Chapter 1944: Demon Puppets
"He's dead!" Lin Feng's gaze was terrifying. He had killed a cultivator from the Yu Wen Clan, a high-level emperor!
"You dared kill a cultivator from the Yu Wen Clan?" shouted someone explosively.
Lin Feng turned around and looked at that person mockingly, "You came here to kill me? Don't you think you're ridiculous? Get ready to die!"
Golden lights flashed, and marks intertwined. Those people were stunned as they watched Lin Feng release cosmic energies to carve an empty space deployment spell.
A terrifying wind started blowing. Lin Feng charged someone.
"Nihility Sword." Pitch-black lights emerged from Lin Feng's eyes, his Nihility Sword pierced through that person's soul, and as the death strength spread throughout his body, the person was slammed backwards violently. He still managed to make some hand seals with his hands. His soul turned into a gigantic Cyan Dragon and bestial Qi swelled.
Lin Feng jumped onto his golden marks and disappeared. He punched out, and a terrifying DevMara Kalpa death sword streaked across the sky. A terrifying death wind brushed against the cultivator's body, and the space around him exploded.
"What's that?" The cultivator in front of Lin Feng sensed the pressure, his face turned deathly pale as his soul shook violently and his heart started pounding. Destructive Dao, Lin Feng understood Destructive Dao?
A terrifying dragon started roaring and flew towards Lin Feng. However, the death Kalpa sword pierced through the dragon and started corroding the cultivator's life. He couldn't do much else.
There weren't only destructive energies, there was also a strange and oppressive strength. It was as if a whole world were pressing down on that cultivator. There were rumbles of air compressing, and his skull crackled. His Cyan Dragon exploded, and a moment later, so did the cultivator himself!
However, at that moment, terrifying threads of energies pierced through Lin Feng's head, his soul shook violently, and his silhouette became distorted.
Suddenly, illusions appeared in his brain. Ancient kings attacked his soul. He had the sensation he was going to die.
"Die!" Lin Feng was incredibly determined, he used the strength of his godly awareness to protect himself, a palace appeared and protected his soul. His willpower was indestructible. At the same time, he released even more death strength, which turned into sharp blades and attacked the illusion. The kings all exploded and disappeared. It was as if he had destroyed a mirage.
More oppressive strength appeared around Lin Feng. Dragon claws slashed towards his head.
Suddenly, Lin Feng's third eye flared, and they could hear waves crashing. Black water emerged from his third eye and rolled out towards them. His enemy were aghast. That death black water was terrifying! He had seen it with his own eyes in the past, Lin Feng could easily kill people with it! He retreated as fast as he could, but the black water washed over him, and death Qi penetrated into his body. To his astonishment, he didn't die!?…
At that moment, a Celestial Death Curtain appeared and blotted out the sky. It enveloped him, he vanished inside and disappeared.
Lin Feng looked at someone who wasn't far from him, the person with evil eyes. He also had a special power, he could attack people's will and soul with his eyes.
At that moment, millions of lights dazzled, and unseen waters seemed to be splashing around them. One of the strong cultivators released a golden water fork, containing great imperial strength.
Ji Jiang took out a gigantic dragon axe, which looked like a real cyan dragon as it roared furiously, The last cultivator took out a terrifying demon zither, and deadly soundwaves spread out in the air. Those three people were really dangerous, they all had Great Imperial Weapons.
Lin Feng looked at those three people, his eyes twinkling. He flashed forwards and landed on his Celestial Evolution Chessboard, an illusionary mist appearing around him. The three cultivators were startled as the Celestial Evolution Chessboard disappeared. Lin Feng reappeared on a boat… and left!
"He's leaving!" Ji Jiang looked at Lin Feng with murder in his eyes. The three cultivators started chasing Lin Feng at the same time as fast as they could move.
Lin Feng was on his boat, and moving incredibly fast. He headed towards a mountain range, and immediately collided with it, the chosen mountain exploding at the impact. The stone groaned, and a tunnel appeared. The three others followed him inside. When they entered the hole, the walls around them kept exploding.
Ji Jiang was furious. As they moved through the corridor, Qi surged towards him powerfully. It was moving even faster than Lin Feng, and made him hesitate. He raised his Great Imperial Weapon, but the air shrieked as the Qi surrounded him.
The two others arrived but very quickly, Qi surrounded them just like it had Ji Jiang. A mysterious Qi enveloped them rapidly. They continued moving forwards, but only collided with one another. They didn't have time to react.
Suddenly, there was no sound anymore. Some weapon Qi still rose up in the air, but nobody knew what was going on inside…
—————————-
Seven days later, Qi was still rising in the hole. Lin Feng was bathing in the demon pond in his small world, his Celestial Evolution Chessboard nearby. The three others were there too, seated on the Chessboard, their eyes closed. A black fire was burning their souls, and their faces were pitch-black. They looked horrible. At that moment, they were safe and sound, but they didn't dare resist, Lin Feng had stamped their souls with death stamps. He could kill them as he wished!
"Ah…!" the three cultivators kept shrieking horribly. Their souls were burning, but they were still alive. It was so painful that they would have preferred dying. They were all terrified.
"What do you intend to do to us?" demanded Ji Jiang aggressively.
"I won't kill you, but if you do anything fishy, you will die," said Lin Feng, his voice making them shudder in dread. They had no doubt that Lin Feng wasn't lying.
"You dare do that to us, the Ji Clan and the Yu Wen Clan won't let you off! They will kill you!" swore Ji Jiang, sounding as evil as a snake.
"Ah…" Right after saying that, he gave out a horrible shriek. He closed his eyes and stopped talking.
The pain was unbearable. When Lin Feng finished stamping their souls properly, he stopped. He used the power of the demon pond to do it. Each of them had eighty-one demon stamps on their soul, from head to foot.
Lin Feng tortured them for nine days. After so many days in the pond, their eyes turned black in despair. The demon strength kept corroding their bodies!
"If my soul was strong enough, I could pierce through their souls with my Nine Netherworlds Demonic Song. I wouldn't need to waste so much time," murmured Lin Feng. He stood up and stopped torturing the trio.
He wanted to turn them into demon puppets, but it took eighty-one days. He had been doing it for only nine days. Ji Jiang and the two others were extremely strong, at the top of the Huang Qi layer, and only people who understood Dao strength could deal with them. Therefore, killing them would have been a pity. That's why Lin Feng wanted to use them as demon puppets!
The Ancient Demon Clan's Demon Puppet Technique was extremely complex and it was very difficult to use extremely strong cultivators, especially since the technique had to be used on cultivators who were fit, otherwise, the puppets were deficient. People who turned into Demon Puppets were the same as before, except that they listened to orders. If they were incredibly strong, they remained extremely strong.
——
People slowly learned about what had happened at the Yin Clan. Many people learned that Pei Dong Qing had gone to the Yin Clan with his brother Pei Dong Lai to propose a marriage alliance to the Yin Clan. The most amusing thing in that story was that Lin Feng, a cultivator of Champion University who had fought against Ji Chang, also proposed a marriage alliance for his younger brother. Many people were excited and couldn't wait to know who the Yin Clan would choose.
People were excited even in Champion University. Lin Feng was already extremely famous in Champion University. Many people thought that Lin Feng's brother didn't stand a chance though, especially since there were more and more movements between the Yin Clan and the Pei Clan.
Otherwise, the crowd was also excited about another event: the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List. The strong cultivators of the Imperial Ranking List were going to rise and fall!
PMG Chapter 1945
Chapter 1945: Insolent
Lin Feng headed back to Champion University. He entered his palace and practiced cultivation at the waterfall. He spent nine days there, the water crashing onto his body but not bothering him.
The Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List was approaching. He needed to study a lot.
————-
Today, there were many guests in Lin Feng's palace. Yin Yue was there. She had run away from the Yin Clan, and wanted to see Lin Wu Shang.
Yin Yue looked sad and dispirited. She looked at Lin Wu Shang and said, "Silly boy, what are you going to do if my clan wants me to get married with Pei Dong Qing?"
Yin Yue burst into tears. Luckily, Champion University had let her come in. She knew that her clan preferred the Pei Clan. Lin Feng was strong and talented, but so what? He wasn't from a strong clan. In the Holy City, ancient clans preferred making alliances with one another.
"I'll take you away." said Lin Wu Shang, clenching his fists. His nails pierced through the skin of his palms.
"But the Yin Clan is so powerful, you can't imagine," said Yin Yue. She was very happy on the inside when she heard Lin Wu Shang. This silly boy loved her. But a few seconds later, she was depressed and dispirited again. There was no solution. And Champion University was a university, not Lin Feng's clan. It wouldn't get involved in such things.
"We'll escape!" declared Lin Wu Shang.
"If the Yin Clan doesn't let you get married to who you choose, then escape," said Xiao Ya, completely unruly.
"Yes, don't go back, stay here!" Lin Wu Shang said to Yin Yue, not hiding his anger.
Yin Yue was overwhelmed. She remained silent for a few seconds, and then smiled and nodded, "Alright, I'm not going back for now."
—————–
The following days, Lin Wu Shang was really happy. Yin Yue was always with him. They spent lots of time at the waterfall. Meng Qing was with Lin Feng and watched them. They were a perfect match. Meng Qing smiled resplendently and sighed, she had a premonition. Yin Yue didn't think like Wu Shang. Maybe in her eyes, they were spending their last days together.
"Silly boy, if you never see me again, you'll have to forget about me and lead the same life as you did before," said Yin Yue sadly. When Meng Qing heard that, she smiled, she remembered how hard it had been for her and Lin Feng to be together. Much more difficult than it was for these two.
"No, we will always be together. How could I live without you?" said Wu Shang, shaking his head.
"You silly boy, I'm saying 'if'." said Yin Yue doing a cute face. She gazed into the distance, stretched her arm and said, "The landscape is so nice here. If we could stay here forever, that would be great. Life would be like a dream. Unfortunately, my life will never be that peaceful."
Water from the waterfall splashed around Lin Feng. He stretched his hand out and grabbed a drop of water, putting it between his fingers. Surprisingly, it didn't drip down, staying there between his two fingers, glittering and translucent
"One flower, one world. One Sutra, one Bodhi. One drop of water… why couldn't a drop of water contain a world with its own rules?" Lin Feng released the drop of water and it continued falling. However, Lin Feng continued looking pensive.
The World of the Living was like a dream, World of the Living, World of the Living, World of the Living Imprints…
Lin Feng smiled indifferently. World of the Living Imprints, a world, a world contained everything. A world could also contain nothing at all. Thinking too much was useless anyway…
Lin Feng slowly stood up and stretched out his hand, imprint strength appeared in his hand and began to whistle. There was absolutely no cosmic energy inside. The waterfall even stopped flowing halfway. The atmosphere became empty where the waterfall stopped, really empty, it contained no energy at all. The waterfall just ceased to move.
Meng Qing and the others heard the whistling sounds. They turned around and looked at Lin Feng, frowning in surprise.
Cultivators could easily attain an explosive strength. Lin Feng could easily destroy mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, and so on, cultivators had that power using cosmic energies, Qi, strength, intent, anything. But they couldn't do it just like that, without using any kind of strength, even great emperors couldn't do that! But now Lin Feng had put his hand into the waterfall and made it stop, what kind of strength was that?
When Lin Feng saw them, he laughed. After a short time, the waterfall started flowing again as if nothing had happened. Meng Qing's silhouette flickered up next to him and asked, "Lin Feng, have you broken through?"
"I understood a mysterious thing!" said Lin Feng, smiling at Meng Qing. He was astonished on the inside though. It felt like that mysterious World of the Living Imprint could bring him to another world, and only people like him could go to that mysterious territory. Maybe he could create his own world, and his own Dao, maybe his Dao could surpass the Dao of the Blue Uptala Lotus.
Of course, Lin Feng didn't really understand what was going on. It was too mysterious, for now…
Meng Qing beamed, she grabbed Lin Feng's hand and looked at the waterfall. "Lin Feng, you have to help Wu Shang and Yin Yue stay together."
Lin Feng was surprised, but he smiled and said, "Of course, Wu Shang and Yin Yue are in love with one another. I hope they can stay together. If the Yin Clan doesn't accept their union, I'll just make them disappear."
"Good," said Meng Qing nodding. However, at that moment, terrifying threads of Qi emerged. The temperature went down. Lin Feng frowned. Nobody dared attack his people these days in Champion University!
"Lin Feng, get the hell out here!" a voice shouted furiously. Lin Feng was amused.
"They're looking for me." said Yin Yue, looking terrified suddenly. Lin Feng flew up and left Tiantai's territory. There was a group of people outside, clearly sent on a punitive expedition.
"What do you want?" asked Lin Feng indifferently, glancing over the crowd.
"Lin Feng, you're audacious! You dared kidnap Yin Yue!" said Pei Dong Qing icily. Flames of fury were burning in his eyes. He was in love with Yin Yue, how could those people kidnap his woman and let her live with Wu Shang? What a humiliation!
"Lin Feng, let the Princess come out," said a strong cultivator of the Yin Clan. Yin Yue had ran away and come to this place, it was very irritating.
Lin Feng glanced at them coldly and said, "Princess Yin Yue is free to go wherever she wants. If she comes here, I won't kick her out. Saying I kidnapped her and telling me to release her as if she were my prisoner is insolent, fuck off now!"
His Qi picked up, radiating out at them as they gaped at him. Lin Feng was insane!
In the distance, many people rushed over to watch. They were all astonished, what were the strong cultivators of the Yin Clan and the Pei Clan doing there?
"I knew that Lin Feng was insane! Ji Jiang disappeared, and some strong cultivators from the Ji Clan and the Yu Wen Clan have been killed. You're the one who did it, right?" demanded a strong cultivator from the Pei Clan icily. "Let me see if you are strong enough to act that insanely!"
The strong cultivator of the Pei Clan darted forwards, a strong wind started brushing against Lin Feng's body as his strength pressed at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng also flashed ahead, his robe fluttering about him. His Qi was incredible. He stretched out his hand, and ancient imprints appeared to envelop the whole area. Very quickly, the cultivator was surrounded by the imprint strength.
He was stunned, and shouted furiously, a tornado appearing behind him and howling forwards. But the ancient imprints blotted out the sky and immediately absorbed the wind. The imprints then continued moving towards that cultivator. His face turned deathly pale and thunder groaned as the ancient imprints drove into him. His muscles, flesh, and soul crackled and exploded, and he died on the spot!
The onlookers all swallowed. What a terrifying imprint technique! Lin Feng was really strong, much stronger than a year before. What kind of imprint technique was that? They didn't understand. Lin Feng had just crushed a really strong cultivator like he was nothing!
Another strong cultivator had started moving towards Lin Feng, but when he saw that, he was stunned, and stopped and blankly stared at Lin Feng, "Lin Feng, you're a bastard!"
Then, he released an explosive strength which drove down on Lin Feng. He was a great emperor!
"You're the bastard!" A new silhouette appeared. That person's strength was extremely oppressive, and he immediately grabbed that cultivator. The great emperor's face turned deathly pale. Overwhlming strength bombarded him and he coughed up blood.
"It's Champion University here, piss off!" said that person icily. The strong cultivators of the Yin Clan and the Pei Clan all pulled long faces. They had managed to infuriate Champion University. They were definitely being insolent!
PMG Chapter 1946
Chapter 1946: Ancestor Shi Tian
The great emperor's face stiffened. He looked at the silhouette in the sky, "Master, you saw it, Lin Feng is extremely arrogant, he killed the people of my clan! We have to do something!"
"Lin Feng is a student here, you came here, it's your offense! If you attack again, I'll kill you!" said the cultivator in the sky icily. The strong cultivators of the Pei Clan and the Yin Clan realized they couldn't do much now.
They couldn't attack Lin Feng within the university. The university had realized Lin Feng was extremely strong back when he had fought against Ji Chang, and they didn't want to lose him.
"Alright, fine, we're leaving," said the strong cultivator of the Yin Clan before he shouted, "Yin Yue, come out now!"
Yin Yue was frozen with indecision for a moment inside the palace. She looked at Lin Wu Shang and said, "Silly boy, I'm off."
"Don't go back with them. Stay here, they won't do anything to you!" said Lin Wu Shang, grabbing her hand.
"Silly boy, you underestimate them. Do you think we can escape?" said Yin Yue, smiling and shaking her head, "Don't worry, I won't get married with Pei Dong Qing. I prefer dying over marrying him."
Then, she let go off Lin Wu Shang's hand and ran out. She said to those people, "I wanted to come here. It was my own decision. Now I'm going back with you."
"Let's go!" One of them grabbed her hand and pulled her after them as they left.
While flying away, Yin Yue turned her head around and smiled at Wu Shang. She said, "Silly boy, don't be sad…"
"Little Yue!" shouted Lin Wu Shang. His face had turned deathly pale. He felt so powerless, and bit his lips so hard he almost bled.
Lin Feng slapped Lin Wu Shang's shoulders. Lin Wu Shang turned around, his face going red, shouting "Bro!"
Lin Wu Shang felt so weak. Maybe that at that moment, he understood for the first time what it meant to be really powerless.
"Nothing will happen to Little Yue," said Lin Feng firmly. For Lin Wu Shang, this was an experience. Lin Feng used to feel powerless all the time in the past, and he was the way he was thanks to his experiences. Lin Wu Shang couldn't grow up in a gentle and docile environment. He had to go through hardships to become stronger.
"Lin Feng, come with me to the celestial mountain," the cultivator in the sky said to him. Lin Feng nodded and followed the illusion towards the celestial mountains in the distance.
———–
After a short time, Lin Feng arrived in the forbidden area of the university. They crossed a mysterious mist, and Lin Feng saw many celestial mountains around him. Finally, they arrived on one mountain with no palace or castle, just a strong cultivator seated cross-legged. The strong cultivator slowly opened his eyes. He was the same as the illusion which had appeared in the sky and led Lin Feng here.
"Greetings, Master," said Lin Feng, bowing before the old man. Even though he looked old, he seemed as strong as a dragon or a tiger. His body kept absorbing Qi, and his vitality was incredible. This kind of people just had to shout and could kill entire cities.
"Lin Feng, using someone else's memories, I watched your battle against Ji Chang on the day of his Champion ceremony. As a medium-level emperor, you already control the Dao of Life and Death, you are an incredible cultivator and can fight against entire groups of people, which indicates you are very talented too. Among the people of this generation, you are probably the only one who could surpass Ji Chang," the old man smiled. It was an incredible compliment.
"Thank you, Master. Even though Ji Chang is the Champion, I will definitely surpass him," said Lin Feng calmly.
The old man's eyes were sharp, and he burst into laughter, "Alright, young people have to be ambitious and determined! I'm one of the ancestors of the university, Ancestor Shi Tian. Would you like to become my disciple?"
When Lin Feng heard him, he remained silent. Ancestor Shi Tian continued, "In Champion University, there are eight Ancestors. We all have different powers. I've heard that Zhu Tian missed his chance with you, and Xuan Tian and the others aren't a good match for you. You should become my disciple, it would be the best thing for you."
"Who's criticizing me?" said a loud voice at that moment. Ancestor Xuan Tian flashed in and arrived in front of Ancestor Shi Tian. "Buddy, you're being disrespectful. We said we would wait, and now you're not keeping your promise. You're a liar!"
"I'm just being an honest. I'm not a liar!" rebutted Ancestor Shi Tian loftily.
"You think I'm weaker than you? You want to try and fight?" challenged Ancestor Xuan Tian furiously.
"Let's try then! You haven't fought for dozens of years, let's see how strong you've become!" said Ancestor Shi Tian, standing up. Suddenly, everything changed. The wind began to whistle, clouds appeared, and a strong wind started blowing as the heavens seemed to press down. It was incredible.
"Masters," said Lin Feng, smiling wryly. The two ancestors looked at Lin Feng.
"Lin Feng, I noticed you a long time ago already, be my disciple. I'm not like him, I don't criticize people behind their back!" said Ancestor Xuan Tian to Lin Feng.
"Masters, cultivators have to rely on themselves. Teachers are just guides, and my path is different from yours. I'm really grateful to both of you. If you both agree to give me some tips sometimes, I'd be extremely happy already," said Lin Feng with a smile. The two ancestors were surprised.
"Lin Feng, this kind of opportunity is really rare. Many people have never seen us!" Ancestor Shi Tian said to Lin Feng.
"I understand," nodded Lin Feng. The two ancestors remained silent for a few seconds. Then, Ancestor Xuan Tian laughed and said, "Alright, little boy. We can both guide you. But wanting two teachers, hey, you're insatiably greedy!"
"You're very wise, Masters!" laughed Lin Feng. The Ancestors were actually being nice.
"Lin Feng, go back. If you need anything, you can come and find me," said Ancestor Shi Tian to Lin Feng. Lin Feng had many thoughts, but he left for now.
Lin Feng understood that he had influence in Champion University now. If he became one of the Ancestors' disciples, they would do all they could to help him, but if only one person helped him, it wouldn't be beneficial. Everybody was different on the path of cultivation. He understood different sorts of strength and so forth. He couldn't blindly follow one person. He needed to learn from different people and walk on his own path.
——————-
Lin Feng spent some time in Champion University. Many influential groups in the Holy City started harboring evil intentions against him. The Ji Clan, the Yu Wen Clan, the Pei Clan, and some people of the Yin Clan predominately. They hated him even more after what had happened with the ancestors.
——
In the Ji Clan, the leader of the group and a few people were together. Someone asked, "Do you have any news from Ji Jiang?"
"No. Ji Jiang, Ji Zhan Yun, and some other strong cultivators of the Yu Wen Clan chased Lin Feng and never came back. I contacted the Yu Wen Clan. Some of their people died, but Ji Jiang's talisman as well as the talismans of some other people haven't broken, so they're still alive. But they disappeared without leaving a trace. Only Lin Feng knows where they are, I guess."
The leader of the group looked furious and snarled, "We have to destroy Lin Feng!"
On the day of Ji Chang's Champion ceremony, Lin Feng had already stood out. Unless someone of the same cultivation level killed Lin Feng, the university would be furious. They couldn't send strong cultivators to kill him!
The leader of the Ji Clan understood that perfectly. If someone of the same level killed Lin Feng, it would mean that Lin Feng wasn't strong enough. Even if it infuriated Champion University, it wouldn't matter, they wouldn't be able to say much. But if strong cultivators killed Lin Feng, then the situation would be completely different.
"The Pei Clan hates Lin Feng. Contact Pei Dong Lai. The Great Imperial Palace is in charge of the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List. He can find a way to kill Lin Feng," the leader said icily.
The others nodded and one of them said, "I'll go and contact the Pei Clan. They'll inform Pei Dong Lai. Lin Feng is arrogant and considers everybody and everything beneath his notice, he must die!"
Back then, Lin Feng was unknown in Champion University and suddenly, he had become famous because of one battle. He kept getting stronger and stronger, and more famous. At that moment, he only focused on two things: what the Yin Clan was doing and cultivation. He had to get ready for the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List.
PMG Chapter 1947
Chapter 1947: Competiting
In the Holy City, there was a Holy Mountain surrounded by a mysterious energy. In the distance, not far from the mountain, there was a flatland, forming the central part of the Holy City. It was extremely vast and occupied by many gigantic buildings. From there, and especially from one gigantic building, people could see the holy mountain in the distance.
It was the Great Imperial Palace.
The Great Imperial Palace had a long history in the Holy City. Some people said that it had existed for even longer than the four universities. It was situated on a dragon vein underneath the Holy City. The energies there seemed like they would never disappear. Many of their people had shaken the whole world. The Great Imperial Palace was in charge of deciding who could be on the Imperial Ranking List.
The sun was dazzling as it illuminated the buildings. There were many people looking in the direction of the mountain. Many small silhouettes appeared on the holy mountain and rushed over, gradually appearing in the people's field of vision. They were strong cultivators from the Great Imperial Palace.
"Some disciples from the Great Imperial Palace." People's eyes were gleaming. There were nine people in the group, who arrived at the top of a flight of stairs. The leader waved, and a magnificent golden list appeared.
On the list, there were many names. One of them was Ying Cheng.
"Imperial Ranking List!" Many people were awed when they saw that list. That list was one of the most famous lists of the Holy City: the Imperial Ranking List, the list of the strongest cultivators of the Huang Qi layer of the city. They were all powerful and influential individuals!
The disciples of the Great Imperial Palace will also be on the Imperial Ranking List someday, just like those nine people. Back then, they were on the Imperial Ranking List. Now they've become great emperors!, thought the crowd, looking at the nine disciples. They were all incredible: Feng Shen Tian, Pei Dong Lai, Ao Yun Xiao… those three cultivators had shaken the world back in the days.
The leader of the group waved again. The Imperial Ranking List floated in the sky and glittered. A strong wind started blowing.
At the top of the flight of stairs, in front of the nine people, a gigantic table appeared. There was a pen atop it.
"Every ten years, on the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List, the glorious history of the city is rewritten!" recited a voice in a solemn and respectful way. The crowd's excitement grew. They all hoped their names would be on the list someday. Even though the list could change anytime, the biggest changes were every ten years during the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List. Each time, there were big changes.
Everybody remained silent in the crowd, their hearts pounding. At that moment, they could see a boundless ocean of people, all staring at the list. The list contained the most incredible cultivators of the Holy City.
Lin Feng was also in the crowd. Hou Qing Lin, Lin Wu Shang, Meng Qing, and many other people from Tiantai were with him.
"There will be much blood today." whispered Hou Qing Lin. Lin Feng appeared quite calm. He looked at the people at the top of the flight of stairs, the people from the Great Imperial Palace. They were all geniuses from the Holy City, they were on the Imperial Ranking List in the past, and now they managed it.
At that moment, the leader of the Great Imperial Palace looked at the sun. He smiled and said, "One more hour and we'll begin!"
"Bro, Yin Yue," said Lin Wu Shang, gazing into the distance. He could see the strong cultivators of the Yin Clan: Yin Rui, Yin Gu Tian, and Yin Yue.
Lin Feng frowned. Yin Rui was talking to someone, they looked happy and kept laughing. Behind him was Pei Dong Qing. They were with people from the Pei Clan…
—
"Brother Ren," said the leader of the Pei Clan. The leader of the Pei Clan and Yin Rui walked over to someone and smiled.
"Just call me Tian Xing, gentlemen," said the leader of the Great Imperial Palace with a smile. These two people were both older than him.
"Cultivators don't have to adhere to formalities and stick to rules, cultivation and strength are the most important things," said the strong cultivator of the Pei Clan, laughing, "Thirty years ago, you dazzled on the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List. You were the best one. Your name was at the top of the list. You have caught up with us already, you're excellent."
"Ren Tian Xing." Many people looked at the leader, their eyes glittering with sharp lights. Ren Tian Xing used to be the first person on the Imperial Ranking List thirty years before, known to be extremely arrogant. Now he looked wise, calm, and serene. Many people remembered how terrifying and cruel he used to be.
"Thirty years have passed, I feel ashamed," said Ren Tian Xing patiently. The strong cultivator of the Pei Dong Lai smiled at Pei Dong Lai and said, "Dong Lai, learn from him."
"Dong Lai is extremely talented. He'll definitely surpass me someday," said Ren Tian Xing, smiling at Pei Dong Lai.
"Brother Ren, please teach the younger generation," agreed the strong cultivator of the Pei Clan. "By the way, after the end of the event, Yin Rui will make a public announcement. He has some good news."
"Is that so?" Ren Tian Xing looked at Yin Rui. Yin Rui smiled and nodded, "Brother Ren, apart from that, after the event, I hope that Yin Gu Tian will be able to join the Great Imperial Palace. He's extremely talented. I'm sure you can help recommend him."
"I've heard about Gu Tian, good. After that, I'll take him to the Great Imperial Palace," replied Ren Tian Xing smiling.
"The Great Imperial Palace always needs more power and influence. The Yin Clan, the Pei Clan, and so on are very powerful. The Great Imperial Palace is happy to have people from such incredible groups." chattered the crowd when they saw those people smiling and chatting happily.
—-
At that moment, Lin Wu Shang pulled a long face. The Yin Clan and the Pei Clan had excellent relations, it wasn't a good thing for him.
He looked at Yin Yue, who was also looking at him. However, Pei Dong Qing noticed this. He walked over to Yin Yue and stayed in front of her to prevent Lin Wu Shang and Yin Yue from looking at one another. He said to Yin Yue, "Little Yue, after the end of the event, my grandfather will announce the good news about us."
"Bastard!" said Yin Yue icily. Pei Dong Qing pulled a long face. He turned around and looked at Lin Wu Shang, smiling icily and showing him his middle finger.
"I'll kill that bastard!" swore Lin Wu Shang icily. He clenched his fists, popping his bones.
"Cold and detached!" said a voice in his brain. It was Lin Feng. "If you're that easily angered, how can you be a good cultivator?" Lin Feng asked Wu Shang. Wu Shang came back to his senses. He could remain calm when it came to other things, but Yin Yue…
"Lin Feng," said someone at that moment. Lin Feng noticed someone from the Ji Clan addressing him. "Where is Ji Jiang?" the leader of the Ji Clan asked him icily.
"How could I know about the whereabouts of the members of your clan?" retorted Lin Feng disdainfully.
"After Yin Rui's birthday party, Ji Jiang followed you to exchange views on cultivation with you, but then he disappeared. Some people also died. You killed them, right?" the leader of the Ji Clan demanded icily.
"People who attempt to kill me must die," said Lin Feng coldly, before turning away.
The leader of the Ji Clan was furious and said icily, "Very good, Lin Feng, you will regret what you did!"
"So you can try to kill people, but they can't strike back," sighed Lin Feng, shaking his head. Ji Chang, Ji Wuyou, and Ji Chang's Club all bullied Tiantai's people, and back then the Ji Clan didn't say anything. And when people became stronger and got their revenge or struck back, they threatened them. They didn't let people of the same generation compete, they always got involved and plotted against them. Some ancient clans had no principles. It was always the same; power, influence and strength were the most important things in the cultivation world. If Lin Feng hadn't acted on the day of Ji Chang's Champion ceremony, the consequences would have been tragic for him and his friends.
Of course, Lin Feng could have ignored all of that, remained discreet and forgotten about those people. He could have given up, he could have stopped competing. He could have stopped becoming stronger. But that wasn't Lin Feng's personality. He was ready to die for his convictions, beliefs, and to become stronger!
The Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List was about competing, too. Only the best genius would rank first, and blood had to be spilled. Maybe Lin Feng would offend even more groups on today. Maybe he would die too. But he would never give up!
PMG Chapter 1948
Chapter 1948: Imperial Ranking List's Top Ten
In the distance, a group of people arrived, a strong wind blowing about them.
Someone darted ahead and landed on the stage. A young man descended from the sky and looked at the people of the Great Imperial Palace at the top of the flight of stairs. "Let's begin!"
Ren Tian Xing looked at him and nodded. The nine cultivators started moving, and landed on the gigantic stage in nine different places. They did some hand seals and drove their power into the stage at the same time. The stage lit up, marks appearing everywhere. Light beams dashed to the skies, dragging pillars with many carvings on them up from the ground.
"Celestial Imperial Pillars!" The people's eyes glittered. There were a hundred pillars, representing the hundred people of the Imperial Ranking List.
At this moment, the gigantic stage was dazzling everyone.
The nine cultivators rose up in the air and went back to the top of the flight of staurs. One of them said, "Everybody, please get onto the Celestial Imperial Pillars, your rank is already carved on them."
When Lin Feng heard that, he gazed into the distance. Indeed, on the pillars, there were many names which corresponded to the hundred people who were on the Imperial Ranking List.
Silver lights shone. Yin Gu Tian jumped up, followed by many others. They all landed on the pillars.
"Yin Gu Tian, today, we'll see if you progress!" said someone loudly. A strong cultivator wearing golden armor jumped and turned into a shining golden light beam. He immediately jumped onto the ninth Celestial Imperial Pillar as the ninth cultivator on the Imperial Ranking List. He was from the Huangjin Clan, their specialty was golden energy. The Yin Clan's specialty was silver energy. They were thus nicknamed the Golden and Silver Clans, and were longtime rivals. The cultivator from the Golden Clan was Jin Xing Zi.
(Translator's note: Yin means silver and Jin means gold).
"Wang Zhong is here, too." The crowd saw the tenth cultivator of the Imperial Ranking List, Wang Zhong. He was from the Noble Fang Tian Clan. It was a powerful clan in the Holy City. They controlled various spells related to defense and armor, and were very powerful.
The crowd watched all those geniuses rise up in the air.
Lin Feng looked at all the strong cultivators. His eyes were twinkling in anticipation. When he had just arrived in the Holy City, he had spent most of his time at the university, and then he had gone to Hell. But the Holy City was one of the three main cities of the Dark Night Region. The sects and clans of the Holy City were much more powerful than those in the Vast Celestial Ancient City. There were a great number of powerful clans in the Holy City, and there were also many people from rich foreign families, too. But they weren't more numerous than the strong cultivators of the Holy City.
At that moment, the temperature suddenly dropped as snowflakes appeared. A group of young people arrived in a slow and grandiose manner as the crowd sighed and looked on. The young men were extremely handsome and the young women were stunning and looked like celestial beings. They all looked extremely strong too! Many people admired them for their social background. too.
Their leader appeared and jumped onto the sixth Celestial Imperial Pillar.
"Xue Shen Feng from the Snow Clan, sixth cultivator on the Imperial Ranking List, he came back." The crowd looked up at Xue Shen Feng, their eyes twinkling. A strong cultivator of the Snow Clan was behind him. He gazed into the distance and noticed Meng Qing and Lin Feng in the crowd.
"There!" said Xue Fan sharply. Xue Shen Feng's eyes were snowy white, as if they were frozen. He was staring at Meng Qing and Lin Feng.
"Whether you're from the Snow Clan or not, you'll come with me after the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List," said Xue Shen Feng to Meng Qing indifferently yet firmly. He didn't look at Lin Feng again. Even when these people were outside of the Snow Clan, few people dared go against them. Lin Feng had to behave before them!
"He's extremely strong, much stronger than me," whispered Lin Feng to himself. Xue Shen Feng was the sixth cultivator of the Imperial Ranking List. He was truly strong.
The first twenty-three people of the Imperial Ranking List were all at the top of the Huang Qi layer. They had almost no enemies at the same cultivation level.
And now it was the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List, some things were going to change.
"I'm going," said Lin Feng, nodding at the people who were with him. Lin Feng jumped onto the 25th pillar. He didn't know why, but the Great Imperial Palace had changed his ranking in the previous days.
"That guy is Lin Feng. A year ago, he became famous because he fought against Ji Chang on the day of his Champion ceremony. And back then he had just become a medium-level emperor. He's very talented."
"He's very talented but he can't win against Ji Chang. The level difference between them is too big. His Dao strength is not as good as Ji Chang's. I've heard that the Ji Clan wants to kill him today. I wonder if it will happen or not."
Many people recognized Lin Feng, he was famous enough by now.
"Brother Lin Feng, long time no see. You look as dignified as before," Chu Chun Qiu said to Lin Feng. Chu Chun Qiu was wearing fine clothes, he looked like a nobleman and nodded at Lin Feng.
"Brother Chu, you're already a high-level emperor and you are the 20th cultivator on the Imperial Ranking List. I'm sure you'll end up in the top five today," Lin Feng replied to him.
Chu Chun Qiu's eyes twinkled, he rolled up his sleeves and smiled happily. "We'll see about that, Brother Lin."
Chu Chun Qiu has changed!, thought some students of the Celestial Godly University. He looked more noble now. Many things are going to change drastically today…
Brilliant lights flared. Ren Tian Xing looked at the cultivators on the pillars and said, "Shi Yun Feng!"
Rumbling sounds spread in the air. The crowd gazed into the distance and saw gigantic monoliths moving towards the stage. The monoliths landed on the stage and fused together. A few seconds later, a gigantic stone man appeared. It looked almost alive as it took a few steps, the stage shook violently and crackled under its feet.
The stone man jumped onto the fifth Celestial Imperial Pillar, and started shaking violently, pieces of stones started falling off his body. In the end, he was only as tall as a normal human being, but still looked like a statue. The fifth cultivator of the Imperial Ranking List was Shi Yun Feng, a descendant of the Stone King.
"Buddhist Warrior!" proclaimed another voice. Holy lights blazed forth. The Buddhist warrior appeared, surrounded by dazzling golden lights and a terrifying battling Qi. He was from the Canaan Buddhist Clan, a clan which loved fighting. The Buddhist Warrior was the fourth cultivator of the Imperial Ranking List.
After him, an evil and cold wind started blowing. The crowd could feel the chill, it pierced right down to their bones and souls. A ferocious ghost appeared in the sky, baring fangs and brandishing claws. It turned into a young man in black clothes. He looked extremely pale, as if he had had no blood… like a ghost. He landed on the third Celestial Imperial Pillar.
"Hades Guili, he knows the Ghosts Sutra, he practices ghost cultivation. When he kills people, there's no blood. He's the third on the Imperial Ranking List. He's the most evil cultivator in the top ten. Nobody wants to fight against him, he's too dangerous, "gossiped the crowd when they saw that young man. He looked like a real ghost, like a Death Reaper. The Ghosts Sutra was a terrifying book which contained evil skills and techniques, and this man had an innate Ghost King Body, allowing him to easily master the Ghosts Sutra. He only had a ghost Qi though, not a king Qi.
A strong wind started blowing in the sky, the earth and sky emitted whistling sounds and roared in a thundering rage. The crowd was delighted and gazed into the distance in anticipation. Clouds appeared and the strong wind howled above them. The clouds condensed and emitted whistling sounds. It looked like the earth and sky were going to collapse.
Thunder rang out, once, twice, shaking the earth and sky, roiling the clouds. Finally, two silhouettes appeared.
"Ying Cheng, Ji Chang!" The people's eyes were shining. Those were the two Champions of the Holy City, the two cultivators of the top of the Imperial Ranking List, the strongest cultivators of the Huang Qi layer in the Holy City. The event hadn't even started, yet that they were fighting already.
The two cultivators seemed to be far in the distance, but when they moved, a gigantic ocean of energies appeared and they immediately appeared in front of the crowd before slowly descending from the sky.
"Ying Cheng, Ji Chang, I want to ask you about your Path on this Pathfinder Day!" Guili said in an evil way. Ji Chang and Ying Cheng both looked at him.
"You're neither a ghost nor a human being," said Ying Cheng, rolling up his sleeves and landing on the first Celestial Imperial Pillar. He looked imposing and awe-inspiring.
Ji Chang landed on the second pillar. Some people still hadn't arrived. Maybe they were still traveling, maybe they had died abroad and nobody knew about it, so some other people would have to replace them.
PMG Chapter 1949
Chapter 1949: The Path is Difficult
At the top of the flight of stairs, the nine cultivators of the Great Imperial Palace looked at the sky before Ren Tian Xing said, "It's time. People who haven't come will be erased from the list. If they come back, then they'll just have to challenge the genius who has replaced them on the Imperial Ranking List. Now, who wants to replace them?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere became chaotic. Those people weren't there, but it might just be temporary.
When Ren Tian Xing said that, many people ran towards the empty Celestial Imperial Pillars. However, first arrived, first served.
Quickly, there were people on every Celestial Imperial Pillar: a hundred people, a hundred imposing and awe-inspiring people.
——
"Brother Feng, you're in charge of the first phase," Ren Tian Xing said to Feng Shen Tian. Feng Shen Tian nodded and rose up in the air.
He looked at the crowd and said, "How many people still want to compete for the Championship?"
"I'll try!" said someone jumping forwards.
"I'll try too!" shouted someone else. After a short time, several people had jumped forwards.
Dugu the Winner, Lang Ye, they all came out, thought Lin Feng. His eyes were twinkling. Dugu the Winner had the Godly Imprint King Body, and Lang Ye had the World King Body. With both having king bodies, even though they were only medium-level emperors, they couldn't be compared with ordinary medium-level emperors.
At the same time, Lin Feng turned around and looked at Tiantai's people. Two people came out of the group, Jian Mang and Hou Qing Lin.
Jian Mang is really strong. He will definitely be ranked in the Imperial Ranking List. And Hou Qing Lin understands reincarnation Dao strength. He should also be able to get ranked, thought Lin Feng, smiling to himself. Lin Feng didn't know how strong Dugu the Winner and Lang Ye had become, as he had not met them for some time. Chu Chun Qiu's progress was impressive: he was already a high-level emperor and he controlled Sky Absorbing Dao strength. He was terrifyingly strong and was considered as a legendary cultivator in the Celestial Godly University.
"Thirteen people want to compete for the Championship and replace the others!" chattered the crowd, their eyes twinkling with anticipation. As expected, the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List was going to be fun!
"Some people rise, some people die, but all in all strong cultivators need to find their Path. They can battle to death for that and nobody can get involved," said Feng Shen Tian, releasing swift sword Qi. Nobody flinched. The thirteen cultivators stayed there.
Feng Shen Tian looked at them and said, "Now, if you want to challenge those at the top of the Imperial Ranking List, do it. If you defeat them, they'll be taken off the list."
"We haven't found our Path yet, if we get eliminated by people who are at the bottom of the list, then we won't be able to find our Path," said one of them slowly.
"If we get eliminated by people who are the bottom of the ranking list, then it's useless," said another one slowly. Lin Feng was surprised. He had thought those people would immediately try to get to the top of the list, but the thirteen people didn't move. They thought that if they were unable to deal with the others who weren't high up in the ranking list, then getting to the top of the list was useless.
"Someone who understands Dao?" said Feng Shen Tian, looking at Hou Qing Lin and the others.
Jian Mang didn't release Qi. He just walked forwards indifferently. Many people were startled. This guy was blind?
"Name? You understand Dao?" asked Feng Shen Tian.
"Jian Mang, Light Dao," replied Jian Mang calmly. Many people were amazed. Light Dao!
Feng Shen Tian looked at the others and said calmly, "Who else wants to come?"
"Losing against him wouldn't be a disgrace, he understands a very rare type of Dao strength, the Light Dao!" agreed someone, jumping and landing in front of Jian Mang. He released his Qi and strength pulsed out.
Jian Mang looked calm and indifferent. Suddenly, dazzling lights appeared as suddenly moved invisibly fast. A sword light appeared, shaking everything around it. The crowd had to close their eyes.
His enemy shouted explosively. Then, metallic sounds rang out amid multiple explosions. Cutting lights were flung in all directions. When the lights dispersed, the eyes of the strong cultivator who had faced Jian Mang were bleeding. He was blinded!
"I saw your Light Dao and you blinded. I will never see lights again. I will remember you, Jian Mang," said the cultivator. His eyes were dripping blood as he turned around and left. Jian Mang landed on the pillar where he had been standing.
Jian Mang's understanding of the Light Dao is incredible, thought Lin Feng. His eyes were gleaming. Jian Mang was really strong. He was different from people from Tiantai who had received the Celestial Evolution Holy Scriptures, as he hadn't. He had always relied on himself to become strong. And because he was blind, he had to understand Light Dao, it was the only way he could see.
At the top of the flight of stairs, the cultivators of the Great Imperial Palace wrote Jian Mang's name on the Imperial Ranking List. But it was just temporary.
Hou Qing Lin also won his battle. A year ago, he had comprehended Reincarnation Dao. He understood it even better a year later. People who fell into his reincarnation holes never came back. The cultivator who had lost against Hou Qing Lin said, "You control reincarnation strength. Within three years, you'll definitely be in the top three on the Imperial Ranking List."
The last two members were eliminated from the Imperial Ranking List by Hou Qing Lin and Jian Mang.
Some people had started understanding Dao strength, but not that well. Dugu the Winner and Lang Ye also replaced some ranked people. Dugu the Winner could already release 3,600 imprint lights. His king Qi was incredible, and he could turn it into gigantic celestial imprints. Many high-level emperors were astonished. People who had king-type bodies were incredible.
Lang Ye used world strength to attack explosively. He also won that way.
Lin Feng had watched his battle careful. Thanks to their king-type bodies, some cultivators could easily fill in the gaps caused by cultivation level differences. They were all incredible, and could already end up in the top thirty.
After the thirteen battles, seven people were eliminated from the Imperial Ranking List. The event hadn't even started properly, and things had already started changing. That was the cruelty of the cultivation world, and of the Imperial Ranking List. However, the crowd was still excited.
Every ten years, there were new people who understood Dao strength and ended up in the Imperial Ranking List.
Feng Shen Tian glanced over the hundred people and withdrew back to the top of the flight of stairs. Ren Tian Xing came forwards. He looked to the crowd and asked, "Among the hundred fighters, thirty-three understand Dao strength, plus Jian Mang and Hou Qing Lin, that's thirty-five. If I have forgotten anyone, please tell me."
"Thirty-five people understand Dao strength. There must not be anyone else in the Holy City. The Path is a difficult one," whispered the crowd. Thirty-five people was nothing. The Holy City was gigantic, and there were so many geniuses. The Holy City was one of the strongest cities, and yet only thirty-five emperors understood Dao strength.
"Since I haven't forgotten anyone, please ring the bell!" said Ren Tian Xing. A gigantic ancient bell appeared, and eight disciples of the Great Imperial Palace rang it.
The soundwaves rolled out with great power, and distorted the space. People had the sensation they were going to suffocate.
That bell was called the Great Imperial Bell or the Pathfinder Bell. It was used to find one's Path.
"I'm not going to talk about the rules, they're the same as before. Even though the name of the event is the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List, the Great Imperial Bell is for people who understand Dao, since the Dao is the Path. Those who can't stand it can leave. Other people can replace them. If you decide to use the bell anyway, you might die. Only the first fifty people can use it!" declared Ren Tian Xing. He looked at the hundred people and asked, "Who wants to try first?"
"I'm coming!" Someone flashed forwards, it was Zhu Wu Ji, 23rd on the Imperial Ranking List.
"Alright, please. You'll be the first one." said Ren Tian Xing, moving back. At the top of the Celestial Imperial Pillars, many people sat down cross-legged. Their Qi was terrifying. They closed their eyes in a solemn and respectful way. The Pathfinder Day was finally going to start.
Zhu Wu Ji landed in front of the bell, his robe fluttering in the wind. Those who were at the bottom of the Imperial Ranking List looked anxious.
Suddenly, Zhu Wu Ji jumped forwards, opened his mouth widely, and roared with rage.
"Argh!…" His terrifying shout struck the Great Imperial Bell. Suddenly, a hundred lights moved towards the hundred cultivators. The earth and sky were shaking violently.
Many people's clothes were suddenly torn apart. Their heads shook violently, as if they were going to explode. Some people put their hands on their ears, trying to block the pain.
Zhu Wu Ji jumped forwards again and bombarded the bell with his fist, shouting furiously, "The Path is hard, but I'll defy the gods to become a peerless cultivator!"
His explosive shout struck the bell again. Thunder rumbled, the earth and sky kept shaking violently as the soundwaves rolled out. Someone was unable to resist and hurled away. His mouth bled violently and his skull started crackling.