Chapter 1745: Heavenly King-Sealing List
"I wonder when my name will be carved up there as well." Tantai's hearty laughter rang out as he gazed at the deeds of the kings displayed above, each one awe-inspiring.
Lin Feng also observed carefully, a slight ripple stirring in his heart. This Heavenly King-Sealing Wall, placed here for later generations to admire, was also a form of motivation—an encouragement for the younger disciples. After all, no matter how peerless a powerhouse one became, everyone started from the lowest path of martial arts and advanced step by step. Without a king's heart, how could one dominate the world? These kings who had been enfeoffed were once at the same cultivation level as them, training hard in the academy, being enfeoffed as kings, growing stronger, and as time passed, they eventually became renowned across the world, shaking the past and present.
After finishing his inspection of the Heavenly King-Sealing Wall directly ahead, Lin Feng's gaze shifted to the sides, where two other floating walls stood, engraved with names that shone brilliantly.
On the left side, there was only one water-floating wall, while on the right, there were three water-floating walls, arranged in a triangular formation atop the wall. Within the floating golden water screens, the names exuded a sacred aura.
"Ji Shang." Lin Feng looked at the name at the very top of the water screen wall. It was none other than the name Ji Shang, and the same was true for both the left and right walls—the topmost name was always Ji Shang.
"Are these the names of War King Academy's disciples?" Lin Feng asked curiously.
"Yes. Inside the King-Enfeoffment Hall, the Heavenly King-Sealing Wall in front records those who have achieved great success as enfeoffed kings throughout history. The wall on the left is the Heavenly King-Sealing List, which ranks the top hundred Martial Emperor realm cultivators of the current generation in the academy. They are all candidates for enfeoffment as kings. War King Academy has a rule: only the one who reaches the top of this floating wall—the first seat on the Heavenly King-Sealing List—is qualified to undergo the enfeoffment ceremony and then pass the academy's assessment."
Qin Wu explained to everyone, causing them to nod slightly. So that was it. The wall on the left was the Heavenly King-Sealing List.
"As for the right side, it is also a ranking list, but it divides the cultivation levels more clearly, separating High-rank Emperors, Mid-rank Emperors, and Low-rank Emperors. Thus, it is actually three lists: the Hidden King List of War King Academy, divided into Heaven, Earth, and Human Lists. The Hidden King List for High-rank Emperors is the Hidden King Heaven List, for Mid-rank Emperors is the Earth List, and for Low-rank Emperors is the Human List."
Qin Wu introduced in detail: "The competition in War King Academy is fierce, and everyone takes pride in making it onto these three lists. You asked me earlier why I could enter the ninth level of the King-Enfeoffment Hall—it's because of this. My name is ranked twenty-ninth on the Hidden King List's Human List, which grants me a ninth-level War King Token, allowing me to step onto the ninth level of the King-Enfeoffment Hall."
"So the level of the War King Token is determined by these rankings. The higher the level, the more benefits one receives." Great Pest's eyes flickered with a hint of anticipation, eager to see his own name carved onto the list. If he couldn't make it onto the Heavenly King-Sealing List for now, he would start with the Hidden King List, beginning with the Human List.
"Qin Wu, you're indeed at the twenty-ninth position. I have to get ahead of you." Tantai scratched his head and said with a smile.
"This King-Enfeoffment Hall, with its records of kingly predecessors, the Heavenly King-Sealing List, and the Hidden King List, is open to all. It can inspire the academy's disciples, making everyone unwilling to fall behind and spurring them to train hard and strengthen themselves." Lin Feng thought to himself. The establishment of this King-Enfeoffment Hall was truly ingenious. Even without the War King Token level distinctions, it could ignite the competitive and combative spirit of martial artists.
Anyone who could enter War King Academy was no ordinary person. Who would be willing to have their name constantly suppressed by others? Who would be content to have their name not even carved onto the list, only able to look up at the names of others from here?
"Although the Heavenly King-Sealing List and the Hidden King Heaven List mostly share the same names, there are actually some people from the Hidden King Earth List on the Heavenly King-Sealing List. It seems that each generation produces extraordinary prodigies." Bu Lanshan observed carefully. The Heavenly King-Sealing List ranked the top hundred Martial Emperor realm cultivators in the entire War King Academy, while the Hidden King Heaven List ranked the High-rank Emperors of the academy. Logically, even if the two overlapped, it would be understandable. But for people from the Hidden King Earth List to break into the Heavenly King-Sealing List was remarkable—they were likely some exceptionally monstrous talents.
"It seems I underestimated the Four Great Academies. Qin Wu's strength is extraordinary, yet he's only ranked twenty-ninth on the Hidden King List's Human List. Moreover, just on these lists alone, there are over three hundred Martial Emperor realm cultivators. How many Martial Emperor realm disciples does War King Academy actually have?" Zu Yan asked curiously.
"I don't know, but it definitely won't be a small number. You have to understand that War King Academy continues generation after generation without end. Not everyone's cultivation speed is fast. Even for those with outstanding talent, advancing from Low-rank Emperor to Mid-rank Emperor takes at least ten years—twenty, thirty, or even longer is possible. From Mid-rank Emperor to High-rank Emperor, the time required is even more unpredictable. Thus, generation after generation, without cease, the Four Great Academies gather prodigies from all over the Qingxiao Land, and their numbers are certainly not small. They continuously supply talent to the entire Qingxiao Land. Someone once compiled a list of famous figures across the Qingxiao Land, and upon careful study, it was found that nearly half of them had entered the academies of the three great main cities of the Qingxiao Land. In other words, they all came out of the academies."
"In the Qingxiao Land, many young members of the royal clans and ancient saint clans enter the academies. They might become the future masters of those royal clans and ancient clans. In other words, the current leaders of the royal clans and ancient clans might have also entered the various academies of the Qingxiao Land when they were young."
Qin Wu explained this to everyone, and Lin Feng and the others naturally understood. It was like a cycle: the greater the academy's reputation, the more powerhouses gathered there, and as more monstrous talents converged, the academy's reputation grew even larger, continuing endlessly through the generations.
"Are there no rankings for the disciples of the Great Emperors?" Lin Feng asked.
"Let's talk outside." Qin Wu smiled, and then the group walked out, with Qin Wu still leading the way.
"At the Great Emperor realm, there are indeed no rankings within the academy. However, across the Four Great Academies of Holy City Central Continent, there are two lists: one is the Emperor List, and the other is the Emperor's List. The Emperor List ranks the Great Emperor realm powerhouses, while the Emperor's List ranks the Martial Emperor realm powerhouses. These lists are not limited to a single academy but encompass all four. They were jointly created by the predecessors of the Four Great Academies. Through this method, they spur competition among everyone in the Four Great Academies. The people of Holy City Central Continent also take pride in defeating those on the Emperor List and the Emperor's List, as it represents formidable strength. Therefore, those who make it onto the Emperor List or the Emperor's List will never be lonely."
Qin Wu said with a smile. Everyone naturally understood the reasoning. These people would likely often face challenges from others. Many might not seek fame but rather to verify their own strength.
"So, how can I get onto the Hidden King List? If I defeat you, does that mean I can take your place?" Lin Feng asked casually.
This made Qin Wu roll his eyes and glare at Lin Feng. "You're not going to challenge someone on the Hidden King List as soon as you enter the academy, are you? That's quite rare in history. But yes, it's as you said. If you defeat me, you take my place, and I, along with everyone ranked below me, will drop one position. So, no matter who makes it onto the list, if you don't advance, you fall back. Even if you don't act, if someone else challenges and defeats the person ahead of you, you'll still be pushed back a spot."
"Lin Feng, look over there." At that moment, Qin Wu led the group to another place. Ahead lay a range of mountains shrouded in immortal mist, with what seemed like immortal palaces floating in the void, though they were not very clear, giving a hazy impression.
"Some of the academy's old-timers live in those immortal mountains. They are said to have their own immortal palaces, but I've never been there. Only those who have made it onto the Heavenly King-Sealing List have the opportunity to enter, be summoned by some of the academy's senior predecessors, and even be taken on as personal disciples for guidance. If you can't get onto the Heavenly King-Sealing List, don't expect guidance from those powerhouses. You'll have to rely on the academy's resources, this intense competitive atmosphere, and the training missions provided by the academy to keep getting stronger."
"It seems you really want to go in and take a look." Tantai nudged Qin Wu's arm and said with a smile.
"Of course. Being able to step into that place is even rarer than making it onto the Heavenly King-Sealing List." Qin Wu said loudly, causing Tantai's eyes to flicker. "Many people in War King Academy have their own family elders to teach them. I wonder what's so special about these old-timers here that it's so hard to get in."
"The senior predecessors of the various academies are all figures who can be called Imperial Teachers, so they are naturally extraordinary. Look at the other side of the immortal mountains—what do you think?" Qin Wu pointed to a vast, endless expanse in the distance and asked.
"A vast world of heaven and earth. Could there be some hidden mystery there as well?"
"War King Academy—the giant city we're in is actually the central area, the core of the academy. However, this vast expanse of heaven and earth around us has seen the footsteps of many predecessors, including some terrifyingly powerful figures. They might have left behind some relics for later generations to explore. Academy disciples often go there. If you're interested in the future, you can go and take a look too."
Qin Wu smiled and continued, "There's one more important place. Just remember what it is, and I won't take you there. It's called the Proclamation Hall, which contains a wealth of information about the continent—such as where relics have appeared, where treasures have been discovered—all of which can be found there."
"It sounds like an intelligence hub. How could War King Academy in Holy City Central Continent lack intelligence? That would be like being blind." Lin Feng revealed a hint of a smile. This place was definitely worth visiting often.
"Let's head back. You'll probably need to figure out how to handle the War King Token matter." Qin Wu said, and then the group returned together. After they got back, War King Academy suddenly became lively. A newly admitted freshman was actually going to challenge a powerhouse on the Hidden King List's Human List!