Chapter 202 - 201: Merit Ranking

Emperor Tianxu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The game had gone far enough. He had intended to let Lin Yuan handle the situation, but Xiyan’s brash intervention had publicly humiliated the structural integrity of his tournament. The Emperor could not allow his Court to be the punchline of a Western joke.

Emperor Tianxu raised a single hand.

Once again, the absolute might of the Mid-Stage Void Refinement realm descended upon the arena. The chaotic laughter of Emperor Xiyan was gently but firmly muted by the overwhelming might of Tianxu.

"That’s enough," Emperor Tianxu’s voice resonated, carrying an unquestionable finality that instantly commanded absolute silence.

The Qilin Emperor looked down from his throne, his gaze bypassing the furious Chu Provincial Lord, bypassing the embarrassed Elder Xuanji, and settling directly upon Lin Yuan.

"Emperor Xiyan lacks refinement in his delivery, but his core observation is accurate," Emperor Tianxu decreed, his words echoing like thunder in the minds of the audience. "This Court does not punish tactical brilliance. The rules were established, and they were adhered to. The nominee, Lin Yuan, did not execute a surrendered opponent. The transfer of tokens, regardless of the method applied to achieve it, is recognized as a valid conquest within the parameters of the Void Ascension Battlefield."

A collective gasp of despair echoed from the Chu pavilion. The Emperor had spoken. The ruling was final.

"Lin Yuan has committed no crime," Emperor Tianxu continued, his eyes locking onto the black and white robed expert. "His tokens are his. He shall retain his standing, and he shall keep his Ascension Clause."

The Zhao pavilion erupted into cheers. Bai Chen threw his hands into the air, screaming in victory, while Lord Zhao Shenming let out a massive breath of relief.

But Emperor Tianxu was not finished.

"However, let it be known," the Emperor added, his voice carrying a strict reminder of the rules laws governing the Ascension Clause. "The Ascension Clause requires the nominee to place within the Top Five of the Upper Division participants. The ranking will be finalized after the conclusion of the second preliminary round. If you don’t achieve such after the next round, Lin Yuan, you will be stripped of your standing and returned to the Lower Division."

Lin Yuan looked up at the Emperor and offered a single nod of acknowledgment. "Understood."

In the Chu pavilion, Lord Chu Wuhai was shaking with uncontrollable rage. To be dismissed so casually, to have his son’s humiliation validated by the Emperor himself, was a pill he simply could not swallow.

"Emperor Tianxu!" Chu Wuhai shouted, stepping forward again, completely blinded by his fury. "You cannot simply validate this farce! The Chu Province demands—"

BOOOOOOM!

Before the Chu Patriarch could finish his treasonous demand, Elder Xuanji moved.

The Chief Adjudicator, thoroughly embarrassed by Emperor Xiyan and furious that his authority had been questioned, unleashed the absolute totality of his Peak Soul Transformation aura directly onto the Chu pavilion.

It was a pressure that felt as if the sky itself had turned to solid lead.

Chu Wuhai, a powerful cultivator in his own right, was instantly driven to his knees. The floor beneath him cracked and spider-webbed. Dozens of Chu elders surrounding him collapsed, gasping for air under the suffocating pressure.

"You dare question the decree of the Emperor?!" Elder Xuanji roared, his voice echoing with lethal authority, finally directing his wrath toward a deserving target. "Stop with this treasonous nonsense immediately, Chu Wuhai! The Emperor has spoken, and his words are law! If you speak another word in defiance, I will have your entire delegation expelled from Sky Jade City!"

Chu Wuhai gritted his teeth, blood leaking from his gums as he struggled against the crushing weight. But he dared not speak. He bowed his head, submitting to the absolute power of the Court.

Elder Xuanji held the suppression for three seconds before waving his hand, retracting the aura. He smoothed his robes, restoring his composure.

"The results of the first preliminary round are certified," Elder Xuanji announced to the silent arena. "The tokens accumulated in the Void Ascension Battlefield shall now be converted into formal Merit. The calculation goes as such, each Dao Token represents ten points of Merit. This Merit Ranking shall be the cumulative foundation that determines who will enter the main tournament as a Participating General!"

The Adjudicator raised his hands toward the sky.

The massive array monolith that had dominated the center of the Grand Court suddenly shifted. The old script detailing the token counts dissolved into glowing mist.

The plates at the base of the arena ground together, and a brand new, even larger monolith rose from the bedrock. It was carved from pure, flawless white jade, and the script that burned across its surface was etched in deep red.

This was the official ranking of the Peerless God tournament, after the completion of the first preliminary round. This was the board that would dictate the future of the tournament.

Tens of thousands of cultivators held their breath as the final calculations were rendered and the names burned into the stone.

MERIT RANKINGS (POST-ROUND ONE)

1. Xuan Mingzhe (Xuan Province) - 1100 Merits

2. Jiang Wan (Jiang Province) - 830 Merits

3. Ye Ao (Ye Province) - 800 Merits

4. Feng Yao (Feng Province) - 700 Merits

5. Ling Chuan (Ling Province) - 660 Merits

6. Lin Yuan (Zhao Province) - 610 Merits

...

Lin Yuan stood on the floor, his deep purple eyes reflecting the crimson glow of the jade monolith. He was fifty merits away from the Top Five. Fifty merits away from securing the Ascension Clause and locking himself into the Upper Division bracket.

He looked toward the Chu pavilion, where Chu Kuang, the newly ascended Half-Step Transcendent, was staring back at him with a gaze filled with unparalleled hatred. Chu Kuang’ s name was buried in the bottom of the rankings, sitting at zero merits.

Lin Yuan offered the heir a faint, chilling smile.

The first crucible was over. But the true bloodletting was only just beginning.