Yuan Dynasty.
"National Master, the Rank 5 force on the Martial Force Ranking already has a God Demon Realm cultivator. Does this mean our Yuan Dynasty has no chance of making it onto the ranking?"
Although Temujin phrased it as a question, the answer was already obvious.
"It was my misjudgment earlier. The Martial Force Ranking is naturally limited to Martial World forces within the Nine Provinces."
"While our Yuan Dynasty's spy network is formidable, it ultimately belongs to the Imperial Court."
"Strictly speaking, it doesn't qualify as a Martial World force."
Phagpa spoke with regret.
Otherwise, the Yuan Dynasty would have already made it onto the ranking.
Not just them, Northern Song Dynasty's Imperial City Division, Tang Dynasty's Bad People, Qin Dynasty's Black Ice Platform, and Ming Dynasty's Dark Guard, all stand no chance.
These are all national forces.
They are not considered Martial World powers and are not within the scope of Heaven Dao Ranking.
No matter how powerful, it doesn't count.
"National Master, what if the Yuan Dynasty secretly develops a force within the Martial World? What do you think?"
"We missed this time, but in the next update one year from now, we might succeed!"
As he said this, Temujin's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Like the Azure Dragon Association of the Ming Dynasty."
"Clearly, the Azure Dragon Association was part of a plan laid down in the Martial World by a previous Ming Emperor."
"Now, the Azure Dragon Association's influence has reached every corner of the Ming Martial World. There's hardly any force in the nation that can compare."
"I suspect that the Azure Dragon Association will definitely be ranked on the Martial Force Ranking!"
Even Temujin couldn't help but admire the foresight of the previous Ming Emperor.
He left Zhu Houzhao a powerful legacy.
Not only within the Martial World but also in the court, countless pieces were placed in advance.
The Dragon Guarding Manor, Eastern and Western Factories, Six Doors, Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Zhuge Divine Marquis Mansion.
In this area, no other nation can compare with the Ming Dynasty.
Even the Qin Dynasty is far behind.
Net Trap, Shadow Secret Guard, and Black Ice Platform, that's all they have.
As for the Tang Dynasty and Sui Dynasty, their foundations are weak.
From the beginning, they've lagged behind significantly.
The Southern and Northern Song Dynasty? Not even worth mentioning.
As for the Han Dynasty, internal corruption by powerful clans has long weakened it.
Now, it's almost on the verge of collapse because of a seductive Consort.
Upon hearing this, Phagpa's eyes lit up.
It really might be possible.
The Azure Dragon Association is clearly far more powerful than it appears.
It is said in the Ming Martial World that Bai Yujing is the Great Dragon Head of the Azure Dragon Association.
And Bai Yujing is one of the Emperor's avatars.
With that, everything became clear.
If he were Zhu Houzhao, in order to get ranked and receive the Heaven Dao Reward, he would definitely assign Ming Dynasty's top-tier Land Immortals to join the Azure Dragon Association temporarily.
With the Ming Dynasty's resources, making the ranking would be no problem at all.
"Khan, Yuan Dynasty must also establish its own Martial World force and expand it rapidly!"
"Only then will we qualify to challenge Ming Dynasty's Azure Dragon Association in the future."
"Otherwise, we won't even be able to match the Southern Song Dynasty!"
The Yuan Dynasty naturally had no problem developing national strength and a military.
But the Martial World should not be neglected either.
Previously, they underestimated the Martial World.
Phagpa had great foresight.
He knew the benefits.
He immediately offered his strong recommendation.
"Good, National Master, I'll leave this to you."
"Model it after the Azure Dragon Association!"
"Yes, Khan!"
==========
The Yuan Dynasty was not the only one to have this realization.
Other nations also reacted quickly.
Tang Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty, this was my grave error. I thought separating the Bad People and Compete Gate would be enough to make the ranking."
"I was merely deceiving myself."
"Clearly, the Bad People don't meet the conditions of the Golden Ranking."
Yuan Tiangang spoke helplessly.
"It's fine. Does Master Yuan have any solutions?"
Though Li Shimin felt some dissatisfaction, he did not show it.
"The Tang Dynasty must build its own Martial World force. I imagine other nations are also reacting the same way right now."
"This time, we missed our chance, but when the ranking is updated next year, we must not fall behind again."
"Now, with the foundation of the Tang Dynasty just laid, it's the perfect time to implement this plan."
"Sui Dynasty, for example, may want to do the same but will surely encounter numerous obstacles."
The Bad Marshal Yuan Tiangang quickly outlined his plan.
Li Shimin nodded repeatedly with approval.
If carried out well, the entire Tang Martial World would be under his control.
With a bit more planning, his influence could even extend into neighboring nations.
"Good. This plan is excellent. Master Yuan, proceed with it!"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will not fail your trust!"
==========
Qin Imperial Palace.
"Minister, what do you think of this plan?"
Ying Zheng looked at the Black Ice Platform Leader with a distant tone.
"Your Majesty, Qin Martial World is quite different from the others."
"It is almost entirely dominated by the Hundred Schools of Thought."
"If we proceed with this plan, it will likely push the Hundred Schools of Thought into direct opposition."
"The Yin Yang School, Dao School Heaven Sect, Confucian School, and the Agricultural School will all obstruct it and become enemies, possibly giving the remnants of the Six Kingdoms a chance to regroup."
The Black Ice Platform Leader had already considered the issue.
But the Qin Dynasty's Hundred Schools of Thought were simply too powerful.
The entire Martial World was already neatly divided.
There was no room left for the Qin Dynasty government to take a piece of the pie.
Even scraps would be heavily contested.
Ying Zheng had also considered this.
His hatred for the Hundred Schools of Thought deepened.
The previous Hidden Dragon Ranking caused the Qin Dynasty to lose face.
Even the Sui Dynasty, which he looked down on, did better.
And none of the people who made the ranking had anything to do with the Qin Dynasty.
Some were even enemies.
He must establish his own Martial World force.
He must train his own cultivators.
When the ranking is updated again, the Qin Dynasty must have someone ranked!
The Hundred Schools of Thought? So what?
Anyone who dares to block his path will be killed without mercy.
The only reason they hadn't been dealt with before was because the timing wasn't right.
Now that Heaven Dao Ranking has appeared, Ying Zheng must act decisively.
There could be no more delays.
"Your Majesty, perhaps we could win some over and suppress others?"
"No. This Martial World force must be fully controlled by the Qin Dynasty. No outsiders allowed."
"However, we can learn from Ming Dynasty's Azure Dragon Association."
"Recruit members from the Hundred Schools of Thought at the lower levels, but the decision-makers must be loyal to the Qin Dynasty."
"The leader of the force must be none other than me, the Qin Emperor."
"I can even take an alias like that brat Zhu Houzhao."
"That won't diminish imperial dignity."
Ying Zheng was very interested in the Azure Dragon Association model.
The Ming Dynasty had wielded its Martial World masterfully.
Although martial sects often looked down on joining the government, claiming such cultivators were mere dogs of the court.
When the Ming Dynasty took action, the Martial World became its sharpest blade.
Compared to the Ming Dynasty, the Southern and Northern Song Dynasty were laughable.
All talk of loyalty and patriotism, but when it mattered, they were useless.
Like a pile of loose sand.
The Sui Dynasty was even worse.
There, the court was oppressed by Martial World forces.
The growing arrogance of Cihang Tranquil School and the Yingui Sect proved it.
Among all dynasties, the Ming Dynasty had the best control.
Maybe there had been flaws before.
But since Zhu Houzhao ascended, he had secretly patched them all.
Both the Martial World and the court were now tightly enmeshed in the vast net he cast.
That was terrifying.
The more Ying Zheng studied Ming Dynasty recently, the more shocked he became.
He used to dismiss Zhu Houzhao as a fool.
But Zhu Houzhao was far more dangerous than he looked.
He appeared lazy, never reviewed memorials, and left matters to his ministers and Empress.
Yet his power grew more centralized and absolute.
If Ying Zheng still looked down on him now, he would be a fool.
There were certain strengths in Zhu Houzhao that Ying Zheng didn't mind learning from.
For the future, the Qin Dynasty had to change.
Even if some difficulties arose.
He would face them directly.
The Hundred Schools of Thought? Even they could not stop him.
He had already crushed Six Kingdoms.
What was there to fear from some martial sects?
They were nothing compared to the top forces on the ranking.
The Qin Dynasty's true strength was far beyond their comprehension.
Sensing Ying Zheng's awakening, the Black Ice Platform Leader also firmed his resolve.
If the Emperor was unafraid, why should he be?
In fact, he had long wanted to do this.
If successful, the Hundred Schools of Thought would become tools of the Qin Dynasty.
No longer able to resist.
And when facing the Martial Worlds of other nations, they would be a force to be reckoned with.
==========
Sui Imperial Palace.
"Bang!"
"Supreme Master Yuwen, why can't we do it? If other dynasties can, why can't the Sui Dynasty?"
Yang Guang glared at Yuwen Tuo in anger.
If he didn't get a good explanation, he wouldn't hesitate to cut ties.
"Your Majesty, I never said it couldn't be done, only that it cannot be done openly. We must proceed in secret!"
"If word spreads that we plan to unify the Martial World under one force, both righteous and demonic sects will unite to crush us."
Yuwen Tuo sighed.
This was the Sui Dynasty's national condition.
Even worse than the Qin Dynasty.
At least in the Qin Dynasty, Ying Zheng held absolute authority.
What about Yang Guang?
Even commoners held no respect for him.
Many secretly hated him.
In terms of capability, he was worlds apart from Ying Zheng.
Could they even be compared?
"Supreme Master Yuwen, with your strength as a Land Immortal, you can easily wipe out these martial forces!"
"Why don't you just do it?"
Yang Guang was clearly unhappy.
"In the Nine Provinces, Land Immortals must act by certain rules."
"If I really did that, I would be besieged by many others at my level."
"That would only make things worse."
Yuwen Tuo responded calmly.
Even if there were no such unspoken rules, he would never commit such slaughter.
He might serve the Sui Dynasty, but not at the cost of violating his principles.
"In that case, I'll leave this to you."
Yang Guang gave up and waved his hand in dismissal.
Yuwen Tuo was momentarily stunned.
Giving up already?
Wasn't he just insisting on it?
Yang Guang changed his mind so fast.
Yuwen Tuo found himself increasingly frustrated.
In a few days, Yang Guang will likely forget this ever happened.
==========
Han Imperial Harem.
Consort Yu Jiang Yuyan Palace.
Bang!
The palace door was flung open.
A hunchbacked elder stormed in, his eyes glaring fiercely at Jiang Yuyan.
"Jiang Yuyan, how dare you! You even touched my people?"
Despite his rage, Jiang Yuyan remained calm.
She even smiled faintly.
"Senior, why the anger? It was just a few Great Grandmasters."
"I can return a few more in the future."
She spoke innocently.
"You venomous woman! They've done so much dirty work for you!"
"Even a dog deserves some pity!"
The elder was furious.
Jiang Yuyan slowly stepped forward and whispered coldly.
"Too bad they weren't my dogs. What use were they to me?"
"Don't you agree, Senior?"
"After all, this is what you taught me!"
"I've remembered your lessons well."
Murderous intent flashed in the elder's eyes.
"Do you think you're strong enough now to defy me?"
"Today I'll remind you that in my eyes, you will always be a pitiful little ant!"
As soon as he finished, he released a terrifying killing aura.
He planned to give Jiang Yuyan a brutal lesson.
A Land Immortal wasn't someone she could defy.
Suddenly, intense pain surged through his mind.
His true energy froze.
He collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"Jiang Yuyan, what did you do to me?"
He looked up in horror.
"Nothing much. Just gave you a taste of your own medicine. A little poison."
"Impossible. I'm a Land Immortal. Poison can't harm me!"
"That just shows your ignorance."
"There are many poisons in the Han Imperial Palace specifically crafted for Land Immortals."
"The Han Dynasty may have declined, but its heritage surpasses any other dynasties."
"Of course we have ways to handle Land Immortals."
"You old dog. Bet you never imagined you'd fall into my hands."
Jiang Yuyan stepped closer.
Her smile vanished into a cold, eerie glare.
Hatred burned in her eyes.
This old dog had turned her into something neither human nor ghost.
Not even the waters of five great rivers could wash away her hatred.
"Didn't you make me practice the Spirit Devouring Art?"
"Today, I'll let you personally experience what it feels like to be devoured!"
As soon as she finished, she pressed her palm onto the elder's crown chakra.
A terrifying suction force exploded from her hand.
His true energy poured into Jiang Yuyan like a flood.
It was instantly refined and absorbed.
Her own aura grew stronger and stronger.