Necropolis Immortal

"Oh? You're finally here again." The spirit of Argent Snow looked at Lu Yun with surprise when the young man manifested at the end of the first domain.

"You still remember me?" Lu Yun looked back, startled.

"My memories aren't scrambled, why wouldn't I remember you?" The spirit looked wordlessly at the candidate. "Well? Have you grasped the ultimate peak of the first domain yet?" he yawned lazily.

"Just about." Lu Yun nodded and took out Argent Snow.

The surroundings changed around them—a wandering stone path appeared beneath Lu Yun's feet and snowflakes drifted down. The autumn breeze, falling leaves, and a lonesome goose formed the picture of late autumn.

Autumn was yet to depart, but snow had arrived.

First snowfall.

This was the ultimate peak of the first domain that Lu Yun had grasped—a painting of autumn snowfall.

The spirit's expression froze when faced with the scroll. Snow in autumn was indeed the first snowfall. He melted away in the picture and turned to ash.

Lu Yun stepped forward with Argent Snow in hand, advancing into the twenty-eighth floor, twenty-ninth, thirtieth… He blew through all of them with unstoppable momentum and didn't experience any resistance whatsoever.

"How… how is this possible, he…" The spirit appeared again and again, but died each time before he had a chance to make a move. He didn't even know what killed him.

The autumn breeze? Falling leaves? Drifting snow? Or the winding stone path beneath Lu Yun's feet?

"I actually have another Diagram of Autumn Snowfall, but it should've been one of Glorious Snowdrift. It appeared before the one of snow in autumn—quite an interesting aberration." Lu Yun stopped at the eighty-first level. He'd merely opened the scroll and easily reached this level without expending any effort at all.

The spirit stood in front of him with a rueful chuckle. "I see now… You can make it to the three hundredth and sixty-fifth level with this painting alone."

"Are there only three hundred and sixty-five levels?" Lu Yun blinked.

"Three hundred and sixty-five is the number of a great cycle. Soul Dominion exists as the foundation of the known and unknown, and the perfection of truth and logic," the spirit responded. "Thus, three hundred and sixty-five levels is the most perfect number for the first domain. Any further will place you in the Domain of Glorious Snowdrift."

Peak First Snowfall was naturally Glorious Snowdrift. Having understood the implications, Lu Yun continued forward with Argent Snow.

"How many have ever reached that level of great perfection?" he asked as he strolled along. The path beneath his feet stretched to the end of said perfection.

"Jian Xue reached it, once." [1] Melancholy crept in when the spirit spoke of the founder of the Snowsword School. He still blamed himself for the mighty personage's demise.

"Apart from him, everyone in the top ten of the Argent Snow Hero Ranking all reached that level," he continued after taking a moment to collect himself. "But they fought their way through each level. You're the first one to pave a road and walk through them."

By now, Lu Yun stood at the three hundred and sixty-fifth level and strode right through it.

……

At the same time, within Soul Dominion.

"Look! Something's happening to the Argent Snow Hero Ranking!"

"The three thousandth name… Mo Wusheng of the Luminaries has been replaced by… Feng Feifan of the Star Sect!"

"Wasn't Feng Feifan the one who failed the first level more than two hundred times? It's only been a hundred years, but he's suddenly made it onto the ranking!"

It'd been eons since the order of names had changed on the ranking. Even if it was a lowly three thousandth place, their placement was unshakeable. The names would not change unless their owner died.

But now, the three thousandth person had suddenly vanished—replaced by some guy who'd failed his first try more than two hundred times.

One hundred years wasn't a long time; it easily passed by in the blink of an eye. But during this eye blink, that complete and utter failure had made it onto the Hero Ranking!

"What's going on? Is Mo Wusheng dead?" Speculation ran rampant.

"I'm still alive." A young man in gray robes lifted his head and glared murderously at the name that'd replaced his own.

Feng Feifan.

"Feng Feifan of the Star Sect. The Great Brahma died because of him, and now he's taken my ranking." He glowered at the name.

The Hero Ranking wasn't just a compilation of names. After all this time, it'd become a source of faith and honor. It represented their status in the fourth realm.

"Though he's replaced me, that doesn't mean I'm out of options," Mo Wusheng murmured. "If I challenge him and win, I'll take my placement back."

The order of the Hero Ranking was a reflection of the rules of Soul Dominion. Many were those who didn't accept the outcome. If one rejected the results, one could issue a challenge. That was also part of the Soul Dominion rules.

There were no Nihil World Sovereigns, Void World Kings, or World Manifests here. Everyone was a World Manifest supplemental grandmaster. Their soul force was similar and their replicas equally strong.

The only difference was in their understanding and usage of soul weapons. Battle was the only barometer with which to measure everyone by.

……

"You'll be in the Domain of Glorious Snowdrift if you take another step forward. Do you want to continue?" the spirit asked Lu Yun with a smile.

"No… I'm not confident of making it to the end of that domain for the moment." Lu Yun shook his head.

The spirit: ……

"What if you fight your way through?" he asked instead.

"I can, but that's such a waste of time. It's faster just to walk through." Lu Yun first nodded, then shook his head.

The spirit raked him with a heartfelt eye roll and huffed, "Someone has issued an official challenge to you."

"Oh?" Lu Yun blinked. "A challenge?"

"Yes, and to you," nodded the spirit. "Because you made it to the end of the first domain in one fell swoop, the rules of Soul Dominion have determined you to be the three thousandth name on the Hero Ranking. The previous candidate, Mo Wusheng, has issued a challenge to regain his placement.

"You can refuse, but that is the equivalent of conceding defeat in the Soul Dominion," the spirit cackled softly.

"Though I've walked to the end of the first domain, I still don't have the strength to be placed on the Argent Snow ranking… You did this on purpose!" Lu Yun looked angrily at the smiling spirit.

"Indeed, I did." The spirit broke out in open laughter. "I hit you two hundred and thirty times, so you smacked me on the head with a stick. You killed me three hundred some times just now, so I should have some revenge, no?

"Go on, answer the challenge. Ah, one more thing, the twenty-four thousand names on the Hero Ranking can enter Soul Dominion at any time through their soul weapon. This holds true anywhere in the fourth realm and Hongmeng. You do not need to make use of a Hall of Soul Dominion.

"If you wish, you can build your own."

Lu Yun brightened at the revelation.

1. Jian is the character for sword, Xue is the character for snow. ☜