At the same time—
At the end of the Sea of Realms.
A colossal, decaying figure, seemingly eternal and entwined with the cosmos, slowly opened its eyes. An ancient aura, enough to shake the heavens, emanated from him.
He looked up at the glowing gold list floating above the void and revealed a trace of astonishment.
This gold list—
Even he, the Immortal Emperor, could not see through it.
"Lord Immortal Emperor."
Around the terrifying figure stood several powerful silhouettes, hidden within the darkness, each cupping their hands respectfully.
They too radiated power that distorted space. Countless minor worlds around them were constantly being reorganized.
They were the pinnacle of the heavens and the myriad realms, overlooking all living things. In their time, they had once swept through an entire era—and now, they could destroy an era with a mere wave of the hand.
Immortal and indestructible.
Their words shaped the laws of reality across the myriad realms.
"Lord Immortal Emperor, changes are imminent," said an elderly man with gray hair. As he spoke, the heavens trembled. The long river of time surged in resonance.
The towering figure, barely visible within the shadows, responded slowly:
"Our enemy is not within the heavens and the myriad worlds, but across the Sea of Realms."
Hearing this, the other mighty figures narrowed their eyes.
They understood.
The enemy he spoke of was the one who, across the long river of time, had dared confront the spiritual remnant left by the Immortal Emperor—and had not lost.
"That being retrograded the river of time, stood against my residual spiritual sense, and was not defeated. He is of your caliber—another emperor," the Immortal Emperor said gravely.
"Long ago, there was once an emperor who arose amidst the myriad worlds."
His voice echoed with ancient weight.
"Emperor Cang. Emperor Hong."
"Lord Immortal Emperor, your command?"
Two majestic silhouettes emerged from the boundless dark.
One wore gray robes, his hair the color of ash, eyes clouded like decayed grapes. He was Emperor Cang.
The other, tall and imposing, wore a purple-gold crown. Wrapped in regal air, he was revered as Emperor Hong.
Both radiated boundless energy. They stood on paths formed from the runes of the Dao, gazing down on all realms. With a mere glance, the long river of time rippled.
The qi they breathed naturally cracked the sea of stars. Their presence seemed alien to this world, as though they had been born to annihilate it.
"The two of you—reach the end of the Sea of Realms and investigate again with your divine sense."
Within the Immortal Emperor's ancient eyes stirred deep thoughts.
"When the gold list of the heavens and myriad worlds concludes, I shall use the supreme method to open the channel through the Sea of Realms. At that time, you shall cross it and reach the other side."
"Yes!"
Emperor Cang and Emperor Hong bowed.
Then, in a light step, they left.
The starry sky, spanning hundreds of millions of miles, shrank beneath their feet like a painted scroll. In the blink of an eye, they vanished.
The massive being lying across the cosmos, whose finger was the size of the Milky Way and whose eye resembled the sun itself, slowly closed his eyes again—returning to deep slumber, emanating the ancient scent of decay.
---
The heavens and myriad realms continued to shift.
And the ranking of the gold list marched on, captivating countless hearts.
Everyone wondered—
Could their world be ranked among the heavens?
The rankings blazed across the sky:
99th – Devouring World
83rd – World of the Ghost-Blade
72nd – World of Giant Slayers
64th – Dog Yaksha World
57th – Revival of Terror World
49th – World of Heaven's Pride Seers
37th – Immortal Slaughter World
30th – World of Heavy Snow
The list refreshed again and again.
Some rejoiced. Others lamented.
As each world's title appeared, illustrations followed—unveiling their scenery.
Some controlled mechas to conquer galaxies.
Some trained in breathing techniques, capable of slaying demons single-handedly.
Heaven's Pride shone bright. The strong towered like mountains.
Whether listed or not, the creatures of all realms watched in awe.
What about the top ten?
The top three?
How unfathomable would the number one world be?
What kind of existence would stand at the peak?
All awaited the answer.
---
In the World of Heavy Snow—
Xu Bugui, once the high prince, had long shed his royal robes.
Now, he ran a humble inn at the frontier, its name unassuming: Little Er on the Wine.
He held a pot of green ant wine. His once youthful, handsome face now bore a blue stubble—no longer the arrogant, peerless youth of years past, but a calm, composed middle-aged man.
Time had not withered his appearance, only refined it.
His eyes watched the golden list across the sky.
He sighed, shaking his head.
"Thirtieth place—not bad."
"Shopkeeper, forget the rankings! Tell us the story again—of the descending immortal who blocked a nation, kept half the north from moving south!"
"Right! Who cares if we're not on the list—it's got nothing to do with us."
"Shopkeeper! Tell us more!"
The crowd below roared.
New Rivers and Lakes experts, full of youthful vigor, eagerly waited.
That's how the martial world was.
When one generation faded, another rose to shine.
Just like Xu Bugui—once ruler of Beiliang, who alone resisted a nation. Now, he was forgotten. Few knew his face anymore.
"Alright, alright, I'll speak."
He smiled.
He turned and called, "Little Er, wine!"
Soon after, a one-armed, one-legged man entered, his hair graying. He leaned on a crutch and brought the wine.
Despite his injuries, no one treated him strangely. He was clearly respected across the eight townships.
"Drink less," the man, Wen Busheng, said as he patted Xu Bugui's shoulder and sat nearby.
"I know," Xu Bugui nodded, then drank.
The wine was rough and bitter, but it warmed the bones.
Just like the old wine of Beiliang—
Simple, sturdy, unforgettable.
"Let's continue. That year, the man descended from the heavens. A flick of his sleeve repelled millions of northern desert soldiers."
"He wasn't an immortal—I've killed immortals before. But even they weren't as terrifying as him."
Laughter erupted.
"Kill immortals? Shopkeeper, with that body, you'd struggle to kill a dog!"
"This shopkeeper and his second are good people, but they love to boast. One says he killed immortals. The other claims to have been a sword immortal in youth!"
"A fool and a cripple!"
The martial artists laughed without malice.
Xu Bugui and Wen Busheng shared a glance and smiled, offering no explanation.
Xu Bugui looked at the gold list again.
"If we reached the top thirty… then senior… you must be top ten, right?"
He drank again, remembering that unmatched figure.
Would that peerless senior appear on the list?
He hoped so.
He truly hoped so.