Chapter 266
This fireball is completely different from ordinary Innate Fire.
It is crimson in color and extremely hot, like a small star. The heat emanating from it is enough to melt the void, or even incinerate it and turn it into nothingness!
"This is the classic of immortal cultivation..."
Xiao Minghuang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a stunningly beautiful smile.
Deep in the Dongling Mountains, the peaks rise one after another, shrouded in mist and clouds.
A bottomless abyss stretches across the landscape, as if extending from another dimension, suspended between the mountains.
Above the sky, a figure disappeared into the clouds. He stood quietly, attracting no attention, as if he were one with the heavens and earth.
Above the abyss, countless magical artifacts for flying floated, dividing the sky in all directions. The auras of cultivators from all over the world intertwined, seemingly filling the entire firmament.
Each aura represents a king.
They may come from some Supreme Holy Land, some Longevity Family, or some Immortal Dynasty.
Every so often, a giant warship would fly in from afar and anchor at the edge of the abyss or on a mountain peak.
"Look, someone else is coming in!"
Suddenly, a sound of something cutting through the air rang out in the distance, and an extremely luxurious ship came hurtling through the sky, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
On the deck of the ship, a stunningly beautiful figure appeared.
She was slender with snow-white skin, dressed in a bright yellow dress, and possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms. Her aura was ethereal and otherworldly, like a goddess descending to earth.
337. Five Directions One Realm
She stood in mid-air, her body shimmering with a faint starlight, elegant and noble, unlike any mortal, inspiring no sense of disrespect.
All the cultivators present, regardless of gender, were captivated by her demeanor and stunning beauty.
Even some of the oldest and most frail kings couldn't help but sigh upon seeing this scene.
"Good manners!"
Who is this?
Someone in the crowd asked curiously.
"Princess Xiao, a disciple of the Sun Hall Mistress Palace of the Holy Academy!" someone explained.
"Princess Xiao is the most beautiful woman in the Easternmost Heaven!"
"Indeed, not only is her appearance unparalleled, but her talent is also astonishing; she is the champion of the Heavenly Trial!"
"I heard that she comprehended the Sword Dao Domain while still in the Primal Embryo Realm; that's truly unheard of!"
"Not only that! It's said she's also proficient in formations, weapon crafting, alchemy... in short, she knows everything!"
"Such extraordinary talent and unparalleled brilliance are truly unprecedented!"
"The Sun Hall Mistress's only disciple is destined to take charge of the Holy Academy in the future!"
"I've heard that Princess Xiao has only been cultivating for a little over twenty years, hasn't she?"
"Tsk tsk, our Eastern Continent has actually produced such a peerless genius, we are truly fortunate for the Eastern Continent!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, all showing expressions of admiration.
However, some people hold different opinions.
"So what if he got lucky and was taken in as a disciple by the Sun Hall Mistress? I could do that too!"
"To be honest, I think Princess Xiao's appearance is just average!"
"I'm just a passerby, but honestly, you guys are incredibly shameless, so eager to fawn over each other?"
"Old bootlicker, you'll die soon!"
"Pah! I'm only admiring his personal charm, what's it to you?"
"At your age, still fawning over a young girl, you old geezer, hurry up and collect your gold coins!"
"You brat, you'll get what's coming to you, your grandpa'll beat you to death!"
"Father... please stop talking!"
Amidst the various opinions, Xiao Minghuang stepped through the air and quickly descended to the edge of the Heavenly Abyss, his gaze sweeping over the cultivators present.
Immediately, all the cultivators present fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.
Princess Xiao's power and influence are too great.
She simply stood there calmly, yet she exuded immense pressure.
Especially her pair of starry eyes, which seemed to contain the universe and were infinitely deep, or like two bright stars, dazzling and eye-catching, making people feel insignificant.
One glance is enough to captivate you, leaving you mesmerized and forever enthralled.
At this moment, the disciples of the Heavenly Machine Sacred Land shouted:
"The Hidden Dragon Ranking has been updated! Everyone, take a look!"
The cultivators looked in the direction of the sound and indeed saw a huge beam of spiritual light appear, which transformed into a list, with one golden name after another gradually emerging.
The Hidden Dragon Ranking was jointly created by the Heavenly Machine Sacred Land and the Hundred Inquiries Pavilion, recording the one hundred most outstanding King-level geniuses within the five realms of Central Heaven, Eastern Pole, Southern Wilderness, Western Land, and Northern Sea.
These prodigies include information from within the Holy Academy, the Sacred Lands, Aristocratic Families, and Imperial Dynasties, the Six Paths of Demonic Ways in the Southern Wilderness, the Buddhist sects of the Western Lands, the alliances of the Northern Sea, and even some reclusive demon Demon Race and king-level prodigies in forbidden zones of life.
Of course, because information about the reclusive Demon Race and the forbidden zones of life is rarely known to the outside world, updates on this part are not timely.
For example, the only prodigy on the list from the forbidden zone of life, Kirin Son, ranked fifth!
Thirty years ago, when Kirin Son first entered the King Realm, he single-handedly killed a savage beast that had reached the Saint Realm, and used its essence and blood to nourish himself.
Thirty years have passed, and no one knows just how powerful he was.
Therefore, every update to the Hidden Dragon Ranking causes a huge uproar and attracts the attention of countless cultivators.
Hidden Dragon Ranking:
100th place: Han Li
Realm: First level of the Life and Death King Realm
Affiliation: Eastern Pole Sacred Academy
Reason for inclusion: Possesses multiple trump cards, once withstood a full-force attack from a Saint of the First Heaven without sustaining any damage and successfully escaped, presumably possessing combat power approaching the tenth level of the Life and Death King Realm.
The first name to appear on the list was a prodigy from the Eastern Pole Sacred Academy.
"The reason they made the list is because they can run fast when they're out of danger, tsk tsk!"
"Stop being so sour. They were able to withstand a full-force attack from a saint without getting hurt. You can't even imagine what their trump card is."
"Huh, who is this person? My Holy Academy has such a person? How come I've never heard of him before?"
Upon seeing this name, which was both familiar and unfamiliar, Xiao Minghuang's buried memories resurfaced.
"This guy, I didn't expect him to have reached the King Realm as well."
A smile played on Xiao Minghuang's lips, and a look of nostalgia appeared in her eyes.
There were as many as one hundred people on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and this last one didn't attract much attention and was quickly passed by.
In a secluded corner, a young man of ordinary appearance smiled brightly...
99th place: Xia Lan
Affiliation: Eastern Primordial Sacred Land
Realm: Sixth level of the Life and Death King Realm
Reason for inclusion: A true disciple of the Primordial Sacred Land, possessing combat power spanning five minor realms.
"Senior Sister Xia! Senior Sister, you're on the list! Look!"
The girl beside her was overjoyed and shouted excitedly.
"I saw it! I saw it..." A slightly more mature woman also showed joy on her face.
77th place: Chu Mo
Affiliation: Southern Netherworld Path
Realm: eighth level of the Life and Death King Realm
Reason for inclusion: He once infiltrated the Eastern Pole, single-handedly ambushed and killed thirteen kings at the seventh to eleventh level, and then withstood a blow from a saint before escaping across realms.
The ranking reached seventy-seventh place, finally revealing a cultivator who did not belong to Dongji Zhongtian, which also aroused the anger of the cultivators present.
"What's going on? How could a demon at the King Realm infiltrate the Eastern Pole and wreak havoc?!"
"The crime wasn't over yet, they actually let him get away? What are the Holy Academy's Demon-Slaying Elders doing?"
"What? Do you have a problem with our Holy Elder?"
"... I wouldn't dare..." The man gave an awkward smile and quickly lowered his head.
Everyone knew that as the battle Two Realms Battlefield intensified, more and more demons would sneak into the Eastern Pole. Blindly blaming the Holy Academy for its ineffective demon-slaying would only make the Eastern Pole Central Heaven more divided.
Therefore, no one responded to his comment.
49th place: Mu Xiaoyin
Affiliation: Wood Spirit Race
Realm: Life and Death King Realm Twelfth Level
Reason for inclusion: It once forced a saint to perish!
A simple sentence has shocked countless people.
"To defy a saint while being a king—that's terrifying!"
"I've heard that the Wood Spirit Race possesses a bloodline supernatural power that can steal a person's years, comparable to the Dao of Time itself—it's extremely mysterious and terrifying!"
"There's nothing to be surprised about. Legend has it that the Wood Spirit Race evolved from the root system of the World Tree. Their roots are ancient and powerful, so it's not surprising that they have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves."
44th place: Cai Ji
Affiliation: Kun Yuan Sacred Land
Realm: Life and Death King Realm Twelfth Level
42nd place: Xu Kun
Affiliation: Tian Ji Sacred Land
Realm: Life and Death King Realm Twelfth Level
As names appeared on the list, the disciples of the factions to which the listed individuals belonged felt extremely excited. They were proud to be part of the same faction as these prodigies!
338. Eleventh place: Ye Ruoshui
However, many disciples from various factions were uneasy. They knew the level of their best disciples to some extent, and they knew it was impossible for them to surpass the already listed prodigies.
So far, nearly two-thirds of the top talents on the list come from Zhongtian Dongji, which is not surprising.
The Eastern Pole and Central Heaven are blessed with natural beauty and abundant Spiritual Qi. The cultivators here are mostly confident and proud, and their cultivation methods are extremely diverse, including refining precious natural treasures, as well as various unorthodox methods such as pills, magic weapons, and formations.
The Southern Wilderness is different. It is a land with a harsh environment and scarce Spiritual Qi. Even the most barren place in the Eastern Pole is a paradise compared to the Southern Wilderness. Cultivators in the Southern Wilderness often resort to any means to improve their cultivation, using all sorts of evil methods. In this long-term cruel environment, they gradually lose their humanity, which is why cultivators in the Southern Wilderness are called Outer Dao.
As for the Western Lands and the Northern Sea, although they are also two great worlds, the former is mostly half desert and Gobi and half snow-capped mountains and ice fields, with a harsher environment than the Southern Wilderness; the latter is a boundless ocean with only a few scattered islands, and there is no force that can be called a lineage of immortality.
The Eastern Pole and the Central Heaven are connected as one, occupying the best and most desirable place in the Five Directions One Realm. It is rich in resources and has a high quality of cultivators, which has created the current flourishing scene of a hundred flowers blooming and a constant stream of outstanding disciples. It is far superior to the other barren lands of the Three Realms.
As the rankings unfolded, some renowned prodigies from powerful forces were gradually revealed, such as Jiang Shenyu, the divine son of the Rong Zhou Jiang Clan, who ranked thirty-seventh.