Xiao Peng quickly wiped his mouth, inwardly awestruck by this “Shuangfei sister.” Forget whether Xia Lei and Liang Chuyin would accept her—did she even know Ye Zhongming? How could she claim him as her man? Did she realize Ye Zhongming was sitting right beside her?
Xiao Peng didn’t look at Ye Zhongming. Instead, he glanced at Xia Bai—rumored to be the boss’s woman, infamous for her ruthlessness. Now that someone openly declared they’d “steal” her man, would she suddenly snap?
“Quit dreaming!”
Hai Dayu glared at Yan Shuangfei but smacked his own son on the back of the head instead—hard—as if blaming his own flesh and blood for being useless.
Young Master Qing looked aggrieved. Dad, if you want me to compete, at least pick a fair matchup. Even combined, we’re not worth one of the Cloud Peak King’s toenails.
“If I were a woman, I’d think like Shuangfei, too.” White Skin pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Yan Shuangfei. “For us in the Northern Wastelands, the only relevant rankings are the Mutated Lifeforms list. The rest? Only Old Dragon and his Holy Snow Mountain made it—and even then, not high.”
“And Old An’s warbeast, plus our Four Dragon Heads,” added Ah Kai, the cold and aloof leader of Night Kill.
“So many of us, so many factions—yet only a handful made the list. None of us even cracked the top 500 in the region. This is fucking ridiculous!”
Hai Dayu, already in a foul mood after failing to test Ye Zhongming and seeing his son’s marriage prospects evaporate, was the first to vent. Previously, Black Dragon City’s factions and top evolved had at least appeared on the country rankings. But in this latest edition, most had vanished from both the Individual and Faction Power lists—those remaining clung to the very bottom.
The half-city of mutated lifeforms and the region’s abundant resources had indeed granted them more demon crystals—but also bred complacency. Black Dragon City’s factions operated independently, often undermining each other, slowing their growth. The disparity had been subtle before, but after the sky rained down chests—few of which reached the Northern Wastelands—they’d been overtaken.
“First place—Lie’er.”
Yan Shuangfei’s eyes narrowed as she read the Mutated Lifeforms ranking.
Ye Zhongming, overhearing, was equally surprised.
Since the fall of Armor King, the rankings had been chaotic. Debates raged over who deserved the top spot, with even authoritative organizations like Five Ring Money facing skepticism. The Mutated Lifeforms list was the most contentious of all.
Yet this time, when Lie’er claimed first place, silence fell.
During the Bright Water Banquet, this psychic-type zombie had barely cracked the top ten, commanding just over 500,000 zombies. Unlike Red Hair or Talking Lady, who combined formidable combat prowess with psychic abilities, Lie’er was purely a mentalist—physically weak but psychically overwhelming.
According to Five Ring Money’s notes, her horde exceeded five million, and she herself had evolved into a nine-star lifeform.
A zombie king controlling millions? The thought alone was chilling.
“Second place—Sea Dragon King.”
A new entrant, this oceanic mutated lifeform had been spotted in the East China and Bohai Seas. Initially confined to water, it had since grown wings and taken to the skies.
Little was known about it, but one feat secured its ranking: in a fit of rage, it had ravaged three coastal cities—one of which housed a nine-star mutated lifeform. It won.
Victory against a peer was proof enough.
“Third place—Bu Gua.”
In the era of Armor King, this desert-dwelling monstrosity had held second place. Now, surpassed by Lie’er and Sea Dragon King, it remained the undisputed ruler of the sands—a flying terror with no equal in its domain.
“Fourth place—Four-Pupil Spirit Cat.”
This nocturnal killer was nearly mythical. As before, most had only seen its victims—never the cat itself. Rumored to be housecat-sized, its speed eclipsed lightning. None escaped its strikes.
“Fifth place—Red Taishan.”
Previously tenth, its ascent was inevitable after evolving to nine stars. Witnesses described it as mountainous even at rest. It dominated its tier with colossal size, innate strength, and berserker rage.
“Sixth place—Frostplain Snow Wolf King.”
The Black Dragon City leaders wore complex expressions. On one hand, the wolf king’s high ranking brought a twisted pride to the Northern Wastelands. On the other hand, it was their enemy.
Humans weren’t its primary prey, but this nine-star beast had no qualms snacking on them. Leading a pack of over a hundred wolves (lowest rank: six stars), it terrified the city. Even these bosses feared it—let alone the wolf king, encountering its eight-star lieutenants meant near-certain death.
“Seventh place—White Rice.”
A mutant Tibetan antelope with a taste for rice—hence the name. Lately docile, its rank hadn’t shifted much beyond its evolution to nine stars.
“Eighth place—Deep Pool Ellie.”
This octopus-like lake monster, with no natural predators, could now roam land for extended periods. Reaching nine stars wasn’t surprising—its peaceful nature had only slightly lowered its rank.
“Ninth place—God Tree.”
The sole plant in the top ten. Rumored to span a city’s breadth, no lifeform entering its domain ever returned. Even other nine-star mutated lifeforms avoided it.
Its passive nature and halted growth kept it ninth—harmless if left alone.