Shi Tailang's words were affirmed by the others.
Li Bao'er was a woman of action.
She immediately stood up, pulled two machetes from under her armpits, and declared, "Let's go!"
The others quickly rose, preparing to act swiftly to seize every second.
Seeing this, Fang Xin couldn't help but chuckle, "There's no need for that. I still have a bit of god and demon marrow that I forgot to transfer. Getting into the top ten shouldn't be a problem!"
"Xin Ge, you have god and demon marrow? How much?" Shi Tailang asked, full of curiosity.
"Tens of thousands, I guess!"
Shi Tailang said, "The tenth place currently has fifty-eight thousand. You'd need at least sixty thousand to keep the current tenth place suppressed for the next few days!"
Bai Yulin interjected, "Not necessarily. The rankings before the list is finalized are always inaccurate. Some people keep a portion of their god and demon marrow in their score rings, monitor the rankings, and then suddenly add it in when it's almost time for the final tally, making a big push up the rankings!
This is a common tactic seen every year. Even those in the top thirty might have held something back. One, to climb the rankings, and two, to prevent others from climbing. So, Xin Ge, if you want to secure a spot in the top ten, sixty thousand god and demon marrow isn't enough right now! You'd need at least seventy thousand!"
Shi Tailang nodded, "So that's how they play! Xin Ge, do you have seventy thousand?"
Fang Xin answered truthfully, "Yes!"
He glanced at the Dragon-Tiger Rankings. The scores between tenth and thirtieth place were very tight. The thirtieth place currently had thirty-seven thousand points, meaning he had thirty-seven thousand god and demon marrow in his score ring.
To avoid drawing too much attention, Fang Xin initially put thirty thousand god and demon marrow into his score ring.
This immediately put him at fifty-second place on the Dragon-Tiger Rankings.
For the remaining few days, he only needed to top up daily to secure a spot in the top ten.
Fang Xin held eight million god and demon marrow. Forget the top ten; even if all the god and demon marrow of the top fifty were combined after the rankings were settled, it wouldn't be as much as Fang Xin's.
Shi Tailang, Li Bao'er, and the others also achieved impressive results. Because the Rakshasa took them around to find god and demon marrow at night, their scores had all entered the top thirty over the past few days. However, they didn't solely rely on this cheat; they would still search for god and demon marrow themselves during the day and engage in skirmishes with others to hone their teamwork and overall combat abilities.
Among them, Li Bao'er had the highest score. After all, Li Bao'er had the highest combat power and contributed the most during daytime battles. She was currently ranked eighth on the Dragon-Tiger Rankings, and it seemed she still had some god and demon marrow left, ready for a final push.
The first place on the Dragon-Tiger Rankings belonged to someone from a super-elite family, who had maintained the top spot since the first day they arrived at the God and Demon Ruins. Second place was held by someone from the Church, and third place by someone from the Five Elements Palace.
Within the top ten of the Dragon-Tiger Rankings, only Li Bao'er and Ji Xuance from the Ninth Division made it onto the list.
One at eighth, one at ninth.
But within the top thirty, people from the Ninth Division occupied six spots, roughly one-fifth of the total number of participants.
It's worth noting that the number of people who entered the God and Demon Ruins this time reached six figures.
Those who could break into the top thirty were all exceptional individuals.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the members of Fang Xin's team would all likely stabilize their rankings within the top thirty. Shi Tailang was already contemplating what fancy car his dad should buy him after the mid-term test ended.
After a short rest, the group resumed their search for god and demon marrow. Fang Xin lagged behind, slacking off. As dawn approached, an Infernal Corpse leader came to report that they had found the whereabouts of the Little Monk Miao Neng.
Fang Xin immediately headed towards the Little Monk.
The Little Monk knew Fang Xin's secrets regarding the Rewind Treasure Mirror and Situ Shenshu. He had to go find the Little Monk; if the Little Monk couldn't keep his mouth shut, then physical salvation would be the only option.
Inside a dilapidated temple.
A statue of a Bodhisattva sat in the center, flanked by two statues of child attendants.
Fang Xin looked left and right, his gaze finally settling on one of the child statues. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. Fang Xin pulled out his gun, ready to poke it, when the child statue immediately moved. Then, from within the statue, the Little Monk emerged and quickly pressed down on Fang Xin's gun.
With a fawning face, he said, "Xin Ge, don't mess around!"
Fang Xin curiously glanced at the statue, then at Miao Neng, "Your Talent is good! You can even merge with a statue to disguise yourself!"
Miao Neng waved his hand, "These are all just low-level tricks." Miao Neng tentatively asked, "Xin Ge, you came looking for me, you're not trying to silence me, are you?"
"What silencing?"
"You released the terrifying entity suppressed by the Buddha, and that terrifying entity is now working for you. Besides that, you also took a Buddhist treasure. You're afraid I'll reveal this, which would be a threat to you, right?"
Fang Xin pretended to sharpen his gun tip, "Since you already know, do you have any last words?"
Miao Neng's handsome face instantly scrunched into a grimace, and he quickly grabbed Fang Xin's arm, "No, Xin Ge, are you serious?"
"What else?"
Miao Neng forced a dry laugh, "Xin Ge, Xin Ge, listen to me first. I have an eighty-year-old mother above and a newborn daughter below!"
"You, a monk, have these?" Fang Xin feigned a thrust.
Miao Neng licked his lips and quickly pressed Fang Xin's arm, "Even if I don't have a daughter, I must have a mother! I'm not some online troll; I have a mother!"
"Alright!" Miao Neng seemed to have made a decision. "Xin Ge, then I'll tell you a secret, which can be considered giving you leverage over me. The reason I went to Mahākāla Temple was actually to obtain something: a relic, a sarira formed from a Buddha's finger bone."
As he spoke, Miao Neng pulled open his collar, revealing a crooked scar on his chest. "I've already implanted that finger bone relic into my body. The power within this relic has established a connection with me! With it, I can not only receive the blessings of two Bodhisattvas but also the blessings of a Buddha! If this news were to leak out, many people would surely try to dig into my chest to remove the finger bone. Now that I've merged with the finger bone relic, if it's removed, I will die."
Fang Xin listened to Miao Neng's words, "Digging out a bone from the chest? I feel like I've seen this episode somewhere before?"
Miao Neng said eagerly, "I'm not lying to you, Xin Ge. If you don't believe me, you can ask that terrifying entity you subdued!"
"He's right!" Situ Shenshu's voice came. "This child has a Buddha's heart! There's no need to kill him. In times of great chaos, he can even help you."
Seeing Fang Xin's eyes shift, Miao Neng gritted his teeth and stomped his foot.
"Xin Ge! Actually, I lied to you before! I also obtained a treasure in the Buddhist temple!"
As he spoke, Miao Neng pulled out a bronze lamp. This lamp was very similar to the one he had held before, but this one looked more advanced than the previous one.
"Xin Ge! This thing is called the Buddhist Word Green Lamp! Although it can't compare to the Rewind Treasure Mirror in your hand, it's still a rare item. If you don't believe me, you can look it up. This thing can not only attack but also provide Buddhist light for defense. If you spare my life, I'll give this to you!"
Fang Xin glanced at the Buddhist Word Green Lamp, and Situ Shenshu's voice once again echoed in his mind, "This item is of little use to you. Only a Buddhist can maximize its utility!"
"Look at you, we're all buddies and such. Am I the kind of person who would come to kill you? I was just worried about you, so I came to see how you were doing!"
Fang Xin straightened Miao Neng's collar and said earnestly.
Miao Neng looked at Fang Xin with suspicion, "Then, take this lamp!"
"Thank you, Xin Ge! Have a pig's trotters!"
Fang Xin took the pig's trotters from Miao Neng's hand and glanced at Miao Neng's score ring. He only had a few thousand points. "Did you come here just to go straight to that Buddhist temple? Wait a minute, going to the Buddhist temple requires Strength Talent. How did you get in?"
Miao Neng explained, "I have Bodhisattva protection; the restrictions in that place had little effect on me!"
Taking a bite of the pig's trotters, Miao Neng continued, "Our abbot said that scores aren't important; as long as I can return alive, that's good. So, my scores here aren't important. My goals are only two things: first, this place is full of fighting every day, and I'm here to save them and accumulate merit. Second, it's that finger bone. I read about the secret of the finger bone in an ancient text. But luckily, I met you, Xin Ge. If I hadn't met you, my latter half of life would have been over. You are practically my reborn parents! No words can express my gratitude; let's see it in action! From now on, I'll share half of the merit I accumulate with you!"
Situ Shenshu's laughter echoed in Fang Xin's mind, "This is a generous gift! This Little Monk's merit comes with a luck bonus. Sharing half of his merit with you will bring you enduring good luck and even ward off some curses! As his strength increases, his ability to ward off curses will also increase!"
Hearing Situ Shenshu's explanation, Fang Xin was delighted. It seemed that casually saving this Little Monk had such benefits.
Noticing Fang Xin staring at him with a silly grin, Miao Neng covered his backside and shifted positions, "Xin Ge, are you alright? Want some preserved plums?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Remember to keep in touch!"
Miao Neng was baffled. They exchanged contact information. After eating all the pig's trotters he had brought, and meticulously rinsing his mouth, Miao Neng finally bid farewell to Fang Xin, crushed his teleportation talisman, and left the God and Demon Ruins.
Fang Xin glanced at his score ring.
At this moment, the first place on the Dragon-Tiger Rankings had reached ninety-eight thousand points.
Tenth place had also reached sixty-six thousand.
Fang Xin topped up his score ring with over twenty thousand more points, raising his rank from over fiftieth to nineteenth.
Currently, the rankings in the top thirty were very tight, and everyone knew that many people had held back, preparing for a final push.
Fang Xin methodically and intermittently topped up his score ring.
He even deliberately created fluctuating rankings to make his ascent seem less abrupt.
Finally, by noon the next day.
Fang Xin's ranking reached thirteenth, then slowly climbed, inching closer to tenth place, occasionally pretending to let someone overtake him.
Finally, it was the last day of the Dragon-Tiger Rankings settlement.
The Dragon-Tiger Rankings, suspended in the sky, was the focus of everyone's attention.
Fang Xin leisurely coasted into tenth place.
Not long after the countdown for the ranking settlement showed three hours remaining.
Someone couldn't sit still.
Fu Jin, who was originally ranked thirteenth on the Dragon-Tiger Rankings, suddenly saw his points surge by six thousand, firmly pushing Fang Xin's ranking down.
Inside a cave in the God and Demon Ruins.
Fu Jin stared at his score ring, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so teammates in front of him.
"Everyone, I believe that those at the top of the Dragon-Tiger Rankings right now, whether they're pushing or defending their spots, are all prepared. We have many people, but they might not have fewer. Brothers, give me your full support! Let's aim for ninth and secure tenth!"
"Fu Ge, don't worry. The brothers combined have gathered over sixty thousand god and demon marrow, plus your extra ten thousand, that's a total of over eighty thousand. Breaking into the top ten will be as easy as playing a game!"