Just as Liu Yang was getting ready to find a room to properly spar with Bai Ling and show her his massive, prime-grade sausage, he had no idea that his record-breaking run at the top of the Heaven Ranking had already swept across the globe.
Information across all stone tablets was synchronized.
The moment Liu Yang claimed the throne, his name replaced the previous number one on every single ranking stone across the world.
---
White Eagle Empire.
In a fallout shelter fifty meters underground, the presidential secretary rushed into the office, completely out of breath.
"Mr. President! Mr. President, the top spot on the Heaven Ranking just changed!"
"Oh? Did General Bob finally crush Yamada Hirosaki?" A pleased smile spread across the White Eagle Empire president's face.
Previously, the number one slot belonged to Yamada Hirosaki of the Small Sun Empire, followed by Bob of the White Eagle Empire in second, Zhou Xingchen of the Divine Dragon Empire in third, and Makhachev of the Wild Bear Empire in fourth.
None of these top four powerhouses were willing to yield to the others.
Even though Yamada held the crown, the other three constantly challenged the stone tablets, relentlessly pushing their limits to overtake him.
After all, holding the number one spot was the ultimate proof of who stood as the world's absolute strongest ability user.
The global geopolitical struggle didn't end with the apocalypse. Even in a ruined world, the superpowers still sought to prove their dominance and claim authority over the human race.
And claiming the top spot on the Heaven Ranking was the single greatest badge of supremacy.
Hearing that the top rank had shifted, the president's immediate assumption was that General Bob had finally taken first place.
However, the secretary frantically shook his head. "No, sir! It isn't General Bob-it's a newcomer named Liu Yang! Judging by the name, he's from the Divine Dragon Empire!"
"What?!"
The eighty-year-old president's usually kindly demeanor INSTANTLY twisted into a ruthless glare.
The Divine Dragon Empire had dethroned the Small Sun Empire?
Doesn't that mean the Divine Dragon Empire now holds two of the top five spots?
He made an immediate call. "Order General Bob to re-enter the test! I want him back in first place within ten days!
"Furthermore, deploy an elite team of ability users into the Divine Dragon Empire to track down this Liu Yang. I want a full intelligence report on him within a month!
"Also, what is the status of the Biochemical and Mechanical Augmentation units? And what about the alien tech in Area 9?"
This was the first time since the apocalypse began that the secretary had seen the president express such raw intensity. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he stammered, "They're... they're all still in testing, sir. Not yet combat-ready. As for Area 9, the alien weaponry is still undergoing trials."
The eighty-year-old president cut him off with absolute finality. "Wrap up the trials in three days and deploy both augmented units directly into live combat! Actual battle is the best test! And tell those scientists in Area 9 to hurry the hell up!"
"Yes, sir!"
The secretary snapped to attention, saluted, and hurried out to carry out the executive orders.
---
Small Sun Empire.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence.
A frantic assistant burst into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Prime Minister! We have a crisis! A massive crisis!"
"Baka! Where are your manners?!" The Prime Minister barked, scowling in annoyance.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, the assistant blurted out, "Prime Minister, General Hirosaki is no longer number one on the Heaven Ranking! A new name has replaced him!"
"What?!" The Prime Minister stared in utter disbelief. "How is that possible? General Hirosaki's talent is peerless-he's invincible! Who could possibly surpass him? Get General Hirosaki in here immediately!"
"General Hirosaki was furious when he saw his rank stolen," the assistant reported. "He has already re-entered the stone tablet to retake his spot!"
"Hmph. Good." The Prime Minister nodded.
He had intended to order Hirosaki back in anyway, but the general had already taken the initiative. It was clear Hirosaki valued his supreme honor above all else.
"Who was it that stole his ranking?" the Prime Minister asked.
"Someone named Liu Yang, sir. Based on the name, he appears to be from the Divine Dragon Empire."
"BANG!"
The Prime Minister slammed his palm onto the desk, his face contorting with rage.
"The Divine Dragon Empire again?! Dammit! Hear my order! Immediately dispatch our top elite ability unit into the Divine Dragon Empire. Find this Liu Yang and assassinate him at all costs! Also, what's the status on the Ninja Village?"
The assistant wiped his brow again. "The Vice Prime Minister is still in emergency negotiations with them, sir."
"The Small Sun Empire is facing a life-and-death crisis, and those bastards in the Ninja Village are sitting on their hands?! Do they even consider themselves citizens of this empire?!
"Dammit! Tell the Vice Prime Minister to double his efforts! Whatever it takes, he MUST secure the deployment of the Ninja Village's elite!"
"Hai!" The assistant bowed deeply before hurrying out of the mansion.
---
Wild Bear Empire.
Inside the Presidential Palace.
A secretary rushed in urgently. "Mr. President! The top rank on the Heaven Ranking has changed! The new number one is Liu Yang, presumably an ability user from the Divine Dragon Empire!"
A grim expression settled onto the Wild Bear Empire president's stern, unyielding face.
"Oh? The Divine Dragon Empire produced such a monster? It seems we must accelerate our plans. What is the status of the Ability Enhancement Serum?"
"Currently still in animal testing, sir," the secretary replied nervously.
The president immediately issued his directives. "Transition to human trials within three days, and reactivate Project Poseidon! In addition, order General Makhachev to re-enter the Heaven Ranking test at once!
"In three days, send an elite team of ability users into the Divine Dragon Empire to figure out exactly who this Liu Yang is.
"Order all agents currently undercover in the Small Sun Empire to go dark. From now on, shift all focus toward the Divine Dragon Empire."
"Mr. President! Project Poseidon was shelved back during the former Soviet era. Reactivating it now might..."
"Do as I say!" the president commanded, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.
"Yes, Mr. President!"
---
Divine Dragon Empire.
Deep within an underground shelter.
A secretary sprinted toward his superior, his face flushed with excitement.
"Commander Wang! The top spot on the Heaven Ranking has changed! It's Liu Yang! Looking at the name, he's definitely one of ours!"
"Oh?" Commander Wang's eyes lit up with delight, and he broke into a boisterous laugh.
"Absolutely brilliant! Hahaha! Excellent! Let's see those bastards from the Small Sun Empire act cocky now!
"Our Divine Dragon Empire finally gets to hold its head high!
"Pass down my order: the Hidden Dragon Corps is to mobilize immediately. Find this Liu Yang and recruit him at all costs! We MUST recruit him before the Flying Eagle Corps gets their hands on him!"
The Hidden Dragon Corps and the Flying Eagle Corps were the two major ability user divisions of the Divine Dragon Empire.
Though they cooperated on global threats, they were fierce rivals who refused to back down to one another.
Commander Wang was the leader of the Hidden Dragon Corps.
---
Meanwhile, Commander Zhang of the Flying Eagle Corps received the exact same news and immediately called his officers together.
"Listen up! Your top priority right now is to find Liu Yang! Get him to join the Flying Eagle Corps, no matter what it takes! I don't care what tactics you use-bribes, threats, or honey traps!
"I want Liu Yang standing right in front of me within a month! We HAVE to beat Old Wang to the punch!
"They already had Zhou Xingchen holding third place, giving them the edge over us. If they get their hands on the number one rank too, our Flying Eagle Corps will never hear the end of it!"
"Understood, Commander Zhang!"
As his subordinates hurried out to execute the order, Commander Zhang's expression darkened into a thoughtful frown, and he muttered to himself:
"What the hell are my elite squads doing in training every day? All that training and testing, and not one of them could touch the top rank. Yet this Liu Yang-an absolute nobody-claims number one out of nowhere! Young talent really is terrifying.
"I bet this Liu Yang is pushing himself through brutal training right this second, isn't he?"
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