Douluo Continent: I had just reached my limit when the sky exposed me.

Chapter 174 Power Ranking, Ninth
Beidou Academy.

Lu Xiao and the main members of the academy are also paying attention to the rankings.

Upon seeing the Elephant Armor Sect listed and receiving rewards, the crowd reacted in various ways.

Ning Rongrong blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, "Dean, what is this 'luck blessing'? Is it really that magical?"

Ye Lingling also cast a probing glance her way.

Zhu Zhuqing spoke coldly: "The overall cultivation speed has increased by 10%, and this lasts for a year... This effect is astonishing."

"The Elephant Armor Sect is known for its defense and strength. Most of its disciples cultivate solidly but slowly. With this acceleration, the number and quality of their mid-level Soul Masters will probably be raised by a level in a year."

Dugu Yan nodded: "That's right. It seems that the rewards of this power ranking are more inclined to improve the overall potential and future of the power, rather than immediately boosting the top combat power."

Lu Xiao smiled slightly and explained, "The concept of destiny is indeed profound; it is not something ethereal or illusory."

"Those who are blessed with good fortune are like sailing with the current, achieving twice the results with half the effort, and are more likely to encounter good teachers and helpful friends, obtain valuable resources, and avoid fatal crises."

"On the contrary, it's like sailing against the current, with obstacles everywhere. The Heavenly Curtain directly rewards luck, so their future development will be much smoother."

"As for accelerating cultivation, it directly affects the foundation of the power, and the effect is immediate."

He glanced at the crowd and continued, "This is also an inspiration for our Beidou Academy. If our academy is on the list, the rewards we receive may be even more generous."

"At that time, your growth rate may far exceed what the outside world imagines."

"However, external forces are ultimately just aids; the foundation must be solidified by oneself."

Li Bai took a swig of wine and laughed, "Who cares about any reward? Strength is what matters."

Lu Bu said proudly, "The Dean is absolutely right. No matter how good the reward is, one must have the ability to accept it and make good use of it."

……

Just then, above the sky!
Golden light began to surge again, and new characters began to coalesce.

Everyone's attention was drawn back to the scene.

The tenth place is the Elephant Armor Sect!
Who will be in ninth place?
All forces on the mainland are on edge once again.

And this battle for rankings, which concerns fortune and the future, has only just begun.

[Douluo Continent Power Ranking, Ninth Place: Heaven Dou Empire Royal Family]

[Reason for Ranking]: The ancient imperial family, with its long and rich history, outwardly possesses one Title Douluo, several Soul Douluo and Soul Saint level experts, and controls a large regular army and Soul Master legion. However, due to repeated infiltration and sabotage by unknown forces in recent years, the empire's national strength has been depleted, the imperial family's prestige has been damaged, and internal problems have arisen. Therefore, it ranks ninth.

[Ranking Rewards]:
1. Imperial Fortune Stable: Fortune Power permanently increased by 10%.

2. Royal Cultivation Bonus: Within the next year, core members of the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family, their direct loyal guards, and court soul masters will experience a 15% increase in cultivation speed when cultivating in the royal palace and designated cultivation locations.

3. Resource replenishment: Five Soul Bones of 10,000-year quality will be awarded as a reward.

4. Divine Grace: Rewards three divinely bestowed spirit rings (can be used by designated spirit masters of the royal family, with the highest possible spirit ring age being 100,000 years).

……

Ninth place: The royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire!

The moment this ranking was released, it sparked an even more intense wave of discussion across the entire continent than when the Elephant Armor Sect was on the list!
"What? The Heaven Dou Empire's royal family is only ranked ninth?"

"Even the Heaven Dou Empire is only ranked ninth? This... this ranking's criteria are too strict, aren't they?"

"The Heaven Dou Empire is one of the two great empires on the continent! It has a territory of tens of thousands of miles, countless troops, and titled Douluo as its retainers... How come it can't even make it into the top eight?"

"Look at the reasons! Due to infiltration and sabotage by unknown forces, the national strength has been depleted. My God, could it be that the Heavenly Dou Empire has really encountered serious internal problems in recent years?"

"An unknown force? Which force would dare to attack the Heaven Dou Empire? The Spirit Hall? Or...?"

"The proportion of top-tier experts is indeed very important! The Heaven Dou Empire only has one Title Douluo on the surface, which is not enough in the face of truly top-tier forces. No matter how large the army is, without top-tier experts in charge, its deterrent power is limited."

"..."

Shock, doubt, analysis, emotion...

A cacophony of voices arose. The ranking of the Heavenly Dou Empire undoubtedly served as a wake-up call for all forces.

Territory and military size are not absolute factors in determining rankings!
The quantity and quality of top-tier combat power, the internal cohesion and health of a faction, and potential threats are all of paramount importance!

The phrase "infiltration and sabotage by unknown forces" is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up countless speculative and vigilant glances.

Many astute high-ranking members of various factions couldn't help but turn their attention towards the Spirit Hall.

……

The Heavenly Dou Empire, Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

Emperor Xueye stood alone by the window, his once rosy complexion now ashen.

He stared intently at the words on the sky: "Due to the infiltration and sabotage of unknown forces, the nation's strength has been depleted and the prestige of the royal family has been damaged."

A surge of resentment and anger welled up in his chest, almost bursting forth, but he forcefully suppressed it, transforming it into a bone-chilling cold.

"Unidentified forces...infiltrated and sabotaged!"

Emperor Xueye repeated in a low voice, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

The empire's national strength has indeed been slowly declining over the years!
Various seemingly unexpected disasters, depletion of resource points, the inexplicable deaths or defections of officials in key positions, local instability...

He had been suspicious all along and had secretly sent people to investigate, but the leads always went cold.

It was as if an invisible hand was secretly manipulating everything, erasing all traces completely.

He had suspected the Star Luo Empire, but although there were frictions between the two countries, they were far from reaching the level of such comprehensive and highly covert infiltration and sabotage.

He also suspected certain ambitious nobles or sects within the country, but they seemed to lack such enormous power and motivation.

Until this moment, the sky was pierced!
Although no names were mentioned, the clues, especially those behind many events within the empire, all pointed to a behemoth—the Spirit Hall!

Emperor Xueye was almost certain that it was them!
"The Spirit Hall! What a Spirit Hall! Maintaining neutrality on the surface, yet secretly engaging in such despicable acts!"

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Snow Night Emperor.

He recalled some of the policies that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had strongly advocated before!
While seemingly for the sake of the empire, there is actually a subtle tendency to weaken the authority of the royal family and support forces close to the Spirit Hall...

And then there are those officials who were planted there, whose backgrounds are somewhat questionable…

A strong sense of crisis and a determination welled up in my heart.

"Can't wait any longer!"

Emperor Xueye whirled around and said in a deep voice to the shadows, "Shadow Guard!"

A blurry figure silently appeared, kneeling on one knee: "Your Majesty!"

"Issue my secret order: First, immediately activate the Clean Source Plan. All suspicious individuals on the list are to be closely monitored, and any unusual activity must be immediately controlled! Pay special attention to monitoring the Crown Prince's palace and officials who have close ties with him!"

"Second, secretly contact Marshal Goron and have him, under the guise of a drill, mobilize the most loyal Royal Soul Master Legion and a portion of the Imperial Guard to secretly station themselves outside the Imperial City and await orders!"

"Third, strengthen all defenses and sentry posts inside and outside the palace, especially key areas such as the treasury and confidential archives, raising the security level to the highest level!"

A series of commands were issued quickly!
This demonstrates the old emperor's decisiveness and skill at crucial moments.

The warning from the sky, coupled with the impending crisis from external enemies, forced him to draw his sword prematurely.

Eliminate internal threats and consolidate imperial power!
"Yes!"

The shadow guard accepted the order, his figure disappearing back into the shadows.

On a snowy night, the Emperor looked towards the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, his gaze complex.

There was both heartache and resolve.

Regardless of whether Xue Qinghe really has a problem, he must prepare for the worst.

(End of this chapter)