This person's identity and age are unknown, making him incredibly mysterious. He possesses exceptional martial arts skills, with exceptionally profound internal energy and formidable defensive capabilities. Commanding the 108 Green-Clad Towers, he is considered a rare and powerful figure.
The Tenth in the World: Lu Xiaofeng
This man was probably in his thirties, highly skilled in martial arts, quick-witted, and his signature move, the "Spiritual Finger," had never failed him. Although many people were more skilled than him, he had one unique characteristic: he was extremely intelligent.
In battle, this person can easily maximize the advantages of timing, location, and human factors, turning every unfavorable condition into an advantageous one. Even when at a disadvantage, they can effortlessly unleash ten, twelve, or even fifteen times their full power. Therefore, they are ranked tenth in the world.
"How is it?" Lin Yang asked with a smile, looking at the astonished Li Yanbei.
"I've heard of Elder Mu Daoren of Wudang, Abbot Dabei Chanshi of Shaolin, Dugu Yihe, the leader of Emei Sect, Ye Gucheng, the Lord of Baiyun City, and even Yu Luosha, the leader of the Western Demonic Sect. With their martial arts skills and status, it's not unreasonable for them to be on the list."
"I've met Lu Xiaofeng before. He's very clever and intelligent, and in terms of martial arts, he might be better than me. But what makes him worthy of being ranked tenth on the Heavenly Ranking?"
"Furthermore, is this old man on the nameless island really that powerful? Even the third-ranked monk among the four great monks, the honest monk who claims to never lie, is actually his subordinate? And those women in red shoes who are very good at making money are also his subordinates."
"Moreover, this Gong Jiu is actually a royal heir. But which heir is he? Could this matter involve a rebellion?"
"And another thing, is this Ghost Manor really that terrifying? How could it harbor so many vicious and wicked people? Aren't they afraid of being attacked by major sects like Shaolin and Wudang?" Li Yanbei kept asking questions like a machine gun.
These questions are truly fascinating. It's safe to say that by then, not only Li Yanbei will have these questions, but everyone in the world will.
When the whole world is interested, can the Invisible Man organization continue to remain invisible? Can the old man, just like in the original story, sit back and not care about anything?
What will Mu Daoren, the actual mastermind, do?
With so many experts to fight, would Ye Gucheng be so bored that he decided to rebel?
With so many goals, will Ximen Chuixue's strength improve even faster?
These things are not only of interest to Li Yanbei, but also to Lin Yang. It's believed that the entire martial arts world will become quite lively.
"By the way, sir, since the Dragon Ranking lists the top ten masters in the world, what about the Tiger Ranking?" Li Yanbei asked shamelessly.
“Unlike the Dragon Ranking, the Tiger Ranking is mostly comprised of young masters. They represent the future of the entire martial arts world,” Lin Yang said with a smile.
Moreover, and more importantly, the Dragon List only has ten spots, and those on it are basically big shots in the martial arts world, or people with friends all over the world. Ordinary people really can't afford to offend them. It just generates more buzz. But in reality, the resulting martial arts battles are actually less frequent.
But the Tiger List is different; it has a full one hundred spots. That many spots are enough to make those young martial arts heroes fight tooth and nail for them.
Your Emei Sect has its Three Heroes and Four Outstanding Figures, and my Wudang Sect might just produce its Seven Masters of Wudang. Shaolin Temple might even have a new generation of Four Great Monks. And the Huashan Sect could even create its own Seven Swordsmen of Huashan.
In addition, there are countless young heroes and heroines who have just entered the martial arts world, all of whom have a chance to be listed. A single careless mistake, or even a casual remark like "What are you looking at?" or "What's it to you?", could trigger numerous murders among these young heroes and heroines.
Upon hearing this, Li Yanbei opened the Tiger Ranking and began to examine it. To be honest, he was quite interested in these young heroes at this moment.
Tiger List No. 1: Ximen Chuixue
Although this person's martial arts skills are not yet fully developed, he is particularly adept at killing. Moreover, when it comes to the sword, if anyone has the best chance of challenging the Lord of White Cloud City in the way of the sword, it is none other than this young man.
Many who are of equal or even greater strength than him could very well die at his hands if they are not careful. Therefore, he is ranked first on the Tiger List. Even experts on the Heaven List who want to defeat him at this moment need to be prepared to be seriously injured or even killed.
(At this point, the plot has not yet unfolded. Ximen Chuixue has neither married nor experienced the catalyst of romance, nor has he engaged in his fateful battle with Ye Gucheng. Therefore, his strength is truly not great, at least not to the level of Mu Daoren or Ye Gucheng.)
Second on the Tiger List: Huo Tianqing
This man was born when the Heavenly Bird Elder was seventy-seven years old, and he had many top experts of the older generation under his command, such as the Heavenly Pine and Cloud Crane Elders and the Two Elders of Shangshan. Now, he is the sole heir of the Heavenly Bird Sect.
His Phoenix Twin Flight technique and the art of exhaling and returning breath are incredibly stunning. Even a top-ranked expert could fall victim to this move if caught off guard. However, this person is far too arrogant. If used skillfully, dealing with him could have unexpected consequences.
Third on the Tiger List: Gongsun Da Niang
This woman is a rare beauty, rumored to be a descendant of the Tang Dynasty sword saint Gongsun. Her sword dance is exceptionally beautiful. She can wield two swords within a range of over ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), and even a top-ranked expert would have a headache if she wasn't careful.
In terms of swordsmanship alone, he was not even inferior to Ximen Chuixue. But it was precisely because of this that he was too arrogant and adept at using this advantage; a single thread was enough to kill her.
In addition, this woman is also the leader of the Red Shoes group. It is said that she has many aliases in the martial arts world, such as the Female Butcher, Peach Blossom Bee, Five Poison Lady, and Granny Bear, etc. Of course, this news is just hearsay and has not been verified.
Fourth on the Tiger List...
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Chapter Twenty-Seven: Lu Xiaofeng, Tenth on the Heavenly Ranking
Li Yanbei quickly finished reading the entire Tiger List. At this point, he was so surprised that he couldn't speak.
"Are there really so many masters in the martial world?" Li Yanbei asked, his face pale. If what's on this list is true, then this martial world is far too terrifying.
“Of course it’s true. By the way, next, you need to accidentally leak these two lists. At that time, the imperial court will neither admit nor deny them. You know what to do, right?” Lin Yang said with a smile.
"I know, I know," Li Yanbei nodded hurriedly, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He had already been quite ruthless in the past, but compared to the Grand Preceptor before him, he was still too kind.
"By the way, don't rush. If the Dragon and Tiger Ranking is very effective, maybe in a few months there will be a Young Hero Ranking and a Heroine Ranking based on appearance, and a Ranking based on family background..."
Upon hearing this, Li Yanbei ran off without looking back. Compared to the Imperial Advisor, he was truly too kind.
...
In the blink of an eye, a month has passed. Speaking of which, the entire martial arts world has been in some chaos for the past two weeks. The reason for this chaos is quite simple.
Li Yanbei, a powerful figure in the capital and a henchman of the imperial court, became an instant sensation after accidentally revealing information about the Dragon and Tiger List while drunk.
Nowadays, anyone who's involved in the martial arts world knows about the Dragon and Tiger Rankings. The Dragon Ranking is known as the top ten masters in the world, while the Tiger Ranking is known as the top one hundred young talents of the younger generation.
The list of these people was obtained by powerful figures in the martial arts world the moment the list was first revealed.
Many renowned figures in the martial arts world reacted with disbelief, saying, "How come I'm not on the list? This is illogical!"
However, after many renowned masters in the martial arts world went to challenge the masters on the Heavenly Ranking and were all defeated, people gradually came to believe in what the Heavenly Ranking said.