Chapter One Hundred: Forging an Unbeaten Path

The whole world was in uproar. Heaven and earth shook.

What had they seen?

Jiang Ming had actually comprehended the profound essence of space.

Space itself—one of the so-called royal powers. Even a sliver of understanding could lift an attack to terrifying heights.

“This brat is truly beyond belief!” Even Elder Tang was stunned. “Yin and yang, space—each contains doctrines of profound depth. To gain even one is inexhaustibly rewarding; he has comprehended two. I knew his comprehension was peerless, unmatched under heaven, but to reach this level is beyond reason.”

“Yes,” Elder Song said in shock. “And he revealed it during the provincial examination, merely to counter the piercing essence. What does that tell us?”

“It means that is not yet his trump card.” Elder Tang could not help baring his teeth. “Could he still possess other supreme essences?”

The two exchanged a look and arrived at the same conclusion.

He did. Definitely.

The provincial examination was not the end. Besides, with no pressure at all, there was no need to reveal the strongest hand. Yet Jiang Ming had used it anyway.

Where something was unusual, there was always a hidden reason.

Not only were the two of them astonished.

Everyone across the Federation who was watching Jiang Ming’s battle was astonished as well, and the shock spread at astonishing speed.

In one livestream after another, the hosts were practically delirious with excitement, showering him with endless praise.

“First yin and yang, then space—my God, is this real? Is it? In past martial examinations, just one such comprehension would have secured the title of martial champion, and he has comprehended two!”

“Is he going to defy the heavens?”

“Do you think he’s truly unparalleled?”

“Is he about to dominate his generation?”

“Is he one of a kind through all ages?”

“Whatever genius, whatever monster, whatever prodigy—under yin and yang and space, they all must bow!”

“I dare predict that in the future he will reign supreme in the martial path and become a king of the martial way!”

“Do you know the most astonishing part?”

“He comes from the common people, just like us. No backing, no resources, ordinary and unremarkable, day after day. Yet the moment he stepped into the second realm of martial cultivation and qualified to enter the mystic world, he leapt skyward and transformed into a true dragon.”

This livestream was abruptly cut off.

Banned.

“Inciting fans to take risks?”

When the host saw the notification, he could not help cursing furiously.

“I’m only speaking the truth!”

“For people like us, if we don’t take risks, where would any opportunity come from?”

Only after calming down did the host let out a long sigh.

At the martial arena.

“Space?” Long Aotian shot to his feet, eyes wide, then turned to Lan Xin in confusion. “Is he really an eighteen-year-old high school student?”

“I suspect some old monster has been reincarnated!” Lan Xin stared blankly ahead. “Eighteen years old, and he has comprehended two of the ten supreme essences. This breaks all common sense and goes beyond all norms.”

“True enough. If he were one of those elite second-generation heirs, it might make sense—after all, they are born amid endless blessings. But Jiang Ming...” Long Aotian slowly sat back down. “By my estimate, he has at most entered a world mystic realm twice. How much fortune can a low-level mystic realm really offer? It should not have been enough to push him to this extent.”

“Who knows?” Lan Xin sighed. “Even if there are hidden depths to him, I’ve almost lost all confidence in competing. This is too demoralizing.”

“Me too.” Long Aotian gave a bitter smile. “I had thought I might still contend with him, but now it feels even more hopeless.”

“The one most devastated is probably Gun Nine,” Lan Xin said, having already recovered her composure. She looked toward the battlefield with a strange grin. “That brat either came out of some special mystic realm or is the descendant of some powerful figure. Proud, arrogant, full of himself—he came here specifically to snipe Jiang Ming. But now, facing two of the ten supreme essences, why do I feel like he’s about to cry?”

“He didn’t cry, but he did get angry—ha! Angrier than crying, and uglier too.” Long Aotian exhaled a breath of turbid air, a little gleeful at the misfortune.

Beside them, Qin Zhiyan’s eyes burned with heat.

Tian Tian was so shocked her mouth hung open, and even her tongue moved unconsciously.

Zhu Yuanyuan had lost composure as well.

In truth, there were very few who remained unaffected.

On the battlefield!

Watching Gun Nine’s assault and sensing the aura of absolute penetration contained in the spearhead—the breath that could pierce through anything and break everything—Jiang Ming’s expression finally turned solemn.

The long spear trembled and, faster than lightning, blocked the strike.

Spear tip against spear tip.

For an instant, everything stilled.

The force that exploded outward turned into ripples, sweeping across the surroundings at visible speed. Within a hair’s breadth, within that radius, a storm of destruction erupted.

Gun Nine’s expression changed. He retreated in a flash, only stopping after withdrawing a hundred meters.

“You actually know spear arts as well!” His face was truly awful to look at.

He had thought Jiang Ming was deliberately targeting him.

I made my name with the spear, and you use the spear too?

There are limits to humiliation!

“One method understood brings clarity to all methods. What’s so strange about that?” Jiang Ming spun a spear flower and looked at him. “Your piercing essence does have merits. It condenses power to the extreme, penetrates everything, cannot be resisted by any object, and is definitely the bane of defensive techniques.”

As for spear arts?

He had truly encountered plenty. Though he had not formally trained in them, he had derived them before.

And as he had said, one method understood brings clarity to all methods.

Not having trained did not mean not being proficient.

Jiang Ming also realized that although the other man’s piercing essence did not rank among the ten supreme essences, it was indeed formidable.

However, after a single clash, he had truly formed a concept of it and gained a real feel for its power.

“Then do you dare defend with yin and yang?” Gun Nine snorted.

“What would I have to fear?” Jiang Ming smiled.

However strong piercing might be, it still remained beneath the ten supreme essences.

Buzz...

The next instant, yin and yang power surged out of his body, forming a taiji diagram of yin and yang. Like twin fish, they joined head to tail, circulating endlessly, never ceasing.

“Please.”

Jiang Ming held the spear in his right hand behind his back and raised his left in invitation.

“Arrogant!” Gun Nine’s brows shot up, fury blazing.

He had always believed the piercing essence to be devastating in attack, especially against defenses, where it was unstoppable. Jiang Ming’s posture was clearly looking down on him.

“One spark of cold light pierces the nine heavens!”

A surge of true qi gushed from Gun Nine’s body, transforming into silver cold radiance that merged into the long spear. The next moment, he shot forward like a streak of light.

Man and spear became one line.

This was unity of man and spear.

Moreover, both the spear and his outer body were wrapped in spear intent. Silver light protected him, forming a cone shape with all power gathered at a single point of the spear tip.

That extreme force seemed to slightly distort even space itself, and in the blink of an eye it thrust into the yin-yang taiji diagram.

It was too fast, leaving behind a tangible afterimage.

Only when ripples surged through the taiji diagram did many spectators realize that Gun Nine had already struck. That speed left many of them aghast.

The piercing essence brought with it the ultimate speed.

A flash of cold light, and it was gone without a trace.

Clang, clang, clang...

Yin and yang rotated. Boundless sword energy burst forth, blocking, strangling, spiraling, twisting, borrowing force to strike back—all of it incorporated into the sword energy.

In an instant, the sword energy collided with the long spear hundreds, even thousands of times.

That extreme speed rapidly fell away.

The protective aura around Gun Nine’s body also weakened at astonishing speed.

Just as the spear tip reached within three feet of Jiang Ming, Gun Nine’s expression darkened drastically.

Though it was still advancing, and still fast, he knew it was no longer enough.

His piercing force had been worn down to the limit, its sharpness lost. Next—

He was about to burst forth again, when Gun Nine’s pupils suddenly contracted.

Before him, countless tiny sword energies, dense as raindrops, merged together into a curved sword beam more than a meter long. It fell upon him, and a terrifying force surged through him, blasting him away to a spot three hundred meters distant.

Once Gun Nine steadied himself, he looked down and saw his garments torn open. There was a slanted gash across his chest that nearly split him in two.

“Why?” Gun Nine was both enraged and humiliated.

The long sword wound had only torn the skin, drawing a little blood.

To hold back in the middle of battle was to insult him.

“Amazing, truly amazing. Your spear intent made my heart tremble, and all my energy and spirit were concentrated on resisting it. I still had some strength left to counterattack, but the force was no longer enough. What a pity, what a pity. If it had been just a little stronger, I would have cut you in half!” Jiang Ming lamented sincerely.

Only he knew the truth.

Even so, he remained fervent for the piercing essence.

Its attacks were too fast, its penetration power terrifying. If matched against someone of the same level, the opponent might be killed before they even reacted.

“Truly?”

“Truly.” Jiang Ming’s expression turned serious. With a shake of his spear, he pointed it at the other man. “Next, I will use the strongest attacking power there is: the power of space. Gun Nine, be careful.”

“The strongest attacking power?” Gun Nine curled his lip. “Then let’s see who really is the strongest.”

He attacked again.

“Shadow Escape, Spear Shadows in All Directions!”

Gun Nine’s figure suddenly twisted, as if vanishing from thin air. The next moment, dense spear shadows appeared around Jiang Ming, launching a terrifying assault.

His form distorted, and the spear shadows formed a circle, surrounding Jiang Ming completely.

Such speed left every spectator in awe.

Long Aotian sprang to his feet.

Lan Xin’s face changed.

Qin Zhiyan clenched both fists.

Tian Tian’s face was full of uncertainty.

Zhu Yuanyuan had gone pale.

“If it were you, what would you do?” Long Aotian stared fixedly at the battlefield.

“I did comprehend the essence of thunder, but in terms of speed, I seem to be a bit weaker than him. In this situation, I could only defend passively, but even then I might not be able to hold. Unless...” Lan Xin frowned. “I stopped hiding everything. Even so, I still might not be his match.”

“This brat is absurdly strong. The piercing essence is already formidable, yet his attainments in spear combat are also absurdly strong. That surname Gun... I feel familiar with it, but I can’t recall.” Long Aotian frowned. “Lan Xin, which powerful figures with that surname are there in our Central Heaven Province?”

“I have a vague impression. It seems there’s an ancient Gun family. Wait, I’ll ask...” Lan Xin thought for a moment, still unable to recall, but she could contact the outside world.

After a short while, she received an answer.

“There really is such a family. They act with great discretion and do not show themselves before the world. They are an obscure ancient clan that has opened a blessed domain of their own, hidden within the void.” As Lan Xin spoke, she could not help drawing a sharp breath. “No wonder he was so terrifying at only fourteen or fifteen. His spear path attainment is peerless, and his piercing essence is unparalleled.”

“Who would have thought that a powerful second-generation heir would appear at the provincial examination?” Long Aotian grinned. “The Federation-wide competition is bound to be even livelier.”

“Aren’t you also a powerful second-generation heir?”

“What do I count as?” Long Aotian gave a wry laugh. “My old man said that if I can’t break into the final examination, he’ll whip me forty-nine times with a dragon-blooded lash.”

“Damn, forty-nine lashes? Wouldn’t that turn you into minced meat?” Lan Xin’s eyes widened.

“That’s why I always say my family’s old fossil is utterly inhuman. He said if I endure it, it’s a great blessing; if I can’t, then I can go back to the womb and be remade.”

“Holy—”

Lan Xin could not help but swear repeatedly, then looked at him with pity.

Long Aotian curled his lip.

“You’re not worried at all?” Lan Xin asked strangely.

“Worried?” Long Aotian laughed at himself. “If I really can’t get into the top five, Lan Xin, for the sake of our childhood friendship, burn me some paper and pour me a bottle of wine on this day next year.”

“Dream on. If you want to drink, buy it yourself!” Lan Xin huffed, though worry showed in her eyes.

“Hey, hey, hey—when we face each other, don’t go easy on me, all right? Otherwise I’ll die even worse.” Long Aotian suddenly realized and hurriedly warned her. “You know my family’s old fossil’s temperament. He won’t tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes.”

“That old fossil...” Lan Xin could not help cursing too.

Clang, clang, clang...

On the battlefield, the sound of constant collisions rang out. The two spears clashed, and because the speed was too great, the sparks they produced fused into a sea of fire.

At the center of the spear shadows, Jiang Ming stood motionless.

Fast?

He had comprehended wind, thunder, light, the essence of speed, and space. Which of them was not fast?

After being tempered by the many essences he had comprehended, his neural reactions—his fivefold divine-path neural reactions, his soul-master’s reactions—were far beyond anyone’s imagination.

Gun Nine was fast, but still entirely within his control.

Jiang Ming stood motionless, his spear revolving and pivoting, blocking and countering attacks from front, back, left, right, even from above.

And with every strike, it was spear tip against spear tip.

Not once did he miss.

Suddenly, the sea of spear shadows vanished, and Gun Nine retreated through the air to a distance, looking at Jiang Ming with disbelief.

“You... you... how did you do that?” His voice was somewhat dry.

“By standing still,” Jiang Ming said honestly.

“I, I, I...” Gun Nine very much wanted to curse.

At the same level, he had always been invincible.

His spear struck and even ghosts and gods were shocked; many strong experts at the fifth martial realm had fallen to him.

He had always been proud and confident in his attack and speed.

But today, he had begun to doubt.

At the same power level, his attacks were blocked by the other side, and his speed was checked by the other side.

“I entered the Dao through the spear, comprehended the ultimate of piercing, and was destined to be an unparalleled prodigy and invincible among my generation.” Gun Nine’s expression changed repeatedly. Then he swung his spear, stirring the winds and clouds of the sky, his arrogance laid bare. “I emerged into the world this time to suppress all the geniuses beneath heaven. I heard you were a commoner who took first place in the preliminaries, so I applied to join the martial examination. I came to trample you beneath my feet. You are merely the starting point for my invincible martial path!”

“This is only the beginning!”

“The summit of martial cultivation, the starry realms beyond the sky—all of them await me!”

“How could I stop here!”

“Jiang Ming, watch me kill you!”

His voice boomed, echoing through the martial arena and across the one hundred and eight provinces of the Federation. It was a formal declaration of his arrival, and a thunderous vow to walk the path of invincibility.

His aura also kept rising. Above his head appeared a long spear shadow, piercing straight into the boundless void, seeming to tear the virtual battlefield apart.

“Spear Without Shadow, Absolute Kill!”

As the words fell, he struck with overwhelming force.

Gun Nine’s gaze sharpened. His powerful will, his invincible resolve, all merged into this one spear strike. He did not move at all, merely thrusting his spear through the air from a hundred meters away in a single, simple motion.

Yet Jiang Ming’s pupils contracted. He actually felt threatened.

“This spear...”

Gun Nine did not move, and neither did the spear tip. Separated by a hundred meters, there was nonetheless a power of such razor sharpness that it seemed to pierce through the void and arrive before him.

“What a Spear Without Shadow!”

A flash of light, and the spear in Jiang Ming’s hand thrust out. At its tip surged immensely powerful spatial force.

“Star-Pointing Spear, break!”

Jiang Ming’s power also condensed to the extreme, blocking the killing blow.

Boom...

The void exploded, sending up boundless turbulent currents.

One hundred chapters already. Is a thousand really that far away?

Ten thousand is right before our eyes!

On this Children’s Day, may everyone be happy together, and may we all forever keep a heart that is pure and childlike, joyful and free of worry.

At the start of the month, I humbly ask for monthly votes and support!

My deepest thanks to all you noble lords!

Let’s keep going!

The end of this chapter.