Chapter 303: Top 100 Challenge (1)
House of Hundred.
This was a building built to serve the top 100 students. Those outside the ranking were not allowed to enter this building.
Today, the ranking was going to be refreshed.
The refresh would happen on the 3rd of every month. Those that had entered the Skysoar Realm would be removed from the ranking. Those that had reached 30 years old would also be removed.
All the challenges that had occurred during the month would be recorded, but the results would not be reflected on the ranking. Instead, the ranking would be updated at the end of every month before being released on the 3rd.
It was eight in the morning.
Today, the students were still on break. But early in the morning, a huge crowd had gathered outside the House of Hundred.
In front of the building was a large ring.
Beside the ring was a massive crystal stele.
The Top 100 Ranking of the previous month had been removed. While everyone was waiting, the crystal lit up. Everyone held their breath in anticipation as they awaited the updated ranking.
"It's coming out!"
"Is Zhang Hai still in the ranking? Has he entered the Skysoar Realm?"
"So has anyone in the ranking reached 30 years old this month?"
"I heard a lot of students in the ranking had challenged those above them during the previous month. Liu He, a new student from the previous year, has improved his ranking by a few places."
There were also a lot of old students present. Although those above 30 years old couldn't challenge the ranking anymore, it was still fun to stay around and enjoy the show. Because of that, a festive atmosphere enveloped the area.
Somewhere within the crowd.
Lin Qing and Wu Lan were standing together. Looking at the distant crystal stele, Lin Qing had an unsightly expression.
Wu Lan stole a glance at Lin Qing before saying, "Sister Qing, are you fine?"
"I'm fine." Ling Qing frowned. As name after name appeared on the stele, she exhaled and said, "I should be in the 98th place. But if some of the people above me have entered the Skysoar Realm or reached 30 years old, I might even place higher."
She knew her position, but it was still subjected to change since some names might be removed from the ranking.
She coldly snorted and said, "If Zheng Yunhui dares to challenge me, I'll show him that no matter how strong he is, a new student is still a new student."
Everyone was saying that Zheng Yunhui might challenge her.
Although she was not the person in last place, the ones in the 99th and 100th places were two old students that were almost 30. They had only managed to enter the ranking with great difficulty, so people were speculating that Zheng Yunhui would not challenge students like them. In that case, she would naturally be his target.
Wu Lan appeared indifferent. If Lin Qing was really challenged, so be it. In fact, she wished to challenge the ranking as well. Unfortunately, she was still not strong enough.
After looking around, she couldn't see Su Yu anywhere. Thus, she curiously said, "Su Yu is not here. Is he not going to challenge the ranking?"
"Su Yu?" Lin Qing knew who Su Yu was. She raised her brow and asked, "He's challenging the ranking as well?"
"I don't know. But he's already a sixth-stage Great Strength cultivator...I think. But he refused to admit that he has reached the sixth stage so I'm not so sure."
Wu Lan was feeling troubled. Just what was Su Yu's actual cultivation level? She was starting to get confused.
"Sixth-stage Great Strength Realm..." Lin Qing muttered, "He sure is growing quickly. But if he spends too much effort on his cultivation base without properly mastering his martial techniques and strengthening his willpower, he is probably still not good enough to challenge the ranking."
Inwardly, she was actually feeling quite dissatisfied. She could be considered a genius as well. And she had trained under Wu Qi for five years. After five years of hard work, she finally got into the top 100. But so many people were setting their eyes on her. Because of that, she felt incredibly unhappy.
How she wished she could instantly charge into the top 50 so that those bastards could only see her name on the ranking but not challenge her.
Suddenly, someone yelled, "It's out!"
"Zhan Hai is still in first place!"
"JIang Mu has climbed to third place? Wow, he's already a seventh-stage Infinite Strength cultivator!"
Everyone focused on the crystal stele. The words on the stele were massive so Lin Qing could see her own name as well. She held the 95th place.
There were only 97 names on the stele. Three names had been removed for unknown reasons. Perhaps they had surpassed the age limit. Or perhaps they had reached the Skysoar Realm. No reason for removal had been given on the stele.
A lot of people grew excited when they saw that there were only 97 names.
"There are three empty spots!"
"This is my chance!"
According to past conventions, when there were less than 100 people in the ranking, students not in the ranking yet could pay a fee of 10 merit points before fighting another challenger to enter the ranking. There was no need to challenge someone who was already in the ranking.
The winner would receive their merit points back while the loser's merit points would be pocketed by the academy. Of course, if it was a normal challenge, then the winner would be the one to pocket all merit points instead.
The moment the students saw that the ranking wasn't full, some of them started rushing toward a small window on the side of the House of Hundred to sign up for the challenge. But before too many people could even finish their registration, they heard a clamor from around the ring.
Zheng Yunhui had jumped into the ring. Standing there proudly, he spoke loudly, "What's the rush? I'll challenge someone in the ranking and push that person down one position. If two more people do the same, the ranking will be full again. As for you cowards who don't even have the courage to challenge those in the ranking, why are you dreaming of getting into the ranking?"
He was extremely arrogant. He had instantly offended countless people with those words. He was basically calling the people who didn't even dare to challenge students who were already in the ranking garbage, declaring that he wouldn't give them a chance to even get in the ranking.
Zheng Yunhui was naturally unbothered about the anger of the crowd. He scanned the crowd and smiled, "Wan Mingze, Hu Qiusheng...and Su Yu. Are you guys here yet? Come on. Let's have some fun. At the very least, we need to fill the empty spots, right? Are you guys going to really watch as a bunch of worthless fools enter the ranking and embarrass our academy?"
Within the crowd, Wan Mingze and the others merely smiled without saying anything. They were completely ignoring Zheng Yunhui.
Zheng Yunhui did not mind that he was being ignored. He loudly declared, "The 350th batch is the strongest batch. Those before us...hehe. Their age is probably their only advantage over us."
Among the crowd, the faces of several top 100 students fell. This bastard was too arrogant. He wasn't even in the ranking yet.
Zheng Yunhuiwas completely unbridled. He scanned the crowd again and laughed heartily. "So what if you're unhappy? I'm telling the truth. Alright, I won't waste any time here. Is the student in the 91st place around? If you are, get in the ring. Either I don't fight or I fight the strongest student I can challenge."
People not in the ranking were not able to challenge those above the 91st place. And Zheng Yunhui had decided to ignore all the students below the 91st place.
"He is too cocky!"
"Why is a new student so cocky? Is he not afraid that he would get beaten to death? Or get injured so badly that he has to stay in bed for months?"
"What's surprising about that? He's from the Zheng Family. Those brutes from the war academy think with their muscles instead of their brains."
It was at this moment that Su Yu arrived. After returning to the research center, he had taken a shower and grabbed a simple meal before leaving again. When he heard the discussion and saw Zheng Yunhui in the ring, he laughed.
How arrogant.
But this wasn't a bad thing.
At times, Zheng Yunhui could be very hard to understand. But if one really assumed that he was really a brainless brute, then one would be very wrong. He was arrogant, but he was also quite selective in who he was arrogant toward.
While Su Yu was thinking, Zheng Yunhui saw him in the crowd. When he saw the elegant white outfit Su Yu was wearing, he couldn't help but to curse inwardly that this Su Yu was too pretentious.
The academy uniform came in multiple colors such as black, white, gray, green, and so on. Zheng Yunhui was too burly and looked weird in white, so he picked a black uniform.
Meanwhile, Su Yu was clad in white, looking as pretentious as Bai Feng was. He might look honest and kind on the outside, but his mind was filled with treacherous schemes. And look at that smile on that guy's face. No matter how Zheng Yunhui looked at it, that was the smile of a crafty fox.
"Su Yu, are you interested in giving this a try after I'm done?"
When Su Yu saw that Zheng Yunhui was suddenly calling him out, he smiled and waved his hand, "Don't mess around with me. Brother Wan and the others are here. Yunhui, I've never offended you before. Don't throw trouble my way for no reason."
Zheng Yunhui snorted in disdain. Meanwhile, Wan Mingze and the others smiled and nodded at Su Yu.
While the new students were happily conversing with each other, the old students were boiling with rage. The new students this year were too arrogant.
The old students were supposed to be the actual regulars here, yet the new students were the ones acting with complete calm and indifference, as though nobody here was worthy of their attention. This was infuriating.
Right that moment, someone from within the crowd spoke, "Since Junior Brother Zheng wishes to challenge me, then I'll fulfill your wish."
"Wang Peng!"
"So he's around? I thought he's not here. Very good. Wang Peng, mess him up!"
Wang Peng, ranked 91st in the Top 100 Ranking, eighth-stage Great Strength Realm, peak Mental Tempering Stage.
The so-called peak Mental Tempering Stage referred to those with 90 percent willpower and above.
Even the weakest person in the top 100 would have the combat strength of an Infinite Strength cultivator. If the person in question did not have a high physical cultivation level, then that person definitely has a different trump card.
Zheng Yunhui looked at the student and smiled, "Wang Peng? Get over here! As for the merit points, I'll deal with it after you win. But I reckon you won't have the chance to make me pay so there is no need for me to make the trip to the registration counter."
Too arrogant.
This fellow was clearly very confident in himself.