Chapter 26: Earth-Shattering!
On the training grounds, Jian Wushuang stood beneath the gaze of ten thousand eyes.
"I heard that a month ago, Jian Wushuang had already reached the peak of the sixth layer of the Spirit Path. I wonder if his spiritual power has reached the seventh layer now?"
"The seventh layer in just one month? What a joke!"
"In my opinion, he's probably still lingering at the peak of the sixth layer. That cultivation level would actually be considered decent among all the disciples in this contest, but compared to Jian Meng'er, it's heaven and earth apart."
"If he hasn't even reached the seventh layer, yet still wants to challenge Jian Meng'er today, then he's simply a fool. Even if he luckily did reach the seventh layer, challenging Jian Meng'er, who stands at the peak of great completion of the Sea Formation stage, would still be nothing but inviting humiliation."
Many disciples of the Jian Marquis Manor were quietly discussing among themselves.
On the arena platform, Jian Wushuang's footsteps finally came to a halt directly in front of the spiritual power crystal. He raised his head and gazed at the crystal before him, then drew a deep breath.
"Two months of bitter cultivation..." Jian Wushuang recalled how, over these two months, he had scarcely allowed himself the slightest slack in his training.
In his cultivation chamber, staring down that massive pressure, the madness of relentlessly squeezing and tormenting himself.
In the life-and-death combat arena, risking everything to take on challenges above his level, all for a single batch of first-grade Spirit-Nurturing Pills.
In Nine Wolves Mountain, battling the Blood Lion Beast, absorbing and devouring the Innate Spirit Liquid in that pool with everything he had.
Two months of near-madness—and now was the moment he would show everyone what those two months of cultivation had amounted to.
"No one believes in me. They all think that my challenging Jian Meng'er today is a fool's dream. In that case, all of you had better open your eyes wide and watch closely." A trace of burning intensity flashed through Jian Wushuang's eyes. He then extended his palm and pressed it against the spiritual power crystal. The Great Heaven Creation Art began to circulate, and surging spiritual power erupted endlessly from within his body.
Hum~~
A dazzling purple light burst forth from the spiritual power crystal almost instantly.
The spiritual power crystal had ten layers. From the first to the sixth layer, the moment Jian Wushuang's spiritual power flowed into the crystal, they lit up immediately. And right after that, the seventh layer—the one representing the seventh layer of the Spirit Path—likewise erupted with dazzling purple light.
"The seventh layer is lit!"
"The seventh layer of the Spirit Path?"
"He actually reached it?"
Gasps of shock rippled across the training grounds. And within the crowd, one face had turned deathly pale—that face belonged to Jian Lin. He had also broken through to the seventh layer of the Spirit Path this time, and had thought he had caught up to Jian Wushuang. But now...
One had to understand, under the infusion of Jian Wushuang's spiritual power, the purple light erupting from the seventh layer of the crystal was incredibly brilliant!
Moreover, it still had not stopped.
After the seventh layer's purple light lit up, the eighth layer immediately burst forth with dazzling light as well.
"The eighth layer?" Jian Lin's eyes went wide.
On the spiritual power crystal, the eighth layer—representing the minor completion of the Sea Formation stage—had lit up, and it was still an incomparably brilliant purple light. And that purple light was still slowly extending, creeping toward the ninth layer.
"Just as I thought—this crystal tests spiritual power based on its strength. Although I haven't truly formed my sea yet, the Great Heaven Creation Art I cultivate has reached the peak of the eighth heaven of the Divine Path, which is equivalent to the peak of minor completion of the Sea Formation stage for an ordinary cultivator. And the Great Heaven Creation Art's power far surpasses those of the same tier. This ninth layer..." Light exploded in Jian Wushuang's eyes, and he suddenly let out a thunderous shout.
"Light up for me!"
Hum~~
On the ninth layer of the spiritual power crystal, a wave of purple light abruptly rose into being at this very moment.
The ninth layer—representing the great completion of the Sea Formation stage—had lit up!
"Impossible!"
In the spectator stands, Jian Lan was the first to roar. At this moment, there was not the slightest trace of smugness left on his face—only madness twisted to the extreme.
"Jian Lan, didn't you just say that this kid hadn't even condensed any spiritual power two months ago?" Situ Qingyue looked directly at Jian Lan.
"I, I..." Jian Lan was at a loss for words.
"The ninth layer? How is this possible?" Jian Xinhong's eyes had gone perfectly round as well.
"Great completion of the Sea Formation!"
"He actually reached great completion of the Sea Formation? How is this possible?"
"It's fake, it's fake, this is absolutely impossible. Two months ago, he hadn't even condensed a trace of spiritual power!"
Madness!
The entire training grounds had descended into complete and utter madness!
"The ninth layer?"
Jian Meng'er's peerlessly beautiful face, which had maintained its cold arrogance from the very beginning of the contest until now, finally changed at this moment. An unprecedented terror surfaced upon her features.
Terror!
Yes, even Jian Meng'er had been shaken!
One had to understand—she was a monster of talent rarely seen in the Jian Marquis Manor in a hundred years. She had begun cultivating at the age of twelve, and four years later, she had reached the peak of great completion of the Sea Formation stage. Such an achievement was undoubtedly stunning. But what about Jian Wushuang before her?
Everyone knew that Jian Wushuang had once been a trash who could not condense spiritual power.
Everyone knew that two months ago, Jian Wushuang had still been nothing more than an ordinary person without a single wisp of spiritual power.
Everyone had believed that Jian Wushuang's declaration—that he would challenge her before everyone's eyes, two months from that day—was a colossal joke.
But now, the instant they saw the ninth layer of the spiritual power crystal—representing great completion of the Sea Formation—light up atop the platform, who would still dare call Jian Wushuang a joke?
Who would still dare say Jian Wushuang had no right to challenge her?
If Jian Wushuang's earth-shattering display of executing the eleventh stance of the Layered Wave Sword Art during the first round of martial technique demonstrations had merely made people feel a touch of pity for him, then now, as he laid bare his spiritual cultivation before everyone's eyes—that was what truly shattered the world!
"A monster!"
"A freak!"
These two words surfaced in everyone's hearts.
Jian Meng'er had begun cultivating at twelve and reached the peak of great completion of the Sea Formation stage at sixteen—already a super genius rarely seen in a century. And Jian Wushuang, who had gone from an ordinary person to great completion of the Sea Formation stage in a mere two months—if he wasn't a freak, then what was he?
At this moment, this freak in everyone's eyes slowly withdrew his palm. His jet-black eyes carried a trace of disdainful pride, sweeping across all directions as if looking down upon the world.
Below the platform, the large crowd of Jian Marquis Manor disciples were swept over, one by one, by Jian Wushuang's gaze. Every disciple whose eyes met his involuntarily lowered their heads.
Across the entire training grounds, only one person still held a trace of stubborn defiance, daring to meet Jian Wushuang's gaze head-on.
That person was Jian Meng'er.
Jian Wushuang's gaze ultimately came to rest on Jian Meng'er. Without a single word needed, in this moment, the fighting spirit in both their hearts had soared to its absolute peak.
"Jian Meng'er, get up here!"
A cold, clear bellow erupted suddenly from Jian Wushuang's mouth like a thunderclap on a clear day, resounding through heaven and earth.
In an instant, the entire training grounds boiled over completely.
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