“The Jade Balance Saint Son has been defeated!”
Ten miles from the Jade Platform, atop a hill, two young men stood side by side. Their auras were so powerful that the very space around them seemed to distort under the pressure of their mere presence.
“Indeed.”
After a brief silence, the man on the right spoke, “It seems the authenticity of the Genius Ranking is beyond question now. Lin, with your third place on the Genius Ranking, what do you think your odds are against Ye Chen?”
“Fifty-fifty.”
The man addressed as Lin, whose full name was Lin Zhan, ranked third on the Genius Ranking and hailed from an imperial clan like Ye Chen. Though he was only one rank lower, he refused to admit inferiority. After all, their strength was nearly on par.
“I had hoped the Jade Balance Saint Son could force Ye Chen to reveal some of his trump cards, but that seems almost impossible now,” Lin Zhan said softly.
Earlier, he had scoffed at Ye Chen's position as second on the Genius Ranking. Now, however, his perspective had changed. The rankings were real, and every position represented undeniable strength.
Being listed on the Genius Ranking would bring immense honor to one's clan.
“The Jade Balance Saint Son is far too incompetent. He's the Saint Son of a sacred land, yet the gap between him and Ye Chen is this vast?”
The man on the right spoke with frustration, as if disappointed by the Saint Son's failure. “Even if he couldn't crack the top 100, he should at least be somewhere in the top 200, right?”
“Ha.”
Lin Zhan shook his head and said flatly, “You're oversimplifying things. Even if the Jade Balance Saint Son ranked 101, so what?”
“Do you think the gap between him and Ye Chen is merely 99 places?”
“Don't forget, this is just the Human Genius Ranking.”
“Uh…” The man on the right froze for a moment, then asked hesitantly, “Are you saying…?”
“This world isn't limited to humans. You saw that Golden-winged Roc earlier, didn't you? If the Heavenly Mechanism Tower releases a Demon Race Genius Ranking, its position would undoubtedly be high.”
Lin Zhan paused briefly before continuing, “And if a Universal Genius Ranking were made, forget about you and me—even Ye Chen entering the top ten would be uncertain.”
“So, are you admitting that you won't make the top ten on the Universal Genius Ranking?”
The man on the right forced a bitter smile.
“Perhaps only the one ranked first has the confidence to achieve that,” Lin Zhan murmured.
“What about me, ranked fifty-sixth?” The faint sense of pride he had felt moments ago was utterly crushed.
In the end, the issue lay in the sheer diversity of this world's races. The term “myriad races” was merely a generalization; no one knew the exact number of races. It might be fewer than ten thousand, or it might exceed that number.
If each race produced just one genius, the number would already be staggering.
“Perhaps the Heavenly Mechanism Tower can give us some assistance…”
“What do you mean, Lin?”
The man on the right looked puzzled. Could Lin Zhan intend to bribe the Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Tower? That seemed unlikely—surely, the tower wouldn't undermine its own credibility.
“Have you forgotten? The Heavenly Mechanism Tower not only publishes rankings but also sells information. If we buy an opportunity…”
Lin Zhan trailed off, but his companion had already caught on.
Elsewhere
Yao Guang Saint Son and Tai Chu Saint Son hovered in the air, watching the events below. A simultaneous sigh escaped their lips, accompanied by a sense of inferiority.
Second on the Genius Ranking—Ye Chen deserved his position.
Compared to him, the two of them were far weaker.
From the aura Ye Chen had just displayed, they both knew they could defeat the Jade Balance Saint Son as well, but certainly not in a single move.
“Ye Chen is only ranked second, and yet he's so terrifying. What kind of power must the one ranked first possess?” Tai Chu Saint Son murmured.
“An Emperor in the making,” Yao Guang Saint Son replied after a moment of thought, uttering the phrase as if it were a certainty.
In his view, Ye Chen already had the bearing of a Great Emperor—a youthful one, perhaps. The one ranked first was undoubtedly someone destined for the throne of a Great Emperor.
“Perhaps,” Tai Chu Saint Son said ambiguously. His gaze swept across the void and landed on several imposing figures. With a faint smile, he said, “But the Genius Ranking isn't set in stone.”
“Oh?”
Yao Guang Saint Son chuckled playfully. “Don't tell me you're planning to challenge someone ranked higher than you? If I recall correctly, you're ranked twenty-fourth, and the next person above you is the Sky Profound Saintess.”
Following his gaze, Yao Guang Saint Son quickly located the Sky Profound Saintess, a woman in white standing amidst the crowd. He smirked and said, “She's right there. If you miss this chance, you'll have to send her a formal challenge next time.”
“That's not out of the question,” Tai Chu Saint Son said with a half-smile.
Just as he finished speaking, a disciple from Yao Guang Sacred Land hurried over to him, holding a jade slip. With a secret transmission, he reported:
“Saint Son, there's news about Feng Nishang!”
“Oh?”
Yao Guang Saint Son's interest was piqued. His divine sense entered the jade slip, where he first saw an image of Feng Nishang's face, followed by details of her exploits.
After scanning its contents, he withdrew his divine sense and casually tossed out a top-grade spiritual treasure, offering praise:
“Well done!”
“Thank you, Saint Son!”
The disciple, overjoyed, accepted the treasure and left with a spring in his step.
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