Ten Directions Sword Master

A blue carriage moved smoothly, its interior lined with thick felt, and the charcoal stove glowed red-hot, providing warmth like spring.

There is also a spacious area behind the two rows of seats, covered with soft carpet, making it convenient to take a nap when you are tired during the journey.

Two men and a woman sat in the car. Some were reading, some were resting with their eyes closed, and only the youngest girl's eyes darted around, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

"Senior Brother Nan, do you think there's a chance we'll meet Qu Shui Sword King Rui, who's ranked third on the Human Ranking, on this trip to Wu County?"

The girl had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a beautiful face, still retaining a touch of childishness.

"We're heading to Wucheng, while the Sword King Rui of Naqushui is in Qu'a, which is a hundred and eight thousand miles away. Junior Sister, don't worry about it!"

Nan Henshui opened her eyes and said helplessly.

This Song Yuming was quite different from what I had expected; she was lively and active, and kept asking questions after getting into the carriage.

After being rebuffed by Lu Li, they set their sights on Nan Henshui.

More than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Having calculated the time perfectly, Yu Ziqi led three disciples, packed their belongings, and sought out a fellow merchant from Yuzhang who was traveling to Wujun to do business.

With high-ranking members of Bailu Academy traveling with them, this trading company was naturally eager to do so, and set aside two carriages, one for Yu Ziqi and the other for the three disciples.

The Crimson Fire Secret Realm is located in Wucheng County, Wujun. You can take a horse-drawn carriage along the official road and then switch to a waterway. It takes about half a month to get there.

"Third on the Human Ranking... What is this person's cultivation level?"

Lu Li put down his book and joined the conversation for the first time.

These days, he has not made any further breakthroughs in his swordsmanship, but he has successfully advanced to the peak of Qi Refining.

The internal energy in the acupoints is abundant, and the whole body swells.

Once one's internal energy is refined to perfection and breaks through the acupoints, one will become a Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist.

Some people cross this hurdle in a few months, while others are trapped for five or six years.

Lu Li is now used to using the Nebula Compass to count, and his goal is to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage within two compass worlds.

I only joined in because I heard about a topic that interested me.

Being ranked third on the list means you're among the strongest of your generation, giving you a glimpse into the gap between yourself and the world's top geniuses.

"Senior Brother Lu, you don't even know about Young Hero Wang's information? I thought someone of your stature would be most concerned about the top experts on the Human Ranking!"

Song Yuming puffed out her cheeks and said in surprise.

"Senior Brother Lu only cares about the sword and doesn't pay much attention to external affairs. Otherwise, how would he have acquired such extraordinary swordsmanship?"

Nan Henshui chimed in, worried that the naive Song Yuming might offend Lu Li.

"Wang Rui is a direct descendant of the Langya Wang clan. He specializes in the Poetry and Prose section of the family's Seven Strategies Sword Manual. His Flowing Wine Sword Technique is praised as a battle that is as elegant as an elegant gathering, killing people with ease and laughter... He has already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment and is ranked third on the Human Ranking. However, he will exceed the age limit next year, so it will probably be difficult for him to reach the top of the Human Ranking."

"At twenty-three years old, Foundation Establishment complete..."

Lu Li's lips twitched. He knew that there was no shortage of geniuses in the world, but compared with the top geniuses, they were worlds apart. If it weren't for the Lucky Compass, he could only sigh in despair.

"The difference between the top and bottom of this ranking is quite significant."

"Senior Brother Lu may not know that Jiang Linhai of Yuelu Academy has fallen off the latest list of top students because he has no outstanding achievements."

Song Yuming found an opportunity and quietly interjected.

Lu Li asked, puzzled, "Jiang Linhai just won first place in the Four Academies Competition, defeating all the disciples. How can he now be said to have no outstanding achievements?"

"In the eyes of those high-ranking officials in the Privy Council, what is the competition between the four councils? They don't even have a worthy opponent... If they can't win decisively, they'll lose points instead."

Nan Henshui could tell that Lu Li hadn't delved into this knowledge, so she explained.

"In fact, the names at the bottom of the list often change, which is jokingly referred to as 'one-round exit'... If you can't consistently make some big moves to get the Privy Council's attention, any newcomer can pop up and push you off the list."

"Why are all the counties crying out that the ranking is unfair and biased towards the sons of Wu County? It's simply because the capital is here, and spies can deliver the most detailed intelligence to the Privy Council in a timely manner. Intelligence from other counties, due to manpower and distance, is often not timely and is not very accurate. All these factors combined have led to the sons of Wu County accounting for nearly one-third of the ranking."

Nan Henshui's eyes revealed longing. What young man doesn't yearn for fine clothes and spirited horses, with his chivalrous name spreading throughout the land? "If you want to become famous, come to Wu County. This is a golden rule... A public competition in Wu County is worth at least ten competitions in other counties for the selection of the rankings!"

Lu Li listened with great interest, realizing that he had previously only known how to learn swordsmanship and explore the Compass World, and knew too little about the real world outside.

There are so many intricacies to this list of people; it's truly eye-opening.

Starting with Qu Shui Jian Wang Rui, the three began discussing everything from rising stars on the Human Ranking to the state of the martial arts world and important matters in the imperial court. Nan Henshui was able to talk about everything with great ease and insight.

This made Lu Li look at him with new respect. He wondered if he had an aunt who was a concubine and thus had access to many inside stories.

The Buddhist temples, the Taoist temples, and the five great families—all these top-tier forces have Grandmasters at the True Person Realm in charge.

It's hard to say about the forces below them.

On the surface, there is none, but whether there is an ancestor still alive in secret is anyone's guess.

Just like Yuelu Academy, the previous abbot Ning Daonan's true lineage Dharma body entered the realm of a true person.

He has not set foot in the world for thirty years, and is over one hundred and fifty years old.

A True Person Realm Grandmaster can extend their lifespan by 60 years, so as long as they don't show themselves, whether they are still alive or not can only be guessed by outsiders except for the sect's high-ranking members.

There is another force that is often overlooked by the world, whose top combat power is no less than that of any other family, and that is the Great Chu royal family.

Excluding the members of the major aristocratic families in the court, there are also the General of Jingyuan, the Deputy Privy Councilor, the Prince of Xuanwei, and three half-step Dharma Body cultivators.

Among the royal family was a prince who was the emperor's great-uncle. He had only made a few moves, but he was confirmed by all parties to be a master of the True Person Realm.

Add to that the large number of members of the Refining Spirit Realm clan and the powerful figures from all sides attracted by the imperial court's resources, and the Xiong Clan of Great Chu is truly the number one family in the world.

"When you think about it this way, Bailu Academy is really nothing special in Yuzhang. No wonder Gu Jingyu was saying that you shouldn't be arrogant when you're out in the world. Your background is not enough to rely on... The academy's disciples are used to looking down on everyone in Yuzhang. They don't know their own limitations. In fact, without the reputation of the four great academies, it's hard to say whether they can even be ranked as a second-tier power."

Lu Li counted them all and came to a pessimistic conclusion.

"Forget it, given my performance back then, I was only able to get into Bailu Academy through connections. How could I possibly talk about the two temples and their values... Besides, those places have too many rules and too many factions, making it too difficult to stand out. And with a True Person Realm Grandmaster by my side, constantly disappearing and reappearing, it would be too easy to be exposed."

Once the Dharma Body is condensed, incredible supernatural powers will be available, and it can no longer be viewed from the perspective of a martial artist.

Otherwise, there would be no such title as "land deity".

The Nebula Compass itself will not be discovered, but if a True Realm Grandmaster captures the moment Lu Li leaves and returns to the Compass World each time he travels there, they will immediately understand that he is hiding a huge secret.

I can't imagine what methods a grandmaster could use when it comes to such a time-space treasure, or what kind of situation I would find myself in.