Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques-Chapter 112.2: Dao Shiers Rank in the Divine Strength Rankings of the Northern Battlefield (II)
The crowd erupted into an uproar once again.
"Could it be that the jianghu of our Da Yu Dynasty is actually weaker than that of the northern barbarians?"
Someone snorted in response. "The Northern Domain battlefield has been raging for so long. Haven't you noticed it by now? The northern barbarians' jianghu is just as full of talent; perhaps they have even more talents than ours."
Another voice followed, clearly displeased. "Hmph. The Da Yu Dynasty is rich with heroes, too. Many powerful experts simply haven't come to the Northern Domain."
The Divine Strength Rankings quickly became the focus of heated discussion. Voices rose, and arguments broke out all around Lu Changsheng, but he ignored the noise and calmly began reading through the list.
One hundred names were far too many to scan from the top, so he started from the bottom and worked his way upward. Suddenly, he saw a familiar name. "Lu Jianming made the list, too?"
Lu Jianming, a Divine Strength martial artist from Xuanjian Manor, was ranked eighty-ninth.
Lu Changsheng knew Lu Jianming's strength well.
Lu Jianming had already comprehended Sword Intent, yet he was ranked only eighty-ninth, which meant one of two things—either the Martial Pavilion did not know that Lu Jianming had grasped Sword Intent, or the Northern Domain battlefield was far more sinister than Lu Changsheng had originally imagined.
Lu Changsheng continued to read the list and stopped when he saw "Dao Shi'er."
"Eighty-first..." Lu Changsheng murmured. "That's only a few places higher than Lu Jianming."
Truth be told, he did not care much about the ranking. No matter what rank someone held, if they were to cross paths with him, they would still die.
He was certain that the Martial Pavilion could not possibly know his real strength. Their decision was based only on what a martial artist had displayed on the Northern Domain battlefield. They could not see the things he had never revealed, such as his two different Intents, the Nine-Character Mantra, Blood Qi Sword Crafting, and his other techniques.
The Divine Strength Rankings could only be a reference. Anyone who treated it as an absolute measure of strength would likely die without even understanding how it had happened.
Lu Changsheng did not continue combing through the rankings. They held little meaning to him. Turning away from the Martial Pavilion, he returned to the small courtyard he had purchased in Beiling City.
In his room, Lu Changsheng started disguising himself as Dao Shi'er again.
Truth be told, this was the reason why he only treated nine people each day. It was not an eccentricity, but because he needed time to hunt and kill northern barbarians. More than nine patients a day would interfere with what truly mattered to him.
Lu Changsheng had no doubt that the Divine Strength Rankings would soon reach the ears of the northern barbarians as well. Once that happened, the Northern Domain battlefield would only grow more crowded, drawing in even more martial artists eager to test themselves.
Perhaps by then, he would finally encounter opponents of substance.
After a short while, Dao Shi'er appeared.
Although he was now in a different place, Lu Changsheng decided to keep the name Dao Shi'er. He liked it, and even more so, the meaning it carried. Acting as one pleased, obsessing over the martial Dao, and climbing upward without restraint, with only a single goal in mind—to stand at the very peak.
It was still early afternoon. The air carried a sharp chill, but the sky was clear, and sunlight spilled freely across the land. Lu Changsheng stepped out of the courtyard and left Beiling City behind.
Beyond the city lay the grasslands. At a glance, they seemed uniform and endless, but Lu Changsheng knew better. Beneath that boundless green, danger lurked everywhere. This place was a hunting ground, after all.
Despite the dangers, Lu Changsheng moved freely and openly across the grasslands.
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
Just then, several arrows shot toward Lu Changsheng. At the same time, three northern barbarians using the tall grass as cover closed in silently from different directions.
The speed, precision, and ruthlessness of their strikes all pointed to one thing—they were assassins. With even the slightest misstep, even a powerful martial artist could be killed.
However, Lu Changsheng did not panic. He simply drew his saber.
The sound of crashing waves echoed in the northern barbarians' ears. They felt as though endless tides were surging toward them, one wave following another without pause.
One of them cried out, "Not good. It's Dao Shi'er!"
The name "Dao Shi'er" had spread rapidly over the past few days, and the reason was simple. Almost everyone who crossed paths with him died. Those who survived carried his name back with them, spreading word of his ruthless combat style.
That was how the northern barbarians came to know that a terrifying man called Dao Shi'er had appeared on the Northern Domain battlefield.
The northern barbarians immediately turned around and ran.
Lu Changsheng snorted. "Too late."
The roar of the waves intensified, as if a towering rogue wave had risen out of nowhere before crashing down on the northern barbarian martial artists.
"AHHH!"
They cried out in pain. A crimson light flashed, and they collapsed onto the ground. Then, the grasslands returned to silence.
Lu Changsheng glanced at the corpses on the ground. In theory, he could take them back to the Martial Pavilion and exchange them for silver or martial arts.
However, they were only Organ Refinement Realm martial artists. They held little value to him, and he had no interest in them. His gaze shifted slightly toward a certain direction. "These heads are yours."
And with that, he vanished without a trace.
Moments later, two martial artists dressed in black rose from the tall grass in the direction he had indicated. They exchanged a look, and their eyes were bright with excitement.
"It's Dao Shi'er."
"It has to be Dao Shi'er."
"Dao Shi'er might look down on these heads, but we don't."
"They say he kills with a single strike almost every time. That strike just now was terrifying."
"When will we ever reach that level?"
"The Divine Strength Rankings released by the Martial Pavilion today placed Dao Shi'er at eighty-first. He's extremely strong."
"Heh! With Dao Shi'er here today, the northern barbarians are in for more bad luck."
It was obvious that both of them had long heard of the name Dao Shi'er. Every time he appeared, it meant calamity for the northern barbarians. To cross paths with Dao Shi'er meant crossing paths with certain death.
Lu Changsheng wandered the grasslands alone, without any clear direction. Even as a battlefield for martial artists, these grasslands were simply too vast. He could roam for an entire day without encountering a single northern barbarian.
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng's expression shifted slightly. "The smell of blood."
He followed the scent and soon saw that a northern barbarian was brutally cutting down a group of Da Yu Dynasty martial artists with a saber.
"Da Yu Dynasty martial artists really are weak," the northern barbarian sneered. "After all this time, I still haven't run into anyone worth my interest. Is this really all the Da Yu Dynasty has to offer? I can't believe I was not listed in the Divine Strength Rankings..."
The man looked like an ascetic. A string of beads, seemingly made from polished finger bones, hung around his neck. Each one represented a fairly notable opponent he had slain.
"It's Bone Ascetic!"
The realization sent a chill through the martial artists still alive.
"Bone Ascetic is notorious for his love of slaughter. He's vicious and extremely cruel. I thought those were just rumors, but this is even worse than they say."
"He's a supreme expert of the Hundred Cauldrons Stage. He has dominated for decades. Who could possibly deal with someone like him?"
"On the Northern Domain battlefield, he has never suffered a defeat, but he didn't even make the top hundred on the Divine Strength Rankings."
"That's why he's furious today. Since he didn't make the list, he's bound to go on a killing spree. We can't stay here. We have to run, no matter the cost."
The martial artists had known that entering the Northern Domain battlefield meant risking their lives, but they did not want to die so helplessly. One after another, they fled in panic.
No matter how desperately they ran, however, Bone Ascetic was always capable of closing in on them.
Suddenly, the martial artists looked up. Ahead of them, not far away, a lone figure was walking toward them.
"It's Dao Shi'er! Dao Shi'er is here!"
The recognition turned their despair into joy.
"He's ranked eighty-first on the Divine Strength Rankings. Did he come here to hunt Bone Ascetic?"
"Quick. Run toward Dao Shi'er. We'll be safe if we reach him."
Without hesitation, the martial artists sprinted toward the Dao Shi'er.
Dao Shi'er was ranked eighty-first on the Divine Strength Rankings, and Bone Ascetic had not even made the list. Between the two of them, who was stronger? The answer was obvious.
