Chapter 114: I Must Break Through

Beneath the Heavenly Ladder.

Jiang Ming looked up, but the other candidates who had already descended were all staring at him with expressions of shock.

Half a step away from sixty-four steps?

This was no longer just unbelievable—it was a miracle.

“Brother Jiang, how did you manage that?” Qin Zhiyan, having finished her own journey up the Heavenly Ladder, came to his side, her voice filled with awe. “I still remember during the initial selection when you broke into the sixth level of the Tower of Ascension. And now, you’ve climbed the Heavenly Ladder all the way to the eighth realm.”

She was truly astonished.

“Simple, I just kept going step by step, and somehow I made it!” Jiang Ming smiled.

Qin Zhiyan couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Gradually, fewer and fewer candidates remained on the Heavenly Ladder.

In the end, Fang Qinghan was the last to descend, halting at the fifty-eighth step—a height that was still hard for others to reach.

“I thought after my emergence, I could easily claim first place, but...” Bai Bing approached, frustration evident, “Sacred Body, Dominating Body, Reincarnation Body, Supreme Bone, Innate Dao Body... all these talents really hit me hard. But I won’t give up. After today, I’ll start improving my strength.”

“After all, I underestimated you and underestimated everyone in the world,” Luo Qingchen also walked over, a divine radiance shimmering around her. “I initially thought the grand exam was just a formality, something I could easily dominate!”

She paused, shook her head, and continued, “From now on, I will no longer settle or accumulate quietly. I will open the clan’s treasure vault, use the great medicines to directly boost my cultivation, fill all the meridian passages in my body, and then comprehend the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. The Celestial Phenomenon Realm won’t be a challenge for me. Brother Jiang, when the finals come, I will fight you with the power of the celestial phenomena.”

“If you still want to keep first place, then work hard to improve yourself!”

“Right now, first place is really not guaranteed!”

After saying this, Luo Qingchen raised her pure white neck proudly.

“This battle must be fought with all our might, including enhancing our strength,” Shi Lei said, looking over at them. “Brother Jiang, it’s not just these two; all of us will have an explosive growth. Because we can’t lose—we are prodigies with pride and an unshakable belief in victory. But you’ve put too much pressure on us. This time, we will prepare with all our strength to challenge for first place. You’d better prepare yourself too. Otherwise, if we defeat you, don’t blame us for winning unfairly.”

San Yan Yangjian, Sacred Body Ye Bai, Reincarnation Body Chen Bei, and others were all burning with fighting spirit.

“Then let’s give it our all in this battle!” Jiang Ming laughed. “If you don’t prepare fully, I’ll feel it’s no fun. Just like this time on the Heavenly Ladder—talking about fighting for first, but in the end...” He shook his head.

“This act is so pretentious, it just begs for a beating!” Shi Lei was almost itching to curse.

Li Ping’an and the others were eager to join the attack.

But recalling what happened on the Heavenly Ladder, they could only smile bitterly.

The lofty ambition at the time now seemed like a joke.

At that moment, the host appeared and waved lightly, causing everyone to involuntarily fly back onto the Heavenly Ladder.

Jiang Ming stood on the sixty-third step, above his head appearing a golden number ‘1’.

This represented first place.

The candidates appeared on their corresponding steps, their rankings displayed.

Second was Shi Lei with the Supreme Bone.

Third was Fang Qinghan with the Devouring Body.

Qiang Jiu ranked seventy-eighth.

Long Aotian ranked eighty-second.

Lan Xin ranked eighty-fifth.

Qin Zhiyan ranked one hundred and eighth.

For Tianzhong Province, this was an unprecedented, extraordinary achievement.

Truly defying the heavens.

The top one hundred and forty candidates.

And one crowned first.

After settling the rankings and delivering some words of encouragement and celebration, as well as announcing the rules for tomorrow’s second-round elimination, the live broadcast ended.

“See you all tomorrow!”

Jiang Ming cupped his hands toward Shi Lei and the others and then logged out of the virtual battle network.

In his room, he opened his eyes.

His body felt fine.

But compared to before entering, his soul power had surged more than tenfold, his will even firmer and stronger, and even a light of the mind had begun to shine.

“This harvest is enormous—truly a rare opportunity for deep cultivation!”

Jiang Ming stood, turned off the machine, and then stepped outside.

“Welcome back, hero!” Old Tang had been waiting at the door and laughed heartily upon seeing him.

“Indeed a hero—the hero of Tianzhong Province,” Instructor Yu was equally thrilled. “From now on, who in the world won’t know you? One battle that shakes the heavens, a name renowned forever.”

“Instructor Yu, you flatter me too much!” Jiang Ming quickly waved his hands.

Renowned forever?

He wasn’t ready for that yet.

At that moment, other rooms opened as well, and Qiang Jiu, Long Aotian, Lan Xin, and Qin Zhiyan all emerged.

“Welcome back. Your cohort has broken Tianzhong Province’s historical records. Today is a day worth commemorating, and you will surely be recorded in the province’s history. Come, I have already prepared a celebration feast for you all,” Instructor Yu led them into the hall.

A sumptuous feast was laid out.

“My results are too poor,” Qin Zhiyan said after sitting down, her mood somewhat low.

It was understandable.

After all, her ranking was the lowest.

If not for awakening the power of her maternal clan’s bloodline, her results might have been even worse.

“You’ve done very well,” Old Tang comforted her. “Compared to previous years, you have the strength to compete for the top ten. Don’t belittle yourself. By the way, since you are comprehending the Water and Fire Dao, you can ask him for help in this area. Kid, can you do that?”

“Can I say no?” Jiang Ming smiled. “Of course I can!”

“Won’t it interfere with your cultivation?” Qin Zhiyan hesitated.

“Don’t worry, it won’t affect me,” Jiang Ming said, then looked toward Instructor Yu. “Although I took first place in the Heavenly Ladder contest, Shi Lei and the others remain undeterred, still brimming with confidence. They say they will undergo explosive improvements next, so I don’t have much confidence.”

“I need help too!”

“Help me improve further!”

His gaze burned with expectation.

“Just say what you need!” Instructor Yu waved generously and said to Long Aotian and the others, “If you need anything, speak up too. The province will consider providing assistance. But as for Jiang Ming? That has already been decided—we will do everything to help him improve and fight for first place in the grand exam. Don’t misunderstand.”

“We’re not three-year-olds; we understand priorities,” Long Aotian laughed. “Besides, for me, unless I get true dragon blood or the heart of a true dragon, getting into the top twenty is impossible. My goal now is just to break into the top fifty. It’s a bit pathetic.”

He scratched his head and sighed.

Before the provincial exams, his goal was first place in the grand exam.

But the provincial exam was like a shocking blow to him.

Today’s Heavenly Ladder contest further revealed the gap between him and the top-tier geniuses. Though proud, he had to face reality.

“Old Tang, Instructor Yu, am I really that hopeless?” Lan Xin’s confidence had taken a big hit as well.

“No, it’s not that you’re hopeless!” Old Tang said seriously. “You awakened the power of thunder innately and have comprehended the Thunder Realm. Your talent is brilliant—not weaker than those others. What you lack is foundation and the way of battle. Simply put, you’ve had a happy childhood, too few experiences, too few setbacks, too little bloodshed. Ask Qiang Jiu—how was his childhood? And ask Jiang Ming—how many lives has he taken?”

“My childhood was always alongside my spear,” Qiang Jiu said more quietly. “My father said I don’t have peerless talent, so I can only cultivate the spear way with sweat. At four years old, I trained with beasts.”

“Old Tang, if one lacks genius, does that mean one is truly doomed?” he asked.

“Don’t you already have the answer in your heart?” Old Tang smiled.

“Yes. Jiang Ming counts as half one—his comprehension is extreme genius. Another is a mortal body who left rivers of blood on the battlefield of the myriad worlds,” Qiang Jiu’s eyes brightened, his spear intent becoming more solid and terrifying. “What I lack is time.”

“You shed blood early, fought early, but true life-or-death battles have been too few,” Old Tang advised. “After all, you’re still too young. Qiang Jiu, don’t belittle yourself—you are not weaker than anyone.”

“Thank you, Old Tang!” Qiang Jiu earnestly expressed his gratitude.

His fighting spirit soared.

Then all eyes turned to Jiang Ming.

“I once slaughtered mountain bandits, rivers of blood flowing; destroyed a top sect in a secret realm, bones piled like mountains,” Jiang Ming clearly knew Old Tang was using his experience to enlighten Lan Xin’s shortcomings, so he briefly recounted his past bloodshed. “Once I charged into the imperial city, slaying a thousand with one sword; once I invaded barbarian armies, massacring hundreds of thousands; suppressed the ghost city, exterminating countless spirits; visited the Myriad Demon Mountain, slaying all monsters. Twice I broke the world’s limits, battling a humanoid lightning being.”

“Your experiences were so fierce?” Lan Xin was moved.

“Awesome!” Long Aotian was shocked.

“I really can’t compare to you!” Qiang Jiu’s pupils contracted. “After the grand exam, I will enter secret realms to hone my spear way. The spear only improves through true combat.”

“I always took shortcuts in secret realms, but you just brute forced your way through,” Qin Zhiyan sighed. “After breaking the world limit, does a humanoid lightning always appear?”

“Yes! But breaking the world limit is extremely difficult,” Old Tang looked at Jiang Ming with a mix of admiration and pity, then explained, “For example, the endurance limit of the secret realm world is the fifth realm of martial arts. The humanoid lightning that appears has opened three hundred and sixty-five meridian passages, controls thunder power, has the blessing of heaven and earth, and so on. Its combat power equals the peak of the sixth realm. It’s almost impossible to defeat.”

Qin Zhiyan’s gaze toward Jiang Ming grew even more astonished.

“He’s an anomaly. Don’t compare yourselves to him. Didn’t you see on the Heavenly Ladder how the Supreme Bone almost blew a vein from anger?” Old Tang laughed, then asked Jiang Ming, “Kid, what do you need? Say it quickly so you can start cultivating.”

“I want to advance further in body refinement and strive to enter the sixth transformation realm. So I need some great medicines to replenish my blood and qi,” Jiang Ming spoke without hesitation.

“Good, I’ll send them tonight!” Instructor Yu agreed immediately.

After dinner, evening had fallen.

In the courtyard, Jiang Ming sat drinking tea.

At the same time, he evolved both water and fire true qi, blending them into the Water and Fire Realm power, enveloping Qin Zhiyan who sat cross-legged and cultivated inside.

He used this direct method to promote her growth.

Would it work?

He wasn’t sure—after all, the time was too short.

Setting down his teacup, Jiang Ming divided his focus and began to cultivate.

He circulated the Dragon Elephant Heaven-Subduing Skill to temper his bloodline.

Now, his blood flowed like tiny pearls, each drop containing terrifying power, heavier than ever before.

His blood was like quicksilver.

He had cultivated the Blood Changing Realm to near perfection, only a little short of completion. If he trained steadily during the grand exam, he might just perfect it, but the chance of breaking through was slim.

*Ling ling ling...*

At that moment, a Red Flame and Cold Ice Sparrow burst from above Qin Zhiyan’s head, crying out and fluttering joyfully.

Water and fire power swirled, their Dao resonance unmatched.

“Her realm is already complete so quickly!” Jiang Ming was very surprised.

The strange phenomenon subsided, and Qin Zhiyan opened her eyes, smiling brightly at him, radiant and incomparable. “Thank you, Brother Jiang. I truly don’t know how to repay you!”

“I just happen to need a little maid!”

“How annoying!”

“Ha ha...” Jiang Ming laughed heartily. “Next, will you use Water and Fire as a stepping stone to comprehend the Yin and Yang Realm, or try to break through the fifth realm?”

“I’ll comprehend the Yin and Yang Realm first. My goal is just to break into the top one hundred. Breaking through or not doesn’t matter. Besides, my foundation is too weak, so I plan to stay longer in the fourth realm to accumulate strength,” Qin Zhiyan said clearly.

“Then start by comprehending the Yin and Yang Realm. Once you enter, it will be simpler to progress later!” Jiang Ming said, as the water and fire power transformed into Yin Yang True Qi, spinning like the Tai Chi Diagram, filling the air with Dao resonance.

“Brother Jiang, no need!” Qin Zhiyan quickly said, “What you need to do now is prepare with all your might.”

“I’ll wait until the medicines arrive. You try to comprehend first!”

“Thank you, Brother Jiang!”

Qin Zhiyan bit her lip and closed her eyes once more.

But the Yin and Yang Realm was extremely difficult.

At midnight, Instructor Yu arrived with the medicines. Though she hadn’t fully entered the realm, she had gained some insight.

Qin Zhiyan stood, bowed, and then departed.

“No pressure—just do your best!” Instructor Yu handed her a box. “Inside are instructions. If it’s not enough, tell me later.”

“Instructor, I won’t be polite!”

Jiang Ming took the box back to his room.

Opening it, four porcelain bottles were lined up, each containing a pill emitting a faint mist.

Underneath the bottles lay a sheet of instructions.

“Nine-Formula Precious Blood Pill!”

The explanation was simple.

It had a name and effects.

This was a supreme pill refined from nine kinds of precious blood and nine kinds of spirit herbs, specifically for body refinement following the blood-changing path.

According to the instructions, if one has just entered the Blood Changing Realm, one pill could directly bring them to full completion.

Calling it priceless would not be an exaggeration.

Instructor Yu had sent three of them.

Clearly, she knew his physique was terrifying.

The last bottle was golden, containing the Return to Origin Vajra Pill.

This pill helped break through to the sixth transformation realm of body refinement.

“Tonight, I’ll push through the fifth and step into the sixth. Then my combat power will soar further,” Jiang Ming thought, and immediately swallowed one Nine-Formula Precious Blood Pill.

In an instant, waves of blood qi surged through the room like a tidal wave, filling the entire space.

If not for the special power sealing this place, the entire courtyard would have been destroyed.

The next day.

Jiang Ming walked out with a strange expression.

“How is it?”

Instructor Yu, waiting eagerly, asked first thing.

(End of chapter)