Yu Xiaogang shook his head violently, losing his composure.
"This is impossible!"
"This makes no sense at all!"
"The Tang Sect has a god watching over it. How could it possibly rank only fourth? The Gold Ranking must be wrong!"
Yet in the face of Yu Xiaogang's doubts, Tang San merely stared blankly at the sky.
After a long while, Tang San finally spoke with difficulty.
"Teacher, but that's the Heavenly Dao Ranking."
"The Heavenly Dao... can it make a mistake?"
As soon as he said this, everyone in the entire tent fell silent.
No one could answer that question.
The Heavenly Dao's majesty brooked no questioning from anyone.
Just as everyone sat in silence, the golden Sky Screen above shifted once more.
A massive golden pillar of light descended from the void, enveloping Tang San below.
[The Tang Sect has made the list. Heavenly Dao reward: Sect Master Tang San is granted one Million-Year Soul Ring.]
Boom!
As the Heavenly Dao's voice rang out, vast amounts of Heavenly Dao energy surged into Tang San's body.
Tang San was bathed in brilliant golden light.
Then, a crimson-gold Soul Ring radiating boundless pressure slowly rose from beneath his feet and began circling his body.
A Million-Year Soul Ring.
Feeling that terrifying power surging wildly through him, Tang San could clearly sense that his cultivation had nearly doubled in an instant.
This sudden surge of power lifted Tang San's previously gloomy mood a little.
"A Million-Year Soul Ring... This power really is formidable."
Tang San thought to himself, his expression easing slightly.
However, he hadn't had long to celebrate.
The Sky Screen above began displaying the next ranking.
[World Power Ranking, third place: Spirit Hall Empire.]
At the sight of this ranking, another uproar erupted in the Spirit Hall Empire's frontline camp.
Bibi Dong sprang to her feet from her lofty throne, shock written across her breathtakingly beautiful, icy face.
"My Spirit Hall Empire is only third?"
Bibi Dong's voice echoed through the hall.
She never could have imagined that the mighty empire she had poured her heart and soul into building, which had gathered more than half the Soul Master forces on the entire continent, could rank only third.
Below her, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan was also dumbstruck, murmuring in a daze:
"This... How is this possible?"
"I had originally expected our Spirit Hall Empire to rank at least second."
"Although the Spirit Hall Empire is powerful on the continent now, we have never been able to explore the Star Dou Great Forest. There may be secrets hidden within."
"I'd estimated that at most the Star Dou Great Forest would rank ahead of us. I never expected that we would rank only third."
"How could our mighty Spirit Hall Empire end up this far down the list?"
The many elders and generals of the Spirit Hall Empire were likewise filled with shock and indignation.
Just then, the golden Sky Screen began displaying the Spirit Hall Empire's rewards.
[The Spirit Hall Empire receives a Heavenly Dao reward: Martial Soul Evolution. The purity of every member's Martial Soul increases, and its power doubles.]
[The cultivation speed of everyone in the Spirit Hall Empire increases tenfold.]
Hum!
As the Gold Ranking's rewards were announced, countless golden streams of light descended from the sky and flowed into the bodies of every Soul Master in the Spirit Hall Empire.
Bibi Dong clearly felt that her two Martial Souls, the Death Spider Emperor and the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor, had undergone a qualitative leap. Their purity had reached unprecedented heights.
Feeling the explosive growth of power within her and the crystal-clear tenfold increase in cultivation speed,
the displeasure and gloom that had filled Bibi Dong's face vanished in an instant.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"What a Heavenly Dao reward!"
Bibi Dong couldn't help laughing with delight, her voice brimming with joy.
"With this, the strength of the entire Spirit Hall Empire will increase tremendously!"
"What can the Heaven Dou Empire possibly do against us?"
Meanwhile, inside the Heaven Dou Empire's camp,
Tang San's expression darkened the instant he saw the Spirit Hall Empire's rewards.
"Damn it..."
"The Spirit Hall Empire was already powerful. Now every member's Martial Soul has doubled in power, and their cultivation speed has increased tenfold."
"The Spirit Hall Empire's overall strength has grown even greater."
"The upcoming decisive battle at Jialing Pass will be even harder to handle."
Tang San's voice was heavy. All the joy he had felt at receiving the Million-Year Soul Ring moments ago had vanished.
Just then, the Sky Screen above lit up again.
[World Power Ranking, second place: Star Dou Great Forest.]
[The Star Dou Great Forest receives a Heavenly Dao reward: The power of all Soul Beasts is elevated!]
[The cultivation speed of all Soul Beasts increases tenfold.]
[The concentration of the Star Dou Great Forest's world origin increases. The chance of Soul Beasts over one hundred thousand years old being born increases, and the self-healing abilities of all Soul Beasts improve.]
At the sight of this ranking, Bibi Dong had just been about to step out of the tent when she stopped short, shock filling her beautiful eyes.
"The Star Dou Great Forest is actually stronger than the Spirit Hall Empire?!"
"How is that possible... Those beasts are stronger than us?"
But something else shocked Bibi Dong even more.
"What? Even the Star Dou Great Forest ranks only second?"
Bibi Dong stared at the Gold Ranking suspended high in the sky, a storm raging in her heart.
She knew something of the Star Dou Great Forest's deep reserves. Terrifying Soul Beasts lurked there, and even the Spirit Hall Empire dared not provoke them lightly.
Yet now, even the mighty Star Dou Great Forest had to settle for second place.
At the same time,
in the Heaven Dou Empire's rear, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's temporary residence,
Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong stood in the courtyard, staring at the ranking in the sky in astonishment.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back. The renowned Seven Kill Sword at his side trembled faintly, as if it had sensed something.
Chen Xin sighed and spoke gravely.
"Fengzhi, I've entered the Star Dou Great Forest many times. Whenever I ventured deep inside, I could sometimes sense powerful beings in the forest's deepest reaches."
"I thought the Star Dou Great Forest would rank first."
"I never expected it to rank only second."
Hearing Chen Xin's words, Ning Fengzhi's brows drew tightly together, his expression grave.
"Even the Star Dou Great Forest ranks only second..."
"Then what power could possibly be in first place?"
Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest,
the second-place reward descending from the Sky Screen transformed into an endless rain of green and golden light, showering every corner of the forest.
Ancient trees shot upward at a frenzied pace, while thick roots spread beneath the ground like earth dragons.
Nourished by this pure power of origin, countless slumbering Soul Beasts awoke one after another, letting out joyful roars.
Yet amid the joyous commotion, deep beneath the Lake of Life, an ancient will that had slept for countless years was slowly awakening.
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