Translator: CinderTL
At this moment, over a hundred thousand spectators filled the bird's nest arena, their eyes glued to the projection screen showing Jiang Ye's perspective.
There was no choice. Jiang Ye remained the undisputed leader, far ahead of the competition. His viewpoint was displayed at maximum size.
Jiang Ye's performance sent shockwaves through the entire arena.
"One spear strike to instantly kill a late-second breakthrough expert!"
"His combat power rivals even the top contenders from Star River University!"
"How can he be so fast and so ridiculously strong?"
"Is he even letting anyone else play?" Spectators from various universities were stunned.
Even the Donghai University audience, who had previously remained calm and confident, began to fidget in their seats.
"Who's stronger, Jiang Ye or Wang Bo?"
"I'm starting to think it's Jiang Ye."
"Not necessarily. Wang Bo's innate talent is extraordinary. When he goes all out, he might surpass Jiang Ye."
"Wang Bo is still the strongest!" Many Donghai University students stubbornly maintained their faith.
"Exactly!"
"The boy's true combat prowess is finally showing," Elder Bai said with a rare smile.
Previously, Jiang Ye had shown considerable strength, but in Elder Bai's eyes, he still fell short of his true potential.
Until now.
A single, ordinary spear technique instantly annihilated a late-second breakthrough opponent.
Elder Bai firmly believed that this level of combat prowess represented Jiang Ye's true capabilities.
"But why does this kid's combat strength fluctuate so wildly?"
"Even against the Shadow Clan, it shouldn't vary this much," Elder Bai murmured, studying the projection with a puzzled expression.
He quickly dismissed the thought.
Geniuses operate by their own rules.
Perhaps Jiang Ye was deliberately using these battles to hone his skills.
"It seems Jiang Ye will claim the lion's share of opportunities within the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm," Elder Bai observed, glancing at the global participant coordinates and smiling.
None of the other competitors had even reached the 500-kilometer mark yet.
Jiang Ye was already nearing the core area, poised to seize the prime opportunities.
This was the advantage of speed!
The audience erupted in cheers, but one section remained eerily silent.
A group of students with distinguished appearances and attire sat there.
They all hailed from Star River University, one of the ten great schools.
"This level of combat strength seems rather ordinary, doesn't it?"
"Li Qi and Wang Xuan could achieve the same."
"Why are they getting so worked up?" the Star River University students murmured among themselves.
Li Qi and Wang Xuan were the two strongest competitors from Star River University in this year's competition. Both had mastered earth-rank, low-grade cultivation techniques, with one having already achieved Major Success and the other just a step away.
Of course, within Star River University, they ranked only in the middle tier. But in the context of the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup, they were absolute standouts.
Therefore, the Star River University students weren't particularly surprised by Jiang Ye's performance. In their view, someone at the mid-second breakthrough stage should naturally possess this level of combat prowess.
"The gap between the Twenty-Five School Alliance and us is just too vast."
"Still, Jiang Ye is truly impressive. He might even be able to exchange a few moves with Li Qi or Wang Xuan."
"He definitely has a chance to make it into the top three," the Star River University students speculated.
Time flowed onward.
Within the dense forests of the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm, a figure darted through the undergrowth like lightning.
Spear shadows flashed continuously, accompanied by thunderous roars.
Pfft! Pfft! Jiang Ye slaughtered relentlessly, his spear strikes surging like tidal waves, each strike surpassing the last as he annihilated Shadow Clan after Shadow Clan.
A mid-second breakthrough Shadow Clan member was annihilated with a single spear thrust.
A late-second breakthrough? Just one more spear strike.
And so it went.
In mere minutes, Jiang Ye carved a path through the dense forest, drawing ever closer to the central region of the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm.
Ten kilometers.
Five kilometers.
Three kilometers.
"Almost there," Jiang Ye muttered, his pace relentless. "Just one kilometer left."
He could already see them in the distance: ten colossal mountain peaks, towering into the heavens, their peaks shrouded in swirling mists that lent them an almost divine aura.
At Jiang Ye's speed, a kilometer was nothing.
Even with powerful Shadow Clan members blocking his path, he moved with lightning speed.
Half a minute later.
Thwack! Jiang Ye's spear pierced through the body of a late-second breakthrough Shadow Clan youth.
Whoosh! His figure flashed like lightning as he burst from the forest, arriving at the edge of a cliff.
"I've arrived." The vista before Jiang Ye opened up dramatically.
Majestic, towering divine mountains stood before him, radiating an immeasurable and awe-inspiring aura.
It was breathtaking.
Mountains were inanimate objects, yet they emanated a palpable, inexplicable energy that resonated deep within one's soul.
"Opportunity," Jiang Ye murmured, his gaze fixed on the towering peaks.
These ten mountain peaks were far grander than Jiang Ye had imagined. Even standing on the cliff's edge, they seemed to dominate the entire world.
To seek opportunity amidst such towering mountains?
Even a second breakthrough expert would find it no easy task.
Jiang Ye, despite possessing Martial Will Perception, could only cover a radius of about a hundred meters, making the search quite arduous.
Fortunately...
"Perceptive Insight," Jiang Ye murmured, a glint flashing in his eyes.
[Perceptive Insight: Active effect. Dramatically enhances sensory acuity, allowing the user to perceive the minutest details of all things with the naked eye. Grants a chance to discern an opponent's weaknesses. Overuse leads to mental exhaustion. Duration: 3 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.]
This ability allowed him to see the finest details of all things.
Not only could he observe the meridians, organs, and viscera within his own body, but the entire world would transform into a network of unique light patterns. When encountering something divine or extraordinary, it would erupt with an intensely brilliant radiance.
Jiang Ye had previously used this method to examine the Enlightenment Divine Jade.
The result had been an overwhelming burst of light that nearly blinded him.
This proves that Perceptive Insight is indeed a powerful tool for treasure hunting!
Buzz!
As Jiang Ye's gaze flickered, the ten majestic mountain peaks before him erupted in dazzling bursts of light.
Hiss!
Jiang Ye instinctively narrowed his eyes.
The next moment, his pupils contracted sharply.
"Opportunities, opportunities, opportunities..."
"So many opportunities?!" Jiang Ye exclaimed in shock. "Even a single mountain peak has over a hundred?!"
He was stunned!
Jiang Ye had initially expected to expend considerable effort to find treasures.
But the reality?
The very first mountain peak he surveyed revealed over a hundred opportunities!
Of course, this was only possible because he had activated Perceptive Insight. Without it, searching such a vast, hundreds-of-miles-wide mountain range would have been exceedingly difficult.
"I can't possibly handle all this alone."
"First, I'll mark the largest opportunities." Jiang Ye's gaze, sharp as lightning, swept across the mountain peaks.
How to identify the largest opportunities?
Simple: the brighter the light, the more valuable the treasure.
With Jiang Ye's current memory, memorizing the locations was effortless.
"One, two, three..." Jiang Ye's gaze swept back and forth across the mountain range.
He wouldn't overlook a single one of the ten peaks.
Since he'd come this far, Jiang Ye was determined to seize the best opportunities!
A minute later, Jiang Ye had memorized dozens of opportunities, all the most dazzling ones among the ten peaks.
"Let's go."
"Time to seize some opportunities!" Jiang Ye's figure blurred, transforming into a fleeting afterimage as he surged toward the ten Divine Mountains.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Jiang Ye moved with lightning speed.
Just a few minutes later, he arrived at the first opportunity site.
There stood a silver-white fruit tree on the edge of a steep cliff.
Its branches, like ice sculptures carved from jade, radiated a cold, silvery light. Amidst the dense, silvery foliage hung several frost-like fruits, each perfectly round and plump, gleaming with an alluring luster.
"Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruit?" Jiang Ye's eyes lit up.
His knowledge had far surpassed what he knew back in high school.
At Penglai University, Jiang Ye had studied the lore of countless treasures alongside his cultivation.
The Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruit before him was one of the treasures he recognized.
"Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruit," Jiang Ye murmured to himself, "a rare spiritual treasure of heaven and earth, found only in a few secret realms."
"Its growth cycle is typically five years per harvest."
"Consuming it can accelerate the transformation of one's life level," he thought. "Three Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruits are equivalent to one Primordial-Tier Cosmic Tempering!"
With that thought, Jiang Ye's figure darted forward.
Whoosh!
He leaped from the ground, his feet propelling him upward as he swiftly climbed the fruit tree.
He plucked all the Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruits.
"Two, three, four..."
"A total of six Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruits!" Jiang Ye's heart surged with joy. "That's equivalent to two cosmic temperings!"
Of course, he was referring to the cosmic tempering of an ordinary person.
For someone like him, who could endure a single cosmic tempering for over ten days, the comparison was hardly accurate.
"Eat them all," Jiang Ye decided without hesitation.
Crunch!
After plucking the fruits, he opened his mouth and bit into one immediately.
Without a backpack to carry them, he had no choice but to consume them on the spot.
The moment he bit down, an icy, piercing chill instantly flooded his mouth.
The taste was reminiscent of frozen hawthorn berries—cold and tart, yet with a subtle sweetness.
Whoosh!
A strange energy surged down Jiang Ye's esophagus, spreading through his body like flowing water, penetrating every limb and bone.
It was an extraordinary sensation.
Jiang Ye could clearly feel every cell in his body opening to absorb the energy, as if undergoing a metamorphosis.
"All spiritual treasures of heaven and earth contain spiritual substance," Jiang Ye marveled inwardly. "Truly wondrous beyond imagination."
Spiritual substance was a substance, distinct from cosmic energy, capable of driving the evolution of life levels.
It carried a trace of 'spirituality' and was exceedingly rare.
Unlike cosmic energy, even a trace of spiritual substance could move mountains.
Just two or three Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruits were equivalent to a Primordial-Tier Cosmic Tempering session.
Of course, above spiritual substance lay 'divine substance,' an even more precious substance.
Items like Enlightenment Jade and Enlightenment Divine Jade contained divine substance.
Divine artifacts containing divine substance are beyond valuation; even the wealthiest individuals would struggle to acquire them.
These thoughts flashed through Jiang Ye's mind in an instant.
He swiftly devoured six Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruits whole, swallowing them down in mere seconds.
"My power?" Jiang Ye sensed a surge of immense, raw force coursing through his body.
"Truly worthy of being a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth."
"Such a remarkable boost?" Jiang Ye was overjoyed.
Even Primordial-Tier Cosmic Tempering, which was already quite time-consuming, paled in comparison to the immediate effect of these fruits.
And this was just the initial effect. Once fully digested, his strength would undoubtedly increase further.
"Keep going."
"Next opportunity." Jiang Ye didn't linger.
Whoosh! His figure blurred as he darted toward the next opportunity location.
Before other competitors arrived, Jiang Ye aimed to seize as many opportunities as possible, aiming to claim all dozens of major opportunities for himself!
Meanwhile, in the bird's nest-shaped arena, over a hundred thousand spectators watched the live feed with rapt attention.
"He found the Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruit so quickly?"
"What a lucky kid."
"In the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm, the Profound Frost Ice Crystal Fruit counts as a top-tier opportunity," the teachers from various universities remarked, their voices filled with admiration.
With their extensive knowledge, they naturally recognized the significance of the opportunities within the secret realm.
Elder Bai stroked his beard and chuckled, "Jiang Ye has always had exceptional luck."
Good fortune, he believed, was an integral part of one's strength. This had always been Elder Bai's unwavering conviction.
"Hmm?"
"Judging by his trajectory, he's not heading for the summit. Instead, he's moving horizontally?" Elder Bai's gaze sharpened. "What kind of technique is this?"
He wasn't the only one puzzled.
The other teachers present also stared intently at the projected image, their expressions filled with confusion.
Just minutes later,
"The Moonlight Spirit Spring? Another top-tier opportunity?"
"Jiang Ye?"
"He's only just entered the core area and already secured two top-tier opportunities in succession?" The teachers from Donghai University, Nanyang University, and several other institutions clenched their fists, their faces tense.
Their anxiety was understandable.
The Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm only contained a limited number of top-tier opportunities.
Every one Jiang Ye claimed meant one less for the others!
Jiang Ye's sudden acquisition of two opportunities immediately made the teachers anxious. They wondered why their own students hadn't arrived yet.
Of course, some remained calm.
"That Jiang Ye kid sure is lucky," Mo Zixuan from Donghai University chuckled. "There are only a few dozen top-tier opportunities scattered across the ten peaks of the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm."
"For him to have already secured two is truly remarkable," he marveled.
"Indeed fortunate," Elder Bai nodded. "But I doubt his luck will hold for much longer."
"Agreed," Mo Zixuan replied, his confidence rooted in this logic.
Each peak only held four or five top-tier opportunities.
Since Jiang Ye had already claimed two, surely he wouldn't find a third? After all, there were plenty of mid- and lower-tier opportunities scattered around as well.
Yet, just as Mo Zixuan was thinking this, the screen showed Jiang Ye having already absorbed the benefits of the Moonlight Spirit Spring and continuing toward his next destination.
He climbed steadily upward.
Soon, he passed by a mystical treasure tree without pausing, continuing onward.
"Hmm?"
"Jiang Ye has stumbled upon another mid-tier opportunity?"
"And he's not stopping to claim it?"
"Looks like he's saving it for someone else. Heh, what a kind-hearted little fellow."
"Impressive! He's willing to pass up a mid-tier opportunity. No wonder he's a student at Penglai University—truly someone who cares for the world."
"What a content little—wait, something's not right!"
"Look ahead of Jiang Ye! There's another top-tier opportunity! It's the Crimson Flame Golden Lotus, one of the rarest treasures in the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm!"
"How is that possible?"
"That bastard! He's claimed another top-tier opportunity!" The audience erupted in uproar.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the projected image.
In just a few minutes, Jiang Ye had secured three top-tier opportunities in succession!
For a moment, both teachers and students from various universities were utterly stunned.
Securing two top-tier opportunities could be explained as mere luck.
But three?
Especially since Jiang Ye had passed by a mid-tier opportunity without stopping, instead making a beeline for the third top-tier treasure.
This...
"How did he do that?"
"Is he using wall hacks?!"
(End of the Chapter)
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