Chapter 306: Chapter 302: Listed on the Martial Arts Dragon and Phoenix List

The Martial Arts Continent had three great ranking lists: the Heaven and Earth List, the Dragon and Phoenix List, and the Wind and Cloud List. The Wind and Cloud List was scoped by nation, resulting in over a hundred different versions—the Tang Country Wind and Cloud List, the Chu Country Wind and Cloud List, the Great Ming Dynasty Wind and Cloud List, and so on. These lists ranked experts of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer who were below the Innate Realm within their respective nations. There was no age limit for the Wind and Cloud List; only strength mattered. If you were to gather every expert from every Wind and Cloud List across the entire Martial Arts Continent, their numbers would likely reach the tens of thousands.

The Dragon and Phoenix List, however, was different. It had no national borders, covering the entire Martial Arts Continent. It ranked the two hundred most peerless geniuses under the age of thirty from all lands, including the Central Plains Martial Arts world and the Hundred Border Countries. These brilliant prodigies all possessed extraordinary potential. More than half of them had already entered the Innate Realm, and all were elite disciples from major Sects and influential powers.

While the various Wind and Cloud Lists were only known within their respective nations, the Dragon and Phoenix List was renowned across the entire Martial Arts Continent.

Although Ye Xing wasn’t one to care for such superficial titles, he still wanted to see if his current strength was enough to earn him a spot on the Dragon and Phoenix List.

"The Dragon and Phoenix List?" Ma Feng looked startled. "That’s right! The City Lord is only in his twenties and is number one on the Wind and Cloud List. He might actually have a chance to make the Dragon and Phoenix List!"

"I’ll send someone to the Wind and Cloud Inn at once to see if the latest Dragon and Phoenix List rankings are out," Guardian Ma Feng said hurriedly.

"Mm." Ye Xing nodded. "Alright, everyone get back to your duties. Don’t block the entrance; there are still plenty of residents trying to get into the city."

Ma Feng and the others quickly complied, and the group immediately headed into the city.

White Cloud City was lined with shops, bustling with merchants. The streets were a constant stream of pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. In terms of prosperity, it could already rival the capital city of Red Sun Province.

Meanwhile, inside the City Lord’s Mansion of White Cloud City.

A tall locust tree stood in the small courtyard. It was the dead of winter, and its leaves were shedding. A gentle breeze swept through, sending the withered yellow leaves fluttering and dancing through the air.

SWISH! WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Bursts of Sword Roars echoed through the courtyard. Beneath the great locust tree, a dainty figure moved with light, nimble grace, dancing with a sharp sword in hand.

Flashes from the blade split the falling leaves in two, blanketing the ground with them.

After finishing one run-through of her Sword Skill, the little girl stopped. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, preparing to practice some more.

Just then—

CLAP—CLAP CLAP!

The sound of applause suddenly rang out in the courtyard.

The little girl turned to look, and her small mouth instantly fell open. Her large, lively eyes went wide, filled with utter delight.

"Big Brother!" Overjoyed, the little girl, Qiao’er, dashed toward the green-robed young man standing at the entrance. She was like a cheerful sparrow, chirping nonstop. "Big Brother, you’re finally back! Qiao’er thought you were going to be gone for a long time again!"

"Haha, this time I only went to the Golden Scale Imperial City to buy a Demon Beast companion. It wasn’t like last time when I went out for training, so it didn’t take that long." Ye Xing gently tapped the little girl’s nose. "Big Brother was just watching you practice. Your swordplay is pretty good, you’re starting to look like a real expert!"

"Really?" The little girl was thrilled. Her big, dark eyes gazed up at him as she said earnestly, "Qiao’er will definitely work hard on her cultivation!"

"It’s good to work hard on your cultivation, but you have to remember to balance it with rest," Ye Xing said. "You should have taken a short break after finishing that set of your Sword Skill. I saw that you were about to keep going. It’s not good to get too tired, so don’t do that again, understand?"

"Okay! Qiao’er will listen to Big Brother." The little girl nodded obediently.

’Qiao’er’s cultivation level actually surprised me a little,’ Ye Xing thought. ’It’s only been about ten days since I last saw her, but she’s already advanced from the Martial Arts Fourth Realm to the Martial Arts Fifth Realm. The Daluo Demon Sect’s Celestial Rank Internal Cultivation Methods I gave her certainly played a part, but to cultivate this quickly, her talent for the Martial Dao must be quite good. She must be training very hard and diligently.’

"By the way, Qiao’er, where’s Little Zhi?" Ye Xing asked.

"He went out early this morning! Big Brother, Little Zhi is amazing! He broke through again and is an Eighth-level Demon Beast now. How does he cultivate so fast? I’m so jealous." The little girl, Qiao Qiao, pouted. "If only Qiao’er could cultivate as fast as Little Zhi, then I’d be able to help you in the future, Big Brother!"

"Qiao’er, you can’t be too hasty with cultivation. If you only focus on speed, it can lead to an unstable foundation. Just focus on progressing step-by-step and building a solid base. The rest will follow naturally," Ye Xing said, patting the little girl’s head with a smile. "Little Zhi is a King-level Demon Beast. As soon as he reaches adulthood, he’ll naturally enter the Innate Realm. Of course his cultivation is going to be fast!"

King-level Demon Beasts were extremely rare, with a bloodline rank even higher than that of Venerable-level Demon Beasts. While it was very difficult for a Demon Beast with an ordinary bloodline to reach the Innate Realm, it was relatively easy for one with a Venerable-level bloodline. For a King-level Demon Beast, however, the concept of difficulty didn’t even apply. There were no bottlenecks. Every King-level Demon Beast became an Innate Realm Demon Beast simply by reaching adulthood. Even if it barely cultivated and spent its days eating and drinking, as soon as it matured, its cultivation would naturally reach the Innate Realm. This was the power of a high-level, talented bloodline.

"Mm, Qiao’er will work hard." The little girl, Qiao Qiao, nodded and then giggled. "By the way, Big Brother, Little Zhi is much fatter now. You’ll be shocked when you see him!"

"Oh? Is that so? Just how fat has he gotten?"

Just as Ye Xing spoke, a clear, bright birdsong suddenly echoed from the sky, filled with excitement and joy.

"CHIRP! CHIRP!"

A small purple hawk streaked across the sky, flapping its little, light-purple wings. Its plump, round little body landed directly on Ye Xing’s shoulder.

Its lively little eyes glared indignantly at the little girl, Qiao’er, before turning to glare at Ye Xing. It pointed a light-purple wing at its own body and chirped insistently, as if to say: ’Who are you calling fat? Who’s fat? Where am I fat?!’

Its adorably indignant expression instantly made both Ye Xing and Qiao’er burst out laughing.

"The City Lord made it! He’s on it! He’s really on it! Heavens, he’s really on it!"

A flurry of urgent footsteps was suddenly heard from outside the courtyard gate. Guardian Ma Feng appeared, clutching a scroll, absolutely ecstatic. His face was flushed, and he was panting for breath. "He’s really on the Dragon and Phoenix List! This is the first time in the entire history of the Southern Tang Country—"

It was no wonder Ma Feng was so shocked and excited. The Dragon and Phoenix List had always been dominated by the monstrous geniuses of the Central Plains Martial Arts world; talents from the Hundred Border Countries were rare. Even when they did appear, they usually came from one of the larger nations. For a small country like the Southern Tang Country to produce a genius worthy of the Dragon and Phoenix List was truly unprecedented.

"Alright, calm down. Look at the state you’re in! What’s my rank?"

Ye Xing smiled, a flicker of his own joy showing between his brows. Clearly, he was thrilled to have made the Dragon and Phoenix List.

He took the Dragon and Phoenix List scroll from Ma Feng’s hands and unfurled it.

*(We’re about to change settings, but I’ve got a bit of writer’s block. Just one Chapter for today, I’ll make it up tomorrow or the day after!)*

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