[The Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking has been fully released]
[A new ranking will be announced again in three months]
The Golden Ranking of Nine Provinces in the skies suddenly burst with brilliant light.
In the next moment, it folded up and vanished without a trace.
==========
Ming Dynasty, Jiangnan.
Yuelai Inn.
Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Liuxiang, and others had returned to Jiangnan.
Each day, aside from cultivating, they were busy gathering news from all corners of the realm.
Lately, all of Nine Provinces had been in turmoil.
Conflicts between nations, clashes between imperial forces and rebel forces.
Large-scale battles erupted daily.
Countless lives were caught in the chaos.
Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty had not been dragged into the fray.
All thanks to the presence of the Emperor, a mighty God Demon Realm cultivator, whose power suppressed any unrest.
Other nations' fear of the Ming Dynasty had also contributed to this brief peace.
But with changing circumstances, it was only a matter of time before the Ming Dynasty was also swept into the storm.
War was inevitable.
Across the entire nation, from major powers to cultivators, everyone was closely watching the shifting tides.
"Marshal Xiang, have you confirmed the news?"
"Temujin of Yuan Dynasty has started invading the Southern Song Dynasty?"
Lu Xiaofeng asked solemnly.
"That's right, and this time he's going all in."
"Temujin has mobilized a million troops in one strike, clearly intending to wipe out the Southern Song Dynasty entirely."
"It seems the pressure from our Ming Emperor is growing too much for him to bear."
"His only chance now is to conquer and absorb the Southern Song Dynasty to strengthen himself."
"Only then can he contend with our Ming Dynasty."
Chu Liuxiang rubbed his nose and shared his perspective.
A million troops.
This time, the Southern Song Dynasty was in real danger.
From this war alone, it was clear to everyone that a storm was coming.
With the appearance of the Golden Ranking, conflicts in the Martial World now seemed trivial.
The true battle was between dynasties, wars of national annihilation.
Martial duels might claim dozens or hundreds of lives at most.
But wars between dynasties claimed tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands.
Even the Ming Dynasty would inevitably be drawn into such conflicts.
Either it would destroy other nations, or be destroyed by them.
There was no other path.
"It seems the Southern Song Dynasty is truly in a dire situation."
"Before long, another dynasty in Nine Provinces might vanish."
"What a pity."
"The Southern Song Emperor is no wise Emperor. He cannot save the nation."
As for the struggle between dynasties, figures like Ximen Chuixue, Xie Xiaofeng, and Yan Shisan showed little interest.
They remained silent.
Their hearts were solely devoted to the way of the sword.
It was Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Liuxiang, and Hua Manlou who engaged in the discussion.
"You're mistaken. The Yuan Dynasty invasion has not gone completely smoothly."
"The army that attacked Huaixi faced little resistance."
"But Temujin's main force, the core of the Yuan Dynasty, encountered massive obstacles."
Chu Liuxiang said with a deep tone.
"In times of crisis, every nation produces a hero."
"A true hero."
"Guess who it was that stopped Temujin's advance?"
"Who? It must be someone of Land Immortal Realm strength."
"At the very least, a Mythical Realm cultivator. Does the Southern Song Dynasty have anyone like that? Never heard of it."
"They do, actually."
"But the greatest contributor in this battle is someone you'd never expect."
"Who?"
"Guo Jing. He once ranked 30th on the Nine Provinces Hidden Dragon Ranking."
Chu Liuxiang spoke softly.
Even he couldn't help but admire Guo Jing.
"Guo Jing? Impossible."
"Back then he was only in the Late Innate Realm."
"Even with some rapid progress, at most he should be at Grandmaster Realm or Great Grandmaster Realm now."
"How could he possibly withstand the Land Immortals under Temujin?"
Lu Xiaofeng found it hard to believe.
"I'm not entirely sure of the details, but Guo Jing is now the chief general defending Xiangyang City of the Southern Song Dynasty."
"He's well-versed in military strategy and has grown at a staggering pace."
"Even under intense attacks from the Yuan Dynasty, he shows no signs of defeat."
"It seems he now possesses the ability to merge with the army's momentum, a skill usually only held by the top marshals of dynasties."
"He can no longer be seen as just a young cultivator."
"Most importantly, his character is outstanding."
"He has attracted countless cultivators to his aid."
Chu Liuxiang shared everything he had gathered.
Among those who came to support Guo Jing were Great Grandmasters and even Land Immortals.
But the key lay in Guo Jing's ability to command troops.
He had the bearing of a renowned general.
Temujin had assaulted for an entire month without rest, but still couldn't break Guo Jing's defense.
The young man Temujin had once personally trained had now become the greatest obstacle in his conquest.
Even the Yuan Dynasty's National Master, Phagpa, had entered the battlefield himself.
His goal was simple. Capture the king to end the war.
As long as Guo Jing died, their biggest hindrance would vanish.
But to their shock, a terrifying figure emerged in response, Chuan Ying.
A Mythical Realm cultivator at least equal to, if not stronger than, Phagpa.
In the end, Phagpa was forced to retreat.
He could only attempt to break the situation with overwhelming military power.
Yet, Guo Jing had already changed everything.
At this moment, Guo Jing's name echoed across all of Nine Provinces.
Whether among cultivators or Emperors, no one dared to look down on him anymore.
"What is his current cultivation realm?"
Ximen Chuixue suddenly asked.
"I don't know exactly, but definitely not weak."
"Three months ago, he was being hunted by Yuan Dynasty cultivators and accidentally entered the legendary War God Temple, receiving the inheritance of the War God Record."
"This led to a huge spike in his strength."
"Because of this, the hero Chuan Ying took special interest in Guo Jing, his junior disciple."
"Years ago, Chuan Ying also entered the War God Temple by chance."
"It was thanks to the War God Record that he broke through his bottleneck and reached the Heavenly Human Realm."
"Many years later, he has now reached the Mythical Realm for real."
"With such a powerful Cultivation Technique, Guo Jing becoming a Land Immortal is almost guaranteed in the future."
"Of course, that's assuming he survives the Yuan Dynasty cavalry."
"Right now, Temujin is furious. He thought he could easily destroy the Southern Song Dynasty, but a mere Guo Jing has completely thrown off his plans."
"Hahaha! Interesting. I really like this Guo Jing fellow!"
"Indeed, I like him too."
Even Ximen Chuixue, Xie Xiaofeng, and Yan Shisan nodded slightly.
They greatly admired Guo Jing's character.
With his current strength, the 30th rank on the Hidden Dragon Ranking no longer suited him.
If the ranking was updated now, he would definitely be in the top ten at the very least.
If they had the chance, they'd very much like to meet him in person.
The miraculous feat of Guo Jing, the Southern Song Dynasty's defender of Xiangyang, quickly spread throughout the entire land of Nine Provinces.
Countless people, upon learning of it, could not help but be filled with admiration.
Heroes are always admired, no matter the era.
Even the great villains, though they sneered and scoffed outwardly, still felt a trace of respect deep in their hearts.
==========
Ming Imperial Harem.
Huang Rong Palace.
"Rong'er, do you know this Guo Jing?"
"What kind of person is he?"
"Is he really as powerful as the rumors claim?"
Wan Wan and the other women looked at Huang Rong with great interest as they asked her.
"He's a bit simple-minded, but in my eyes, that's wisdom disguised as foolishness."
"I didn't even expect him to grow this fast!"
"When I first met him, I already felt that he was destined to become a hero."
"Now, it seems I was right."
"But can one man alone truly influence the grand tide of a war between nations?"
"It seems Southern Song Emperor Zhao Gou treats him as a pawn to be discarded at will."
"He didn't send any army to help him defend the city."
"In fact, he's secretly trying to negotiate peace with Temujin."
"This is practically pushing Guo Jing into a corner."
"How foolish is the Southern Song Emperor, knowing full well Temujin's goal is to annihilate the Southern Song Dynasty, yet still seeking peace?"
"If Temujin demands Guo Jing's death as a condition for peace..."
Her meaning was crystal clear.
With Zhao Gou's short-sightedness and Temujin's cunning, Guo Jing could very well become a sacrificial lamb.
"Rong'er, if you are worried, why not speak to His Majesty?"
"With the Emperor's favor toward you, he will surely agree."
"Besides, Guo Jing is a rare talent. Leaving him in the Southern Song Dynasty would only waste his potential."
"Only in the Ming Dynasty will he find a stage worthy of him."
Shi Feixuan offered her suggestion, and it made perfect sense.
==========
Tang Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.
Bang!
"What?! Master Yuan, say that again!"
Li Shimin's face twisted in disbelief, his clenched teeth trembling with rage.
His eyes were burning with fury, as if about to ignite the heavens.
In the depths of his gaze, hatred surged violently.
"Li Keyong, you dare to betray me? And in such a vicious way?"
"What a great King Jin, what a great Li Keyong, you even managed to fool me."
"Yuan Tiangang, what use are you? Why did the Bad People not discover this?"
"Such a major incident happened within my Tang Dynasty Territory, and the Bad People knew nothing. This is inexcusable!"
"I am deeply disappointed in your abilities."
This was the first time Li Shimin had ever scolded Yuan Tiangang so harshly.
It was unprecedented.
Clearly, Li Shimin was truly enraged.
"Your Majesty, if it were only King Jin, Li Keyong, it would be one thing, but I never expected the Qin Dynasty to be involved."
"The army, led by the supposedly dead General Bai Qi, appeared in our Tang Dynasty Territory without a sound. I did not see it coming at all."
"Clearly, the Qin Dynasty is working with the Sui Dynasty."
"For the Qin Dynasty's army to enter Tang Dynasty Territory, there's no way the Sui Dynasty didn't notice."
Even though Yuan Tiangang had a valid explanation, Li Shimin showed no signs of forgiveness.
"Bai Qi?!"
Li Shimin's pupils contracted.
He was still alive?
What a cunning move from Ying Zheng. The entire Nine Provinces had been fooled.
"Chase them! Send Qin Qiong, Yuchi Jingde, and Cheng Yaojin to capture Li Keyong!"
"Do not let Li Keyong's army join with Bai Qi's forces from the Qin Dynasty."
"I will not only crush Li Keyong, but also destroy the Qin Army and Bai Qi himself!"
"I will make Ying Zheng pay dearly for scheming against me!"
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's too late."
"Li Keyong's three hundred thousand strong army, along with countless cultivators from the Combined Learning Institute, has already merged with Bai Qi's Qin Dynasty forces and broken through our border defenses."
"They are now retreating back into Qin Dynasty Territory."
"Even if we wanted to pursue, we likely no longer have the strength."
"They were too well prepared. We were caught completely off guard."
"Moreover, Bai Qi, that god of slaughter, has wrought unimaginable bloodshed in Tang Dynasty Territory. The casualties are tremendous."
"One hundred thousand border troops were completely wiped out."
Li Shimin's vision went black, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
Three hundred thousand soldiers under Li Keyong and 100,000 border troops, all forces of the Tang Dynasty.
Now, Li Keyong had delivered them straight into Ying Zheng's hands. It was utterly outrageous.
Wait.
If Li Keyong colluded with Qin.
What about the other vassal kings?
"Zhu Wen, what about King Liang, Zhu Wen?"
"Wasn't he cozying up to Temujin of the Yuan Dynasty?"
"And the King Qi, Li Maozhen? What about the Empress?"
"There's something suspicious about them too."
As if realizing something, Li Shimin's voice turned furious.
"The King Liang, Zhu Wen, did intend to surrender to Temujin. However, the Bad People uncovered it early, and Tang Dynasty's forces surrounded him."
"In the end, with the help of the Xuanming Cult, Zhu Wen broke through the siege and fled the Tang Dynasty border with his remaining thirty thousand troops."
"Later, he was met by troops from Prince Ruyang under the Yuan Dynasty."
"Zhu Wen's whereabouts are now unknown."
"What about King Qi? The Empress?"
"This..."
When asked about Li Maozhen, the King Qi, Yuan Tiangang hesitated briefly, then replied.
"Three years ago, I discovered that King Qi harbored rebellious intent, so I lured him into the southern frontier through a scheme."
"But somehow, the Empress found out that Li Maozhen died there."
"Ever since, she has harbored deep hatred for both me and the Tang Dynasty, hiding her resentment."
"Now, taking advantage of the chaos caused by Li Keyong and Zhu Wen's rebellion, she disappeared with three hundred thousand troops from Qi."
Li Shimin froze, staring in disbelief at Yuan Tiangang.
"Disappeared? What do you mean? Three hundred thousand troops, suddenly gone?"
"My spies report that the Empress's forces have appeared in the northern Turkic region."
"They are headed straight for the Ming Dynasty."
Even Yuan Tiangang had to admit admiration for the Ming Emperor.
The collusion between the Qin Dynasty and Li Keyong had long been suspected by the Bad People.
But the alliance between the Empress and Ming Dynasty? That caught them completely by surprise.
And the death of Li Maozhen in the southern frontier? That was likely also orchestrated by the Ming Dynasty, letting the Empress find out on purpose.
What a clever move by Zhu Houzhao. What a shrewd Ming Dynasty.
What a scheming Ying Zheng. What a formidable Qin Dynasty.
They had played the Bad People and all of Tang Dynasty in the palm of their hands.
Even Yuan Tiangang was truly enraged now.
In this rebellion of three major Tang Dynasty vassals, not a single one had been eliminated.
If not for their infiltration of the Xuanming Cult, Zhu Wen's forces might have escaped unscathed too.
This time, both the Bad People and Yuan Tiangang had utterly humiliated themselves in front of all Nine Provinces.
"Send an imperial decree. Dispatch troops immediately to monitor the other vassals by force."
"If there is any sign of unrest, do not wait for my order. Annihilate them all!"
Ever since ascending the throne, Li Shimin had aimed to peacefully strip the vassals of their power and reclaim the military for the throne. That was why he had treated the vassal kings with such courtesy.
But that kindness had led to the betrayal of Li Keyong, Zhu Wen, and the Empress.
Nearly a million troops were lost in an instant.
What a devastating blow.
Even Li Shimin felt his heart bleed.
"Your Majesty, wouldn't such an act push the others into rebellion?"
"Do you think I still care?"
"I cared too much about their feelings, which is why we suffered this loss today."
"If I had known, I would have used all our military strength to crush the vassal kings from the start. It would have been far better than the current situation."
Li Shimin spoke with venom in his voice.
At this moment, Li Shimin looked at Yuan Tiangang with a very complicated expression.
He had placed too much trust in Yuan Tiangang.
In this rebellion, as Emperor, he had been the last to know.
It was an unbearable humiliation.
From this incident, Li Shimin was shocked to realize something.
The Qin Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty had all schemed against the Tang Dynasty in secret.
Even the Northern Song Dynasty had quietly fanned the flames.
Only the Tang Dynasty itself had been left completely in the dark.
How infuriating. How hateful.
How long had the Qin Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty been planning this?
Such a massive operation, yet the Tang Dynasty knew nothing about it.
Even someone as powerful as Yuan Tiangang now felt a twinge of fear amidst his anger and hatred.