650 The Number One in the World
The tactic was crude but undeniably effective.

Suddenly, Qin Huai and the Qingzhou Alliance found themselves center stage, with the world’s attention riveted on them. The quiet and underestimated Qingzhou was now set to become a known power.

“What a dilemma.” Qin Huai sighed, aware that the Sacred Heart Sect likely confirmed the news of the white-robed king’s demise at his hands.

Having slain one of their king realm experts, hostilities between them were inevitable. The veiled hint in the rankings about joining the Sacred Heart Sect as a Holy Son didn’t escape him. However, there was no question of aligning with such a fanatical group. His priority now was strategizing against the Sacred Heart Sect.

Reflecting, he surmised, “There’s only one reason for all of this: King Cheng.”
He studied the Great You Prodigy Roll further. “All within the top fifty have the makings of future kings. Despite the royal clans having significant numbers, the Qingzhou Alliance stands out with the most prodigies.”

Pondering the list, he thought, “Of the fifty potential future kings in the entire Great You, Qingzhou boasts ten. Perhaps it’s thanks to the Senior Emperor of Qingzhou’s legacies: ‘Spreading Branches and Leaves’ and ‘Whale Falling and Everything Grows.’ It also helps that Qingzhou hasn’t been heavily oppressed by the six royal clans. Compared to them, the Kun Peng clan is far more lenient.”

He continued reviewing the rankings. Ninth was the Ying clan’s Fourth Generation Fairy. Eighth was the northern Qiong clan’s third young master. Followed by Ding Chuan, Wu Cheng, Chi Nian, and Qin Huai’s known associate, Zhang Youji. The third spot went to Bai Shiquan.

Most in the top ten had some connection to Qin Huai. In his estimation, the list represented the powerful experts of Great You’s human and demon races. But who occupied the top two spots?

Curiously, he turned to the second to the last page. It revealed the Sacred Heart Sect’s Holy Son, Yao Yongfei. The page had minimal information, just enough to invoke a sense of mystique. Yao’s depicted face seemed almost lifelike, his eerie eyes poised to strike.

About this Holy Son, Yao Yongfei, Qin Huai had only heard rumors. The jade book depicted his face as unremarkable — easily lost in a crowd. But the authenticity of this image as representing the Sacred Heart Sect’s Holy Son remained questionable.

Flipping to the final page, Qin Huai laughed at seeing the world’s top-ranked individual: Nameless, the King of Pingwang county’s secret realm.

Most rankings aligned with Qin Huai’s expectations, save for his own positions and the twelfth. That spot was taken by a famed yet nameless individual: Long Pingjing from Qing Cang Palace, the young fifteen-year-old daughter of Prince Qing Cang. Her potential, given her age and rank, seemed limitless.

Setting the list aside, Qin Huai meditated, focusing on ascending to the king realm. He believed that, once there, with the support of his three great domains, even top-tier kings wouldn’t challenge him lightly.

…

However, the broader world wasn’t as composed. Many began investigating the Qingzhou Alliance.

In Pingwang county’s secret realm, many sought clues about Xiang Mingfeng and his allies. A significant number of budding prodigies even wanted to join the Qingzhou Alliance. Given that one family produced a tenth of the current geniuses, the Qingzhou Alliance was considered the most promising group in Great You.

…

Inside the imperial palace, the young emperor mused over the list. “Qin Huai’s influence is much greater than we imagined.”

An elderly voice asked, “So what do you plan to do?”

“Ancestor, this might be our dragon clan’s best chance.” The young emperor sounded very determined.

“His growth is beyond imagination. In the secret realm, the Beast King from the Sacred Heart Sect is gone.” The ancestor was silent for a moment before continuing, “He took down two kings… I understand…”

With that, the ancestor’s voice faded away.

No one knew what kind of shocking plan this peerless expert, who could be called the Emperor of Ju, was planning. Everything was quiet, but there was a surging undercurrent.

In the blink of an eye, two months passed.