Translator: CinderTL
Ancheng, Shadow Hunting Bureau.
Security Room.
Jiang Dahai and Old Xia huddled by the window, peering out.
Buzz...
A massive rift materialized in the sky above the Shadow Hunting Bureau, revealing a pulsating, multicolored tunnel within.
"Old Jiang..." Old Xia trembled. "Is that... a Cosmic Void Passage?"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Jiang Dahai gritted his teeth. "The map clearly shows no passages here! It can't be!"
Roar—!
As soon as he spoke, a bone-chilling roar erupted from the depths of the colossal tunnel.
"That sounds like... the Shadow Clan?" Old Xia whispered in terror.
The Shadow Clan's voices seemed to be etched into humanity's genetic code, evoking primal fear. Without a steadfast Martial Dao Will to resist, even hearing such a sound could plunge one into an inescapable quagmire of terror, rendering them paralyzed.
True to form, Old Xia's knees trembled, his entire body seemingly paralyzed.
Roar—!!
A chorus of ear-splitting roars erupted.
In the next instant:
Boom!
Endless pitch-black shadows surged from the Cosmic Void Passage, sweeping outward like a tidal wave in all directions.
"It's over... it's over..." Old Xia trembled uncontrollably, completely forgetting to flee.
The truth was, escape would have been futile anyway.
At the shadow tide's speed, it devoured the entire Shadow Hunting Bureau in the blink of an eye.
Even this security room was instantly engulfed in darkness.
Jiang Dahai frantically pulled out his phone, but his trembling fingers fumbled with the screen, unable to initiate a call.
"Wife..."
"Xiao Ye... Tingting..." Jiang Dahai muttered desperately, his voice thick with despair.
The security room walls shook violently, cracks spiderwebbing across their surface, threatening imminent collapse.
Just then:
Boom!
A blinding light suddenly erupted from the darkness.
It was a sword beam!
Piercing through the endless darkness like a ray of celestial light in the long night, it arced across the sky for thousands of meters before slashing down with terrifying speed toward the shadow tide engulfing the Shadow Hunting Bureau.
With a thunderous roar, the surging shadow tide split in two, exploding and churning like a boiling sea.
ROAR!
Countless piercing screams echoed through the air.
With a single sword strike, hundreds upon thousands of Shadow Clan warriors were instantly annihilated, leaving no trace behind.
Within the Shadow Hunting Bureau, the sword's energy carved a deep trench several kilometers long and hundreds of meters wide.
Whoosh!
At the same moment, a towering figure clad in silver-white armor charged toward the Shadow Hunting Bureau like a cannonball.
BOOM! The security room exploded.
The armored giant seized Jiang Dahai and Old Xia, then soared out into the night sky.
Taoyang Community.
The armored giant carried Jiang Dahai all the way to the balcony of apartment 606 in Building 12.
Jiang Dahai hurried back inside, repeatedly thanking his rescuer. "I, Jiang Dahai, will never forget this life-saving debt!"
"A mere trifle," the armored giant replied with a faint smile, not lingering.
BOOM! He vanished in a blur, racing off to reinforce other besieged locations.
"Dahai!" Li Anping rushed over, the weight in her heart finally lifting the moment she saw Jiang Dahai.
"Dad, are you alright?" Jiang Ye quickly ran up as well. He had been monitoring the Shadow Hunting Bureau's situation closely.
"I'm fine," Jiang Dahai replied, shaking his head, still shaken. "We were incredibly lucky this time. I nearly lost my life. If that heroic figure hadn't arrived just in time..."
"Lucky?" Jiang Ye glanced out the window. He knew his foster father's survival had nothing to do with luck.
The imposing man in silver-white armor—he didn't know his identity, but he suspected he was the reinforcement Teacher Zhu Honglie had summoned earlier.
"That sword..." Jiang Ye recalled the scene, his eyes filled with longing.
A sword that tore through the heavens!
If he could wield such power, he wouldn't have felt so helpless during this crisis.
"Jiang Ye!"
Two figures appeared on the balcony: Zhang Jianwu and Cao Feng, who had rushed over.
"Your father..." Zhang Jianwu let out a relieved sigh upon seeing Jiang Dahai. "Thank goodness!"
Despite rushing at full speed, he had nearly arrived too late.
Fortunately, a skilled expert had rescued Jiang Dahai just in time.
"That man..." Zhang Jianwu gazed in the direction the burly figure had departed, his eyes filled with contemplation.
"Director, do you recognize him?" Jiang Ye asked.
"He's from the City Lord's Mansion," Zhang Jianwu nodded. "If I remember correctly, he's the strongest person in all of Ancheng!"
"But the Shadow Calamity has also erupted at the City Lord's Mansion."
"Logically, he should be guarding the mansion in this situation."
Zhang Jianwu didn't elaborate further. Why the man had left his post remained a mystery.
Jiang Ye, however, seemed to grasp the implications.
So, Teacher Zhu Honglie really did summon him.
Otherwise, why would he have such a clear target?
"Old Zhang," Cao Feng said, turning to Zhang Jianwu. "Time is of the essence."
Zhang Jianwu nodded, then looked at Jiang Ye. "No matter what happens next, don't leave the house."
"Understood," Jiang Ye replied with a solemn nod.
Whoosh!
Without another word, Zhang Jianwu and Cao Feng transformed into streaks of light and surged into the distance.
Though Jiang Ye's family had temporarily escaped danger,
But this Shadow Calamity had only just begun.
As Ancheng's elite combat forces, they were all committed to facing the crisis without hesitation.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Jiang Ye's communicator watch rang again.
"It's Chen Zilu," Jiang Ye said, immediately answering the call.
"Jiang Ye, are you alright?" Chen Zilu's usually cool voice carried a hint of urgency. "Is it true that a Level 2 Shadow Calamity has erupted in Ancheng?"
"Teacher, I'm fine," Jiang Ye replied. "More and more experts are arriving to provide support."
"Seal all doors and windows tightly, draw the curtains, and leave no gaps," Chen Zilu instructed earnestly. "Residential buildings now have Shadow Calamity protection systems. Activate them immediately."
Jiang Ye quickly followed her instructions.
Strictly speaking, this was his first time formally experiencing a Shadow Calamity outbreak.
As a martial artist, his training at school had focused on combating Shadow Calamities, but rarely covered comprehensive self-protection measures.
After ending the call, Jiang Ye returned to his room.
Phew~
"Finally, a close call without any real harm," Jiang Ye exhaled deeply.
If not for Teacher Zhu Honglie, Jiang Dahai would have been in grave danger.
Fortunately, Zhu Honglie had powerful connections and was able to mobilize Ancheng's strongest warrior.
Even the principal of Ancheng Third High School wouldn't have such authority.
After a moment's thought, Jiang Ye dialed Zhu Honglie's number.
Beep.
The call connected.
"Teacher Zhu, thank you sincerely," Jiang Ye said earnestly.
"Don't mention it," Zhu Honglie replied with a smile. "You're a student of Penglai University. If something happens to you, it reflects on the university itself."
"Jiang Ye, focus on your cultivation at home. Don't let this Shadow Calamity affect you." His tone lingered. "I expect you to deliver an extraordinary performance at the Heaven-Piercing Refinement during the entrance examination at the end of July."
"Yes," Jiang Ye replied earnestly. "I will work hard to cultivate."
He hung up the phone and sat motionless, his eyes filled with contemplation.
Did Teacher Zhu really help me solely because I'm a student of Penglai University?
To mobilize Ancheng's strongest warrior from such a great distance must have come at a considerable cost.
He had never met Zhu Honglie before. Why would the man go to such lengths for him?
"It's because of the potential I've shown," Jiang Ye realized. Zhu Honglie must have reviewed his records and seen his rapid progress. That was the only explanation for such extraordinary measures. After all, Shadow Calamities erupted constantly across Blue Star. Why would Zhu Honglie single him out?
"Strength," Jiang Ye muttered, clenching his fist.
Unconsciously, he had moved to the center of the room and smoothly assumed a martial stance.
"I come from a small mountain town in West Mountain Province. I have no connections, let alone the kind of network Teacher Zhu possesses."
"Only strength," Jiang Ye said, slowly circulating his cultivation technique.
In this world, ordinary people without connections were destined to struggle. But connections and networks could be built over time. He needed to seize every opportunity to showcase his potential and make the powerful take notice.
How?
Only through strength!
Take this crisis, for example. If his College Entrance Examination scores hadn't met the standard, would Zhu Honglie have offered such assistance?
Unlikely.
"The Heaven-Piercing Refinement at the end of July," Jiang Ye thought to himself. "It's not just a chance to upgrade my contract, but also a perfect opportunity to build connections."
Only by proving myself truly exceptional can I attract genuine powerhouses.
The path to strength may be solitary, but it's never without the support of powerful allies. These were precisely what Jiang Ye lacked.
Whoosh!
Unconsciously, Jiang Ye's figure began to move within the room.
Though the space was cramped, his cultivation practice showed no signs of constraint.
On the contrary, even with his eyes closed, his movements flowed seamlessly, without the slightest hesitation.
Jiang Ye had once again entered that profound state of enlightenment.
His essence, energy, and spirit seemed to merge with the surrounding environment, propelling his cultivation speed to new heights.
Become stronger!
Become stronger! Jiang Ye was completely immersed in his training, his mind purged of all distractions, leaving only an insatiable hunger for power.
His punches and kicks grew faster and more ferocious.
Gradually surpassing his previous limits, he ascended toward even greater heights.
In the midst of his cultivation, time flowed like water.
Jiang Ye remained completely unaware.
Outside the window, night and day flashed by in an instant.
When Jiang Ye finally emerged from his profound state of enlightenment and checked the time, he realized a full ten hours had passed.
"Huh?"
"I entered that mystical state again!" Jiang Ye belatedly realized.
During this cultivation session, he had been so deeply immersed that he hadn't even noticed himself entering the state of enlightenment.
Jiang Ye quickly checked his status panel.
[Nine Luminaries Star-Treading: Uninitiated (7% → 12%)]
"A 5% increase in one go?" Jiang Ye was momentarily stunned.
Then, a wave of joy washed over him.
This earth-rank Cosmic Secret Art was far beyond his current capabilities. Even a 1% improvement would have been remarkable.
To gain 5% in just ten hours was utterly astonishing!
"This mystical state truly feels incredible," Jiang Ye sighed contentedly.
Unfortunately, this state couldn't be sustained indefinitely. Otherwise, his cultivation progress would likely reach absurd levels.
"Right, I wonder what's happening outside."
Jiang Ye rose and drew back the curtains.
Bright sunlight streamed through the window.
Beneath the clear sky lay a deathly silent street, with ruined buildings visible in the distance.
"This Shadow Calamity must have claimed many lives," Jiang Ye thought, his heart sinking.
From his vantage point, he could see several residential buildings reduced to rubble.
A fierce battle had clearly raged the previous night.
Jiang Ye, immersed in his mystical state, had been oblivious to the chaos.
But the morning's sight revealed the brutal intensity of the conflict.
"I wonder how the director and the others are doing," Jiang Ye murmured. "And Li Zhichao..."
With that thought, he immediately called Li Zhichao, Wang Zi'ang, Zhao Qingli, and the others.
Thankfully, all were safe and unharmed.
Next, Jiang Ye reassured Chen Zilu of his safety before finally leaving his room for breakfast.
Over the following days, Ancheng felt like a ghost town.
Many Cosmic Void Passages had erupted without any defense, allowing hordes of Shadow Clan to flood into the city.
The Ancheng Hunter Bureau, in collaboration with the Qingyang City Shadow Hunting Bureau, conducted relentless sweeps of the city, day and night.
Yet even this couldn't stem the Shadow Calamity's spread.
Three days later, reinforcements from the Ningcheng Shadow Hunting Bureau arrived, bringing the latest monitoring equipment. They immediately imposed a city-wide lockdown and began a relentless Shadow Clan purge, working day and night.
With this, the situation finally began to stabilize.
Jiang Ye neither cared about nor had the energy to care about what was happening outside.
He continued his regular cultivation, making steady progress in both the Star Martial Advancement Method and the Nine Luminaries Star-Treading technique.
At night, in addition to his illusionary realm tempering and painful tempering, Jiang Ye occasionally ventured to the third level of the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder for enlightenment training.
Although his current understanding fell short of true enlightenment, the third level allowed him to personally experience the sensation of being struck by heavenly lightning.
Repeatedly enduring the majesty of the thunder dao deepened Jiang Ye's comprehension of thunder techniques.
If he were given a thunder dao cultivation technique now, even one of extreme difficulty, he could achieve Entry within an incredibly short time.
This was the power of enlightenment training!
A week later.
Jiang Ye sat cross-legged in his room, cultivating the Star Martial Advancement Method.
After completing a cycle of cultivation, he slowly withdrew his energy.
"The Advancement Method is becoming increasingly refined," Jiang Ye mused inwardly. "It's now sufficient to meet the requirements for the next cosmic tempering. Unfortunately, the city is still under lockdown."
He glanced at his status panel.
[Low-Martial Achievement System]
[Physique: Profound Physique (Upper D-tier)]
[Cultivation Techniques:]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Perfection]
[Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist: Perfection]
[Star Martial Advancement Method: Small Success (98%)]
[Nine Luminaries Star-Treading: Uninitiated (25%)]
[Achievements:]
[Martial Arts Grandmaster Patriarch's Friend Martial Dao Grandmaster Foot Dao is Also Dao * Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger]
[Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder:]
[Third Layer]
A week of cultivation had brought remarkable progress.
The Star Martial Advancement Method was nearing Major Success!
Of course, this was inseparable from his daily consumption of expensive martial dao ingredients like martial ginseng and Martial Spirit Mushrooms.
"The profound tier martial ginseng and yellow tier Martial Spirit Mushrooms I bought last time are almost gone," Jiang Ye calculated mentally. "I need to restock through Class Monitor Zhao again."
With that thought, he glanced at his bank balance.
Balance: 285,000
"Only 280,000 left," Jiang Ye murmured, shaking his head slightly.
Money really vanishes quickly.
Suddenly, his wristband vibrated gently.
Notification? Jiang Ye's expression froze.
This was the wristband issued by Ancheng Third High School, used for receiving school cultivation techniques, notices, and other communications.
Now that he had graduated, he shouldn't be receiving any more notifications.
He tapped the wristband's projection.
Ding!
A notice appeared.
Obituary? Jiang Ye's heart lurched as he saw the gray text.
June 18, 2326: With profound sorrow, we mourn the heroic sacrifice of our teachers Li Ang, Cao Feng, and two others, who perished in the Shadow Calamity rescue mission.
As Jiang Ye read the lines of text, his mind went blank.
Cao Feng!
The Martial Arts Teacher who had taught Senior Class One for over half a year—the teacher he had known so well—had died?
(End of the Chapter)