Translator: CinderTL
Penglai University, Heaven-Tier Zone.
Manor No. 41.
Jiang Ye returned home and immediately grabbed his spear, heading to the training room.
"Great Sun Spear Technique," he murmured, glancing at his status panel.
Great Sun Spear Technique: Major Success (29%)
Between 29% and 30% lay a major bottleneck.
Why was this the case?
Because Jiang Ye had already mastered the forty-seventh form of the spearmanship.
By mastering just one more form, reaching forty-eight, he could truly unleash the fourth ultimate move—Sea-Burning.
Yet taking this small step proved immensely difficult.
Each ultimate move represented a significant bottleneck.
During his initial breakthrough to Major Success, he had been stuck on the third ultimate move for months, only overcoming it with Chen Zilu's help.
The situation remained the same now.
Even after battling for over ten hours in the White Dragon's Court, Jiang Ye had failed to break through, highlighting the challenge.
"Enlightenment Divine Jade," Jiang Ye said, pulling out the jade pendant, his eyes filled with anticipation. "It's up to you now."
He placed the jade in his mouth.
Buzz!
Within seconds, a wisp of divine energy spread through his body from his mouth.
A strange sensation enveloped Jiang Ye.
Once again, he entered that clear, enlightened state of mind, as if countless sparks of inspiration were flashing through his mind.
Whoosh!
Whoosh! Jiang Ye gripped his spear, moved his feet, and felt the flow of the spearmanship.
Shwiiish! Shwiiish! Shwiiish!
The spear tip flashed, transforming into hundreds of phantom strikes with astonishing speed.
Gradually, the spear's momentum surged, entering the range of his fourth ultimate move.
In the past, Jiang Ye would encounter immense resistance at this point, preventing him from executing the technique smoothly.
But this time was different.
"Sea-Burning."
"The fourth ultimate move of the Great Sun Spear Technique." A flash of insight struck Jiang Ye: "Perhaps the essence lies not in 'burning,' but in 'sea'?"
"A sea of sunlight."
"Could I have been pursuing the wrong path all along?" Jiang Ye wondered inwardly.
Suddenly, Jiang Ye seemed to grasp a crucial insight.
His spearmanship began to subtly transform.
One strike.
Two strikes.
Three strikes.
The changes were imperceptible, yet they gradually altered the fundamental mechanics of his spear techniques.
Ten strikes!
Twenty strikes!
Thirty strikes.
By the time Jiang Ye smoothly executed his sixtieth strike, these subtle transformations finally erupted, completely revolutionizing his spearmanship.
Whoosh! In an instant, Jiang Ye's spear became incandescent and boundless.
A vast, ocean-like wave of spear energy swept outward, igniting like wildfire to form a scorching sea of sunlight spanning hundreds of meters.
Moreover, an orange-red Great Sun rose majestically within this sea of sunlight.
Then, it exploded.
Terrifying energy erupted like a nuclear blast, incinerating everything in its path.
Boom!
A deafening tremor shook the training room.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Violent, continuous explosions rocked the entire space.
Fortunately, the training room was constructed from Cosmic Fluid, a material that repeatedly melted, shattered, and rapidly reformed.
This cycle persisted for hundreds of rounds before finally subsiding.
Great Sun Spear Technique, Fourth Ultimate Move: Sea-Burning!
Whoosh!
Jiang Ye's eyes snapped open, withdrawing from his state of serene clarity.
"I've broken through!?"
"I can finally execute the fourth ultimate move completely!" Jiang Ye's eyes shone with excitement. "What tremendous power!"
He had just witnessed the destructive force firsthand.
If not for the training room's protective properties,
the surrounding hundreds of meters would have been reduced to ruins.
This was the true might of the fourth ultimate move!
"Great Sun Sea-Burning can erupt repeatedly," Jiang Ye murmured, his heart pounding. "It unleashes hundreds of bursts of power in mere seconds."
"With such power, even a late-second breakthrough expert might not be able to withstand it," he speculated inwardly.
Without activating any other buffs, Jiang Ye's current combat power was sufficient to reach the mid-second breakthrough stage.
As for the late-second breakthrough stage? Jiang Ye wasn't sure, but he suspected that even those strong individuals wouldn't dare recklessly take on his current attack.
Jiang Ye glanced at his status panel.
Great Sun Spear Technique: Major Success (29%) → (30%)
"As expected," Jiang Ye murmured, a smile playing on his lips. "Truly worthy of being called the Enlightenment Divine Jade. It allowed me to break through instantly."
A major bottleneck had been overcome!
Jiang Ye could sense it.
Without the flash of inspiration granted by the Enlightenment Divine Jade, he might have spent ten days, or even a hundred, without making any progress.
Because he had been heading in the wrong direction all along!
If you're on the wrong path, no amount of effort will get you to your destination.
"What exactly is the origin of this Enlightenment Divine Jade?" Jiang Ye wondered, his heart pounding with awe. "To help someone break through a major bottleneck... this is truly unheard of."
Suddenly, Jiang Ye paused, as if struck by a thought.
"Such a miraculous artifact must be incredibly important to Chen Zilu as well, right?"
"She gave it to me... doesn't she need it herself?" Jiang Ye wondered aloud. "Or does Senior Sister have more than one of these treasures?"
Just as Jiang Ye was pondering this,
Buzz!
"Hmm?" Jiang Ye felt his phone vibrate and glanced down.
The caller ID read: "Zhao Qingli."
Beep! He answered the call.
A beautiful young woman appeared on the screen, wearing a long, colorful silk dress, her skin as pale as snow, and her legs long and slender.
"Jiang Ye," Zhao Qingli said, looking at him. "I heard you've returned from your studies at White Dragon University?"
"Just got back," Jiang Ye replied with a nod and a smile. "How did you know?"
"My sister told me," Zhao Qingli said.
"Your sister? Zhao Jingxue?" Jiang Ye paused, then quickly realized.
Zhao Jingxue's teacher was Chen Yuntian.
Zhu Honglie, unable to keep the news of Jiang Ye obtaining the Heaven-Tier Inheritance a secret, had undoubtedly spread the word as soon as he returned. Chen Yuntian would have learned about it immediately.
"I heard you obtained a Heaven-Tier High-Grade Inheritance," Zhao Qingli said, blinking her eyes. "Even White Dragon University was astonished."
"Well, it's not quite that dramatic," Jiang Ye said with a shake of his head and a smile.
He could imagine Teacher Zhu making a grand announcement about this upon his return.
It was only natural, considering Jiang Ye had truly brought honor to Zhu Honglie this time.
"So, you really obtained a Heaven-Tier High-Grade Inheritance?" Zhao Qingli's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. "That's incredible!"
"I have something even more incredible," Jiang Ye said with a mysterious smile.
"Even more incredible?" Zhao Qingli blinked, her curiosity piqued. "What is it?"
"I didn't just get one," Jiang Ye revealed, "but two Heaven-Tier High-Grade Inheritances."
Zhao Qingli's eyes widened even further.
Though she didn't know the specifics of the White Dragon's Court, she was familiar with its rules.
Obtaining two Heaven-Tier Inheritances? Unheard of!
"How did you manage that?" Zhao Qingli couldn't help but ask.
"Maybe... because I'm just that good?" Jiang Ye replied with a grin.
"I thought you were going to say it was just luck," Zhao Qingli rolled her eyes.
She didn't press the topic further, instead asking, "Winter break is fourteen days long. Do you want to come back to Ancheng with me?"
"Winter break?" Jiang Ye blinked, momentarily confused.
Then it dawned on him.
Penglai University's winter break ran from mid-February to the end of the month, lasting fourteen days.
This was considered quite generous. At White Dragon University, for example, the winter break was likely less than seven days.
"Winter break," Jiang Ye said.
"I'm not going back," he replied after a moment's thought, shaking his head. "I'll be competing in the Genius Cup in two months. I need to focus all my energy on training for the next two months."
"Not even for the Lunar New Year?" Zhao Qingli asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"After the Genius Cup," Jiang Ye said with a smile. "I might go back for a visit during the Federal Memorial Day holiday."
Federal Memorial Day fell on May 1st, commemorating the founding of the Federation. It came with a five-day holiday.
"Alright, I'll go with you then. And you have to listen to me," Zhao Qingli said, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes.
"Fine," Jiang Ye agreed, nodding. Having refused her once, he couldn't refuse her again.
"I wish you a smooth victory at the Genius Cup in two months!" Zhao Qingli added.
"You have that much faith in me?" Jiang Ye chuckled.
Zhao Qingli replied coldly, "If you don't win the championship, I won't sell you any more cultivation resources."
"Then it seems I have no choice but to win the championship," Jiang Ye said helplessly.
"I was just teasing you," Zhao Qingli quickly replied, seeing he didn't argue. "Even if you don't win, I'll still sell you resources."
"I wasn't teasing you," Jiang Ye said seriously. "I must win the championship."
"Alright, then I wish you success."
The call ended abruptly.
"Time," Jiang Ye glanced at the clock.
"Has it really been ten hours already?" He chuckled.
Under the Enlightenment Divine Jade's influence, he had completely lost track of time.
"Ten hours to break through a major bottleneck in my spearmanship."
"That's remarkably fast," Jiang Ye thought to himself. "Though it builds on my previous accumulation, without the Enlightenment Divine Jade, I would never have been able to break through."
"With the Enlightenment Divine Jade,"
"My spearmanship is bound to make significant progress."
Jiang Ye checked his status panel.
[Low-Martial Achievement System]
[Physique: Profound Physique (Upper B-Grade)]
[Innate Talent: Nascent (Reconstruction) (3/10)]
[Cultivation Techniques]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Perfection]
[Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist: Perfection]
[Star Martial Advancement Method: Perfection]
[Nine Luminaries Star-Treading: Major Success (2%)]
[Great Sun Spear Technique: Major Success (30%)]
[Heavenly Tribulation Fist: Small Success (99%)]
[White Dragon True God Manual (Upper Volume): Uninitiated (3%)]
[Star-Piercing Arrow Technique: Uninitiated (0%)]
[Cold Sun Spear Technique (Prototype)]
[Achievements:]
[Martial Arts Grandmaster, Patriarch's Friend. Martial Dao Titan, Great Accumulation, Sudden Breakthrough.]
[Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder:]
[Fourth Layer]
"For the next two months," Jiang Ye planned inwardly, "besides cultivating the True God Manual, I'll focus on mastering spearmanship and archery. I can also practice the Nine Luminaries Star-Treading and Heavenly Tribulation Fist in moderation."
The Star-Piercing Arrow Technique was primarily for triggering the Void Enemy Detection passive effect.
Although Jiang Ye already possessed ranged attack capabilities, such as the Great Sun Spear Technique's second ultimate move, Proud Sun Soars Across the Sky, its range was limited to a hundred meters, and its power diminished sharply with distance. Archery, however, had no such limitations.
As for the Nine Luminaries Star-Treading and Heavenly Tribulation Fist, they were for emergency situations. In the absence of weapons, fist and leg techniques remained crucial.
"Oh, right," Jiang Ye said, turning his attention to the final cultivation technique.
"Cold Sun Spear Technique."
This spear technique was one he had developed on the fourth level of the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder, based on improvements to the Great Sun Spear Technique. However, it remained in its prototype stage.
Previous attempts to refine it had proven quite challenging.
"With the Enlightenment Divine Jade, refining it should be much easier now."
"If I can completely perfect the Cold Sun Spear Technique before the Genius Cup," Jiang Ye mused, "my combat strength will increase significantly."
This thought immediately troubled him.
So much to do in the next two months!
Spearmanship, archery, cultivation methods, fist techniques, leg techniques... Which area should he focus on?
After a moment's contemplation, he decided, "Forget it. I want it all!"
Jiang Ye sat down cross-legged and resumed cultivating the White Dragon True God Manual.
He continued cultivating until six in the evening.
[White Dragon True God Manual (Upper Volume): Uninitiated (3%) → (4%)]
In the following days, Jiang Ye's life returned to its usual rhythm.
The day after returning to Penglai University, Zhu Honglie revised Jiang Ye's cultivation plan.
Two hours of daily instruction, one hour of practical combat training, and the remaining time dedicated to cultivation.
This was because Jiang Ye's martial dao foundation had been completely depleted after his second breakthrough. Even more practical combat would not yield any explosive gains in strength.
How to rebuild his martial dao foundation?
In two words: diligent cultivation.
Of course, Jiang Ye's cultivation plan was far from static.
Every week, Zhu Honglie would reassess Jiang Ye's progress, tailor a new cultivation plan, and provide detailed guidance.
This was the true benefit of having a teacher.
Without Zhu Honglie, Jiang Ye could have still improved using external aids like the Enlightenment Divine Jade and dao resonance.
But he would have struggled to maximize their potential.
With Zhu Honglie's guidance, the results were dramatically different.
Undoubtedly, Jiang Ye's strength would now surge explosively in the coming days.
Time flew by like an arrow.
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.
On April 18th, at dusk, a group of students emerged from the Cosmic Teaching Building.
Among them were Jiang Ye, Shen Changxi, Liu Wanxiao, and Yun Qing'er.
"Another S-Rank Mission completed! That was so satisfying!" Liu Wanxiao stretched lazily.
He turned to Jiang Ye beside him and said, "Jiang Ye, our teamwork is getting so smooth. We're just crushing everything out there!"
"Indeed," Jiang Ye replied with a faint smile.
Over the past two months, Jiang Ye had completed two S-Rank Combat Missions, both times partnering with Liu Wanxiao.
Jiang Ye handled the slaughter, while Liu Wanxiao took care of the "ga ga" moments.
"Hey!" Liu Wanxiao suddenly groaned, his face contorted in a grimace. "Your strength is overwhelming! I feel so insignificant!"
"Isn't it great to be carried?" Jiang Ye smiled faintly.
"But my ranking will suffer," Liu Wanxiao said with a helpless shake of his head, though he didn't seem to mind. "Still, getting a free hundred thousand merit points isn't bad."
In an S-Rank Mission, even a mediocre ranking could earn hundreds of thousands of merit points—equivalent to millions of federal currency.
"Jiang Ye," Shen Changxi suddenly asked, her curiosity piqued, "what's your current strength level?"
"Just reached mid-second breakthrough," Jiang Ye replied with a smile.
"Mid-second breakthrough?" Shen Changxi nodded. "I'm almost there too."
Two months ago, after Jiang Ye returned from his studies at White Dragon University, she had achieved her second breakthrough. Now, Shen Changxi's strength had undergone a complete transformation.
"Jiang Ye, for the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup, are you confident you can make it into the top five?" Shen Changxi asked with a smile.
"Top five?" Jiang Ye chuckled, offering no direct answer. "What about you? Are you confident?"
"I have some confidence," Shen Changxi said, blinking her crimson eyes.
Just then, their phones buzzed simultaneously.
"Hmm?" Jiang Ye, Shen Changxi, and Yun Qing'er exchanged glances.
They all realized what it meant.
They quickly opened their phones.
Ding! A projection materialized.
Penglai University 2326th-grade freshman Jiang Ye.
The 2327th Twenty-Five School Alliance Genius Cup is about to begin. Please review the competition rules carefully and prepare for participation.
"The Genius Cup!" Jiang Ye's eyes lit up slightly. "It's finally here."
(End of the Chapter)
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