Chapter 478: Determining the Rankings

Ye Liuyun looked at Jin Yuanhao and thought it was amusing.

He paced back to his position, closing his eyes to cultivate his spirit.

Xiong Batian's Transmission Voice came through, saying, "Brother, well fought! Now the royal family's reputation has been completely ruined by that guy!"

"This Crown Prince is a bit useless!" Ye Liuyun replied.

"Who says it isn't? A soft target that fears the strong!" Xiong Batian added.

After He Wei was eliminated by Ye Liuyun, Xiong Batian moved up to fifth place, and Jiang Wanhao took sixth.

Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun had already become the center of attention. Gao Yuan, who was in second place, stared at Ye Liuyun sitting beside him, rubbing his hands anxiously.

"You challenge me? I doubt I could beat you either!" Gao Yuan finally blurted to Ye Liuyun.

"Hm?" Ye Liuyun opened his eyes, looking at Gao Yuan with puzzlement. He recalled that Gao Yuan also wasn't a member of the Golden Peng Dynasty!

"I just like fighting! When I see a strong person, I get an itch if I don't land a few blows!" Gao Yuan, apparently grasping Ye Liuyun's point, explained directly.

Ye Liuyun gave a slight smile, his mind clear. "So he's a war‑like type just like Xiong Batian."

He then said to him, "There will be plenty of opportunities later; no need to rush now."

"Fine, if a chance comes, don't forget to fight me!" Gao Yuan also realized this bout wasn't fitting today. The contest had clearly turned into Ye Liuyun's showcase against the Golden Peng Dynasty.

"Definitely!" Ye Liuyun replied enthusiastically.

Only then did Gao Yuan cease harassing Ye Liuyun. Yet, in his view, the others were still not his rivals, so he began to contemplate Jin Yuanhao.

As for Lu Wentong, after losing to Ye Liuyun he stopped challenging anyone else. He couldn't overcome those in front, and the later Xiong Batian, Jiang Wanhao and others were also beyond his reach. After witnessing Ye Liuyun's myriad abilities, he recognized the disparity between them. He silently vowed to return and train hard, aiming to achieve greater progress before the Great Cloud Grand Contest, at least not lag far behind Ye Liuyun.

At that moment, Piao Yun saw many of the Golden Peng Dynasty's top fighters eliminated, and she launched her own challenge, directly targeting the eighth place.

Her power was initially a bit weaker, but with the noble‑ranked sword Ye Liuyun had gifted her, she succeeded and ultimately secured the eighth position.

After Piao Yun obtained her ranking, the arena's fights became scarce. Occasionally someone would challenge for ninth or tenth place only.

Gao Yuan rose abruptly. "Finally it's my turn! Come on, Jin Yuanhao, let me see what this coward can do, sitting in first place!"

Jin Yuanhao heard this and his face turned iron‑blue with fury. Being scorned by Ye Liuyun was one thing, but having Gao Yuan also look down on him was unbearable.

"Come fight! I'll make you know you'll never be my match!" Jin Yuanhao sprang onto the arena with a whoosh.

"Fine! I'll give you a chance to perform!" Gao Yuan, having successfully provoked Jin Yuanhao, excitedly leapt onto the arena.

The two—one a battle maniac, the other seething with a desire to wash away humiliation—went all‑out as soon as they fought. True Essence bombarded the arena with a thunderous roar.

Both also unleashed their Bloodline Power to the fullest, fighting as if they were long‑lost foes.

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil, however, observed their deployment of Bloodline Power. The two's Bloodline Power traced different channels.

Ye Liuyun watched and learned simultaneously. His own Bloodline Power was employed coarsely, lacking any discernible pathways. Comparing with these two now gave him profound insight.

"It seems only these deep‑rooted major sects possess true inheritance. Their handling of Bloodline is clearly more refined than mine."

Ye Liuyun grasped the insight as he observed. Lacking his own Bloodline circulation method, he could only study the principles behind their Bloodline usage to devise how to better unleash his own.

It was his first revelation gained from observing others' Bloodline pathways. These two's Bloodline application far exceeded Xiong Batian's. Xiong Batian's use of Bloodline resembled Ye Liuyun's—devoid of any real pattern. Had it been otherwise, Xiong Batian might have held his own against them.

Ye Liuyun observed while refining his own Bloodline invocation methods and routes. Though he was intentionally controlling it, Lu Wentong, seated beside him, still sensed the Bloodline Pressure emanating from Ye Liuyun.

Moreover, this Bloodline Pressure caused his own Bloodline Power to churn restlessly. Deep inside, he envied Ye Liuyun greatly.

"Didn't expect he still has a hidden Trump Card. It seems within the Golden Peng Dynasty he truly is the top, with no one able to match him."

On the arena, Jin Yuanhao and Gao Yuan clashed evenly. When the deadlock persisted, Jin Yuanhao abruptly altered his technique, fully unleashing his Bloodline Power; around him a golden, giant Roc‑shaped True Essence materialized, fused with his Bloodline Power.

Gao Yuan likewise refused to yield; a gray ape formed around him, charging head‑on into the golden Roc. Both harnessed their Bloodline Power to animate True Essence, creating Bloodline avatars to assault one another.

"This is a Bloodline‑True Essence combined attack technique!" Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil recorded everything. He should be able to employ it as well, but he had never thought of it before, having never seen it.

"When I get back, I'll reinforce the use of Bloodline Power on the Buddha‑Demon Golden Body." He resolved to research it upon returning, merging Bloodline Power into the Buddha‑Demon Golden Body to amplify his attacks.

In the arena, Jin Yuanhao's Bloodline Power was visibly a bit stronger, and Gao Yuan took the hit. Yet he was the kind who grew fiercer the more he fought.

The earlier clash made blood ooze from his mouth corner. He simply spat out a mouthful of foam and resumed fighting.

Eventually, the host forcibly separated them to prevent both from being badly injured.

Jin Yuanhao, though he edged out first place, was gasping for breath, evidently quite fatigued.

"Hmph!" Gao Yuan snorted in displeasure. Though he lost, he remained unconvinced. "That's it for today. If there's a chance later, I'll snap off your bird wing!"

"Afraid you can't! I'll be waiting for you anytime!" After Jin Yuanhao's victory, his confidence clearly surged, and he promptly boasted.

Ye Liuyun ignored their words, concentrating instead on studying Bloodline Power's application inside his own body.

Later, only a handful of participants entered the arena. Members of the Golden Peng Dynasty, fearing Ye Liuyun might challenge Jin Yuanhao, stayed back. Consequently, the host, citing a lack of further challengers, announced the end of the selection and revealed the ten chosen rankings, with Jin Yuanhao still in first place.

Though that first place was somewhat undeserved.

Everyone knew the Golden Peng Dynasty had deliberately ended early, but without Ye Liuyun's statement they could do nothing. Many who had been waiting for Ye Liuyun to challenge the Crown Prince were left with disappointed faces, having waited so long without seeing a good spectacle.

In this selection, of the top ten, the Golden Peng Dynasty secured only two slots—the Crown Prince and Xiong Batian—the poorest result. The Iron Eagle Sect, however, obtained four slots: third place Ye Liuyun, sixth place Jiang Wanhao, eighth place Piao Yun, and a disciple in tenth place, one more than in previous years.