The World Is Shocked! Clear Sky Sect Ranks Only Eighth!

(The breathtakingly beautiful Hu Liena)

This arrangement silently revealed the undercurrents of power within the Heaven Dou Empire's upper ranks—

On the left, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe stood tall and composed;

Imperial Marshal Ge Long stood solemnly beside him, straight as a pine, his gaze sharp.

The two represented the legitimate crown prince's faction.

On the right, Prince Xue Xing wore a faint, barely perceptible arrogance;

Poison Douluo Dugu Bo stood silently at his side. Though he said nothing, his status as a Titled Douluo was itself a powerful deterrent.

They were, in effect, supporters of the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng.

As Xue Ye watched two of the empire's relied-upon Upper Three Sects rank tenth and eleventh, both near the bottom,

a chill gradually rose in his heart, and an intense sense of crisis enveloped him.

Spirit Hall was already powerful and ambitious.

If they were allowed to rely on the Heavenly Ranking's rewards,

or win over those unknown factions ranked even higher, the Heaven Dou Empire would have no power left to contend with them!

"Qinghe,"

he said in a deep voice, his tone grave,

"once the entire Heavenly Ranking has been revealed, the empire must spare no expense in winning over the sects at the top, especially those hidden sects that never emerge into the world!"

"We must not let Spirit Hall seize the initiative. Otherwise, Heaven Dou will be in grave danger!"

"Rest assured, Father Emperor. Your son understands and will make the proper arrangements."

Xue Qinghe lowered his head and answered respectfully, his posture beyond reproach.

Yet deep within his lowered eyes, a trace of icy mockery and killing intent flashed.

So the supposedly illustrious Upper Three Sects are nothing more than bottom-ranked trash in the eyes of this Heavenly Ranking.

Fine. This is the perfect chance to make the continent see reality for what it is.

If those ranked factions cannot serve Spirit Hall, then there is no need for them to continue existing.

Xue Qinghe raised his head toward the majestic Heavenly Ranking, his gaze resolute and fervent.

Spirit Hall would surely claim first place!

This continent would ultimately grovel beneath Spirit Hall's feet!

At that moment, the Heavenly Ranking changed again. A new rank appeared amid endless golden light:

[Heavenly Ranking, Ninth Place: Body Sect!]

[The Martial Soul is one's own body. With extraordinary talent and a thousand-year hidden legacy that has never been severed, it deserves ninth place on the Heavenly Ranking!]

[Reward: Heavenly Treasure "Knowledge Gem"—the wearer's cultivation speed increases by 10%; one Twenty Thousand Year Soul Bone.]

As the voice of the Heavenly Ranking faded, people across the continent—from commoners and low-level Soul Masters to many nobles—were all utterly bewildered.

"Body Sect? What kind of sect is that?"

"I've never heard of it!"

"The Martial Soul is your own body? What kind of strange Martial Soul is that?"

The vast majority had never heard the name "Body Sect." This result had exceeded everyone's expectations.

Only Lin Jiang, living in seclusion within a small courtyard deep in that remote canyon, showed a trace of understanding in his eyes.

"Body Sect... so it already existed in this era and had developed to such a scale."

He muttered softly, recalling the records from the later era's Peerless Tang Sect.

Yan Shaozhe had once mentioned that their research into Body Martial Souls had lasted more than ten thousand years.

Now that had been confirmed. It seemed this hidden sect, which would only become renowned in later generations, had already risen quietly and accumulated its strength.

At Shrek Academy, Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang, whose expression was still not very good, and asked curiously:

"Teacher, what is so special about a Body Martial Soul?"

"What essential difference does it have from the Beast Martial Souls and Weapon Martial Souls we know?"

Yu Xiaogang's expression stiffened, and his eyes flickered.

He racked his brains, only to discover that he knew very little about records concerning Body Martial Souls.

He could only force himself to remain calm and answer in a vague tone:

"A Body Martial Soul, as the name suggests, is... a Martial Soul formed from a certain part of the body, such as fingernails, teeth, and so on. When cultivated to a high level, it can... it can be quite profound as well..."

Watching his flickering eyes and his obviously unconvincing explanation, Tang San felt a clear trace of doubt for the first time.

The words he had once believed without question—"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters"—echoed in his ears.

But in light of Master's misjudgment regarding the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's ranking,

and his current lack of knowledge about Body Martial Souls, those words now seemed especially hollow and feeble.

Tang San could not help but wonder:

Did this Master, praised as unmatched in theory, truly possess real knowledge and ability?

Did he accept me as his disciple merely because he valued my talent,

or... because I possess the rare Twin Martial Souls and am the perfect tool to prove his theories?

Once that thought emerged, it quietly spread like a vine, leaving Tang San unable to calm his mind.

Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's main hall, Ning Fengzhi gently stroked the scepter in his hand. Looking at the words "Body Sect" on the Heavenly Ranking, his expression was more solemn than ever:

"The Martial Soul is one's own body... I never imagined that this continent still concealed a hidden sect we know nothing about,"

"and one so powerful that it ranks above our sect..."

He felt an oppressive sense of an approaching storm.

Within Spirit Hall's Pope's Palace.

Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the information on the Heavenly Ranking concerning the Body Sect, lost in thought.

Yue Guan quietly asked Gui Mei beside him, his tone puzzled:

"Old Ghost, your Ghostly Charm Martial Soul exists between substance and illusion. Could it count as a kind of Body Martial Soul?"

The black mist around Gui Mei fluctuated. He shook his head, his voice hoarse:

"No way to know. The mysteries of Body Martial Souls are likely known only to the Body Sect itself."

Bibi Dong's cold voice rang out, carrying unquestionable authority:

"To rank ninth and surpass the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they cannot be ordinary."

"Since they have now appeared, Spirit Hall cannot turn a blind eye."

"Pass down the order. Have the intelligence division gather all information on this sect at once!"

"If their stance conflicts with Spirit Hall's, they will become a grave threat in the future!"

"Yes! We obey Your Excellency's command!"

Yue Guan and Gui Mei answered in unison, their expressions solemn.

Within Clear Sky Sect's hidden great hall, blanketed in ice and snow.

Sect Master Tang Xiao sat in the seat of honor.

Five white-haired Titled Douluo elders, their auras as vast as the sea, stood on either side. The entire hall was filled with a heavy yet excited atmosphere.

This was the highest secret meeting, one that concerned the sect's fate.

The Seventh Elder was the first to break the silence, his laughter filled with undisguised contempt and delight:

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan have actually fallen to tenth and eleventh place at the bottom of the rankings!"

"They have utterly disgraced the Upper Three Sects!"

"With strength like that, they dare be mentioned alongside Clear Sky Sect as the Upper Three Sects? What a joke!"

No one spoke in rebuttal. Several elders even curled their lips in agreement.

Everyone present took pride in the world's number one Weapon Martial Soul—the Clear Sky Hammer. Their faces were filled with disdain for all the heroes of the world.

They firmly believed that, with the sect's terrifying strength of seven Titled Douluo and the Clear Sky Hammer's supreme edge,

Clear Sky Sect would certainly rank near the top of the Heavenly Ranking this time. At the very least, it would be among the top three. Perhaps... even contending for first place was not impossible!

This was the perfect opportunity for the sect to end its seclusion, return to the continent, and take revenge on Spirit Hall!

Tang Xiao's eyes flashed like lightning as he swept his gaze across every elder present. He spoke in a deep voice, carrying unquestionable resolve:

"Once the Heavenly Ranking bestows a Divine Artifact, that will be the day Clear Sky Sect returns to the world!"

"When that time comes, we must quickly contact every faction on the continent dissatisfied with Spirit Hall, form an alliance to punish them, and wash away our past humiliation!"

In his heart, he had already mapped out a grand vision of uniting every faction and marching straight upon Spirit City.

It was as though he could already see the Clear Sky banner flying once more atop the continent.

Yet just as their ambitions soared, the golden light in the sky changed again.

The vast voice of the heavens fell like an icy iron hammer, smashing viciously into the hearts of every Clear Sky Sect disciple:

[Heavenly Ranking Faction Ranking, Eighth Place: Clear Sky Sect!]

[The world's number one Weapon Martial Soul, with seven Titled Douluo in one sect, deserves eighth place on the Heavenly Ranking!]

[Reward: Heavenly Treasure "Knowledge Gem"—the wearer's cultivation speed increases by 10%; one Thirty Thousand Year Soul Bone.]

"E-Eighth?!"

Tang Xiao shot to his feet from the seat of honor, his tiger eyes wide.

The color instantly drained from his face, and his body trembled slightly from extreme shock and rage.

The entire hall was deathly silent. A pin drop could be heard.

Their lofty ambitions and their prideful disdain for the world had now all turned into incredulous fury and bone-piercing despair.

At that moment, a stream of light descended, carrying the Thirty Thousand Year Soul Bone and the emerald Knowledge Gem into the center of the hall.

The reward symbolizing eighth place was now unbearably glaring in their eyes, more like a merciless mockery.

"Boom—!"

At that instant, the entire continent erupted into an uproar, as if a pot had exploded!

"Eighth?! Is this some kind of joke? That's the Clear Sky Hammer, the world's number one Weapon Martial Soul!"

"Even Qian Xunji, Spirit Hall's previous Pope, died at the hands of the Clear Sky Douluo. With such terrifying strength, they only rank eighth?!"

"This is insane! Has the Heavenly Ranking gone mad?! What kind of monsters are the seven factions above them?!"

At this moment, those least able to accept it—and those who felt the deepest humiliation and despair—were naturally the people of Clear Sky Sect.