Aside from the Ming imperial court, the entire martial world of the Ming Dynasty was in an uproar.
Jiangnan, Yuelai Restaurant.
"Lu Xiaofeng, during the duel at the Forbidden Summit, you snuck into the imperial palace. Were you struck by that Imperial Consort?"
"Ye Gucheng's attempt to assassinate the emperor might have been thwarted by her too, right?"
"No wonder Ye Gucheng never appeared again that day."
"Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue are both Early Great Grandmasters. How could they possibly be a match for someone at the Great Perfection Great Grandmaster level?"
"It's ridiculous. We underestimated the Ming court. Who would have thought that even an Imperial Consort could crush the entire martial world!"
No one close to Lu Xiaofeng was a fool.
Everyone had noticed his strange behavior in recent days.
Putting the pieces together, they had already guessed most of the truth.
Lu Xiaofeng let out a bitter smile.
He never imagined that, aside from the emperor and Empress, even the Imperial Consort would be so terrifying.
The truth was even more frightening than anyone had guessed.
Still, he didn't go into detail.
Across the martial world, others also began to shed their disdain for the court.
A Great Perfection Great Grandmaster was an existence infinitely close to becoming a Land Immortal.
That was not something any martial sect could compare to.
==========
The Ming martial world was like a peaceful utopia.
An old man named Nameless looked at the ranking list in the sky, eyes full of amusement.
"Great Perfection Great Grandmaster level?"
"To think there's a realm above that, the Land Immortal realm!"
"So I'm not the invincible one after all. Interesting. Very interesting!"
"A mere Imperial Consort of the Ming Dynasty is actually in the same realm as I am."
"I should go meet her. If possible, I'll recruit her under my command."
"Controlling the entire Ming Dynasty from behind the scenes sounds quite fun."
All his life, Nameless believed he was invincible.
From a young age, he mastered everything quickly. His martial skills had reached the pinnacle.
Wealth and power came easily.
Eventually, he lost interest in everything.
So he established a hidden utopia, trained a group of shockingly powerful martial experts, and formed a secret organization.
He plotted one scheme after another.
He enjoyed the feeling of being the mastermind behind everything.
Now, seeing Long Bixia appear on the ranking list reignited his hunter's instinct.
Though she too was at Great Perfection Great Grandmaster, Nameless was confident he could easily defeat her.
This woman would be his.
With that thought, he moved.
His figure blurred as he sped toward the capital.
==========
Southern Song Dynasty, Zhongnan Mountain.
Quanzhen Sect.
Qiu Chuji stared wide-eyed at the ranking list, especially at the moment Long Bixia's name appeared.
Others might not know who Long Bixia was.
But he certainly did.
She was the leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect.
A neighbor to the Quanzhen Sect.
"So she's grown to this level, and even become the Imperial Consort of the Ming Dynasty?"
"Well, I suppose this is her path."
"At least her life is safe!"
"That means the mysterious person who saved the Ancient Tomb Sect and Quanzhen Sect years ago must have been a master from the Ming court?"
Several years ago, the Yuan Dynasty had sent many top fighters to attack the Quanzhen Sect. Even the Ancient Tomb Sect wasn't spared.
Just as Quanzhen was on the verge of destruction, countless terrifying sword auras rained down from the sky.
In an instant, all the Mongolian invaders were slain.
Their lives were saved at that moment.
Afterward, no matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find their mysterious savior.
Even Long Bixia had vanished without a trace.
Now everything was clear.
In that sense, the Quanzhen Sect owed Long Bixia, and the Ming Dynasty, a tremendous favor.
But thinking about the current gap between them and Long Bixia, Qiu Chuji could only smile bitterly.
Let alone now.
Even if their master Wang Chongyang were still alive, he might not be able to defeat her.
They probably didn't even care about being repaid.
==========
Southern Song Dynasty, a small inn.
The Red Lotus Fairy, Li Mochou, was stunned.
"My little junior sister, you've really outdone yourself. Silently becoming an Imperial Consort of the Ming Dynasty."
"Your cultivation has even reached Great Perfection Great Grandmaster."
"Hah, so much for being pure and untouched. So much for never falling in love. All lies!"
"Master, is this really the disciple you raised?"
"She abandoned the foundation of the Ancient Tomb Sect. How can she still be worthy of being its leader?"
Li Mochou's emotions were extremely conflicted. She was filled with frustration and had nowhere to vent it.
Why was it that the man she loved abandoned and even hated her?
And Long Bixia, who did nothing but hide away in the dark tomb, attracted people to her like moths to a flame.
She even became an Imperial Consort.
Her strength now was almost unmatched.
Why was the world so unfair?
How was she any worse than Long Bixia?
The more she thought about it, the more jealousy consumed her heart.
But she had no way to unleash it.
Revenge?
Don't be ridiculous. With her current strength, whom could she possibly take revenge on?
Long Bixia?
The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty?
She'd be killed before she even got close.
==========
Yuan Dynasty Imperial Court.
Temujin's gaze froze, staring at the name on the ranking list.
"National Master, I seem to recall you mentioning this Ancient Tomb Sect before."
"Yes, Great Khan. Years ago, I sent many Yuan warriors to wipe out the Quanzhen Sect."
"But for some unknown reason, they were all killed. Upon investigation, we discovered someone had secretly saved them."
"The Ancient Tomb Sect is located right next to the Quanzhen Sect."
"The one who intervened back then was likely a Ming master."
The National Master, Phagpa, pondered for a moment before replying.
"The Ming Dynasty, huh? Hmph, that's a country I've long set my sights on."
"That brat Zhu Houzhao dares provoke me? Outrageous!"
Temujin roared in fury.
"Shall we take action against the Ming, Great Khan?"
"We could strike a blow and suppress their momentum," Phagpa suggested.
"Who do we send? If we provoke Zhu Houzhao too much and spark an all-out war, it could interfere with my future plans."
"Let's send the Dharma King Jin Lun."
"He's strong, and I've been pleased with his previous missions."
Temujin furrowed his brow in deep thought, then settled on his decision.
"The Dharma King Jin Lun is already dead. He was killed by Huang Rong, one of the dragons on the list."
"The daughter of Eastern Evil Huang Yaoshi from the Southern Song Dynasty? Disgraceful. One day, I'll wipe out the entire Southern Song Dynasty martial world."
Killing intent surged from Temujin's body.
"I do have another candidate," Phagpa said.
"Who?"
"Princess Minmin Temur of Prince Ruyang's household. She now calls herself Zhao Min."
"A mere girl? She might be fine for small errands, but if she messes up and ruins my grand plan, she'll have to bear the consequences."
"Haha, Great Khan, though Zhao Min isn't powerful, she is incredibly clever. When it comes to diplomacy with the Ming, perhaps no one is more suited."
"Very well. I'll leave it to you then."
"For now, the Ming is not our priority. A warning will suffice. Our main target remains the Southern Song Dynasty."
"Once the Southern Song Dynasty is conquered, the Ming will be next."
==========
Qin Dynasty Imperial Palace.
"The National Master was right. No one from the Qin Dynasty made it onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking."
Ying Zheng's tone was calm, emotionless.
His expression was not pleasant, but oddly enough, he felt a sense of relief.
Though the Qin had no one on the list, that might not be a bad thing.
If someone were to make the list, it would certainly be from the Hundred Schools of Thought.
And they would inevitably become a major threat to the Qin Dynasty in the future.
If it were someone in the bottom twenty, he might be happy.
But the top ten were all Great Grandmasters, Late or Great Perfection, far too dangerous.
Better to have no one listed at all.
At the very least, it showed that the next generation of the Hundred Schools of Thought was weaker compared to other nations.
That was great news for the Qin.
"I must admit I'm a little envious of Zhu Houzhao. Even an Imperial Consort of his has reached Great Perfection Great Grandmaster."
"If she ever becomes a Land Immortal, she'll be a powerful strategic force protecting the Ming."
Ying Zheng's face showed a hint of envy.
"Your Majesty, that may not be a blessing. If the women of the imperial harem become too powerful, they may pose a great threat to the emperor himself."
"The Han Dynasty is a perfect example of this," Yue Shen said softly.
Ying Zheng was suddenly startled.
Indeed, a strong harem could be a blessing or a curse.
If used well, it could safeguard the nation.
But if mismanaged, they could become disastrous enchantresses.
Right now, Consort Jiang Yuyan, the new favorite of Emperor Liu Hong of the Han Dynasty, was becoming just that.
A dangerous beauty with growing ambition.
With that thought, Ying Zheng dismissed his envy.
If the nation was to become strong, it had to rely on strengthening its national power through the right means.
Everything else was a distraction, unworthy of pursuit.
==========
Han Dynasty, World Association.
"Wen Chouchou, have you found Qin Shuang, Nie Feng, Bu Jingyun, and Duan Lang, those traitors?"
"Damn it. I raised them with care, taught them the best martial arts, and now each one has turned their back on me!"
"I will find them and tear them apart!"
Xiong Ba roared with rage, his expression twisted.
Ever since the Hidden Dragon Ranking was released, Xiong Ba had sent people to track these four rising stars.
Perhaps his hostility was too obvious.
Even the most loyal, Qin Shuang, left in anger after hearing some rumors.
He broke all ties with the World Association and disappeared.
With the loss of Qin Shuang, Feng, Yun, and Duan Lang, four young talents, Xiong Ba had become a laughingstock in the Han Dynasty's martial world.
In fact, word had spread across the entire Nine Provinces.
For a prideful man like him, this was unbearable.
Now, he had marked them all for death.
"If only You Ruo were still here."
"No one in this world is trustworthy. Only my own daughter can be counted on."
Xiong Ba murmured to himself.
He began to miss his daughter You Ruo, who had run away from home.
Just then, new words appeared on the Hidden Dragon Ranking high in the sky.
[Hidden Dragon Ranking – Rank 4]
[You Ruo]