Chapter 48: Greatest in All History!

Inside the Liyang Martial Arts Hall, Fang Can sat in a wheelchair watching a green-dressed girl with her hands on her hips.

“I can’t believe you don’t even know the Heavenly Mechanism List—are you from some mountain ravine?” Ye Qingshi said in disbelief.

After all, in her understanding, someone who didn’t know the Heavenly Mechanism List was rarer than a martial artist who had ascended the Path to Heaven.

Now that he’d been exposed, Fang Can stopped pretending and asked directly: “Miss Ye, could you explain in detail what the Heavenly Mechanism List is?”

“Do you really need an explanation?” Ye Qingshi said. “The Heavenly Mechanism List is the martial artist ranking published by the Heavenly Mechanism Tower, mainly consisting of two lists: the Potential Dragon and the Ascending Dragon.”

“Both lists concern martial artists in the Foundation Establishment realm. The Potential Dragon List ranks the top one hundred Foundation Establishment martial artists in the world by strength.”

“The Ascending Dragon List, however, ranks martial artists by how rapidly they climb in the Potential Dragon List—the faster your rank rises, the higher your position on the Ascending Dragon List.”

“Both lists are published monthly, and every Foundation Establishment martial artist in the world wants their name on them.”

“Oh.” Fang Can raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What rules govern this list? Does the Heavenly Mechanism Tower have influence across the entire world, monitoring every martial artist?”

“You really don’t know anything, do you?” Ye Qingshi sighed. “Everyone knows the Heavenly Mechanism Tower passes down a single disciple per generation, and every ranking and operation depends entirely on the current Tower Master’s support.”

“Just one person can judge the whole world?” Fang Can found it absurd—what kind of wild list was this?

“Of course,” Ye Qingshi nodded. “Legend says the Heavenly Mechanism Tower enshrines the skull of the first Tower Master, Bai Xiaosheng.”

“Uh… what’s so special about that skull?” Fang Can scratched his head. It was just a dead man’s head.

“According to folklore, the first Bai Xiaosheng loved debating martial arts, often discussing the relative strengths of martial artists across different realms and publishing his conclusions.”

“After Bai Xiaosheng ascended the Path to Heaven, he rejected all existing sect lineages and instead built a completely new system for the purpose of martial debate.”

“The new lineage he created is called the [Yongle Dadian], said to be able to spontaneously collect, record, and compile all knowledge in the world—truly omniscient,” Ye Qingshi said.

‘This is martial arts?’ Fang Can, seated in his wheelchair, couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

It felt like martial arts in this world was even more abstract than superpowers—any ability you wanted could be imagined, and somehow it actually manifested.

Other lunatics, who loved bloodshed, developed abilities after ascending the Path to Heaven that were all about killing enemies.

But this first Heavenly Mechanism Tower Master didn’t like killing—he was just a guy who loved debating—and yet he somehow manifested this bizarre lineage.

Fang Can worried: if someone like Hitler appeared, would a lineage called [Jewish Annihilation] be born?

‘Omniscient Yongle Dadian…’ A troubling thought rose in Fang Can’s mind—this ability must have limits, otherwise knowing everything was just ridiculous.

Watching Fang Can’s deep thought, Ye Qingshi couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Hey, what are you thinking? Don’t tell me you think you’ll make the list—don’t even dream about it…”

“The top one hundred on the Potential Dragon List are all occupied by Great Chu and Great Zhou barbarians, all at the eighth or ninth level of the Xuanguan realm and with awakened Heart Phases. For years now, not a single Great Yan citizen has made the list.”

“As for the Ascending Dragon List, you’re competing against hundreds of millions of martial artists worldwide—each rank you climb means defeating a thousand martial artists ahead of you.”

“As for you…” Ye Qingshi hadn’t finished speaking when she saw Yan Zhi running over with a small booklet, handing it to Fang Can: “Young Master Fang, I bought the Heavenly Mechanism List.”

Hearing Yan Zhi’s words, Fang Can took the booklet and opened it—inside were dozens of neatly printed pages.

Thinking that all this information was gathered by the so-called [Yongle Dadian] from thin air, Fang Can felt a chill.

‘Does the Yongle Dadian also record my information?’ Fang Can nervously flipped through the book.

Potential Dragon List:

Rank One: Xiang Xitao

Age: Eighteen

Realm: Xuanguan Ninth Level

Cultivation Scripture: Supreme Shocking Scripture

Techniques: Fierce Barbarian Demon Body, Blood Burning Divine Decree, Overlord Shattering City Halberd…

Attributes: Great Chu Imperial Family! Halberd Mastery #1! Spear Mastery #1! Lethality #1! Burst Power #1! Heart Phase #1!

History: Last year, alone outside the capital, he fought nine eighth-level and three ninth-level martial artists, killing seven and driving five into retreat…

Seeing the top name on the Potential Dragon List, Ye Qingshi crossed her arms behind her back and leaned forward to explain:

“This Xiang Xitao is a Great Chu barbarian—he’s been on the Potential Dragon List for nearly a year. I hear he would’ve broken through already if not for the upcoming Nations’ Competition.”

Ignoring the girl’s close proximity, Fang Can frowned and scanned the entire Potential Dragon List.

The situation was exactly as Ye Qingshi said—all one hundred names were from Great Chu or Great Zhou; not a single Great Yan name appeared.

Moreover, the Heavenly Mechanism List fully documented every martial artist on the list's past battles and techniques.

“What’s the point of looking at the Potential Dragon List? It’s always the same few people dominating it—better check the Ascending Dragon List.”

Ye Qingshi urged beside him: “I’ll tell you, our Great Yan isn’t afraid of any other nation on the Ascending Dragon List—show me who’s the new prodigy this week.”

Under Ye Qingshi’s urging, Fang Can’s unease growing, he gently traced his fingers over the booklet, flipping from the last page of the Potential Dragon List to the top of the Ascending Dragon List.

When he saw the first page of the Ascending Dragon List, his unease became reality.

As Fang Can fell silent, Ye Qingshi beside him began reading aloud.

Ascending Dragon List:

Rank One: Fang Can

Age: Eighteen

Realm: Xuanguan First Level

Cultivation Scripture: Tiger Wraith Eighty-Eight Caverns??? Great Sun Indestructible Demon Body!!!

Techniques: Tiger Subduing Dragon Golden Body, Sixty-Six Tiger Devouring Fist, Flame-Scorching Earth Spear, Gale-Power Palm…

Attributes: Expelled Disciple of Tiger Wraith Gate…

When Ye Qingshi read Fang Can’s name, she still smiled, teasing that it was the same name.

But when she reached “Expelled Disciple of Tiger Wraith Gate,” her expression froze. She turned her head slowly, locking eyes with Fang Can’s deep, starlit gaze.

A light breeze stirred the pages in Fang Can’s hands, revealing the full content of the second page.

Attributes: Expelled Disciple of Tiger Wraith Gate! Immortality #1! Vessel #1! Talent #1! Stamina #1! Spear Proficiency, Sword Proficiency, Palm Proficiency, Fist Proficiency, Blade Proficiency, Staff Proficiency, Leg Proficiency…

History: Expelled disciple of Tiger Wraith Gate—gained awareness of life in one day, awakened Heart Phase in eight days, crossed the first level of Xuanguan in less than a month.

Three days ago, inside the Tiger Wraith Gate’s training hall, he fought hundreds of fellow disciples alone. Though his strength was inferior, his technique was supreme—he shattered fists with fists, palms with palms, spears with spears, swords with swords. No one lasted thirty breaths.

The disciples panicked, abandoning martial ethics, charging at him en masse.

Fang Can struck with his fists, defeated a hundred, and emerged victorious.

Within one month, he surpassed 856,323,435 martial artists.

Potential: Greatest in All History!

(End of Chapter)