Chapter 665: The New Rankings

At the summit of the snow-capped mountains.

Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged, buried under layers of accumulated snow, his form resembling nothing more than a snowman. Yet, he paid no heed to the biting cold, wholly immersed in cultivating the ‘Heart-Refining Secret Art.’

“Dongbo Xueying.”

A familiar voice reached him—it was the voice of the Yuanchu Master. Dongbo Xueying momentarily halted his cultivation.

Simultaneously, a copy of the Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking was transmitted to him.

“Boom!” The snow and ice encasing him exploded outward as Dongbo Xueying rose to his feet, a faint smile playing on his lips. “The Yuanchu Master actually ranked me this high. I thought I’d be at the very bottom among the Venerables. It seems slaying two of the Matriarch Sect’s Protectors has boosted my standing.”

The newly revised Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking:

First place remained unshaken—Bloodblade Divine Emperor, unfathomable and unrivaled.

Second, the Abyssal Progenitor.

Third, the Yuanchu Master.

These three had always held their positions firmly. Before Pang Yi’s breakthrough, the other five Overlords each excelled in certain aspects, but in true combat, the gap between them and the top three was evident.

Fourth, Pang Yi.

Fifth, the Netherworld Overlord.

Sixth, the Island Master of Time and Space.

Seventh, the Master of Ten Thousand Halls.

Eighth, Lady Qianhe.

Ninth, the Bloodfiend Overlord.

The newly ascended Overlord, Pang Yi, had immediately claimed the fourth spot, surpassing even the Island Master of Time and Space and the other four Overlords, pressing close to the top three. Typically, newly ascended Overlords required time to stabilize and accumulate strength, yet Pang Yi had suppressed several of the older Overlords right after his breakthrough—a testament to his extraordinary prowess.

Next came the Venerables.

Tenth, Qing Jun.

Eleventh, the Silent Extinction Emperor.

Twelfth, the Witch Centipede Emperor.

Thirteenth, the Water Demon King.

Fourteenth, the White Monarch.

Fifteenth, the Ascetic.

…

Twenty-fifth, the Destruction Monarch.

…

Thirty-third, Dongbo Emperor.

…

Sixty-fifth, Hui Ming.

…

One-hundredth, Ancestor Ba Xiong.

In the Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking, there were nine Overlords and thirty-six Venerables (including Zhushan and Dongbo Xueying). This meant the lowest-ranked Venerable stood at forty-fifth.

“I’m ranked thirty-third, with twelve Venerables below me,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. He was far from being a top-tier Venerable, merely one among the ordinary. Yet, many of these ordinary Venerables had lived for eons, some even longer than the Bloodblade Divine Emperor. They had traversed countless experiences, forged their own paths, deciphered the mysteries of the cosmos, and studied remnants of past epochs, mastering myriad techniques.

With such accumulated wisdom, most ordinary Venerables were anything but ordinary. Some even wielded formidable treasures.

Take the Destruction Monarch, for instance. Though an ordinary Venerable, he was the Bloodblade Divine Emperor’s master. The Divine Emperor owed him a great debt of gratitude—how could he lack treasures? Among ordinary Venerables, he ranked near the top at twenty-fifth.

Dongbo Xueying was of middling strength among ordinary Venerables.

His ‘Illusory Path’ granted him exceptional survival skills, but that alone wasn’t enough to surpass twelve ancient Venerables. However, his feat of slaying two Matriarch Sect Protectors proved his offensive capabilities were no weakness, thus elevating his rank.

“Senior Brother Hui Ming is impressive too—just transcended and already ranked sixty-fifth. The cultivation method created by Overlord Pang Yi is truly miraculous,” Dongbo Xueying remarked in admiration.

…

While Dongbo Xueying regarded the ranking with calm and mild satisfaction, many powerhouses across the Divine Realm and Abyss were stunned upon seeing the latest Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking.

Hui Ming, having transcended under Pang Yi’s tutelage and now ranked sixty-fifth, was surprising but acceptable—after all, the legends surrounding Overlord Pang Yi’s cultivation method had long circulated.

Pang Yi himself ranked fourth among Overlords—a position most deemed reasonable.

But—

“Dongbo Xueying?” Many mighty figures and ordinary Venerables were left speechless.

Few knew of Dongbo Xueying’s slaying of the Matriarch Sect Protectors. Most had never even heard of the Matriarch Sect, and only a handful of top-tier Venerables and Overlords were privy to the details. To many, Dongbo Xueying remained merely an exceptionally talented Four-Heavens God.

True, he had once suppressed the Bamboo Sage, but history had seen other monstrously talented Four-Heavens Gods.

Yet—

The Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking had placed Dongbo Xueying among the Venerables, and not at the bottom—but squarely in the middle, surpassing twelve Venerables. This was unprecedented. In the entire history of the cosmos, such a phenomenon had only occurred once before—with the Zhushan Mansion Master.

“Thirty-third?”

“Dongbo Xueying at thirty-third? How… how is this possible?”

“Could this be a mistake? But the Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking is compiled by the legendary Yuanchu Master—he wouldn’t err. There must be solid proof. Has Dongbo Xueying, like the Zhushan Mansion Master, forged his own path?”

Only those ranked within the top hundred received the ranking.

Their perspectives were far broader than those of Four-Heavens Gods, who might assume the Zhushan Mansion Master’s longevity was due to secret techniques. Those in the top hundred knew the truth—the Zhushan Mansion Master had forged his own path as a Four-Heavens God and cultivated it to an extraordinary level, standing among the top Venerables. Now, it seemed the cosmos had birthed another such existence.

“Dongbo Xueying forged his own path? Really?”

“He’s only been cultivating for what—a million years?”

“Brother Huo Cheng, has Emperor Dongbo truly forged a path?”

Across the Divine Realm and Abyss, factions buzzed with discussions about the latest ranking. Even those too weak to receive the ranking heard the news from friends—the revelations this time were too shocking. Word spread like wildfire, reaching nearly every Venerable and mighty figure.

Many who had ties with Dongbo Xueying sent their congratulations.

“Emperor Dongbo, congratulations! To forge a path as a Four-Heavens God—you are only the second in the history of the cosmos.”

“What’s there to congratulate? He still can’t transcend.”

“Emperor Dongbo forged a path in a mere million years—transcendence should be effortless.”

Messages poured in, and Dongbo Xueying responded to each.

…

Initially, the revelation of the ranking stirred waves, but soon another rumor began circulating.

“With Pang Yi becoming an Overlord, the Bloodblade Divine Court’s Three Ancestors are down by one. Now, the new Three Ancestors should be the Destruction Monarch, the Zhushan Mansion Master, and Emperor Dongbo.”

The news spread naturally.

Top-tier figures like Qing Jun, Huo Cheng Venerable, the Witch Centipede Emperor, and the Water Demon King raised no objections—they knew Dongbo Xueying had slain two Matriarch Sect Protectors. That feat alone justified his place among the Three Ancestors.

Weaker Venerables and ordinary mighty figures, however, muttered among themselves:

“The Zhushan Mansion Master is a top-tier Venerable. Pang Yi, before becoming an Overlord, rivaled them. Even the weakest of the three, the Destruction Monarch, ranks twenty-fifth with profound accumulations. Now, with Pang Yi ascended, Dongbo Xueying joins the Three Ancestors? Ranked thirty-third… he’s the weakest among them.”

Though they grumbled, feeling Dongbo Xueying lowered the Three Ancestors’ prestige, they begrudgingly acknowledged his status as a Venerable—barely qualifying for the position.

But—

The news of the Three Ancestors drew intense scrutiny from Four-Heavens Gods and even weaker cultivators. Many dreamed of studying under the Three Ancestors. Now, with Pang Yi’s ascension, they heard that Dongbo Xueying had taken his place?

“Dongbo Xueying?”

“He’s one of the Three Ancestors? A mere Four-Heavens God?”

“Who’s spreading such nonsense? How is this a joke? He’s barely been cultivating—how does he deserve to be an Ancestor?”