Seizing the Ranking (1)

Li Chen Zhou had just finished his breathing exercises. The true energy within his dantian surged like the rising tide, a clear sign that he was about to break through to the fifth rank. Outside the window, bamboo shadows swayed. Suddenly, three soft knocks sounded, like dewdrops falling on bluestone.

"Creak—" The door opened, and moonlight poured in like water. Consort Li, dressed in white, looked as pure as snow, the corners of her eyes still glistening with tears in the moonlight.

"Consort?" Li Chen Zhou began, but before he could finish, Consort Li had slipped inside, a gust of cold plum fragrance trailing behind her sleeves.

"Consort?" Li Chen Zhou quickly stepped aside, catching a faint scent of agarwood from her—his father's favorite incense.

Consort Li hurried into the room, her embroidered shoes stirring a gentle breeze as she crossed the threshold. She placed the lantern on the Eight Immortals table, the candlelight illuminating the Blood Demon Blade, still unsheathed, with dark red stains lingering in its blood groove.

"Your father, he..." Consort Li's fingers traced the scarlet tassel wrapped around the hilt of the blade, her voice suddenly choked with emotion, "To protect the reputation of Duke Zhen's Estate, he has walked the path of both Buddha and demon cultivation."

Outside, a dark cloud obscured the moon, plunging the room into shadow. Li Chen Zhou saw a roll of yellowed parchment slip from Consort Li's sleeve. When unfolded, it revealed a fragment of the Asura Physique, the edges stained with blackened blood.

"In just three years, he went from the sixth rank to Grandmaster, but the price is the daily torment of reversed meridians." Consort Li's fingernails scratched white lines on the table, "Our Nie family's Ice Heart Mantra... is almost unable to suppress his inner demon."

Li Chen Zhou remained silent. He had noticed his father's right hand trembling unconsciously when drinking tea recently, a sign of true energy going berserk. The candle sputtered, casting light on his clenched fist—his knuckles were already white.

"Don't blame him." Consort Li suddenly grabbed his hand, her palm icy cold, "Those brothers in the army who followed him through life and death, those disciples in the court who rely on the Li Family... if he falls, they will all be purged." Her voice grew softer, "After the argument with you that day, he knelt in the ancestral hall all night..."

A gust of night wind suddenly slammed open the window, causing the candle flame on the table to flicker wildly. As Li Chen Zhou got up to close the window, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure beneath the old locust tree in the courtyard—it looked like his father's personal guard captain.

"Half a year..." As Consort Li stood up, a piece of mutton-fat jade pendant slipped from her sleeve. Li Chen Zhou bent down to pick it up, discovering the words "Asura" engraved on the back. The jade surface was already covered in spiderweb-like cracks. "If he can't complete the Asura Physique, he can only last for half a year at most."

After seeing Consort Li off, Li Chen Zhou stood under the eaves, gazing at the sky. The east was already showing a hint of dawn, and a line of blood-red text suddenly appeared on the system screen:

"Ding—triggered emergency mission: Resolve the conflict between Buddha and demon (remaining 179 days)

Solution: Great Sun Tathagata Demon Scripture.

Achieve the following requirements to unlock rewards:

I. Court Position: Brocade Guard Commander

II. Jianghu Reputation: Top of the Heaven Ranking."

"Ding—triggered side mission: Obtain Shaolin Buddha Relic to help Li Qing Shan suppress his inner demon. Completion reward: Immovable Wisdom King Scripture (Brahma Saint True Demon Art Body Refinement Chapter)."

Receiving the system's mission notification, Li Chen Zhou felt a slight sense of relief in his heart. With a goal, the rest would be easier to handle.

At the third watch of the fifth watch, the echoes of the street-cleaning drums still lingered in the neighborhood. Twelve Golden Guard soldiers were already rushing towards the nine gates through the morning dew. The leading Commander struck the gilded bronze gong heavily, startling a flock of crows from the trees.

"Imperial Edict—"

Before Chengtian Gate, the bright yellow silk on the vermilion notice board fluttered in the morning breeze. The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites personally held out the jade seal, imprinting a bright red mark on the lower right corner of the silk. As sunlight pierced through the clouds, the imperial decree glowed with an eerie red light:

"By the decree of the Emperor, who is mandated by Heaven:

I have heard that there are many heroes in the Jianghu and talents in the court. Now, I hereby permit martial artists from across the land to compete in the capital to determine rankings, in order to demonstrate the prosperity of the martial arts. The rules for the competition are as follows:

I. A stage will be set up in Meridian Gate Square, starting on the fifteenth day of the third month and ending on the first day of the fourth month;

II. The competition will be divided into three rankings: Earth, Rising Dragon, and Heaven:

??Earth Ranking: Martial artists below the fifth rank will compete;

??Rising Dragon Ranking: Talented newcomers under the age of thirty will compete;

??Heaven Ranking: Small Grandmaster realm experts will duel;

III. Those who enter the rankings will be rewarded:

??Earth Ranking Champion: Will be granted the substantive position of Brocade Guard Captain, and will be awarded the complete Celestial Dipper Heart Method;

??Rising Dragon Ranking Champion: Will be rewarded with an Iron Certificate and permitted to choose a divine weapon from the Imperial Armory;

??Top three of the Heaven Ranking: Will be granted the title of Commander Marquis, awarded a Greater Revitalization Pill, and may choose a secret Imperial cultivation technique;

IV. Competition Rules:

??1. Life and death are at your own risk, but the use of poison, gu, and hidden weapons is prohibited;

??2. The stage will open at Chen hour every day and close at sunset;

??3. Participants must sign a life-and-death agreement; injuries and disabilities are at their own fate.

By Imperial Decree."

Before the imperial edict, an old man wearing a bronze mask suddenly sneered, "What a plan to kill three birds with one stone!" The "Heaven's Secret" jade pendant at his waist shone with a blue light in the morning sun, "It allows the Jianghu people to kill each other, it can recruit experts, and finally it can also..." Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly coughed violently, black blood seeping through his fingers.

The sword-bearing youth beside him hurriedly helped him, whispering, "Martial Uncle, these rewards are too generous... The Imperial Armory even has fragments of the Grand Void Sword Scripture!"

"Idiot!" The old man shook off his hand, "Do you think these cultivation techniques are given away for nothing?" He pointed to the tiny characters in the corner of the imperial edict—the line of text was barely visible in the sunlight: "Those who enter the rankings must pledge allegiance to the court for ten years."

Li Chen Zhou stood on the highest watchtower of Duke Zhen's Estate, watching the morning sun dye the imperial city blood red. The Blood Demon Blade at his waist had somehow unsheathed itself by three inches, the dark red patterns on the blade writhing madly, as if craving something.

"Ding—Imperial Edict issued, triggering limited-time ranking competition mission

Earth Ranking First Place Reward: Indestructible Divine Skill.

Reward for those below Earth Ranking First Place: 5 years of internal energy cultivation

Rising Dragon Ranking First Place Reward: Heavenly Frost Fist.

Reward for those below Rising Dragon Ranking First Place: 5 years of internal energy cultivation."

"System," he murmured in his heart.

The light screen unfolded:

Host: Li Chen Zhou

Realm: Fifth Rank Early Stage (123/180)

Martial Arts:

Thirteen Guardian Golden Bell Shield (Great Accomplishment)

Three Abyssal Slashes (Great Accomplishment)

Soul Absorption Art (Great Accomplishment) Divine Attribute 20% (Unlocked Cosmic Shift)

Thousand Faces (Great Accomplishment)

Soaring Illusionary Steps (Great Accomplishment)

Hell Soul Exchange Scripture (Great Accomplishment)

Wind God Kick (Great Accomplishment)

Internal Energy Cultivation: 123 years (Calculated based on an average person practicing basic techniques for one year)

Lifespan: 32 years

Weapon: Blood Demon Blade (Blood-drinking Amplification)

From a distance came the melodious sound of bells – the signal that the Ministry of Rites had begun setting up the arena.

Li Chen Zhou suddenly leaped down from the watchtower, leaving two footprints three inches deep in the bluestone bricks he shattered upon landing.

"Prepare the horses," he said to the guards who rushed over at the sound. "Let's go meet those 'heroes' of the martial world."