A moment later, a golden ranking list that blotted out the sky slowly unfurled across the Sky Curtain.
The list was enormous. No matter where you were on the continent, you could clearly see every word on it just by looking up.
[The Golden Ranking has appeared!]
[All those who make the list will receive a divine reward!]
[First Ranking: The Continent's Strongest Factions!]
Rows of ancient golden characters appeared in the void, radiating an immense pressure.
Venti gazed at the sudden spectacle overhead. His usually languid eyes narrowed slightly, and the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.
"Oh, this is getting more and more interesting."
"So I've ended up in a world where the Heaven Ranking exists?"
He sat up on the grass and studied the golden Sky Curtain with keen interest, tapping a rhythm lightly against his knee.
"Now this is going to be fun."
Spirit Hall, Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong sat high upon the papal throne, holding the scepter that symbolized supreme authority.
Her luxurious papal robes traced the perfect curves of her figure. Her noble, aloof bearing made people afraid to look directly at her.
At that moment, her deep eyes were fixed on the Sky Curtain outside the hall, her gaze dark and somber.
"The Golden Ranking? A faction ranking?"
Bibi Dong gave a cold snort. Soul Power surged around her, warping the air.
Though she had no idea what sort of being had conjured this trick with the Sky Curtain, she had absolute confidence in Spirit Hall's strength.
On this continent, who besides Spirit Hall deserved to be called number one?
The top spot on this Golden Ranking could only belong to Spirit Hall!
Ambition gleamed in Bibi Dong's eyes. She would seize this opportunity to proclaim the might of the Spirit Hall Empire to the whole world and cow every petty upstart into submission!
Star Dou Forest, core region.
The waters of Life Lake churned violently.
A silver light shot up from the bottom of the lake, transforming into a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Gu Yuena stood suspended in the air. Her long silver hair cascaded like a waterfall to her ankles, and her purple eyes brimmed with curiosity and scrutiny.
Her skin was fair as snow, her beauty peerless. An ethereal nobility about her seemed to set her apart from the Mortal Realm.
"This power..."
Gu Yuena furrowed her brow slightly, her purple eyes fixed on the Golden Ranking across the Sky Curtain.
This power belonged to none of the gods in the Divine Realm. It was even older and more mysterious than a God King.
"Has something changed in the world?"
She had only recently awakened. She had been planning the revival of the Soul Beasts, never expecting such a sudden upheaval.
On the main road outside Godwind City.
A well-equipped army advanced toward the city gates in a great, surging column.
At the head of the formation, two figures sat side by side on tall steeds.
The man on the left had a stiff face and a solemn expression. He was Yu Xiaogang, the national preceptor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
He was no longer the useless Grandmaster people had once mocked.
Ever since Tang San became a god, his standing had risen with the tide. In the Heaven Dou Empire, he was second only to one man and above thousands.
He held his head high, his gaze sweeping over the magnificent Godwind City in the distance, and a trace of pride glinted in his eyes.
He had raised Tang San, a god—that was his greatest asset!
In his view, the world might be vast, but with Tang San on their side, they were invincible.
The man on the right was tall, his wild golden hair flowing loose and his eyes strange. He was Dai Mubai, the Evil Eye White Tiger.
"Grandmaster, Godwind City is quite prosperous. It'd be a good place to recruit soldiers. We could enlist plenty of able-bodied men."
Dai Mubai gazed at the towering city walls, greed flashing in his eyes.
The Heaven Dou Empire was expanding its military and preparing to fight the Spirit Hall Empire, so it urgently needed more recruits.
Godwind City was a populous, resource-rich neutral city. Naturally, they saw it as a juicy piece of meat.
Yu Xiaogang nodded, clasping his hands behind his back as he struck a pose of inscrutable wisdom.
"Wendi, the lord of Godwind City, has a bit of a reputation, but before the grand tides of the age, he can only submit."
"If he knows what's good for him, he can offer up his troops and provisions without a fuss."
"If he doesn't..."
Yu Xiaogang snorted and left the threat hanging in the air.
Just then, the Sky Curtain trembled, and the Golden Ranking descended.
Dai Mubai reined in his horse and looked up at the sky, his eyes full of shock.
"Grandmaster, what's that...?"
Yu Xiaogang was startled by the astonishing spectacle, but quickly regained his composure. He stroked his chin and put on a show of calm.
"Don't panic."
"Whatever this is, Little San is now the Sea God. He's invincible!"
"If this Golden Ranking is real, the top spot will surely belong to our side!"
He had no doubt about it.
A god—what an exalted existence!
Mortal factions, no matter how powerful, were nothing but ants before a god.
As the two spoke, golden light gathered across the Sky Curtain, and rows of characters gradually came into focus.
[Power Ranking revealed!]
[Rank 6: Clear Sky Sect!]
The instant he saw those words, Yu Xiaogang's hand jolted against his chin. He nearly yanked out his own beard.
His already-small eyes went wide, his face full of disbelief.
"Clear Sky Sect?!"
"Sixth place?!"
Yu Xiaogang's voice rose to a pitch, his face incredulous.
What was the Clear Sky Sect?
It was once the greatest sect under heaven!
It possessed the top-tier weapon Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, and had two Douluo in its ranks. Its foundations were incredibly deep.
Even after years in seclusion, its strength was surely terrifying.
In his original estimation, the Clear Sky Sect should have been at least in the top three, if not first.
How could it have ranked only sixth?
"H-How is this possible?"
Dai Mubai was just as shocked. He knew how powerful the Clear Sky Sect was. Tang San had come from the Clear Sky Sect.
"If the Clear Sky Sect is only sixth, then what kind of monsters are the top five?"
Yu Xiaogang stared at the Sky Curtain, a sense of absurdity rising in his heart.
Could the ranking be fake?
Or... were there hidden factions in the world he knew nothing about?
No, impossible!
He, Yu Xiaogang, was renowned for unmatched theoretical knowledge and had pored over ancient texts. What faction on this continent could possibly escape his notice?
The image on the Sky Curtain shifted, cutting straight to the inner reaches of the Clear Sky Sect.
Clouds and mist swirled around the steep mountain peaks.
In the plaza before the Clear Sky Sect's main hall,
a crowd of burly men holding enormous hammers had gathered. Every one of them stared dumbfounded at the Sky Curtain overhead.
Sect Master Tang Xiao stood at the front. Even his robust Soul Power was surging beyond his control.
"Sixth?"
"My Clear Sky Sect... is only sixth?"
Tang Xiao clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. Humiliation and resentment filled his heart.
The Clear Sky Sect had once shaken the world. Who hadn't heard of it?
Though they had withdrawn from the world, their strength had not waned. Years of preparing for war had only made them stronger.
Yet on this so-called Golden Ranking, they couldn't even crack the top five?
"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"
Beside him, a tall man missing an arm and a leg still radiated a terrifying aura. He suddenly slammed his hand against the armrest of his wheelchair.
It was the Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao!