In the height of summer, the scorching sun hung directly overhead. At the edge of the grasslands, a refreshing coolness still lingered. As the wind blew, the green grass swayed like a graceful flowing river.
A figure dashed from afar, robes fluttering like a descending fairy. As the figure drew closer, the pace slowed, revealing a delicate and charming face, around twenty years old, full of youthful vigor and beauty. Her appearance was refined and natural, dressed in a simple lotus-colored gown. Every move she made seemed perfectly attuned to the rhythm of heaven and earth—seemingly ordinary, yet in reality, extraordinary.
She circled around a small hill to confirm she was not being followed. Then, she swiftly darted between two massive boulders, pulled aside some weeds, and slipped into a hidden cave.
Inside the cave, two figures sat in meditation. One was a mature man in his thirties, with disheveled hair, a pale face, and blood still lingering at the corner of his mouth. White mist swirled above his head, and dark tendrils seeped from his body—he was clearly expelling poison and healing his wounds. The other was a young man dressed in fine silk, slightly older than the girl, with a well-proportioned face but lacking in composure.
Seeing the girl return, the young man in silk quickly stood up and approached her with a spontaneous smile: “Miss Yunle, did you find anything?”
Miss Yunle glanced at the wounded man before replying in a hushed tone: “Just a few petty thieves. No one was following us.”
Her voice was calm and steady, yet carried a natural air of authority—an unshakable confidence built from repeated victories. Such confidence was rare, found only in those born as prodigies.
The young man in silk exhaled in relief: “Good, that’s good.”
“Is Master Liang’s condition stable?” Yunle asked, holding a simple yet ancient sword. Despite her young age, she already possessed the aura of a wandering swordsman who could slay foes in ten paces and vanish without a trace.
The young man replied: “Master Liang has already taken a medicinal pill. In about a quarter of an hour, his injuries should stabilize.”
Miss Yunle gave a slight nod and sat cross-legged near the cave’s entrance, half on guard, half resting.
After a few breaths, she pulled out several sheets of paper from her robe and smiled sweetly at the young man: “I didn’t expect even a few small bandits would be concerned about the rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.”
“Haha, changes in the rankings reflect the shifting tides of the martial world. Who wouldn’t care?” The young man leaned closer with a flattering smile. “Is this the latest update?”
Miss Yunle shook her head. A single strand of hair, freed from its restraint, gently swayed beside her cheek: “You’ll have to see for yourself.”
The young man was momentarily entranced, blurting out: “Miss Yunle, after this trip to the grasslands, you’ve reached the state of unity between man and heaven. You’re now fully capable of challenging Fei Kuchan of Huamei Villa for the top spot on the Human List!”
This Miss Yunle’s full name was Mu Yunle. She had already entered the top five of the Human List through her powerful sword techniques during her communion with nature. Now that she had advanced further, there was no doubt she could vie for the top.
Mu Yunle smiled slightly, her snow-white face revealing a faint dimple: “Master Fei has already maintained unity with heaven for three years. If he hadn’t wanted to emulate the seniors and leap directly to the next stage, he could have easily broken through earlier. Moreover, his sword techniques have been personally guided by Master Lu. His skills are no less than mine. Compared to him, I still lack experience and accumulation for the top spot on the Human List.”
That single sentence—his sword techniques are no less than mine—revealed the pride hidden deep within her heart.
The young man in silk gazed at her profile, captivated by her beauty that outshone countless flowers. He inhaled softly and said: “Fei Kuchan is five years older than you, Miss Yunle. By the time you reach his age, you might surpass even him.”
Mu Yunle pursed her lips and smiled, gracefully accepting the compliment without any pretense. She was about to speak when she suddenly paused and sighed: “Speaking of Master Fei reminds me of Master Lu. Thinking of Master Lu makes me regret his ten-year duel agreement with Su Wuming, Senior Su. The match between the two strongest sword immortals in the world will have to wait another three years…”
This was an eagerly anticipated event for every sword cultivator, even if they couldn’t witness it in person.
“Yes,” the young man in silk agreed. “Senior Su attained the Earth Immortal realm eight years ago and now stands on par with Master Lu. Unfortunately, two years ago, the world was beset by turmoil—the resurgence of the Demon Sage and the reappearance of the Dharma King, both now Earth Immortals. Moreover, Taoist Shoujing of the Xuantian Sect and the matriarch of the Xiahou Clan both failed in their attempts to achieve the Dharmakaya and perished. With the demonic races frequently wreaking havoc, as the twin pillars of the righteous path, they had no choice but to postpone their duel by five years.”
Mu Yunle flipped through the Heaven List and found little change compared to two years ago, so she moved directly to the Earth List.
Her eyes lit up: “Senior Jiang has reached the top of the Earth List!”
“Senior Jiang Zhiwei?” The young man in silk was also surprised.
Mu Yunle couldn’t hide her smile, her eyes filled with admiration as she quickly scanned the list: “Recently, Senior Jiang defeated the veteran Half-Step cultivator, the Living Buddha of the Wheel, at the border between the grasslands and the Western Regions, severely wounding him. Thus, she claimed the top spot on the Earth List. Ah, Xijian Pavilion has produced divine swords for two generations in a row, truly outshining all other sects and clans.”
“Defeating the Divine Envoy Feng Dian, defeating the Madman of the Six Oceans, and severely wounding the Living Buddha of the Wheel—Senior Jiang truly deserves the top spot on the Earth List,” the young man in silk sighed, half-sincere and half-flattering, for the beauty before him had always admired “The Supreme Divine Sword” Jiang Zhiwei and regarded her as her role model.
After entering the Earth List, Jiang Zhiwei’s nickname gradually changed. In the past decade, with her brilliant achievements, she had evolved from the “Invincible Sword Maiden” to “The Supreme Divine Sword.”
“The top of the Earth List, the strongest below the Dharmakaya…” Mu Yunle’s eyes sparkled as she imagined the heroic figure of her senior.
“What about the second place?” The young man in silk was also curious and asked eagerly.
Mu Yunle glanced down and her expression suddenly darkened as she gently bit her lower lip.
Oh no, it’s him. The young man in silk already knew who was ranked second on the Earth List.
“The Demon Emperor” Qi Zhengyan!
Mu Yunle was a disciple of the Huanhua Sword Sect, apprenticed to “Qinglian Young Master” Liusu. Qi Zhengyan was her senior master, also from the Huanhua Sword Sect. Initially unremarkable, he gradually rose above his peers and became a key disciple cultivated by the sect. But ten years ago, he mysteriously disappeared, rumored to have fallen into the Nine Hells. Four years ago, he reappeared, having turned to the dark path and become the Master of the Demon Emperor’s Claw, a Half-Step Dharmakaya. Although he hadn’t committed many truly heinous acts, his actions alarmed most sects and clans, who branded him the greatest evil cultivator. Multiple attempts to kill him had failed, and he was feared with the title “The Demon Emperor.”
Deeply shamed, the Huanhua Sword Sect publicly expelled Qi Zhengyan, declaring him an enemy. They even sent out the sect’s treasure weapon under the command of Liusu, who had already reached the peak of the Outreaching Realm, to kill him. However, Qi Zhengyan always avoided confrontation, unwilling to fight.
Thus, the entire Huanhua Sword Sect felt uneasy whenever the name “The Demon Emperor” Qi Zhengyan was mentioned.
Mu Yunle remained silent for a long time before sighing deeply: “My master said that when the Demon Emperor was in the sect, he wasn’t particularly outstanding. Who would have thought that today he would become the strongest figure related to Huanhua Sword Sect…”
“Yes, he once served as the chief in Ye City. My fourth uncle had dealings with him and didn’t think he was particularly remarkable.” The young man in silk was named Wang Tong, a member of the Zhoujun Wang Clan. His fourth uncle was “Righteous Sword” Wang Zai, a formidable figure who had recently broken the family’s record for the youngest master.
The cave’s atmosphere gradually grew heavy. Unconsciously, Mu Yunle continued scanning the list, seeing names like “Calculating All Beings” Wang Siyuan, “Invisible Sword” He Jiu, Gao Lanyi’s adopted daughter “Innocent Earth Immortal” Cao E, Yan Chong, Ruan Yushu, Qing Yu, Shangguan Heng, and even her own master Liusu. All were ranked within the top hundred of the Earth List, even top thirty, top twenty!
The Human List of over a decade ago had been a constellation of stars, unmatched before or since!
And above them all had been a comet-like genius who outshone all others… Wang Tong suddenly sighed. His fourth uncle often drank alone, reminiscing about his missing friend who had vanished nearly ten years ago.
If he were still alive today, who on the Earth List could rival him? Or perhaps, would the Heaven List rankings have changed?
In the silence, the middle-aged man named Liang let out a pained groan, spat out a mouthful of black blood, and opened his eyes.
“Senior Liang, are you alright?” Mu Yunle snapped back to reality and hurriedly asked.
Liang Jiuzhou took a few deep breaths and said: “My injuries are stabilized. I just can’t display my full Outreaching Realm strength temporarily. I must leave soon; delays may bring danger.”
Mu Yunle’s expression turned serious: “Senior Liang, we’ll escort you!”
“This task is dangerous, and you don’t even know the full details. Why trust me so much?” Liang Jiuzhou tried to dissuade them.
Mu Yunle smiled gently: “Senior Gu Changqing and Madam Tangziyue are renowned heroes across the land, and I’ve always deeply admired them. Senior Liang, as sworn brothers of Senior Gu, if he trusts you, we naturally do too!”
These figures were all top experts among the first-rate martial artists, especially Senior Gu Changqing, who was said to have already crossed the first heavenly threshold earlier that year.
“Good!” Liang Jiuzhou’s face turned serious. “I discovered signs of the Longevity Sect’s return on the grasslands, and many sudden strong presences have appeared. I suspect the Longevity Heaven is about to return. This matter must be reported to the Central Plains immediately!”
“Senior Liang, we must act without delay!” Mu Yunle and Wang Tong exchanged glances and spoke in unison.
The three left the hidden cave and quietly headed south. By nightfall, they had crossed the border and entered a solitary mountain range.
At this time, the sky was pitch black, without moon or stars. June weather changed abruptly, and torrential rain began to pour.
“Senior Liang, it’s late and the rain is heavy. It might be difficult to proceed. Let’s find a place to take shelter temporarily,” Mu Yunle suggested through telepathic transmission.
Over the past decade, wild beasts and demons have frequently appeared in the mountains and wilderness, making nighttime travel during heavy rain extremely perilous.
Liang Jiuzhou nodded and looked ahead. Suddenly, he pointed to a distance: “There’s a light over there.”
Mu Yunle and Wang Tong focused their vision. In the darkness, faint yellow lights formed halos, revealing a temple in the distance.
“An old temple with a solitary lamp…” Mu Yunle murmured thoughtfully. “It must be a resting place built by an ascetic monk for travelers. We can go check it out.”
Liang Jiuzhou and Wang Tong had no objections and approached cautiously.
As they drew closer, they saw the temple was in ruins, its mountain gate collapsed. Only the main hall remained intact, with a pond nearby.
Dok, dok, dok… In the night, the monotonous sound of a wooden fish echoed from the temple, cutting through the heavy rain.
For some unknown reason, Mu Yunle, Wang Tong, and Liang Jiuzhou all felt an inexplicable sense of peace.
Dok, dok, dok… The wooden fish echoed far into the rain-soaked night, carrying a sense of serenity and solitude.
Mu Yunle took a deep breath and walked toward the door, intending to knock.
As she approached, her eyes lit up. Through the collapsed mountain gate, she saw lotus flowers blooming in the pond beside the temple, bathed in the dim light of the old lamp.
Endless green lotus leaves stretched toward the sky, and the lotus blossoms glowed red under the rain.
Rain poured, and the wooden fish echoed in the distance…
…
In the Fengshen World.
A man in his thirties looked steadily at his students before him and said solemnly: “I have heard that the Zhou Dynasty’s Treasury of Records has a great sage, well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, versed in etiquette and morality. Today, I wish to go seek his guidance. You all should continue your studies at home.”
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