The rankings were announced at noon.
All participants of the Inner-Court Observation Trial were summoned once more to the central plaza. Above them, a massive ranking stone floated in the air, its surface smooth and pale, waiting to be inscribed.
Elders and instructors gathered beneath it.
The atmosphere was tense.
Instructor Lu stepped forward, jade slip in hand.
"The Observation Trial has concluded," he announced. "Results have been verified by the Mirror Boundary Field and reviewed by the academy."
With a gesture, he activated the stone.
Names began to appear.
From the bottom up.
The lower ranks passed quickly.
Disciples with unstable foundations.
Those who relied too heavily on brute force.
Those who withdrew early.
No one paid them much attention.
Then came the middle.
Rank Twenty-Seven.
Rank Twenty-Three.
Rank Eighteen.
Familiar names surfaced—competent outer disciples, solid but unremarkable.
Zhao Ming's name appeared at Rank Twelve.
A murmur followed.
"Twelve? That's lower than expected."
"He's Ninth Layer already—how did he place that low?"
Zhao Ming's expression stiffened.
He forced a smile.
It's fine, he thought. Top ten is where recognition truly begins.
The stone continued to glow.
"Rank Ten," Instructor Lu read aloud.
"Outer Disciple — Sun Hao."
Applause.
Sun Hao looked relieved.
"Rank Nine."
"Outer Disciple — Wei Liang."
Wei Liang's face lit up briefly—before remembering his loss to Chen Yuan.
Then—
"Rank Eight."
The stone paused.
A new name etched itself slowly, clearly.
Chen Yuan
For a heartbeat, the plaza was silent.
Then the noise erupted.
"Rank Eight?!"
"He was Sixth Layer just days ago!"
"His foundation must be terrifying!"
Instructor Lu raised a hand, silencing the crowd.
"Chen Yuan," he said evenly. "Eighth Layer. Evaluation: Outstanding."
He paused.
"Notably, his stability score was the highest among outer disciples."
That sentence carried weight.
Zhao Ming's smile shattered.
Above me…?
The top seven were announced.
All inner-court favorites.
Powerful.
Well-connected.
But the damage was already done.
Rank Eight placed Chen Yuan above Zhao Ming.
Publicly.
Officially.
Irrefutably.
The ranking stone dimmed.
After the announcement, elders conferred quietly.
Elder Zhao stood among them, face unreadable.
"This Chen Yuan," one elder said thoughtfully, "has no background. Yet his foundation…"
"Talent can emerge late," another replied.
Elder Zhao said nothing.
But his gaze drifted—coldly—toward Chen Yuan.
Later that day, Zhao Ming cornered Chen Yuan near the weapon racks.
"You think this means something," Zhao Ming said softly, dangerously. "Rankings change."
Chen Yuan met his gaze without flinching.
"True."
Zhao Ming's eyes narrowed.
"But reputation lingers."
Chen Yuan inclined his head slightly.
"So does resentment."
Zhao Ming laughed quietly.
"You won't survive inner-court politics," he said. "Not without support."
Chen Yuan replied evenly, "Then I'll learn."
That night, Zhao Ming met with Sun Hao and Wei Liang.
"We cannot touch him directly," Zhao Ming said. "Not now."
Wei Liang scowled. "Then what?"
Zhao Ming's smile returned—thin, calculated.
"The academy is about to distribute Inner-Court Recommendation Slots," he said. "Those require… verification."
Sun Hao's eyes widened.
"You mean—"
"A small irregularity," Zhao Ming said calmly. "A report. A question of conduct."
Wei Liang hesitated. "What if it fails?"
Zhao Ming's eyes hardened.
"It won't."
But even as he spoke, unease lingered.
Because Chen Yuan had not reacted as expected.
No arrogance.
No retaliation.
Only steady advancement.
Meanwhile, in his dorm room, Chen Yuan cultivated quietly.
The system interface appeared.
External Hostility Detected
Probability of Indirect Suppression: High
Below it, another line formed.
Advisory:
Maintain composure
Do not act preemptively
Opportunity will arise naturally
Chen Yuan opened his eyes slowly.
"So this is how it comes," he murmured.
He closed them again.
And waited.