[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-53":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Eternal Green Immortal Sovereign",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2270061,4432,"Chapter 53: The Great Shuffle","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>“Old Brother Li, impressive skills.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Rui stepped down from the stage, Wu Tu rushed forward to meet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grinned widely, laughing heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m getting old, no longer up to it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui chuckled softly and returned calmly to the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu’s expression turned strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That performance just now? And you call yourself old?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t be fooled by how easy it looked—anyone with eyes can see Sha Jinliang wasn’t weak; it’s just that Li Rui was stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assessment continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fights between the Hall Masters and Executives were far fiercer than those of ordinary disciples; blades clashed on the stage, each move and strike exquisitely precise, stirring the blood of the onlookers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disciples below screamed like they’d been injected with stimulants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more the matches progressed, the darker Wu Tu’s face became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because among the four bosses from Dark Eight Gate who joined the Heaven and Earth Alliance, he was now the only one left unchallenged—all the others had lost, and even becoming a mere watching Executive was now a luxury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu didn’t believe he was much stronger than the other three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been secretly and openly fighting each other for so many years in Qinghe’s back-alley branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their strengths differed by barely a hair’s breadth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides Executives, many Hall Masters were also challenged, with wins and losses on both sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Qinghe branch was undergoing a massive blood purge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than half of the Hall Masters and Executives had been replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Sheng stroked his mustache and nodded in satisfaction: “Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had anticipated this scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Lord Ning’s power surging, it was natural that skilled martial artists would flock to join; if the ranks remained unchanged, that would be suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fiercer the competition, the stronger the drive to train and grow stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then could the Heaven and Earth Alliance thrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He naturally welcomed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the rankings barely shifted, it would mean the branch was stagnant—or worse, someone was manipulating things. Neither was a good sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a sudden outcry rose from below the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s… Ge Hong. How did he end up in our branch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ssshh~ It really is Master Ge from Iron Knife Martial Arts Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui gazed at the middle-aged man on stage, with a square face and a sturdy build.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ge Hong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name Ge Hong was legendary in Qinghe’s martial arts halls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Qinghe, there was a saying: “Bear Fist, Eagle Sword, Willow Blade”—referring to the three most powerful martial arts halls in the city; Ge Hong was the Willow Blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who will he challenge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Hong was a well-established 8th-rank expert; a Hall Master would never satisfy his ambitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he must be challenging the Deputy Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head of Iron Knife Martial Arts Hall challenging a Deputy Commander—this fight was bound to be spectacular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei clenched his fists, his heart tightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had known Ge Hong had joined the Heaven and Earth Alliance; though not afraid, he truly didn’t want to face him so early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great reputations are never empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in the martial world—those with big names almost always have real skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fighting Ge Hong, Zhao Wei might exhaust himself too soon, leaving him no strength left to compete for a higher rank—and he might lose his chance at a Huaqing Sect spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Hong scanned the four Deputy Commanders: Zhao, Zhang, Zhou, and Qian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he raised his finger and pointed at Deputy Commander Qian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Qian, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Commander Qian Cai inwardly groaned, but since he’d been chosen, he had no choice but to step onto the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression was grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike previous assessments, where losing only meant a lower rank but still keeping the Deputy Commander title, if he lost this time, he’d lose the position entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had prepared extensively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Cai took a deep breath, bowed, and said: “Master Ge, I humbly request your guidance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing Ge Hong, whose name was so renowned in Qinghe, his pressure was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly drawing his waist sword, he stepped half a pace forward, holding the blade horizontally before his brow, assuming a perfect starting stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Hong also drew his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blade was unlike any other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its blade was thinner than normal, like a willow leaf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence his nickname: Willow Blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is the famed Willow Blade?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui watched closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when he was a stable boy at the Zhu household, the name Willow Blade had been legendary—he’d never had the chance to see it with his own eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two clashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp metallic ring echoed as Ge Hong and Qian Cai finally struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Hong wielded a blade, yet in his hands it danced like a soft sword, swirling around Qian Cai, impossible to defend against.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Cai’s robes were slashed open in several places.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who had the superior skill was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Cai’s face darkened; he glanced at his torn clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His swordplay wasn’t bad—it was just that Ge Hong was too strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They fought another dozen or so strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the crowd was thoroughly engrossed, Qian Cai suddenly stepped back and declared: “I yield.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deputy Commander Qian surrendered voluntarily? That’s less than thirty strikes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Willow Blade lives up to his reputation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disciples below chattered excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On stage, Ge Hong sheathed his blade and bowed: “Your courtesy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Cai did not return to his seat—he walked down from the stage of his own accord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer a Deputy Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, not until the next match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Cai was decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he realized he couldn’t win, he surrendered immediately—better to conserve strength and challenge someone else, at least preserving his Deputy Commander position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Qian Cai’s defeat, the other Deputy Commanders all wore grim expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their positions were no longer secure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matches grew even fiercer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though no more Deputy Commanders had yet stepped up, several Deputy Hall Masters had already been replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu also took the stage. With Li Rui’s pills, he had fully recovered to his peak condition—even slightly stronger than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After over a hundred strikes, he finally defeated his opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His token rose from “18” to “17.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only one rank higher, its value far surpassed any gain in recent years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply keeping his position was enough to satisfy Wu Tu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Brother Li, won’t you step up and try?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu glanced at Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had already been challenged; by the rules, he didn’t need to fight again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he admired Li Rui greatly, he didn’t think Li Rui had any need to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Zhang Yang’s promise of a Grand Provider position in the Civil-Military Hall—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top eight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, that might have been sufficient, but now? Even becoming Hall Master of the Civil-Military Hall would be more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Commander plus five 8th-rank experts already filled six spots; making top eight meant fighting your way to the top two, a difficulty far beyond ordinary—especially since the current top two were the Civil-Military Hall Master and the infamous blade-wielder Chang Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither was an easy opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui smiled faintly: “Then I’ll go up and give it a try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu widened his eyes; he had not expected Li Rui to be about to step onto the stage—yet in the midst of speaking, Li Rui strode onto the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed to a scar-faced man: “After you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commotion here quickly drew the attention of the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because the man Li Rui intended to challenge bore on his badge the number—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“11”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1283,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8dc89498f3657337de4bb97eb65c00ff12864140f99116ccafef5807c6840ca4","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-54","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-52",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]