The Hidden Dragon Ranking of Tianji Tower has always attracted great attention from all forces in the world.
After all, the martial artists who make it onto the list have a high probability of breaking through to the Innate Realm.
A master at the Innate Realm is exceptionally powerful. Even in top sects, they are pillars of strength and are not to be underestimated by any force.
Countless martial artists throughout the land consider it an honor to be listed on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
Because that represents true fame and recognition, becoming known throughout the world.
Most martial artists train so hard, all for the sake of fame and fortune.
Those who make it onto the Hidden Dragon List are practically famous throughout the land; how many people wouldn't be tempted by that?
Therefore, the day when the Hidden Dragon List is announced every six months is the most lively time for Tianji Tower.
This time was no exception.
Early in the morning, numerous martial artists were already waiting at the Tianji Tower branches in various prefectures and counties, all eager to be the first to see the rankings.
Among them were spies sent by various sects and factions.
Then, when the list was posted, everyone was shocked.
Because a name they were completely unfamiliar with appeared on it.
"Lu Qing from Cangzhou, who is this person? I've never heard of him before."
"To be ranked twenty-ninth, ahead of all the martial arts grandmasters, with only the initial stage of the internal organs?"
"A seventeen-year-old martial artist at the Inner Strength Realm! Which sect in Cangzhou has such a core disciple?"
...
Almost everyone was drawn to the name Lu Qing on the list.
There was no way around it; the information displayed on the list was simply too astonishing.
A seventeen-year-old martial artist at the initial stage of internal energy cultivation, upon first appearing on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, ranked twenty-ninth, ahead of a host of martial arts masters.
Any one of these pieces of information would be astonishing enough for any other martial artist.
Now that everything is focused on one martial artist, it brings a true sense of awe to people.
Some people even suspected that Tianjilou had made a mistake in the information.
Putting everything else aside, how could someone at the initial stage of internal energy cultivation possibly rank ahead of so many martial arts masters?
In response to the questions, Tianjilou quickly provided a reply.
The ranking is correct, and the information above is completely accurate, so there's no need to worry about any errors.
Tianjilou's reputation is quite reliable.
Since they say it's true, then it must be true.
Therefore, the response from Tianji Tower caused a real sensation among martial artists.
There really are such young geniuses in the world!
At the age of seventeen, he was able to make it onto the Hidden Dragon List.
Which sect could possibly have produced such an unparalleled genius?
Numerous sects and factions were naturally drawn to this.
As for trying to get information from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, forget about it.
The Tianji Tower has been publishing the Hidden Dragon Ranking for over a thousand years, and apart from some simple information, it never reveals more details about those on the list.
To find out who this "Lu Qing" really is, they'll have to investigate it themselves.
In a short time, countless forces across the land began sending people to Cangzhou to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Of course, not all forces were completely unaware of Lu Qing.
Jeju Island, Qingyun Sword Pavilion.
Inside a small building, several elderly men sat facing each other.
On the table in front of them was a list, which was none other than the Hidden Dragon List.
"Lu Qing, Cangzhou..."
One of the elderly men with a white beard looked at the names on the list and pondered deeply.
He then asked, "A few days ago, Mingjian and the others went out to train. Later, they sent a message back saying that they encountered a young genius in Cangzhou, who also seemed to be named Lu Qing?"
“That’s right.” Another short-haired old man nodded. “Moreover, they also said that the young genius has an amazing talent in martial arts. It is rumored that he once defeated a martial arts grandmaster with his body at the peak of the Bone and Tendon Realm. They even saw him capture the top twelve Heavenly Gang assassins of the Seven Kill Tower, ‘Tian Gu’, with just his fists in a few dozen breaths.”
"This matter is too absurd. When I first received the letter, I thought that Mingjian and the others had been deceived and believed the rumors, and I was very angry."
"But after carefully questioning the disciple who sent the message back, it turned out that it was not a rumor, but a fact."
"Just the other day, the Seven Kill Tower issued a Seven Kill Order, and the person they were hunting down was also named Lu Qing."
"Therefore, it is clear that what Mingjian and the others said was not untrue."
"For the Seven Kill Tower to issue the Seven Kill Order, there must be no mistake. The Lu Qing that Ming Jian and the others mentioned should be the one on the Hidden Dragon List." The white-bearded old man nodded.
It's impossible for two people to share the same name, both live in Cangzhou, and both be child prodigies.
The white-bearded old man immediately confirmed that Lu Qing, who was on the Hidden Dragon List, was the same person mentioned in the message from the sect's disciples.
But this only made him more surprised.
"At the age of seventeen, with his internal organs fully developed and his bones and muscles in perfect harmony, he defeated a martial arts grandmaster. I never imagined that there would be such an unparalleled genius in this world."
No wonder the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion included him on the Hidden Dragon List. If such a prodigy isn't qualified to be on the Hidden Dragon List, then there are very few people in the world who are.
I wonder which organization could have nurtured such a young genius!
"According to Mingjian's letter, Lu Qing's lineage is very mysterious. All that is known is that his master is a mysterious innate realm expert, but they did not have the opportunity to meet him at the Wei residence that day," said the short-haired old man.
"Who could this unknown innate realm cultivator be?" the white-bearded old man pondered to himself.
"It's a pity that Mingjian and the others haven't returned from their travels yet, otherwise we could ask them about the situation in detail."
The things that can be said in the letter are ultimately limited, and many details cannot be elaborated.
This prevents them from obtaining more information.
"Since this Lu Qing already has a master, there's no need to inquire further, lest it offend him."
The white-bearded old man pondered for a moment before speaking.
The other party has a master at the Innate Realm, so it's obvious that the power behind them must be considerable.
If you delve too deeply and cause resentment, making enemies unnecessarily, then you'll lose more than you gain.
So after a brief discussion, the white-bearded old man put the matter aside for the time being.
"Besides the Hidden Dragon List, there is something even more important to discuss with you all today, namely the 'Eternal Change'."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the elders immediately turned serious.
"Sect Master, is this once-in-a-millennium upheaval really about to arrive?"
A thin old man couldn't help but say.
"Judging from the movements of various sects over the years, it should be correct," the white-bearded old man said solemnly. "This matter concerns the future glory of our Sword Pavilion, and we absolutely cannot be careless."
“But what exactly does this once-in-a-millennium change refer to? We still haven’t figured it out, so how should we deal with it?” another old man said.
"What exactly is this epochal change? Perhaps only the four secret realms, as well as ancient sects like the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and the Seven Killings Pavilion, which have been passed down for thousands of years, know. Unfortunately, the foundation of our Sword Pavilion is still somewhat lacking."
But even if we don't know the reason, we can't just sit and wait; we have to do something.
The white-bearded old man said helplessly.
The other elderly people also fell silent.
This feeling of knowing that a major change is coming, but not knowing why, is truly distressing.
One of the elders suddenly said, "Why don't we go and ask our junior uncle? He's very knowledgeable and must know something."
Upon hearing this, all the elders' expressions changed abruptly, becoming unnatural.
It seems that what they just said mentioned a very special person, someone they all greatly fear.
But they also knew that what the old man said was a possible solution.
If it were that person, they might actually know some secrets.
After all, that person was a ruthless individual who dared to dig up the tomb of the founder of a sect in order to find the answer he wanted.
However, when they thought about their junior uncle's temperament, they hesitated.
Given his hatred for the sect, would he really be willing to help?
After a while, the white-bearded old man finally sighed and said, "Let me go. My junior uncle used to dote on me the most. Perhaps out of consideration for our past relationship, he will be willing to reveal some information. After all, he also grew up here."
A quarter of an hour later, the white-bearded old man appeared on a cliff behind Jiange Mountain, carrying a bamboo basket.
On the edge of the cliff, there is a small, dark, and deep opening about half a person's height, leading to who knows where.
This is a forbidden area of the sect. Apart from the sect leader and a few elders, no one else is allowed to approach.
The white-bearded old man hesitated for a moment in front of the cave entrance, but finally bent down and crawled inside.
After °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° entering the cave and walking a dozen steps, the space suddenly opened up, and the cave walls became much wider and taller, allowing one to walk upright.
The white-bearded old man walked along the passage for a while, and suddenly, he heard the sound of water ahead. After turning a corner, a huge cave appeared in front of him.
Light leaked down from the ceiling, allowing a sliver of light to enter the cave.
There is also a small pool inside the cave, with water flowing down from it.
Whitebeard ignored the scene and walked straight to the cave wall next to the pool.
He bowed respectfully to that spot and said, "Greetings, Junior Uncle."
Apart from the sound of flowing water, there was no other sound inside the cave.
After a while, a hoarse voice finally rang out: "Who do we have here? It's our sect leader. What's wrong? You're neglecting your Sword Pavilion, so why do you have time to come and see this old man who's nearing the end of his life?"
A hint of shame flashed across the white-bearded old man's face: "It's my fault, junior nephew. In recent years, I've been managing sect affairs and haven't been able to find the time to pay my respects to my junior uncle."
"Greetings? That sounds nice," the voice mocked. "But wasn't it you, Sect Master, who imprisoned me here in the first place? Why bother with this pretense now?"
“Junior Uncle, although I wronged you back then, I do not regret what I did,” the white-bearded old man said firmly.
“The trouble you caused back then, Junior Uncle, was far too great. If we don’t give them an explanation, the entire Sword Pavilion might be destroyed because of it. As the sect leader, I must put the sect first. I can only ask Junior Uncle to bear with this.”
"So back then, you took advantage of my trust in you, secretly poisoned me, crippled my cultivation, and imprisoned me in this dark and sunless place?" the voice said without a trace of emotion.
“Junior Uncle’s cultivation is profound. In a direct confrontation, your junior nephew and the others are no match for him. We had no choice but to resort to this tactic. It is your junior uncle who has wronged you. If you hold a grudge, you may scold me however you wish, and I will accept it.”
The voice was silent for a moment before suddenly sighing, "Enough, enough, why bring up these things again? Anyway, my cultivation is ruined now. No matter what you say, I'm just a cripple. Tell me, what brings you here today?"
"As expected, nothing could be hidden from Junior Uncle."
"What's so hard to guess? Ever since you imprisoned me, you little brats have felt guilty and dared not see me again. You wouldn't come here unless you had something to ask. Why would you be here if you didn't have something to ask?"
"Those are my junior disciples who have failed our junior uncle and are truly ashamed to face you."
"Alright, enough nonsense, what is it?" the voice said impatiently.
“It is like this, Junior Uncle.” The white-bearded old man composed himself before saying, “In recent years, strange phenomena have frequently appeared in various parts of the world, and the major top sects have been acting strangely, as if they are all plotting something.”
We have tried our best to investigate, but we still don't understand why.
I only learned by chance that the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion once said that a great change was coming in ten thousand years, that the world was about to change, that strife would break out, and that chaos would follow.
But no matter what this "change of ten thousand years" refers to, or what changes it will bring, it remains unclear.
Junior Uncle, you are knowledgeable and learned; I wonder if you know the inside story?
"What did you say? A cataclysmic change that will happen once in ten thousand years is coming?!"
Unexpectedly, the voice became excited upon hearing this.
A series of clanging sounds of chains rang out, and a figure suddenly sat up from under the cave wall.
It turned out that the person who had been talking to the white-bearded old man had been lying there all along.
Because the cave was dark and the person's clothes were dirty and blended into the color of the cave walls, it was not immediately obvious.
"Little Jianwen, are you telling the truth? A cataclysmic change is coming in ten thousand years?"
The man was agitated, and as his body trembled, the sound of chains clanging rang out again.
However, he was bound by several iron chains as thick as a forearm, and restrained near the cave wall.
"This information was obtained by my junior nephew from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, so it should be accurate."
"Hahaha, has this day finally come? I've finally waited for this day! More than two hundred years of waiting! Damn you, God, you can't outlast me!"
The figure laughed loudly, appearing almost insane.
"Junior Uncle, you do know something, don't you!"
Upon seeing this, the white-bearded old man immediately understood what was going on and was overjoyed.
"Of course I know, how could I not know? If it weren't for this secret, how could I have ended up in this predicament!"
The figure's voice remained frantic.
"Junior Uncle, now that you know the reason, please enlighten us," the white-bearded old man pleaded.
"You want to know what that monumental change of ten thousand years was?" the figure asked.
"Please give me your guidance, Junior Uncle."
"Then let's make a deal."
Beneath the disheveled hair of that figure, a strange smile appeared.
