There was no response for a long while.
Leng Ruoshuang raised her peach-blossom eyes. Seeing that the figure whose back commanded the world remained unmoved, she dutifully repeated what she had said.
"Ruoshuang, I do not wish to go."
Jiang Fei's crimson lips parted slightly as she watched rainwater trickle down the umbrella.
Although the Fleeting Life Umbrella was an incomparably powerful lesser immortal artifact, and she could keep the rain away whenever she wished,
she greatly enjoyed holding an umbrella in the rain. Apart from battle, these were among the few occasions when she could use one.
Leng Ruoshuang said, "Your Majesty, do not be willful."
Jiang Fei said, "But I simply do not want to work today."
Leng Ruoshuang said, "..."
"I want to admire the rain."
"Today is not a day for admiring the rain."
"Then when is a day for admiring the rain?"
"..."
Leng Ruoshuang could not answer.
A sovereign had no days off. Naturally, there were no days for admiring the rain, either.
Jiang Fei smiled softly. She raised the Fleeting Life Umbrella in her hand, its canopy casting a faint rosy tint over her face.
"Ruoshuang, do you know where this umbrella came from?"
"I do not."
"Do you know why I asked you to investigate that person?"
Leng Ruoshuang shook her head.
Jiang Fei's gaze flickered. She said softly, "As you know, the Jialuo Holy Land's tradition for choosing an heir is extremely savage and bloody: make the descendants slaughter one another, and crown the victor.
"Two hundred years ago, when I was still a princess, my father threw all seven of us siblings into a venomous cavern teeming with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts to fight one another, all to choose an heir.
"We fought our siblings, battled poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. Whoever survived to the end and returned to the imperial city would become the next ruler of the holy land!
"I spent three days and three nights in that cavern. During those three days, I killed family members I had once laughed and played with, then fought with all my might to escape the venomous snakes and scorpions!
"But I was poisoned, too. Torrential rain began pouring from the sky. I had no strength to walk and could only crawl on my hands and feet like an animal!
"I was cold and hungry, the poison seeping into my organs. Just when I thought I would never make it back and could not survive, when I was utterly hopeless, someone appeared...
"He saved me with a pill and gave me an umbrella. When I asked his name, he would not tell me, only telling me to go about my own business. I will never forget him. Dressed in blue, he was proud as an immortal. His face was young and handsome, and his strength was unfathomable..."
Jiang Fei turned her gaze back toward the rain. As she recalled the darkest moment of her life, her phoenix eyes dimmed.
Yet when she spoke of that blue-robed man, unprecedented tenderness appeared on her breathtakingly beautiful face.
Such a girlish demeanor!
Jiang Fei lowered her head and sighed.
She had become Empress Jialuo entirely because of that blue-robed man!
After successfully returning to the imperial city, she had been appointed crown princess. When the old emperor passed away, she naturally ascended the throne, becoming the supreme empress of the world!
She used the monks' power to consolidate her authority.
She used the Fleeting Life Umbrella's power to expand her territory.
But that person had always remained in her heart. For two hundred years, she had never given up searching.
Although she knew nothing about him...
she had seen two tiny, hastily scrawled characters carved into the wooden sword at his waist-
Xuanji!
Those two characters had to hint at something.
Perhaps it was the sword's name...
Perhaps it was his name...
Perhaps it was where he came from...
Whew...
Thinking of too much at once left Jiang Fei somewhat weary. She composed herself, once again assuming the majestic, dazzling bearing of an empress, and said:
"Ruoshuang, let us go. We must not keep State Preceptor Lu waiting!"
Throughout the three thousand worlds, people gazed at the Heavenly Ranking as discussion swirled.
"Who will take second place?"
"All the world's top experts are already on the ranking!"
"There are still Qiuye of the Azure Luan Clan, Qu Jiangxuan of the Azure Dragon Clan, and Ye Yuan of the Azure Cloud Holy Land!"
"Could it be Xie Feng?!"
"It could also be Sushang. Those two are dark horses who appeared out of nowhere!"
"No, it's definitely Ye Yuan. Double Pupils are invincible!"
"Impossible!"
"Stop arguing! The ranking has appeared!"
While everyone was in an uproar, the Heavenly Ranking updated!
People immediately looked over!
[Second place] Name: Qu Jiangxuan Evaluation: His disposition is transcendent, his potential extraordinary. Two mighty figures met in the Realm of Clouds and Mist, shaking hearts! Score: 4,900
"It's Azure Dragon King Qu Jiangxuan!"
"The empress scored 4,800, and he scored 4,900. Looks like the maximum is 5,000. Can first place get full marks?!"
"What does 'two mighty figures met' mean?"
"The video has appeared!"
As people shouted, a moving image appeared on the Heavenly Ranking. Qu Jiangxuan entered the Realm of Clouds and Mist and fought someone. He unleashed power that could destroy heaven and earth, leaving even the people outside the video trembling.
"Damn, if that hit me, I'd die on the spot!"
"Who was blind enough to provoke him?"
"I can already imagine his opponent being smashed to pieces!"
"Wait, why doesn't he have a reward?"
Suddenly, amid the flood of lavish praise, someone shouted, jolting everyone awake.
Right, where was the reward?
There was nothing beneath his score!
As people puzzled over it, countless cries suddenly rang out. All of Qu Jiangxuan's information on the Heavenly Ranking turned into black smoke and dissipated!
At the same time!
Jiang Fei, in third place, rose one position!
She took second place!
Everyone rose one rank!
A new tenth place appeared!
[Tenth place] Name: Ye Yuan Evaluation: His disposition is tranquil, his potential limitless. He calculates sun and moon upon a chessboard and sleeps beneath a red maple tree, creating an iconic scene through his personal bearing! Score: 799 Reward: Great Dao infusion
Ye Yuan ranked seventh on the Aptitude Ranking, eighth on the Dharma Artifact Ranking, and tenth on the Grace Ranking. His consecutive appearances on all three rankings shook the world!
But even more sensational was the disappearance of Qu Jiangxuan's information!
The Heavenly Ranking had erased second place?!
Everyone was dumbfounded.
The Heavenly Ranking's placements were all updated in real time!
So long as someone created a more outstanding iconic scene before the rankings were completely finalized, they would make the ranking!
But Qu Jiangxuan occupied the lofty position of second place. If someone displayed an even greater iconic scene, they could only rank above him, not make him disappear!
This bizarre occurrence was exactly like the Cloud Emperor Crown dropping off the ranking!
At that moment!
Another ranking abruptly appeared, towering high in the heavens and shaking the world.
The Aptitude Ranking!
Qu Jiangxuan's third-place entry was likewise erased!
The ranks rose one place in order!
Now in third place was Changying's Immaculate Body.
A new tenth place entered the ranking!
The Sumeru Vajra Physique, a transcendent physique!
Its owner bore a name no one had heard of.
"Qu Jiangxuan is dead?!"
One person voiced everyone's thoughts in terror.
A chill ran through them!
Who in this world could kill Qu Jiangxuan? Who would dare kill him?
He was the Azure Dragon King!
Behind him stood the peerless ancient Azure Dragon Clan!
While people were still gripped by terror, bells rang out, shaking heaven and earth.
Their emotions were stirred.
They temporarily forgot Qu Jiangxuan and focused their gazes on the Heavenly Ranking.
[First place] Name: Xie Feng Evaluation: His disposition is unparalleled, his potential heaven-defying. He slew the Azure Dragon King in the Realm of Clouds and Mist, creating an unsurpassable, legendary iconic scene! Score: 10,000 Reward: Ancient Path of Samsara
In the video, a blood-robed man unleashed a peerless mighty move that shook heaven and earth. Space shattered, the world collapsed, and countless lives withered away.
Opposite him, a man in azure calmly raised his hand. With a single finger, he effortlessly obliterated the blood-robed man! Amid the collapsing space, he was as free and graceful as an immortal!
"It's footage of Xie Feng fighting Qu Jiangxuan!"
"He killed Qu Jiangxuan!"
"That was the leader of a clan, the Azure Dragon King who possessed the Ancestral Dragon Formless Demon Physique!"
"No wonder he ranked first. Such-such boldness, such strength! No one in the world can rival him!"
The crowd suddenly erupted!
They stared, mouths agape, unable to believe it!
After obtaining the Ancestral Dragon Formless Demon Physique, Qu Jiangxuan's strength had reached the Ascension Realm!
What did it mean to obliterate someone in the Ascension Realm with one finger?
An immortal!
At the very least, he was in the Immortal Ascension Realm!
How could immortals exist in this world?
They had long since vanished into history!
Moreover!
Everyone had originally assumed the maximum score was 5,000, until the score for first place on the Heavenly Ranking appeared and stunned them.
The maximum was 10,000!
Xie Feng's score alone utterly crushed those of the other nine!
Moreover!
He was also first on the Aptitude Ranking! First on the Dharma Artifact Ranking! First on the Grace Ranking!
Too terrifying...
That was the thought in everyone's hearts at that moment.
The Azure Dragon Clan.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
In the dragon clan's ancient temple, three life talismans shattered!
They represented Qu Jiangxuan, Ning Liao, and Yan Ya, respectively.
"Th-this..."
Xuan Tugu's expression abruptly changed.
An overwhelming presence that threatened to tear heaven and earth apart surged skyward from her body.
She was furious!!