Chapter 223: The Heavenly Ranking!

Chapter 223: The Heavenly Ranking!

That night, Lu Ran responded to many messages and had a long phone call with Xiao Yuansi, finally managing to placate his sister.

Over the next two days, Lu Ran received even more calls and texts.

Among them were prestigious universities from Great Xia.

When Lu Ran first received such a call and heard that it was from the admissions office of Shanghai University, he was genuinely caught off guard.

Soon, invitations from various universities poured in.

Additionally, through connections at Rain Alley First High School and Rain Alley City leaders, Lu Ran was sought after.

Why would they need to mention the Heavenly Talents list multiple times?

On this single fifteenth night, Lu Ran had transformed himself from a senior high school student to a first-year college student.

Indeed, his performance was dazzling, and with the endorsement of Great Xia's official channels, what else was there to hesitate about?

Now, it was Lu Ran's turn to hesitate.

He expressed that he needed time to consider and discuss it with his family before hanging up on the various schools.

Lu Ran suddenly realized that he could make demands?

One woman, pursued by a hundred families!

So many people want me; I should see who offers the most lavish dowry.

Of course, money and wealth are not what I desire.

If any university could offer a Divine Weapon or a Magical Artifact, then that would be more like it~

During these two days, public opinion also exploded.

Lu Ran's name was repeatedly mentioned, and his various performances on the night of February 15th became animated GIFs, spreading to every corner of the internet.

The hundred-strong list of Heavenly Talents was filled with elites among elites, a dazzling constellation of stars.

Even within this exceptional group, Lu Ran remained one of the most eye-catching, his popularity soaring to astonishing heights!

Up until the 18th of February on the lunar calendar, the second batch of participating students' scores were released for the Heavenly Talents.

Lu Ran ranked at the top!

In the 150-point exam, he scored an impressive 143 points!

A truly remarkable achievement!

Among the elite group of Fifth-Rank River Realm experts and powerful Deity followers, he forcefully claimed the fourth position.

Fourth place was, of course, a cause for celebration.

After all, his competitors were all top students, the best of the best in their respective regions.

But

Was fourth place all Lu Ran deserved for such an outstanding performance?

Some felt that Lu Ran had been wronged.

Many also believed that the Heavenly Talents should relax their scoring standards and give more consideration to this young and low-level Immortal Sheep follower.

In other words, this group didn't think Lu Ran had been treated unfairly.

Lu Ran was also one of them.

After watching the battles of the top three, he couldn't help but be amazed.

Holy shit.

They're all beasts!

Especially the first-place winner, who also had a legendary background.

She was from Guangyue, and she also possessed a Divine Weapon!

Despite being a girl, she had become a disciple of the First Rank Deity of the Monk Sect.

In the Great Xia Deity ranking, there were two Deities who were particularly unique.

Sword One rarely accepted male disciples.

The Monk Sect rarely accepted female disciples.

Yet this girl had become a disciple of the Monk Deity, embarking on a path of demon slaying.

How high was her talent, and how well did her nature align with the Monk Deity's principles, that he broke his vow and accepted a female disciple?

Lu Ran watched this girl's battle, and it was truly a display of "invincible golden body and six arms!"

She was stationed in Wancheng, Guangyue, and had also experienced the special event of the Night of a Hundred Ghosts.

Powerful Prison Sky Devil Clan members wreaked havoc in Wancheng.

This female Monk disciple, with her six arms and multiple weapons, fought from south to north and from west to east!

In terms of her efficiency in killing demons and rescuing the Moon Gazers, she was undoubtedly far ahead of Lu Ran.

Additionally, Rain Alley City was too small.

Even with the Night of a Hundred Ghosts and the invasion of evil demons, it was still difficult to compare to a typical fifteenth night in a big city.

Lu Ran's high score was largely due to his personal performance!

If one considered the aspect of "battle achievements," Lu Ran's score would undoubtedly be inferior to the other top-ranked students.

The second-ranked student was a follower of the Second Rank Deity, Heavenly Crane.

The Heavenly Crane was known for its support and healing abilities.

This Heavenly Crane disciple possessed a Magical Artifact that perfectly complemented his sect's divine techniques.

Unlike the female Monk disciple who slaughtered demons, this Heavenly Crane follower saved countless lives and rescued numerous families.

Based in Hangzhou, he also encountered a special event, the rare "Demon Lord's Descent."

A massive Tree Shadow Woman unleashed countless branches, taking the lives of countless humans.

The Heavenly Crane disciple selflessly saved the common folk, using their ultimate ability! The bright and dazzling light turned the night into day, giving the Moon Gazers hope for survival.

It was incredibly uplifting!

The third-ranked student was a follower of Sword One.

This girl from Jin Guan City in Sichuan displayed an insane killing spree during the Night of a Hundred Ghosts.

Her combat style was what the public expected and what chilled them to the bone! When her icy gaze swept over the audience, they felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

Sword cultivators don't mess around with flashy moves.

Here, there were no surprises, only raw power!

She didn't show off any fancy techniques; she only demonstrated her killing efficiency! The fourth-ranked student was Lu Ran, from the small city of Rain Alley.

His performance left the world in awe and earned unanimous praise from the judging teachers.

On the scoring interface, there were also a few comments left by the examiners, which stirred people's emotions:

"This is a newly sharpened blade, stained with blood and tears, with sharp edges and corners."

"The glory of the Divine Sect, a blessing for the Great Xia!"

"For forty years, the Immortal Sheep Sect has produced many elegant scholars."

You have embarked on an unknown path, with an uncertain future and no predecessors to guide you.

May you proceed with determination and caution, becoming the leading sheep that opens up the heavens and earth."

The comments from several examiners were quite interesting, causing Lu Ran to read them over and over again.

Open up the heavens and earth?

Leading sheep?

Lu Ran shook his head silently.

He didn't believe that he could influence the Immortal Sheep followers and lead the Immortal Sheep Sect onto a path of combat.

But Lu Ran felt that he might be able to open up the heavens and earth.

In the future, he might lead some servants and powerful followers to destroy the Demon Lord's stone sculpture, eradicating calamities in the world.

Hmm... One day, for sure!

After the two episodes of "Heavenly Talents," the overall rankings were also released.

Lu Ran achieved an excellent score of 143 points, ranking seventh on the leaderboard among a hundred people.

He was only 0.2 points behind the sixth-ranked female follower from Dong Ting.

Of course, this wasn't the final leaderboard; everyone still had four more episodes of "Heavenly Talents" to participate in.

On the day the overall rankings were released, Lu Ran also received a call from Jiang Ruyi.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran answered the phone while looking at the computer screen.

"Congratulations!" Jiang Ruyi's tone was cheerful, and a hint of laughter could be heard.

"What's there to congratulate?" Lu Ran was also happy, but he grumbled, "I didn't even make it into the top three."

Jiang Ruyi smiled and shook her head, comforting him softly:

"You're already very impressive."

Lu Ran: "..."

The words were indeed flattering.

But why did it feel a bit off? Sensing Lu Ran's silence, Jiang Ruyi misunderstood his intention.

She thought for a moment and suggested, "Don't worry, in the next 'Heavenly Talents,' you can perform even better."

"Hmm," Lu Ran replied after a brief pause.

Lu Ran believed that on that fifteenth night, he had performed well enough.

However, it was undeniable that after Captain Sun Zhengfang devised a combat plan based on the team's configuration and characteristics, the patrol squad became a well-functioning machine.

Lu Ran himself became a component of that machine.

He was important and indispensable.

But he no longer stood out as he had before when he single-handedly fought against the Night Mirage and saved the Red Veil followers.

This was an unavoidable situation.

With people's lives at stake and the city in imminent danger, Lu Ran couldn't disrupt the squad's tactics for his personal gain.

His love for this city was beyond words.

Before the fifteenth, Lu Ran had also hoped that no special incidents would occur.

"Lu Ran?"

"Oh, I'm listening." Lu Ran snapped out of his thoughts and changed the subject, "By the way, did your uncle and aunt agree to let you come to the capital with me?"

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Ruyi lowered her eyes, her face slightly red.

The thought of going to the capital and meeting Lu Ran's mother made her heart race with nervousness.

"Xiao Ruyi, are you there?" A hateful voice came from the phone.

"Hmm," Jiang Ruyi replied softly.

"Huh?"

"What are you saying?" Jiang Ruyi was a bit annoyed, "With such sharp ears, how could you not hear me?"

Lu Ran: "..."

That's right! Lu Ran said, "Then I'll ask the class teacher for leave, and tomorrow we won't attend the early morning class.

No need to go to school and be surrounded like animals."

"Okay." Jiang Ruyi agreed.

Her phone had been bombarded with messages, and she was thoroughly annoyed.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ruyi spoke again, "These past few days, Sister Xian'er has been contacting me, asking us to take her out to play.

I did promise her last month in Evil Dog Village."

Lu Ran nonchalantly said, "Take her along, I see you two get along well, and she listens to you.

Keep her by your side as a maid, serving tea and pouring water, isn't that good?"

"Okay." Jiang Ruyi smiled and playfully spat at Lu Ran.

She had no idea how Lu Ran's thought process worked.

How could she know that Lu Ran had already considered Scarlet Sun as his future disciple?

Jiang Ruyi: "Then this month, the school has assigned us a training task."

Lu Ran: "Let Deng Shao and the others help with that task. By the way, I have something to tell you."

"Hmm?"

"After visiting my mother, I want to go to a non-public demon cavern for training, to practice my skills and gain some experience."

"The Night Demon Cavern?" Jiang Ruyi naturally knew that Lu Ran had gone there for enhanced training before.

"It's not confirmed yet, I need to discuss it with my mom." Lu Ran paused, then asked, "Will you come with me?"

The girl's response was immediate: "Of course."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Lu Ran's face.

As the situation changed, so did Lu Ran's mindset.

Both he and Jiang Ruyi were from the River Realm, and they had both participated in "Heavenly Talents." If they encountered the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons again, they wouldn't be sheltered in a safe haven.

No one wanted to see their loved ones take risks.

But the fifteenth night in Rain Alley City didn't cater to anyone! Taking the initiative to train and enhance their abilities under certain guarantees was far better than passively facing overwhelming powerful demons during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

Lu Ran pursed his lips, saying that he hadn't decided where to go, but in his heart, he already had a target in mind.

Crimson Paper Figure!

Long time no see.

I wonder how you've been doing lately.

Is that little paper figurine still useful? Let me borrow it for a while.

Please support with monthly votes.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end