Chapter 80 The Number One Restaurant Under Heaven

The first day of the ninth lunar month, light rain.

Outside the Raging Flood Dragon Gang in Lanjiang Valley, the "azure nether blade demon" Yan Chu killed the nineteenth-ranked on the heavenly pride ranking, the "Gentleman Sword" Yue Jinhua.

On the same day, nine individuals of the Fifth Realm and over ten of the Fourth Realm from Longhua Prefecture and Linshui Prefecture were also killed alongside him, as well as dozens below the Fourth Realm. The rest fled in panic, with countless others dying due to the ensuing stampede or falling from boats and drowning.

The news spread, shocking Cangzhou Prefecture.

Most factions in Longhua Prefecture announced the closing of their mountain gates on the same day, refusing to involve themselves in Jianghu affairs.

Countless people ran about to spread the word, wanting to learn the true origins of this sudden, rising "azure nether blade demon."

...

Cangzhou City, the premier city of Cangzhou Prefecture.

This was a majestic city with a thousand-year history; having endured the baptism of time and war, it still stood tall upon the earth.

The mottled city walls possessed a cold, hard luster, carved with the memories of flashing blades and sword shadows.

This majestic city had a permanent population of several million and sixteen city gates; the daily flow of people entering and exiting was a staggering number.

Today, the number of people entering the city was several times higher than usual. The crowds were shoulder-to-shoulder, with all sorts of Jianghu people carrying sabers on their backs or swords strapped to them, rushing toward the inner city.

In the center of the inner city stood a seven-story tower.

This tower was not the tallest in Cangzhou City, but it was more attractive than the tallest one.

Because it had a resounding name: Number One Tower Under Heaven!

Everyone knew that the Number One Tower Under Heaven was established by the Number One Estate Under Heaven, and inside the tower, four ranking lists were posted.

They were the Heaven Ranking, the Earth Ranking, the heavenly pride ranking, and the beauties ranking list.

And today was the day the new ranking lists would be updated.

Therefore, the area outside the Number One Tower Under Heaven was packed with Jianghu people today.

Next to the Number One Tower Under Heaven was a restaurant. Inside a private room facing the street on the third floor, four young people were sitting: two men and two women.

Although the four were of the same age and all possessed extraordinary temperaments, three of them were vaguely following the lead of the last person.

That was a young man with sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes.

"Brother Shen, you once crossed swords with that 'Gentleman Sword' Yue Jinhua. I wonder, what is his true strength like?"

Another young man asked.

He was Chen Yue, a direct descendant of the Chen Family, one of the Five Surnames and Three Sects in Cangzhou Prefecture. The other two women were Fu Yilian, the direct daughter of the Fu Family, and Yu Feifei, the first true disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect.

And the young man before them was Shen Yunyi, the "Shadow Chasing Swordsman" ranked sixteenth on the heavenly pride ranking.

Not long ago, they had sparred with him.

Although they were all top Geniuses of their respective factions, they had all been defeated by his sword in less than ten moves, and they had been defeated completely convinced!

Over the past few days, the four had discussed the martial Dao, remaining inseparable and becoming close friends.

Shen Yunyi frowned and pondered:

"When I fought Yue Jinhua at Wuyun Mountain in Tongzhou Prefecture, we battled for over a hundred moves, and only then did I manage to defeat him with a move of my Overlapping Shadow Chain."

"But if it were a true fight to the death, I would not be confident in being able to finish him off!"

"Now that this Yan Chu has been able to kill Yue Jinhua, it shows that his strength should be above mine. If he is truly as young as the rumors say, he will certainly have a place on this heavenly pride ranking!"

What?

Chen Yue and the two women, including Fu Yilian, exchanged glances, and both could see the shock in each other's eyes.

They were all locals of Cangzhou Prefecture, yet they had never heard of such a Prodigy before.

They had thought that Cangzhou Prefecture producing a Gao Yang was already remarkable, but they hadn't expected another "azure nether blade demon," Yan Chu, to appear now!

However, Shen Yunyi suddenly sneered,

"Yue Jinhua is the direct son of the Yue Family and also a disciple of Daoist Qinglu. Since that Yan Chu killed him, I fear that not long after he ascends the heavenly pride ranking, he will disappear from this world!"

On Yu Feifei's fair Face, her expression was unreadable,

"I don't think we need to wait for the Yue Family to make a move."

"What do you mean?"

The three looked at Yu Feifei.

Yu Feifei's cherry lips curled slightly. "That Yan Chu went on a killing spree in Longhua Prefecture. I heard that even Ma Qingzong, the commander of the Six Doors, was left critically injured and on the verge of death at his hands, which has already provoked the wrath of the Six Doors."

"I heard early this morning that the Six Doors have already sent people to Dalin Temple to invite that abbot to come down from the mountain!"

"The Abbot of Dalin Temple? That Grandmaster?"

Chen Yue and the others' gazes sharpened.

With a Grandmaster taking action, no matter how talented Yan Chu was, he would inevitably end up a prisoner of the Six Doors.

"Look! The new heavenly pride ranking has been posted!!"

"Move aside, move aside! Let me see!!"

"Don't push! Who's pushing me!?"

Suddenly, a commotion broke out downstairs.

Several people looked out through the window. From the previously tightly closed doors of the Number One Tower Under Heaven, a trembling, elderly man walked out.

Under the gaze of the crowd, the old man walked to a huge stone tablet engraved with the words "Heaven Ranking," took out a red cloth—the material of which was unknown—and hung it on the tablet.

Shen Yunyi and the others all possessed deep internal energy and remarkable eyesight, so they could clearly see the ten names on that red cloth.

Chen Yue shook his head and said,

"The Heaven Ranking has nothing worth seeing. Ever since Hero He, the 'Two Palms Holding Up the Sky,' ascended to third place on the Heaven Ranking thirty years ago, it hasn't changed for decades."

Fu Yilian chuckled, "Isn't the Earth Ranking the same?"

"The person at the top of the Earth Ranking has occupied that position for over twenty years, right?"

"Jianghu people all say that his Realm has long since had a Breakthrough, but for some reason, the Number One Tower Under Heaven still ranks him on the Earth Ranking!"

Shen Yunyi's eyes were somewhat unfathomable,

"It is said that the Number One Estate Under Heaven is transcendent and beyond worldly affairs, and even the imperial court cannot do anything about it, but there are still some people in this world who can wrestle with that Estate Master."

"Jianghu people treat the rankings issued by the Number One Tower Under Heaven as gospel, but in the eyes of those supreme powerhouses who truly shake the world, what is the difference between these rankings and waste paper?"

Upon hearing this, the three had somewhat awkward expressions.

Didn't Shen Yunyi's words imply that they didn't even have the qualifications to have their names left on waste paper?

Chen Yue forced a laugh and said,

"Brother Shen is right, but Jianghu people love fame and profit. The four great ranking lists have been passed down for a long time and still have some reference value."

"Not to mention anything else, who among those who can make it onto the heavenly pride ranking isn't a top-tier Prodigy of the world?"

Yu Feifei also chimed in,

"And there is also the beauties ranking list. It is said that beauties are a disaster, and those who make the list don't care about it at all, while some who aren't on the list are constantly thinking about being on it."

"Don't you think so, Yilian?"

"What do you mean? Why are you looking at me?"

Fu Yilian frowned tightly, glaring at Yu Feifei.

Suddenly, she turned her anger into joy and mocked,

"Don't you want to make the list too? I heard you even specifically begged your father to visit that Tower Master, but unfortunately, you were rejected without mercy. Don't think I don't know about this!"

"You—"

Yu Feifei pointed angrily at the other, her beautiful eyes filled with malice.

In front of Shen Yunyi, a Prodigy, how dare she make her lose Face like this?

"Alright, you two, don't let Brother Shen see a joke!"

Chen Yue had a headache and hurriedly tried to dissuade them.

These two women loved to bicker with each other, and this time, they were only pretending to be ladies because they were in front of Shen Yunyi.

But as soon as this topic was brought up, they started to reveal their true colors.

"Hmph!"

Yu Feifei let out a dainty huff, turned her head away, and stopped looking at the other, muttering:

"It's really not a good thing to be on the list. Some people have had their entire families wiped out..."