Chapter 107: The First Encounter with the Supreme Bone, Three-Eyed Yangjian

Old Tang saw that Qin Zhiyan’s breath had stabilized, stood up, waved to Jiang Ming, and then stepped outside. Jiang Ming watched quietly, patiently waiting. The breath gradually retracted.

Qin Zhiyan opened her eyes. Her appearance had always been sweet, but now she was even more stunning; her beauty flowed like waves, innocence tinged with a subtle allure.

“Congratulations!” Jiang Ming smiled.

“I didn’t expect to awaken directly,” Qin Zhiyan said with a hint of melancholy, taking a deep breath before smiling. “Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

She fixed her gaze on Jiang Ming and tilted her head slightly. “My perception is incredibly sharp now. The feeling you gave me was terrifying—as if a wild beast slumbers inside me, and once awakened, it will rule the world.”

A wild beast?

Indeed, there was one.

But for now, it lay dormant.

Jiang Ming was speechless and asked, “How do you feel?”

“Very good, extremely good. My physical body has been purified and strengthened greatly. The quality of my vital energy has risen a whole rank. My control over the powers of water and fire has become more exquisite. My realm has directly reached completion, and I’m not far from mastering water and fire perfectly. I faintly sense a hidden power within me, on the verge of awakening.”

“Is it your bloodline’s innate power?” Jiang Ming’s heart stirred involuntarily.

“Probably,” Qin Zhiyan hesitated. “Long Aotian has the True Dragon Battle Body, but compared to him, I inherited more of my mother’s bloodline. I should possess some unique abilities of the Scarlet Flame and Cold Ice Sparrow. But without guidance, I need to develop it little by little.”

“But…” Qin Zhiyan hesitated, conflicted, “Am I still human now?”

“Haha…” Jiang Ming laughed. “Brother Long also had such doubts. What did we say then? He was just a long worm. But you? You’re human—a beauty!”

“Brother Jiang…” Qin Zhiyan coquettishly chided, sending a thrilling shiver down Jiang Ming’s spine.

The two then opened their phones, contacted classmates, and watched the provincial entrance exams from other regions.

As expected, the number of geniuses far exceeded previous years.

Far more than before.

Jiang Ming glanced briefly, then sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

The upcoming grand exam—securing first place would be incredibly difficult.

The Great Wilderness Sacred Body, Supreme Bone, Three Eyes, Innate Dao Body…

That was just part of the picture.

What about those like Qin Zhiyan and Long Aotian, who possessed special bloodlines?

Or those who had comprehended terrifying inheritances and reached formidable realms?

“My killing techniques aren’t enough anymore!”

“The Three Immortal Swords need to be rederived!”

“I still need an ultimate technique to turn the tide against the wind!”

Jiang Ming immersed himself fully, dividing his mind—some fused into his body, some merged with the world—deriving secret methods and integrating forbidden arts.

Suddenly, Qin Zhiyan shivered and looked toward Jiang Ming in shock.

“The aura emitted is similar to that of Gun Jiu!”

“Piercing the realm?”

Qin Zhiyan was astonished, yet it also made sense.

“Brother Jiang truly is a peerless genius of the ages!”

She exclaimed softly, eyes warm with admiration.

Then she noticed ripples forming in the space around Jiang Ming, sensing a tremendous threat. She quickly stepped aside, shaking her head in resignation. “Even with the awakening of my maternal clan’s power, compared to Brother Jiang, the difference is worlds apart.”

From time to time, Jiang Ming’s body exuded a terrifying aura that shook Qin Zhiyan to her core.

Yet as time passed, his breath became increasingly faint, until finally it was indiscernible, inaudible, and invisible—calm and serene, blending into heaven and earth, becoming one with nature.

Old Tang did not return until the next day.

Jiang Ming opened his eyes.

“There was too little time—I only derived a handful of techniques,” he said, slightly dissatisfied.

Qin Zhiyan was speechless. She looked up at the vast sky, bit her lip, then turned to Jiang Ming and said softly, “Do you know you’re really asking for a beating?”

“Am I?” Jiang Ming rubbed his nose, eyes blank.

Qin Zhiyan rolled her eyes.

After experiencing two secret realms, he was still such a newbie?

Nonsense!

Nope, I have no balls!

Nonsense...

Ahem!

“I’ve gained something too!” Old Tang laughed. “Back in my day, I was just like you—improving daily, advancing nightly. I was called a prodigy, ranking third in the sea of candidates of the third province, and eventually broke into the top five in the grand exam. But as time passed, that talent gradually faded. Now I simply guard this small patch of land. Old, truly old.”

“Old Tang, with your cultivation, you might not live hundreds of years, but a century or two is quite stable. By that reckoning, you’re still young!” Jiang Ming teased.

“Haha, you young man with your sweet talk—you must be good at charming girls,” Old Tang laughed heartily. “Come on, let’s have breakfast, then head to the provincial capital to gather for the Tianwu Sacred Academy.”

“Old Tang, I want to enter the secret realm world again to meditate,” Jiang Ming said. “I once thought securing first place in the grand exam was almost certain, but now, I have no confidence. It’s only an hour there and back; time’s enough. Can I borrow the Wanji Tower here?”

“Any Wanji Tower can be borrowed, but…” Old Tang shook his head. “During the provincial exams, the world secret realms are sealed.”

“Sealed?”

“Yes! Once, during a year of abundant geniuses and generous rewards, after the provincial exams, many flooded the secret realm to push for top rankings. A special world appeared, and the casualties were heavy, shaking the entire federation.” Old Tang explained. “Since then, all secret realms have been temporarily closed from the start of the provincial exams until the grand exam ends.”

“I see. What a pity!” Jiang Ming sighed, then asked, “I entered the secret realm twice. The first time was completely new, with no descendents appearing; the second time had descendents, but a century apart. I want to know, are secret realms independent, or are there countless copies?”

This had always puzzled him.

If independent, how many worlds are there?

If copies...

Jiang Ming’s thoughts grew complicated.

Qin Zhiyan glanced at him, curled her lips, muttering, "Men are all big pigs’ feet."

“They are both independent and copies!” Old Tang smiled oddly. He scooped a sphere of water, from which several streams branched out, splitting again and again into countless tiny tributaries.

“Understand now?” Old Tang asked.

“Got it!” Jiang Ming exclaimed. “Each secret realm world is initially unique. When the first descendent arrives, it evolves in one direction; if no descendent arrives, it extends according to a preset path. Each new descendent spawns a world evolving forward through time. Over time, the secret realms multiply.”

“Exactly!” Old Tang nodded. “Two seemingly identical secret realms can be completely different. Even with the same background, they’ll have different characters, different dynasties, and ultimately diverge entirely. I don’t know the origin of secret realms exactly, but it’s speculated they start with many sources, evolving into myriad worlds. Also, if someone in a secret realm breaks the bonds of fate, shatters the void, and ascends, they achieve their true self. The true self is unique—this is speculation, but probably true.”

“Many sources, evolving into endless worlds.” Though he had expected it, Jiang Ming still gasped. “Shattering the void, turning illusion into reality, true self unique—what terrifying power must that be?”

He was genuinely astonished.

Qin Zhiyan was equally shaken.

“So, the more you know, the smaller you feel. Even now, with some achievements, I still feel like a mere speck in the vast ocean—utterly insignificant,” Old Tang said with his hands behind his back, looking up in awe. “The battlefield of myriad worlds, countless races, all heavens, the cosmic starry sky—you can imagine how immense the firmament above is, yet we struggle on a single planet, unable to break free into space, let alone traverse the star seas.”

“So, young one, the universe is above your head, but the path lies beneath your feet. Work hard!” Old Tang smiled. “Step by step, eventually you will measure the cosmos.”

“I walk step by step, until the end of time, only to return to the starting point!”

“Haha, you brat!”

After breakfast, they arrived at the provincial capital.

Even after just one night apart, their reunion felt warm.

The team to Tianwu Sacred Academy was still led by Instructor Yu.

Old Tang, as Vice President of Zhongtian Divine Martial University, was qualified to accompany them, but other family members were not.

On the warship, even with Instructor Yu nearby, the group felt no awkwardness.

“Xiao Long, did you ask? Are you a dragon or a worm?” Lan Xin teased.

“Of course a dragon!” Long Aotian answered confidently.

“So you’re not human!” Jiang Ming suddenly exclaimed, then shouted, “Monster! Show your true form already!”

Long Aotian’s expression turned awkward.

Lan Xin and the others burst out laughing.

Jiang Ming opened his phone and looked at the class group chat. Wow, messages flew by rapidly.

Liu Yi: “Latest news, Jiang Ming has boarded the grand exam’s warship. Warship for the grand exam—my hopes are gone for life.”

Yin Xinchao: “No worries. Have a hundred or eighty kids, one will be a genius to replace you.”

Ma Chao: “Haha, that works!”

Wang Fatty: “Be careful if Jiang Ming and the class monitor show up—one slap each and everything’s dust.”

Liu Yi: “Shivering here!”

Liu Yi: “Jiang Ming, good luck! Blessings for 36 hours straight.”

Wang Chuan: “Wow, others are 24 hours, you get an extra half day.”

Wang Fatty: “Time reversal! A hidden boss among ordinary people. Worship!”

Liu Yi: “Worship!”

Han Li: “Worship!”

Liu Xin: “Jiang Ming, Zhiyan, are you there? What’s the Sacred Academy like? Photos, please!”

Jiang Ming: “Still on the warship.”

Qin Zhiyan: “Hehe, will show photos when we arrive!”

Wang Fatty: “Wow, two gods appearing!”

Han Li: “Big shots are here, hold tight!”

Wang Fatty: “Bad images forming in my head.”

Liu Yi: “Same here, bad images, dog head!”

Yin Xinchao: “Bad images too, one thigh each, dog head!”

…

Jiang Ming smiled, then privately messaged Wang Fatty: “How’s it going?”

Wang Fatty: “Hehe, we’re amazing now. Using your name as desk mate and buddy, free all-in-one service every day, changing daily—feels great. Xiao Mingzi, my brother, work hard! For our future happy desk mate life, fight for first place, and then we can play for free all over the city, maybe even go to the provincial capital to have fun.”

Jiang Ming: “Cut it out, talk business!”

Wang Fatty: “Good, very good! I’m eating like crazy but not gaining weight, my strength is soaring. I think within half a year I’ll reach the third stage of martial cultivation.”

Jiang Ming: “Good. Once at university, report your powers to get more resources.”

Wang Fatty: “Got it! Xiao Mingzi, keep it up! My future happiness depends on you!”

Jiang Ming: “Ha, I just conceived a curse—want to try making your spear always stand upright?”

Wang Fatty: “Damn, you’re ruthless!”

After chatting, they turned off their phones.

Instructor Yu clapped, drawing their attention. He began, “Let me explain the grand exam rules. All candidates, from provinces or latecomer geniuses alike, will go through initial screening. Ten will be selected as seeded players, directly entering finals. Then eighty enter semi-finals. The remaining will compete to select the strongest ten to join the eighty, forming a ninety-person rotating team. The top ten scorers will battle the seeds!”

“The entire event lasts twenty-two days!”

“Day one selects seeded players and ranks them.”

“Day two, after the ninety-player selection, ten more are added to semi-finals.”

“Day three, the semi-finals select the strongest ten!”

“From day four onward, only one battle arena exists. Each person fights once per day. That means ten battles a day, for nineteen days!”

“The time is generous. For you, this is a rare chance to broaden your horizons and a tremendous opportunity to hone yourselves. Seize it—you may gain greatly!”

“This is even better than experiencing one or two secret realms!”

“Making finals grants huge rewards—truly a heaven-defying chance. Even the top hundred receive great benefits.”

“I heard the rewards this time far surpass previous years.”

“Good luck!”

Instructor Yu shared all he knew, not forgetting encouragement.

Long Aotian’s heart stirred but he remained silent.

Making finals?

Twenty spots might seem many, but spread across 108 provinces, countless cave heaven secret realms, and myriad battlefields, it was a mere handful.

“Let’s aim for the top hundred!” Lan Xin was modest.

“Twenty spots?” Gun Jiu glanced at Jiang Ming, then Long Aotian, his lips twitching. Grinding his teeth, a fierce light appeared. “Then we fight for it. My spear path is no weaker than anyone’s!”

Jiang Ming looked to Instructor Yu. “What’s the strongest cultivation among the grand exam students? Any at the Celestial Phenomenon realm?”

“No!” Instructor Yu shook his head. “Those who enter the grand exam generally have good backgrounds and are brilliant. They don’t choose shortcuts but self-cultivate steadily, step by step, building a solid foundation for a better future.”

“But five stages of martial cultivation can’t be quickly surpassed. It’s a huge barrier!”

“Three hundred sixty-five acupoints—opening them one by one, filling with vital energy—how long does it take?”

“In soul cultivation, stage six is also a threshold; soul realms are hard to comprehend.”

“As for body refining?” Instructor Yu hesitated. “Normally, it’s even harder—each step is a new realm, a new trial, a new limit. But with the Great Wilderness Sacred Body or Supreme Bone, it’s unpredictable.”

Jiang Ming’s heart sank.

Before long, the warship shuddered and landed.

One by one, they disembarked.

What a sight.

Beneath their feet was a vast platform, from which they could see mountain ranges layered in all directions. It was clear the peaks had been sliced in half to form this plateau.

Many warships had already landed, but after disembarking, they immediately took off again, freeing the space.

Ships landed and took off, busy nonstop.

Jiang Ming sensed something and turned to see a young boy stepping off a warship.

Very young, yet exuding an air of dignity.

A gentle smile graced his face.

“Supreme Bone!” Jiang Ming looked at the boy’s chest, sensing an incredibly terrifying power within.

The boy noticed Jiang Ming’s gaze and nodded lightly.

Jiang Ming nodded back.

Then the boy looked elsewhere and called out, “Yang Jian!”

“Little Stone, you really came.”

The other boy had a vertical mark on his brow—the third eye, closed. His voice was mature and firm, but he strode forward with long strides, covering over a hundred meters in just two or three steps.

Clearly, they knew each other well.

“Three-Eyed Yang Jian?”

Jiang Ming smirked.

If his eyes glowed red, that would be eerie; if he wielded the Trident Blade, he might be an enforcer god.

The second chapter approaches nearly five thousand words.

Dear reader, I humbly ask for your support!

(End of chapter)