People on the Rankings, the Human Emperor's Tomb

Yu Tunzhou first spread out the Dragon and Tiger Reserve Ranking on the table. At a glance, he saw that the top name was none other than himself.

As he scrolled down further, Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Why are there several familiar faces on this list? Is the online community really that small?

On the Reserve Ranking, there were at least three names he recognized.

Zhou Zhan, Zuo Qiantao, Zhang Tianyang.

Including him, the four of them were sworn brothers a week ago, sharing everything and even lending each other clothes.

In a sense, this list is fair, since last time all four gathered, and the one who survived to the end was Yu Tunzhou.

The other noteworthy person on the list is Jiang Yunshang.

This person is indeed from the Jiang Household, one year older than him, and is now at the Form Refinement Greater Accomplishment, a promising talent on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking of the Jiang Household's current generation.

Yu Tunzhou thought to himself, "I wonder if Jiang Yungu has established his Immortal Foundation Immortal Foundation. If he has, then Jiang Yunshang shouldn't be a problem."

I hope Brother Yungu will live up to expectations.

After scanning the Reserve Ranking, he looked at the Dragon and Tiger Main Ranking.

There are only ten spots on the Reserve Ranking, but a whopping forty-nine spots on the main list.

Yu Tunzhou looked at the list from the end to the beginning and found that those who were mentioned as having Immortal Seed accounted for less than a third of the total. The number was neither small nor large. If divided among the major sects and the top Aristocratic Clan Ranking, there wouldn't be enough for even one person from each of them.

Among them, those who possess offensive Divine Ability abilities, even if their cultivation level is slightly lower, are all among the top twenty.

It is evident that in the Form Refinement Realm, Divine Ability powers have a significant advantage, in addition to the variations in martial arts techniques.

Tenth on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking List: Xie Lintian, twenty-three years old, newly entered the Divine Ability ----

Ninth on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking: Yang Che, twenty-four years old, entered the Divine Ability one year ago, and his physical Divine Ability have been fully developed.

Sixth on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking: Deng Canglan, nineteen years and one month old, personally taught by [Heavenly Demon] Kou Ziling, possessing Immortal Seed, with the Form Refinement Perfection, having comprehended the principles of fist techniques, achieving Wisdom Born of Concentration, mastering more than two physical Divine Ability, and suspected of mastering External Scenery ultimate technique----

Yu Tunzhou's gaze froze; he had been watching perfectly fine, but the scene suddenly took a turn for the worse.

The previous entries only had a few strokes, recording the name, age, and level of attainment, but this one was an "exclusive interview," with even the age specified down to the month!

Deng Canglan ----

Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but recall the down-to-earth young man he had met in the Heavenly Court that day. Could it really be this person?

He continued reading.

Fifth on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking: Feng Yanleng, seventeen years and nine months old, the eldest daughter of the leading family of the four great Aristocratic Clan, the Anguo Ji Clan, Registered Disciple Immortal Seed Yan Huifeng, a Celestial Seed, with Form Refinement Perfection, having comprehended the principles of Sword Dao, and seemingly mastering External Scenery ultimate technique.

Yu Tunzhou looks bewildered.

The Anguo Ji Clan is a branch of the Great Yan family and the head of the four great Aristocratic Clan.

The legitimate daughter of the Anguo Ji Clan, surnamed Feng?

What does this mean?

Yu Tunzhou sensed the story.

I'll definitely find out more about this later!

He continued reading.

Fourth on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking: A monk who Jiese, 24 years old, a direct descendant of Shaolin Temple, possessing Form Refinement Perfection, Wisdom Born of Concentration, and having used only one technique since his debut, the "Great Strength Vajra Palm," he has penetrated the principles of Dharma, possessing profound foundation and a deep understanding of the Buddhist School principle of accumulating knowledge and experience before unleashing its full potential.

Is this generation at Shaolin Temple the "Jie" generation?

The thought of Yu Tunzhou flashed through my mind. This Jiese master seemed to be twenty-four years old but still stuck at the Form Refinement Perfection, not even as good as the tenth or ninth. However, each lineage has its own rules, and the time of cultivation is not uniform. The early lineage of Shaolin Temple was known for its slow pace.

Before they Qi Ingestion, they must spend years studying scriptures, comprehending Buddhist principles, and cultivating their mind and body!

In contrast, a certain young monk spends his days eating and sleeping, and now he's hanging out with foxes every day.

After only a few months apart, Yu Tunzhou also missed the simple-minded Dingguang.

As he continued looking, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Third on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking: An Ruyu, seventeen years and three months old, the Wuji Holy Maiden of the Incense-Smelling Cult, Immortal Seed, suspected of having entered the [Pure Land]! Suspected of mastering External Scenery realm ultimate technique! Suspected of mastering Primordial Spirit killing move!

Yu Tunzhou's lips twitched. All suspicion? Was this woman really that mysterious?

In addition, the Incense-Smelling Holy Maiden?

The guards at the city gate mentioned earlier that there are now sorcerers and thieves Incense-Smelling Demons" lurking in the city.

This Incense-Smelling Cult is a contemporary heretical and demonic sect that Master Lu emphasized.

A thousand years ago, this religion was not a demonic religion, but a renowned minister who supported the emperor and almost became the state religion of the Great Yan.

However, in the end, it was suppressed by Daoist School combined forces of Daoism and Buddhism. In order to gain the support of Daoism and Buddhism and to consolidate its power, the Great Yan Family turned around and launched several encirclements and suppressions after the founding of the country, almost severing this Daoist tradition that had been passed down for thousands of years.

The reason why Daoism and Buddhism joined forces to suppress the Incense-Smelling Cult is because the sect's core doctrine is "the three religions responding to calamities".

The three religions are Buddhism, Daoism, and Incense-Smelling. It was even once denounced that contemporary Daoism and Buddhism were false religions, and only Incense-Smelling was orthodox.

Secondly, they claim that the High Antiquity and primordial eras have been lost for too long, and that the gods of the present age have all been corrupted by Daoism and Buddhism.

Then they did something earth-shattering: they brought Buddhism, Daoism, and even goddesses from folk beliefs under their wing.

There are twelve top female deities in total, forming the "Twelve Mothers Paying Wuji" formation. Wuji is said to be the greatest in heaven and earth, and the Twelve Mothers are all her avatars or subordinates.

This includes the renowned Guanyin, Samantabhadra, Manjusri, Queen Mother of the West, and Azure Clouds Primordial Sovereign.

After learning some of the history of this religion from Master Lu, Yu Tunzhou could only conclude that it would be strange if Daoism and Buddhism didn't join forces to suppress them.

Even after being betrayed by the Great Yan, the Incense-Smelling Cult directly declared that the Eternal Mother Wuji was the true god and that overthrowing the court was acting on behalf of Heaven.

Today, the Incense-Smelling Cult reveres the Eternal Mother Wuji, worships Buddhist School Maitreya, and claims that joining the cult will avert the end of the three kalpas.

Master Lu said that the reason this sect can still thrive is not only because Aristocratic Clan and clans are involved, but also because the Great Yan has lost the hearts of the people!

Yu Tunzhou continued looking at the list.

The top spot on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking belongs to the Daoist Master Highest Purity Daoist Xuanyou.

The second is Yi Hanjiang of the Left Path Mending Heaven Pavilion.

Both of these individuals have reached the Middle Divine Ability Stage powers, placing them a level above those below them. They are both twenty-four years old, and like the fourth-ranked Jiese Master, they are nearing the end of the rankings.

After scanning the entire list, Yu Tunzhou poured himself a bowl of wine and downed it in one gulp. This wine was nowhere near as good as the one he had drunk from Li Jingxuan.

Compared to those on the list, his current strength is far inferior, which makes him clearly aware of where he falls short.

Taking Deng Canglan as an example, the analysis of the Form Refinement Perfection sentence by sentence reveals the principles of the fist, Wisdom Born of Concentration, mastery of more than two physical Divine Ability, and a possible mastery of External Scenery ultimate technique.

At present, I have only achieved two of them:

From Wisdom Born of Concentration, and from this comes the flourishing of martial arts.

Suddenly, a debate broke out among the crowd.

"---- Yu Tunzhou is only sixteen this year? Isn't that the Heroine Feng who debuted a year and a half ago!"

"You're comparing him to Heroine Feng?"

"That's not impossible. The list says this kid's Fist Intent is at its peak, rarely seen in his realm throughout history. I estimate he's already comparable to someone who has grasped the principles of fist. Once he reaches the Form Refinement Greater Accomplishment, he'll probably be able to break into the main rankings!"

"Heh, let's wait until he reaches the Form Refinement Greater Accomplishment first. Talking on paper is no substitute for a real life-or-death battle!"

"That's right. In previous years, there have been cases where people overestimated their abilities on paper, became cowardly in battle, and ultimately met a tragic end."

Yu Tunzhou nodded slightly in agreement.

Although the people on the list are indeed older than him, in the martial arts world, age doesn't matter; only strength matters.

There is no concept of martial artists of the same age; anyone under 25 is considered part of the younger generation.

In a life-or-death battle, your opponent won't restrain their cultivation and give you two moves just because you're young.

Now, he first tempered his bones with the black wind in the Heavenly Court, and then dug up two medicinal herbs that were thirty years old on the way in the Eternal Spring Mountain Range. After consuming one of the ginseng herbs, he finally broke through the last barrier and achieved great success in his muscles, bones and skin!

At this moment, with a thought, all the joints in his body moved in unison, and the great dragon of his spine crackled. Then, his tendons burst forth, like the roots of an iron tree, tightly binding his restless bones. With a sound of tendons and bones resonating, his Qi and Blood surged throughout his body.

Bones nourish blood. After mastering bone training, his Qi and Blood became stronger day by day, gradually developing the appearance of blood as rich as lead and mercury.

Therefore, recently, he has begun to seek a method of unifying Qi and Blood, which, as the name suggests, is to unify the Qi and Blood of the whole body into one force, and is considered a profound way of exerting force.

At this stage, every move is made with full force. If a Chain Forming Martial Arts is used to complement it, the martial artist's strength will leap to a new level, and the power of their attacks will no longer be comparable to Inner Qi, which will then be used to nourish the Inner Qi organs.

Once Yu Tunzhou breaks through to this level, he will be confident in fighting Form Refinement Greater Accomplishment master in a head-on battle.

In the tavern, several Jianghu men with good ears turned to look at Yu Tunzhou, with surprise in their eyes, and said cheerfully, "The muscles and bones are singing together, little brother, you can do it, the speed chain is small?"

Yu Tunzhou smiled and nodded, raising his glass in a toast.

Then he looked through the Earth Ranking and the Heaven Ranking again.

Seeing that Yu Tunzhou had no interest in conversation, the other men didn't press the matter further. They glanced at the list in the young man's hand and smiled knowingly.

With a list of the world's best martial artists in hand, how can you be in the mood for drinking without first reading it?

Compared to the Human Ranking, the Earth Ranking has as many as eighty-one people, mostly External Scenery from various families, with occasional Divine Ability Realm warriors appearing in the middle and lower ranks.

The top spot on the Earth Ranking was none other than Daoist Fuyao of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple.

Yu Tunzhou glanced at the list briefly; it held little appeal for him.

After all, the true masters are all on the Heaven Ranking, and the Dragon and Tiger Ranking is his next target. The Earth Ranking is the closest to him, but it's a bit of an uphill battle.

There are only ten seats on the Heaven Ranking, but that doesn't mean there are only ten Dharma Aspect in the world.

All this is because the Three Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man are all divine weapons left behind by the Human Emperor, jointly managed by the Jixia Academy and the Star Palace, which gather the strongest individuals from the Central Plains and the Four Continents.

Therefore, powerful figures from the Central Plains and overseas regions outside the four continents are not included in the list.

The powerful figures overseas are mostly descendants of High Antiquity races. Although they have experts, they are far inferior to the Human Race, who occupy the Central Plains and are at the center of the world.

It is said that this is not only due to the inheritance of Human Race traditions, but also because of a struggle for some kind of destiny.

The Three Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man are divine artifacts of destiny left behind by the Human Emperor.

The reason why the Human Ranking is also known as the Dragon and Tiger Ranking is because this ranking is related to the "Subduing Dragons and Tigers, Knocking on the Mysterious Gate" of the Divine Ability Realm.

Therefore, martial artists from all schools, upon reaching a certain level and age, must venture out and travel, not only to broaden their experience and knowledge so as not to become weaklings in the same realm despite possessing a high level of skill, but also to compete for certain fortuitous opportunity.

Yu Tunzhou browsed the Heaven Ranking word by word.

Compared to the Earth Ranking and the Human Ranking, the Heaven Ranking contains the most detailed information, including the recent achievements of the aforementioned individuals.

First on the Heaven Ranking: [One-Nation Individual] Ji Tianfang.

Second on the Heaven Ranking: [Supreme Sword Lord] Yan Huifeng.

Third on the Heaven Ranking: [Heavenly Demon] Kou Ziling.

Sixth on the Heaven Ranking: [Great Hero] Mo Wudi.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze was fixed on this spot.

The young man was a little puzzled. When did Old Mo become invincible? Did he publish this year's Heaven Ranking himself?

Seeing Old Mo climb back to sixth place, Yu Tunzhou was genuinely happy for him, and he was also a little curious.

Old Mo told him not to use Taijiquan for two months, but those two months have long passed, and Old Mo has only managed to climb back to sixth place?

Why not challenge his old rival, Heavenly Demon Kou Ziling, who was fifth in 150 years ago and is now third, to a match?

Yu Tunzhou with some regret.

He initially thought the Old Mo could reach fourth or even third place, but he underestimated the Old Mo's desire for sixth.

Yu Tunzhou poured himself a full glass of wine and toasted the Old Mo who wasn't there.

After reviewing the Three Rankings, Yu Tunzhou got up, paid the bill, and left.

He found an inn and settled down temporarily.

Standing by the window, watching the sky gradually darken, Yu Tunzhou felt a strange stirring in his heart, and some doubts arose.

For some reason, he felt uneasy, as if something in this county town was attracting him.

Pinghu County, County Government Office.

Magistrate Zhang looked at the registrar with a headache. "They haven't left yet?"

The clerk said with a wry smile, "The Gold-Wielding Guard just asked me for the list of martial artists who have entered the county recently, and now the Zhang Household is also asking me for it. But there's only one list, and I'm really at my wit's end."

Magistrate Zhang comforted him, "Just hang in there a little longer. If they come looking for me, just say I'm unwell—"

The clerk glared at him. "Brother-in-law, are you really planning to hide forever?"

"Use your official titles in the yamen!" Magistrate Zhang said sternly, then sighed, "What else can we do? The Zhang Household is the overlord of Jade River Commandery, and we can't afford to offend either of them, including that Old Wang directly under the Gold-Wielding Guard. We can only pretend to be deaf and dumb."

The clerk suddenly whispered, "Brother-in-law, when I delivered something over there just now, I saw someone with Golden Crow tattooed on their clothes; they seemed to be a high-ranking official—"

"Golden Crow Robe?!" Magistrate Zhang exclaimed in surprise, abruptly standing up. "What on earth has happened that has alarmed such a high-ranking figure as a commander?!"

The clerk's face turned pale. "What? That's—"

"Shut up!" Magistrate Zhang suddenly shouted, then looked outside with a wry smile. "You fool, you've really ruined my life. Now I can't even pretend I didn't hear you!"

The clerk swallowed hard. The commander of the Gold-Wielding Guard was the highest-ranking member of the Gold-Wielding Guard, and all of them were experts in the External Scenery. With a single probe of their Primordial Spirit, the movements on their side were as clear as the lines on the palm of one's hand.

Night had fallen.

The main hall of the county government, which was originally the place for hearing cases, was now occupied by a group of men in brocade robes.

It was the Gold-Wielding Guard, which the Great Yan used to intimidate aristocratic Aristocratic Clan and sects.

And the superior of the Gold-Wielding Guard is none other than the Old Wang, Ji Tianfang, who is Heaven Ranking number one on the Heavenly Ranking!

now.

The man, dressed in brocade robes, the Golden Crow pattern on his chest gleaming darkly in the candlelight, a jade belt cinching his waist, exuded a composed and dignified air. He closed his eyes to rest, speaking calmly, "What's the latest on the news regarding the Human Emperor's Tomb?"

"Reporting to the Commander, this news came from within the Incense-Smelling Cult. The Zhang Household family is searching the entire city for the Incense-Smelling Demon, and we are following up."

"Have any Northern Chen warriors entered the city recently?"

"Reporting to the Commander, we checked the travel permits and found no Northern Chen warriors entering the city." The messenger hesitated before adding, "However, I have discovered someone who deserves our attention."

"Who."

"Yu Tunzhou."

"Hmm?" The man in the Golden Crow opened his eyes. "The Yu Tunzhou of Luofu Grotto-Heaven?"

"If it's not someone with the same name, then it must be him. We checked his travel permit; he's currently affiliated with [Eternal Spring Temple]."

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, the man pondered and said, "[Eternal Spring Temple]—that should be it. According to secret records, this small Daoist temple has a close relationship with that Great Hero Mo."

The subordinate kneeling on one knee below said in a deep voice, "Commander, should we take advantage of this boy's whereabouts before they are exposed, capture him, send him to the Divine Capital, and then conveniently hand him over to the Zhang Household?"

The man glanced at his subordinate. "Do you think the Old Wang is a fool?"

The subordinate immediately prostrated himself, saying, "I had no such intention!"

"I know you wouldn't dare," the man said calmly. "You wouldn't dare disrespect the Old Wang, so why do you dare treat the Great Hero Mo, who is on the same Heaven Ranking as the Old Wang, as a fool? This man has walked more roads in the martial world than you've eaten rice."

The subordinate fell silent, his back soaked with sweat. "You will remain here and continue to oppose the Zhang Household. There's no need to rush into action; just wait. Once Northern Chen warriors appear, send me a message."

"Are you leaving already, sir?"

"I don't have time to wait here idly." The man sneered, then added, "Remember, just pretend you didn't see that Yu Tunzhou. Don't make an enemy of him."

"Understood!"

At the inn.

Yu Tunzhou had the waiter bring him a bathtub and boil water, and he enjoyed a long-awaited, relaxing hot bath.

Previously, while traveling along the Eternal Spring Mountain Range, we were in the middle of nowhere, so there was no way we could get a hot shower.

After taking a bath and changing his clothes, Yu Tunzhou practiced a set of slow boxing moves in the room. It was a skill to make his Qi and Blood flow freely, but to slow down the mighty river was an even greater skill.

Therefore, after a set of slow punches, Yu Tunzhou's Qi and Blood and qi were boiling, but he sealed his skin pores to prevent his clothes from being soaked with sweat.

This method of tempering one's Qi and Blood was something he developed himself based on Taijiquan.

Compared to the previous transitions between movement and stillness, each has its own unique charm and is more challenging.

Before parting ways with Old Mo, he asked Old Mo whether, after reaching the Form Refinement, he should switch to other methods or continue to practice Taijiquan.

All Chain Forming Martial Arts have the effect of nourishing Qi and Blood, and strengthening muscles, bones and skin, but there are also differences in their levels. Each school has its own method that is most suitable for its own lineage of martial arts.

Old Mo said, "Tunzhou Tunzhou, you're guarding a treasure trove, yet you're eyeing someone else's little treasure chest? Have some decency!"

So, starting with the Form Refinement, Yu Tunzhou almost always used Taijiquan to transport Qi and Blood, using his Fist Intent and Inner Qi to temper his muscles, bones and skin, and gradually figured out a few methods.

When browsing the Dragon and Tiger Ranking before, it seemed that guys like Deng Canglan had already figured out the principles behind fist and sword techniques.

The principle here naturally refers to the principles of law and reason.

To be honest, Yu Tunzhou didn't know what the principle of the fist was, but Old Mo once said that his fist technique and Fist Intent had already corresponded to the root of the Great Dao. To say that he had figured out the principle of the fist was to underestimate his Fist Intent. At present, it was just that his realm was not high enough and he had not yet revealed the true essence of his Fist Intent.

Therefore, he only needs to delve into his own Fist Intent step by step to find a Tongtian that belongs to him, like Yu Tunzhou.

"What a powerful Fist Intent, as fluid and dynamic as a dragon moving through water!"

A strange voice suddenly rang out from inside the room, carrying a hint of appreciation.

Yu Tunzhou, whose blood and Qi and Blood had been almost blocked by a torrent, now surged into the sea and threw a punch at the man in Golden Crow sitting by the window at the source of the sound, his eyes showing admiration.

Such a spectacle truly deserves a magnificent and awe-inspiring description.

It seems the rumors were true.

He allowed Yu Tunzhou to deliver a punch to his forehead, remaining unmoved as he carefully sensed the Fist Intent.

"Senior, are you the Gold-Wielding Guard of the Great Yan Dynasty?"

Yu Tunzhou felt as if the punch had entered the sea without even making a ripple, but upon seeing the Golden Crow on the man's brocade robe, he guessed his identity.

"What brings you here so late at night?" Yu Tunzhou asked in a deep voice.

The man named Feng Xu looked at the young man before him with some emotion. "Is this the successor that Brother Lu ultimately chose?"

"My name is Feng Xu, and I was a colleague of Lu Huaiqing in the past." He smiled and said, "Yu Tunzhou, let me ask you, you come from Eternal Spring Temple, are you going to Northern Plains to participate in the upcoming Northern Plains Autumn Hunt?"

Yu Tunzhou's brows furrowed. Was this an old acquaintance of Master Lu?

"Good."

Upon hearing the boy's confirmation, Feng Xu fell silent. According to the intelligence he Gold-Wielding Guard, the Qi Ingestion Method Yu Tunzhou practiced was the [Spark Instruction] passed down by the Human Emperor, the authentic Qi Ingestion Method that the Northern Chen had found in that fake tomb!

Now that Yu Tunzhou has gone to Northern Plains to participate in the autumn hunt, it must be Lu Huaiqing's idea.

Considering several pieces of intelligence obtained recently----

All the speculations seemed to converge at this moment, as if a distant person gave a gentle nod.

Brother Lu, is there really Human Emperor's Tomb in Northern Plains?

You sent Yu Tunzhou to Northern Plains, do you think he'd have a chance to get a share of the spoils?

As his thoughts raced, Feng Xu decided to trust Lu one more time. He slowly asked, "Yu Tunzhou, have you ever heard of the Human Emperor's inheritance?"