Chapter 112: The Prodigy... Utter Despair!

Wang Li did not pause his work. He memorized the cultivation method of "Wrath of the Thunder" and initiated the data analysis.

He had no interest in the Prodigy Ranking. During the final trial of the Heaven’s Selection, he had already memorized the information of all the top one hundred prodigies. He would not need to pay attention to the ranking changes for the next three years. Furthermore, he had already moved past the stage of comparing himself to those prodigies.

He was the true number one prodigy. Although his name was not on the list, facts were facts... even if only Xu Jing knew that he was Wang Li.

While the true number one prodigy, Wang Li, was uninterested in the Prodigy Ranking, others were quite the opposite!

The Prodigy Ranking should have manifested at the end of the Heaven’s Selection, but Jiang Yue, who was always a bit scatterbrained, had been too busy playing with her companions in the Pure Yang Secret Realm and had completely forgotten about it. It was not until the ranking could no longer contain itself and manifested on its own that the world finally caught a glimpse of its true form.

On the highest peak of the Pure Yang Mountains, at the summit of Yaoxue Peak, a golden light descended from the heavens, carving a massive platform out of the rugged mountaintop.

As the dust and debris from the shattered stone settled, the Prodigy Ranking—ten zhang wide and fifty zhang high—appeared upon the platform.

Once the list landed, the one hundred names began to emerge one by one, appearing as if someone were writing them with a brush, stroke by stroke.

Cultivators of the Tianxuan world, who had been waiting for this moment for a long time, had been flying toward Yaoxue Peak ever since the ranking manifested. By the time the first name appeared, hundreds of cultivators had already gathered on the platform.

Before long, the first name was revealed:

Pure Yang Temple
Yun Jingzi
Eighth Level of the Spirit Transformation Realm
Age: 75

"Yun Jingzi? A seventy-five-year-old at the eighth level of the Spirit Transformation Realm? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" Someone exclaimed the moment the information appeared.

Then, the third name appeared:

Ultimate Dao
Zhao Leiling
Fourth Level of the Spirit Transformation Realm
Age: 55

"Damn it, how are we supposed to live? A fifty-five-year-old at the fourth level of the Spirit Transformation Realm!" Someone looked up and sighed in misery.

However, some more level-headed observers were focused not on how much stronger these prodigies were than them, but on something else.

"Everyone, has anyone noticed an issue with the ranking of this Prodigy Ranking?" someone asked.

"What could be wrong? The Prodigy Ranking is an impartial entity, formed by the condensation of the will of heaven and earth. How could there be an error?"

"Indeed. This isn't some man-made list; how could it be wrong?" Many retorted.

The cultivator who raised the question remained unconvinced, muttering, "The second-ranked Zhou Qian is only at the third level of the Nascent Soul Realm. You are all at the Spirit Transformation Realm or higher. Do you truly believe a Nascent Soul cultivator can bridge a major realm to defeat you?"

Everyone shook their heads.

They understood the gap between the Nascent Soul Realm and the Spirit Transformation Realm all too well. It was not just a matter of a Nascent Soul cultivator challenging a Spirit Transformation master across a major gap; even within the Spirit Transformation Realm, a difference of one minor level provided a significant advantage. A difference of two levels allowed the higher-ranked party to crush their opponent. If the gap was three levels or more, even with sharp spirit artifacts or special attack techniques, it was impossible for the weaker party to compensate for such an objective disparity—let alone bridging an entire major realm.

There were many in the cultivation world capable of fighting across levels, but most were below the Spirit Transformation Realm. Once a cultivator entered the Spirit Transformation Realm, the very essence of their life changed; the way they used power and their attributes were elevated to a higher plane. Such gaps in power levels could not be bridged by other means.

This was a truth discovered by countless cultivators over countless years!

The crucial point was that Zhou Qian was only at the third level of the Nascent Soul Realm. Could he even skillfully apply the properties of a Nascent Soul? How could he possibly suppress Zhao Leiling, who was at the fourth level of the Spirit Transformation Realm?

"Could it be that the Prodigy Ranking is not based on strength, but on a cultivator's potential?" someone suggested. "Is it possible that Zhou Qian’s potential is higher than Zhao Leiling’s, which is why he is ranked ahead?"

"Hey, that’s actually possible. Let’s look at the subsequent rankings."

"That makes sense... Oh! The fourth and fifth names are appearing!"

Everyone looked at the list.

Fourth Place
East Sea Sect
Hai Kuan
Great Perfection of the Golden Core Realm
Age: 32

Fifth Place
Immortal Suppression City
Xi Nanfei
Fifth Level of the Spirit Transformation Realm
Age: 71

"Sure enough, this Prodigy Ranking is indeed sorted by the potential of the cultivators."

To be ranked fourth while only in the Golden Core Realm, placing ahead of a master at the fifth level of the Spirit Transformation Realm—their guess was surely correct.

No matter how monstrous a Golden Core cultivator might be, it was impossible to defeat someone in the Spirit Transformation Realm. This was not just empirical observation; it was an unbreakable truth!

Having confirmed the rules of the ranking, the crowd calmed down significantly. These prodigies were very young, and while their future paths were long, high potential did not guarantee they would reach their full growth.

Besides, while appearing on the list brought fame, it also made one a target for others to challenge. Being watched by everyone was not necessarily a good thing.

However, they did not remain calm for long. As all one hundred names and their respective information appeared, the list changed once more.

Lines of small text appeared beneath each prodigy's name: these were their battle records!

And these records would completely... shatter everyone’s worldview!