Chapter 2: Major powers are stirring; the continent is about to change!
"Your Majesty, I believe this is an auspicious sign!"
Marshal Goron stepped forward first, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a loud, clear voice:
"The three upper sects are all within our Tiandou territory. Although they are not affiliated with Tiandou, they all have deep ties with Tiandou. Presumably, being listed on the list will be beneficial to Tiandou!"
"Moreover, strictly speaking, an empire is also a kind of power. With the national strength of Tiandou, it will definitely rank among the top and receive divine rewards, making Tiandou stronger and deterring foreign enemies!"
As soon as he finished speaking, all the civil and military officials nodded in agreement.
Emperor Xueye nodded in satisfaction, but noticed that Xue Qinghe did not react.
"Qinghe, what's wrong with you? Do you have a different opinion?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, immediately bowed slightly in response:
"Your Majesty, I have no objection. My views are completely consistent with those of Marshal Goron."
But deep in Qian Renxue's eyes was a solemn expression.
With the Spirit Hall's resources, ranking first is by no means a problem.
It remains to be seen whether the reward can outweigh the risk of the Spirit Hall's resources being exposed.
Emperor Xueye did not notice anything unusual about her.
Prince Xuexing, who was standing nearby, noticed something and became even more suspicious of Xue Qinghe's identity.
However, he was frustrated by the lack of concrete evidence, so he shook his head and looked up at the sky, waiting for the list to be released.
...
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Ning Fengzhi immediately sought out Chen Xin and Gu Rong.
Gazing up at the wondrous sky above, Ning Fengzhi pondered deeply before speaking:
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has been developing steadily over the years, and with Uncle Sword Bone in charge, ranking in the top five should be no problem!"
Upon hearing this, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, standing to the side, spoke with a hint of arrogance in his voice:
"Only in the top five? Feng Zhi, you're being modest. Among all the forces, only the Spirit Hall can truly hold our own against us. It's hard to say about the others!"
Gu Rong, the Bone Douluo, echoed:
"Old Swordsman is right, it's rare for me to agree with him!"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head, his tone calm and composed:
"Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, have you forgotten that there is a mysterious Soul Master Island on the other side of the sea?"
"Moreover, empires can also be considered powers. We should include the Tiandou and Xingluo empires as well."
These words startled Chen Xin and Gu Rong.
They forgot about the mysterious Soul Master Island and overlooked the existence of the Empire.
The empire controls a vast territory, population, and resources, which their sect cannot compare to.
Ning Fengzhi paused, then frowned and said solemnly:
"More importantly, what changes will the rewards of this ranking bring, and could it cause major forces to fight over them?"
"Back then, a single 100,000-year-old transformed soul beast could cause a huge conflict between the Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect... Alas, the continent is probably about to undergo a major upheaval!"
Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance, and said with concern at the same time:
"Rongrong ran away a while ago to vent her anger, and now the situation is unclear. We must go and bring her back!"
Ning Fengzhi stopped the two who were about to leave, and smiled with satisfaction:
"Don't worry, according to the report from the guards who returned recently, Rongrong has joined an academy called 'Shrek'."
"That academy is located in a remote area, far from the territories of major powers, and it also has a Soul Saint Dean in charge, so there is no need to worry."
Chen Xin and Gu Rong frowned deeply.
Shit-laden school? Never heard of it. What kind of shady academy is that? Does it even deserve to teach their Rongrong?
Under Ning Fengzhi's persistent persuasion, the two finally gave up and quietly waited for the list to be announced.
...
Haotian Sect is a remote and extremely cold place, isolated from the world.
Tang Xiao also summoned all the elders in the sect immediately.
Gazing at the golden sky, Tang Xiao said with an extremely solemn expression:
"Elders, if our Clear Sky Sect is listed, it might once again attract the attention of the Spirit Hall, which would be detrimental to us!"
Upon hearing this, the second elder, who was the most senior among them, stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying:
"The bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish! The heaven-sent rewards after making the list might allow our Clear Sky Sect to rise again in the Soul Master world and regain its former glory! With the foundation of our sect, are we afraid of not getting a good ranking and good rewards?"
The other elders nodded in agreement.
"In terms of comprehensive heritage, our Clear Sky Sect has a history of thousands of years. Our Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, is the number one weapon Martial Soul in the world, and it is also blessed by the Clear Sky Secret Technique left by my grandfather, Tang Chen!"
"Although we were severely injured by the Spirit Hall and had to retire back then, we have all advanced to the Title Douluo level in recent years. Our sect's overall strength is no less than it was back then, and we are sure to have a place in the top three of the rankings!"
The most vehement reaction came from the Seventh Elder, whose son had been killed by the Spirit Hall. He roared:
"That's right. After years of forbearance and dormancy, it's time to let the mainland see the might of the Clear Sky Sect again! I will collect the debt that the Spirit Hall owes me sooner or later!"
Seeing the elders' fighting spirit surging, Tang Xiao felt a surge of pride and exclaimed excitedly:
"Alright! Let's use this sky as a backdrop to make the entire Soul Master world remember the weight of the three words 'Haotian Sect'!"
Everyone stared excitedly at the sky above, awaiting the announcement of the list that could change the fate of their sect.
...
Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Clan.
Yu Yuanzhen looked up at the sky, his proud voice booming like thunder:
"The Haotian Sect severely damaged the Hidden World back then. My Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is the strongest sect in the world. Even if it's not ranked first, it's definitely ranked second!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Yu Luomian chimed in:
"Brother is absolutely right. Looking at all the forces in the world, only the Spirit Hall can truly overpower our sect. As for the others, let's just forget about them."
"The two sects that were once known as the three upper sects alongside our sect, one a support sect and the other a severely injured and reclusive sect, are only fit to be trampled under our feet!"
The other elders echoed this sentiment, but one elder disagreed, saying:
"Heh, forget about the Spirit Hall, it's just a bunch of weaklings with nothing to show for it!"
"Back then, Pope Qian Xunji, along with Elders Ju and Gui, hunted down Tang Hao for protecting a transformed soul beast!"
"All three were level 95 Title Douluo, but Tang Hao broke through to the Title Douluo level in the midst of battle and defeated them, severely injuring Qian Xunji, who died from his injuries!"
"This is only because Tang Hao showed mercy! If he had really wanted to kill them all, how would Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo be alive now?"
The elder became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and lightning crackled around him.
"Because of this, people say that Tang Hao is a war god descended to earth! But in my opinion, the titled Douluo of the Spirit Hall are just people who rely on resources to build up their cultivation; they look good but are useless!"
"Let our sect leader go! Our sect leader can fight multiple Title Douluos from the Spirit Hall by himself. Tang Hao can fight three against one, so our sect leader can fight four against one!"
Upon hearing this, all the elders agreed and nodded in agreement.
Yu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up with excitement, and his voice boomed like a dragon's roar:
"Well said! The Spirit Hall is nothing but a fart! Today, the top spot on the Golden Ranking belongs to my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
The crowd gazed at the sky above, their eyes filled with pride and anticipation, as if the top spot was already theirs for the taking.
...
Soto City, Shrek Academy.
The awe-inspiring arrival of the sky curtain failed to quell the disputes within the academy.
Ning Rongrong was scolded by Flander for not completing her running training, which broke her spirit. She angrily retorted:
"Flander, what right do you, a mere Soul Saint, have to reprimand me! I come from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!"
Flanders scoffed dismissively, sneering:
"Heh, is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School really that great? In the end, it's just an auxiliary sect, the bottom of the three upper sects."
Ning Rongrong pointed defiantly at the sky above, gritting her teeth and angrily saying:
"If the Heavenly Ranking reveals that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School isn't among the bottom three sects, you'll kneel down and kowtow to me in apology. Do you dare to bet on that?!"
(End of chapter)