Chapter 22: The Xuan Ranking Arena

Three days flew by. In that time, Yang Lingchen's injuries, which had plagued him, finally healed completely. Returning to his residence that day, Yang Lingchen found a notice from the Heavenly Origin Palace hanging on his door. It detailed the upcoming Outer Sect Grand Competition: its schedule, rewards, and registration deadlines. Initially, Yang Lingchen had little interest in such events, but his eyes widened as he read the list of prizes. The top ten would receive 200,000 Contribution Points and 1,000 Spirit Stones. Third place earned 500,000 Contribution Points and 3,000 Spirit Stones. Second place was awarded 700,000 Contribution Points and 5,000 Spirit Stones. And the grand prize for first place: a staggering 1,000,000 Contribution Points and 10,000 Spirit Stones. Furthermore, the top three would gain an early opportunity to join the Inner Sect. With only a month left until the Grand Competition, early registration was mandatory. "It seems I'll have to visit the Xuan Ranking Arena," Yang Lingchen mused to himself. "The competition is just a month away. Before then, I absolutely must break through to the Sixth Layer of the Profound Illumination Realm." The Xuan Ranking Arena was the Outer Sect's combat ground within the Heavenly Origin Palace. The more victories one accumulated, the higher their ranking. Participating in a Xuan Ranking battle required a fee of 1,000 Contribution Points per match. A victory would net the winner 800 Contribution Points, with the sect taking a twenty percent cut. Even with the deduction, countless disciples still fought fiercely for a spot on the Xuan Ranking, as it represented a significant honor. Yang Lingchen's primary reason for entering the Xuan Ranking battles was to hone his combat skills and prepare for the upcoming Outer Sect Grand Competition. He arrived at the Outer Sect's Xuan Ranking Arena for the first time, and the atmosphere reminded him of an underground fight club. The place was bustling with people, everyone appearing exceptionally excited. Many were even running betting pools, wagering on who would win or lose the matches in the arena. Yang Lingchen registered with the Xuan Ranking Elder in charge and received his ranking card. Currently, he was ranked 22,500th. The Heavenly Origin Palace's Outer Sect boasted seventy to eighty thousand disciples, but only about twenty thousand participated in the Xuan Ranking. Many lower-cultivation disciples simply didn't bother. Most of those who did participate had already reached at least the Sixth Layer of the Profound Illumination Realm. A disciple at the Fourth Layer, like Yang Lingchen, was practically unheard of. Achieving long winning streaks and high win rates on the Xuan Ranking were key to climbing the ranks. The Xuan Ranking Arena featured over a dozen combat platforms specifically built for Outer Sect disciples to compete for their rankings. The Heavenly Origin Palace's philosophy encouraged combat among disciples, believing that only through constant struggle could one become a peerless expert. A powerful sect, after all, relied on the support of such formidable individuals. It wasn't long before it was Yang Lingchen's turn to fight. "Ha... ha..." "Who's this kid? Fourth Layer of Profound Illumination? Is he here to make a joke?" "No way! A Fourth Layer disciple trying to join the fun?" "Kid, hurry up and get down before you get crippled!" As Yang Lingchen stepped onto the platform, a wave of laughter and outright mockery erupted from the crowd. "Bet on Yang Lingchen to win, odds are twenty to one! Bet on Chang Wei to win, odds are twenty to one!" A clear, booming voice suddenly announced. "I'll bet on Chang Wei, five thousand Contribution Points!" "I'll bet on Chang Wei too, one thousand Contribution Points!" "This young master bets on Chang Wei, ten thousand Contribution Points!" In an instant, thousands of people in the audience placed their bets on Chang Wei. The young man running the betting pool, Ouyang Ming, began to look a little uneasy, sweat beading on his forehead. He didn't favor Yang Lingchen either. After all, Chang Wei had just defeated Lai Fu, a Seventh Layer Profound Illumination Realm expert. The gap between a Fourth Layer and a Seventh Layer was immense. "I'll bet on myself to win, one hundred thousand Contribution Points." Yang Lingchen calmly used his identity token to transfer the points. "Alright, Yang Lingchen! From today on, you're my brother, Ouyang Ming! Go for it, I'm rooting for you!" Ouyang Ming exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide grin. He had been on the verge of panicking, but now he was beaming. He had collected over two million Contribution Points betting on Chang Wei. If Chang Wei won, at twenty to one odds, he'd only have to pay out a little over one hundred thousand. Now, with Yang Lingchen betting a hundred thousand on himself, it was like a god of wealth had appeared. At least he no longer had to worry about losing money. "Begin!" As the arena elder overseeing the match gave the signal, Chang Wei roared and charged at Yang Lingchen. Yang Lingchen's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. His figure blurred, and his staff swung out, tracing a dazzling arc before striking Chang Wei's body. "Bang!" "Pfft!" With a resounding thud, Chang Wei spat out a mouthful of blood. He was sent flying backward by a single strike, losing consciousness in mid-air. "Hiss!" Everyone gasped! The arena fell into a stunned silence. This was too exaggerated! Chang Wei, a peak Seventh Layer Profound Illumination expert, had been sent flying by a single strike from a Fourth Layer Yang Lingchen. Soon, a chorus of curses erupted from the crowd. Everyone was accusing Chang Wei of throwing the match, though Chang Wei was still unconscious. Ouyang Ming, meanwhile, was filled with regret, slumping in his seat. "Damn it, I lost big!" One hundred thousand Contribution Points at twenty to one odds meant two million Contribution Points! Even with the over one million collected from bets on Chang Wei, he was still losing nearly a million! Of course, a million wasn't enough to bankrupt Ouyang Ming, but it was still a painful loss. "Two million Contribution Points, transfer them over!" Yang Lingchen said with a faint smile. "Brother, you're really something else!" Ouyang Ming grumbled as he reluctantly transferred the two million Contribution Points. "Don't say I didn't warn you. You'd better not set my odds too high, or you'll regret it." Yang Lingchen offered a word of advice. After all, he had just won two million Contribution Points from the man; it wouldn't do to be too ruthless. Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ming quickly pulled Yang Lingchen aside and whispered, "Brother, why don't you tell me, what's your true strength?" "Invincible below the Ninth Layer of Profound Illumination." Yang Lingchen smiled slightly, then stepped back onto the platform. "Holy cow." Ouyang Ming's lips curled into a smile. He seemed to smell a business opportunity. Not long after, it was Yang Lingchen's turn again. This time, his opponent was a young man at the early Eighth Layer of the Profound Illumination Realm. "Come, come, place your bets!" "Bet on Bald Eagle to win, five to one! Bet on Yang Lingchen, one to five!" Ouyang Ming announced. This time, he had adjusted the odds, lowering them for both Yang Lingchen and Bald Eagle. "I'll bet on Bald Eagle, ten thousand Contribution Points!" "Damn it, I'm going all in this time! This is all I have left, fifty Contribution Points, all on Bald Eagle! I refuse to believe I'll lose again!" Most of the crowd placed their bets on Bald Eagle. After all, Bald Eagle was far stronger than Chang Wei, being an early Eighth Layer Profound Illumination expert. Watching the crowd flock to bet on Bald Eagle, Ouyang Ming couldn't stop smiling. "Begin!" The arena elder declared the start of the battle. "Kid, get lost! The Xuan Ranking Arena isn't for you!" Bald Eagle sneered. "Whoosh!" Yang Lingchen's figure vanished from his spot, reappearing above Bald Eagle's head. "Bang... bang... bang... bang!" In less than a few breaths, Bald Eagle was knocked unconscious by Yang Lingchen's strikes. "Is this really a Fourth Layer Profound Illumination Realm disciple?" "Yeah, this is too exaggerated, isn't it?" "Damn it, my last bit of savings! Just like that, gone!" In an instant, the crowd was in an uproar, everyone's eyes wide with disbelief. The happiest person, however, was Ouyang Ming. In this single match, he had won nearly two million Contribution Points.