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

[Dao Immortal Ranking – Rank 1]

[Cang]

[Force: No Sect, No Affiliation]

[Cultivation: Great Perfection God Demon Realm Land Immortal]

[Technique: Azure Dao Classic (Created personally, based on the Dao Merit Scripture, assisted by many Daoist techniques!)]

[Reward: Supreme Comprehension Card ×5 (Grants instant comprehension, during which perception is multiplied by one thousand, lasting for one month!)]

[Reward: 5x Ultimate-Tier Enlightenment Card (Can be used for enlightenment, increasing comprehension one thousand times, duration one month!)]

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Zhang Yuchu widened his eyes in disbelief.

Cang?

Who was this person? He had never even heard of him.

As a top figure in the Nine Provinces Dao World, no ripple in the Dao community escaped his notice.

And now, such an extraordinary person had appeared out of nowhere. How could he not be shocked?

A Great Perfection God Demon Realm.

And a rogue cultivator without any sect or affiliation. Truly unbelievable.

"Cang? It's actually him?!"

At that moment, Yin Zhong exclaimed loudly beside him.

"What? Fellow Daoist Yin, you know this Daoist Cang?"

"Know him? I almost died at his hands once!"

"Oh? Tell me more!"

"Alright, since you've already seen me at my lowest, what's one more embarrassing story?"

Yin Zhong gave a helpless wry smile, as if he had resigned himself to disgrace.

"Four years ago, my injuries flared up. In order to suppress them, I needed to absorb a vast amount of life force. So, I left the Sword Control Manor."

"I found a remote village, with over a thousand villagers. I was about to devour all of their life essence."

Zhang Yuchu's expression darkened.

What a ruthless man. Fortunately, he hadn't crossed paths with him back then. Otherwise, he'd have dealt with him himself.

"And then? You clearly didn't succeed, right?"

"Otherwise, with His Majesty's temper, no matter how capable you are, he wouldn't have accepted you."

"Exactly. Just as I was about to start a massacre, a young man appeared in the village, seemingly Daoist yet not."

"He called himself Cang. Before I could react, he struck me down with a single palm."

"If he hadn't been without killing intent, I probably would've died then and there."

"Since then, I never dared to harm commoners again. I feared that Daoist might be watching me, ready to appear again."

Yin Zhong responded helplessly.

It seemed that the encounter with Daoist Cang had left a deep psychological scar.

Even someone as arrogant as him had become obedient. It was clear how extraordinary this Daoist was.

"With just one palm?"

Zhang Yuchu's eyes narrowed.

Even now, he couldn't defeat Yin Zhong in one move.

Previously, it was only with the help of the Emperor's sword intent that he managed to subdue him.

Clearly, the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking was accurate.

This Daoist Cang truly surpassed him by far.

But who exactly was he?

Where did he come from?

Why had no one ever heard of him?

Could he be another ancient being who had lived for countless years?

Ever since submitting to Zhu Houzhao, his horizons had broadened significantly.

This world was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

There were many who had lived for thousands of years.

Yin Zhong before him, the Han Dynasty's Di Shitian, and even some who had lived four to five thousand years.

His Majesty even suspected that true gods still lingered in this world.

Perhaps one day, they would reappear.

He needed to find out where this Daoist Cang came from.

Whether he would become friend or foe to the Ming Dynasty, they had to be prepared.

==========

Ming Imperial Palace.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the five Supreme Comprehension Cards in his hand and sighed lightly.

Then he put them away.

Cang was one of the avatars he used while traveling the world.

Back then, to perfect his Azure Lotus Sword Classic, he sought to refine his understanding through Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Demonic paths, and ultimately fuse them together.

Cang was the avatar he used specifically to develop the Daoist aspect of his cultivation while wandering the Martial World.

Just like the avatars of the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal Su Yi and the Longevity Sword Bai Yujing.

They were all him.

Only, he had completely changed his appearance and aura.

He hadn't used Cang's identity for very long.

Yet unexpectedly, the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking ranked Cang as the number one on the Dao Immortal Ranking.

This surprised him.

The Heaven Dao Reward of five Supreme Comprehension Cards was indeed an extraordinary gift.

His perception was already unparalleled across the Nine Provinces.

Now, it would be enhanced a thousandfold.

With this, his cultivation would surge forward once more.

So what if it's the Sage Realm?

It wouldn't be long before he surpassed even that.

The Dao Immortal Ranking was amusing.

He wondered if in the future, there would be a Confucian Immortal Ranking, Buddhist Immortal Ranking, or even a Demon Immortal Ranking.

It was certainly possible.

In the world of the Nine Provinces, the Demon Gate, Buddhist School, and Confucian School were all equally powerful.

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Qin Imperial Palace.

Ying Zheng looked at the ranking, his face filled with excitement.

Cang!

Great Perfection God Demon Realm.

And a rogue cultivator without a sect.

If he could bring this Dao Immortal into the Qin Dynasty, wouldn't the Qin Dynasty's strength grow rapidly?

With such a cultivator, people like Xiong Qi, Zhao Yong, and Wu Qi would be nothing more than clowns.

The remnants of the Six Kingdoms could be swiftly eliminated.

"Sir, immediately send people to search across the Nine Provinces and find this man named Cang."

"As long as he agrees to join the Qin Dynasty, I am willing to grant him the rank of noble."

"Not only that, he can name any request he desires."

To recruit a cultivator who could step into the Sage Realm at any moment, Ying Zheng didn't mind offering a high price.

A Great Perfection God Demon Realm cultivator could bring unimaginable benefits to the Qin Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, this Cang's movements are unpredictable. He may be a hidden supreme cultivator of the Nine Provinces."

"Moreover, being Great Perfection God Demon Realm, if he does not wish to be found, even standing before us, we may not recognize him."

Shang Yang looked conflicted.

Finding this mysterious Cang would be extremely difficult.

The chances were less than one percent.

"Then send more people. With his ability, he'll surely notice us quickly."

"Even if we can't find him, we can show him the sincerity of the Qin Dynasty."

"No matter how slim the chance, there's always a possibility."

"If he truly agrees to join the Qin Dynasty..."

Hope flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

For a Great Perfection God Demon Realm, any price was worth paying.

"In that case, I volunteer to handle this matter!"

"Even if we cannot find him, we can ensure he knows the true sincerity of the Qin Dynasty."

"If he ever considers joining any country, the Qin Dynasty will definitely be his top choice."

Shang Yang said loudly.

"Also, if he joins the Qin Dynasty, who else could hold the position of National Master?"

"Ming Dynasty has Zhang Yuchu, Song Dynasty has Lin Lingsu. If the Qin Dynasty has Cang, no one could compare."

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Tang Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.

"Quick, send someone to find this Daoist Cang!"

"I am willing to appoint him as the Tang Dynasty's National Master!"

"I would even bestow upon him the title of Equal-Ranked King..."

Li Shimin was about to offer a royal title when he suddenly thought of the current state of the Tang Dynasty and his face froze.

His words stopped.

Non-imperial kings were almost taboo to him now.

If he suddenly granted the title of King to someone without any merit, it would bring disaster.

Appointing him as National Master was still reasonable.

But giving a royal title to a non-imperial? That would be a deep insult to the many princes who had been stripped of power.

By then, their relationship with the Tang Dynasty would become irreconcilable.

Even to the point of death.

After considering, Li Shimin decided to withdraw the royal title decree.

He would only offer the title of National Master.

Even if the chances were slim, there was still hope.

Sigh.

In the end, the Tang Dynasty's foundation was too shallow.

If the Tang Dynasty had been established longer, it would not have been inferior to the Han Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, or even the Qin Dynasty.

Then his days would be far easier now.

This lack of depth was the biggest embarrassment for the Tang Dynasty.

Even with his great talents and ambition, compared to the Qin Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, the gap remained immense.

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Sui Imperial Palace.

Yang Guang appeared dispirited. Ever since his incomplete Dragon Essence was stolen by Xiang Yutian, his temper had worsened.

Even his eyes had lost their luster.

Glancing at the number one Dao Immortal in the sky, flames of fury ignited in his heart.

If only the Sui Dynasty had a powerful National Master at that time.

His Dragon Essence wouldn't have been stolen.

"Someone come, find this Cang immediately. I am willing to offer him a royal title and appoint him as the National Master of the Sui Dynasty."

"In the Sui Dynasty, his status will be second only to mine, equal to Supreme Master Yuwen Tuo."

Recruiting a Great Perfection God Demon Realm would make the Sui Dynasty a force that all nations in the Nine Provinces would have to acknowledge.

Even the demons and monsters within the Sui Dynasty would tread carefully.

Xiang Yutian.

Yang Guang now hated him to the bone.

Even the Demon Gate despised him greatly.

They had begun mobilizing large forces to purge the Demon Gate's influence.

The entire Sui Dynasty was descending into greater chaos.

If not for Yuwen Tuo putting out fires everywhere, the situation in the Sui Dynasty might be worse than the Han Dynasty.

At least in the Han Dynasty, the common people still trusted their Emperor.

But in the Sui Dynasty, the people wished for its collapse as soon as possible.

Yang Guang had become a hated and cursed figure among the Sui Dynasty populace.

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Song Imperial Palace.

Emperor Zhao Ji looked at his National Master Lin Lingsu.

"National Master, do you know this Cang?"

"How does he compare to you?"

"Your Majesty, since this Daoist Cang is ranked number one on the Dao Immortal Ranking, he is certainly beyond comparison with me."

"With his strength, he could likely defeat me in an instant."

"National Master, if I sent someone to recruit him, what are the odds?"

"If I had a God Demon Realm in Song Dynasty, there would be no fear of foreign invaders or internal rebels."

"More importantly, with Cang's presence, we would have a much better chance at seizing treasures like the Dragon Essence."

Lin Lingsu's eyes narrowed upon hearing this.

He looked at Zhao Ji meaningfully.

But said nothing more.

He already knew what kind of person Zhao Ji was, and he dared not hope too much.

"Your Majesty is correct. This Daoist Cang is indeed far superior to me."

"If he is willing to join the Song Dynasty, I would gladly relinquish my position as National Master to him."

"That way, Song Dynasty will become stronger, and I can be at peace."

Lin Lingsu said generously.

Emperor Zhao Ji laughed heartily, his face visibly relaxed.

He looked at Lin Lingsu with much more warmth.

But for Lin Lingsu, although his face remained unchanged, his heart grew ever colder.

Even the last shred of loyalty between Emperor and minister had vanished.

From now on, no matter how excessive his actions might be, he would feel no guilt.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

List of Characters:

Number One Under Heaven ( 天下第一 )

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

Water Moon Cave ( 水月洞天 )

・Yin Zhong ( 尹仲 ) — Ancestor of Sword Control Manor

Historical

・Zhang Yuchu ( 张宇初 ) — National Master of Ming Dynasty