Chapter 138: Listed on the Hidden Dragon List

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Listed on the Hidden Dragon List

Yun Mengling struggled free at once, like a startled rabbit.

"You... You bastard!"

She took a few steps back, glaring at Yi Xiaoyao with a mix of shame and anger. Then, she turned, ran back into her room, and slammed the door shut.

Inside, Yun Mengling leaned tightly against the door, gasping for air as her heart pounded chaotically in her chest.

If anyone else had dared to do that to her, Yun Mengling would have killed them. But when it came to Yi Xiaoyao’s actions just now, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of repulsion. Instead, a sweet feeling bloomed in her heart.

Realizing this, a flicker of light appeared in Yun Mengling’s beautiful eyes.

’Am I really falling for him?’

She murmured to herself, but deep down, she already knew the answer.

Still, Yun Mengling had a strange feeling. ’I have a crush now?’ She would never have dared to even imagine such a thing before.

Meanwhile, Yi Xiaoyao stood outside the door, the effects of the alcohol having completely worn off.

He was both thrilled and regretful about having kissed Yun Mengling. ’What if she’s angry and never speaks to me again?’

With this in mind, Yi Xiaoyao went to Yun Mengling’s door and knocked timidly, not knowing what to say.

"Go away! I need to rest!" a shy voice called from inside.

Yi Xiaoyao’s heart leaped with joy. It seemed Yun Mengling wasn’t angry after all. He quickly agreed and turned to leave.

After returning to his quarters, Yi Xiaoyao lay on his bed, his mind replaying the moment he had kissed her.

Sweet, soft, fragrant...

He slept well that night.

「The next day.」

Early in the morning, Yi Xiaoyao went to Yun Mengling’s door to wait for her.

The first thing Yun Mengling saw when she opened the door was his warm smile.

"Ling’Er, good morning!" Yi Xiaoyao said with a smile.

Yun Mengling paused for a moment, immediately remembering what had happened last night. She also noticed the change in how Yi Xiaoyao addressed her, and a hint of shyness appeared in her beautiful eyes.

"Mm, morning!" Yun Mengling nodded shyly.

"We should head back to the Seven Kills Star Hall today. Will you come with me to say goodbye to the elders?"

Before Yun Mengling could even agree, Yi Xiaoyao took her small hand and led her away.

After bidding farewell to each of the Tang Family elders, the two left Tang Family Castle under the reluctant gazes of the Tang Family members.

Several days later, Yi Xiaoyao and Yun Mengling finally returned to the Seven Kills Star Hall.

As soon as they got back, the Hall Master sent someone to summon them.

In the pavilion, the Black Robe Hall Master revealed a smile that outsiders had never seen, sizing up the well-matched pair of youngsters before him.

"Hall Master, may I ask why you’ve summoned us?"

Yi Xiaoyao felt a little uncomfortable under the Black Robe Hall Master’s gaze and decided to speak up.

The Black Robe Hall Master smiled and said, "Xiaoyao, Meng Ling, have you two heard of the ’Hidden Dragon List’?"

"The Hidden Dragon List?"

Yi Xiaoyao was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head. He had never heard of it.

"The Hidden Dragon List is a ranking of the Golden Core Powerhouses under the age of thirty in the Great Shang Dynasty. There are one hundred spots in total."

Yun Mengling explained coolly. She had learned about these things before coming to the Great Shang Dynasty.

The Black Robe Hall Master nodded with a smile. "Correct. Anyone who makes it onto the Hidden Dragon List is among the strongest and youngest experts in the Golden Core Realm. Almost every one of them has the power to sweep through the entire Golden Core Realm. And the higher their rank, the more terrifying their strength. The few at the very top of the Hidden Dragon List can even match or kill those in the Nascent Soul Realm!"

Yi Xiaoyao was stunned to hear this.

’Match or even kill a Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse?’

One had to understand that the gap between major Realms was immense, and this disparity grew exponentially at higher levels.

A Golden Core Realm cultivator who could match someone at the Nascent Soul Realm was already a monster. To be able to kill one... that was simply monstrous.

After all, not everyone could cultivate a Heaven-Defying Technique like Yi Xiaoyao and kill opponents above their own Realm with ease.

"Hall Master, is there a reason you’re bringing this up with us?" Yi Xiaoyao asked.

The Black Robe Hall Master gave Yi Xiaoyao a strange look, then took out a Jade Slip and handed it to him.

Yi Xiaoyao took the Jade Slip. As soon as he read it, his own expression turned strange.

"Hidden Dragon List, ninety-fifth place: Yi Xiaoyao?"

Yun Mengling leaned in, and her eyes immediately fell upon that line in the rankings.

Following the rank was a description.

"Yi Xiaoyao, age eighteen, Golden Core First Realm. This individual killed Lei Zhen, a Golden Core Eighth Realm elder of the Cloud Transformation Sect. The killing was an absolute rout, making it impossible to determine this person’s true strength. Thus, he is temporarily ranked at ninety-fifth."

After reading the description, Yi Xiaoyao finally understood. He hadn’t expected the news of him killing Lei Zhen to spread so quickly, let alone get him listed on the Hidden Dragon List.

"Now you understand what I wanted to tell you, don’t you?" the Black Robe Hall Master said to Yi Xiaoyao.

Yi Xiaoyao nodded and said with a sigh, "It’s just... this ranking is a bit too low, isn’t it? Only ninety-fifth."

Hearing this, the Black Robe Hall Master’s eyes went wide, and he stared at Yi Xiaoyao as if he were looking at a monster.

"Too low? Xiaoyao, take a good look! Every single one of the one hundred people on this Hidden Dragon List is at the Golden Core Ninth Realm. You’re the only one at the Golden Core First Realm! And you think it’s too low?"

If anyone else had heard what Yi Xiaoyao said, they would have been speechless before cursing him for being so ungrateful.

After all, even cultivators at the Golden Core Eighth Realm couldn’t make it onto the Hidden Dragon List. For someone like Yi Xiaoyao, at the Golden Core First Realm, to be ranked alongside a group of Golden Core Ninth Realm cultivators was something to boast about for a lifetime.

Yi Xiaoyao chuckled sheepishly. ’He has a point,’ he thought to himself. His ranking was based on his strength after using the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique, which actually made him a little worried. ℯ

’If someone wants to challenge me, I’ll be in trouble. I can’t just use the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique for every single challenge, can I?’

In fact, Yi Xiaoyao’s worries were not unfounded. The day his name appeared on the Hidden Dragon List, the entire Great Shang Dynasty was thrown into an uproar.

Entering the Hidden Dragon List with a Cultivation at the Golden Core First Realm was completely unprecedented in the last ten thousand years—a truly earth-shattering event!

Even though the information on the Hidden Dragon List was widely accepted as authentic and reliable, countless people still expressed their doubts.

As a result, a large number of Golden Core Realm cultivators now wanted to challenge Yi Xiaoyao.

The Black Robe Hall Master looked at Yi Xiaoyao and sighed inwardly at the formidable nature of the younger generation, then pushed the thought aside.

He turned to Yun Mengling and said, "Meng Ling, you came to the Great Shang Dynasty to enter the Great Demon Ancient Tomb. Now that the matter of the Great Demon Ancient Tomb is settled, you still haven’t returned. It must be because of this boy Xiaoyao, right?"

Yun Mengling’s face immediately flushed red, and she remained silent.

Looking at the shy young woman, the Black Robe Hall Master’s gaze flickered. He knew just how great a sacrifice it was for a genius of Yun Mengling’s status to choose to stay in this backwater place and give up the vast resources her family had invested in her training.

Thinking of this, the Black Robe Hall Master said to Yi Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, in this world, mutual affection doesn’t guarantee that two people can end up together. Given Meng Ling’s status and background, it will be incredibly difficult for you to be with her! You have a long and arduous road ahead of you."

Yi Xiaoyao understood the meaning behind the Black Robe Hall Master’s words. His gaze hardened, and he shot a surprised look at Yun Mengling.

The next moment, he smiled with unshakable resolve. "I don’t care how high Ling’Er’s status is. I only know that what I want, I will obtain! If being with Ling’Er requires reaching a certain height, then I’ll just have to reach it! And the first height I will reach is the number one spot on this Hidden Dragon List!"

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