Chapter Seventy-Six: At Last, A Day to Shatter the Azure Heavens

The night was silent—so silent, it was almost frightening. In the stillness, memories crept in, and many of them were ones Ke Bei would rather not remember. With a heart weighed down by inexplicable heaviness, he wandered aimlessly to the top floor of the villa.

Lying on the cold rooftop, Ke Bei used his arms as a pillow, gazing quietly at the night sky. The night breeze brushed against him, tinged with a slight chill, and he simply lay there, letting his thoughts drift.

There were still two days before the journey to the Sky-Piercing Tower. In these two days, Ke Bei had not ceased his cultivation. In just a few short months, he had learned a fundamental truth: strength is the foundation of everything.

If he were strong enough, many troubles would vanish before him, resolved with ease. When he stood at the very pinnacle of humanity, what difficulty would there be in freeing Han Lingyue? What challenge would there be in finding his bearded father? And if he surpassed all of humanity and reached an unprecedented height, then, as he overlooked the world, even resurrecting Li Qianqian might not be impossible.

Bringing the dead back to life sounded like pure fantasy, but deep in Ke Bei’s heart, there was a faint hope—hope that his strength would become so great that all would look up to him, so great that he could pierce the very sky above, so great that he could defy fate itself.

The fact that others had failed did not mean he would as well.

Ke Bei dared to dream not out of delusion. Since the mysterious system existed, what was truly impossible? If some unfathomable being had created such a system, then when he reached that same lofty realm, why should resurrecting Li Qianqian be beyond him?

He did not know how high that realm truly was. But since it existed, he was determined to reach it.

Absolutely determined.

Two simple words, but they carried all of Ke Bei’s resolute spirit.

How difficult was it to reach the heights of imagination, to shatter the very heavens? Ke Bei did not know, yet he believed that as long as he pressed forward, step by step, one day he would break through the sky itself.

“Qianqian, what I owe you in this life, I will repay in this life. The next life is too uncertain… I don’t want to wait that long. Believe me, one day, I will break through the sky and stand before you once more!”

He gazed at the night sky, murmuring softly, his quiet words carrying a determination that could not be shaken by any force in the world.

Taking a deep breath of the cool night air, Ke Bei slowly stood up.

“What’s the use of thinking so much?”

He smiled wryly, shaking his head. To reach that dreamlike, elusive realm was easier said than done.

“To step onto the sky is hard… to break through it is even harder!”

“Let’s begin cultivation.”

Glancing once more at the sky above, Ke Bei sat cross-legged and began silently practicing the Energy Nurturing Art.

For the next two days, he made use of every moment to cultivate. When he tired of practicing the Energy Nurturing Art, he would pause to study the Ninefold Thunder Slash. When that wore him out, he would return to cultivation again.

At dawn, Luo Ling arrived at Ke Bei’s door, her steps light and urgent. The thought of going to the Sky-Piercing Tower with Ke Bei filled her with excitement she could hardly contain. She had already been restless for two days, and now, before the sun had even risen, she couldn’t wait any longer.

At Luo Ling’s urging, Ke Bei changed into the brand-new, jet-black battle suit she had brought him, washed up, and only when Luo Ling was satisfied with his appearance did they finally leave the room, heading toward the pavilion beside Azure Dragon Bridge—the gathering point.

When they arrived, many others were already waiting by the pavilion. As soon as Ke Bei and Luo Ling appeared, all eyes turned toward them.

The trainees of the Genius Training Camp typically wore standard silver battle uniforms. These suits could withstand several attacks from advanced divine beings, their defense more than sufficient, and since they were provided for free, few saw any reason to purchase alternatives. That money was better spent on quality weapons or valuable manuals.

So when Ke Bei and Luo Ling appeared in identical black battle suits, everyone’s initial surprise quickly turned into shock as they drew closer and the crowd recognized the suits.

What the two wore were not ordinary uniforms, but the very top-tier Phantom Series battle suits. Even most warriors at the level of Battle God would struggle to tear them apart. Their defense was astounding, and their price so high that most geniuses could only dream of owning one.

“How extravagant!”

“My God, if I’m not mistaken, those are the top Phantom Series suits—each one costs at least thirty million crystal coins, and you can’t even buy them easily!”

“Thirty million… damn, if I had that money…”

The geniuses in their silver uniforms stared heatedly at Ke Bei and Luo Ling, swallowing hard as they whispered among themselves.

Feeling all those eyes upon him, Ke Bei was a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head and glanced at his black battle suit. Finding nothing out of place, he took a quiet breath and walked over to the group.

In contrast, Luo Ling was calm, smiling slightly as she watched Ke Bei’s discomfort.

After Ke Bei and Luo Ling arrived, it wasn’t long before those ranked thirtieth to sixtieth on the Azure Dragon Board had all assembled. Thirty top geniuses, plus Luo Ling, made thirty-one in total.

“Let’s move out.”

Ke Bei waited a moment for everyone to gather, then spoke in a low, steady voice. Ordinarily, the highest-ranked among them—Zhao Gang—would have led the team. But now, with Ke Bei taking his place, he became the leader by default. Such was the unspoken rule of the Genius Training Camp: the top-ranked always led group actions.

Ke Bei hadn’t known this at first—it was only when Luo Ling whispered the rule to him that he realized. Whether he liked it or not, he could only accept the temporary role.

Those who had been at the camp for some time were well aware of these customs. Since leading the team conferred no real power, only the responsibility of setting an example, no one objected. With Ke Bei’s command, they set off across Azure Dragon Bridge toward Moonwatch Lake.

Of the thirty-one, apart from Ke Bei and Luo Ling, nearly all were upper-level transcendents, their strength ensuring a swift journey. In less than two days, they reached Moonwatch Lake.

There, suspended above the lake and covering nearly a third of its vast surface, loomed a massive black tower. At its peak, three ancient characters glimmered with golden light: “Sky-Piercing Tower.” Ke Bei drew in a deep breath.

“Sky-Piercing Tower, I, Ke Bei, have come!”

Ps: I owe everyone an apology. Yesterday, after finishing the update, I meant to write an extra chapter, but I ended up stuck. It’s my own fault—I’m not asking for sympathy, just venting. At three in the morning, I’d only written eight hundred words. I don’t remember when I finished; I finally gave in and slept for a while, though I forgot for how long. This chapter, just two thousand words, is the result of an all-night effort. I hope you enjoy it.

Today, the book is getting a strong recommendation, and I didn’t want to let you down. Even after pushing myself all night, I only managed this one chapter. I’m deeply grateful for all your support. Now, I’m about to collapse—time for some sleep. The next chapter may be a bit late.

There will definitely be two chapters a day, even if they're a bit short—around two thousand words each. Please give me a little more time. Time is a precious thing; it proves everything. Just watch—this writer will rise, and I’ll pick up the pace! I promise!