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."
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
