"Who is this kid, spouting such arrogance? Does he think he can just enter the inner academy whenever he feels like it?"
"Brother, where have you been hiding? Don't you recognize him? That's Jiang Chen, the most talked-about name in the Lingyun Martial Academy lately!"
"Wait, him? No wonder he acts so confidently!"
The crowd buzzed with excitement as Jiang Chen stepped forward, his attention falling on the majestic cyan stone stele next to Lingyun Tower. The stele loomed tall and proud, etched with nearly a hundred densely packed names.
At the very top, three names gleamed brilliantly, their golden light setting them apart from the rest.
---
"What's the significance of these names on the stele?" Jiang Chen asked curiously, turning to Meng Qingxue.
Before she could reply, Meng Dongxing cut in, his tone dripping with disdain.
"This stele is the Lingyun Monument and it shows the ranking of all students who've challenged Lingyun Tower."
He continued smugly, "The Lingyun Tower has ten floors. Anyone who reaches the tenth floor and retrieves the inner academy student token from the top automatically qualifies to enter the inner academy."
"But that's not all," Meng Dongxing added with a smirk. "The Lingyun Tower reflects the potential of its challengers. The less time it takes to conquer the tower, the greater the potential. The hundred names on the Lingyun Monument belong to the greatest geniuses since the academy's founding."
Jiang Chen's eyes lit up with interest. "So, what about the top name, Shi Xingchi? How long did it take him to pass the tower?"
"Shi Xingchi?" Meng Dongxing scoffed. "He was a peerless genius of the academy thirty years ago. It's said he conquered Lingyun Tower in less than ten minutes."
Meng Dongxing sneered again. "No one has broken his record in the past thirty years. Jiang Chen, don't even think about comparing yourself to Shi Xingchi. You should focus on whether you can leave any mark on the Lingyun Monument!"
---
"Look, Li Shengjie, the second-ranked golden student, just came out of Lingyun Tower!" someone in the crowd shouted, drawing everyone's attention.
Jiang Chen turned his head and saw a figure walking out of Lingyun Tower, holding a shining inner academy token in his hand.
"Wow! He did it! He retrieved the token!"
"Li Shengjie is officially an inner academy student now!"
The surrounding students erupted in envy and admiration.
Meng Dongxing clenched his fists, jealousy flashing in his eyes as he looked at Li Shengjie. Without wasting any time, he strode directly toward the entrance of Lingyun Tower.
---
Fifteen minutes later, Meng Dongxing emerged from the tower, clutching his own inner academy student token. His face was flushed with triumph.
At that moment, the cyan stone stele rippled with light, and Meng Dongxing's name appeared at the very bottom of the ranking.
"Haha! Did you see that?" Meng Dongxing shouted proudly, glancing at Jiang Chen with a smug smile. "I've left my name on the Lingyun Monument! What do you have to say now?"
Jiang Chen glanced at the stele, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Isn't your name just scribbled at the bottom? Why are you so proud of that?"
Meng Dongxing's face darkened. "Hmph! You can mock me all you want, but let's see if you can even leave a mark on the Lingyun Monument!"
---
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Leaving a name on that monument? That's not even a challenge."
His gaze turned sharp, and his voice rang out boldly, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to play big. Today, I'll break the record set by Shi Xingchi!"
Gasps filled the crowd as Jiang Chen's words echoed through the air.
"Is he serious? Break Shi Xingchi's record?!"
"This guy is crazy! No one has touched that record in thirty years!"
"Does he think he's stronger than Shi Xingchi?"
Jiang Chen ignored the murmurs, his gaze fixed on the towering Lingyun Tower.
"From this moment forward," Jiang Chen declared, "the top of the Lingyun Monument will belong to me!"