Chapter 294: Chapter 280: Internal and External

As soon as everyone entered, they looked toward the Youth Ranking.

Before entering, they all knew that initially, the ranking list was based on everyone’s strength.

Afterward, rankings were based on battle achievements.

On one side of the ranking list, a word appeared.

Outer.

Visible to all.

On the other side of the ranking list, different words appeared.

Inner.

Seen by no one,

The outer list was densely packed.

The inner list was empty.

All trial takers entering were randomly teleported to different locations.

At the foot of a 300,000-meter-high mountain, Miller, the first in the Eagle Alliance Pulin Martial Arts Academy, looked up at the Youth Ranking on the highest mountain.

No names were on it, only three-dimensional images. Even unfamiliar, one glance revealed the names.

First, Deep Dark Fury.

A jet-black demon dragon.

Other parts of its body were similar to ordinary giant dragons, only with more spikes, more demonic Qi.

Except on its spine, different from ordinary dragons.

A second dragon head grew on its spine, eyes tightly closed, mouth containing a black fireball full of terrifying power.

Demigod Son of the Spine-headed Demon Dragon.

Second, Wind of Grey Steel.

Covered entirely in matte steel, seemingly made of metal but far stronger than steel.

Exactly three heads.

Three-headed Steel Dragon.

Third, Mountain Armor.

A giant, skin dotted with copper spots, reaching six meters high.

Mountain and River Origin and Mountain River Oak, still less than five meters.

Fourth, Barbarian Star Axe.

A beastman like a small giant.

…

Soon, Miller found himself ranked 102.

Miller snorted lightly, with a Martial Arts Index of 12, ranked over a hundred—the list might be inaccurate.

Battle flames burned in his eyes.

“Then, I shall step over their corpses and rise to the top ten!”

“This Ten Realms Youth Battle will mark the start of my glorious path!”

“After the fight, once back in Dragon Country, I’ll have my revenge on Li Shenkong!”

“I’ll start from Shuizhou Demon City, head north, and challenge all Martial Arts Academy masters!”

“Others have an Innate Battle Path of one place, one school. But I will tread through all Dragon Country Martial Arts Academies!”

“Others know only of my Skeleton Marvelous Body, not my Wraith Fire Qi Marvelous Body!”

“Hmm… Top ten might be unrealistic, let’s aim for top twenty.”

Miller thought as he proceeded cautiously.

From a great distance, a dragon roar spread over dozens of kilometers.

“I’m here, come, all come, become my stepping stones to ranking!”

Deep Dark Fury roared, flapped its wings, flew swiftly, searching for targets.

Unexpectedly, not seeking treasure, but heading for a distant giant to attack.

On the south battlefield.

Mountain and River Origin glanced at himself on the Youth Ranking.

Rank 11.

“Father previously mentioned, on a normal youth battlefield, I’d rank top five.”

“This year, without any martial myth like Li Shenkong, I rank 11. This year might have more experts than last.”

“What a pity Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie didn’t come…”

On the west battlefield.

Lou Fei Qiong and Jax were sent to neighboring places. Both had experienced the dwarf treasure and giant trial, shared some camaraderie, pledged not to interfere, slowly walking in different directions.

Their eyes on the Youth Ranking as they walked.

“Didn’t see Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie outside, what a shame…”

“Expected to encounter them again… Wonder if they attended other trials or lacked qualification for the youth battle…”

On the east battlefield, Wind of Grey Steel flew swiftly.

“Dragon Scale Vermilion Fruit is mine!” X3.

On the north battlefield.

Within a mountain cave, a Green Dragon burrowed inside, using magic to camouflage the entrance, initially appearing like an ordinary mountain wall.

First camouflage, then set traps and magic, Jade Wings sighed in relief.

He cautiously hunkered in the cave depth, contemplating while continually using magic to tunnel, preparing a secret passage.

“Can’t leave the dragon egg in one nest… Hmm, two secret paths… Whatever the rank or treasures, they have nothing to do with me?”

Nearby.

Azure Scale’s gaze left the Youth Ranking, snorted lightly.

“That human from Rucheng didn’t appear. Wonder if they weren’t qualified or feared me.”

“With my current power, I could kill him with one palm strike.”

Azure Scale glanced at his webbed right palm.

He had completed numerous Sea God rituals, significantly awakened the Sea God’s bloodline, elevating his power to a terrifying degree.

A three-inch-thick Water Armor surrounded his body, continually absorbing moisture around him, never-ending.

Henceforth, perpetually in water.

Currently ranked 23 on the Youth Ranking.

Second among the Sea Sirens.

Further away.

A human took off his black cloak hood, revealing himself as the already demonized Shen Jun.

At this moment, Shen Jun’s forehead bore horns, his skin was crimson-black, and his eyes slightly blue.

“Really, all thanks to Zhou Leng; I originally had to wait another six months to use the Innate Demon Heart, but he indirectly killed the Two Tigers of Shuizhou, and Wang Boxiong’s intervention disrupted Shuangjiao Co.’s plan, allowing me to benefit…”

Shen Jun felt the surging demonized True Qi within his body, increasingly confident in his demeanor.

He could advance to the Innate stage at any time, but he suppressed his strength for the upcoming Ten Realms Youth Battle.

“Madam Xiyang has formidable connections, I’m not inclined to provoke Zhou Leng, but if he messes around in front of me, I can’t be blamed. Moreover, it seems Madam Xiyang plans to give him a ’White Lake Lotus Fruit’; if he dies, it might fall to me…”

“I didn’t get any of the Original Demon blood, but there’s still hope for the White Lake Lotus Fruit.”

“However, there’s a more important target this time…”

An underground base in the mountains a hundred miles from Rucheng.

Disciples of the Huang Meng Sect rushed around, making final preparations.

Grandmaster Tong Tianxia stood on the second floor, gazing at the people below.

In his left hand, he held a wooden box, inside which lay a severed arm exuding immense power.

Next to him stood a demonized martial artist girl with wings of flesh on her back.

“Teacher, are we really going back to Rucheng?”

“The stage we’ve set up for so long should now unfold.”

“I want… I want revenge.”

“Take your blade, arrange their heads, and use their blood to carve words on the wall.”

“Yes.”

Tong Tianxia’s demonized watch lit up, shining outwards with a light screen.

A knight engulfed in flames, riding a skeletal fire steed, appeared in the screen.

“Respected Tong Tianxia, the flames of Luoshan City are about to ignite again, how is the stage in Rucheng?”

“Just waiting for the opening.”

Ancient River Sect, Innate Pavilion.

When the Ten Realms Youth Battle began, Zhou Leng’s surveillance preparations were only halfway complete.

Simultaneously recording and learning divine texts and martial arts.

Unlike ordinary text, divine text inherently possesses formidable special abilities.

As long as one remembers related divine texts, learning in the relevant field accelerates significantly.

Zhou Leng had memorized the “Star Gazing Technique” and numerous basic techniques, including knowledge such as the “Ten Reversed Beast Fist”.

Unconsciously, he read extensively on martial arts, expanding his horizons, and deepening his understanding of his own martial arts path.

Gaining insights from related fields.

After five days of recording, Zhou Leng felt that his martial arts had further advanced and went outside to practice at the Martial Shadow Wall for basic martial arts.

Except for the Finger Technique, Swordsmanship, and Claw Technique being beginners with no progress, originally six-flash martial arts, all reached seven-flash, attaining the Extreme Realm.

Master Wu glanced at him.

This indicated that Zhou Leng’s weaknesses were slowly turning into strengths.

The stronger the basic martial arts, the more solid the foundation, and the greater the achievements.

No martial god master’s foundation is weak.

“Could it be that this primitive civilization produced three super geniuses all at once? Seems unlikely; in the countless ages of Ancient River Sect, only three prodigies have emerged simultaneously in the final era…”

Master Wu’s gaze grew brighter, then dimmed to twilight, becoming increasingly somber.

After a long time, he looked at Zhou Leng, Zhang Xinglie, and Song Juesi, a hint of worry subtly emerging in his eyes.

After Zhou Leng finished his cultivation, he went back to continue recording.

Master Wu checked the time, blinking his eyes.

At this moment, in front of the Transmission Hall, Flying Moon Hall, and Innate Pavilion, there stood identical Master Wus.

The Master Wu in front of the Transmission Hall began the final evaluation.

In the end, out of the 120 remaining disciples, only seventeen heads glowed with a blue light orb, rated as intermediate.

“You sixteen may enter the Flying Moon Hall.” Master Wu swiped his finger, enveloping sixteen people in light, pointing them to the left door, but leaving out Rao Mingxing.

The other sixteen headed towards the left door.

Rao Mingxing hastily pointed at the blue light orb above his head, cupping his hands as he pleaded, “Master Wu, I am also rated as intermediate, why am I not allowed to enter?”

Master Wu quietly stared into the distance.

“Master Wu, I am from the Rao Family of Rucheng, I have trained hard since childhood, and my Martial Arts Index must have reached 11 by now, why am I not allowed in? Did Zhou Leng say something bad about me? I am innocent…”

Master Wu remained indifferent.

Rao Mingxing stood there, dazed, the gazes of those nearby subtly shifting as they looked at him.

Some disciples from other big families in Rucheng formed temporary groups, typing to communicate.

“Master Wu did this on purpose.”

“Master Wu could have simply rated him lower, but rating him intermediate without letting him enter is more humiliating.”

“Could it be Zhou Leng’s doing?”

“Not necessarily, Zhou Leng probably doesn’t even know. If he knew, Rao Mingxing might already have been struck by lightning.”

“I think I get it. Master Wu’s strength is too formidable; although he can’t understand our words, he can sense our emotions and must have noticed our actions and reactions. Rao Mingxing’s attitude towards Zhou Leng was so obvious, Master Wu must have detected it.”

“That must be the only explanation.”

“Did you notice, of those with Rao Mingxing, none are rated intermediate or higher, it’s so strange.”

“I don’t care about the Rao Family, do you?”

“Ha, the Rao Family is just that way now.”

“Let’s retreat.”

Seven people stepped up to Rao Mingxing, apologized, and then moved to stand afar from him.

Others looked at Rao Mingxing with increasingly strange expressions.

Rao Mingxing’s face burned red, he remained silent for a long while, then sighed softly.

The Master Wu in front of the Flying Moon Hall turned to the Flying Moon List.

On the list, those exceeding twenty mountains were only Zhou Leng, Zhang Xinglie, and Song Juesi.

All others, even from the Yunhua Jinjing Military Academy, reached only up to nineteen mountains at most.

These higher-level individuals were originally unconvinced.

But as they continued to learn about the Flying Moon Map, seeing Zhou Leng’s seemingly ordinary twenty-three mountains, they finally accepted it.

Setting aside prejudices, they trained hard and instead grew rapidly.

Master Wu raised his hand, enveloping all those above eighteen mountains in light, gesturing towards the rear left gate.

Everyone immediately understood, raising their hands to thank Master Wu.

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