C443 Final Ranking(1)

From start to finish, he never had to lift a finger, yet Woo Zhengyang ended up with the highest score of 24 points, securing first place. He found the situation both amusing and bewildering.

When he first entered the Thousand-village Martial Competition, he was determined to win, but he never imagined it would be this easy.

The final rankings were announced the next day. Woo Zhengyang's name stayed at the top from the moment it appeared. Great Leaf Village ended up in eighth place overall. Despite Woo Zhengyang's first-place finish earning the village 100 points, the village's small population was a disadvantage, with only Woo Zhengyang making it into the top 25.

Ranking eighth was quite an achievement, especially considering that a five or six-year-old named Rice managed to secure the 28th spot. This feat was arguably more legendary than Woo Zhengyang's first-place finish, perhaps even unprecedented.

The people of Great Leaf Village were speechless as they saw the rankings. The Old Village Chief held Woo Zhengyang's hand, tears streaming down his face. They had dreamed of the day Great Leaf Village would break into the top ten, but they never expected it to happen so quickly and unexpectedly.

Being in the top ten is not just an honor; it signifies status. In the coming years, the resources available to the people of Great Leaf Village will increase exponentially. With this breakthrough, the village is set for smooth sailing in its development. Even if they don't maintain a top ten position next time, they should still comfortably rank within the top hundred.

With the martial arts techniques and joint attack formations Woo Zhengyang gifted to Great Leaf Village, a positive cycle is bound to develop, making the village stronger over time.

The rankings were announced, and the top twenty rewards were ready to be claimed. Woo Zhengyang found it puzzling that the rewards, including techniques and martial arts skills, couldn't be freely chosen. Or rather, the selection was extremely limited.

Placing in the top twenty of the Thousand-village Martial Competition earned a technique. The top ten received a technique and a spirit pill. The top three got a technique, a spirit pill, and a treasured weapon. The first place winner received a technique, a spirit pill, a treasured weapon, and a martial arts skill.

As the first-place winner, Woo Zhengyang could choose his reward first. However, upon seeing the rewards, he realized there were exactly twenty techniques, ten spirit pills, three treasured weapons, and one martial arts skill. This meant all the rewards for the top twenty were right there, and his choices were limited to these.

In his previous world, even a sect's internal competition allowed winners to choose freely. It was hard for Woo Zhengyang to understand why such a grand event like the Thousand-village Martial Competition offered no choice. Yet, seeing everyone else's expressions, it seemed this was the norm every time.

Despite his disappointment, Woo Zhengyang didn't show it and began selecting his rewards.

Woo Zhengyang picked up a martial arts manual called "The Open Edge Slash" without much choice. Among the treasures, which included a knife, a sword, and a hammer, Woo Zhengyang chose the knife, perfectly matching the "Open Edge Slash" technique he intended to pass on to Liu Dahu.

After reviewing twenty different techniques, Woo Zhengyang felt even more disappointed. They were all Body Tempering Techniques for the Skin Stage, which were useless to him. However, the spirit pill awarded to the top ten participants made the trip worthwhile for Woo Zhengyang.

The pill, known as the Skin Transformation Pill, was a low-grade spirit pill specifically for Body Tempering cultivators at the Skin Stage. When consumed, it could produce a unique effect on the skin, significantly accelerating the cultivation speed of Skin Stage techniques for a short period. If used wisely, it could help advance a small stage within the Skin Stage.

Woo Zhengyang randomly selected a Skin Stage technique and returned to his spot, reluctantly handing over the technique, martial arts manual, and the treasured knife to the Old Village Chief. Once everyone had received their rewards, the Thousand-village Martial Competition officially concluded.

While Woo Zhengyang felt a sense of unease, everyone else was quite pleased. Next came the rewards for the top fifty participants: becoming registered disciples of the Azure Sun Martial Mansion. For the cultivators from various villages, this status was a mark of honor. The benefit of being a registered disciple was the opportunity to stay at the Azure Sun Martial Mansion for a year.

Rice was really too young, and according to Woo Zhengyang, she should give up the reward and return to Great Leaf Village with the Old Village Chief and the others. However, Rice was adamant about staying with Woo Zhengyang, insisting she was afraid he might find another girl to marry.

In the end, Woo Zhengyang reluctantly agreed. After all, he had been taking care of Rice for a while now, so a little longer wouldn't hurt.

After watching the Old Village Chief and the others leave, Woo Zhengyang, Rice, and Liu Dahu followed a disciple from the Azure Sun Martial Mansion to the inner city.

Woo Zhengyang couldn't shake the strange feeling that the Thousand-village Martial Competition was somewhat trivial. Despite the grand setting, the rules seemed a bit rough, and the rewards were handed out rather casually. It was as if the people from the Azure Sun Martial Mansion weren't really interested, treating it like a routine task by sending just a few disciples to oversee the event.