Uproar on the Huyen Bang

The central square of Thanh Van City was as crowded as ever.

Cultivators moved in and out of the artifact shops lining both sides of the streets, wandering cultivators gathered before mission boards, while merchants around the trading platforms continuously called out prices for spirit herbs, demonic beast materials, and all kinds of rare goods.

At the center of the square stood four enormous ranking steles.

Among them, the two that drew the most attention were the Eastern Plains Huyen Bang and the Eastern Plains Dia Bang.

The Huyen Bang recorded the most outstanding Foundation Establishment cultivators under the age of thirty throughout the Eastern Plains. Simply having one's name appear on the ranking was enough to attract the attention of countless factions, while higher positions often came with prestige, opportunities, resources, and interest from major sects and clans.

For many years, one name had remained at the very top.

Doc Hanh.

Those two golden characters had occupied the highest position for so long that most people who regularly passed through Thanh Van City had grown accustomed to seeing them there.

Just as the square was bustling as usual, a streak of golden light suddenly appeared from the west.

At first, only a few people noticed it.

But the light did not slow down. It shot directly toward the center of the square, passed through the formations covering the area, and entered the Huyen Bang itself.

The entire stele trembled.

Golden light erupted from its base and rushed all the way to the top, forcing the cultivators standing nearby to retreat.

“The Huyen Bang is changing!”

“Did someone enter the rankings?”

One cultivator had barely raised his head before his expression changed.

“Look at first place!”

The noise throughout the square rapidly diminished.

The two characters Doc Hanh were fading.

What shocked everyone was that the name was not simply pushed down by one position as it would be during an ordinary change in rank.

Instead, each golden stroke dissolved into points of light and disappeared directly from the top of the stele.

“Doc Hanh left the ranking?”

“Did someone defeat him?”

“If there really was a battle significant enough to replace the number-one position, how could there have been no news beforehand?”

No one had an answer.

When the final stroke of Doc Hanh disappeared, golden light gathered once more at the top of the stele.

Before countless watching eyes, a new name slowly took shape.

Quan Hao Nhien.

The square remained silent for several breaths.

Then discussion erupted everywhere.

“Who is Quan Hao Nhien?”

“Someone from the Quan Clan?”

“I've heard that name. He ranked first in the Tieu Dao Sect outer examination.”

“He also entered the Quan Clan's Inner Secret Realm.”

“I remember hearing that he only entered Foundation Establishment not long ago. How is he suddenly sitting at the top of the Huyen Bang?”

Several people immediately pushed toward the smaller stele used to display challenge information.

Light rippled across its surface before a new line appeared.

Quan Hao Nhien.

Challenge condition: one exceptional-grade spirit stone.

The uproar throughout the square intensified.

Those who understood the ranking system better began debating among themselves, while most cultivators simply stared at the new name at the top with disbelief.

To many people, Quan Hao Nhien was still relatively unknown.

But there were also those who had heard scattered stories about him: the Tieu Dao Sect examination, the Quan Clan's Inner Secret Realm, his unusually rapid cultivation progress, and fragmented reports from the Western Wastes.

Any one of those things would have been enough to draw attention.

Taken together, however, they still did not explain why his name had suddenly appeared in first place on the Huyen Bang.

A young man in green robes stood beneath the stele for a long time before speaking quietly.

“I don't care how he got there. I only want to know how long he can keep that position.”

The person beside him glanced over.

“You want to try?”

The young man did not answer.

His gaze remained fixed on the challenge condition.

First place on the Huyen Bang was tempting enough to stir the heart of any young Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But the value of the challenge was also high enough that most people would think very carefully before actually stepping forward.

On the southern side of the square, a black-robed man stood beneath an awning.

The long saber on his back was completely wrapped in black cloth, and his aura was restrained so deeply that it was difficult to judge his true cultivation.

From the moment Quan Hao Nhien's name appeared, he had not said a single word.

After watching for a while longer, the man turned and left the square.

Amid the surrounding chaos, almost no one noticed the tall, broad-shouldered man sitting beside a small spirit-herb stall near the outskirts.

His clothes were rough, and a thick beard covered nearly half his face. Before him lay only several bundles of herbs gathered from the mountains and two low-grade demonic beast hides.

His aura was no different from that of an ordinary wandering cultivator.

The large man raised his head and looked toward the highest position on the Huyen Bang.

Quan Hao Nhien.

The corner of his mouth slowly curved upward.

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“So you've finally opened what I left behind.”

He picked up the wine flask beside him, took a drink, then chuckled softly.

“Congratulations. From today onward, I imagine your troubles will increase quite a bit.”

After saying that, he remained seated exactly where he was, with no intention of leaving.

Meanwhile, communication talismans were already lighting up throughout the square.

One streak of spiritual light after another left Thanh Van City, carrying the name that had just appeared at the top of the Huyen Bang toward distant places.

On the highest floor of Thien Bao Pavilion, Lanh Tuyet stood beside a window.

Her pale-purple dress fell lightly to the floor, while her Golden Core aura had been restrained almost completely.

From her position, she could see the upper portion of the distant Huyen Bang.

The three golden characters were perfectly clear.

Quan Hao Nhien.

Lanh Tuyet watched for a while before covering her mouth and laughing softly.

“Little Brother, just how many more times do you plan to surprise your elder sister?”

She had parted from Hao Nhien only recently.

When they left the Heavenly Spirit ruins, he had still been in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

Yet now his name had suddenly appeared at the very top of the Huyen Bang.

If it had been anyone else, Lanh Tuyet might have been far more suspicious.

But when it came to Quan Hao Nhien, she had already grown accustomed to improbable things happening around him one after another.

Her gaze shifted to the smaller stele below.

“Doc Hanh really did give you the ranking token.”

Lanh Tuyet knew that Huyen Bang tokens could change owners, but the transfer of the number-one position in this manner was so rare that even she had never witnessed it personally.

What interested her more was the reason.

Doc Hanh had held first place for many years.

Why would he voluntarily allow someone else to inherit the token?

What had Quan Hao Nhien done to make him reach that decision?

Lanh Tuyet reached for the small bell beside the window and rang it once.

Not long afterward, a female disciple of Thien Bao Pavilion entered and bowed.

“Manager.”

“Send a message to Luu Van. Tell him to look at the latest change on the Huyen Bang.”

The disciple paused slightly, but Lanh Tuyet only smiled.

“Send those exact words.”

“Yes.”

“One more thing. Search the old records concerning transfers of Huyen Bang tokens, especially the first-place token. I want to know whether anything similar has happened before.”

“Understood.”

After the disciple left, Lanh Tuyet looked toward the square again.

“What a pity.”

She sighed softly.

“Now that your elder sister is already a Golden Core cultivator, I can't personally test how strong you've become.”

Her eyes settled on the figures still gathering around the Huyen Bang.

“Never mind. I'll just wait and see who becomes the first person willing to bring an exceptional-grade spirit stone to challenge you.”

News reached the Quan Clan faster than most people expected.

Inside the main hall, Quan Vo Cuc was discussing clan matters with several elders when a communication talisman flew inside.

He caught it with one hand and swept his spiritual sense across the message.

For several breaths, he remained silent.

Then loud laughter suddenly filled the hall.

The elders all turned toward him.

Quan Vo Cuc placed the talisman down.

“Quan Hao Nhien.”

One elder immediately asked:

“What happened to him?”

Quan Vo Cuc looked around the hall.

“The Eastern Plains Huyen Bang just changed. Doc Hanh has disappeared from first place. The person replacing him is Quan Hao Nhien.”

The hall immediately erupted.

“First place?”

“Has the news been confirmed?”

“There is no mistake.”

Another elder asked:

“Did he defeat Doc Hanh?”

Quan Vo Cuc shook his head.

“Unclear. The challenge condition remains one exceptional-grade spirit stone, so there is a strong possibility that this involved the ranking token.”

Another elder thought for a moment.

“Regardless of how the position was transferred, Doc Hanh would not casually hand first place to someone he did not acknowledge.”

Quan Vo Cuc nodded.

“That is exactly what matters.”

He looked around the hall, his eyes noticeably brighter.

“This alone is enough to make the entire younger generation of the Eastern Plains start looking toward him.”

An older elder spoke slowly.

“And enough to make many of them want to drag him down.”

“Exactly.”

Quan Vo Cuc immediately turned toward someone seated on the left.

“Compile everything we know about the upper ranks of the Huyen Bang, especially those who repeatedly tried to challenge Doc Hanh, and send it to Hao Nhien.”

“Yes.”

“If he needs pills, artifacts, or other resources, the Quan Clan will support him within our means.”

The elders cupped their hands.

“Understood.”

Quan Vo Cuc picked up the communication talisman once more.

This time he did not laugh, but the satisfaction in his eyes remained obvious.

At the Tieu Dao Sect, the news began in the outer sect before quickly spreading into the inner sect.

Within less than an hour, the name Quan Hao Nhien could be heard almost everywhere.

The former first-place finisher in the outer examination, an inner disciple who had joined only recently, was now sitting at the top of the Eastern Plains Huyen Bang.

Inside the main hall, several elders stared at one another for a long time.

Eventually, one could no longer hold back.

“Sect Master, if I remember correctly, a little over a year ago he was still in Qi Condensation?”

Van Du Tu stood beside the window, his voice calm.

“You remember correctly.”

Another elder frowned.

“If he's now qualified to inherit Doc Hanh's position, has he already reached late-stage Foundation Establishment?”

No one answered immediately.

Bai Lao, seated nearby, could only smile bitterly.

“If it were anyone else, I'd say that was too difficult to believe. But Hao Nhien… at this point, I no longer know what to guess.”

The corner of Van Du Tu's mouth lifted slightly.

“There's no need to guess. We'll know when we see him again.”

Another elder asked:

“What about the number-one position?”

Van Du Tu looked outside.

“Being first on the Huyen Bang does not necessarily mean his current strength already exceeds everyone below him. This is very likely connected to his relationship with Doc Hanh.”

Everyone nodded.

“What should the Tieu Dao Sect do?”

“Nothing excessive.”

Van Du Tu replied.

“The Huyen Bang is meant for the younger generation to compete over rankings. If someone challenges him according to the rules of the ranking, let them handle it themselves.”

He paused before continuing.

“But issue an order. No disciple is to run off to the Western Wastes on their own simply because of this matter. At the same time, gather information on those most likely to seek Hao Nhien out. If he needs it, send it to him.”

One elder laughed.

“Is the Sect Master planning to openly stand behind him?”

Van Du Tu laughed as well.

“A disciple of the Tieu Dao Sect is competing on the Huyen Bang. Does he need to drag the Sect Master into the arena with him?”

Several people in the hall laughed.

A moment later, Van Du Tu's tone became calmer.

“If the challenge follows the rules, he handles it himself. But if someone uses the Huyen Bang as an excuse and resorts to methods outside those rules, the Tieu Dao Sect will not simply stand aside.”

The atmosphere inside the hall immediately became serious.

“Understood, Sect Master.”

The Duong Clan received the news that same day.

After reading the communication talisman, the Duong Clan Patriarch gave a cold laugh.

“First on the Huyen Bang?”

He placed the talisman on the table.

“I don't believe Quan Hao Nhien currently possesses enough strength to suppress every young Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Eastern Plains. Most likely, he simply received the ranking token from Doc Hanh.”

An elder asked:

“Does the Patriarch intend to wait for someone else to challenge him first?”

“No.”

The patriarch's gaze turned cold.

“If someone else defeats him first, what meaning would that have for the Duong Clan?”

He looked toward the others in the hall.

“Choose someone suitable from the clan. Exceptional-grade spirit stones, pills, and artifacts can all be provided.”

One elder immediately understood.

“If a member of the Duong Clan pulls Quan Hao Nhien down from first place before the eyes of the Eastern Plains, the reputation he just gained will immediately become a joke.”

The Duong Clan Patriarch nodded faintly.

“Exactly.”

The news continued spreading toward the Li Clan, the Sword Sect, the major merchant associations, and numerous sects both large and small.

Each faction viewed the matter differently, but nearly all of them began gathering whatever information they could find on Quan Hao Nhien.

Some believed he had simply been fortunate enough to receive the ranking token.

Others wondered why Doc Hanh had chosen him.

And some had already begun weighing whether an exceptional-grade spirit stone was worth the chance to stand at the top of the Huyen Bang.

Whether they believed in him or doubted him, one fact could not be changed.

Quan Hao Nhien currently stood in first place.

That fact alone was enough to make many Foundation Establishment cultivators under thirty unable to remain still.

While the entire Eastern Plains began stirring because of the new name, far to the northeast, deep within a region covered year-round by gray mist, a gloomy cave dwelling remained sealed behind layer after layer of formations.

There was almost no light inside.

Only a few pale-blue flames floated in the air.

At the center of the cave sat a withered old man on a black meditation cushion. His skin was wrinkled like dead bark, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his breathing was so faint that it was nearly impossible to sense.

Twelve small lamps stood before him.

Each burned with a gray flame.

A black-robed man knelt outside the formation.

“Master, there is news from Thanh Van City.”

The old man did not move.

The black-robed figure lowered his head farther.

“The Eastern Plains Huyen Bang has just changed owners. Doc Hanh has left first place. The person replacing him is the Clan Leader of the Hoa Ky Tribe, Quan Hao Nhien.”

One of the gray flames before the old man flickered.

His eyes slowly opened.

The pupils were gray-white and almost completely devoid of life, but the name that had just been spoken had clearly drawn his attention.

“Hao Nhien…”

His voice was dry and hoarse.

The black-robed man continued:

“Current reports suggest that he may have received the ranking token from Doc Hanh. His true strength has not yet been confirmed.”

The old man did not answer immediately.

One finger, dry as a dead branch, slowly tapped against his knee.

“He destroyed one of our altars and ruined our plans in the Western Wastes.”

The black-robed man remained bowed.

After a while, the old man gave a faint laugh, the sound so rasping that it was unpleasant to hear.

“Send word to Nam Can.”

The black-robed man paused slightly.

The old man looked toward the gray flames before him, his hoarse voice echoing through the cave.

“Tell him to bring me Quan Hao Nhien's soul. We will use it to consecrate the banner of the Yin Soul Cult.”

The black-robed man lowered his head.

“Yes.”