98: The Central Plains are shaken! Can body cultivators also make it onto the Heavenly Ranking?

This battle, though settled in the blink of an eye...

...produced aftershocks like a Nine Heavens meteorite crashing into a calm deep sea, instantly stirring up monstrous waves throughout the Central Divine Continent.

The news seemed to grow wings, spreading frantically in all directions via countless message Jade Slips and Flying Sword letters, with the War God Hall as the center.

Who was the Overlord?

He was the most prominent peerless Prodigy of late!

Possessing the ancient Heavenly Overlord Body and a candidate for Physical Body sanctification, he had swept through the eighteen major Body Refining Sects of the Central Divine Continent within just a month of his debut.

He had suppressed countless veteran powerhouses, was claimed to be invincible among his peers, and rumors even suggested he possessed the potential of a Great Emperor!

Yet, such a rising star of body cultivation, seen by many as invincible, was as fragile as a toddler before Gu Yang.

He couldn't even last three moves—no, to be precise, he couldn't even withstand one serious basic attack from Gu Yang before being rubbed into the dirt, his dignity completely shattered.

Even more shocking was that his Lifebound Treasure, the "Overlord's Iron-Blood Flag," which he valued as much as his own life, was snatched away by Gu Yang in public.

The reason given was... he needed a tablecloth?

This was simply throwing the Overlord's dignity on the ground and stomping on it repeatedly, then spitting on it twice for good measure.

Tianji Pavilion, the top floor of the Tianji Tower.

This was the largest intelligence hub in the Central Divine Continent, where countless pieces of information gathered like flowing water.

At this moment, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

Several Grand Elders responsible for compiling the "Heaven, Earth, and Man" rankings sat around a circular table, staring intently at the recording Jade Slip that had just been sent back.

In the Jade Slip, Gu Yang's casual slap and the Overlord's miserable defeat were replayed no less than ten times.

A white-haired Elder spoke with a trembling voice, his pen shaking in his hand.

"Suppressing the Heavenly Overlord Body, ignoring the Overlord Body's damage reflection, and even being able to clash head-on with a top-grade Spiritual Artifact with bare hands without a scratch... This boy's Physical Body has likely surpassed the scope of ordinary Magic Treasures, reaching the Realm of 'Physical Body as a Weapon'!"

Another Elder responsible for assessing combat power gasped.

"The most terrifying part was that punch..."

The Pavilion Master, sitting at the head of the table, had a deep gaze. "It seemed unremarkable, but it actually contained extremely profound Laws of Vibration and the intent of Five Elements Destruction. This is by no means brute force, but... the Dao!"

"Where on earth did this Gu Yang monster spring from? The Great Desolation? How could such a barren land raise such a True Dragon?"

Amidst the exclamations and doubts, the Pavilion Master took a deep breath.

He picked up the "Tianji Pen," which symbolized authority, and on the golden glowing ranking list before him, he crossed out the original name and wrote two large characters heavily—

Gu Yang!

The next morning, as the bell of the Tianji Pavilion tolled, the new issue of the **"Hidden Dragon Prodigy Ranking"** was announced to the world.

Countless Cultivators immediately flocked to the Tianji Pavilion branches in various places just to catch a glimpse of the changes in the ranking.

When they saw the unfamiliar name at the top of the list, the entire cultivation world erupted.

The Saints and Goddesses of the major Holy Lands, who had long dominated the rankings, were all pushed back.

The top spot was replaced by two bloody characters that seemed to exude endless Evil Qi—Gu Yang!

The evaluation given by the Tianji Pavilion was even more outrageously high:

"With strength to pull up mountains and spirit to cover the world, his Physical Body is invincible among prodigies. This boy is suspected to be the Reincarnation of an ancient body cultivation powerhouse, with blood like a sea and an indestructible golden body. His strength is unfathomable; though he is at the Nascent Soul Stage, he is enough to rival an ordinary Early Spirit Transformation Stage! He is the number one Body Cultivator of this era!"

One stone stirred a thousand waves!

The words "rivaling Soul Transformation" were enough to drive countless people crazy.

Even more shocking was that Gu Yang's name not only reached the top of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, which only included the younger generation, with overwhelming momentum, but also appeared on the more prestigious and authoritative **"Earth Ranking"** (a comprehensive combat power ranking of all Nascent Soul Stage experts in the Central Divine Continent).

He directly debuted at number ninety-eight!

One must know, who on the Earth Ranking wasn't an old monster who had cultivated for hundreds of years and had been famous for a long time?

For Gu Yang, a newcomer just starting out, to directly break into the top hundred—what an honor, and what arrogance!

For a time, the entire Central Divine Continent cultivation world was discussing the name "Gu Yang."

Meanwhile, at the center of the storm, the War God Hall was filled with the sound of gongs, drums, and firecrackers; the entire Sect was beaming with joy, a hundred times more lively than the New Year.

"Senior Brother Gu is mighty! Senior Brother Gu is invincible! Long live body cultivation!"

On the martial arts field, those Disciples who had once been beaten to tears by Gu Yang during "private lessons" now held their heads high, their faces full of pride.

They bragged to everyone they met: "See that top name? That's my Senior Brother Gu! Back then, Senior Brother Gu personally guided me in fist techniques (by beating me)! This physique of mine was beaten out by Senior Brother Gu!"

It was as if being beaten by Gu Yang had become the most brilliant medal in their cultivation careers.

Wu Wudi, the Hall Master of the War God Hall and a usually dignified and profound Void Refining powerhouse, was currently sitting in the main hall, laughing so hard his back teeth were showing.

Looking at the ranking list in his hand, he said "good" three times in a row.

"Hahahaha! So what if he has the Heavenly Overlord Body? Wasn't he still beaten down by a Disciple of my War God Hall?"

With a wave of his hand, he grandly ordered: "Pass the order to the Logistics Hall! Send all one hundred thousand catties of high-grade wild beast meat in stock to the True Disciple Peak! And all those treasured spiritual wines and precious medicines, send them all over!"

"Let him eat! Let him eat as much as he wants! As long as he can eat his way to a higher Realm, to being number one in the world, I don't care if the War God Hall is eaten into poverty!"

However, while some were happy, others were worried.

In a hidden, Spirit-rich Grotto-Heaven somewhere in the Central Divine Continent, the atmosphere at the Five Elements Sect's Central Divine Continent headquarters was suppressed to the extreme.

Inside a magnificent hall, an old man wearing a five-colored Daoist robe with the Laws of the Five Elements flowing around him was staring intently at the intelligence report about Gu Yang, his face so dark it looked like it could drip black water.

The Jade Slip in his hand was crushed into powder by the Five Elements power he unconsciously emitted.

"Gu Yang... what a Gu Yang!"

"Is this the thief who killed my branch Sect Master in the Chaotic Star Sea, destroyed my foundation, and snatched the taiyi essence gold that should have belonged to me?!"

This person was one of the Grand Elders of the Five Elements Sect headquarters, a Middle Stage Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse—the Five Elements Venerable.

It was he who had originally assigned the branch Sect to collect the Five Elements Origin, only to have his efforts end in vain and benefit someone else.

"I didn't expect this little thief to escape to the Central Divine Continent and join that bunch of boors in the War God Hall, even becoming so successful!"

Murderous intent flickered in the Five Elements Venerable's eyes, and the surrounding space distorted slightly due to his anger.

"Hmph! So what if it's the War God Hall? So what if it's a body cultivation Holy Land? Anyone who dares to touch the things of my Five Elements Sect will pay a price in blood, even if they flee to the ends of the earth! The taiyi essence gold must be taken back!"

He stood up abruptly and shouted coldly toward the shadows below the hall:

"Pass down the order! Activate all the 'Hidden Pieces' planted around the War God Hall! Keep a close eye on Gu Yang twenty-four hours a day! If he dares to step even one foot outside the War God Hall's sphere of influence..."

The Five Elements Venerable made a throat-slitting motion, his voice as cold as ice:

"Kill him without mercy! Bring me his head!"

A storm was brewing, and undercurrents were surging.

Meanwhile, Gu Yang, the person at the center of this storm, was completely unaware of the outside clamor—or rather, he didn't care at all.

At the True Disciple Peak of the War God Hall, inside Gu Yang's small courtyard.

The sun was bright and the breeze was pleasant. Gu Yang sat on a stone stool without any decorum, enjoying a rare and leisurely afternoon tea time.

That top-grade Spiritual Artifact, the "Overlord's Iron-Blood Flag," which had once terrified countless Cultivators and symbolized the Overlord's glory, was now casually spread across the stone table, serving as a not-very-oil-absorbent tablecloth.

On the flag's surface were various delicacies: golden and crispy roasted spiritual chicken, soft and tender stewed beast paws, and several jars of spiritual wine emitting a rich aroma.

Oil stains dripped onto the ferocious beast patterns on the flag, appearing particularly ironic.

"Woof! Woof woof! Awooo—!"

Two Dogs, who had been lying at the corner of the table gnawing on Ore, suddenly stopped. It barked incessantly at the flag, its small paws constantly scratching at the flagpole, appearing unusually agitated.

"What's wrong, Two Dogs?"

Gu Yang asked indistinctly, a chicken leg in his mouth. "Is this tablecloth not clean? Affecting your appetite? Should I take it and wash it?"

Two Dogs spun around anxiously and nudged the flagpole with its head.

Gu Yang finally put down the chicken leg and reached out with some doubt to touch the thick metal flagpole.

It felt bone-chillingly cold, not made of ordinary profound iron, and... under Gu Yang's keen sense of touch, he felt that the weight of the flagpole seemed a bit off, and the echo when tapped was somewhat hollow.

"Hmm? Hollow?"

Gu Yang frowned, his curiosity piqued.

He pinched one end of the flagpole with two fingers and applied a little pressure.

Crack!

The flagpole, whose toughness was comparable to a Magic Treasure, actually had a corner pinched off like a crisp cracker under Gu Yang's freakish strength.

As the fragments fell, a hidden compartment inside was revealed.

Inside the compartment lay a tattered beast skin scroll, made of some unknown ancient Vicious Beast skin, glowing with a faint, eerie light.

"What is this? A place to hide private savings?"

Gu Yang curiously pulled out the beast skin with his greasy hands, casually shook off the dust, and spread it out on the table.

This was an extremely old map. The texture of the beast skin was exceptionally tough, and a complex geographical map was drawn on it with some kind of dark red pigment (suspected to be true blood).

The map depicted a bizarre area shrouded in thick mist, with fragmented terrain and red skulls marking extremely dangerous locations everywhere.

At the very center of the map, a black mountain peak was drawn, defying common logic by hanging upside down in the sky.

Next to the mountain peak, four characters that exuded a chilling cold were written in ancient Cloud Seal Script—

[Immortal Fall Land].

"Immortal Fall Land?"

Gu Yang scratched his head, feeling the name sounded a bit familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere.

A flash of inspiration hit him, and he remembered a few fragments he had seen while browsing through miscellaneous notes (mainly looking for recipes) in the War God Hall's Scripture Pavilion.

Legend has it that in the ancient era tens of thousands of years ago, True Immortals from the Upper Realm had a great battle here, and eventually, an Immortal fell at this spot.

Their corpse fell to the earth, turning it into a forbidden zone for living beings. The Laws there were chaotic, and it was shrouded year-round by lingering **"Immortal Qi"** and "Evil Qi." It was one of the ten most famous Forbidden Grounds in the Central Divine Continent!

"Immortal Qi..."

Gu Yang murmured to himself, his eyes instantly lighting up like two ignited stars.

"The books say that Immortal Qi is an energy one dimension higher than Spiritual Qi. A single strand of Immortal Qi can equal ten thousand years of bitter cultivation in the mortal world and possesses the power to turn the mundane into the miraculous!"

"If used for Body Refining... or even eaten directly..."

Gu Yang's Adam's apple bobbed violently. "That taste... it must be much more exciting than this tasteless Spiritual Qi, right? Is it like a carbonated drink, bubbling when you drink it?"

Gu Yang licked his somewhat dry lips, and the glutton in his stomach was instantly enticed by the words "Immortal Qi," making a thunderous sound of protest.

Although his Physical Body was currently powerful, the energy needed to make a further Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Stage (Physical Body sanctification) was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled.

Relying solely on the ordinary Yao Beast meat provided by the War God Hall, even if he ate until he died, the progress bar would move as slowly as a snail.

"If I could get a taste of some 'Immortal Qi,' even just a mouthful..."

"It would be like replacing plain water with high-concentration liquor; it would definitely make me take off!"

"It's decided! I'm going to restock! This Immortal Fall Land will be my next canteen!"

Gu Yang stood up abruptly, carefully tucked the map into his robe, and his eyes burned with the fire of "appetite."

"Hey, you there, big guy!"

Gu Yang shouted toward a corner of the courtyard.

There, a giant man covered in white bandages, with only his eyes showing, was squatting on the ground staring blankly at ants. He suddenly sprang up upon hearing the voice.

It was that once-unbeatable Overlord.

Ever since he was beaten into submission by Gu Yang, this guy had shamelessly stayed in Gu Yang's courtyard, claiming to "serve the big brother" but actually wanting to learn from him and see how Gu Yang had developed such freakish muscles.

"Big brother! You called me?" The Overlord ran over eagerly, his face full of flattery, completely devoid of his former arrogant attitude.

"Pack your things; you're going on a long trip with me."

"Alright! Where to? Are we going to fight? Or snatch... oh no, borrow something?" The Overlord rubbed his hands excitedly.

"To the Immortal Fall Land."

"Huh?!"

The Overlord's feet slipped, and he almost knelt on the ground. The smile on his face instantly froze and turned into terror.

"Bi... big brother, you're not joking, are you? That's the Immortal Fall Land! It's the number one Forbidden Ground in the Central Divine Continent!"

"Legend has it that even Soul Transformation Stage powerhouses might not come out if they go in! It's full of crazy spatial rifts, residual Immortal technique traps, and all sorts of mutated, terrifying monsters..."

The Overlord's voice was trembling. He was reckless, but he wasn't stupid; going to such a place was simply seeking death!

"What are you afraid of?"

Gu Yang walked over and slapped the Overlord's shoulder heavily, almost knocking him apart.

He showed a signature kind smile, his white teeth gleaming coldly in the sun:

"Monsters are good. Monsters mean the ecosystem is healthy, which means there's meat to eat."

"Besides, those mutated monsters have been nourished by Immortal Qi year-round; their meat must be much more delicious than the wild game outside."

"And..." Gu Yang looked the Overlord up and down with a meaningful gaze, "I just happen to need someone to carry the bags, scout the way, and take the blame... If you don't go, who will?"

"This is a great opportunity for your 'special training.' Others couldn't get it even if they begged."

Looking at Gu Yang's unquestionable gaze and then at that fist the size of a clay pot, the Overlord wanted to cry but had no tears.

"I... I'll go. Big brother, you have to protect me when the time comes."

"Don't worry, as long as I have a bite of meat, you'll have a mouthful of soup."

Gu Yang laughed loudly, shouldered his Meteor Hammer, and set off on a death-defying journey to the "Immortal Qi Buffet" with Two Dogs and the Overlord.