Shun Long looked at the young man with the large sword on his back, Feng Hao, and remembered that this was the name of the person who was ranked 1000th in the Martial Roll of Honor.
As for the person who had just challenged him, his name was Zhao Yun and he was ranked 1001st.
Feng Hao snorted when he heard Zhao Yun's voice as he immediately shot to the sky, flying straight towards the empty platform where Zhao Yun was standing on.
Shun Long could sense that both Feng Hao and Zhao Yun were at the middle of rank 9 in the Nascent Soul, just like the young man he had just faced in his last battle, but compared to his previous opponent, he understood that Feng Hao and Zhao Yun were at a completely different level.
Just from the aura coming from their bodies, Shun Long could sense that both of them were most likely comparable to most normal peak rank 9 Nascent Soul cultivators that he had seen in the Night star continent or in the Holy city.
However, this was only natural.
How could those geniuses that could be ranked in the top 1000 or were just a step away from the top 1000, be at the same level as most average Nascent Soul cultivators?
As soon as Feng Hao stepped foot on the empty platform, he drew his sword without any hesitation. as his fight with Zhao Yun began.
Although none of the 2 were weak and both of them could be considered to be somewhat on par with each other, the young man with the large sword on his back, Feng Hao, still managed to win the fight in the end.
Zhao Yun had a dejected look on his face as his body was filled with countless sword wounds, but most of the pain came from the fact that he failed to enter the top 1000.
Feng Hao had an arrogant look on his face as he looked at Zhao Yun whose body had collapsed on the platform, before he turned around and flew towards one of the other 7 platforms around it.
Naturally, since Feng Hao had just won a fight, no one else from the remaining 499 disciples in the top 1500 could challenge him again, and they could only challenge those higher in the rankings than him.
Almost as if in tacit understanding, the person who stepped on the platform right after Zhao Yun had finished his challenge was the person ranked 1002nd in the Martial Roll of Honor rankings.
He actually chose to challenge a young woman who was ranked 976th and he even managed to win his fight against her, drawing out mixed cheers and boos from the crowd.
After all, the main reason he had challenged that woman and he had even managed to win his fight against her, was mainly because his abilities happened to perfectly countered that young woman's.
Of course, to get this far in the rankings, his strength was naturally not too far away from that young woman's to begin with.
As the fights in the arena continued, more and more of those disciples who were ranked in the top 1000 stepped on the platform and fought, allowing those around them to gauge their strength.
''Those ranked in the bottom 1000 are mainly at the middle rank 9 of the Nascent Soul, but there are some peak rank 9 Nascent Soul stage cultivators among them as well. However, their actual strength should be even higher than the average peak rank 9 Nascent Soul stage cultivator.''
Shun Long said in a low voice while Jiang Chen and the rest all nodded as they observed those disciples seriously without speaking.
They could sense that no matter who they chose, none of those disciples who were ranked in the top 1000 were easy to defeat.
As for those who were ranked at the top 800 and above, all of them were, without question, at the peak of rank 9 in the Nascent Soul at the very least.
In the sky above the arena, the Grand Elder merely glanced at the battle that was taking place on the platform below him, before he turned his gaze towards Shun Long and said smilingly with an extremely profound look in his eyes
''Kid, I wonder if you can really enter the top 600 this time. Even this old man is curious to see how far you can go.''
The head of the inner court Elders, Sun Wen, Liu Mei's master, Xuan Jiao, and the bald Cao Ling, seemed to have heard these words as well, as they all turned their eyes towards the Grand Elder, unable to hide the looks of astonishment on their faces.
A moment later, Sun Wen took a deep breath as he looked at the Grand Elder's smiling face before he said seriously
''It seems like the Grand Elder really favors Shun Long quite a bit.
However, although Shun Long's body is indeed not bad and his actual strength even surpasses that of most peak rank 9 Nascent Soul cultivators, reaching the top 600 with his cultivation that's only at the middle of rank 7 in the Nascent Soul is simply impossible!
Those disciples at the top 600 have all reached the absolute peak of the Nascent Soul long ago, both in terms of their Dao and their actual cultivation. Many of them have even comprehended their Daos even further, faintly touching the Dao King realm as well.
As for those who are at the top 500 and above, plenty of them have unique physiques as well.''
As he finished speaking, Sun Wen took a look at the Grand Elder next to him, but he was surprised to see that the Grand Elder had a calm look on his face as he looked at him and said calmly
''As long as Shun Long really enters the top 600, I'm going to make him the leader of the outer court disciples that enter the City of Immortals.''
The Grand Elder's voice was calm, but it was akin to a bomb exploding in the 3 inner court Elders' minds!
The 3 inner court Elders all looked at each other with looks of astonishment and disbelief in their eyes.
They all knew why this Martial Roll of Honor tournament was so much more important compared to the previous ones, and it was precisely because of this City of Immortals! But the Grand Elder had actually said that as long as Shun Long manages to enter the top 600, he would become the leader of the outer court disciples that enter the city?
''Then... Grand Elder, what about that monster of the Yang family, Yang Hui?''
The person who had just spoken was actually the bald old man, Cao Ling.
As for Sun Wen and Liu Mei's master, Elder Xuan, they both looked at the Grand Elder as they waited for his answer.
No matter what, the Grand Elder's decisions in the Holy sect were final. Even the sect master wouldn't go against the Grand Elder's choices without a good reason.
The Grand Elder snorted when he heard Cao Ling's question, and after turning his eyes to look at the short-brown-haired young man with red eyes that were forming a triangle on the platform below him, he then turned his gaze towards Cao Ling and said coldly
''Hmph, although that little bastard from the Yang family is indeed talented, he is too vile and he doesn't care about anyone else but himself. Perhaps I would have chosen him to lead the outer court disciples if I didn't have a choice, but now?''
The white-robed Sun Wen, Elder Xuan, and Cao Ling all turned to look at Yang Hui on the platform below them as well, as they suddenly fell silent.
No matter what, although the Grand Elder was right and Yang Hui was indeed considered to be cruel, he was still considered to be the biggest genius in the outer court of the Holy sect, and his talent was even above that of many inner court disciples as well.
In the outer court, Yang Hui was indeed undefeated.
It didn't matter who challenged him, Yang Hui hadn't lost a single fight so far.
As the person ranked first in the Martial Roll of Honor and the leader of the strongest faction in the outer court, how could Yang Hui not be the leader of the outer court disciples that enter the City of Immortals?!
Sun Wen took a deep breath as he looked at the Grand Elder and asked cautiously
''Grand Elder... won't the Yang family be unhappy when they learn this? The position of the leader of the outer court disciples in the City of Immortals is too important...''
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Author's note: I was planning to finish 3 chapters yesterday but I had to take a small break so we only have 1 chapter.. We are getting another mass release after this though so look forward to it.