“That’s right, he must have tampered with the jade talisman!”
“Rescind his qualifications as a Barbarian God Sect disciple!”
“Scum like this has no right to pass the assessment and be accepted into the Barbarian God Sect like us!”
More and more disciples began to sing the same tune as Zhu Wanchen.
Even the previously second ranked female disciple, Liu Bing, was looking at Huang Xiaolong with distrust and contempt in her eyes. Clearly, she too was certain that he had cheated.
In Liu Bing’s mind, Zhu Wanchen was the undisputed strongest person amongst them, from his top rank ten godhead to his perfection stage late-Tenth Order Highgod Realm cultivation, how could Huang Xiaolong compete with someone like Zhu Wanchen?
Huang Xiaolong briefly glanced at the crowd of indignant faces angrily ‘denouncing’ him, sneering coldly inside. He was very well aware the majority of these people simply wanted to seize this chance to get into Zhu Wanchen’s good book.
Seeing Huang Xiaolong remained quiet, more and more disciples started criticizing and throwing insults at Huang Xiaolong until he had become a vile person in their eyes, rotten to the core.
While the disciples were riding on the high tide, getting carried away with their words, Elder Huang Xiaoming who had been quiet the whole time snapped at them, “Enough, shut up all of you!”
At Huang Xiaoming’s impatient snap, the crowd quieted in an instant.
The atmosphere in the hall became heavy with silence.
Huang Xiaoming’s piercing gaze swept over the disciples before speaking, “This jade talisman was produced by two Grand Elders of the sect, even us Elders are unable to tamper with them.”
The disciples lowered their heads.
“Do you lot have anything else to say?” Huang Xiaoming asked.
No one dared to speak.
Although no one dared to question the Elder’s words, it was clear from their eyes that they didn’t believe this explanation. They were set on believing that Huang Xiaolong had tampered with his jade talisman.
Soon, the ranking list was finalized.
With a kill count of 63,216, Huang Xiaolong took the first place in the assessment, whereas Zhu Wanchen was relegated to the second place for having one point less. The female disciple Liu Bing fell from second place to third place.
Watching Huang Xiaolong step up to receive the prize, malevolence flitted across Zhu Wanchen’s eyes.
He was the Zhu Family’s greatest genius in recent years, having condensed a top rank ten godhead, someone like him actually lost to a top rank eight godhead trash?
This was a big stain on his reputation, an absolute humiliation when news of this got out.
The greatest shame of his life!
Unexpectedly, when Huang Xiaolong went up to receive his prize, Huang Xiaoming and the other Barbarian God Sect Elders merely nodded curtly, more impatient than happy. Subsequently, when it was Zhu Wanchen’s turn, these Elders smiled like flowers in bloom. Not only did they heap praises on Zhu Wanchen, they even invited him to look for them if he needed any advice in cultivation.
Despite Huang Xiaolong being the first place winner, it was obvious in everyone’s eyes that Zhu Wanchen was more important than Huang Xiaolong in these Elders’ eyes. It was merely a stroke of luck that Huang Xiaolong killed one demonic beast more than Zhu Wanchen, it didn’t mean he can be measured by the same ruler as Zhu Wanchen.
Zhu Wanchen respectfully said, “Several Elders, please rest assured, this disciple definitely won’t disappoint. In the Submerging Dragon Ranking battle, I will grab the first place.”
Huang Xiaoming smiled satisfiedly, nodding happily, “Excellent!”
After Zhu Wanshen, it was the third place Liu Bing who went up to receive her prize. Even though Liu Bing’s talent couldn’t compare to Zhu Wanchen’s, she still had a top rank nine godhead. With this level of talent, on the Green Cloud Island, she was considered a rare genius.
Huang Xiaoming and the other Elders also showered praise and words of encouragement on Liu Bing, drawing another stark contrast with their attitude toward Huang Xiaolong.
Amongst these hundred disciples who passed the assessment, thirteen of them possessed rank nine godheads or above. In the top ten, apart from Huang Xiaolong, the others all had godheads of rank nine or above as well, which further marginalized Huang Xiaolong, he was sticking out like a sore thumb in everyone’s eyes.
When all the prizes were given out, Huang Xiaoming led the new disciples to the Submerging Dragon Hall to collect their Barbarian God Sect disciple robe and identity token.
When all of this was completed, the new batch of disciples was led by an inner disciple named Wang Lei to the Submerging Dragon Peak, while Huang Xiaoming, Jiang Yan, and the other Elders went to report the result of the exam to the Grand Elders.
The Submerging Dragon Peak was the place outer disciples cultivated. On this peak, there were four courtyards, namely Windy Cloud, Unfettered, First Eastside, and Grand Martial.
Huang Xiaolong’s batch of disciples was arranged into the newly constructed Grand Martial Courtyard, which had a total of one hundred rooms built on the slope of the Submerging Dragon Peak. The rooms were simply numbered from 1 to 100, next to each other.
These one hundred rooms were the same on the outside, but the layout inside the rooms was different. The rooms with the lower numbers were better supplied than the higher numbers. For instance, the energy gathering stone inside the spiritual energy gathering formation was of higher grade, and the bed was made of higher grade cold jade, etcetera.
According to the norm, the room number 1 was Huang Xiaolong’s since he obtained the first place in the assessment, however, that inner disciple Wang Lei pointed at the first room and said to Zhu Wanchen, “Junior brother Zhu, that is your room.”
Huang Xiaolong frowned, “According to the rules, room number one should be allocated to me.”
The inner disciple named Wang Lei explained with a smile, “This is what Elder Huang Xiaoming as well as the other Elders have arranged. They have instructed that the room arrangement is to follow the disciples’ godhead rank, hence, the first room is Zhu Wanchen’s.”
Huang Xiaolong’s gaze turned icy, “Follow the godhead rank? In other words, although I obtained the first place, my room is the fourteenth?”
There were thirteen people with a rank nine godhead and above.
In other words, not only Zhu Wanchen, but even the disciple ranked eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth would get a better room than Huang Xiaolong.
The smile on Wang Lei’s face deepened as he said to Huang Xiaolong, “Correct. This is the Elders’ meaning, I’m only acting according to orders. In fact, Junior brother Huang, all the rooms are more or less the same, it doesn’t make a difference.”
Huang Xiaolong responded with a mild, “Is that so?”
Zhu Wanchen, Liu Bing, and the rest were feeling dissatisfied with Huang Xiaolong obtaining the first place, feeling that it was unfair. But now, knowing that Elder Huang Xiaoming made such an arrangement, joy and gloating rose to their faces.
Zhu Wanchen walked up to Huang Xiaolong, mocking bluntly, “Huang Xiaolong, don’t think you will receive the Barbarian God Sect’s nurturing just because you happened to get the first place in the assessment. The Submerging Dragon Ranking battle is coming soon, and I’m sure you’ll be participating. At that time, I’ll make you understand the gap between us, I will defeat you within ten moves on the stage!”
Originally, Huang Xiaolong hadn’t planned to participate in this battle, but after listening to Zhu Wanchen’s words, he sneered, “No need for ten moves, I will defeat you in one move!”
With that said, Huang Xiaolong no longer bothered with Zhu Wanchen, walking off in large strides to his room.
“What bullshit!” Zhu Wanchen’s face twisted with rage.
“This Huang Xiaolong’s arrogance really knows no bounds, he dared to say he will defeat Zhu Wanchen in one move?”
“Arrogant and naive! By that time, Zhu Wanchen will have already broken through to the Heavenly God Realm, that Huang Xiaolong probably won’t be able to take even one move! He’s so naive to proclaim that he could defeat Zhu Wanchen!”
All the disciples were shaking their heads at Huang Xiaolong’s words. Even that inner disciple Wang Lei felt like Huang Xiaolong had bitten off more than he could chew.