Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 68: The Twelve Grandmasters Of The Jiang Continent

Wu Yuan naturally felt a sense of wariness and hostility towards the Great Jin Empire. After all, his father met his end in Hillstride Province, dying in battle against Great Jin. Moreover, the Great Jin Empire was the Cloudstride Sect's biggest enemy.

Once Wu Yuan joined the Cloudstride Sect, it was almost certain that he would clash with the empire in the near future.

But upon reflection, Wu Yuan eased his tense expression. That makes sense. Emperor Jin I was a Heavenly Ranker, so his bloodline wouldn't be weak. Jin Cang, the chosen heir to the title of Emperor Jin, couldn't have subdued the millions of people under the empire's command without formidable power.

This was a martial artist's world! A world where a single martial artist could contend with thousands.

In the novels of his past life, emperors ruled without lifting a finger, and Great Grandmasters knelt at their command. But those were merely the fabricated tales of writers' imaginations.

In reality, it was true that governing a nation and maintaining peace required a specific set of talents. But in the Middle Land, the clever and wise could only serve as assistants to kingdoms or sects; relying solely on strategy and statecraft could not ensure long-term stability. Martial power was a must.

This was especially so for a royal family. To truly command a piece of territory, one must first possess immense martial power. It was Imperator Jin’s unrivaled might that paved the way to establishing the Great Jin Empire. Strategy was secondary.

If I were to take the path of the Civic Competency Exam within the Cloudstride Sect, I would, at best, become a governor. No matter how sharp my intellect, becoming a hall master or sect leader would be impossible.

To hold such positions, one needed to be a Savant expert.

For county mayors and provincial governors, if they lacked personal strength, the sect would assign expert bodyguards to protect them from assassination. After all, intellect was useless if safety couldn't be guaranteed. They couldn't rely on an army of millions to protect them every day. Martial artists would eventually find an opportunity to assassinate them.

This Emperor Jin possesses both strong physical might and numerous experts under his command. Unless a Heavenly Ranker were to intervene, who could assassinate him? Wu Yuan shook his head with a sigh. Personal strength formed the bedrock of power.

As Wu Yuan continued to read, he memorized the names of the Land Rankers, familiarizing himself with the Grandmasters on the list. These Land Rankers each had a remarkable background, be it as the leader of a great sect, or as the pillar of a nation or sacred sect. Even a small number who were unfettered by fame or wealth were renowned cavaliers in their own right.

Out of tens of millions, only a single Land Ranker would be born. However, how vast was the world? Each continent spanned thousands of li, with populations in the billions. Naturally, there weren't just a handful of Land Rankers. Hence, the 'Land Rankings' only offered a mere glimpse into each one, featuring a concise introduction and a few accounts of their defining battles. As for more comprehensive information? That would have to be purchased separately from Starcom Consortium.

Hm? Wu Yuan's eyes brightened suddenly, and his finger paused on the introduction of the martial artist ranked 33rd in the Land Rankings.

Bu Yu, ranked 33rd in the Land Rankings. A Hierarch of the Cloudstride Sect in the Jiang Continent, wielding the first-grade divine weapon Moontide Sword, 96 years of age. Commonly referred to as Grandmaster Yu...

At 68 years old, Grandmaster Bu Yu engaged in a battle with the two grand abbots of the Wingborne Sect in the Dalong Province of the Jiang Continent. She fought evenly against both of them, and a mere month later, Grand Abbot Yuan Xian of the Wingborne Sect succumbed to his severe injuries...

At 88 years old, in the Hillstride Province of the Jiang Continent, she first defeated Grandmaster Chen Luo of Great Jin, then engaged in a relentless battle with the East King Jin Jiu, exchanging hundreds of moves without defeat. Eventually, after Great Jin occupied the Hillstride Province, they withdrew their forces, allowing the Cloudstride Sect to maintain its existence...

Bu Yu, a Hierarch of the Cloudstride Sect!

I see, the Grandmaster Yu that Gu Ji mentioned is named Bu Yu? Ranked 33rd? Judging from the records of her battles, she could potentially advance into the top twenty or even higher.

Jin Jiu, the East King of Great Jin, ranked twelfth in the Land Rankings, was a top-notch martial artist of the Jin royal family. To be able to exchange hundreds of moves with him without suffering defeat, one could well imagine Bu Yu's strength.

Perhaps age plays a role. The ages of the previous Land Rankers crossed Wu Yuan's mind.

Most were between 40 and 70 years old. Including Bu Yu, only two of them were over 90 years of age! Land Rankers, having reached the physical limits of the human body, wielded precise, nearly divine control over their bodies. They could automatically heal from a majority of injuries.

Ordinary people began to show signs of age at 70 or 80, as their hair grayed and their steps grew unsteady. However, even at 100, these Grandmasters could pass for 50-year-olds, their bodily functions still at their peak. They could live hale and hearty lives even at 130 or 140 with ease.

And yet, no matter how strong their body, or how brilliant their martial skills, they are ultimately bound by flesh, unable to withstand the erosion of time.

The physical constitution of a Grandmaster at 60 years old remained almost unchanged from when they were 30. However, by the time they reached 90 years old, even if their peak combat power remained undiminished, their endurance in battle and speed of recovery after injury inevitably waned.

As the saying goes, nothing beats the vigor of youth. This was an immutable truth passed down through the ages. Naturally, the older one grew, the lower their ranking on the Land Rankings.

Wu Yuan continued to flip through the list, reading about each Land Ranker and noting down their accomplishments firmly in mind. This gave him a clearer understanding of this world's might.

Each Land Ranker has reached the physical peak of humanity. Yet, one's innate physical constitution and early training conditions ultimately result in clear differences in one’s physical constitution. Martial skills, secret techniques, divine weapons, and age, all play a part in influencing the manifestation of one's strength.

Take the current Emperor Jin, Jin Cang, for example. Since his childhood, he was provided with the finest training conditions. His foundation was rock solid. Combined with a first-grade divine weapon that complemented his abilities, his strength was naturally terrifying.

The 'World Land Rankings' records a total of 231 Land Rankers. Wu Yuan read the final page of the book, and then closed it.

Did this number account for all the Grandmasters scattered throughout the Middle Land? Not necessarily. It was entirely plausible that some experts achieved breakthroughs in secret, yet continued pretending to be Savant experts. The top forces of the world might also be hiding some trump cards.

Wu Yuan pondered carefully. Even if there were reclusive experts, it was unlikely that there were many of them. After all, the Starcom Consortium's influence spread across the world. The Land Rankings were reset annually, so as long as a Grandmaster made their presence known, they would naturally make the list.

I wonder, how many Heavenly Rankers exist in this vast world? A spark of curiosity ignited in Wu Yuan's heart.

Alas, there was no one to provide him with answers.

As the 'World Land Rankings' stated in its introduction, the gap between Heavenly Rankers and ordinary people was a great chasm, akin to the difference between immortals and mortals. Their exploits were beyond the understanding of the populace — how could one possibly ascertain their deeds?

Furthermore, the number of surviving Land Rankers was countable. One reason was that their lifespans were limited — one would age and die by 150 to 160.

But the Heavenly Rankers? According to ancient legends, the Martial King lived a full 500 years! Therefore, it was impossible to determine whether a Heavenly Ranker still lived or died. For them, living 200 or 300 years was a simple matter. There were rumors that Imperator Jin, the founder of the Great Jin Empire, was still alive. But this was impossible to confirm.

There's no rush. Once I possess the power of a Land Ranker, the answers will reveal themselves.

When one grasped a certain level of power, they naturally came in contact with the corresponding circles of knowledge. Without such power, even if one possessed all the information in the world, it would serve as nothing but idle discourse, a pointless exercise in worry.

The major events of the world are currently unrelated to me at present, but I still need to pay attention to the affairs of the Jiang Continent.

Wu Yuan picked up the second book, ‘Jiang Continent Land Rankings' — this was a secondary edition of the Land Rankings, recording only the Land Rankers who resided in the Jiang Continent year-round. There were a total of twelve.

Compared to the previous 'World Land Rankings' book, this 'Jiang Continent Land Rankings' was much thinner, with only a dozen or so pages.

The descriptions of these Land Rankers are quite detailed, consisting of a brief biography and records of the victories that etched their names in history. Wu Yuan observed with great fascination.

Grandmaster Yu, the first ranked Grandmaster of the Jiang Continent.

Chu Ping, the second ranked Grandmaster of the Jiang Continent, known as the Baijiang King, a distant royal of the Chu-Jiang Empire...

Chang Dong, the third ranked Grandmaster of the Jiang Continent, known as Old Yuanhu...

Chen Luo, the fourth ranked Grandmaster of the Jiang Continent, hailing from the Great Jin Empire...

...

Huan Jian, the ninth ranked Grandmaster of the Jiang Continent, a Hierarch of the Cloudstride Sect...

...Wu Yuan meticulously absorbed the information regarding the twelve Grandmasters of the Jiang Continent. Gradually, he pieced together a preliminary understanding of the prevailing state of affairs in this region.

The Great Jin Empire currently controls four provinces within the Jiang Continent, and astonishingly, they station three Grandmasters here permanently. Wu Yuan was quite surprised.

Based on what he just learned, the Great Jin Empire, which was founded 200 years ago, was still aggressively expanding its territorial influence in all cardinal directions to this day. The Min Continent, the Yuan Continent, the Jiang Continent...wherever the Great Jin Empire bordered, flames of war were ignited, except for the remote and barren Xi and the Huang Continents.

Their insatiable appetite for world domination was known to all.

But even when surrounded by enemies and constant warfare, the Great Jin Empire still managed to dispatch three Grandmasters to the distant Jiang Continent to reside long-term. This fact alone bore testament to the empire’s overall might.

The Cloudstride Sect seems to be in a precarious position.

There were currently only two Land Rankers within the sect. Grandmaster Huan Jian was somewhat younger, but still already 89 years old. With Grandmaster Yu's strength, they could deter their enemies for the time being. But what about ten years to twenty years from now?

I believe the higher-ups of the Cloudstride Sect have duly contemplated these matters. It's not too late to think about such things after I've joined the sect.

Should danger befall his mother or sister, Wu Yuan would perhaps risk his life in battle. But when it came to the Cloudstride Sect? Wu Yuan currently had no intention of laying down his life for its sake. In the face of true mortal danger, he would not hesitate to flee.

The 'Jiang Continent Human Rankings'? Wu Yuan picked up the third book.

The Human Rankings were a compilation of the experts that had yet to reach the Grandmaster level. The Land Rankings consisted of both primary and secondary editions, while the Human Rankings only focused on the rankings within each continent. A global ranking was simply not feasible given the sheer number of people and the scale of territories.

Furthermore, unlike the Land Rankings, which was established by the Martial King and a tradition inherited for thousands of years, the Human Rankings and Genius Rankings were innovations of the Starcom Consortium.

Featuring the top 500 experts below the Grandmaster level from the Jiang Continent? Wu Yuan browsed through the 'Jiang Continent Human Rankings'.

Each martial expert's introduction was extremely brief. For example: "Zhang Changsheng, ranked 39, 41 years old, Savant expert, member of the Cloudstride Sect's Military Hall..." These descriptions consisted of just over a hundred words and briefly recounted a notable battle that had propelled them to fame.

However, considering the number of experts included in the rankings, Wu Yuan could understand the need to keep things short. If every detail was expounded upon, just how long would this volume be?

He turned the pages quickly, but suddenly, his eyes stopped on a particular name.

Gao Yu is also listed? Intrigued, Wu Yuan began to read attentively.