Chapter 177

"Hidden Dragon List?"

Lu Qing looked at the scroll on the stone table.

"May I ask, Your Excellency Zhi Yue, what is the Hidden Dragon List?"

"The Hidden Dragon List is a ranking compiled by Tianji Tower, listing the top one hundred martial artists in the Internal Organs Realm who have the highest potential to advance to the Precelestial Realm.

Once a martial artist enters the Precelestial Realm, their lifespan greatly increases, and they gain various extraordinary abilities, akin to dragons soaring in the heavens, vast and unbounded.

Thus, this list is named the Hidden Dragon List."

Lu Qing: ...

He thought that the name "Hidden Dragon List" was something grand and significant.

It turned out to be just a preparatory list for the Precelestial Realm.

If Lu Qing were an ordinary country boy, he might find this Hidden Dragon List impressive.

But he wasn't, so he could only maintain a polite smile.

It's not that Lu Qing looked down on this list.

It's just that, with the various inheritances he possessed, he knew that on the path of cultivation, the Precelestial Realm was merely the beginning, far from being an achievement worthy of being called a true dragon.

Therefore, he found it difficult to evaluate this list.

The young man in plain clothes, seeing Lu Qing's calm expression, immediately understood that Lu Qing didn't think much of the Hidden Dragon List.

He too fell silent.

He suddenly remembered that the boy before him was different from any martial arts genius he had ever seen.

His talent was simply too monstrous.

For other Internal Organs Realm martial artists, and even Martial Grandmasters, the Precelestial Realm was a great chasm.

To cross it required immense effort and luck.

But for Lu Qing, it wasn't a difficult realm to reach.

For an absolute genius almost certain to step into the Precelestial Realm, was being on the Hidden Dragon List truly an honor?

The young man in plain clothes sensed Lu Qing's thoughts and could only remain silent.

The courtyard suddenly fell into a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Lu Qing noticed the awkwardness and felt that treating a guest like this was a bit rude.

He thought for a moment and decided to ask, "Your Excellency Zhi Yue, may I ask where I rank on this Hidden Dragon List?"

To Lu Qing's surprise, when he asked this, the young man in plain clothes fell even more silent.

After a long while, he finally answered, "…Twenty-ninth place."

Lu Qing was a bit surprised, "It seems the world is indeed full of hidden talents and martial arts geniuses. May I ask who are the martial arts masters ranked ahead of me?"

"Those ranked ahead of you are mostly Martial Grandmasters who have been at the peak of the Internal Organs Realm for a long time, some even having tempered their own soul power, just a step away from the Precelestial Realm."

Lu Qing nodded.

Breaking through from the Postnatal Realm to the Precelestial Realm, one of the most crucial factors is soul power.

Those martial arts masters, having reached this step, are indeed close to the Precelestial Realm.

Ranking ahead of him was reasonable.

What Lu Qing didn't know was that on the Hidden Dragon List, not only those ahead of him were martial arts masters on the verge of a breakthrough.

Even those ranked behind him were mostly Martial Grandmasters, with the weakest being strong martial artists at the peak of the Internal Organs Realm.

Almost all of them were well-known, with considerable fame.

However, after realizing that the Hidden Dragon List meant little to Lu Qing, the young man in plain clothes lost interest in discussing it further.

"The rankings of the Hidden Dragon List are updated every six months. I'll leave this copy here. Young Master Lu can look at it in his leisure to understand the current martial arts masters." Sёarch* The nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The young man in plain clothes handed the scroll to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing took it and put it away without looking at it immediately.

The young man in plain clothes didn't mind and instead said, "Old Doctor Chen, the last thing Zhi Yue needs to discuss concerns you."

"Oh? Please go ahead."

"In the next ten years, the world might undergo significant changes, with chaos arising and the conflict between good and evil likely to resurface. Even the Sacred Mountain might struggle to cope.

Old Doctor, you have a chance to enter the Sacred Pool for cultivation. If you don't want to waste this opportunity, you should use it within five years.

Otherwise, this opportunity might be wasted."

The young man in plain clothes spoke solemnly.

"A great turmoil is coming, how so?" The old doctor frowned and asked.

"I'm not sure about the specifics, but this is the prophecy left by the founder of Tianji Tower, so it shouldn't be wrong."

The old doctor thought for a moment and said, "I understand. If nothing happens in the next few years, I will visit Zhongzhou."

In recent days, after exchanging ideas with Wei Shanhai, the old doctor had learned a lot.

Moreover, after hearing that Lu Qing was targeted by the Seven Kill Tower, he became more concerned about cultivation.

"That's good. It's getting late. Old doctor, I should be on my way."

Having said everything, the young man in plain clothes prepared to leave.

"Leaving so soon? Ah Qing, go inside and fetch some flower tea for Zhi Yue."

After the young man in plain clothes left, Lu Qing finally took out the Hidden Dragon List.

He didn't open it directly but first activated his ability to focus.

He saw a faint golden glow emerging from the scroll.

"Golden?"

Lu Qing was a bit surprised.

It's just a ranking list, yet it had a golden quality?

Interesting.

Lu Qing then looked at the notes.

[Hidden Dragon List: A ranking list compiled by Tianji Tower, based on the data of countless Postnatal Realm martial artists.]

[This list records the top one hundred Postnatal Realm martial artists who are believed by Tianji Tower to have the highest potential to break through to the Precelestial Realm.]

[Those who make it to the Hidden Dragon List will be noticed by the world and will gain a bit of luck, making their cultivation journey smoother.]

"This Hidden Dragon List has the effect of gathering luck?"

After reading the notes, Lu Qing was truly surprised.

Earlier, from the young man in plain clothes' tone, it seemed that all martial artists revered the Hidden Dragon List, which puzzled him.

Now he understood.

In this light, being on the list wasn't entirely a bad thing.

Lu Qing opened the scroll and immediately looked down.

Then, at the twenty-ninth position, he found his name.

Cangzhou Lu Qing, seventeen years old, initial stage of Internal Organs Realm.

The information was very simple, only his name, age, and cultivation level, without revealing much more.

Lu Qing looked at the other names on the list.

The information displayed was similar to his.



At most, some had their sect or family added.

Other details, such as their practiced techniques and preferred weapons, were not disclosed.

Lu Qing was quite satisfied with this.

It showed that Tianji Tower was discreet and didn't reveal too much about those on the list.

He found a few familiar names on the list.

One was the name of the young man in plain clothes, ranked seventeenth.

Another two were Wei Xinghe and the burly man from Tian Cang Sect, Zhao Xiong.

These two were ranked not far apart, one at seventy-eight, the other at eighty-one.

However...

Even two Martial Grandmasters at the peak of the Internal Organs Realm were ranked so low.

It seemed there were indeed many martial arts masters in the world.

Lu Qing noticed several names from the Seven Kill Tower on the list.

The most formidable was a person named "Tan Lang," ranked ninth.

Most importantly, Lu Qing noticed that none of the top fifty on the list were over thirty years old.

Even the oldest among the last fifty were only forty-eight, still in their prime.

In other words, the Hidden Dragon List was quite a "young" list.

The martial artists on it were all in their prime.

"Indeed, the Hidden Dragon List ranks those most likely to break through to the Precelestial Realm.

Once a person surpasses thirty, their blood and energy start to decline from their peak, reducing the chance of breaking through to the Precelestial Realm.

That's probably why Wei Xinghe and Zhao Xiong are ranked so low due to their age."

Lu Qing quickly understood the reason.

Not everyone had the talent and luck like his master.

His master, who created the Health Nourishing Boxing, kept his vitality well into old age.

He didn't like to fight, so his body had no injuries.

Later, after taking the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid, his body not only restored to its peak but also tempered his soul power.

Plus, he had the Light of Merit protecting him.

This allowed him to enter the Precelestial Realm in his old age, creating an almost impossible miracle.

Other old martial artists, without his master's foundation and luck, would find breaking through as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Thus, there were no names of elderly grandmasters on the Hidden Dragon List.

After briefly looking at the list, Lu Qing rolled it up, planning to study it in detail later.

"Master, what are you thinking?"

After putting away the list, Lu Qing looked up to see his master frowning in thought.

"I'm thinking about what His Excellency Zhi Yue said earlier. I heard people in the Wei Mansion talking about a thousand-year change. I wonder if it's the same as the turmoil he mentioned."

The old doctor was troubled.

After hearing about the upcoming great turmoil, he had a premonition that it was something significant.

Lu Qing thought for a moment and finally said, "Perhaps I know something about what His Excellency Zhi Yue mentioned."

"You know?" The old doctor was surprised.

"I'm not

completely sure, but a while ago, I found an unusual book in a bookshop in the county, which recorded some strange information..."

"According to the Wandering Immortal, if his calculations are correct, the so-called spiritual revival might happen in our era."

"The great turmoil mentioned by His Excellency Zhi Yue might refer to this."

Lu Qing shared some details from the notes left by the Wandering Immortal.

"Immortal Era, spiritual revival?"

After listening to Lu Qing's explanation, the old doctor was stunned.

He never expected this matter to involve ancient affairs from tens of thousands of years ago.

However...

"Does the Immortal Era really exist? Are there immortals in this world?"

The old doctor found it hard to believe.

Though he was a Precelestial Realm expert, he always considered the legends of immortals and gods to be just that—legends.

Hearing now that immortals actually existed was a huge shock to his beliefs.

"I also find it incredible, but after witnessing certain things, I think it might not be completely groundless. For example, the great cauldron in the Wei family's underground chamber." Lu Qing reminded.

The old doctor suddenly understood.

Indeed, the great cauldron of the Wei family was extraordinary.

It not only contained mysterious Dao rhythms but, according to Wei Shanhai, was originally the size of a finger but grew to its current size over a hundred years.

A cauldron that grows on its own couldn't be a mundane object.

Perhaps only an immortal could create such a magical item.

"In this case, the great turmoil mentioned by His Excellency Zhi Yue might indeed refer to the revival of spiritual energy." The old doctor sighed.

He initially thought the turmoil mentioned by the young man in plain clothes was no more than sect conflicts or regional wars.

He didn't expect it to involve such a monumental change.

But how should they deal with such a change?

The old doctor was momentarily lost.

"Master, don't worry too much. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."

Seeing his master's confusion, Lu Qing comforted him.

"Though His Excellency Zhi Yue didn't reveal the cause of the great change, I believe he knows something. Even if he doesn't, the powerful sects behind him surely do.

These sects wouldn't want chaos, so we should just wait and see."

The old doctor realized.

Yes, even the Wandering Immortal found the jade disk. Those powerful sects with vast resources and influence must know more.

They were likely prepared for the coming change.

So why was he worrying here?

"Indeed, we are just doctors, insignificant. Our duty is to heal. Let the great sects handle the world's affairs."

Having figured it out, the old doctor relaxed and spoke lightly.

Lu Qing secretly sighed in relief.



Thankfully, his master was kind but had no grand ambitions of saving the world.

Otherwise, if he got stubborn, Lu Qing wouldn't know how to persuade him.

As Lu Qing and his master chatted, they were unaware that the world outside was in an uproar because of the Hidden Dragon List newly released by Tianji Tower.

The reason, of course, was that his name appeared on it.

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