Translator: CinderTL
The black-armored youth wielded a dark golden battle blade, his aura surging like a raging tsunami.
With lightning speed, he unleashed a dazzling blade strike that tore through the air, crashing down upon Jiang Ye with earth-shattering force.
Boom!
Even before the blade landed, its terrifying roar echoed through the air. Judging by its sheer power, even a mid-second breakthrough expert would likely fall in a single exchange.
Clang!
Undaunted, Jiang Ye thrust his spear forward, meeting the blade strike head-on.
Boom! A terrifying surge of stellar energy erupted.
Crack!
The blade strike shattered instantly.
But the black-armored youth's next attack was already upon him, the blade flashing with even more terrifying force, crashing down like a tidal wave.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The two clashed in a deafening frenzy. Each collision left massive craters over ten meters deep, a testament to their devastating power.
"How can a mere early-second breakthrough cultivator withstand my attacks?" the black-armored youth thought, his eyes flashing coldly. "This man is indeed a Dharma Manifestation-level genius! He cannot be allowed to live!"
"Kill!" In the next instant, the warblade in his hand roared, unleashing the prelude to his ultimate move.
"An ultimate move?" Jiang Ye instantly sensed it.
"This man's strength is on par with Tang Wuji," Jiang Ye thought, a glint flashing in his eyes. "If we clash with ultimate moves, I might not be his match."
With that realization, Jiang Ye hesitated no longer.
Boom!
Suddenly, as if flipping a switch, a violent aura erupted from him.
Martial Bone Ability—Battle Soul Third Tier: Berserk!
All attributes increased by 30%!
"It's Lieutenant Luo Kai!"
"Lieutenant Luo Kai is a Dharma Manifestation-level genius with a chance at the seventh breakthrough! How can he be struggling against a mere early-second breakthrough cultivator?"
"Lieutenant Luo Kai, do you require assistance?" A group of black-armored warriors flew toward them.
"I need no help from you," Luo Kai, the black-armored youth, barked coldly. "I will personally crush him!"
But in the next moment, his expression shifted slightly.
He had sensed the aura erupting from Jiang Ye.
"He... he wasn't even using his full strength before?" Luo Kai thought, inwardly shocked.
As a mid-second breakthrough cultivator, Luo Kai was considered a minor prodigy in his hometown.
He never imagined that facing an opponent of the same level, albeit at the early-second breakthrough stage, would prove so challenging.
"It seems I can't hold back any longer."
"Great Sea Domain!" A ruthless glint flashed in Luo Kai's eyes as he unleashed his full power.
Buzz!
An Innate Domain instantly enveloped Jiang Ye.
In the next moment, Jiang Ye felt as if he had plunged into the depths of the ocean. His movements and even his breathing were severely restricted.
Luo Kai had deployed a Substantial Domain!
A Substantial Domain doesn't manifest physically in the real world. Instead, it pulls the opponent into the domain's environment.
To outside observers, nothing would appear amiss.
But to the opponent, it felt as if they had entered another dimension.
Right now, Jiang Ye felt like he had fallen into an endless tempest of towering waves. A first breakthrough cultivator trapped in such a domain would likely be unable to even stand.
Even Jiang Ye was significantly affected.
"Within my Great Sea Domain, your strength will be reduced by at least thirty percent," Luo Kai said, his gaze fixed on Jiang Ye. "Die."
Boom!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Luo Kai exploded forward, unleashing twelve sword strikes in a blindingly swift sequence.
The relentless blade strikes crashed down on Jiang Ye like raging ocean waves.
"Ultimate Move—Wrathful Wave Tides!"
Amplified by the Great Sea Domain, Luo Kai's strength and agility surged to unprecedented heights. This disparity in power elevated the potency of his ultimate move to an unparalleled peak.
"Die!" Luo Kai roared.
Whoosh!
Whoosh! Jiang Ye's figure shifted rapidly, evading direct confrontation. Simultaneously, his spear vibrated, unleashing a barrage of thrusts to parry the relentless assault.
Within the enemy's Substantial Domain, Jiang Ye thought grimly, my strength is severely restricted. I have no choice but to gamble everything.
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
Swish!
Tens of thousands of strands of stellar energy erupted from his Guanyuan Acupoint, surging like a flood through his Star Meridian and converging into his spear.
The spear tip crackled with dazzling Dawnlight.
Endless radiance coalesced, forming a brilliant Dawn Sun.
Whoosh! Jiang Ye swung his spear, and the Dawn Sun blazed brighter, evolving from Dawn Sun to Morning Sun, then Early Sun, and finally Proud Sun.
The color shifted from white to pale purple, then to orange-red, mirroring the rising sun.
As the color deepened, the spear's power surged exponentially.
Finally, just a hair's breadth from reaching the intensity of the midday sun, the escalation halted.
Though it sounds like a drawn-out process, the entire transformation occurred in the blink of an eye.
"Kill!"
Jiang Ye thrust his spear forward with explosive force. The orange-red Proud Sun at its tip shot forth like a blazing meteor.
Great Sun Spear Technique, Fourth-Tier Ultimate Move: Sea-Burning!
Whoosh!
The instant the Proud Sun was unleashed, the entire sea seemed to boil, ignited by its overwhelming aura.
A terrifying power erupted, instantly engulfing Luo Kai's ultimate move without a trace.
Even his Substantial Domain shattered, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
"This...?"
"Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique?" Luo Kai's face paled. Even he had only mastered the third tier.
How could this junior in the early stages of his second breakthrough have grasped the fourth tier?!
"He's not just a Dharma Manifestation-level genius—he's Fallen Star-level!"
A thought flashed through Luo Kai's mind, and in the next instant, he retreated violently.
Escape!
Only one thought remained in Luo Kai's mind.
"Do you think you can escape?" Jiang Ye's eyes were icy as he thrust his spear forward with explosive force.
The Proud Sun technique erupted with full power.
Boom! A terrifying wave of energy surged outward.
If a late-second breakthrough expert had been nearby, they would have been shaken to their core by this overwhelming pressure.
Without a doubt, this was the most powerful strike Jiang Ye had ever unleashed!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Luo Kai's Substantial Domain shattered completely.
Under the cataclysmic force, the ground exploded and collapsed, leaving behind a massive crater over fifty meters in diameter.
At the edge of the crater, Luo Kai's body lay in pieces, reduced to a corpse.
Kill Count +1
A notification flashed before Jiang Ye's eyes.
"Lieutenant Luo Kai... is dead?"
"This is bad! We have to get out of here!"
"He killed Luo Kai despite being a lower level! He's not just a Dharma Manifestation-level genius—he's a Fallen Star-level prodigy!"
"Run for your lives!" The black-armored warriors nearby panicked, scattering in all directions.
Jiang Ye didn't pursue them.
He landed slowly, gazing at the terrifying crater before him.
"The Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique is truly powerful!" Jiang Ye's eyes gleamed with a hint of excitement.
He had been incredibly fortunate.
Normally, Jiang Ye's Great Sun Spear Technique was still one major bottleneck away from the Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique, making it nearly impossible to execute.
Earlier, under immense pressure, Jiang Ye had forced the technique, risking almost certain failure.
Fortunately, luck was on his side, and he actually succeeded.
Although the power unleashed was less than ten percent of the true Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique, Sea-Burning, it was still enough to kill Luo Kai.
"Forcing the Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique placed an immense strain on me," Jiang Ye sensed, realizing he was now too weak to continue fighting.
He quickly found a hidden corner to recover.
In a concealed trench, Jiang Ye sat cross-legged.
"A Dharma Manifestation-level genius should be equivalent to a B-tier student at White Dragon University," he mused, reviewing the battle. "Most of these geniuses possess a Substantial Domain. Once trapped within their Innate Domain, I'd be at a severe disadvantage."
"If I faced multiple Dharma Manifestation-level geniuses simultaneously, I'd stand no chance."
Unless I can break through this bottleneck and truly unleash the Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique, Jiang Ye thought to himself.
In reality, the Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique already belonged to the late-second breakthrough or even peak-second breakthrough realm.
He was only at the early-second breakthrough stage.
To have grasped it to this extent was already astonishing.
This was why Luo Kai, upon witnessing Jiang Ye unleash the technique, abandoned all thoughts of fighting and fled in terror.
The Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique was simply too powerful!
What kind of performance is required to obtain a Heaven-Tier Inheritance?
Defeat multiple Dharma Manifestation-level geniuses? Jiang Ye pondered. Or perhaps I need to defeat Dharma Manifestation-level geniuses who are higher-ranked than me, or even the Fallen Star-level geniuses they mentioned?
He had overheard snippets of the black-armored warriors' conversation earlier.
Fallen Star-level geniuses were likely equivalent to Class A students at White Dragon University.
More precisely, they were those with A-grade profound physiques or higher.
Defeat an A-grade profound physique while being lower-ranked? Jiang Ye shook his head.
Shi Ting, who possessed an A-grade profound physique, was absurdly powerful for her rank.
Jiang Ye had witnessed her sparring matches. Even at the peak-second breakthrough stage, she could defeat a B-tier profound physique with ease, finishing them off in just two or three moves.
Facing such an opponent, Jiang Ye would struggle to prevail.
However, Jiang Ye possessed a trump card:
Find Joy in Suffering: While in a state of suffering, all attributes receive a significant temporary boost. The deeper the suffering, the greater the enhancement.
"In a grievously wounded state, I can unleash combat power several times greater than normal," he thought.
"I can use this to turn the tables on powerful enemies." Jiang Ye strategized his next move: "Geniuses are too difficult to kill. I should target ordinary strong individuals at higher cultivation realms instead."
The conditions for obtaining a high-level inheritance were simply based on performance.
If Jiang Ye slaughtered a hundred mid-second breakthrough experts, wouldn't he at least deserve a Heaven-Tier Inheritance?
If a hundred wasn't enough, he'd kill two hundred.
If two hundred wasn't enough, he'd kill five hundred!
Slaughter! That was the answer.
Having made up his mind, Jiang Ye immediately closed his eyes and began rapidly regulating his breathing.
Ten minutes later, he rose again and flew toward the civilization battlefield outside.
"Target acquired." Jiang Ye's eyes locked onto a small-scale battlefield ahead, his figure moving like lightning.
This time, he would unleash a massacre!
Over the next few hours, Jiang Ye traversed numerous small battlefields, relentlessly slaughtering his enemies.
His kill count soared relentlessly.
Kill Count: 100
Kill Count: 200
Kill Count: 300
...
Time flowed onward.
In the blink of an eye, five hours had passed.
Inside the Starry Pavilion, the purple-robed elder, Zi Kun, sat cross-legged.
By now, all the other teachers had left the vast observation hall, leaving him alone to keep watch.
Swish!
Zi Kun finished his brief meditation and slowly opened his eyes.
"Over five hours already," he murmured. "Except for Shi Ting and Jiang Ye, everyone else has withdrawn from the White Dragon's Court." Zi Kun's gaze flickered with surprise as he studied the projected images. "This Jiang Ye... he truly is a talent."
At this point, he was almost certain Jiang Ye would secure the Heaven-Tier Inheritance.
As for the specific rank within the Heaven Tier?
That would depend entirely on Jiang Ye's performance in the third trial.
Just as Zi Kun was pondering this, he suddenly stiffened.
"Hmm?" His expression shifted, and he swiftly rose to his feet, turning his attention toward the White Dragon's Court outside.
Buzz!
Near the Starry Pavilion, the massive dragon-head-shaped structure suddenly erupted with an overwhelming surge of energy.
The wave of energy rippled outward like a tidal wave, rapidly engulfing the entirety of White Dragon University.
"Someone's emerged."
"Is it Jiang Ye?" Zi Kun's eyes narrowed. "Or Shi Ting?"
In the next instant—
Boom!
A pillar of platinum-gold light erupted from the dragon's mouth, shooting straight into the heavens.
Rumble!
The skies above White Dragon University trembled violently.
Had anyone been observing Blue Star from outer space at that moment, they would have witnessed the awe-inspiring sight of the platinum-gold pillar piercing through tens of thousands of kilometers of cloud cover, reaching beyond the ninth heaven—an utterly astonishing spectacle.
"The Heaven-Tier Inheritance Phenomenon!" Zi Kun exclaimed with a smile.
Whenever someone within the White Dragon's Court obtained a Heaven-Tier Inheritance, the court would unleash this extraordinary phenomenon.
And now, it was happening!
Simultaneously, within the cultivation chamber of the Silver-White Starry Building, Qiu Cang was instructing Tang Wuji and the other students when suddenly—
Boom! A blinding platinum-gold light enveloped the entire academy.
The light was so intense that the students could barely keep their eyes open.
"It's the Heaven-Tier Inheritance Phenomenon!"
"Someone has obtained a Heaven-Tier Inheritance?"
"Who could it be?" The students were both astonished and envious.
This phenomenon only manifested when a Heaven-Tier Inheritance appeared.
"A Heaven-Tier Phenomenon!" Tang Wuji's eyes burned with longing. He had only managed to secure a High-Grade Earth-Tier Inheritance this time.
"Could it be Senior Sister Shi Ting?" Tang Wuji speculated. "Or Junior Brother Jiang Ye?"
At the podium, Qiu Cang immediately dialed the purple-robed elder Zi Kun's number.
Beep! A holographic projection materialized.
"Elder Zi."
"Who has emerged?" Qiu Cang asked Zi Kun, "Shi Ting or Jiang Ye?"
"It's Shi Ting," Zi Kun replied.
"Shi Ting?"
"The girl came out first?" A flicker of surprise crossed Qiu Cang's eyes.
While the time spent in the third trial didn't necessarily indicate anything, over five hours had already passed.
Jiang Ye was still persevering in the third trial, having lasted longer than Shi Ting. This was truly astonishing.
"Shi Ting came out first?"
"That means Jiang Ye is still inside?" Tang Wuji, overhearing the conversation, was deeply shaken. "Junior Brother Jiang Ye is this formidable?!"
He himself had reached the third trial before.
But he hadn't even lasted an hour before falling victim to the relentless assault of a group of late-second breakthrough experts.
Yet Jiang Ye had endured for over five hours!
Even longer than Shi Ting!
"How did he manage that?" Tang Wuji wondered aloud. "He was clearly weaker than me during our sparring sessions."
Beside the podium, Qiu Cang was equally perplexed.
"Shi Ting received a Low-Grade Heaven-Rank Inheritance," Qiu Cang mused inwardly. "Could Jiang Ye actually have a chance at a Mid-Grade Heaven-Rank Inheritance?"
A single white-gold pillar of light signified a Low-Grade Heaven-Rank Inheritance.
Two white-gold pillars meant a Mid-Grade Heaven-Rank Inheritance.
Three white-gold pillars indicated a High-Grade Heaven-Rank Inheritance.
"Let's wait and see!"
Qiu Cang quickly composed himself.
In another hour at most, Jiang Ye should emerge.
By then, the outcome would be clear.
Jiang Ye remained completely unaware of the commotion outside.
He was immersed in the battlefield, relentlessly slaughtering his enemies.
Slaughter!
Endless slaughter.
Kill Count: 400
Kill Count: 500
Kill Count: 600
...
Time flowed relentlessly.
Gradually, experts from the Cangxu Civilization began to notice Jiang Ye.
This battlefield was dominated by ordinary warriors; even Dharma Manifestation-level geniuses were rare.
Jiang Ye, who had carved a path of carnage, leaving mountains of corpses in his wake while sustaining minimal injuries, was virtually unique.
As Jiang Ye continued his relentless slaughter, a true powerhouse finally took notice.
A peak-second breakthrough expert, clad in black-gold armor, soared through the sky, heading straight for Jiang Ye.
Thwack! Jiang Ye's spear pierced through the chest of a black-armored warrior. He turned to gaze at the approaching figure.
"Peak-second breakthrough?"
Jiang Ye's eyes narrowed, sensing the terrifying qi prowess emanating from the newcomer.
"Nearly ten hours of continuous combat..."
"My current state must be at the highest peak it's ever been."
Jiang Ye's gaze swept across his status panel.
[Tilting at Windmills: When facing opponents of higher cultivation realms, there is a chance to increase damage by 100% and inflict a continuous bleeding effect.]
[The More You Fight, the Stronger You Become:]
[1. During combat, stamina consumption rate is reduced by 30%. For every hour of continuous combat, 10% of lost stamina is automatically restored.]
[2. Gain Berserker's Guard: After one hour of continuous combat, all negative effects are reduced by 30%.]
[3. Gain Peerless Battle Intent: For every hour of continuous combat, attack speed increases by 5%, stacking up to ten times.]
[Po Jun: When surrounded, damage increased by 30%.]
Great Accumulation, Sudden Breakthrough: If combat lasts over ten minutes, damage increased by 50%.]
[Pinnacle of the Spear Dao: Against martial artists with Spear Dao cultivation below yours, spearmanship damage increased by 50%; against non-Spear Dao practitioners, damage increased by an additional 25%.]
[Martial Bone Ability - Battle Soul Tier 3: Berserk: All attributes increased by 30%.]
All eight of Jiang Ye's ability effects lit up simultaneously!
Among them, the 50% attack speed boost from Peerless Battle Intent was particularly terrifying.
With such a massive damage multiplier already in place, adding another 50% attack speed was simply absurd.
Jiang Ye could now instantly kill mid-second breakthrough experts!
Even late-second breakthrough experts would fall within a minute.
Now, Jiang Ye thought to himself, I've already killed hundreds of mid-second breakthrough experts and even dozens of late-second breakthrough experts. But I've never killed a peak-second breakthrough expert before.
Jiang Ye looked up at the enemy rapidly approaching him, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
If I kill this peak-second breakthrough expert...
I should finally obtain a Heaven-Tier Inheritance, right?!
Just as Jiang Ye was thinking this, suddenly—
Boom! The peak-second breakthrough expert in the sky erupted with even more terrifying qi prowess than before.
He instantly shattered the barrier of the second breakthrough, approaching the third breakthrough!
"Die!" the black-gold armored expert roared, unleashing a terrifying sword strike that hurtled toward Jiang Ye.
A sword light, vast as the world itself, crashed down upon Jiang Ye.
"This is bad!"
Alarm bells rang in Jiang Ye's mind as he instantly transformed into a bolt of lightning to evade the strike.
Despite his efforts, the sword light still grazed him. With a crack, his shoulder shattered.
"Approaching the third breakthrough?"
"Absolutely unbeatable." Jiang Ye's first thought was to flee.
But instinctively, he knew there was nowhere to run.
On this battlefield, only death brought an end.
Moreover, against a strongman nearing the third breakthrough, his opponent's agility and speed far surpassed his own.
A torrent of thoughts flashed through his mind.
These thoughts coalesced into a single, unwavering conviction:
"The only way is to fight!"
"Then let's fight." Jiang Ye gripped his spear tightly, his eyes burning with unwavering resolve.
In the next instant, he charged forward.
His gaze now carried the determination of one facing certain death.
Boom!
The battle erupted!
Without a doubt, this was the most brutal and desperate fight Jiang Ye had ever faced.
After ten fierce clashes, Jiang Ye's entire left arm exploded.
It took only seconds.
In this terrifying battle, every bone in Jiang Ye's body shattered.
Ribs, hand bones, arm bones, shoulder bones—all were pulverized.
Yet these horrific injuries didn't make him retreat.
Instead, they fully activated Jiang Ye's ultimate combat potential.
[Find Joy in Suffering: While in pain, all attributes receive a significant temporary boost. The deeper the pain, the greater the enhancement.]
"Kill!"
"Kill!" Jiang Ye thrust his spear forward with renewed force, each strike like a surging wave, each crest higher than the last.
The power behind each thrust surged in tandem with his worsening injuries, escalating relentlessly.
Escalating!
Madly escalating!
Until it reached an almost impossible peak.
"This is the limit," Jiang Ye thought, a flicker of light in his eyes.
By now, not a single part of his body remained unscathed. Even his neck had nearly been pierced through.
Skin and flesh were tearing away from bone, leaving him a bloodied, mangled mess—a living crimson horror.
Any other second breakthrough expert, suffering such grievous wounds, would likely be completely unable to fight.
But Jiang Ye?
Beyond his unwavering Martial Dao Will, the effect of "Finding Resolve in Suffering" was also at play.
[Finding Resolve in Suffering: In a state of extreme suffering, maintain absolute clarity, steadfastly guard your heart, and remain unmoved by any calamity.]
Far from losing his combat power, Jiang Ye's fighting prowess had surged to unprecedented heights!
"Kill!"
Jiang Ye roared, thrusting his spear forward with explosive force.
This strike channeled the most powerful attack of his life, fueled by a desperate resolve to take his enemy down with him.
Limitless stellar energy erupted from his Guanyuan Acupoint.
Ten thousand strands.
Fifty thousand strands.
A hundred thousand strands!
Five hundred thousand strands!
Boom! The instantaneous release of five hundred thousand strands of stellar energy unleashed such terrifying force that Jiang Ye's Guanyuan Acupoint shattered.
"What?"
"He's actually—?!" The expert nearing the third breakthrough watched in stunned disbelief, his eyes flashing with shock.
The Guanyuan Acupoint is the foundation of a martial artist's cultivation.
Once the Guanyuan Acupoint explodes, there is no possibility of regeneration!
To self-detonate his Guanyuan Acupoint?
Jiang Ye's actions were utterly insane!
Yet it was precisely this madness that propelled Jiang Ye's next spear strike to unprecedented heights.
Boom! Five hundred thousand strands of stellar energy instantly converged at the spear's tip, and a dazzling Orange-Red Proud Sun materialized in an instant.
A wave of destructive energy swept outward, the very air seeming to tear apart.
The Great Sun Spear Technique's Fourth-Tier Ultimate Technique—Sea-Burning!
"Die," Jiang Ye roared, launching himself forward like a Fallen Star-level meteor hurtling toward his opponent.
This strike carried the will to die knowing it was inevitable, and the determination to kill at all costs!
The next moment...
Boom!
The Orange-Red Great Sun exploded, unleashing a terrifying wave of energy that surged outward like a nuclear blast.
The earth trembled violently for hundreds of meters in every direction!
(End of the Chapter)
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