Chapter Sixty-Five: Ascension, Seeds, and Return

Over the course of this year, aside from contemplating the heavens and earth to comprehend their profound meanings, Jiang Ming devoted himself to developing ultimate secret techniques.

The Inch Fist, the Sword and Blade Domain.

He fused the three profound intents of Slaughter, Destruction, and Death into one, crafting the Celestial Execution Sword. Although limited by the fact that none of the three intents had yet reached perfection, preventing him from unlocking its ultimate potential, this technique remained utterly terrifying.

Where there is a First Celestial Execution Sword, there is a Second.

This was one of Jiang Ming’s ultimate killing moves.

With this sword, he infused it with the surging, boundless power of his blood and vitality.

The strength of Jiang Ming’s physical body had long since surpassed the boundaries of human imagination. As it was once said, even if Lu Yuan stood motionless before him, he would still struggle to kill Jiang Ming.

Now, it was even more difficult.

With Qi and blood as the foundation, and the fusion of three intents, the power of this sword reached a new and unprecedented height.

It could split mountains, cleave seas, and rend cities with a single stroke.

Bang...

The sword’s radiance flashed, cutting through the laws, severing order, annihilating all. Not only did the illusory mountain peaks vanish into thin air, but even the humanoid lightning was wiped out in an instant by the sword.

A fissure tore open in the void ahead. Countless interwoven chains were sliced apart, too many to count.

“That is law, that is reason.”

With a single glance, countless truths flooded his mind, a myriad of principles streaming through his heart, only to be healed once more.

The sky remained the sky. Aside from the ravaged earth and the lingering boundless sword intent, nothing else seemed to have changed.

“Is that all?” Jiang Ming waited a moment. When no more humanoid lightning appeared, he let out a slight sigh of relief. “I still have a third sword yet to unleash!”

Buzz...

As his words fell, the sky trembled.

“No way!” Jiang Ming was startled.

Ahead, dark clouds gathered, lightning flashed and thunder roared, forming an enormous vortex that blotted out the heavens.

A mighty pressure swept down, as if a calamity had descended, heralding the end of days.

On the other side, Elder Zhang and the others were stunned.

The clash just now between Jiang Ming and the humanoid lightning had unleashed such terrifying might, such unfathomable power, that even Elder Zhang’s heart trembled. It was as if he were witnessing gods in combat.

The strength was so overwhelming that he felt utterly insignificant.

Especially that final sword—he felt it could flatten the Zhenwu Sect itself. He thought it was over, but now another change was unfolding.

“Is forging a new path for martial arts truly this difficult?” Elder Zhang fell into self-doubt.

If Jiang Ming hadn’t descended, would the path ahead not have been utterly sealed?

“This heaven deserves to be condemned!” Elder Zhang raised his hand and shouted explosively at the sky.

He was truly furious.

The path of martial cultivation was already fraught with hardship. To see hope at last, only to be shackled again, brought not only despair but also rage.

Just then, a beam of light condensed at the center of the vortex, transforming into humanoid lightning that descended swiftly, as if a celestial immortal had come down to earth.

Divine and majestic, its presence was immeasurable.

“Celestial Execution Third Sword, go die!” Jiang Ming was furious as well.

By his original estimation, even with the world’s shackles, it shouldn’t have been this strong. Yet humanoid lightning not only appeared once, but twice, and now, for the third time.

Jiang Ming shot into the sky like an arrow, launching himself at his opponent, unleashing his full might.

Vast true energy, surging blood essence, and a powerful yet elusive spiritual force all erupted, fusing together with the sword intents of Slaughter, Destruction, and Death to forge a sword strike without peer.

A truly peerless sword.

Its radiance, like a stream of silk, cleaved deep into the firmament.

In the eyes of Elder Zhang and the others, a flash of sword light split heaven and earth in two. The dark clouds and lightning were all rent asunder.

Even the humanoid lightning froze midair, then fractured into two and dissipated.

The clouds scattered; the thunder faded.

Bang, bang, bang...

In that instant, a strange sound, like the snapping of harp strings, resounded in the ears of all living beings, echoing into the depths of their souls.

Inexplicably, everyone felt their hearts lighten.

It was as though the shackles at the very core of their beings had been unlocked.

Looking up, the sky seemed higher; bowing down, the earth wider.

“The shackles are broken, the cage dispersed—true freedom at last!” Elder Zhang felt it most keenly, joy bubbling up within him. His true energy began to circulate on its own, the yin and yang energies spinning, his true energy rapidly transforming, and a drop of liquid appeared, triggering a chain reaction.

All the true energy in his dantian was liquefying.

“Gratitude to Master Jiang, who has opened the path of martial arts for all ages!” Elder Zhang bowed deeply to Jiang Ming, his booming voice echoing in all directions, reaching to the ends of the sky.

“Gratitude to Master Jiang, who has opened the path of martial arts for all ages!” In this moment, martial artists everywhere gained insight, bowing deeply in this direction.

At the same time, Elder Zhang’s true energy had completely transformed, liquefying in perfect silence. A beam of light appeared above his head, shining down upon him.

“Above Grandmaster is ascension!” Elder Zhang looked up, his eyes gleaming. He cupped his hands toward the distant Jiang Ming. “Fellow Daoist Jiang, may we meet again one day!”

“Everyone, I shall go ahead!”

“Ascension, ascension!”

“Is this becoming immortal, or merely the beginning of the martial path?”

“Haha, I can hardly wait another moment!”

Amid laughter, under the stupefied gazes of Yan Feng and the others, Elder Zhang’s figure swiftly rose, then vanished into the beam of light.

“He’s ascended?” Yan Feng was dumbfounded, then overjoyed.

“He’s ascended. Doesn’t that mean we can, too?” Commander Jin cheered, leaping for joy. “Does this mean we can travel to Brother Jiang’s world?”

“Of course!” Xiao Lan nodded vigorously.

But when they looked to the other side, they saw that Jiang Ming had not descended, but was instead hovering in midair, causing an inexplicable tightness in their hearts.

In the sky above.

After slaying the humanoid lightning, Jiang Ming’s body froze, seized by an inexplicable power. He was confined on all sides, the space around him transformed into a cage, restricting his movements to the barest area.

Then, a green seed dropped from above, entering his crown, passing through twenty-four levels, and coming to rest deep in his dantian, motionless.

At the same time, lines of text floated before his eyes: Martial Dao Limit reached. After slaying three rounds of humanoid lightning, you have broken the ultimate shackle and obtained a hidden reward.

After one minute, you will be transported back.

The information was simple.

“A hidden reward?”

“What is this seed, exactly?” Jiang Ming frowned.

He would have preferred not to receive something directly implanted into his body.

Especially when its effects were unknown.

“Does this thing have any side effects?” Jiang Ming asked.

No response whatsoever.

“Will they be ascending to the main world, or to some other secret realm?” There was no answer.

“Will I be able to see them again? Next time I travel to a secret realm, can I go to the world where they have ascended?” Silence in the skies.

Damn it!

Jiang Ming was instantly anxious, nearly cursing aloud, but forcibly restrained himself. Turning to look at Yan Feng and the others in the distance, he quickly called out in a loud voice, “Train hard, ascend, keep cultivating! Only with true strength can you break all shackles. Yan Feng, Jin Yin Hua, Xiao Lan, wait for me...”

As his voice faded, his figure suddenly grew indistinct.

A long sword fell from high above.

“Jiang Lang...”

Cries of alarm rose from below, but Jiang Ming could no longer hear them.

Main World, Myriad Realms Pavilion, Second Floor.

Jiang Ming appeared before the realm gate, dazed for a moment. Then, his body shuddered, and one profound intent after another resonated with the world.

A powerful aura surged forth uncontrollably, forcing Qin Zhiyan, who had been waiting for him, far into the distance.

Jiang Ming’s expression changed wildly.