My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

Zhou Changfa and Zhao Hongyuan hurriedly emerged from the side room, their clothes disheveled.

One was wearing only an outer garment, and the other was barefoot, both staring in shock at the scene in the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, there was a corpse lying face up, a throwing knife still trembling on the wooden door, and bloodstains on the ground that had not yet dried.

Immediately afterward, Xue Bao and Chen Xuan appeared beside Lu Ming.

Their eyes quickly swept over Wang Ziru's corpse, then looked up at the golden list in the sky, and soon realized what was going on.

"As expected... it's Wang Ziru, the Daoist priest of the Taiping Dao!"

Chen Xuan stared at Lu Ming in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

It should be noted that Wang Ziru was the second most important figure in Taipingdao of Yinhu County, and the Great Zhao Dynasty had offered a huge reward but had been unable to capture him.

The name "Shadow Walker" had already spread throughout the streets and alleys of Yinhu County.

Although he was at the Marrow Refining Realm, even the several Blood Condensation Realm elders in the county were helpless against him.

However, he was killed by an unknown rogue and directly replaced in the Dragon and Tiger Ranking.

"You were hiding your true strength!"

Xue Bao looked at Lu Ming with a complicated expression, his eyes swirling with uncertainty.

There are only two possibilities if you want to kill a Marrow Refining Realm prodigy on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking.

Either you yourself are a prodigy at the Marrow Refining Realm or above, or your cultivation level is far superior to your opponent's.

Given Wang Ziru's strength, if it were the second scenario, he would at least be a Zhenfu Realm expert who had reached the pinnacle of the seventh level of martial arts.

Clearly, he did not believe that Lu Ming's talent was so terrifying that he could raise his cultivation to the level of Zhenfu in just a few months.

Therefore, there is only one answer:

Lu Ming has not only broken through the Marrow Refining Realm, but also has the demeanor of a prodigy who can fight beyond his level!

For a moment, he couldn't help but feel extremely grateful for his decision to humble himself and give gifts to mend the relationship.

How could one easily offend such a person?

Lu Ming felt utterly helpless at that moment.

He never imagined that the update of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking would result in such an earth-shattering scene.

This completely ruined his carefully crafted plan to "survive" for so long.

He turned to look at Xue Bao and the other man, and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Lord Xue and Lord Chen. Today, seeing this villain's intrusion, I fought desperately to kill him, but I never expected it to cause such a commotion."

As he spoke, he pointed with a wry smile to the golden list in the sky:

"My lords, do you know what's going on?"

Xue Bao and Chen Xuan exchanged a glance, and Xue Bao secretly rolled his eyes.

A desperate kill?

If you bleed even a single drop, we will seriously consider the veracity of that statement.

However, the two men showed no sign of surprise. Instead, they quickly returned the greeting with clasped hands, not daring to be presumptuous in the slightest.

"The Dragon and Tiger List is a national treasure of our Great Zhao Dynasty. It is said that it was forged by the two pillar gods of the Great Zhao Dynasty with their supreme supernatural powers and the national fortune of the Great Zhao Dynasty."

Xue Bao gazed at the golden list in the sky, his tone tinged with awe:

"No matter when or where, any change in the ranking of those on the Dragon and Tiger List will be sensed by it and thus manifest in the world."

Chen Xuan also looked up, his face showing admiration:

"Indeed, the Dragon and Tiger List has gathered all the geniuses of the Great Zhao Dynasty, leaving no other talents in the wilderness, and no more pearls left in the vast sea. My Yinhu County has not produced a genius on the Dragon and Tiger List for ten years now."

"Last time, it was Wang Bantou who ranked eighty-third on the Dragon and Tiger List under the name 'Evil Tiger'."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming's heart stirred; Wang An was indeed no pushover.

Being ranked 83rd on the Dragon and Tiger List means that he was stronger than Wang Ziru ten years ago.

Now, after a decade of reflection, who knows where he has come from?

His heart felt incredibly heavy.

No matter how many evil deeds the other party has committed, he always believed that character and ability have nothing to do with each other.

Wang An's true strength is probably greater than anyone imagines.

But then, he frowned.

The more I look at this list of dragons and tigers, the more it resembles Bai Xiaosheng's "Weapon Ranking".

By using the list as a means to discover the talents of the world, and then by displaying their divine power throughout the world, they can spread their fame and let the world admire their heroic figures.

With such temptation, how many passionate young people could resist?

He knew without even thinking how fierce the ranking battles behind the Dragon and Tiger List would be.

Just then, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.

"Lu Ming, are you alright?"

Fan Wu rushed in looking anxious, his clothes askew.

"It's nothing, just a false alarm."

Lu Ming smiled and comforted him.

Immediately afterwards, countless Yin Tiger Guards gradually gathered outside the courtyard gate, staring in disbelief at the strange phenomenon in the sky.

"The Dragon and Tiger Rankings...it's the Dragon and Tiger Rankings!"

"Centurion Lu has actually killed the Taoist priest of the Taiping Dao, and his name has been added to the Dragon and Tiger List!"

"I knew it! Following Centurion Lu was the right choice!"

Exclamations and snickers filled the air from the crowd.

However, many people stared at Wang Ziru's body from afar, their eyes darting around.

Lu Ming glanced at them and noted them down in his mind.

"Alright... everyone can go now!"

Seeing that more and more people were gathering, Xue Bao shouted and dispersed them.

Immediately afterwards, he and Chen Xuan bowed and took their leave.

They need to go back and carefully consider how to deal with this unexpectedly rising star from humble beginnings.

They knew that from now on, Lu Ming had become an undeniable presence in Yinhu County.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Lu Ming looked up at the fading golden list, a strange glint flashing in his eyes:

"Now, what will you do?"

The words were murmured and drifted away on the night breeze.

……

The winds of Qianmu Mountain are fierce and bleak.

A huge black eagle soared over the mountain, its wingtips whipping up boulders that tumbled down the cliff edge.

A gaunt, white-haired Taoist priest held a single-section wooden staff, looking up at the dragon and tiger holding the golden list in the sky. A barely perceptible ripple flashed in his calm eyes.

"Is Wang Ziru... dead?" he murmured to himself.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind him, and a young Taoist priest hurried over, bowing respectfully.

"The chief priest has died; should we change our plans?"

Yun Changfeng lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then spoke calmly:

"No need, he wasn't supposed to be involved in this plan anyway. How could I not know about all the little tricks he's been up to behind the scenes?"

He paused suddenly, a hint of helplessness in his eyes:

"Sacrifices are inevitable when undertaking great tasks, as are acts of concealing filth and corruption."

The young Taoist priest remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "That Lu Ming..."

A cold glint flashed in Yun Changfeng's eyes:

"For the sake of peace and tranquility, no one is exempt from sacrifice."

……

Tiger Roaring Peak, the summit of the mountain.

Lianfeng gently sways the feather fan, quietly listening to the turbulent winds and clouds, the roars of dragons and tigers.

The night wind whipped his robes wildly as he gazed at the dissipating golden pillar of light in the distance, a slow smile creeping onto his lips.

"Hehe, Lu Ming, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Then his gaze shifted to the direction of Thousand Eyes Mountain, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes:

"Great and wise teacher, I am but a mayfly, though I am not talented enough, yet I am willing to make my own move in this grand scheme of things."

……

Yinhu County, County Government Office.

Liu Zhiyuan stepped out of the hall, stroked his beard, looked at the golden light that filled the sky, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

The golden light cast flickering shadows on his face, making his usually smiling face appear somewhat unfathomable.

"My lord, this Lord Lu seems to be hiding his true nature quite well," the steward said softly as he stepped forward.

Liu Zhiyuan remained noncommittal, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light:

"That's good, otherwise I was really worried that he would be completely fooled by Wang An."

Then, he changed the subject:

"But we can't be too careless! Otherwise, if we get bitten by our own dog, wouldn't we become a laughing stock?"

After saying that, he glanced at the butler.

The butler immediately understood, stepped forward, and bowed to receive instructions.

"You urgently send a letter urging him to act quickly, and at the same time send someone else..."

Liu Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes and quickly revealed his wicked plan.

The butler nodded and quickly left.

……

The Wang family's back garden.

"Cough cough cough..."

Wang An lay pale-faced on a rattan chair, covered with a thin blanket.

When the Dragon and Tiger Rankings were revealed, his already pale face suddenly darkened.

At this moment, a middle-aged man with a square face walked over quickly.

Wang Lie, the head of the Wang family and father of Wang Chenghu and Wang Chengbao.

"Third brother, you once told me to keep a close eye on this person. Now that he's on the Dragon and Tiger List, we must..."

He walked up to Wang An and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Wang An sighed deeply, a rare look of fatigue appearing on his face, and gave him a helpless glance:

"Kill him? Who's going to do it?"

Wang Lie's expression froze.

Now, after repeated attacks by Liu Zhiyuan and the Taiping Dao, the four powerful clans of Yinhu County have lost all their strength and their elite forces have been wiped out.

Lu Ming's inclusion on the Dragon and Tiger List means that even a Marrow Refining Realm expert like him would be doomed if he went there.

Ultimately, only his third brother had the ability to kill the other party.

But now, seeing his third brother's miserable state, his face darkened, and he could say nothing more.

Wang An also looked serious. He had a vague feeling that if this situation wasn't handled well, the days of the four powerful families might really be over.

He pondered for a moment, then looked at Wang Lie and said in a deep voice:

"In that case, arrange for a portion of the clan's elite to prepare for evacuation, and at the same time, quickly mobilize the remaining Bone Forging Realm experts..."

The voices grew softer, until only the two of them could hear them.

Wang Lie felt heavy-hearted and listened attentively.

He knew that his third brother was making the worst-case scenario plan.

But he did not hesitate at all and quickly went down to make arrangements.

"Heh... Taiping Dao, Liu Zhiyuan... almost there, just hold on a little longer..."

Wang An watched the golden light gradually fade in the sky and chuckled softly.

Once the Divine General sweeps away the enemy and pacifies the world, this world will ultimately belong to these powerful and aristocratic families.

……

Outside the Lu residence, in a secluded alley.

A figure stared at the golden list in the sky, his eyes filled with horror:

"Wang Ziru...is he dead?"

He could hardly believe that the person who ran faster than a rabbit when trouble arose had actually died.

He once thought that even if the chief priest died, the other party would live a good life.

However, he has now died just like that, becoming a stepping stone for an ordinary boy.

"Lu Ming was actually hiding his cultivation level..."

He murmured to himself, his eyes filled with shock.

In just a few months, he had leaped several realms from an ordinary mortal to the Bone Forging stage. Such speed was already extremely difficult for him to accept.

But Wang Ziru's death dealt him a heavy blow.

Marrow Refining?

Or is it blood clotting?

or……

His eyes twitched incessantly.

It should be noted that Wang Ziru had escaped from the clutches of several top-tier prodigies in the Blood Condensation Realm on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking.

But this time, he couldn't escape Lu Ming's clutches.

What does this mean?

For a moment, he began to hesitate.

Should we take action?

Lu Ming is probably at least at the Marrow Refining Realm now, so offending him would be extremely unwise.

However, if one can seize upon his weakness and bring him back to the sect, he will surely receive a great reward, and his status and cultivation will be greatly enhanced.

In the darkness, his expression shifted constantly, finally culminating in a gritted teeth:

"Fine, murder and arson bring wealth and honor, while repairing bridges and roads leaves no trace. Let's do it! At worst, I'll just run away after this job; he can't possibly chase after me!"