Translator: CinderTL
As they watched the projected screen, the teachers from various universities began to grow restless as Jiang Ye secured three top-tier opportunities in quick succession.
If this continues...
Jiang Ye will claim all the top-tier opportunities in the treasure mountain!
"How is Jiang Ye doing this?"
"Could he actually see the locations of the opportunities?" Even Mo Zixuan couldn't remain seated, his rear lifting slightly off the chair as he leaned forward to watch intently.
The other teachers clenched their fists.
If Jiang Ye had simply stayed put to digest the opportunities after claiming them, it would have been one thing.
But the boy showed no intention of stopping, immediately heading toward his next target.
It was as if he knew exactly where the top-tier opportunities were located!
"Stay calm, stay calm!"
"Jiang Ye's just been lucky," Elder Bai chuckled, trying to reassure them. "He probably won't get another top-tier opportunity next time."
No sooner had he spoken than Jiang Ye moved again on the screen, heading toward his next target.
Just minutes later...
Jiang Ye stood before another spiritual object: a cluster of phosphorescent flower buds that radiated an extraordinary aura, brimming with divine mysteries.
Clearly, another top-tier opportunity!
This time, however, the audience wasn't as shocked as before.
They were numb to it by now.
In the projection, Jiang Ye grabbed a handful of the buds and stuffed them into his mouth with practiced efficiency, leaving a trail of scattered remnants.
"What a waste!"
"Such a desecration of nature's treasures!" The teachers lamented, their hearts aching at the sight.
But then, after swallowing the flower buds whole, Jiang Ye didn't continue toward the mountain's peak.
Instead, he turned and sprinted back down toward the base.
"He's going back?"
"Has the kid finally had a change of heart? Is he leaving some opportunities for others?"
"Thank heavens! He still has some conscience left—he's not hogging all the opportunities!"
"But why do I have a bad feeling about this?" The teachers murmured anxiously.
Half a minute later, they saw Jiang Ye reach the base of the first mountain peak without stopping.
Without pausing for breath, he charged toward the second mountain peak!
"Not enough?"
"He's already plundered all the opportunities from the first mountain peak, and now he's going for the next one?"
"Look! Jiang Ye has found another top-tier opportunity!"
"This kid... is he going to snatch all the top-tier opportunities from all ten treasure mountains?" The teachers' eyes widened as they exclaimed in astonishment.
Time flowed steadily within the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm.
Before long, several more minutes had passed.
Lin Qingxue, Li Qi, Wang Xuan, and the other strongest competitors finally arrived at the foot of the ten treasure mountains.
Without hesitation, they swiftly entered the mountains and began searching for treasures.
Meanwhile, on the summit of one of the treasure mountains:
Munch, munch~ Jiang Ye gripped an Immortal Peach and devoured it with gusto.
In truth, this wasn't a genuine Immortal Peach, merely a fruit that resembled one.
As for its actual name, Jiang Ye didn't recognize it.
The world was teeming with countless spiritual objects, and it was impossible for him to know them all.
All he needed to know was that this was one of the greatest opportunities available—and that was enough.
"The fortieth major opportunity."
"I'll eat it!"
Jiang Ye swallowed the entire "Immortal Peach" whole, his abdomen already slightly distended.
A normal person would have been stuffed long ago after eating so much, but Jiang Ye, a second breakthrough expert, possessed an astonishingly powerful digestive system.
However, these Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures contained truly immense spiritual energy.
Even Jiang Ye found it difficult to fully digest them all at once.
Fortunately, the effects were remarkable.
"Right now, I feel like I've undergone over ten Primordial-Tier Cosmic Temperings," he mused, closing his eyes to sense the changes. "But this spiritual substance will take some effort to digest. I'll probably need to refine it back home to fully integrate it into my body."
"By then, my cultivation realm might directly break through to the late-second breakthrough stage, or even the peak-second breakthrough?"
Jiang Ye smiled.
How long had he been enrolled?
Less than a year.
To have soared from the first breakthrough stage straight to the late-second breakthrough stage, or even the peak-second breakthrough, in such a short time was truly astonishing.
"No need to rush the refining process yet."
"There are still several major opportunities to seize." Jiang Ye opened his eyes and gazed down the mountain.
In the next moment, his expression shifted.
"Finally, someone's entered?" Jiang Ye glanced in a certain direction, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Whoosh!
Jiang Ye's figure blurred as he shot down the mountain.
Now that someone had entered, Jiang Ye needed to move even faster to secure all the top-tier opportunities.
A few minutes later, Jiang Ye appeared at another treasure mountain, climbing along its ridge.
Suddenly, his expression shifted. "Hmm?" He looked up.
A ghostly blue treasure tree stood on the cliff edge not far ahead.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a whistling sound came from another direction, and a figure flashed past, sprinting toward the same spot.
The figure reached the cliffside treasure tree before Jiang Ye.
It was a young man with purple hair—Li Qi from Star River University.
"Jiang Ye?" Li Qi sensed the commotion and turned to look.
A hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes. "Looks like a showdown is inevitable."
Li Qi had long been intrigued by Jiang Ye's strength. Meeting him here by the treasure tree was the perfect opportunity to test him.
However, the "treasure clash" Li Qi had anticipated never materialized.
"I don't want it," Jiang Ye said calmly, glancing at the treasure tree before looking away. "You can have it."
With that, Jiang Ye leaped forward and began scaling the mountain peak.
"That guy..." Li Qi watched Jiang Ye's retreating figure, his brow furrowing slightly.
Jiang Ye's decision to retreat without a fight, practically handing over the treasure, left Li Qi deeply displeased.
"Does he lack even the courage to compete with me for a treasure?"
"I really overestimated him." Li Qi shook his head slightly and turned toward the treasure tree.
"Ah, what a pity!"
"I thought those two would actually fight."
"Jiang Ye avoided the fight? Or is he just too scared to face Li Qi?" The audience members voiced their disappointment.
Even the students from Star River University felt a twinge of regret.
Of course, some of the teachers remained clear-headed.
"Jiang Ye scared to fight Li Qi? I doubt it."
"That kid probably just doesn't care about the treasure tree!"
"True. That tree is only a mid-tier opportunity at best. Given his style, he wouldn't even glance at it."
"Enough talk! Look! That kid just found another top-tier opportunity!" The teachers from various universities groaned in frustration.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
"Old Bai, what's up with your student?" Mo Zixuan couldn't help but ask. "Does he know the locations of the top-tier opportunities? Ten treasure mountains and dozens of top-tier opportunities, and he's almost snatched them all!"
"Uh..."
"Well, it's probably just luck," Elder Bai said with his usual smile, about to offer some comforting words.
But before he could finish, Mo Zixuan burst out, "Luck my ass!"
"If this is just luck, I might as well go eat dirt after living most of my life!"
Elder Bai remained silent.
Has Jiang Ye really figured it out? he wondered inwardly, feeling both astonished and uncertain.
He knew Jiang Ye had awakened Martial Will Perception.
But even that shouldn't allow him to pinpoint the exact locations of every top-tier opportunity with such precision.
Judging by Jiang Ye's actions, it was as if he already knew the locations beforehand, not even needing to check directions.
The current situation left Elder Bai at a loss for explanation.
Still, with all those opportunities he's devoured, Elder Bai thought to himself, his strength must have increased significantly.
The upcoming matches are going to be interesting.
Within the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm, time ticked by relentlessly.
Twenty minutes later, all the participants had entered the ten treasure mountains.
Fierce battles for treasures erupted everywhere.
"I found this place first!"
"Get lost! This territory belongs to me now!"
"Then let's fight!" Angry roars and thunderous clashes echoed across the ten treasure mountains.
The moment these geniuses laid eyes on the opportunities and treasures, they lost their composure, their eyes burning with greed.
The teachers watching from outside felt a pang of heartache.
A group of geniuses, fighting tooth and nail over mere low-tier opportunities.
Little did they know, the best top-tier opportunities had already been harvested!
Jiang Ye remained oblivious to the chaos unfolding outside.
At this moment, he was leisurely resting in a hidden mountain cave, sitting cross-legged.
"Refine," Jiang Ye murmured, his eyes half-closed as he focused on refining the spiritual substance within his body.
He had chosen not to compete for the mid-to-low-tier opportunities.
Not because he disdained them.
But mainly because... his stomach was feeling a bit full.
Fighting in such a state would put him at a disadvantage.
Therefore, Jiang Ye decided to forgo the lesser opportunities and focus on refining the spiritual substance within him first.
"This trip to the secret realm has already yielded dozens of top-tier opportunities."
The benefits are already more than enough, Jiang Ye thought to himself. Now, I just need to convert all these opportunities into my own strength.
The upcoming battles will be much easier as well.
Jiang Ye quickly cleared his mind and began refining the spiritual substance within his body.
However, he soon discovered that refining this substance was remarkably difficult.
It was like a glacier that had remained frozen for ten thousand years, stubbornly lodged within him.
Fortunately, the cultivation technique Jiang Ye was currently practicing, the White Dragon True God Manual, was a Third-Tier Civilization Inheritance. Its greatest strength lay in its profound internal energy.
This "internal energy" was not the same as traditional martial arts.
Here, internal energy referred to the level of stellar energy that the Guanyuan Acupoint could contain.
For example, the Guanyuan Acupoint developed by the original Star Martial Advancement Method could only hold Primordial Stellar Energy diluted several dozen times.
But now?
After cultivating the White Dragon True God Manual, Jiang Ye's Guanyuan Acupoint could directly contain Primordial Stellar Energy!
Moreover, as his cultivation progressed, he would be able to store even higher-grade stellar energy.
The Guanyuan Acupoint's capacity to store higher-grade stellar energy meant Jiang Ye's "internal energy" was becoming increasingly profound.
Any art technique he used would now unleash far greater power.
Similarly, refining spiritual substance would become much easier for him.
Just a few minutes passed.
Whoosh! A wisp of spiritual substance was refined, flowing like water to permeate Jiang Ye's entire body.
It then transformed into a strange energy that fused with his flesh and blood.
Rumble!
A thunderous sound echoed from within Jiang Ye's body.
His life level began to ascend once more.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Distant sounds of fierce combat reverberated from outside the cave.
"Let them fight it out," Jiang Ye muttered to himself. "I'll just stay here and refine for a while. I hope no one comes looking for trouble."
Time flowed onward.
Within the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm, the sounds of battle never ceased.
As time passed, more and more participants were eliminated, and the number of combatants on the ten treasure mountains dwindled.
Yet the fighting grew increasingly intense.
By this stage, only the strongest experts remained, their power and skill levels nearly equal.
Under such circumstances, every battle erupted into a brutal, all-out clash.
Of course, powerhouses like Li Qi, Lin Qingxue, and Wang Bo could still dispatch their opponents with ease.
Such individuals were exceedingly rare.
Two hours later, fewer than a hundred participants remained in the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm.
In the central region, atop a treasure mountain, Shen Changxi stood with her silver sword, vigilantly scanning her surroundings.
Suddenly, her expression shifted. "Who's there?" she demanded, unleashing a swift strike that conjured a crimson crescent blade, hurtling forward.
Whoosh!
"It's me," a timid female voice replied.
"Yun Qing'er?" Shen Changxi stared in surprise at the figure that darted into view.
A timid rabbit girl emerged, clad in black stockings and carrying a massive iron hammer three times the size of her head.
"Oh, it's you," Shen Changxi said, relief washing over her. A faint smile bloomed on her delicate face. "Let's team up and make it to the finals together."
"Okay," Yun Qing'er nodded in agreement.
Then, she asked timidly, "Have you seen Jiang Ye?"
"Jiang Ye?" Shen Changxi paused, shaking her head. "I haven't seen him at all on my way here."
"But..."
"With his strength, he shouldn't be eliminated," Shen Changxi said with a smile. "He's a top contender for the championship."
"But I've been searching for him for ages and still can't find him," Yun Qing'er said, her delicate brows furrowing.
Shen Changxi glanced at her in surprise.
Searching for Jiang Ye?
With Yun Qing'er's skill, she was practically guaranteed a spot in the top ten, as long as she avoided Li Qi, Lin Qingxue, and a few others.
Her interest in Jiang Ye clearly wasn't about clinging to a strong ally.
Shen Changxi studied Yun Qing'er, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.
"Don't get the wrong idea!" Yun Qing'er quickly said, sensing her thoughts. "I just want to find Jiang Ye so we can take down Li Qi, Lin Qingxue, and the others together."
"That way, Jiang Ye will definitely win the championship."
Hearing this, Shen Changxi nodded in agreement.
Indeed!
Once they eliminated the students from the ten great schools, Jiang Ye's victory would be assured.
And Yun Qing'er's innate ability to double her teammates' damage output was truly remarkable, offering Jiang Ye a significant advantage.
"Let's go find him together," Shen Changxi said, retracting her longsword and sprinting ahead.
Yun Qing'er followed closely behind.
Inside the hidden mountain cave, Jiang Ye remained seated cross-legged, utterly silent.
However, if a strong cultivator at the fourth breakthrough or higher were to use their Martial Will Perception to investigate, they would discover astonishing changes occurring within Jiang Ye's body.
At regular intervals, Jiang Ye's life level would ascend slightly.
Though each step was small, the cumulative effect represented a remarkable overall improvement.
This continuous rise in life level made his life aura increasingly profound.
Though he emitted no deliberate aura, the sensation he radiated carried a vast, primordial weight.
Buzz~
Behind Jiang Ye, faint, starlike meridians began to glow, resembling massive arteries surfacing within his body.
One, two, three...
A total of seven Star Meridians lit up!
This was the most prominent mark of a second breakthrough expert: the Star Meridians!
Whoosh! Jiang Ye slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the Star Meridians now visible on his skin.
"The seventh one," he murmured.
"The eighth Star Meridian is also being opened," Jiang Ye observed internally. "I'm getting closer to the late-second breakthrough."
A total of twelve Star Meridians need to be opened for the second breakthrough.
Opening the sixth Star Meridian signifies entering the mid-second breakthrough stage.
Jiang Ye had only just reached the mid-second breakthrough stage. Logically, he should still be far from opening the seventh Star Meridian.
But now?
After just two hours of cultivation in this cave, he had already opened the seventh Star Meridian.
This was entirely thanks to refining the spiritual substance.
The pure spiritual energy had greatly accelerated the process of opening the Star Meridians.
"The dozens of opportunities I obtained this time are truly extraordinary."
"I've only refined less than a tenth of them so far," Jiang Ye chuckled. "If I could refine them all, I might even reach the peak-second breakthrough stage."
The thought filled him with joy.
Even just these opportunities alone made his trip to the Genius Cup a tremendous success.
Suddenly, Jiang Ye's expression shifted as he sensed something outside the cave.
"Someone's coming."
"This aura..." Jiang Ye's Martial Dao Will Perception spread outward. A moment later, he narrowed his eyes. "Wan Yaoyang?"
(End of the Chapter)
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