The deflated cultivator refused to give up and vowed to turn the tables.

The formal selection process hadn't even started yet, but the lobby was already packed with people.

The names of the top ten young cultivators from the previous year were written on a cloth over ten feet long, with three of them crossed out.

Those marked with a line are no longer eligible to participate in the selection, including Zhang Yuncang of Green Waves Manor, who has passed away.

Li Changji of Tianji Mountain also died. He was already in the late stage of the five-star level when he was selected. His death at such a young age is probably not simple.

The other underlined example is even more obvious: Zhang Fang of Tianlu Mountain, whose reason was the loss of his true qi cultivation. This was something Su Zinong vividly remembered, because he himself had his true qi drained once.

"The competition is fierce; just ranking people can cost you your life," Huang Chenghe sighed, shaking his head.

"Then why did you sign up? Although you are a young master from a prominent family, you often wander around alone. You should be careful," Su Zinong reminded him.

"Isn't it because he has a fairy by his side that he's desperately trying to steal the spotlight?" Bai Shaoyi hit the nail on the head; he seemed to know Huang Chenghe very well.

The host, Mr. Zhu, was around sixty years old, quite stout, with a round face and belly, a ruddy complexion, medium build, a loud voice, and a cultivation level of seven-star peak.

This level of cultivation wasn't something he announced himself; it was evident to all, because he flew in, displaying unparalleled lightness skills.

The host, Mr. Zhu, said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the triennial selection of the Top Ten Young Cultivators. Today is different from previous years; those who qualified last year are automatically considered seeded candidates and do not need to register, nor are they required to attend. All other candidates, however, must be present."

"An additional prize has been added: the top five winners will receive two Heavenly Spirit Stones."

"Please look at the ten names on the banner. These are the ten young cultivators who were shortlisted last year. Three of them have lost their qualifications, either due to death or neglect of their cultivation. But will the remaining seven be able to stay? Will the newcomers surpass them? Will the rankings change? Let's wait and see."

There was a murmur among the audience. After about 15 minutes, the host said:

"Following this latest round of selection, and taking into account the contestants' skills, reputations, and achievements, we will now announce the new finalists and their rankings:"

10th place, Huanghe Mountain Villa, Huang Chenghe, early stage of five stars (new entrant)

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience, as Huang Chenghe knew quite a lot of people. At least half of the audience members who came to participate or watch the spectacle had heard of Huang Chenghe.

Huang Chenghe was quite pleased, squinting and smiling as he stretched out his hands to press down in order to quiet things down. Danfeng jumped up excitedly, clenched her fists, and shouted, "Great job!"

"Brother Chenghe is truly remarkable. He is young and outstanding, and deserves the honor!" Su Zinong praised.

The host on stage applauded and continued, "Huang Chenghe barely made it to eleventh place last year, which was a great pity. This year, his strength and cultivation have improved, and he has finally made it into the finals. Congratulations to him! The next one is..."

Ninth place: Chen Rangli from Tianli Mountain, early stage of five stars (new entrant)

At this moment, all the disciples from Tianli Mountain who had come to participate cheered and screamed. There were quite a few people there, and the noise was deafening. However, not many people from other sects and families had heard of this name, so they only clapped quietly as a sign of politeness.

The host said, "Chen Rangli from Tianli Mountain also signed up last year, but unfortunately he only had a four-star cultivation level at the time. He has been cultivating diligently for three years and has finally reached a five-star cultivation level."

"Why is he ranked ninth, above Huang Chenghe? Because, according to our secret observations, their cultivation levels are similar, and they both reached the five-star level in the same month. However, the Tianli Sect's lightness skill is quite formidable, actually placing him a small realm higher than Huang Chenghe. Therefore, we ranked Chen Rangli ninth."

Su Zinong thought to himself: They actually know everything about when the contestants advance to higher levels and their cultivation techniques. It's truly terrifying!

Eighth place: Luoshan Dengshi, mid-stage five-star (formerly ninth place)

There was no shortage of cheers and applause from the audience, as this person had also been shortlisted in the previous competition and his reputation was growing. The Luoshen Sword of Luoshan was quite famous. He was originally ninth, but now he had moved up to eighth place.

Seventh place: Zhang Zishui from Tianli Mountain, mid-stage five-star (new entrant)

The disciples from Tianli Mountain below the stage began to cheer and scream again. Some people from other sects and families whispered in surprise that this person had already reached seventh place on his first appearance on the list, and that his cultivation level was already at the mid-stage of the five-star level.

The host said, "Zhang Zishui of Tianli Mountain has made rapid progress in his cultivation. Three years ago, we noticed that he was only at the four-star level, but just last month, he broke through to the mid-five-star level. This shows that Tianli Mountain's skills are indeed unparalleled. Don't forget, everyone, Tianli Mountain also had Li Daba in the last competition, who ranked third. So where will he rank this time? Will he rank first? Please wait a little longer. Let's announce the sixth place first."

"Why are there so many people leaving the mountain?" Bai Shaoyi muttered, feeling puzzled.

"Their sect is strong, especially their new members," Huang Chenghe replied.

“Brother Chenghe is right. They weren’t that strong before, but they’ve become strong recently. One reason is that, as Brother Chenghe just mentioned, the new generation is strong and the newly recruited disciples are very hardworking. Another possibility is that they recently acquired a new cultivation technique, and their progress is astonishing,” Su Zinong speculated.

"You mean like you?" Danfeng said with a smile.

“I was forced into it,” Su Zinong said.

"Zinong will at least make it into the top five," Huang Chenghe predicted.

"So, guess whether his ranking is odd or even?" Danfeng asked. These two could talk for ages about anything, endlessly spouting nonsense about love.

"Let me take a look." Huang Chenghe grabbed Su Zinong's ears with both hands and shook them from side to side to observe him carefully.

"What are you doing?" Su Zinong roared in a low voice.

Chaoxia covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"Haven't I learned to read faces since I've been with you so much? Hmm, I see you're an odd number. Fifth place, third place, or even first place!" Huang Chenghe said with an air of seriousness.

“Then I guess it’s an even number,” Danfeng said confidently.

"The loser has to wash the winner's socks for a year!" Danfeng shouted again.

Upon hearing this, Su Zinong felt that the bet sounded so familiar.

Sixth place: Shenlongzhuang, Longjiantian, mid-stage five-star (formerly eighth place)

The applause from the audience remained enthusiastic. Shenlong Manor's Shenlong Fist was renowned throughout the martial arts world, possessing formidable offensive power. Crucially, it was also visually stunning and incredibly powerful. Long Jiantian, the eldest son of Shennong Manor, had previously ranked eighth but had now risen to sixth.

The host said, "Everyone has heard of Shennong Manor's Divine Dragon Fist. It is said that they still maintain the ancient martial arts manual that is over five hundred years old. Anyone who has practiced the Divine Dragon Fist will have a decent level of skill. They not only practice the moves but also cultivate their inner energy, which is truly enviable. The master of Shennong Manor has even reached the peak of the Seven Stars, which is something I am not as good at as myself."

"Now let's announce the fifth place."

Fifth place: Su Zinong, a rogue cultivator, late-stage five-star (formerly tenth place).

The announcement caused a stir among the audience. While there was applause and cheers, there were many more expressions of surprise, disbelief, and even skepticism. A rogue cultivator had actually reached fifth place?

The host stepped in to defuse the situation, saying, "Please calm down, everyone. Su Zinong is a rogue cultivator, without any sect or faction. It's quite remarkable that he has achieved such success today. It shows that rogue cultivators have already gained a certain status in the cultivation world. Rogue cultivators are not necessarily bullied. Even if they have been bullied before, they have worked hard to gain their own status without any discouragement or giving up."

"Su Zinong's deeds have spread throughout the martial arts world. Despite being hunted down by Tianqingshan, Tianqishan, and others, he single-handedly annihilated the Baiyunbao family, shocking the martial arts world. Moreover, he once had all his cultivation energy absorbed and started cultivating again, surpassing his initial five-star cultivation level three years ago and reaching the late five-star level in one fell swoop. Quite astonishing!"

"Let's give a warm round of applause to this outstanding young rogue cultivator, Su Zinong..."