Chapter 52: Ranking 30th on the Genius List
None of the ministers present were easy to fool; they could all see that this was merely an excuse for Prince Wu to decentralize power.
After all, about half of the cabinet was on his side.
However, while they knew this, the ministers were quite willing to see this happen.
When Ji Zhuyue first ascended the throne, most of the court officials opposed her.
But Ji Zhuyue’s iron-fisted methods had eliminated many of those opposing ministers, leaving behind only a handful that she desired to remove but dared not touch.
Now, if Prince Wu could seize control while Ji Zhuyue was in seclusion, those ministers would be all too happy about it.
How could the Saintess not recognize these people’s intentions?
It was just a pity that, although the Empress had transferred power to her, she faced checks and balances at every turn when trying to wield it and couldn’t handle these ministers. And dealing with the arrogant Prince Wu? Forget it!
“Good! If what Lord Wu says is true, and Prince Bei can’t even make it onto the Genius List, then this marriage alliance decision truly raises questions.”
“However, if Prince Bei possesses not only exceptional combat strength but also tremendous talent, I sincerely hope that Lord Wu can promptly carry out His Majesty’s directives before entering seclusion, especially in regard to establishing the teleportation array at the Great Xia border!”
The Saintess spoke with a somewhat grim expression.
As a person in power, her orders had never been put into action.
To enforce them, she had to resort to this kind of gambling. What an outrageous humiliation!
If this were Great Xia, once Emperor Xia issued an order, anyone who dared defy it would find themselves staring at their own corpse by the next day!
Sadly for Wu Nation, its foundations were shallow, and the rulers lacked the strength and charisma of Emperor Xia.
“Hahaha, fine, the teleportation array has always been in the works, but with my Wu Nation’s weak abilities, we certainly can’t compare to Great Xia’s speed.”
“Of course, after all this, I’ll urge them to step up progress, and I’ll personally supervise it,” Prince Wu said with a grin.
His plan was unfolding perfectly, and he was feeling quite smug.
He had specifically sent someone to investigate this Prince Bei.
At twenty years old, he was still stuck at the Body Tempering Realm.
Even if the guy was desperate to achieve high combat power within the Body Tempering Realm, there was no way he’d still be hanging around there at twenty!
Just like the former number one in the Body Tempering Realm Combat Power List…
That person had toiled away in Body Tempering for two extra years just to surpass all predecessors, eventually snagging the top spot. Yet, he’d broken into the Qi Training Realm when he was only eight!
Twenty years old?
To ancient monsters that were thousands, even tens of thousands, of years old, that was a mere blip of time—like taking just a tiny little nap.
For young cultivators, however, their training speed peaks before they turn a hundred.
No one would dare waste two decades in pursuit of some so-called greatness.
Even a reincarnation of a saint couldn’t muster up that kind of audacity!
So, in the eyes of Prince Wu, this Prince Bei was just someone who stumbled upon a few lucky breaks, becoming famous due to extraordinary abilities in the Body Tempering Realm.
And as for his cultivation potential? Just another nobody.
You could see that from the fact that even after more than a month of acclaim, there was still no news of him breaking into the Qi Training Realm.
Sure, he’d become the first in the ancient and modern Body Tempering Realm Combat Power List, but the absence of further breakthroughs meant it wasn’t just a matter of him not wanting to. There’s no way he could break through due to inadequate talent.
This wasn’t just the opinion of Prince Wu; most cultivators thought the same.
Because that mindset was just typical for ordinary cultivators.
No one could have guessed that Qin Bei, who had become the first in the ancient and modern Body Tempering Realm Combat Power List, was not satisfied and was looking to surpass himself!
This sort of crazy notion? Maybe only someone like Qin Bei, a time traveler, could dream it up…
…
“Come here! Bring the jade slip from Langya Pavilion!”
The Saintess ordered coldly.
Even though it was a gamble, she had a ton of confidence.
Because she unconditionally believed in Ji Zhuyue.
The Empress valued Mu Zhaoxue so dearly, she couldn’t believe Ji Zhuyue would pair her with someone who couldn’t keep up with her.
Not to mention, the Empress had already married off to this Prince Bei.
So this guy must indeed have something special about him.
The Saintess even suspected that the Empress’s chosen companion was none other than Prince Bei himself.
…
Soon enough, a jade slip from Langya Pavilion was delivered to the Saintess.
Everyone was tensed-up watching, as the next result would determine the crucial decision-making authority for Wu Nation’s future.
Cangzhou Continent Genius List.
Among all the cultivators from across the entire Cangzhou Continent, only a hundred could make it onto this list.
The competition was, as you’d imagine, fierce.
The rankings on the Genius List were based on a cultivator’s overall training speed.
This definition was fairly vague, making it the most controversial list in Langya Pavilion.
Some cultivators would suddenly gain opportunities and rapidly advance, so how could that be compared to others who’ve trained hard day in and day out?
Thus, Langya Pavilion revised the Genius List later on.
It not only considered training speed but also opportunities and the cultivator’s comprehension ability.
And comprehension ability even included the methods and divine powers a cultivator has grasped.
For example, under the same conditions, if one cultivator comprehended a divine method in three days, while another needed five, the first would naturally rank higher.
It’s precisely because of the added emphasis on comprehensive abilities that the Genius List now grabs everyone’s attention even more than the Power Ranking List.
Getting onto the Genius List is also considerably tougher.
After all, the Power Ranking List is merely a comparison of those at the same stage.
The Genius List is a competition among all cultivators below a hundred years old for those hundred coveted spots.
…
“Hahaha, don’t bother looking. There’s no way this Prince Bei would make it onto the Genius List! Twenty years old and still stuck in the Body Tempering Realm? Please! He’s not just out of the top hundred; he wouldn’t even make the top million!”
Seeing the Saintess searching for Prince Bei’s name on the Genius List, Prince Wu couldn’t help but sneer.
“My nation’s number one Saintess is merely ranked fifty on this list. What does he have that he can…”
But just then Prince Wu noticed something was off with the atmosphere around him.
Everyone was glued, wide-eyed, at the image projected from the jade slip in the Saintess’s hand.
Every face was etched with disbelief.
“Genius List 30th: Great Xia Royal Prince Bei, Qin Bei!”
“What the…”
“How is this even possible? Am I going senile? Is my vision failing me?”
“Ranked 30th? How on earth is this possible? Our Saintess is only ranked 50th, has Langya Pavilion gone insane?”
“Could it be that this Prince Bei is a hidden genius who lay low until marrying the Saintess before finally coming into the light?”
“Saintess, quick, check out the comments Langya Pavilion provided!”
Someone reminded.
Whenever any list undergoes changes, Langya Pavilion always offers their own insights and reasons.
Because, without sufficient justification, no one would be convinced.
Otherwise, Langya Pavilion wouldn’t hold such high regard in many cultivators’ minds.
Upon hearing this, the Saintess quickly clicked to open the 30th position on the Genius List, and what she saw was a long commentary on Qin Bei’s current situation.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
