Zhang Yuge felt the power surging within his body, his eyes shining with a brilliant light. An expression of unparalleled excitement spread across his face.

I've had an epiphany! I finally understand!

He looked at Wang Xiu, his heart filled with a mix of emotions—excitement coupled with deep gratitude and self-reproach.

To think that I, for the petty sake of fame and fortune, had gotten so carried away. I fought Brother Wang's junior sister to such an extent that I even resorted to invoking a god. If Ji Zidian hadn't possessed a final trump card of her own, she might have perished from that single blow. Yet even so, Brother Wang holds no grudge. Not only did he not berate me, but he sincerely guided me in the Thunder Technique and helped me comprehend the true essence of the Thunder Path! What incredible broad-mindedness is this? What astonishing magnanimity? Brother Wang… is truly a great man!

Zhang Yuge's thoughts churned. He stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed. "Brother Wang, your guidance is a debt as heavy as a mountain. Yuge will never forget it. Please, accept my bow!"

Wang Xiu smiled and helped him up. "Brother Zhang, you're too kind. Please, rise!"

Zhang Yuge slowly straightened, looking at Wang Xiu with a sense of unreality. "Brother Wang, there is still one thing that confuses me. I was hoping you could enlighten me?"

Wang Xiu was momentarily startled, then chuckled. "Brother Zhang, please, ask away!"

Zhang Yuge said, "Brother Wang, you just said that the way of thunder and lightning emphasizes rousing one's Dao heart, striving to conquer fate through sheer will, and possessing the conviction to advance relentlessly and shatter all obstacles in the world. But I see that your temperament is as gentle as jade. You avoid conflict with others, which doesn't seem like a practitioner of the Thunder Technique at all. It's more like you follow the path of 'the highest good is like water.' Why is that?"

He was genuinely curious. The deeper a Cultivator progressed, the more their disposition was influenced by their practiced techniques and chosen path. This was because cultivation, in its later stages, was increasingly about cultivating one's heart. It was impossible to advance far if one's heart was not in harmony with their Dao. To cultivate the Thunder Technique to its spiritual profundity, one needed a Dao heart that embodied the true meaning of thunder. This was true for all cultivation methods.

Take the members of the Sanqing Thunder Sect, for example. Never mind the great Cultivators who had lived for centuries; even the younger generation, like Ji Zidian and Ji Jinglei, were all fiery-tempered and inwardly flamboyant. Zhang Yuge was the same. Beneath his elegant exterior hid the smoldering heart of a man eager to show off, though it was always suppressed.

But what about Wang Xiu? Frankly, if not for the technique he had just demonstrated, Zhang Yuge would never have believed that Wang Xiu practiced the Thunder Technique. His style, his way of speaking—they didn't match at all!

Hearing Zhang Yuge's question, the other onlookers pricked up their ears, equally curious.

Wang Xiu smiled faintly. "How do you know I don't have a domineering and fierce side?"

Zhang Yuge was taken aback. Then, as if realizing something, he said with delight, "Could it be… that you, Brother Wang, are just like me? You like to hide your true nature and only reveal it on special occasions?"

Isn't that just being a closet show-off?

Several dark lines crossed Wang Xiu's forehead as he shot Zhang Yuge a look. "Of course not! Plenty of people have seen my other side!"

"It's just… they're all dead."

At these words, Zhang Yuge's pupils shrank. A chill ran down his spine, and he couldn't help but take two steps back. The other prodigies nearby also jumped in fright, as if an icy wind had suddenly brushed against the back of their necks.

Wang Xiu laughed. "Don't be nervous! What I meant was, although I've never shown my full strength within the Sect, I have used the Thunder Technique to eliminate quite a few Demon Cultivators!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuge finally understood. "You scared me! I thought you were going to silence me, Brother Wang!"

The corner of Wang Xiu's mouth twitched.

What kind of logic does this Longhu Saint Heir run on?

After a pause, Zhang Yuge added, "Brother Wang, you are still too modest. With your mastery of the Thunder Technique, even with your current Cultivation Level, you would surely have a spot in the top twenty of the Golden Core Ranking if you went all out!"

Zhang Yuge was being conservative. With so many prodigies present, claiming a spot in the top twenty wouldn't offend anyone or invite opposition. But if he had said the top ten, many would have likely felt slighted and might have sought trouble with Wang Xiu in the future.

Wang Xiu waved his hand and laughed. "Brother Zhang, you flatter me! The Thirty-Six Heavenly Caves and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands of our Nanzhou Immortal Alliance have always been united like branches of the same tree. I know my own talent is limited, and I have neither the ability nor the energy to compete with my fellow brothers and sisters for rank. I only wish to use the Dao in my hands to slay demons and vanquish evil! That is all."

The crowd fell silent. A tremor went through the hearts of many of the prodigies, as if some unknown, soft spot within them had been touched.

「In the sky, aboard the ark.」

Shen Buxing clapped his hands. "Excellent! Just listen to that! Look at the vision and magnanimity of my martial nephew, Wang Xiu. Outstanding!"

The others stared at Shen Buxing with odd expressions, as if he weren't the same person who had just been looking at Wang Xiu with such disdain. Then, they couldn't help but sigh as they reminisced.

"If I recall correctly, the original purpose of Phoenix Perch Building establishing those rankings was to honor the young prodigies who made great contributions in the war against the Demon Race and to encourage healthy competition among them!"

"I also heard from my master that the battle achievements recorded for the talents on the first-ever rankings were all genuine military merits earned on the battlefield. Putting the other rankings aside, for the Golden Core Ranking alone, every single person listed had personally slain tens of thousands of fiends!"

"Indeed, but… those days are long past!"

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