Douluo Continent: Breaking the Million-Year Barrier, the Golden Ranking Exposes Me

Chapter 40 The Shocking Major Forces

Even the usually composed Mu En's eyelids twitched slightly, and he slowly said, "Xuanzi, please calm down. The Golden List assessment has its own standards that are beyond our comprehension."

"Your Gluttonous Divine Ox is strong, but perhaps it is inferior to the previous martial soul in terms of potential and uniqueness."

Unfortunately, even Moon himself didn't believe the reason he gave!
Yan Shaozhe's expression was extremely serious: "Teacher, Elder Xuan, three consecutive martial souls—Star Crown, Bright Phoenix, and Gluttonous Divine Ox—aren't they all top-tier existences that we recognize as capable of challenging for the top ten?"

"Now they're all outside the top fifteen. What kind of terrifying beings must be in the top ten, or even the top five, or the number one spot?"

Xianlin'er, Old Song, and the others nodded in agreement.

His face no longer showed any joy from being on the list repeatedly; instead, it was filled with extreme seriousness and curiosity.

They were all staring intently at the list of successful candidates!

They wanted to know which other martial spirits could surpass these top-tier martial spirits renowned throughout the continent.

At this moment, the reward beam containing pure energy enveloped Xuanzi.

Xuanzi could clearly feel that the Taotie bloodline in his body was boiling and being purified, and his physical strength was surging.

That instinct to devour everything seems to have become even stronger.

The improvement in strength is real and tangible.

But he couldn't be happy at the moment; his heart was filled with doubt and surprise at the unknown ranking.

The brilliance of the golden list dimmed slightly, as if it were gathering its strength.

We are preparing to announce a higher ranking.

This brief pause caused all the Soul Masters on the continent to hold their breath.

Countless eyes were fixed on the magnificent list that floated in the sky.

During the brief silence, the reactions of various forces differed, but without exception, they all paid close attention.

……

Deep within the imperial palace of the Sun and Moon Empire.

Xu Tianran leaned back in his wheelchair, the shadows obscuring most of his face, with only the rhythmic tapping of his fingertips on the armrests echoing in the empty hall.

Jing Hongchen stood at the lower end, bowing slightly, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Lord of Hongchen Hall!"

Xu Tianran's voice was devoid of emotion, "It seems that our past intelligence work has overlooked many things."

Jing Hongchen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Your Highness, we have records of the top martial souls of Shrek Academy, Star Luo, and other well-known forces."

"But the criteria for the Golden List are clearly far beyond our understanding. Some martial spirits that may be hidden from the world or whose bloodlines are so thin as to be almost legendary are probably..."

"legend?"

Xu Tianran chuckled softly, but his laughter carried a chill.

"Those who make it onto this list are all legends in their respective eras."

"What I am more concerned about now is that my Sun Moon Empire was founded on Soul Guidance Technology. Although the martial soul inheritance is not as profound as that of the original three kingdoms, the first emperor of the royal family was still able to establish the foundation of the empire with the Purple Emperor Destroying Heavenly Dragon Martial Soul."

"Where would this martial spirit rank on the current Golden Ranking?"

After a moment of contemplation, Jing Hongchen cautiously replied, "Your Highness, the Purple Emperor Annihilation Dragon is a top-tier dragon-type martial soul, possessing both destructive and kingly auras, and its power is unparalleled."

"In my humble opinion, it should be ranked above the Taotie Divine Ox, but... whether it can enter the top ten depends on how many hidden monsters this golden list can attract."

Xu Tianran paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Pass down the order to have the intelligence department use all means to focus on the martial soul owners of those not from known major forces who appear on the list later."

"Recruit those you can, and if you can't... you know what to do. The empire's hegemony cannot be interfered with by any unexpected factors."

"Yes, His Royal Highness!"

Jing Hongchen bowed deeply, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

...The Holy Spirit Cult, a gloomy temple.

Zhongli Wu stared at the list of gold medals with his scarlet eyes, as if he were admiring a series of exquisite dishes.

"The Star Crown's power of stars, the divine aura of the Phoenix of Light, the Devouring Origin of the Gluttonous Beast...tsk tsk, these are all highly nourishing!"

"If I could extract all the essence of these martial souls and integrate it into my Death God Demon Puppet..."

Ye Xishui said calmly, "Wu'er, don't be impatient. These martial spirits are good, but the people who possess them are not weak."

"Moreover, the further down the list you go, the more powerful the martial spirits become, and the purer and more alluring their origins are."

"Our martial spirit is unique in nature and transcends common sense. Its ranking will definitely not be low. We will make a decision after the list is released. Our goal... is to choose the best."

Long Xiaoyao, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

His eyes were as deep as the night: "Xi Shui is right. This golden list is stirring up the world, and it is the perfect opportunity for our Holy Sect to accumulate strength and wait for the right moment to act."

"My Dark Sacred Dragon is a top-tier martial soul among dragon-type martial souls, and it deserves a place. However... I wonder if his Light Sacred Dragon will also make an appearance?"

His gaze seemed to pierce through the rooftop, looking towards the distant Shrek Academy.

……

Ontology.

Poison Undying crossed his arms, his thick, muscular arms bulging. He stared at the list of successful candidates, his brow furrowed: "Something's not right. Each one is more outrageous than the last!"

"Star Crown, Bright Phoenix, Gluttonous Divine Ox—normally, which of these wouldn't be a top-tier martial soul capable of suppressing an entire region? Yet on this lousy ranking, they're like cabbages, all lined up outside the top fifteen!"

Jin Peng stood beside him and said in a deep voice, "Sect Master, the evaluation of the Golden Ranking probably places more emphasis on the 'essence' and 'uniqueness' of a martial soul. No matter how strong a beast martial soul or weapon martial soul is, it is ultimately an external thing to rely on."

"Our physical martial soul unlocks the infinite treasure of the human body itself, representing an evolution at the level of life."

"Especially you, Sect Master, your physical spirit has undergone a second golden awakening, which can be described as developing your physical body to a certain extreme. Its potential and uniqueness are far beyond what ordinary spirits can match."

Upon hearing this, Poison Immortal's brows relaxed slightly, and he let out a deep, muffled sound: "That's possible, let's hope so!"

Although that's what he said.

But the hint of uncertainty deep in his eyes did not completely disappear.

This golden list is too mysterious, too transcendent.

....
Star Luo Empire.

Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu stood side by side, the night wind blowing their robes.

“Brother, it seems that for our Star Luo Empire to take the initiative in this upcoming great change, the Star Crown Martial Soul alone is far from enough.”

She spoke softly after a long while.

Her recent promotion boosted her confidence, but the impact of the rankings was even greater.

Xu Jiawei stood with his hands behind his back, his imperial majesty tinged with a profound air: "Indeed, the appearance of the Golden List signifies that the old order will be broken, and the power of a strong individual can, at certain times, change the fate of the nation."

"Jiu Jiu, it's good that your Star Crown Martial Soul has been enhanced, but we must pay more attention to the other people on the list."

"Especially those independent cultivators without a sect or those geniuses from small forces, we must spare no effort to win them over to the Empire."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, I have a feeling that some martial spirits that only exist in ancient records will appear on this list. Those are the true forces that can determine the future."

Similar conversations were taking place at this moment among the royal families and top sects of the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Fighting Spirit Empire.

Shock, solemnity, curiosity, greed, scheming...

Various emotions are spreading throughout the mainland.

The list of successful candidates is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, and the ripples it creates are rapidly expanding.

Ultimately, it will inevitably evolve into a monstrous wave that sweeps across the world.

(End of this chapter)