Zhang Yong’s pupils shrank abruptly. ’Xu Yang has achieved Marrow Cleansing?’

Lu Ren’s expression flickered. He was reminded of the fear Xu Yang had instilled in him when they first began their martial arts training. Every time he achieved a breakthrough, his greatest fear was that Xu Yang would immediately follow suit.

Despite having more resources, he could never pull away from Xu Yang, which always made him feel like a complete failure.

But he quickly composed himself. "Go on and put on an act. The Outer Sect Grand Competition is about to start, and everything will be revealed. I will take one of the top three spots and enter the Inner Sect. If you remain this complacent, you’ll never catch up to me."

Having personally experienced the hardship of Marrow Cleansing, he refused to believe that Xu Yang, with his Lower C-class Root Bone, could have achieved it so quickly. Xu Yang must just be putting up a brave front.

"Don’t be so terrified. I was just messing with you!" Xu Yang said with a smile.

Lu Ren’s breath hitched. ’That bastard was just talking crap.’

"If you two change your minds, you can come find me anytime. I’ve always remembered our bond," Lu Ren said, then rose and departed.

"How credible was that?" Sun Tao asked.

He hesitated. What happened to Jiang Ping could happen again. Xu Yang was unwilling to enter the Yunling Mountain Range, and having a Bone Marrow Cleansing Master with them would undoubtedly make things much safer.

Most importantly, if Lu Ren really planned to avenge Jiang Ping, perhaps they had misunderstood him all this time.

After all, just as Lu Ren had said, he was merely an attendant the Gu Family had raised for Gu Haoming; he likely didn’t have much influence in the Sharp Wind Hall.

Zhang Yong was silent for a moment before saying, "I don’t know either!"

He, too, was starting to waver. From the looks of it, Lu Ren truly intended to avenge Jiang Ping and repay the kindness Jiang Ping had shown him.

’So, Lu Ren isn’t the ungrateful backstabber we thought he was?’

Seeing that Zhang Yong had no answer, Sun Tao turned to Xu Yang. "Junior Brother Xu, what do you think?"

Xu Yang, who had been focused on his meal, looked up. "He’s just trying to create a new persona for himself. Everyone knows he’s ungrateful, so they’re afraid to get close to him.

"If he manages to kill the person who murdered Senior Brother Jiang Ping, he’ll instantly transform into a righteous man who repays his debts. His reputation would be completely restored overnight."

Zhang Yong trembled with anger. "What an animal! To even use Senior Brother Jiang Ping’s death to restore his own reputation."

Sun Tao felt a chill of delayed fear. "I almost fell for it."

...

The Outer Sect grew even more boisterous with the news of Lu Ren’s breakthrough.

The top three spots, once thought to be a foregone conclusion, were now a subject of debate. Some believed that since Lu Ren had defeated Xie Zhan last year, he could do so again.

Others felt that since Lu Ren had broken through a month later than Xie Zhan, he likely wouldn’t be able to defeat Xie Zhan.

The arguments were mostly among the senior disciples. The new batch of Dragon Ascension Disciples knew little about their seniors; they were more curious about how many of the Ten Heroes Geniuses from their own year would dare to register for the Outer Sect Grand Competition.

"Brother Qiao, will you participate in the competition?" Ma Yong asked Qiao Yong with curiosity.

This top-ranked of the Ten Heroes had already reached Gang Qi Minor Achievement, which meant he was qualified to participate in the Outer Sect Grand Competition.

Placing in the top ranks was unlikely, but breaking into the top forty or fifty was still possible. After all, among the senior disciples from the previous year, only thirty or forty had reached Gang Qi Great Success.

Qiao Yong’s gaze swept discreetly past Xu Yang’s room, battle lust surging within him. With his chin tilted slightly upward, he declared in a decisive tone, "Of course! I’m not afraid of a fight, unlike some people."

’How could I miss such a golden opportunity to make a name for myself!’

’Kong Yu didn’t live long enough to join the Outer Sect Grand Competition, but I did. I will prove to everyone that my talent doesn’t just rival Kong Yu’s—it surpasses it.’

’He even wanted to test himself against Xu Yang. Back when he had just achieved Qi Cultivation Gang, Xu Yang had suppressed him with his aura alone. Now, at Gang Qi Minor Achievement and with two Martial Techniques at the Great Success level, he was confident he could even hold his own against a Martial Artist at Gang Qi Great Success.’

’I’m going to make a stunning debut!’

’If I can defeat one of the lower-ranked members of the previous Ten Heroes, my fame will skyrocket, drawing the attention of Cyan Yang City’s major families.’

Upon hearing this, Ma Yong and the others cupped their fists. "We wish you a resounding victory, Brother Qiao. May you stun everyone."

「Time passed.」

Each day, senior disciples with formidable auras returned from the Yunling Mountain Range, causing the newer disciples to behave much more cautiously.

The debates over who would claim the top three spots grew increasingly fierce, nearly escalating to physical fights on several occasions.

But regardless of the arguments, the contenders for the top three were always the same: either Lu Ren, Xiong Kun, and Han Feng, or Xie Zhan, Xiong Kun, and Han Feng.

Xu Yang, Chen Yu, and Su Zhe were never part of the conversation.

"This year is a real clash of titans. If Wen Hao and Fang Yu—the original sixth and seventh on the Ten Heroes List—hadn’t died, this year’s competition would be even more ferocious."

Zhang Yong felt his heart race with anticipation, his own fighting spirit surging.

After all, Lu Ren and Xie Zhan, the two most debated contenders, had originally been ranked below Wen Hao and Fang Yu on the Ten Heroes List.

If those two were still alive, this year’s Outer Sect Grand Competition would feature a full six Bone Marrow Cleansing Martial Artists vying for the top.

Then there was Kong Yu. Counting him, three of the Ten Heroes Geniuses from their year were already dead—and all three had been ranked higher than Lu Ren and his cohort.

’If all three were still here, it’s hard to imagine how incredible this Outer Sect Grand Competition would have been.’

’He, too, wanted to compete against such geniuses, but his talent was sadly lacking. He remembered a time when he had the potential to rival Lu Ren, but now... even Xu Yang had been left far in Lu Ren’s dust.’

’Intense, my ass,’ Sun Tao thought. ’Even if those guys were still alive, the top three would just be Junior Brother Xu, Xiong Kun, and Han Feng.’

’When Xu Yang achieved Marrow Cleansing, people like Li Chuyang and Du Chuan were still stuck polishing their cultivation at the Gang Qi Perfection Realm. If Xu Yang were to compete, he would undoubtedly claim one of the top spots.’

’But since he wasn’t sure if Xu Yang would even join the competition and reveal his true strength, he had to swallow his words and just play along with Zhang Yong.’

’If he joined the competition, guys like Lu Ren and Xie Zhan wouldn’t stand a chance. He’s the real fourth-ranked of the Ten Heroes!’

And there was one other person struggling just as hard as Sun Tao to hold his tongue: Shen Liang!

He knew that Xu Yang had reached the Marrow Cleansing stage long ago. In fact, before Han Feng or Xiong Kun had even achieved Marrow Cleansing, Xu Yang had already used the power of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm to slay Guo Huai, An Ping, and their group.

’But Xu Yang hid his abilities too deeply, and Shen Liang didn’t dare reveal the secret. He just couldn’t help but inwardly laugh at all the fools debating who was stronger. The most terrifying person on the Ten Heroes List wasn’t any of these peacocks constantly seeking the spotlight.’

...

「On the ninth day of the eighth month, the Task Hall suspended all missions.」

A massive crowd had gathered outside the Task Hall, forming long lines.

Registration for the annual Outer Sect Grand Competition began today!

If a disciple could distinguish themselves in the competition, entering the Inner Sect upon the completion of their three-year term would become a natural progression. They could also attract the attention of Cyan Yang City’s great families, earning their support or even a marriage proposal with a direct-line daughter to win them over.

This was especially true for the Outer Disciples nearing the end of their three-year term. This was their final battle. If they failed to secure a good ranking this year, a high placement next year would be meaningless.

In the Inner Sect, Peak Master Xiang and the Elders would only fix their gazes upon the new disciples.

The disciples in line scanned the crowd, trying to size up their future opponents and identify anyone they needed to be wary of in the competition.

"Han Feng is here!" someone suddenly shouted.

"And Xiong Kun!"

All the disciples in line turned to look, only to see Han Feng and Xiong Kun arriving together. The pair chatted and laughed, completely unfazed by the astonished stares from the crowd, as if they had long grown accustomed to such gazes.

"Lu Ren is here!" someone else suddenly shouted.

Lu Ren arrived in high spirits, striding forward confidently before picking a line and stopping.

’Aren’t you even going to dare register this year? Is it just like Su Zhe said—you’re afraid you’ll be beaten back to your true form the moment you step on the platform?’

He scanned the crowd but didn’t see Xu Yang, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

’Xu Yang was his personal demon. He needed to defeat Xu Yang in front of everyone and wash away the shame of losing to him in the Martial Arts Examination.’

"Xie Zhan is here!"

"Chen Yu is here too!"

"Look, that’s Su Zhe, ranked ninth among the Ten Heroes. I wonder if we’ll get a chance to see him fight Xu Yang this year."

"I doubt Xu Yang dares to join the competition."

"That’s Qiao Yong, the number one Ten Heroes among the new disciples. I can’t believe he’s daring to join the Outer Sect Grand Competition this year. I wonder how strong he really is."

"Being number one of the Ten Heroes, he can’t be bad. He might even break into the top thirty."

...

As one genius after another arrived, the registration area became a hub of excitement.

Zhang Yong knocked on Xu Yang’s door. "Junior Brother Xu, registration for this year’s Outer Sect Grand Competition has started. Sun Tao and I are both planning to sign up. Do you want to come with us?"

"I’m coming. Wait for me a moment, Senior Brothers," Xu Yang’s voice came from inside the room.