Chapter 112.1: Dao Shi’er’s Rank in the Divine Strength Rankings of the Northern Battlefield (I)

Truth be told, these martial artists did not need Lu Changsheng’s treatment. Beiling City had no shortage of physicians, many of them renowned masters. If they truly wanted medical care, they had other options.

However, they were people of the jianghu, where reputation mattered above all else. Being turned away by the Nine-Patient Master Healer was a humiliation they could not swallow.

Hence, regardless of the cost, they had to be treated by Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng calmly continued packing up his stall. “Since you were injured while killing northern barbarians, I’ll let this matter go. Just this once. I won’t pursue it further.”

A martial artist stepped forward with a cold face. “You really think we won’t kill you?”

He drew his saber, but the instant the blade left its sheath, a white light flashed. No one could see what happened; all they heard was the faint sound of a blade cutting through flesh.

Spurt!

The martial artist felt a sharp pain in the arm holding the saber. He looked at his arm, and his scream reverberated the moment he realized his arm had been severed.

“Aaaahhhh!

”

The remaining martial artists stared at the Nine-Patient Master Healer in shock.

“You…”

“Medicine and martial arts have never been separate,” Lu Changsheng replied. “Who told you a physician can’t practice martial arts? These hands of mine can revive the dead and regrow flesh as well as bone, but they can also wield a sword to kill.

‘If you don’t leave now, losing an arm will be the least of your worries.”

The martial artists no longer dared to act rashly. They picked up the severed arm, hoisted their injured companion on their shoulder, and fled in panic.

Many bystanders had witnessed the entire scene, and they started talking about it among themselves.

“The Nine-Patient Master Healer knows martial arts?”

“How could he have safely reached the Northern Domain in times like these otherwise?”

“Exactly. Anyone who can make it to the Northern Domain must have certain martial skills. The Nine-Patient Master Healer is no exception.”

“It’s more than that. Did any of you see that sword strike clearly just now? Can any of us block an attack that fast?”

“I never would have guessed the Nine-Patient Master Healer is a formidable expert.”

Beiling City was neither particularly large nor particularly small. Many people knew the Nine-Patient Master Healer, yet few knew his real name.

Everyone simply called him Physician Lu.

All of them knew his medical skills were extraordinary, but today, they had witnessed another side of him as well—his swordsmanship!

The Nine-Patient Master Healer was highly skilled in sword technique. Blocking a strike from him would be no easy task.

Lu Changsheng did not dwell on what had happened. After packing up his stall, he headed back toward his small courtyard. On the way, he passed by the Martial Pavilion and noticed an unusually large crowd gathered outside.

He slowed down, slightly surprised. “Why is the Martial Pavilion so lively today?”

He walked closer and stopped beside a young martial artist whose face was lit with excitement. “Why are so many people gathered here? What’s going on?”

The young martial artist glanced at him and enthusiastically explained, “The Martial Pavilion is about to release the Divine Strength Rankings for the Northern Domain battlefield!

“Any martial artist who has fought here, whether northern barbarians or martial artists of the Da Yu Dynasty, as long as they are in the Divine Strength Realm, will be ranked based on the strength they’ve shown on the battlefield.”

“Rankings…” Lu Changsheng understood now.

In the jianghu, reputation mattered more than anything else. The Martial Pavilion itself had personally released the Divine Strength Rankings, which was naturally regarded as the most authoritative list.

Which Divine Strength Realm martial artist would not want to make it to the list? Even those who had yet to reach the Divine Strength Realm were still eager to see it, as it made for excellent conversation material.

With that being said, Lu Changsheng also guessed that the Martial Pavilion had an ulterior purpose. The Divine Strength Rankings were certainly more than a simple list. He believed the Martial Pavilion hoped to mobilize the strength of the entire jianghu to resist the northern barbarians.

A prestigious ranking would push countless martial artists to seek recognition and achievement. In the Northern Domain, there was no clearer path to doing that than the battlefield against the northern barbarians.

As for fairness and impartiality, the Martial Pavilion had built its reputation over centuries. Even the northern barbarians trusted the credibility of the Divine Strength Rankings.

Lu Changsheng found himself intrigued as well. Since he arrived in Beiling City, he had gone out hunting several times and had even gained a bit of a name for himself. Just how high would his rank be?

Time passed, and the crowd outside the Martial Pavilion continued to grow. At last, the Divine Strength Rankings were unveiled. The rankings were carved onto an enormous stone stele, with a list of only one hundred people in total.

This number was far smaller than the total count of Divine Strength martial artists currently active on the battlefield. With the Northern Domain battlefield serving as the focal point of the entire jianghu, there were likely well over a thousand such martial artists.

Under those circumstances, being ranked among the top one hundred Divine Strength martial artists across lands stretching from the far south to the distant seas and spanning both the northern barbarians and the Da Yu Dynasty was an honor beyond measure.

Everyone’s gaze immediately went to the name ranked first.

Tian Xin!

The name threw the crowd into an uproar. Tian Xin was not a martial artist of the Da Yu Dynasty. He was a northern barbarian.

“Tian Xin… It’s said that he’s a once-in-a-century genius among the northern barbarians. Rumor has it that Tian Xin wasn’t his original name. He follows a martial dao where he uses his own heart in place of Heaven’s will, and that’s why he took the name Tian Xin.”

“He must have a lot of audacity to measure himself against the heavens. People like that are rare throughout history. Still, his strength is truly terrifying. Among the northern barbarians, he has never been defeated.”

“Tian Xin is really strong. Could it be that among so many Divine Strength martial artists of our Da Yu Dynasty, not a single one can surpass him?”

Many present were already familiar with the legends surrounding Tian Xin. He was a supreme genius whose life had been extraordinary since he was born. After arriving at the Northern Domain battlefield, he had struck no more than three times in total, yet each time he emerged victorious.

As for why he no longer sought out battles, it was said that he believed no one remaining was worthy of his hand.

The martial artist ranked second was Sheng Yuanyi, and he was also a northern barbarian. Rumor had it that he was a successor of the Heart Sword Sect of the northern barbarians.

He was an extremely mysterious figure, and not many people had expected him to take second place.

The third place belonged to Song Wuqing of the Da Yu Dynasty, the successor of the Absolute Saber. It was said that Song Wuqing’s saber followed the path of mercilessness. Anyone who had seen him draw his blade had died.

However, even someone as fearsome as Song Wuqing was ranked only third on the Divine Strength Rankings.

The gap between the top three and the rest was immediately apparent. Everyone’s eyes moved down the list from fourth to fifth, and then onward to the tenth. Among the top ten, the northern barbarians alone occupied seven spots.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep