Chapter 592: All the Talents of the World Fall into My Hub

Profound Heaven Sect.

Yunshu finished his seclusion and initially stabilized his injuries.

After the battle with True Person Qingxu, not only was he severely wounded, but his life-bound magic treasure also suffered heavy damage; this was not something that could be recovered from in a short time.

Without using massive resources, it would be impossible to recover at all!

Therefore, Yunshu only spent three days in simple seclusion to prevent his injuries from worsening, then ended his seclusion to begin attending to matters.

"My Lord State Preceptor, this is the intelligence from the past few days."

A disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect handed several sheets of paper to Yunshu.

Before entering seclusion, Yunshu had ordered the imperial court's various forces to intercept the rebels fleeing from the Profound Heaven Sect; these papers contained the results of the interception over the past three days.

In just three days, Yunshu did not think there could be any results; after all, the few rebels who fled were either True Persons or Martial Arts Masters, and they were not so easy to kill.

"Hmm?"

Yunshu suddenly saw a piece of intelligence that surprised him, "True Person Qingyu is dead?"

"Yes, just this afternoon, Uncle-Master Qingxie caught up to True Person Qingyu and slew him."

The Profound Heaven Sect disciple reported.

"Qingyu..."

Yunshu recalled that the opponent was a sword cultivator whose life-bound flying sword had the supernatural ability to freeze a person's heart and mind; if one could not finish him off in a short time, one would be increasingly affected.

Such a True Person, even if injured beforehand, still possessed lethal power; even if he encountered the Imperial Camp cavalry, he could use a single sword strike to affect the minds of hundreds of soldiers simultaneously, thereby weakening the power of the military formation—he was extremely difficult to kill.

And yet, he died so quickly?

"Has Qingxie returned?"

Yunshu asked in a cold voice.

He felt there might be something fishy here; perhaps Qingxie had fabricated a fake death for True Person Qingyu and quietly let him go.

"Uncle-Master Qingxie is already on his way back."

"When he returns, have him come to see me immediately."

"Yes."

Yunshu waved his hand to dismiss the Profound Heaven Sect disciple beside him.

The final information in the intelligence he held concerned Li Fei and the others.

The group had been ordered to intercept True Person Qingyu, had been ambushed by the 'Twelve Owls' beforehand, and were now severely injured and heading toward the Profound Heaven Sect.

Seeing that Li Fei had led men to intercept True Person Qingyu and forced him back, Yunshu felt there was something fishy about it.

He never once thought that the death of True Person Qingyu could be related to Li Fei, nor did he believe that Li Fei, leading a few Foundation Establishment martial artists, could have forced True Person Qingyu back.

He simply assumed this was a merit Li Fei had falsely reported to him.

Yunshu did not mind this; after all, Li Fei had indeed performed a great service this time, and there was no need to investigate these minor issues.

At noon the next day, Li Fei and Lu Wenxing and the others returned to the Profound Heaven Sect.

This time, without True Person Qingxia to lead the way, they ascended Profound Heaven Peak under the guidance of two Profound Heaven Sect disciples and met Yunshu.

The image of this State Preceptor had changed drastically!

Previously, he had always appeared as a young Daoist, though his temperament was very weary.

Now, he had aged at least twenty years, and white hair could already be seen at his temples!

This made Yunshu appear even more weary.

"Greetings, State Preceptor. Li Fei has come to report."

After seeing Yunshu, Li Fei did not show any unusual expression and bowed to Yunshu quite straightforwardly.

Yunshu nodded with satisfaction:

"You have worked hard. You did very well this time; after returning, I will personally request a reward from His Majesty for you."

Hearing this, Lu Wenxing and the others were overjoyed, knowing that the merit for this trip was now completely secured, and it would not be small!

"Many thanks, State Preceptor."

Li Fei bowed again, then reported their slaying of the 'Twelve Owls' and had Lu Wenxing and the others present the heads of the twelve core members.

Yunshu was somewhat surprised to see these twelve heads.

The intelligence had only mentioned that Li Fei and the others had encountered an assassination by the 'Twelve Owls,' but it had not said that Li Fei had wiped out this entire team of assassins.

"This team of assassins has committed countless evils over the years; you wiping them out is another great merit."

Yunshu looked at Li Fei, "I will have the Stop-Conflict Pavilion investigate who dared to hire people to assassinate an imperial envoy. Rest assured, as long as a result can be found, His Majesty will never be lenient!"

"Yes."

Li Fei nodded in agreement.

In truth, he knew clearly that no results would be found in this matter.

Yunshu thought for a moment and spoke:

"Additionally, the rebel Qingyu has been executed. You have merit in the interception, and I will report this to His Majesty as well."

Although he did not believe that Li Fei had truly led men to intercept True Person Qingyu, since the man was already dead, he might as well grant a merit to Li Fei, which could also be considered a form of appeasement.

Li Fei did not feel surprised upon hearing this.

True Person Qingyu's life-bound flying sword had been severely damaged by him; afterward, as long as he was caught by that Martial Arts Master, he would certainly be in dire straits.

"Many thanks, State Preceptor."

Li Fei bowed again.

His matter-of-fact attitude actually made Yunshu somewhat surprised.

Were young people these days all so thick-skinned?

Two days later, the Martial Arts Master Qingxie returned to the Profound Heaven Sect with the corpse and life-bound flying sword of True Person Qingyu.

After confirming that both the corpse and the life-bound flying sword were genuine, Yunshu asked Qingxie with great surprise how he had killed the opponent.

"When I caught up to Qingyu, his condition was very poor; he must have been intercepted by the imperial court's people first and fought a great battle."

Qingxie said.

"Intercepted by the imperial court's people first?"

Yunshu immediately thought of Li Fei.

Could it be that Qingyu was wounded by Li Fei and the others? Had Li Fei really forced him back?!

Yunshu then thought of the night Li Fei successfully commanded the Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi to defeat the invading Imperial Camp cavalry.

If one were to talk about the incredible, Li Fei being able to successfully command the Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi at his current realm was actually also very incredible!

A heaven's pride expert like him, who carried such destiny, truly did seem to have 'miracles constantly accompanying him.'

Yunshu felt a sense of emotion.

Lanling City, Imperial Palace.

Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor was reading intelligence from Ming Province, his expression growing increasingly ugly.

Sending the Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi remotely to Ming Province to support Yunshu caused a massive drain on the national fortune!

Coupled with True Person Qingxu slaughtering over nine hundred thousand people in Ming Province and more than a dozen cities being half-destroyed by fire, the national fortune was drained once again.

Not only that, it was a huge blow to the economy and to the hearts of the people!

And then there was the loss of armed forces.

In the four prefectural cities and fourteen ordinary cities of Ming Province, the Judicial Academies had all rebelled, and the Imperial Camp armies had all been seized.

The city guards, Stop-Conflict Academies, and Inspection Academies everywhere had all suffered heavy casualties!

"Cough, cough, cough, cough—"

The Emperor suddenly began to cough violently, his face pale.

"Your Majesty!"

The eunuch guarding outside the door hurried into the Imperial Study, "This servant will go and summon the imperial physician immediately!"

"No need."

The Emperor waved his hand, signaling the eunuch to leave.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your dragon body!"

The guarding eunuch said with a sobbing tone.

The Emperor looked at him, "I am fine."

After the guarding eunuch withdrew, the Emperor put down the memorial in his hand and closed his eyes, feeling somewhat exhausted.

Eighteen years ago, the allied forces of the seven Western nations invaded the Great Lan Dynasty; that battle brought massive losses to the Great Lan Dynasty.

After eighteen years of recuperation, the Mingxin Reform had brought new life to this decaying empire, and it had finally managed to compensate for the loss of national fortune caused by that battle.

Now, it was all destroyed in one night!

The Emperor sat quietly for a long while before picking up the memorial on the table to read again.

Upon seeing the end, his expression softened slightly.

The end of this memorial contained the news sent back by Yunshu, who specifically mentioned Li Fei:

Defending Chong City, commanding the Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi to defeat the invading Imperial Camp cavalry, and severely wounding True Person Qingyu.

After reading these contents, the Emperor recalled the words Yunshu had once divined for Li Fei:

"Safety and danger are interchangeable; disaster and fortune are born from one another."

Taken literally, this sentence meant that 'safety and danger, fortune and disaster can be transformed into one another.'

And the Emperor, looking at this sentence with the eyes of the Son of Heaven, had his own understanding:

A heaven's pride expert like Li Fei could be beneficial to the country, or he could become a disaster for the country; it all depended on how one commanded him.

Looking at it now, his decision to send Li Fei to investigate the case of the missing Longevity Pill was a very good move, allowing Li Fei to truly be of benefit to the nation!

The Emperor set down the memorial in his hand:

"Someone come here."

The eunuch guarding outside quickly walked into the Imperial Study.

"Grind ink for me."

The Emperor said.

After the eunuch had prepared the paper and ink for him, he picked up a brush and began to write on the high-quality rice paper.

With strokes like dragons and snakes, he finished a piece of calligraphy very quickly.

Setting the brush down, the Emperor took a glance at the calligraphy and turned to leave.

Sunlight shone in from the window, reflecting onto the desk.

On the paper were written eight large characters:

All the talents of the world shall enter my hub.

Rumors regarding the rebellion of True Person Qingxu of the Great Luo Sect have been a hot topic of discussion among people recently.

There are all sorts of rumors in the pugilistic world, but when it comes to the specific number of deaths in Ming Province and the various details of the rebellion, not a single bit of news has leaked out.

Or rather, only the true upper-echelon figures can know some of the inside story.

Those nine hundred thousand-plus people who died, those cities that were burned to the ground—there were no news reports, no official announcements, and even their relatives were not allowed to spread word of the matter.

The death of over nine hundred thousand people should have been like a mountain peak thrown into a lake, stirring up monstrous waves!

But under the powerful suppression of the imperial court, this incident did not cause much of a stir outside of Ming Province.

People's attention was shifted more toward other matters:

"Li Fei fights the Imperial Camp cavalry single-handedly!"

"Li Fei annihilates the 'Twelve Owls'!"

"Li Fei forces back a contemporary True Person!"

Li Fei's battle achievements in this incident, except for the one where he borrowed the Son of Heaven's dragon Qi, have all been spread across the length and breadth of the land.

Major newspapers vied to report on them!

Since the previous Martial Dao Exchange Tournament, this "First in History" has been known throughout the country.

Now, with the imperial court's intentional promotion, the name Li Fei has practically become a new legend!

November 3rd, Lanling City.

Vermilion Bird Street, "Under Heaven" Restaurant.

This restaurant was opened by the Great Lan Dynasty's premier intelligence organization, "Under Heaven."

Outside the restaurant, the stone tablet engraved with "The winds and clouds of the world emerge from our generation" had the "Wind and Cloud General Ranking" posted on it.

This morning, two restaurant attendants walked out the front door, came to the stone tablet, and tore off the ranking list posted on it.

This action caused nearby people to quickly crowd around!

Because this meant the "Wind and Cloud General Ranking" had been updated again.

Compared to those Martial Dao Masters, True Persons, and Grandmasters who seem to be in the heavens, Dao Foundation realm powerhouses are the big figures closest to the pugilistic world—existences that many people have the opportunity to see, or even come into contact with.

Therefore, the attention on the "Wind and Cloud General Ranking" has always been very high.

As soon as the ranking list is updated, it spreads to all twenty-three provinces of the country in the first instance!

Soon, the two restaurant attendants finished posting the new ranking list on the stone tablet.

The crowd began to push and shove, scrambling to see the new list.

At the same time, on the top floor of the "Under Heaven" restaurant, in a "Heaven"-grade guest room.

A noble young master with a free and unrestrained air was also looking at a ranking list.

He had obtained this latest list earlier than the people crowding around the stone tablet downstairs.

Although the rule of "Under Heaven" is that the list will absolutely not be made public before it is posted.

But these rules still have to bow before certain people.

After all, no matter how powerful this organization is, it is still under "Heaven."

Standing beside the noble young master was a woman with plain features and a plain figure.

The woman looked straight ahead, seemingly uninterested in this "Wind and Cloud General Ranking" that everyone was watching.

"Xiao Hua, take a guess, what rank will Li Fei be placed in this time?"

This free and unrestrained noble young master was none other than the Third Imperial Prince; he asked his maid with a smile.

Xiao Hua said casually: "First?"

The Third Imperial Prince shook his head with a laugh:

"If we only look at his achievement of killing over fifty Imperial Camp cavalrymen single-handedly, he definitely wouldn't rank first; the top ten powerhouses on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking all have this strength.

However, he also annihilated the 'Twelve Owls,' and this achievement is actually a bit more impressive. It's a pity that the intelligence says it wasn't an individual annihilation; he also brought five Dao Foundation realm martial artists and over twenty Strength-Refining martial masters.

As for forcing back True Person Qingyu, this intelligence is even more vague; it doesn't say at all how he specifically forced him back. It sounds more like false boasting; after all, True Person Qingyu is already dead, and there's no way to verify it. Many people actually don't really believe this battle achievement."

Xiao Hua nodded: "Then he can't rank first."

The first place on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking has a very high gold content.

The entire Great Lan Dynasty has at least two thousand-plus Dao Foundation realm powerhouses, each of whom can be called a genius, a regional hegemon, with a resounding reputation.

Obtaining the title of first place among so many powerhouses is indeed very difficult!

To ensure its own fairness and authority, "Under Heaven" certainly wouldn't just randomly pick a first-place winner.

Without battle achievements that are absolutely convincing, one cannot be first.

"That's right, for Li Fei to surpass this person, he still lacks a bit of seasoning."

The Third Imperial Prince nodded, his gaze falling on the very top of the list in his hand:

Zhu Fenghua.

This is the name of the first place on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking!

The other party is a successor of the Heaven One Pavilion and a personal disciple of the "Supreme" Lin Tian.

He cultivates both Dharma and Martial arts; his Martial Dao is at the Dao Foundation realm, and his Technique Dao is at the Possession realm!

Zhu Fenghua once fought six against one, defeating six peak Dao Foundation realm powerhouses!

He once exchanged a hundred moves with a Martial Dao Master without being defeated!

These various battle achievements have allowed him to sit firmly in the top spot of the Wind and Cloud General Ranking for as long as ten years.

Many people are clear that, in fact, with Zhu Fenghua's talent and aptitude, whether it is breaking through to the Master realm in Martial Dao or breaking through to the True Spirit realm in Technique Dao, he could have done it long ago.

But he has been holding back from breaking through, pursuing the dual cultivation of Dharma and Martial arts, wanting to break through in both Martial Dao and Technique Dao simultaneously!

Zhu Fenghua has always taken his "Supreme" master as an example, walking a path that has already been proven to be invincible under heaven.

Such a first-place winner of the Wind and Cloud General Ranking is not so easily surpassed.

The Third Imperial Prince continued to look down:

Shentu Yue.

This is the second place on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking, and she is a woman.

The other party is the closing disciple of the Pavilion Master of the Red Dust Pavilion.

"One Pavilion, One Tower, Three Mountains, Four Sects, and Seven Great Families"—besides the Buddhist and Daoist schools, these are the sixteen top-tier forces in the pugilistic world.

Among them, the "One Pavilion and One Tower" refer to the Heaven One Pavilion and the Red Dust Pavilion respectively.

The Heaven One Pavilion has Lin Tian, this "Supreme," sitting in command, so it naturally goes without saying.

The Pavilion Master of the Red Dust Pavilion is one of the "Seven Martial Saints"!

Therefore, these two major sects have also pulled away from the "Three Mountains, Four Sects, and Seven Great Families" that follow.

Shentu Yue is the closing disciple taken in by the Red Dust Pavilion Master, and she just turned twenty-five this year.

The other party broke through to the Dao Foundation realm at twenty; according to the viewpoint of that previous "Discussion on Heaven's Pride," she is also a peerless heaven's pride without a doubt!

Previously, the Martial Dao Exchange Tournament was popular throughout the country, and many Red Dust Pavilion disciples felt very indignant, believing that since Shentu Yue did not participate in this competition, it could not be considered a true competition of heaven's prides.

Shentu Yue had already reached peak Dao Foundation realm combat power at twenty-three, and was listed on the candidate list for the Wind and Cloud General Ranking.

Afterward, in just two short years, she rushed from the candidate list all the way to second place on the General Ranking!

Before Ming Qi of Pudu Temple broke through his realm, many people felt that Shentu Yue would be the youngest Martial Dao Master in history!

Of course, now that there is a monster like Li Fei, Shentu Yue no longer has an advantage in terms of age.

However, the other party's battle achievements are also very dazzling; "Under Heaven" ranked her in second place, and people under heaven are all convinced.

The Third Imperial Prince continued to look down and finally saw Li Fei's name.

That's right, Li Fei ranked in the top three the first time he appeared on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking!

Although the achievement of forcing back True Person Qingyu seemed somewhat false, "Under Heaven" still verified it seriously, at least confirming one point: Li Fei had indeed exchanged moves with True Person Qingyu.

So even if Li Fei didn't force back True Person Qingyu, and it was True Person Qingyu who retreated on his own, being able to save one's life under the sword of a True Person with astonishing killing power is already very remarkable!

Thus, "Under Heaven" finally ranked Li Fei third on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking.

"Truly dazzling."

The Third Imperial Prince said with a smile and a sigh.

Appearing on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking at the age of eighteen has already created history.

Ranking in the top three on the first time appearing on the list also created history!

What is most shocking is that Li Fei has only incorporated three types of implants so far.

Having incorporated three types of implants and already ranking third on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking, what kind of demeanor will Li Fei have in the future when he incorporates five types of implants?

A Grandmaster once publicly stated:

"Zhu Fenghua is the strongest Dao Foundation realm martial artist in history. No one in the Dao Foundation realm has ever been stronger than him, and for the next fifty years, it will be very difficult for anyone stronger than him to appear!"

After this assessment was released, someone even set up a betting pool, wagering on whether anyone would be able to surpass Zhu Fenghua in the next fifty years.

Now, the Third Prince really wants to place a bet.

He believes that after this ranking list is released, many people will surely have the same thought as him.

As "Under Heaven" updated the Wind and Cloud General Ranking, the news that Li Fei was ranked third on the general list spread across the world at an extremely fast speed.

Upon learning this news, the most exhilarated were those in the Feng Province martial arts circle.

Feng Province was once considered a "weak martial arts province," and for decades, no one had ever made it onto the Wind and Cloud General Ranking.

Later, a Green-Faced Ghost appeared, who ascended to ninth place on the Wind and Cloud General Ranking in one fell swoop.

This had already made the Feng Province martial arts circle excited for a long time.

Now, another person, Li Fei, has appeared, ranked third on the general list.

Counting the Green-Faced Ghost, who is currently ranked tenth, Feng Province has two people on the list at the same time!

This is a unique achievement among the twenty-three provinces!

It is just that only a few people in the world know—

In reality, it is one person occupying two spots!

PS: This chapter is 5000+ words.

I visited three renovation companies today, and I already want to give up before even starting. I can only provide one update today, apologies.

(End of chapter)