Heroes Under Heaven, Like Crucian Carp Crossing the River (Part Two)

The Earth Mother's messenger disappeared outside the door, his footsteps fading into the distance.

An Ruyu raised her hand and gently plucked the strings with her fingertips. The music was not loud, but clear and melodious like a spring, rippling through the quiet room.

She tilted her head slightly, her dark hair slipping down her shoulder to reveal a section of her fair, almost translucent nape. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a glow on the fine hairs on the nape of her neck.

She withdrew her hand, and the lingering sound of the strings dissipated. The room returned to silence, with only the moonlight flowing slowly across the surface of the instrument.

"Xiaoyu."

The door opened silently, and a maid entered the room without a sound. Her figure and face were somewhat similar to hers.

"Miss," the maid's voice was very low, as if afraid of disturbing something, "The calming medicine is ready. Shall I go and bring it to you now?"

"No rush," An Ruyu said with a gentle smile, "Is that new dress finished?"

"Miss, I'll go get it tomorrow."

"Hmm," An Ruyu said slowly, "Go and convey my message to Zhang Yan; Azure Clouds Eternal Mother has given an order."

The maid immediately knelt on one knee, head bowed, awaiting orders.

"Send him to find the whereabouts of Yu Tunzhou." An Ruyu paused, "The Azure Clouds Eternal Mother intends to make him our sect's messenger outside; have Zhang Yan inquire about his attitude."

The maid bowed and said, "I'll go right away."

An Ruyu did not speak again, and the maid silently withdrew, then the door, which had been opened and closed repeatedly, once again blocked the moonlight from entering the room.

The room darkened again, with only the wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner outlining faint patterns in the gloom.

An Ruyu stood up and paced back and forth, looking at herself in a bronze mirror. Suddenly, she blinked, and the girl in the mirror blinked as well, her eyes deep and her lips curved into a faint smile.

I wonder how the Earth Mother's messenger will react when he learns of Azure Clouds Eternal Mother's attitude.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye, and it's time for the Dragon and Tiger Ranking to be updated again.

It is now late August, around the time of the Autumnal Equinox.

Recently, as the commander-in-chief, Feng Xu has been extremely busy and has had no time to leave the Divine Capital.

With the Great Yan officially announcing the imminent opening of the Eternal Dragon Gate, all forces across the land were mobilized, eager to vie for a spot.

However, the Great Yan showed no sign of backing down, forcing them to compete for a place on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking according to the Great Yan's rules.

As a result, many young martial artists who had never been heard of before emerged from various schools.

Having forced each side to reveal one of their "trump cards," the Great Yan's plan was half complete.

During this period, Feng Xu was stationed at the headquarters of the Gold-Wielding Guard, sorting through intelligence gathered from various sources.

The Star Palace and the Jixia Academy even sent special personnel to be stationed at the Gold-Wielding Guard to share intelligence immediately.

At that moment, Feng Xu looked up and saw representatives from both companies sitting opposite him.

One of them was a bald Daoist priest, middle-aged in appearance, with a kind face and a constant smile. He was the Daoist Non-Contention from the Star Palace, and called himself Little Mo.

On the other side was Mr. Zhu. Zhu Yan, the representative of the Jixia Academy.

"A month ago, Jin Buxi disciple of Floating Hill Mountain, descended the mountain with his junior brother Zhang Buyu, declaring that he would kill Deng Canglan to avenge his junior brother Yao Liang. Jin Buxi is an Ancient Method cultivator and has mastered at least one of the Human Immortal Divine Ability, corresponding to Dharma Aspect."

Two months ago, Jiang Yungu of the Jiang Household reached the Form Refinement Perfection, which should place him between thirty-five and forty on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking. However, the Jiang Household seems to have something else in store—all four major Aristocratic Clan, except for the Anguo Ji Clan, have members who are eager to make their move.

"Half a month ago, Western Frontier martial artists Su Wan and Shi Shouling challenged top masters on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking one after another; both of them possessed the strength to rank in the top twenty."

"A disciple actually emerged from the Little Thunderclap Temple in the Western Desert. Su Wan was defeated, and Shi Shouling actually became her protector? Unfortunately, Yu Tunzhou has already left the Western Desert and entered the Jiangnan region a month ago."

-"

"The Fairy Nishang of Misty Clouds Grotto-Heaven defeated the newly promoted Demon Prince of the Supreme Origin Sect with three fingers; this woman can also be ranked in the top fifteen—"

The battle reports from the past few months were compiled in this room.

Mr. Zhu put down the intelligence report sent from Northern Plains and sighed softly, "These Aristocratic Clan are indeed extremely well-hidden. No wonder the flow of fortune in the martial world doesn't align with the fortune represented by the Dragon and Tiger Ranking."

Xie Lintian, the pillar of the younger generation in Northern Plains, was originally from the Xie Household, but he died tragically in Dongtian last year.

After Xie Lintian, the strongest of the younger generation in Northern Plains was Tuoba Yu, who was ranked nineteenth, but he has now fallen to twenty-eighth.

Xie Ze, originally ranked 30th in a collateral branch of the Xie Household, rose to a high position of 19th in the previous ranking with the support of the Xie Household.

--

Originally, everyone thought that Xie Ze was the new person the Xie Household was supporting in this generation, but unexpectedly, not long ago, another Xie Linxue emerged from the Xie Household.

This man, aged twenty-four, had already entered the Late Divine Ability Stage. He had mastered several External Scenery techniques of the Xie Household and defeated Xie Ze with just one move. His strength was formidable, and he was regarded by those in the martial arts world who only cared about realms as a strong contender for the top five of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking.

This also reveals the depth of the Northern Plains Xie Household's power, and their disloyalty over the years was not without reason.

"The Xie Household's strength is undeniable. The number of their own and their External Scenery experts at the Outer Realm level is second only to the major ancestral courts, and even surpasses the Lineage. Their disloyalty over the years is not without reason."

Feng Xu said slowly, "Compared to Xie Linxue, I am more concerned about Xie Linchuan, who has joined Evergreen Mountain."

Little Mo said thoughtfully, "Now that Ancient Method are flourishing, I've also received news that a direct descendant of the founder of the Evergreen Mountain lineage is about to descend the mountain. I wonder if it will be him."

"Mostly correct." Feng Xu sighed. "Where should this kid be ranked? It's really a headache."

In the past, martial artists who possessed top-tier skills but lacked actual combat achievements would not be considered until they produced tangible results.

This time is different. The royal family's attitude is very clear: they want to incite conflict among the various families.

Although the Three Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man are controlled by the Jixia Academy and the Star Palace, the Great Yan is ultimately the master of the Central Plains and the master of destiny. Both forces cultivate the way of destiny and cannot go against the will of the royal family.

Mr. Zhu laughed and said, "That's easy. Just put Xie Linchuan where Xie Linxue is ranked. As for whether they come before or after, that depends on Evergreen Mountain's reputation."

Little Mo exclaimed in amazement, "Mr. Zhu is truly Venomous Strategist!"

The conflict between Xie Linchuan and the Xie Household was an open secret among the various families. Back then, many people secretly mocked the Xie Household's Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, saying that the Xie Household had essentially handed him over to Evergreen Mountain.

If the two are ranked first and last in the next ranking, especially since Xie Linchuan is ahead of Xie Linxue who is at the Late Divine Ability Stage, then internal strife within the Xie Household is just around the corner.

Mr. Zhu said calmly, "It's just acting on the orders of the royal family. Besides, Xie Linchuan possesses Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart and has inherited the legacy of the Azure Emperor, so he's rank perfectly anywhere."

Little Mo nodded with a smile.

Feng Xu frowned. He Buxi this behavior, but under pressure from the royal family, he could only sigh.

The three of them worked together to review the battle reports from all sides, and soon laid the initial foundation for the new Dragon and Tiger Ranking.

While the rankings are largely unaffected, the list still contains many controversial aspects.

Mr. Zhu meant that this was deliberately left for idle people in the martial arts world to debate.

People in the martial arts world love fame and are prone to fighting. Once a controversy arises, even if neither party intends to fight, they are bound to be drawn into it.

In this way, the royal family's intentions were achieved.

As the list gradually took shape, Mr. Zhu suddenly spoke up, "I think the top ten of this Dragon and Tiger Ranking need to be adjusted."

Feng Xu frowned and said, "It's always changing; it's not constant."

The list has changed dramatically in recent days.

Last year's Dragon and Tiger Ranking was in the lower half, which is the Form Refinement Greater Accomplishment Mastery.

If one possesses Immortal Seed that has mastered the External Scenery Divine Ability, one only needs to break through to the Form Refinement Greater Accomplishment to attain a ranking in the middle of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking.

To be included in the latest Dragon and Tiger Ranking, one must at least achieve Form Refinement Perfection, meaning that most people in the lower and middle ranks have mastered External Scenery techniques.

This generation can truly be described as a constellation of Myriad Stars.

Even within the top ten, the rankings have changed considerably. For example, Dharma Master Jiese of Shaolin Temple has fallen to ninth place and is likely to continue to fall.

Huang Tian's lack of achievements caused controversy, and his ranking dropped to tenth.

Starting from fifth, the rankings are as follows:

Fifth, "Blood River Daoist" Wu Xuan; sixth, "One Sword Across the River" Lin Yueheng; seventh, "Daoist Yin-Yang" Daoist Xuanfa; eighth, "Spirit Rhinoceros Sword" Xie Linxue; ninth, "Spare Lives Beneath the Palm" Dharma Master Jiese; tenth, "Martial Ancestor's Heir" Huang Tian. The reason for starting from fifth is that the only thing that has remained unchanged so far is the top four.

No matter how turbulent the waves are behind them, the top four remain unaffected.

"Hehe." Mr. Zhu chuckled, his words carrying a pointed meaning, "Not long ago, news came that Xie Linxue, wielding the Spirit Rhinoceros Sword, had already comprehended the Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person. Coupled with the divine weapon in his hand, even the newly External Scenery cultivators are no match for him. His ranking should rightfully climb up."

Before Feng Xu could speak...

Little Mo touched his smooth head and said with a smile, "If I remember correctly, the one who calculated the fate of the weeds for Yu Tunzhou at the Jixia Academy a few years ago was Mr. Zhu?"

Zhu Yan's expression changed slightly, and she snorted coldly, "What good result has your Star Palace calculated this time?"

"But we admit it," Little Mo said matter-of-factly. "The Jixia Academy is not willing to accept this, something I never expected."

Mr. Zhu snorted coldly, "I'm merely making a suggestion; this is simply acting in accordance with the imperial decree!"

Feng Xu calmly said, "The significance of the Dao Path Phenomenon is undeniable. Instead of worrying about the top four, you two should consider where the tenth to twentieth place should be, especially where that successor of the Little Thunderclap Temple should be ranked."

Seeing that his probing had yielded no results, Mr. Zhu remained silent.

This discussion lasted for two full days before the latest Dragon and Tiger Ranking List was finally finalized.

And once this issue is released----

The next time will be after the finale of "Eternal Dragon Gate".

Seeing the dramatic changes on the list, Feng Xu asked his deputy with a weary expression, "Have the corresponding portraits been prepared?"

The deputy beside him nodded. "The experts on the list all have corresponding portraits."

In order to better promote the "competitions" among martial artists in the martial arts world, the royal family issued an order to prepare portraits of all the listed martial artists. They even dispatched the royal court painters to redraw the portraits based on the portraits and descriptions sent from various places, striving to make sure that when the True Person appeared, others could recognize them at a glance.

The intention behind it is self-evident.

It's about seeing the endless struggles in the martial arts world.

"Then we'll submit it to the higher-ups first. Once they confirm it's correct, we can prepare to publish the results."

Feng Xu took a deep breath, looked at the two people in front of him, and thanked them, "Thank you both for your help these past few days."

Mr. Zhu waved his hand and calmly said, "It's my duty, and I can't shirk it."

Little Mo's eyes were filled with worry, and she finally sighed, "The two words 'fame and fortune' are truly difficult to fathom."

Feng Xu also sighed.

In fact, there were indeed spots available for the Eternal Dragon Gate. The royal family wanted to force various factions to showcase their most outstanding young talents, and only after a joint petition from all sides did they "concede" and increase the number of spots.

Nowadays, people use the Eternal Dragon Gate for profit and the Dragon and Tiger Ranking for fame.

This move was truly a brilliant, albeit open, scheme.

After seeing the two off, Feng Xu returned to his desk, wrote a letter, and handed it to his deputy, saying in a deep voice, "Confirm Yu Tunzhou's location and deliver this letter to him."

"Yes!"

After his deputy left, Feng Xu slowly closed his eyes.

This Eternal Dragon Gate is not only an internal struggle among Human Race, but also involves overseas forces—yet the royal family has deliberately concealed this fact!

They could only hope that Yu Tunzhou would be prepared after receiving their secret letter and leaving Dragon Gate.

Beyond that, the key lies with the top four on the list; they must be able to set aside their differences and work together effectively.

In early September, during the Beginning of Autumn solar term, the summer heat had not yet subsided.

A cruise ship sails along the Fuchun River to the confluence with the Coming Dragon River. Next, the cruise ship will cross the southeastern waterway via the Coming Dragon River.

A port.

The five men boarded the cruise ship one after another. Their fierce and sinister appearances alone made them easy to deal with, which immediately caught the attention of the boatman, who sent someone to serve them.

"Master, these people seem to be more than you think," a sailor on the ship said with concern.

They make a living on the water year-round, and having seen so many people coming and going, they naturally know how to tell things apart.

This group of people looks like ruthless and vicious killers!

"Could they be members of the demonic path? Should we ask Master Jiang to intervene?"

"Don't make wild guesses!" The landlady, a capable woman in a blue cloth dress, known as Jiang Sanniang, suddenly turned serious. "Go and invite Master Jiang here first."

"Good!"

Soon, a middle-aged man strode over, his hands behind his back, his eyes like an eagle's. He was quite well-known in the Coming Dragon River area, and was nicknamed "Ghost Hand" Jiang Haitao.

He looked in the direction Jiang Sanniang pointed and suddenly met the eyes of one of them. The madness and malice in that person's eyes rushed into his mind from afar, causing his expression to change drastically and him to stagger backward!

Seeing this, Jiang Sanniang's heart sank, knowing that the newcomer was no pushover.

"Master Jiang, you----"

Jiang Haitao steadied himself and waved his hand, urgently saying, "Don't provoke them! I don't recognize that group, but one of them is Zhang Ying, the [Blood Eagle] of the Incense-Smelling Cult! This man was once among the top three on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking. He's insane, ruthless, and a complete madman!"

Jiang Sanniang's expression calmed down. "We sailors have encountered all kinds of people. There's no need to panic. Just treat them as guests and serve them well."

Jiang Haitao seemed to remember something and transmitted his voice, "Master, could we perhaps ask the one in the main room to help? He had a feud with the Incense-Smelling Cult last year and is currently in the Coming Dragon River— "

Jiang Sanniang's eyes flickered, and she shook her head slightly. "There's no reason to order guests around. Besides, Young Hero Yu doesn't want to reveal his whereabouts for the time being, to deal with the constant stream of visitors."

Jiang Haitao advised, "You could send a warning. Otherwise, if these people are really after someone on the ship, and a fight breaks out, the commotion will still affect Young Hero Yu."

Hearing this, Jiang Sanniang hesitated before saying, "Then let them know—"

Jiang Haitao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he was only at the Early Divine Ability Stage, he had no confidence in facing Zhang Ying, who had a notorious reputation.

Not to mention that there are four people who are on the same path as Zhang Ying, and only a top-ranked expert like Young Hero Yu can suppress them!

The group arrived at the second floor of the cruise ship, sat down at a table and chairs near the ship's railing, looked around, called over the ship's servants, and ordered wine and dishes.

"Brother Zhang, I heard that you fought against Yu Tunzhou in Pinghu County a year ago?"

While waiting for the food to be served, one of the men suddenly spoke up, turning to the man opposite him with a low chuckle, "It's a pity that if you had been a little more ruthless back then, wouldn't the martial arts world be missing a legend now?"

The man across the table had an icy expression and didn't say a word. This was Zhang Yan of the Incense-Smelling Cult [Nine Yin Hand] and was the first Dragon and Tiger Ranking expert to fight Yu Tunzhou.

The other four were all experts from various branches of the Incense-Smelling Cult.

The Incense-Smelling Cult Sect had a large number of followers. If it hadn't been besieged by various forces and turned into the Six Paths of Evil and Demons, it might not have lost to the Beggar Sect.

The religion is not unified; it is divided into different branches based on the mother figure worshipped.

The five of them alone can be divided into three factions.

One of the lineages is the Azure Clouds Branch, to which he belongs; another is the Netherworld Branch, to which his elder brother Zhang Ying belongs; and yet another is the Earth Mother Branch.

The three factions joined forces this time precisely to secretly investigate the Holy Maiden's betrayal.

Zhang Yan found the whole thing laughable.

Did the saint betray the Sacred Cult?

Why did the saintess plot a rebellion?

Not long ago, someone secretly reported that some members of the Incense-Smelling Cult traitors, who should have been executed long ago, were still alive!

And those individuals were all inextricably linked to the saintess's past.

Therefore, the three factions secretly sent people to investigate, and Zhang Yan was the representative of Azure Clouds Branch.

However, unlike others, Azure Clouds Eternal Mother is one of the mothers who strongly support the Holy Maiden, so he came this time to prevent others from interfering.

"Alright."

The man with bloodshot eyes coldly interrupted, his eyes deep yet concealing madness and savagery. None of the people around him dared to meet his gaze, all showing great fear of him.

The Netherworld Branch is influenced by its Cultivation Method; the stronger they become, the more insane they become. No one knows what crazy thing they will do next, making it the most ostracized and feared lineage within the Incense-Smelling Cult.

"According to intelligence, Wang Fujing and his men are on this ship." Zhang Ying looked at his younger brother Zhang Yan and said coldly, "Zhang Yan, you've been with Wang Fujing before, you should recognize him. You'll be the one to identify him later."

Zhang Yan nodded silently.

Just then, someone came down from the third floor and entered the lobby on this floor, seemingly preparing for lunch.

Zhang Yan's pupils constricted sharply. Was it really Wang Fujing?

He's not dead!

After the incident in Pinghu County, Wang Fujing was arranged to retreat, but in reality, he was treated as a pawn to be abandoned, because he was the guide of the Holy Maiden in her childhood, and he had karmic ties to settle beforehand.

Within the Incense-Smelling Cult Sect, this is also known as "severing worldly ties."

And this matter was indeed handled personally by the Holy Maiden.

The other four noticed the change in Zhang Yan's expression and looked over at the same time.

One of them grinned maliciously and said, "Looks like we're in luck."

"Let's make our move," Zhang Ying said coldly. "Be Lu Yi, who's close to Wang Fujing. He broke through to the Middle Divine Ability Stage Power realm back then."

The five men got up one after another, preparing to surround the enemy.

At this moment, Zhang Yan's expression changed drastically. She suddenly reached out to stop everyone and urgently transmitted her voice. "Wait!"

etc?

Now is the perfect time to strike!

The man who had previously mocked Zhang Yan for not being ruthless enough in Pinghu County snorted coldly, pushed Zhang Yan's hand away, and stepped forward.

"The person behind him is Yu Tunzhou!"

The foot that had just stepped out was suspended in mid-air, the body froze instantly, and instinctively couldn't take another step.

Behind Wang Fujing, a man in a blue robe walked down slowly, his demeanor calm yet exuding a touch of domineering. As if sensing something, he looked up at the five people and revealed a smile, as if looking at clowns who had come to his door to die.

Zhang Yan said urgently, "That person is Yu Tunzhou! He's returned from the Western Desert! As expected, of all the seas, he chose the South Sea Dragon Palace!"

The expressions on their faces changed drastically.

A person's name is like a tree's shadow; this person's ability to fight the Outer External Scenery Bandits head-on in the Western Desert is something that these few Divine Ability Realm could never contend with!

"Run! Scatter and run!" Although Zhang Ying was fierce and crazy, he wasn't stupid. He clearly understood the disparity in strength between the two sides, and he turned and ran.

The crowd either lowered their heads or picked up their straw hats, quickly separated from Zhang Yan, and then jumped into the river and fled.

They wouldn't have fled at the first sign of trouble; the other party most likely didn't recognize them, just as they hadn't recognized Yu Tunzhou at first.

Unfortunately, one of them was Zhang Yan!

Rumor has it that this man is extremely vengeful. The reason he killed the notorious bandit Sun Xiongman was simply because Sun Xiongman had attacked him once!

Sun Xiongman crime that Zhang Yan also committed, so the other party will never forget Zhang Yan!

Zhang Yan also wanted to leave, but a powerful aura pressed down on him like a boulder, preventing him from getting away!

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth; the events of last year seemed as vivid as if they had happened yesterday.

At that time, although Yu Tunzhou was Immortal Seed, his cultivation level was two minor realms lower than mine, and he could only barely hold on against me by relying on his Divine Ability.

Even now, the mere prestige he exudes from the Western Desert is enough to make him afraid to look directly at him; a single wisp of his aura can suppress him from making a move.

Soon, Zhang Yan noticed that he wasn't the only one who was unable to move; the other four people were in the same situation!

Whoever moves now will die first!

As the figure drew closer...

"Etc!"

Zhang Yan urgently transmitted her voice, "Yu Tunzhou, the Azure Clouds Eternal Mother wants to see you! The Azure Clouds Eternal Mother is very interested in you and hopes you can become her messenger!"

"Azure Clouds Eternal Mother?"

The figure in the green robe paused slightly, a hint of amusement appearing on his cold yet handsome face. "No Earth-Surging Mother?"