Second on the Divine Strength Ranking! Dao Twelve Challenges Tianxin, Shaking All Sides!

Drip, drip. Drop after drop of fresh blood dripped down from the severed head, splashing onto the ground. Lu Changsheng had already returned to Beiling City. Carrying Sheng Yuanyi's head in his hand, he walked step by step toward the Martial Demonstration Tower. "It's Dao Twelve again! Why is he only carrying a single head?" "Yeah, didn't Dao Twelve usually bring back dozens of barbarian heads every time? Why is there only one this time?" "Why does that head look so familiar?" Many people were puzzled. Why had Dao Twelve wrapped up his work so early today? A single head was hardly Dao Twelve's style. However, someone finally recognized who the head belonged to. "Is that... Sheng Yuanyi?" "Heavens, it really is Sheng Yuanyi! Ranked second on the Divine Strength Ranking! The very same Sheng Yuanyi who recently made a huge leap in strength and severely wounded Song Wuqing!" "Sheng Yuanyi is dead? Dao Twelve chopped off his head?" "Incredible... this is truly unbelievable." "Dao Twelve can actually slay Sheng Yuanyi?" For a moment, countless onlookers were shaken to the core, finding it almost impossible to believe. Tianxin, Sheng Yuanyi, and Song Wuqing. These were the bedrock top three of the Divine Strength Ranking! Ever since the Northern Region Battlefield opened, no matter how the ranking fluctuated, the top three spots had always belonged to these three men. At most, Sheng Yuanyi and Song Wuqing swapped places now and then. Across the entire Northern Region Battlefield, it was universally acknowledged that among Divine Strength Realm martial artists, Tianxin, Sheng Yuanyi, and Song Wuqing were in a league of their own, standing supreme above all others. Yet now, that ironclad rule had been shattered by Dao Twelve. Sheng Yuanyi's severed head was still dripping blood. Dao Twelve had slain Sheng Yuanyi! With the bloody reality right before their eyes, everyone stood flabbergasted, turbulent waves crashing through their minds. Lu Changsheng's expression remained calm as ever. He strolled to the Martial Demonstration Tower and walked straight inside, tossing Sheng Yuanyi's head onto the floor. With a thud, Sheng Yuanyi's head rolled across the ground. Whoosh. Countless gazes instantly converged on Lu Changsheng. The martial artists of the Martial Demonstration Tower were exceedingly well-informed. Seeing the head on the floor, how could they fail to recognize Sheng Yuanyi? "M-Mister Dao, is this... Sheng Yuanyi's head?" Even though the tower martial artist recognized Sheng Yuanyi, he couldn't help but ask, his voice trembling. "That's right. I killed Sheng Yuanyi. How much merit is his head worth?" Hearing Lu Changsheng confirm it himself, the entire Martial Demonstration Tower erupted into an uproar. The countless martial artists who had followed Lu Changsheng inside were thrilled beyond measure. Sheng Yuanyi! Ranked second on the Divine Strength Ranking! He had even suppressed Song Wuqing. And what of him now? Dead! Even now, on the Divine Strength Ranking displayed within the tower, Sheng Yuanyi's name remained carved proudly in the second spot. Yet his head lay right here on the tower's floor. What colossal irony! For his name to vanish from the board, they would have to wait until next month's update to have it erased. "Sheng Yuanyi is ranked second on the Divine Strength Ranking. Slaying Sheng Yuanyi awards thirty thousand minor merits!" the tower martial artist announced loudly. Thirty thousand minor merits! That was enough to directly exchange for three Divine Strength Realm pills. However, Lu Changsheng was already a Thousand Tripods Realm martial artist now and no longer had any use for Divine Strength Realm pills. "Thirty thousand minor merits... Can the Martial Demonstration Tower exchange for Divine Gang Realm martial arts?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Yes!" "However, even the lowest-grade Divine Gang Realm martial art requires ten major merits. That's equivalent to one hundred thousand minor merits." Lu Changsheng nodded. One hundred thousand minor merits was practically an astronomical sum for most Divine Strength Realm martial artists. Calculating at the minimum of one hundred minor merits per Divine Strength Realm martial artist, one would have to slay roughly a thousand Divine Strength Realm martial artists just to redeem a single Divine Gang Realm martial art. And that was for the lowest-grade Divine Gang martial art. If it were a superior Divine Gang Realm martial art, it might require a hundred major merits—a full one million minor merits! That would require slaughtering ten thousand Divine Strength Realm martial artists. That was simply impossible. Lu Changsheng could probably scrape together a hundred thousand minor merits. But a million minor merits was quite difficult even for him. Unless he continuously slaughtered across the Northern Region Battlefield without pause. And unless Northern Barbaria stubbornly stood by, letting Lu Changsheng kill at will. Was that possible? If things reached that point, Divine Gang Realm martial artists would undoubtedly take the field. Even at the risk of triggering an all-out battle between Divine Gang Realm experts, Northern Barbaria would never sit by and allow Lu Changsheng to keep slaughtering endlessly. For now, Lu Changsheng decided to save up the thirty thousand minor merits. Then, he walked out of the Martial Demonstration Tower. Outside the Martial Demonstration Tower, a dense crowd had long since gathered. Seeing Dao Twelve emerge, their fervor grew even more intense. "Mister Dao is out!" "The Martial Demonstration Tower has confirmed it's Sheng Yuanyi. There's no mistake." "To think that the feat Song Wuqing failed to accomplish was completed by Mister Dao." "Back then, You Shifei and the others risked their lives to hold off Tianxin and protect Dao Twelve. It seems they recognized Dao Twelve's extraordinary potential early on. Thank goodness they fought with their lives to protect Mister Dao; otherwise, who could have slain Sheng Yuanyi?" "I wonder who is stronger now between Mister Dao and Tianxin?" For a time, the onlookers were already speculating on who was superior between Dao Twelve and Tianxin. Among the ranking's top three, Tianxin stood undisputed at the pinnacle, far stronger than Sheng Yuanyi and Song Wuqing. Yet now that Dao Twelve could slay Sheng Yuanyi, it proved his strength was more than a notch above Sheng Yuanyi and Song Wuqing. As for who was stronger between Tianxin and Dao Twelve, they would likely only find out after a battle. Lu Changsheng returned to his courtyard. Outside the courtyard, however, he spotted a familiar figure: Song Wuqing. Song Wuqing looked at Lu Changsheng quietly and asked coldly, "You killed Sheng Yuanyi?" "Yes," Lu Changsheng replied. Song Wuqing fell silent. Having clashed with Sheng Yuanyi so many times, he knew Sheng Yuanyi's strength all too well. Last time, Sheng Yuanyi had even severely wounded him. Yet Dao Twelve had severed Sheng Yuanyi's head. "You must have reached that realm as well—ten thousand tripods of force!" Lu Changsheng said nothing, which served as tacit confirmation. Song Wuqing knew full well that without ten thousand tripods of force, killing Sheng Yuanyi was impossible. Ten thousand tripods of force was a legendary threshold, practically the limit of the Divine Strength Realm. Only the most elite geniuses could possibly unleash ten thousand tripods of force. Tianxin was one, and now there was Dao Twelve. Unbelievable as it seemed, it was an undeniable fact. "Tianxin... is very strong!" "His Slaughter Conception could reach perfection at any moment." "When will you seek out Tianxin?" Song Wuqing knew that Dao Twelve's reappearance on the Northern Region Battlefield after a year had only one purpose: to slay Tianxin! "Yes, it's been a year. It's time." "Song Wuqing, spread the word for me. I am challenging Tianxin to a duel!" "In three days!" "As for the location... the place where he hunted down the Barbarian Slaying Squad one year ago. He should know it." Song Wuqing shuddered. A duel with Tianxin! Dao Twelve had reached this point after all. No one had ever dared dream of challenging Tianxin. Even though Song Wuqing and Sheng Yuanyi were supposedly second only to Tianxin, neither of them had ever contemplated challenging him. Tianxin was like an insurmountable chasm, daunting and unapproachable. Yet now, someone was openly challenging him. And it wasn't empty boasting. Dao Twelve had just slain Sheng Yuanyi and claimed the second spot on the Divine Strength Ranking. Dao Twelve possessed both the qualification and the strength to challenge Tianxin! "Tomorrow is the day the Divine Strength Ranking updates, yet you want to duel Tianxin in three days..." Song Wuqing offered no further advice. He knew that once someone like Dao Twelve made up his mind, no words could sway him. "I'll deliver your message!" "Three days is enough time for word to reach Northern Barbaria, and Tianxin will definitely hear of it." "I don't know which of you is superior. But I hope you survive. No matter what, only by surviving do you have a chance!" With that, Song Wuqing turned and left. "Survive... I will survive, and Tianxin will be the one who dies!" Lu Changsheng closed his eyes once more. The next day, a sea of people gathered at the Martial Demonstration Tower. Today was the monthly update of the Divine Strength Ranking. Many had arrived outside the tower filled with immense fervor, wanting to see the updated ranking the very moment it was posted. The reason was simple: Dao Twelve! They wanted to witness with their own eyes Dao Twelve ascending to second place on the Divine Strength Ranking! For more than a full year prior, the northern barbarians had held a distinct advantage, suppressing the martial artists of the Great Fish Dynasty. This was especially evident in the Divine Strength Ranking, where nearly seventy percent of the listed names were barbarians. The martial artists of the Great Fish Dynasty had virtually nothing to look forward to. Even Song Wuqing, in whom many martial artists had placed high hopes, had been defeated by Sheng Yuanyi more than once, leaving them deeply disappointed. Fortunately, Dao Twelve had appeared. Reappearing on the Northern Region Battlefield after a year's absence, he had swept through like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves—not merely hunting, but utterly sweeping the field! Dao Twelve swept through the Northern Region Battlefield, completely unopposed! Even Sheng Yuanyi had his head severed by a single blade strike upon crossing paths with Dao Twelve. With Dao Twelve being so dominant, hot on Tianxin's heels and poised to contest the number-one spot on the Divine Strength Ranking, how could the martial artists of the Great Fish Dynasty not be thrilled? Time ticked by. At last, the hour for the Divine Strength Ranking's update arrived. Whoosh. The cloth covering the ranking board was pulled back. The Divine Strength Ranking was refreshed once more. Everyone's gaze instantly snapped to the top three names. Number one on the Divine Strength Ranking: still Tianxin. Number two on the Divine Strength Ranking: no longer Sheng Yuanyi, but Dao Twelve! As for number three: still Song Wuqing. The crowd erupted in cheers. "Hahaha! Second place on the Divine Strength Ranking as expected! Dao Twelve truly deserves it!" "Indeed, this is truly well-earned! Second on the ranking, unshakeable by anyone!" "A pity Tianxin is still first. Still, with Dao Twelve's current strength, could he wrestle with Tianxin now?" "Naturally! Dao Twelve certainly has the strength to vie against Tianxin. What a shame Tianxin hasn't entered the Northern Region Battlefield for a year; who knows how long we'd have to wait for them to clash." "That's not necessarily true. A battle between Dao Twelve and Tianxin is inevitable! You might have forgotten the Barbarian Slaying Squad, but Dao Twelve certainly hasn't." "Right! There is still a blood debt between Dao Twelve and Tianxin!" Everyone speculated on who would come out on top between Dao Twelve and Tianxin. Even so, people lacked complete confidence. After all, Tianxin had occupied the top of the Divine Strength Ranking for far too long, and his accumulated prestige remained formidable! Tap, tap, tap. Right then, Song Wuqing walked step by step until he stood beneath the ranking board. He looked up at the Divine Strength Ranking. His name remained in third place. And above his name was now Dao Twelve. Sheng Yuanyi's name had vanished completely, expunged from the ranking. After all, Sheng Yuanyi was dead! For a moment, Song Wuqing felt somewhat dazed. No one talked about Sheng Yuanyi anymore. In fact, it wouldn't take a month—in just a few days, everyone would forget Sheng Yuanyi completely. Who would remember the former top three of the Divine Strength Ranking? Such was the jianghu! The victor became king; the loser was a villain. No one remembered a fallen failure. Song Wuqing had clashed with Sheng Yuanyi multiple times; they were enemies, not friends. He wasn't lamenting Sheng Yuanyi, but contemplating himself. Perhaps one day, he too would die in battle on the Northern Region Battlefield just like Sheng Yuanyi, forgotten entirely. When that time came, his name would no longer grace the Divine Strength Ranking either. After a brief moment of melancholy, Song Wuqing turned around. He had not forgotten what he came to do today. Having promised Dao Twelve to deliver his message, he naturally had to see it through. At this moment, countless gazes converged onto Song Wuqing. Even if Song Wuqing's prestige wasn't what it once was, he was still one of the ranking's top three; no one dared truly underestimate him. "Everyone, Dao Twelve asked me to deliver a message to Tianxin!" "In three days, Dao Twelve challenges Tianxin to a duel!" "The location is where Tianxin pursued the Barbarian Slaying Squad one year ago." "You are free to spread the word far and wide so the northern barbarians know, and Tianxin knows." Having said that, Song Wuqing walked straight away. After all, he was merely delivering a message on Dao Twelve's behalf, and his task was now complete. Yet Song Wuqing's words were like crashing tidal waves, instantly sending immense shock through the crowd. "What? Dao Twelve is challenging Tianxin to a duel?" "Is this real?" "Song Wuqing delivered the message in person; it's almost certainly true." "Only three days! I thought Dao Twelve might bide his time and consolidate his gains before making a move against Tianxin. I never expected it would be just three days—Dao Twelve only gave Tianxin three days!" "This is the first time anyone has challenged Tianxin, right? In the past, even Song Wuqing and Sheng Yuanyi didn't dare challenge him, tacitly accepting his position as number one on the Divine Strength Ranking." "The Barbarian Slaying Squad... Dao Twelve truly still remembers the Barbarian Slaying Squad, remembers that blood debt. You Shifei, Yang Zhen, Tong Xuan, Tie Yuan—back then, they were all Thousand Tripods Realm experts ranked in the top fifty of the Divine Strength Ranking." This truly set off an uproar. No one had anticipated that Dao Twelve would be so eager to challenge Tianxin. Dao Twelve had just slain Sheng Yuanyi and his momentum was at its peak. Yet did Dao Twelve truly possess the strength to match Tianxin? Opinions varied wildly. However, regardless of how people discussed it, the news spread rapidly to the northern barbarians. There were numerous barbarian scouts within Beiling City. Both Northern Barbaria and the Great Fish Dynasty were well aware of this. Likewise, Northern Barbaria teemed with Great Fish Dynasty scouts. Thus, news such as Dao Twelve challenging Tianxin to a duel could not possibly be kept secret, and quickly reached the ears of the northern barbarians. Smack! At that moment, in Northern Barbaria, a black-robed martial artist shattered a table with a single palm strike. "That useless trash Sheng Yuanyi! What successor to the Mind Sword Sect? To think he was decapitated by Dao Twelve with a single blade strike!" "Now Dao Twelve has stepped over Sheng Yuanyi's corpse to climb to second on the Divine Strength Ranking!" "Trash, pure trash!" The black-robed martial artist was furious. He had personally sought out Sheng Yuanyi back then, urging him to slay Dao Twelve. And what was the outcome? Sheng Yuanyi was slain instead! This left the black-robed martial artist completely baffled. Sheng Yuanyi had recently advanced significantly in strength, even severely wounding Song Wuqing; how could he have been slain by Dao Twelve? Yet this was the undeniable truth! Dao Twelve was evidently far more troublesome than Song Wuqing. Now that even Sheng Yuanyi was dead, Dao Twelve could practically run amok across the Northern Region Battlefield. "However, Dao Twelve actually wants to challenge Tianxin to a duel." "Hasn't that arrogant fellow always refused to take action under the pretext of having no worthy opponent?" "Now an opponent has arrived; Tianxin has no reason to hold back!" A glint of sharpness flashed across the black-robed martial artist's eyes. Although he thoroughly detested Tianxin—detesting that aloof, high-and-mighty posture of his—he held absolute faith in Tianxin's strength. As long as Tianxin was willing to fight, there would be no problem. With this in mind, the black-robed martial artist hesitated no longer, immediately rising and rushing toward Tianxin's residence.