"Tenth! My heavens, Fang Han charged straight into the top ten!"
"The tenth-ranked Fang Hong... got pushed down!"
"A new Inner Hall Descendant... actually made it into the top ten?!"
The courtyard instantly erupted, a rising and falling tide of gasps, astonished cries, and disbelieving murmurs.
It was like a giant boulder dropped into a deep pool, setting off monstrous waves within the Fang Family's Inner Hall.
Whether they were new Inner Hall Descendants or those from previous years, every single one of them stared at Fang Han as if he were a monster.
To have entered the Inner Hall, they had all been acknowledged by the family for their talent in the Martial Dao and considered themselves geniuses.
But the talent Fang Han displayed made them feel utterly inadequate.
In the courtyard of the Martial Arts Stele, the commotion caused by Fang Han's sudden surge into the top ten had yet to die down.
CLACK— CLACK—
A few figures with composed auras and steady steps entered the courtyard one after another. They were none other than the top ten Inner Hall Descendants, who had been drawn by the commotion.
Their eyes immediately fell upon the Martial Arts Stele, whose light had not yet completely faded.
When they saw the two words "Fang Han" sitting high in tenth place, varying degrees of shock appeared on their faces.
"Tenth?"
Fang Mei, ranked ninth, raised a delicate eyebrow, a flicker of surprise passing through her cool, clear eyes.
She had only just knocked Fang Hong down to tenth place at the end of last year, so she knew exactly the level of strength required. Fang Han's promotion speed was simply terrifyingly fast.
'He actually broke into the top ten...'
The higher-ranked Fang Xue, Fang Hao, and the others also had a more scrutinizing look in their eyes.
'This disciple, who's been in the Inner Hall for less than half a year, can already stand among us in the top ten?'
'His talent is probably even more frightening than the rumors say.'
"Eleventh...?"
At that moment, however, there was one person in the crowd whose expression was exceptionally ugly, so livid it seemed he was about to burst.
He was none other than the former tenth-place holder, Fang Hong, who had been forcefully shoved down to eleventh by Fang Han.
At the end of last year, he had been knocked from ninth to tenth place by Fang Mei, and he was already holding in a gutful of resentment.
And now, he couldn't even hold on to tenth place, getting kicked out by a newcomer who had just entered the Inner Hall!
His fists clenched tightly, the knuckles cracking faintly from the force. A potent mix of humiliation and unwillingness burned like a toxic fire in his heart.
"Pushed out of the top ten, I wonder what Fang Hong is thinking right now..."
"This is going to be a good show!"
The disciples' gazes swept back and forth between Fang Han and Fang Hong. The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly grew delicate and tense, and the whispers died down.
Everyone sensed something was about to happen, their gazes fixed on Fang Hong.
THUD... THUD—
Sure enough, under the countless gazes, Fang Hong suddenly gritted his teeth and began to walk toward Fang Han with heavy, deliberate steps.
The air seemed to freeze. Some disciples even held their breath, sensing that a conflict was about to erupt.
However, the anticipated conflict did not occur.
Fang Hong's steps halted when he was still several paces away from Fang Han.
...
Fang Hong's expression flickered, and his chest heaved violently a few times. In the end, he forcibly suppressed the rage that was about to burst from his chest.
He wasn't an idiot. The Fang Han before him was no longer an ordinary Inner Hall Descendant.
The high regard the family's upper echelon held for him was evident from the two generous rewards and Elder Fang Yuan's attitude.
'If I get into a direct conflict with him now over the rankings, I'll likely be the one to suffer in the end.'
"Don't think you've secured your spot!"
With this thought, Fang Hong snorted heavily and shot Fang Han an extremely complicated look.
It was a look filled with anger and unwillingness, but even more so, a sense of helpless frustration.
Leaving those words behind, he suddenly strode forward, brushing past Fang Han.
He walked straight to the Martial Arts Stele and stood before it.
'A retest!'
Having his rank stolen was a humiliation. He would retest and take back tenth place.
"They didn't actually fight!"
"Is Fang Hong going to... try to take it back?"
The courtyard buzzed with hushed discussions. Everyone, including the other top ten disciples, fixed their gaze on Fang Hong.
He took a deep breath, pressed his palm heavily against the cool surface of the stele, and the two words "Fang Hong" appeared.
Then, he exhaled with a shout as his muscles bulged and his power erupted.
A powerful, heavy-hitting finishing move from his Fist Technique smashed into the Martial Arts Stele like a cannonball.
DONG!
The muffled boom was like the beat of a giant drum. The Jade Stele's brilliance suddenly flared, flickering violently. It was clear he had held nothing back in this strike; he might have even surpassed his usual performance!
'I have to take it back!'
Fang Hong stared intently at the face of the stele, his eyes filled with hope and anxiety.
The light flowed, and the number after the words "Fang Hong" began to flicker.
But in the end, the number didn't change. It remained fixed on that glaring figure—eleventh place!
Silence. A dead silence.
"The rank didn't change?!"
All the color drained from Fang Hong's face in an instant. His pupils dilated as he stared in disbelief at the immovable ranking.
He had given it his all. Fueled by anger, he'd even felt he was in better condition than ever before, and yet... he still couldn't take back tenth place!
An immense sense of loss, and a shame even greater than before, washed over him like ice water, leaving him cold to the bone.
He felt as though the surrounding gazes had all turned into silent mockery, viciously lashing at his dignity.
His face went from livid to pale, then flushed red. He abruptly lowered his head and pushed his way through the crowd in disgrace.
He stumbled away, rushing out of the Martial Arts Stele courtyard without a single look back, disappearing from everyone's sight.
An anticipated conflict had come to an abrupt and rather pathetic end, much to the surprise of the spectating Inner Hall Descendants.
But the shockwaves Fang Han had created were far from over.
Soon, a Tutor reported the news of Fang Han's rise to tenth place to Elder Fang Yuan.
"What? Tenth?!"
Upon hearing the news, Elder Fang Yuan, who was handling affairs in his Quiet Chamber, froze mid-stroke of his beard, an extremely surprised look on his face.
He knew that with the talent Fang Han had shown, entering the top ten was inevitable, but he had never imagined it would happen so quickly!
One must remember, it hadn't even been half a year since Fang Han entered the Inner Hall!
"Less than half a year... from the Early Stage of Flesh Refining to the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining, Great Success in Swordsmanship, and tenth on the Martial Arts Stele..."
Elder Fang Yuan murmured to himself, the surprise in his eyes gradually turning into irrepressible amazement and ecstatic joy.
"This kid... Every time I think I've already overestimated him, he manages to deliver an even bigger surprise!"
He pondered for a moment, then instructed the Tutor who had brought the news:
"According to the rules, immediately allocate the monthly resources for tenth place and the access rights to the Class A-10 Martial Arts Room to Fang Han."
"Yes, Elder!"
The Tutor responded respectfully and departed with quick steps.
Elder Fang Yuan strolled to the window and gazed in the direction of the Inner Hall's training grounds. His eyes were profound, and a gratified smile touched the corners of his lips.
'Little one, the road ahead is long. I look forward to seeing just how far you can go...'