Cao Cheng also smiled reassuringly. "It’s fine. It’s high enough anyway."

Although his words were meant to be reassuring, they were both laughing too happily.

Jiang Man felt there was a good reason he’d made a mental note about these two.

Afterward, Cao Cheng went over to Wei Beichuan and asked how he did on the exam.

Wei Beichuan answered calmly, "I performed as usual."

Hearing that, Cao Cheng’s own confidence wavered. ’So sure of himself?’

Even An Rong started to worry.

’Is my fifth-place rank in jeopardy?’

「The next day.」

The individual result sheets were handed out.

An Rong stared at his ranking, stunned.

「March 3rd.」

Wuyun Sect.

Outer Sect Cloud Mist Peak.

Foundation Establishment Courtyard, Front Area, Ninth Courtyard.

Name: An Rong.

Rank: 6 (of 36)

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Introduction.

Physical Body: First Level Introduction.

Spirit: First Level Introduction.

Minor: None.

Hidden Spirit: Lower-class.

Resources Obtained: Simple Yuan Condensation Method, Simple Body Refining Technique, Simple Observation Method.

Score: 52.

Comment: Your rank has dropped. You need to work harder.

Seeing his sixth-place rank, An Rong felt like his world was collapsing.

’It really dropped.’

"Rankings are always in flux. When some people improve, others fall behind. However, the overall scores are still quite good."

"Aside from the rewards for the top three and the private lesson for first place, everyone else will have a half-month break. Take the time to relax; there’s no need to be too anxious."

"The public rankings will be posted at noon."

"Also, the rankings within this courtyard are to be kept confidential from outsiders."

"Class dismissed."

Yan Yiqiu announced.

Even though class was dismissed, many students remained in their seats.

An Rong looked to Cao Cheng beside him. "Did your rank drop?"

"It did." Cao Cheng’s expression was grim.

Then they looked toward the second and third-ranked students.

Zhuo Bufan said calmly, "Holding steady at second."

Zhao Yaoyao was also all smiles. "Third place hasn’t budged."

Seeing their smiles, Cao Cheng and An Rong knew the two were very pleased with their rankings.

’So the top three didn’t move, and both fourth and fifth place dropped by one?’

Instantly, their gazes fell upon Wei Beichuan.

An Rong was aghast. "He got into the top four right after arriving? What kind of monster is he?"

"Scoring in the fifties right off the bat... that’s second only to the ninety-eight points first place got initially," Cao Cheng lamented. "Looks like it won’t be long before second place changes hands."

Zhuo Bufan felt immense pressure.

’I have to work even harder.’

’This proves it—pulling all-nighters was the right choice.’

’While others sleep, I cultivate. While others stagnate, I advance.’

’As long as I don’t rest, no one will have the chance to surpass me.’

Then, Cao Cheng and An Rong approached Wei Beichuan. "You’re fourth?" Cao Cheng asked.

An Rong chimed in, "You really are a monster. I got knocked down from fifth place."

"It’s truly impressive. I went straight from fourth to fifth," Cao Cheng added.

Wei Beichuan kept his head down, not looking at them. He didn’t want to hear what they had to say.

He silently rose and walked out.

He clutched the paper in his hand, his eyes filled with a deep sense of unwillingness and confusion.

Only when he reached a deserted corner did he dare to look at his own results.

The line for his rank was written very clearly.

Rank: 18 (of 36)

’Forget the top ten; I didn’t even make the top fifteen.’

This was completely different from the rank he had anticipated.

’By all rights, I should have been eighth.’

And the words from An Rong and Cao Cheng just now stung him even more deeply.

One was fifth, the other sixth.

And they came to admire his rank.

For a moment, he wanted to find a hole and crawl into it.

But he quickly calmed himself. ’I’ve always been one for steady accumulation before a breakthrough.’

’I just underestimated the strength of the others a little.’

’I can still catch up and surpass them later on.’

’This time, I’ve already surpassed six people, at least.’

’If I surpass another six, I’ll be close to the top ten.’

’Besides, these people who pull all-nighters to cultivate will only see temporary progress.’

’They’ll be the ones to suffer the consequences later on.’

’So, I still have a chance.’

’What I need to do now is stabilize my Heart Spirit and not let anything disrupt me.’

’If I let this setback crush me, all my previous efforts will be for nothing.’

At noon, he returned to the Ninth Courtyard.

He wanted to see what their scores were.

That way, he could determine how long it would take to surpass them.

Many people were already gathered there, waiting for the rankings to be posted.

Soon, the ranking sheet was posted.

Wei Beichuan’s eyes went straight to the eighteenth spot and found his own name.

Eighteenth Place: Wei Beichuan, 35 points.

Then he looked at seventeenth.

Seventeenth Place: Bai Xi, 36 points.

’Just a one-point difference. It’ll be easy to surpass her.’

’Especially since the scores just above mine are all pretty close.’

Then he scanned his way up the list.

He saw that after tenth place, the scores got a bit higher, but they were still only in the forties. ’Catchable.’

Then came sixth place, with fifty-two points.

’A little high, but completely doable with enough time.’

Second place had fifty-eight.

’A score like that is still within an acceptable range. All that’s left is first place.’

Wei Beichuan saw that the name for first place was written much larger than the others.

First Place: Jiang Man, 133 points.

The moment he saw the score, Wei Beichuan froze.

He wondered if he had misread it.

’One hundred and thirty-three points?’

’Almost a hundred points higher than me?’

In an instant, an image of Jiang Man appeared in his mind.

That once somewhat frail figure instantly grew immense, becoming like an insurmountable mountain pressing down on his Heart Spirit.

It was suffocating.

Meanwhile, An Rong and his friends turned their attention to the fourth-place student.

Fourth Place: Lin Qingshan, 54 points.

’Who’s this guy?’

Finally, their gazes fell on a plainly dressed young man. What was most surprising were the dark circles under his eyes, which were so pronounced they looked almost solid.

The moment An Rong and Cao Cheng saw him, they were bewildered.

’Did we just lose to some poor guy?’

"I don’t recognize him at all," An Rong said.

"How many of the people ranked lower than you do you actually recognize?" Cao Cheng retorted.

An Rong nodded. That was a fair point.

’This poor guy was a complete unknown, and now he’s shot up the ranks just like that.’

’Looks like my all-nighters weren’t intense enough.’

—

Jiang Man didn’t stay to check the public rankings.

He had seen Zhuo Bufan’s score of fifty-something points and felt that he was about to be overtaken.

’I’ll have to work even harder from now on.’

’But my Hidden Spirit can’t be improved unless I obtain a higher-level Nascent Condensation Skill.’

’Looks like I’ll have to place well in the opportunity Senior Sister Yu mentioned, improve the quality of my Hidden Spirit, and then I can get a high score.’

’Right now, the Hidden Spirit score for my Nine-layered Condensing Yuan Technique should be seventy points.’

’Others at the Fifth Layer should get thirty points, with each subsequent layer adding ten.’

’The first four layers should be five points each, and the fifth layer is ten points.’

Jiang Man shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside.

He turned his attention to the envelopes in his hand.

There were three in total—the reward for first place.

The first was a letter of apprenticeship, the second was a private lesson voucher, and the third was a bit ridiculous: a letter of recommendation for the third floor of the Yunqian Bureau.

’The first two are useful, but what good is the third one?’

Mr. Yan had said that if he had family, he could give it to them; otherwise, he could do whatever he wanted with it.

Jiang Man shook his head. ’I’ll give it to Old Chang. Consider it extra interest on the 18,000 Spiritual Source.’

’After all, paying back 20,000 on an 18,000 loan after a year is a much better rate than paying back 14,000 on a 12,000 loan after half a year.’

Following the Chishui River upstream, he would soon reach Red Water Peak.

Chang Qiweng should be waiting for him there.

He had the 14,000 Spiritual Source to make the repayment, but it would be even better if he could borrow more. After all, he needed to make another push in the coming six months.

—

「Red Water Peak.」

Chang Qiweng stood off to the side, waiting for Jiang Man to arrive.

’It wasn’t easy making a trip to the Sect.’

’Furthermore, the Sect was so vast; he was like a mere firefly here.’

’Any random Sect Disciple’s Cultivation was far beyond his own.’

’Even the clerks at the common shops had higher Cultivation than him.’

’Only Xiaopang was a bit of a disappointment, still stuck at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.’

’But he should reach the Fifth Layer soon enough.’

’Meanwhile, he himself was still stuck at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, all for the sake of his livelihood.’

’Luo Xuan and Cheng Yu were already at the Seventh Layer.’

’Fang Yong was even at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.’

’Still, his current situation was good enough, so he was content.’

’It was just that the loans were getting too large, and some of the other investors were starting to worry.’

’This time, half of them wanted to pull out.’

’They weren’t planning to lend any more.’

’Someone had also advised him to get the loaned Spiritual Source back as soon as possible.’

’They specifically told him to think about it: since the lending began, had he actually gotten any Spiritual Source back?’

’He hadn’t. In fact, the amount being borrowed was only increasing.’

’Someone had warned that if this kept up, the borrower might simply decide not to repay the loan at all.’

’Then everything would be lost.’

’One is a Sect Disciple, the other is a Yunqian Bureau guard.’

’If trouble arose, who would care whether a mere guard lived or died?’

’An older guard had been the one to warn him of this.’

’He said he’d seen far too many cases like this. They were just ordinary guards.’

’In the eyes of a Sect Disciple, they were nothing.’

’That’s why he’d told him to think it over carefully.’

—