Geng Yiyang''s expression grew solemn, and he spoke with gravity, "Since the creation of the Hidden Dragon List, such an event has never urred."


    In past tournaments, there were indeedte bloomers who continuously climbed the rankings on the Hidden Dragon List and ultimately broke into the top ten contenders.


    But this always required a gradual process. A breakthrough in cultivation that instantly pushed someone up by a hundred ranks was already considered difficult.


    Chu Zheng, however, leapfrogged over more than five thousand names in one go. With the cultivation of the Late Spirit Spring Realm, he wedged himself among a group of cultivators at the Late Stage of the Entry Dao Realm, spanning an entire major realm, which was far too conspicuous.


    The Hidden Dragon List is extremely mysterious. Relying on external objects to kill an opponent does not alter one''s ranking in any way.


    Now that Chu Zheng has risen over five thousand ces at once, it means that in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, he relied solely on his own strength to kill Qiu Shi.


    This implies that the Heavenly Dao of the Cangyun Realm had severely misjudged Chu Zheng''s strength before!


    What astonishing implications does this contain?!


    In just one year, he was already capable of striking down an enemy in the Late Stage of the Entry Dao Realm and escaping from the hands of a Soul Condensation Realm Cultivator. What would he be if he had ten more years?


    Not long after the other great sacrednds received the news, they dispatched many Soul Condensation Realm Cultivators, including those prodigies who had achieved Soul Condensation within their ranks, to frantically search for Chu Zheng''s whereabouts.


    This inevitably made Geng Yiyang somewhat restless. He had not anticipated Chu Zheng''s talent to be so exceedingly monstrous.


    Fang Jiong and Ling Qi''s deaths were due to Chu Zheng''s reliance on the Lihuo Spear, which could be considered outstanding poise, but his talent still fell within Geng Yiyang''sprehension.


    Yet now, with the power of the Late Spirit Spring Realm, he had crossed a whole major realm and, under the noses of Soul Condensation Realm Cultivators, in cultivators from the Entry Dao Realm before safely withdrawing. Such an act could be called contrary to the natural order!


    At this thought, Geng Yiyang couldn''t help but sigh lightly. Chu Zheng''s brilliance was too intense; in such a short time, he had caused such a greatmotion.


    Geng Yiyang had some expectations of how far Chu Zheng could grow.


    ording to what he had originally thought, even with the great sacrednds, and with the Divine Infants in hiding, it was not an easy task to look for someone with just Soul Condensation Realm Cultivators.


    As long as one understood some techniques to change appearance and conceal one''s aura, it was not difficult to elude detection by Soul Condensation Realm Cultivators. With Chu Zheng''s cunning, he shouldn''t be in too much danger.


    The hefty bounty could also give Chu Zheng some sense of urgency, ensuring he wouldn''t ck in his cultivation.


    Now, during his killings, Chu Zheng made a spectacle and revealed his identity.


    Chief disciple of the Taixuan Holy Land''s true transmission.


    When Geng Yiyang heard this news, he almost immediately understood Chu Zheng''s intent.


    The message was meant for him; Qiu Shi was not thest one, but merely the beginning. This youngster would kill even more people.


    The act was nothing more than an attempt to drag Taixuan into the same plight as himself, making them universal enemies.


    But Taixuan''s current situation was not looking good; the other four great sacrednds had already begun to subtly join forces.


    The Great Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects was essentially prepared for Shang Zuling alone. There was not much conflict between them; it was more of a formality.


    Suppressing Taixuan Holy Land was their primary priority.


    The Taixuan Divine Fire Scripture, disregarding Immortal Bones and relying on the Fire Seed to forcefully elevate the talent of the practitioner, was simply too defiant of the heavens.


    With just a few Immortal mes, Taixuan could thrive perpetually. Over time, it would inevitably grow stronger and stronger.


    If another Fire Spirit Body were to emerge and bring forth a True Immortal, it would be a certainty.


    If Taixuan were to continue developing, the Southern Region and even the entire Cangyun Realm would be Taixuan''s domain.


    "Making a hasty move only to shoot oneself in the foot."


    After realizing Chu Zheng''s current predicament, Geng Yiyang sighed deeply again, the sigh meant for both himself and Chu Zheng.


    Chu Zheng''s risky move was driven by him, but now, it had dragged him into an even greater trouble.


    Upon learning of Chu Zheng''s perilous situation, Song Lingxue''s expression shifted slightly, and she couldn''t help but plea, "Holy Master, can''t you lend a helping hand?"


    Even with her confidence in Chu Zheng, facing so many sects and sacrednds alone, the gap was simply too vast.


    If during this process, other Taoist Orthodox techniques were exposed, provoking action from the Immortal Alliance, that would be truly a situation of certain death.


    "I can''t help him now."


    Geng Yiyang shook his head with a dim gaze, "With the Divine Infant in seclusion, Taixuan does not have any Soul Condensation Realm Cultivators at the moment, and reopening the sect gate will take time."


    There are no Soul Condensation Realm Cultivators who can live for ten thousand years. Today''s Taixuan Holy Land starts with the Divine Transformation Realm, all of them old antiques.


    If he were able to take action, he would not be so worried, as he could simply bring Chu Zheng back to Taixuan.


    Nowadays, the surroundings of Taixuan are filled with spies from the other great sacrednds. If he dares step out of Taixuan for even a moment, Taixuan would face a catastrophe.


    Ji Yuyan is unpredictable, and it''s impossible to gauge whether he would tolerate a second vition of the rules.


    ```


    The implicating of the entire sect was not merely an empty threat; one moment of angering the Immortal Alliance could see the Taixuan toppled overnight.


    Now, Geng Yiyang could only hope that Chu Zheng would rein himself in somewhat, doing his best to avoid the sharp edges of various factions and preserve his own life.


    This Great Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects, if Chu Zheng could survive until the end and truly make it into the top ten, what then could he do with the foundation of Taixuan?


    Seeking fame? Wasn''t the title of Taixuan Holy Master enough?


    However, Geng Yiyang knew in his heart that this was wishful thinking.


    Given Chu Zheng''s unpredictable nature, causing an even biggermotion was just a matter of time.


    ...


    ...


    The disturbance on the Hidden Dragon List only shook the Four Great Sacred Lands, with little impact on the other sects.


    But Qiu Shi''s death had caused an unprecedented earthquake within the Hundred Demons Assembly.


    For a sect with tens of thousands of years of heritage, Qiu Shi''s death should not have been a big deal.


    At worst, they would wait for the next grandpetition; a mere hundred years was but a moment, and the century toe would still see geniuses not inferior to Qiu Shi.


    Yet the death of Qiu Shi was filled with mysteries.


    Chu Zheng killed Qiu Shi, but the Spirit Shadow Lion he tamed was left unscathed, having not defended its master.


    And on the body of the Spirit Shadow Lion, no traces of forceful maniption could be detected.


    In other words, Chu Zheng possessed some means to make their magical beasts lose control, or even turn on their master.


    To a sect that raises magical beasts, this information was too frightening to contemte.


    Just a few days after Qiu Shi''s death, Soul Condensing Realm cultivators from the Hundred Demons Assembly, along with arge number of high-grade magical beasts they raised, swarmed out.


    Starting with Giant Marsh and its surrounding dozens of countries, they initiated a carpet search for traces of Chu Zheng.


    The actions of the Holy Lands were more conspicuous; Tai Xu Holy Land even employed yet another Immortal Treasure to forcibly deduce Chu Zheng''s whereabouts through the recorded essences on the Hidden Dragon List.


    This move indeed worked, yielding a vague location: Giant Marsh Country.


    The prodigies ranked in the top hundred of the Hidden Dragon List were stirred by the news, nearly half appearing near the Giant Marsh, aiming to use the mutual attraction between their destinies to flush out Chu Zheng''s tracks.


    Theirbat abilities far surpassed ordinary Soul Condensing Monks and possessed some methods beyond the imagination of normal sects; their appearance caused many unusual incidents.


    ...


    ...


    Great Zhou Dynasty, Wuyang County, Luofeng City.


    The former residence of the Song Family, after several storms, had be ake overgrown with weeds, the thousand zhangnd around it sealed off by the Great Zhou Imperial Court.


    For the Great Zhou Royal Family, this ce held extraordinary significance; it was the site where their ancestors had revealed their spirit.


    As for the original inhabitants of this ce, the Song Family... they were now seldom mentioned.


    With Immortals appearing in the human realm and wars erupting, the Great Zhou Dynasty maintained its detachment, a message far more attention-grabbing than the now vanished Song Family.


    Among the surrounding nations, many had begun trying to migrate into the Great Zhou, and numerous small sects wished to take refuge within the Great Zhou to avoid cmity.


    Two figures silently infiltrated the sealed area, making their way to thekefront.


    "This is far enough."


    Gazing at theke before her, Song Lingqing''s eyes were profound: "I want to walk this path again from the beginning."


    The path of the Great Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects started here, and she wanted to start afresh.


    "That seems appropriate."


    Chu Zheng nodded: "Take good care of yourself."


    Everyone has their own thoughts and paths they want to take, and Song Lingqing had her own ideas and her own journey to pursue.


    Chu Zheng, not liking to be arranged by others, simrly would not meddle forcibly in another person''s life.


    "Where are you heading next?"


    Song Lingqing was somewhat curious about Chu Zheng''s next ns.


    "To the Imperial Capital of the Great Zhou, to stay for a while."


    ```