Chapter 254: Weapon Ranking List

Chapter 254: Weapon Ranking List

"Please continue. The music is beautiful, and the Hu Se is deeply moving—played with such emotion." Ning Xiaochuan spoke sincerely. Both Yu Ningsheng and Xiao Yizhi were masters of music, their refined talent truly admirable.

Ning Xiaochuan led Xie Mengyao and Situ Fengwu into the room and closed the door behind them.

This side room was one Ning Xiaochuan had specifically rented from Yu Ningsheng to stay in temporarily, hiding from the pursuit of the Millennium Ancient Demon and the powerful experts of the Lifeless Dao.

Xiao Yizhi felt a chilling wave of Freezing Energy, goosebumps rising on his neck. He quickly excused himself, "Lady Ningsheng, I shall take my leave now."

As a member of the Demonic Martial Artists, Xiao Yizhi was well aware of Yu Ningsheng’s identity and treated her with great respect.

At the same time, he also knew of her relationship with Ning Xiaochuan, so he made himself scarce without delay.

Yu Ningsheng sat in the bamboo pavilion, dressed in snow-white robes, her beautiful eyes fixed on the lamplight glowing from Ning Xiaochuan’s room. On the paper screen, she could see the silhouettes of three figures.

Her fingers tightened around the Hu Se, gripping it so hard it cracked. "He actually brought two women into his room so brazenly and closed the door behind them? There are so many beautiful women in the Jade Viewing Tower—why didn’t he just find someone there instead of bringing outsiders in? He’s doing this on purpose. He must be doing it on purpose, deliberately bringing two women to provoke me, wanting to see if I care. Hah, as if I would care."

Yu Ningsheng smiled faintly.

Yet she remained seated in the bamboo pavilion, quietly extending her mental transmission to observe what Ning Xiaochuan and those two women were doing inside the room.

Ning Xiaochuan sat in a chair, a brush in his hand.

Situ Fengwu stood beside him, grinding ink like a beautiful maidservant.

After a moment of contemplation, Ning Xiaochuan dipped the brush in ink and wrote five bold, powerful characters on the scroll:

《Weapon Ranking List》

Having written these five words, he set the brush down.

Xie Mengyao leaned her soft, snow-white figure closer to glance at the scroll. Parting her red lips, she asked, "Manor Lord, what do these five words… mean?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "These five words can control the tides of the world."

Situ Fengwu, who had been grinding ink, also looked at the scroll but couldn’t fathom how these five characters could possibly relate to the world’s grand schemes.

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t wearing a mask, so Situ Fengwu naturally recognized him.

When she realized that the Manor Lord of Ghost Manor, "Young Master Chuan," was actually Ning Xiaochuan, her heart was shaken to the core.

In her eyes, Young Master Chuan was a terrifyingly infamous demon, someone who, despite his youthful appearance, was likely over fifty years old in reality. Yet she never imagined that Young Master Chuan was genuinely young—not even twenty.

To be so young and yet possess such terrifying martial prowess, such profound cunning, and even command an entire Ghost Manor—if he were allowed to grow for another ten years, what heights would he reach?

Even the Crown Prince, with his dazzling talent, might one day be overshadowed by him.

When Ning Xiaochuan decided to subdue Situ Fengwu, he had no intention of hiding his identity from her. Even if she knew the truth, he was confident in his ability to control her.

If even a wild horse could be tamed, how much easier would it be to tame a woman?

Ning Xiaochuan stared at the five words on the scroll and said, "Situ Fengwu, as the esteemed young lady of the Situ Family, you must be well-informed. Do you know which powerful Mystic Artifacts and weapons exist in the Yulan Empire, and who holds them?"

Situ Fengwu, being erudite and knowledgeable, replied, "Weapons are categorized into ordinary weapons and 'Mystic Artifacts.' Mystic Artifacts are further divided into nine grades, and above them lies the so-called 'Supreme Imperial Artifacts.'"

"Supreme Imperial Artifacts?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

When it came to understanding the martial world, Ning Xiaochuan was indeed less knowledgeable than someone like Situ Fengwu, who had been born into a prestigious family. After all, Ning Xiaochuan had devoted most of his efforts to alchemy and cultivation.

Mystic Artifacts of the seventh grade and above were already immensely powerful, capable of splitting rivers and toppling mountains, sufficient to guard a sect and deter troublemakers.

As for eighth-grade and ninth-grade Mystic Artifacts, they were legendary divine weapons. When fully unleashed, they could easily destroy an entire city.

The Jian Pavilion Pagoda, the guardian artifact of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, was a formidable ninth-grade Mystic Artifact forged from nine minor realms. Though Ning Xiaochuan had never witnessed its full destructive power, according to the Old Marquis, if the Jian Pavilion Pagoda were unleashed at full force, it could obliterate half of the Imperial City in a single strike, sending millions to the Yellow Springs.

If the Old Marquis's words were true, then ninth-grade Mystic Artifacts already possessed the power to awe the world.

Supreme Imperial Artifacts were even more terrifying than ninth-grade Mystic Artifacts, and Ning Xiaochuan was naturally quite curious.

Situ Fengwu said, "In truth, Supreme Imperial Artifacts are more like legends. For example, the 'Heavenly Bell' in the Emperor's Martial Palace is said to be a Supreme Imperial Artifact, but no one has ever used it, making it all just speculation without proof."

She suddenly recalled that Ning Xiaochuan had once managed to ring the Heavenly Bell and couldn't help but feel a hint of admiration for him. After all, being able to shake a Supreme Imperial Artifact was no small feat.

Ning Xiaochuan noted down the "Heavenly Bell" on the scroll and asked, "Have you heard of any other Supreme Imperial Artifacts?"

Situ Fengwu pondered for a moment before answering, "Legend has it that the 'Heavenly Emperor's Blade' is also a Supreme Imperial Artifact, though some say it's a Quasi-God artifact. However, anything at the level of a Supreme Imperial Artifact is beyond the comprehension of Martial Artists in the Yulan Empire—no one can even identify them. Still, the Heavenly Emperor's Blade was once the personal weapon of the Heavenly Emperor, so it should at least be a Supreme Imperial Artifact."

Ning Xiaochuan could sense the Heavenly Emperor's Blade within the Mystic Beast Manual vibrating, as if laughing or roaring.

He recorded the "Heavenly Emperor's Blade" but then crossed out both the "Heavenly Bell" and the "Heavenly Emperor's Blade," saying, "Any artifact left behind by the Heavenly Emperor has been mythologized by Martial Artists, but they may not truly be that powerful. The 'Weapon Ranking List' I intend to compile won't just rank weapons—it will also rank people. Who do you think is the strongest Martial Artist in the Yulan Empire?"

"Of course, it's the Master of the Martial Palace," Situ Fengwu and Xie Mengyao answered almost simultaneously.

Ning Xiaochuan pressed further, "What is the Master of the Martial Palace's real name?"

"Yu Tianchi. The ancestor of the imperial Yu Family," Situ Fengwu replied.

Ning Xiaochuan then asked, "What weapon does the Master of the Martial Palace wield?"

Situ Fengwu showed a troubled expression and said, "The Master of the Martial Palace's martial prowess is unparalleled in the world. Even without weapons, bare-handed, no one can match him."

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head and said, "But I clearly saw a sword hanging from the waist of the Master of the Martial Palace's statue."

Situ Fengwu replied, "That sword isn't some peerless divine blade—it's just an ordinary iron sword gifted to him by his teacher. He was instructed to use the most mundane iron to challenge the mightiest Mystic Artifacts in the world. And indeed, the Master of the Martial Palace has never been defeated while wielding this iron sword. He named it the 'Enshi Sword' to honor his teacher's guidance."

"First place on the Weapon Ranking List: Yu Tianchi, Enshi Sword," Ning Xiaochuan jotted down this line on his draft.

Xie Mengyao frowned slightly and said, "Manor Lord, are you really compiling the 'Weapon Ranking List'? The 'Enshi Sword' is just an ordinary iron sword. How can it rank first?"

Ning Xiaochuan countered, "Though the Enshi Sword is merely an iron sword, tell me—who in the Yulan Empire can defeat it?"

Situ Fengwu exclaimed in realization, "I see now! You're not truly ranking weapons—you're ranking people."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded. "The power of divine weapons and mighty blades ultimately depends on who wields them. Compiling the 'Weapon Ranking List' is no simple task. It requires thorough investigation, calculation, and deliberation. Every ranking must be carefully considered, not arbitrarily assigned. Take the second spot on the 'Weapon Ranking List,' for example—it's incredibly difficult to decide. Demon Emperor Duanmu Han possesses the qualifications, as does the Great Golden Roc King, and even Tai Chu Wen Hua, the foremost expert of the Daoist Sect. Who should take the position? That’s a question worth deep contemplation."

Ning Xiaochuan's idea to compile the 'Weapon Ranking List' had arisen spontaneously, and for now, it remained just a notion. To truly formalize it into a published work would require extensive time for research and reflection.

Why did Ning Xiaochuan want to compile the 'Weapon Ranking List'?

It was also a way to build momentum for the soon-to-be-established Divine Sword Palace. Ning Xiaochuan aimed to make the Divine Sword Palace the foremost forging sanctuary in the world, controlling the finest war weapons and Mystic Artifacts. Once the Divine Sword Palace reached a certain level of development, Ning Xiaochuan would publicly release the completed 'Weapon Ranking List,' announcing it to the world. This would undoubtedly cause a sensation across the martial world, becoming the hottest topic among Martial Artists in the Yulan Empire.

Once the 'Weapon Ranking List' was compiled under the Divine Sword Palace's authority, the palace's status would inevitably rise. Becoming the world's premier forging sanctuary was not an impossible goal.

Ning Xiaochuan set down his brush and said, "Have all the information on every Martial Venerable in the Yulan Empire sent to me."

"Every Martial Venerable's information? Does this mean the Manor Lord's 'Weapon Ranking List' will rank all the Martial Venerables in the world?" Xie Mengyao seemed to have grasped Ning Xiaochuan's intention, a smile appearing on her face.

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "The 'Weapon Ranking List' will include only true martial experts. By ranking the Martial Venerables within it, we can subtly manipulate the entire martial world—even the imperial court itself."

Xie Mengyao hadn't considered such far-reaching implications yet and asked in surprise, "How could a mere Ranking List control the martial world?"

Ning Xiaochuan laughed. "Martial Venerables are human too. As long as they're human, they care about reputation. The status of a lower-ranked Martial Venerable versus a higher-ranked one naturally differs in people's minds. Suppose the Fire God Child ranks fiftieth on the Weapon Ranking List, while the Crown Prince ranks fifty-first. Imagine the Crown Prince, a figure of such stature, being ranked below the Fire God Child. Do you think the Crown Prince would refrain from challenging him to a life-or-death battle upon meeting?"

Situ Fengwu sneered coldly. "The Crown Prince's wisdom is unparalleled. He wouldn't be manipulated by you, nor would he care about some ranking."

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head. "Even if the Crown Prince doesn't care, his subordinates certainly will. Eventually, the Crown Prince's palace and the Kirin Prince's Manor will become sworn enemies, fighting to the death. All I need to do is sit back and watch the show."

"Despicable and shameless!"

Though Situ Fengwu cursed Ning Xiaochuan, she couldn't deny in her heart that this was indeed a ruthless strategy, one capable of throwing the entire martial world of the Yulan Empire into turmoil.