At high noon, under the blazing sun.
Within the Dragon Gate, golden light shimmered upon the waters.
The bustle by the Fish-Dragon Lake rivaled that of the martial arts summit held earlier at Hengyun Sword City, with an unusually large gathering of warriors from across the jianghu.
All had come at the behest of Hengyun Sword City’s favor, summoned to discuss matters of great importance.
“Why has Sword City urgently called us here? Could something major have happened?”
“Could it be related to the events in the Southern Border?”
“The Southern Suppressing King’s delegation has already arrived in our Yunzhou. With him absent from the Southern Border, could chaos truly have broken out there?”
“Speaking of which, during the last ranking viewing, Young Master Li and Fairy Ying were said to be slaying demons in the Southern Border…”
“What a pity. I came to Yunzhou hoping to catch a glimpse of their brilliance.”
The murmurs of the jianghu crowd soon quieted.
For words had begun to materialize upon the Dragon Gate.
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 100th Place: Xiao Qin]
[Martial Arts: Two Apertures of Insight, mastery of Six Harmonies Fist, proficiency in Black Iron Wind-Severing Sword, learned a profound form-mimicking martial art. At the Insight Realm, possesses over ten superior forms and two extreme forms, with no obvious weaknesses. Also wields a secret technique.]
[Achievements: Fought the Concealed Wolf King, who had eight Apertures of Insight, trading severe injuries for the crippling of his opponent’s leg; sparred with Lei Jiaojiao, ranked in the top 20 of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, holding his ground at the same realm.]
[Title: Severing Wind, Broken Sword]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 86th Place: Huang Donglai]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 68th Place: Xu Yi]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 60th Place: Zhong Zhenyue.]
...
Zhong Zhenyue’s rank had climbed another five spots.
Yet this achievement did nothing to break the silence in the second floor of the tavern, as if even the clamor below could not reach them.
“Father, since you bear His Majesty’s decree, I shall take my leave soon.”
Zhong Zhenyue declared resolutely.
Zhong Qin’s eyelids lowered slightly. Even now, the Southern Suppressing King remained unshaken.
“But the Southern Pass still stands. Without royal orders, if I abandon my post and become a deserter, I would be executed under military law in the face of the enemy.”
Zhong Zhenyue did not hesitate.
Even if Qingmu City had fallen, at least the Southern Pass remained.
If he did not return, the soldiers there would be left leaderless, and the Southern Pass might collapse as well.
But before leaving, he wanted to confirm one thing on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
Brother Li… was he still alive?
Moments later, the rankings reached the eighth spot.
Zhong Zhenyue did not see the name he sought.
Neither Li Mo nor Ying Bing appeared.
The two elders from Hengyun Sword City paled.
Eighth, seventh, sixth—still nothing.
Did this mean the two youths who had left an indelible mark on Hengyun Sword City’s history had perished alongside Qingmu City?
The hearts of those who shared their sentiment sank.
But the next instant, Zhong Zhenyue’s eyes widened.
He pointed at the bold, silver-hooked characters on the Dragon Gate, mouth agape, yet no sound came out.
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 5th Place: Ying Bing]
[Martial Arts: Five Apertures of Insight, Sword Heart’s Clarity, martial arts mastery reaching the pinnacle of creation. Wields an immensely powerful secret technique; observed divine forms unknown.]
[Achievements: Current top disciple of Qingyuan Sect, Yunzhou’s Sword Prodigy, Divine Maiden of the Azure Phoenix. Crossed realms to slay numerous calamity beasts in the Southern Border. During the Battle of Qingmu City, commanded armies with peerless skill, directing tens of thousands of soldiers as if they were extensions of her will, forming a battle array comparable to an external vista. Mastered the musical arts of the Azure Phoenix Clan, surpassing even her teacher. Summoned the True Phoenix, forcing high-tier calamity beasts to retreat.]
[Title: Goddess of Gushe, Frost Fairy]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 4th Place: Li Mo]
[Martial Arts: Five Apertures of Insight, mastery of the hammer path reaching the heavens, form-mimicking martial arts at the pinnacle of creation; observed divine forms unknown.]
[Achievements: Slaughtered former 16th-ranked Helian Wu, displaying the prowess of a warrior who could face ten thousand foes alone. Withstood the assault of countless soldiers, beheaded the former dynasty’s Grand Preceptor, dispelled the Blood God’s phantom, shaking the Southern Border with his might. Alongside Ying Bing, defended Qingmu City, wielding the Heaven-Reversing Hammer to avert catastrophe.]
[Title: Wife-Fortune Battle Soul, Divine Hammer Young Hero]
Silence fell over Fish-Dragon Lake.
No one even glanced at the top three of the Hidden Dragon Ranking—the Crown Prince, the Young Master of Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor, and the Demon-Calling Sect’s Holy Son—whose names had been discussed endlessly before.
If there was anything left to discuss, it was whether these three would still hold their positions next time…
Countless faces in Yunzhou’s jianghu wore expressions of disbelief, as if trapped in a dream.
The bad news: Many had guessed correctly—the Southern Border had indeed faced disaster, worse than imagined.
The good news: The matter had already been resolved.
A crisis even experts from the Human and Earth Rankings might not have handled had been settled by two rising stars of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
In the tavern—
“Huh? This…”
Zhong Zhenyue stood dumbfounded.
He had just steeled himself for a desperate last stand, psyching himself up for battle.
Now, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him.
“...”
Elder Xu’s face flushed red before he finally managed to speak:
“They’re so young—how can they be this damn impressive?”
“Good, good…”
Elder Zeng exhaled deeply, unable to suppress a grin.
He had thought the story was over, yet it only grew more legendary. What else was there to say?
“Does this mean we don’t need to rally the heroes to defend Yunzhou?”
“Hahaha, since they’re already here, let’s invite them to Sword City for a drink!”
“Exactly! Let’s toast to our Sword Prodigy and Hammer Immortal—this calls for celebration!”
The elders cheered, with Elder Zeng even claiming inspiration had struck—he’d compose two poems tonight.
Zhong Qin, who had remained unshaken even in the face of catastrophe, finally relaxed slightly, though his expression grew more complicated.
He glanced up at the three suns in the sky.
The weight on his shoulders remained.
“Set out for the capital.”
The Southern Suppressing King’s voice was calm once more.
Zhong Zhenyue opened his mouth to speak, but Zhong Qin cut him off:
“They will come to the Imperial Capital eventually. You can wait for them there.”
“Yes, Father.”
...
Eastern Wasteland Domain, Ziyang Prefecture City.
Ziyang Prefecture City had no Dragon Gate, but every issue of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Rankings was posted on the notice board by the city gates.
The Qingyuan Sect ensured its dissemination.
Any sect granted land by the imperial court would receive the news around the same time.
And now, the news had arrived.
Inside the Joyful Hotpot Restaurant, silence reigned.
The elders exchanged glances, recalling how, at the start of the year, the boy had been a clueless novice, untouched by martial arts, while the girl had been plagued by a life-threatening chill.
Now, their names stood side by side in the top five of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
They had become renowned across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, true legends in the making.
Had it really been so short a time?
Why did it feel like an eternity had passed?
“No need to leave now, hahaha! We’re staying!”
Xue Jing grinned from ear to ear.
"That brat, why hasn't he responded to my Heartbound Bell when he's clearly fine?"
Shang Wu was inwardly delighted, but her stunningly beautiful face wore a pout as she planted her hands on her hips, vowing to squeeze her precious disciple Li Mo dry once he returned.
"Five Mystic Crystals—five! I should never have fully charged the battleship in one go."
Elder Qian's face twitched with pain at the thought:
"Ah well, what's done is done. Let's eat first."