"Understood." Gu Chen didn't expose him, and sat down directly. After the carriage moved forward again, he asked, "Senior Brother Chen, what did you mean by that 'Young Gu Family ' thing and that ' Dragon Ranking Ascension Ceremony' you mentioned earlier?"
"Junior Brother Ma doesn't know?" Chen Shumeng looked at Gu Chen in surprise.
Gu Chen coughed lightly and said, "I don't know. I've been away from the family for three or four months, cultivating in seclusion there. I've made some progress this time, so I plan to go to the Heaven and Earth Palace to compete for a spot on the Tiger Ranking."
"Junior Brother Ma missed it," Chen Shumeng sighed, " The Aristocratic Family Assembly is over."
"Huh?" Gu Chen looked surprised.
" The Aristocratic Family Assembly was held outside the capital this time, and it was a last-minute decision. It was said to be in a place called Tong City outside the Land of Heaven and Earth, but it has already ended," Chen Shumeng said. "Junior Brother Ma was in seclusion for so long, your family must have been very anxious at the time."
"I don't know!" Gu Chen exclaimed in surprise, " The Aristocratic Family Assembly has already ended? I thought it hadn't even started yet!"
"It's alright," Chen Shumeng comforted her. "The rankings set by the Aristocratic Family Assembly are only for the top twenty. The rest will be revised. For a family like ours, we'd be lucky to even make it into the top fifty. Part of the reason I went to attend the ceremony was to try my luck and see if I could catch the eye of the seniors at the Heaven and Earth Palace and get into the top hundred. Maybe then I could get some resources."
"Oh? The rankings can be revised? Please let me know, Senior Brother Chen." Gu Chen was even impressed with his own acting skills.
"Yes, more than a month ago, the geniuses who participated in the Aristocratic Family Assembly all returned, but for some reason, things seem to have gone very wrong. Even the Heaven and Earth Palace's revision of the Tiger Ranking has been repeatedly postponed," Chen Shumeng explained. "I don't know what happened outside that caused the repeated delays."
"Was the Tiger Ranking created by yourself?" Gu Chen asked another idiotic question.
Chen Shumeng said, "Of course, in the Land of Heaven and Earth, only the Dragon Ranking is naturally formed, while the Tiger Ranking was jointly drafted by the Heaven and Earth Palace and the Six Great Families, and the rankings are changed every five years. This time, however, it hasn't been changed yet, supposedly because there are problems with resources, and many family members are dissatisfied."
"But those are all battles between top players, something we noobs can't get involved in," Chen Shumeng laughed. "However, this opportunity of the rankings being postponed is a good chance for us to give it a try."
"I see." Gu Chen asked, "Then who is this young master of the Gu Family? And what's his story?"
"You might not know the Gu Family, but they used to be a very powerful family. Three days ago, the Gu Family, representing their key protégé Gu Mingheng, issued a notice." Chen Shumeng glanced at Gu Chen, seemingly finding it strange that her junior brother knew nothing, but she still explained, " The Dragon Ranking is different from the Tiger Ranking. Every time a new person is nominated for the Dragon Ranking, it will cause certain celestial phenomena, which are related to the fortune of the entire Land of Heaven and Earth and their family."
"And Gu Mingheng wants to challenge the Dragon Ranking and climb onto Dragon Ranking!"
"Aren't all the people on the Dragon Ranking Grandmaster Realm?" Gu Chen's eyes turned cold when he heard the name Gu Mingheng, but his face showed a puzzled expression.
" Gu Mingheng reached the Grandmaster Realm three days ago," Chen Shumeng said. "It is said that he mastered the ' Gu Family Demon-Slaying Art ' and became the darling of the Gu Family. Naturally, the Gu Family wants to help him build momentum."
"Is this all there is to it? Why hold a ceremony? Or even announce it to the whole world?" Gu Chen said calmly. " Gu Mingheng and the Gu Family are making a mountain out of a molehill. Fan Yingqiu of the Fan Family, who is known as the number one on the Tiger Ranking, didn't go to such lengths."
When Chen Shumeng mentioned Gu Mingheng, there was a hint of admiration in her voice.
Hearing Gu Chen's words, she glanced at him with displeasure and said, "Junior Brother Ma, Fan Yingqiu is the number one among our younger generation, already ranked first on the Tiger Ranking. What kind of status does he have? How can Gu Mingheng compare! It is said that Gu Mingheng was born into the declining Gu Family, and was even recruited from the secular world. He reached the Revolving Illumination Realm in just three years, which is a classic story of a grassroots success."
"In the history of the Land of Heaven and Earth, no martial artist under the age of thirty has ever been able to ascend to the Dragon Ranking. Even Fan Yingqiu has not yet challenged this honor. After all, it's not just about reaching the Grandmaster Realm; it requires being ranked among the top 100 Grandmaster Realm! If Gu Mingheng can accomplish this, he will be the first in history! Tell me, shouldn't such a feat be announced to the world?"
"If he fails, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?" Gu Chen sneered.
Chen Shumeng was slightly surprised. In her mind, Gu Mingheng's deeds were so inspiring that he should be the object of pursuit and admiration for every young master of a fallen family. He was even better than Fan Yingqiu. He was a role model for the younger generation in their Land of Heaven and Earth!
She couldn't understand why Gu Chen was hostile towards the name Gu Mingheng.
But she steadied herself and said, "We won't fail. Since the Gu Family is so confident, they must be absolutely certain they can make it onto the Dragon Ranking. Besides, many families have been invited to attend this ceremony, and a family like the Gu Family family wouldn't allow themselves to fail. Otherwise, they would be expelled from the Land of Heaven and Earth."
I see!
Gu Chen understood. No wonder Gu Mingheng didn't attend the last Aristocratic Family Assembly. It turned out that he had long looked down on the Tiger Ranking and was just laying the groundwork for getting on the Dragon Ranking!
It should be noted that there are at least three or four hundred martial artists at the Grandmaster Realm in the Land of Heaven and Earth, and they are all well-known names. Those who can enter the top 100 of the Dragon Ranking must be the elite of the elite.
Like Ning Yufeng from the Wuji Manor in the mortal world, who claimed to be a master on the Dragon Ranking, Gu Chen now has some doubts about the truth of that statement.
Gu Mingheng, at only twenty-eight years old, dared to challenge this list, which is enough to show how arrogant and conceited he is.
This announcement, made public by the Gu Family, naturally caused a huge uproar throughout the Land of Heaven and Earth.
Seeing the excitement on Chen Shumeng's face, Gu Chen said, "Are you also taking this opportunity to rebuild the Tiger Ranking of the Heaven and Earth Palace, planning to try again for the Tiger Ranking 100?"
"Yes." Chen Shumeng nodded, then paused, "But whether it will succeed is still unknown. Wait, Junior Brother Ma, you said 'you all,' does that mean you're not going to the Heaven and Earth Palace for this purpose?"
Gu Chen originally intended to inquire about the situation and, incidentally, ask about the location of the Gu Family.
But upon hearing from Chen Shumeng that Gu Mingheng was actually going to the Heaven and Earth Palace, she immediately changed her mind.
"My purpose in going to the Heaven and Earth Palace is different from yours," Gu Chen said with a smile. "However, considering that you've been quite kind to me, not only letting me onto the carriage but also explaining things to me, I'll tell you a secret."