Dongguo Ying’s words showed his disbelief. If Lin Yun could reach the top twenty, it would mean his strength surpassed Dongguo Ying’s entirely—how could that be possible?
“Senior Dongguo, one must have dreams and goals,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“Having goals is good, but they need to be achievable. Otherwise, they become a laughingstock,” Dongguo Ying shook his head.
Not just Dongguo Ying, the other Fire Cloud Empire immortals were equally shocked and incredulous, unable to fathom why Lin Yun would set such a goal.
Lin Yun didn’t elaborate further; the idea did seem far-fetched. He could hear the crowd’s criticisms clearly but saw no need to explain. Reaching the top twenty would prove his words true.
Strength was the ultimate proof.
The Fire Cloud Emperor said nothing, though he was confident in Lin Yun’s aim for the top twenty.
“Master, there are few female immortals. Someone like the Kunlan Empress must have many suitors, right?” Lin Yun asked.
With immortals possessing infinite lifespans, finding a partner with the same longevity was ideal.
“Many may have feelings for her, but few dare pursue her. Her temper’s not exactly gentle, and her heart’s like stone. Winning her over is no easy task,” the Fire Cloud Emperor said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
“Master, with all your prowess, you couldn’t win her heart?” Lin Yun asked earnestly.
“You cheeky lad,” the Fire Cloud Emperor shot him an embarrassed glare.
“Er, I’ll drop the topic,” Lin Yun said with an awkward smile, sensing the Fire Cloud Emperor hadn’t succeeded with the Kunlan Empress.
Soon, nearly all the Heavenly God Palace immortals had arrived, including Song Lin, ranked fourth on the Heavenly God List, who entered with Vice Palace Master Yao.
This was Lin Yun’s first time seeing Song Lin in person.
Song Lin approached Lin Yun to greet him, surprising the other immortals. When had Song Lin, a lone wolf who rarely mingled even with Mahayana realm powerhouses like the Fire Cloud Emperor or Xiaoyao Building Master, become acquainted with Lin Yun?
Though most immortals were present, a few were absent, like Palace Master Mo Bai and Supreme Elder Rong Zhen. Lin Yun was surprised, having expected to see the Heavenly God Palace’s two strongest figures today.
At that moment, Vice Palace Master Yao, seated at the front, stood up.
“Everyone, since we’re all here, let the ranking battles begin. Per the rules, you may challenge an immortal ranked higher than you on the Heavenly God List. If you win, you take their rank, and the ranks swap. Defeated immortals can continue challenging,” Vice Palace Master Yao announced.
“It’s finally starting!”
With Yao’s words, the immortals perked up, visibly excited. Their friends, family, or clan members, brought to witness the event, sat upright, tense and eager. Only a few immortals had brought companions.
Yu Ying, Palace Master Yunshang, Qin Shi, Lone Wolf, White Shark, and Lin Yun’s grandfather were all visibly thrilled.
“Who’ll start?” Vice Palace Master Yao asked.
After a brief silence, a booming voice rang out. “I’ll take the first shot!”
A Taigu Sect immortal stood, declaring, “I challenge Si Hongyi, ranked one hundred seventeenth on the Heavenly God List!” He swiftly ascended the arena.
“Si Hongyi.”
Lin Yun froze at the name. Si Hongyi was the enemy of Old Ancestor Xuyun. When Lin Yun inherited Xuyun’s legacy on Earth, he’d promised to avenge him.
But Si Hongyi was an immortal, and though the Heavenly God Palace didn’t explicitly forbid killing among immortals, it frowned upon it. Each immortal’s birth was hard-won, and every loss was a blow to the palace and the human race, especially with the growing demon threat. Lin Yun’s concerns had delayed his revenge, though with his current strength, killing Si Hongyi would be effortless.
After the Taigu Sect immortal issued his challenge, he took the stage, followed by the white-haired Si Hongyi.
The battle began.
After a fierce clash, Si Hongyi lost to the Taigu Sect immortal, who had clearly come prepared. Si Hongyi’s rank was taken by his opponent.
More challenges followed on the massive arena.
“What a clash!”
“Worthy of immortals!”
Yu Ying, Palace Master Yunshang, Su Yan, Qin Shi, Jiang Jingwen, Zhao Ling’er, Lone Wolf, Venom Fang, and Grandfather Liu Zhizhong were awestruck by the intense battles. They’d never seen immortal combat before.
“The power of immortals is incredible. I hope I can reach immortality someday,” Palace Master Yunshang said, her deep, beautiful eyes filled with longing as she watched the arena.
“Yunshang, don’t we all wish for that?” Qin Shi said with a wry smile.
The challenges continued, mostly among lower-ranked immortals for now. Those at the top bided their time.
Lin Yun knew the top ranks rarely shifted. The Fire Cloud Emperor, ranked sixth, hadn’t challenged or been challenged in millennia. The top ranks were stable, with few daring to challenge them.
“I’ll give it a go!”
Dongguo Wuji stood, challenging Lu Sheng, ranked forty-second, and rushed to the arena.
Higher-ranked immortals couldn’t refuse unless they conceded, so Lu Sheng quickly took the stage.
The fight began, with Dongguo Wuji initially dominating, but Lu Sheng unleashed a sudden burst, defeating him.
The challenge failed, and the rankings remained unchanged.
Returning, Dongguo Wuji said helplessly, “I didn’t expect Lu Sheng to have improved so much. My miscalculation.”
“Lu Sheng hasn’t shown his strength in thousands of years. Misjudging him is understandable. He might even aim for the top forty,” the Fire Cloud Emperor consoled.
Sure enough, after defeating Dongguo Wuji, Lu Sheng challenged the thirty-eighth rank.
Lin Yun observed, waiting for the right moment to act. After all, he had big plans today.
