Chapter 51: The Boundless Sword Lord—Dou Changsheng!

The next day.

Dou Changsheng’s eyes were bloodshot.

He had not slept all night; fatigue marked his face, yet his spirit remained strong.

He was polishing the Hero Sword, waiting in silence.

Today was the day the Wu Lin Tower updated the Human Rank, and countless people across the land waited with bated breath.

Especially those striving to enter the Human Rank, they waited for its release to view it the instant it appeared.

Dou Changsheng was a mortal, and naturally no exception.

Even though everyone already knew their own ranking, they still wished to see the Human Rank the moment it was published.

Across the four states, the grasslands, and other minor nations, countless warriors had achieved minor fame in their local regions—that alone was no small feat; to become renowned across an entire province was the mark of a genius.

But once you entered the Human Rank, you became famous throughout the world.

Your name would spread across the four states, the grasslands, every corner of the land.

True fame achieved in a single day, known to all under heaven.

Fame brought boundless benefits.

Power and wealth were all contained within it.

This edition of the Human Rank meant the name “Dou Changsheng” would spread through Xi Qin, Dong Qi, Bei Jin, Nan Chen, the grasslands, Lu State, Dali, the Western Regions, Liaodong, and the Polar Regions.

From now on, whenever he traveled, he need never worry about lodging.

Local magnates would eagerly invite him to banquets, and when he departed, they would gift him travel expenses.

Merely by displaying his name, he could traverse the world.

This was only the intangible benefit.

The Human Rank held its own mysteries.

The Three Ranks—Heaven, Earth, and Human—established by the Wu Lin Tower were not merely hollow reputations.

Some sought fame, some sought profit, and naturally, some preferred solitude.

They did not vie for power or seek renown.

Yet any cultivator with ambition in the martial path would inevitably strive to enter the Human Rank.

Once on the Human Rank, one could join the Jixia Academy in Lu State as a student, listen to lectures by Grand Masters, and study the Academy’s vast library.

Upon the Eastern Sea lay three immortal isles: Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang.

They opened once every ten years, and only those on the Human Rank could set foot upon them.

Other benefits were countless.

Yet each decade differed; what appeared was entirely a matter of fate.

But these advantages of the Human Rank were enough to demonstrate its importance.

Each was an opportunity, a stroke of destiny.

This was the benefit granted by the Wu Lin Tower; Dou Changsheng knew at a glance that the Wu Lin Tower was a major intermediary of this world, integrating resources from all sides to construct the Three Ranks.

Today, the Three Ranks of the Wu Lin Tower had become an established institution, with irreplaceable credibility.

Once on the list, one reaped the benefits.

Cultivation would grow smoother, the snowball would roll, making the strong stronger and the weak weaker.

In any world, reality was always this cruel.

After an indeterminate time, hurried footsteps sounded; Ma Li held a thick Human Rank scroll and strode forward, shouting from afar: “Young Master Dou!”

“Coming.”

“The latest Human Rank.”

“Delivered at full gallop—no one has seen it yet.”

Dou Changsheng looked at Old Ma and felt satisfied; no wonder he was the Empress Dowager’s confidant—he knew how to serve.

Who knew if he had even read it? With the abilities of a Divine Master, even while sprinting, he could split his attention and memorize every word of the Human Rank—but for Old Ma to say this, it naturally made one feel pleased.

Dou Changsheng did not hesitate; he reached out and took the Human Rank.

He did not bother with other entries; he flipped through rapidly until, at position seventy-nine, he found what he sought.

The Human Rank contained only text, no illustrations—a notable flaw. In the future, he could write to the Wu Lin Tower and suggest training skilled painters to produce quick portraits; with only names and deeds, outsiders would not recognize him—no, would not recognize the Human Rank masters—and what if they offended one by accident?

A portrait would save countless disputes and grudges.

Human Rank 79—The Boundless Sword Lord—Dou Changsheng!

Dou Changsheng’s fingers unconsciously traced the characters on the paper, as if caressing a maiden’s skin, utterly enamored.

That pitiful name, “Gentleman Sword,” was finally shed.

Every time it was mentioned, Dou Changsheng felt a chill below.

Bei Yang, within a manor.

Wang Chongguang reclined lazily in a large chair, his loose robes open, revealing dark skin glistening faintly, as if coated in oil.

A Human Rank scroll lay in Wang Chongguang’s hands.

His broad, knotted fingers stood out grotesquely, resembling a demon’s hand, terrifying and monstrous.

Eighteen years old.

Five Qi in Harmony, Primordial True Realm.

Wang Chongguang let out a cold snort, venting his dissatisfaction.

He had always reacted this way toward newcomers who entered the list at such a high rank.

In his own generation, there had been such a person—now a Earth Rank Master, the Fire Cloud True Person, Chen Baihe.

The condescending, looking-down gaze Chen Baihe had fixed upon him, Wang Chongguang would never forget.

Yet compared to this Dou Changsheng, Chen Baihe was far inferior.

Wang Chongguang suppressed his emotions; such a genius belonged to another world. They need not interfere; no need to flatter, nor to provoke.

Though displeased, Wang Chongguang still studied Dou Changsheng’s achievements.

As a martial cultivator, ignoring the Three Ranks meant one would never go far.

These three lists catalogued every person and force one must never offend.

From Junxian, escorting military pay, he slew Wang Xiong with a single sword, shattered a hundred cavalry in open battle, rescued the Black Eagle Elder, drove back a Primordial True Realm cultivator before Chen Family Fortress where Earth Rank Masters had failed, entered Jianmen Pass twice, righteous and loyal, benevolent and unmatched.

At Qingyang Peak, single-handedly dominated all rivals; the dragon does not dwell with snakes.

That night, exposed Qingyang Daoist’s conspiracy, obtained the Qingyang Secret Art, became the successor of the Three Yang Divine Lord.

Escorting the deposed Emperor, Prince of Bei Yang, back to his fief, slew Human Rank 79, Blood Hand—Jin Sanming—with one sword.

Summary: “Boundless” derives from Dou Changsheng’s primary sword art, inherited from the Boundless Sword Sect; it also implies boundless compassion and boundless magical power. “Sword Lord” signifies supreme sword skill, noble virtue, talent and integrity, pure and flawless, warm and refined like flawless jade.

Evaluation: Benevolent and peerless, unfathomably profound.

A certain Earth Rank Master: Dou Changsheng will surely ascend to No. 1 on the Human Rank, stand alone atop the throne, one sword suppressing the entire martial world; the next decade belongs to Dou Changsheng.

Jianghu Gossip: In the North, rumors say Dou Changsheng is unfathomably deep; when you think his strength is merely ordinary, he always delivers a great surprise.

Wang Chongguang slammed the Human Rank onto the ground with a sharp crack.

The Wang Clan of Xiangzhou truly has no shame—they’ve begun bribing the Wu Lin Tower.

Yet this Qingyang Secret Art, the Regenerative Black Water...

Is also an opportunity.