him was to at least reach the mid to late stages of the Divine Realm, and with special opportunities, he might even achieve the Void Realm.

He represented the "ambition" of the Gongsun Clan Leader, Gongsun Yan, aiming to follow in the footsteps of his cousin Wang Shouzhe, at least pushing for a second-grade family, and perhaps even aspiring to a first-grade family.

However, the Han Yue Wu Clan, as a super first-grade family, although not as glorious as the Chao Clan of Red Moon at its peak, still had three Lingxu Ancestors. Their direct descendant, Wu Yinghao, was a strong contender for the position of Mansion Master of Princess Suiyun's mansion and could potentially become the Immortal Emperor's consort.

By then, the Han Yue Wu Clan would surely rise again, entering a rapid development phase.

This time, the young great prodigy Wu Chengzhu, representing the Han Yue Wu Clan, was an outstanding figure among the younger generation, not to be underestimated.

It was still uncertain who was stronger.

Over the years, with so many challenges held, a fixed process had long been established.

As Gongsun Chaoye accepted the challenge, the referee responsible for the arena battle unsealed the arena and activated a series of formations on it.

Wu Chengzhu was the first to step onto the arena.

As an outstanding figure of the Wu Clan's younger generation, he was naturally young and handsome, exuding an impressive aura. When he gracefully landed on the arena, his clothes fluttered, and his demeanor was elegant, instantly attracting much attention and cheers.

Some girls among the Northern Zhou students blushed, whispering to themselves, "Truly worthy of being a young master from a super-grade family, he's so handsome, as if he's cloaked in a glow~~"

However, the boys among the students showed expressions of envy, jealousy, and hatred, wishing they could be Wu Chengzhu, dazzling and becoming the center of attention.

Some were even more dissatisfied.

Wasn't Wu Chengzhu just relying on the halo of a super-grade family? If they were born into a super-grade family, with abundant resources from a young age, they wouldn't necessarily be much worse than him.

Unfortunately, they didn't understand that even in a super-grade family, resources were limited, and the competition among peers was far more intense than in those small seventh or eighth-grade families.

These young students from the Northern Zhou were just a small part of the onlookers. In fact, more people from the Great Gan had come to Changning to develop, and there were also exchange students from other human countries like the Liang Kingdom.

Outside the Celestial Arena, it was soon packed with people, leaving no room to move.

At this moment, Gongsun Chaoye finally arrived.

He was dressed in Basalt combat attire, falling onto the arena like a meteor.

Unlike Wu Chengzhu's elegant demeanor, showcasing the style of a family scion, Gongsun Chaoye appeared much wilder, with a tall and mighty physique, muscles bulging, clearly taking the path of a fierce body cultivator.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wu Chengzhu and Gongsun Chaoye officially began their duel.

One was light and agile, moving around the arena, while the other was fierce and domineering, pressing forward step by step.

Both had extraordinary bloodline qualifications, possessing great prodigy A-grade bloodlines, and were both around eighty years old, not far from the peak of the Celestial Realm. They each had a Divine Spirit Artifact-level weapon, making their strengths quite close.

In this battle, they fought back and forth, evenly matched, seemingly unable to determine a winner in a short time.

As great prodigies in the Celestial Realm, they had both mastered their minor divine abilities, had their own understanding of the laws, and had begun to form their own path.

In the battle, the power of divine abilities crisscrossed the arena, with bursts of energy light almost engulfing their figures, making it truly spectacular and dazzling.

For their age, such performance was undoubtedly "astonishing."

The hidden elders from various factions couldn't help but nod in approval.

These two young people were truly remarkable. It seemed that the gold content of the Celestial Ranking in Changning was even greater than they had anticipated.

In another towering tavern nearby, someone was also watching the match.

This tavern was a hundred stories high, resembling a sharp sword piercing the sky from the ground, grand and eye-catching.

This tavern was the Xinping branch of Wang's Chain Hotel.

On the top floor of the hotel, there were some extremely luxurious Lingxu suites, offering a panoramic view, with a sense of overlooking the world.

Of course, staying in a Lingxu suite wasn't limited to those in the Lingxu Realm; as long as one could afford the high accommodation fee, even a Qi Refining Realm cultivator could stay. The name "Lingxu suite" was more of a symbol of status and position.

In the third room of the Tianzi size, one could "just happen" to see the arena from the window.

On the sofa by the window lay a stunning beauty, lazily reclining.

This beauty was breathtakingly beautiful, yet unlike the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor, who took a seductive route, she exuded an indescribable nobility and dominance, as if the world should be beneath her feet.

This beauty was none other than Immortal Emperor Mu Yun!

This time, like the Demon Emperor, the Immortal Emperor had also come in disguise, not revealing her identity.

However, with no one else in the room, she had removed her disguise, wearing a set of ninth-grade Heavenly Silkworm silk pajamas she had just bought at a high price, lounging lazily on the sofa, exuding a charming demeanor.

With her immortal fingers, she held a cup of expensive immortal wine, sipping it lightly with her red lips: "Young Master Shouzhe, shall we place a bet on whether Wu Chengzhu or Gongsun Chaoye will win?"

Wang Shouzhe looked at Immortal Emperor Mu Yun with a complex expression: "Your Majesty, you had Ningxi inform me that there was an urgent matter of great importance, just to watch the kids compete?"

However, after one glance, he dared not look again, lowering his eyes. The reason was simple: today's attire of Immortal Emperor Mu Yun was too provocative, the pajamas too transparent and scant.

Wang Shouzhe was just a mortal with emotions and desires; looking too much, he might not be able to restrain himself.

Immortal Emperor Mu Yun rolled her immortal eyes, giving Wang Shouzhe a sideways glance: "If I hadn't said so, would you have hurried over secretly?"

"Well..." Wang Shouzhe reluctantly stood up, "Your Majesty, I'm busy with personal affairs at home recently. If there's nothing urgent, I'll..."

"Sit down and talk." Immortal Emperor Mu Yun, trembling with anger, pointed at him, "Don't pretend I don't know. At home, you're just a grand old master who doesn't care about any trivial matters, spending your days drinking tea, tending flowers, and playing with children. Find another excuse."

"Uh... I'm just afraid of causing misunderstandings, which would be detrimental to Your Majesty's reputation."

"No worries, my current realm is stable in the mid-True Immortal stage, and my skin is thick enough not to care about reputation. At worst, I'll retire early, let Suiyun handle state affairs, with Fugui and Mengyu assisting, and find another excuse."

"..." Wang Shouzhe sighed deeply, "I'm afraid Ruolan will misunderstand."

At these words, a trace of apprehension flashed in Immortal Emperor Mu Yun's eyes.

But it was just for a moment; in the next instant, her attitude became firm again: "Ruolan, with her Primordial Water Sacred Diagram, indeed has boundless potential, but now she's probably far from being my match."

Wang Shouzhe was immediately amused and helpless: "Your Majesty, this isn't about winning or losing a fight..."

"Wang Shouzhe, are you trying to deny after flirting?" Immortal Emperor Mu Yun's eyebrows arched in anger, her tone becoming sharp, "Or are you planning to take all the benefits and then deny it?"

Wang Shouzhe looked bewildered: "Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?"

Immortal Emperor Mu Yun suddenly threw a jade pendant, pointing at it: "Dare you say this isn't your personal item?"

The jade pendant rolled onto the coffee table.

Under the bright hotel lights, the simple and elegant patterns on the jade pendant, its warm patina, and the slight wear marks were clearly visible. It was indeed the personal jade pendant Wang Shouzhe had when he was young!

Wang Shouzhe's pupils constricted.

How did this end up in Her Majesty's hands?

No wonder he hadn't been able to find it.

Wait, something's not right~

In his room, only the maid, Ruolan, Wang Zongshi, and Wang Lixuan could enter. The other children were grown and wouldn't intrude into their parents' room.

Zongshi was a typical obedient boy, always following the rules. But during the time the jade pendant went missing, Wang Lixuan seemed a bit sneaky, looking guilty.

Wang Shouzhe suddenly understood; it must have been that rascal Wang Ningxi who, to complete his task, instigated Wang Lixuan to steal his jade pendant!

Such audacity, even daring to sell out the Ancestor, he must deal with him later...

Before Wang Shouzhe could finish his thought, Immortal Emperor Mu Yun pinned him against the sofa. She stared into his eyes, saying fiercely, "If you dare make another excuse, don't blame me for turning hostile."

Wang Shouzhe swallowed hard: "Your Majesty..."

"Call me 'Mu Yun' like before. And don't use honorifics."

"Alright, Mu Yun." Wang Shouzhe said, somewhat sheepishly, "You're right, it's quite interesting to watch the arena matches and chat when we're free."

Only then did Immortal Emperor Mu Yun release him, helping him tidy his disheveled clothes, then picked up her wine cup again, sipping the immortal wine: "This wine of yours, Young Master, is quite interesting."

"This is automatically brewed by the Wine Knife Immortal's brewing gourd," Wang Shouzhe generously said, "If you like it, I'll give you the gourd."

"That's not necessary. If I need it, I'll just ask you for it." Immortal Emperor Mu Yun seemed quite satisfied, "Now, can we talk about something interesting?"

"Something interesting? Oh, right, I've met Chaoye a few times." Wang Shouzhe began analyzing with interest, "He's talented, with good comprehension, his only flaw being a slightly fiery temper. On the other hand, that Wu Chengzhu kid seems a bit cunning. You see how he's constantly maneuvering and provoking Chaoye's temper in the early stages. It looks like Chaoye is more likely to lose."

"What do you mean by cunning? When you and Wang Fugui scheme, you're much more cunning than Wu Chengzhu. The same scheming, when done by your Wang Clan, is called 'strategic wisdom,' but when done by our Immortal Dynasty talents, it's called 'cunning'?" Immortal Emperor Mu Yun retorted.

"Mu Yun makes a good point; I'll reflect deeply on this later."

Wang Shouzhe reluctantly changed his wording, but inwardly he was gritting his teeth.

He must give Wang Lixuan a good beating later. That girl, looking innocent and honest, turned out to be mischievous at such a young age, even learning to trick her father!

On the arena, the situation unfolded as Wang Shouzhe predicted. Gongsun Chaoye, agitated by Wu Chengzhu's maneuvering tactics, gradually lost his composure, frequently using big moves, ultimately allowing Wu Chengzhu to find an opening and defeat him.

There were boos from the audience, but many also cheered for Wu Chengzhu, praising him for his courage and wisdom.

After Gongsun Chaoye was defeated, Wu Chengzhu took his original spot, becoming the new ninth-ranked, while everyone behind, including Gongsun Chaoye, slid down one rank. Gongsun Chaoye thus became the tenth-ranked.

Next, it was Liang Kingdom's Situ Yangyu challenging Changning Lei Clan's Lei Wansui.

Over the years, some of Wang Clan's allied families had also gradually had members reach the Purple Mansion Realm. However, to avoid overshadowing the Wang Clan, they only claimed to be ordinary fifth-grade families.

Only after the Wang Clan completed the Duke's Banquet would they "reluctantly" follow suit, advancing to fourth-grade families.

And a fourth-grade family, though only a step above a fifth-grade family, held a vastly different status.

It's important to note that Great Gan, as a nation established for less than ten thousand years, had always had a relatively small number of upper-tier families. Before the Changning Wang Clan advanced to third-grade, Great Gan had only one second-grade family, the Zhao Clan of Great Gan, and three third-grade families: the Wang Clan of Great Gan, the Chen Clan of Great Gan, and the Gongye Clan of Great Gan. Below them were the fourth-grade families. This meant that fourth-grade families held a very high status in Great Gan, with many key officials in the court coming from fourth-grade families.

The number of fourth-grade families was only about ten, mostly concentrated in Guilong City.

Once the Wang Clan's allied families advanced to fourth-grade, the number of fourth-grade families in Great Gan would likely double. This also indicated the strength of these allied families.

As one of the earliest families to ally with the Wang Clan, the Changning Lei Clan had naturally developed well over the years. Now, the Lei Clan was quite formidable, with a well-structured family hierarchy.

Lei Wansui was a young talent of the Lei Clan, with a prodigy B-grade bloodline.

Situ Yangyu from the Liang Kingdom was also formidable, a renowned young talent in the Liang Kingdom.

This match was fiercely contested. However, in the end, Lei Wansui held on, maintaining his rank. Situ Yangyu, undeterred, declared that he would rest for a few days before challenging the twenty-fifth-ranked "Chen Shichao" on the Celestial Ranking.

Chen Shichao was a young talent from the Chen Clan of Great Gan.

Then the third challenger stepped up.

Clearly, both the Immortal and Demon Dynasties were making significant moves behind the scenes, preparing to compete on the ranking lists, each declaring, "I'm the boss."

While the Celestial Ranking was fiercely contested, the Lingtai Ranking also saw frequent changes, with young talents from the Immortal and Demon Dynasties and various affiliated countries taking turns to climb the ranks.

"Senior Brother Liu, what's happening?"

As Liu Gaoliang and others watched the excitement, a group of students from Changning County Academy squeezed in. Accompanying them were teachers from various departments, and even a dignified-looking mature man followed.

Liu Gaoliang hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, then greeted the teachers and students one by one.

This Dean Lu was Lu Xianghui, the current dean of Changning County Academy.

He was originally just an ordinary disciple at Longzuo Academy, but after guiding Wang Liyao once, he had a stroke of luck and became her follower. Over the years, he had diligently served Wang Liyao, rarely making mistakes, and had reaped many benefits, rising rapidly.

Now, at just over two hundred years old, he had successfully entered the Purple Mansion Realm, becoming a true figure of significance.

In terms of status, he wasn't yet on par with the likes of Xuan Yao Ascetic or Changchun Immortal, the great elders of the academy, but he wasn't far behind.

"Junior Brother Zhaixing." Liu Gaoliang wiped his sweat and said to a young man in the crowd, "Your original ninety-third rank might not hold."

Everyone looked at the ranking list.

Goodness! Several Lingtai Realm cultivators had already been challenged on the Lingtai Ranking, and Dongfang Zhaixing, originally ranked ninety-third, had dropped to ninety-seventh, while Dongfang Lingrou had fallen from ninety-first to ninety-fifth!

Dongfang Zhaixing was a young talent from the recently risen sixth-grade Dongfang Clan in Xinping Town. He was originally just a prodigy B-grade bloodline, but over the years, the Dongfang Clan had tightened their belts to support him secretly, and he had also excelled, receiving numerous awards and successfully joining the ranks of prodigies, securing a spot on the Lingtai Ranking.

This was no easy feat for any family.

The reason was simple. The Changning Wang Clan and its allied families were too strong, especially the Wang Clan, which dominated the rankings in large numbers. The top-ranked prodigy, Wang Baoguang, could even fight across realms against prodigy-level Celestial Realm cultivators, with combat power that was extraordinarily strong.

"A storm is brewing~" Dongfang Zhaixing sighed helplessly at the scene, "With prodigies from the Immortal and Demon Dynasties joining the ranking competition, the rankings will be unpredictable for some time."

For prodigies like them, who were at the tail end, securing a spot on the rankings was almost impossible unless they reached the peak of the Lingtai Realm and tried again. But by then, the competition might be even fiercer, and who knows if they could still squeeze into the top hundred?

A group of Northern Zhou students were even more desperate.

Did they come to study in Eastern Gan's Changning, the center of the world, only to find so many monsters? This place was terrifying! Mother, sob, I want to go home~~~

While the excitement continued below, in the Lingxu suite at the top of the tavern, Immortal Emperor Mu Yun had already drunk quite a bit, and Wang Shouzhe was also forced to drink a lot.

"Young Master Shouzhe, let's have another drink together."

"Wang Shouzhe, are you disrespecting me?"

"Shouzhe, we're allies who have fought together, surely you won't deny me this?"

Under Immortal Emperor Mu Yun's coaxing and threats, Wang Shouzhe was compelled to drink quite a bit. This was immortal wine brewed from Immortal Spirit Rice, and even with Wang Shouzhe's strong physique, after so many cups, he was feeling a bit tipsy.

He thought to himself that this wasn't good.

Her Majesty seemed intent on devouring him~ No, he needed to find a way to leave quickly.

As he racked his brains for a plan to escape.

Voices were heard outside the door: "Manager Qi, since this Tianzi No. 3 room is occupied, let's leave it."

"No problem, no problem. This room offers the best view for watching the match, so naturally, we should prioritize the young master's needs." Another middle-aged man's voice said, "I checked the records; this room was booked by a single female traveler from a fifth-grade family of the Immortal Dynasty. We'll offer her triple the price and switch her to Tianzi No. 4 room. She'll earn a lot of room money for nothing, why would she refuse? Rest assured, young master, I'll handle everything."

The doorbell rang with a "ding-dong, ding-dong."

Wang Shouzhe broke into a cold sweat: "Mu Yun, I need to hide."

With that, he was about to tear open the space to escape.

"Hide for what? We haven't finished drinking yet!" Immortal Emperor Mu Yun, dissatisfied, grabbed Wang Shouzhe's arm, pulling him onto the sofa beside her, then used her divine sense to open the door, "Let me deal with the uninvited guest first, and we'll continue drinking later."

A middle-aged man dressed as a manager and a young, handsome man with an extraordinary demeanor appeared at the door.

Upon closer inspection, the young man bore a slight resemblance to Wang Shouzhe.

The middle-aged manager politely bowed slightly to the two inside the room, smiling as he was about to deliver his prepared lines, but the young man's face suddenly changed. He grabbed the manager and threw him out, then rushed in, slamming the door shut.

The young man leaned against the door, avoiding looking at the scene inside the room, sweat dripping from his forehead, his expression stiff, pupils dilated, as if he had stumbled upon a terrible secret.

At this moment, the young man's mind was in turmoil, with only one thought left: What to do? What should I do now?

"Wang Baoguang!" Wang Shouzhe glared at the young man, angrily asking, "What are you doing? What's with that expression?"

This young man was none other than Wang Baoguang, who had been making waves among the younger generation, ranked first on the Lingtai Ranking. For more chapters visıt noveⅼfire.net

Now, the number of Changning Wang Clan members was approaching two thousand and growing annually. Many younger members Wang Shouzhe couldn't even recognize, but Wang Baoguang, being a direct descendant of the Wang Clan, the great-grandson of Wang Anrui, son of Wang Shihai, and one of the few "Bao" generation members in the Wang Clan, was naturally well-known to Wang Shouzhe.

"Old, Old Ancestor Grandpa, rest assured, I, I have a tight lip." Wang Baoguang swallowed hard, nearly collapsing to the ground, "I, I won't say a word even if I'm beaten to death."

"What nonsense is that?" Wang Shouzhe was almost infuriated, "I'm just having a drink with Her Majesty Mu Yun, discussing the future world trends."

Mu, Mu Yun Her Majesty?

Wang Baoguang was even more thunderstruck, tears uncontrollably streaming down his cheeks.

This was big trouble; he had stumbled upon the Old Ancestor Grandpa's secret with the Immortal Emperor! Sob, sob, the gossip Ancestor Zongkun privately shared last time was true after all!