Chapter 111: An Age of Great Contention

Jiang Ming was truly astonished.

He had never imagined such a terrifying entity existed: one that allowed for the perception of the wonders of the universe's operation, the observation of the laws of heaven and earth, and, more importantly, the ability to organize one's own being and peer into the self. It was as if one’s entire existence were being dissected with absolute clarity, with the Great Dao of the universe laid out right before one’s eyes.

"If I were to use this, with my hundredfold comprehension, what kind of chemical reaction would that trigger?"

At this moment, Jiang Ming’s heart hammered against his ribs. He had been determined to win the first prize, but now, he was even more compelled to fight for it.

"June 15, 9918 of the Heavenly Martial Calendar, 9:00 AM. The first round of the Federal Grand Examination begins. The final step you reach and the duration of your stay there will determine your final score."

The host waved a hand, and myriad rays of light descended, a breathtaking sight. In the end, Jiang Ming and the others found themselves involuntarily standing at the foot of the Heavenly Ladder, arranged in neat rows, each spaced more than a meter apart.

"Brother Jiang, I shall compete with you once more. I’m heading up!" Qiang Jiu glanced at Jiang Ming, his aura sharp and piercing. A phantom of a spear erupted from above his head, seemingly piercing through the nine heavens. He took a step onto the white jade stairs, paused briefly, and continued upward.

"Good luck!" Long Aotian cheered, waving his fist.

"Good luck!" Lan Xin clasped her hands in a salute before stepping onto the stairs as well.

"Brother Jiang, I hope you reach the very peak!" Qin Zhiyan offered her well-wishes and stepped up.

"Let’s all do our best!" Jiang Ming nodded to those around him.

He did not rush to ascend. Instead, he observed the candidates who had already stepped onto the ladder, and this led him to notice something strange.

Every candidate radiated a sky-high aura, surrounded by true energy, with various phenomena manifesting around them. Yet, despite being in such close proximity, the space between them seemed entirely unaffected.

"It is as if every square inch creates its own space; no one interferes with another, yet everyone can unleash their power to the fullest."

Jiang Ming’s pupils contracted.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he stepped onto the stairs. In an instant, he felt a strange force invade his body, shaking his will and swaying his spirit. Whispers echoed, penetrating deep into his soul, urging him to relax, while bizarre visions flickered before his eyes, attempting to rattle his mind.

"Interesting!"

Jiang Ming remained unmoved. This force on the first step was negligible to him. He climbed higher, step by step. He kept contemplating as he went; this place was indeed capable of tempering the will and honing the spirit—an invisible improvement.

"Nine steps represent one level of cultivation."

He had figured it out. The first nine steps corresponded to the first level of the Martial Path, and so on. Because his will was strong and his mind resilient, he only began to slow down when he reached the thirty-seventh step.

This corresponded to the mental willpower of the fifth level. Jiang Ming looked around and found that the vast majority of candidates had also reached the nearby steps.

"They are all peerless geniuses!"

However, they, too, had all slowed down. After a brief realization, he continued upward. This still posed no threat to him; it didn't even serve as a proper tempering.

Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty...

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Ming stopped on the forty-fifth white jade step, which corresponded to the peak mental willpower of the fifth level. He looked around and couldn't help but grin. There were more than twenty people ahead of him.

"How many geniuses there are!" Even he couldn't help but marvel.

The person at the very front was dressed in white, with long hair draped over his shoulders, hands behind his back, head held high. Above his head, divine light condensed into glowing clouds that cascaded down, and his chest shimmered with a holy luster, as if a god’s son had descended, a celestial being reborn. He gave off an aura of transcendence. This was Shi Lei, bearer of the Supreme Bone.

Another, whose blood-energy surged like a vast ocean, had blood-energy manifesting as a rainbow above his head, shimmering with golden light. He was Ye Bai, the Great Desolation Saint Physique.

There was another who seemed to have turned into a black hole, plundering all energy. Jiang Ming noticed that even the strange force emitted by the white jade stairs was being shredded and swallowed. It was terrifying. This was Fang Qinghan, of the Devouring Physique.

Wang Qiutong, Luo Qingchen, and others had all surpassed him as well.

Jiang Ming turned his head to see that Qiang Jiu was lagging significantly behind, stuck on the forty-second step. His aura was condensed to the extreme, manifesting as a spear shadow that stood proudly against the sky. Sensing something, Qiang Jiu looked over. His pupils shrank when he realized Jiang Ming showed no signs of struggle at all, as if he were merely taking a leisurely stroll and stopping occasionally to admire the scenery.

Qiang Jiu’s aura tightened as he stepped onto the forty-third step.

"A promising seedling," a voice sounded to Jiang Ming’s right. It was Ji Junning, standing with her hands behind her back. Her expression was indifferent, surrounded by swirling sword qi, with a phantom sword intent condensed above her head that seemed capable of commanding all the swords in the world.

Qiang Jiu suddenly turned to look at her, his expression fierce. A promising seedling? Did she really think she was all that? He felt an urge to curse, but seeing her demeanor, he suppressed his anger. Now was not the time to lose his temper; he had to guard his mind. He was already under significant pressure.

"You have kept such a low profile until now. Such temperament is even stronger than that of the Supreme Bone bearer," Ji Junning added. "This generation is full of proud talents. If one cannot step onto the fifty-fourth step, they are nothing but mediocre."

Jiang Ming glanced at her. He hadn't expected this girl to be so arrogant. The fifty-fourth step was equivalent to the willpower of the sixth-level peak—a height almost unattainable for most geniuses who were only at the fourth level.

"Are you confident?" Jiang Ming asked.

"Of course I am!" Ji Junning’s tone was calm but filled with boundless confidence. "Although I am only at the fifth level of cultivation and have not yet opened half of my acupuncture points, but..." She smiled.

The baleful aura hidden within her body suddenly erupted, becoming tangible, like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. One look was enough to inspire terror. Even Jiang Ming’s pupils contracted.

"I have returned from the Myriad Worlds Battlefield. Without an iron will, how could I have survived among so many geniuses?" Ji Junning said. She retracted her baleful aura and looked at him, her expression slightly solemn. "To see my aura and remain unmoved—you are also one who acts with decisive killing intent. Very good, very good. Only those who are decisive can go further. Brother Jiang, I shall take the lead. When the wheel battles begin, we shall have a proper contest."

She flicked her clothes and stepped onto the forty-sixth step, which corresponded to the mental willpower of the sixth level. She swayed slightly, steadied herself, and closed her eyes. It wasn't that she couldn't continue, but that she was focusing on realization.

"Is this what a true prodigy is?"

"Just how cruel is the Myriad Worlds Battlefield?"

Jiang Ming also had his pride. He was no worse than anyone else. But now, he truly realized the terror of these prodigies; they were far beyond the reach of ordinary people. They were born powerful and became even more terrifying through cultivation. If he didn't have his "cheat," he would be left in the dust.

He looked back. Long Aotian had stepped onto the forty-second step, his blood-energy surging, a dragon shadow circling above his head, making him look as imposing as a son of a true dragon. He had even activated his True Dragon Battle Body, appearing like a small giant wreathed in thick blood-energy—extraordinarily terrifying. He was going all out, yet his expression remained calm; he clearly had plenty of strength left. Perhaps his combat power was not much different from Qiang Jiu's, but when it came to the tenacity of his will, he was slightly lacking.

Lan Xin was neck-and-neck with Long Aotian, surrounded by lightning, arcs of electricity flickering; her eyes had turned blue, like a goddess of thunder. She was no slouch either.

Qin Zhiyan, however, was lagging far behind. She had only just stepped onto the thirty-ninth step, which was still a willpower beyond her cultivation level. Surrounded by the power of water and fire, a red and blue intertwined bird hovered behind her, seemingly crying out to the heavens.

"Interesting!" Jiang Ming’s gaze sharpened. He noticed that the phantom of the Scarlet Flame Ice Sparrow Qin Zhiyan was channeling was becoming solid bit by bit. Clearly, she was using the ladder to cultivate and further stimulate her bloodline potential.

"Most are at the fourth level of cultivation, yet possess the mental willpower of the fifth level. They truly deserve to be called geniuses of the entire Federation; they cannot be underestimated. Especially this generation..." He looked up and couldn't help but shake his head.

Jiang Ming continued forward. He walked steadily, deducing the power that shook his mind and making it his own. At the same time, he contemplated the principle of "holding the universe within a mustard seed" as he experienced it.

Outside, the atmosphere was already incredibly lively. In addition to the main broadcast, there were individual streams focusing on specific candidates and their surroundings. The entire Federation was watching with great interest.

In the courtyard, Instructor Yu sighed. "Those geniuses are truly terrifying. If I had been in their generation, I would surely have been a mere background character. Old Tang, do you think the boy Jiang still has a chance to take first place?"

"He can, he definitely can!" Old Tang laughed. "During the preliminaries, who would have thought he could take first place? At the provincial exams, elites from hidden clans like Long Aotian and Lan Xin appeared, along with Qiang Jiu. Who dared to believe he could win? And yet, he did. He even defeated geniuses at the provincial exams just by standing still. How incredible is that?"

"Now, although many prodigies have appeared, he is not inferior—truly, he is not. He can go head-to-head with them!"

"I believe he can suppress them all!"

"I believe even more that he can create a miracle. Because I watched him grow up step by step, Xiao Yu—it really is incredible." Old Tang’s voice was firm.

"If he ends up taking first place..." Instructor Yu’s voice trembled. He looked at the projection screen and frowned. "It’s just too difficult. Look, there are over twenty people ahead of him. The one in first place, Shi Lei, right? The Supreme Bone bearer—he’s already on the fifty-first step!"

"Jiang is not bad. Look, he is calm and collected, with no phenomena appearing; he is very steady. I suspect he is grasping the trick of the ladder's mental assault and wants to comprehend something," Old Tang laughed. "This boy’s comprehension is truly at a monstrous level."

At Pingyang City's Second High School:

"Holy crap! Look at Jiang Ming, surrounded by beauties. Look, look! That one is surrounded by divine light, another has sword qi shooting into the sky, and there’s another filled with cold mist—not only are they beautiful, but they are all prodigies. If it were me, I’d die happy."

"Is this the glory of being first in the preliminaries? Sigh, I really want to slap myself. Why didn't I cultivate properly? If I had, maybe I could have been there too!"

"Haha, Liu Yi, give it a rest! With your level of talent, even if you started cultivating in your mother's womb, it wouldn't be enough."

"It's starting, it's starting, it's finally starting. Classmates, watch Jiang Ming crush the competition and leave them all in the dust!"

"Wait, why is Jiang Ming so slow? He's been left behind by several steps. Is it..."

"Has his potential run out? Can he not compare to the true prodigies after all?"

"Sigh! After all, he’s a commoner like us. He can't compare to their background or their peerless physiques. For Jiang Ming not to be left too far behind is already monstrous enough."

"Who says so!" Fatty Wang stood up. "Jiang Ming stepped onto the ladder last, but the time he stays on each step is about the same. What does that mean? It means the ladder's test has no impact on him! Besides, even if he doesn't take first place in the end, all of us combined don't even come close."

Everyone fell silent. Then, the classroom began to stir.

"Holy crap! He's sixteenth!"

"No, no, fifteenth!"

"Jiang Ming is faster. No, the others are slower. They've all slowed down, but Jiang Ming’s speed remains steady. He's thirteenth now."

"He really is fast. He's tenth already."

"What did I tell you?" Fatty Wang was extremely excited. "It's not that Jiang Ming can't do it; he’s just steady. Look at the others—they were fast at the beginning, but how are they now? They’ve all slowed down. Even the one in first place has. But Jiang Ming? He’s still steadily moving forward. Seventh place! Is first place far off? Absolutely not! Jiang Ming, go!"

He waved his arms and shouted. "Jiang Ming, go!" The classmates in the room shouted in unison. "Jiang Ming, go!" The entire school began to chant. "Jiang Ming, go!"

The voices of Pingyang City converged to pierce the firmament. Even the entire Tianzhong Province was stirred. This time, Jiang Ming represented not just Pingyang City, but Tianzhong Province as well.

On the ladder, Qiang Jiu was already behind him, stuck on the forty-fifth step. The divine light formed by his true energy was constantly erupting, and the spear shadow above his head was humming and trembling, as if facing a terrifying enemy. He closed his eyes, his aura rising to its peak, and he unleashed all his intent, yet his body still swayed slightly.

The higher one went, the stronger the attacks from each step became. They struck the mind and shook the will. Some couldn't help but reflect on their past, revealing their most vulnerable sides, while hallucinations swirled and various seductive sounds echoed in their ears.

Long Aotian was a step behind him, his body swaying so violently that he could barely stand. Lan Xin had reached the same step; thunder roared, and she herself seemed to have turned into a bolt of lightning, but she was faring no better.

Bang...

On the other side, someone was forced onto the forty-second step, lost their balance, and rolled all the way to the bottom of the ladder. When they tried to climb again, they found they could no longer ascend. Their first round of assessment was over. They could only stare blankly upward and give themselves a hard slap. "I shouldn't have been so impatient. If I had been steady, I could have gone further!"

Many had already failed. Looking up, they all felt a bitter taste in their mouths. They were all geniuses, prodigies in the eyes of the Federation, but compared to the others, they really were lacking.

Jiang Ming had already reached the fifty-third step. He looked up. There were a few figures on the fifty-fourth step—only a handful. Shi Lei (Supreme Bone), Ye Bai (Great Desolation Saint Physique), Fang Qinghan (Devouring Physique), Chen Bei (Reincarnation Physique), Luo Feng (Tyrant Blade), Wang Qiutong (Innate Dao Physique), and Li Ping'an (Great Desolation Tyrant Physique). They had all stopped on this step, their various phenomena manifesting like gods and demons.

As for the fifty-third step, there were quite a few people. Beside Jiang Ming was Ji Junning. At this moment, her sword intent was pushed to the limit, surrounded by endless sword qi, and the baleful aura dormant in her body had erupted, forming armor. Her eyes looked straight ahead, determined, moving forward without being swayed by anything.

Sensing Jiang Ming’s gaze, she looked over, her eyes flickering. "I have almost reached my limit, yet you are still so calm and collected. Brother Jiang, I have underestimated you."

"That's because you don't understand me!" Jiang Ming smiled lightly. "The ladder attacks the mind and shakes the will. Reaching this step means we have almost reached the limit of the sixth level. That you all, with fifth-level strength, have reached this far is what is truly incredible."

"You are at the sixth level?" Ji Junning’s pupils contracted. "Divine path? It must be! Essence, Qi, and Spirit—you have actually cultivated all three and achieved extraordinary results in each. I admire you!"

This time, she finally set aside her pride.

"Next, it will get interesting!" Ji Junning smiled suddenly. "Brother Jiang, please!"

She pointed ahead. Even that slight movement was difficult.

"Very well!" Jiang Ming nodded and stepped onto the fifty-fourth step. Here, it truly represented the limit of willpower for the sixth level.

Shi Lei and the others all looked over. Although walking higher did not necessarily mean stronger combat power, it was a benchmark.

"To step onto this place as a commoner, Brother Jiang, you are truly amazing!" Wang Qiutong spoke up.

"No, I am also a commoner," Fang Qinghan said, bowing to Jiang Ming before taking a step onto the fifty-fifth step. Vaguely, one could hear a roaring sound. He paused, brought his other foot up, and his body swayed violently, nearly falling, before he finally stood steady.

"I am as well!" Luo Feng bowed to Jiang Ming. His blade intent became even more terrifying—extinction, death, slaughter, despair, mountain-splitting, destruction—several intents fused together into a peerless blade of slaughter that cleaved through all obstacles and cracked all restraints. He stepped onto the fifty-fifth step. His body also swayed violently. Immediately after, a massive amount of mental power surged out, making his aura stronger and more terrifying, and he quickly regained his balance.

"We are all commoners!" Shi Lei bowed to them and stepped up. Divine light erupted from his chest, seemingly evolving into myriad phenomena—unclear and indescribable, yet giving off a terrifying feeling.

"First place—I want to fight for it too!" Ye Bai laughed and followed closely.

"Everyone, let us fight then!"

Jiang Ming’s blood surged, his spirits soaring.

Things were a little better today.

Working hard to write!

(End of chapter)