Chapter 5: Ranking Announced, the Continent's Shock
Not far away.
Flender pushed up his glasses, his small eyes gleaming, and rubbed his hands as he whispered to Yu Xiaogang and Zhao Wuji beside him.
"Xiaogang, Wuji, look at this! This is a great Opportunity!"
"These Little freaks from our Academy might actually make it onto the list, and the rewards they'll get then, hehe."
He seemed to already envision Shrek Academy's fame soaring and sponsorships pouring in.
Zhao Wuji said in a booming voice, "I think Little San's Clear Sky Hammer will definitely make it; that thing is incredibly powerful!"
He had personally experienced Tang Hao's overbearing strength and had a deep impression of the Clear Sky Hammer.
Yu Xiaogang's brows were tightly furrowed, his gaze never leaving the heavenly curtain above, and he said in a deep voice, "This heavenly curtain... I can't see through it. Its origin and the essence of its power exceed any records in any ancient texts I know."
"But one thing is certain, the level of existence behind it far surpasses our imagination."
He looked at Tang San, who was talking with his companions not far away, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes, but more often, pride and anticipation.
He patted his chest and confidently told Flender and Zhao Wuji, "However, I have confidence in Little San and the others, especially Little San's twin spirits. The Clear Sky Hammer is undoubtedly the number one Tool Spirit in the world. There's great hope for it to break into the top three of the martial soul ranking list!"
Flender and Zhao Wuji nodded heavily upon hearing this.
They had always trusted Yu Xiaogang's judgment.
Moreover, Tang San's talent and strength were things they had witnessed and felt firsthand.
Throughout the entire Douluo Continent, those who could achieve such accomplishments and possess such top-tier Martial Souls at this age were probably as rare as Phoenix feathers and Qilin horns... Three days passed in a flash.
For these three days, the entire Douluo Continent seemed to have been put on pause.
Whether it was the Imperial court, Sect Holy Land, or bustling streets.
All Soul Masters' gazes involuntarily focused on the golden heavenly curtain that had remained unchanged in the sky.
An indescribable sense of tension and anticipation permeated the air.
People held their breath, waiting for the martial soul ranking list to be announced.
They wanted to see how many incredible and powerful Martial Souls were still hidden in this world.
And which lucky individuals would receive the Heavenly Dao's blessings.
Finally, under the gaze of countless eyes, the heavenly curtain, which had been silent for three days, changed again!
Buzz—
A buzzing sound, as if from ancient primordial times, resonated deep within every living being's Soul.
Immediately after, in the lowest area of the heavenly curtain, dazzling golden light began to rapidly gather and surge.
The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually condensing into a line of ancient and majestic characters.
At the same time, the mighty sound of the Heavenly Dao once again echoed in the minds of all beings:
[martial soul ranking list, 20th Place: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon]
[Holder: Yu Yuanzhen (Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan)]
[Rating: Top-tier attack system Beast Spirit, possessing powerful lightning attributes, integrated offense and defense, with vast Dragon might.]
[Reward: Soul Power Rank increased by one level, all Soul Ring lifespans increased by five hundred years]
"What?!"
At the moment this ranking and reward were announced, the entire Continent first fell into a dead silence.
Then, a world-shaking uproar erupted!
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
The Legacy Martial Soul of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects, a recognized top-tier Beast Spirit, a symbol of power and dominance!
It... it only ranked 20th?
This was simply unbelievable!
And what made people even more envious and excited were the rewards.
A direct increase of one Soul Power Rank!
All Soul Ring lifespans increased by five hundred years!
For the vast majority of Soul Masters, every Soul Power increase after becoming a Titled Douluo was as difficult as ascending to heaven, requiring years or even decades of arduous Cultivation and Opportunity.
And the increase in Soul Ring lifespan was even rarer, something one could only dream of, directly enhancing Soul skills power and one's own foundation!
This Heavenly Dao reward was nothing short of a miracle!
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's stronghold.
Sect Master Yu Yuanzhen was originally discussing Family matters with his younger brother Yu Luomian when the sound of the Heavenly Dao rang out and the golden characters appeared.
He was struck as if by lightning, suddenly stood up, his face filled with an expression of disbelief.
"T-twenty? My Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, only ranked twentieth?"
He muttered to himself, unable to accept this result for a moment.
In his mind, even if he couldn't be in the top five, the top ten was certainly stable, but reality had dealt him a heavy blow.
However, before he could recover from the shock of the ranking—
Whoosh!
A thick, incredibly pure golden energy light pillar, as if breaking through the limits of space and time.
Suddenly descended from the heavenly curtain, precisely enveloping Yu Yuanzhen's body!
"Big Brother!"
Yu Luomian cried out in alarm, instinctively wanting to step forward.
But he was forced back repeatedly by the immense pressure contained within the golden light, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of unconcealed envy.
Within the golden light, Yu Yuanzhen felt a warm and vast energy frantically pouring into his body.
It instantly filled his 95th Rank Peak Soul Power barrier and then, with an unstoppable Aura, utterly shattered it!
96th Rank!
And this power was far from stopping, continuing to push his Soul Power upwards.
Although he couldn't Breakthrough another Rank, it completely solidified his 96th Rank Realm and even took a big step towards the threshold of 97th Rank!
At the same time, he felt his nine Soul Rings uncontrollably manifest on their own.
Two yellow, two purple, five black.
Immediately after, the golden energy, like the finest forging hammer, began to temper each of his Soul Rings.
The light of the Soul Rings became visibly deeper and more solid at a speed visible to the naked eye, their age Aura climbing steadily!
Finally, his Soul Ring configuration impressively transformed into: one yellow, three purple, five black!
Although it didn't produce a red hundred thousand year spirit ring, the overall lifespan of all Soul Rings increased by five hundred years, causing the first two Soul Rings to completely surpass the thousand-year limit!
The overall enhancement brought by this was immense!
Boom!
A powerful Aura, far surpassing his previous one, erupted from Yu Yuanzhen's body.
The pressure of a 96th Rank Super Douluo, mixed with the Dragon might of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, instantly swept across the entire Family stronghold.
Causing all clansmen to look on in shock and awe, prostrating themselves towards the main Sect hall.
"Congratulations, Big Brother, on your great increase in strength!"
Yu Luomian suppressed the bitterness in his heart and quickly stepped forward to congratulate him, his tone filled with envy, "The Heavenly Dao's grace is indeed incomparably wondrous!"
However, Yu Yuanzhen's face showed little joy; instead, his brows were tightly furrowed, his expression incredibly solemn.
While the increase in strength was certainly gratifying, the information revealed behind this ranking made his heart pound with unease.
"Twentieth place... merely twentieth place..."
His voice was low, "Luomian, it seems we have all underestimated the heroes of the world, underestimated the giant crocodiles hidden in the deep waters of this Continent."
"Issue an order: all Family Disciples are to Cultivate with all their might starting today, and strengthen their vigilance! The Continent, I fear, is about to change!"
He had to immediately go into seclusion to thoroughly consolidate this suddenly increased power.
And digest this unsettling news.