Chapter Eighty-Nine: Three Years Later, Astonishing Growth

The world’s concept merges with true qi, creating a power akin to the pressure of the celestial phenomenon, or perhaps it could be called a domain, capable of binding and suppressing opponents. It can even alter the very nature of one’s own true qi. There is truly a sense of being king within one’s own world.

“With this ability, even if I face a powerhouse at the celestial phenomenon level again, at the very least I can neutralize some of their oppressive might, even if only partially.” The true strength of the celestial phenomenon level lies precisely here. Under such overwhelming pressure, even grandmasters with weaker wills might not dare to resist.

“The Yin-Yang domain forms a wide-range attack, combining offense and defense. If I condense it into two swords of Yin and Yang, its destructive power would be overwhelming.”

“I have yet to truly comprehend the domain of Light and Darkness; it is still undeveloped.”

“The same goes for the domain of Life and Death—it is only at a minor level for now.”

“I have taken the first steps in understanding the Way of the World; its potential is limitless.”

“My progress in the power of Space is acceptable, but its offensive capability is absolutely terrifying, arguably the best among all realms. With my innate talent as the Lord of Space, reaching perfection will not be difficult.”

“Soul domain? Since I walk the path of the soul, have I truly set foot in its threshold now?” Jiang Ming pondered endlessly.

Even excluding the soul domain, he had already mastered five of the ten great domains.

“Am I truly defying the heavens?”

Yet, his face turned bitter. Thinking of the need to continue refining each and every one, to deduce corresponding secret arts for all, filled him with dread.

The path of body refinement.

The path of the soul...

“And above the Divine Way, what if I fuse the power of domains?” Jiang Ming’s expression grew even more troubled.

If not for his hundredfold comprehension, he would never have dared to walk so many paths; the more paths traveled, the easier it is to succumb to exhaustion.

Time flowed on, never stopping for anyone.

Mingyue City grew ever more prosperous.

For here, a powerhouse on par with those at the celestial phenomenon level resided, and as long as one abided by the rules within the city, there was nothing to fear.

Three years slipped by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Yan Hongyi led someone to him.

It was a middle-aged man, carrying a long sword on his back, his aura razor-sharp, his very being exuding boundless murderous intent, though his expression was somewhat desolate.

His beard was unkempt.

A hideous scar marred his face, making him quite ugly.

“Lord of the city, there is a visitor,” Yan Hongyi announced softly after leading the man forward. When she saw Jiang Ming open his eyes, she introduced, “This is Jinmie, Elder Jin. He’s a lone wanderer, ever slaying monsters and demons, treading the edge of life and death. He has killed ghost generals, slain great fiends, and survived countless near-death encounters, saving innumerable people. The martial world says Elder Jin is the conscience of our people—so long as he’s here, there is hope.”

With admiration, she continued, “Elder Jin hails from the southwestern border, and once joined the Reliant Mountain Sect, but his sect was wiped out by monsters and demons, his home destroyed. Elder Jin barely escaped, and swore to exterminate every last demon in this life.”

“Comrade Jiang!” Jinmie greeted with a clasped fist, and in that instant, his aura turned extraordinarily fierce. “They say you are a demon from beyond the world. I hesitated for a long time before coming, but today I finally understood something. The Great Yu Dynasty holds dominion over the land, worshiped by the people, meant to slay monsters and demons and protect all. But the current emperor is corrupt, the court is dark; when ghost kings destroy cities and great fiends pen humans inside, they turn a blind eye. Instead, they exploit the people, refining immortal elixirs for longevity.”

“The Emperor Yu is a sinner to all the people, the gravedigger of his own dynasty.”

“The Lunar Palace, colluding with monsters, has joined the demonic path.”

“The Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, the Pure Sun Hall, the Vajra Monastery—revered as righteous, yet they do nothing righteous. They watch monsters run rampant and don’t think of slaying evil, only fighting over their own small territories. They are righteous in name only.”

“Because of all this, I see only a future where our beautiful land is ravaged by specters, trampled by monsters. I see the people in agony, mourning as my sect was destroyed and my family devoured. The sorrow is unbearable!”

Jinmie’s eyes reddened.

Suppressing his excitement, he continued, “My surname was never Jin. I changed it when I swore to annihilate all monsters and demons.”

“I tried every means to cultivate, striving to grow stronger. Now I am a Grandmaster, yet when I face the hordes of monsters and specters, even with many like-minded allies, I still feel powerless, lost, as if there is no way forward.”

“But then you appeared…” A spark lit his eyes.

“You slew the great fiend Tiger Dali, the demon king Luo Mo of the Demon Sect; later, you killed a ghost general, a great fiend, and a demon lord.”

“What sect in the world can boast such feats?”

“What power has such resolve?”

“I wanted to come and invite you to slay monsters and demons together, but they all said you are a demon from beyond.”

“Your actions, too, are those of a demon from beyond.”

“I hesitated, afraid you were truly evil and would harm the world.”

“But after observing you for a long time, and seeing how you conduct yourself, I realized you only care for cultivation, never for mindless trouble. Your actions have order and restraint. I read many records about demons from beyond—the vast majority come and cultivate, challenge the strong, and fight monsters. As for harming the world, it’s nonsense—a mere excuse.”

“They claim to act on Heaven’s will, slaying foreign demons to curry favor with fate.”

“If Heaven truly had a will, why not strike down the Emperor Yu and the monsters?”

Jinmie’s voice rose.

Then he looked at Jiang Ming, his gaze sharp as a blade.

“Today, I come only to ask—will you continue to slay monsters and destroy ghosts?”

His eyes were full of hope.

“At the very least, I will destroy Ghost City and level Ten Thousand Monsters Mountain,” Jiang Ming replied with a smile. “Since I’m here, I must do something.”

Judging by the other man’s shifting emotions, he still needed to vent.

This man truly hated monsters and demons.

As for the Imperial Dynasty and the so-called righteous path, he was utterly disillusioned.

Even in despair.

Otherwise, he would not have come here.

No matter what, Jiang Ming was still, in the eyes of fate, a demon from beyond.

“Is it true?”

“It’s true.”

“Lord Jiang, until you destroy Ghost City and Ten Thousand Monsters Mountain, I, Jinmie, am at your command.” Jinmie knelt on one knee, his voice resolute. “Once these are destroyed, my life will be yours.”

“In at most a year, I’ll make the journey myself!” Jiang Ming gave a response that was not quite a promise, for this was his intention all along.

Before fate’s arrival, he needed to show his might again, so as to avoid disturbance in the final year, and to claim his achievements.

And as he’d said, since he’d come to this world, he had to do something within his power.

“Rise,” Jiang Ming motioned. “Can you share your method for opening meridian points?”

“Of course!” Jinmie recited his cultivation technique in full detail, especially his method for measuring and opening the twelve meridian points, hiding nothing.

“The Twelve Primal Star Method—is not bad, but it’s too few!” Jiang Ming said, lifting his hand, sending an invisible force directly into the man’s brow.

Jinmie did not move a muscle.

Moments later, he was visibly moved, looking at Jiang Ming with true trust.

For Jiang Ming had taught him the method to open sixty-four meridian points.

Sixty-four—he had never dared dream of it.

Even in the Pure Sun Hall, it would be considered a supreme, sect-guarding secret art.

This alone revealed the Lord Jiang’s boldness.

“For now, follow Hongyi’s arrangements and help maintain order in the city.”

“Yes!”

Jinmie withdrew.

Jiang Ming stood up, stretched lazily, and with a step as if shrinking the earth, appeared by the lakeside, settling in a pavilion.

The lake rippled gently.

Spring was splendid.

“Three years, how quickly time passes.”

Since he arrived, it had been exactly three years.

Jiang Ming had hardly left this place during that time.

In these three years, his achievements were monumental.

If Old Tang, Old Song, and the others knew, they would be left speechless.

His gaze focused, a system screen appeared before him.

Name: Jiang Ming

Qi Cultivation: Fourth Level (Grandmaster, Yin-Yang Canon)

Body Cultivation: Fourth Transformation (Dragon-Elephant Heaven Suppressing Art)

Divine Cultivation: Fifth Stage (Manifestation, Yin-Yang Soul Refinement Canon)

Techniques: Myriad Swords Return to Origin, Three Swords of Immortal Execution, Boundless Step, Inch Punch (Level Nine), Yin-Yang Forbidden Art, Spirit Servant Art, Sword Control Art, etc.

Talents: Hundredfold Comprehension, Nirvana Rebirth, Soul Mastery, Lord of Space (Temporarily Solidified)

Mission: In the final stage of the martial exam, become the Champion of the Federation

The information did not appear to have changed much.

Yet what was not displayed had undergone a complete transformation.

Yin-Yang Domain: Perfected.

Light and Darkness Domain: Perfected.

Life and Death Domain: Perfected.

Space Domain: Perfected.

World Domain: Great Mastery.

Immeasurable Domain: Entry Level.

Of the ten great domains, four were perfected.

With the World Domain at great mastery, full mastery was not far off.

Even the Immeasurable Domain was entered.

These were truly heaven-defying achievements.

What should have been the hardest domain to comprehend—Space—was, thanks to his innate talent as Lord of Space, quickly perfected, and even led to the creation of a corresponding movement art: Boundless Step.

Treading the veins of space, shrinking the earth, a single step crosses worlds.

If he were to face Ma Tiande again, his speed would leave the other far behind—such is the terror of the Space Domain.

Beyond that, the various sword styles of Myriad Swords Return to Origin were further refined, and several new styles evolved.

Each sword style equaled a Dao.

A Dao contains ten thousand laws—this is truly terrifying.

His Divine Cultivation had not changed, as he had spent time comprehending various applications, such as the Yin-Yang Forbidden Art.

The Manifestation of Crescent Moon and Great Sun could together unleash terrifying binding power, even more formidable than the “domain” created by the World Domain.

There were countless such accomplishments.

His body cultivation had not changed much.

By integrating the body refinement path of this world, he had reworked the Dragon-Elephant Heaven Suppressing Art from the beginning.

The first transformation, refining skin and flesh, was accomplished with ease; the second, tempering tendons and bones, he deduced to the utmost limit. This limit is hard to surpass, and is the boundary for ordinary people.

Without innate talent, one cannot transcend the limit.

But Jiang Ming broke through, causing his bones to emit black gleams. In that instant, from his tendons and bones, from his bloodline, from his soul, from the very source of life, a torrent of creation surged forth, tempering his body, making his power even greater, his bones even harder.

Even if only slightly.

After all, this was a new beginning.

But improvement is improvement.

As he continued, the blackness spread to all his bones, turning them entirely black, and then he broke through again—the black took on a greenish sheen.

This was copper bone!

His bones strengthened again, and his power increased yet more.

Astonished, Jiang Ming was overjoyed.

He had chosen the right path of body refinement.

“Why does the main world lack this?” Jiang Ming wondered.

He could only conclude that the old path of body refinement, being holistic, was relatively simple.

Whereas here, even refining skin and flesh required external force and medicinal ointments—a much harder path.

Worse, cultivating from the outside in brought unbearable strain to the internal organs.

For example, in the Iron Bone stage, tendons and bones are stronger, force increases drastically, a punch could create a sonic boom—the tendons and bones can withstand the recoil, but what about the untrained organs?

A serious shock could turn them to mush.

“For the masses, universality is best,” Jiang Ming understood.

Perhaps it was his “Nirvana Rebirth” talent, giving him immense vitality, that allowed him to break limit after limit.

After copper bone came silver bone, and now he was stepping into the golden bone realm.

Golden spots shimmered on his bones.

This was only the beginning—Jiang Ming surmised that once gold covered all his bones, he would have perfected golden bone.

Perhaps there were even higher levels.

For now, he had only reached this stage—not because progress was slow, but because it was already incredibly fast, given the need to deduce new methods, break through limits, and supplement with rare medicines.

For most, reaching copper bone in three years would be heaven-defying.

On top of this, he continued to comprehend various domains and deduce secret arts.

By this world’s standards, Jiang Ming was at the second transformation in body refinement, but clearly, the system counted from his previous peak.

Additionally, to maximize his physical power, he further deduced the Inch Punch, starting from scratch and reaching the ninth level.

Each level doubled his strength.

At the ninth level, it increased ninefold.

The Inch Punch itself had not changed, but its explosive force and ability to break all techniques with brute force was pushed to the utmost. If combined with his initial understanding of the Immeasurable Domain…

Jiang Ming shuddered just thinking about it.

“If I faced Ma Tiande now, I could crush him—easily.”

Compared to before, his combat power had multiplied many times over.

His strength truly knew no bounds.

“Next, I’ll continue to refine my body, striving to perfect tendons and bones, solidifying my foundation step by step.”

“I must not neglect the path of divine cultivation, either.”

“I must fully comprehend the World Domain and the Immeasurable Domain.”

“As for martial cultivation, should I open new meridian points now?”

Jiang Ming hesitated.

Old Tang had said that the fourth level of martial cultivation was the best stage for comprehending domains, but remaining stagnant forever was not an option. After all, if he grasped Causality, Time, or Reincarnation, should he never advance past the fourth level?

“At the fifth level, domains can still be comprehended.”

“But opening meridian points—that’s another challenge!”

Old Tang, with his authority, could only provide a chart for two hundred and forty meridian points, far from the full three hundred and sixty-five.

His goal was to open them all.

“Alas, there is so little time!” Jiang Ming sighed.

“Then why not take a break?” Yun Shuang walked over.

“Gladly!” Jiang Ming laughed, swept her up in his arms, and dove straight into the lake.

Yin and Yang spun, true qi parted the water, forming a sphere.

The two of them sank into the water plants beneath the lake.

Curious fish circled around, watching the strange, entwined figures.

At some point, Yan Hongyi appeared in the pavilion.

She gazed at the rippling water, her ears catching the faint sounds of pleasure, her cheeks flushing red.

She had seen and heard such things many times before.

But just then, a phantom hand appeared and seized her. Yan Hongyi tensed, then relaxed, making no resistance as she was pulled into the water.

“Little niece, you dare steal my man!” Yun Shuang protested.

Yan Hongyi: Aunt, it’s your man who’s too wicked. Let’s teach him a lesson—give it all we’ve got!

(End of this chapter)