Translator: CinderTL
The destructive power of the late stage of the third breakthrough was truly astonishing.
With Jiang Ye unleashing his full strength, he could easily shatter a hundred-meter-tall mountain. Fortunately, the arena was constructed from a special material, or it would have collapsed long ago.
Yet even with this resilience, the arena trembled violently under such terrifying force.
Rumble~ Rumble! Jiang Ye gripped his long spear tightly, his figure a blur of lightning as he swept across the battlefield.
The sheer terror of the late stage of the third breakthrough was now undeniable.
Any competitor who dared approach him lasted less than a second before being instantly eliminated.
He was sweeping the entire battlefield!
The highest spectator stands fell into a brief silence.
After a few seconds, the murmurs erupted:
"This, this? Late stage of the third breakthrough?!"
"How is this possible?"
"Jiang Ye... does he have a Transcendent Aptitude?"
"Didn't they say Transcendent Aptitudes were banned from competing? Who let him in?" Teachers and professors from the ten great schools stared in disbelief.
Late stage of the third breakthrough! What did that even mean?
Even the mid-stage of the third breakthrough would have required some explanation.
For instance, someone with exceptionally rapid cultivation speed and extraordinary luck might obtain over a dozen B-Tier Opportunities. This wasn't unheard of in previous Ten Schools League competitions.
With Dao Bone Aptitude and sufficient opportunities, one could reach the mid-stage of the third breakthrough before their second year.
But the late stage of the third breakthrough? That would require finding dozens, even hundreds, of B-Tier Opportunities—an impossible feat in reality.
Even transcendent families couldn't afford to allocate so many B-Tier Opportunities to cultivate a single individual. The medicinal properties would be wasted!
Therefore, the only logical explanation was Transcendent Aptitude. Only someone with Transcendent Aptitude could reach the late stage of the third breakthrough before their second year.
"Old Qiu, that's just unfair!" Ye Hongying couldn't help but exclaim. "You let someone with Transcendent Aptitude participate?"
"Jiang Ye doesn't have Transcendent Aptitude," Qiu Cang replied calmly, shaking his head. "Moreover, his cultivation realm isn't truly at the late stage of the third breakthrough."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Ye Hongying and the others turned their attention back to Jiang Ye.
"Indeed."
"His life level has reached the late stage, but his cultivation realm hasn't yet broken through."
"Judging by his control over stellar energy, he's only at the early stage of the third breakthrough."
"Unbelievable." These teachers, with their sharp eyes, immediately noticed the anomaly.
From their vantage point, it was easy to assess a student's mastery of stellar energy. This wasn't about the rank of their cultivation method, but rather their cultivation realm.
"Reaching the late stage of the third breakthrough in life level is equally astonishing."
"Such a case has never been recorded in Dao Bone Aptitude records."
"Could this student actually be transcendent?" One teacher had already begun researching Jiang Ye's information.
Accessing Jiang Ye's student records proved difficult.
However, through the virtual network, they easily found news articles about him. After all, Jiang Ye had already made a name for himself.
Soon,
"I've found it! Jiang Ye's information! He doesn't have Transcendent Aptitude! He has Primitive Aptitude!"
"What?! Primitive Aptitude?"
"Impossible!" The teachers from the ten great schools erupted in uproar.
Meanwhile,
"Old Qiu,"
"What's going on?" Mo Sheng's face showed shock. "Jiang Ye... how did he suddenly reach the late stage of the third breakthrough?"
Mo Sheng hadn't been present when Jiang Ye emerged from Ancient Star No. 7 that day.
He had no idea about Jiang Ye's current state.
Even he was utterly astonished by the scene unfolding before him.
"I told you all along," Qiu Cang chuckled, "Jiang Ye was destined to be the champion."
"Now do you believe me?"
"..."
The teachers from the ten great schools were speechless.
No kidding!
Jiang Ye, at the late stage of the third breakthrough, was battling a group of geniuses nearing or at the early stages of the third breakthrough. It would be absurd if he didn't dominate.
Yet they couldn't accuse Jiang Ye of bullying the weak.
After all, he was also a freshman.
We're both freshmen. If my cultivation realm is higher, I'm allowed to crush the weak. What's the problem?
"Alright," Qiu Cang said, smiling as he gazed down at the arena. "The final battle is about to end."
On the arena floor, Jiang Ye swept through the competition, eliminating nearly all the participants.
Even Chang Qixing of Heaven's Gate University and Su Haiyue of Starry Sky University were no match for a single strike from him.
Now, only two contestants remained.
"Shi Ting," Jiang Ye said, his eyes fixed on the last remaining opponent.
Shi Ting remained until the end not because Jiang Ye had deliberately allowed it, but because she had stayed on the periphery throughout the entire process, never launching an attack against him.
"Jiang Ye," Shi Ting said, her grip tightening on her long spear, her eyes resolute.
Despite witnessing Jiang Ye's overwhelming power, she still wanted to fight him seriously.
Shi Ting gripped her spear tightly, waiting for Jiang Ye to make his move.
The next moment:
"Kill!" Jiang Ye no longer hesitated. He transformed into a bolt of lightning, moving with unbelievable speed, instantly closing the distance between them.
A vast amount of stellar energy converged.
One spear strike!
The sweeping blow shattered Shi Ting's defenses in an instant, slamming into her chest.
"Whoosh!" Shi Ting was sent flying backward, tumbling through the air before landing smoothly on her feet.
"Thank you," Shi Ting said, bowing slightly toward the young man on the platform.
She knew Jiang Ye had held back.
Given the vast difference in their cultivation realms, even a casual strike from Jiang Ye could have exceeded the protection mechanism's limits, inflicting Grievous Wounds upon her.
With that, only Jiang Ye remained on the massive arena.
Grasping his long spear, Jiang Ye stood as straight as a pine tree, his body radiating brilliant stellar energy, his entire being resembling a majestic war god.
Whoosh! A figure materialized in mid-air.
"The champion of this year's Ten Schools League for freshmen—Jiang Ye!"
"Runner-up, Shi Ting."
"Third place, Su Haiyue!"
"The three of you will each receive a reward of 500 million federal currency," Qiu Cang announced loudly, "as well as a spot in the Divine-Tier Opportunity Zone—the Star Realm Sea."
At this point, he paused abruptly, his expression turning peculiar.
Jiang Ye, Shi Ting, Su Haiyue?
Su Haiyue's inclusion made sense, but Shi Ting? She hadn't even reached the third breakthrough. Could she really be taking up one of the spots?
Sending Shi Ting to the Star Realm Sea seems inappropriate, Qiu Cang thought to himself.
Though Shi Ting was his student, the Star Realm Sea concerned the entire Blue Star and couldn't be taken lightly.
However, the rules were clear, and Qiu Cang couldn't alter them.
"Congratulations, Jiang Ye, Shi Ting, and Su Haiyue!" Qiu Cang declared loudly. "You are the top three students of this competition. Your rewards will be credited to your accounts shortly."
"I declare," Qiu Cang announced, "the Ten Schools League is now concluded!"
With a flicker, he vanished from the arena.
Whoosh! The audience erupted in cheers.
"Jiang Ye is the champion of this year's competition!"
"I've never heard of him before."
"Well, you have now."
"He's incredibly strong! Reaching the late stage of the third breakthrough as a freshman? I was only at the peak of the second breakthrough at that stage." Many senior students watching the match were equally impressed.
As the competition ended, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Yet most eyes remained fixed on the towering figure standing in the arena.
In that moment, the name Jiang Ye was etched into the memories of Blue Star Civilization's most elite prodigies.
Suddenly, with a whoosh, the figure shot skyward, soaring toward a specific section of the audience.
Moments later, Jiang Ye landed before Liu Wanxiao and his group.
"Jiang Ye, congratulations!" Liu Wanxiao and the others stood up to congratulate him. "Champion of the Ten Schools League—that's incredible!"
"You've already reached the late stage of the third breakthrough?"
"You're such a monster!" Liu Wanxiao and Lin Yushu exclaimed in awe.
"When shall we spar?" Jiang Ye asked with a smile, having flown here specifically for this purpose.
"..."
(End of the Chapter)
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