Qingming Top Ten
The most prestigious and closely watched ranking of the top ten most powerful cultivators in Qingming Heaven, historically evaluated once a century.
- Yu Dou (余斗)— Second Headmaster of Bai Yujing.
- Lu Chen (陆沉)— Third Headmaster of Bai Yujing and Castellan of Nanhua City.
- Bixiao Cave Master (碧霄洞主)— An ancient Daoist whose dojo is temporarily located in the bright moon Haocai.
- Wu Zhou (吾洲)— A rogue cultivator and master refiner from Yongzhou, holding the Dao name Taiyin.
- Sun Huaizhong (孙怀中)— Master of Xuandu Temple in Qizhou. Known as the immovable fifth.
- Lin Jiangxian (林江仙)— Pure martial artist of Yashan in the Chijin Dynasty of Ruzhou.
- Wu Shuangjiang (吴霜降)— Master of Suichu Palace.
- Gao Gu (高孤)— Master of Huayang Palace on Difei Mountain in Youzhou.
- Yao Qing (姚清)— The Elegant Minister (Yaxiang) of the Qingshen Dynasty in Bingzhou.
- Wang Sun (王孙)— Tied for 10th. Female crown of Xuandu Temple, Dao name Kongshan.
- Xin Ku (辛苦)— Tied for 10th. Pure martial artist and Master of Runyue Peak.
Overview
The Qingming Top Ten (青冥天下十人) is the preeminent ranking of the ten most powerful and influential cultivators within Qingming Heaven. Historically, this list has been evaluated and published once every century by the Xianzhang Sect (仙杖派) in Yongzhou. For over three hundred years, the core members of the top ten saw very little variation, dominated consistently by the three headmasters of Bai Yujing and a handful of established Daoist patriarchs.
However, a recently published iteration of the Top Ten list sent shockwaves across Qingming Heaven. Not only did it feature eleven individuals due to an unprecedented tie for the tenth position, but its publisher remained a complete mystery, bypassing the traditional authority of the Xianzhang Sect.
The List
The most recent and highly controversial iteration of the Qingming Top Ten is structured as follows:
| Rank | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yu Dou (余斗) | Second Headmaster of Bai Yujing. |
| 2 | Lu Chen (陆沉) | Third Headmaster of Bai Yujing and Castellan of Nanhua City. |
| 3 | Bixiao Cave Master (碧霄洞主) | An ancient Daoist whose dojo is temporarily located in the bright moon Haocai. |
| 4 | Wu Zhou (吾洲) | A rogue cultivator and master refiner from Yongzhou, holding the Dao name Taiyin. |
| 5 | Sun Huaizhong (孙怀中) | Master of Xuandu Temple in Qizhou. Known as the immovable fifth. |
| 6 | Lin Jiangxian (林江仙) | Pure martial artist of Yashan in the Chijin Dynasty of Ruzhou. |
| 7 | Wu Shuangjiang (吴霜降) | Master of Suichu Palace. |
| 8 | Gao Gu (高孤) | Master of Huayang Palace on Difei Mountain in Youzhou. |
| 9 | Yao Qing (姚清) | The Elegant Minister (Yaxiang) of the Qingshen Dynasty in Bingzhou. |
| 10 | Wang Sun (王孙) | Tied for 10th. Female crown of Xuandu Temple, Dao name Kongshan. |
| 10 | Xin Ku (辛苦) | Tied for 10th. Pure martial artist and Master of Runyue Peak. |
Impact and Controversy
The publication of this specific list caused massive unrest across the fourteen states of Qingming Heaven for several key reasons:
- The Exclusion of Kou Ming: For the first time in history, the Great Headmaster of Bai Yujing, Kou Ming (寇名), was completely excluded from the list, seemingly confirming rumors of his disappearance or hinting at a massive shift in Bai Yujing's power structure.
- The Rise of Wu Zhou: The female crown Wu Zhou, who had been in seclusion for so long that she was nearly forgotten by the world, dramatically re-entered the rankings at the fourth position, displacing the old guard like Gao Gu. This sparked immediate speculation that she had ascended to the Fourteenth Realm.
- The Tie at Tenth: By forcing a tie at the tenth position, the anonymous authors of the list deliberately placed Xuandu Temple's Wang Sun in the spotlight. Placing a second member of Xuandu Temple in the Top Ten—a sect historically at odds with Bai Yujing—was widely perceived as an open provocation meant to stir conflict.
- Martial Artists on the List: Unusually for a realm dominated by Daoist cultivators, two pure martial artists—Lin Jiangxian and Xin Ku—secured spots on the list, reflecting the formidable, transcendent martial power capable of rivaling the pinnacle of Daoist cultivation.
References
- 剑来40：风雪旧曾谙，第二章 — 陌上又花开: Mentions the historical precedent of the Xianzhang Sect hosting the century-evaluations and lists the 11 specific individuals in the newest, most controversial iteration of the Top Ten.
- 剑来46：人间半部书，第八章 — 剑术归拢: Provides the exact, numbered placements from 1 to 10 for the newest Qingming Top Ten list, confirming the tie between Wang Sun and Xin Ku at the tenth position. Detailed notes on the uproar caused by Kou Ming's absence and Wu Zhou's rise.
Connections