Golden Ranking Appears, My Empress Turns Out to Be Wu Zhao

[Dao Immortal Ranking – Rank 5]

[Zhang Sanfeng]

[Force: Wudang Sect of Ming Dynasty]

[Cultivation: Late Mythical Realm Land Immortal]

[Technique: Taiji Profound Exercise]

[Reward: Intermediate-Tier Enlightenment Card ×2 (Can be used for enlightenment, increasing comprehension by two hundred times for one day!)]

[Reward: 2x Intermediate-Tier Enlightenment Card (Can be used for enlightenment, increasing comprehension two hundred times, duration one day!)]

==========

Ming Imperial Palace.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the ranking, nodded lightly, then shook his head.

He had thought Zhang Sanfeng would be ranked 4th on the Dao Immortal Ranking.

Unexpectedly, someone had surpassed him.

A bit of a surprise.

However, Zhang Sanfeng was indeed qualified to be on the ranking.

Previously, the Heaven Dao had rewarded him with the Taiji Spiritual Exercise, and now he had received two Intermediate-Tier Enlightenment Cards.

He should have no major obstacles in achieving the God Demon Realm.

In the future, this man would also be a figure capable of influencing the grand trend of the Nine Provinces.

He would need to pay even more attention to him.

==========

Southern Song Dynasty, Outside of Xiangyang City.

Temujin Imperial Tent.

A mighty man radiating powerful energy stepped into the tent.

His eyes were full of killing intent and arrogance.

Even in front of an emperor like Temujin, his presence was not suppressed in the slightest.

At this moment.

The man raised his head to look at the ranking in the sky, his eyes flashing with unwillingness and anger.

"Zhang Sanfeng!"

"Zhang Junbao!"

"To think you've grown to this level!"

"Such a grand title!"

Temujin sat high in the center, looking at the man with disdain.

"You seem quite bitter?"

"You have a grudge with Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Sect?"

"Replying to the Khan, he and I grew up together in the Shaolin Temple."

"Later, we left Shaolin Temple, and due to differing ideologies, we went our separate ways."

"Back then, I almost died by his hand."

"I've always wanted to fight him again, to wash away the shame of the past!"

The man replied calmly.

"Dong Tianbao, do you know why I've always held you back?"

"Even though your strength and ability surpass the Golden Wolf Hall Master, I only made you a Vice-Master?"

Temujin's eyes gleamed sharply.

"Please enlighten me, Khan!"

"Dong Tianbao, you are too unruly!"

"For so many years, this hasn't changed. It's both your strength and your weakness."

Dong Tianbao remained silent.

He neither agrees or disagrees with Temujin's words.

Indeed, he had little loyalty toward Temujin.

He stayed under Temujin's banner only because it offered something he desired.

But so what?

His strength was formidable, reaching the Mythical Realm.

Even knowing his loyalty was lacking, Temujin still relied on him.

Just like in the present-day Yuan Dynasty, besides Phagpa, there was no one else to rely on.

The Former Golden Wolf Hall Master appeared loyal on the surface, devoted to Temujin.

But at a critical moment.

When the Dragon Essence, capable of granting immortality, was acquired, he instantly betrayed him.

In fact, his decisiveness surpassed even Dong Tianbao's.

Loyalty?

For those at the Land Immortal Realm, it was a joke.

Even the National Master Phagpa would part ways with Temujin when his interests were threatened.

Now, so-called "loyalty" was merely because Temujin had what he wanted.

Understanding this, Temujin's view of Dong Tianbao began to shift.

He would now cooperate with someone as unruly as Dong Tianbao using a different method.

Driven by mutual interest, that was the best approach.

"Khan, if there's anything you want me to do, just give the order."

Dong Tianbao spoke directly.

"Good. Matters within the Ming Dynasty Territory can wait."

"The urgent task is Xiangyang City ahead."

"According to plan, Xiangyang should have already fallen, but unexpectedly, many powerful cultivators of the Southern Song Dynasty suddenly arrived."

"Besides the National Master, no one is their match."

"Now, the task is yours. Can you handle it?"

Temujin stared at Dong Tianbao intently.

"Rest assured, Khan. I will complete the mission. However..."

Dong Tianbao nodded without hesitation.

"Rest assured, once this mission is completed, I will hand over full control of the Golden Wolf Hall to you!"

"I want you to build a brand new, even stronger Golden Wolf Hall."

"One that surpasses the Qin Dynasty's Black Ice Platform, the Tang Dynasty's Bad People, the Song Dynasty's Imperial Security Bureau, and the Ming Dynasty's Dark Guard. When encountering them, you must be able to swiftly defeat them."

"From now on, you will be the one to deal with these people."

"Can you do it?"

Although Temujin trusted Phagpa more, he was dissatisfied with his performance.

Continuous failures had exhausted his patience.

"Khan, wait for my good news!"

"But what of Xiangyang's defender, Guo Jing? How should I handle him?"

"Kill or capture?"

Temujin hesitated for a moment.

Then, he gritted his teeth and uttered one word.

"Kill!"

Too many Yuan Dynasty soldiers had died at Guo Jing's hands. No matter how much he valued him, only death remained an option now.

==========

"Kill!"

Below the walls of Xiangyang, the Yuan Army launched another siege assault. The battle was brutal.

Every moment, countless people died.

Both sides had gone completely red-eyed.

Atop the city wall, Guo Jing watched below with a solemn expression.

In just one year, Guo Jing's growth surpassed all expectations.

Who would have thought that just a year ago, he was still a young, inexperienced cultivator?

His martial arts weren't particularly impressive either.

But ever since the Golden Ranking appeared, after receiving the Heaven Dao Reward, his life changed drastically.

It was as if an invisible hand was pushing him forward.

And with countless fortunate encounters, he had become a formidable cultivator in the Great Grandmaster Realm.

Most importantly, his potential was immense.

Given enough time, he could definitely become one of the cultivators of the Nine Provinces.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to his character and family background, he was shackled in Xiangyang.

Through repeated battles, not only did his strength grow, but his command of military tactics had surpassed many commanders of the Nine Provinces.

Temujin had dispatched assassins multiple times to kill Guo Jing.

Each attempt ended in failure.

But now, Guo Jing had a feeling.

Temujin's patience with him had nearly run out.

The next wave of attacks would exceed all imagination.

Whether he could survive was less than ten percent likely.

Boom!

Just as Guo Jing was giving orders and staying vigilant for a Yuan Dynasty assault, several dark figures shot over from a distance.

Their aura was fierce.

Murderous intent filled the air.

In the next instant, the strongest among them launched a terrifying palm strike directly at Guo Jing.

"Quick, protect the General!"

"Temujin has sent assassins again!"

"We absolutely cannot let anything happen to the General, or Xiangyang is finished!"

The cultivators guarding Guo Jing shouted loudly.

In the next moment, powerful auras erupted.

They rushed over rapidly.

Boom!

Unfortunately, Dong Tianbao's cultivation was far too strong.

Mythical Realm!

Not to mention Grandmasters, even Great Grandmasters and Heavenly Human Realm cultivators were no match.

In just a few moves, the number of people slaughtered by Dong Tianbao was shocking.

Seeing that Guo Jing had no chance of survival, suddenly, a black blade light swept over.

It instantly blocked Dong Tianbao's attack.

"Who are you?"

"Chuan Ying!"

"The one who cultivates the War God Record?"

"What's your relation to Guo Jing? With your status, a mere Guo Jing shouldn't be worth your protection."

"Guo Jing was fated to enter the War God Temple and learned the War God Record."

"You could say he is my junior."

"Not enough. That explanation is flimsy!"

"You both received the same legacy, but not from the same Master!"

"Even if he were your real Junior Brother, he's not worth the personal protection of a Mythical Realm like you."

"This kid is not qualified."

Dong Tianbao was no ordinary man.

He saw through Chuan Ying's character at a glance.

Someone like him would never protect Guo Jing for such a trivial reason.

"Hehe, how amusing. Who told you that Guo Jing and I do not share the same Master? What do you really know?"

"Besides, whether the reason is true or not, why ask so many questions?"

"If you really want a reason, I could give you dozens, hundreds of reasons that would convince you."

"But is there any point?"

"Also, why must I answer your questions?"

Chuan Ying held the Eagle Blade, his gaze sharp as he stared at Dong Tianbao.

"Indeed, I spoke too much!"

"Then take a strike from me!"

Dong Tianbao said proudly.

The next moment, he moved forward and launched a fierce attack at Chuan Ying.

The Eagle Blade blocked instantly.

Fist and blade collided, and a terrifying shockwave erupted.

Everyone caught in the aftermath was instantly blown away, slamming heavily into the ground.

"Men, kill them!"

"Guo Jing must die!"

"As for Chuan Ying, I will handle him myself!"

Dong Tianbao shouted furiously.

In the next moment, several terrifying figures rushed out.

Though not as strong as Dong Tianbao at the Mythical Realm, they were all Heavenly Human Realm cultivators.

All were elites of the Yuan Dynasty's Golden Wolf Hall.

Soon, the Golden Wolf Hall would be under Dong Tianbao's control.

These people naturally dared not disobey his orders.

Their sole objective now was to kill Guo Jing.

"Aaaaah!"

Miserable screams echoed across the walls of Xiangyang.

The cultivators of the Southern Song Dynasty were no pushovers.

It seemed that some terrifying force was secretly encouraging these cultivators to aid Xiangyang.

There were even several Heavenly Human Realm cultivators who arrived, defending the city while protecting Guo Jing.

No one knew whether this force was good or evil.

Even Temujin had failed to uncover their identity.

At the same time.

Dong Tianbao and Chuan Ying's battle grew more intense.

Each strike unleashed terrifying shockwaves.

The surrounding buildings were left in ruins.

Dong Tianbao even subtly guided the battlefield toward the city gate.

Even though Chuan Ying knew it was a trap, he had no choice but to follow.

Dong Tianbao's strength was equal to Chuan Ying.

In some ways, he even had the upper hand.

"Ah!"

"No! Hero Chuan Ying, Xiangyang has fallen!"

"There are traitors inside the city. They opened the gates!"

A furious roar rang out.

The Yuan Army swarmed through the gates like a tide, and Xiangyang's defenders could no longer hold them back.

"How could this happen? The gate guards were handpicked and loyal to the core. They wouldn't betray us!"

"It was you!"

Chuan Ying frowned and looked at Dong Tianbao suspiciously.

"That's right, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Dong Tianbao, the new Yuan Dynasty's Golden Wolf Hall Master!"

"The one who opened the gate was disguised as a gate guard by my Golden Wolf Hall agents!"

"As for the real guards, they were killed long ago and their bodies disposed of!"

"This is my first combat mission since becoming Hall Master."

"How is it? Not bad, right?"

"Sigh, the Former Hall Master was truly useless."

"Such a simple task, and he couldn't complete it."

"Letting the army of our Khan be stuck outside Xiangyang for so long!"

"If it were me, Xiangyang would have fallen long ago."

Dong Tianbao's tone was full of pride.

Then, his gaze turned cold as he looked at Guo Jing in the distance.

"The Khan has ordered it. Xiangyang's defender Guo Jing is stubborn and has caused countless deaths among our soldiers. He must not be spared."

"Kill him without mercy!"

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

List of Characters:

Number One Under Heaven ( 天下第一 )

・Zhu Houzhao ( 朱厚照 ) — Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Tai Chi Master ( 太极张三丰 )

・Dong Tianbao ( 董天宝 ) — Hall Master of Golden Wolf Hall

Legend of the Condor Heroes ( 射雕英雄传 )

・Temujin ( 铁木真 ) — Emperor of Yuan Dynasty

・Guo Jing ( 郭靖 ) — Guardian of Xiangyang City

Broken Void ( 破碎虚空 )

・Chuan Ying ( 传鹰 ) — Disciple of War God Temple