The moment the Cloud Mist Training Rankings appeared inside the Cloud Mist Internet Café, the atmosphere in the entire building changed once again. What had already been a lively and competitive training ground now felt even more intense. Disciples who had previously been satisfied simply improving their combat abilities now had something new to pursue—recognition.
The large glowing board near the entrance displayed several categories, each one recording the performance of cultivators inside the training realms. The most eye-catching section was naturally the Tyrant Trial Leaderboard, where the name of the Sect Leader of Lingyuan Sect stood proudly at the very top.
Tyrant Trial Leaderboard
1. Sect Leader — First Tyrant Slayer
Below it were several empty positions waiting to be filled.
Many disciples stared at the board with burning determination.
"So the ranking board records every battle?"
"That means if someone defeats the Tyrant, their name will appear there!"
"I want to see my name on that board!"
Even the inner disciples who had already attempted the Tyrant Trial multiple times began whispering among themselves. The possibility of becoming one of the strongest challengers in the entire sect was simply too tempting to ignore.
Standing behind the counter, Lin Tian calmly observed the growing excitement.
The system interface floating before him updated once again.
Active Players: 100
Total Visitors Today: 2,146
Spirit Stones Earned: 10,730
Lin Tian raised an eyebrow slightly.
"The numbers keep rising."
The expansion of the shop combined with the ranking system had created a powerful cycle. The more disciples competed, the more they trained. The more they trained, the more popular the shop became.
But while the younger disciples were filled with excitement, the higher-ranking cultivators reacted differently.
On the third floor, several core disciples stood near one of the advanced machines while quietly observing the ranking board through a projection screen.
Among them stood Chen Yu, the talented core disciple of Heaven Sword Peak who had come very close to defeating the Tyrant earlier.
Chen Yu folded his arms as he looked at the glowing board.
"The Sect Leader is the only one who has defeated it so far."
Another core disciple nodded.
"That monster is still far too strong for most of us."
"But now that we know it can be defeated, the challenge is different."
Chen Yu's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Exactly."
Before the ranking board appeared, defeating the Tyrant had only been a matter of personal pride. But now the system had transformed the challenge into something much larger.
A public record of strength.
A visible symbol of skill.
For ambitious cultivators, that kind of recognition could not be ignored.
Chen Yu stepped forward toward one of the machines.
"I'm going to challenge it again."
Several disciples nearby looked surprised.
"You're going to try again already?"
Chen Yu nodded calmly.
"I watched the Sect Leader's battle carefully."
His voice was steady.
"The Tyrant's armor isn't completely invincible."
Another disciple frowned slightly.
"Even if that's true, you still need enough power to break through it."
Chen Yu smiled faintly.
"That's what this training hall is for."
Without hesitation, he placed a pouch of spirit stones on the machine and activated the Tyrant Trial.
The glowing screen lit up.
Moments later, his consciousness entered the ruined arena once again.
Inside the Cloud Mist Internet Café, dozens of disciples gathered around the screen.
Even the visiting cultivators from other sects stepped closer to watch.
Everyone wanted to see whether the first challenger after the Sect Leader could replicate the victory.
Inside the arena, the massive Tyrant appeared exactly as before.
Its towering body stepped forward slowly, its glowing eyes locking onto Chen Yu.
But this time, Chen Yu's posture was different.
His movements were calmer.
More focused.
The Tyrant roared and charged forward.
Chen Yu dodged the first attack with perfect timing.
Inside the shop, the watching disciples whispered excitedly.
"He's faster than before."
"He's learned from the previous battles!"
Chen Yu continued circling the monster carefully.
He waited patiently for openings before launching precise attacks.
Each strike targeted the cracks that had appeared earlier in the Tyrant's armor.
The battle continued for several minutes.
Inside the shop, the crowd grew larger as more disciples came down from the upper floors.
Even Elder Song from the Azure Wind Sect watched the fight closely.
"This young cultivator is improving quickly," he murmured.
Inside the arena, Chen Yu landed several powerful strikes.
But despite his improvement, the Tyrant's strength remained overwhelming.
Eventually, the monster's brutal counterattack ended the battle.
The simulation faded.
Chen Yu opened his eyes inside the shop.
This time, however, he did not look frustrated.
Instead, he nodded thoughtfully.
"The armor is definitely weakening faster."
Several disciples gathered around him.
"You were closer again!"
"You lasted much longer!"
Chen Yu looked toward the glowing ranking board.
"My name will appear there eventually."
The surrounding disciples felt their competitive spirit grow stronger.
Soon, more challengers stepped forward.
Inner disciples.
Core disciples.
Even visiting cultivators from other sects.
Everyone wanted to test their strength against the Tyrant.
Meanwhile, standing quietly behind the counter, Lin Tian observed the rising competition.
The ranking board had achieved exactly what the system intended.
It had transformed the training hall into a battlefield of ambition.
But just as the excitement continued growing inside the shop, the system panel suddenly flashed again.
DING
A new notification appeared before Lin Tian's eyes.
World Influence Increasing
New Legendary Realm Unlock Progress: 25%
Lin Tian narrowed his eyes slightly.
The system was clearly preparing something much bigger than the Tyrant Trial.
And if the next realm was even more challenging…
Then the Cloud Mist Internet Café might soon attract attention far beyond the surrounding sects.
Perhaps even from the strongest powers of the cultivation world itself.