Xiao Fenhua was taken aback.

Her two accompanying clan members were also surprised at first, but soon understood and looked at Qin Ruqing with a hint of sympathy.

It seemed that Qin Ruqing was quite concerned about her unfortunate situation and had come to ask for a bit of good luck from the clan head.

Realizing this, Xiao Fenhua couldn’t help but smile. “Actually, luck isn’t something that can be relied on too much. But… Fairy Ruqing, I wish you good luck!”

Tears welled up in Qin Ruqing’s eyes as she thought, “Alright, lucky one, I hope your good words will bring a miracle for me in the single draw.”

The staff from the Celestial Bureau led them to a place called “Qunying Garden,” and politely said, “This is where the top talents of the leaderboard will be staying.”

They handed out room number tags to each of them and then took their leave.

Qirong, playing with the small jade tag in his hand, remarked in surprise, “Even the rooms are assigned by ranking!”

So, Qin Ruqing’s room number tag was one.

She rotated the jade tag with a smile and said, “I suspect even the rooms will have different levels.”

When they arrived, they found it was true—about ten rooms made up a group, and every group had rooms of progressively lower quality.

Luwei, seeing this, was more worried than displeased. “Such differentiation might lead to complaints from the participants and create conflicts.”

Qin Ruqing smiled and said mysteriously, “Perhaps the Celestial Bureau actually wants to provoke such conflicts.”

Tang Zifeng, observing Qin Ruqing’s expression, said proactively, “You must be tired today. You should rest early.”

Even though Qin Ruqing always appeared full of energy, Tang Zifeng could keenly sense the subtle changes in her demeanor and tone.

Qin Ruqing appreciated Tang Zifeng’s thoughtfulness. ElderTang is so considerate.

After returning to her room, Qin Ruqing’s first action was to open her system interface and check the status.

She wanted to see how her progress was after the first round of the tournament, especially focusing on her task progress.

She was particularly interested in the “Facade Task.”

Qin Ruqing thought, with the grand showcase on the leaderboard and the perfect score with so many bonuses, her fame and reputation should have increased significantly.

Qin Ruqing lay back on the bed, feeling quite satisfied with her plan. “I’m going to save up my energy and prepare my luck for the single draw tonight!”

After some time, Qin Ruqing suddenly opened her eyes.

It wasn’t because she was preparing for her draw but because she sensed someone approaching.

The footsteps and aura were completely unfamiliar.

Qin Ruqing silently sat up and extended her spiritual sense, intending to gauge the visitor’s intentions.

However, her spiritual probe was gently pushed back, as if someone had casually petted a cat.

Puzzled, Qin Ruqing listened as a low, seductive female voice spoke from outside the door.

“Qin Ruqing, may I come in?”

It was a standard seductively authoritative tone.

Qin Ruqing quickly sprang off the bed, straightened her appearance, and cleared her throat. “Please come in!”

The visitor was none other than Director Feng.

She was an incredibly alluring woman, and her presence was amplified by the dim light of the candles in the room.

Qin Ruqing, who had a penchant for admiring beautiful women, eagerly took in the sight before her.

After a thorough appreciation, she bowed respectfully and said, “Good evening, Director Feng.”

Feng Qinxue noticed the appreciative glimmer in Qin Ruqing’s eyes and couldn’t help but smile internally.

This girl had an interesting personality.

Feng Qinxue’s gaze scanned the room before finally settling on Qin Ruqing’s face. She smiled and asked, “I hope my late visit hasn’t disturbed your rest?”

Qin Ruqing, while inviting Feng Qinxue to sit down, replied, “Not at all. In fact, I still have activities planned for the night.”

Feng Qinxue took a seat gracefully and looked around the room. “I wanted to see how you were settling in after the first round. The selection process can be quite demanding, and I thought you might need a bit of support.”

Qin Ruqing smiled, “Thank you for your concern. Everything has been going smoothly so far.”

Feng Qinxue nodded, “I’m glad to hear that. If you have any needs or questions, feel free to let me know. I’m here to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible for you.”

As the conversation continued, Qin Ruqing couldn’t help but feel a bit curious about Feng Qinxue’s visit. What could be the purpose behind this late-night check-in?

But when she saw the task progress, she was still startled.

The facade task progressed halfway!

Qin Ruqing muttered in shock, “Wow, I’m really making a big name for myself!”

Did the power of being the top scorer have such an impact?

Or was there a special significance to those three blasts that she didn’t know about?

Or maybe her fame had been artificially boosted somehow?

“Well, it’s normal for the task’s progress to be quick at the beginning, given the high attention of the Hundred Clans Conference. With my performance, it’s expected that my fame would increase rapidly. But as time goes on, simple fame alone probably won’t be enough. I’ll need to compete directly with other talented individuals from different clans.”

Qin Ruqing nodded to herself and started checking her rewards.

When she saw what the system had sent, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow, system, you’re really generous this time, giving me two lottery chances? You know I was planning to do a single draw today and wanted to have more chances, right?”

Adding the rewards from the previous family promotion, Qin Ruqing now had four lottery chances in total.

“Ah, if it weren’t for the special timing, I’d actually consider saving up for a ten-draw. The last Golden Item was just too tempting…”

“But well… I’ve already decided.”

After serving Director Feng a cup of tea, Qin Ruqing asked, “May I ask why Director Feng has come to see me? Is there something you need to discuss regarding the conference?”

She had some idea already, but she needed to play dumb and drag it out at the beginning.

Feng Qinxue looked at Qin Ruqing, her red lips curling into a subtle smile as she got straight to the point. “Don’t you already know? I came to find you right after the conference to recruit you.”

Wow, Director, you’re so direct, it’s hard for me to respond!

Qin Ruqing feigned surprise and said, “I am overwhelmed by the honor. To think that Director Feng would personally come to recruit me, I am truly flattered…”

Before she could finish, Director Feng gave her a soft look and cut her off, “You girl, why do you keep changing your demeanor? Aren’t you all high and aloof outside, and now you’re being so slick with me?”

Well, the aloof demeanor is part of the persona I need to maintain outside.

Qin Ruqing smiled and then became serious, “I felt the Director’s sincerity even before the conference started. However, as for my association with the Fifth Family…” Her face showed a hint of difficulty.

Feng Qinxue snorted, “Do you think I don’t know you’ve already made connections with the Fifth Family? The Qin family is a Southern Domain family. When they see a promising talent like you, how could they not act first?”

“Your records show that you went to Xiling, entered a small floating realm, and came back with a rapid improvement in your cultivation. Besides your own extraordinary talent, it’s clear that Fifth Lingyu must have made things easier for you!”

Wow, Director, you’re so perceptive, you even guessed about the “convenient doors.”

Seeing the little girl’s expression, Feng Qinxue knew she was right and said with a nonchalant air, “Although I’m not in charge of the Southern Domain, I know about the small floating island. There must be good things inside, and people from the Fifth Family would certainly want to help you access them.”

“Of course, it’s only natural to do a few tricks.”

“But when you say that, it makes me think that people from your Celestial Families are all the same.”

Feng Qinxue added, “Moreover, this Floating Island is inherently special…” She glanced at Qin Ruqing and deliberately lowered her voice, “It is a moving fragment that fell from the Ruins.”

Oh?

That’s explosive news.

Qin Ruqing was surprised inside but remained calm on the outside, slowly fluttering her eyelashes, looking innocent and clueless.

Seeing Qin Ruqing’s reaction, Feng Qinxue realized that this girl was the type who needed to see real benefits to believe in them. Instead of beating around the bush, it was better to show her some concrete advantages.

Feng Qinxue gently tapped the side of her cup with her red-painted fingernail.

The clear sound seemed to be a signal, and she directly revealed a significant piece of information:

“Do you know that although the Hundred Clan Conference offered ten Ruins slots, the actual number of people who entered the Void Realm is far greater?”

It seemed that Director Feng was ready to give her some substantial information. Qin Ruqing sat up straight and nodded, “I had some guesses.”

The Void Realm is an incredibly important place, yet the Hundred Clan Conference only offered ten slots.

What about the rest?

The two Celestial Families didn’t even participate in the battle, and not all the Golden Ranks were present.

Could these upper-class families really just let go of such a big opportunity like the Ruins?

Qin Ruqing knew it was impossible. It seemed more like the upper class had already divided the prime cuts of meat, and only scraps were left for the lower families to fight over.

It might sound harsh, but that’s the reality.

As expected, Director Feng said, “You’re a smart kid. I won’t beat around the bush. The Ruins slots offered by the Hundred Clan Conference are at most no more than thirty percent of the total slots.”

Qin Ruqing’s pupils slightly contracted. Less than thirty percent was even lower than she had thought.

Qin Ruqing really wanted to know who got the remaining seventy percent, but from Director Feng’s demeanor, it seemed like a closely guarded secret she wasn’t willing to reveal in detail.

Director Feng continued, “Among the upper families, at least two talented individuals will be chosen to compete for the top position. The less capable one will participate in the Hundred Clan Conference to compete for a Ruins slot, while the more formidable one…”

Qin Ruqing continued calmly, “The truly talented ones are naturally cultivated in secret, allowing them to fully prepare for entering the Void Realm.”

As long as they can seize opportunities in the Ruins and stay alive, they could achieve great success.

This is the backup plan.

Director Feng nodded. “These families have been established for over a thousand years, and they possess countless secret techniques and hidden cards. The elite seeds they cultivate are more powerful than you can imagine.”

Director Feng gestured towards Qin Ruqing. “With your talent, there are at least five or more like you, and in reality, there are likely even more.”

After speaking, Feng Qinxue carefully observed Qin Ruqing’s reaction, only to find that the girl didn’t even bat an eyelash.

Usually, geniuses are young and proud, and Feng Qinxue’s statement almost implied that Qin Ruqing was just one among many. Yet, Qin Ruqing didn’t even flinch or show any sign of agitation.

Perhaps Feng Qinxue’s desire to see Qin Ruqing’s reaction was too obvious, so Qin Ruqing deliberately smiled and said, “Director Feng, are you telling me this to…”

“Are you trying to hit me intentionally?” she said, showing a distressed expression.