Chapter 68: Positional Challenge

The moment Fang Yun and his companion arrived,

the Magical Combat ended.

"Senior Brother Wu, I have lost."

"Junior Brother Yuan, once you break through to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer, you’ll have a shot at competing with Senior Sister Bai," Wu Junxin praised.

Both combatants retracted their Magical Artifacts.

"The Magical Combat is over. The rankings remain unchanged," a Sect Elder announced.

This wasn’t an ordinary sparring match, but a ranking challenge among Inner Sect Disciples.

The Inner Sect Disciples had an Inner Sect Ranking.

Only thirty-six people were on this ranking.

When a disciple on the Inner Sect Ranking initiated a ranking battle, it was also called a position-swapping match.

Fang Yun knew that Wu Junxin was seventh on the Inner Sect Ranking and had always been incredibly strong.

"Senior Brother Wu is still as amazing as ever."

"But Senior Brother Yuan has more potential. You have to remember, he’s only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer—the only one in the top ten of the Inner Sect Ranking at that Realm."

"I wonder if Senior Sister Bai will still be an Inner Sect Disciple by the time Senior Brother Yuan breaks through to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer."

"She probably will be. It’s not like Senior Sister Bai can achieve Foundation Establishment that quickly."

Zhang Wenyu watched the Magical Combat end. Normally, he would have felt it was a pity, thinking, ’If only I’d arrived a little earlier.’

But today, he had no such thoughts.

Sure, if he had come to Battle Peak earlier today, he could have watched the exciting Inner Sect Ranking match. But then he wouldn’t have run into Junior Brother Fang, and he wouldn’t have been able to arrange a Magical Combat spar with him.

"Hm? Junior Brother Fang."

Wu Junxin spotted Fang Yun on the outskirts of the crowd below. He leaped through the air, landing directly beside him.

"Senior Brother Wu."

Zhang Wenyu also called out, "Senior Brother Wu!"

Wu Junxin gave Zhang Wenyu a slight nod, but his gaze quickly focused on Fang Yun.

"Junior Brother, you’ve made quite a name for yourself recently. Several of our junior brothers and sisters at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer have failed to break through your defense," Wu Junxin couldn’t help but say.

Compared to when Fang Yun was at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer and fighting those at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer,

the fact that his defense still hadn’t been breached now was far more impressive.

"If a senior brother or sister from the Eighth Layer came, I probably wouldn’t be able to hold up."

"They wouldn’t have the gall to challenge you to a Magical Combat spar," Wu Junxin said, shaking his head.

Challenging someone one minor Realm lower is one thing, but challenging a junior brother two minor Realms below, even one as famous as Fang Yun, would be a disgrace.

With a two-Realm gap, even if they managed to break his defense, it would be nothing to be proud of. And if they failed? That would be a complete and utter humiliation.

’I doubt any junior brother or sister at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer would do such a thing,’ Wu Junxin thought.

"Junior Brother Fang, are you confident you can break through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer before the end of the year?" Wu Junxin asked.

"I am," Fang Yun nodded.

His plan was to complete the breakthrough in June.

"That’s good. That way, you can make it to this year’s Inner Sect Grand Competition."

The Celestial Cloud Sect’s Inner Sect Grand Competition was held once every three years.

If the Inner Sect Ranking was a test of strength, then participating in the Inner Sect Grand Competition required not only strength but also a great deal of luck.

If one’s luck was good enough, and the number of disciples who signed up was odd, one could get a bye in every single round and end up taking second place.

To possess such luck would undoubtedly make one a freak among freaks.

Nothing like that had ever happened in the history of the Inner Sect Grand Competition. If it had, it would have certainly been recorded.

If such a situation were to occur, the impression left by the first-place winner of that year’s competition would be far overshadowed by the lucky second-place finisher.

"When the time comes, Junior Brother, you must remember to sign up."

"Definitely."

Fang Yun would of course sign up for a competition like this.

As long as he achieved a decent rank in the Inner Sect Grand Competition, his influence within the sect would undoubtedly rise again.

This was quite important to him.

Besides, the Grand Competition wouldn’t be like a pre-arranged sparring match. When the time came, he wouldn’t be limited to just defense.

As they were discussing the Inner Sect Grand Competition, a figure landed beside them.

"Junior Brother Fang, this is Yuan Yunfan. I’m sure you’re familiar with him."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Yuan," Fang Yun said with a nod.

He had seen the Inner Sect Ranking before. Yuan Yunfan was ninth on the list, and currently only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

"Greetings, Junior Brother Fang," Yuan Yunfan replied.

"He’s eighth on the Inner Sect Ranking now. It probably won’t be long before I, the seventh, have to give up my spot." Although he had just won his Magical Combat against Yuan Yunfan, it was only by a narrow margin.

At Yuan Yunfan’s rate of progress, it was only a matter of time before he was surpassed.

Hearing that he was eighth, Fang Yun couldn’t help but smile. ’I thought he was still ninth; it seems the ranking has been updated.’

’I haven’t been keeping a constant eye on the Inner Sect Ranking. Now isn’t the time for me to be focusing on it anyway...’

While the two senior brothers were chatting with Junior Brother Fang, Zhang Wenyu stood silently to the side.

When Wu Junxin came over, he had at least glanced at him, and Zhang Wenyu had managed to offer a greeting.

But when this Yuan Yunfan arrived, he didn’t even spare him a look, as if he had no right to be standing there.

Faced with such a senior brother, Zhang Wenyu could only remain silent. If he rashly tried to greet him, the man probably wouldn’t even deign to look at him.

He had heard a few things about Yuan Yunfan’s personality.

All he could do now was wait quietly.

"Junior Brother Fang, with your strength, you will certainly have a place on the Inner Sect Ranking in the future," Yuan Yunfan said to Fang Yun as the three of them returned to the topic of the ranking.

Yuan Yunfan had started paying attention to Fang Yun when several Inner Sect Disciples at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer had all failed to break through his defense.

There weren’t many disciples in the sect who could capture his notice, but Fang Yun was one of them.

"You praise me too much, Senior Brother Yuan." Faced with the unfamiliar Yuan Yunfan, Fang Yun remained humble.

"There’s no need to be modest, Junior Brother Fang. If I were at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer right now, I would be desperate for a Magical Combat match with you." This was Yuan Yunfan’s acknowledgment of Fang Yun’s strength.

Through their conversation, Fang Yun had already completed a preliminary analysis of Yuan Yunfan.

Yuan Yunfan was a proud Cultivator.

Fang Yun was currently at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and Yuan Yunfan had said he would want to spar with him if *he* were also at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer—he didn’t say the Seventh Layer.

And one had to remember, Fang Yun had already fought against quite a few Inner Sect Disciples at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

This was enough to show that if Yuan Yunfan were at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, he would disdain to spar with a Sixth Layer Cultivator like Fang Yun.

These kinds of proud Cultivators would only interact with you once they acknowledged your strength. If they didn’t, they might not even spare you a glance.

Fang Yun also noticed that Senior Brother Yuan Yunfan was treating Senior Brother Zhang Wenyu like he was thin air.

"I hope that in the future, I’ll have the chance to challenge you, Senior Brother Yuan, on the Inner Sect Ranking."

"Mm, now that’s more like it!" A slight smile appeared on Yuan Yunfan’s face. "I’ll be waiting for you."

Fang Yun then turned to look at Wu Junxin.

"As for Senior Brother Wu, I probably won’t have the chance in the future."

"Hahaha! I’ll take that as a blessing, Junior Brother Fang!" Wu Junxin laughed heartily. He understood the meaning behind Fang Yun’s words instantly.

’Not having a chance to challenge me... that just means by then, I’ll have already succeeded in my Foundation Establishment and become a Sect Elder!’