Chapter 1298: Number One
Xiang Shaoyun could be considered a famed individual. The announcement of his contribution points had naturally attracted a lot of attention. Apart from the four academies, those from the numerous other organizations were also curious whether Xiang Shaoyun could give them some surprise.
Yu Caidie gripped her fists tightly with a look of anticipation in her eyes. She hoped that Xiang Shaoyun could enter the top-100 or even the top-50. Only then would she have the confidence to negotiate with her clan.
After all, Xiang Shaoyun was in a similar situation as her. They were both still young with boundless potential. However, even the most talented would need time to grow. Of course, it would be even better if he could enter the top-10 or even take first place.
Devil Concubine and Han Chenfei also waited nervously. It really didn't matter much to them how many points Xiang Shaoyun had, but this matter also concerned their man's dignity. Thus, they naturally hoped that he had a large number of points.
As Xiang Shaoyun pressed his contribution plate against the boulder, the boulder lit up. Four hundred eighty billion contribution points. Everyone had a look of disappointment upon seeing the result.
The old woman from the Yu Clan roared with laughter as she said, "Haha, this is pretty decent. Not bad at all. But if you want to enter the top-100 with this—"
Before she could finish her words, the boulder glowed again. Sixteen thousand eight hundred sacred points. Everyone was stunned. Most of them rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were seeing things. How many Devil Saints did one have to kill to get 16,800 sacred points? Even a Saint would have a hard time gathering this many points. Only if one was strong enough to kill late-stage Devil Saints or even Great Devil Saints would one be able to easily get this many points.
"Th-this is not true! There must be a mistake!" exclaimed the old woman with disbelief.
Even the old man on guard duty before the boulder muttered, "Is this thing broken?"
Right as he said that, the Contribution Stele bloomed with a dazzling radiance that attracted the attention of everyone in the fort.
Then, Xiang Shaoyun's name appeared on the stele, climbing from the very bottom to the middle part of the stele. There, a row of words appeared: Xiang Shaoyun's military feats, ranked 9,990,000th place.
Nine million nine hundred ninety thousandth place! That was quite an interesting placement. The Contribution Stele had stood tall since ancient times, recording the glorious achievements of humanity across generations. Any person ranked on the stele could kill Devil Saints and had killed a sufficient number of them.
Over the years, more and more names were left on the stele. In each era, new heroes would rise, and new names would replace the old names on the stele. Xiang Shaoyun's placement might seem low, but he was only a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. Someone with his cultivation with such a placement was unprecedented in history. Just this feat alone was enough to leave his name in the annals of history.
"Heavens, it's true. Xiang Shaoyun actually earned a ranking on the Contribution Stele. Not even Di Mie is comparable to him."
"How did he do it? He didn't cheat, right?"
"That's right. Just look at his cultivation level. How can he kill Devil Saints? Someone must have helped him in the dark."
"He is someone who has won the favor of both Yu Caidie and Devil Concubine. He is definitely no ordinary person. Perhaps today is the day he rises in strength."
"He has enough points to obtain first place in the expedition. However, the taller a tree is, the more wind the tree has to face. I'm afraid he will face even more difficulties with his newfound fame."
...
While everyone was still stunned, Xiang Shaoyun looked at the old man standing before the boulder and said, "So what placement can I get in the expedition with my points?"
"Number one," said the old man as he gave Xiang Shaoyun a deep look.
"Oh? Just like that?" said Xiang Shaoyun with a surprised expression.
His reaction annoyed a great deal of people. With his points, there was no way he wouldn't occupy first place. This fellow was obviously feigning ignorance.
"I knew you won't disappoint, overlord," said Yu Caidie in excitement.
Since Xiang Shaoyun had obtained first place, he would be able to smoothly become the Yu Clan's son-in-law.
"Worthy of being my man," said Devil Concubine proudly.
"Haha, well done, Shaoyun. Come, have a drink with your uncle to celebrate this," said Tang Zhan as he laughed heartily.
The Overlord Legion members congratulated Xiang Shaoyun one after another. They all felt happy for him. As for the old woman from the Yu Clan, she had an extremely unsightly expression, as though someone had fed her a dead housefly.
"Young lady, let's go. The clan will decide on your marriage," said the old woman.
She did not want to spend any extra moment around the stele. It was as though someone had slapped her heavily across her face. Just a moment ago, she was still sneering at Xiang Shaoyun. The next moment, he took first place. It was too humiliating for her, so she couldn't stay here anymore.
"What's the rush? I thought you said the best gift I could get for the Yu Clan was placing first? You may now return and tell the people in your clan that I, Xiang Shaoyun, have officially sent over my betrothal gift," said Xiang Shaoyun.
The old woman remained unyielding, "I don't know how you obtained those points, but I'm sure you cheated. How can you defeat Devil Saints with your cultivation level of fourth-stage Soul Foundation Realm? Don't overestimate yourself."
"Old witch, are you looking down upon my man?" questioned Devil Concubine unhappily.
"You dare scold me? Do you want to have your mouth torn apart?" the old woman snapped.
"Sure. Give it a try. Let's see whose mouth will be torn first," said the man beside Devil Concubine as he stepped forth.
"Alright, there's no point bickering here. The expedition has yet to formally end. Even if the expedition has ended, we still need to see who can reach the Saint Realm first. Don't restrict your view to the present. We need to look at the future as well," said Di Chuan.
It was obvious what he meant. He was basically saying that this was only a temporary victory for Xiang Shaoyun. In the long run, Xiang Shaoyun might not be able to reach a higher height in cultivation.
"That's right. Our little ancestor is insanely gifted. He will definitely reach the apex of cultivation in the future," said the Xiang Clan Saint.
"Haha, there is no doubt that Xiang Shaoyun will be this expedition's champion. In the future, he will naturally rise above all others as well," said Tang Zhan.
"Even the Saint Realm is only a part of my journey. I aim to reach the God Realm," declared Xiang Shaoyun with unparalleled confidence.