"King Ming has become even stronger!"
Zhang Tao's eyes were wary, and his expression grew increasingly grave.
Li Zhen and Nan Yunyue looked equally solemn.
The moment the Sky Screen's rewards were issued, they had secretly investigated. King Ming's strength now seemed second only to Heaven Suppressing King's. He had already surpassed them.
Unless Zhang Tao or another human Peak had been hiding their strength!
After all, nobody knew who would make the ranking next.
Li Zhen and Nan Yunyue exchanged a silent glance, then both looked at Zhang Tao, signaling to each other.
"Li Zhen, do you think Zhang Tao can make the ranking?"
"He definitely can."
Li Zhen's face darkened. Zhang Tao was definitely devious enough to make the ranking. After all, his schemes were even more formidable than King Ming's.
Nan Yunyue nodded. Zhang Tao really was devious.
She suddenly regretted not becoming a sneak sooner. If she had, perhaps she could have gotten a reward by sticking with Zhang Tao.
Li Zhen was too simpleminded to have what it took to be Old Six, but she did.
Unfortunately, it was too late to change her ways now.
All she could do was watch Zhang Tao.
Zhang Tao hadn't noticed Li Zhen and Nan Yunyue exchanging glances. He stared at the Sky Screen, his heart heavy.
King Ming was powerful, but Zhang Tao didn't think he was unbeatable.
But the Sky Screen's description chilled him to the bone, even filling him with despair!
[The Origin Source Dao sheds its false shell and becomes real, resolving hidden dangers within one's Origin Source and freeing one from the restraints of the Origin Source.]
"The Sky Screen describes this as a basic reward. Doesn't that mean the Earth Cave's Origin Source Dao is false, and that the Origin Source Dao of every Earth Cave True King is constrained by the Origin Source?"
"Is it only the Earth Cave's Origin Source Dao that's false, or is the Origin Source Dao of the entire Three Realms false, all of it constrained by the Origin Source?!
"Where is the Origin Source, and who is controlling everything?"
Zhang Tao felt his hands and feet grow cold.
Just thinking about someone secretly controlling the fate of everyone who had stepped onto the Origin Source Dao made his blood run cold.
Zhang Tao wasn't the only one who had noticed. Quite a few human Peaks and Earth Cave True Kings had sensed it too.
War King, Sword King, King Feng, King Baishan, King Pingshan, King Huai... Almost every Peak and True King was shocked, even afraid!
Their Origin Source Dao might all be false!
"Old Ghost, did you know there were hidden dangers in the Origin Source Dao? And what exactly is the Origin Source?"
In Star Suppressing City, War King stared at Heaven Suppressing King and wouldn't stop talking.
Heaven Suppressing King was also surprised. The Sky Screen had revealed the problems with the Origin Source Dao and the Origin Source so casually. Wasn't it afraid of throwing the Three Realms into chaos?
Then again, the Sky Screen had already caused a commotion with its revelations. This unknown entity might simply be the sort that wanted to see the world burn.
"Old Ghost, say something! Don't just sit there pretending to be mute!"
When Heaven Suppressing King ignored him, War King growled.
"Enough noise!"
Heaven Suppressing King shot War King a look and tossed him out of his territory. "Stop bothering me!"
"That old ghost..."
War King was speechless. The situation was critical, and Old Ghost still wanted to keep them in the dark.
"Looks like we can only wait for the Sky Screen to reveal more."
Meanwhile, at Yangcheng No. 1 High School, a certain security guard lounged in a rocking chair, holding a cup of coconut juice as he watched the Sky Screen with interest.
"This Sky Screen is pretty interesting, but the entertainment's a bit tame.
"When will it expose Qiong, the God Emperor, and Hong, the Earth Emperor? Now that would be a real show!"
"Yang God, that old prankster, must be having a grand time watching the spectacle."
At Southern Martial University, Zhang Xuan came out after showering and looked at the Sky Screen with a smile.
He wasn't from Yang City, so he'd never met Yang God, the gatekeeper at Yangcheng No. 1 High School. He hadn't dared go there before, either.
But he knew Yang God was an old prankster who loved watching the fun.
Unfortunately, Yang God couldn't be considered Old Six, and Zhang Xuan hadn't put him on the Sneaky Ranking. Otherwise, he really would have liked to see Yang God's comical reaction when the spectacle turned out to be about him.
"The real show's only just begun!"
Humming a little tune, Zhang Xuan began checking the rewards the system had given him.
The system's rewards were extremely generous.
First, it had pushed his bone honing to the limit, giving him an incredibly solid foundation.
He'd previously only honed his bones once, but now even the geniuses who had undergone Triple Bone Honing couldn't compare to him!
Next, he could Transcend the Three Realms, free from the restraints of the Origin Source and the Seed.
And then there was the Tree of Life, which could produce an endless supply of vitality for him to use in leveling up.
And more.
"I'm invincible!"
Zhang Xuan felt completely at ease. He was going to be invincible!
The very first reward was already this powerful. A few more, and he'd be invincible outright!
His fantasies of holding the Spirit Emperor in his arms and standing with the Heavenly Emperor beneath his feet seemed like they might actually come true.
"System, store everything in the space for now."
Zhang Xuan didn't let the system's arrival go to his head.
Over the past eighteen years, he'd tempered his character exceptionally well. Even if he became a god on the spot, he wouldn't laugh wildly and shout, "I Do Not Eat Beef!"
He'd go on living as usual. There was no rush to show off in front of everyone until he could punch the Three Realms into oblivion.
For now, his top priority was to celebrate with some hotpot.
"Ah, Old Wang, you're back!"
At the school gate, Zhang Xuan saw Wang Jinyang returning with a broadsword in hand and greeted him with a sincere smile.
He and Wang Jinyang had entered Southern Martial University in the same year and were both Zhang Qingnan's students, so they got along well.
Because of the Sky Screen, Wang Jinyang's challenge tour had been cut short. Fortunately, he'd already challenged Jingwu, and his momentum had built up. So he'd returned to Southern Martial University to prepare to break through to the fourth rank.
"Zhang Xuan, you've become a martial artist? Congratulations."
Wang Jinyang sensed that Zhang Xuan had broken through to become a martial artist and smiled as he congratulated him.
"I just got lucky."
Zhang Xuan smiled and winked. "Come on, I'll treat you to hotpot to celebrate."
"Sure. Let me go back to the dorm and change first."
Wang Jinyang had no objections. He'd just come back from challenging another school and could certainly use a chance to relax.
"Zhang Xuan, have you seen the Sky Screen?"
As they walked, Wang Jinyang lowered his voice. "The reward King Ming got from the Sky Screen is a bit suspicious. There's something wrong with the Earth Cave's Origin Source Dao. Maybe there's something wrong with the human Origin Source Dao, too."
As he spoke, Wang Jinyang explained what the Origin Source Dao was.
As the head of the Martial Arts Club and Southern Martial University's leading student, he naturally knew a lot.
But Zhang Xuan was only an ordinary first-rank martial artist. Wang Jinyang figured he wouldn't know about the Origin Source Dao.
Zhang Xuan nodded. "The Sky Screen will probably reveal more. It might even expose the mastermind controlling everything."
Wang Jinyang nodded in agreement.
Zhang Xuan stole a glance at Wang Jinyang, who was deep in thought, and felt a little admiration.
Ordinary mid-rank and low-rank martial artists wouldn't think about the Sky Screen's implications the way Wang Jinyang did. They'd just watch the spectacle.
Moreover, the Sky Screen had revealed the crisis humanity would face in the future, but Wang Jinyang didn't seem particularly worried.
As Wang Jinyang saw it, humanity's current crisis was still a long way off. The only thing he could do now was work hard to grow stronger. The rest wasn't something a mere third-rank martial artist like him could concern himself with.
In that respect, Wang Jinyang's character and intelligence were a cut above those of his peers.
Wang Jinyang truly lived up to his reputation as the real "female lead" of Global Martial Arts. He had plenty of charisma and mettle.
Later, Zhang Xuan would make a Heavenly Pride Ranking and give the prodigies of the Three Realms a proper evaluation!
Zhang Xuan and Wang Jinyang reached the hotpot restaurant. They ate as they watched the Sky Screen and chatted.
The Sky Screen began to change once more.
"It's already revealing something again? This is great!"
"There's another spectacle coming. I can't wait!"
"I wonder who the ninth person on the Sneaky Ranking will be."
Under countless people's watchful eyes, the ninth name on the Sneaky Ranking slowly appeared.
(Feel free to leave suggestions for fun rankings!)
Before you continue