It was the beginning of another month.
Anshan City, Nine Elements Sect.
"Sect Master, the new Earth Ranking has been released..."
A disciple rushed into the Nine Elements Sect, his voice filled with an indescribable emotion.
"The Earth Ranking is out, so what? And also, don’t call me Sect Master, I’ve already abdicated..."
The Sect Master of the Nine Elements Sect had grown accustomed to defeat over the years and harbored no grand ambitions. Instead, he took on the attitude of a commoner content with leading a quiet life behind closed doors.
One might say that Zhong Shenxiu had beaten him into becoming an old salted fish.
While sipping his tea, he said with indifference, "Tell me, what’s the matter?"
"It’s the Yin Yang Hand, Xun Liuyi. In the latest ranking, he’s been promoted to number thirty-three on the Earth Ranking, and his title has changed to ’Sky Covering Hand’!"
Even as the disciple spoke, he still felt a profound sense of surprise.
The Sect Master of the Nine Elements Sect also spat out a mouthful of tea, his face painted with disbelief.
The Earth Ranking was no ordinary list, and even on the Human Ranking, a meteoric rise of dozens of places would be enough to shock the world.
"All martial artists find their breakthroughs slowing down as they advance, but this ’Sky Covering Hand’ really defies common sense..."
After a long while, the Sect Master of the Nine Elements Sect regained his composure and sighed, "Have Han Nuo speed up the preparations to marry Little Zi off to the Shanyao Gang. Increase her dowry by... no, triple it!"
Watching the departing disciple, he murmured to himself, "Could it be... that our insignificant place might produce a Heavenly List Great Grandmaster?!"
Zhong Shenxiu couldn’t care less about the outside world’s turmoil.
Regarding the Earth Ranking?
It was nothing more than a polite gesture from the Divine Capture Sect, a mere icing on the cake, which even made him scoff inwardly.
’Zhuge WuLiang has never seen the true power of the King of Ten Thousand Slaves. I estimate at least a top twenty Earth Ranking strength, and since I could defeat him, shouldn’t my true combat power be around the top ten of the Earth Ranking?’
’Unfortunately, without breaking into the Heavenly Ranking, it’s still of no great use... The Divine Capture Sect’s Tie Xue might be number one on the Earth Ranking, but due to his martial arts limitations, he will never be able to break through in this lifetime...’
’Therefore, I am the most likely among this generation on the Earth Ranking to be the first to break through to the Heavenly Ranking...’
’Enough of that. Being ranked thirty-third and gaining another wave of Heavenly Show Points is much better than the last world. At least I’m nowhere near reaching my limits...’
In regards to Heavenly Show Points, Zhong Shenxiu now had an entirely new perspective.
Initially, he thought the system absorbed the shock and awe of those around him.
But after delving deeper into the Heavenly Show System, he felt something different.
’On the surface, it’s about absorbing shock and faith, but underneath, it might be something more pure, something deeper... like the origin of each world?’
’Therefore, the ’earnings’ from each world have an upper limit.’
’It’s likely related to the strength of the world. For instance, in the vast expanse where the Second Yan Han Empire resides, a thousand points are but a drop in the bucket, and shearing wool won’t provoke a severe reaction...’
’But in the previous world, which was being invaded, the world’s reaction was violent. Shearing a little was manageable, but once it went beyond bounds, a backlash would occur?’
"Similarly, because the level cap of this world is higher than the previous one, I can obtain more Heavenly Show Points?" Zhong Shenxiu asked.
"Of course, this is based on my current strength. On that day when I can suppress a world with my own power, then I can take as many points as I want..."
"These Heavenly Show Points are precious, it would be best to take them back to the main world for future use... There’s no need to upgrade to Grandmaster level now, as I can already feel that I’ll soon meet the requirements."
While he was pondering, he touched his brow and looked outside.
Yan Wushuang had already arrived, floating gracefully.
"Wushuang, how are your injuries?" Zhong Shenxiu asked, eyeing Yan Wushuang’s cheek, which previously had been covered with bloodshot and ferocious-looking; now, it had miraculously vanished, leaving a complexion clear as jade, shimmering under the sunlight.
Seemingly shy under his gaze, Yan Wushuang lowered her head slightly, her cheeks tinged with a blush: "Thanks to Brother Xun’s reminder, I’m no longer hindered."
On that day, the one who had been seriously injured was Zhuge WuLiang.
Furthermore, because of Zhong Shenxiu’s attitude, Divine Capture Sect now uses Yan Wushuang as an intermediary.
Zhong Shenxiu simply expressed that he would not let himself be used as cannon fodder, but in reality, faced with the threat of Five Poison Sect, he dared not truly turn against the court.
On the surface, both parties maintain a posture of peace.
Even in the subsequent dealings with the Five Poison Sect, there will be cooperation.
"How has the situation with Five Poison Sect been recently?" Zhong Shenxiu inquired about business matters.
"The court has decided to expose the Ten Thousand Slaves Divine Skill and the Five Poison Sect’s conspiracies... With such actions, they have incited the anger of the entire Martial Arts world, and the court is preparing to use this as a banner to rally the might of the Stone Buddha Temple, the Six Void Sect, and others to launch a siege against the Five Poison Sect!" Yan Wushuang answered solemnly.
"This is really... earth-shattering." Zhong Shenxiu murmured to himself. Although such a method of practicing martial arts with human lives was indeed despicable and scorned by Jianghu,
the Dead Body Fist and the Five Elements Thief Palm were not inappropriate in their early stages. To be honest, Five Poison Sect wouldn’t even consider it unless it was cultivated to the Grandmaster realm.
On the contrary, distributing their secret manuals to a certain extent provided many less privileged Martial Artists with opportunities.
It was the other seven major forces that were truly provoked.
Even the Evil King Sect would probably wait happily for the Five Poison Sect to be broken and take the opportunity to snatch the secrets.
After all, it’s a matter of course for Demon Sect members to be opportunistic and treacherous.
"But... what is the court’s determination?" Zhong Shenxiu asked the most critical question.
It’s one thing to slightly weaken the Five Poison Sect’s power in the Great Wu Dynasty, but it’s another to plow the court and storm the headquarters of the Miaojiang Five Poison Sect.
"After the King of Ten Thousand Slaves arrived in the Central Plains, the Five Poison Sect showed a great push to attack Lingnan, and even the Ten Thousand People King took action. This agitated the Lingnan Song family as well..." Yan Wushuang smiled slightly, "This time, with the court taking action, the Song family will support with full force, and in addition to that, the Six Void Sect has also agreed. The Stone Buddha Temple will at least not oppose, and the Langya Wang Family and the Su Yin Sword Sect will remain neutral... The only unclear stance is that of the Evil King Sect, thus Divine Capture Sect plans to take advantage of this opportunity to attack the headquarters of Five Poison Sect, and this time a Royal Court’s Old Tributor will also make a move..."
’A Royal Court’s Old Tributor, that would be a Heavenly Person Grandmaster? The court is very determined... Could it be that the Five Poison Sect is facing an existential threat?’ Zhong Shenxiu thought, then asked another question: "King of Ten Thousand Slaves? Ten Thousand People King? The names of the Saint Son and Sect Hierarch of the Five Poison Sect are quite strange... Moreover, the court’s attitude towards the Five Poison Sect seems rather intense."
"Of course, that’s because the Five Poison Sect was originally established by remnants of the Shang Dynasty. When the Great Wu rose and extinguished the Shang Country, the blood descendants of Shang Jun were almost completely wiped out, but some Shang Dynasty nobles and survivors escaped the Great Wu territory, set up base in the Southern Border, and thus formed the Five Poison Sect... Even the first Sect Hierarch of the Five Poison Sect was a king with a different surname from the Shang Dynasty, hence the successive Sect Hierarchs have all inherited ’King’ as the common character..."