The incident in Minhang District had vanished from the headlines by morning. No videos, no news reports—just whispers among the underground forums and encrypted networks that the HSBA monitored daily. Yet, the tremor it caused was far from gone.
In Shanghai, students at private training residences, minor sects, and curious heirs of wealthy families buzzed quietly. Tie Wenhai's failure had become a cautionary tale: the Golden Era rewarded understanding, not blind ambition.
At the Murong Family's private campus, a mid-sized lecture hall in the northern district,
Murong Jing's sophomore, Murong Cheng, scrolled through the latest upload on the encrypted Golden List forum.
"Number one… Fang Ze?" he muttered, brow furrowed. The post showed the top ten with brief summaries: cultivation realm vague, rumored upper layer of Qi Gathering; battle feats hinted; aura descriptions; age under twenty.
"Upper layer of Qi Gathering? That's… suspicious," he said. His voice carried a mix of admiration and concern. "And Xue Shengtian? Number two? Who even knows where he is?"
The murmurs spread across the hall like wildfire. Some students leaned closer, whispering in awe. Others exchanged skeptical glances—how could an unknown teenager top prodigies from Dragon Division, Vermilion Bird Division, and multiple hidden sects?
Meanwhile, back in Beijing, the HSBA convened quietly. Director Zhao Mingyuan reviewed surveillance logs, obscure reports, and newly leaked forum discussions.
"Fang Ze…" he murmured, voice calm yet sharp, eyes narrowing slightly. "An unknown prodigy. No affiliations. No family ties in cultivation. Yet he tops the list."
An aide hesitated before speaking. "Sir… the Golden List isn't officially verified yet. But the public reaction—"
"It's irrelevant," Zhao Mingyuan interrupted, tone flat. "Observe. Ensure his family remains protected. Don't provoke any factions prematurely."
Outside, the Fang residence in Chaoyang was calm. Fang Ze leaned against the window, casually flipping through the newly discovered manuscript left in his mother's bookstore: "Adaptation of the Human Body Under Spiritual Energy Resurgence."
He traced a finger along the margins, where old annotations hinted at rare herbs and partial techniques for safely raising one's Qi. His heart beat faster—not from exertion, but opportunity.
"Subtle… but potent," he murmured. "Almost like it was left for me."
Fang Yuhan, now attending Tsinghua University, walked through the campus quad with her backpack slung casually over her shoulder. She had noticed the spike in her friend circle's curiosity. Students from families like Murong, Zhao, and Yan were already reacting—challenging each other lightly, testing skills, and whispering about the mysterious top-ranked prodigy.
She stopped mid-step, recalling her brother's calm warning from last night: "Not all opportunities should be seized blindly. Observe first."
It was advice she would take to heart—yet her eyes sparkled with anticipation. If Fang Ze could truly reach such heights, it wouldn't be long before his influence touched even her circle at Tsinghua.
Meanwhile, across the city, minor factions and hidden sects stirred. The Golden List had given them direction—silent, powerful, unifying in its own way.
A small sect in Xi'an noted a new surge in a local prodigy's aura.
In Chengdu, Tang Wanru had returned from overseas, quietly testing the waters of spiritual energy, her presence now noticeable to old allies and rivals alike.
In Shuzhou, Yan Haoran, the young weapon prodigy, calibrated his techniques after glimpsing the Golden List.
Even Mo Chen, wandering north-west deserts far from any city, had heard the rumors. He adjusted his path subtly, moving closer to a minor surge of spiritual energy reported in a local Qi node.
Back in Chaoyang, Fang Ze finally acted. The manuscript detailed a rare, semi-stabilized spiritual herb buried in a forgotten storage under his mother's bookstore. Its energy wasn't dangerous—yet, combined with careful guidance, it could accelerate cultivation to the threshold of the Foundation Establishment realm.
He set to work carefully, no rush, every breath measured.
Herbs were activated.
Qi absorption was gradual, tuned to his own meridians.
Circulation was steady, stable, unlike the chaos that had consumed Tie Wenhai.
Hours passed. By dawn, Fang Ze sat upright, eyes sharp, body humming with subtle energy. He had advanced.
Not a sudden leap. Not an uncontrollable surge.
Foundation Establishment Realm—early stage.
He smiled faintly. Calm, easy-going, aware.
Deadly if provoked, playful with family, patient with opportunity.
The Golden Era had begun moving in earnest.
And Fang Ze was no longer merely a spectator.