Chapter 118: Global Ranking

"It won't be long before Cangwu City becomes lively again, though this liveliness will only last for three months."

Walking out of the ironworks, Wei Cheng felt pensive. It was the same in Floating Cloud City, and it was the same here in Cangwu City. He wondered if this Trial Immortal had done this intentionally, or if things had been too rushed—the city was unusually devoid of indigenous inhabitants.

Perhaps it wasn't necessary. This wasn't a game, after all; why bother creating so many native NPCs? To entertain the players?

"By the way, Xu Shan, I remember you accepted a side quest when Floating Cloud City fell, didn't you?"

Wei Cheng suddenly recalled that moment when Xu Shan had flown out of a brothel and asked him for help, only for him to turn his back on her.

"Yes, it’s quite strange. We had scoured every inch of Floating Cloud City back then without triggering a single quest, but later, over at the Purple Garment Pavilion, a woman said she needed help. Of course, I wasn't able to help her in the end..." Xu Shan said with a sigh of regret.

Wei Cheng was stunned. The Purple Garment Pavilion? Good heavens, there really was a hidden reason.

Xu Shan continued, "It’s truly magical. I swear, I had visited every single corner of Floating Cloud City, inside and out. Every residence, every shop, every building was etched in my mind, but I don't remember there ever being a shop called the Purple Garment Pavilion."

Hearing this, Wei Cheng remained silent for a long moment. "Let's go. We should head to the City Lord's Mansion first."

Cangwu City naturally possessed a City Lord's Mansion, and it was magnificent, occupying one-tenth of the entire city's area. It made one wonder if this was a mansion at all, or a small imperial palace.

Furthermore, this mansion was clearly not simple. When Wei Cheng projected his spiritual sense, it was instantly repelled by a gentle barrier upon touching the high walls; he couldn't spy on what was inside.

Moreover, there was some sort of power radiating from those five-meter-high walls that invisibly suppressed them. Here, even the circulation of their Mountain-Moving internal energy seemed to stagnate. This became increasingly apparent as they approached the main entrance.

"Boss, I feel like I'm being crushed by a mountain. My Mountain-Moving energy is completely frozen. If we keep going, I'm afraid I'll suffocate."

"The same goes for this old man. Oh, I can't breathe."

Yu Liang and Mei Renli were the first to give out. A few steps later, Chen Ce, Xu Shan, and Liu Sui also stopped with expressions of regret. Although there were no prompts, everyone understood what was happening.

Tang Yuanshan, a Nine-Cycle Mountain-Moving practitioner from District C-15, managed to walk another ten steps before he, too, reached his limit. Only Bai Han and Wei Cheng were able to continue.

Wei Cheng felt relatively at ease. He even faintly felt that the mysterious pressure in front of the gate was somewhat similar to the Shadow Demon Curse, though this one was much gentler. Was this, perhaps, also a form of free training?

However, he noticed that his Flame Ring and the Small Wine Cup had become like ordinary objects here, showing no reaction at all. He had to constantly circulate his Mountain-Moving internal energy to resist that overwhelming pressure.

"All of you should try to walk a bit further if you can. This might be related to a reward," Wei Cheng called back. This could be a stroke of fortune.

Seeing Bai Han's face flushed red, exerting every ounce of effort to push forward step by agonizing step, Wei Cheng realized that not only was he smart, but his willpower was also incredibly firm. Bai Han managed to go ten steps further than Tang Yuanshan, even manifesting his Mountain-Moving Visualization Map, though he ultimately collapsed on the ground, unable to move another inch.

The others, prompted by Wei Cheng, desperately squeezed out two or three more steps before becoming lightheaded and exhausted, feeling as if their brains would explode if they pushed any further.

Wei Cheng continued alone. He didn't feel any mortal danger; although this suppressing force was powerful, it was quite benevolent and did not harm his foundation.

Soon, he had walked thirty steps. His entire body felt as if he were carrying tens of thousands of pounds. That was one thing, but the pressure was even acting upon the very source of his power, forcibly slowing down and disrupting the flow of his Mountain-Moving internal energy.

Fortunately, Wei Cheng could still draw upon the strength of the Nine Ranges of Mountains and the power of the Great River; the foundation laid by his Mountain-Moving Visualization Map was simply too solid. Thus, no matter how the mysterious force pressed down, he could maintain the flow of his internal energy.

However, for every step he took, the mysterious pressure increased—doubling roughly every three steps.

By the time Wei Cheng reached forty steps, he felt he could no longer hold on. He had to urge his Visualization Map to its limits and even tried to activate the Immovable Golden Bell to resist, but to no avail. The bell shattered like foam before it could even last a second. It was less effective than simply circulating his internal energy.

With every subsequent step, Wei Cheng was drenched in sweat. His veins bulged, his body trembled uncontrollably, and blood began to leak from his facial orifices as tiny capillaries under his skin burst.

His Mountain-Moving Visualization Map had shrunk to a radius of only a few meters. The phantom peaks of the nine ranges were becoming faint and crumbling, save for those few wisps of red clouds, which remained exceptionally bright, constantly shining and providing Wei Cheng with a source of strength to persist.

In this state, he finally pushed through to fifty steps. He couldn't even stand straight, curled like a boiled shrimp, looking utterly wretched. He could walk no further; he had truly reached his limit.

But at that very moment, Wei Cheng seemed to see a uniquely styled stone tablet slowly descending from the sky. Countless names flickered rapidly upon it, finally settling on the number 853,729,684.

As the number faded, a name and a number appeared:
—Wei Cheng, 197.

A second later, the stone tablet dissipated as if it had never existed. Simultaneously, the terrifying mysterious pressure vanished, and the grand, imposing City Lord's Mansion returned to something a mortal could comprehend.

It was like a dream. But it was definitely not a dream.

A gentle breeze blew, and Wei Cheng's state fully recovered. He stood a hundred paces away, as if he had never walked forward at all. However, the deep-level refinement progress of his Mountain-Moving Visualization Map had broken through to 98%. This was the greatest reward.

"Brother Wei, did you see that stone tablet just now?" Bai Han asked with a cryptic, constipated expression, clearly feeling defeated.

"What stone tablet?" Wei Cheng turned back with a look of feigned ignorance. I know nothing about that.

"Oh, come on, Brother Wei, Boss Wei, don't pretend. I only made it twenty-five steps. Can you guess my global ranking? It's over a million! And I’m a Nine-Cycle Mountain-Moving practitioner; I’ve mastered the Iron Prison Law! If only I had waited until I mastered the Iron Prison Law before trying this walk." Bai Han looked pained.

"It's not that bad. What about me, ranked over five million?" Tang Yuanshan walked over, also sighing. He was also a Nine-Cycle practitioner, and compared to Wei Cheng—even compared to Bai Han—he was far behind.

"I’m ranked over ten million globally. It’s hard to believe there are so many hidden talents on Earth," Chen Ce added, filled with emotion.

"It's normal. I'm ranked over twenty million. We have to remember this is global. Think about how many active soldiers, veterans, legendary soldiers, mercenaries, and people from war-torn regions are included. When it comes to decisiveness in killing, they are far stronger than us ordinary people."

"But Old Wei, you must have walked at least forty steps. What's your global ranking?" Liu Sui asked curiously.

"Less than forty steps. Ranked over one hundred thousand globally," Wei Cheng said vaguely. Since everyone else had been exhausted and in a poor state, unable to project their spiritual sense, it was hard for them to know exactly how far he had gone. If anyone were still thinking about gossiping about Wei Cheng's progress while struggling to break their own limits, they would have to be incredibly thick-skinned.

"Creak!"

Just then, a small side door to the tightly shut main gate of the City Lord's Mansion opened. A middle-aged man dressed in green robes, wearing a jade belt and a cap, with a mustache and a refined, scholarly air, stepped out. He beckoned to Wei Cheng and his group, and they quickly approached.

"You brave young warriors have worked hard. To slay the Fire Demon and destroy its lair—this is a true service to our Cangwu City, ridding us of a great scourge."

"I am Du Tianbai, an aide to the City Lord. If you need anything in the city from now on, feel free to come to me."

The middle-aged man seemed easy to talk to. Wei Cheng scrutinized him carefully but couldn't find anything unusual.

"Um, Lord Du, I heard there is a reward for killing the Fire Demon?" Wei Cheng asked politely.

"Naturally, naturally. Do not be anxious, young warriors. The City Lord was very pleased to hear that someone could slay the Fire Demon in such a short time, and has specifically ordered me to come and distribute the rewards."

With that, Aide Du Tianbai produced a shimmering green jade tray from nowhere. On it lay three Golden Dragon coins, a waist token, a land deed, and finally, a small green pouch with a faint inner glow—this was likely the mid-grade artifact reward.

This was one person's reward. Wei Cheng stepped forward and took them without hesitation. However, just as he reached for the small green pouch, Du Tianbai smiled slightly.

"Young warrior, wait. The City Lord has granted you a special privilege: you may choose from three options."

With a wave of his hand, two more small green pouches appeared on the jade tray.

"May I open them to check? Or could you explain them to me?" Wei Cheng asked quickly. Otherwise, this was no different from drawing lots—choosing one out of three was the same as just taking one.

But Du Tianbai only smiled and remained silent.

Wei Cheng looked at him, then at the tray, a realization dawning on him. He attempted to project his spiritual sense, but the material of the green pouches was such that he couldn't see through them at all.

Wait—could this choice of three be related to the three professions?