Invincible in the way of the sword?
Hearing this flattery, Chu Shanjun gave a few bitter laughs.
He recalled that day...
In that verdant bamboo forest, he had unleashed his powerful Lightning Pan technique, yet he could not even get close to the hem of someone's robes.
One move, and he had been defeated instantly!
That utterly overwhelming swordsmanship was what truly deserved to be called invincible!
Why did he look like this when he was being praised?
Holy Son Chu was far too modest!
As expected of the genius ranked sixth on the Aptitude Ranking!
The Flame Emperor admired him even more and said sincerely, "Powerful, yet humble and unassuming. As expected of the Setting Sun Sect's holy son!"
Yan Fei sidled over. "Wow, did you smear honey on that little mouth of yours? Why not praise me too? I fought a bloody battle as well!"
"If you had such world-shaking swordsmanship, this emperor would praise you too."
As the Flame Emperor spoke, he spread his fingers and, smack, planted his palm on Yan Fei's face.
"You!"
A bright red handprint appeared on Yan Fei's face, and he jumped up in anger.
Chu Shanjun said, "I pride myself on my outstanding swordsmanship, but there is one person in this world whom I deeply admire. He is the one who is truly invincible under heaven!"
The Flame Emperor was shocked. "Someone who surpasses you must be an old monster who has lived for millions upon millions of years!"
Chu Shanjun shook his head. "Not so."
Yan Fei cried impatiently, "Old Chu, that leisurely temperament of yours is driving me mad! Stop keeping us in suspense and tugging at our heartstrings. It's the Heavenly Ranking's number one, Xie Feng! You go on about him all day like you're pining for an unrequited love. I'm going crazy too!"
Why was there a trace of...
Resentment in those words?
The Flame Emperor, meanwhile, was lost in thought.
Xie Feng stood at the top of both the Aptitude Ranking and the Dharma Artifact Ranking, so he could not be very old. Yet he had earned such admiration from Chu Shanjun, who could be called a sword sovereign of his generation. That showed how terrifying he was!
Xie Feng...
For some reason, he wanted to meet such a talent!
High in the sky, the rankings were announced one after another.
[Fifth place] Name: Chen Queyue Assessment: He possesses an extraordinary disposition and exceptional potential. Over the previous three months, he led the forces of Crimson Duckweed Manor to end the Southern Continent's chaos and establish dominion over it. Score: 3,000 Reward: Eternal Spirit Jade
[Fourth place] Name: Lu Xiuluo Assessment: The Spirit Continent's most powerful and terrifying Devil Emperor. Within half a day, he slaughtered ten formidable powers, shaking the world. Score: 4,800 Reward: Zai Slaughter Devil Armor
The videos finished playing!
An uproar swept through the mortal world once again.
Chen Queyue, the manor lord of Crimson Duckweed Manor, was less renowned than the others on the Heavenly Ranking. He could be considered a latecomer who had overtaken those ahead.
Lu Xiuluo-this name was no longer unfamiliar to the crowd!
Tenth on the Aptitude Ranking!
Lu Xiuluo of the Buddha-Devil Tyrant Physique!
He had appeared on the Grace Ranking as well, in the lofty position of fourth!
A Devil Emperor of his generation, he was accompanied by bloodshed, slaughter, and skeletons wherever he went!
The Spirit Continent was one of the five strongest continents, with countless formidable powers. There was the former Heavenly Sword Holy Land (already destroyed), the Purple Cloud Sect to which Qin Luofan, tenth on the Grace Ranking, belonged, and even dozens of other holy lands!
Within half a day, he had slaughtered ten powers to the last!
This showed just how heaven-defying and terrifying this Devil Emperor's strength was!
Somewhere on the Spirit Continent.
As far as the eye could see, rivers of blood surged for a thousand miles.
Blood was everywhere!
Corpses and bones were everywhere!
Heaven, earth, mountains, rivers, yin, yang...
Everything was wrapped in bloody red. A thick stench of blood shrouded the space, and every breath was filled with bloody Qi!
What a slaughterhouse this mortal world had become!
Lu Xiuluo stood imposing and majestic. He let out a low laugh and said, "Do you feel it? The pleasure of slaughter."
Behind him stood two devil generals in attendance.
Farther behind them...
Was the slave who had been tamed, Blood Devil!
Dressed in black monk's robes, he knelt on both knees, his back deeply bowed as he vomited violently.
A few months earlier, he had been a little novice monk who knew nothing of the world.
The Buddha turned toward goodness and could not bear to kill living beings.
But now...
He had personally taken part in this slaughter!
His hands were covered in blood.
His heart was stained!
Blood Devil closed his eyes, yet his vision was filled with wretched screams, flying corpses and bones, and a foul, bloody stench... The more he thought about it, the sicker he felt, and he began retching again.
He vomited up food, stomach juices, and yellow bile...
Until he vomited blood!
When he had chosen to enter the Devil Grotto, he had already betrayed the Buddha. Now, as he killed and accumulated evil karma, his Buddhist heart was gradually fading.
In the firmament, the Heavenly Ranking shone brilliantly, and the ranking appeared.
"Fourth!"
"Lord Devil Emperor has made the rankings twice!"
"Our emperor's heroic bearing must be unrivaled under heaven!"
The devil generals looked up at the Heavenly Ranking, discussing it in voices like thunder.
A beam of white light descended from the sky and landed before Lu Xiuluo. It was a suit of pitch-black battle armor, exuding the terrifying presence of the Yellow Springs and hell!
The Zai Slaughter Devil Armor!
"The most legendary devil armor of thirty million years ago!"
Lu Xiuluo was very pleased.
He accepted the reward and glanced sidelong at Blood Devil, who was still vomiting. He turned around, looked at Blood Devil's suffering, and smiled coldly.
He had orchestrated this slaughter precisely to temper Blood Devil's devil heart!
He wanted to turn Blood Devil into a second version of himself!
Since ancient times, Buddhas and devils had never been able to coexist!
Turning a monk into a devil was far more interesting than turning an ordinary person into one.
This was the pleasure of destroying a heart!
Haha!
Blood Devil opened his mouth and released a faint breath. His youthful face was covered in blood-the blood of living beings!
A... mi... ta... bha...
He struggled to force out the breathy syllables, and two trails of bloody tears slipped down.
This was the last time he would utter those four syllables. From now on, he would no longer be a monk, and he could no longer become a Buddha.
If the abbot learned of this beneath the Nine Springs, he would never forgive him!
He had let him down!
"Ha... ha..."
Blood Devil let out a desolate laugh.
He slowly raised his eyes. Deep within them, a Buddhist's compassion and tenderness for all living beings were fading away, bit by bit!
The Blood Tathagata Beads around his neck turned a red so deep it was inky!
Golden light spilled over the land. Next came the Heavenly Ranking's top three, whom everyone was watching!
People's hearts were stirred.
The top three on the Grace Ranking had to be supreme existences.
They stared fixedly at the Heavenly Ranking, holding their breath and falling silent. Lines of writing emerged, and everyone craned their necks to look.
[Third place] Name: Jiang Fei Assessment: She possesses an extraordinary disposition and limitless potential. With a single command, she launched a sweeping eradication of Buddhism that lasted four months and shook the three thousand worlds! Score: 4,800 Reward: Immortal art, "Three Chen Art"
In the video, at a single command from the empress, hundreds upon thousands of Buddhist temples vanished into the misty rain. They collapsed with a thunderous crash, an event etched into history. From then on, the holy land had no monks!
This was an earth-shattering transformation!
An utterly powerful, iconic scene!
Everyone was too stunned to speak.
Judging by the event, the empress was truly a tyrant!
But judging by the Heavenly Ranking, her grace was unparalleled!
Moreover...
"A score of 4,800, a full 1,800 points higher than fourth place!"
"This is the might of third place!"
"The empress also owns the Fleeting Life Umbrella. That's ninth on the Dharma Artifact Ranking!"
"This Empress Jialuo is domineering, gorgeous, and peerless in her splendor!"
The Central Continent.
Jialuo Holy Land.
Amid the hazy drizzle, Jiang Fei held up a crimson Fleeting Life Umbrella. She stood atop the towering imperial city, overlooking ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains, her slender silhouette noble and solitary.
She gazed into the boundless misty rain, her fingers, stained with red nail dye, gently turning the umbrella's handle. Her breathing was soft and delicate, and her bright phoenix eyes occasionally grew blank as her mind wandered.
High in the sky, the Heavenly Ranking spanned the ages, displaying her name!
White light descended upon the imperial city!
Jiang Fei saw the reward: an immortal art!
She merely smiled faintly, put the reward away, and began staring into space again.
"Your Majesty!
"State Preceptor Lu has an important matter to report and is already waiting outside Jialuo Hall!"
A slender figure in purple ascended the city wall and cupped her hands as she spoke.
Her voice was as cold as ever.
Leng Ruoshuang!