Chapter 509

"Tiannan Lao Mo!"

"This demonic cultivator has been very strong lately; it's strange, a demonic cultivator actually killed two great experts of the North Pole Demon Sect in a row, acting in a bizarre manner."

Ning Zhongtian listened to the rumors.

Nowadays.

The name of Tiannan Lao Mo was extremely loud.

Not only because this old demon had possessed extremely formidable combat power before, but also because of his uninhibited style of killing other demonic cultivators.

When a demonic cultivator kills, they don't care who you are; even if you are also a demonic cultivator, they can still kill you.

This was what fit the style of an old demon.

For a time, he was sought after by many demonic cultivators.

As he spoke.

Tan Hu said: "What is Tiannan Lao Mo? He's not even half as good as our Big Brother."

Ning Zhongtian: "That's right!"

Li Rui listened to the two's flattery and was speechless.

Neither of them would ever imagine.

That their Big Brother was the recently demonic-might-towering Tiannan Lao Mo.

As the official in charge of the Martial Rankings, Tiannan Lao Mo was naturally placed there by him.

Of course.

The Martial Rankings could not be completely controlled by him.

The news of Tiannan Lao Mo killing Ji Lei of the North Pole Demon Sect had already arrived, so pushing him to 117th was the limit.

Any higher.

Most of them were First-Rank Land Immortals.

It could be said that this ranking was already extremely remarkable among those at the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm.

Besides this.

This Martial Ranking had recorded over two thousand people.

Many of the three thousand exiled immortals in the Lower Realm were on the Martial Rankings, and being able to maintain its gold content while the number of powerhouses increased, this Martial Ranking could be considered to have established its foundation.

Although it was inseparable from the Yu Kingdom's formidable national strength and terrifying intelligence network.

But as the chief official, Li Rui.

Naturally gained a great merit.

The next day.

At the morning court.

In front of the Taihe Gate, the Holy Emperor's resonant laughter rang out: "These Martial Rankings can display the prosperity of my Great Yu and the abundance of martial virtue."

The descent of immortal cultivators had a huge impact on the Yu Kingdom.

No need to look at anything else.

Just look at Gu Changsheng and Duke Dingyuan; the two of them were now almost constantly running outside the capital.

Suppressing who knows how many immortal cultivators.

It was fortunate that those immortal cultivators had their own factions, allowing the Yu Kingdom court to maneuver among them, divide and conquer, win over those who could be won over, and suppress those who should be suppressed.

This matter sounded simple.

But in reality, it was like playing on a cliff; if one wasn't careful, it would lead to great disaster.

Even the Holy Emperor was under great pressure.

And the Martial Rankings were actually a form of manifestation of these efforts.

This world was still the world of the Yu Kingdom people.

Nothing had changed at all.

"Official Li handled this matter beautifully; how should I reward you?"

The Holy Emperor mentioned Li Rui.

Li Rui stepped forward, walking out of the civil official ranks.

His position was already very far forward, and now he was only a few feet away from the Holy Emperor.

"This is the minister's duty."

The civil and military officials at court looked at the unyielding Li Rui, and the envy in their hearts was immense.

Those who could stand here.

Apart from having solid connections, to go further, one needed even more solid strength and merit.

Coincidentally.

Li Rui possessed both.

Moreover, this Taiping Order was a late bloomer, and the fact that his stamina was getting stronger had long spread throughout the capital; even if he couldn't step into the First Rank, he would be among the top tier of the Second Rank in the future.

His future was limitless.

It would not be an exaggeration to call him the number one person below the First Rank.

The Holy Emperor's smile grew wider: "Official Li, no need to be humble; as for what to reward you with, let me think carefully."

Unknowingly.

The Holy Emperor's address to Li Rui had changed from "Official Li" to "Minister Li."

One character less, but the difference was huge.

Don't look at it as still being a good word; it's like using honorifics for people—the more there are, the more distant the relationship actually is; if one day he were addressed by his courtesy name like Zhang Shoufu, then he would be a friend of the Emperor.

'It seems necessary to take a courtesy name.'

A strange thought arose in Li Rui's mind.

Surname, name, courtesy name, and pseudonym—the latter two were the ways of scholars.

If an ordinary farmer were to take a courtesy name, he would definitely be mocked.

Li Rui's background was humble to begin with, and he had spent fifty years in the Zhu family stables, so where would he have the habit of taking a courtesy name?

So even after he made his fortune, he had never thought about it.

He had always been a pragmatist and did not like those flashy things.

But now that there was a practical use, taking one wouldn't hurt.

'Let's use... Changqing.'

Li Rui's heart stirred.

'Li Changqing?'

'Not bad, not bad.'

While his mind was wandering.

The morning court session came to an end.

Walking out of the palace, Li Rui had become a popular figure; from the First-Rank Zhang Shoufu down to the Third-Rank officials, everyone was very enthusiastic.

"Official Li, my family has stored quite a bit of good wine; you must come and taste it."

"I have a rare immortal flower in my residence; I ask Official Li to do me the honor of evaluating it."

"I heard Official Li has not yet married; I have a distant cousin, similar in age to Official Li, who is also unmarried..."

Li Rui: "..."

Truly living longer and seeing more.

In his early years, when he was a good young man, people looked down on him for his humble status; no good family's daughter would look at him. He never expected that as he lived on, people would take the initiative to act as matchmakers.

'Living long enough to see everything?'

Li Rui recalled the words from his previous life.

He only found it funny.

Afterward.

The Yu Kingdom gradually had a trend of peace again, and his Taiping Order naturally became idle.

However, while official business was idle, practicing martial arts was not idle in the slightest.

In addition to the True Martial Body-Nurturing Art and the Eternal Evergreen Art, he also had to visualize the Vast Sea Green Lotus Map.

He was busy and happy.

In the deepest part of the Northern Plains, a place that almost pierced the heavens and was revered by the Northern Plains people as a holy mountain.

"Immortal fruit?"

A middle-aged, gloomy Daoist with a hooked nose narrowed his eyes slightly.

Standing before him was He Jiuxuan.

"Exactly; Elder Sima should have heard that the Daoist Wang of Bai Yujing came to the Lower Realm this time because Si Feng stole and ate the immortal fruit; this matter was stated by Elder Xu."

The middle-aged Daoist before him was the Sect Master of the North Pole Demon Sect.

Sima Mo.

It was just that he held a high position in Wan Fadian in the Immortal Cultivation World, so he was not called Sect Master, but continued to be called Elder.

Sima Mo did not mind this.

Hearing the words "Elder Xu."

Sima Mo's eyes flickered constantly.

Immortal fruit...

Bai Yujing was extremely special in the Immortal Cultivation World, especially its core disciples, who were few in number but each one was terrifyingly strong.

Walking in the Immortal Cultivation World, they almost all possessed the talent to sweep across ten thousand paths.

And the reason they could be like this was because of this immortal fruit.

If he could obtain the immortal fruit, perhaps he could also taste the realm of Heaven-Man above the First Rank!

Moreover, that Elder Xu was skilled in divination and deduction; if it was truly what he said, then the credibility was very high.

He watched He Jiuxuan quietly.

The tricks of borrowing a knife to kill in Wan Fadian had long been used to death.

He would not be used as a gun by others.

Even if He Jiuxuan held a high position in the inner sect, the Purple Mansion Realm was still the Purple Mansion Realm; as long as one did not step into the Dao Body Realm for a day, one would always be a junior.

Being played in the palm of a junior's hand?

Ridiculous!

After a long time.

Sima Mo revealed a smile: "I will send people to handle this matter; if the immortal fruit is obtained, I will certainly not leave out Junior Nephew He."

He Jiuxuan bowed: "Thank you, Elder."

Respectful and humble on the surface, but actually harboring ulterior motives.

He Jiuxuan had already figured out the strength of this small grotto-heaven.

Very strong.

He was not one of those idiots blinded by desire, so naturally, he would not insist on monopolizing the opportunity of the immortal fruit.

That was why he decisively told Sima Mo about the immortal fruit.

Rather than risking death, it was better to seek stability; a wisp of immortal fruit spiritual energy would be enough.

He was not greedy.

He Jiuxuan walked to the mountainside.

Returning to his residence.

He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and began to practice.

It appeared calm on the surface, but in his mind, Ji Lei's venomous roar echoed endlessly.

"He Jiuxuan, you will not die a good death!"

(End of chapter)