84: Chapter 84 Jealousy and rivalry, the Heavenly Ranking appears.

Hearing Leng Qingqiu's interrogation, Empress Yun Zhiyue did not retreat; instead, she took a step forward.

She lightly raised her wrist, tucking a strand of fallen dark hair behind her ear.

With this movement, she deliberately exposed a faint red mark on her fair neck.

"Saint Master Leng, that statement of yours is quite unreasonable."

Empress Yun Zhiyue looked Leng Qingqiu up and down.

"Holy Son Jiang and I were alone in the national treasury."

"With this entire hall filled with rare treasures, one must slowly select them piece by piece."

"After tiring of looking, it is only natural to do what must be done."

She leaned in towards Jiang Han's side, their shoulders brushing against each other.

"I wonder, Saint Master Leng, what kind of details are you hoping to hear?"

Leng Qingqiu's brows knitted together.

"Do you truly believe that I dare not kill you?"

Empress Yun Zhiyue laughed.

"Saint Master Leng possesses heaven-defying cultivation, so naturally, you dare to kill."

"But this is the Zhaoyue Dynasty."

"Must I report to Saint Master Leng what Holy Son Jiang and I have done?"

"As a master, aren't you overstepping your bounds a bit too much?"

Leng Qingqiu was rendered speechless by these words.

The moisture in the surrounding air condensed into frost.

A layer of white frost formed on the ground, spreading from beneath her feet.

She stared at Empress Yun Zhiyue, naturally noticing the red mark on her neck as well.

As someone who had experienced it herself, she naturally understood what that was.

She opened her mouth several times, nearly blurting out the true nature of her relationship with Jiang Han.

But she was mindful of Jiang Han's current reputation and status.

If she were to publicly reveal their relationship just like that, it would surely cause the whole world to criticize Jiang Han for betraying his master and ancestors.

She bit her lower lip, swallowing the words that had reached her lips.

Leng Qingqiu turned her head, her clear eyes fixed on Jiang Han.

Jiang Han stood to the side.

Looking at Leng Qingqiu's gaze, he felt quite helpless.

He remained silent.

Watching Leng Qingqiu's frustrated expression, Empress Yun Zhiyue let out a soft chuckle.

She raised her hand, hooked her arm through Jiang Han's, and pressed most of her body against him.

"Saint Master Leng, there is no need to look at Jiang Han like that."

Empress Yun Zhiyue looked Leng Qingqiu straight in the eyes.

"Jiang Han and I are now Dao companions."

As soon as these words were spoken.

Jiang Han turned his head to look at Empress Yun Zhiyue, who was leaning on his arm.

When did he ever agree to become her Dao companion?

Leng Qingqiu stood where she was.

The cold aura around her paused for an instant.

"Dao companions?" Leng Qingqiu looked at Jiang Han.

"Did you agree to her?"

Before Jiang Han could speak, Empress Yun Zhiyue stepped in first.

"Saint Master Leng, why ask when you already know the answer?"

"I am the Empress of a dynasty."

"Jiang Han is the Holy Son of Taichu; we are a match made in heaven."

Leng Qingqiu was furious, "Match made in heaven?"

She took a step forward, closing in on Empress Yun Zhiyue.

She pointed at Empress Yun Zhiyue, "Say that again? What do you mean?"

Empress Yun Zhiyue was completely unfazed, "Exactly what it sounds like."

"Jiang Han is the man I have set my sights on."

Empress Yun Zhiyue lifted her chin.

"The entire Zhaoyue Dynasty."

"Is the dowry I have prepared for Jiang Han."

"If Saint Master Leng feels that the Primordial Holy Land cannot accommodate Jiang Han."

"The Zhaoyue Dynasty will always open its doors to him."

Killing intent erupted in Leng Qingqiu's eyes.

Hundreds of ice spikes condensed in mid-air, all aimed at Empress Yun Zhiyue.

She raised her right hand, cold energy gathering in her palm.

She was determined today to freeze this arrogant woman who dared to fight her for a man into an ice sculpture.

Seeing this, Empress Yun Zhiyue activated the Heavenly Water Cloud Sutra as well.

Imperial dragon energy gathered behind her.

Two opposing pressures collided right in front of the national treasury.

Just at the moment Leng Qingqiu was about to strike.

A burst of golden light erupted from the zenith of the sky.

The golden light pierced through layers of clouds, and immediately, a vast pressure from the heavenly dao descended from the sky.

It directly suppressed the pressure from both Leng Qingqiu and Empress Yun Zhiyue.

Leng Qingqiu withdrew her hand and looked up at the sky.

Empress Yun Zhiyue also let go of Jiang Han's arm and looked up at the sky.

In the sky.

Golden light intertwined, condensing into a golden scroll.

The scroll unfurled to both sides, covering half the sky.

Three vigorous and powerful characters appeared at the top of the scroll.

heavenly dao ranking.

Looking at those three characters, Empress Yun Zhiyue withdrew her spiritual energy.

"The heavenly dao ranking has appeared."

Jiang Han also looked at the scroll in the sky.

"The heavenly dao ranking?"

"A ranking list formulated by the laws of the heavenly dao," Empress Yun Zhiyue explained.

"It only records prodigies under the age of thirty."

"Rankings are determined based on a comprehensive assessment of potential, combat strength, and cultivation."

"Those who can enter this list are true prodigies of this world."

On the heavenly dao ranking, golden light flowed, and names began to appear on the scroll.

Starting from the one hundredth place.

[One Hundredth Place: Mad Blade Sect, Lin Zhan, twenty years old, early stage of Lanxing Realm.]

[Ninety-Ninth Place: Flying Feather Sect, Zhao Yunhe, twenty years old, middle stage of Lanxing Realm.]

As the rankings continued to rise, the speed at which names appeared increased.

The cultivators in the imperial city were all attracted by this celestial phenomenon and ran out of the halls to look up.

As names appeared on the list one by one, Su Ningyu's name also appeared at the fifty-fifth position at this time.

[Fiftieth Place: Ziyang Holy Sect, Chu Tianlan, twenty years old, late stage of Sufa Realm.]

[Thirtieth Place: Heavenly Sound Valley, Yao Qingwan, twenty years old, early stage of Heaven-Stealing Realm.]

The higher the ranking, the more powerful the factions represented by the names.

The honored guests of the Zhaoyue Dynasty pointed at the sky.

"Look quickly, that is the chief disciple of the Daluo Sword Sect!"

"Even he can only be ranked tenth!"

Leng Qingqiu watched the ranking, her gaze sweeping over every name.

Empress Yun Zhiyue also stared at the ranking.

Both of them temporarily set aside their earlier confrontation.

Time passed.

The names on the list had updated to the top ten.

Each of the top ten names radiated brilliant golden light.

[Tenth Place: Daluo Sword Sect, Jian Wuhen, twenty-one years old, peak of Heaven-Stealing Realm.]

[Ninth Place: Yaoguang Holy Land, Gu Xiao, twenty-two years old, early stage of Zhangjie Realm.]

...

"To have reached such a cultivation realm at this age, their future is truly promising!"

"This era truly has flourishing fortune."

Everyone's gaze shifted further up.

The top three positions remained vacant.

Golden light flowed on the scroll, but names did not appear for a long time.

The cultivators below were discussing fervently.

"Who will the top three be?"

[Third Place: Nine Nether Demon Sect, Li Xuehai, twenty-three years old, early stage of Zhangjie Realm.]

[Second Place: Shangyuan Academy, Mo Wentian, twenty-three years old, middle stage of Zhangjie Realm.]

The top three names were revealed, but Jiang Han was still not among them.

Leng Qingqiu's expression darkened; Jiang Han's name wasn't even in the top two?

Empress Yun Zhiyue frowned.

She pointed at the scroll in the sky, "Could this heavenly dao ranking be blind?"

"Why isn't there even a ranking for him?"

"Is this list formulated by the heavenly dao really this muddled?"

Jiang Han stood to the side.

He looked at the heavenly dao ranking, appearing quite calm.

He watched the names on the list, his hands behind his back.

The golden light on the heavenly dao ranking contracted, all gathering at the very top of the list.

That was the position of the first place on the heavenly dao ranking.

The golden light became extremely intense.

The entire sky trembled under this golden light.

Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on that position.

The golden light exploded.

A name appeared at the top of the scroll.

Every stroke contained the laws of the Great Dao, the golden light dazzling.

[First Place: Primordial Holy Land, Jiang Han, twenty years old, middle stage of Zhangjie Realm.]

The moment the name appeared, Empress Yun Zhiyue's brows relaxed.

She turned her head to look at Jiang Han, her red lips slightly parted, as if wanting to say something.

Leng Qingqiu also withdrew the cold aura around her.

She lifted her chin, withdrawing her gaze from the heavenly dao ranking and letting it fall upon Jiang Han.

Jiang Han looked at his own name on the heavenly dao ranking.

He turned his head and met both their gazes.

He smiled softly and said, "Let's go."

After speaking, acting as if nothing had happened, he walked past the two women and left directly.

Jiang Han could not say he was very happy about the result of being first on the heavenly dao ranking.

With the system's support, it would be strange if he couldn't even take first place.

Compared to this, the reason he was anxious to leave now was that he really didn't want to be trapped in the tense atmosphere between Empress Yun Zhiyue and Leng Qingqiu.

After returning tonight, facing Leng Qingqiu, his kidneys would be in for more suffering.