Chapter 376: Forty-Four Is Too Low

Chapter 376: Forty-Four Is Too Low

Everyone knew that Zhao Changhe had been practicing martial arts for less than a year and a half.

When he achieved first place on the Hidden Dragon List, it was exactly one year, and it had already stunned everyone—they said he was the strongest Hidden Dragon first in history.

Not only did he reach the Eighth Layer of the Mystic Gate in a year, but his combat record was also formidable. Since the beginning of this era, no one had ever seen such monstrous potential, not even Xia Longyuan. The title of Hidden Dragon First was well deserved.

But that was still the Hidden Dragon List—still hidden. No matter how monstrous, it didn't matter; maybe he'd be stuck at the Secret Vault for life?

People guessed that Zhao Changhe would inevitably enter the Human List—that was no suspense. The suspense was how long it would take and whether he could break through the Secret Vault.

For a long time, the Book of Chaos did not flash again. It flashed once at Kunlun, with Xia Chichi as the protagonist; Zhao Changhe was merely a supporting role, with no indication of what he did, nor any sign that he had broken through the great barrier of the Ninth Layer of the Mystic Gate, let alone the Secret Vault.

People thought Zhao Changhe's pace had finally slowed down—he needed to settle.

But before this so-called settling had even lasted half a year, when the Book of Chaos flashed again, he had already leaped to heaven, charging straight into the top fifty of the Human List!

Yue Hongling and Chi Li, proud and unwilling to be at the tail end, ended up in the sixties.

Xia Chichi, late summer's belated bloom, startled everyone and landed in the fifties.

This one was even more monstrous, landing in the forties...

The Heaven, Earth, and Human Lists were different from the Hidden Dragon List.

Because the Hidden Dragon List assessed potential, every time it updated, it emphasized the current cultivation level, aiming to highlight cultivation speed, and it didn't need to explain strength. Even if A and B had never met, the Book of Chaos could subjectively deem A's potential higher than B's based on age, cultivation speed, difficulty of achievements, etc., and jump ahead however many places without care.

But the Heaven, Earth, and Human Lists only ranked strength: whoever you defeated, you replaced. It no longer emphasized how much cultivation that person had; if you won, you won—cultivation level no longer mattered. Those you hadn't fought wouldn't be replaced arbitrarily, because only through battle would you know.

This wasn't like the Hidden Dragon List, where you could ride a donkey cart and jump around! Others struggled to move forward one place at a time—how did you leap to forty-four?

People believed that with such a record, Zhao Changhe had definitely broken through the Secret Vault.

Somehow, the Ninth Layer of the Mystic Gate had been quietly breached, and even the Secret Vault was broken... in less than half a year...

Perhaps for Zhao Changhe himself, this was already much longer than his previous bottlenecks, but to the world, it was like, "Are you cheating? Is the Secret Vault so easy to break? Even if it were easy, you've only trained for such a short time. No matter how talented, how fortunate, how fast you break through, skills need repeated practice. You don't even have enough time to practice—how can you wield them as if they were part of your arm? How can you slay a Grandmaster in real combat?"

Zhao Changhe had the advantage of the Heavenly Book, which slowed down every skill frame by frame and analyzed them in detail, so naturally he mastered them more thoroughly. But even so, he was still not proficient enough—Xue Jiaozhu and even Instructor Sun had criticized him.

Yet his combat instincts and intelligence barely made up for this deficiency.

Those who had not witnessed it could never imagine how he managed it; no matter how they thought, they couldn't figure it out. They could only attribute it to a miracle, an unrepeatable miracle.

Eagle Frost sat in the wind and sand of the Western Regions, listening to the distant reed pipe, gazing at the sky.

Xiangyang... seemed very far.

Wang Daozhong, you bastard—you clearly knew he was in Xiangyang, yet you said "failed to stop him," and you tell me he's in the Western Regions?

...

"Father! Father!"

In Qinghe, Cui Yuanyang excitedly kicked open the ancestral hall door: "Brother Zhao is on the Human List! La la la la!"

Cui Wenjing sat cross-legged in the room, the Qinghe Sword resting on his knee as he meditated on something. The door was kicked open; Old Cui opened his eyes, his face as black as the bottom of a pot: "Do you know this is the ancestral hall? You kick the door?"

"Ah... forgot, forgot." Cui Yuanyang smiled apologetically: "I was just wondering if Father was asleep. I thought you should be meditating on the Qinghe Sword Spirit, so you wouldn't be asleep..."

"Very filial, aren't you? Still caring if your father is asleep?"

"Of course, of course."

Cui Wenjing, seeing her leaky demeanor, was furious: "Ranting in the ancestral hall—three months' confinement!"

"Ah?" Cui Yuanyang's face turned green: "Three months! He's in Xiangyang, definitely to help Tang Wanzhuang. At this rate, by the time I leave the mountain, I'll be drinking the full-moon wine of Tang's baby!"

Hearing this, Cui Wenjing also lost his composure, but he felt that sending his daughter rushing south a thousand li just to deliver herself felt particularly awkward. He couldn't describe the taste in his heart.

His son was full of crude words, and his daughter only thought of men.

What sin had the Cui family committed...

He sighed softly: "Alright, what are you so anxious about? Even if he gets together with Tang Wanzhuang, will you make it in time if you rush there now? Zhao Changhe is not an ungrateful man. You wait for him to kick open our Cui family door and ask, 'The three-year agreement has come—where is Yuanyang?' That's the way."

Cui Yuanyang, imagining this scene, immediately had sparkling eyes.

Cui Wenjing glanced sideways at her, thinking that this scene actually rubbed the Cui family's face into the ground, yet this little fool was looking forward to it... Damn it, why was he swearing too?

Not only swearing, but he had brought up the scene himself.

Cui Wenjing waved his hand in despair: "Since your elder brother returned from Yanmen, the Qinghe Sword Spirit has indeed shown signs of returning. Now it's clear what kind of master the Qinghe Sword wants... Although it resonates with you to some extent, it's not entirely suitable. Your opportunity needs to be sought elsewhere... What does that disapproving expression mean?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

"If you're going to engage in domestic strife later, you need the capital to fight. Otherwise, with your current foolishness, you want to play with Tang Wanzhuang? Dream on!" Cui Wenjing slapped his sword and stood up: "I have a task for you."

Cui Yuanyang instinctively straightened her back.

"Go as an envoy to Hongnong, deliver a letter from me to Yang Jingxiu." Cui Wenjing said calmly: "It happens that Old Yang's birthday is coming soon—that's a proper excuse."

"An envoy... what excuse does an envoy need?"

"...The excuse that Zhao Changhe might also go. The Yang of Hongnong participated in the Xiangyang campaign."

Cui Yuanyang jumped up: "I will definitely complete the task!"

Cui Wenjing let out a long sigh: "Is it easy for me?"

How did this guy get on the Human List? And so high?

Now how do people see the Cui family's amusement? Everyone's necks must be craned by now!

But right now, he's with Tang Wanzhuang!

...

"How is it only forty-four? So low!"

Inside the prefectural mansion, Li Si'an was leading a frenzied retaliatory purge, cleaning out the mansion. This was not a time for mercy—no one knew how deeply infiltrated the mansion was, how many were Maitreya cultists.

In fact, even in the lady's room, a Maitreya statue was found.

The Secret Spy Bureau was adept at this. Zhao Changhe didn't bother much, instead hiding in the secret chamber of Da Zhou's Duck Shop to heal.

The prefectural mansion might look safe on the surface, but there was still the possibility of being ambushed by Wang Daozhong and killed. The Duck Shop was better—no one knew where it was.

His shoulder had been pierced by Yu Cixiu's spear light. Earlier, he had forgotten the pain, but after killing Lü Shiheng by force, weakness and exhaustion washed over him. He could barely stand and urgently needed rest.

But while Da Zhou thought he was resting, the first thing he did when he hid in the secret chamber was to grind his teeth and mutter to himself: "Such a low rank, and the number is unlucky—are you giving me a hard time, huh?"

The air was silent; no one answered him.

Normal people knew that Human List rankings could only be determined through battles, but unfortunately Zhao Changhe was not a normal person—it was his first time on the Human List.

"And also, why did you delete the word 'Blood' from my title? The nice seven-character nickname was so smooth—'Blood Asura Zhao Changhe' sounds awkward, doesn't it?"

"'Bloodthirsty' is too tacky... Not only tacky, but it doesn't suit you. You're not bloodthirsty; you just look bloodthirsty." The Blind Woman's voice finally came through, annoyed: "I told you, this isn't controlled by me. The Heavenly Dao honestly reflects the perception of you—that's how it is. 'Blood Asura' is very fitting... If you care, shouldn't you care that the name 'Asura' goes against your chivalrous ideals?"

Zhao Changhe clasped his hands and said: "I think I've always been in an Asura field. This name suits me well."

Blind Woman: "..."

Too lazy to deal with such an idiot; answering him was already a mistake: "If you think forty-four is too low, then climb up yourself. What use is it to come to me?"

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin: "That does make some sense. Doesn't seem hard."

"Don't come to me for nothing. I'm not your portable guide, nor your rant tree hole. I have many things to do."

"But I have matters to attend to," said Zhao Changhe. "Who is that demon behind Maitreya?"

The blind man was silent.

"I know if I ask vaguely who all are there, you won't answer, as if on the verge of self-destruction... But now there's a specific person, already pitted against me—can't you even answer this?"

"When did he pit against you? He's facing Tang Wanzhuang."

"Aren't you talking nonsense? Haven't I already pitted against Maitreya? Next I'll uproot the whole lot—won't I be pitted against this one too?"

"Actually you could just say that pitting against Tang Wanzhuang is the same as pitting against you."

"..."

"Tang Wanzhuang is here. First consider how to heal your wounds."

The blind man's voice abruptly ceased. The next moment, a soft knock came at the door, and Tang Wanzhuang's voice asked quietly, "Are you in meditation? If so, I'll come later."

Zhao Changhe blurted out, "Please come in."