Chapter 77: The Rankings

Theo lifted his head, only to meet a pair of icy eyes that shimmered with an inscrutable darkness. From his vantage point below, her delicate face resembled frost-kissed snow.

Yet, amidst the clamor, Theo found an odd sense of tranquility. He could hear a heartbeat. One that seemed to race faster than usual.

An untimely cough interrupted the moment. It was Sect Leader Elias.

Good times never last... Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Theo awkwardly rose to his feet, his mind still in disarray.

What the hell just happened? Oh, right. He had lost control and ended up crashing into Liana’s arms!

But could he really be blamed?! The chilling aura hidden within her Supreme Yin energy had been too overwhelming.

Lost in thought, Theo stole a glance at Liana.

The girl wasn’t looking at him. If not for the faint lingering fragrance at his nose, it would have seemed as though nothing had happened.

But Theo was certain of one thing.

That suddenly racing heartbeat hadn’t been his own.

"As long as neither of you is injured, all is well."

"As for the outcome..." Elias’s gaze swept over the young man and woman. A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. This was truly a dilemma.

Theo felt it wouldn’t be right to push his luck after already gaining an advantage.

Honestly, he had lost, technically. But after tumbling into her arms, the ice block hadn’t finished him off.

There was indeed a gap in their strength.

Unless he tapped into the power of the World Seed and wielded its true might, but that was a force even he couldn’t fully control yet. It wasn’t truly his to command.

After a moment’s thought, Theo added.

"Our private wager concerns only the two of us."

Elias, noting the sincerity in his tone and his apparent indifference toward the title of top disciple, nodded in approval.

"In that case, Liana shall be declared the champion of this evaluation and the sect’s current Chief Disciple."

As his words echoed, cheers erupted from the spectators below the stage. Even the elders on the high platform rose to their feet, offering their congratulations in unison.

The Chief Disciple of their generation. The future leader of the Silent Thunder Sect. She deserved their acknowledgment.

Among the crowd, a white-robed young master from the Blazing Jade Forest gazed with fervent admiration. Though his eyes flickered with a trace of resentment when they landed on Theo.

Meanwhile, the Blood-Robed Youth of the Crimson Whale Syndicate remained seated. His usual carefree demeanor replaced by an unreadable, dangerous intensity.

On the stage.

"Understood."

Liana showed little concern for the title.

Both she and Theo had secured spots in the top three. That was enough.

Being the sect’s Chief Disciple meant little. It wouldn’t affect the system’s rankings anyway.

The overarching Heavenly Mandate evaluated prodigies based on merit, not fame.

Elias sighed inwardly.

He knew Liana’s temperament well. She was utterly detached from worldly matters. Perhaps that was why she reached heights her peers could only dream of.

The two most qualified candidates for Chief Disciple both lacked interest in the position. Frustrating, but there was nothing to be done.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he announced in a clear voice.

"All top performers in this evaluation shall receive rewards."

"The top three may enter the Grand Library and select a supreme martial art. The rest shall also be duly rewarded."

"Your talents are exceptional, and you are all pillars of our sect’s future. As the tides of the world shift, I hope you will continue to strive for greatness."

At the mention of supreme martial arts, countless eyes once again turned to the two who wielded Frost-Bite and Crimson Edge.

Rumors about these two legendary blades had persisted within the sect for years.

Would the truth finally be revealed?

If these two chose the corresponding blade manuals, the mystery might at last be solved.

The sect evaluation came to a close...

That day, the sect underwent many changes, and countless new rumors began to circulate.

Yet, life in the Autumn Water Pavilion remained as peaceful as ever.

Theo hummed a tune as he clattered pots and pans in the kitchen, cooking up a storm.

The babbling brook running through the courtyard seemed livelier than usual. Its waters brimming with spiritual energy, causing the peach blossoms along its banks to bloom with unparalleled vibrancy.

A single petal drifted down, landing gracefully on the pages of a book. A makeshift bookmark for the young girl.

The title on the cover read:

Moonlight Blade Canon.

Not far away, another tome, Solar Wheel Blade Canon, lay quietly.

"Food is ready!"

Theo poked his head out from the kitchen.

Liana set her book aside and went to help carry the dishes.

"Master? Master?"

Theo gently shook the woman reclining on the rocking chair. But she remained motionless, her back turned in a pose that defied all reason.

Assuming she was asleep, he circled around to face her.

Only to find her staring blankly into space. Her soul seemingly departed, muttering under her breath.

Leaning closer, he caught the words.

"My money... my money..."

Theo: "..."

His master went bankrupt again, and was now heartbroken.

But it wasn’t his fault this time. She bet heavily on Armory Peak taking first place. However, Liana officially represented the Sect Leader, not Vespera.

Theo knew exactly how to handle this. He placed two jars of fine wine beside her. Once she drank herself into a stupor and woke up, she would be back to her usual self.

With that taken care of, he returned to the table.

Between bites of food, he flipped through the blade manual.

This was his first time studying a supreme-grade blade art, even if it was only a lower-tier one.

But after a while, he exhaled deeply.

Supreme blade arts were ridiculously difficult.

It felt like a middle-schooler trying to solve university-level problems.

Meanwhile, the ice block over there.

"I have finished."

A copy of the Moonlight Blade Canon was suddenly pushed toward him.

She wanted to swap.

Theo chuckled wryly. Since he wasn’t making much progress anyway, he handed over his manual.

A while later, Liana’s cool voice broke the silence.

"Have you noticed anything?"

"Uh... I will take another look in my room later."

Theo buried his face in his bowl.

He could read every word in both manuals, but when strung together, they might as well have been written in another language.

After dinner, Theo gathered the two blade canons and prepared to retreat to his room.

But just then, Liana’s voice drifted from behind.

"Tonight, it is best if you keep some distance from me."

"Otherwise, you might get hurt."

Huh?

Theo didn’t understand, but he nodded anyway.

"Then I will sleep in the side chamber."

Liana lifted her gaze to the moon, which had yet to fully rise.

Today was the day the Heavenly Mandate would announce its rankings.

It was also the day of the Yin Moon. The annual peak of lunar energy.

Her constitution would be especially volatile tonight. To the point where even she couldn’t fully control it. The best she could do was minimize the area of effect.

Thud.

The sound of footsteps echoed as the young man ascended the stairs.

Her eyes unconsciously followed his retreating figure.

"That final move he used..."

"Was that also obtained through serendipity?"

"His talent doesn’t seem limited to just the blade path."

Shaking off her wandering thoughts, Liana returned to her room to await the slow passage of time.

Right now, nothing else mattered.

This life was slightly different from her past experiences, and many unforeseen events occurred.

However.

Her position as first would not change...