Chapter 787: Chapter 477: Ranking Skyrockets, Dominating the Era_2
Breaking into the top thirty was inevitable, the only question was whether this time he would make it into the top twenty…
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that thanks to the efforts of certain individuals, the Jianghu of Shuzhou had come to know a part of the inside story. They understood that Tang Xianzhuo’s reason for betraying and killing so many martial artists was actually to resurrect his wife.
Then…
The widely sung tales of love almost overnight drastically changed direction; countless people cursed him, saying Tang Xianzhuo was a demon who only cared about…
At the same time, because of this, the near-annihilation of Tang Sect not only failed to garner an ounce of sympathy but also led many to applaud the act, exclaiming, “Well done!”
They were outright nailed to the pillar of shame.
Moreover, Chen Yuan, who had saved nearly a hundred fellow members of the Jianghu in Shuzhou, saw his reputation soar overnight in Shuzhou. Many sung his praises and no longer mentioned the past accusations of him being a hound of the imperial court.
Of course, this fame was also something Chen Yuan had intentionally cultivated.
He let those who had survived and benefited from the ordeal to spread the word far and wide.
Shangguan Yu naturally wouldn’t sabotage Chen Yuan either, and had the martial artists of the Shangguan clan build momentum for him as well.
Liu Zhenzong seemed to sense something too and mobilized the full force of the Liu clan to amplify Chen Yuan’s fame, even going as far as divulging some of the good deeds he had done in Tangshan Prefecture.
Such as being like a father to his subjects, or when thousands bid him farewell with tears at the city gates upon his departure, and so on.
These stories further elevated Chen Yuan’s reputation, and all were virtuous, good reputations…
Amid such widespread acclaim, Chen Yuan began the next step of his journey, heading to an inconspicuous small county town under the jurisdiction of Jiangdu Prefecture to seek the person who could shield his fate from heaven’s view.
Shangguan Yu was initially puzzled by this, but as Chen Yuan explained that it was part of his cultivation, refining his heart, he offered no obstruction, only sighing lightly.
He lamented that after not seeing each other for several months, they had just met and now had to part again, which felt somewhat melancholic.
Chen Yuan patted Shangguan Yu on the shoulder, saying,
“As men of honor, how can we… be so indecisive? You and I, as brothers, are bound to meet again.”
Liu Zhenzong also bid farewell to Chen Yuan. They clasped hands and shared a smile, then Chen Yuan laughed heartily to the sky and turned to leave.
The process that followed sped up considerably. Although Jiangdu Prefecture was replete with mountains and few roads, none of these posed a problem for a Dan Realm Master.
He simply flew over these obstacles.
Meanwhile, as the incident fermented and the sensation in Shuzhou intensified, the Ascending Immortal Tower, which was already preparing to print the latest list of the Fengyun Ranking,
postponed its release by half a day just for Chen Yuan.
This sort of thing wasn’t unprecedented for the Ascending Immortal Tower, which often managed such adjustments swiftly.
After receiving information from the Shuzhou branch of the Ascending Immortal Tower and promptly conducting an assessment, the main tower in Martial Emperor City finalized Chen Yuan’s ranking at twenty-first on the Fengyun List!
He missed making it into the top twenty by just one spot.
This ranking was considered quite fitting; after all, Tang Xianzhuo’s previous ranking had also been merely twenty-fifth, and Chen Yuan defeated him, so advancing a few places was entirely normal.
As for the top twenty, their strength was indeed formidable.
Jiang He of the past was merely within the top twenty of the Fengyun List as well.
Therefore, this new ranking did not cause too much of a stir, the only ripple being the substantial leap forward he had made—nearly thirty places.
While it’s not unprecedented, it certainly is a rarity.
Owing to this, Chen Yuan’s reputation as an unrivaled prodigy sank even deeper into people’s hearts, and he even began to be mentioned in the same breath as many of the renowned big names of the Jianghu from the past.
Right at this moment, Zhang Chengzong of Wudang Mountain added fuel to the fire,
saying that being born in the same era as Chen Yuan was both his fortune and misfortune.
The Princely Heir of Beiliang, Wei Wuque, upon hearing this, also took the opportunity to announce that Chen Yuan’s talent was rarely seen throughout history, and in this generation, no one could catch up to his pace.
Even catching a glimpse of his shadow had become many people’s fervent aspiration.
Bai Changqing also weighed in, asserting Chen Yuan could be called invincible in this generation!
These statements shifted the focus of many discussions from Tang Sect of Shu Central to Chen Yuan. Although it was not explicitly stated, a tacit understanding was forming among many:
Chen Yuan might be the one to dominate all the prodigies of this era.
No matter how endowed you were, possessing a Spiritual Body, inheriting great powers, transforming with marvels during core formation, before Chen Yuan, you still could not compete!
Indeed, after Chen Yuan stepped into the Core Realm, he could no longer be considered part of the younger generation. However, due to his age, many still regarded him as a ‘genius’.
Of course, where there is praise, there is also criticism.
Some said that Chen Yuan was overhyped, that he couldn’t possibly be that strong, and his victory over Tang Xianzhuo was purely due to luck. It was with the aid of the Four Symbols Divine Arrow, Liu Zhenzong, that he had narrowly killed Tang Xianzhuo.
It couldn’t be attributed to his own merits alone.
Others argued that Tang Xianzhuo, because of his efforts to save his wife, had been greatly weakened, so Chen Yuan’s win was simply a stroke of luck.
But this claim didn’t hold much water.
There were too many witnesses, and the commotion caused by their duel was too significant—how could Tang Xianzhuo have been in a state of great weakness?
In any case, because of Chen Yuan, a significant uproar still swept through the southern Jianghu.
However, it also precisely exposed Chen Yuan’s whereabouts, which many had been searching for since he left the Capital,
with no leads to follow.
Now that his trail had emerged, coupled with his newfound fame, there were quite a few who sought to challenge him, even to the point of wanting to eliminate him.