"It seems so."
As he spoke, a gust of cold wind swept through the autumn night.
Another person joined them at the table.
Gu Nianci.
"Aunt, you're here," Gu Qingfeng called out. He appeared calm and composed, his demeanor unchanged. He even gestured for Gu Nianci to sit down and share the late-night meal.
"Gu Qingfeng."
Gu Nianci's expression was not pleasant. She uttered his name almost through gritted teeth. Her gaze then fell upon the box on the table.
It was the brocade box meant to protect the Cold Jade.
"You two settle your family matters. I'm just here to collect my fee," Lin Xiao said, beckoning with his hand. The brocade box flew into his grasp.
Only then did a hint of loss flicker in Gu Qingfeng's eyes. He quickly turned to Gu Nianci and said, "Aunt, so the reward for finding me was this Cold Jade."
"Not entirely. I'll study your Cold Jade for ten days to half a month. Of course, if I need more time, I'll let you know," Lin Xiao added, his hand resting on the box.
Even through the brocade, he could feel the chilling cold in his palm.
It was indeed the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade.
Whether it was truly ten thousand years, he didn't know, but the Cold Jade was undeniably real.
Gu Qingfeng shrugged. "A pity... Aunt, is there anything you wish to say?"
"Gu Qingfeng, what exactly do you mean?"
Gu Nianci was trying her best to maintain her composure when facing her junior. However, the thought of him secretly taking the Cold Jade, bringing it to Shashi, and forcing her into a deal with Lin Xiao, was infuriating.
It wasn't just a loss; it was a humiliation for the Gu family.
"Aunt, don't you think the current Heaven, Earth, and Human rankings are too farcical?" Gu Qingfeng asked. "So farcical that even you and I are considered high-ranking on the Earthly list."
"Me, not you," Gu Nianci corrected him.
On the Earthly list, only the top thirty-three positions truly marked a watershed.
Gu Nianci was ranked thirty-third, while Gu Qingfeng was thirty-fifth.
"What's the difference?" Gu Qingfeng shook his head. "Currently, apart from the realm distinction between the Earthly and Human lists, there are no true powerhouses left on the Earthly list."
His gaze, his expression, his tone suggested he had seen through it all. "The three realms of Grandmaster: Subtle Observation, Profound Comprehension, and Enlightened Mind. In the past, only those in the Enlightened Mind realm would qualify for the top thirty-three. But now? Aunt, we are both in the Profound Comprehension realm."
"How many are in the Enlightened Mind realm on this Earthly list?"
Enlightened Mind.
Lin Xiao sat there, at ease, as if listening to a story. However, when the words "Enlightened Mind" were spoken, he clearly grew interested.
Only after Enlightened Mind could one enter the Divine Realm.
How many people on the Earthly list had reached the Enlightened Mind realm? He was curious too; he had never paid much attention to this ranking.
After all, the last-place finisher on the Human list wasn't even a Grandmaster – because there weren't that many Grandmaster-level experts in the world.
"What are you trying to say?"
Gu Nianci asked impatiently.
"So, the ancient martial arts world is constantly regressing. What's the root cause? It's that we haven't truly comprehended the legacies of our predecessors. If that weren't the case, how could people from places like America be able to enter the Heavenly list?"
"Above the Heavenly list, there's a cyborg. How insulting is that?"