First and Third on the Golden Ranking

The Golden Ranking before the Heaven-Ascending Tower was more bustling than in any previous era. Countless beings had gathered there to bear witness together.

A sea of people surrounded the three steles so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through, leaving only a path in front of the Heaven-Ascending Tower.

A golden light flashed, racing past one name after another. It passed Lin Yu, Su He, Qingyuan, Tian, and Feng.

The character Bai reached the top of the Golden Ranking. Without a doubt, it belonged to Dugu Baitian, who had been invincible for nine lifetimes.

Only he, and he alone, could surpass the sages of past eras and achieve a legend.

"The changes to the Golden Ranking have only just begun. Even Dugu Baitian is not truly invincible in this age," a being said with a sigh. He had witnessed the battle between the black-robed youth and Dugu Baitian. It had been so shocking that his Dao heart had nearly collapsed.

A man in golden robes strode with the gait of a dragon and the pace of a tiger, like an ancient emperor. His face was devoid of expression. Without looking at the Golden Ranking, he walked straight into the distance.

Perhaps he was confident and had no need to look. Perhaps he simply did not care, having known too much glory in the past.

"Fellow Daoist, did you reach the top?" The youth with Yin-Yang Eyes stopped him.

Dugu Baitian shook his head. Rather than explain further, he asked about a name: Luo Feng.

Xuanyuzi shook his head. He had only recently emerged and had never heard the name.

"Fellow Daoist, did you win that battle?" Xuanyuzi asked.

"A terrifying opponent. He has forged his own Daos and paths, and more than one of them." Dugu Baitian shook his head. Neither had won nor lost that battle. To decide victory would have meant deciding life and death, so in the end, they had both stopped.

Those words set everyone present ablaze. Previously, they had only been speculating; no one had watched the entire battle. Now Dugu Baitian himself had spoken and confirmed it.

"Even the Nine-Crown King has met his match!" A being's heart surged, honored to have been born in such a great age.

"Another ancient monster." A being at the Self-Severing Realm sighed. Someone who had forged multiple Daos and paths could not possibly be a genius of the current age.

After Dugu Baitian left, the name Luo Feng became the subject of heated discussion among everyone.

"There's a young marquis in the Great Luo Dynasty."

"There's a swordsman in the One Sword Sect with the same name."

People kept speaking up, naming geniuses called Luo Feng, but each was ruled out in turn. A monster capable of fighting Dugu Baitian had to come from an imperial lineage.

"Are all the geniuses of this age destined to pale in comparison? Who can stand against these ancient monsters?" Others sighed in despair.

Many wanted to argue. Name after name appeared in their minds, all imperial-heir-level figures of the current age, but in the end, it all turned into a sigh.

Even the nine, including the Double Pupils wielder, the Sun Holy Body, and the Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird, had struggled to stand against Dugu Baitian. That battle had nearly broken the backbone of the current age's geniuses.

A black-robed man arrived, holding a folding fan. A black character for Dao was written on it, displaying its extraordinary nature.

"It's him! He's here too!" Beings fortunate enough to have watched that battle exclaimed in amazement. The one who could fight Dugu Baitian had come to challenge the Heaven-Ascending Tower.

Fortune Qi flowed through the eyes of Su He, the Double Pupils wielder, as he looked at the black-robed youth. The youth was as unfathomable as an abyss and as vast as the sea. His blood Qi surpassed that of a True Dragon, and his soul outshone that of a Divine Phoenix. Dao rhythms flowed naturally with every step he took. What an unparalleled young supreme!

"Will first place on the Golden Ranking change hands?" Everyone's hearts surged. They might be about to witness history.

"What a pity they didn't meet," someone said regretfully, having missed the chance to witness another duel between the two.

Three days passed. Golden light flashed on the Golden Ranking, and the character Feng climbed rapidly, surpassing one terrifying name after another before leaping into third place.

An extraordinarily curious sight appeared. First was the character Bai, second was Feng, third was another Feng, and fourth was Tian, forming a distinctive pattern.

Another day passed before Luo Feng finally emerged from the Heaven-Ascending Tower. His face was full of surprise. He had seen so many geniuses of the past within that he could not help reminiscing.

The man in dark robes stepped forward and stopped Luo Feng, who was about to leave in a daze, addressing him as a fellow Daoist.

"May I ask which lineage you inherited, Fellow Daoist Luo?" Xuanyuzi asked.

"The Great Luo Dynasty." Luo Feng was still reminiscing about the being he had encountered at the top of the Heaven-Ascending Tower. That being was still just as invincible. Even after countless ages, even with a Great Emperor reincarnated, none could rival him in the same realm.

For his name was Dao Shisan, a name bestowed upon him by an Immortal Venerable. He was the undisputed greatest genius of the Immortal Ancient era.

Noticing that Luo Feng was thinking about something else, Xuanyuzi did not prolong the conversation and stepped aside.

"The Great Luo Dynasty?" A new round of excitement began.

"That lineage truly is extraordinary. It has the Indestructible Forbidden Zone at its back," a genius from a great clan said.

"Does anyone still remember Fu Sanqing?" someone asked, bringing up the name.

"A true prodigy blessed by the heavens, with no rival among his peers. What a pity he was born at the wrong time," a short, stout man sighed, recounting his exploits.

"A Venerable slew an Ancient Saint, and in the end dispersed his Dao into heaven and earth!" Countless hearts surged. They wished they could have witnessed that battle for themselves: him fighting three Ancient Saints, killing one and forcing the other two to retreat. The scene was so enthralling.

"He never broke the limits of the Venerable realm. He was only at the eighth heaven." The short, stout man's blood Qi boiled, pent-up anger welling in his heart.

"He was only two hundred years old. Far, far too young!"

"Heaven was jealous of a brilliant talent!"

Countless sighs rang out. It was too heaven-defying. Had he not died, had he lived in the current age, would he have been another Dugu Baitian, another Luo Feng?

After the sighs subsided, someone raised another topic. Dugu Baitian ranked first on the Golden Ranking, while Luo Feng ranked third. Did that mean their relative strengths had been decided?

"No. There are many restrictions in the Heaven-Ascending Tower. Spiritual weapons, formations, and spiritual talismans cannot be used. Battles at that level change in an instant; one tiny difference can change the outcome." Su He, the Double Pupils wielder, spoke up, explaining that the beings near the top of the ranking were mostly on the same level. Without a true battle to the death, there was no way to determine who was stronger.

"That one ranks fourth, but who would dare say they could defeat him in the same realm?" a being replied, citing an example.

Indeed, even the invincible Heavenly Emperor ranked only fourth.

"Is there anyone who can reach the top of this Heaven-Ascending Tower?" A long sigh rang out. Everyone who heard it shook their heads, answering almost without thinking.

Even the ancient Great Emperors had never reached the top, and the Chaos Physique, invincible for nine lifetimes, had been stopped short. Who else could create a miracle? It was far, far too difficult.

"Mo Tao? Jian Wushuang? And the True Dragon Ao Jue?" Someone named several unparalleled heroes, but each was ruled out in turn.

One peerless genius after another climbed the Heaven-Ascending Tower, left their names on the three rankings, and departed after speaking with their acquaintances.

The beings gathered before the Heaven-Ascending Tower gradually left. They had seen the two strongest and witnessed history; there was little more to look forward to.

The Double Pupils wielder left as well. His heart held boundless ambition. Recognizing his shortcomings was not a bad thing; he would build up his strength before unleashing it, then come from behind to surpass the rest.

On this day, black Qi surged in the distance, as though a demon king had descended to rule the world and unite the mortal realm.

"It's Mo Tao!" Ferocious beasts from the Imperial World recoiled in terror, retreating again and again. Only after hiding in the crowd did they feel slightly reassured. His fearsome reputation was simply too great.

"The one beside him is Zhu Xiaotian." Someone identified the fat man at his side, who had a broad face and large ears. He was a peerless fiend who fed on living beings. Rumor had it that he swallowed seven or eight beings alive in a single meal, making no distinction between races and even devouring his own kind.

"Who is that?" Xuanyuzi's Yin-Yang Eyes opened and closed. Although the black-robed person beside them concealed their presence, they gave him a sense of familiarity.

"Why did they stop?" A sharp-eyed being noticed that Mo Tao and his two companions had stopped and sat cross-legged on the ground, as though waiting for someone.