Chapter 57: Wukong, the Pride of Heaven and Top of the List; Jianxiong, the Eternal Runner-Up (Votes Requested)

"Master?"

Zhou Chen had not expected that Qing Yunyao, the master of the sect, would actually rank first on the Qingzhou Hundred Flowers List.

Yet, upon second thought, it made complete sense.

Although Qing Yunyao was the revered master of the Azure Cloud Sect and no longer young, in this transcendent world, age had little impact on one's appearance.

Especially among the mighty.

Take the immortals who enjoyed boundless longevity, for instance; no matter their age, they retained their youth eternally. Although Qing Yunyao was still immensely far from being an immortal, she was undoubtedly one of the supreme existences across the entire Qingzhou, explicitly recognized as a powerhouse who had long since stepped beyond the Divine Might Realm.

Given Qing Yunyao's status, position, and the transcendent aura naturally possessed by such powerhouses, as long as her beauty matched that of Li Changhen or Shi Qingxuan, she could easily surpass them all to claim the top spot.

"Our Azure Cloud Sect is truly blessed with spiritual energy, outstanding talents, and beauties like the clouds," Zhou Chen murmured in awe, curiosity sparking in his eyes as he asked, "Are there any other beauties from our Azure Cloud Sect on the Hundred Flowers List?"

"Of course there are!" Ruyan counted on her fingers, her face beaming with pride. "Aside from the Sect Master, Senior Sister Qingxuan, and Senior Sister Li, there is also Senior Uncle Cheng Susu from the Herb Peak, who ranks fourth on the Hundred Flowers List, and her disciple, Senior Sister Mu Ling'er, who ranks tenth."

"That means the Azure Cloud Sect occupies five of the top ten spots on the Hundred Flowers List!"

"Impressive!"

Along the way, Zhou Chen had his eyes opened, especially by the countless rankings that existed everywhere.

Naturally, the most popular among them were the Heaven's Pride List and the Hundred Flowers List.

Each ranking could also be subdivided by region.

The Daqian Dynasty was divided into circuits, states, prefectures, and counties, with the rankings of the highest caliber naturally being those that consolidated the entire empire.

Take the Heaven's Pride List, for example: the most prestigious was the Daqian Heaven's Pride List, followed by the Heaven's Pride Lists for each circuit, then each state, and finally each prefecture.

The Azure Cloud Sect was located in Qingzhou, with its sphere of influence primarily encompassing Yunmeng Prefecture and Qingyun Prefecture, making it one of the three major sects in Qingzhou.

The other two major sects were the Great Zen Temple and the Heavenly Sword Sect.

The Great Zen Temple boasted a long history and unfathomable strength; let alone within Qingzhou, it was a preeminent, top-tier sect across the entire Daqian Dynasty.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Sword Sect possessed strength comparable to the Azure Cloud Sect. The two factions were not on good terms, rumored to have harbored a grudge dating back to the era of their founding ancestors, a feud that had endured for over a thousand years.

"The Heavenly Sword Sect has its secret martial art, the Heavenly Sword Art, while the Azure Cloud Peak has its secret martial art, the Heaven-Rending Sword Art. Just hearing the names of these martial arts tells you they are destined adversaries..." Zhou Chen muttered to himself.

The founder of Azure Cloud, also known as the Azure Cloud Fairy, was a woman.

Zhou Chen suspected that the Azure Cloud founder and that founder of the Heavenly Sword Sect had turned love into hatred, much like Wang Chongyang and Lin Chaoying of legend.

After all, the feud between the two sects had lasted for over a thousand years, characterized by constant bickering yet never escalating to a fight to the death where only one could survive. It would be a wonder if there weren't some hidden romantic entanglement behind it.

Zhou Chen casually purchased copies of the Qingzhou Heaven's Pride List and the Hundred Flowers List, which cost him a full hundred taels of silver.

"So expensive!"

Zhou Chen sighed, though he was hardly lacking in money right now.

"I'll just see if it's worth the price."

Zhou Chen casually flipped open the Heaven's Pride List.

[Qingzhou Heaven's Pride List]

[Number One on the Heaven's Pride List: Wukong, the Buddha Son of the Great Zen Temple. It is said that on the day of his birth, heavenly flowers fell like rain, golden lotus blossoms surged from the earth, the light of Buddha illuminated thirty thousand miles, and Sanskrit chants echoed ceaselessly for three days...]

[Number Two on the Heaven's Pride List: Jian Xiong, the Saintess of the Heavenly Sword Sect, born with a natural sword bone...]

[Number Three on the Heaven's Pride List: Li Changhen, the True Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, born with a natural archery physique...]

[Number Four on the Heaven's Pride List: Shi Qingxuan, the True Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect...]

"As expected, the true pride of heaven are all concentrated in the major sects."

Zhou Chen glanced through it; rogue prodigies were exceedingly rare, and even if one existed, they invariably had some overpowered rogue cultivator as a master.

After a brief scan, Zhou Chen tossed the book into his storage bag.

Next, he opened the Hundred Flowers List, and his eyes instantly lit up.

The Hundred Flowers List actually included portrait sketches of the beauties.

"So this is the Sect Master."

Zhou Chen's gaze was immediately captivated by the portrait of Qing Yunyao, the Sect Master, on the first page of the Hundred Flowers List. The drawing was vivid and lifelike, practically leaping off the page.

Cold and aloof. Piercingly sharp.

Pure yet ethereal.

Combined with an unyielding, regal dominance.

One could only say she truly lived up to her title as the master of the Azure Cloud Sect.

With the illustration provided, the description was concise, listing only her name and origins.

Zhou Chen turned to the second page.

[Number Two on the Hundred Flowers List: Jian Xiong, Saintess of the Heavenly Sword Sect]

"Well, look at that, this person is the eternal runner-up!"

Zhou Chen looked at the portrait.

Jian Xiong was dressed in men's attire, heroic, cold, and proud, with sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a piercing gaze that radiated the dashing vigor of a heroine who yielded nothing to men.

Even dressed as a man, she could not conceal her peerless beauty. Yet, appearing in such a guise, she would likely infatuate countless young maidens.

She could truly slay both men and women alike.

Furthermore, since everyone on the Hundred Flowers List was depicted in men's attire, it seemed Jian Xiong probably presented herself as a man in her daily life.

Any young maiden who failed to realize she was a woman would surely be doomed to a lifetime of yearning upon meeting Jian Xiong.

[Number Three on the Hundred Flowers List: Gu Changying, True Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect]

[Number Four on the Hundred Flowers List: Cheng Susu, Peak Master of the Azure Cloud Sect]

[Number Five on the Hundred Flowers List: Shi Qingxuan, True Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect]

...

After skimming through it briefly, Zhou Chen discovered that everyone who made the list could be described as breathtakingly gorgeous and peerlessly unique, each possessing her own distinct temperament and charm.

However, with the six prefectures of Qingzhou boasting a population of over a billion, those who managed to make the list were one in ten million; it would be strange if they weren't stunning.

"Let's go, find somewhere to eat!"

Putting away the Hundred Flowers List, Zhou Chen felt his stomach rumbling with hunger.

Qingyun City was simply too massive.

He had strolled around all morning and hadn't even covered half of it.

"Senior Brother, there is an Azure Cloud Restaurant ahead. It's one of the largest restaurants in Qingyun City. Shall we go there?" Ruyan suggested.

"Alright!"

Zhou Chen nodded, and Ruyan led the way.

A moment later.

A towering nine-story restaurant appeared before Zhou Chen, opulently decorated and radiating an atmosphere of high-end luxury at a single glance.

The entrance of the restaurant bustled with an endless stream of carriages and horses, and the people passing through were invariably wealthy or noble.

The three of them dismounted at the entrance, and two waitresses accompanied by two attendants hurriedly stepped forward to welcome them.

At a single glance, they recognized the arrivals as disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect.

Disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect held an exceptionally high status in Qingyun City.

"Three distinguished guests, please come inside."

The two waitresses gave a graceful bow, while the two attendants skillfully took hold of the dragon-scale horses ridden by Zhou Chen and Ruyan.

"Feed them well," Ruyan instructed.

"Rest assured, honored guest, we will certainly use the finest fodder."

The attendants of the Azure Cloud Restaurant were well accustomed to the dragon-scale horses of the Azure Cloud Sect.

Entrusting their horses to the attendants, Zhou Chen led Qin Hongyu and Ruyan into the restaurant, finding the interior spacious and lively.

Opting not to go to the higher floors, Zhou Chen found a table on the second floor and sat down.

"Order whatever you'd like to eat," Zhou Chen told Qin Hongyu and Ruyan.

Qin Hongyu looked at the prices and had no idea what to choose.

Everything was too expensive.

Ruyan found it even harder to order.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Zhou Chen ordered all the signature dishes; if there was one thing he wouldn't do, it was mistreat his own stomach.

Besides, he was currently flush with cash.

"Have you heard? The Azure Cloud Sect has added another true disciple!"

"The Azure Cloud Sect added another true disciple? When? How come I didn't know about it?"

"Of course you didn't know, because the grand ceremony for the true disciple will be held a month from now, and the decision was only made yesterday!"

"Ah, I see. I wonder which pride of heaven from the inner sect has been promoted to a true disciple?"

"Heh heh, you'll never guess. This true disciple only just joined the Azure Cloud Sect recently!"

"What? They just joined and were already promoted to true disciple? And the ceremony is in a month?"

"What kind of background do they have?"

Countless gazes within the restaurant were drawn over, and Zhou Chen, seated on the second floor, also looked down at the speaker on the first floor.

He hadn't expected the news to spread so quickly.

Still, this wasn't the kind of matter that needed to be kept secret anyway; Qingyun City sat right at the foot of Azure Cloud Peak, so rapid dissemination of news was only natural.

"Let me tell you, this newly minted true disciple is a true disciple of the Divine Arrow Peak!"

"What? A true disciple of the Divine Arrow Peak?"

"Could it be someone with a natural archery spirit physique?"

"Not at all, not at all!"

Meeting the expectant and curious gazes of the crowd, the speaking young man proudly declared:

"You'd never guess, not only does this person lack the archery spirit physique, but it is said they mastered the羿 Arrow Art—the羿 Arrow Art!—merely by practicing from a scattered, lost fragment of the manual, which is why Peak Master Li discovered them and took them in as a true disciple."

"Gasp! They don't even have the archery spirit physique?!"

"The entry requirements for the羿 Arrow Art are brutally strict; one's archery skills must reach a divine level. For someone to master it like that, their talent and comprehension in archery must be terrifying!"

The crowd marveled in utter astonishment.

As Qin Hongyu listened to the surrounding discussions, the way she looked at Zhou Chen was filled with such adoration and reverence that it seemed her eyes could melt.

This was her man!

A nameless pride and swelling vanity bloomed within her heart, filled to the absolute brim.

Just as Zhou Chen always made her feel.