Translator: CinderTL
"Holy shit?!"
"Is Jiang Ye really this strong?"
"He crushed his opponent in under half a minute!" The spectating students were utterly astonished.
Shen Changxi, Liu Wanxiao, and others had always been formidable. While their explosive combat power was impressive, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
But Jiang Ye?
He had only been at the first breakthrough late stage during the Entrance Trials three months ago. Now he could utterly dominate a first breakthrough peak opponent?
Though still short of Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao's demonstrated combat prowess, this was already unbelievable.
Whoosh!
Jiang Ye's figure reappeared in the audience seats.
Barely half a minute had passed; the seat was still warm.
"Brother Jiang!"
"You're serious about this? You really plan to take first place?" Xu Haoran stared at Jiang Ye, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.
He recalled Teacher Zhu's earlier words to Jiang Ye: "Secure a top-ten finish, and aim for first!"
Previously, Xu Haoran had dismissed it as impossible. Now, he realized Jiang Ye might actually have a chance to contend for that top spot.
"First place?" Jiang Ye shook his head. "It's too early to say."
He glanced at Shen Changxi, Liu Wanxiao, and the others nearby.
The remaining battles wouldn't be nearly as easy.
While Jiang Ye was lost in thought, the fifth match of the top-ten competition had already begun. This battle, however, dragged on for a full ten minutes.
The two combatants on the Cosmic Arena clashed fiercely, locked in a grueling battle.
In the end, the red-haired youth emerged with a pyrrhic victory.
With this, the Top 10 competition concluded.
The Top 5 finalists were announced:
Shen Changxi, Liu Wanxiao, Yun Qing'er, Jiang Ye, and the red-haired youth.
The Top 5 competition began!
The first match pitted Yun Qing'er against the red-haired youth.
There was no suspense.
Yun Qing'er unleashed a devastating barrage of eighty-eight hammer strikes per second, instantly obliterating her opponent.
"Terrifying!"
"That girl is too violent!" The audience gasped in unison.
Zhu Honglie's students, including Deng Yunfei and Xu Haoran, twitched visibly.
This was their first time witnessing Yun Qing'er's brutal fighting style.
"If I had to face her, how would I even fight?" Jiang Ye pondered, his brow furrowed.
If he won his next match, he would inevitably face Yun Qing'er.
Jiang Ye gritted his teeth at the thought.
Su Tong'er, look at the soldier you've trained!
Given Yun Qing'er's ruthless methods, he refused to believe Su Tong'er had nothing to do with it.
The competition continued.
After Yun Qing'er returned to the audience, the second match began immediately.
Top 5 Competition: Match 2
Jiang Ye vs. Liu Wanxiao
Two lines of text appeared on the massive screen.
Buzz.
In that instant, the entire Projection Space fell silent.
Swish, swish, swish! Countless gazes snapped toward Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye versus Liu Wanxiao.
One was the top-ranked freshman from the Entrance Trials.
One was a formidable contender for the Freshman Competition championship.
Who would win?
This was going to be a spectacle!
Many in the audience straightened in their seats, ready to witness the clash.
They knew this battle would be nothing short of spectacular.
"Jiang Ye, Liu Wanxiao," Shen Changxi murmured, her eyes narrowing with intense focus.
Strategically, she looked down on all her opponents.
But tactically, she treated each one with utmost seriousness.
Neither Jiang Ye nor Liu Wanxiao had revealed their true strength in previous battles.
In this match, one of them would inevitably lay all their cards on the table.
For Shen Changxi, this was the perfect opportunity to observe her rivals.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Simultaneously, Jiang Ye and Liu Wanxiao vanished from the audience seats.
In the next instant, they materialized on the Cosmic Arena.
"Jiang Ye, I didn't expect to face you," Liu Wanxiao said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Looks like Shen Changxi got the bye in the final five."
He remained remarkably calm, as if engaging in casual conversation with Jiang Ye, showing no trace of pre-battle tension.
"Bye?" Jiang Ye blinked, then quickly understood.
In the final five, one competitor would inevitably receive a bye.
That competitor, naturally, was Shen Changxi, who had demonstrated the strongest performance thus far.
In a sense, the bye recipient also represented the system's predicted champion.
Thus, Liu Wanxiao's earlier remark carried a hint of regret.
"Still, it doesn't matter," he said with a smile. "I'll defeat you and claim the championship."
"Great minds think alike," Jiang Ye replied with a grin.
As they spoke, both had already chosen their weapons.
Jiang Ye gripped the nine-foot Black Dragon Spear, its dark shaft resting against his back.
Liu Wanxiao wielded a broad, crimson war blade, its weight immense and boundless.
Match Start!
The moment the subtitles flashed, the atmosphere in the Cosmic Arena exploded.
Boom! Liu Wanxiao transformed into a bolt of lightning, his war blade slashing through the air as he charged toward Jiang Ye.
A ferocious Martial Dao Aura erupted from him, billowing across the arena like wolf smoke.
Had any freshman who hadn't yet reached the first breakthrough peak been standing near the edge of the arena, they would likely have been crushed by this qi prowess, unable to even lift their heads.
Clearly, despite his casual words, Liu Wanxiao deeply respected Jiang Ye as an opponent.
Anyone who reaches the top five must be a formidable opponent.
He had long acknowledged Jiang Ye's strength in his heart.
"Well done," Jiang Ye said, neither dodging nor retreating. A terrifying starlight flickered between his arms as he adopted an offensive stance, swinging his spear in dazzling arcs through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang! The clash of blade and spear echoed fiercely.
In the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged over a dozen rapid strikes.
Jiang Ye remained rooted to the spot, his defenses impenetrable within a three-foot radius.
"What a solid foundation!" Liu Wanxiao marveled inwardly.
This was his first time facing Jiang Ye in combat, and he immediately sensed the opponent's tenacity.
His Giant Wave Blade Technique was renowned for its overwhelming power, surging like a tsunami.
Every opponent he had faced before had been crushed with overwhelming force, unable to withstand his tidal wave of power.
But Jiang Ye? He remained completely unfazed.
"And that's not all," Liu Wanxiao thought. "His Great Sun Spear Technique has also reached Small Success, refined to perfection."
Not all Small Successes are created equal.
Some practitioners may achieve Small Success in a technique but still leave glaring openings in their defenses.
But some individuals could achieve absolute perfection, leaving no room for error.
Jiang Ye belonged to the latter category.
"If this continues, Shen Changxi will see through all my moves," Liu Wanxiao thought, his eyes hardening as he suddenly thrust his blade upward.
Whoosh!
Over a thousand streams of brilliant stellar energy erupted from his Guanyuan Acupoint, converging into the war blade in his hand.
In the next instant, Liu Wanxiao swung his blade down again.
Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang! He and Jiang Ye clashed rapidly, exchanging dozens of strikes in a mere instant.
Their speed was so great that afterimages blurred into existence!
As hundreds of afterimages multiplied, the blade flashes merged into a dazzling, continuous arc, resembling a radiant river of stars.
Ultimate Move—Ten Thousand Waves!
"Kill!" Liu Wanxiao roared, unleashing his full power.
A massive blade strike crashed down on Jiang Ye like a towering wave, blotting out the sky and threatening to overwhelm everything in its path.
Simultaneously...
Boom!
An overwhelming pressure suddenly descended.
Pulse Domain—Triple Amplification!
The force equivalent to three times normal gravity instantly enveloped the entire Cosmic Arena, not just increasing the weight but exerting all-encompassing suppression.
Whoosh! A collective gasp swept through the audience.
On the Cosmic Arena, the dense, tidal wave of sword light was truly awe-inspiring.
"Liu Wanxiao has activated his innate ability," someone murmured.
"With this stacked ultimate move, Jiang Ye is almost certain to lose," many of the top ten contenders thought, shaking their heads.
Shen Changxi straightened in her seat, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on the arena. Even she felt a flicker of unease at Liu Wanxiao's explosive power.
"Innate ability?" Jiang Ye's eyes narrowed.
In the next instant—
Whoosh! Jiang Ye's figure blurred as he moved for the first time, leaving his original position.
Like a bolt of lightning, he traced a silver arc through the air, evading the tidal wave of sword light and circling behind Liu Wanxiao.
[Swiftwind Step: Instantly doubles movement speed for 30 seconds. Can be activated manually. Cooldown: 3 minutes.]
Stacked with Speed Control, his speed surged to 300%!
"Kill!" Jiang Ye's gaze sharpened to a razor's edge as he unleashed the full force of the Great Sun Spear Technique.
The first ultimate move of the Great Sun Spear Technique—Sunrise in the East!
Thousands of strands of stellar energy converged at the tip of Jiang Ye's spear with lightning speed. As he thrust forward, a terrifying silver light flashed from the spearhead.
Buzz! A dazzling pale purple sun materialized.
The silver stellar energy had reached its maximum concentration, glowing white to the point of turning purple.
It resembled the rising sun cresting the horizon!
This strike was Jiang Ye's most powerful attack since the start of the competition!
The simultaneous eruption of thousands of strands of stellar energy unleashed a force several times more terrifying than his previous clash with Deng Yunfei.
Boom! The pale purple sun, propelled by the spear, crashed toward Liu Wanxiao.
"Damn it!" Liu Wanxiao's expression twisted in alarm.
He hadn't anticipated Jiang Ye could unleash such speed even under the suppression of his innate talent.
But Liu Wanxiao was no pushover.
Reacting with lightning reflexes, he swiftly drew his blade back and swung it horizontally to meet Jiang Ye's charging spear.
Unfortunately...
His ultimate move had already been used, and he couldn't muster the same devastating power again so soon.
The moment the weapons clashed, Liu Wanxiao's face contorted in shock. An overwhelming force slammed into him, instantly shattering his grip on his warblade and sending it flying.
Boom!
The spear struck down like a falling star, piercing Liu Wanxiao's heart and pinning him to the ground.
Pfft! Blood splattered.
Liu Wanxiao's figure gradually faded into nothingness.
Jiang Ye wins!
A subtitle flashed across the screen, declaring the victor of the match.
Whoosh!
The entire arena erupted in cheers.
"Did you see that spear strike?"
"Incredible!"
"As expected, no one who makes it into the top ten is ordinary."
"With this level of skill, Jiang Ye might actually have a shot at the championship!" The freshmen were utterly astonished.
"Jiang Ye defeated Liu Wanxiao?" In the Projection Space, the teachers were equally stunned.
While Jiang Ye reaching the top ten had been within their expectations, defeating Liu Wanxiao—a frontrunner for the championship—with such decisive ease was beyond comprehension.
Jiang Ye's strength had truly surpassed their wildest expectations.
"His ultimate move is remarkably refined," Elder Bai remarked slowly.
"Elder Bai?" The other teachers turned to the silver-haired elder, surprised by his high praise.
"The first ultimate move of the Great Sun Spear Technique—condensing a faint purple sun—is incredibly difficult to master."
"Jiang Ye has achieved this level," Elder Bai marveled. "I'm deeply impressed."
He recognized the spearmanship.
After all, it was a cultivation technique created by the founder of White Dragon University in his youth, renowned in its time.
It was also notoriously difficult to master!
The Great Sun Spear Technique is divided into five stages, each distinguished by color:
White, Pale Purple, Pale Red, Orange-Red, and Crimson Gold.
Among these, only Bai Long himself and a handful of peerless prodigies had ever reached the Crimson Gold stage.
Pale Purple, though merely the second stage, already surpassed the difficulty of most profound tier cultivation techniques.
How long had Jiang Ye been practicing this spearmanship? Only three months!
Such rapid progress was truly astonishing!
"A genius!"
"Old Zhu, no wonder you dared to apply for the 'Fortress Judgment' operation," Elder Bai sighed. "Jiang Ye is indeed qualified."
"Fortress Judgment?" The other teachers turned to Zhu Honglie in astonishment.
Fortress Judgment was an S-Rank operation!
The most dangerous kind, with a significant mortality rate!
It's only been three months since the start of the semester, and they're already sending Jiang Ye on an S-Rank mission? That's too fast!
Elder Bai, however, remained unconcerned.
Different students require different training methods.
Geniuses need to be nurtured in this way.
Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao, for example, have already prepared for S-Rank missions and will begin executing them after the Freshman Competition concludes.
Elder Bai turned his gaze back to Jiang Ye's projection, his curiosity piqued. "Could this kid still be holding back some hidden cards?"
Zhu Honglie chuckled. "This should be his full strength."
"Hmph!"
Beside them, Chen Yuntian snorted coldly, his displeasure growing.
Yet hearing these words, a thought stirred within him: If Jiang Ye's strength is limited to this, he'll likely stop here. He might not even be a match for Yun Qing'er, let alone Shen Changxi.
Whoosh!
Within the competition space, Jiang Ye's figure flashed, reappearing in the spectator seats.
"Brother Jiang! Impressive!"
"You're truly incredible," Xu Haoran marveled, his envy palpable.
Initially, he had felt quite uncomfortable, seeing his fellow disciple ranked so much higher than him.
But now? Jiang Ye had even defeated Liu Wanxiao, and Xu Haoran no longer felt bitter.
The gap was simply too vast to compare!
"Brother Jiang!"
"Jiang Ye!" Deng Yunfei and several other fellow disciples rushed over, their voices trembling with excitement.
"Take the championship!"
"The first place is yours!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. As disciples of Zhu Honglie, they would share in Jiang Ye's glory if he claimed victory.
"Congratulations," Zhao Qingli said with a smile, her eyes curving into crescents. "It seems you're truly aiming for the championship."
"There are still two matches left," Jiang Ye replied with a shake of his head and a smile.
He glanced at the screen ahead.
Of the ten names projected, only three remained:
Shen Changxi, Yun Qing'er, and Jiang Ye.
The final three!
"The next match," Jiang Ye murmured, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Who will I face?"
Shen Changxi? Or Yun Qing'er?
He had to defeat either of them.
A moment later, text appeared on the screen:
Championship Match, Round 1: Jiang Ye vs. Yun Qing'er!
"Hah!" Jiang Ye exhaled deeply. It had finally come.
Whoosh!
His figure vanished from the audience stands once more.
On the Cosmic Arena, Jiang Ye and Yun Qing'er materialized simultaneously.
Staring at the timid-looking girl, Jiang Ye's expression grew serious.
"Jiang Ye," Yun Qing'er whispered suddenly, "attack me with all your might. I won't retaliate."
Jiang Ye frowned, his gaze fixed on the frightened girl before him.
The weapon selection concluded.
Boom! Without hesitation, Jiang Ye unleashed his strongest spear strike, piercing toward Yun Qing'er.
Clang!
To everyone's surprise, Yun Qing'er, after blocking his initial strike, didn't display her usual ferocity. After barely a dozen ordinary exchanges, Jiang Ye's spear pierced her chest.
Jiang Ye wins!
"Huh?"
"What just happened?"
"Did Yun Qing'er deliberately lose to Jiang Ye?"
"That doesn't make sense. It's not like her fighting style at all," countless freshmen murmured in confusion.
Whoosh! Jiang Ye reappeared in the spectator stands.
He glanced at Yun Qing'er's direction, his face equally puzzled.
"Deliberately lost to me?" Jiang Ye mused. "Why would she do that?"
Did Yun Qing'er not want to compete for first place?
But there was no need to go this far, was there?
As the crowd remained bewildered, the second match for the championship began:
Shen Changxi versus Yun Qing'er.
This battle, too, defied all expectations.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! On the Cosmic Arena, Yun Qing'er transformed into a female tyrant once more, wielding a war hammer three times larger than her head and relentlessly smashing it down on Shen Changxi.
This time, even the usually composed Shen Changxi lost her composure.
Her slender feet darted across the arena, constantly shifting her position.
Yun Qing'er's assault was relentless, unleashing over a hundred hammer strikes per second, each blow capable of crushing a first breakthrough late stage strong.
Forced to her limit, Shen Changxi unleashed her full power.
"Crimson Moon Sword Art—Moonfall!"
A crimson moon-shaped blade, ten meters in diameter, erupted forth as she thrust her sword, descending upon Yun Qing'er with crushing force.
Boom!
The impact detonated like a meteor strike.
Rumble! A terrifying shockwave surged outward like a tidal wave, shaking the entire Cosmic Arena violently.
Pfft! Yun Qing'er's body shattered in the explosion, slowly dissolving into nothingness.
Shen Changxi wins!
"She's already mastered the third ultimate move of the Crimson Moon Sword Art?!"
"This girl's innate talent is truly terrifying!" In the Projection Space, the teachers' eyes widened in shock as they exclaimed in disbelief.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (𝗦𝗬𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗧) on the Site till Ch422. (266 Chapters Ahead)
💲Read upto Ch198 for ABSOLUTELY 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀! ℕ𝕠 𝕃𝕠𝕘𝕚𝕟
⚡15 Novels | 9.3k+ Chapters | 15.4M+ Words [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]