Chapter 372: The List is Set

"Novel 'Reigning Over Nine Heavens' ()" Find the latest chapter!

A Sanctuary ranked around 100th actually wants to challenge all Eight Holy Sanctuaries consecutively? This isn’t just about combat prowess—even Celestial Sanctuary couldn't pull this off.

For instance, if Celestial Sanctuary were to fight Dark Demon Island, ranked second, regardless of who won, in a battle where honor and life were at stake, most of their top fighters would be down for the count! Challenging all Eight Holy Sanctuaries consecutively? Are you joking?

Perhaps Thunder Dragon's gone senile, or maybe he knows the tide has turned and is just saving face. But none of that matters anymore, because this is simply an impossible task. Moreover, the status of Long Yue and Ice Spirit within the Holy Sanctuaries is highly unique, and their voices cannot be completely ignored.

Several Soul messenger pigeons flew out from an ancient mansion in the Holy City, carrying notes to the Eight Holy Sanctuaries. On them were just two simple words: Accept the challenge!

The near-comatose Rose Sanctuary had finally regained some vitality these past few days. While challenging the Eight Holy Sanctuaries seemed like a joke or a desperate struggle to outsiders, to the Rose disciples, this was no laughing matter.

A team consists of five main members and one backup substitute. Since Yan Ruoyu left, Wang Feng's squad only had five members, including dead weight like Wu Di. Thus...

Students from the Martial Arts Academy, Wizard Academy, Exorcism Academy, and Firearms Academy—almost all outstanding Rose disciples—were eagerly volunteering to fill the last vacant spot in Wang Feng's squad, to replace Wu Di and fight for Rose!

But Wang Feng rejected them all. The Student Council put up a glaring announcement: Mapeier of Judgment was about to transfer to Rose to fill the last vacancy in Wang Feng's squad. The roster was finalized, and no further volunteers were needed.

Everyone in Rose Sanctuary knew of Mapeier of Judgment. Ever since Wang Feng's squad returned from their victory banquet, it was clear that Wang Feng favored Mapeier. Besides, Mapeier herself was an elite warrior who'd battled the Naga in the Dragon City battles. No one could object to her joining Wang Feng's squad. But the question remained—what about Wu Di? Did Wang Feng really intend to drag that dead weight along to represent Rose in the challenge against the Eight Holy Sanctuaries?

In the training room... The use of the Soul Refining Array by Wang Feng's squad became increasingly cautious, with fewer and fewer sessions. Ah Xi and Winnie had stopped using it altogether, while Kela and Wu Di could only use it once every other day. This was Wang Feng's rule. Kela and Wu Di had clearly hit a bottleneck—the Soul Refining Array worked as a catalyst, not a direct power boost. Without sufficient accumulation and refinement, overuse would only diminish its effects.

Of course, the Soul Elixir was still consumed daily without fail. Compared to the Soul Refining Array, this was the real McCoy—though the constant formula adjustments were rapidly draining their coffers. The two or three million Oul left from the Dragon City expedition had nearly been spent. Fortunately, Clara was now fully on Wang Feng's side. After delivering the promised two bottles of elixirs, the Golden Shell Auction House had become Wang Feng’s personal piggy bank. Though Clara wasn’t entirely pleased, she couldn’t shake the sense she was making a losing bet.

No Soul Refining today. Kela and Winnie were sparring—though calling it a spar might be too generous for Kela, who was essentially just getting beaten up. Winnie sat cross-legged on a chair, eating a banana and trimming her nails, while her Jiao Baba was more than enough to pin Kela down effortlessly.

Winnie’s blue flame evolution wasn’t limited to herself—Jiao Baba had undergone the same transformation. The Blue-flame Jiao Baba now carried a noticeably more sinister aura. While its strength hadn’t increased much, its speed and resilience had improved dramatically. Despite its massive three-to-four-meter frame, it could almost match Kela’s speed. Combined with its overwhelming strength, Kela was utterly suppressed, never once ending a fight with her clothes intact.

Boom!

Kela was swatted out of the air by Jiao Baba again. Before she could even get up, the terrifying creature plopped its enormous, blue-flamed rear onto her, nearly knocking her out from the sheer weight, her bones creaking under the pressure.

“You okay, Kela? Want me to tell Jiao Baba to take it easy?” Winnie called out through a mouthful of banana.

Kela’s face was flushed red as she mustered her soul power to shove Jiao Baba’s rear off her, barely managing to sit up. “I’m fine!”

“Wu Di, where’s the fire? Doesn’t that hurt?” Nearby, another fight was just wrapping up. After just a few exchanges, Fan Texi had Wu Di’s wrist twisted behind his back. Soul awakening stemmed from consciousness awakening, and anger was often the easiest emotion to trigger, unleashing the greatest explosive power. Wang Feng hadn’t given Wu Di any guidance on this—in fact, he hadn’t even been in the training room these past few days.

After awakening the Raging Tai Chi Tiger, Fan Texi’s progress had skyrocketed. His soul transformation led to a rapid surge in soul power—even without entering the Raging Tai Chi Tiger state, he could wield considerable strength. Manhandling Wu Di was easy. Of course, this was kept strictly under wraps. The training room was now completely closed off to outsiders. Even within Rose, most still believed Fan Texi only remained on the team due to his ties with Wang Feng.

Wu Di’s wrist was nearly dislocated, his face pale. While pain might enrage most people, it seemed to have no effect on him. With a sharp *crack*, his wrist dislocated again, leaving him crouched on the ground, drenched in cold sweat, teeth chattering too hard to speak.

Fan Texi reset his dislocated arm—he was practically an expert in treating such injuries now. The Dark Entanglement Technique’s most crucial solo discipline was joint locks. Who knew it’d be just as useful for healing as it was for fighting?

Wu Di flexed his newly reset elbow. Pain didn’t scare him, but with the challenge against the Eight Holy Sanctuaries drawing closer and his own progress stalled... He gritted his teeth as Winnie tossed him a banana. “You good, Wu Di? Have a banana first!”

“I’m fine!” Wu Di devoured the banana, peel and all, before turning back to Fan Texi. “Ah Xi, let’s go again!”

Winnie narrowed her eyes. Wang Feng’s squad had made significant progress, but let’s be honest—challenging the Eight Holy Sanctuaries was still a joke. Fan Texi and Kela were barely qualified to compete. She could hold her own, but against freaks like Ye Dun or De Luo Bu Yi, even she stood little chance. What was Wang Feng really plotting? Could that woman from Judgment really be that strong?

Mapeier’s transfer had already been completed—even before Wang Feng issued his challenge. Anbolin handled the negotiations, with Jifantian giving the green light all the way, imposing no additional conditions on Rose. To outsiders, this was quite intriguing.

Logically, as two competing Holy Sanctuaries in Aurora City, Judgment should’ve joined the crowd in kicking Rose while it was down. Instead, they sent their best disciple away. The public couldn’t believe this was Judgment’s leadership’s decision—and indeed, it was Mapeier’s personal insistence that made the transfer happen.

A girl, giving up a guaranteed brilliant future to wade into Rose’s mess... Humans have always been the most gossip-loving species, and overnight, all sorts of rumors and wild tales sprouted like mushrooms after rain.

Most stories revolved around the Dragon City expedition. Mapeier was portrayed as a pure, kind-hearted maiden, embodying all the noble qualities of a princess! But on that moonless, windy night, she encountered the smooth-talking scoundrel Wang Feng! Sweet words and love potions later, the innocent girl was utterly bewitched. Under the deceitful moonlight, amid the wild plains, Wang Feng not only stole her virtue but also captured her pure soul with his silver tongue!

And now, under that scoundrel’s lies and manipulation, this naive girl was about to ruin her own bright future with her own hands.

A scumbag, a total scumbag! Utterly wicked and unforgivable!

What a tragedy! People are heartbroken—such a fine girl, ruined by a scumbag. This is absolutely intolerable!

Many rally for Mapeier’s justice, hoping to awaken this once-promising, innocent girl. But clearly, it’s all in vain...

Mapeier is currently meditating in her dorm at Rose.

Training? Of course, Mapeier needs training too. But having just arrived at Rose a few days ago, she hasn’t quite adapted to Old Wang’s team’s daily routine. Compared to spending time with Winnie and Fantecy, she prefers meditating alone. However, late at night when all is quiet, the training room’s Soul Refining Array becomes her training ground. There, she can refine her soul power and train in combat. After all, Wang Feng is the master of the Soul Refining Array. With slight adjustments, he can guide Mapeier’s inner turmoil into combat focus—just like Winnie’s training—making it a simple task.

Right now, Mapeier is devising countermeasures, replaying last night’s battle in the illusionary realm.

In the illusion, she didn’t face herself but the terrifying Nagaroth. Under the ghost-tier suppression, without Hei Wukai and Long Feixue to assist, she could barely last five minutes. To her, the Nagaroth’s speed was overwhelming, its strength monstrous. A direct confrontation would be suicide.

The dorm is utterly silent. Suddenly—*buzz, buzz, buzz*...

Mapeier doesn’t open her eyes, nor does she move. Only her ear twitches slightly as a blood-red spider silk suddenly rises from her head like a crimson thread, piercing through the ceiling in an instant.

The buzzing in the air stops. The silk retracts slowly, and on the ceiling, where a needle-thin hole remains, a skewered mosquito twitches, legs splayed upward. Strangely, its bloated abdomen is unharmed—instead, a clean puncture marks its tiny head.

......

After announcing the challenge, Old Wang buried himself in Rose’s various workshops—the forging workshop, the potion workshop, even the stables of the Beast Taming Hall...

The War Demon Armor for ice bees had already entered its "second generation." Compared to the first iteration, the weight was significantly reduced. This time, it wasn’t made of mithril but a new alloy blending arcanite gold, dragon bone powder, and other rare materials. The Fusion Runes inscribed on it had also undergone minor adjustments, adjusting the resonance between the rune array and the ice bees for better soul power circulation. Combined with their aerial bombardment tactics, they would be a formidable force.

Of course, challenging the Eight Holy Sanctuaries with just a dozen ice bees—no matter how heavily armed—was far from enough.

*BANG! BANG! BANG!*

The deafening strikes of a seventy-pound hammer, wielded with effortless precision. Old Wang sweats profusely.

Unlike the War Demon Armor for ice bees, this was rough work. A life-sized puppet had begun taking skeletal form.

Puppetry—a branch of beast taming. Once, the League of Blades’ puppet army was a crucial force against the Nine Gods. After all, these were terrifying killing machines that felt no pain, no fatigue, no emotions, and never disobeyed orders. As long as they had enough soul crystals, they could fight endlessly, their combat prowess extraordinary.

Sadly, few use puppets these days.

The main reason? Money. Compared to the complex and expensive puppet-making process, buying a soul beast was far simpler and cheaper. Sure, soul beasts ate a lot and cost a fortune to maintain, but puppets? Their upkeep was astronomical.

Puppets also had other flaws, like difficulty in control. Most soul beasts shared a mental link with their tamers, responding to direct commands. But puppets were far harder to command, limited to pre-set rune patterns that dictated fixed attack or defense actions. In short, they lacked flexibility. But...

Once the puppet’s skeleton was forged and inscribed with runes, Old Wang tossed it into a massive vat filled with boiling crimson liquid—like some kind of blood bubbling like volcanic lava.

Amid the boiling crimson liquid, the skeleton began to move, as if trying to climb out. But the viscous bonds clung to it like elastic restraints.

The liquid rapidly "climbed" up the bones, adhering to the inscribed runes and being absorbed by them.

Soon, the skeleton glowed as more crimson liquid coiled around it, forming vascular and muscular fibers on its surface. Eventually, the entire vat’s contents were absorbed and refined by the runes, transforming into a muscular, faceless humanoid monstrosity.

An alchemy-forged puppet!

This was no ordinary crude metal puppet from the League of Blades’ old army. It stood motionless before Wang Feng as he pressed his palm aglow with runes against its forehead.

A flash of light—the puppet obediently knelt before him. Its movements lacked a puppet’s usual rigidity. Aside from its lack of facial features, it moved as naturally as a living human.

Old Wang conducted a few small tests. A blade drawn lightly over its supple skin sliced easily, yet no blood spilled. The cut knit back seamlessly, leaving no trace. But when struck with force—whether slashed, stabbed, or smashed—the skin instantly hardened, becoming impervious.

Strength tests, soul power responsiveness, combat techniques—these were yet to be conducted. But just the alchemy-forged material alone was already unbelievably potent.

Old Wang looked at his hard-earned masterpiece with satisfaction. Only such a top-tier alchemical marvel—a puppet that balanced flexibility and strength—could break free from the stiff machines people imagine, hold its own against truly elite soul beasts, and earn the title of Master of Alchemical Puppets!

The puppet of course would get its War Demon Armor, but not now.

After preparing another vat of alchemical solution—requiring roughly three days of warm fermentation—Old Wang planned to craft another puppet. During this waiting period, there were other things to handle. Ice bees, puppets… his methods extended far beyond these.

The Soul Beast Division…

When the crisis first struck Rose, the division that lost the most disciples wasn’t the Martial Arts or Wizardry Division—it was the Soul Beast Division. Now, only a handful remained, leaving Winnie, the division head, practically a general with no troops. When Old Wang arrived, from the division’s entrance all the way to the beast pens in the back mountains, he didn’t see a single Rose disciple.

The reason was simple: anyone who could handle soul beasts came from wealthy backgrounds. No matter how talented one was, without resources, soul beasts were out of reach. And all the well-off, influential Rose disciples had long since transferred to other Holy Sanctuaries.

The vast beast pens, once bustling with soul beasts, frequented by both disciples and caretakers, now stood dead silent.

After a quick registration at the entrance, Old Wang headed straight for Er Tong’s territory—a secluded hollow where the listless beast lay half-asleep.

Honestly, ever since Wang Feng lured him to Rose, Er Tong’s life had been miserable.

Back in the Ice Valley, life was perfect: miles of icy wilderness to roam, big slabs of fresh kill to devour, and packs of affectionate she-wolves to choose from! But here? A cramped space barely a few hundred meters wide, tasteless liquid feed (even if it was nutrient-rich, blended from premium meats and supplements), and not a single she-wolf in sight—hell, even the damn ants looked male to him!

The confined space, awful food, and dull routine had nearly driven Er Tong to depression.

Now, his ears drooped as he drowsily reminisced about the Ice Valley’s feasts and lovely she-wolves, drool pooling beneath him. Suddenly, his ears perked up—a whiff of meat!