Under the delighted gaze of Xiaoxue, the maid from the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion, Chen Ping’an decisively purchased the Golden Bell Shield.

One thousand two hundred taels of silver!

For an ordinary family, this was an unimaginable fortune—an amount they could never hope to earn in a lifetime of struggle.

’Silver is all well and good, but it’s only valuable when you spend it!’

’One thousand two hundred taels for a superior cultivation method.’

’Worth it!’

As Chen Ping’an descended from the third floor of the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion, he encountered two young masters deep in conversation.

"My old man has been pushing me too hard lately. I’ve been so focused on my martial arts Cultivation that I haven’t even had a chance to come out and get some air."

"Yeah, I’m in the same boat! It’s been ages since I’ve been out. Since I’m here today, I’ll grab the latest issue of the Rising Star Chart before I head back."

’The Rising Star Chart?’

Overhearing their conversation, Chen Ping’an’s interest was piqued.

"Exactly! In the last issue of the Rising Star Chart, Young Master Liu Ziming really did our Weishui County City proud! He jumped from ninety-ninth place all the way up to eighty-seventh!"

"He certainly did. In all of Canglong Province, only one hundred young talents under the age of thirty are chosen. For Young Master Liu to make the Rising Star Chart at twenty-seven is a real blessing for Weishui. And the best part is, this isn’t his limit. He still has three years left, so I’m sure he has plenty of room to improve!"

"Absolutely! Young Master Liu truly is Weishui’s number one prodigy!"

"..."

As the two continued their exchange, their faces glowed with vicarious pride.

Chen Ping’an’s hearing was excellent; he could still make out a great deal of their conversation even after walking past them. It helped that the two weren’t making any effort to be discreet.

’It seems talk of this Rising Star Chart isn’t uncommon in the Inner City.’

’Based on what they said, in all of Weishui County City, only Young Master Liu Ziming from the Commander Liu Family made it onto the Rising Star Chart. And even at a rank of eighty-seventh, he was still worthy of their praise.’

’The standards for this Rising Star Chart must be incredibly high!’

’I wonder what Realm this Liu Ziming is at.’

Just as Chen Ping’an reached the first floor of the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion, he stopped in his tracks.

"Sir, is something wrong?"

Xiaoxue looked at Chen Ping’an, her expression puzzled.

"Where’s the latest issue of the Rising Star Chart? Take me to it."

...

When Chen Ping’an left Weishui Inner City, he had two booklets tucked into his robes. One was the superior cultivation method, Golden Bell Shield. The other was the very same Rising Star Chart the two men had been discussing.

The booklet’s cover made a deep impression on Chen Ping’an; it was the very same one he had seen the Chief of the Patrol Office, Mu Wanjun, reading just a few days prior.

Canglong Province, Rising Star Chart!

Chen Ping’an moved quickly, soon arriving at the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office.

Thanks to his trip to the Inner City, he was extremely late for duty today. Or, to be more precise, he wasn’t just late—he’d skipped half a day’s work.

In the past, he would have undoubtedly gotten an earful, and might have even faced some kind of punishment.

’But now...’

’What could possibly happen over something so trivial?’

Being the second-in-command of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office wasn’t just an empty title.

Once in his office, Chen Ping’an eagerly opened the booklet.

He had already recorded the Golden Bell Shield Cultivation Technique onto his Golden Finger Panel the moment he bought it in the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion.

Therefore, the first thing Chen Ping’an read was the Canglong Province Rising Star Chart.

Canglong Province governed many a County City, and beneath each County City were numerous small cities, followed by towns and villages.

It was a vast land, spanning thousands of miles!

Such a vast territory naturally gave rise to countless Martial Dao geniuses. These geniuses were as dazzling as stars. Some stepped onto the Martial Dao and reached the Qi Blood Fourth Layer in less than half a year. Others achieved Qi Blood Six Layers Perfection in three years. There were even those who broke past the Qi Blood level and stepped into the Inner Qi Realm before reaching the age of twenty.

The Rising Star Chart was created for the very purpose of comparing these many Martial Dao geniuses.

The Rising Star Chart was updated every three months. Each issue only featured the most famous and exceptionally talented prodigies in Canglong Province under the age of thirty.

After finishing the introduction to the Rising Star Chart, Chen Ping’an turned to the main text of the booklet.

First on the Rising Star Chart: Gu Qingcheng, the prodigy of the Gu Family from Canglong State City.

Second on the Rising Star Chart: Wang Siyuan, the prodigy of the Wang Family of Canglong State City.

Third on the Rising Star Chart: Xue Zirou of the Xue Family from Canglong State City.

Fourth on the Rising Star Chart...

A single glance told Chen Ping’an that more than half of the top ten on the Rising Star Chart hailed from Canglong State City. As the central hub of Canglong Province, it was home to families with profound heritages and traditions passed down for thousands of years.

’Thinking about it, it’s not surprising that they dominate the top ten of the Rising Star Chart.’

Next to each prodigy’s name was a record of their Cultivation journey, their current Cultivation Realm, the Martial Arts Skills they excelled at, and a brief overview of their most famous battles.

The Profound Light Realm!

Chen Ping’an’s heart trembled as he gazed at the prodigies ranked at the top of the Rising Star Chart.

Above Inner Qi was the Profound Light Realm!

’These prodigies have reached such a terrifying Martial Arts Realm before the age of thirty?’

’Rising stars! Rising stars!’

’The term "rising star" probably only applied from the perspective of the true powerhouses at the very top.’

’For the vast majority of people, the Profound Light Realm was a level they could only dream of reaching in their entire lifetime.’

’A Realm of that caliber was enough to determine the rise or fall of a major power.’

Suppressing his shock, Chen Ping’an continued to flip through the pages and finally found Liu Ziming of Weishui County City in the latter half of the booklet.

Eighty-eighth on the Rising Star Chart: Liu Ziming, the prodigy of the Liu Family from Weishui County City.

Liu Ziming, Third Stage of Inner Qi, Celestial Rain Falling on the Crown. Three months ago, he single-handedly fought Weng Qianjing, a Protector of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, ultimately defeating him and forcing him to flee with grievous injuries.

...

’Third Stage of Inner Qi, Celestial Rain Falling on the Crown!’

Chen Ping’an’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the description of Liu Ziming’s Martial Arts Realm.

’The Third Stage of Inner Qi... So this must be the peak combat strength of Weishui County City’s younger generation.’

’Other than Liu Ziming, not a single person from the great Weishui County City had made it onto the Rising Star Chart.’

’Three months ago, Liu Ziming was ranked eighty-seventh on the Rising Star Chart. Now, in this latest issue three months later, his ranking has actually dropped by one place.’

’It seems the competition on the Rising Star Chart is even more fierce than I imagined.’

After carefully reviewing Liu Ziming’s entry, Chen Ping’an read through the rest of the prodigies on the Rising Star Chart.

’So, it seems you need to at least reach the Martial Arts Realm of the Third Stage of Inner Qi, Celestial Rain Falling on the Crown, just to step onto the Rising Star Chart!’

After reading through the entire Rising Star Chart, Chen Ping’an came to a conclusion.

The prodigy ranked one-hundredth on this issue’s Rising Star Chart also possessed the Martial Arts Realm of the Third Stage of Inner Qi, Celestial Rain Falling on the Crown.

’Within the same Martial Arts Realm, differences in Cultivation Methods, Martial Arts Skills, and combat experience can lead to vastly different levels of power. That’s all perfectly normal.’

’However, according to the booklet, the prodigies on the Rising Star Chart, in addition to their Martial Arts Skills, have also comprehended the Martial Arts Realm!’

"..."

Chen Ping’an silently digested this new information.

His own foundation was shallow, and he lacked systematic support. Therefore, information that was common knowledge in the great families was, to him, vital intelligence that was incredibly difficult to obtain.

This was a consequence of his origins. It meant he could hardly enjoy the kind of nurturing environment that the great powers and major families possessed. An impassable chasm separated him from the vast majority of prodigies on the Rising Star Chart.

However...

’But for him, the one with the Golden Finger Panel, anything was possible!’

’Given enough time, he would one day cross that impassable chasm completely.’