The year-end wind blew across the training grounds, bringing a bone-chilling cold, yet it could not extinguish the burning light in the eyes of the Inner Hall Descendants.
In the courtyard of the Martial Arts Stele, sixty-one figures stood solemnly. The air was heavy, yet thick with suppressed excitement.
Clad in a green robe, Elder Fang Yuan stood before the stele with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze swept over the descendants present as he spoke in a steady voice.
"Now, step forward in order to retake the Martial Arts Stele ranking test!"
The moment he finished speaking, a slight stir went through the crowd before it quickly fell silent again. All eyes focused on the Martial Arts Stele, which shimmered with a mysterious, faint light.
The retest would naturally proceed according to the previous rankings, from highest to lowest.
The top ten descendants stepped forward first.
They carried themselves with a steady bearing and had profound auras, a clear distinction from the ordinary descendants.
The first to step forward was Fang Hong, who had dominated the top of the rankings for years and had already reached the Bone Forging Realm.
He was not only renowned within the Fang Family, but also held a great reputation among the younger generation of Liangshui City.
Along with four others from Liangshui City, he was known as one of the Five Heroes of Liangshui, a title for the five most outstanding youths.
He stepped forward with a calm expression, wrote his name on the stele's surface with his finger, and immediately followed with a powerful, heavy palm strike against the stele.
"BUZZ—"
The Jade Stele's light flashed intensely, a testament to the immense power of his palm strike.
Next up was the young woman who had ranked second in previous years, Fang Xue.
She was dressed in a moon-white training uniform, her posture ramrod straight. Her features were elegant, her skin fairer than snow, and her eyes held an icy, detached calm.
Like Fang Hong, her Realm had also reached the Bone Forging Realm.
The Martial Technique she cultivated was Qingfeng Swordsmanship, the same as Fang Han. However, her level of comprehension far surpassed his; she had already reached the stage of Great Success.
"CLANG—"
She slashed out with her sword, and the Jade Stele's light flashed just as violently. In the end, her rank settled just below Fang Hong's.
Immediately following was the descendant who ranked third in previous years, Fang Hao.
Like Fang Hong and Fang Xue, he too had reached the Bone Forging Realm.
Standing before the Martial Arts Stele, he took a deep breath, and a series of soft pops echoed from his bones and sinews.
He clenched his right fist, veins bulging beneath his skin like coiling dragons, and slammed a brutal punch into the smooth surface of the Jade Stele.
"THUD!"
A heavy thud echoed through the courtyard as the Jade Stele's light flashed violently.
Ultimately, his rank settled below Fang Xue's.
Seeing this result, a flicker of disappointment crossed Fang Hao's eyes.
He hadn't expected to surpass Fang Hong, but he had hoped to overtake the second-ranked Fang Xue. His failure to do so was naturally a disappointment.
Next, the descendants ranked fourth to tenth from the previous year stepped forward to be tested one by one.
Their Realms were a level below the top three; they were all at the stage of Refining Tendons.
Despite this, their attacks were still brimming with power.
Some were fierce and domineering, others swift and cunning, causing the stele's light to flicker erratically.
However, while there were minor fluctuations in the rankings—for instance, the seventh and eighth switched places, and the tenth-ranked Fang Mei rose one spot to displace the previous ninth—the overall structure of the top ten remained largely unchanged.
Once the top ten had been tested, it was time for the descendants who had previously ranked below tenth.
At this moment, the atmosphere grew even more tense.
The eyes of the descendants who felt their year of bitter cultivation had paid off, greatly increasing their strength, flickered with a mix of anticipation and apprehension.
They took deep breaths, wrote their names on the stele, and unleashed their strongest attacks.
"Forty-first!"
"Thirty-fifth!"
"Twenty-eighth!"
As one name after another lit up on the stele's surface, the rankings were constantly updated.
Some, seeing their rank shoot up by more than ten places in one go, couldn't help but let out a low cry, their faces flushing red with excitement.
Others discovered their rank hadn't improved but had actually dropped. Their faces turned ashen in an instant, their eyes dimmed, and their clenched fists trembled slightly, their hearts filled with disappointment and resentment.
A low murmur spread through the crowd, a mixture of gasps, sighs of pity, and envious whispers.
Fang Han stood in line, his gaze placid, but his heart was anything but calm.
When his turn came, he strode steadily forward. His finger touched the ice-cold surface of the stele as he wrote out the name 'Fang Han'.
He then picked up a nearby Fine Iron Longsword, his gaze suddenly turning sharp.
"Gentle Breeze Through the Forest!"
He unleashed his Qingfeng Swordsmanship, which was at the Minor Achievement stage, with his full power. The sword glinted like lightning, carrying the enhanced strength of his recent breakthrough to the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining as it struck the Martial Arts Stele with swift precision!
"CLANG—!"
The sword tip struck the Jade Stele, emitting a clear, ringing hum.
The light of the Jade Stele swirled. The number behind the name 'Fang Han' changed rapidly before finally settling—Fifty-fourth!
Compared to his previous rank of fifty-ninth, he had advanced a full five places.
'And this result probably won't change.'
Only Fang Tao and Fang Chen remained to be tested after him, and both had been weaker than Fang Han when they first entered the Inner Hall, let alone now.
Seeing this result, the other seven who had entered the Inner Hall in the same group as Fang Han couldn't help but gasp, even though they had anticipated his rapid progress. Their eyes were filled with unconcealable shock.
"Fifty-fourth... How long has it even been?"
"Middle Stage of Flesh Refining, Minor Achievement in his Swordsmanship... Just how in the world does he cultivate?"
"He's almost caught up to Fang Lin..."
Their gazes involuntarily shifted to Fang Lin.
Fang Lin's expression darkened.
Staring at the name 'Fang Han' on the stele, positioned right below his own, a powerful sense of crisis coiled around his heart like an icy vine.
'He had been so proud of himself for rising one rank to fifty-third in less than a month.'
'I really am a genius. It took me less than a month to catch up to one of last year's Inner Hall Descendants. With enough time, a spot in the top ten is sure to be mine.'
But seeing Fang Han's rank, his pride shattered in an instant.
Fifty-fourth!
'This branch-family disciple, whom he had once looked down upon with utter disdain, had caught up to him in such a short time. He was just one step behind.'
'I absolutely cannot let him surpass me!'
Alarm bells screamed in Fang Lin's mind as he felt a tangible threat.
His once-lofty sense of superiority vanished without a trace, replaced by intense wariness and a pressing sense of urgency.
He secretly gritted his teeth, his eyes turning razor-sharp. He resolved to redouble his Cultivation efforts the moment he got back.
Fang Tao and Fang Chen stepped forward for their tests. Soon, the retesting of all the descendants was complete, and the new ranking on the Martial Arts Stele was clearly displayed for all to see.
Elder Fang Yuan produced a thick register that recorded the Martial Arts Stele rankings from the end of the previous year.
His gaze was calm as his finger moved quickly between the register and the new rankings on the Martial Arts Stele, comparing them and calculating each person's change in rank over the past year.
You could have heard a pin drop in the courtyard. Everyone held their breath, awaiting the final results.
A moment later, Elder Fang Yuan spoke again, his voice carrying clearly to every person's ears.
"We will now begin distributing the rewards for the top ten. First place, Fang Hong, is awarded five hundred taels. Second place, Fang Xue, is awarded four hundred taels…"
He read out the names of the top ten in order, announcing the corresponding silver reward for each.
As the top-level talents of the Inner Hall, their rewards were extremely generous, ranging from hundreds of taels down to several dozen. The higher the rank, the greater the sum.
The top ten descendants stepped forward to receive their heavy coin purses, unable to hide the joy on their faces. This was both recognition and reward for their strength and status.