Chapter 456 – Rankings
When Mu Chen walked out, the groups within the region that still possessed fighting strength immediately cast cautious and vigilant gazes over. Those gazes were filled with hostility, with the densest ones coming from the six strongest groups. In fact, upon spotting the insignias emblazoned on the chests of Mu Chen and his group, they knew that this group came from one of the five Great Academies, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.
Although the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had waned over the past few years, and was ranked bottom of the five Great Academies, with even some elite Spiritual Academies having exceeded it in depth and strength, regardless of those factors, they were one of the five Great Academies. No matter how starved a tiger was, its might still existed. Therefore, even if it was temporary, there wasn’t anyone that could recklessly disregard such a tyrannical group.
From their gazes, one could tell that they didn’t care too much about Mu Chen. Although his strength at Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase could be considered as formidable, he didn’t possess the capability to cause dread in them. What they truly dreaded was the green-robed girl standing behind him. From what they could sense from this Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy group, the absolutely beautiful girl should be their strongest member, and might have even passed her Human Body Disaster.
“Haha. Looks like the squandering is over.” Looking towards the groups that had already completed their plundering and had filled themselves to the brim, Mu Chen gave a faint smile as he spoke out to them.
“What do you want?” At this moment, the two groups from the same Spiritual Academy had already gathered together. The tyrannical Spiritual Energy fluctuations rippling from the two Captains were clearly much stronger than an ordinary Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase expert. As their eyes slightly sparkled, they replied with a sneer. “What’s the matter? Are you trying to be the oriole that stalks the unknowing mantis that’s stalking the cicada?”
Hearing their words, Mu Chen gave a gentle laugh, before giving a sincere nod of his head.
Clearly not expecting such a straightforward reply from Mu Chen, the two Captains immediately gawked. However, their faces quickly turned ice-cold, before speaking out with a gloomy shadow in their eyes. “Don’t assume that we’ll be afraid of you just because you’re from the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. It ain’t that easy to use us like that. If you’re truly impatient, you might not necessarily be able to eat us up. Furthermore, there’s still our friends from other Spiritual Academies here. Heh, on the off-chance that we’re mutually injured, I’m afraid that it’ll only benefit other people.”
“I’ll advise you to open your eyes wide. Don’t eat more you can chew!”
Chilling intent gushed out from the eyes of the members from the two groups. Although their two Captains have failed in their Human Body Disaster, their strength far surpassed any ordinary Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase. Although they weren’t a match for that green-dressed girl individually, it wasn’t hard for them to obstruct her if they collaborated. At that time, the other eight members should be able to maintain an indistinguishable fight with the other Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase group members.
Once the two parties were entangled together and both suffered injuries, the other groups would definitely shoot coveting gazes over. At that time, they did not believe that the group from the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy group would not get flustered.
The eyes of the four other strong groups standing not far away started to sparkle in various shades of glow, with sneers appearing at the corners of their mouth. There were even some people that crossed their hands before their chests as they looked with gazes of ridicule towards Mu Chen and his group. They had already started noticing Mu Chen’s group when they had proceeded to coldly observe them snatch away the points of the other weak groups. The fame and reputation of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had truly inspired a slight dread within them. Nevertheless, after judging the strength possessed by the group from the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, quiet sighs of relief rang out within their hearts.
One person that had passed her Human Body Disaster coupled with four Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phases. Although they were considered to have the strongest line-up present in this region, it was unfortunate that they wouldn’t be able to devour all of the groups there, and it was impossible to let them hand over their points obediently.
Furthermore, that brat from the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy’s really too stupid. Walking out like that and speaking with a tone that had put him at odds with all of the other groups present there and caused everyone’s hearts to be filled with unhappiness. At that time, if they were to get mutually injured with the two groups, they might be able to truly get to enjoy the comfortable feeling of straddling the head of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.
Behind Mu Chen’s back, Xu Huang, Zhao Qingshan and Mu Fengyang had also heard those warming and threatening words from the two groups. After noticing the mocking gazes coming from the surroundings few groups, anger furiously rose within their eyes. However, just as they were about to head forwards, they were stopped by a wave of Mu Chen’s hand.
“Looks like they’re worried that our stomachs are too small…”
With a gentle laugh, Mu Chen shook his head. In the next instant, his forehead started to slightly wrinkle as he looked towards the two groups, while a cold and fierce glint started to gush out from within his eyes. “However, you’re truly overestimating us on the point that we’ll get patted to death after eating the little lives of the few of you.”
“What did you say?”
“You’re looking for death, brat!”The faces of the two group Captains instantly turned ashen as their gazes turned into ones of ill-intent, with Spiritual Energy surging around their bodies.
Looking towards the two agitated groups, a smile cracked open on Mu Chen’s face, revealing his pearly-white teeth. At this moment, waves of chilling air gushed out from his mouth, before he proceeded to take a step forward. With a whoosh that seemed akin to the crack of thunder, his body mysteriously disappeared from where he stood.
Whoosh!
Seemingly in an instant, rampant Spiritual Energies akin to a storm swept out from the two groups. Four youths of Heavenly Completion Stage Middle Phase in the vicinity were instantly sent flying back, spurting blood from their mouths as they were smashed away.
On the giant cliff, the faces of countless people fiercely contorted as, out of nowhere, the handsome youth with a smile on his face had appeared within the two groups, causing a shudder to shake through their hearts. That speed’s too fast! That’s simply not a speed that a person of Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase should possess!
Furthermore, just a mere palm from him was able to injure and send four people flying under the watchful eyes of the two Captains.
“You dare!”
Immediately regaining their senses, the two Captains furiously roared in anger. In the next instant, the two furiously clenched their fists, simultaneously sending a fist rumbling out. At this moment, their bodies sparkled with golden light, while their skin appeared to be casted from gold. Under their fists, the air was sent exploding apart, while even the earth below started to split and shatter.
Indeed, being able to become Captains, the two possessed strength that could be considered to be somewhat outstanding. With tacit understanding, the two took action together, sending out a fist each which was exceedingly tyrannical in power. Thinking about this, even if they were faced against an expert that had truly passed the Human Body Disaster, they were able to contend and hold their ground.
However, the opponent before them was a monstrous freak that was able to kill an expert that had failed his Human Body Disaster while only being at the Heavenly Completion Stage Initial Phase.
The incomparably rampant Spiritual Energy fists caused Mu Chen’s robes to crazily flutter about. However, despite that, looking at the fierce shadows of the two fists, a faint smile appeared on his face. In the next instant, he furiously clenched his hands. Unexpectedly, not showing even any intent of dodging them, he took a step forward, violently sending his spear-like hands rumbling out.
Bang!
Black arcs of lightning sparkled as they appeared before the fist shadows, causing even the surrounding space to warp and distort.
Boom!
Four fists smashed head on in the next instant.
Rampant Spiritual Energies swept out like a storm, causing those unfortunate fellows close to the two groups to be sent flying away in a miserable fashion. In the next instant, to their overwhelming horror, they noticed strange shades of redness unexpectedly gushing out from the faces of the two Captains.
Pu! Chi!
All of a sudden, two mouthfuls of blood were spewed out from the two Captains. As the blood mist perfused, the robes of the two were smashed into dust by the frightening energies that had rampaged towards them. In the next instant, both of them were sent shooting backwards, bodies rubbing against the ground as they flew hundreds of metres back, leaving two deep gouges on the ground as they did so.
While they spurted blood out as they flew back, the thin figure that had faced them appeared to have turned petrified, not even moving a single inch from where he stood.
On the giant cliff, the surroundings instantly turned deathly silently, as the sneers of the other groups looking towards the battle of the giants abruptly turned stiff, while unfathomable feelings gushed out from their eyes. This brat, whose strength was just at the Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase, has actually seriously injured the two Captains that were of similar strength as their Captain and sent them flying?!
How’s that possible?! Even experts who have passed their Human Body Disaster would be hard-pressed to achieve such a feat! With his strength at the Heavenly Completion Stage, how’s he able to do such a thing?
The expressions of the faces of each group wildly fluctuated as the sneers at the corners of their mouths froze up, their eyes overwhelmed with shock…
Slowly retracting the spear-like arms that he had sent rumbling out, Mu Chen gently shook his robes. Looking with indifference at the two miserable figures in the far distance, he spoke out in a soft voice, “Do you have the qualifications to make us mutually injured when fighting?”
This time, the two Captains didn’t try so much as to talk back. Instead, they could only stumble and stagger as they wiped the bloodstains of from the corners of their mouths. Shooting a look at each other, both of them could see the pain and bitterness present in one another’s eyes. So this brat was actually disguising himself as prey to hunt the hunter. With such strength, how can he possibly be only at Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase?!
“Hand over your Academy Plaques,” said Mu Chen with an indifferent tone as he extended his hand out.
Clenching their teeth, the two Captains clenched their fists, causing rays of brilliance to blossom before the two Academy Plaques appeared within.
With a wave of his sleeve, Mu Chen sucked them over. Sweeping his gaze out, he shot a look at the points listed on them, which had reached an approximate value of around a 100 points. Retrieving his Academy Plaque, he swept a glance across it without any hesitation, causing the points listed on it to increase from 10 to 65.
With a casual toss, Mu Chen sent the academy plaques back towards the two captains. According to the rules, the points on an academy plaque could only be deducted once per day. Clearly, this was a protective mechanism to allow for some unlucky fellows to not get instantly eliminated from the competition.
“What about you all?”
Shooting a gaze filled with some chilling intent, Mu Chen looked towards the other strong groups as he spoke with a faint smile, “Do you all think we will get patted to death?”
At this moment, those groups that were eyeing Mu Chen and the two groups covetously in preparation for both parties to get mutually injured looked at each other, before giving out bitter laughs. As if there’s still that nonsense of both parties getting injured! The fellow before their eyes had dealt with two of the groups that were similar in strength to them by himself! Clearly, their opponent was not on the same level as them. If they continued to resist, the only result it would lead to was a violent beating.
Clenching their teeth, they tossed over their Academy Plaques with great reluctance.
In the surroundings, upon seeing this spectacle, those few weak groups that had their points snatched in the first round of cleansing were greatly pleased. Although they knew about the cruelty and violence that would be present here, and that Mu Chen and his group wasn’t able to hand those points back to them, being able to see those fellows being viciously taught a lesson was enough to make them feel some comfort in their hearts.
After completely taking half of all of the points listed on those Academy Plaques, the final point tally for his Academy Plaque had instantly shot up to 440.
“Tsk, Tsk, truly enjoyable.” After seeing the explosive increase in points on their Academy Plaques, smiles cracked open on the faces of Xu Huang and the others.
Playing around with his Academy Plaque, Mu Chen gave a laugh. However, just as he was about to stretch his body, all of a sudden, the Academy Plaque in his hand erupted with rays of brilliance. In the next instant, Mu Fengyang exclaimed in shock, “ The Top 16 places have appeared! Fuck me! Are these fellas crazy?”
Upon hearing that, Mu Chen immediately cast his gaze towards the Academy Plaque in his hands. From there, the rays of brilliance had converged together. Indeed, the Top 16 places have appeared. Sweeping his gaze across the places, his pupils instantly contracted.
1st place – Myriad Phoenix Spiritual Academy. Captain, Wen Qingxuan. 2530 points.
2nd place – Saint Spiritual Academy. Captain, Ji Xuan. 2000 points.
3rd place – Martial Spiritual Academy. Captain, Wu Ling. 1800 points.
6th place – Saint Spiritual Academy. Captain, Cao Gang. 1400 points.
9th place – Desolation Spiritual Academy. Captain, Ji Qingtian. 1000 points.
13th place…
16th place – Myriad Swords Spiritual Academy. Captain Yan Xiu. 820 points.
Looking at the numbers that had flipped open on the Academy Plaque, Mu Chen’s eyes slightly narrowed in response. These fellas are really formidable at exiling people. His point collection speed could already be considered as fast. However, he never imagined that he would not be able to even get into the Top 16…
Rubbing and feeling his Academy Plaque, his slender finger rested gently on the name on the Second Place, while chilling intent erupted from his black pupils.