Ling Tian Sword God

Chapter 567: Chapter 565 - World Master List (18th update)_1

Above the North Sea, waves rolled tumultuously.

This was a boundless ocean. A figure stood upon the sea’s surface, hands clasped behind his back, resembling a sculpture deep in thought.

The North Sea was notorious for its dangers. Various ferocious and powerful sea beasts roamed there, and Exotic Beasts of the Fourth Grade were not uncommon.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The sea waves surged. From beneath the swells, yellow shark fins suddenly emerged, forming a large circle that surrounded the figure.

A sea beast erupted from the water—it was a golden shark. It opened its enormous mouth and lunged towards the figure.

An Emperor Shark, a Third Rank Peak Level sea beast!

Faced with such a large Emperor Shark, even a typical Sky Apex Realm First Layer expert would surely be torn to shreds!

The figure didn’t move an inch. He merely extended a finger. From its tip, fine Qi threads suddenly spread out, twisting in mid-air before tightly binding the Emperor Shark’s tail.

The shark halted abruptly before him. Its sharp teeth were mere inches from the figure, yet it couldn’t harm him in the slightest.

A deafening roar of displaced water erupted. Instantly, dozens of Emperor Sharks broke the surface simultaneously. From their elongated muzzles, they unleashed golden lightning. The interwoven beams of thunder light seemed to forge a crackling prison.

The figure’s form flickered as he completely ignored this hell of lightning. His ten fingers shot out in unison, and more Qi threads swept forth, dancing in the air. In the blink of an eye, blood splattered everywhere. All the Emperor Sharks were reduced to chunks of flesh and masses of gore, and a rain of blood fell upon the sea’s surface.

Such techniques were truly at the pinnacle of perfection.

A year has passed in the blink of an eye. The gathering at Nine Dragons Lake is finally about to begin, the figure mused.

He finally removed his hat, revealing his true face. This person was none other than one of the Four Outstanding Talents, Yun Qinghong.

I wonder what interesting characters will appear this time, Yun Qinghong murmured to himself. In the next moment, he vanished without a trace.

「...」

In the backyard of Green Cloud Mountain, Ling Chen was in a pavilion at the center of a lake, drinking tea, reading a book, and enjoying the lake breeze.

The book he was reading was no ordinary volume; it was the latest issue of the ”World Masters List,” published by the Myriad Dao Sect.

Following the ”Heavenly List” and the ”Young Master List,” the Myriad Dao Sect had launched the ”World Masters List.” This new list, which incorporated the ”Young Master List,” covered all Great Master Level Powerhouses in the world, making it more comprehensive.

Experts below the Sky Apex Realm were as common in the Martial World as hairs on an ox. Many from the older generations were stuck at this Realm. Younger generations, however, often focused on accumulating more power at the Great Master Realm before breaking through to the Sky Apex Realm to ensure a strong foundation for future advancement.

Otherwise, with the talent of the Four Outstanding Talents, breaking through to the Sky Apex Realm would have been a simple matter; they could have achieved it long ago.

”There’s only one Young Master among the top five, Yun Qinghong,” Ling Chen said with some surprise. ”With his strength, he’s only ranked fifth. I didn’t expect who the four old monsters ahead of him are.”

Across from Ling Chen, Liu Feiyue also held a copy of the ”World Masters List.”

”They were all geniuses of their respective eras,” Liu Feiyue explained. ”They refrained from breaking through to the Sky Apex Realm for the same reason—to accumulate more power for even greater achievements.”

Every generation produced dazzlingly brilliant talents. The Sky Apex Realm wasn’t their ultimate goal. Even if the hope was slim, everyone wanted to strive for more.

”The third-ranked on the ’World Masters List’ is Yin Tianxi. What’s his relationship with Yin Zongli?” Ling Chen asked, having read the profiles. Each person in the book had a brief introduction, and when Ling Chen saw Yin Tianxi, he learned that this person also belonged to the Yin Family.

”He is Yin Zongli’s uncle,” Liu Feiyue replied. ”His title is ’Iron Finger Divine Master.’ His finger techniques are renowned throughout the world.”

”Will he be going to Nine Dragons Lake this time as well?” Ling Chen raised an eyebrow.

Liu Feiyue nodded delicately. ”He should. Not just him; the other three veteran top masters should also attend.”

Interesting! Ling Chen’s mouth curled into a slight smile, and he immediately turned to the next page.

An ordinary person might have panicked upon hearing such news, but not Ling Chen. Instead, he felt his blood surge with excitement.

”Seventh place, Liu Feiyue!”

”Ninth place, Su Ziling!”

”Tenth place, Mo Tianya!”

Next, Ling Chen saw the rankings of the Four Outstanding Talents.

The rankings of the Four Outstanding Talents were very high. Yun Qinghong ranked the highest, closest to the four veteran top masters, followed by Liu Feiyue. These rankings were presumably calculated from various data and were likely not baseless.

However, Ling Chen didn’t put much stock in these rankings. The World Masters List was merely a reference. It was good for analysis, but taking it as absolute truth could lead to dire consequences, even death. For instance, if your ranking was higher than your opponent’s, and you believed you could suppress them but ended up defeated, such a thing could very well happen.

Among these four, certain checks and balances existed. It wasn’t that one was definitively stronger than another; after all, their rankings differed only slightly, implying their strengths were comparable.

Liu Feiyue cultivated profound techniques and possessed superior swordsmanship; Ling Chen had sparred with her and understood her strength quite well. As for Su Ziling, his mastery of illusory clone martial arts was superb. Fighting him meant preparing for multiple opponents, making him as tricky to deal with as Yun Qinghong.

Mo Tianya was also hard to evaluate. His moves were simple, each one intended as a decisive, killing blow. Facing him, it was difficult to achieve a quick victory. Precisely because of this, however, his style seemed more conventional than the other three of the Four Outstanding Talents; he was more stable than aggressive, lacking their proactive edge.

Continuing further, Ling Chen was surprised by the information about the person ranked fifteenth.

The person ranked fifteenth, named Leng Jue, was surprisingly under thirty-five years old. Undeniably, he was a Young Master.

Among the top twenty, there was also a person named Long Zaiyuan, whom Ling Chen had heard of for the first time, yet this person also held a comparatively high ranking.

Liu Feiyue informed him that these two individuals were from the Shadow Tower in the Black Market and the Dragon Hidden Clan of the Four Great Hidden Clans, respectively.

The Dragon Hidden Clan was the family to which Baili Xuance had belonged.

The Martial World is full of hidden talents and crouching tigers; indeed, one cannot afford to be complacent, Ling Chen concluded, closing the ”World Masters List.” There was still a month until the Nine Dragons Lake Swordsmanship Competition, and his preparations were not yet complete. However, he figured a month should be enough time.

That would be when he would contend with the masters of the world.

「...」

Black Market, the forbidden area of the Shadow Tower.

In the Martial World, the Shadow Tower had always been shrouded in mystery. They operated in darkness, making them one of the most enigmatic forces in the entire Martial World.

Within the Shadow Tower, there was a forbidden area named the Slaughter God Cave. It was pitch-black; one couldn’t see one’s own hand in front of one’s face, and Mental Power could not extend outwards. All five senses would be completely lost. Even standing far from the cave entrance, one could feel the terrifying killing intent emanating from it.

The higher one’s Cultivation, the harsher the trial of the Slaughter God Cave.

As virtue rises one foot, the devil rises ten feet.

Inside, the cave was pitch-black and unadorned.

No one noticed a figure sitting cross-legged within, enduring endless negative emotions, his expression contorted.

His mind was in chaos; all the things he didn’t want to see appeared one after another, and he couldn’t distinguish reality from illusion.

AH!

A bloodcurdling howl sounded, reverberating outside the forbidden area.

The Lord of the Shadow Tower’s figure flickered atop a pavilion several li away from the cave, then landed right at its entrance.

The Slaughter God Cave was a perilous site from ancient times. Legend said that one of the Evil Spirits who had once plagued the world was slain here. The aura emanating from this Evil Spirit was so potent that even a Saint wouldn’t dare underestimate it. For ages, the Slaughter God Cave had been a place for disposing of criminals. Even the three young masters of the Black Market only dared to cultivate outside the cave, never venturing deep within.

Yet, this person was cultivating in the depths of the Slaughter God Cave.

Jue, you mustn’t disappoint me. Since you’re going to participate in the Nine Dragons Lake Swordsmanship Competition, you must do your best. Defeat all the masters of the world and prove that you are the number one master! murmured the Lord of the Shadow Tower.