While various factions were secretly speculating, a dazzling golden light suddenly burst across the night sky.
The Famous Swords Ranking? It shone brilliantly across the firmament! Immediately, those previously fixed rankings began to rapidly solidify.
In that instant, the rewards, which had remained unchanged, also shifted accordingly.
It was obvious that the Famous Swords Ranking had been updated.
A new round of rewards was about to descend.
At the very top, the holder of the Netherworld Sword—the Sword Saint, who had occupied the number one spot for fifteen days, was rewarded with the divine-grade secret technique: the Ninefold Wind and Fire Art, which could transform the user into a phoenix upon reaching mastery.
[Second place, the holder of the Tianwen Sword, fifteen days at the top, rewarded with the heavenly-grade upper-tier pill: the Imperial Supreme Pill, which offered a chance to nurture the aura of a true dragon upon consumption.]
Third place, the holder of the Yuanhong Sword, fifteen days at the top, rewarded with the heavenly-grade upper-tier martial skill: the Yin-Yang Palm, capable of cutting off life and death with a single strike.
[Fourth place, the holder of the Tai'e Sword, fifteen days at the top, rewarded with the heavenly-grade mid-tier pill: the Rejuvenation Pill, capable of healing all external injuries.]
[Fifth place, the holder of the Xueji Sword, fifteen days at the top, rewarded with the heavenly-grade mid-tier pill: the Enlightenment Pill, which allowed entry into the Dao realm and rapid comprehension of the Great Dao upon consumption.]
...
There were even more rewards for the holders of other famous swords further down.
As the rankings dropped, the rewards grew increasingly meager.
Only the rewards for the top twenty drove the world wild with frenzy, especially the reward for the Sword Saint at the top, which made everyone drool with envy and desperately wish they could seize it by force.
The first reward had been the divine-grade pill—the Nine-Turn Longevity Pill; the second reward was the divine-grade secret technique—the Ninefold Wind and Fire Art.
Almost all of them were divine-grade! Following this logic, since the Sword Saint kept monopolizing the top spot, wouldn't he always receive divine-grade rewards?
When this realization hit the various factions, resentment boiled over in all of them.
"Good heavens, is there any way for the rest of us to survive? The strong grow stronger, and who can possibly stand against him? The Sword Saint at the top is simply a monster!"
Someone sighed, "It seems the Famous Swords Ranking is destined to be dominated by the Sword Saint. We can only focus on other rankings to obtain rewards and grow stronger."
"Indeed, let's abandon the Famous Swords Ranking for now. When will there be a Culinary Ranking? My cooking skills are truly peerless."
Someone joked, "What Culinary Ranking? Better yet, let's have a Beauty Ranking—it would be pleasing to the eye and let us know where the beauties are... Hehe..."
As time flowed on and the Famous Swords Ranking finished updating entirely, the starry sky trembled.
The next moment, a blinding green light suddenly rose from the region of Dongjun.
This pillar of light connected heaven and earth, and a deep blue scroll hovered beneath the starry sky, aligning side by side with the Famous Swords Ranking.
Inside Xianyang Palace, First Emperor Ying Zheng sat atop the pavilion roof, a sandalwood table placed beside him, bearing hot tea and pastries.
"Master Gai, what kind of ranking do you think this one will be?"
His tone was brimming with anticipation, having tasted the sweet rewards brought by the Famous Swords Ranking.
Though it was somewhat regrettable that he hadn't obtained the divine-grade pill—the Nine-Turn Longevity Pill—the heavenly-grade upper-tier secret technique he did receive—the Heavenly Dragon Emperor Art—had truly advanced his cultivation significantly, making his true qi even more tyrannical.
Coupled with the Imperial Supreme Pill, it would undoubtedly elevate his cultivation immensely.
Thus, perhaps he could reach the very top of the remaining rankings, which would be enough to overawe the remnants of the Six States.
Upon hearing this, the Sword Saint gave a bitter smile and said, "Your Majesty, the rankings have yet to be revealed, so I'm afraid no one can foresee the outcome."
Even as he said this, his gaze remained fixed on that green scroll, his heart equally filled with anticipation.
How could First Emperor Ying Zheng fail to guess what was on his mind? With a hearty laugh, he motioned for him to sit down and share a cup of tea.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I won't stand on ceremony."
The Sword Saint made no pretense, sitting directly beside Ying Zheng to sip tea and wait for the scroll to be unveiled.
Within the Golden Crow Hall of the Mirage, belonging to the Yin-Yang School, Donghuang was also watching the shifts in the green scroll.
Because he wore a mask, no one could read his emotional fluctuations, but the anticipation in his eyes was plainly evident.
Gan Luo bowed and reported: "Lord Donghuang, following your instructions, I have already informed Zhao Gao about the traitor Dayan's death."
Zhao Gao's reaction had been exceptionally violent, immediately mobilizing the Net to search for Dayan's whereabouts, and Gan Luo believed there would be results soon.
Gan Luo's voice was low and hoarse. When he mentioned "Dayan," the severed fingers on his hand trembled slightly, his eyes stained red with utter hatred and hostility.
In his heart, the agony of his severed fingers all stemmed from "Dongjun Dayan," which had created massive obstacles for him in casting the "Yin-Yang Puppet Technique," and he was resolved to take revenge.
Donghuang calmly replied with a single "Oh," his voice ethereal and distant, making Gan Luo lower his head, sweat beading on his forehead as an inexplicable terror gripped him.
Then Donghuang asked, "Aside from this matter, is there nothing else that needs reporting? For instance, the second round of rewards from the Famous Swords Ranking?"
Terrified, Gan Luo dropped to his knees, swallowed hard, and said in a trembling voice, "Reporting to Lord Donghuang, before reporting this, I reached an agreement with Zhao Gao. The Net under Zhao Gao's control boasts numerous masters of famous swords. To secure greater benefits, he agreed to turn over all the second-round rewards from the Famous Swords Ranking to the Yin-Yang School. In exchange, he is also willing to provide clues regarding the slaying of the traitor."
His youthful face gradually revealed panic, his heart anxious and unsettled.
Only the two of them knew of this matter—how could Lord Donghuang possibly know? It was as if he had foreseen it all along.
As he pondered this, Donghuang calmly stated: "In this world, aside from the Sword Saint and the Golden List, everything is within my grasp."
Gan Luo bowed and withdrew. Looking at the green scroll, Donghuang sighed: "All things in this world are ever-changing, and the unseen forces have their own fixed destiny."
Over ten thousand people gathered at Daze Mountain of the Peasant Family, gazing up at the starry sky.
The green light of the scroll reflected in their eyes, resembling a fierce, starving ghost, filling them with both excitement and dread.
"Good heavens, the other rankings are finally going to be announced. How exciting! Last time it was the Famous Swords Ranking, what kind of ranking will appear this time?"
"If there really were a 'Hundred Poisons Immune' ranking, ranked by poison resistance, our Peasant Family would definitely take the top spot."
"Damn! Hearing you say that has me all fired up. If the Quankui wins first place, wouldn't we get a top-tier pill or divine artifact? Haha... just thinking about it is wonderful."
"Hurry up and bring the ranking out, stop playing suspense. The golden one was the Famous Swords Ranking, but what on earth is this green one?"
...
At the same time, the major factions across the world—including the Mohist School, the Daoist School, the Confucian School, as well as the surviving remnants of the Six States and rogue cultivators—were all staring at the green scroll, their eyes filled with eager anticipation as they quietly awaited the unveiling of the ranking.
Time slipped away quietly.
Deep in the night, at the hour of Zi.
Rumble...
Rumble...
Rumble...
The next instant, the light of the green scroll erupted brilliantly.
The scroll slowly unfurled, and as the radiance flashed, three characters emerged.
Every single stroke of these three characters exuded boundless murderous intent, like blades straight from hell, piercing directly into the hearts of those who looked upon them.
Immediately, everyone felt a dull ache in their chests, experiencing extreme discomfort.
And those three characters were none of other than: [Sword God Ranking].
Whoosh, whoosh...
Whoosh, whoosh...
The scroll continued to unfold, and what came into view was an explanation of the function of the [Sword God Ranking].
Sword God Ranking? Just as the name implied, it ranked assassins across the world based on their strength.
As long as an assassin made it onto the ranking, they would receive generous and alluring rewards.
Not only that, but through the ranking, they could also accept commissioned missions, exchanging exorbitant bounties for an assassin's execution of specific targets.
In other words, the [Sword God Ranking] was an intermediary platform; the assassins on the ranking would be hired by people across the world, provided the employer offered a reward attractive enough.
The moment this function was made public, it sparked heated discussions across the realm.
"Holy shit! This is way too ruthless! Once the ranking is announced, I'll use the rewards from the Famous Swords Ranking as payment to hire an assassin to deal with my enemies. Wouldn't that make it as easy as taking candy from a baby?"
"That's right, the rewards from the Famous Swords Ranking are quite alluring; they'll definitely make assassins' hearts race."
"Damn! I suddenly thought of a crazy idea. Do you think someone will spend money to hire an assassin to kill the Sword Saint, and casually take the divine-grade pill and the Netherworld Sword as well? Wouldn't that secure the number one spot permanently?"
"With the appearance of the Sword God Ranking, the world is likely to be thrown into turmoil. The various factions have harbored deep grievances for a long time, and now with this kind of ranking and function, all kinds of forces are bound to make moves."
...
Zhao Gao, the Administrator of the Central Carriage Office, wore a gloomy expression as he watched the slowly unfurling green scroll, a smug look appearing on his face a moment later.
"The Sword God Ranking, eh? With the Net's network spreading across the entire world, we will certainly secure a place on the ranking, and reaching the Heaven-tier grade is not impossible."
"Once that happens, the rewards from the ranking will undoubtedly be bountiful, and with those rewards, the Net's strength will increase exponentially."
"Hateful! If not for Dongjun Dayan killing the six, they should have had their place on the Sword God Ranking."
His words were filled with resentment.
The six represented six famous swords, and their demise also meant the loss of the six swords.
When the Famous Swords Ranking updated tonight, the Net had missed out on six sets of rewards as a result, causing Zhao Gao a great deal of heartache.
Especially upon seeing the emergence of the Sword God Ranking, he felt like he was about to vomit blood.
Originally, they could have occupied at least six spots, but now it had all gone down the drain.
At this moment, he was burning with rage, wishing he could tear Dongjun Dayan into ten thousand pieces.
Swish—
A ghostly figure quietly materialized in the courtyard.
Bathed in the radiance of the green scroll, that figure was clearly visible.
A man dressed in black armor, wearing a mask and with a longsword hung at his waist, appeared.
He was a master of the Net's text-designated sequence.
The sword at his waist was none of other than Masking Sun, one of the Eight Swords of King Goujian of Yue.
Therefore, he was known as "Masking Sun".
"Lord Zhao, you summoned me—what is your important business?"
Masking Sun asked in a low voice.
Zhao Gao spoke coldly: "The Six Sword Slaves have perished. Once the ranking is made public and the rewards are distributed, use those resources to cultivate an extremely powerful batch in a short time."
"Remember, this batch is something only you and I will know about; I want to use them to assassinate someone."
At this point, a fierce murderous intent suddenly surged within him.
"Understood."
With Masking Sun's reply, his figure dissolved into countless threads and vanished eerie-fashion.
…………………………………………
Xianyang Palace.
"Sword God Ranking? What a fine Sword God Ranking. I would like to see which assassin in this world can claim hegemony."
Ying Zheng chuckled with imperial zest.
The top spot on the Famous Swords Ranking granted a longevity-increasing divine pill.
Then, did the top spot on the Sword God Ranking possess such a miraculous item as well?
For now, the Sword Saint had yet to be found.
Therefore, the top spot on the Sword God Ranking ought to be easier to track down.
Besides, the Net, which served the Empire, possessed top-tier assassins.
Perhaps the person at the top of the ranking would come from the Net.
If so, he might just obtain what he desired.
"Your Majesty, let us not forget, the Shadow Secret Guard commanded by General Zhang Han is also a top-tier organization."
The Sword Saint beside him gave a calm smile, "Your Majesty, looking across the realm, apart from the Net and the Shadow Secret Guard, there is also 'Quicksand', founded by my junior brother."
"Yet Quicksand has few members, not worth fearing."
"The Net and the Shadow Secret Guard serve the Empire; no matter who takes the top spot, it brings only benefits and no harm to Your Majesty."
As the saying went: flattery is an art that never fails.
Hearing this, Ying Zheng was quite pleased.
Especially at the thought of potentially acquiring the reward for the top spot on the Sword God Ranking, his heart was filled with anticipation and excitement.
Thus, Ying Zheng beckoned to Zhang Han.
"Come here."
"Your Majesty, what are your instructions for this subject?"
Zhang Han approached Ying Zheng and bowed respectfully.
Ying Zheng pointed toward the slowly unfurling Sword God Ranking.
"If the Shadow Secret Guard can secure the top ten, I shall richly reward you."
Thud...
With those words, Zhang Han dropped to one knee, joy evident on his face.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
…………………………………………