Hidden Dragon Ranking

Biodata

Eligibility and Rules

• The ranking covers martial artists under twenty-five years old throughout the prefectural city and orders them by arena record. 12
• Challenges are held on a dedicated arena in Clear Distance City's central plaza; only eligible martial artists may use it. 12
• A crystal pillar verifies a challenger's age. The under-twenty-five requirement has been enforced for over a thousand years. 12
• Ranked fighters may wager on their own victories. Consecutive wins can therefore provide both ranking advancement and cultivation resources. 12
• The top hundred receive additional monthly income: beginning from the 100th position, every rise of ten places adds ten military merits per month. One military merit equals one origin stone. 12

Known Rankings

Notable Challenges

• Xiao Longcheng vs. the 84th-ranked expert — Xiao defeated the incumbent overwhelmingly, becoming the only recruit in recent decades to enter the ranking during the recruit period. 15
• Lu Yun vs. Yang Shengrong — Yang, the 98th-ranked gatekeeper, wagered 500 origin stones. Lu defeated him in two spear strikes, earning a place at 94th. 15 17
• Lu Yun's arena campaign — Before formally entering the ranking, Lu used an open challenge and ten-origin-stone stakes to win fifty consecutive bouts against other young martial artists. 12 14

Story Role

• Ye Quan introduces Lu Yun to the ranking as a legal means of gaining military merits and origin stones before the Centurion selection. 12
• Lu recognizes that the city's martial artists do not yet understand his true strength, allowing him to use arena challenges to accumulate resources. 12 13 14
• Lu's victory over Yang Shengrong establishes him as a Hidden Dragon Ranking genius and attracts the attention of Qin Jue and the Red Flame Army's upper ranks. 17 18
• Lu's later rise to 82nd, above Xiao Longcheng, reflects the growing prominence of their rivalry following the First Centurion selection. 25