The Great Dao Golden List, Me! The Supreme Martial God Exposed

221 BC, Ying Zheng, King of Qin, on the day he proclaimed himself First Emperor after unifying the six states, a golden scroll descended from the heavens during the sacrificial ceremony. The scroll, emanating sword qi and Dao runes, spanned the sky, visible to all. Civil and military officials hailed it as an auspicious sign, but the world was stunned. Guiguzi sensed a great upheaval; Donghuang Taiyi of the Yin-Yang School attempted divination but suffered backlash, his divination jade shattering. Yue Shen, the Right Protector, was warned not to pry. Confucian scholar Zhang Liang saw an opportunity to destabilize Qin. Taoist sect leader Beimingzi observed calmly, while countless commoners and remnants of the six states reacted with awe, hope, or fear.

The golden list gradually revealed its nature: it was a manifestation of the One That Escaped from the Great Dao, capable of recording and ranking all things in the world. Those listed would receive rewards from the Great Dao. The first list to manifest was the Divine Sword List of the Middle Continent. Other lists would appear monthly. The news ignited the world. All swordsmen coveted the chance to be ranked, for fame and the promised rewards—pills and techniques divided into Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow ranks.

Ying Zheng, gripping the Tianwen Sword, hoped for immortality. His chief sword master, Gai Nie, felt his Yuan Hong Sword tremble. The leader of the Net, Zhao Gao, anticipated the list eagerly. The Quicksand organization, led by Wei Zhuang, watched intently. The Farming School, Mohist School, Medical School, and other schools all turned their gaze to the golden scroll.

The list began to unveil rankings from one hundredth upward. Each entry brought gasps. The hundredth place, the Chiyan Sword, rewarded its wielder with a Mid-Grade Black-Rank Grandmaster Pill, guaranteeing advancement to the Grandmaster realm. The Frost Soul Sword at ninety-ninth offered a Qi Replenishing Pill to enhance potential and remove hidden injuries. The Chilian Sword at ninety-eighth granted a Poison-Repelling Pill, granting immunity to poisons below Heaven-Rank. At the Quicksand headquarters, the assassin Chilian herself found the reward fitting, as she had long accumulated poison damage. Wei Zhuang wondered where his Shark Tooth Sword would rank.

The rewards escalated. At the fifty-first place, the Hanchan Sword gave a High-Grade Black-Rank Golden Radiance Swordplay. At the fiftieth place, the Hidden Dragon Sword rewarded its wielder with a Low-Grade Earth-Rank Great Grandmaster Pill, increasing the chance of advancing to Great Grandmaster by seventy percent. The owner of Hidden Dragon was Han Xin, a plain-clothed young man fishing by a stream. He received the pill calmly. Wu Kuang of the Farming School, stuck at peak Grandmaster, was furious at missing the pill. The list continued: Dragon Soar at fortieth granted the Earth-Rank Mid-Grade Shadow Kill Swordplay, suited for General Zhang Han of Qin. Zhan Lu, Chun Jun, Luan Shen, and others occupied lower thirties.

The thirtieth place, Duan Shui, rewarded a High-Grade Earth-Rank Soul Returning Pill, capable of saving a life as long as one breath remained. Then consecutively, swords of the Net organization appeared: Zhengang at twenty-ninth, Xuan Jian at twenty-eighth, and Zheri at twenty-seventh, each receiving high-grade Earth-Rank techniques. The martial world grew envious of Net's dominance. But the twenty-sixth place, the Inmei Sword, awarded Tai Chi Swordplay, and it was not the Jingni Sword, which puzzled many. Zhao Gao, former owner of Jingni, recalled the sword's fate: years ago, Jingni was pregnant and betrayed Net after assassinating Lord Xinling. When Net sent Zheri to kill her, a mysterious archer appeared, annihilated three hundred assassins with a single white tiger arrow, and severely injured Zheri. The archer declared he protected Jingni under his lord's orders, and Zhao Gao never dared pursue again, believing the archer might be a Heaven-Human realm divine archer. He speculated that Jingni must have since made a breakthrough under that archer's guidance, raising the sword's rank.

As the list approached the top, the entire world waited with bated breath. Swordsmen plotted to obtain famous swords or the rewards they brought. The Hidden Dragon pill had already proven the stakes. The Imperial Court, the schools, the assassins—all were drawn into the competition triggered by the Divine Sword List. The golden scroll continued its slow revelation, and the undercurrents of power and desire surged, with the promise of even greater rewards for the highest ranks, possibly Heaven-Rank or even legendary Divine-Rank treasures. The story of the swords had just begun to unfold, and the fortunes of the realm seemed to hang on the list's remaining words.