Chapter 158: First of the Battle Stele

A vast Square is established in the center of the North City District.

In the center of the Square.

Stands a massive Stone Stele reaching a hundred zhang in height.

The entire body of the Stone Stele presents an ancient, simple gray color.

From top to bottom, the face of the stele records a column of names flickering with Spirit Light.

The number of names is neither more nor less, exactly one hundred, corresponding to the one hundred people with the strongest combat power within the North City District.

This stele is precisely the most famous object within this North City District... the Battle Stele.

On the Square, figures are numerous.

On ordinary days, a large number of people come to this Square every day, just to gaze upon the Battle Stele.

Every person looking at those names on the Battle Stele reveals a deep, burning heat and longing on their face.

Hoping that one day their own name can ascend the Battle Stele and become famous throughout the North City District.

Long Taoyi is one of these people.

His strength is not weak, and he is very close to ascending the Battle Stele, but he is always a hair's breadth away and has failed to have his wish granted.

Out of a longing for the Battle Stele, he comes to this Square almost every day to watch the changes in the Battle Stele rankings.

Hoping that one day he will be able to see his own name on it.

This day.

He likewise came to this Square as he usually does.

His gaze was cast toward the bottom of the Battle Stele.

Seeing that his name still failed to appear on the Battle Stele, he shook his head in disappointment.

He did not leave directly.

Instead, he continued to look toward the upper part of the Battle Stele.

Compared to yesterday, the rankings on the Battle Stele had once again undergone significant changes.

Some people's rankings had fallen, others had risen, and even unfamiliar names had appeared on the face of the stele.

The competition for Battle Stele rankings is intense, and the same changes happen every day.

He did not feel the slightest surprise at this.

However, these shifting rankings were almost all concentrated below the thirtieth place.

The rankings within the top thirty are relatively stable, and it often takes several days for one or two ranking changes to appear.

As for the top ten, they have not changed for nearly half a year.

Long Taoyi looked upward in turn.

When his gaze swept past the thirtieth to the eleventh place and looked toward the top ten.

He suddenly discovered that the names of Wu Dao, ranked tenth, and Rong Hai, ranked eighth, had actually disappeared!

He could not help but rub his eyes.

Immediately, he discovered that he had not seen wrong.

He was stunned for a moment.

His first reaction was that someone's strength had broken through, they had charged into the top ten, and had squeezed Wu Dao and Rong Hai out of the top ten!

Immediately following, he realized something else.

He had been looking in reverse from the one-hundredth place, and the two men's names were not outside the top ten either!

The two men's names had completely vanished from the Battle Stele!

Long Taoyi's expression was startled, and he realized the unusual nature of this matter.

With the strength of Wu Dao and Rong Hai, even if they were surpassed by others, it would be impossible for them to fall directly off the Battle Stele list.

For such a situation, there is only one possibility...

A guess that shocked him could not help but emerge.

Wu Dao and Rong Hai... have both fallen!

Only for the dead would names not continue to remain on the Battle Stele.

Thinking of this, Long Taoyi could not help but cry out in alarm.

His cry of alarm immediately drew the attention of some people nearby.

These people noticed the shock on his face and followed his gaze to look at the Battle Stele.

Immediately, they also discovered the changes on the Battle Stele, and the same guess as Long Taoyi's arose in their hearts.

Following that, cries of alarm rang out one after another.

In just a short moment, the entire Square was completely boiling over.

Wu Dao and Rong Hai were both experts in the top ten of the Battle Stele!

At their level, defeating them is easy.

Wanting to kill them is extremely difficult.

Aside from that fierce person ranked first, I fear only Bai Wuqing, ranked second, could possibly have accomplished it.

But that person in first place is a cultivation fanatic and rarely appears.

Bai Wuqing, on the other hand, is quite active on ordinary days, but it seems he has no grudge against Wu Dao and Rong Hai, right?

Just as the crowd on the Square was letting their imaginations run wild.

An astonishing change appeared on the Battle Stele once again.

Only to see that on the Battle Stele, all the names seemed to have been subjected to being Suppressed, and they all shifted down by one place simultaneously.

The one-hundredth place vanished from sight.

Bai Wuqing, who had originally occupied the second-place spot, became third.

Even the name that stood at the very top of the Battle Stele was squeezed down to the second position.

In the first position, a strange yet dazzling name flashed out.

"Wang Jianqiang!"

Seeing this scene, everyone fell silent.

At this moment, the news of the fall of Wu Dao and Rong Hai was no longer important.

Only two thoughts remained in everyone's minds.

"That cultivation fanatic was actually surpassed by someone!"

"Who is Wang Jianqiang??"

Not long after.

Even more shocking news swept through the entire North City District at an astonishing speed.

The six great powerhouses—Bai Wuqing, Nancheng Kong, Luo Chen, Min Zhangkong, Mu Xiao, and He Yaoguang—had joined forces and were defeated by a person named Wang Jianqiang.

Before this, Wu Dao and Rong Hai had also died at the hands of Wang Jianqiang.

Not only that, after Wang Jianqiang defeated the six great powerhouses of Bai Wuqing, Nancheng Kong, Luo Chen, Min Zhangkong, Mu Xiao, and He Yaoguang.

Tianxingzi arrived and revealed strength far exceeding that of Bai Wuqing.

But he was still no match for Wang Jianqiang.

He fell at the hands of Wang Jianqiang, his head smashed to pieces.

A single person had almost swept through all the top powerhouses of the entire North City District!

This astonishing news caused everyone's hearts to tremble like a magnitude-ten earthquake, and they subsequently fell into extreme shock.

Although the South City District and the North City District were within one city.

Because of two completely different systems, the two major districts were almost never connected.

Therefore, while the cultivators in the North City District were shocked by the name Wang Jianqiang, the South City District remained as calm as usual.

Wang Jianqiang's life also remained as usual: accepting tasks, Alchemy, and occasionally helping Yang Wanxin solve difficult problems, a three-point-one-line routine.

Ten days later.

Tu Youyou, whose injuries had already healed, arrived.

She stayed at Wang Jianqiang's place, and once she stayed, it was for twenty days.

Twenty days later.

Tu Youyou had expended a great deal, but she had obtained the Pill as she wished and left while riding a Magic Treasure, her face full of joy.

After she left.

Wang Jianqiang continued to accept tasks, perform Alchemy, and occasionally help Yang Wanxin solve difficult problems.

Time flew by, and it had already reached the sixth year since the opening of the Assessment Secret Realm.

During this period.

Because of the supply of endless resources.

Whether they were Specialized Cultivators or ordinary examinees, their cultivation bases advanced by leaps and bounds.

Among the Pill Dao Specialty Cultivators, except for Wei Zhongxian who was still trapped in the North City District, many people's assessment scores soared.

In order to secure the first position on the Pill Tower List and continue to enjoy the resources of the number one person in Pill Dao in Shenfeng City.

One year ago, Wang Jianqiang had to add points to his Pill Dao and broke through to become a Fourth-Rank Alchemist.

After completing another Pill Tower assessment, his score successfully improved from Heaven-Tier Intermediate to Heaven-Tier Superior.

This triggered a huge sensation among the Pill Dao Specialty Cultivators in Shenfeng City.

After breaking through to a Fourth-Rank Alchemist, although the cost of obtaining Cultivation Points increased.

The upper limit of the task levels he could accept within Shenfeng Pavilion also rose accordingly, and the speed at which he earned Contribution Points increased greatly.

Added to the Contribution Points offered up by Bai Wuqing and the others, Wang Jianqiang's current Contribution Points had already accumulated to an astonishing fifty thousand plus.

Besides this, his cultivation base also broke through to the Golden Core Mid Stage half a year ago, supported by a large number of Third-tier Pills.

This was still under the condition that he spent most of his time earning Contribution Points; otherwise, breaking through to the Golden Core Late Stage would have been possible.

On this day.

Wang Jianqiang put away the Pill that had just come out of the furnace.

Just as he was preparing to continue refining, a series of system notification sounds rang out in his mind.