“How are the Mystic Sky Rankings determined?” Xiao Chen asked, looking at Baili Xiaohualuo.

Baili Xiaohualuo chuckled. “It’s not battle-based, but Mystic Power-based. You can test your power by entering that stone chamber,” he replied, pointing at the stone chamber nearby.

Xiao Chen’s brows furrowed. So, the rankings were determined by Mystic Power. The rankings were quite authoritative for the disparity between the Mystic Power of a Nascent Soul Realm and a Nirvana Realm cultivator was pretty significant.

“There are two main factors that determine one’s Mystic Power,” Baili Xiaohualuo continued to explain. “The first is your cultivation realm, the second your cultivation grade. Elder Wu will explain cultivation grades to you in a while. Let’s talk about the Mystic Sky Rankings first.”

“To enter the Mystic Sky Rankings, you have to take the Mystic Power test. The results will be automatically reflected in the three steles. Those who didn’t make the rankings wouldn’t appear here, and vice versa.”

“For example, if your Mystic Power places you on the 11th of the Heaven Ranking, you will find your name there. The previous 11th will fall by one rank while the 36th will fall out of the Heaven Ranking. However, he won’t fall to the Earth Ranking. He’ll have to retest and enter the ranking himself.”

Baili Xiaohualuo patiently explained the dynamics of the Mystic Sky Rankings, before finally reminding them, “There’s another thing. Some of the people on the rankings have already left the academy, but their names have always remained there because no one has ever managed to kick them off.”

Everyone finally understood what was going on. Xiao Chen once again looked at the Earth Ranking, where he found Bai Ling’s name in the 61st place. He couldn’t help feeling surprised. Bai Ling’s Mystic Power was surely higher than his, but even she could only barely make the bottom of the Earth Ranking? Were the people of this academy all monsters?

The thought made him look at the Heaven Ranking again. Those who could make this ranking were surely all terrifyingly powerful people. After looking for a while, he noticed something strange. Each name on the ranking was hovering as if it could be kicked off anytime, with the exception being the first place. The name in the first place stood there as steady as a mountain.

“Who’s that?”

Xiao Chen’s confused question prompted everyone to look up as well. They stared blankly at the name in the first place: Ye Cangming.

Frowning, Baili Xiaohualuo rubbed his chin. “I have never seen him. It’s pretty strange. I have been studying at the academy for almost ten years and his name has been there for just as long. No one has ever kicked him off his place.” Toward the end, he looked at the other older disciples.

The older disciples shrugged. If a ten-year-long student like Baili Xiaohualuo didn’t know the person, why would they? Either way, the first name had never been eliminated by anyone.

Suddenly, a strange voice emerged from the dark stone chamber. “Ye Cangming entered the rankings a hundred years ago and has long left the academy. But in the past century, no one has ever managed to kick him down…”

The spectral voice caused everyone to jump. Xiao Chen was startled too, and felt a slight chill running down his back. A name that no one could kick down after a hundred years! A hundred years ago, the Annihilation Times wasn’t even here yet!

Xiao Chen was overwhelmed with shock. Ye Cangming… The name reminded him of something, but the shock was so great that he couldn’t quite recall the details. His mind felt as gloopy as glue.

“Hehe, young people. Stop looking at the Heaven Ranking and focus on the Human Ranking instead. That’s where you should target!”

The ghost-like voice once again drifted out of the dark stone chamber. This time, the voice was accompanied by an old man dressed in a white-and-blue unlined robe. The thin old man had a head of grizzled hair. His face was so wrinkled that it resembled crumpled tree bark, striking fear in those who looked at him.

“Um… Grandpa, can you stop talking in such a terrifying way?” asked a polite-looking young girl, her voice trembling. “It’s quite… scary…”

The old man chortled, making the lines on his face even deeper. That just made him look even scarier, frightening the young girl so much that she trembled. She bit her lower lip and hid next to Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen patted her shoulder, assuring her that she would be fine, before saluting the old man. “Senior, can you tell us who Ye Cangming is?”

The old man shook his hand and took out a banana from behind him. Peeling the banana, he said serenely, “Young man, some things are better left unknown. Knowing too much might not necessarily bring you any benefit…”

His voice still sounded quite spectral. Baili Xiaohualuo saluted the old man and smiled. “Elder Wu, I have brought the disciples here. Please excuse me.”

The old man waved his hand. “Thank you for giving them a lesson in my place. You may leave…”

Baili Xiaohualuo nodded and then turned to look at Jiang Qianqian. “Jiang…” Before he could say the words “junior sister”, Jiang Qianqian was already frowning and turning her head away.

He smiled. Without saying anything, he turned around and walked toward the teleportation formation. His smile disappeared when he walked past Bai Ling. He glanced at her, ever so briefly, but it was enough to make her shiver and lower her head.

Then, Elder Wu started talking with his mouth full of banana. “Alright, kids. Go and get your Mystic Power tested in the stone chamber. Remember: you must attack the Illusory Beasts with everything you have. This concerns your future. And relax, the beasts won’t attack you. They’ll just bear the brunt of your attacks. Though, I must advise you to go to the Spirit Energy Formation on the right to restore your condition before the test.”

Everyone kept quiet and went straight to the spirit energy formation to reinstate their True Energy. A girl walked up to the stone chamber and peered inside. The chamber didn’t look that big from the outside, but the inside seemed like a bottomless pit. It was so dark that she couldn’t see anything. Moreover, there were Illusory Beasts inside. She was so frightened that she didn’t dare to step inside.

A boy behind her laughed cheerfully. “Go in, Junior Sister. Don’t be scared,” he said, and gave her a little push in the back. The girl couldn’t react in time. With a little yelp, she was pushed inside the stone chamber and disappeared in the darkness within, along with her voice.

“Don’t be scared,” the old man said serenely. “You should all enter. You will find yourself in your room when you get in. You won’t affect each other.”

Only then did the several hundred newcomers enter the stone chamber in succession. Xiao Chen joined them. This was good too, he thought. He could test his capabilities and find out where he stood amongst the other disciples in the Cloud Mist Academy.

The moment he entered the stone chamber, he felt as if he was transported to another dimension. His surroundings gradually lit up until he saw a large Illusory Beast tens of feet away from him, snoring thunderously as it slept. It drooled from the corner of its mouth, pooling water on the ground.

What Xiao Chen must do now was waking up this beast. If he couldn’t even beat this beast enough to awaken it, he might as well give up the test. And if he could kill this beast with a single strike, that would mean that he needed to fight against a stronger beast.

He clenched his fingers and then stepped into the area past the red line on the ground. He took a deep breath, summoned the Qi in his Elixir Field, and struck the Illusory Beast with his palm. His palm energy instantly formed the illusion of a golden palm in the air and produced a loud explosion. The entire stone chamber seemed to shudder from the impact. However, the beast had merely moved a little. It was still snoring loudly. It didn’t even open its eyes.

Xiao Chen stood there, stunned. Was, was he this bad?

Of course, the stone chamber would automatically determine one’s cultivation. Xiao Chen’s Nirvana Realm cultivation meant that he was assigned to an Illusory Beast much stronger than what Nascent Soul Realm and Core Forming Realm cultivators got. However, the test was ultimately fair and equal.

“Again!”

He took a deep breath, gathered his Qi, and cycled it throughout his body nine times. This time, he thrust both palms, producing two golden illusory dragons. A deafening explosion ensued, but all it did was make the beast look around in confusion, saliva still dripping from the corner of its mouth, and lie down to sleep again. It didn’t notice Xiao Chen at all.

“Is, is that thing… looking down on me?”

Xiao Chen summoned his Qi to start again. He couldn’t use his Immolation Spell of the Three Elements here. It must be one of the mysteries of the stone chamber to prevent any form of cheating.

“KABOOM!”

Another loud explosion shook the space, waking up the Illusory Beast again. This time, it finally noticed Xiao Chen. The series of movements it did next, however, was beyond Xiao Chen’s expectations. He watched as the beast clasped its belly with one hand, hammered the ground with the other, and finally laughed as it pointed at him. The beast was mocking him!

“Is, is this beast… an intelligent beast? Is it mad?”

Xiao Chen stared blankly at the beast that couldn’t stop laughing. It reminded him of how the Leopard Cat Spirit had jeered at him back in the Miasma Mountain Range. To think this beast possessed the intelligence of a human!

“Again! I swear I’m going to succeed!”

Xiao Chen once again summoned his True Energy and went all-out this time. The entire stone chamber seemed to be shaking from the surge of the violent burst of Mystic Power. He thrust his palms, producing two golden illusory dragons strong enough to instantly kill a peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

“KABOOM!”

Another loud explosion sent the entire stone chamber quaking. However, the beast never even took a step back in retreat. It placed a hand next to its mouth, the other under its eye, and poked its tongue out at Xiao Chen. “Bleeek…”

“You, you…”

Xiao Chen couldn’t believe it. Did, did this Illusory Beast truly gain intelligence? Most importantly, it was much stronger than the Illusory Beasts he had encountered so far.

After a succession of seven or eight attacks, he finally gave up. He couldn’t move the beast at all. Still, the results of his Mystic Power test were transmitted out of the stone chamber all the same.

Suddenly, he saw the beast shrinking into a smaller version of itself and ran up to him to pat his head. The beast shook its head while making faces at him, as if it was saying, “Don’t let this dampen your spirits. Try again next time.”

This beast, so full of spiritual nature and wisdom, knocked him speechless. Still, upon closer inspection, the beast was fair and fat. It was quite adorable. He laughed and said, “Forget it. Hey, brother, I have to leave now. I won’t be playing with you anymore.”

“Boohoohoo…” The Illusory Beast’s wide eyes blinked. It looked quite reluctant to part with him.

Xiao Chen turned around and left the red-lined area. Instantly, he found himself back inside the true stone chamber. The old man he saw earlier, Elder Wu, was sitting at a table and peeling a banana.

Elder Wu noticed his dejected expression and asked, “How did it go? Do you feel like you’re very weak?”

Xiao Chen didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. “Um, Elder Wu, are all the Illusory Beasts here that strange?”

“What’s so strange about them? The beasts are all made from illusion spells. They have neither life nor thoughts. They don’t move either. They’re purely there to bear attacks and test students,” Elder Wu said nonchalantly.

“Then, then, why did the beast I saw laugh at me? It was mocking me too! In the end, it even ran up to comfort me!”

“What?!” Elder Wu’s expression changed. The sudden tightening of his grip caused the banana to fly out of his hand.